# Question
Title: Does FriendCaster have problems with the privacy settings of my friends?
I am fed up with the official Facebook application and want to switch. FriendCaster seems to be one of the very good choices. However I saw in reviews and other websites that FriendCaster will not show everything in the news feed because it might not have access to my friend's information due to privacy settings.

Is this true?

Would I not see everything with FriendCaster which I would have seen in the official Facebook app?

# Answer
> 3 votes
Yes, there is a privacy setting that will prevent FriendCaster from being able to retrieve posts or other info from your friends if they have it enabled. Specifically, according to OneLouder's support site:

> \[I\]t is possible that some of your friends have set their privacy settings to block access to their profile, wall, photos and status updates from third party apps like FriendCaster. This setting is found in "Account --\> Privacy Settings --\> Apps and Websites".
>
> In “Info accessible through your friends” you can see checkboxes for the items that are available to apps. As an example, If your friend has “My Photos” unchecked here, they won’t appear in FriendCaster.
>
> Unfortunately Facebook has this restriction in place and unless your friend allows third party apps we can't get around it at this time. If your friends are using that setting, the info will only appear on Facebook itself.

---
Tags: facebook, privacy
---


# Question
Title: How can I replace the apps in the SGSII's stock launcher dock?
When I turn on my Galaxy S2, on the very bottom, there are the default icons for "phone", "email", "web", and "applications". On the Galaxy Tab (running Android 3.2), if I want to free up any of those apps and replace them with my own, I simply press and hold like any other app and just delete and replace with my own.

On the Galaxy SII Skyrocket (running 2.3 Gingerbread), I press and hold and nothing happens. Is there a way for me to change the shortcuts in the dock on the SGSII, similar to the way I can on the Galaxy Tab?

# Answer
> 1 votes
If you have the Ice Cream Sandwich update, pretty much all you have to do is hit the Menu button from the home screen, select Edit, and then long press the application you want to change.

For Gingerbread, click the Applications icon, then follow the same procedure (Menu button, edit, etc.)

# Answer
> 0 votes
Use an alternative launcher like Launcher Pro / ADW / Zeam / Go Launcher etc.

They allow you to customize the icons that you want at the bottom of the screen in addition to many, many more useful features.

# Answer
> 0 votes
You can click on the Applications icon, then bring up the menu and there should be edit in there. You will now be able to drag icons back and forth, remember to press the menu button again to save it.

---
Tags: samsung-galaxy-s-2, launcher
---


# Question
Title: Android added a plus sign before the number, making an undesired international call
I cannot repeat this bug, but I can see it in my call log. Last Monday I called a friend with a number beginning with 328 (Wind provider, Italy). According to the log, I called a number starting with +328 which was an international call to Belgium, and in fact some people answered me in French.

I tried to repeat the bug, but without success. I only know that in some (rare) occasions the plus sign is automatically added to the call. This is causing me trouble because I don't want to pay for undesired international calls.

How can I avoid this? I know that I never manually dialed the number, I always choose it from my contact widget menu.

# Answer
The best way to avoid this is to add your country's international prefix (It's +39 for Italy if I'm not mistaken.) This way your network providers treats it like it would without the prefix ie. it will be a domestic call if you're in the same country, but it will still work if you're calling from a different country.
> 3 votes

# Answer
As a workaround, you could include the country code of Italy in all your contacts. This has the additional advantage that these numbers will still work the way they are supposed to even when you are roaming abroad. I'm not sure if either Android or the cellphone network handle this case intelligently.
> 1 votes

---
Tags: calls, international-prefix
---


# Question
Title: Stopping Dolphin Browser Mini from reloading (Question about memory and cache)
After opening certain amount of pages in Dolphin Browser Mini (and I think Dolphin HD), the browser dismesses pages from memory as described here: Can I make the browser stop autmatically refreshing pages that haven't been displayed for a while?

The page includes a solution, which is using Swapper 2. Can anyone please explain how it works (not technically but the general idea) / what is it's limitations?

I was thinking of getting a 2GB tablet, since I thought it would be necessary for "multitasking", but this solution seems to work flawlessly for this problem and 2GB of RAM could be totally unnecessary, and hence the question.

# Answer
Off in the world of real computers, with very fast memory and orders of magnitude slower storage--hard disks--there is the concept of virtual memory. Basically, each application gets what seems like a very large amount of memory, an *address space*. Behind the scenes, this address space is broken up into *pages* that are transfered between real, fast, memory and a part of the hard disk called *swap space* (i.e. slow memory) by the operating system and as needed. In Linux, this swap space can be one or more specially formatted partitions and/or one or more files, or *swap files*. The operating system is smart enough to keep track of where it's storing what. It also ensures that before a program tries to read/write from a place in memory, that the page being accessed is first moved to real memory.

For example, if you're using your word processor and open 10,000 documents, exhausting main memory, some of the less recently accessed documents may be transfered the swap space to give way for the ones you just opened. If you switch over to your browser, perhaps all of the memory used by the word processor will be shunted to the swap, replaced by the working-state of the browser.

Again, this is done automatically by the operating system, with no real involvement from programs. According to your programs, they're running on a machine with a very large amount of memory. According to the user, when this swapping occurs, there will be brief delays as the operating system moves data between the two types of memory. Back in the Windows 95 days, it was pretty clear when the swapping was occurring as the hard disk light would be pretty much solid for a few seconds.

So, fast forward to phones. On a phone running Android, there is usually no hard disk. Instead, you have main memory--RAM, or that fast memory mentioned above--and some form of non-volatile storage. It turns out that type of memory is slower than RAM, but not nearly as slow as a hard disk. Although it would be tempting to use some or all of this non-volatile storage as swap space, I suspect manufacturers and Google, observed that one property of this non-volatile storage is that it degrades with repeated writes, and so opted not to use it. This means that instead of having seemingly limitless memory, activities on Android only have access to RAM. When the Android framework tries to start an activity and the operating system says *sorry, out of memory*, Android responds by killing activities until it has reclaimed enough memory. This is why you notice *Dolphin Browser* actually reloading pages when you switch from and then back to it: Whatever you switched to tried to use so much memory that Android had to start killing activities.

So, Swapper. What swapper does is dig into the operating system and re-enable virtual memory by creating a swap file on your SD card and telling the OS about it. The OS then makes all programs (including the Android framework) feel that they each have a lot of memory, and handles moving data between real memory and the swap file. **This is why Dolphin doesn't get killed as frequently with Swapper enabled**.

As the Swapper page on Google Play explains, this could have a detrimental effect on whatever non-volatile memory the swap file is placed on. If you're using an SD card, when you start getting write/read errors, you can just swap it out. If you're using a phone with built-in non-volatile memory, it's a different story. I'm not 100% sure what sort of impact repeated writes has to this sort of memory, but it's a risk you should be aware of.
> 2 votes

---
Tags: cache, dolphin-browser, ram
---


# Question
Title: How to change the Messaging and keyboard apps to stock ones on LG Optimus Net P690 running Cyanogenmod7?
Is it in any way possible to replace CM7's boring messaging interface with the stock messaging app from the LG stock roms (the one with chat bubbles), also, where would I be able to get a keyboard similar/exactly the same to the stock LG keyboard on the Optimus Net?

This is what the stock keyboard looks like (I couldn't find a picture in portrait mode, sorry): .

I found a ported stock LG keyboard, but as you can see in Cyano, there is a useless smilie button and every single button is bigger than what they're supposed to be from the LG keyboard.

Could someone help me/direct me to how I might be able to replace the messaging app and keyboard from CM7 with the apps I'm looking for? Thanks!

# Answer
> 2 votes
Download the apk files of the stock keyboard and messaging apps and copy them to the current directory. You can also copy them from /system/app/ directory in the system.img file(use magiciso to mount it) present in the stock firmware file(usually .tar) Start an adb session and execute the following lines:

Mounting system partition as read-write:

```
$ adb shell mount -o rw,remount -t yaffs2 /dev/block/mtdblock03 /system

```

Removing CM's apps(change the names):

```
$ adb shell rm /system/app/CM_messaging_app.apk
$ adb shell rm /system/app/CM_keyboard_app.apk

```

Installing stock apps(change the names):

```
$ adb install stock_messaging_app.apk
$ adb install stock_keyboard_app.apk

```

I would recommend 'hacker's keyboard'( https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.pocketworkstation.pckeyboard&hl=en) over the stock keyboard apps though.

---
Tags: cyanogenmod
---


# Question
Title: Phone boots very slow and restarts by itself
My problem is when I turn on the phone, the Google logo stays stuck and after unknown minutes boots in with the software animation, but very slow and then starts over again! First a little history of my upgrades with this phone.

My friend bought me Nexus S T-mobile version for US 6 mounts ago, and the phone was with Gingerbread 2.3.4. After reading many post from xda-developers , I decided to upgrade because I can't upgraded 2.3.6 OTA. After many hours I finally upgraded it to 2.3.6. Then ICS came out, and again, I upgraded to 4.0.3. Then, a few weeks ago, I got the 4.0.4 OTA notification. Happily I taped yes. And then before two days ago, my phone just died. I don't know how and why.

I have 115 installed application, no music inside, no ROOT - just pure stock. I was in my college room and I left my phone on the desk right in front of me and after few minutes when I looked at the phone, the Google logo was there. I didn't give the phone to anyone to picks or anything. When I get home, I turn the phone on and still the Google logo just was there doing nothing and like I said before, after unknown minutes the phone boots in with very slow animation of the ICS software. I decided to install Clockwork Mod recovery 5.0.2.0 and root the phone. After reading many tutorials I installed CWM recovery successfully. Then I tried to downgrade to 2.3.4 and successfully I did that to.

Now after doing all this things to this phone, after so many hours in pain, the phone is nothing like one week ago. The booting is very slow, the animation is veryyy slow, and I don't know what to do anymore... I think this is hardware problem.

**\[edit\] I send it to Samsung and they send me a new one, so definitely is a hardware problem.**

# Answer
After flashing a new firmware it is advised to perform a factory reset (all your data will be lost, so take a backup.) While the phone is off:

1. Press the `VOLUME UP`, `HOME` and `POWER` buttons together till it vibrates. Now it has entered `RECOVERY MODE`.
2. Navigating using the volume buttons highlight the option `wipe data/factory reset` and press the `HOME` button to select and confirm it on the next screen.
3. Finally select `reboot system now` to restart the phone
> 4 votes

---
Tags: 4.0-ice-cream-sandwich, samsung-nexus-s, clockworkmod-recovery, fastboot, boot
---


# Question
Title: What occurs in the background when an application such as Skype is installed e.g. logs, synchronization, etc?
When I install an application, what happens in the background, where is the application installed, where are its preferences stored, where is information such as usernames and passwords stored, etc?

# Answer
> where is the application installed

The .apk file is put into `/data/app` (see: Where in the file system are applications installed?)

> where are its preferences stored

This depends on the application. If it uses the SharedPreferences classes then they go in `/data/data/<app's package name>/shared_prefs`, but they could feasibly be stored anywhere the app can write data to (i.e. all of `/data/data/<app's package name>`, the SD card, etc).

> where is information such as usernames and passwords stored

This also depends on the app. Most often, probably somewhere in `/data/data/<app's package name>`. They could also use AccountManager APIs (the app must request this permission) which I believe will use the `/data/system/accounts.db` database.
> 2 votes

---
Tags: applications, 2.3-gingerbread
---


# Question
Title: Why is a Google account required when installing applications from the Market?
I installed an application from the Android Market for the first time today however was informed that I need a Google Account. Why is that?

# Answer
Because the applications that you download are tied to that Google Account. That way, if you buy any paid applications, and your phone is wiped, or you buy a new phone, all you need to do is make sure that account is logged in on that phone, and you can re-download any of those paid apps without having to pay for them again.

It also enables you to go the Google Play store with your PC, and choose apps to be directly installed onto your phone without even touching your phone. I do it all the time and it works great.
> 6 votes

---
Tags: google-account
---


title: How do I clear learned words?

text:
# Question
Title: How do I clear learned words?
> **Possible Duplicate:**
> How to clear the keyboard autocomplete suggestions

I want to clear the learned words on my Android 2.3.4 phone. They are not found on the User Dictionary but I can see them being suggested whenever I'm typing.

# Answer
> 2 votes
If you are using swipe, go to **settings**\> **locale and text**\> **swype settings** and then click on **reset swype's dictionary**

Also you can navigate to **Settings** \> **Applications** \> **Manage Applications**. Then once there, you will need to scroll down and find the keyboard app. Click on that, and then tap the “**Clear Data**” button.

when the list of learned words appears, long press on one and you may be given the option to forget it. This works on samsung galaxy note 3.

---
Tags: 2.3-gingerbread, dictionary
---


# Question
Title: What does it mean when I select to 'clear data'?
If I look at the options to manage an application and select to clear data, what data is specifically being cleared? Is there a way to find out?

# Answer
> 6 votes
All the data stored by the app in the folder /data/data/app\_name/ will be cleared. You cant specify which data to clear. The app would be like when it was installed or updated.

---
Tags: 2.3-gingerbread
---


title: How to recover from a bad flash?

text:
# Question
Title: How to recover from a bad flash?
I've killed my phone. I tried to install CyanogenMod following a tutorial, but now my phone won't start. How can I recover it? Is there a tool can I can use to reflash it?

# Answer
Probably you werent running the specific firmware on which the CM port for your phone was designed to be installed on. Check if you had missed any steps in the tutorial.

If your phone gets stuck at the bootlogo or bootanimation, you can try to do a factory reset from the recovery mode. If the problem still persists, try flashing the stock firmware and then installing CM.

If your phone does not respond at all while attempting to switch it on, its hard-bricked. The only way to recover it is by using jtag. You need to disassemble the phone for this method, so it's better to take it to a service centre. Here the bootloader is rewritten to the device using a riff box. Watch this video to see how it's done: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B\_zaehAFjME
> 2 votes

---
Tags: rom-flashing, sony-xperia-x10-mini
---


# Question
Title: SGS2 running ICS 4.0.3 can't connect to home wifi
I have a Samsung Galaxy S II 9100. I had no problem connecting to wifi while it was running 2.3.4 or 2.3.6 official firmware. 2 days ago I upgraded to official 4.0.3 and now it connects to all other wifi networks except my home wireless. I did a clean flash, wiped data, cache, dalvik cache etc. I'm using a Linksys WRT300N wireless-N router and all other devices are able to connect (my laptop, other Android phones). Also, before I installed ICS I tried MIUI 2.3.16 which is based on Android 4.0.3 and had the same problem. Can anybody help me?

# Answer
> 1 votes
I was having the same problem with this router + phone + firmware combo, I found that setting up a DHCP Reservation (using the mac address of your phone) on the router (Setup/Basic Setup/DHCP Server/DHCP Reservation) allowed my phone to connect successfully.

# Answer
> 0 votes
Try reloading the wifi driver dial `*#*#526#*#*` (or) install the "wifi-fixer" app from the market.

# Answer
> 0 votes
Here's an issue I had forever!

I fixed it by adjusting the router to use **WPA2** only instead of **WPA/WPA2**. Now all my Android devices connect without problems.

---
Tags: wi-fi, samsung-galaxy-s-2, 4.0-ice-cream-sandwich
---


# Question
Title: When a Google account is used to access the Android Market, what information is captured by Google?
When I use a Google account which then becomes the primary account on the device, what information is captured by Google e.g. device make, model, IMEI, etc?

Am I able to access any of this information and if so where?

# Answer
Google Play is covered by the terms of Google's privacy policy, and in fact links you to it when you first launch the app or visit the link in the Play website's footer. The very brief summary is that they divide it into:

* "Information you give us" - Any info provided during registration
* Device information - Noted to be `"...your hardware model, operating system version, unique device identifiers, and mobile network information including phone number"`
* Log information
* Location information
* Unique application numbers
* Local storage
* Cookies and anonymous identifiers

Since Google's apps are proprietary I doubt you'll get much more definite information than that unless you ask Google directly. You can read the full text of Google's Privacy Policy to see how they use the information they collect (among other things).
> 7 votes

---
Tags: google-account
---


# Question
Title: Does my HTC Wildfire S data cable work with a Samsung Galaxy S2?
I have a HTC Wildfire S and I was wondering if it works on a Samsung Galaxy S2. Sorry if I posted this in the wrong forum.

# Answer
The Wildfire S uses a microUSB cable, same as the Galaxy SII, it should work fine
> 3 votes

---
Tags: samsung-galaxy-s-2
---


title: Apps list on Galaxy Tab 10.1

text:
# Question
Title: Apps list on Galaxy Tab 10.1
On the Galaxy Tab 10.1, is there a way to see a list (not grid) of all apps, or to search for an app by typing other than via the main Google search widget?

# Answer
> 2 votes
You can see a list of all apps in `Settings -> Apps` (or `Applications`) and then select the `All` tab to see factory-installed apps in addition to downloaded apps.

---
Tags: samsung-galaxy-tab, 3.1-honeycomb
---


title: World clock on lock screen

text:
# Question
Title: World clock on lock screen
Did anyone meet an app to show the time in several timezones on the lock screen?

Android 2.3.4, Xperia Pro

# Answer
You could use WidgetLocker to add your favorite World clock widget to the lock screen. You can find these widgets by searching the Play Store.
> 4 votes

---
Tags: 2.3-gingerbread, lock-screens, clock, time-zones
---


# Question
Title: What are the limitations of syncing PC settings (Firefox) with my Android?
Is it possible to sync the Firefox settings (including add-ons) on my PC with my Galaxy 10.1 tab?

# Answer
> 2 votes
You cant sync addons or settings between the PC and android due to differences in the platform. The only things which can be synced are bookmarks, passwords, history and even open tabs. Firefox 11's addon sync works only between the PC versions

---
Tags: firefox-for-android
---


title: USB connection problem

text:
# Question
Title: USB connection problem
I have a problem with my Samsung p1010, I started backing up my files prior to having it updated in a Samsung service center. After updating it, my files were gone, lucky i had it backed up. However, when I connected my device into my PC, it did not detect it like before. I cannot open the folder for the tab, and the tab just went to connecting to MTP or something.

# Answer
> 5 votes
Go to settings -\> wireless and network -\> usb settings. Disable usb debugging if prompted, and select the usb mode you want. Kies for syncing with the kies application on the desktop, or mass storage for mounting the /sdcard and /sdcard/external\_sd partitions.

---
Tags: usb
---


# Question
Title: Why my Galaxy Nexus display is unable to present solid colors?
Whenever there is a non-black solid color block in any application I can see tiny "watermarks", a pattern, and I don't even need to get close to see that.

The effect is more visible in lighter colors. The dark spots have more than 2 pixels in each dimension and they appear to be blue-ish.

Is it because of the Pen-Tile LCD configuration? Is my device defective?

# Answer
It's likely the matrix which you are seeing.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PenTile\_matrix\_family

The Galaxy Nexus uses the RGBG matrix just like previous galaxy, however it's much higher resolution than many other pentile displays.

Here's a magnification of another, similar screen from a different samsung phone. http://www.droid-life.com/2011/09/28/samsungs-super-amoled-hd-screens-bring-back-the-pentile-matrix/

If that's not what you're seeing then it may be a hardware issue.
> 5 votes

---
Tags: samsung-galaxy-nexus, screen
---


title: Am I overcharging my phone?

text:
# Question
Title: Am I overcharging my phone?
> **Possible Duplicate:**
> Does constant charging harm my Android cellphone?

I am using my Xperia Active for application development. Given that scenario, I obviously have the phone connected to the laptop most of the time since I want to be able to easily test my app on the device.

The thing that's worrying me is that when I go to **Settings \> About phone \> Status**, the **Battery level** is set to `100%` and the **Battery status** is set to `Charging (USB)`.

Am I overcharging my phone? Is this bad for the battery's health? If yes, what do I do about it? I use this phone on a daily basis and I don't want the battery's performance to be affected by my development cycle.

# Answer
I doubt it. The charging circuits should be smart enough to avoid this. More likely they aren't actually charging your battery but directly powering your phone from the input while leaving the battery mostly alone.
> 3 votes

# Answer
Usually phone batteries are smart enough to close the circuit when the battery is full to prevent overcharging and damaging the phone/battery.

However, since you say you are developing with the phone, it could be possible that your usage of the phone (screen on, full brightness, heavy gpu or gps usage, etc.) could be causing it to drain more than the usb connection can charge. USB ports have a lower current than say a wall plug in. Maybe it's just enough that your phone is really at 99.X% and it is rounding it up to 100% and therefore it is still technically "charging?" No idea if this is your case, but it could potentially be a possibility.
> 2 votes

---
Tags: battery-life, charging, sony-xperia-active
---


title: Can my Google Docs app be secured?

text:
# Question
Title: Can my Google Docs app be secured?
I have sensitive information in my Google Docs.

I enabled two-step verification with my Google account; but just noticed that Google DOCS on my phone doesn't require any type of PIN number or password when I open it. Is there a way to secure this app?

NOTE: I also have a PIN number that must be entered after swipe.

# Answer
All you need is an app locker app. There are many app lockers in Play Store. Just, search. I'd recommend Smart App Protector (I use its pro version which is great). Use it to lock Google Docs app.
> 6 votes

---
Tags: security, google-drive
---


# Question
Title: ICS: any way to restore the "combined view" email notification I had on Gingerbread?
My Nexus S was OTA-upgraded yesterday to Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0.3 from 2.3 (Gingerbread). I use the stock mail app with two email accounts. On Gingerbread, if I got new emails in both accounts, I would get a single notification that pointed to my "combined inbox". This was convenient.

On ICS, I get two notifications instead, doubling the time needed to read my new mail because I have to visit each mailbox separately. Annoying!

Yes, I realize that if I only have a few emails I can read them right from the notification bar, but I get 100+ emails per day so I usually get the "bulk" notifications.

Is there a way on the ICS email app to restore the gingerbread behavior to have a single notification pointing to my "combined view" inbox instead of two separate notifications?

# Answer
> 3 votes
I finally gave up on the stock email client for Android 4.0 because of this problem and others. Now I use Enhanced Email and I love it. Its screen-real-estate-efficient UI is based on the Gingerbread client and the dev team is very responsive to user suggestions and feedback. And it doesn't kill battery life like Touchdown.

---
Tags: email, samsung-nexus-s, notifications, 4.0-ice-cream-sandwich, stock-email-app
---


# Question
Title: How do I speed up Android on Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Mini?
My first Android device is an Xperia X10 Mini. I've installed a custom ROM (miniCm7) and now my device is definitely 'cool'.

The only problem is that a lot of applications run in the background, slowing down the phone. Xperia x10 mini has a 600 MHz processor and only 256 MB RAM, so it can manage few applications altogether, despite they are applications I need (for example: WhatsApp, Facebook, Dropbox, and more).

How do I speed up and maintain it clean?

# Answer
> 1 votes
Applications don't run in the background, they're suspended and don't slow down the phone. Services that run constantly might slow down the phone, and I believe Facebook and Dropbox both run services. (See this answer for a bit more info on how Android manages resources.)

Your best option is to uninstall the apps you believe are causing issues. Another thing you can do is install a custom kernel that will allow you to overclock the device (at the expense of battery life and assuming CM's kernel isn't overclockable), but that may not help very much. Most phones with specs in that range don't run things all too well, which is how the manufacturer get people to spend more money I guess :P

See also: What are some general tips on improving overall performance of an Android phone?

---
Tags: performance, sony-xperia-x10-mini
---


# Question
Title: Is there any reason not lock the CPU frequency to the minimum while the screen is off?
To save battery, I have created a "screen off" profile with SetCPU that locks the CPU frequency to the minimum while the screen is turned off. Could this have any negative side effects on apps that run in the background?

# Answer
> 4 votes
There will only be problems if you rely on background services to do processor intensive tasks. For example, on an older Android phone, music running in the background would skip when the CPU was set at a low enough clock rate.

So to answer your question, only if it's noticeable to you.

---
Tags: battery-life, multitasking, setcpu
---


title: No numbers on default keyboard

text:
# Question
Title: No numbers on default keyboard
Just bought a SE Xperia Arc S phone and it's keyboard does not have numbers or symbols like $,@ on the keys. When I press and hold "r" for example it prints a weird "ṛ" character instead of the number 4. Is there a way to have a keyboard like in Galaxy S, with symbols and numbers (and still have swype)?

# Answer
Check what input methods your device has by following the screen shots-

You should be able to see all installed keyboards by following the guide, and select the one which suits you. Or if you don't have much options there, install a new keyboard input method from Market or install Swype beta by registering here.
> 2 votes

---
Tags: 2.3-gingerbread, keyboard, sony-xperia-arc
---


# Question
Title: How do I change the number identification format (to associate with a contact's number)?
I have a Sony/Ericsson Xperia Arc phone with Android 2.3 In my country, I can receive calls with the following number patterns (it's the formatting used by my operator):

```
12345678
0aa12345678
0bbaa12345678

```

However, my system won't identify the second and third options as being a number from the same contact. That's the behavior that I want: if some contact's number is 12345678, the phone software should always match with the contact if the 8 number from right to left match.

Is this possible?

**EDIT**

The 'aa' and 'bbaa' fields are just numbers. An example of a number could be:

01122223333

**aa** is a kind of region code and **bb** is the operator's code.In this case, if I have 22223333 in my contacts, it won't match. If I have 0441122223333 in my contacts, it won't work either. But it should (and I think that some cheap cell phones sold by operators have this behavior in my country).

# Answer
> 3 votes
Try using the format +bbaa12345678 in your contacts (so you replace the 0 by a + sign).

---
Tags: 2.3-gingerbread, contacts
---


# Question
Title: Why is multitasking not behaving properly on my HTC One S?
I have recently purchased the new HTC One S, and I am starting to get disappointed with Android and ICS. Multitasking only seems to exist for small apps like SMS, mail, and others. Every time I have a big game running - like Shadowgun, for example - and I press the home button or lock the screen, the game stops running. If I then go to the most recent apps and pick the game, it starts over from the beginning, it doesn't continue where I left it. I am used to a HTC HD2 with its old Windows Mobile, and I was always able to leave a game in its position and come back to it later, without any problems. Why isn't Android doing that for me? Is it a behavior only for ICS, or HTC, or is it the general behavior of any android mobile?

# Answer
The general android behavior is to pause the application when you switch to some other app. It shouldn't cause data loss. In case the app is closed/killed by the OS while in background, it gives the app the option to save data in it's APIs.

If an app is using this proper/recommended way, then it can resume altogether without any data loss, i.e. you can start the game where you left it. But some games may have so much data that it can't be saved easily, that's why you are having issues with multi-tasking.

I haven't tried Shadowgun, so I can't comment on that, but in a game like Plants vs. Zombies it's properly implemented, and your game is properly paused and resumed. When you press *Home* on the device, it goes to a paused state automatically.

So in the end, it all comes down to **App's own mechanics**, not on HTC or Android.
> 5 votes

# Answer
I don't have this problem running on a SGSII on ICS. Have you tried pausing the game before leaving it? Also make sure you click the home button only once with a fast click.

Good luck.
> 0 votes

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Tags: 4.0-ice-cream-sandwich, multitasking, htc-one-s
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# Question
Title: Get root access without going through replacing things?
I'm totally new to rooting and I would like to simply have root access to my phone. I don't want to do any customization whatsoever to the insides of it. Is this doable? I mean like, in terms of a PC, I want to simply give my limited user account an administrative privilege.

Sorry if this seems weird and all but I'm unfamiliar with these grounds.

If it makes answering a little bit easier, my phone is an Xperia Active and here's the information I can find inside Settings \> About.

For example, I only want to change the default media sounds stored inside the internal memory. Things like that.

# Answer
Follow the guide in this thread to root your device. Xperia Rooting Tool - xda-developers

Rooting would install a `Superuser` app for you which will monitor apps which require root access. You can then install a app like Root Explporer to access your device's internal memory, just press `Allow` when it asks for root access.

I believe you can find system media files inside the path `/system/media/audio/`, although it may change with devices or firmware versions. And don't forget to click on `R/W` on top in **Root Explorer** when you are deleting or replacing files to enable Read/Write Mode.
> 3 votes

# Answer
You can't do this.

You give administrative privilege to limited user accounts in Windows when you have access to atleast one Administrator account. Think about the situation when you are on others PC with guest account. Can you do anything which requires administrative privilege on that PC? The same type of situation blocks us in Android.

So, to get administrative (root) access in Android (Linux), we need to alter and replace many things.
> 1 votes

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Tags: 2.3-gingerbread, rooting, device-administrator
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# Question
Title: How can I train voice recognition on ICS?
Is it possible to train Android's speech recognition? I have read Can I train Google Voice Actions to better recognize my voice? which suggests that there is a setting in the voice search app but I'm running ICS and don't even have a dedicated voice search app.

# Answer
> 2 votes
The setting should still exist, it's just a little bit more awkward to get to. The easiest way is to hit the microphone icon on the search widget (though I think anywhere it appears will work) to bring up the voice action dialog. There's a wrench in the top right of that dialog that opens the settings:

Tap that to open the settings page, which should have the checkbox titled "Personalized recognition" as in previous versions (tested on a Galaxy Nexus running CyanogenMod 9, Android 4.0.4).

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Tags: 4.0-ice-cream-sandwich, voice-recognition
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title: How can I tab in web forms?

text:
# Question
Title: How can I tab in web forms?
I'm looking for a method of tabbing between web fields in the Android browser, similar to how one would with the Tab key on a PC. Is there a keyboard or another app that will enable this?

# Answer
If you have a device with a D-pad like the Droid it will allow you to jump from element to element on a website like the tab button on a computer keyboard. I believe the devices with a trackball like the N1 also allow this. I've seen some apps that offer an on screen "virtual" D-pad but I can't seen to find them now.
> 2 votes

# Answer
Try Hacker's Keyboard, it has a `Tab` key, at least in the layouts I use. The keyboard can be pretty space-consuming on smaller screens, so be warned.
> 1 votes

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Tags: browser, keyboard
---


# Question
Title: How can I fix my touchscreen on my Droid 2 Global?
Anyone know what to do if your phone's touchscreen won't respond. I have tried removing the battery and SIM card, turning it off, letting the battery completely die and then recharge. Is there anything else I could do?

Note: I have never placed my phone near water, so it cannot be due to water damage.

MODEL NUMBER: A956.

# Answer
> 1 votes
Unless you havent flashed other roms, its time to replace the screen.

---
Tags: touchscreen
---


# Question
Title: Searching and filtering Android Market app reviews
There seems to be no way of filtering or searching the app *reviews* in Android Market. This is a problem because it's usually the low-scored reviews that are most useful - they give an idea about what people are finding as disadvantages, so I can decide whether or not those are relevant to me or not.

**Is there some way around this restriction?** Does Google provide the review data in some way that could be searched, for example all reviews on one big page?

# Answer
These days, the Google Play Store (renamed Android Marketplace) *does* in fact have review filtering based on the rating.

Just click on "User Reviews" and the "5 stars", "4 stars" titles for the bar graphic are now clickable, and clicking them displays only reviews with that rating.

Thanks, Google!
> 0 votes

# Answer
The comments are not searchable from the market app, nor are they searchable from the site, but you can search google using `site:market.android.com my search terms here` and it does include the comments when searching.

All the comments are also visible on the market site under the "user comments" tab for the application.
> 0 votes

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Tags: google-play-store, app-ratings
---


# Question
Title: What is cleared when I restart my phone?
I haven't restart my phone since the day I got it however decided I would give it a go since my contacts seem to disappear intermittently. Anyhoo, it prompted me that if I restarted my phone anything stored in memory would be cleared. How do I find out what is stored in memory and what is being cleared?

# Answer
> 4 votes
Things that would be cleared are anything that isn't saved, open applications, etc. For example, if you were playing a game, and just pressed the home key the game would go to the background and be paused. When you restart your phone, you will lose that game (up until the last point it saved).

Other things that you leave half finished, such as an unwritten email might get lost, but even that is unlikely because I notice Android pretty much makes sure I never lose anything.

It's not a bad idea to restart your device once in a while, but you really do not have to worry about losing anything. It's safe.

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Tags: ram, cache
---


title: What does "Locked Messages" mean?

text:
# Question
Title: What does "Locked Messages" mean?
When I try to delete a message, I get prompted to select whether to "Delete locked messages".

There doesn't appear to be any difference if I check this option or leave it unchecked.

Does anyone know what that means?

# Answer
> 5 votes
You can lock a particular message in your conversation so you don't accidentally delete that. The check box is for those messages. See following screen-shots -

1. First Long tap on the message you want to lock, and select **Lock**.
2. The message should be now locked and a lock icon should appear at the bottom.
3. Now when you delete the conversation the message was in, **the locked message would not get deleted if the check-box is not selected.**

# Answer
> 1 votes
You can lock messages that you want to retain in your phone. IIRC long pressing the message will give you the option to lock the message.

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Tags: 2.3-gingerbread, sms, htc-evo-3d
---


title: Use Nook Tablet in the UK

text:
# Question
Title: Use Nook Tablet in the UK
I will be visiting the U.S. this month and I was thinking about buying the Nook Tablet from Barnes and Noble whilst over there as I am looking for a Tablet to primarily read books on but also browser the web and watch videos.

Two questions

Will the Tablet work in the UK when I get back? By "work" I mean will I be able to browse the web, watch videos on the device and read books that are already on the device?

Can you put your own books on there? I have a number of books already in mobi format, happy to convert them if necessary.

Thanks

# Answer
> 5 votes
1. AFAIK the nook tablet doesnt have 3g support. So country specific problems are not applicable. You can use wifi wherever you want.
2. With the kindle app or another app that supports .mobi it is possible. Otherwise you can use a program like calibre in your PC to convert them to epub.

---
Tags: nook-color
---


# Question
Title: Should I be worried about applications with weird looking permissions?
> **Possible Duplicate:**
> How important is it to review the permissions that an app is using?

When I install apps from Android Market (Play Store now) there are some apps that require special permissions and for some of them it's weird to have for example "Read phone call history" when the app is a compass or whatever...

Should I be worried? Should I uninstall an app with weird looking permissions?

# Answer
Yes, you should be worried. Lots of malware disguises itself as something else that the writer thinks you might want to install so that it can get the app onto your phone. If you are at all suspicious about permissions (and reading phone history is definitely suspicious for a compass app), contact the app developer with your questions. An honest dev will get back to you.
> 3 votes

# Answer
This definitely requires some sensible judgement. If the app is from a trusted dev (Top Devloper with that symbol) then you can be rest assured that that app isn't any malware. Generally, apps which look shady in terms of title and comments are the ones you must proceed with caution.
> 0 votes

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Tags: security, permissions
---


# Question
Title: Which system process do I block from the internet to prevent ads from showing up?
Yes, this is similar to my own previous question on the subject. I'm being very specific here though - despite having wrapped ad blocking with hosts file and firewall, some apps (several more now) are able to merrily display banner ads even when they are explicitly blocked from connecting to the net. My firewall (Droidwall) works, because if I block a legitimate app it gets blocked.

How are they doing this?? Is there some Google made common system process that they access?

# Answer
> 5 votes
Such ads are not fetched from the internet, they are built into the app. Usually the ads would feature some other app from the same developer.

# Answer
> 2 votes
The reason why you still see those ads when you've blocked internet is because they're cached. If you erase the app data, then you won't see those ads, but all login information (if used) will also be deleted.

There isn't any specific process on the Android system that is responsible for fetching ads. The application itself fetches the ad. So unless you find a way to kill a thread on the app that fetches those ads, you won't be able to do anything.

Your best course of action is to:

1. Buy the paid version of the app. (Supports developers :-) )
2. Install some AdBlocker app. (Might require root.)
3. Bear with the ads.

---
Tags: ads
---


# Question
Title: Does ICS Gmail display unread message counts for labels other than Inbox?
Up to Android 2.x, in the labels view the Gmail app of my Nexus S displayed the number of unread messages next to labels with unread mail. I recently upgraded to Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0.4 on the same device and now Gmail no longer displays unread counts for labels unless I access the list of messages for a certain label. Is this a new Gmail feature? Is there some way of viewing those unread counts in a way similar to Android 2.x?

# Answer
> 4 votes
Yes, at least 4.0.4 stock image on my Galaxy Nexus does, though if more than 999, it just displays 999+ (same as inbox).

# Answer
> 4 votes
My Galaxy Nexus with stock ICS 4.0.2 does show unread counts on my labels, like this when I click the labels icon at the bottom of the screen:

Possibly more important than the version of Android you're running, is the version of GMail that you're runnning. The GMail app was last updated on 4th April 2012, I'm running v4.0.5 which I'm pretty sure is the latest version. Check which version you have by going into **Settings** -\> **Applications** and finding GMail in the list. Visit the GMail page in the Play Store (on your phone) to update, if not.

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Tags: 4.0-ice-cream-sandwich, gmail
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# Question
Title: Why is my Kyocera Echo taking 6 minutes to boot?
I have a Kyocera Echo that now takes about 6 minutes to boot. I haven't rooted it or tried to perform any 'hacks' on it. I've had it for a few months now. It's running Android 2.3 if that helps. I am not sure if it is meant to take this long to boot. Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance.

# Answer
Backup your data and perform a factory reset( `settings` \> `privacy` \> `factory data reset`). Then restore the data.
> 2 votes

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Tags: boot, bootloader
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# Question
Title: Why does Gmail force close when I open it?
Every time I open my Gmail app it force closes. This is the message I get:

> The application Gmail( process com.android.gmail) has stopped unexpectedly. Please try again.)

If it helps I am using the Samsung Galaxy S II running Android 2.3.

# Answer
> 5 votes
Go to `Settings>Applications>Manage Applications`, then find the Gmail app in the 'All' tab. Click 'Force Stop' and 'Clear Data'. Restart the app and see if the error occurs again.

---
Tags: 2.3-gingerbread, gmail, force-close
---


# Question
Title: What is the difference between deleting and clearing downloads?
If I select on a download I am given the option to delete or clear the selection. What is the difference? If I select clear, do it mean I still have the option to delete? If so where from?

# Answer
Clearing downloads will only clear it from the *list of downloads.*

To delete files that have been cleared from the list, you would need to do so directly from the SD card's download folder, either with your computer or using a file manager like Astro.
> 7 votes

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Tags: downloading
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# Question
Title: If I download and install a non-market application and then proceed remove it, does it mitigate any security issues?
If I downloaded a non-market application and installed it and discovered it may be malicious, does removing it from the list of applications completely discard it and help mitigate any security issues? If not, does resetting the phone back to its factory settings mitigate any security issues?

# Answer
I don't know that there's a definite way to answer this. It would be almost entirely dependent on how exactly the app was attempting to infect your phone and how successful its attempts were.

In the simplest case, maybe the app is sniffing data or something of that sort. For that case, uninstalling would basically remove the threat since the app would be gone. Nothing is left behind when you uninstall, including the `/data` directories for the app.

Slightly more complex would be an app that put a malicious payload somewhere on your system's publicly writeable storage. In that case removing the app would not necessarily be enough, depending on what exactly the payload did and how it was designed. Uninstalling could potentially cause the malicious code to become inert on reboot since the app may need to fire up a service on boot, but that's hard to say. Formatting your SD card and doing a factory reset would probably clean it up in its entirety.

The most nefarious case would be an app that gained elevated privileges on your device, either through an exploit or effective social engineering in which you grant access yourself. In that case a factory reset would not necessarily be enough, since the entirety of the `/system` partition would be unaffected. If the app were to stick a payload on `/system` then the only way you could really be sure you're clean is if you completely wiped all of the internal memory of the device and then reinstalled a new ROM, I would say. Even worse would be if it somehow managed to write a malicious bootloader or something of that nature, since in some circumstances it's possible to write to the bootloader partition from userspace (given proper permissions).
> 7 votes

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Tags: applications, security, side-loading
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# Question
Title: How can I move apps to the external SD card on LG Optimus 2X P990?
I have put a SD 16 GB in my LG Optimus 2X P990, but it seems that the phone won't save on it. Is it possible to save/move apps to the external SD card? Or even set it to do it automatically? I have already formatted the SD card twice, and it still is not working properly.

# Answer
Try App 2 SD, it should be able to move at least some of the apps. To set it to automatic, you will need the android SDK (to use `adb`). From here, those commands should work (worked for me on my Samsung Galaxy Ace):

> **adb devices**
>
> Probes Android devices connected to the PC. Do this first to assure that the phone is being detected.
>
> **adb shell pm getInstallLocation**
>
> This results in a numerical value to state where the default install location is (0: phone, 2: external).
>
> **adb shell pm setInstallLocation 2**
>
> This sets the default install location to the external storage.
> 2 votes

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Tags: app2sd, lg-optimus-2x
---


title: What is Phablet?

text:
# Question
Title: What is Phablet?
How to define a **phablet**?

I first read this word in article about "ZTE building some Galaxy Note-style phablets". This is something larger than a smartphone, but smaller than a tablet. But where is the boundary? What features would a device have (apart from size) to be considered smartphone/phablet/tablet ?

# Answer
Phablets are basically tablet / phone crossovers. Best examples are Samsung’s Galaxy Note and LG’s Optimus Vu.

As per ComputerWorld: *A **phablet** is a phone with a screen so big that it can be used as a tablet.*

There are no defined boundaries whatsoever in terms of screen sizes; so any tablet with phone (telephony) capabilities might also be termed *a phablet*.
> 6 votes

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Tags: tablet, hardware
---


# Question
Title: How do I synchronize my FireFox Bookmarks from my PC to both my android devices?
My web browser is Firefox 11 on Ubuntu 12.04 LTS and I have a lot of well organized bookmarks that I would like to synchronize with both my Android Devices (Galaxy 10.1 tab & Galaxy S Phone). I want to maintain my PC as the book mark server. I wasn't sure where to ask this question "Ask Ubuntu" or here.

# Answer
By far the easiest way to do this is to use Firefox as your web browser everywhere, and then use Firefox's built in sync functionality. This will (optionally) sync not just your Bookmarks, but also your History, your Saved Passwords and your Preferences, and let you see the recent tabs you've had open on different machines.

Start by installing Firefox for Android, then on your PC go into Firefox's Options, click the Sync tab and run through the wizard to set up sync and the encryption key.

Then open Firefox on your Android device and you should see a prominent option to set up sync that will involve copying a short authentication code between your phone and PC copies of Firefox. After that it will start pulling all of the info down from your PC to your phone (you may want to make sure you're on wifi for this first sync).

For a clearer guide, with pictures, see this page on the Mozilla support site How do I sync Firefox between my desktop and mobile?
> 7 votes

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Tags: sync, bookmarks, firefox-for-android
---


# Question
Title: Motorola Atrix Android 2.3.X Corporate Email Account Already Added or Exists
I have a Motorola Atrix phone running Android 2.3.6. I had just performed an update to my firmware and can no longer access my corporate email account via the "Email" app. I tried to re-add the account but would receive errors stating that the email had already been added (or email already exists). Everything on the Internet leads me to believe that I would have to perform a factory reset of the phone. Where did the email account go and how can I add the email if the phone says that it already exists or it was already added?

# Answer
> 2 votes
I am answering my own question.

The original email configuration still exists on the phone, but it cannot be accessed via the "Email" app. Accessing the "Email" app will just prompt you to add the account again (along with other account types like facebook, twitter; then it denies you stating that it already exists). Instead click on the "Messaging" app and then you will see the "disappearing" email account in addition to "Universal Account" and "Text Messaging". Select the original account and edit the account properties. On the account properties page you can "Remove Account". By removing the account you can then go and add it again successfully.

I have heard that others are doing a hard reset which is not necessary.

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Tags: email
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title: Does firmware affect GPS accuracy?

text:
# Question
Title: Does firmware affect GPS accuracy?
I am from Philippines, and using European firmware for my Samsung Galaxy S2. Does that affect the accuracy of my GPS? For example, my location is usually off (at the wrong location) when I use Foursquare. But sometimes, it's usually right in Google Maps.

Should I be using firmware for Philippines instead?

# Answer
Firmware definitely won't affect the quality of GPS reception (atleast in case of original ROMs, as homebrew ROMs might have some bugs - EVEN then it's either the fact that the GPS fix might take longer than usual or the GPS doesn't work at all. Not associated with accuracy.) What affects GPS reception is the quality of the signal. You tend to get a better and a faster GPS fix if you're in the open rather than in a closed building.

I've seen that Foursquare and Google Maps always point at the same location. (No brainer.)
> 2 votes

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Tags: samsung-galaxy-s-2, gps
---


# Question
Title: Mobile network turns on by itself after Android 4.0.3. update
I'm having HTC Sensation and I use wi-fi on a regular basis instead of mobile network (bad data plan). For the old Android version there was no problem, I just switched of background syncing and set option "Sync only via wi-fi".

After the update mobile network turns on automatically...

I couldn't find exact duplicate of "Sync only via wi-fi" in the update.

I went to Settings-\>Wireless&Network-\>Usage-\>Menu-\>Usage Settings -\> "Restrict background data", but two problems still arise:

1. Can't get rid of Notification "Background data restricted"
2. Mobile network turns on automatically when decides to sync.

Any advises?

# Answer
Maybe turning Data Enabled to off (Mobile network settings on CM9) might help. In that way, it'll sync only when WiFi is available.
> -1 votes

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Tags: 4.0-ice-cream-sandwich, sync, mobile-network
---


# Question
Title: Cannot get Android drivers to install on LG Thrill
I've Googled everything I could think of and I can't get this to work.

I'm trying to help someone set up his Android phone - an LG Thrill 4G - to connect to his PC so he can text from his computer, back up his contacts, etc. I downloaded and installed the SDK. I used the SDK manager to install more stuff, including the Google USB driver. I can see the usb\_driver folder in the Android SDK extras folder, and I can see .dll files inside (if I remember correctly). I've set the phone to have whatever USB box checked. And, of course, I went to the Device Manager (he's got Windows 7), right-clicked the phone, and tried finding drivers online and finding them on the computer. No dice.

Something online said I should run the dpinst.exe file and that it should be in the usb\_driver folder. It isn't. Should this exist? Is there another way to get the driver to install? Should I take another route altogether? What am I missing?

# Answer
> 3 votes
LG's site is terrible so it took me a while to find, but you can get the drivers for the Thrill from here: http://www.lg.com/us/support-mobile/lg-P925

---
Tags: usb, windows, usb-drivers, lg-thrill
---


# Question
Title: Is ROM Manager compatible with the Galaxy Nexus?
I looked a ROM manager called ROM Manager but it is listed as incompatible with my Samsung Galaxy Nexus.

Does ROM Manager support the Galaxy Nexus? If not, what are the alternatives?

# Answer
The Galaxy Nexus is supported from a device/hardware standpoint, but it may not be available in your region for some reason. If that's the case, you can instead get ROM Manager directly from the developer's website. There are also ClockworkMod recovery downloads on that page.

If, for whatever reason, ROM Manager proves to be unusable or unsatisfactory, there are a few alternatives currently available:
> 3 votes

---
Tags: samsung-galaxy-nexus, rom-manager
---


# Question
Title: Determining the cause of a strange "the other side can't hear me" issue
Recently I started to notice that a lot of people who call me, can't hear my voice during the call.

The phone is an almost 2 years old Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 mini pro, so I guess the microphone could just get old and somewhat start to fail.

Also it could be wrong from the beginning. I didn't had that much calls until recently. I think noticing it just now might be reasonable.

According to my experience the problem only occurs during incoming calls, I've never experienced it while I called somebody. And only in the first incoming call, if I was recalled right after the first call, everything was fine. This makes it look like if it is the provider's issue.

And of course some app blocking my microphone also came into my mind, but I don't have many installed and I don't know if any of them would do such a thing anyway. (The phone was never rooted, it has the official 2.1 ROM, etc.)

The question is: because I still have some of the warranty left... how could I determine if my problem is a hardware problem, a software problem or a provider problem to know where should I go with it? (According to my experience if I just say something is wrong without hard evidence, the repair service and the provider will only try to make the other take the blame. Not to mention that they will factory reset the phone, say that they couldn't reproduce the problem, so it had to be one of my apps.)

# Answer
This doesn't really answer the question, so just for the record if anybody else has the same issue:

I don't know about other phones, but small Sony Ericssons have an interesting feature. They have small buttons in the corners of the screen. One of them is muting the microphone. And... as the user rises the phone to his ear, the screen that was turned off for the call turns on because the phone is moving, and the ear hits the mute button with an 50% chance. The other side swears and hangs the phone, so when I finally see the screen turning on again, the button and the mute sign isn't there yet.
> 2 votes

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Tags: 2.1-eclair, calls, sony-xperia-x10-mini-pro
---


title: Amazon Android App Store International

text:
# Question
Title: Amazon Android App Store International
> **Possible Duplicate:**
> How can I get apps from the Amazon app store from an unsupported region?

I followed a tutorial that would allow me to access the amazon android app store. When I filled everything out, (account, address, one-click, etc.) it still won't allow me to download, saying that it isn't in my region.

I used this tutorial. What's the problem?

# Answer
The problem is likely in your US proxy solution which can be detected. Use SSH Tunnelling (needs root access) or VPN.
> 0 votes

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Tags: amazon-appstore
---


# Question
Title: Buying and Reading Books without Kindle or Nooks apps
I want buy an e-book (theleanstartup.com) and read on my tablet (Samsung Galaxy Tab) . Ebook is available for kindle and nook. Also there is an Amazon link (probably kindle version). There isn't pdf download option, ofcourse.

Kindle and Nook's Android apps isn't downloadable for Turkey.

How can i buy and read this book? Any ideas?

# Answer
> 1 votes
You can get the Amazon Appstore from here and install it directly, and install the Kindle app from there instead of from the Play Store.

---
Tags: ebooks, kindle-for-android, nook-for-android
---


# Question
Title: Enabling AdHoc Networking on ICS to Connect to AdHoc Devices
I'm looking for a way to connect my Galaxy Nexus (Android 4.0.x) to my laptop via adhoc wifi. (The laptop will act as my wireless NAS.)

The WiFi Ad Hoc enabler for Android does not work on the Galaxy Nexus. (The statistics at at that link show 0 successes and 13 failures for GNex owners who tried it. However, it works for many other devices.)

I also see this advice: You need a modified wpa\_supplicant file in /system/bin.

What modifications are needed to the wpa\_supplicant file in /system/bin?

I see a couple proposed solutions for other devices, but nothing for the Galaxy Nexus.

https://android.stackexchange.com/a/19133/12444
https://android.stackexchange.com/a/4147/12444
http://www.slatedroid.com/topic/2973-ad-hoc-network/

However, I see this response: "patching the wpa\_suplicant isn't generic and frankly I'd call that method useless."

What is the best solution? Can anyone shed more light on the problem here?

# Answer
> 3 votes
If you can tether mobile data of your Galaxy Nexus over Wi-Fi, you have full-featured ad-hoc network. If you are not sure, install Wireless Tether (root access is required).
After connecting Laptop to this `MobileAP`, look for IPs of client and `Default Gateway` (`ipconfig /all` cmd command works fine with Windows; Fing can also be used). IP of `Default Gateway` is IP of your Android device. You can use these IPs in any networking service you want. It works.

**Another Approach**
In ad-hoc networking, it doesn't matter which point is broadcasting SSID. So, you can make your laptop virtual router too. Connect your Galaxy Nexus to it & do whatever you want.
To make your laptop virtual router with NAS support, I'd recommend you to install Connectify Pro (not free). There's a nice free alternative too: mHotspot. After connecting your Galaxy Nexus to virtual hotspot created by it, you can use any networking service over it.

---
Tags: 4.0-ice-cream-sandwich, samsung-galaxy-nexus, wifi-hotspot, ad-hoc-networks
---


# Question
Title: Macedonian keyboard for Samsung Galaxy Ace
I'm from Macedonia and I'm using Samsung Galaxy Ace and I was wondering if there is any way I can install Macedonian keyboard so I can type in my mother language?

# Answer
> 1 votes
I hope this should work for you - **Macedonian Keyboard App Google Play**

Install and change input method when typing to use this keyboard. (To change input method, you can follow this guide - Android Stack Exchange - Change Input Method)

> After changing keyboard, select **'123'** near space button and then select **'MKD'** at same place to get the Macedonian Keyboard.

You can also try other popular Keyboard apps if they have Macedonian support, unfortunately Swype doesn't have it.

---
Tags: keyboard, localization
---


# Question
Title: Why is my device not utilizing all of its available RAM?
I have a Nook Color with Cyanogenmod 7.2 (on mSD), and Nook Color is supposed to be 512MB of RAM (says so on product's page).

When I open Menu (on bottom bar, while on desktop) \> Manage Applications \> Running, it says on the bottom left 95MB used, and on the bottom right it says 174MB free. These are about 270MB, does that mean my RAM is corrupted? Why is it not utilizing all 512MB of RAM?

# Answer
Although your device may have 512 MB of RAM in it, the settings almost always report the RAM that is available to **user** processes, not all of the physical RAM. This means that it won't report any memory that is being used by:

* Android's system-level processes
* Your GPU, which often uses shared memory
* Any memory a cellular radio chip may need to function (irrelevant in your case)

Although this memory is not reported, it **is** being used by the system. Reporting it in a system monitor is simply not very relevant because the OS is going to basically keep it for itself forever (after all, the OS needs RAM to run properly, too). There is really no way that you can get this RAM "back" from the system, but you wouldn't want to anyway since your phone would basically stop functioning without it.
> 11 votes

---
Tags: ram
---


# Question
Title: Where to add SSH keys to allow connections to remote server on Android?
I'm using a rooted custom Android kernel (Gingerbread), and am able to connect to a remote SSH server with password authentication using busybox and a terminal emulator app. I would like to be able to use SSH keys for auto-login; is this possible? If so, where should I put my private key?

# Answer
> 10 votes
It's not quite as seamless, but the `ssh` binary provided by busybox (mine, at least) supports the `-i` flag, so you can put the key wherever you want and use that:

```
ssh -i /path/to/key_file joeuser@somehost.com

```

The relevant man page entry for `-i` (with the caveat that the information about the default path may not be the same on Android):

```
-i identity_file

         Selects a file from which the identity (private key) for public
         key authentication is read.  The default is ~/.ssh/identity for
         protocol version 1, and ~/.ssh/id_dsa, ~/.ssh/id_ecdsa and
         ~/.ssh/id_rsa for protocol version 2.  Identity files may also be
         specified on a per-host basis in the configuration file.  It is
         possible to have multiple -i options (and multiple identities
         specified in configuration files).  ssh will also try to load
         certificate information from the filename obtained by appending
         -cert.pub to identity filenames.

```

# Answer
> 6 votes
Install & run ConnectBot (a dedicated SSH client). Tap/press menu key. From the menu, tap `Manage Pubkeys`. On next screen, again press/tap menu key. From the menu, tap `Import`.

---
Tags: ssh, busybox
---


# Question
Title: How can I add an icon to the MIUI home screen?
I just got a Nexus One, which uses the MIUI interface. It came with two different gallery apps. I prefer the `cooliris` app, but there's no icon for it on the home screen, which makes it difficult to access. I can't seem to figure out how to add an icon.

Everything I've found on the internet is either inaccurate or otherwise unhelpful. This should be simple. What am I missing?

# Answer
> 0 votes
I found the problem: The icon already existed on another screen. However, I was confused because both icons are identically named (Gallery) and are nearly identical in appearance. Thus, I didn't realize that I had both icons already.

---
Tags: home-screen, home-screen-shortcuts, miui
---


# Question
Title: Why does the Maps application keep launching?
For some strange reason Google Maps launches on its own. It doesn't launch all the way though. It just leaves a black screen.

Does anyone know why this is happening?

# Answer
> 1 votes
1. Try Uninstalling and re-installing it.
2. Clear the app data.
3. Might be a bug with the custom ROM (ignore if on stock).

As for WHY it is happening, could be a faulty installation IMO, but if the package was faulty, it wouldn't get installed in the first place. Anyhow, just try the above steps.

---
Tags: samsung-galaxy-nexus, google-maps
---


# Question
Title: Why does the Yahoo Mail application for Android only show message snippets in search results?
When I do a search in the Yahoo Mail application and then open one of the search results, instead of seeing the entire message I only see a message snippet.

Is there a way to view the entire original email message?

# Answer
> 1 votes
I have the same problem. It's ridiculous.

I don't really have a solution, but here's my workaround: I forward the found email to myself. (Doing this, you still won't be able to read the message in the composition window!!)

So you'll be able to read the forwarded message only when it comes around in your inbox.

I really do hope they'll fix this.

---
Tags: yahoo-mail
---


# Question
Title: How to establish a LAN directly between an Archos G9 (Android 4.0, WiFi) and a linux box?
I am buying an Archos G9 (Android 4.0). And a Raspberry Pi. I'd like to take them along for trips, and they need to be able to communicate over a network so I can use stuff like VNC etc.

How do I do this?

AFAIK ad hoc WiFi is annoyingly unsupported on Android, but can I connect to the Raspberry Pi if I manage to set the latter up in Master Mode with a usb wifi dongle? That might be hard though.

How about LAN over bridged usb cables? Does Android support that?

Any other ways of getting a network between this device and a generic linux box? It has WiFi, Bluetooth and Usb connections.

# Answer
I've recently bought an Archos 101 G9 Turbo (running ICS 4.03) with the intention of using it for work purposes to replace my slow Windoze netbook. The only shortcomming I though I would experience was having access to an ethernet port on the device.

I found an old USB LAN adapter that's been lying around in a drawer for a few years and out of curiosity. I thought it can't do much harm to try it. I plugged it in the the micro-usb port via a host cable and much to my surprise a grey Ethernet icon immediately popped up in the tablet's system tray. I plugged in an Ethernet cable from my network switch into the adapter and lo-and-behold it picked up an IP address via DHCP and connected to the net! No software, no configuration - true plug-and-play!

The Ethernet icon 'lights up' when connected so you can see it's good to go. The only thing I can't find is any configuration options under settings, so it looks like it might only work with DHCP and default settings (if anyone can throw any light on this It would be appreciated).

Even better, these things are still available and really cheap to buy, the host cable (micro USB male to USB A female) was GBP £1.99 and the USB ethernet adapters can still be bought for less that GBP £2.50 online. The USB ethernet adapters are available from the usual online sources. The one I have uses an SR9600 chipset if that's any help.

FWIW I've just tried this on my old Archos 7c G2 tablet running Froyo 2.3.3 and it doesn't work with that. I've tried it on a Samsung, Galaxy tab running Honeycomb 3.2 and this too doesn't recognize the device so I guess it's just ICS it works with.
> 3 votes

---
Tags: wi-fi, 4.0-ice-cream-sandwich, linux, networking
---


title: Dropbox LAN Sync on Android Device

text:
# Question
Title: Dropbox LAN Sync on Android Device
Dropbox provides LAN Sync for PCs to save time & money. Is there any way to enable it for Android devices? All Dropbox sync apps use only internet for syncing.

# Answer
> 1 votes
What you can do is use both Dropbox and a LAN syncing tool like Unison. I couldn't find any LAN syncing tool for Android but if you mount your device in Mass Storage Mode, running Unison purely on your PC should yield acceptable performance. It may also be possible to compile Unison on Android (it works on GNU/Linux), but that would be fairly difficult.

---
Tags: sync, dropbox
---


# Question
Title: Tasker and Locale Execute Plugin root command not working in 2.3.5
I just rooted my phone and have been trying to create a task in Tasker with the Locale Execute Plugin to control the LED lights for different things.

**Phone Type:** HTC Evo 4G
**Android Version:** 2.3.5
**ROM:** AlterROM 0.0.4.1-RC1

I have followed instructions on every website I could think of except here so far and none of them work. Is there a bug in this version or something not allowing root commands from running?

Here's the command I'm trying to execute with Tasker & Locale Execute Plugin:

`@! echo 1 > /sys/class/leds/wimax/brightness`

(commands from here)

If I use a Terminal IDE to do the following:

```
$ su
# echo 1 > /sys/class/leds/wimax/brightness

```

It works, but no matter what I do in Tasker, it never asks me to grant it root access.

Any ideas?

# Answer
The plugin you're using is deprecated; Tasker now has built-in support for shell commands (under Misc-\>Run Shell). You can use root with this also.

EDIT: It's too bad that didn't work for you :( The last option I can think of is using Secure Settings Plugin. This can run shell commands too, and has the option of returning STDOUT and STDERR to Tasker as well. Good luck!

Also make sure that in your Superuser app you've set it to ask for permissions (or even automatically grant it - turn that on, run Tasker for it to get su permissions, then set it back to "ask").
> 3 votes

---
Tags: 2.3-gingerbread, root-access, tasker
---


# Question
Title: Screen goes dark and phone goes unresponsive whenever I make/receive a call
I changed the SIM card on my Samsung Galaxy Ace to another one. Now, whenever I make/receive a call, the screen goes dark and the phone goes unresponsive.

Pressing buttons randomly eventually sets the phone free, but this takes a long time (a few minutes).

I have a rooted Samsung Galaxy Ace running Android 2.3.4 and a stock ROM, and the CPU speed is limited using SetCPU: can this be the cause of the problem?

The problem on this question is similar: Screen goes off as soon I dial or receive a call. CyanogenMod 7.1- stable

# Answer
Disabling the proximity sensor seems to have worked: after some testing, I got no freezes at all.
> 4 votes

---
Tags: calls, samsung-galaxy-ace, system-freeze
---


# Question
Title: How to access Android language dictionaries
Is it possible to access (programatically, using a text editor, etc.) each dictionary of the built in languages in Android?

The automatic word completion is really useful but it has a major problem when it comes to SMS messaging. I'm Hungarian and our alphabet contains special letters like 'á', 'ő', 'ú' and so on. As you can see each basic letter has a single or a double accent on the top of it (or a dot). If that accent leans to the right like this: 'á' then only 70 letters are allowed to send in a single SMS message. There is another version of that letter in Android when the accent leans to the left: 'à'. Using this will not reduce the 160 letters to 70.

Unfortunately all the built in Hungarian words use the wrong version of those letters so I have two options when composing a new SMS message:

1. Turn off word completion and use the basic letters like 'a', 'o', 'u'.
2. Use word completion but correct the wrong letters. This takes at least twice as much time to complete a text message.

So I'm wondering if it would possible to rewrite the dictionary of a language in any way?

# Answer
I was having the same issue but in Spanish and i just disabled sms division on the messages option menu and problem solved, no need to hack around dictionaries

EDIT:

Go to "Messages" \> Press "Menu" key \> Press "Adjustments" (in spanish it says "Ajustes") \> Uncheck "SMS Split"

BTW, this question is more suited for the android.stackoverflow.com site.
> 1 votes

# Answer
Have you tried using a different onscreen keyboard? There are several on the market like SwiftkeyX that use their own autocompletes, and they have other languages available.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: dictionary, languages
---


# Question
Title: Tmobile my touch 3g (HTC Magic) doesn't give option to mount USB storage anymore
I have a Tmobile MyTouch 3g. When I connect it via usb to my 64 bit Windows 7 machine, I do not get any option to mount for USB storage as I typically have in the past. I also do not get any option when connected to my Windows XP work machine.

I have tried getting the mytouch to dismount/mount the sd card under settings and then replugging in the phone with no effect. Not sure if there's anything else under settings I could try.

When I look in Windows 7's device manager under USB there's an "Unknown Device" listed. I "uninstalled" this device by right clicking and saying "uninstall". Then I reattached the mytouch 3g and all I got was "unknown device" again.

There appears to be a couple of forum posts on this issue, including here and here but none of them have been helpful. Only the last one seems to accurately 100% describe this problem, but nobody has responded to the post.

How can I fix this? I'm hoping it doesn't involve resetting the phone to factory defaults.

# Answer
> 1 votes
Try installing the official drivers from the Android SDK.

# Answer
> 1 votes
I too have the same problem with the USB mass storage menu. After unplugging it from usage, I noticed after using the wall charger it doent give that option anymore when I want to copy files from my computer to the phone. The only solution I have came up with is turning your phone off then turning it back on. After that you will have the USB mass storage option back again when plugged into your computer. SO anytime you use the wall charger to charge your phone over night or during the day, you must turn your phone off then on the enable USB mass storage again. (after turning phone back on, do not reconnect the wall charger then to the computer or you will not enable the USB mass storage menu)

---
Tags: usb-connection-mode, htc-magic
---


# Question
Title: Galaxy S2 no USB Conenction after firmware update
I just got an automatic firmware update for my Galaxy S2

```
Android 2.3.6
I9100GXXKL4
Kernel 2.6.35.7 dpi@DELL164 #2
GINGERBREAD.XXLB1

```

Now the USB connection does not work anymore and I cannot continue developing using eclipse. Where can I find new drivers for the new version? Already checked samsung.com but did not find anything!

# Answer
I don't think this is a driver issue.

Please try the following-

> 1. Unplug the USB cable from your phone.
> 2. On the phone, dial the following number: **\*#7284#**

Once the last # is hit, the **PhoneUtil** application should be launched.

> Choose **USB -\> Modem** and then **USB -\> PDA mode**.

The good mode should be PDA. Even if the mode is PDA, switch to Modem and then back to PDA!!!

> Now Plug the USB cable back in your phone/PC and check if it works.

(I had the same problem on my Samsung Galaxy 3, and I resolved it like this)
> 3 votes

# Answer
I had this same problem:

1. Uninstall Kies and USB drivers
2. Restart PC
3. Install Kies
4. Restart PC
5. Finally, connect phone to PC (USB debugging off) then let Windows automatically install drivers for the phone
> 1 votes

---
Tags: samsung-galaxy-s-2, usb, device-firmware
---


# Question
Title: Can you charge a Galaxy Tab 2 7" with a charger from Galaxy Tab 10.1?
I've already got a charger for the Galaxy Tab 10.1 and I'd like to be able to use it charge both that and a Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7". It seems to work, but I was wondering if there is any sort of disadvantage to doing that.

# Answer
> 4 votes
You only need to make sure that the chargers produce the same about of voltage and current. There shouldn't be any issues with that.

# Answer
> 1 votes
In my opinion there is no harm to your device if the charger produce the enough voltage to charge the device. You have to keep in mind that the charger should not be low power producer as your device needed otherwise it will be harmful for that, but if the charger produce the same power or higher then it will be fine for device because if the charger produces high output voltage your device will only take how much it need.

---
Tags: charging, samsung-galaxy-tab-2-7
---


# Question
Title: Can bricking my GT - I9100 damage my antennas?
I'm running a cf-root, SG SII with KL1 kernel and cyanogenmod 7. Before getting it done the way it is now, I went through several failed attempts. I'm afraid the first few times I installed the wrong kernel because the blue progressbar didn't appear, the phone rebooted and then the screen gradually lit up, showing pixels of different colours scattered all over, like a sort of gradient. It was very frightening, therefore I ask: has the "pixels" thing done any damage to my phone, in any way? Have the wireless/gsm antennas been affected by this incident? (I've read, although I didn't really understand, that installing the wrong kernel can affect I a way -- again, didn't get in which way-- your wireless antenna's performance) Is this the truth? I've experienced difficulties when connecting to some wifi networks. Also, a firend's Galaxy Note showed more wifi bars than mine, of the same hotspot. Does that mean I have a problem? Would be "flasing a new radio" the solution? Thank you!

# Answer
> 2 votes
You shouldn't be able to damage your hardware through software. It's obviously not impossible, there are things that control voltages and so on, but in general it's not even worth considering.

The Note and the SGS II have different hardware and software; there's no reason to believe that the difference in bars you see is anything other than normal. If your connection has a problem, you'll notice when you try to use it. Don't rely on the bars.

---
Tags: hardware
---


# Question
Title: How can I delete multiple emails on the HTC One X?
I just got the HTC One X and I cannot find a way to select all my emails and delete them in one go. I have to select them one by one the delete them, after which I have to repeat the process again the clear the trash bin. I had the HTC Desire before and that did it with no problems.

Has anyone found a solution or am I missing something?

# Answer
> 2 votes
You should do the following:

1. select one e-mail (check mark next to the mail)
2. click on "menu" (top right corner) and "select all"
3. now you can delete all emails

---
Tags: email, htc-one-x
---


title: Contents of .bookmark_thumb1

text:
# Question
Title: Contents of .bookmark_thumb1
I've got one of these folders on my HTC Desire 2.3 and I'm assuming that it's standard across all devices. It looks to contain screenshots of pages that I have visited using the built in browser and I'm guessing that it's to dispaly them in the bookmarks/frequently visited list or when I'm changing windows.

My question is is it safe to delete the contents of this folder? It doesn't occupy much space but there are sites in the list that I know I won't be visiting again and it seems pointless having them around.

# Answer
Yes you can safely delete the folder. For details and a permanent solution (to stop regeneration of this folder) check this
> 2 votes

---
Tags: sd-card, browser, delete, cache
---


# Question
Title: Where can I find a widget to enable or disable GPRS in my Spice Mi-270 Android handset?
I have a Spice Mi-270 Android phone. There is no touch gadget to enable or disable the GPRS connection. Every time I have to select `settings -> wireless & networks -> data communication sim` and have to select a SIM to turn GPRS off.

How can I do this in one touch?

# Answer
Widgetsoid will allow a user to create a bar of toggles - add the MOBILE DATA toggle in the network section. Then tapping that will toggle the data connection.

Of course - a search turned up many other dedicated options. Try and use whichever you like best.
> 3 votes

# Answer
Download Go launcher EX and install it and then download the Go widget called Go Switch widget. This widget will allow you to switch among many apps through one touch very easily.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: settings, internet, app-widgets, gprs
---


# Question
Title: Accessing the internal phone memory by swapping out the SIM card
Is it possible to access an Android phone's internal memory by switching out the SIM card?

My Android phone, with no SD card, has been stolen but access to the phone is locked via the "graphical pin".

Will it be possible to read internal memory after changing the SIM card? I am concerned mainly with the Gmail password I have stored on there.

# Answer
1. Gmail will ask you to login again if it detects change of SIM card.
2. Gmail doesn't store your credentials in internal memory unencrypted.
3. Phone has to be rooted to read from internal memory.
4. Your phone can't be unlocked without the correct graphical PIN combination.
> 4 votes

---
Tags: security, google-account, internal-storage, sim-card
---


title: AnkiDroid - How to Left Align Text?

text:
# Question
Title: AnkiDroid - How to Left Align Text?
On AnkiDroid, all text in the flash cards is center aligned. Is there a way to make it left aligned? I'm looking for a solution that does not involve editing each card. For example, is there a setting to make the text left aligned?

# Answer
Yes, you can align text to the left.

For now there is no WYSIWYG editor, but you can do what you want with some simple HTML:

If you don't want to do it for each card, modify the card template using Anki Desktop.
> 9 votes

---
Tags: ankidroid
---


# Question
Title: Automatic switching to the strongest Wi-Fi Access Point
Both at home and at work I there are multiple Wi-Fi access points nearby with the same SSID and security settings.

My Samsung GS2 used to switch to the strongest available access point quite quickly. Now that I have ICS 4.0.3 installed it seems that my phone is sticking to the previous access point too long. This causes my network speed to very often be too slow as I'm consistently connected to "the previous hallway".

What are the solutions available to fix this issue? Is there a system setting I've missed? Is there an app that can help?

# Answer
> 4 votes
While not the *easiest* way around the problem, it is possible to do this using Tasker. This is a program that allows you to script various things within Android (e.g. I have it set to turn off the keyguard when I connect to my home SSID.) The following profile for detecting Wi-Fi signal is quoted from this thread:

> Profile: Low WiFi (1)
>
> ```
> Event: Display Unlocked  Enter: WiFi (2)  Task: WiFi Sig (1)
> A1: Variable Set [ Name:%wfs To:%WIFII Do Maths:Off Append:Off ]
> A2: Variable Split [ Name:%wfs Splitter:Sig: Delete Base:Off ]
> A3: Variable Clear [ Name:%wfs1 Pattern Matching:Off ]
> A4: Variable Split [ Name:%wfs2 Splitter: Delete Base:On ]
> A5: Variable Set [ Name:%WIFISG To:%wfs22 Do Maths:Off Append:Off ]
> A6: Array Clear [ Name:%wfs2 ]  Task: WiFi (2)
> A1: Write File [ File:wifitest.txt Text:Task start: %DATE %TIME  Append:On ]
> <Signal check>
> A2: Wait [ MS:0 Seconds:15 Minutes:0 Hours:0 Days:0 ]
> A3: Goto [ Type:Action Label Number:1 Label:End ] If [ %SCREEN ~ off ]
> A4: Goto [ Type:Action Label Number:1 Label:End ] If [ %WIFII !~  *CONNECTION* ]
> A5: Perform Task [ Name:WiFi Sig Stop:Off Priority:5 Parameter 1  (%par1): Parameter 2 (%par2): Return Value Variable: ]
> A6: If [ %WIFISG < 3 ]
> A7: WiFi [ Set:Off ]
> A8: Wait [ MS:0 Seconds:0 Minutes:5 Hours:0 Days:0 ]
> A9: WiFi [ Set:On ]
> A10: End If
> A11: Goto [ Type:Action Label Number:1 Label:Signal check ]
> <End>
> A12: Write File [ File:wifitest.txt Text:Task end: %DATE %TIME  Append:On ]
>
> ```

I've never personally done anything that complicated with the Wi-Fi, but the profiles I have set around SSID work like a charm.

---
Tags: wi-fi, 4.0-ice-cream-sandwich
---


title: Install system.img on Android Phone

text:
# Question
Title: Install system.img on Android Phone
I have made some modification in the android source codes recompile sources and now I have ***system.img***, but I don't know how I can install that image on Android Phone. Have anybody do something similar ? Can anybody provide me some links or information how I can do that ? I am using HTC Amaze Phone.

# Answer
If you have a fastboot-enabled bootloader then it should be pretty simple. Just put the system.img file somewhere on your PC, connect your device via a USB cable, reboot into your bootloader's fastboot mode and then:

```
fastboot flash system /path/to/system.img

```

If you don't have fastboot then you'll have to jump through some more hoops. One option would be to use something like unyaffs to extract the contents of the system.img (if it's an ext2/3/4 filesystem then just mount it) and then package it up as a zip file that can be installed from a custom recovery. There are some tutorials floating around that explain the syntax of the installer script file, but the easiest way to figure it out would probably be to download a custom ROM for your device, unzip it, and look at the updater-script file (should be `META-INF/com/google/android/updater-script` in the archive).

You may also be able to get away with simply using `dd` on the device, though I'd be careful if you decide to try it, and make sure you're booted into recovery:

```
adb push system.img /sdcard/
adb shell
dd if=/sdcard/system.img of=/your/system/partition

```

---

Alternatively, you can often build the source so that it creates a zip file instead of raw images, then install the zip from recovery. I'd suggest checking to see see if you have something like `make otapackage` available to you.
> 8 votes

---
Tags: custom-roms, installation, htc
---


# Question
Title: Why does my phone keep asking me to select an input method?
I bought a Samsung Galaxy Nexus a couple of days ago, and set it up so I can use both an English keyboard and a Russian one.

Since I did that, though, my phone asks me over and over to select an input method. There is usually a notification in the bar at the top of the screen, and if I set an input method, it will go away for an hour, but then it will be back.

How can I get it to stop asking?

# Answer
> 6 votes
The icon in the notification bar will always be there if you are using (possibly even just have installed) any alternate input method. It's just the new way that ICS offers quick switching between different methods, and cannot be disabled (at least not on "stock" ICS, custom roms may offer this).

The notification icon *should* only be there while you are actively entering something, i.e. have a keyboard open. If it showing all the time (even when you are just on the homescreen, for example) it may indicate a possible bug or configuration issue with the alternate keyboard/input method you are using.

---
Tags: samsung-galaxy-nexus, input-methods
---


# Question
Title: What are 'dup0' files in the photos folder?
Today when I wanted to copy some photos and videos from my Samsung Galaxy S to my PC, I noticed that inside the photos folder (DCIM\Camera) there are a lot of files with the extension `dup0`. They have the same filename as the photos/movies (e.g. img1.jpg and img1.dup0), but not for every photo a `dup0` file exists.

What are these files for? Can they be deleted to free some space?

**Update / additional information**: the `dup0` files are quite small for photos (e.g. photos are about 1.5 MB, dup0 files about 50 kB), but for movies, they can be quite large (e.g. 16 MB for an 18 MB movie).

# Answer
> 2 votes
Rename the file with the appropriate extension and find out(ie rename img1.dup0 to img1-1.jpg and open it). In the case of the image files I think they are the corresponding thumbnails since the size is small

# Answer
> 1 votes
If you have access to a Linux/Unix PC (including OSX), you can use the `file` utility to identify the file type. For Windows, you can install Cygwin to get a Unix environment that will have this utility.

---
Tags: photos, files
---


# Question
Title: How can I upgrade to the latest Android version?
> **Possible Duplicate:**
> How do I update the OS in my device?

I have a Samsung Galaxy Ace and would like to upgrade to Android 4. How can I do that?

# Answer
If your phone is eligible for an operating system upgrade, you'll see a System Update message pop up in your notification bar (along the top of the screen). You will only see this, though, when Google, your phone manufacturer and/or your cellphone provider have customized the operating system for your device.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: samsung-galaxy-ace, android-versions
---


title: Noob confused about ROM's

text:
# Question
Title: Noob confused about ROM's
I have a HTC Incredible running 2.2, and i understand you need to Root first before anything else, got that, but now I am confused about the ROM thing.

I would like to Root to uninstall the default HTC apps that keep causing my 'Low Memory Errors'.

If i install Gingerbread, is that a ROM like CM7 is?

Confused as to what exactly to do after a root, can i install Gingerbread without rooting?

If i want to install HTC sense, is that a ROM??

Thanks for the clarification here, i've searched numerous forums, but can't seem to find specific answers.

# Answer
When you are talking about an Android ROM, you are really talking of a group of programs, including the Android base system, that are put together to work with your phone and that once installed are what you see and use when you start your phone without installing any app from anywhere else.

You can imagine that the ROM is the operating system of your phone plus the “default applications” that come with it.

The thing with Android is that is open source, so come people have managed to build systems configured to offer the user some things the original manufacturers of the phones don’t offer. This is the case of CM7 (CyanogenMod 7).

***If I install Gingerbread, is that a ROM like CM7 is?***

Gingerbread is the codename of a version of Android, the 2.3, to be exact.

* Andorid 2.1 --\> Eclair
* Android 2.2 --\> Froyo
* Android 2.3 --\> Gingerbread
* Android 3.x --\> Honeycomb (only for tablets)
* Android 4.0 --\> Ice Cream Sandwich
* Android 4.1 --\> Jelly Bean

CM7 is a ROM that uses as base system the Android 2.3 system, so you can say that CM7 is a ROM based on Gingerbread.

***Confused as to what exactly to do after a root, can I install Gingerbread without rooting?***

That depends. If HTC offers an official ROM upgrade to Gingerbread (version 2.3 of Android), you can. If HTC doesn’t offer this update, then you can only install an unofficial ROM (like CM7).

***If I want to install HTC Sense, is that a ROM?***

HTC Sense is a pack of applications developed by HTC to customize their phones and make themselves unique.

HTC Sense is not a ROM, but you can find ROMs for your phone that are based on the official ROM with Sense and some of the other parts of the system changed.

Rooting a phone is the process to gain full permissions. It is the equivalent of being the administrator of the system. Once you are root you have full access to the system, so you can change it.
> 16 votes

# Answer
I believe "rooting" means as in Linux you become root (administrator) and the ROM is the binary file specifically for the hardware you are using; a Samsung phone and an HTC would require a different ROM binary. Now since you are root that allows you to change the ROM to a new binary file (Cyanogen's version of the Android OS) suitable for the hardware on your model of phone.

This may be completely wrong but I gave it an educated guess.
> 0 votes

# Answer
Rooting gives you access to the root user (dah!) it basically allows you to modify the entire system. For example you can remount the `/system` partition to delete apps.

A ROM is an entire operating system that you install in your phone and it replaces your default HTC operating system (normally along with clockwork recovery which is a backup/recovery/installing tool). You can find many ROMs for many phones. Cyanogenmod is the most popular one. It is very nice but it does not include Sense (so you would lose any Sense based app like the nice dialer). You can also find some modified Sense ROMs, these might not be entirely legal (not sure about this) but you can find them normally in sites like xda-developers.

Sense is not a ROM, it is a framework that HTC uses to create a very specific look and feel for applications. you can only find it (legaly) in HTC phones
> 0 votes

# Answer
This isn't meant as a complete answer, but only to address the issue of installing a ROM vs rooting a phone first.

It is possible to install a custom ROM before you root your phone (looking at installation directions for any custom ROM will verify this), and to my knowledge, most, if not all, custom ROMs are rooted, meaning that when you install it, you have full root rights.

However, you may want to root your phone before installing a custom ROM, simply so you can back up your entire phone. You can do this via Titanium Backup. I'm not completely sure if there is a way to backup your phone without rooting.
> 0 votes

# Answer
Yes, HTC sense is basic ROM provided by HTC. If you want to increase your phone speed and internal memory you can keep your original rom and make it fast and full of memory by using link2sd with root privilege. Just root your device and use link2sd to create links of your apps to sd-ext
> -2 votes

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Tags: 2.3-gingerbread, cyanogenmod, custom-roms, htc-droid-incredible
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# Question
Title: Are there USB to LAN adapter that are compatible with Android 4.0?
I'm looking for a USB-to-LAN adapter that is compatible with my Chinese Android 4.0 tablet. I've 2 dongles - like this \- but none of them works. How can i choose a usb to lan adapter for my Android tablet? I've to look at Linux Kernel version to search a suitable adapter?

**Edit**: The model of my tablet is Voyo Q101

# Answer
According to this XDA-thread an Apple USB-\>Ethernet adapter works on a similar ICS device. So technically it should work. But it in your case it could be hardware limitation, so you should try it out before buying. Just go to an Apple store and ask kindly ;-)
> 3 votes

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Tags: networking
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# Question
Title: How to import Facebook Birthdays to get merge with Android Contacts?
Apparently importing Facebook contacts to Android contacts is straight forward procedure by just checking sync option in Accounts and Settings, but is it possible to have birthday info imported from Facebook and merged with Android contacts.

PS: I was able to import FB birthdays imported to Google Calendar but that didn't help as the birthdays will just remain in calendar and not in Contacts.

# Answer
> 2 votes
If you sync your contacts with Google than you can add a special calendar. That you can only do on the web interface.

* Select Settings | Calendar settings in Google Calendar.
* Go to the Calendars tab.
* Follow the Browse interesting calendars » link under Other Calendars.
* Open the More tab.
* Click Subscribe for Contacts' birthdays and events.

Now after syncing the events will show up in the calendar app.

# Answer
> 0 votes
It depends on the android version.

I used to have Froyo and gingerbread (stock) it would not import the birthday info, but custom ROM MIUI does import the birthday info.

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Tags: contacts, sync, facebook
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