title: Restore deleted photos

text:
# Question
Title: Restore deleted photos
I accidentally deleted the entire "downloaded" album full of pictures from my Samsung Galaxy S2 (SPH-D710) and am trying to use a recovery program I downloaded.

My phone will not show up as a remove-able storage device on my computer, or on the program. I have tried to change the USB settings on my phone but there is no USB settings when I go to Settings \> Wireless and networks as most information instructs.

I found the setting for USB debugging by going to Settings \> Developer options and can turn that on and off, but that is the only setting I can find relating to USB storage.

When I connect it to the USB cord it gives me MTP or PTP options but again no USB options.

Any advice??? Thank you!

# Answer
> 1 votes
If your device is rooted, you can try Undelete for root users which claim to restore even from internal storage, which is boon as other PC based apps does not work well unless they have physical access.

The app Dumpster claims to work even for unrooted device. But I suspect this has to be installed before the event of deleting - not sure just give a try.

If either of the apps seems promising, I would advice you not to directly or indirectly use the internal storage as if the data blocks are overwritten (by you or by an app or by the system) your chances of recovery goes slim.

# Answer
> 0 votes
If the folder is on your external SD card: remove the card from the device, and connect it via a card reader. This way you ensure your computer will have the *physical* access to the card which is needed by most recovery programs for best results.

For further advice, also see Data Recovery - How to Restore Deleted / Formatted Files on HD Micro SD Card

# Answer
> 0 votes
Answer taken from an edit made by Christin taylor (Christin: Edits are for fixes/clarifications; alternative solutions should be presented in their own answers)

> When photos deleted from android, the os removes the pointer to the files from the file allocation table and flags the deleted files as no longer needed. in order to recover the deleted photos, you need to avoid writing data to the card or internal storage, plug in your device and set the usb setting as mass storage so that both the sd card and built-in storage should be recognized and mounted as removable drive, scan the drive, then recover the deleted photos from android.

Remarks (by Izzy):

1. This only works as long as the Android device supports USB Mass storage.
2. The reason described just applies to FAT based file systems (which admittedly are used here in most cases).
3. It's always the safer method to use a dedicated card reader for such low-level operations – though, in absence of such, it should work.

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Tags: 4.0-ice-cream-sandwich, samsung-galaxy-s-2, usb-connection-mode, data-recovery
---


# Question
Title: Can i customize "select an action for text" menu?
I have downloaded a dictionary application for my native language and English translation and it can work offline.

But i need it to be seen at the "select an action for text" menu when i select a piece of text on a browser, or an e book reader, or an offline browser.

Is it the business of developer of the dictionary app?

If not how can i add an app to "select an action for text" menu?

Thanks.

# Answer
> 1 votes
## Short answer

You yourself cannot. But you can ask the developer to implement that.

## TL;DR

Explanation in easy terms: an app itself must "register for this service", which must be done in code.

The "Share picker" is not handled by apps directly – it's rather the system taking care for that. So it must be made known to the system if an app has something to contribute (or can accept from) here, and if so, for what actions/content types. For example, an URL (link) basically is "normal text" (consisting of characters), so it could be copy/pasted to other "text processing apps" (notepads, word processors, etc.); but it could also be passed to browsers or other link-sharing apps in a specific way. A video makes no sense to be copied into a text-based app, so when "sharing" it you wouldn't like a notepad-type app to be in the share menu (which otherwise would be really cluttered pretty soon).

So an app must "tell" the system what type of "sharing content" it can accept, and it must provide a "standardized interface" for this which the system (or rather its "share" component) then can address.

## Additional hints

As your question was for a dictionary-type app: Several other apps support those directly. So e.g. ColorDict (my personal favorite currently) is an online/offline dictionary app directly supported by e.g. Moon+ Reader (my favorite app for reading eBooks – ePub, Mobi, PDF, and more supported). Looking up a term even makes *ColorDict* blending in seemlessly. So apart from the "standard sharing option" of the system, there are also other ways to achieve things. But again, it's up to the developer to implement this.

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Tags: applications
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# Question
Title: How can i run Wifi direct in my andrioid ICS tablet?
i have an **android ICS** tablet (no bluetooth) , I want to share files wirelessly... but in ICS wifi direct is not there.I heard that **wifi direct** is not any hardware plugin - it is based on OS and can be run in android ICS. So please if u know tell me *step by step instruction.* ...

# Answer
> 0 votes
Install and run ES File explorer on both Android devices and connect them both to one Wi-Fi access point. Long press on the file and use `Send` option and choose scan. After some lag the target device will be listed and just selecting it will prompt for confirmation on the target device. Once confirmation is accepted, the transfer will take place.

You can see ES File Explorer's help page for more info.

# Answer
> 0 votes
If your intention is sharing between multiple Android devices (which is what WiFi Direct is for, amongst others), you might want to take a look at apps like SuperBeam or Fast File Transfer. Both are directly connecting two devices (which both have the app installed) via WiFi, without any intermediate.

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Tags: 4.0-ice-cream-sandwich, wifi-direct
---


# Question
Title: How to uncompress a password protected zip file?
I have a password protected zip file, but ASTRO does not let me enter a password. What should I do?

# Answer
Install Dual File Manager. This program lets you unzip password protected files.
> 7 votes

# Answer
Try ArchiDroid and it will do your job... It extracts password-protected RAR, ZIP, TAR, GZIP, BZIP2 and 7zip files... amazingly it is free... Other apps didn't work for me but this one works like a charm :)
> 2 votes

# Answer
B1 Free Archiver works good for unzipping files and password protected files.

**How to uncompress a password protected zip file?** It's very simple, just tap two times on your archive and enter the password.
> 1 votes

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Tags: password, zip, astro-file-manager
---


# Question
Title: Samsung Galaxy S III mini - Cannot turn Bluetooth on
I have new Samsung Galaxy S III mini (GT-I8190N) with Android 4.1.2, and I cannot turn on Bluetooth.

When trying to do it from Settings menu, switch toggles from "O" to "I" position, but remains gray rather than green, list of available devices is empty and 'Scan' button is inative, and when going back to Settings menu I see Bluetooth turned off.

# Answer
You can try to reboot / remove battery. Maybe resetting to factory settings will help. In addition, if everything else fails, you could try following (read somewhere about it): turn it off and then back on (the one asking you about using wifi to localize you faster) the bluetooth and wifi are both 802.11 standards, therefore they are controlled by the same chip
> 1 votes

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Tags: bluetooth, hardware, samsung-galaxy-s-3-mini
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# Question
Title: Does installing the clockworkmod recovery require rooting galaxy s2?
Does installing the clockworkmod recovery require you to root galaxy s2 gt-i9100?

In the link here it seems the rooting is not required. However I have read that rooting is required for installing the CWM

Can anybody help with this? I am complete noob!!!

I am trying to install Cyanogenmod on my galaxy s2

Model number: GT-I9100

Baseband version: I9100DDLPB

Kernel version: 3.0.15-1056084 dpi@DELL168 #3 SMP PREEMPT Wed Aug 22 22:55:24 KST 2012

Build number: IMM76D.XWLPW

# Answer
In general, no you should be able to install CWM with needing to root, but most of the tutorials I have seen for the S2 GT-I9100 involve rooting the device.

Here are a couple links that may be of interest to you. I do not think you will need to root to install CWM.

**As always, proceed with caution when flashing.**

Galaxy S II GT-i9100 Install CWM & Root

Samsung GT-I9000 Galaxy S CyanogenMod install: Flash ClockworkMod Recovery

INDEX of GUIDES/TUTORIALS: SGS2 GT-I9100
> 2 votes

# Answer
I installed CM10.1.3 and CWM on my unrooted GT-i9100 just two weeks ago. You do NOT need root to install CWM, and you do NOT need root to install CM10. However, installing CM10 rooted my phone automatically.
> 0 votes

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Tags: cyanogenmod, samsung-galaxy-s-2, clockworkmod-recovery
---


# Question
Title: How can I trick or force an app to work on an unsupported device?
I recently purchased an iMito MX1 mini-pc. I was disappointed to find that Hulu Plus is not fully supported on my device. I am able to download the app just fine, but I get an in-app error message that tells me that I am able to browse videos through the app, but video playback is not supported.

I have root access and was hoping that editing the build.prop file would trick the app into thinking that my device was supported, but no luck.

Is there any other way to force or trick an app into working on an unsupported device?

# Answer
> 1 votes
You can't FORCE it to work. There may be tricks you can play to fake the app into thinking it's on another device, but for the specific app given (video playback), it's almost certainly refusing to playback because it CAN'T.

The hardware on the device is probably something that the devs didn't anticipate, or that the app can tell isn't fast enough to actually work. Even if you find some way to fake it out and make it try, it's only going to crash or play back so slowly that it will be unwatchable.

# Answer
> 0 votes
You could pull the app apart using apktool an then edit the smali, but as mentioned in previous answers here, that would still lead to problems though. Chances are the developers made the app that way because your device was not capable of playback.

If you are really interested in trying to edit the app's smali, have at it: https://code.google.com/p/android-apktool/

# Answer
> -3 votes
What you are doing is not recommended. There is a reason why app developers limit installation to select devices. Namely:

1. Android Version
2. Processor Architecture/GPU
3. Chipset/Board/RAM
4. Screen Size/Density/Resolution

This is to ensure good, consistent, and fast user experience as much as possible.

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Tags: applications, android-mini-pc
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# Question
Title: How to install/flash a ICS stock rom of any device into a different android ICS phone?
is it possible to flash a stock rom of a certain device into any android device? Like for example if I have a Samsung ICS phone. Is it possible to install the default rom of samsung to a different ICS device?

# Answer
> 2 votes
No, most manufacturers interfaces are proprietary and cannot be modified to work on other devices. That being said, there have been attempts to get interfaces such as Samsung TouchWiz and HTC Sense working on specific other devices, but they are very unstable and not suited for everyday use.

HTC Sense for the Galaxy Nexus (alpha): http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1535715

However, you may also be interested in specific manufacturers apps for your current rom.

S voice: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2293870

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Tags: 4.0-ice-cream-sandwich, rom-flashing
---


# Question
Title: How to Bluetooth tether Motorola Droid 3 (Android 2.3.4) to HTC One
I have figured out how to enable the HTC to share it's internet via bluetooth:

Mobile Network Sharing -\> Bluetooth Tethering \[checked on\]

But I am unable to find a way to allow the Droid 3 to consume the internet via bluetooth. I can get the Droid 3 to broadcast using 3rd part apps, btu can't figure out how to consume.

Note, this Droid 3 is my old phone that I am still using in my car as I can't mount my HTC One for non-technical reasons.

This looks like a duplicate of another reverse tethering issue which is a duplicate itself, but the answer listed can't be found.

# Answer
WiFi tethering may be a better option. On your HTC One, go to:

Settings \> More... \> Tethering & portable hotspot \> Portable WiFi hotspot
> 1 votes

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Tags: 2.3-gingerbread, reverse-tether, bluetooth-tethering
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# Question
Title: How to flash a RUU on a rooted HTC One X (Evita) using TWRP
Is it possible to flash a ruu on a rooted HTC One X (Evita).

Actually, I have a AT&T HTC One X (evita) and I want to flash with an international rom of HTC One XL. It will be good if any one know a link of rooted stock rom of HTC One XL international version. I am no more using AT&T and dont want any AT&T apps.

# Answer
RUUs are flashed using the bootloader, not recovery. Reboot into the bootloader and install using fastboot.
> 0 votes

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Tags: rom-flashing
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# Question
Title: Galaxy S2 not switching on after being dropped
My Galaxy S2 dropped today and will not switch on. I dropped it on a very soft surface when this occurred. It usually happens and I just press the on button continuously and this usually does the trick. This is not helping and at the moment if I try to connect it to the charger an empty battery signal is flashing on the screen continuously. Any ideas on what course of action I should take? Could it possibly be a dead battery?

# Answer
> 2 votes
Problems after dropping the phones typically come from two reasons:

1. Physical damage
2. Brown out (unclean voltage drop)

The voltage drop may temporarily lock up the circuit, so you could take out the battery for some time to let it properly reset. Else inspect the connector springs if they're bent and measure the battery voltage, try a spare battery, etc.

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Tags: samsung-galaxy-s-2, power-on
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# Question
Title: How to disable vibration when typing on HTC One X?
I have HTC One X. Each time I'm texting on WhatsApp, it's always vibrating. Since it's using too much battery and it's really annoying, I want to disable it.

Under "Settings", there's no "Sound" setting or "Language and Keyboard", there is only "Language & Input".

How do I disable vibration when typing?

# Answer
Go to `Settings > Language & keyboard > HTC Sense Input` and turn off the option of `Vibration feedback`. It is present in both HTC Sense 4 and 5. It is even described in this YouTube video.
> 2 votes

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Tags: htc-one-x, vibration, softkey
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# Question
Title: What is the default Kernel Governor in Stock Samsung Galaxy Mega Android ROM?
I have rooted my phone recently and just installed ROM Toolbox which has several Governors available. It is using OnDemand by default, but I switched to Interactive. I just need to be as close to default settings in order to maintain stability.

Btw, when I am using a third party app to change CPU Freqs, ROM Toolbox in this case, It seems to be a bit laggy. Is this normal?

# Answer
> 0 votes
I don't know the default governor for the Galaxy Mega. However, there's an easy way to determine your *current* governor. Rebooting the phone (Unless you ticked the option in ROM Manager and/or other apps to persist governor selections through reboot) will reset it back to its default setting.

You can find your current governor by running the following command in an adb shell or terminal emulator:

`cat /sys/devices/system/cpu/cpu0/cpufreq/scaling_governor`

Chances are your default governor is indeed ondemand. It is commonly used as the default governor on many Android devices, and seems like one that Samsung would like to use.

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Tags: 4.2-jelly-bean, samsung, kernel, stock-rom, overclocking
---


title: How to import a .obf POI file in OsmAnd

text:
# Question
Title: How to import a .obf POI file in OsmAnd
I created this `Data.osm` file:

```
<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?>
<osm version='0.5' generator='GPSBabel-1.4.0'>
  <node id='-1' visible='true' lat='41.890121' lon='12.492265'>
    <tag k='name' v='place01'/>
    <tag k='note' v='place01'/>
    <tag k='tourism' v='museum'/>
  </node>
</osm>

```

Then I converted it to `Data.obf` using OsmAndMapCreator.

How to have OsmAnd show this POI on the maps?

# Answer
> 3 votes
**Open OBF file using filesystem browser**

Use a tool for navigating your phone's filesystem. Navigate to the file you wish to import and choose to open the file with OsmAnd.

On Android there are several tools for navigating to the file, one example is Total Commander.

**Obsolete method, pre 2022**

The solution below does not work on recent versions (since some time in 2022) but is still here for completeness. It is what was originally suggested in this answer.

1. Copy the `.obf` file to your OsmAnd folder, for instance `/sdcard/osmand`.
2. In OsmAnd, enable the "POI \> Any" layer.
3. Sometimes it does not work immediately, in such case restart your phone (there might be faster methods but at least restarting works)

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Tags: maps, offline-map, osmand
---


# Question
Title: Where and how do I read logs for a specific app?
I know there are a lot of threads about android logs but I can't find an answer to this:

Where and how do I read logs for a specific app?

I have installed the Android SDK, connected my device and launched Eclipse and choose DDMS. Now, the Logcat is being generated but it does not seem to contain logging for specific apps. The colomn Application remains empty. I've tried different apps and different filters in logcat (debug,error etc) but I don't see application names appear.

# Answer
"Application Name" when it comes down to DDMS and `adb` means the *package name* of an Android application. Therefore when creating an DDMS logcat filter, you have to enter the applications package, for example for Google Maps `com.google.android.apps.maps`.
> 2 votes

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Tags: logging
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# Question
Title: How can I monitor my phone usage between two top up
I have a prepaid mobile subscription and I want to know how much I phoned between two payments. There are plenty of applications that can track my phone usage in general, but I am missing the feature to specify which days I paid my bills. Is there any such thing?

# Answer
> 1 votes
Try aPhoneMeTiX completely offline phone usage analyzer. Generates graphs and reports which you can share easily.

PS - I'm creator of this application.

# Answer
> 1 votes
I couldn't find such a feature shipping with Android itself -- but: Yes, there is. Or rather: there are. Plenty. It would become a long list. Watch out on the Playstore for DroidStats or Call Meter 3G -- both apps allow you to specify the "payment day" (*DroidStats* is probably easier to use, while *Call Meter* can cover more complex scenarios).

There are also others like e.g. PhoneUsage, and more (you can follow the related apps for more suggestions).

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Tags: calls, data-monitoring
---


# Question
Title: Anyone having the same problem with Facebook/Android not showing photo's uploaded from the phone
Has anyone noticed the problem when uploading photo's to **Facebook** using the **Facebook for Android** application ?

I uploaded photo's last week , and they displayed ok in FB/Android.

I did the same this weekend (uploading photo's using FB/Android), and now they are not visible in FB/Android (just showing the brown image place holder), although they are uploaded and displaying fine on FB/Windows .

My collegue noticed the same here.

# Answer
From a couple of days a noticed too, that some pictures from Facebook are not shown. If I login later they will show up, but other pictures will not.

I saw a news that they made some changes to photos infrastructure so it's possible to be a temporary outage until they consolidate the new changes on all servers.
> 1 votes

# Answer
I've noticed that a few random photos will not display even when selecting them using different browsers in mobile mode. But reload using desktop setting and all fb photos display fine. I've removed both fb messenger and fb app due to them being so flaky. There's more stable ways to use fb on Android. My new Android rule is not to use an app where a browser can perform the same task, sometimes less convenient but always more reliable.
> 1 votes

# Answer
You may want to take your picture first, then upload it to Facebook via the Share button in the gallery app.
> 0 votes

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Tags: 2.1-eclair, facebook, photos
---


title: Photos too large

text:
# Question
Title: Photos too large
I have Galaxy Xcover and when I take a photo of 2.3 resolution and try to send it to contact in text message, it says "Photo is too large. Packing up".

Is there a way to send a picture that large or do I have to use smaller resolution while sending them?

# Answer
You're limited by the network's MMS capability. Most carriers won't allow multimedia messages larger than 300 kilobytes (and thus most messaging apps won't even let you try to send a message larger than that), so the image needs to be shrunk to fit under that file size limbo stick.

If you want to send a larger picture, you'll need to send it via a different method, such as an email attachment or a picture messaging service like Snapchat.
> 2 votes

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Tags: camera
---


# Question
Title: Bluetooth Tethering issue Galaxy S4 to Samsung Note 10
Hi I tried to tether from my S4 to my Note 10.1, via bluetooth, even though I am able to pair both, on the galaxy note 10.1 it says No Internet Connection.

Would really appreciate your help.

# Answer
You need to do 3 things, to get a running bluetooth tethered connection:

1. Pair both devices as usual and enable Bluetooth on each
2. Enable BT-tethering on the access point device (needs to be set each reboot):
Settings -\> Wireless & Networks -\> More..-\> Tethering -\> Enable Bluetooth tethering\`
3. Activate Bluetooth tethering on the client device: `Settings->Bluetooth->"John's Phone"-> Options"-> enable "Internet access"`

If it doesn't work the first time, switch off/on Bluetooth on both devices and retry.

These are the steps as I use them to tether my Nexus 10 to my Google Galaxy Nexus.

PS: If you don't like to manually enable BT tethering each reboot, use Bluetooth Auto Tether to have it enabled automatically during boot.
> 1 votes

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Tags: tethering, samsung-galaxy-s-4, samsung-galaxy-note-10.1
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# Question
Title: What happens with my messages and contacts after factory reset
Lately i'm having some problems with my HTC EVO 3D. It freezes all of a sudden, sometimes the screen doesn't respond well to touch etc, and i have to do a hard reset.

Since i believe it is due to a lot of apps i've installed etc, i decided to reset everything, and do a factory reset.

I don't care about the data of my apps or the data on my SD card (video and pics).

One thing i would like to backup is SMS and contacts. So, i'm guessing all my messages and contacts would be deleted when i do a factory reset. But, can you recommend a way to backup my messages and contacts, so i can restore them after the factory reset.

# Answer
You're absolutely correct with your assumption a will delete *all* your apps and data (as you also can find in the factory-reset tag-wiki).

If you want to backup your contacts *and* SMS, I'm afraid there's no native way. While the contacts you could sync with Google, the same cannot be said for SMS. But if you take a look at google play, searching for the string "sms backup" you will find a lot of helpful apps. Depending on your preferences, they can backup to your GMail account, or do it locally. Putting both things together, a good choice seems to be Super Backup: SMS & Contacts, which cares for both and can save the backup to either GMail or your SDCard. And of course it has a restore function as well.

Btw: On most devices, you easily can backup your contacts with the native *Contacts* app. It supports Export to/Import from VCard (`.vcf`) files (just open its menu from its main screen). No cloud involved. So you'd only need to check for something similar for your SMS, if you're concerned about privacy and want to avoid having them in the cloud.
> 2 votes

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Tags: backup, factory-reset, htc, htc-evo-3d
---


title: How to copy text string from nfc tag

text:
# Question
Title: How to copy text string from nfc tag
I'm trying to copy a string of text from a nfc tag, but the only option I've been able to find is displaying the text with no ability to copy it (its a complex string with letters and numbers). Best case scenario would be to insert the string where the cursor is at the moment the tag is pressed, but I'm okay with somehow getting the string to the clipboard to paste. If this isn't the right place to ask this question, if you could tell me where I could find the answer, I'd be very grateful.

# Answer
> 1 votes
NXP's NFC TagInfo app can copy the text from a text record on a scanned NFC tag to the clipboard. There are other apps with similar functionality. Copying text from text records on NFC tags is not something that's built into Android without installing and running an app.

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Tags: nfc
---


# Question
Title: Does a special NFC Chip have to be installed before using the phone as a charge card?
When NFC is turned on, can you pay for something at a store, or do you need to install a special chip?

# Answer
> 1 votes
If you have an NFC chip (and a Secure Element (SE), but as far as I know all current NFC phones have both) then theoretically you should be able to pay for goods using Google Wallet, however only certain phones on certain networks are supported and it can only be used in the USA.

EDIT: Just to make it clear it may still be possible to pay for goods via NFC using your phone without a SE but if you want to use Google Wallet then you'll need both.

It's feasible that companies could have their own custom payment application where you load credit onto it and have an ID/cryptographic key stored in your device and then pay using that. I don't think this is too likely however because of the security implications of someone else using your ID/key and also, what would the benefit for the merchant be? They now have to support this NFC payment infrastructure and it saves them only a small percentage of money on credit card fees.

# Answer
> 0 votes
Any phone that supports NFC has the necessary "chip" already (that is, the hardware supports that kind of transaction). The crucial factor is the software running on the phone. Unlike with magnetic-stripe and chip-and-PIN credit card transactions, there's no *one* standard: there are several competing contactless payment systems. Google has Google Wallet (but only in some countries), Paypal has one, Orange (a phone network) runs one in the UK. In addition, most Bitcoin clients (such as Bitcoin Wallet) can use NFC to exchange payment details, but you still need a network connection to actually carry out the transaction.

If you sign up for one of these payment systems, and you install their app on your NFC-capable phone, then you can use your phone to pay at any shop that supports that payment system. There's no extra hardware for you to add to the phone.

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Tags: hardware, nfc
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# Question
Title: Galaxy mini S5570 automatically creates screenshots
It makes screenshots on its own and saves them in the gallery. I delete them but it makes new screenshots.

I stopped an running app that says "screen capture" but it does it again. I can't delete it, it's not an installed app.

What can I do do permanently stop this nonsense?

# Answer
I believe its being caused by a certain combination of buttons at the bottom of the screen. I haven't found a workaround, but here is something you can do to, at least not to store images (its not much, but something). It creates a directory "ScreenCaptures" to store images in; if you delete it, it will be simply recreated. So, instead, in the same directory, create a file with that name. Every time a screen is captured, it will complain that it cannot be stored, so at least you won't have to worry about deleting those images.
> -1 votes

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Tags: screenshots, troubleshooting
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# Question
Title: Samsung Galaxy S3 suddenly dies and won't turn on even after battery removal
The phone was plugged in to my computer (I was doing development) and was running all the time. Suddenly, while I was not doing development or doing anything, the phone died and I have have never been able to turn it on again.

I've tried:

* Hold the Power button
* Hold both Power and Volume down button
* Take out the battery and put it in again
* Replace the batter with another one from my friends' working-perfectly-fine Galaxy S3

The result is the same: no response from the phone at all - it's completely cold, no sound, light or vibration at all - all I've seen is the blank unchanged screen so please don't ask me about the start up screen

What can I do?

# Answer
I have found out through searches that this is the Sudden Death Syndrome (SDS) which many have reported especially for Samsung Galaxy S3.

It was the motherboard that was broken and replacing it brought the phone back to life.
> 1 votes

# Answer
Plug the phone back into the PC. Then use windows explorer and verify that your PC can see it. This will tell you if the phone is recoverable. If you can access everything within the phone, then it might be a dead screen.
> 0 votes

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Tags: samsung-galaxy-s-3, boot, shutdown
---


# Question
Title: Unable to update Nexus 7 2012 32gb from 4.2.1 to 4.3
I bought my google Nexus 7 2012 32gb wifi only today. It has stock 4.2.1 and it is showing that an update to 4.3 is available but whenever i go there it always states that waiting to download-172.1MB.

I tried to restart it and see if it picks up the download but no use, its in the same way. Please can any one help me, i dont want to Root it or anything.

# Answer
Check the WiFi connection you connected it to if it's working properly.

Go to settings\>Apps\>All\>Google Services framework and clear the data. Restart your Nexus 7 and see if the update downloads without hitch.
> 0 votes

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Tags: updates
---


# Question
Title: Can there be malicious apps on Google Play?
Do I need to worry about malicious apps on Google Play, or can I trust everything I install, so long as I install it from Google Play?

And if I need to worry, what red flags should I look for - number of downloads, ratings, how old the app is, what permissions it requires?

On a practical level, would you say that it is as safe as Apple's App Store?

# Answer
> 34 votes
We don't compare apples with peaches. But it's always a good idea to be careful what you install. True, *Google Play* is to be considered one of the safest sources for Android apps. Still, some malware sneaks in every now and then. So you should use some common sense before hitting the "Install" button.

Things to look at include (but might not be restricted to):

* **What permissions are required?**
Though not always easy to decide, there are some things which can count as indicators – e.g. taking a simple calculator app, it certainly doesn't need access to your contacts, calendars, system settings, etc.
* **How is it rated?**
I'm not talking about "naked numbers", but check the comments. They might give you useful hints on whether it's safe to install. Also, an app installed several thousands of times with no traces of maliciousness in the comments should be considerably safer than an app with almost no installs and no comments.
* **Should it be a very popular app, but only has few installs?**
That's in most cases a clear indicator for malware, hiding behind a popular name. Better keep your hands off those.

Aside of that: In case you're still unsure, pick a good forum and ask. Another good idea is to check other apps from the same developer (just follow the link on his name), and use above criteria on them.

# Answer
> 12 votes
It is possible for there to be malicious apps on Google Play. However, there are a number of things that you can do to protect yourself:

1. Check the permissions that an app requests when installing. If it looks excessive for what the app does, then you can email the developer and ask why they need the permissions they ask for. Most developers should be happy to do this, although it may take a while to get a response.
2. Look at the amount of downloads and reviews. If it doesn't have many downloads then be more cautious. It does not however, mean that the app is malicious, just that you need to check more yourself. If it has a lot of 1-2 star reviews then i'd probably stay clear as well.
3. If it is a popular app (such as Need For Speed, Riptide GP etc.) that is normally a paid for app, but you find a free version then be **very** careful. A common tactic by malware authors is to pose as popular apps but actually they install malware on your device.

Essentially you have to use common sense. If in doubt don't install the app. Google does have a system called Bouncer which scans all apps uploaded to the Play Store which has reduced the amount of malicous apps but it is not 100% guaranteed.

# Answer
> 6 votes
Anyone who has any experience programming and working on both Android and iOS apps can tell you that there are most certainly malicious apps on the Play store. Here's the deal:

In order to publish your app to Apple's App store you have to submit it to Apple for review. Oh, and you also have to pay them $99 per year and jump through some other hoops. Either way, Apple goes through your app's code line by line (or at least that's what they claim) and verify there is not malicious code. As a lot of devs can tell you, it's not hard to get an app rejected and not all that uncommon to have to resubmit. The end result is that the Apple App Store is about as safe as it gets. Not perfect, but as far as safety it doesn't get much safer.

Now, if I develop and app for Android I can basically just upload it to the Play Store. I will need to create a developer account, but that's all I have to do. If my app contains known viruses or malware Google will eventually catch it and remove it from the app store.

The important thing to keep in mind about Android is that it really is closer to Windows in that you can easily mess around and download an app or apps that can steal your personal information, slow your system down due to poor design or ads, and any number of other things. My best advice is to pay very close attention to an apps permissions and if in doubt just don't install it. Also, even if you don't usually read reviews on iOS devices, I would recommend that you at least take a look at the reviews for any lesser known Android app you are considering installing. You can find out pretty quickly if the app has been causing other users problems with their devices.

For this reason, I would not recommend just indiscriminately downloading every single app that looks interesting on Android. You really should be savvy enough to pay attention and protect yourself. In addition to programming I have also worked for a few years in the mobile industry and I can tell that I hated to see older users get Androids because they would end up with so much crap on their phone and then wonder why it didn't work the way they wanted. If this is you, then you maybe you should go with Apple. If you don't mind paying attention to what you are doing then Android will treat you very well! Hope this helps.

# Answer
> 5 votes
It is entirely possible for a malicious app to become available through it. However, the same *can* be said for any other software distribution system. The App Store is not immune to sneaky devs either.

**Never assume that any software distributor offers 100% safe software**. Whether you're using Windows, OSX, iOS, Android, Linux, Unix, FreeBSD, or any OS, **the only person who should be responsible for your security is you, yourself**.

When installing software, make sure that you trust the *vendor* and the *app itself*, regardless of how much you trust the *supplier*. If you trust Rovio, then Angry Birds is going to be just as safe on iOS as it is on Android, or any other platform it's available on.

---
Tags: applications, google-play-store, security, malware
---


# Question
Title: Setting appropriate permissions on SU binary
I recently found a way to maintain root access on my android device using a dropbear SSH server that I modified to run at boot as root using init.d, a lil scripting magic & some config scripts I made. If you want you can check it out here. Anyways for an experiment I removed the su binary and Superuser.apk from the system. I've managed to get them copied back to the system but I don't know the appropriate permissions for the su binary. If I look in Super User app on another rooted phone and go to update it shows `-rwsr -sr-x` as the permissions on the binary. How can I set these same permission manually & what do they mean?

# Answer
> 2 votes
For setting file permissions, you can use the `chmod` command. The permissions shown are basically split in 3 parts, each consisting of 3 chars: a triple for the owner, the group, and for "others". Usually, each triple holds definitions for reading, writing, and executing a file; so `rwx` means "can read, write, and execute", while `r--` would say "can only read".

The resulting 9 chars are usually preceded by another one, giving information of the type of the "file": (d)irectory and (l)ink are the most common examples. Again, if no "special condition" matches, a leading `-` indicates a "normal file".

Based on that, let's take your input: `-rwsr-sr-x` obviously describes a "normal file" (starting with `-`), readable (`r`) by owner, group, and others, writable by owner only, and executable by "others" – while owner and group have a `s` instead the `x` for execute. This stands for "suid", elevate the caller to the level of the file owner/group.

Taking advantage of the fact permissions can be set "bit-wise" (`x`=1,`w`=2,`r`=4, suid user=4, group=2), after my long "rant" finally the command which should do the trick:

```
chmod 6774 su

```

Should set the permissions your question shows. If I "mis-calculated", you've got all information to re-calculate for yourself now :)

---

***Additional hints from the comments:***

Instead of calculating the "bitmask", one can also use symbolic names – as Dan Hulme pointed out, and as explained e.g. on the chmod manpage:

* defining whom to grant to: (u)ser / (g)roup / (o)thers / (a)ll
* defining what to grant: (r)ead / (w)rite / e(x)ecute / (s)uid
* defining whether to (+)grant or (-)revoke

So the following two commands should be similar, provided there haven't been other things granted before:

```
chmod 6774 su
chmod u+rws g+rs o+rx su

```

The difference becomes clear in case e.g. before "others" had also write permission: while the first command (using a bitmask) sets the permission explicitly to match the "grants" defined (and thus would remove that write permission), the symbolic one "makes a diff" (in the example, it just *adds* the permissions specified to whatever was there before, so that write permission would not be removed).

---
Tags: rooting, file-permissions, superuser
---


# Question
Title: Can Android tablet read external hard drive and if so which formats?
Can an Android tablet read external hard drives and if so which formats?

I have a Samsung Note and tried accessing a hard drive but failed. I've been told that if I format my 1TB hard drive to FAT32 then I can. Is that correct?

# Answer
Assuming an Android version of 3.1+, external drives should be supported via USB host mode *by most devices* -- see Compro01's comments below:

> Not all devices support USB host mode, 3.1+ or not. Chainfire has a nice app to test compatability (and an extensive database of reports from that app on which devices work and which don't).
>
> Also, if we're talking about an actual hard drive, rather than a flash drive, power is likely to be an issue unless the drive is self-powered (has a power brick of its own). If it's bus-powered drive and it fails to spin up, you'll need another source of power, such as a self-powered hub.

Of course they must carry a supported file system. You assume correctly that FAT32 definitly should be supported. Some others might be supported as well, depending on what was compiled into the kernel for your ROM. In many cases, this also includes extfs (EXT2/3/4). If you're either re-formatting the drive, you can simply try-and-err in case you prefer one of those.
> 3 votes

# Answer
Try nexus media importer this works on my nexus7 and cx919.HDD is a is a WD 1tb drive (My Passport)
> 0 votes

---
Tags: storage, samsung-galaxy-note, usb-host-mode, samsung-galaxy-note-10.1
---


# Question
Title: Is there a default/stock sound recorder app?
In most of the Android phones sound recorder has a different look and feel and slightly different functionality. So is the sound recorder is a basic feature of all Android phones? Can I assume that it will be present in all Android phones or is it specially added by manufacturers and there might be a case where it may not present in some phone devices ?

# Answer
> 5 votes
There is no default sound recorder in Android. Some manufacturers add one to their stock ROMs, but the closest thing on a Nexus device is Google Keep, added in 4.3.

If you assume that a voice recording app is present in all Android phones you'll be caught out.

---
Tags: audio, voice-recording
---


# Question
Title: Why is Google Keyboard incompatible with my HTC One X?
I am unable to download Google Keyboard from Google Play on my HTC One X. It displays message that `This app is incompatible with your device.` No other information is displayed.

Android: 4.2.2 HTC Sense: 5.0

# Answer
Is there something wrong with the default keyboard on the device?

Very odd though that would be marked incompatible for you since it is such a basic app and by Google. There are lots of ways developers can put filters on their apps however can even omit specific devices, countries, and carriers if they choose. There are few options you can try from here http://www.howtogeek.com/138500/
> 0 votes

---
Tags: htc-one-x, gboard
---


# Question
Title: How to check if application on Google Play would work on other (not own) phone?
Is there a way to (at least approximately) check if an application I have found in Google Play store would work on friend's phone. I'd rather not suggest an app that would not work on friend's phone.

For example is there a way to check if an application would work on Android 2.3, when my phone has Android 4.1.2?

---

Nowadays Google Play store has (in the web version) "Additional information" section, with table (actually: divs) containing structured information about an app, with the following 'columns': "Updated", "Size", "Installs", "Current Version", "***Requires Android***", "Content Rating".

While usually the information I want is in "Requires Android" field (e.g. '4.0.3 and up', '2.2 and up') sometimes it is just '*Varies with device*', e.g. SoundHound.

# Answer
Let him try installing it via Playstore. If it's "incompatible by design" (e.g. requires Android 4.x while he has only 2.3), Playstore would refuse to install it and give the hint "not compatible with your device".

Apart from that (and if the app description doesn't give a clue):

* check the comments for hints (take care for their date, compared with the "last updated" timestamp of the app; AppBrain lists the history of an app nicely on its "Changelog" tab)
* Install the SDK on your computer, and add the corresponding AVDs to it to test out for yourself
* Ask for the specific app on a forum, whether anyone can confirm it's running on Android X.X.X / the specific device / ...
* Ask the dev (and if doing so, suggest to include such hints with the desc)
> 2 votes

---
Tags: google-play-store, compatibility
---


# Question
Title: Many devices for one android user. Are there limits?
I'm a teacher in the UK and have 30 kids in my class.We have bought 35 (older) Nexus 7 tablets.

I have one Google account which I want to use across all devices so that the young children don't have to remember user names and passwords.

The trouble that I'm having is that not all of them are able to be logged in at once. There appears to be a limit as to how many devices can be online with this account at once. We're doing this to be able to use Google Drive so that the kids can produce work and save it into Drive.

We are finding that as tablets are booted up, already online device are logged out from Google and I have to log them in the android backend.

I'd love to get this sorted. It's for the kids!

# Answer
> 2 votes
This is as close to an answer as I can find at the moment. Looking at the site for the (soon to be launched) Google Play for Education site, one of the benefits that they mention is:

> ## For Educators
>
> ## Android tablets in the classroom
>
> Google Play for Education brings the innovation of Android technology into classrooms. Educators can set up and deploy **large numbers of devices** in just minutes or hours rather than days.
>
> ...
>
> ## Over-the-air delivery to student devices
>
> After finding apps they want to use, educators can push them instantly to student devices over the air. They can send the apps to individuals or **groups of any size**, across classrooms, schools, or even districts.

*(My emphasis, from http://developer.android.com/distribute/googleplay/edu/about.html)*

Which sounds promising, but if you go to the Sign Up/School Interest Page it has this interesting bit of wording on the form:

Which suggests that there's a limit somewhere around the 30 device number. Which would match up with what you're seeing. As I can't find anything else official mentioning this limit, I can't find any official advice for getting round the limit either, sorry.

# Answer
> 0 votes
The Google Play for Education Store is creating content optimised for Nexus 7 tablets. I would be amazed if this is not available for the older tablets. I have seen no dates yet for when the store will be available, but Google have an event in November and suspect it may be then (as the service was advertised for autumn). However, they are only soliciting interest from American schools, so it may not be initially available in the UK. In the meantime I would suggest maybe looking at TabPilot which will allow you to achieve what you are after as well as a lot of other useful functionality.

---
Tags: google-account, multiple-devices
---


# Question
Title: Can I damage screen (Nexus 7) by having it turned on and not change for longer periods of time?
I wanted to use an app called TimeWise to have a timer ticking and showing how much time is left in a time-boxed task. However, I am not sure, if having the screen turned on like this (even with very **low brightness**) for **25 minutes** without changing its content other than the counter, cannot damage it. These 25 minutes can be repeated for 4-8 hours. It is likely, that I will change the content of the screen from time to time, so this might be helpful, but I am not sure. Does anyone know if my concern is pertinent, or it is no problem for this type of screen? The device I'm using is Nexus 7 2013 version. Thanks!

# Answer
> 2 votes
No. Both versions of the Nexus 7 use IPS LCD displays, which are not vulnerable to burn-in or other detrimental effects from displaying a fixed graphic.

Burn-in in currently used display technologies is a problem limited to organic light emitting diode (OLED) displays, such as those used on the Samsung Galaxy S3 and S4. The Electroluminescent compounds used to make these displays degrade as they are used (resulting in reduced brightness over time), thus displaying a fixed graphic will result in some parts of the screen wearing at a different rate than other parts. Compounding this issue is that different colours of OLED degrade at different rates (blue degrades fastest, followed by green, then red). Here's an example of what this looks like. The burned-in sections will be permanently darker than the rest of the screen.

---
Tags: nexus-7, screen, physical-damage
---


# Question
Title: What is the path where GoSMS stores the SMS messages
How say the title I can't find where the sms are stored. I see this similar question but the replies haven't helped me.

I have gosms and I want delete all messages, but if I do this option with gosms the app crashes because are a lot of messages (about 6000).

I found:

```
./data/data/com.android.providers.telephony/mmssms.db
./data/data/com.jb.gosms/databases/gommssms.db

```

But are too small files (a few kb) and with text reader I saw that they contained only some queries. Also when I deleted them if I open gosms I still see all messages. So what is the real path of sms?

Edit: After a reboot gosms can't find sms anymore, so my problem is solved ( though probably the real sms are still stored somewhere)

# Answer
> 0 votes
SMS messages are stored in `data/data/com.android.providers.telephony/databases/mmssms.db`. If you can't see it in your root explorer (or it is to small), try rebooting your device or simply - connect your phone to the computer and copy that file (using e.g. ADB) on it and I'm sure you will be able to read it properly .

---
Tags: sms, file-system, go-sms
---


# Question
Title: Blocking hard and master reset or internet access permanently on Samsung Galaxy phone
I have a porn problem and I want to either disable the ability to do hard or master resets on the Samsung Galaxy phone (the only way to get by certain site blockers of which I have setup an undecipherable password), or simply block all internet access on the phone while still allowing calls to be made. How can this be done so that I will never again be tempted to view obscene material?

# Answer
> 1 votes
1.You can install one of parental control apps and ask your friend to set password for you (if you are ashamed you can tell that this is e.g. for your son or sister...).

2.If you have rooted phone that topic is for you ! Made this application as the system app and then unroot your phone.

I think in your case best solution is using both methods above.

---
Tags: factory-reset, samsung
---


# Question
Title: Sync contacts and calendar from Outlook 2010 on my laptop with Android phone, avoid data in cloud?
I'm looking to buy a new Android phone, but before I do, I need to know that there's a reliable way of keeping the contacts and calendar data on the phone in sync with the data in Outlook 2010 on my laptop. For the past 8 years I've been using windows mobile phones, where Microsoft's ActiveSync etc worked well. Simply connecting my windows phone to my laptop via USB meant that everything almost always sync'd fine without any issues. I'm looking to get as close to that experience as possible.

I also need to avoid putting any of my data in the cloud (e.g. gmail), because my outlook data contains too much sensitive information. Security breaches may be highly unlikely, but the potential consequences are too dire to imagine. One answer to this sync question (Sync setup question: will Android, Outlook 2010, Gmail, calendar and contacts sync?) has a comment which says that Android phones will always sync with google, so I need to disable that. Is that possible?

I'm aware of Samsung's Kies, but I've never tried it. If anyone can assure me that Kies works well for what I need then I'd be quite happy to restrict myself to buying Samsung.

I've done other research and found a pcmag.com review from Feb 2012 that suggests in general this isn't an easy problem. However, that link (and answers that I've found here) are all over a year old, so what's a good way of achieving all this in June 2013?

# Answer
> 0 votes
I finally ended up getting a Samsung Galaxy S4 mini i9195 LTE 4G, so I tried Samsung's Kies. As far as I can tell after just 1 day's use, it syncs the phone perfectly with my Outlook 2010, and avoids the cloud too (as long as the cloud sync to my google account is turned off on the phone).

# Answer
> 1 votes
You can easily turn of Google Sync for any Android phone. Just go to Account Settings, Sync. One problem is that whenever you get a new ROM, or Google does an update, these settings get turned back on. So you need to check periodically.

There are a number of 3rd party sync products, with free trial periods. Just give them a try. You can find them online. The best for security may be DejaOffice which has an encrypted mode to really lock down your data.

---
Tags: sync, outlook
---


title: assign an animated image to contacts

text:
# Question
Title: assign an animated image to contacts
Is it possible to assign an animated image to contacts in my address book?

So when a person from my contacts calls me it would play an animated image instead of a static image.

I have tried using animated GIFs, but it doesn't seem to work. I was wondering if there is a work-around. Preferably without having to root my phone.

# Answer
It simply doesn't seem possible. On Android, pictures are shown in ImageView components, and this component does not support displaying gifs. On most Android versions, you can't do it. Maybe a custom Contacts app can have the capability.
> 4 votes

---
Tags: contacts
---


# Question
Title: Google Play does not recognise updated firmware
I have updated the firmware on my Samsung GT-s5570 to Android 2.3.4. Google Play does not recognise that I have upgraded and will not install apps that are for 2.3 or higher. Still thinks phone is on 2.2.

HELP PLEASE

# Answer
I have the same phone and the same problem, running android 4.2 (flash), so google play does not watch your Firmware level, but your phone's name. Just try to find your apps on the internet or try other markets (like GetJar).

Just now I was trying to find a solution for the problem :)
> 0 votes

---
Tags: updates, device-firmware
---


# Question
Title: Is there any application that roots all android devices??
i have a requirement that needs a device to be rooted , but i have 4-5 different branded devices and i would definitely want them to be rooted by the same application for simplicity purpose.Please suggest an app that roots all devices to root.

# Answer
> 2 votes
Such an application does not exist.

Rooting an Android device is a complex process that involves two major steps: bypass the securtiy and anti-rooting measures of the device, and install the su command and app. This first step is the major roadblock in rooting a device.

To bypass the security that is put in place by both the Android system and the device manufacturer to discourage rooting. The method for doing this varies wildly by the device in question, the version of Android installed, and software such as a bootloader lock or "security" app installed by the device vendor or the carrier. This variety is why certain devices are yet to be rooted and why some must be wiped before rooting, etc. Though software exists to root a handful of devices by the same manufacturer (ex: Wug's Nexus Root Toolkit which can root the extremely similar Nexus S, Galaxy Nexus, Nexus 4, Nexus 7, and Nexus 10), this is only because the devices happen to use identical or extremely similar exploits to enable root. A single app cannot/need not be robust enough to handle every device by every manufacturer.

---
Tags: rooting
---


title: Phone memory full and it shouldn't be

text:
# Question
Title: Phone memory full and it shouldn't be
I have a weird problem with my android phone: for some reason, I'm getting a 'Low phone memory' error message, and before getting the message the phone was slow and unresponsive.

I have 2 GB internal storage; in the app manager, it says 1.2Gb used, 27Mb free. Where did the rest of the space go? I noticed this slowdown after installing an app (QR droid) from that Play Market (or whatever name it has now). When I first saw the error message, I had like 100 mb free in the app manager, and each time I reopened it the space was decreasing.

The phone is a Motorola Defy, rooted and using Miui, android version is Gingerbread.

So how can I fix this issue?

# Answer
What filled my internal memory were 'tombstones', files located in /data/tombstones, and in total used about 800 MB. After some digging up, I found that these are crash dumps from applications, and are only useful for debugging, so they can be safely removed.
> 3 votes

# Answer
Simple solution. Press phone and select keypad. dial \*#9900#. A new menu appears. press the second one down "Delete dumpstate/logcat" then just press home to exit.. Done, you'll have bags of extra device memory with no ill effects. Should free up to a gig of device memory, it did on mine.
> 4 votes

---
Tags: internal-storage, insufficient-memory, motorola-defy
---


title: Backup app data and restore across ROMs

text:
# Question
Title: Backup app data and restore across ROMs
I always use Titanium Backup to backup my apps' data.

However, last time I tried switching to a different ROM, it didn't work very well.
I let the apps be installed automatically by android, and then tried restoring their data with TB (*user apps only, no system apps*), but this caused most of my apps to always force-close when launched.

I was forced to switch back to the previous ROM to be able to get my data back.

So I ask: **is there an app (other than TB) that's more stable when it comes to restoring data backed up in a different ROM?**

Again, I'm talking about user apps, I know it's unstable to restore system apps and I don't need that.

# Answer
> 4 votes
Restoring across different ROMs, have you considered the "troubleshooting options" of TB, and e.g. enabled its migration mode, or have it using the system's own SQLite libs instead of TiBus? All those things are especially for cases as described with your question. So making use of those might end your search for an alternative; they've always worked for me – migrating from my *HTC Wildfire* via *Motorola Milestone 2* to finally *LG Optimus 4X*.

If you insist on alternatives, however, I'd suggest you take a look at the tag-wiki, where you find many of them described. With Android 4+, you could e.g. make use of `adb backup` (or use Helium Backup on your device, which does the same locally). Again: This and more is described in the mentioned tag-wiki.

---
Tags: backup, custom-roms
---


# Question
Title: "Settings" hangs when scanning for WiFi since JB update on One X
I have an HTC One X which has never before exhibited any connection problems.

Since the update to Jelly Bean around 2 weeks ago, it cannot reconnect to a WiFi network once it has lost the connection. It stays on the 3G network by itself. When I go to Settings and select WiFi, Settings sometimes freezes still showing the normal Settings screen but not reacting to touches, sometimes the screen becomes black (the bar with the network information and battery level is still visible). I can still use the Home button to start other applications. At some point, I get a message telling me that Settings is not responding, prompting me to terminate it.

When I restart the phone, it automatically establishes the connection to a known WiFi network. If I am somewhere where it doesn't find a known network, I can use Settings as usual to connect (scan for networks, choose one, enter password, connect). But after about an hour, I find that the phone is again on 3G and the above freezing happens when I try to reconnect.

I think this is not a problem of the way the networks are set up, as I had the same symptoms in 4 different home networks, using different router brands. Many other devices, including other Android phones, function in these networks without a problem.

A software update which came 2-3 days ago did not change anything about the problem.

The phone is running Android 4.1.1, firmware version 3.14.401.31. It is not rooted.

Any suggestions how to troubleshoot this? When I search the Internet for the HTC One X having WiFi problems, I only get scores of articles about known hardware problems.

# Answer
> 0 votes
As described above, the freezing does not occure during the first connection after reboot. Therefore, I was able to open the Advanced settings in the WiFi menu after a reboot.

There, I changed following settings:

* Keep WiFi on during sleep -\> Always
* Best WiFi Performance -\> Off
* Auto-Disconnect -\> Off

Since then, the problem hasn't appeared. The phone was on a mobile network many times (when I was outside of reach), and it logs on without problems when I return to the reach of a known network. No freezing any more.

I don't know which one of the three settings changed anything, because I didn't try any combinations. I am just happy that the problem disappeared after weeks of slow mobile internet only.

# Answer
> 1 votes
I am using the same version of the OS on my HTC One X and I have never had this problem before. So I am thinking this is maybe a problem concerning the hardware of your phone. Maybe you should contact HTC for this problem. They can probably help you some more.

But you could always try to do a hard factory reset (this is something which HTC support will ask to do too) . Because an update doesn't really reset anything. A factory reset should reset all settings, this to make sure it isn't a problem of your settings. Before you do a factory reset, make sure you have a backup of everything.

# Answer
> 0 votes
At last i found the answer to the dumb issue I have had, whereby the WiFi scan "hangs" and never sees local WiFi. set WiFi on during sleeps - always , Best WiFi - off and Auto-disconnect - off. Think it is the last setting which cleared my issue.

---
Tags: wi-fi, 4.1-jelly-bean, htc-one-x, troubleshooting
---


# Question
Title: How to stop Skype from starting automatically?
I close the Skype app in my Android phone (samsung s3 mini)

If Skype is open on my pc and I receive a call it also starts automacically in my phone without my input!

How can I avoid such a strange behavior?
Thank you

# Answer
Are you sure that you really closed Skype (not only hide it to background) ? In Skype main menu press "menu" button and then - logout.

If that doesn't solve your problem I see two possibilities :

* Install a firewall (a good firewall is in avast! Mobile Security) and block access to newtork for Skype, unlock it only when you're using it (installing firewall requires root access)
* Try to kill Skype service in application manager-\>background processes (it is located in Settings)

If you're true I think it is a bug and we've to contact Microsoft...
> 1 votes

---
Tags: skype
---


# Question
Title: How to type and handwrite Japanese on devices without Japanese input?
By default there is no Japanese input in Samsung keyboard. I know there is a plugin called Multiling with it's HanWriting plugin but it only supports 1 letter by time.

Is there a way to handwrite Japanese in sentence?

# Answer
> 5 votes
I use the Simeji input method. it uses the great "flick" method for inputting kana. It takes some getting used to, but is very fast once you do. To switch between keyboards, just long press in the text field.

# Answer
> 3 votes
I don't think there is a handwriting app, at the moment. At least, not for writing, although there are some for practicing Kana and Kanji.

For typing, I currently use Google Japanese Input (10 MB, Free), it's reliable and seems solid to me.

You have two choices: one is typing the Romaji, the other one is typing Kana directly. In this second way, you click the 行 (gyou). For example, click on the Sa-gyou to choose the syllables that start with s- (sa, shi, su, se, so), then swype towards the one you want.

A visual example in the image below: the user chose the Ra-gyou (ra, ri, ru, re, ro), and swyped towards "ri", highlighted just above.

# Answer
> 2 votes
I use MyScript Stylus (Beta) by Vision Objects for german, english, and japanese handwriting input on my Note 8, and it works vey good.

I use it e.g. for input to the Aedict dictionary to look up unknown Kanji, and recognition by myscript stylus is excellent. The only challenge is to write large Kanji not too slow, because else recogniton starts with left kanji part before finishing handwriting the complete kanji. I dont know any input method that makes it soo easy to switch between languages and combine Japanese text with other languages, e.g. get real German or nordisk Umlauts instead using ae, oe.

---
Tags: keyboard, languages, input-methods
---


# Question
Title: How to prevent my Google account from acting like it's from the US?
I'm from the Czech Republic and via some proxy I made my Google account look like a US-based one to try Google music etc. Now Google music with all access arrived in my country and it's cheaper than in the US! But Google remembers my account as being US-based so I still see the US price of $9.99.

Do you know how to change it back?

# Answer
Try accessing via Czech Republic - proxy and then try again. Good luck.

edit: Login with your credentials via proxy from Czech Republic and hope that the price will be different from the US price.
> 1 votes

---
Tags: google-play-music, google
---


title: How do I open an .odt file?

text:
# Question
Title: How do I open an .odt file?
I have received an `.odt` file and I wanted to know if it is possible to open it on my S3? I need to be able to copy, paste, edit and view comments.

OS: 4.1.1 Galaxy S3

# Answer
`.odt` stands for "OpenDocument Text", a format primarily used with OpenOffice and its derivates (StarOffice, LibreOffice, NeoOffice), but also supported (at least via filters) by other office suits, even Microsoft's. There are several viewers available for Android, but unfortunately no (free or cheap) editors – though the LibreOffice team is working on an Android version for over a year already.

You will find a list of Office suites for Android in my German Overview Office-Pakete und Text-Editoren (after all, for the list you don't need to know the language). I also marked those (partly) supporting OpenDocument formats, watch out for the keywords "OpenOffice", "LibreOffice", and "OpenDocument".

I have not tested them, but it seems there is one supporting reading and writing of OpenDocument formats: Office 2012: TextMaker Mobile (for texts), with separate apps for Calc and Presentation. Each of the apps is about USD 9, so they don't come cheap (compared to other Android apps). Coffice only supports reading those documents, but comes for free, same applies to OpenDocument Reader.
> 5 votes

# Answer
TextMaker allows you to open and edit .odt files and does a great job of it. I paid $5.

.odt is the open document text format which is an open international standard, there are many other desktop programs that support this format that are not derived from OpenOffice such as Calligra Words, Abiword, Kingsoft Office etc.
> 1 votes

---
Tags: openoffice
---


# Question
Title: Restrict background data for Facebook, but notifications still coming in
I would only like particular applications to show notifications when I'm **not on Wifi** and those would be:

* Google Services - unfortunately there are several syncs here but AFAIK we can't control individual ones
* Google Search - I'm not sure what this one does but I suppose I want to keep this one up
* GMail - for obvious reasons

But all of the others I would like to disable. **Including Facebook**.

The problem I'm having is that Facebook notifications are still being displayed on my phone. What am I missing?

# Answer
> 1 votes
Facebook's notifications come through *Google Cloud Messaging* (GCM). As such, the Facebook app itself isn't using the network at all, as all apps' GCM messages come through one connection, owned by the Google Play Services process.

There's no user control for individual GCM endpoints. It's up to Facebook to provide an option for notifications.

---
Tags: facebook, background-data
---


# Question
Title: How does "Restrict background data" work?
In "Settings"-\>"Data Usage" there is a "Restrict background data" checkbox.

How does it work, exactly? What does "background" mean here? And is this setting enforced by the OS, or is it a hint that the apps are free to disregard if coded improperly?

# Answer
> 16 votes
First, that setting is enforced by the OS (so it's not for the app to decide whether to observe that setting). Put in easy words: Android won't let an app access the network unless it's running in foreground (i.e. the user is interacting with it) with the restriction enabled for it.

Explained with a plastic example: Restrict background data on the *Google Play Store* app (as I did), it won't anymore check for updates in background while you are on mobile data. But it will do so when you're using WiFi. Also, when you call up the app to install something, it will work as long as you keep it in foreground (i.e. not switch to another app while it's still downloading).

---
Tags: mobile-data
---


# Question
Title: What exact time do Android devices execute the Daylight Saving Changes?
I believe the Windows OS in general makes the Fall DST change at 3.00am on the last Sunday of October, and the Spring change at 2.00am on the last Sunday of March. Could someone enlighten me on the exact times that the Android OS, in general, (or 4.3 specifically) makes the DST changes?

# Answer
> 2 votes
As far as I know, every OS makes the change at the officially scheduled time for your timezone. This is different in different timezones, but if you've previously observed your Windows clock changing at a particular time, you'll see any other OS changing at the same time. The exact time is set by the government: programmers don't just pick a time they think would be nice.

---
Tags: clock, date-and-time
---


title: Phone unlocking ideas

text:
# Question
Title: Phone unlocking ideas
My wife's nexus 4 has a dead area across the middle of the screen. There's a 1 cm strip running horizontally across the screen that doesn't register clicks.

A few weeks ago, her screen broke. We had it repaired, then two weeks after that the dead area emerged. (The technicians will not fix the issue, I've tried that). The dead area covers digits that are in her pin. On a nexus 4 the lock screen is only in portrait mode, so I can't access the dead area by turning the phone.

The dead area doesn't cover the on screen keyboard, so if I can get to that I think I can unlock the phone.

What I have tried to fix the issue:

1. punch in a bunch of invalid pins hoping that the phone would become locked and we could unlock it using the associated account with the on screen keyboard. I've tried probably 50 times but the phone hasn't stopped offering PIN authentication yet.
2. Using the android device manager, lock the device. The problem here is that I lent her my phone in the interim and it locked my phone. We unlocked that and removed her account but the android device manager still isn't locking the right phone. This is kind of weird because she never set my phone up to allow the remote control, I did that with my account. Somehow the phone or google's server must be confused. Two Nexus 4s in the same room is a problem apparently.
3. If you go to the camera, you can get the phone to go into landscape mode. Take a picture, then view the gallery. Anything from before your taking pictures while the camera was locked is hidden, and a lock shows. Tap the lock, and you are taken to a lock screen in portrait mode. But before you can key in any digits, it flips you back to portait.

The phone was never in USB debug mode, and I can't connect to it via USB while it is locked.

Does anyone have any idea how I can fix this?

# Answer
> 1 votes
Just now I tried this in my nexus 7 and it worked. My nexus 7 has lost its root access after update to 4.3 and I didn't bother to root it again - just fyi in case if OTG didn't work in your nexus 4.

I set up PIN as my security option, connected OTG cable and connected a mouse. After restart (mouse didn't detect the moment it was connected and worked after reboot only) I was able to use mouse to click the numbers to enter PIN.

---
Tags: lock-screens, nexus-4
---


title: Streaming Amazon Instant Video in HD

text:
# Question
Title: Streaming Amazon Instant Video in HD
Is it possible to watch **HD** Amazon Instant Video (eg, Amazon Prime) on non-Kindle Android devices? (Galaxy Nexus with MHL adapter)

AFAIK, Amazon does not support HD streaming in the browser; this would require a native app.

Google Play does support this, but I haven't been able to find anything about Amazon. (other than Flash streaming, which I don't think will do HD)

# Answer
> 1 votes
Just did it today on my Samsung Galaxy S3.

To stream Amazon Prime (or other Flash) movies:

1. Download Flash 11 onto your android device. You won't find it in the app market (Google pulled it this summer) but there are a couple different guides online. I used this one from CNET.
2. Download the Dolphin browser from the app market (other browsers MAY work as well if they let you change the user agent string, but Dolphin makes it easy and is the only one I tested successfully on).
3. Go into the Dolphin browser settings and set the "User Agent" setting to "desktop".
4. Login to Amazon and you can now stream Amazon prime/instant movies.

I used an MHL adapter to output the video/audio to my receiver and can now watch the movies on my surround-sound projector setup (though its not surround sound).

YMMV, as I'm not sure if this works on all android devices but it works on my S3. Good luck!

# Answer
> 0 votes
**Tested and working today 08/01/2013. Tested on Asus TF700T and it looks beautiful.**

1. Side load Flash from DevHost: http://d-h.st/x4v
2. Tell browser to "Request Desktop Site" (Change Agent)
3. Sign in to Amazon and navigate to Prime
4. Play

CAVEAT: Remember to disable sleep time (Tablet will turn display off as if idle, so disable Idle times) and auto brightness.

Enjoy!

# Answer
> 0 votes
FlashFox is working for me. Only watched a couple videos so far. Not sure if in HD, but looks native on my 2nd gen Nexus 7 (1080).

# Answer
> -1 votes
This worked until April 17th, 2013. Amazon changed something and Instant Video no longer works with even the latest versions of Flash for Android which can be downloaded from the Adobe Archive and side loaded.

The only option for viewing Amazon Instant Video that I have found is to download Puffin Browser. It decodes the Flash video on their cloud Servers and streams it to the browser on your device in some other format. Sadly, it is a little herkyjerky and the audio is sometimes out of sync and full screen is more or less broken, although you can zoom in to fill the screen.

---
Tags: streaming, amazon-video
---


title: Behave as a PC browser

text:
# Question
Title: Behave as a PC browser
I want to watch streams of a TV channel. That channel also offers an unfree app to do that.

When I visit the site with my tablet I am forced to download the app to use the site. From my PC I can access the site normally.

How can I set my tablet browser to behave as a PC browser?

I tried the default Android and Chrome browsers.

# Answer
In case of Android browser (AOSP) and Chrome there is an option called *Request desktop site*. This can be accessed via the options menu for the browser. That would change the browser user-agent to desktop and display the website as displayed on PC.

But this has to be done for each tab I believe, there is no permanent solution.
> 2 votes

---
Tags: browser
---


title: Export or backup contacts with pictures

text:
# Question
Title: Export or backup contacts with pictures
When exporting contacts from the standard contacts application to the disk and importing them to Thunderbird - the pictures are missing.

I'd like to export all contacts with pictures though.

Is there a way to get a 100% backup of my contacts? Where are they stored and how can I back them up?

# Answer
> 2 votes
User @Izzy explained that encoded pictures are actually included in the `.vcf` created from the export.

This led me to think that the issue is actually with Thunbird's contacts import and not with android's contacts export. As it turns out this is right.

Since the default way for Thunderbird to import vcards appears to be faulty, I used the add-on MoreFunctionsForAddressBook to import the address book. It worked fine and included all the pictures!

---
Tags: cyanogenmod, contacts, 4.3-jelly-bean
---


title: Looking for option for 3-way file sync

text:
# Question
Title: Looking for option for 3-way file sync
I want to be able to have a 3-way sync for some files between home and work PCs and my Android (HTC Sensation, 2.3). I want to sync a few documents and Keepass password database.

What options are there for this? I found SMEStorage which looks very good, but I can't really see a good sync provider that does everything I need:

* Windows Live Mesh: good for transparent sync on the PC, but I did read somewhere that docs synced from here would be read-only on Android (this doesn't apply to Skydrive, but can you sync to that like you can with Live Mesh?)
* DropBox - hmm, I really don't want all my files publicly readable thank you...
* FTP - I'd have to have a separate sync solution on my PCs
* Google docs - not good on PC as I want a physical copy synced one each one.

Is there some other simple method I'm missing? If there was a way of getting it to work with Live Mesh then that would be ideal.

EDIT: Looks like Live Mesh also syncs to Sky Drive, so Android clients that have read/write sync to Sky Drive may work, such as Sorami or SMEStorage may work

# Answer
> 2 votes
I use SMEStorage. I actually use 2 Storage Clouds on it. My home WebDav Server and SkyDrive.

My files physically reside on my home WebDAV server and on SkyDrive. I have a phone to SkyDrive folder sync setup through the SMEStorage App for some docs/files.

SMEStorage has the ability to encrypt files uploaded to it and then decrypt on the fly from the Client, which suits me. It uses AES-256 and does not store the private key so if you lose the key your stuffed but again this approach suits me.

# Answer
> 1 votes
You can add your own private folders to Dropbox, you don't have to use the `Public` folder. I use this for some syncs between work, home and phone.

# Answer
> 1 votes
I use Sugarsync. Similar to Dropbox but without the poor security track record. The Android client also handles automatic sync where dropbox doesn't. Of course the Windows clients do as well.

# Answer
> 1 votes
Google Docs actually would be a viable solution. You just need a way to sync local files to and from GDocs.

ReadWriteWeb reviewed three such apps. There are surely others.

# Answer
> 0 votes
i am using aerosync to sync a folder over various devices , it works well and it's free and unlimited storage on any number of device but no cloud storage , it's having client for all platform

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Tags: sync, privacy, cloud
---


# Question
Title: Is it possible to kill your phone by installing wrong system software?
I asked a question yesterday about my Sony Xperia Z1. It look likes it is completely empty and I don't have the ability to flash anything on it.

But my question is:

Can you break your motherboard by rooting, flashing or whatever?

My custom ROM (PAC-man ROM) worked perfectly fine until I restored my TA partition.

My previous question:

Sony Xperia Z1 won't start up again!

# Answer
Nice question! Short answer: Yes and no, it depends on how a device is designed.

One needs to now how a device initially boots and look at the involved components to be able to answer this question. To get an idea, here are some examples from my memory:

* All newer Google Nexus devices (except the Nexus One) are pretty much unbrickable.
* Most Samsung models for example have their bootloader on the eMMC chip: **Brickable**
To unbrick, one needs an alternative way to boot from e.g. USB to fix it (this solution exists for the original SGS i9000, but there's currently no way to do it with later models)
* Sony Xperias have the bootloader in non-writable mask ROM: **Unbrickable**.
You could delete the whole eMMC chip and still boot into Flash Mode or fastboot mode (needs model specific key combos on boot), unlock the bootloader or use their software (PC Companion) to revive it. See Androxyde's FlashTool and Sony's FlashTool.
* Raspberry Pi's have the bootloader in mask-ROM which then boots from the SDcard: **Unbrickable**
(Well, this is not a real Android device per se, but you get the point. PS: The Pi can be damaged by overclocking)
* Some Samsung eMMC chips have faulty firmware: **Brickable** (source)
A way to fix it has recently been found but it's very risky and only tried by one of the devs. CyanogenMod's Wiki has more information.
* The original HTC Magic had its bootloader on the eMMC: **Brickable**
* In general: If one part of the chain is breakable (without the ability to revive it), you can brick your device. For example, it's possible to get into a catch-22 situation where no further action is possible (e.g. unlockable bootloader + broken system&recover) although the device would still boot to the bootloader.
> 3 votes

# Answer
Yes, it is possible to hard brick your device if you do anything wrong with your TA partition. There are loads of threads in XDA-developers warning people not to do it if they are not confident.

Few examples of backing up TA partition threads here.

1. Tutorial - Manual TA partition backup and restore
2. Root, backup TA

Loads of warning when they advertise these methods.

> Fair warning: Flashing your TA partition is dangerous stuff, do this wrong and you can most certainly hard-brick your device. I will not take any responsibility at all for anything you deem might have (or might not have) been a result of these procedures, be it bricked devices, lost DRM-keys...
> 1 votes

# Answer
Apart from the risk of breaking your bootloader, which others have mentioned, there are other ways a custom ROM can destroy your hardware. For example, you might install a kernel that has no or misconfigured power management support. In extreme cases, this might cause the CPU to overheat, damaging it permanently.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: rooting, rom-flashing, sony-xperia-z1
---


# Question
Title: Why does the system not recognize my fonts?
My phone is a rooted Nexus S running the custom ROM Replicant. I copied twelve font files comprising three fonts (Arimo, Cousine, and Tinos) from my computer to the SD card, used a root file manager to copy the files to /system/fonts, and then rebooted the phone. Yet I am still unable to use these fonts. On par with the other font files in the folder, they are indeed .ttf files. For example, when I view this HTML file in the HTML viewer:

\<!DOCTYPE html\>

\

\

\ \<meta charset="UTF-8"\>

\<title\>Font Test\</title\>

\

\

\
Arimo paragraph\

\
Cousine paragraph\

\
Tinos paragraph\

\

\

The paragraphs display in Roboto, Droid Sans Mono, and Droid Serif respectively. Why does the system not recognize the newly installed fonts? Is there some configuration file I need to edit?

# Answer
Problem ~~mostly, but not entirely,~~ solved. For ~~Arimo~~ whatever font you want to install, you need to insert this text between the \<familyset\> tags in the file /system/etc/system\_fonts.xml:

```
<family>
  <nameset>
    <name>the name of your font</name>
    <name>arial</name>
    <name>helvetica</name>
  </nameset>
  <fileset>
    <file>Arimo-Regular.ttf</file>
    <file>Arimo-Bold.ttf</file>
    <file>Arimo-Italic.ttf</file>
    <file>Arimo-BoldItalic.ttf</file>
  </fileset>
</family>

```

And remove the designations of "arial" and "helvetica" from the Roboto entry. ~~The reason this is not entirely solved is it works only in the browser and not the HTML viewer.~~
> 1 votes

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Tags: root-access, system, fonts
---


# Question
Title: Where are the developer options in Android 2.3.x?
I have Samsung Galaxy Exhibit 4G SGH-T679 running Android 2.3.6. I do not see the developer tools anywhere in the Settings menu.

Is there something special needed to get it to show up?

# Answer
It has only been hidden since Android 4.2.

Back in Android 2.3, you just need to go to **Settings - Applications - Development**.
> 45 votes

---
Tags: 2.3-gingerbread, settings
---


# Question
Title: detect when application using permissions ~ Android
I list all permissions of the new installed application on rooted Android device. But I want to detect when an application uses these permission. For example, I installed an app and it uses READ\_CALENDAR permission. It is not always read my calendar data. I want to detect the time it reads my calendar data. Is it possible?

# Answer
> 0 votes
That should be possible. How to realize it, depends on the Android version used: For Android 4.0 and earlier, the IMHO best solution is installing LBE Privacy Guard, which you can configure to issue a popup whenever a given permission was requested (so you can decide whether to permit or deny access). However, do not attempt installing this on Android 4.1+, or you'll end up in a ; the XDA Developers have "localized versions" of LBE Security Master available instead (a version I find bloated, as it tries to cover to much things).

Apart from these two, I know of no other app informing you of an access at the time it's made (which does not mean there aren't any). Other tools might however log access so you can either see the log entry afterwards, or at least know whether an app has used that permission at all (e.g. XPrivacy). I'm not sure how PDroid handles this, as I've never used it.

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Tags: root-access, permissions
---


title: Google Now on the LG G2

text:
# Question
Title: Google Now on the LG G2
Yesterday I bought a new LG G2 device and I wanted to turn on the Google Now feature, sadly, my Google Search app settings does not show any sign of Now switch. How can I turn on the Google Now

Screenshot (click for larger variant)

# Answer
See if Google search is somehow disabled in the list of apps. Alternatively, ensure that the latest version of Google Search has been installed in your device.

I am assuming of course, that Google Now is a supported feature in your country.
> 2 votes

---
Tags: google-now, lg, lg-g2
---


# Question
Title: How to install ROM when bootloader is not unlocked?
Accidentally, on stock recovery, I selected `wipe data/factory reset` which could have uninstalled the ROM on it. So, now my mobile is showing company logo only.

My mobile `HTC Inspire A9192`'s bootloader has not been unlocked yet.

How to boot the mobile again ?

Every time I restart my phone, the data/ cache and system gets unmounted.

# Answer
> 1 votes
A factory reset doesn't wipe the ROM files, only the user data, so you can't have "uninstalled the ROM" that way.

Having a locked bootloader doesn't stop you flashing a ROM: it just limits you to official ROMs signed by the manufacturer (or possibly by the carrier). So even if you can't or don't want to unlock the bootloader, you can still flash the stock ROM in the usual way from the recovery, if you can obtain a backup of it.

---
Tags: bootloader, htc, bootloader-lock
---


title: just boot in recovery mode htc one xl

text:
# Question
Title: just boot in recovery mode htc one xl
Well, I have a htc onexl at&t (evita) bootloader unlock and custom recovery TWRP when i try to turn on my phone he just boot in recovery, i can go to bootloader but i cant boot in system, is not a boot loop, he just go directly to recovery

This is what i did:

* Unlock bootloader
* Install custom recovery TWRP 2.6.3.0
* Then I try to restart the phone and when he turn on he go directly to recovery

# Answer
> 0 votes
On TWRP recovery, tap `Reboot` and then `System`

---
Tags: recovery-mode, twrp, htc-one-xl
---


# Question
Title: Connect microSD card with your PC folder via Wi-Fi only
Suppose you sit in an office where you have high speed wi-fi internet connection to which you can connect your android mobile phone. On your office pc you have some downloaded videos , pictures etc. that you want to transfer to your mobile micro SD card. Now at home where you dont have internet connection, but you want to see those videos and pictures.

Unfortunately you don't have data card cable or you don't want to use data card.

Is there any application for doing such stuff

\[idea is similar to dropbox app, but you should have active internet connection everywhere\]

# Answer
**Option 1.**

I will explain the setup I am using for past couple of years over various devices.

I use Swiftp in android to make a FTP server. This project is abandoned now, but the apk works on 4.2 jellybean (not sure about 4.3). Or as an alternative you can setup a FTP server via most file managers these days, eg Solid Explorer. Setup a username and password for the FTP server and start FTP server in the phone.

Then I use Filezilla in the PC (which is on same Wi-Fi network as the phone) and connect with the credentials to the FTP server set up on the android phone/tablet.

This will enable you to transfer files from PC to phone and viceversa.

**Option 2.**

Use AirDroid. Simple to setup and easy to use. I will recommend this over FTP server.

Good Luck.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: applications, 4.1-jelly-bean, sd-card, file-transfer, dropbox
---


# Question
Title: Wifi slow and delays with wifi power save on
This is what i get at a device factory reset. Samsung galaxy S7562 . I have tested over 30 different devices with my access point and this doesnt occur - no problems. The other access point I have has better times and works with this android but gets disconnected after some time and it wont connect again. It will connected after a minute or so.

If i turn wifi power save off from service mode then it works without any problem. Problem is visible at my app where small chunks of information are sent. When browsing although pings are the same there is just slower loading of page.However it seems that pings get low for 1 or 2 secs while loading a page but still slow.

When i turn power save off it works fine though.

Any idea for permament slution ? Even to turn power save off always

# Answer
It looks like you've already come across one solution: turning off Wi-Fi power saving. That option puts the Wi-Fi chip into a low-power state sometimes. This reduces power use, but the trade-off is that next time you want to use Wi-Fi, you have to wait a fraction of a second for the chip to power on again.

This page from the official Android documentation explains about Wi-Fi power states. It's targeted at app developers, so they can optimize the usage pattern of their apps to save power. Even so, it's easy to follow, and might be interesting for other users to understand how Android tries to save power.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: wi-fi
---


title: Turn on Nexus One without Power button

text:
# Question
Title: Turn on Nexus One without Power button
My Google Nexus One has a broken power button. I'm using **CyanogenMod-7.2.0-passion** on it. I would like to configure **trackball** to turn on my device (after battery died or after changing the SIM or SD card).

Are there any ways to configure the **trackball** as the default power switch instead of power switch on top of the phone?

# Answer
> 3 votes
No, this isn't possible. Some CM versions allow you to use the trackball to turn the screen on, but there's no way to turn the device on from cold this way. When the device is off, Android isn't running, so nothing in Android can listen for a button press. The handling of the power button is much lower-level in the device firmware, and isn't available for users to change.

---
Tags: cyanogenmod, nexus-one, power-on, trackball
---


# Question
Title: Is there a ways to set data speed limit in android?
Is there a way to set data **speed limit** on android device(Samsung Galaxy GTi9003,Gingerbread 2.3.6)? Note :this is different from data limit.

I want to use 3G network 300MB/month plan which I think can only be achieved by limiting data speed and also limiting net access to various apps

NON ROOTED DEVICE

# Answer
> 2 votes
Not usefully.

If you root the device, you can use a tool such as `iptables` to configure a rate limit, but the only way for that to work on downloads is to drop network packets above a certain limit. The effect of this will be that the apps on your phone see slower downloads, but the overall use of your Wi-Fi or mobile data connection will be *greater*, because the server has to keep re-sending packets that have reached your phone but been dropped.

This isn't an Android-specific problem: it's just how the internet works. Desktop machines have just the same problem with rate-limiting. It's just worse on mobile: because wireless network connections genuinely do lose packets more often, they're usually set up to re-send more aggressively than wired connections.

The exception to this is if you have a particular app whose network protocol supports rate negotiation. BitTorrent is one example. In that case, you should set the appropriate setting in the app you want to limit.

# Answer
> 0 votes
If your only worry is about being on the correct data plan, you should not have to do anything.

For CDMA carriers like Verizon or Sprint, your ESN will be registered with correct access speeds when you sign up for service with those companies.

For GSM carriers (like AT&T and T-mobile, for example) there are different APN settings for various data speed tiers (e.g. 2G only, 3G HSPA, 4G HSPA+, 4G LTE, etc.) When signing up for a particular plan with these companies, you will be given the appropriate settings that will limit your line's data speed appropriately. Even using the wrong APN settings won't do any harm, since your account is associated with the correct tier. The data connection simply won't work unless the correct settings are restored.

---
Tags: 2.3-gingerbread, data-monitoring, mobile-data
---


# Question
Title: How to silence all but one application? (no calls, messages, notifications and similar interruptions)
When listening to meditation instructions (previously downloaded as \*.mp3 files) I would like to be able to silence all applications, (that is, all *audible* notifications, messages and calls). How?

---

PS: Native solution(s) which are *not* reliant on 3rd-party apps are prefered.

# Answer
If you don't want to use any 3rd-party apps, then you have to learn programming and make your own.

In my opinion, the best way to do this is using AutomateIt. Its normal features include "Set volume" actions and if you register an account, then you could download one Pro codec, like the "Multiple(OR)" event that, could also be used when more than one app are opened.

All types of volume can be changed when a certain event happens.
> 0 votes

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Tags: audio, silent-mode
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# Question
Title: Samsung Galaxy S4 SCH-I545 official updates via Kies fails with: "Software update is temporarily unavailable. Try again later."
I own a Samsung SCH-I545 Galaxy S4 and can not do update via Kies. It says:

> Software update is temporarily unavailable. Try again later.

The phone is sent by my uncle from America and I am from Romania. The phone does not have root. I tried to update via Odin, but it fails too.

What can I do to Update my Galaxy S4 to Android 4.3? Thank you very much!

# Answer
The update for the Verizon S4 USA is set to come eout tommorrow not today.
> 0 votes

# Answer
This was not the 4.3 update. Just a bug fix and added a couple of other features that came on GSM devices. 4.3 set to roll out tomorrow for Verizon customers or at least they claim. I would not hold my breath! If there is anything with Big Red is it will be delayed until they are happy with the release. When I have the notification I will believe it. Hope this helps
> 0 votes

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Tags: samsung-galaxy-s-4, samsung-kies, rom-update
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# Question
Title: How to ensure that the digitizer is faulty?
My HTC Evo 3D sometimes doesn't react when i press certain areas of the screen. I noticed it happens mostly on the part where the letter 'e' is, when i'm holding the phone in landscape mode.

So, i did a factory reset, wiped out SD card as well during the factory reset, and the problem still persists.

It sometimes happens for a certain period of time, and it starts to work after a while.

I did a line drawing test, and on some places it doesn't draw the line correctly (it is continuos but it's drawn with sharp angles, i don't know how to explain it better).

I read somewhere it is most probably a hardware problem, with a digitizer. Is there any way to be sure, or is it best to take it to a repair shop?

# Answer
Open your settings menu and go all the way to the bottom, open `Developer Options`.

In the *Input* section, find the options called `Pointer Location`, and check it.

This is a feature for developers that shows the raw data from the digitizer.

Move your fingers around on the screen, and watch what you see, if your finger seems to disappear from the screen, Android is not seeing any data about it, it is a problem with your digitizer.
> 7 votes

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Tags: touchscreen, htc-evo-3d
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title: Samsung galaxy s3 vibrate

text:
# Question
Title: Samsung galaxy s3 vibrate
I have had my phone for a while and I am always feeling guilty because I haven't replied to text message that I never knew that I got when I have my phone on vibrate. It only vibrates when I pick it up or move it, it's not like my old phone like when you get a message it vibrated automatically but my samsung galaxy s3 doesn't.

Is there anyway that I could have it like that so it doesn't only vibrate when I move it?

# Answer
> 0 votes
If you look under sound settings there should be an option for vibration patterns. The intensity should be configurable from there as well.

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Tags: samsung-galaxy-s-3, vibration
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