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Don't have a keyboard in my phone, and cannot install a new one with ADB either
I had a keyboard in my phone (Google Keyboard), which, when I somehow installed yesterday, didn't give me the option of moving it to the SD card. Today, for some reason it gave me the option to move it to the SD card, so I did. And now I can't use it at all. This is because the "Languages and Input" sub-menu crashes when I try to enable the keyboard app too, but this has been going on since forever.
I've tried to uninstall it probably a dozen times (using both ADB commands the phone interface) and re-install it, used the following methods to forcibly install it (via ADB):
https://android.stackexchange.com/a/133775/150206
https://android.stackexchange.com/a/136545/150206
but nothing. When I use the "adb shell settings put secure default_input_method "ID"" command it does nothing at all (does not even give a response in the command prompt), and when I use the "adb shell ime enable ID" command it doesn't work either (it says 'error:unknown id:null').
What do I do?

Backup your data and do a factory reset

Why would one want to move the gboard (keyboard app) to an external memory card?

Never mind, it was just a stupid move from my side. The error: unknown id: null message it was displaying, was there because I didn't put the whole mID into the adb shell settings put secure default_input_method "ID" command. I only put the half piece of the mID (only until the /). Anyway, now that I copied the full mID onto the command, it works again.

So you should accept your own answer.


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Strange icons artefact on app launcher
I have QMobile Noir LT250 running Android KitKat. As you can see on the image, two applications have strange icons. I have uninstalled one app and reinstalled it again, but it didn't solve it.
I have one option that I can perform a factory reset to solve it, but I don't want to do it.
Any suggestions?

Click to enlarge screenshot

just try to clear cache.

You mean clear cache by antivirus?i have performed that many times.

no. by using recovery options

What kind of recovery?Explain little bit.

Which phone you're using?

Q mobile LT 250(android kit kat).

N.B : Back up before any operations . http://nmafzal.com/2013/07/18/how-to-factory-reset-your-android-q-mobile-if-touch-screen-is-broken-or-not-working/  You not requested to remove SIM and and SD card. Power off and power on by pressing Volume up + Power button. it will power on in recovery mode,   Inside this you can see a menu option called "wipe cache partition". Select it.

I have tried but it does not work,i think my phone has not this option(power off,again power on+volume up button).Unfortunately one more app added with same issue when i power on again.Now total three apps have strange artefact.Now ?

Try this : uninstall app, the goto internal storage(where app installed, commonly on internal SD). You can find a folder named apps ( path : /internal storage/apps ), which contains several app icon png files, try to delete it and reinstall app. OR  just try to install any other launcher application..

I have searched,i found a folder named as app but it did not contain .png files it contained .apk files.But finally peoblem has fixed by installing launcher(lollipop). Thanks Rahul.But there should be a way to fix this in previous launcher.I don't know how this problem occured.

Go to Settings -> Apps -> All apps -> that launcher app -> Force stop -> Clear data. Now switch to that launcher app and see if the app drawer still contains those icons.

It didn't work.

I have just installed Marshmallow launcher to get rid of that artefact. On the new launcher, the interface was new, no artefact. However, the artefact was still there on the stock launcher. Whenever I go to that launcher, that artefact was there.
Then after a few days, I just unintentionally go to stock launcher, then you know what, there was no artefact, the problem was solved!
Recently I have just found a way to get to the recovery option in my mobile. If I will ever face that artefact problem, then I will try to clean cache to see it solves or not as some of you said me to do this. Thanks guys!

source: Stack Exchange

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

sort: votes


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App data sync service
Which service is responsible for syncing app data? On my phone (KitKat) it doesn't sync any more. The error is:
"Sync is currently experiencing problems. It will be back shortly."
Last sync was on 3 months ago. Other synchronized items (contacts, calendar, gmail, chrome) are still working. I tried to remove Google account and add it again, but it didn't help.
I know that restoring factory defaults fixes similar issues, but it's not the right solution since we do not know the root cause of the problem.

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


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Markdown and email
Do you know of a way to add hyperlinks, use italics or bold faces, add mathematical formulæ and do all this kind of fancy stuff to write an email on an Android phone?
I know there are apps such as MarkdownX that let you write documents with all those proprieties or export them in various formats but this is not what I'm looking for: I'd like to write an email just as I'm doing now while writing this question, without attaching any file.
Yes, I know that I could just connect with a PC and write the message using some web browser extensions, but I'd like to do all the work using my phone.

As for the text editing part, Gmail's new update (February 24th, 2016) has partially provided a solution: it is now possible to give the desired emphasis to your own email adding bold, italic, underlined, coloured or highlighted words just using Gmail for mobile.
(Click image to enlarge)


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Firefox / uBlock Origin only showing camera / image apps when clicking on a file upload button
I'm looking to import my uBlock Origin settings from my desktop PC, which is in a text file, to uBlock Origin in Firefox for Android.
The issue is: When I click on the 'Restore from file...' button on uBlock Origin in Firefox Android, I only get prompted to choose between camera / image apps:

In a Windows PC, clicking on that button will open up an Explorer window allowing you to select a text file to import. I can't import a text file with any of the above apps  shown. Is there an app I should install to allow this? How should I configure it?
Details: I have Google Drive and ES File Explorer installed. This is on Android 4.4.2, Firefox for Android 44.0, uBlock Origin 1.5.5.

Not sure if this help, but do you have Google Drive installed? Otherwise, I suspect this is a bug on uBlock Origin: it seems the file type (or MIME type) is set to image/* for unknown reason.

@AndrewT. Yes, I also have Google Drive installed.

@AndrewT. The file type is set to text/plain, see source code. I need to investigate why this happens.

@beeshyams Could you add that as an answer so I could accept it? That made it work for me. After I installed App Picker Classic, I could then select it as the file upload app and then choose another app that could upload the file.

As confirmed by OP this app resolved the problem App Picker Classic. From app description

If you have app choices that are currently hidden - maybe you chose "Always" by accident once, but you'd like to be able to reinstate the app and choose each time - then reset these by clearing the defaults in the application manager of your phone/tablet.

In addition, this app permits working with some app intents and resolves common URLs. One needs to install the app, reset defaults and enable required app.
Note
Despite the app being not updated for last two years, it even works with Marshmallow, as can be seen from @Arlinds answer here - which was a surprise to me, and the reason for remembering it !

I'd like to add here that in my case, I didn't even have to clear the defaults through App Picker Classic. I just had to install it and then it was shown as a choice in the file upload app.


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How to display JavaScript console on Chrome (or a different browser)?
I want to quickly try some JavaScript code on an Android phone.
I cannot find how to open the console or something similar on either Chrome or the default browser. about:debug doesn't do anything, and I don't want "remote debugging".
I can download another app if necessary (but I don't want to root my device).

Related for Chrome: Chrome's Development Tools on Android

Hm. It's not possible even in other browsers I tried (firefox, opera).

about:debug has to be entered on the same page that you want to debug, in case you missed it: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/2314886/how-can-i-debug-javascript-on-android#7750683

That feature seems to be unavailable for all major Android browsers.
You could try Opera Mini instead:

Reset the console output by opening a new tab with the address debug:resetconsole

Open a tab on the page on which you want to do the inspection:

Run JavaScript code on the page by replacing the address in the address bar with the following address javascript:var%20n%3Ddocument.firstChild%3Bwhile%28n%20%26%26%20n.nodeType%21%3DNode.ELEMENT_NODE%29%20n%3Dn.nextSibling%3Bconsole.log%28n.outerHTML%29%3B

Retrieve the output by opening a new tab with the address debug:console

You can use Kiwi Browser. It is the only one that has debug mode built in, plus extension support on mobile.

If you are willing to root the device (Alternatively, you can try the non-root solution LSPatch) and install an Xposed Framework, then you can use my Xposed module ChromeXt.
It supports showing the console with Eruda Console and with DevTools. See screenshots of both of them respectively:

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


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whenever I attempt to update or install an app I get and error
I have been trying to update apps and install games for a month. I have looked all over for help. I was told to turn phone off and then back on and go to step two which didn't work.
The problem I'm having is that if I try to download or update any app I get this error message:
error retrieving information from server. [RPC:S-7:AEC-7 UTCK-S4PR-HINNC]

Your question is not clear. Is installation failing from play store? Can you provide a screen shot and what is step two? Please edit your question and before that search if a similar question had been posted that may help

Also add your device , OS and play store version

Please read again and post all relevant details in the question by editing. Have you searched as advised, if a similar question had been posted (which I am pretty sure has been asked earlier)

Related: Error while buying apps in Google Play store in Android Jelly Bean (RPC:S-7:AEC-0; several more of those at SO). How-to on the exact error at Youtube, and more to find with a simple Google search – so obviously you haven't "looked all over" ;)

And here's the question @beeshyams was referring to: Ridiculous error on all google play store Using CM 10.1.3 ([RPC:S-7:AEC-7 QNHM-TYSO-UNVHY]; error codes list in our google-play-store tag-wiki updated).

Just a heads up. I read this little post on XDA and another user's resolution was:

-Go to Settings->Applications->Manage Applications->All
  -Select "Clear Data" for Google Play Services and Google Service Framework
  -Reboot the device

This would be a good first start. I did some more digging (as I am unable to recreate the fault) and found it also appears necessary to remove your Google Account and re-add it to your device, so this may also be a good shot.
If this is a dire circumstance (and you cannot format your phone or perform a system update), you can enable unknown sources and find the APK you need - this should install.
Lastly, here is a nice little video to help demonstrate what you need to do.


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Home Key pressed when not even touching it?
I've been going insane since yesterday. When typing or selecting things on the bottom half of the screen, every so often the app I'm on erratically closes because the home key thinks it was pressed. I removed my scratched screen protector, but all that accomplished was the problem being more consistent.
I found that when ever I press/swipe my finger within 5-10mm above the home key, it activates and I'm back on the home screen. It's especially bad when my finger slows down, so I guess it stops registering the swipe and thinks I tapped.
Anyone having this problem on Android? Or do you think my phone is giving up the ghost? I tried booting in Safe Mode, still same problem.
Phone: Sony Xperia E4g
Android version: 4.4.4

Does this device have a hardware or on screen home button? I'm assuming on screen, but this site isn't about assumptions.

The home button is on screen

If you have older firmware than 25.0.A.2.14 it's probably a software issue (check that link: multitouch bug xperia e4g Otherwise it's probably broken screen or another unknown software bug.. :(


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How can I view history of application updates/installations?
I erroneously updated an application in the Google Play store. The update appears to have deprecated some features and I'd like to revert back (e.g. sideload the APK) of the previous working version. Unfortunately I have no idea what version it was and it would be an exhausting task to determine it through trial and error. Is there any log or history of previously installed application versions? I'm on a custom ASOP 4.4.2 ROM with root access, Xposed framework, adb, and all the normal tools of the trade. Is there any way to definitively resolve this?

Possible duplicate of Where can I find out when I installed an app?

Answer by Firelord in above question, I am certain will answer

From what I can tell, dumpsys package PKG_NAME displays the last update time and currently installed version. It doesn't list the previously installed versions. I'll tear into the sqlite DB's referenced in the aforementioned answer as well, but it doesn't look promising.

Which app is it? // See if /data/system/uiderrors.txt contains entries for your app. If not, then you'll have to go with trial and error. Between the firstInstallTime in your device and last update time of the app in Play Store, find the versions available on third-party websites and try them. It would be a pain if the app was frequently updated.
From this time on, make a log of the current version and the updated version of an app to avoid getting into this situation again.

It's the Youtube app. The last update removed the ability to fast-forward/rewind so I'm trying to revert it. There was nothing recent in uiderrors.txt. I've tested quite a few versions between my last backup and the most recent update to no avail. Unfort in this case the YT app is one of those that gets frequent updates.


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Change system app permissions through ADB
I'm new in the Android world and have my first problem. I tried to change the default launcher on my Android TV stick (MK808B, Android 4.4).
I have set the permissions with ES File Explorer to read and write on the old launcher to back it up, and then copy the new one to replace the old one. After that, I pushed the Home button to start the new launcher, but all I get is a black screen with the upper control elements.
I think I have to set the permissions to the new launcher, but I'm having a black screen now. ADB works, but I don't know how to set the permissions to my launcher.apk or to read out the name of the app to change chmod.
How do I get this Launcher running?

To revoke the camera permission
$ adb shell pm revoke <package name>  android.permission.CAMERA

To grant the camera permission
$ adb shell pm grant <package name>  android.permission.CAMERA

Is there any reason why it is the camera permission specifically? Or is this just an example to grant/revoke permission using ADB?

I have managed it. I only use
adb shell am start -n com.estrongs.android.pop/.view.FileExplorerActivity

to start my explorer app.
Now I was able to do it with my default UI.

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


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From Visual Studio/Eclipse/IntelliJ to my Android phone - when is the build done?
Is there maybe an easy way to have my Visual Studio/Eclipse/IntelliJ "Build Successful" console output trigger a push notification to my Android phone?
Sometimes it fails in less than a minute, sometimes it requires around 15 minutes to build everything, so I'd be pretty relaxed to know I can rely on a notification instead of checking every now and again.
Thanks in advance

Maybe an extension. I might be able to program one and you can if you know C#

@SuiciDoga thanks for your comment, it helped me realize that I would also need this for more IDEs, like Eclipse and IntelliJ. Edited question. I am working in Eclipse and I use some C++ code via JNI in Visual Studio too, and currently transitioning from Eclipse to IntelliJ. Cheers

@SuiciDoga heard that one could use an OCR app that reads the screen (and hence can be adapted to receive a certain piece of text) I wonder if one exists, that I'd be able to trust installing on my PC. Maybe there are some open-source versions of that?

@usee85190 Best is to learn some programming

I think ide extension is a more simple way

Can anyone explain how this question is relevant to an end-user?

@Firelord the end user would stop waiting for a build to finish

Those tools mentioned in the question, they are meant for developers. An end-user doesn't use them. My point: how this question would serve an end-user of Android?

Certain end users are programmers

I do not want to program anything, genuinely asking for an end user option...

@Firelord if I put this on stackoverflow, for instance, all I will get is answers like "Go program it". I hope this is ok :)

This can be done in two ways:
Application Suggestion
There are applications that will show a notification on your computer from your phone, for example, Pushbullet and Desktop Notification from hciLab
To obtain a notification, you may use an Antivirus or Cleaning/Maintanence Applications which gives a notification about scanning the app once it is installed.
Configuring Pushbullet on your PC along with the device you are testing it on will give you a notification every time when the build completes and application is installed.
Programmatic Solution
A script can be written to read either the ADB Console or ADB log. The Script should look for  "Build Successful" or similar string.
I will try to write a script to do just that. Maybe try the Application way till then.
If anyone goes on to write a script for that, feel free to edit the answer.

Thanks for your answer! Does Pushbullet work the other way around: from pc to mobile?

I haven't really used such an arrangement, can't say. As a suggestion, maybe try using TeamViewer on mobile device, but again, it'll be tacky.

I would even say you could use VNC (I would use it via an SSH tunnel or VPN don't just expose VNC port to the world it's VERY unsafe if you do not (see port forwarding over ssh tunnel for easiest way to secure such a connection).
Anywho this would allow you to view your progress, and then you could even run a couple extra commands (if comfortable with the terminal and command line you could even just use SSH server alone and when connect you could always bring up a background job (I recommend JuiceSSH).
As for exactly what you are asking it would seem to me if you say wrote a quick shell script that calls your command and when done also edits a simple text file.  Then anything that can connect and check for text file contents (say write a shell script for your android (see: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=os.tools.scriptmanager&hl=en)).  You could say setup a samba share for the directory where you store the text file then setup a quick script to wget the text file and print whatever on your screen.
All in all I would say from the sounds of a developer angle you may prefer to setup openssh server, then install x11vnc, setup a script (I use xUbuntu (XFCE4 and not unity) and a simple upstart script to start VNC on system start and anytime I issue sudo service vnc restart.  Once you have the SSH and VNC server command running you can then use any ssh client (again can't say enough about Juice SSH it does port forwarding in a snap).  Once setup, for me I tap on icon on my home screen to connect the port (auto passes my user/cert and all), and then I open Jump Desktop and tap the entry for my server and it auto passes my VNC password so I only have 2 taps and I am in with full security.  If needed NoIP.me still does free Dynamic DNS so you can get an account and then use an address that never changes (ie. user.noip.me) instead of having to memorize your home routers WAN IP and remember to check every time it changes.
Sorry if this sounds a little long winded.  I am unaware of your tech expertise level, and I wanted to not only try to specifically answer your question as posed, but also share my personal solution as this would allow you access from anywhere (unless using a Wi-Fi that filters your SSH server port or if you have no data connection), AND not only see if the work is done, BUT you can also interact with your desktop as if you were sitting in front of it and fix any maybe small compile issues or make that adjustment before you forget type of stuff.  I use Jump Desktop a TON and it is fully capable (even handles M$ Remote Desktop as well).
Please let me know if you need me to explain anything, or adjust it if you are using Windows (I use xUbuntu 14.04 currently which is FREE, and desktop mimics Windows somewhat closely so if you are a Windows Dev and would like to try out Linux I recommend it HIGHLY)).
Anywho, hope this info helps.

Wow, thanks Mike for the answer! Indeed I am developing on a Windows machine

Well then you can still have a setup with an SSH Server and VNC.  You would however download something like UltraVNC and run that as a Windows service (CHANGE THE DEFAULT PORT) (Free), and then install OpenSSH Server (Free) (again change default port).  You would port forward the SSH port and not the VNC then forward VNC through the SSH connection.
SSH: http://www.mls-software.com/opensshd.html
UltraVNC (server and viewer):  http://www.uvnc.com/install/installation.html

I think I have found what you would like.  Eclipse plugin named Jenkins.  Looks exactly like what you are talking about.  It can monitor jobs (and even let you fully interact with it through your browser.  Took me awhile to find this as Eclipse and a lot of terms start bringing up code examples for projects and what not, but hey persistence!!
Software that should do what you would like: https://wiki.jenkins-ci.org/display/JENKINS/Use+Jenkins
Good looking guide on integrating it with Eclipse: https://www.3pillarglobal.com/insights/how-to-set-up-continuous-integration-with-eclipse-selenium-webdriver-maven-and-hudson
"What is Jenkins?
Jenkins is an award-winning, cross-platform, continuous integration and continuous delivery application that increases your productivity. Use Jenkins to build and test your software projects continuously making it easier for developers to integrate changes to the project, and making it easier for users to obtain a fresh build. It also allows you to continuously deliver your software by providing powerful ways to define your build pipelines and integrating with a large number of testing and deployment technologies.
Features
Jenkins offers the following major features out of the box, and many more can be added through plugins:
Easy installation: Just run java -jar jenkins.war, deploy it in a servlet container. No additional install, no database. Prefer an installer or native package? We have those as well.
Easy configuration: Jenkins can be configured entirely from its friendly web GUI with extensive on-the-fly error checks and inline help.
Rich plugin ecosystem: Jenkins integrates with virtually every SCM or build tool that exists. View plugins.
Extensibly: Most parts of Jenkins can be extended and modified, and it's easy to create new Jenkins plugins. This allows you to customize Jenkins to your needs.
Distributed builds: Jenkins can distribute build/test loads to multiple computers with different operating systems. Building software for OS X, Linux, and Windows? No problem."
Now of course you do not have to go crazy and use every piece of what is offered here, but man this looks like an awesome programming utility if I ever saw one.

Of course you will want to use a Dynamic DNS service so you can just type http://my.computer.hello:8080 into your browser window (be it a desktop or mobile device this should work by the looks of things (and they even have a test link you can use to download a quick test version to look at).

Oh I just realized looking through things (Jenkins aka Hudson (old name)) is a standalone server then you install a plugin to communicate with the server.  This looks like a very good guide on this: https://www.3pillarglobal.com/insights/how-to-set-up-continuous-integration-with-eclipse-selenium-webdriver-maven-and-hudson


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If you root your phone should you do OTA update?
I am rooting my xiaomi phone.
I am using instruction here
http://en.miui.com/thread-190889-1-1.html
The truth is I actually prefer to wait till I have an update. Device enscryption for xiaomi doesn't work yet. Some said it will work for miui 7.1
Well, I go ahead and root it anyway.
WHat about if latter miui 7.1 is available?
Should I just do OTA?

OTA on a Lollipop device would and should fail if the device is rooted. Rooting compromises the integrity of system partition.

So what should I do then if I want to upgrade my miui?

If you update your rooted phone you will lose your root access and will need to root your phone again which could be a problem because previous method of rooting may not be working on new version. You will need to wait until the same rooting method you used earlier releases a compatible update or you might need to find a compatible method.

I read the instructions and it seems safe. You could run into problems if you OTA while having a custom recovery like TWRP or CWM. However, that method does not seem to require you to change your recovery. Keep in mind that after you apply the OTA there's a good chance that the root will be lost, and you might not be able to re-gain it until a new method is found for the new ROM version.
Good luck!


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What versions of Youtube for Android support fast-forward and rewind?
What version(s) of Youtube for Android definitively support fast-forward and rewind? I'm referring to the forwards and backwards buttons in landscape mode that permit you to jump ~10 seconds. I lost this feature after accidentally updating the Youtube app and am seeking a way to restore this functionality. If I can determine what version(s) support the feature, then I'll be able to sideload the correct version.
The only information I've been able to find on the subject references the introduction of the feature in 10.43.58. I've tested 10.43.58 and a number of other versions to no avail. Perhaps the feature has been disabled server-side? Does anyone have any first-hand experience with a version that includes this feature?

You can download handy tube player.
Ofcourse its more simple than youtube.

Actually, the latest version of YouTube app (tested on v11.27.53) has fast-forward and rewind features, but unfortunately it's not active by default.
As hinted by the string resources,
<string name="accessibility_rewind">Rewind</string>
<string name="accessibility_fast_forward">Fast forward</string>

the features only work on Accessibility mode.
Try enabling Switch Access (or TalkBack, but it's a lot noisier) from Accessibility on Android's Settings. The next time you use YouTube app, fast-forward and rewind buttons are shown beside the play button on the center.

Thanks for the detailed response! Switch Access disables the screen lock, which is a pretty hard pill to swallow. Just a FYI for anyone else, there's an Xposed module Youtube swipe to seek that enables the feature on Lollipop/Marshmallow devices. The most recent Youtube update broke it and the dev hasn't had a chance to look at it yet, but it's working on v11.29.55 and below.

On the latest app, double tap on the left or right of the screen to perform a 10 second rewind or fast forward
(I happened to find this by accident)

Great find! I'm running v11.47.57 and it works for me also. The latest full release as of present is v12.01.55 (limited release of v12.03.57) so perhaps this feature has been around a while?

According to Android Police, apparently it's been there since v11.47.55 (11 Dec 2016), confirming OP's comment.

Thank you thank you! My headphones have weak shielding and had accidentally done this twice, and I wasn't tapping far enough to the edge in trying to replicate the gesture.


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Can I login to Whatsapp Web without scanning the QR code?
My camera doesn't work. I already tried downloading different camera applications but none of them worked. Problem is physical not software-related. How can I login to Whatsapp Web without scanning the QR code?

You can't, you need to scann with Whatsapp, if you scann the QR code with a normal reader, how a website or similar, you only get a plain text.
Whatsapp send that text to your own server to enable you a session in your browser.

Are you sure of the last part?

Yes, they need to process to enable you the session, that plain text don't have any data what you can read or usage how a link or anything else.

It is not that I already know how the mechanism behind it works but since it is not the webpage itself that is connecting to the servers, I don't think it is necessary to send the code to the server.

Yeah the webpage connect to the servers, but they need to know "Who" they are able to connect and enable, They need to know which User o what phone number is connecting to use the service.

Are you sure? I am pretty sure webpage doesn't connect to the server.

Yes Im sure, the first time you process the QR code, they send/recive your request from whatsapp and they tell to the webpage then you can use the service to chat with your contacts.
This system login is called, SQRL and you can see more here
[link]https://www.grc.com/sqrl/sqrl.htm

It probably is like this: Your phone takes QR code. Turns it into plaintext. Send it to servers. Gets an auth code in return. Send this code to webpage and a connection between your webpage and phone establishes. Webpage is just a remote control not a client.

Exactly, that is how works, or how should be.
The webpage passes to be a client after you get the auth code.

No. Webpage never acts as client. Just a remote control.

maybe if you grab a data packet and reproduce it with data changed with a current QR code, you could contact the servers instead of the app doing it. It would be interesting to test that out, but if the packet is encrypted by the app (almost sure it is) before it leaves to the server that would be difficult.


text:
Android Chrome tab data
On desktop Chrome, data about tabs, like their arrangement and the URLs that accessed via the back and forward buttons, are stored in the files "Current Tabs" and "Last Tabs". Since Chrome for Android also has an arrangement of tabs and since I have back and forward buttons in them, this data must also be stored by Chrome somewhere. How can I receive this data? Can it be accessed by another application like Chrome's history can be? Do I need root?
I am not talking about that sync mechanism.

Why the downvote?

Note: This is a partial answer and addresses the current tabs.

Do I need root?

Yes, because you won't be able to go beyond the directory (/data/data/com.android.chrome/app_tabs). There lies a directory named 0 which can only be accessed by the owner of that directory, which in this case is user ID assigned to Chrome app.
Each tab is represented by a file with name tab<DIGITS>, where <DIGITS> is natural numbers. E.g. tab199, tab200 and so on. All the URLs accessed in a tab, to-and-fro, are stored in its corresponding tab file.
The file tab_state contains the URLs of the resources currently displayed in all the tabs.
Note that the said info is an educated guess of mine. Those files are not in plain text but gives enough information to make a good guess.

Can it be accessed by another application like Chrome's history can be?

I don't know. If Chrome doesn't explicitly provides a mechanism then rest assured that no app can access the info about tabs directly from Chrome's data directory. They may have better luck with accessibility service however.


text:
Windows explorer freezes when trying to transfer files from mobile
I tried to transfer files (of extension PPT, DOC, MP4 and so on) from my Samsung Galaxy Note 4 to my laptop (Windows 10; tried on two laptops from Dell and Lenovo). Once  I plug the USB cable I can see both device storage and card storage and I can sometimes (let's say 1 out of 3) browse the folder. When I try to copy the file from that mobile folder into my laptop mobile, it works 1 out of 10 times! Most of the time explorer freezes or it starts to browse the folder (i.e. the path bar is progressing but never ends).
I installed USB drivers on my laptop. I even installed Kies but then Kies itself launches explorer and loops.
Please do not tell me to use Wi-Fi as I am in a hotel with very poor connection and I am using my 4G phone to actually download files and then (I thought that would be easy) I was thinking to transfer those files to my laptop through USB cable.
Actually, what is working is: I plug the cable, I go into the folder and select the file. Then I unplug the cable but I keep the explorer opened.
Then I plug again and at that time I right-click, copy the selected file and then I am able to paste it in a laptop folder. Yes, that is working. But I would not do that for all the files I need to transfer.
There should be a simple way, right?

Such unplugging and re-connecting will sooner or later lead to data corruption. Get a new USB cable instead of wearing out the solder joints in your charging connector. NOT the cheapes cable you find. Get quality cables!

@svin83 I have the exact same problem. The cable I'm using is the original cable Samsung gave me, I don't know what a better cable is.

@Gqqnbig If your cable is wonky and you're unsure: Go to any reputable local store that sells electronics. Ask for a medium-to-high quality USB cable that fits your phone and supports data transfers and fast charging. Then put the wonky cable somewhere in case you lose the new cable.

@Gqqnbig Also: If you get a cable and you're satisfied with it, then go back to the same store and get one more exactly like it.... Cables tend to wear out over time...


text:
How to update a text file using both a desktop text editor and an android phone?
I do most of my text edits on my desktop (using a text editor), but sometimes I'd like to edit them on my phone. I know that one alternative is creating a shortcut to my desktop text file, dragging it to the Dropbox folder, opening the Dropbox app on my phone, looking for the file, and editing it with an android editor (Jota, for example). This is a bit cumbersome.
I'm wondering if there is a better way to edit files using a text editor (so, no Google Docs) and keep editing on my phone.

What are the specific requirements then? Aka why not Google Docs? I've written code in Google Docs before, then copy/paste into the valid file extension. Is the extension/encoding what you're trying to preserve?

It depends upon the lengths you would go to do something. E.g. you can run a file server on your android and mount the server as a drive/partition in your PC. Keep the files in your phone so that you can edit them even in offline mode. You can edit them in PC through the mounted drive. // Another example: run a file server on PC and keep the files there. In phone, access the server using a file explorer app and edit the files using any text editor. This requires a server to always be running on your PC. In both the cases, you can  sync the files in both the device and the PC.

@AaronGillion I want to be able to use my existing text editor (Sublime Text) and I don't think there's a way to do that through Google Docs

@Firelord Thanks for the suggestions. So I guess the answer is that there is no straightforward way. What android file server would you recommend?

I'm not sure what's not straightforward about browsing for the file in an app and clicking it to open it with the editor you want i.e. your existing process. What step are you hoping to eliminate?

@nachocab:  See Method 1 or Method 3 in my answer here. They would work for both Wi-Fi and USB tethering.

Why not simply mount your cloud storage (Dropbox, ownCloud, Drive, whatever) on both ends, and put your documents in there? Easy to do. ownCloud even comes with a web-based editor for OpenDocument format, so you could use your browser for editing as well.

Google Drive lets you sync files to your computer. Then you can edit them however you want.

Have you tried Standard Notes?

Create an account with Evernote and download that app. on your phone. It will synch whatever you enter on any piece of kit you have it on.


text:
Filtering Play Store
I often look for "best" application among other similar.
Of course, what is best for me, is not necessarily best for anyone else.
When I look for "best" application for desktop operating system, I usually use wikipedia comparison pages, where I can clearly see facts in sortable table, then I can copy it to excel and reduce them with my requirements.
Depending on amount of software, it takes about 10-20 minutes.
However, I fail to find similar technique for Android applications.
For example, last time I have been searching for softkeyboard, I have installed about 20-30 keyboards, activated each one, then checked for functionality and note it in excel manually.
After 4 hours I have make decision, that I am happy with, but it's far too much mindless clicking.
The only way of filtering apps in play store I can see is by category and then by ex. downloads or rating, but thats definitely not what I want.
I have found website like appcrawlr.com that allows searching descriptions and opinions, that helps, but I need more explicit constraints.
This question is general, as I would like to avoid such problems in future, but to be more specific, I'll use my current example.
I am trying to pick "best" call recording app.
I would like it to be able to upload it into cloud of my choice.
Nearly every soft like this claims in description, that it can do it.
So I have picked bunch of apps and installed them.
Then, on closer look I have noticed, that few of them do have option of uploading, but only in pro version (that I do not want, because I do not want google to have my credit card).
On the other side, not every feature of application is noted in description.
tl;dr How can I filter apps in play store, by features they offer?
I cannot believe, I am first person that would like feature like ebay or amazon offers in play store.
Like, for example, I want to find all applications, that record calls, and upload them by sftp or ftps, or other example, I would like to find pdf readers, that offer page cropping - how can I do it?

Currently this is not possible.
You can view apps by category, and search by keywords, but you cannot see individual features of an app.
When you use Wikipedia, you're comparing software that does the same task, so it is easy to compare. However, if every app listed every feature in a standardised way, there would be literally thousands of options and it would be overwhelming for the majority of users.
I'd recommend reading descriptions, play store reviews as well as reviews from online sites like Android Central and Android Police etc.
Rather than comparing tables of specs, I'd suggest just using an app that looks the best, and sticking with it until you decide it's not right. If you leave a constructive review, the developer will be able to improve it.
PS, you can use PayPal or other payment methods so that Google doesn't have you're card details.

It doesn't have to be inside Play Store, maybe there is some external site, that allows such filtering? (Android Central and Android Police do not)
As I stated, I really would like to avoid relaying on opinion of others, I need more reliable way, like tables, graphs of partial order or at least unified text notes of features.
Also, I do not agree with "if every app listed every feature ... there would be literally thousands" - ebay and amazon lists millions of items, and still can filter an sort them, not be EVERY feature, but by those most popular/important one.

The developer's don't get the option to list individual features, so any site would have to be managed manually and features would have to be entered for each app. The closest thing I can think of is appbrain.com

Well, I can think of automated script, that downloads top 50 apps, decompiles them and searches for word "FTP", if it occurs more than 5 times then assume that this app supports this feature.
However, I am afraid, that You are more or less right - let me wait few days for others answers, if I won't find anything better, then I will accept Yours.

No problem. That script would have to be very specific to detect every feature in every app though. E.g. an alarm clock feature might only reference clock and time without using the word 'alarm' anywhere.


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Execute task if tasker profile has been active for some time
How can I execute a tasker task only after a certain condition has been true for a certain time?
Normally a profile executes its task as soon as all conditions are met. I want to delay this activation, until the conditions have stayed true for some time.
E.g.

do something after the screen has been continuously off or on for 10 minutes
do something after wifi xy has not been near for 10 minutes
do something after cell towers x,y,z have not been near for 10 minutes.

A mix of Wait, Variable Search and If-Else should suffice here.
Tasker maintains a variable named Profiles Active, denoted by %PACTIVE.

Profiles Active (dynamic)
  %PACTIVE
  A comma-separated list of the currently active, named profiles in activation order. Duplicate names will appear on the list only once. The list always starts and ends with a comma to make matching easier, if it's not empty.

(Emphasis mine)
You can use Wait action to wait for N amount of time and then check whether your profile is active or not. If not active, exit out of the task, else, continue.
You may begin your task with these actions:

Task → Wait → configure it
Variables → Variable Set:

Name: %ActiveProfiles
To: %PACTIVE

Variables → Variable Search Replace:

Variable: %ActiveProfiles
Search: ,PROFILE_NAME,
tick Ignore Case
Store Matches In: %CurrentProfile

Replace PROFILE_NAME with the name of your profile. A profile's name must be setup manually.
Task → If: %CurrentProfile1 Isn't Set
Task → Stop
Alternatively, put any action that notifies you that the profile deactivated in the mean time.
Task → Else
Setup the actions you want be executed if the profile remains active after N amount of time.

This approach has issues. The first issue is that I'm not making any checks on the fact that for the amount of time I'm waiting, the profile may have deactivated and activated multiple times. I'll see what I can do.

For the obvious issue here: setup an Exit Task and stop the Enter Task from it. Problem solved.

What I do with success :
myprofile 1 →
what I want for activation
⇒
Task 1 Delay →

Wait x time to comfirm activation
Set %variable_Active = 1
Wait 1 second
Set %variable_Active = 0

=== AND ===
myprofileActivate →

%variable_Active == 1
%myprofile is active

⇒
Task 1 Actions →
what I want to see done

Welcome on the Android SE! I see your answer is a little bit cryptic, could you please explain for the future readers, exactly what are you doing?


text:
Is it possible to test a Note 4 NFC antenna
NFC has stopped working on my Note 4 (N910G).  As I understand it, the NFC antenna is embedded in the battery - it seems to be, I can see an antenna.
I am using an Anker replacement battery, but NFC has worked in the past with this battery.
Is there a way that I can check the antenna is working - that it is picking up a response?  Is there a way to get a raw readout of what the NFC chip is seeing?

This proved to be an issue with the battery - another one has NFC working fine.  But I'd still be interested to hear if there are ways to work out if nfc is working or not.

I recently replaced my Note4 with the Anker battery and I can't get NFC to work either. Did you ever find a fix?


text:
Change the notification setting on the lock screen
After the recent software update, I have been getting notifications from apps like the Messenger app appearing on my lock screen. Originally, I would just get a popup in the toolbar at the top of the screen.
Is there any way I can change the notifications back to that?

Try this:
Settings -> Sounds and Notifications -> now under Notifications there is an option called Notifications on lock screen ,on tapping on it you get various options like Show content ,Hide content, Do not show notifications. Choose your desired option!!


text:
I lost my phone and i have very important files in gallery vault
if ever they try to open the vault saying they forgot the password, will they successfully open the vault? or if they format the phone or factory reset it, and they open the vault folder, are they going to see the files? PLEASE ANSWER ME AS SOON AS POSSIBLE BECAUSE MY LIFE DEPENDS ON THAT FILES.

What is gallery vault?

I don't know of any serious password-protected system that will open up when the person who demands access says "I forgot the password."
There are two options:
If Vault doesn't use encryption (very likely):
Then they don't actually have to even crack the password. They  can root the phone and extract the data. I would be able to do it in minutes myself.
If Vault does use encryption (very unlikely):
Then it means the data is encrypted and has to be decrypted. From that point on it depends on if the key is static or generated based on an algorithm, the encryption method etc. But if Vault uses a proper encryption method, there is no way they can decrypt you data in this lifetime.


text:
Can we pair two smart watches without a phone?
As far as I know, wear smartwatches are designed to be companion devices that stay connected to your smartphone. Without a phone around, though, they aren't entirely useless.They'll still function as watches, for one, giving you the time and the date.
But I am not sure if there are any changes to this in any of the latest updates. So I want to know if it is possible to pair two smart watches and send messages using messageapi without the help of a smartphone. A lame question but I am very curios to know.
Ideally, I want two watches to interact using messageapi to send messages. Is it possible to do without a smartphone?

No. Android Wear was designed to be used with a smartphone. Even if you did figure out how to do this it wouldn't have anywhere close to the amount of features it has now.


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LG G3 Resolution messed up - how to stop processes on startup?
I'm running CM 12.1 on an LG G3 (VS985) with TWRP recovery.
I used an app called UI Tuner to change my resolution, thinking that it would revert back to normal after 15 seconds.. well it didn't. It crashed? when I did it, and then it started back up? with the super low resolution.
Now I'm stuck with a screen that's like 200x300 and the DPI is wayy off, so I can't really use the screen.
I used TWRP to manually delete the app, but the problem persists. The reason it doesn't just reset my resolution upon startup is because I had it set to change my resolution to 1920x1080 for better performance on startup. Is there a way to stop it from running on startup? I have access to TWRP still, and I can sorta do very limited things within my phone, but it's so small that all I can do is open apps and see the very tops of them.
I tried looking for a way to manually stop apps from running on startup, but all I can find are guides on how to use apps that you install.. which doesn't help at all.
I really would like to keep my current apps and setup and everything. I almost resorted to just flashing a new ROM, but I really don't want to do that.
I tried using ADB, but it says that there's no device found. I'm pretty sure I had USB debugging on, so I don't know why it can't find my phone... although I can't really see it to tell if it's on or not.

You can delete the app with TWRP. Are you sure you have done it correctly?

See if my answer helps. You may try my answer to enable USB debugging.

Check my answer here for newer Android phones

have you tried booting into safe mode?  it might boot with normal resolution and then you can try change the resolution settings back to normal.
boot into safe mode LG G3


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Fastboot doesn't see nexus 6p
Currently trying to unlock my bootloader, but cannot get my nexus 6p to determine that it's connected to my PC. I can use adb commands while it's on, but booting it into fastboot mode with the adb command or with the key combination results in 'connect usb data cable'. I have rebooted my phone, my computer, reinstalled ADB, installed the google drivers both manually as well as with the SDK manager and used 4 different cables.
I have also tried all 2 of my usb 2.0 ports as well as all 6 usb 3.0 ports.
Windows plays the sound confirming that a device has been connected.
I am using windows 10.
Here's a screenshot of the device manager:
Edit: Factory resetting the device did not help either.

Possible duplicate of http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/110670/connect-usb-data-cable-message-on-fastboot-screen-preventing-recovery-reset-of

What does Device Manager show when the device is connected and the phone is booted in the bootloader?

@BoLawson there are no answers that work for me there.

@RMarkwald yes, but only as 'android device'

@RMarkwald Added a picture of device manager, and tried a factory reset.

Have you installed the Google Driver while in phone is booted to bootloader?  Those are in your SDK folder location - extras - google - usb_driver.  When my N6 is booted to bootloader, Windows 10 shows me the following:  http://i.imgur.com/DOrEyyr.png

@RMarkwald Amazing. Shows up now. Still says 'connect usb data cable' though - but it shows up in fastboot devies. Please write that as an answer, i will upvote and accept.

@Hellreaver Posted as answer, glad to hear it is working now for you.  I've been there before, pulling hair out trying to figure it out.  :)

@RMarkwald And it is quite often something simple like this. Although I'd rather it be dumbly simple that impossible.

Install the Google USB Driver while in phone is booted to bootloader.
Those are in your SDK folder location - extras - google - usb_driver.
When my N6 is booted to bootloader, Windows 10 shows me the following:


text:
Why are there two switches to enable demo mode?
In System UI Tuner -> Demo mode, there are two toggles, "enable demo mode" and "show demo mode". "Show demo mode" does nothing when "enable demo mode" isn't enabled, so why have two buttons to enable demo mode?

Which Android device and version is it?

@Firelord Nexus 5, Android 6.0.1 MMB29Q.

https://www.protechtraining.com/blog/post/880


text:
Is hdpi and mdpi still used in android kitkat and up
Have a general question if this is something that could be ruled out or it all depends.
I am developing an app for Android KitKat and above. But i have never seen a phone that have hdpi and are able to upgrade the OS to KitKat.
Is there a way to see how many phones still uses hdpi and mdpi?
Because it will be a big problem for me if i need to support every screen.

Be careful, you're mixing Android version with screen density: Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 10.1 is mdpi and supports up to KitKat 4.4.2 officially. You also have to think about custom ROM above KitKat, like CyanogenMod which supports up to Marshmallow. (Further list of screen density list: https://design.google.com/devices/)

yeah that was what i was wondering. If there is a device with that density and OS version. Because then i will have to tell our designer to make some changes to some views

I always keep this page bookmarked for things like this.
You can make some educated guesses using this data.
As of Feb 1 2016, the percentage of devices on an OS version pre-KitKat (if I did the math correctly) is 29.2%.
Since 42.4% of all devices have hdpi screen density...
At least 13.2% of all devices out there are hdpi with KitKat or later.
It's likely that it's more, since you can count on most of the ldpi/mdpi devices being in the pre-KitKat group.
If all 16.2% of ldpi/mdpi devices are in the pre-KitKat group (which most likely are), then the total hdpi KitKat-and-later group grows to 29.5%


text:
Recover Photos from user partition - unrooted HTC M8 MM 6
All photos have been deleted from my Wife's un-rooted HTC M8 running MM. How can I recover the photos?
Ok some background:
HTC One M8 running Marshmallow stock received via OTA update
Photos deleted from Settings\Storage --
Then the phone received OTA MM 6 update
Noticed all photos gone.
Due to MM One click & kingo root no longer work
The phone is not rooted so recovery options like Dr Fone see nothing.
1) How do I back up the phone before rooting?
Backup under MM6 seems to need Google online backup only. It says wait 24 hours but nothing seems to have happened...
This seems like a chicken or egg issue how do I perform a Nandroid backup without Root to get a full image? To have a chance of restoring?
2) The Root instructions over here need you to have TWRP
3) OK to install TWRP to start the systemless root for MM.... I need to unlock the Bootloader.... which by all reports will loose all data....... this sounds bad when I have no back up.... to get a backup via TWRP I need to load TWRP without root. I've tried the instructions here but I get an error after running the cmd
fastboot flash recovery twrp.img
I get this error
(bootloader) signature checking...
FAILED (remote signature verify fail)
Suggestions from old pre MM posts suggest trying
fastboot oem unlock
.... didn't work
4) Can I install TWRP on an unrooted M8 without unlocking the bootloader and therefore loosing everything?
5) Will loading the TWRP image file loose all data anyway?
6) Can I root an M8 without wiping the phone? Do I have to unlock the bootimage to install TWRP? the Systemless root seems to suggest otherwise but to get TWRP on the phone need the bootloader unlocked .... catch 22?
7) Can I use commands from SDK (without root) to take an image of the partition from the phone.
8) Am I basically screwed with no chance of recovery?
No Root means I need to wipe the phone to unlock the bootloader to load TWRP to make a backup of a wiped phone... unless??
If I managed to install TWRP & Root the phone after the MM update (after photo delete) will the partition be so badly overwritten there's no chance of recovering the 2GB of photos?
Sorry for the essay.
Thanks in advance for any help you can offer.

Is the device already bootloader unlocked? If not, part of the unlock process wipes the device. If it's already unlocked you can root and possibly recover some photos, if it's not you are probably out of luck.

To answer your questions in order:
4) not currently.
5) no, TWRP itself does not lose your data. Flashing on locked bootloaders does.
6) not currently. Pt. 2) You do not have to unlock bootloader to install TWRP. You can also flash it via su dd after you root.
7) impossible, at least with SDK. If you know a JTAG specialist or an FBI tech person who owes you a favor, they might be able to recover your photos.
8) no, you are not screwed. There are a few recommendations below, and no, rooting won't "badly overwrite" your data.
Because I know how important photos are, I would suggest:
Option A: Since your photos are already deleted, you might as well unlock the bootloader and root. Unlocking and rooting shouldn't physically overwrite the sectors of the /data partition. (If they were important, life-changing photos I wouldn't have the balls to do this IMO.)
Option B: Buy your wife a new phone (same phone, different phone) and put the M8 in a drawer for about a year. By then, there should be one-click-root apk's for MM, or something better than that, where you won't need to wipe the device again.
Additional reading: Why unlocking bootloaders wipe the device - Android Enthusiasts

Thanks very much for your responses confirming my suspicions and I love your option B but I doubt my wife will the humour in it. Lol

Yeah. It's a tough situation. The feeling is mutual.. one time I wanted to make a backup of my Note 2 and I thought "why not, let's just flash recovery so I can get a full backup" didn't know what a "locked bootloader" was, lost all of my stuff. No backup. Haha


text:
Protect from theft at flash level
There are a lot of apps that could block your phone in case of theft, take picture of thief remotely and such, but in case of reset any of this security methods will be useless
So I was wondering if there is such thing but at a flash level, shielded from simple ereases? An advanced user only could bypass this settings by re flashing. But regular thief could still be detected.

Yes, that sort of protection is available for Samsung devices: LoJack Device Compatibility
Explanation of what LoJack does:

LoJack will be embedded in the Galaxy S4's firmware layer, where it
  remains dormant until you awaken it with a monthly subscription that
  becomes your theft insurance. This firmware situation is key -- even
  if robbers wipe your phone to the factory settings, LoJack is still
  active, and unremovable. -- CNET Article

It's difficult to find technical explanations for this software, but from how I understand it, LoJack is installed as an invisible system app, but a copy of it is also kept in the BIOS (pre-bootloader), and is re-installed to any ROM that is flashed. The app is what sends location, signed-in accounts, pictures via standard cell/WiFi protocols. LoJack guarantees to find the thief within 30 days or they send you a new device.
As of late 2015, there is also another type of security introduced with Android Lollipop/Marshmallow called FRP, which forces you to sign in with the previous Google account when you flash a new ROM. But this is hardly a security feature since it has been bypassed, but it is still a good step forward for Android.


text:
How to find a paid version of an app?
I want to buy Clash of Clans pro version and install it on my device. I found that this game has pro/premium version available. I went to Play Store to install it. I searched this game's pro version with queries  "clash of clans pro" and "clash of clans premium", but I only found the free version.
So, how to find out the paid version of an app whose free version is available? Example: ES File Explorer has both free and paid versions available. Any easy way to find paid version?

Regarding CoC, where did you find that there's a pro/premium version? Possibly it's a scam/hack, and is off-topic on here.

@AndrewT. : Uh, did I just hastily answered an off-topic question? I didn't think of it as off-topic.

@Firelord I'm clarifying about finding off-site resource if it's really about the pro/premium version, which seems like a hacked version of the game.

I've added the tag [tag:google-play-store]. This may appear to be changing the original intent. Feel free to remove it if it does change the intent.

I'm voting to close this question as off-topic because you can't find an app that doesn't exist, and I don't think that apps that do have paid versions are typically hard to find -- and there's no single answer for that anyways.

Not every developer creates and puts a premium version of an app separately into a market. A developer can have a single app but have mechanism to make the user unlock certain parts of the app by paying for it. This is called in-app billing.
Google in the document In-app Billing noted:

In-app Billing is a Google Play service that lets you sell digital content from inside your applications. You can use the service to sell a wide range of content, including downloadable content such as media files or photos, virtual content such as game levels or potions, premium services and features, and more. You can use In-app Billing to sell products as

Standard in-app products (one-time billing), or
Subscriptions (recurring, automated billing)

(Emphasis mine)
The app Clash Of Clans supports in-app billing.
(Click image to enlarge)

If a developer (any individual or a company) did put a premium version of an app, then the easiest way to find it is to open the developer's page and go through all of their apps currently published in that market. It makes sense that both the apps would have the same developer behind it or at least the same public name (pen name) of them.
In your particular case, the app Clash Of Clans is published by Supercell and their page doesn't show any premium version of that app.
It is easy to search the developer's page by using Play Store from a web browser. Simply click the developer's name and there you go. Same cannot be said for Play Store app.
Edit:
In Play Store app, use this query:
pub:PUBLISHER_NAME

PUBLISHER_NAME is case sensitive here and should be replaced by name of the publisher of app, so ELECTRONIC ARTS would work but not Electronic Arts or any combination of uppercase and lowercase letters in that name.
Example:
(Click image to enlarge)

Source for edit: Linking to a Product List

sorry,but i dont find coc pro on supercell devloper page.any other way?

It seems that you didn't understand my answer. Let me give you a brief: Clash Of Clans doesn't have a premium version. It supports in-app billing.

but when i visit clash of clans page i seeing this massage "offerse in app purchase".

Is there something you don't understand in my answer? I don't think my answer is illegible. The point is: you cannot purchase the game if it supports in-app billing but only the items it offers. To purchase them, see https://support.google.com/googleplay/answer/1061913

@andieo you must understand different paid apps have different business models. Some apps give you in-game options to pay for things like upgrades.

So,i think clash of clans pro version not available on the market.but i purchase gems in app.it is called "in app billing".i am right?

@andieo : Yes, you're correct.


text:
Disable IPv4 entirely
I have an HTC on Verizon. I can see that when on cellular, I get both IPv6 and IPv4 addresses. Is there a way to disable v4 and use v6 ONLY?

What problem are you facing by having both of them?

I'd really like to test what happens when I am on a v6 only network. How NAT64/DNS64 works, etc...

First, you cannot disable IPv4 in stock Android (without root). The good news is, you don't need to.
You can set up a v6-only network with a router (needed!) which send RAs (router advertisements), and bridge this network to a wifi access point. The RAs need to signal a default router,  so the default lifetime should be unequal zero. While not strictly necessary, this avoids issues with the Chrome browser (which has same peculiar ideas about what constitutes proper IPv6 connectivity).
In addition, the RAs need to contain a GUA prefix, with A and L flags being set; the A flag needs to be set in order to trigger SLAAC. L switched on is the usual on-link setting, where devices attached to the same link are allowed to talk to each other directly (such as on Ethernet). Finally, the RA has to contain an RDNSS option also, with the GUA (!!) of a DNS server.
With this setup, you can leave out any DHCPv4 server. Android 5.x and 6.x will connect successfully, even without an IPv4 address, as long as they can SLAAC an IPv6 ULA or GUA. Yet, don't use ULAs, at least not for the DNS server, as Android 6.x doesn't accept them.
Another thing to know: if you kill the router and its RAs, with neither an IPv6 nor an IPv4 address, Android considers this network to be dead and disconnects. This can be really annoying!
Finally, please note that Android does not support DHCPv6. :)
Another way is to set up a "Brouter" that only bridges IPv6 and neither bridges nor routes IPv4. Can be done using a Raspberry Pi (even a Zero W). This is "Bridging Bad" with respect to IPv4 but passes on IPv4. Great to experiment with Android and other OSes in an IPv6-only LAN.

I do have root. How can I disable IPv6 then?


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Call reject that does not roll to voice mail
I have been getting lots of calls (one per day) from the same number. There is never anyone on the other end. I placed the number in my 'call reject' list. Now my phone never rings when that number calls. Unfortunately it rolls over to voice mail and leaves an empty message. Now I need to go to voice mail to delete that message so that my voice mail indicator is cleared. How can I reject a call AND prevent the "caller" from leaving a voice mail?
At this point it is quicker for me to press "answer" then "disconnect".

There are some Call Blockers which do exactly that (answer, hang up). I just can't remember which ones that were. So if an app would be acceptable, see Where to ask for app recommendations? for a fitting place (and how to put it).


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Files show up on Nexus 5 but not in Windows 7
I have a Nexus 5 running Android 6.0.1 and all of my files appear on the media direcotries within the phone, but when I plug it in as an MTP device in Windows 7, only some of the files show up. When I add new files over MTP the opposite happens, they don't appear on the device. I've tried rescanning the SD card, I've tried rebooting the phone, I've tried rebooting my computer, I've tried reinstalling the Nexus device drivers. Please help.

Does copying photos in PTP mode work?  I've also read that toggling MTP mode off and back on -- while the device is plugged in to the PC -- might help.

EXE files, although visible within phone directory, will not be so when connected to PC via MTP mode, in my experience. I just move them to a new folder inside phone and copy the folder to PC to get those files. The same can be said for several file types.

Try to switch the USB mode to MTP/only charge or disable USB debugging and see if it works.

if you are not sure of your suggested solution, better post it as comment and not as answer. but you need to earn sufficient reputation to be able to post comments on other's post


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Speech to Text apps stop after a few words
I am trying out a few Speech to Text apps. All of them don't perform as I need them to. I have several pages of text, but I get no further than a half a sentence before the app stops. It records what I am saying, but just stops.
Am I doing something wrong?

Try calibrating your talk to 51st in the settings menue. It will have you repeat a few words a couple times until it has full voice recognition.

Talk to txt..basically go to voice recognition.

I don't understand what you mean by "51st". Looking under Language & Input > Speech > Voice Input, I see nothing of the sort.

I have an old Galaxy Lite with the same problem: the microphone would cut off after a few words. Finally, I opened the Google app, opened the menu (on mine it's at the bottom right labeled "more"), then Settings> Voice> "OK Google" detection> then under "OK Google" Voice Model, tap "Retrain voice model" and follow the prompts. That worked for me. I'm not sure how newer versions of Android get there, but the goal is to get the Google app to retrain to recognize your voice. Good Luck.


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How to root Samsung Galaxy Alpha SM-G850A?
Seems I have searched vastly across the internet to no avail.
So far, I've tried using a CF-auto-root file with Odin 3, and vroot, neither of which worked. The only helpful thread I've found was an XDA thread from may 2015 which still did not seem to help
http://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-alpha/help/want-to-to-root-alpha-sm-g850a-t3107199/
The only other resource I've found were several forums and websites that link back to the same blog that claims to have rooted the phone, but the download file is labeled as malicious by chrome and there is no conformation by anyone that it actually works.

You may need to unlock the bootloader before doing this process. Here is tutorial.
As you mentioned above about odin , it means you know how to work with odin. Now just download this CWM recovery file and flash it using Odin.
Now download this flashable SuperSu zip.. Move this SuperSu zip to your sd card. Now you have to boot in recovery mode after flashing CWM recovery. In recovery mode install this zip file and reboot.
This is the best way to root any android.

Am getting "recovery.img" followed by "NAND Write start!!!" when flashing using the PDA option. Strange... This actually happened when attempting to install the CF-auto-root file using AP.

Did Odin showed pass? It is so as it writes recovery partition with this recovery.

No, it shows fail with the line "Complete(Write) operation failed. following with "Added!".

You need to be in 1. download mode, 2. USB debugging mode must be clicked. Other thing may be driver problem. So, you must find an appropriate driver for your device.

All of these are correct as well as my device driver. Still get the same error. Side note, I did use an earlier version of Odin 3.04, so I could have access to the PDA option, which is not provided in version 3.10.x. could this matter at all? I don't know of another way to flash a recovery.

Can't say too much but it doesn't matter if you choose AP which is equivalent to PDA.

@Neuromeda Have you tried using the correct version (whatever is referenced in the guides you've researched/been provided) and just modifying the .ini/.cfg file to enable whatever option is greyed out?

Go to developer option. Turn on OEM unlock and erase all data.
Start mobile in download mode.
You get custom operating system warning, continue with it.
Extract Odin on computer and start Odin app. Connect Samsung mobile to computer.  KingoRoot work well with KitKat 4 android rooting.
Odin will find Samsung mobile. Click on AP tab and give path to auto root file.
Mobile is rooted then you can see green mark.
Mobile restart automatically.


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Can't get rid of Uni launcher on my Android 5.1
I have tried to uninstall it (for me it is malicious software because I do not know when and how have I obtained it) through settings and reboot my phone but it keeps coming back and blocks my phone, constantly offering some options with no other possibility as confirming access or installation.

If what you noted here is true, then your device's integrity has been compromised. It is not worth taking risk by continuing using an infected OS. Have the stock ROM flashed on it. You may do it on your own or find a service center and get the job done.

This is a Q&A site, not a forum with threads and replies. If you have more information to add to your question, you can [edit] the question to add it. Posting answers to your own question just means other people might think you've solved the problem already.

Uni Launcher is indeed malware, and will install other software silently where it is able to do so.
If your phone happens to be a HOMTOM HT7 (you didn't specify a model), you'll want to install the latest update from the manufacturer (2.0.3). This will remove the malware by replacing the launcher, and also fix some other issues.
Update: Supposedly a 2.0.7 update has been released now as well, but some people have indicated issues with this particular version.

I guess you got this information from XDA forum? It'd be better to provide references/sources to backup your answer.

That was one of several sources I've run across - but yes, it would've probably been a good idea to add the reference. I'll do that in a moment.

try this:
Settings -> Application Manager -> Under the All tab, search for the launcher and select it. Now click on Uninstall for all Users
If Uninstall for all Users is not available at first, then first Uninstall an then try Uninstall for all Users


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adb option like fastboot -i <vendorid>?
Hi I was wondering if there was a command similar to fastboot's -i in adb. I'm currently trying to find my device in adb, but I could only target the device in fastboot with -i and the vendor id (I got it with lsusb -v) and got nothing in adb. I added:
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="0x1f3a", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev"

to /etc/udev/rules.d/android-51.rules to try and get it to come up in adb but nothing came up in the devices list (I saw on a tutorial that it would make the device show up). Thanks!

Your final objective is to get the device detected by adb. Correct? And you think the approach in title is the way to go. Right? // Which Android device, version are you using? What OS are you using on PC? // Are you having the same problem noted here?

I'm using a Ubuntu (chroot on a Chromebook), and my android version is 4.4.2 Kitkat (I think ill check), and kinda but not the exact same problem.. But close enough that ill look at it, but i don't have ~/.android/adb_usb.ini

I've always just plugged in an android-51.rules file that I find online...  you can modify it if needed to support your device.  Try this one: https://github.com/M0Rf30/android-udev-rules/blob/master/51-android.rules

Also, instructions here: https://github.com/M0Rf30/android-udev-rules

This should work pretty fine: lsusb (Windows)
and
lsusb -v (Linux)


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Is it safe to clear data for gallery?
I have a Motorola Moto E (Gen 1). I've observed that the gallery app from Motorola takes up 50.13 MB under 'Data'.
My question is: Is it safe to select the 'Clear Data' option? Will I lose the pictures stored if I click on it?

It is safe to clear its data, but I'm wondering what data would would it be having which would amount to ~50MB.

Yes, I'm wondering the same thing.. Which is why I'm hesitant. I don't want to end up losing my images.

"Clear data" clears the files stored inside the data directory of your app. Your pictures are not saved inside the data directory of that app, so rest assured that the images won't be lost.

You will not lose any of your photos, if  CLEAR DATA operation is performed, it is completely safe to do so. This just means that your preferences have been reset and the cache has been cleared.1 Cache is generated only for providing fast access to gallery files.
When you restart your gallery after this operation, it'll take some time to load and it will once again show you how to navigate through the Gallery app.

1: Pressing the Clear Data button automatically clears the cache too. This is can be seen on the screen right then because when you press the Clear Data button and once the data is cleared, you will notice that under the Cache section, Cache shows 0.00KB and the Clear Cache button is disabled too.

Are data safe even if they are stored on internal memory? My friend did something like this and now he doesn't have that data. I don't know what he actually did but he told me that it was something like this.

The given answer is correct, I just want to clarify:
By pressing Clear data on any app, you're clearing application's data, stored in /data/data/[package.name]. It doesn't contain any images of yours, nor you can access it unless you root your device. Cache also belongs to data, and it's inside /data/data/[package.name]/cache. Your images, on the other side, are in /sdcard/DCIM/ (probably, it differs from manufacturer to manufacturer). You see how the whole path is different? Because they are in the completely different parts of the device. You know how you have C:\, D:\, etc. partitions on Windows? Well, these folders are on the different partitions, they just don't have drive letter prepended to them.
So, for the gallery app, if you press Clear data, you are in reality deleting /data/data/com.android.gallery, and I suppose most of it is taken up by cache, which is made up of thumbnails. You see, loading gigabytes of photos in memory just to display a small preview isn't terribly efficient. And because it's slow and memory-hungry, Gallery resizes those multi-megapixel images to something smaller and puts those small images, thumbnails, into /data/data/com.android.gallery/cache, so it doesn't have to recreate them every time. If you delete them, it'll be smart enough to do it again next time it needs previews - take the whole picture, read every 16th pixel (for example), make a new picture out of it and store it in cache. If you go ahead and access all pictures in Gallery now, you'll have those 50MB back in no time (I suppose there isn't a bug in the application and it cleans cache properly).


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Get rid of facebook ads
I have a Sony Xperia M4 Acqua. I was wondering if there is a way to get rid of facebook ads in my smartphone, something not seen in my desktop pc due to my using of adblock software. Is there something similar for smartphones?
The device is not rooted and the Android version is 5.0. I see those ads as a separate post on my profile. I'm mostly concerned with these ads inside the Facebook app, as I usually don't surf the web with my mobile.

Maybe, maybe not. We need much more details to give good answers: Where are you seeing those ads? What is the Android version running on your Acqua? Is the device rooted? You can find Ad-Blocker & Filter in my app lists, but most of them will require your device to be rooted.

AdBlock Plus doesn't require root but works only on Wi-Fi. See if it helps.

Here are the steps to get rid of facebook ads easily!


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Problem with setting wallpaper in Google Launcher (antialiasing high res image)
I've made wallpaper in Photoshop. Original size is 1242x2208 (iPhone 6+ size). And imported to my phone, which has 480x854 (Android 5.0.2)
When I try to set wallpaper, preview looks good – but after setting I get this:

Screenshots of preview and applied wallpaper (click images for larger variants)
After that, I tried to export my wallpaper in my device's size. No result. I've tried both .png and .jpg – but the applied wallpaper is always "crispy".
How to fix that?

I don't understand it – but maybe someone else does (might be either a language issue to a non-native, or my eyes are not good enough). I've integrated that with your question to make it easier to spot. So maybe we cleanup (remove) the comments now?

Your question has three close votes with "unclear" close reason and no comment explaining the problem in the question. Mind explaining to us what problem you are having, a bit differently. The wallpaper seems fine to me after being set on home screen.


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Shortcut to a certain activity in notification dropdown?
So the question is simple: I'm looking for a way to create a shortcut in notification dropdown that, when tapped, leads me to a set activity of an app. The activity in question is "Running Services" from Settings, if that matters.
Additional requirements:

The notification has to be permanent in order to prevent it from
being cleared.
The notification has to be of lowest priority to not make it
interfere with normal notifications (i.e. always display below them).
Optional - GUI for choosing the activity I intend to start.
Optional - customizable notification text and icon.

Back in Android 5.x and lower, this (excluding the optional requirements) can be realized with the combination of Bar Shortcut and NotificationManager (Xposed), the former grants access to the activity I want, while the latter sets its priority. However, in Android 6.0+, the default App Management interface has been modified, and the previous activity no longer points to "Running Services" which is now hidden in Developer Options.
Bar Shortcut is a very old app and I can't expect it to be updated to match the changes. Other apps that create notification shortcuts focus on the basic toggles or an app in general (not its activities).
Note that I am aware that apps like Nova Launcher and More Shortcuts allow you to generate shortcuts to activities on your homescreen, however I don't want any icon to clutter up the homescreen, nor do I want to change my current launcher.
Thanks in advance for any useful answers.


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Backup an app's complete data when phone is stuck in bootloop
My rooted Moto G is stuck in a bootloop. I want to backup a specific app.
usb-debugging is enabled. I have access to bootloader and twrp recovery. I have tried wiping cache and dalvik cache and even flashing the ROM again. Now I need to wipe the internal storage to make my phone work.
The device does not have an SD card slot. I need to backup an app before wiping all of my data. Other data like pictures, documents, etc., is already backed up by using otg cable and pen drive.
I tried using ADB to backup but I cannot confirm the backup on my phone as no such screen is shown in recovery mode. Can I just copy and then paste some files to restore the app?

You would need a custom recovery for this solution and it appears that you already have TWRP installed.
Setup adb in PC, if not already. Boot into recovery mode. Mount data partition. Find the package name of your app, if don't know already and execute these commands:

adb shell
busybox tar -C / -cvzhf /sdcard/PACKAGE_NAME.tgz data/app/PACKAGE_NAME* data/data/PACKAGE_NAME  # replace PACKAGE_NAME with package name of the app

The last command will create a tarball with extension .tgz under /sdcard with name as package name of the app. The tarball would contain the app's APK (among other things) and app's private data. Files' ownership and attributes would be preserved automatically. Extended attributes (such as SELinux context) won't be preserved in this command.1
Your app may be having publicly accessible data under /sdcard/Android. You can simply use adb pull or MTP to copy those files into PC and restore them using adb push or MTP, when needed.
To restore the backup, do:

adb shell
busybox tar -C / -xvzhf BACKUP_PATH   # replace BACKUP_PATH with the file path of your backup, such as /sdcard/PACKAGE_NAME.tgz
restorecon -FRv /data/data/PACKAGE_NAME  # this will set default SELinux context on the data files of your app

Unmount data partition, reboot and you should be able to find your app in restored state.
Note:  I've tested this solution on an unofficial CM13 build.

1 I noticed that bionic build of busybox (found in TWRP v2.8.6.0) among other arguments has -p for tar which is used to store SELinux contexts. If the file was created using that argument, then during extraction those contexts would be restored automatically, hence, no need to run restorecon explicitly.

Execute busybox tar to know what those commands are doing.

I wiped my phone but I will try this method next time my phone blows up. Thanks a lot!


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How to boot Android into Custom Recovery Mode?
I am trying to boot Android into a custom recovery(TWRP). I rebooted the Android device holding the Volume Down + Power keys but it doesn't work and shows  a weird screen with yellow colour palette on it and it can't be turned on. I tried following this How To Boot Android Into A Custom Recovery (TWRP, CWM, Philz Touch) but it still doesn't boot. Any help?

Could you please state brand and model of the Android device you're using? As you can find out in our recovery-mode tag-wiki, the answer depends on this.

The same guide says if Volume down + Power didn't work, try Volume up + Power. Have you tried that?

I'm assuming you're using a Samsung model. Its  volume up  +  home button  +  power .

What lead you to assume that OP uses a Samsung device?

@Firelord ask why the OP didn't specify it instead of asking me that.

On My Android Device It Is Volume Up + Power Or On Samsung It Is Volume Up + Home + Power.


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Why doesn't ClockWorkMod wipe of /data delete /data/media folder?
I think this might be a simple question but this been bugging me for long,
Why is that when i do a ClockWorkMod wipe of /data, the /data/media folder stays intact. @beeshyams pointed out that it is to avoid wiping out any clockworkmod backups. If that is the case, only /data/media/clockworkmod/ folder will stay untouched if backups exists or not. But rather the whole /data/media/ folder is kept safe from harms way. A better explanation will be appreciated.

To keep backups safe. See this http://android.stackexchange.com/a/132271/131553

How exactly is two different questions a "duplicate". its like asking what is 8/2  and someone says its a duplicate question of asking what is 2+2 cause they both answer 4.

@beeshyams edited the question appropriately addressing your opinion about it and why i find it not right.

Please note the following are assumptions based on my Linux knowledge. So I cannot 100% back them, especially cannot tell if any/all recoveries work this way.
First, some raw facts:

as already pointed out, /data/media is a symlink to the SD card
resulting of that, the data behind it reside on a different partition
that other partition is usually not included with the wipe/factory-reset, which normally covers only /data and /cache

So now to the wipe itself. "Emptying" the /data partition could be done in different ways:

"formatting" the partition: wouldn't touch the data behind that symlink
performing something like rm -rf /data/*: would remove the symlink, but leave the data behind it untouched
walking the entire /data/* file by file, directory by directory, removing each entry (no idea why one would do that). In that case, unless the process follows symlinks, again only the symlink would be gone but the content behind it left untouched

So once more: As the data-in-question does not physically reside on the /data partition, it should even be expected to stay.

Thank you for the answer and would try to verify other comment and see if it matches. Would take time since CWM for my device is not original and modded and I still don't trust it enough to wipe and check

Make a complete backup first (Nandroid+SDCard-copy). But even when trying, that won't confirm the "why" but only the "if" ;)

This thread why doesn't format of /data in recovery blow away all your personal images, music, documents, etc? offers an answer
Quoting Scary Alien, who is a moderator on reddit forum (emphasis mine)

... when the /data partition is requested to be wiped with "wipe_data", the erase_volume (recovery.c) function is invoked. erase_volume invokes format_volume (roots.c). If format_volume determines if the volume in question is /data and /data/media is present and symlinked to /sdcard, then the format_unknown_device (extendedcommands.c) function is invoked. format_unknown_device will then recursively delete all files in /data -- except for those in the /data/media structure

In other words, as clarified in a trailing post

Doing a data wipe in ClockworkMod will skip the /data/media folder (subdirectory)--i.e., where your "SD card" lives...

I'm curious here for 2 things: 1) @Firelord what does CyanogenMod code have to do with ClockWorkMod? 2) to beeshyams: if /data/media is a symlink to another partition, one could even "format" /data without the content there being lost. Initializing the device afterwards would restore the symlink – et voila, the content becomes visible again at this place. That would be my explanation – but as I've not checked into the code, I cannot back that claim and hence hesitated to answer.

@izzy: Possible .  I can't justify why not and as I said before can't read code either. However,  this is the only explanation I found

Didn't expect you to – just wanted to give an alternative explanation :) And as for CM vs CWM: it might well be recovery uses "ROM code" for that and Firelord wanted to check AOSP. Not having read the linked post I first thought someone had messed up the terms (missed the "W") – but scary alien built his argumentation on CM's recovery (obviously concluding other recoveries would behave the same). Hey, but even an rm -rf /data/* would just remove the symlink but leave the data behind it untouched :)

@izzy,  don't recall in the case of TWRP, where the backups are stored but for CWM it explains why backups are not deleted. That apart, as an ordinary user (= can't read code), explanation seems logical. Verification of ROM/CWM  is beyond the scope of this site, right?! . (One could seek validity of a recommended app (proposed in a solution) via code verification !!).

@izzy- And speculation on possibilities/ veracity does not serve any useful purpose, unless it is followed up and a conclusion  presented either way. When left hanging inconclusive, it may needlessly or unintentionally detract the OP (or anyone else reading it) from the solution presented

Agreed on speculations if not based on facts (you could count my answer as "speculation" in a way – but it's based on facts which are convincing even me (or I hadn't posted it). And it even matches your quote: I bet if you'd e.g. ln -s /system/app /data/sysapp, the wipe of /data wouldn't even try touching /system/app but rather count /data/sysapp as what it is: a symlink to be removed but not followed. So I'm pretty sure that's what's standing behind it. // And ack #2: I'd also like to know the reason of that downvote.

@izzy- let me clarify. I was not meaning you, at all. As a matter of fact, I did not even see your answer,till much later (owing to the fact that I mostly work out of mobile and miss the literal "big picture" on what is added in other answers). I squarely and even now consider Firelord"s comments as speculations not acted upon thus adding no value and maybe detracting value from the answer

It's ok if someone wishes to downvote but was curious as to the reason. Incidentally the comment asking " why downvote" seems to be deleted (maybe by me when we were chatting on wee hours but I don't recollect doing so)


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Can I run apps in a smaller resolution?
I have a Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 (SM-T235) tablet running Android version 4.4.2. It is 7 inch, which is nice, but sometimes (for example, when walking) I would like to be able to hold my device in one hand and only use my thumb to interact with the app that I am using. Perhaps even change the resolution so that is like a regular mobile device.
Basically I would like to have a way to run apps in a smaller resolution and have it not scaled to fit the display so that I can reach everything with my thumb using only one hand.
See the image below for an example that i have in mind.
I have complete root access and am a developer (I don't really need 'simplified' answers, give me the tech details!)

There should be an app to add additional apps to Multi-Window apps. Then simply pull on one of the corners and the app will scale (at least on my S6 Edge since Android 5.1.1).

@GiantTree I am running Android version 4.4.2 No such feature exists in this version. I am looking into updating if i find a good way to root that version.

@beeshyams I used photoshop on my laptop. Here is my psd file!

You can run su wm overscan LEFT,TOP,RIGHT,BOTTOM from Terminal (Superuser privileges needed)
If you do not have Superuser privileges, you can hook your phone to a PC and run ADB command
adb shell wm overscan 200,200,0,0
For example, to achieve what you've shown in the picture above try running
wm overscan 200,200,0,0.
But I must warn you, before running that, be sure you have USB debugging switched ON just in case overscan messes up your display, you can run
adb shell wm overscan reset from the PC connected.
WindowManager (wm) commands work on devices running Android 4.3 and above
May require a Reboot to achieve proper re-size.

Alternatively you can use Niwatori module if you have Xposed framework on your device.

This is what it looks like on my device. Would not recommend.

@AndyC. You may have to change density accordingly. Since that is device specific, you may have to experiment with different values specific to your device. You can use the Xposed module alternatively, if you find the process tedious.

reset is part of the command, so the backticks should cover adb shell wm overscan reset instead of adb shell wm overscan. Also, you would want to mention that wm is available only since Android 4.3. The rest of the world flocking towards this answer would end up being confused if they are running <4.3

@AndyC. You might need to restart/reboot so that all processes have adjusted their sizes.

@Firelord I think that on pre 4.3 you need to use am instead of wm...
Also, I specified what version I am using, so it's fine the way it is. However it would be good to add the solutions for other versions as well for the sake of completion.

@WarButter: you should mention the version in the body of the question, not in the comments. Comments are second-class citizens and it would not be a reader's fault if they overlook them. // am doesn't have the capabilities overscan argument provides.  // Manubhargav: you didn't mention  (in the first part)that the user should be running the command with root privilege in the terminal app. It's not obvious to everyone. Without root access, you would end up with an error stating that you can't write Secure Settings. Note: I'm not forcing anyone to edit. Edit should be at your own discretion.


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How to root HTC Desire 816 running Android 5.0.2
I have a htc 816 desire running android 5.0.2 and i have tried many a times to root my device but it always fails. I've unlocked the bootloader and tried kingoroot and towelroot all modes i.e., zip, apk, exe.

You can flash a custom recovery(CWM/TWRP) and flash the Root Exploit(SuperSu.zip) through Custom recovery

Since your bootloader is already unlocked, I'm going to skip that process.
This is going to install Cyanogenmod12, which is a rooted version of Android Lollipop (5). Go ahead and download your version of CM. The link is download.cyanogenmod.org/get/jenkins/129826/cm-12-20151011-NIGHTLY-a5.zip
I would post that as a directly clickable link, but I don't have enough rep.
Now move that downloaded file to a place on your phone, and note its location.
You can head over to TWRP and and find your build. If its not there you can go to this link. It is a direct download link. Then (on your phone) go to Settings>About>find Build Number or Build Version (or something like that) and tap it repeatedly until you get a toast saying that developer options is on. Go to the developer options and find USB Debugging or ADB Debugging and turn that on. Then plug your phone into your computer. If you don't have ADB installed on your computer, install it:
For linux:
apt-get install adb

For windows, find a download somewhere on the internet. But stay away from the "15 second adb and fastboot installer", that is a virus.
Once ADB is installed, plug in your phone, wait for the device to show up as a connected devices, and open cmd or terminal and type:adb devices. If it shows up, your good, go on. If you get something saying that adb is not a known command, cd to that directory that adb is installed in.
Also, make sure you have fastboot.
Now, type in adb reboot-bootloader
Once the phone is in the bootloader, type fastboot flash recovery recoveryImgName.img. Once that finishes, reboot your phone. Then type adb reboot-bootloader. When it boots to the bootloader, find Recovery, and choose it. Use the volume keys to navigate and the power button to choose. Depending on which recovery img you used, find something like 'Install' and navigate to the Cyanogenmod file and install that.
Your phone should be rooted running Android 5!


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DCIM/.thumbnails/.thumbdata3-* files get deleted but does not free up space on Nexus 7 Android ver 6.0.1
I am trying to delete .thumbdata3-* files in my DCIM/.thumbnails folder on my Nexus 7 Android version 6.0.1 tablet as these files seem to be taking up close to 3 GB of data. I followed instructions from http://www.worldcadaccess.com/blog/2013/07/how-to-reclaim-1gb-from-your-androids-disk-space.html. I was able to delete the big files and in place if it copy zero byte ones with the same name. I see the new changed files in the folder occupying zero space but the deletion does not seem to empty the ~3GB file.  On other searches, there was talk about a LOST+DIR behaving similar to a Trash bin to save deleted content, but I was not able to locate it. Is there a particular trash bin or cache location I should also check in? I do not find any searches with this particular issue and that is weird.
Has anyone run into similar problems? Any help in solving this issue would be greatly appreciated.
I looked at .thumbdata files maxing out internal SD memory to check if the scenario was similar but I feel that in my particular issue, the thumbnail does not get deleted totally from the system as there is no reduction in space at any point of time after deletion. On the other hand, the other question talks about the thumbnail files getting rebuilt, which seems to be a different behavior.

tried addressing your comment in the last paragraph above