# Question
Title: Can I use a modern Android phone with no phone plan?
I'm new to the Android platform, but am looking into doing some development for Android 2.x, with the hope of publishing an app to the Android App Market eventually. I'd like to be able to test my app on "real" hardware, but I already have an iPhone, which is plenty expensive itself, and I don't want to pay for an entire second cell phone plan just to test my code. So my question is, is it possible to buy an unlocked Android phone and operate it entirely over wi-fi? If so, what features (besides the obvious, like making calls), will I be missing out on?

# Answer
Yes, it is possible, but it might be tricky depending on the phone.

For instance, I bought a T-Mobile G1 (not the Android Dev Phone version) and had to have a SIM card in it. You can either borrow a friend's or you can do what I did, which was buy a prepaid-SIM card. It cost less than $40. If you have a friend's SIM card that has a data plan, then you can activate the phone. But if you don't want to have to have a SIM card in the phone anymore, you'll have to root the phone and install CyanogenMod on it.

Now if you bought a pre-paid SIM card, then you can activate the phone over wifi by following these steps (this is specific to the G1).

A G1 is probably the cheapest phone you can get if you're only wanting to use it as a hardware testing device. On ebay it is around the $100-150 range.
> 13 votes

# Answer
Why don't you download and install the Android SDK?

The SDK contains an emulator that can simulate pretty much every aspect of the device.
> 5 votes

# Answer
My Android Hero needed a SIM card to start up. However a 10$ prepaid SIM card will do.
> 3 votes

# Answer
As others have said, a pay-as-you-go SIM is a good solution for any phone. In the UK at least, you can pick up a free SIM card easily. Vodafone or O2 will send you one if you ask them or you can probably get one at any number of local shops. Just be aware that some handsets are locked to particular networks, so you will either need to get a SIM from that network or pay to have your phone unlocked.

However, some phones will work fine without a SIM. I use an HTC Legend for development without a SIM and there is no problem. I just use Wi-Fi and, since it can't make calls, it is effectively just a pocket computer.
> 2 votes

# Answer
I bought a new unlocked Nexus One when they were available to the general public and it was perfectly willing to start up and use wifi without having a SIM. That's probably an expensive option, though.
> 2 votes

# Answer
Prepaid is the way to go. You can purchase a T-Mobile prepaid phone for $20-$30, sometimes they even throw in a free $25 refill card. The phone comes with a free SIM card with $3 worth of air time (10 minutes). You need to refill your prepaid phone every 90 days for at least $10 each time, or if you want to avoid the hassle, you can refill $100 which is good for a year and achieve the gold status, thereafter any amount you refill will be good for up to a year. If you already own a T-Mobile phone, you might be able to just spend $7 on the prepaid site to purchase a *T-Mobile Prepaid SIM Card Activation Kit*.

The CallingMart thread and ePhoneCard thread on Fatwallet tells you how to buy cheap refill cards with coupon codes.

Good luck!
> 1 votes

# Answer
There do exist phones that aren't even capable of accepting a SIM card. Phones meant to be used on Sprint and Verizon networks typically don't even have GSM capabilities. They'll start up just fine without one (obviously). For example, my HTC Evo doesn't have a SIM card slot -- this would be an expensive option though, I'm sure you could find cheaper phones.
> 1 votes

# Answer
The HTC Magic "Vodafone edition" at least requires a SIM card, even if it has been unlocked to use any operator. If there is no SIM present then a modal dialog (that cannot be closed) is shown that requests you to insert a SIM card.

**Update**: The SIM is only required to fill in the Google Account details (even if you do this over Wifi, as I did). Once the phone is "activated" in this way, you can run it SIM-free.
> 0 votes

# Answer
I was able to do quite a bit on my phone before the activation was completed using wifi. There are some things you might not be able to test, such as app behavior after/during a call interruption, however, for the most part, the functionality available using wifi mode is sufficient. You can test call interruption type of behaviors using the android emulator.

You may also want to note that many cell phone companies, including but not limited to att, have significantly cheaper rarely-advertised "data only" plans, should you discover you really do need to do testing using a real cell-phone network (eg: if you made a multi-media app, testing over wifi might perform differently than over the air). Pre-paid plans sometimes also include data-plan airtime as another option to consider, if needed.
> 0 votes

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Tags: wi-fi, data-plan
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# Question
Title: How to add an old podcast episode to Google Reader, so I find it in my Google Listen app?
I subscribe to podcasts via Google Reader, which puts them on the Google Listen app on my phone. But there are some podcast episodes that are very old that I can see in reader which I want on my phone.

How do I tell reader I want a specific old podcast episode to appear in Google Listen on my phone? Searching old podcasts from the phone is a miserable task.

# Answer
> 2 votes
The syncronization between Google Reader (web) and Google Listen (phone app for listening podcasts) is limited to podcast subscriptions and marking episodes as read/listened and unread/unlistened. There is no direct way to add episodes to your Listen "My listen items" queue from Reader.

You can still access old episodes from Listen by scrolling down and clicking repeatedly on the "Load more episodes..." link at the bottom, and you can add them to queue from there. Of course, this isn't as friendly as selecting them from Reader.

**However, here's a workaround that might work:**

1. In Google Reader, add a specific tag of your choice to the old episodes you are interested in.
2. In Google Reader, go to "Manage subcriptions -\> Folders and Tags" to make your tag public.
3. Access the public page of the tag to get its Atom feed. That link should be a valid podcast feed containing only the episodes you have tagged (even from multiple different podcasts).
4. *(This is the step I cound't get to work)* Somehow subscribe to that created feed from Listen. Since you can't add a tag directly to a folder in Reader, you need to subscribe to the Atom feed of the tag, and from "Manage subscriptions" add that feed to the "Listen Subscriptions" folder. However, I coulnd't get Listen to show any items in that subscription, even though it looks ok when viewed in Reader.

These questions might also help:

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Tags: podcast, google-reader, google-listen
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# Question
Title: How do I upgrade my Dell XCD35 from 2.2 Froyo to 2.3 Gingerbread?
> **Possible Duplicate:**
> How do I update the OS in my device?

I'm not an expert in this, and need help. I have serious issues with the Froyo build and want to upgrade my brand new phone to Gingerbread. How can I do this? It is not available as a standard upgrade through the manufacturer.

# Answer
> 3 votes
1. Root it.
2. Install Clockworkmod Recovery.
    1. Install ROM Manager.
    2. Run it and select your device.
    3. Choose the "Flash Clockwork recovery" (or similar) option.
3. Install a custom ROM.

Note that doing this voids your warranty and may brick your device. I highly recommend reading through the XDA forum (the last link above) so you get a good grasp of everything involved here. In particular, a lot of the ROMs are for "GEN2 devices". I don't know know if that's a hardware revision or a firmware version, or if there are any relevant differences between the Dell XCD35 and the ZTE Blade that you would need to account for before installing a Blade ROM. **Edit:** See http://wiki.modaco.com/index.php/ZTE\_Blade#What\_different\_Blade\_versions\_are\_out\_there.3F for some useful info, the rest of that wiki is useful too.

# Answer
> 0 votes
Full guide to root & upgrate to 2.3 rom found on android.modaco.com

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Tags: 2.3-gingerbread, updates, zte-blade
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# Question
Title: How can install a Hindi font in Android 2.1?
I have a Samsung Galaxy S GT-i9000 and I want to install a Hindi font on it. How can I do this?

# Answer
There's NO support for Hindi or any other Indian languages built-in, in all Android versions up to and including FroYo (2.2). Gingerbread (2.3) does support Hindi as a language according to this post

If you're looking for a Hindi keyboard, you'll need the HindiIME APK from Samsung - they're usually installed on phones that Samsung sells in India. As a workaround, use Opera Mini for Android - it renders Unicode Devanagiri fonts correctly.
> 3 votes

# Answer
Unfortunately SAMSUNG has not installed Hindi font on the Indian variant of the Galaxy S. But there is a workaround. For this you will need root access. You can replace the DroidSansFallback.ttf file which is located in /system/fonts/ on your phone with the font mentioned in the first post of this link http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=798380.

Restart and enjoy. :)
> 3 votes

# Answer
This XDA post has instructions, summarized below:

1. Install HinKhoj Dictionary and then Go SMS Pro.
2. Open Go SMS, go to "Appearance Settings"

1. Hit "Scan Fonts Packages"
    2. Go to "Conv. List Customization" from "Conversation List appearance", choose "Time and message font" and select "Hindi Hinkhoj Dictionary". It will automatically choose the "Mangal" font.
    3. Press the back button 3 times and choose to save the settings.
    4. Now go to "Conversation Customization" from "Conversation appearance" and change "Incoming font" and "Outgoing font" the same as above, and save this setting with different name.
    5. Finally from both of "Conversation List appearance" and "Conversation appearance" apply the User Defined Settings as your saved name.
3. Exit the application and reboot your phone.
> 1 votes

# Answer
As others have noted Android does not support Hindi (or any other language that requires Complext Text Layouts, except for Arabic). Here is the relevant bug post for Hindi on GingerBread: http://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=12981

You can achieve some form of readability by installing a Hindi font, but it will not shape properly. If you can't live with that, than you will need to install third party apps that support Hindi. That said, the Galaxy 5 and Galaxy 3 sold in India (the Indian Variant) does have support for Hindi, but not the Galaxy S! Bug Samsung about it.
> 1 votes

# Answer
You don't need to install fonts, if you want Hindi to browse Hindi websites.

Use SETT Hindi Browser: https://market.android.com/details?id=lk.bhasha.sett.hindi

It's an exclusive browser for Hindi & it displays Hindi well in any device having Android 2.2 or above.
> 1 votes

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Tags: samsung-galaxy-s, localization, fonts
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# Question
Title: Can I change the level for "Connect your charger"?
My phone HTC Desire on **cyanogen mod 7** shuts it down if the **battery level is 18%**.

Can I change this level to something lower?

# Answer
> 2 votes
CM6/Magic here; my phone complains at 15%. If you're shutting down at 18, something is wrong with your battery calibration.

Use your favorite recovery to wipe the battery stats, get a full charge, and then use the phone until the battery runs out.

Your battery life will appear to be worse, but it's really that the number is more accurate.

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Tags: cyanogenmod, battery-life
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# Question
Title: How much does Android use Wi-Fi for network discovery when not connected?
When I have Wi-Fi turned on, but not connected to any network, how much does Android use the Wi-Fi function? I'm asking this because apparently Wi-Fi activity uses considerable\* amounts of battery.

Is the device constantly scanning for Wi-Fi signals to find a network to connect to? Or does it only do it at some intervals to save battery, so that all significant battery use happens only when it's connected? Are there any settings related to this?

(I have Android 2.2.1 but I'm interested in information about other recent versions as well if there are significant differences.)

* - *"considerable" should not be interpreted as a synonym of "large" or "too much". I'm not suggesting Wi-Fi drains my battery immediately, just that the energy consumption is worthy of considering.*

# Answer
> 6 votes
I'm pretty certain the wifi drains more when scanning than when actively connected to a network. So when you are not going to use wifi, it is better to turn it off and use cell network (which you'll be using anyways while not actively connected to a wifi).

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Tags: wi-fi, battery-life
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title: Home screen bottom bar buttons

text:
# Question
Title: Home screen bottom bar buttons
I don't understand why the Android 2.3 SDK docs show the home screen dock as beeing this:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fc/Google\_Nexus\_S\_smartphone.jpg

And I have this, unchanged from 2.1 to 2.3.4 now:
http://blog.nimbuzz.com/files/2010/06/samsung-galaxy-s-android-launches-2.jpg

Is it a Samsung thing? Is there an `official` launcher for 2.3 and the `Samsung` one?

Thank you.

# Answer
> 4 votes
Basically, yes. That's Samsung's UI/framework, TouchWiz. Other manufacturers have their own UIs as well, including HTC's Sense and Motorola's Motoblur. The Nexus S has the "stock" Android UI.

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Tags: home-screen, launcher
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# Question
Title: Why are the checkboxes different on different devices?
Why is there a difference in the look of the checkboxes between this device and this Samsung device?

Is this affected by the launcher, in which case the reason is clear?

# Answer
> 3 votes
Theming is independent of the launcher, although both may be considered part of the UI; for example, the TouchWiz launcher and theme are elements of Samsung's TouchWiz UI.

My Samsung Vibrant is running a custom ROM called Bionix, and they've re-themed the device so my checkboxes look like this (perhaps the only thing I dislike about the ROM):

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Tags: launcher, user-interface
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title: Android Language Change

text:
# Question
Title: Android Language Change
I have a LG Android. How do I change language settings on the phone itself? Sometime today, the language on the phone displays changed from English. I'd like to return to English. I suspect it'd be in settings, but where? Thank you.

# Answer
You can change it in Settings/Language & keyboard.

To do this, hold down the menu button, and choose Settings. In your Settings list, you will see Language & keyboard. The first option in the Language & keyboard section is Language.
> 1 votes

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Tags: languages, user-interface
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# Question
Title: Can't lock onto GPS. Flash/Root possibly related
I'm really hoping somebody can help me out here because this is frustrating me. First off, I have a Samsung Infuse 4G with AT&T. I was able to lock onto satellites indoors pretty quickly before. So I rooted my phone with SuperOneClick last night, and everything was good. No problems. However, I was having trouble replacing my recovery file with a modified recovery file. So after some research, I came across Odin on XDA Developers(http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1092021&page=8), that was supposed to do exactly what I wanted: Flash me to a stock ROM with root and modified recovery. It was a successful flash, except for one little problem. Any application that used the GPS hardware would fail to initialize. So "luckily" for me, the thread I flashed to root+modified recovery also had a 100% stock ROM to flash my hardware with, so I did that. However, I had the same issue still of not being able to run GPS dependent programs. So I did a manufacturer's reset, and now every application will initialize and run, however I can't LOCK into satellites now! I've tried using GPS status to clear and download AGPS data with no luck. I've tried several different supl servers, including google and nokia, no luck.

I know this is my fault, but can somebody help me out of this mess? The only sort of location that works on my phone is mobile/wifi location.

Thanks in advance for any help I get.

Edit: It appears that even though I flashed a 100% stock rom to my device, there are GPS locking issues with the rom. Damn..

# Answer
It sounds to me like the flashing wiped out all the info your phone had about local satellites -- the good stuff it retrieves itself, not the aGPS crap :P. If that's the case then hopefully this will help; this a process I've used on my Samsung Vibrant.

1. Ensure GPS is *disabled*
2. Go to LbsTestMode
3. Hit **Delete GPS Data**
4. Go into **Application Settings**
5. Change **Start Mode** to *Cold start*
6. Back out to the home screen, then reboot your phone
7. Enable GPS
8. Go to LbsTestMode
9. Hit **Get Position Test**. Let this run to completion (normally a good 15 minutes or so) — the lat/long info will get filled in and you'll see `[*]` next to several of the satellites it finds, the more the better. This will work best if you go outside and walk around.
10. Back out and go into **Application Settings** again.
11. Change **Start Mode** back to *Hot start*.
12. Reboot and, hopefully, enjoy your functional GPS.
> 1 votes

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Tags: gps, samsung-infuse-4g
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# Question
Title: What are the features that TouchWiz has that vanilla Android does not have?
What are the features that TouchWiz has that vanilla Android does not have?

This question is similar to What are the features that HTC Sense has that vanilla Android does not have? but for Samsung TouchWiz.

# Answer
> 16 votes
**Home Screen**

* Up to 7 Home screens, with the ability to add and remove screens at will, and drag them around to change the order (pinch zoom the home screen)
* Customizable dock area at the bottom of the home screen, allowing you to add/remove up to 4 apps.

**Apps List**

* 'Screen at a time' sideways scrolling apps list
* Rounded square backgrounds added to all app icons in the app list (see here)
* Pre-installed apps (or apps present during the last OS upgrade) are in alphabetical order, new apps are added at the end in the order they're installed.

**Home Button**

* Holding the `Home` button brings up a list of 6 recently used apps, along with a Task Manager button
* Holding the `Back` button and tapping the `Home` button takes a screenshot on the Galaxy S, for the Galaxy SII use `Power`+`Home`

**Samsung Widgets**

These are home screen widgets that Samsung include, and are in a separate Samsung Widgets category pre-Gingerbread, post-Gingerbread they are in the main Android Widgets list with the word "Samsung" under them instead of "Android". Exact widget selection varies depending on OS version and network.

* AccuWeather Clock
* Buddies Now (messaging shortcuts for nominated contacts)
* Calendar Clock
* Daily Briefing (News, weather, stocks, social media updates)
* Days (create new entries in the Diary app)
* Dual Clock
* Feeds and Updates
* Program Monitor
* Y! Finance Clock

**Samsung (and other) Bundled Apps**

* Samsung AllShare (DLNA)
* FM Radio (for models with hardware FM radio)
* Kies air (shares phone data, and allows control of some phone functions over wifi to a PC web browser, first pre-installed with Gingerbread, available in Samsung app store for older OSs)
* Memo (notepad app)
* Mini Diary (create diary pages with daily details, memos and photos)
* My Files (file manager)
* Samsung Apps (Samsung's own app store, currently only free content in there, but some of the apps are normally paid or ad-supported on the Android Market)
* Social Hub (messaging app combining email, SMS and social networks)
* Task Manager
* ThinkFree Office

**Modified Apps**

* Contacts (History and Activities tabs, linked to Social Hub and social network account updates, showing recent posts by contact and recent interactions with them)
* Gallery (interface to select either scrolling wallpaper or static, portrait wallpaper)
* Music (Disc View interface added, allowing sideways scroll through albums showing the artwork on a "CD" shape)
* Videos (extra codec support DivX/Xvid in particular)

**Region specific TouchWiz features**

* Throughout most of Europe and Asia, Samsung's Mobile Tracker feature is included in the Security settings allowing remote password setting, tracking and wiping of mobiles registered on the http://samsungdive.com website

**Version specific TouchWiz features**

* Eclair (Android 2.1) - TouchWiz included Wifi tethering as a standard feature before it was brought to the main Android OS in v2.2.

(*except where noted, all from TouchWiz 3 on a Gingerbread Galaxy S*)

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Tags: samsung-touchwiz, vanilla-android
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# Question
Title: Installing latest possible firmware and Android on HTC Desire HD
I have installed CyanogenMod on my HTC Desire HD a while back. Some things don't work, so I'd like to do these things:

* Install latest possible firmware
* Install latest possible standard (non-HTC) Android version
* If compatible with above, install rooted version (not really necessary)

What steps do I need to take to do the above? Where and how can I find all necessary files to do this?

# Answer
> 1 votes
There is no "standard non-HTC" version of Android, your device needs custom drivers and therefore a customized version of Android. If you install a custom ROM it will most certainly be pre-rooted.

You should check XDA's Desire HD development subforum for custom ROMs. Read a few threads and decide on one that sounds good, then follow the instructions to flash it. If there are no instructions then just put the ROM .zip on your SD card, reboot into ClockworkMOD recovery, and follow the menus to flash it.

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Tags: htc-desire-hd, device-firmware
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# Question
Title: Is it possible to add any arbitrary application as a shortcut in the Car Home app?
In the Google Car Home app, when I click "Add Shortcut" on one of the available Car Home icons, and then select "Other applications", I am only presented with two options:

* Blast Monkeys
* Launcher

Why just these two? Do apps have to register themselves specially to be available here? I know that is true for the "Car Applications" list, but I wouldn't think that were true for "Other applications". It's hard to imagine that Blast Monkeys (a game) would be car mode compatible.

Should I be able to add any app as a shortcut? Or should I just find another car mode app?

# Answer
> 1 votes
I rebooted my phone and the problem went away (I can now see and choose from all installed apps). Must be a a bug.

# Answer
> 1 votes
On my Nexus One (2.3.4) the “Other Applications” list has the usual list of everything.

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Tags: 2.3-gingerbread, samsung-nexus-s
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title: Google Latitude update every 1 hour

text:
# Question
Title: Google Latitude update every 1 hour
my question is it possible to configure Google Latitude on a Android OS phone to update its location more often then every hour? for example, every 30 minutes? or every 15 minutes? I check where my wife is located while I'm at work by opening the latitude website, but it updates her location only every 1 hour. I would be very happy to make it update more often. Thank you for your time.

# Answer
If you didn't try this already Latitude has a "Real-time updating" feature since Maps 4.6.

To enable this: click on the person you want real-time updates from, on their Latitude profile you should see an option to get "Real-time updating". Click that and you'll get another dialog asking how long you want the real-time update (15, 30, or 60 min). When you go back to the map that that person will be orange instead of blue now.
> 3 votes

# Answer
Latitude is working fine but I have often observed update delays like you mentioned. There is no way to change the update behavior of the software. On the other hand, Latitude has the advantage of having a low impact on battery life when it is activated.

Another solution that lets share location information is Glympse. This software lets you share your location with anyone and the updates are mostly in real-time. For this to work you need to send a glympse to someone and you chose a delay during which the location is shared. The main drawback is the high power usage.
> 1 votes

# Answer
There are a few reasons that immediately pop into my head.

1. Available power plays an important role in whether or not Latitude updates your position. When the battery is fully charged, you will find an insane amount of updates. When the battery power starts to go down, updates become more infrequent. Driving around with the phone plugged in to the cigarette lighter keeps giving me updates around every minute (with Maps in foreground).
2. The Google Maps app is not in the foreground. If the app is the primary thing running, the updates are frequent.
3. Settings. See the other response about making sure your settings are correct when it come to updating location.

NOTE: After a lot of searching, I found a paper describing that Google Maps improves itself by having people walking/driving around with Google Maps in the foreground (as well as GPS and WiFi turned on). It takes measurements of signal strength from cell towers and private WiFi networks to determine location.
> 1 votes

# Answer
Latify allows you to specify a location polling update interval towards Google Latitude. It will sync to Google Latitude using that interval. You can choose to do GPS or WIFI updates. Also runs in the background so you don't need to know it's running. Can also store your location changes on your phone (when no data connection is available), and syncup with Google Latitude when a connection becomes available.
> 0 votes

# Answer
If those don't work for you, there's also Backitude
> 0 votes

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Tags: gps, google-latitude
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# Question
Title: Is there any WEP cracking application available for android?
Is there any WEP cracking application available for android?

If not is WEP cracking technically possible with the API's and hardware available on your average android phone?

This is a purely academic question please leave ethical arguments out of it.

# Answer
> 12 votes
There is nothing available. While it is theoretically possible with the hardware, in practice it would be very difficult to implement and would probably need a custom ROM that supported it.

Even the tools for doing this on a desktop (Aircrack, etc.) generally require specific wireless chipsets and drivers to do wireless packet capture.

EDIT:
There's now a project that got monitor mode working on the Galaxy S2 and the Google Nexus One.
See http://bcmon.blogspot.de/

# Answer
> 15 votes
The Broadcom bcm4329 chipset in a lot of android phones (Nexus One, Evo, G1) probably many more) supports monitor/promiscuous mode. The driver needs to be modified to allow monitor mode to be enabled.

Here is the source of the current drivers:

monitor mode flag

method to that sets the mode

In the second link, you can see that monitor mode flag is not even in the switch statement so it's just gets ignored when called.

Someone also got tcpdump working on a G1 so it's possible, we jsut need to put in some work to get it functional though.

A few more links about the chipset, drivers, and modifications to them:

# Answer
> 1 votes
As Rohan said, you need at least a device with a wireless card that can be set on "monitor" or "promiscuous" mode, so you can sniff the packets sent between the clients and servers of the wireless network.

So, technically it is possible, but at the beginning it would be a very device-specific solution

# Answer
> -4 votes
technically no. however you can jailbreak it and install a OS on it and it would look just like a normal OS. just a smaller version. once thats done you can install softwares like aircrack exct. and it would capture the packets and then crack them.. now this does take some time.. anywhere from 15 minutes to a few days all depending on their encryptionsetings. but the average wifi shouldnt take more then 30 minutes.. tops. so yes in theory it is "possible" but it all depends on how much work you want to put into it in order to get it. there is no "app" YET.. im not sure if anyone is converting a software like aircrack from an OS to app compatable.. although im sure someone is somewhere.

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Tags: wi-fi, security, encryption
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# Question
Title: How to change bottom bar apps in MIUI launcher?
I have installed a ROM based on MIUI. The default launcher has 4 buttons on the bottom bar; is it possible to change the app shortcut of them?

# Answer
You may Drag n drop the icons. A maximum of six is allowed
> 3 votes

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Tags: miui
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title: HTC Desire Z Stock ROM

text:
# Question
Title: HTC Desire Z Stock ROM
> **Possible Duplicate:**
> Where can I find stock or custom ROMs for my Android device?

Does anybody know how I can find HTC Gingerbread Stock ROM? I've just found an old Froyo (2.2) ROM through google search.

Thanks! :)

# Answer
> 1 votes
Your best bet when looking for ROMs is to search the XDA subforum for your device. Stock 2.3.3 is linked in one of the first few posts there, and I'm sure they'll have instructions if you need them as well.

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Tags: htc-desire-z, stock-android
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# Question
Title: How can I install ClockworkMOD Recovery on a Sony Ericsson W8?
Is it possible to install ClockworkMOD Recovery on a Sony Ericsson W8 with Android 2.1? ROM Manager is asking for the phone model, and W8 is not listed nor any Xperia phone. Is there a different version for my device?

# Answer
According to directions on this site, there is a non-official (and therefore unsupported) version of Clockworkmod Recovery for the W8 available here. It doesn't provide instructions on installing it, but I imagine you do it with either fastboot, or ODIN/Heimdal.

Alternatively, use xRecovery as described in these instructions. It's very similar to CMR, but according to the site you will need ROMs packaged specifically for this recovery:

> **Note:** Make sure that the zip files are made for Xrecovery. (zip files for cwm are different)
> 2 votes

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Tags: clockworkmod-recovery, sony-ericsson-w8
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# Question
Title: Music App changes track after 40 seconds on rooted phone
I recently rooted my htc desire and installed cyanogenmod 7.0.3 and now whenever I use the music app it will play the first 40 seconds of a track then there is a long pause and the next track starts. This happens both with and without headphones plugged in. Can anyone suggest what might cause this and how to fix it.

EDIT after upgrading to cyanogenmod 7.1 I started to get Force Close after 40 seconds on DSP manager.

EDIT 2 I have cleared the data on the music app and tried alternative music apps and the problem persists, also as I said it happens with or without headphones so it's not headphone related.

EDIT 3 This problem seems to be specific to ogg files.

EDIT 4 The problem occurs with winamp, songbird and the built in music player but not PowerAMP

# Answer
> 1 votes
Col, without some additional information, I can only give one real suggestion.

Did you install CyanogenMod **correctly**? Whenever installing a custom ROM on a phone when coming from a stock or older / different custom ROM, you need to wipe: -Cache -Data -Dalvik Cache

If you go to the CyanogenMod Forums, you'll see this is question/step 1 in remedying any bug/glitch caused by CM.

The best way to do this is to go into your phone's Settings menu, go to Privacy (or wherever HTC puts it - maybe Storage), and do a full factory reset. If you moved from stock, CM6, or another ROM to CM7 without conducting a FULL wipe, there is no point in attempting to troubleshoot this problem until you have. **Make a Nandroid backup** in ClockworkMod, and perform a **full factory reset** (whether in the Settings menu or in the Clockwork Recovery UI), please. Please note that I am not saying return to the stock ROM, just wipe everything. If this doesn't work (which I'll be surprised if it doesn't), then there may be other issues.

---
Tags: cyanogenmod, music-player
---


# Question
Title: DroidX data encryption - which algorithm and how strong?
I have a follow-up to the question posted here. I recently got a 2.3 DroidX phone, and noticed that it as well has data encryption option. I pulled an SD card from device, and noticed that folder structure is intact. I tried reading file from the SD card, which was produced by a photo application, and it was unreadable, however the file itself contained some data which was not random, which to me indicated that not the whole file was AES'ed. I was also able to put an unencrypted file on SD card which was readable afterwards.

So, the question is: does anyone know what encryption methodology is being used here, what algorithms are in place, and how strong they are against experienced attacker?

**EDIT**: My friend got a droid2, which also runs gingerbread 2.3.3, and it has data encryption feature too. So... is data encryption an android feature or specific to Motorola devices?

# Answer
Apparently, DroidX uses ecryptfs

Following are mount options on /data/data:

```
rw,nosuid,nodev,noatime,nodiratime,ecryptfs_sig=****************,
    ecryptfs_cipher=aes,ecryptfs_key_bytes=32,ecryptfs_passthrough

```

I would imagine this means that encryption key here is 32 bytes, which is 256 bits, which seems pretty good to me.
> 2 votes

---
Tags: 2.3-gingerbread, security, motorola-droid-x, encryption
---


# Question
Title: Changing SD Card Just a Simple Copy & Paste
I'm migrating to a larger SD Card and I'm wondering if it is just a straightforward copy of the data from one card to the other in Windows? Specifically, can I just copy the card using Windows Explorer and paste to a temporary folder, then copy the contents of that temporary folder to the new card and have the phone be non-the-wiser (so long as I preserve the directory structure)?

# Answer
> 5 votes
Joel,

I've done this before, and I've had mixed results. Make sure you have Windows set to see hidden files and folders, then drag everything over. Your phone *may* refuse to remember the SD card-stored apps you have (as in, you've moved an app to run off the SD card), but it may also work. App settings, as far as I remember, seem to come over. I'd say it wouldn't hurt trying.

I know it'll preserve the link to Gallery pictures and videos and music and such.

---
Tags: 2.2-froyo, external-sd, windows, htc-evo
---


# Question
Title: Revert back to factory defaults after rooting and installing CM7
Rooting your Android and flashing CM7 seems pretty straightforward (SGS2 as an example). I'm a complete notice and notice that you have to replace the recovery partition thingy in the process. Lots of people say doing this invalidates the warranty, understandably. This leads me on to wonder if it's irreversible.

Is there a way to completely un-root, put the stock ROM and recovery thingy back onto the handset - so that it is back in the **exact** same state when you opened the box? Are there prerequisites to this, i.e. can I backup the recovery and the ROM before I start rooting, etc, and how?

# Answer
The Galaxy S II doesn't have a locked bootloader, so DavidAP's (deleted) post doesn't really apply in this case. It's also *theoretically* possible to exploit a flaw in a bootloader or something and re-lock it, though I don't know of such a method. But anyways.

As noted here, it may be possible to fully back up a Samsung device through Odin, though we haven't been able to get it working. Doing so would allow you to backup your stock ROM and restore it in perfect condition. Via Odin you can also flash a stock firmware image, completely obliterating any trace of rooting. This also might not be perfect, depending on where you get the firmware image — some of them are re-packed OTA updates and so on, and different from any "real" Odin package Samsung might use internally.

The problem is not with the real data on your phone, though; as noted it's easy to go back to stock and leave no trace of rooting. There's a counter that gets incremented when you flash your phone with Odin. It's possible to reset this counter, but that increments *another* counter. Samsung does check this counter sometimes so you should flash with ClockworkMOD or Mobile Odin to avoid that.

If you brick your phone, that's certainly your fault and I wouldn't expect help from the carrier/manufacturer. If you need them to fix a cracked screen or something I wouldn't expect them to care about any flashing you may have done, though who knows. That said, I of course am not encouraging you to void your warranty; that's up to you.
> 1 votes

---
Tags: rooting, cyanogenmod, factory-reset, unrooting, recovery-mode
---


title: How can I chat with BlackBerry users?

text:
# Question
Title: How can I chat with BlackBerry users?
Is there an app that lets me chat with BlackBerry users just by adding their PINs? Something that simulates that my Android phone belongs to the BlackBerry network?

I know there are multiplatform options like WhatsApp but I am talking about an app that lets me chat with people who are using the native BlackBerry Messenger.

# Answer
> 2 votes
You can't. RIM's PIN system and BBM are proprietary. You can only communicate with a BlackBerry user via PIN messages or BBM if you have a BlackBerry.

Get a new Bold 9900 / 9930, they're great! Full disclosure: I work for RIM. This is not an official statement from RIM either, this is me speaking as a user in my off time at home. I honestly think the new Bold is the best BB yet.

---
Tags: applications, instant-messaging
---


# Question
Title: How to flash Darky's ROM from Cyanogenmod 7?
I want to give Darky's ROM a try on my Samsung Galaxy S; I'm currently running CM7 RC1. How would I go about doing this? Can I flash using recovery, or do I need odin? Do I need to revert to stock first?

# Answer
> 2 votes
Most Darky's packages I've seen are your normal update.zip variety that are flashed through recovery, so you should be good to go. If it's an Odin package it should say so — always vet your sources (here's a good one).

I see no reason to believe flashing from CM would be a problem either unless it messed with your partitions. If you have problems you can always Odin to stock and then root, install ClockworkMOD, and flash Darky's again. The whole process only takes a couple minutes. (So if you're concerned, go right ahead and Odin to stock, it costs you nothing; just save your backups to a PC first.)

---
Tags: cyanogenmod, custom-roms, rom-flashing, darky-rom
---


title: Do any UK banks have Android apps?

text:
# Question
Title: Do any UK banks have Android apps?
I'm researching a new current account, and an Android app would be a big bonus for me. None of the big few banks (Lloyds, Natwest, Barclays) seem to have apps. Santander has one but it doesn't work in the UK. Does anyone know of any UK banks which do have an Android app for viewing my balance, making transfers etc.?

# Answer
From a quick search of the Market, only Northern Bank has anything obvious in there at the moment, and they're not quite one of the really big UK High St banks.

(Barclays have a couple of apps but they're all related to their marketing/sponsorship nothing to do with personal accounts).
> 3 votes

---
Tags: applications
---


# Question
Title: Pre-caching limitations and reliability in Google Maps
The latest version of the Google Maps application bundled with Android allows me to pre-cache map areas. Each time a pre-cache a point it saves the map in a 10 km hamming radius of that point.

I'm about to take a long vacation in various destination. Can I pre-cache those destinations and reliably use Google Maps there without data connection? Is there a limit to how many areas I can pre-cache (aside from the obvious memory required)? Is the map data guarantee to remain after a few weeks or months, or does it expire after some time?

# Answer
> 3 votes
The number of areas you can pre-cache is limited by the amount of system storage you have available. It is important to note that the cache is stored in system storage, not the SD card. Also, the stored data is the base map tiles and landmarks. You will not be able to get directions based on this downloaded data, but you can browse it offline and track your current location.

The cached data expires and is deleted automatically after 30 days. If you are not able to refresh your offline data in that time, you may be in trouble.

More data on the feature is available on the Official Google Blog post.

---
Tags: google-maps, google-maps-navigation, offline-map
---


# Question
Title: Is there a lock-screen that can unlock without swiping across screen
My father has an HTC Incredible, and a major source of frustration is that the Sense lock-screen uses a swipe gesture to unlock, which for some reason is very difficult for him, especially when trying to answer a call.

I can turn the lock-screen off, but this results in the answer and decline call buttons being active immediately, which could result in premature answering, or accidental hang-ups.

I've also looked into some of the security options, as replacing the swipe gesture wholly with a short PIN or password (skip the gesture, only enter the PIN) would likely solve this problem. Losing the ability to answer from he lock-screen is acceptable. Unfortunately, these options still require the gesture to get to them on Sense (and on my own phone running CyanogenMod, as well).

The hardware is out of warranty, so I can root and flash CyanogenMod if I need to lose HTC Sense to do something.

# Answer
> 2 votes
While it amounts to recommending major surgery for a small problem, CyanogenMod has customizable lock-screen controls. (My wife's G1 is configured to unlock when she pushes the menu button.)

Of course this requires rooting, modding, and hardware buttons...but it's a solution.

# Answer
> 0 votes
Is it any swiping motion that is difficult, or just the default left to right swipe? If a small swipe in a different direction would work, you could try Ripple Lock. This lock screen replacement requires that you drag an inner circle to the edge of an out circle. The direction is not important, and the swipe distance is about half of the regular lock screen.

---
Tags: cyanogenmod, htc-droid-incredible, htc-sense, lock-screens
---


# Question
Title: How can I update my HTC Desire when the OTA update is missing?
I have an HTC desire and have Orange as a provider in the UK. The software information displays my firmware version as being "2.1-update1".

I discovered that my phone is not up to date, because after hours of searching I discovered that the reason I cannot find the google app 'phone to chrome' is because the version is not recent enough. There are no updates pending as I have the system software updates check box for schedules updates checked. On checking for updates a message states that there are no updates available for my phone. Is the reason that other users are able to update because they have different devices and service providers? From looking around for update news, my phone should be updating.

From various webpages (example) it is said that this update can be done manually by using HTC sync; is this safe? Are there risks from not getting the update automatically? Or are you only bypassing the service provider in this way and not much harm can be done? A warning that this removes all previous saved data is given, but this will not equate to rooting and voiding any warranties though?

# Answer
> 2 votes
Yes, it's up to the carrier whether to distribute the update over their network, but it looks like the update did roll out on Orange. Strange that you didn't get it and can't see it.

That said, updating via HTC Sync is perfectly safe and will not void your warranty. It's nothing like rooting.

I would think you should be able to take it into an Orange location and they'll update it for you, but I would just do it with HTC Sync myself. Your link is for the 2.3 update, rather than the 2.2 update; I don't know whether you can go directly from 2.1 to 2.3 with that update, but it shouldn't hurt to try.

---
Tags: 2.2-froyo, updates, htc-desire, 2.1-eclair
---


# Question
Title: Do I need to (re-)partition my SD card for app2sd to work?
I have a rooted HTC Hero, currently running VillainRom (Android 2.1). I want to install FroydVillain (Android 2.2), which supports app2sd, but I'm not sure whether I need to repartition my SD card before I install 2.2 and if yes, how, if I want app2sd to work. Any ideas?

# Answer
> 1 votes
The CyanogenMod wiki has some info on this.

Basically, their old version of apps2sd (now called apps2ext) required an EXT partition on the SD card.

Their current version does not require partitioning, it's just a matter of overriding the preference of the app and moving it to the SD card anyways.

Since FroydVillain is based on CM6, you don't need to format your SD card; CM6+ uses the new apps2sd, not apps2ext.

---
Tags: 2.2-froyo, external-sd, app2sd
---


# Question
Title: Where are the SIM Lock settings stored on an Android phone?
After getting more involved with the "aftermarket" community, I have this question that's been on my mind for a while now. Since rooting and flashing a custom ROM on an Android phone doesn't give one SIM unlock that means that the SIM lock settings must be stored somewhere else in the phone's memory.

My theory goes that the SIM lock information is stored in or along with the baseband. Is this true? And if so, are there any "alternative" or "aftermarket" baseband firmware images? And finally, who makes the baseband firmware - the carrier, or the phone manufacturer?

# Answer
> 7 votes
The SIM lock stuff is in a separate ROM chip that is not part of the normal phone storage, AFAIK. It's manufacturer/device dependent. Definitely nothing to do with the baseband (and you can certainly flash other basebands).

# Answer
> 2 votes
I saw a professional in China unlocking HTC handsets via JTAG. A side effect with the unlock was the S-ON.

The SIM lock is stored in the Radio NVRAM, is not changeable, but they did the unlock by flashing a patched HBOOT with S-ON and that will report a different SIM lock status (my unlocked phone still says `SIMLOCK` in fastboot mode - another proof of that is that the fastboot mode now contains a Chinese URL)

---
Tags: custom-roms, sim-unlocking, radio-firmware
---


# Question
Title: Why does AIM need my phone number? And why can't it find it?
The stock IM application has been complaining that it "can't access my phone number" when I try to connect to AIM. I've been able to connect when I'm using a wireless connection a few times, but never using the data connection. I don't have any trouble getting gchat messages or mail or making phone calls. The error says:

> Unable to sign into the AIM service. Please try again later. (Detail: Sorry, the phone number cannot be read from your SIM card. Please contact your operator for help.)

This has bugged me since I got my phone, definitely not new, but it would be nice to be able to use the IM on my phone. Any ideas about what might be afoot?

Phone: T-mobile G1, unlocked and running on AT&T OS: 1.6/donut (I know, I know, I can do better)

# Answer
> 4 votes
Apparently this is by design (did not know that until today). You can only use the AIM, MSN, and Yahoo! messengers on the G1 if you're using a T-Mobile SIM card. I suppose this may apply to other unlocked phones since the comment on the bug tracker implies that it's actually got something to do with the way Android or its APIs are doing things under the hood.

I'd just recommend trying a different client, I guess. I personally recommend Trillian or Meebo, but there's a bunch of others. Trillian is $5 (or you can go get an old beta version - they were free), but I like the UI and features a bit more. Meebo is free but also very good. One big difference is that Trillian supports C2DM, but that doesn't really apply here since it wasn't introduced until Android 2.2

As for the "why": I'm not sure, really. Matt may be correct, but AIM can send SMS messages from desktop clients, so your number seems like it might not really be necessary. I'm inclined to agree with that guess, though, since I can't think of any other reasons.

# Answer
> 3 votes
It needs your phone number because the app claims to send text messages which it probably does through an sms gateway. No idea why it can't find your SIM, but it's probably related to the fact that you are running a T-mo phone on AT&T. That shouldn't matter but I'm sure the AIM devs didn't account for that. I'd try a different service that supports AIM like eBuddy.

# Answer
> 1 votes
It is because the stock app sends SMS for chatting instead using the internet connection.

I discovered with shock 2 years ago, I did not have an SMS plan and I had to pay $40 in text messages....

---
Tags: aim, instant-messaging
---


title: Device recognized as ????? in ubuntu

text:
# Question
Title: Device recognized as ????? in ubuntu
Hello good people of stack exchange, I am having trouble setting up my Ubuntu 11.04 boot to use for app development on a hardware device. I have followed the instructions here to try and recongnize the phone. However, when I run ADB devices or in eclipse, the device is listed as ?????? and can not be used to install an app to. Any advice?

# Answer
The problem is that you ran adb as an underprivileged user. So when adb server starts, it does not have the permissions to run read/write to the device. First you have to kill the server, and then restart it as root:

```
sudo adb kill-server
sudo adb start-server

Then you can run this as any user:
adb devices

```
> 1 votes

# Answer
What number are you using for your udev? I wrote about my experiences with my HTC sensation here: http://colinwren.com/using-your-htc-sensation-to-debug-android-apps-on-ubuntu-11-04-natty-narwhal-using-udev-and-adb/

As stated by aspitzer use sudo to start the adb server. Also make sure you've got the correct device code. You can find this by using `lsusb` and looking at the code given here (use the first 4 characters)
> 1 votes

# Answer
When I've experienced that, I've had to kill adb and restart it with sudo. You might have to sudo the rest of your adb commands as well.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: adb, linux, motorola-droid
---


# Question
Title: How can I encode an MP3 file in Android using LAME?
Can anyone tell me how to encode a MP3 file in Android (as you would by using lame.dll in Windows or lame.so in Linux)?

# Answer
You can't use the Linux or Windows versions of LAME in Android, just like you can't run the PC versions of MS Word or OpenOffice in Android. Applications are written for particular OSes and architectures, or for cross-platform frameworks like Java. (Android doesn't have a true full JVM, though.)

A quick search returned Lame4Android, an Android app you can use to encode WAVE files as MP3. It doesn't look like it can do anything else; if you need more functionality then you probably need to find or make a native port of LAME or another encoder.
> 4 votes

---
Tags: 2.2-froyo, mp3
---


title: How do I fix "Unknown reason -110"?

text:
# Question
Title: How do I fix "Unknown reason -110"?
Whenever I try to install/upgrade an application, I get an "Installation Error: Unknown reason -110" message. What does this error mean, and how do I fix it?

HTC Incredible 2 \[Verizon Wireless\]

**Edit:**

Updating/installing Market apps. 889MB available internal storage.

Cleared cache and data on both Market & Download manager applications.

Is there anything I can do, besides a hard reset?

# Answer
A hard reset solved the issue.
> 1 votes

---
Tags: google-play-store, installation, system-error, htc-droid-incredible-2
---


# Question
Title: "Local calendar cannot sync with Google calendar..." but it can? What?
On my totally stock Bell Samsung Galaxy S2 I have my main GMail account synced to it, it is also synced to my iPod using Exchange ActiveSync.

My phone's default calendar has all the events from my Google Calendar that I had been organizing and creating events from my iPod calendar with. However, when I create a new event I get this error. I tried going to the Account and Sync settings, then syncing the calendar, but the wheel stops spinning after a little bit, then just disappears and the problem remains.

I tried creating a test event, then checking Google Calendar on the website from my laptop and the event was there. Even today, I made an event on the phone and it's on the web page. In fact, I just corrected the time of the event from the web page and the change was reflected almost instantly on my phone.

I tried unchecking the account sync and then deleting local calendar data, then rebooting and resyncing. But the problem persists.

What's wrong? Is there anything I can do? (besides factory reset please!) Or should I just check the "Do not show again" box? Or would that cause a problem later on?

As a side note Samsung Kies popped up first saying it couldn't sync, but I couldn't care less about that since I only made a Samsung account for the find my phone feature and the developer stuff.

# Answer
> 7 votes
If you go into the Calendar app and press the Menu button, then select **Settings** you should see an options at the top for **Calendars** this should show all of the individual calendars on your device that are being merged together into the Calendar displayed.

The top one is probably **My Calendar** then below that should be an entry for your GMail calendar, then maybe Facebook, or Contacts' Birthdays, and any other calendars you may have access to. The **My Calendar** calendar is purely held locally on the phone, it doesn't sync to GMail at all.

If you don't want to use that, then take the tick out to stop showing it as it sounds like you'd rather have everything syncing to the GMail calendar. Next time you create a new appointment in your calendar scroll down the Create screen to where it says **Calendar** with a right poiting arrow, select that to make sure that it is saving to your GMail calendar. If so, then you can safely tick the "Do not show again" box on your warning, as you don't care about the phone's local calendar you're saving straight to your GMail calendar anyway.

# Answer
> 1 votes
I experienced the same, and followed your suggestion to ignore the message. Now it works fine! You should do that as well; no sense in *not* ignoring the error message if everything else works.

---
Tags: sync, calendar, samsung-galaxy-s-2, google-calendar, system-error
---


# Question
Title: Audible difference in bluetooth A2DP sound quality - how change A2DP settings?
After moving from Symbian to Android, I noticed an audible\* drop in audio quality when listening to music via bluetooth (A2DP). I woudn't say the quality is *poor*, but bad enough for me to investigate the issue. While it probably is audible all the time in some way, it's not easy to pinpoint - I can only notice the difference in some music passages. Unfortunately it's usually most audible in the passages with most impact, where it also bothers the most.

As audio quality issues are notoriously subjective, I did wonder whether I'm just imagining the effect or not. Turns out, I'm not - I haven't done any blind testing or anything, but comparing the same file A2DP streamed from my computer to the one streamed from Android (and for control doing the same comparison with wire-plugged headphones) it's easy to spot the difference.

Doing a bit of research into the issue, it seems A2DP can be used to stream audio into bluetooth receiver with multiple different codecs and setting. As far as I've understood the discussions related to this, it looks like this could be either caused because Android is using SBC codec instead of MP3 or because it fails to use high enough bitpool setting. There seem to be multiple reports of this problem around the net.

So my question is: **How do I fix the sound quality?**

**Is it possible to change A2DP settings to get bluetooth audio quality matching that of Symbian and my laptop?**

My Android device is GT-S5570 running 2.2.1.

** - I don't consider myself an audiophile, and I don't spend money of pro audio gear. This isn't something that's hearable only in perfect conditions at a sound analysis studio - I hear it using the cheapest stereo bluetooth headset I could find (BH-505 at 50€).*

# Answer
> 4 votes
Looking into this problem further, I also found a google code issue about it. The discussion there points out that the problem seems caused by the bitpool issue, and is fixed in CyanogenMod (at least the latest versions). Also, even stock 2.3 is reported to improve the situation slightly.

So switching to CyanogenMod seems to be one (and only?) way of resolving the issue.

---
Tags: bluetooth, audio, a2dp
---


# Question
Title: What is the criteria that Android depends on to join contacts from different accounts?
I'm synchronizing my contacts from many accounts (Hotmail, Facebook, Gmail), everything have worked well and the OS has joined (or shows them as one) the accounts that refer to the same person. But not all accounts, since some accounts have not been joined although both accounts have the same name and one email exists in both as well.

**I wonder what is the criteria that Android depends on to join the accounts?**

Note: I do know that I can join them by myself in the contants list, but I would let it know them by itself.

# Answer
> 2 votes
Raw contacts are joined according to rules described at Using the Contacts API:

> Two raw contacts are considered to be a match if at least one of these conditions is met:
>
> * They have matching names.
> * Their names consist of the same words but in different order (for example, "Bob Parr" and "Parr, Bob")
> * One of them has a common short name for the other (for example, "Bob Parr" and "Robert Parr") One of them has just a first or last name and it matches the other raw contact. This rule is less reliable, so it only applies if the two raw contacts are also sharing some other data like a phone number, an email address or a nickname (for example, Helen \["elastigirl"\] = Helen Parr \["elastigirl"\])
> * At least one of the two raw contacts is missing the name altogether and they are sharing a phone number, an email address or a nickname (for example, Bob Parr\> \[incredible@android.com\] = incredible@android.com).
>
> When comparing names, the system ignores upper/lower case differences (Bob=BOB=bob) and diacritical marks (Hélène=Helene). When comparing two phone numbers the system ignores special characters such as "\*", "#", "(", ")", and whitespace. Also if the only difference between two numbers is that one has a country code and the other does not, then the system considers those to be a match (except for numbers in the Japan country code).
>
> Automatic aggregation is not permanent; any change of a constituent raw contact may create a new aggregate or break up an existing one.

There is also explicit aggregation, that can be set for raw contacts, if a user explicitly wants two contacts to be joined. Read more about it in the article.

---
Tags: contacts, accounts
---


# Question
Title: Can Android phones be set to automatically wipe all data after a certain amount of failed logins without an app?
A new policy at my work is being drafted regarding email access on phones. A requirement will be that the phone must automatically have all data erased after a certain amount of failed login attempts. Let's ignore the fact that it's pretty silly to a.) be allowing work email access on personal phones when such stringent expectations are in place, and b.) expect to be able to enforce something like this across a variety of phone platforms. Is it possible to set this up in vanilla Android without any apps?

# Answer
> 3 votes
Apparently, this might not be a built-in security option in the OS itself, but Exchange ActiveSync can enforce this requirement.

# Answer
> 8 votes
The problem is that wiping data requires to overwrite it. On todays devices with lots of in-device flash memory and large SD-cards this can take a while - up to several hours. This leaves a lot for the attacker to interrupt this process and try again. Therefore wiping triggered by false login attempts is only reasonable if your data is encrypted. Then you wipe the device by simply erase the key from memory that is required to read/write your data.

Since Android Honeycomb (3.0) you have the possibility to encrypt all your data and to erase the device if the wrong password/pin has been entered several times. Therefore what you want to achieve is only possible with android tablets at the moment. For smartphones you have to wait for Android (4.0) Ice Cream Sandwich.

---
Tags: security, stock-android, password, lost-phone
---


title: Google+ 1.07 Widget not working

text:
# Question
Title: Google+ 1.07 Widget not working
I installed the latest Google+ app version 1.07 and now the widget has stopped working, and when I go the widget list, it is no longer listed as a choice. Has this happened to others and is there a solution?

# Answer
> 3 votes
Widgets don't work when the app has been moved to the SD card.

When I originally tried moving the app back to the phone to test this, I couldn't get the widget to show up in the list either. However, I restarted the phone and then the widget was available to be used.

So, if you want the widget back, move the Google+ app back to the phone and then restart your phone. If you want to keep the widget, you can't move the app to the SD card.

---
Tags: nexus-one, google-plus
---


# Question
Title: Save default installed sounds on Original Droid
I have an original Motorola Droid. Is there a way I can save all the original pre-installed sounds/ringtones?

# Answer
> 1 votes
It looks like all of the default ringtones and notification sound files are in `/system/media/audio`.

If you can't get to them when mounting via USB, you should be able to use something like ASTRO file manager to copy the files to your SD card and then get them that way. They just appear to be ogg files.

---
Tags: audio, motorola-droid, backup, ringtone
---


# Question
Title: Why do I have less internal storage space after moving Google+ to my SD card?
I'm having a puzzling problem. I was pleased to see that the latest version of Google+ now supports being moved to the SD card.

However, I just installed it on my HTC Desire and, having moved it to the SD card, find I now have 2MB *less* internal storage space on the phone than I did before! Since the previous version was over 12MB, surely the new version should have freed up a significant chunk of internal storage space? I thought this would help address the problem of constantly running low on space, but it seems to have made it worse. Would be grateful for any suggestions / advice!

# Answer
Version 1.0.7 is *significantly* larger than previous versions. Even after moving to the SD card I'm showing 14.5MB taking up system storage. That'll account for your 2MB reduction in space.

Google generally hasn't allowed for their apps to be moved to the SD card, presumably so they can be sure widgets will work or other performance considerations. However, since this version weighs in at *over* 24MB I guess their hand was forced.
> 6 votes

---
Tags: app2sd, internal-storage, google-plus
---


# Question
Title: Is it possible to root the Samsung Galaxy S II without installing a custom kernel?
Is it possible to root the Samsung Galaxy S II without installing a custom kernel or otherwise flash custom firmware?

# Answer
> 2 votes
Why do you want to avoid flashing Chainfire's kernel? From XDA:

> This rooted kernel is for the "rooting beginners" and those who want to keep as close to stock as possible. CF-Root takes the kernel from an original Samsung firmware, and just adds root, busybox, and ClockWorkMod (CWM4) recovery.

Rooting voids your warranty just the same as flashing does, and Odin is virtually guaranteed to save you if you ignore the instructions while flashing and screw something up.

You can also re-flash the stock kernel afterwards, which will remove CWM while still leaving you rooted.

---

Edit: Gingerbreak apparently only worked on test devices.

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Tags: rooting, samsung-galaxy-s-2
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# Question
Title: Which app should I select when inserting my phone into the car dock?
I have a Tasker profile conditional on the phone being in the Car Dock. When I insert the phone in the dock, I sometimes get a prompt to choose which application to launch -- either Tasker or "Smart Dock", a built-in app. (When I don't get the prompt, neither seems to be notified). There is also an option to make the setting stick. I want Tasker to be notified, but the built-in app to launch. Which should I choose?

edit: I get the same prompt when removing the phone from the dock.

# Answer
Tasker should be seeing the event even if the system doesn't have it set as the default handler, so you should be safe setting Smart Dock as the default. (That said, you could also have Tasker handle the launch of Smart Dock.)
> 1 votes

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Tags: 2.3-gingerbread, tasker, car-dock, motorola-droid-bionic
---


# Question
Title: How can I install Android built from source on a bare device?
> **Possible Duplicate:**
> Can I install Android on my non-Android device?

I did look at this Can I install Android on my non-Android device?

But my question is a little bit different.

I am trying to install Android on Sony Ericsson Satio (Symbian S60).

Can it be done? If yes, then the question is how?

Are there guides/installers/tools available?

Thanks, Aseem Chiplonkar

# Answer
> 1 votes
It won't just be a case of installing from the source, the internals of those phones are different enough from the internals of most Andoird phones that you'll have to port the OS, write hardware drivers and more.

This StackOverflow question Is it possible to port Android for a Symbian phone? goes into some of the work that would be needed to port Android to a Symbian device.

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Tags: installation
---


# Question
Title: How to highlight nickname instead of first name/last name?
I would like to highlight nicknames in the contact list using a bigger font and first/last name under that, in smaller font (practically opposite as implemented by default)

Is it possible?

I am running Android 2.2 (CM6.0.1)

# Answer
I've tried Go Contacts and Go Dialer and it seems really handy with useful features and beautiful look!

P.S I wanted to post a comment but I don't have adequate permission for "comment everywhere" right now!
> 2 votes

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Tags: 2.2-froyo, contacts
---


# Question
Title: What are the features that Motoblur has that vanilla Android does not have?
What are the features that Motoblur has that vanilla Android does not have?

# Answer
Motoblur has a bunch of widget-based applications which bring your social networks and/or emails together for ease of viewing, as well as weather, rss feeds and other simple UI elements/widgets that can come in handy. However, Motoblur keeps a process running in the background for each service (type of widget) and thus many people (myself included) forego it and install a non-Motoblur ROM to conserve RAM, CPU and battery. But if you are an avid user of social networking sites then it is a good choice and worth the battery drain.
> 3 votes

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Tags: motoblur, vanilla-android
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# Question
Title: Can a GPS enabled android device provide lat/long underground?
Just what the title says; In a closed environment like a subway tunnel, or a deeper subterranean tunnel - will a GPS enabled phone be able to provide lat/long?

# Answer
GPS relies on your device picking up radio signals transmitted by satellites orbiting above us, an awful lot of things can block these relatively weak signals. From Pocket GPS World: How does the Global Positioning System work?

> Buildings, terrain, electronic interference, or sometimes even dense foliage can block signal reception, causing position errors or possibly no position reading at all. **GPS units typically will not work** indoors, underwater or **underground**.

*(my emphasis)*

This is the same whether you're using a dedicated GPS receiver, or a smart phone, if the radio signal can't get through your device won't be able to pick it up.

In addition phones tend to have less sensitive GPS receivers than large, powerful, dedicated GPS devices with large antennae so there are likely to be marginal places undercover where your phone won't be able to pick up a GPS signal when a dedicated device may be able to.
> 3 votes

---
Tags: gps
---


# Question
Title: How to force load desktop version of website?
Mobile optimised websites are nice but it happens too often that they omit some crucial functionality.

Is there a way how to cheat the browser detection or force-load the desktop version of any website?

# Answer
> 6 votes
* Open the web browser
* navigate to `about:debug` (make sure you press the "go" button, not search)
* nothing will seem to happen, but it did...
* press the menu key and select "More"
* Now select Settings.
* Scroll down and you should see an option for "UAString" or "Change User Agent".

# Answer
> 1 votes
Dolphin Browser Mini has a setting in the tools menu that is an easy way to switch between user-agents. It includes viewers for:

* Android (default)
* Desktop
* iPhone
* iPad

plus, it works much faster than the stock browser!

# Answer
> 1 votes
The recent version of Opera Mobile (11.1) also includes the User Agent option (mobile / desktop) see: Settings/Advanced/User Agent

# Answer
> 1 votes
Type `about:useragent` in the address bar then simply choose `Desktop.` Couldn't be easier!

Note that this doesn't work for all devices, see How can I change the user agent for the stock browser?

# Answer
> 0 votes
You can select the user-agent on both android tablets and android phones, it's in the settings menu :-)

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Tags: browser
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# Question
Title: How to use hosts.allow or hosts.deny in Android
Is there a way to use the files hosts.allow and hosts.deny in Android? I've searched over the internet but found nothing. I have to control access of both wifi and mobile networks. And limit the access to a certain domain. Just like a firewall do. I've tried to insert some iptables commands, but the system became very slow after these commands. Thanks in advance.

# Answer
> 3 votes
As far as I know, Android isn't setup to use hosts.allow and hosts.deny

However, it *is* setup to use a standard hosts file in /system/etc/hosts

Unfortunately, it doesn't support wildcards, so it might be difficult to limit the device to a single domain via that method.

iptables probably are your best bet - perhaps you could post the rules you attempted, and I can see if there's anything that could be causing them to run too slow?

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Tags: firewall
---


title: disable volume buttons

text:
# Question
Title: disable volume buttons
Problem at hand: I keep pressing volume button on my Nexus S when it is in my pocket. Most notably when playing music. More often than not it results in increasing volume, which is incredibly irritating. Had exactly the same issue with Nexus One.

Desired solution: A tweak/app that simply disables volume button when the screen is off (or locked?)

I looked through the android market and found a few half baked solutions... I don't really need a widget or a prompt to revert volume change or a being have to run an extra app when I actually want to change volume.

# Answer
> 2 votes
I had this problem a LOT with my Thunderbolt. The solution I went with was to buy a low-profile TPU case for it and I've LOVED this solution. Not exactly what you're asking for but it might be something to consider. I chose a $5 "S-Line" case from eBay that lots of people sell. It's great and adds a lot of protection at little cost and is as low-profile as you can get a case to be imho.

# Answer
> 1 votes
While having the music player minimized, You could try running an app that "uses" the volume control hardware keys ( The only one im aware of is emulators that can map these keys to A and B buttons in SNES games etc.. ) When running those emulators, I noticed that I couldn't change the volume no longer and it only made my mario jump.

And emulators can suck up a lot of juice.. you might want to try running some other app that'd do the trick.. Since this type of hack is possible, im sure there is a possibility of making a very low battery consuming dummy app that does only the job of nullifying the volume controls..

---
Tags: buttons, volume-control
---


# Question
Title: Is my Exchange email encrypted on my device?
If I setup an email synchronization with our Exchange server, is the mail I store on my phone encrypted or readible if someone finds/steals my phone?

I have enabled the unlock password (although it's not easy to unlock), but it is very easy to remove the sd-card from the phone. Is the information on that SD-card readible for a "finder", or is it not stored on the sd-card anyway.

# Answer
> 2 votes
By default email will be stored in the phone's internal memory, not on the SD card. (Though you can 'move' the app to SD storage, so it is possible that the SD card gets used). As others have said, once your mail is on the SD card, there is no protection as the SD card is removable (since the data is unencrypted).

For mail that is stored in the phone's built-in memory, an attacker would have to unlock the phone to get the data. Either directly through the mail app once unlocked, or to put the phone into "USB disk mode" to read the phone's state from a USB-attached computer. (A really sophisticated attacker could probably disassemble your phone and wire the flash to a custom reader, by passing the phone lock and read your unencrypted emails off of the flash.)

Note that the Exchange connection allows the Exchange server to send a command to wipe your device. (I believe this is contingent on some setup by the Exchange admin.) In the web UI for my Exchange email server, there is an option to list authorized devices and to wipe them remotely. Of course, the phone needs to be on a network to receive this command, so an attacker could delay this command by preventing the phone from using its networks.

# Answer
> 1 votes
Emails shouldn't be stored on the sd-card, but if they are then they can be easily extracted. I would say that your emails on the device are not safe. I would recommend an app like webroot mobile security. You can wipe all your data or locate your phone with this app. There are other apps just like it. This is the best bet to keeping your data safe unless you are a spy then the only way to get ride of your data is through burning the phone.

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Tags: security, external-sd, exchange, encryption
---


# Question
Title: How do you open an EVO 3D to access the battery or SD card?
How do I open an EVO 3D? I have one right here and I tried googling it, but I dont have the manual and it isn't intuitive. I would like to view the microSD card and switch it out at will.

# Answer
On the bottom, near the primary mic, is a slot to "pry off" the battery cover. Be careful, of course!
> 4 votes

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Tags: battery, hardware, htc-evo-3d
---


# Question
Title: How do I download PDF documents from Gmail?
When I receive a PDF attachment, the Gmail app only gives the option to preview it, not download. It opens in the default PDF reader (I have Adobe's reader).

How can I save the PDF instead?

# Answer
**Attachment2SD** will do the trick.

After you install it when you click on the PDF attachment in the Gmail app it'll pop-up the "Complete Action Using..." dialog. Choose Attachment2SD and it'll download to a directory on your SD card, where you can immediately open it or save it for later. This works with all kinds of files, not just PDF.
> 8 votes

# Answer
Don't use the Gmail app, instead use your browser, go to gmail.com, mobile or desktop view doesn't matter,

open the mail you want to download the pdf from

click on the pdf icon and it will be downloaded automatically.

About doing so with the Gmail app specifically, I've no idea, and that was how I dodge the pdf problem.
> 5 votes

# Answer
I use the Internet Download Manager.You open the pdf in new tab and then copy your url and then click Add url at Internet Download Manager, paste to your url.
> 1 votes

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Tags: 2.2-froyo, gmail, pdf
---


# Question
Title: Install Ginger Yoshi 1.4 on HTC Magic 32a, which radio do I need?
My HTC Magic 32a is actually running CyanogenMod 6.1 and I'd like to switch to latest GingerYoshi 1.4 with GingerBread.

I have SPL 1.33.2010 radio 3.22.20.17

The reason I want to change is because with my sim card, cmmod seems to have problems while everything was fine when I was running Original 1.5+Sense (with radio 6.35).

Now the question, in this xda thread about installing GingerYoshi 1.4, they say:

> if you are on 32a new radio then download the ginger yoshi 32a new radio just flash 32a new radio

What do they mean by "new radio", can I just flash back to 1.5+Sense+6.35 with RUU and then directly flash GingerYoshi over new 6.35 radio (I believe the phone would work somewhat better with a newer radio, specially regarding problems with my sim)?

Thanks

# Answer
> 4 votes
I now have GingerYoshi 1.5 running on my HTC Magic 32a, so I'll answer my own question and explain how it went.

As for the radio 6.35, answer is YES, you can use it with the GingerYoshi for 32a new radio.

Here is how I swithed from 2.2.1 CM6.1 radio 3.22 to 2.3.5 GingerYoshi 1.5 radio 6.35

1) I reverted my HTC magic back to the stock rom 1.5 + sense, this to simply revert to the new 6.35 radio. I did the update by connecting the phone to usb and running the RUU RUU\_Sapphire\_HTC\_Europe\_3.05.401.1\_test\_signed\_NoDriver.exe

2) Then I had to reinstall a recovery, as we have radio 6.35 we need a Hero recovery, that is amonRa 1.6.2 for hero (the 1.7.0 wont work with magic)

3) I flashed 1.76.2007 SPL

At this point only thing left is to flash GingerYoshi. From recovery, do a full wipe. (I didn't care about having an ext partition, so I left my sdcard untouched)

4) Flashing "ginger yoshi 1.5 new radio 32a.zip" from recovery

following install procedure, answering the questions in order: \- no ext \- zeam launcher \- no swap on ext \- big density

REBOOT: new HTC logo with hiding bugdroid

Enjoy GingerYoshi 1.5 and Android 2.3.5, so far everything seems to be working fine, and no more troubles with my simcard. Quadrant now gives 387 instead of 299 with CM6.1 :-)

# Answer
> 1 votes
In the first post on that thread, on the line right below where they tell you to flash the new radio, there is a link to the bug tracker, follow that and there's a list of "General Questions". The "32a" section of those questions is:

> 32a
>
> Q: Can I use the new 6.35 radio?
> A: NO!! it says so in the ROM's OP, you should be using the old 3.22 radio, and the 1.33.2009 or 1.33.2010 SPL.
>
> Q: What kernel should I use?
> A: this one...

So it looks like that's the radio kernel that you need to use?

Also at the bottom of that first post it has this line:

> ginger yoshi download folder all roms inside as well as kernels and add on http://www.mediafire.com/?cabub1g3y37gj

You'll notice that folder has a file in it called "Ginger yoshi 1.4 new radio 32a.zip "

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Tags: 2.3-gingerbread, custom-roms, htc-magic, cellular-radio
---


# Question
Title: Is there a WhosHere-style (location-based) social networking chat app for Android?
I like the WhosHere app for Apple iPhone iOS. Is there a similar social networking/chat app that uses location / gps to find people to chat or network with for Android?

Here's some more info on the application: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/whoshere/id284973016

# Answer
> 5 votes
Here's what I could find so far:

* FlirtMaps, the first geo-aware mobile dating apps to find dates! You are either very smart or very lucky! You’ve just found FlirtMaps, the first geo-aware mobile dating app that lets you find your next date right in the neighborhood... or around the world!
* Skout for flirting, dating, friendship and love! Chat and browse photos for FREE! Use SKOUT to flirt, play, party, find a date or new friends. At SKOUT we take your safety and privacy very seriously. No one can figure out your exact whereabouts.
* I'm Here Plus allows you to use SMS text messaging to check the status and GPS location of any person on your contact list, as long as they have "Im Here Plus" installed as well. You may also choose to send others your current location via SMS, whether with just your GPS address or with an edited personalized location.
* If you root your android phone and enable wifi tethering, you could use your ipod touch tethered through the droid and still use whosHere

I haven't tested any of these out. If you can comment with which of these you prefer, that would be great! thanks!

# Answer
> 2 votes
SayHi seems to replicate WhosHere. The plus side of it is that it has a map function so you're able to see how many users are currently online. The downside of the app is that it uses your exact GPS location which might not go down with some users (ie. using the app at home/office).

Also, there are point rewards that you get for completing your profile and using the app frequently. You can use these points to contacting users that have a hot status or use to send gifts - you have the option to buy points but if you use it enough then put that credit card away :)

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Tags: applications, geolocation, chat
---


# Question
Title: Download issues with Android Marketplace: "Download unsuccessful"
Archos 43 Internet Tablet owner here.

I've been happily using the Google Android Marketplace since purchasing this device, but recently, my application downloads and updates are not working. Either the download attempts to start and nothing happens, or I immediately get a "Download unsuccessful" message. I'm not sure what changed to make this happen.

Today, I also got a PowerAMP error indicating that they can't verify my PowerAMP license (Cause: Android Market response- ERROR CONTACTING SERVER).

Maybe this is a firmware issue? Currently using Firmware 2.3.26 (Android 2.2.1).

No issues with AppsLib or Amazon App Store, but some apps are only on the Android Marketplace, and I want to use them!

Any help troubleshooting this is appreciated.

# Answer
Try going to `Settings -> Applications -> Manage Applications -> All` and clearing the data for the Market (you may need to Force Close it first), then reboot your phone. This has fixed a similar issue for me before.

I think the PowerAMP issue is unrelated, their server is probably down temporarily.
> 5 votes

# Answer
I also faced similar problem. The solution is similar but key point is you also have to clear the download manager cache and force stop it.

Here is the guide if you want step by step help: http://techspalace.blogspot.com/2011/08/solved-download-unsuccessful-on-android.html
> 2 votes

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Tags: google-play-store
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# Question
Title: Not able to upgrade my galaxy ace through kies
When i connect my ace through kies the update starts, it downloads the firmware from the internet and then it shows "preparing firmware upgrade components" and it stuck their as it is, nothing changed and it was taking a hell lot of time....I left it in the same condition over nite but still no changes.....help me.

# Answer
> 0 votes
Just reboot the phone, restart Kies and try again.

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Tags: samsung-kies, samsung-galaxy-ace
---


# Question
Title: Google plus application is 24 mb after wrong update
I was updating from the market this app and I got a package error. I uninstalled it and installed it again from scratch. No problem. Now the app is 24 mb! To me it sounds like the broken package is still sitting somewhere in my internal memory... Cleaning dalvik and application cache didn't help :( Any hints?

# Answer
> 3 votes
The new update has made the size bigger.

# Answer
> 0 votes
Check that the application is only installed once in these directories:

* `/data/app/` for user-installed app directory
* `/system/app/` for pre-installed system app directory

If an app comes preinstalled with the phone or your custom ROM ships with it, then the original .apk will be installed in `/system/app/` (which is read-only, unless you root your phone and remount the directory to be writable) so that you can uninstall the updated version of an app or do a Factory Reset to restore all apps to their original version. This can also happen if you have rooted phone and do an installation by copying an apk to `/data/app`. In short, updated system apps takes double the space than user-installed apps as the system stores the original .apk as well as the updated .apk in separate directory/partition.

If you are 100% sure that you will not downgrade or do a Factory Reset, then you can root the phone and delete `/system/app/BlahBlah.apk` to save some space; although this might not actually give you more space for storing data or applications unless you repartition the internal memory since the `/system/` directory is usually a separate partition from the user-installed app directory. In short, don't do anything unless you really know what you're doing.

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Tags: updates, internal-storage, google-plus
---


# Question
Title: Proxy setting applies to internet browsing only ( on Galaxy S II )
I have done the setting for proxy server on my Galaxy S II. It works for internet browsing only. Other applications that use internet, do not work. Anyone has got that working?

# Answer
> 2 votes
It's up to the app to fetch the proxy settings from the system prior to making the first connection. If a app does not do this and your local firewall prevents outgoing connections without the proxy, it will not work.

You should contact your *app developer* about this problem and ask him to fix this.

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


# Question
Title: Can't download some apps from Google market after phone software update
My phone is Sony Ericsson Xperia X10.

I just updated my phone's software to the latest Android version (2.3.3), however, I've found that I can't download some applications. It would start the download and within 5 seconds, I get a message (from my notification bar) informing me that the "download was unsucessful" I have tried downloading it several times after with the same result. Please advice!

# Answer
I would trying Force Closing and clearing the data for the Market in `Settings -> Applications -> Manage applications` and rebooting your phone.
> 4 votes

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


title: Update Galaxy Tab's Android by internet

text:
# Question
Title: Update Galaxy Tab's Android by internet
Can I update my Galaxy Tab's Android version by internet?
**EDIT:**
When googling, I found some solutions for updating Android on Galaxy Tab, using connection to PC and special programs. But I know, that HTC devices ("Desire", for example) can update its Android by internet connection (Wi-Fi or 3G). The matter is, I can't find such option on my Tab.
Current Android version is 2.2

# Answer
I think that Samsung started using OTA updates on Gingerbread, i.e. since 2.3, so you'd have to update to this either via Kies or Odin before you can update the firmware without a PC. After that, the availability depends on your carrier if the firmware is branded or Samsung if it's a nonbranded version.
> 2 votes

---
Tags: updates, samsung-galaxy-tab
---


title: "Parse error" when updating swype

text:
# Question
Title: "Parse error" when updating swype
When I try to update the swype beta via the Swype Installer app, it starts downloading the Swype Installer, but then I get the error message "Parse error".

I tried downloading a new Swype Installer from beta.swype.com/android/get, but had not had any luck with that either. (same result)

Swype however does not let me keep using they swiping technology (or whatever it's called) and tells me I should update. (While having no built-in update functionality)

I am currently using Swype version 3.6.84.26668.t100.26701 (who uses version numbers like that, seriously...) and the Swype Installer version 1.1.26483 (12.15)

My phone is a branded HTC desire with Android 2.2

How can I update Swype or get a new version of Swype without losing my dictionary.

**Update:**

I uninstalled and reinstalled the Swype installer (now v 12.16), but now it seems to think my version is up to date and does not provide me a possibility to update. (only the ususal menu - watch video, etc) My Swype however still is in the old version and gives me a warning.

# Answer
> 1 votes
From Swype Forum:

> ### Swype 3.25 update problems - Parse Error, Data Error, Download Failed, Password Reset
>
> \[snip\]
>
> If you are experiencing either of these problems please **uninstall SwypeInstaller** and get it again from our beta site: http://beta.swype.com/android/get This should get you up and running.

Don't forget to uninstall the previous SwypeInstaller (I don't think you need to uninstall Swype itself, only the SwypeInstaller).

If you still have any issue after uninstalling and reinstalling SwypeInstaller, you should bring the issue to the Swype Forum; they will be able to help better than anyone here.

---
Tags: updates, swype
---


title: Search for apps based on language

text:
# Question
Title: Search for apps based on language
Can I search for Android APPs that are in Hebrew or Kurdish? or are all apps automatically translated into all languages?

# Answer
> Can I search for Android APPs that are in Hebrew or Kurdish?

No. AFAICT, there is nothing that marks the language used in the app.

> Are all apps automatically translated into all languages?

No. The complexity of *reliable* machine translation so is currently beyond our current technology; natural language processing and machine translation is still a hot research topic.
> 2 votes

---
Tags: applications, google-play-store, 2.3-gingerbread, 3.0-honeycomb, languages
---


# Question
Title: Are Tmobile using bogus DoD IP addresses (bogons)?
I recently started picking up some weird entries in my firewall log:

kernel: arplookup 26.XXX.XXX.XXX failed: host is not on local network

There are at least at dozen entries, all to different IP's within DISANET26.

I couldn't help but be curious as to what was going on so I fired up Wireshark and began capturing packets to try and find out where it was coming from.

Turns out it's my brand new HTC sensation with all but a handful of apps installed (standard google apps + other apps I've used in the past) - I don't even have it rooted yet.

Wireshark shows a Broadcast ARP packet coming from the sensation's mac address, but logs it as coming from the DoD IP in question. The target is the gateway (pfsense router).

I've found a similar discussion over at the tmobile forums with no official tmobile response: http://forums.t-mobile.com/t5/Help-General-Discussion/Hiport-connects-to-DoD/td-p/205863

I doubt I'll find someone at tmobile who will have a clue what I'm talking about but whether the DoD is involved or not there's no denying that the phone is trying to send these packets to them.

I won't sleep well until I know why.

# Answer
> 8 votes
Some large ISPs/cell providers have been known to be assigning reserved IP addresses (i.e. IP address that does not belong to the private addresses) to devices in their network. Many organizations (government and universities) that participated in the early days of the Internet owned very large blocks of IP address that aren't being used, and their IP addresses are suspect to this sort of misuse.

The reason they did this is usually because they run out of supply for private IP addresses. This workaround is violating all kinds of standards, but it is generally safe as long as nobody in their network need to access a server using those reserved IP addresses, and since these IP addresses are unused by their owner anyway, nobody really cared to do anything about it.

btw, my superintendant told me to told you to not worry about the men in black suits in front of your residence, they're gardeners.

# Answer
> 1 votes
Thanks for your quick response Lie Ryan.

Just to update this topic a bit I called Tmobile and spoke with L3 support and indeed they're using 10.x.x.x but also 25.x.x.x and 26.x.x.x for handing out IP addresses - it depends on the device/feature in use.

The issue was that since the device was joined over wifi and had no connection to tmobile in theory it shouldn't need a tmobile IP address at all.

Well it turns out that it's indeed connection to tmobile due to the wifi calling being enabled.

Still doesn't explained that unmarked van outside the house....

# Answer
> 1 votes
I was able to find my private IP on the GSM network interface (svnet0) and it corresponds with the IP I see in the ARP requests as soon as I turn WIFI on.

---
Tags: security, networking, t-mobile
---


# Question
Title: Caller ID for SMS doesn't recognize contacts unless I add the country code to all
If I have a contact with the number 099123456, the caller ID doesn't recognize it, I need to change it to +59899123456.

My phone is a Galaxy S2. I have friends with other android phones (Galaxy S1, Nexus S) and the same carrier, but they don't have this problem. Could it be some kind of setting?

# Answer
> 4 votes
**It's always a good idea to save numbers in canonical format, this ensures that you will be able to call the contacts if you are roaming in an foreign country.**

You issue is surely related to the Android ROM you are using. You could try to use another ROM. But as I stated before, saving the numbers in a canonical format will be the best solution.

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Tags: caller-id, international-prefix
---


title: Sprint Android Sends Same Text 30 Times

text:
# Question
Title: Sprint Android Sends Same Text 30 Times
Why does my HTC Evo 4G send a single text message to the same person 30 or 40 times? Sprint won't help us and it drains my battery and annoys people. Thank-you.

# Answer
You should use a third party SMS client that generates a log message for every message it sends. These log messages can be read out with alogcat or catlog (or with Androids SDK `adb logcat`). This way you could prove that the message is only send once from your phone. If the receiver then gets the message multiple times this would proof that the failure is on the carrier (mobile network operator) side. Otherwise, ff the receiver only get's the single message, this would mean the error is within Android's SMS App. Try cleaning the app data and, if this doesn't help, do a factory reset.

Unfortunately I am not sure which third party SMS Apps provide such a log feature. I would start by checking out handcent and goSMS, as these are the 2 alternatives I am aware of.
> 2 votes

# Answer
I don't know *why*, but I would first try using a different SMS app like Handcent. If that doesn't work I'd try a factory reset.
> 1 votes

# Answer
I have had this problem with T-Mobile, on multiple phones. They usually have me do a full power off and wait for my phone to fully log off the network (not the same with Sprint, but you get the idea). I would report the issue to Technical Support. It has usually means a failure on the server side, in my experience.
> 1 votes

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Tags: sms, htc-evo-3d
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# Question
Title: Where exactly does Android get its contact suggestions from?
I have a phone right here (Evo 3D), it has no service (except my wifi) and I've only added an obligatory gmail account which has one contact.

No Facebook, no Google+, no Twitter, etc.

Yet I got a "matched contact suggestion" notification. What is that? Where did it come from?

My main phone (TMO G2) with all of the services never gets these things and I'm not familiar with that at all.

Insight appreciated.

# Answer
> 5 votes
As long as your WIFI has internet connectivity, Android will be able to communicate with Google's servers.

There is one thing that people get wrong when it comes down to contact suggestions, be it Facebook or Google: They imply that they are the only ones that have saved the contact somewhere. But it's also the other way round. Which means that, **the contact that was suggested to you has most likely your gmail e-mail address saved in his address book.**

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Tags: contacts, google-account
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# Question
Title: How can I modify files on a remote computer over wifi/3g from my Android phone/tablet?
I have a scenario where I watch a fair amount of video content from a DLNA device that doesn't support deleting (GoogleTV, via Logitech Revue). I would like to be able to delete files after I'm done watching them, without using my laptop to RDS/FTP/etc to the file server.

In a perfect world I would be able to do it from the DLNA player (which I realize would be a question for another StackExchange site, but I've done a fair amount of research on this and I'm pretty sure it's just not possible yet...), but I would accept an Android-friendly solution -- since I have an Android phone -- that I could use to connect to the file server and delete the files as an acceptable alternative.

Before getting the Revue I accomplished this using my XBox360 as a Windows Media Center Extender, which in addition to allowing me to watch my content, was capable of deleting.

The file server is running Windows 7. I want a point & click, turnkey solution, so I'm not interested in an SSH-like or RDP-like solution, because I don't want to type out directory navigation commands or do lots of pinch-to-zoom + drag + click on my phone. I could more quickly and easily just walk into the other room and delete the files. Some sort of native file browser would be best, I think.

# Answer
I just found ES File Explorer which seems to do what I need, and a little bit more. This looks pretty promising. I'll report back if I have any issues with it, but for now it seems to answer my question.
> 2 votes

# Answer
You can log into a Windows box using Remote Desktop, and use the Windows interface to delete files like you normally would. The RDP app I use is called Remote RDP.

You could also do something like install IIS and create yourself a simple webpage that would list the files and allow you to click a button to delete them.
> 0 votes

# Answer
On my tablet I use File Manager HD.

I have shortcuts saved in its left-hand bar that take me straight to the right folders in the shares of my server with username and password saved. One click on the shortcut takes me straight to the relevant content folder, and then it's a long press on a file or folder to rename, delete or move, which are the three things I normally want to do with media files after watching them.
> 0 votes

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Tags: applications, file-management
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