title: Getting rid of Status Bar on 4.1

text:
# Question
Title: Getting rid of Status Bar on 4.1
I need to get rid of the system bar on Android 4.1 tablets since the tablets will be in a commercial/retail environment and be used for business. My app will be the only app used on the tablet and it needs as much screen real estate as possible for what we're trying to do. I have searched already and I see that there are ways to do it on a rooted tablet, however since this will be in a business and deployed to several hundred or thousand businesses, I cannot have all the tablets rooted for legal and security issues. (Would I really have issues legally though if I were to root them?)

I know that you can dim the status bar and make the buttons dots but that really isn't optimal.

If there is no way to get rid of it, is it possible to change the status bar icons and functionality? I ask this because our app has a status bar on top and we could possibly move it to the bottom and change the icons and functionality of the status bar to match the app's status bar so no screen real estate is lost.

I have read that 4.2 adds some fullscreen functionality for apps. Is this true? Can the status bar be hidden in 4.2 as opposed to 4.1?

# Answer
> 1 votes
No, the bottom system bar (that's the one with the home, back, and recent buttons) can't be hidden on a stock device without rooting it and using a custom system image. The soft home button is very important because it gives you a way to get back to the home screen that can't be overridden by apps: this includes getting out of an unresponsive or broken app.

On 4.0 and above an app author can *temporarily* hide both bars, but touching the screen or pressing any hard key (including volume) will bring them back, so that doesn't prevent people leaving the app. (And quite right! It would be crazy for stock Android to let one app take over the whole system.)

> The SYSTEM\_UI\_FLAG\_HIDE\_NAVIGATION is a new flag that requests the navigation bar hide completely. Be aware that this works only for the navigation bar used by some handsets (it does not hide the system bar on tablets). The navigation bar returns to view as soon as the system receives user input. As such, this mode is useful primarily for video playback or other cases in which the whole screen is needed but user input is not required.
>
> http://developer.android.com/about/versions/android-4.0.html

It's worth noting that a full kiosk mode (not letting the user leave the app at all) has been announced for Android L, but the app has to be a device administrator to enter this mode.

# Answer
> 0 votes
The quicker solution might be to use something like sitekiosk for android, or kioware for android. Jelly Bean is fine and they give you a lot of options to customize.

---
Tags: 4.1-jelly-bean, kiosk-mode
---


title: Cleaning up Samsung S2 memory

text:
# Question
Title: Cleaning up Samsung S2 memory
When I use the application manager, I see that 1.8GB are occupied out of 2GB available. This of course causes issues when installing apps and brings up a warning notifications that some system services may malfunction. However, if I sum the memory taken by my apps, I come up at 1GB, and many of these apps have been moved to the SD card.

I've tried to use Clean Master to free space, but without much success.

So I want to cleanup files manually. What partitions on the phone's system are the ones in the 2GB space? Is it the root partition?

# Answer
> 1 votes
`/storage/sdcard/android` is probably where all the data is. You can manually delete files out of there, but I would recommend using the application SD Card Maid. I say that just because it has a lot of functions to clean up data from apps that are no longer installed.

# Answer
> 1 votes
Have you tried to clean your log files? Probably that's the problem.

If your phone is rooted, you can delete all files in the `/data/log` folder. If not, and you have a stock ROM, just enter `*#9900#` into your dialer to access SysDump and click on **Delete dumpstate/logcat**

---
Tags: samsung-galaxy-s-2, insufficient-memory
---


# Question
Title: I have an SD card and it still says that error in sufficient storage
When I upgrade an Android application from Google Play, it gets downloaded, then the upgrade stops with the message

> Error: Insufficient storage available.

I have a 32 GB SD card so I want to download to the SD card but it only puts apps on the internal memory. How can I get apps to install to the SD card?

# Answer
I am not sure what device you have or whether you have rooted it so I'll show you a few options.

This should work for Samsung devices that still have the sock file manager. http://www.tomshardware.com/faq/id-1772970/set-default-download-location-card.html

This app will work if you have rooted your phone. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=frank.tools.defaultinstalllocationchanger&hl=en

If neither of those you should be able to do it this way but it may be a tad tricky if your not very tech savvy http://getandroidstuff.com/install-android-application-sd-card-mod-install-location/
> 1 votes

# Answer
you can go to settings-applications-preffered install location and change it from internal phone memory to SD card and yo apps will download just fine though if u remove the card,they will disappear....

the second option is quite long but its something to do with a software that allows you to allocate some of your memory card space to internal memory for example you allocate 5gb of your memory card to internal memory and then u will have plenty of space to download your apps...Google about it
> -2 votes

---
Tags: internal-storage, insufficient-memory, app2sd
---


# Question
Title: Is there a setting to allow folders to be uploaded from a PC/Mac to an Android phone via bluetooth?
Reason I ask is because I get an error message saying that the type is not acceptable/supported when I attempt to drag and drop a folder into the window on my Mac showing the contents of my Android SD card.

Using Astro Bluetooth on Sony Z1 Compact, latest Android. Mac OS Mavericks.

Looked around here on SE but couldn't find an answer that addresses this issue with folders.

# Answer
I use an app called AirDroid which allows me to upload folders/files to my Android phone. It is not done via bluetooth, however. It's done through my 4G connection.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: bluetooth, macos, ftp
---


# Question
Title: Zombie Scramble keeps returning to life!
Scramble, by Zynga (go figure), has apparently figured out how to re-enable notifications for itself without my interaction. I have turned off notifications in the application settings menu for android on my stock unrooted Galaxy S4 numerous times, but it somehow seems to turn itself back on within 24-48 hours.

So my question is in two parts:

1) As a programmer, I'm very curious, what method does Zynga use to continually re-enable notifications for Scramble?

2) How do I disable their re-enabling notifications?

# Answer
This is happening because of an issue (or a feature?) on stock Samsung firmware. Whenever you reboot the phone, the "Show notifications" setting of apps that were moved to SD Card will revert to its original state, which is to allow notifications.

The work-around is to move the app back to the phone, and the setting will persist across reboots.
> 11 votes

---
Tags: notifications, application-manager
---


# Question
Title: Clickable phone number with pauses and bridge/extension in calendar event
What's the proper way (if any) to format a phone number when entering it as the "Location" of a calendar event under ICS (4.0.4, Samsung Galaxy S3, AT&T) so it can be clicked and auto-entered into the dialer... including pauses and subsequent digits to dial an extension, conference bridge, PIN code, etc?

I tried creating an event with a Location in the form:

1-999-999-9999,,,123456789#

but when the event reminder actually came up and I clicked it, the only thing that ended up in the dialer was 123456789

Does ICS and/or Samsung use a different character for 'pause', do I have to somehow escape it with extra characters (quotes? parentheses? etc), or did Samsung and/or the ICS calendar/dialer team just screw it up (number+pause+moredigits is something that roughly half the calendar-dialer implementations I've seen just can't ever seem to get right for some crazy reason)

# Answer
> 1 votes
I found this thread: http://forums.androidcentral.com/verizon-galaxy-s-iii/297744-calendar-event-how-add-bridge-numbers-easy-dial.html

It looks like you can make a contact with a complex dialing code and then link to that contact as an attendee on the calendar event. Then click the attendee link to dial the number.

---
Tags: 4.0-ice-cream-sandwich, samsung-galaxy-s-3, calendar, phone-app
---


# Question
Title: GPS battery usage as a function of how often it is pinged for data
Consider an app that uses GPS to get location details. Those types of apps often use a lot of battery power. Here is what I am wondering; let say one app get the details every 5 seconds, and another gets that info every 10 seconds. Would the second app use half the battery power or would it be about the same since the GPS is ready to be used whether it is asked more or less often? Thank you.

# Answer
It won't make a noticeable difference. The GPS receiver has to be powered up continuously either way, but the receiver itself isn't a huge part of the battery use of most location-based apps. In general, this kind of app can be a battery drain because it's running, computing data, and saving data continuously. For example, if it's saving a log of your route, it has to get the GPS locations, filter and process those locations, and save them to the storage, continuously. All the time it's doing this, the phone's CPU is still running at high power, when normally it would be *asleep* (in a low-power state) in your bag or pocket.

The difference between how much *other* work the two apps are doing, and how efficient they are at that, is going to dwarf any difference caused by location sampling rates. In fact the difference between the apps themselves might even be more than the total power consumption of the GPS receiver.
> 1 votes

---
Tags: battery-life, gps
---


# Question
Title: How to tune Android to have dark colors in all menus?
I bought brand new Xperia Z1 compact for my girlfriend, but she complains she don't like light colors in all menus (like settings). Personally I don't like it either in my Xperias.

Is there any tool or other method which allows switching theme of the colors in menu to light letters on dark background? I am not interested in rooting the phone and invalidate warranty.

# Answer
> 1 votes
No, you can't do this without rooting or installing a custom ROM. Some apps allow you to select from predefined themes within the app, and you can install a custom launcher to change the appearance of the home screen and app drawer (the list of apps), but you can't change the appearance of all apps.

If you could, there'd be no way for app authors to know what the app would look like on users' phones. For example, if an app had light-coloured background artwork or photo, with dark text, and you changed the text to light, it would no longer show up against the background image. People already complain that Android apps look less polished than iOS apps, and this would be even worse if app authors had to worry about text colours being different on different users' devices.

Samsung phones have an accessibility feature that colour-inverts the whole screen, in all apps. Even this doesn't quite do what you want, because of course if the app started out with light text on a dark background, it would be inverted to dark on a light background. It also makes the device pretty useless for looking at photos or other artwork, and makes colours ugly in all apps.

---
Tags: sony-xperia, color
---


# Question
Title: Im trying to download apps but it says insufficient storage but I have plenty of storage and an sd card
I try to download apps like Vine and other apps but, it continuously says insufficient storage and I have an sd card and enough internal storage to download. It makes me angry. Please help, I need don't want but need some apps and it wont let me download. I have a Samsung galaxy ace style and I got it June 13th. Thanks.

# Answer
I had the same problem on my Huawei Ascend P2, I did a factory reset and it seemed to work, though I highly recommend copying over to your computer every file on your phone before even trying to do so, I don't know the cause myself, the theories I have are:

Virus Damaged internal memory

If it still doesn't work after the factory reset then you need to take it to a specialist (unless you are one) and take it apart and replace the memory.

P.S Don't treat this as a answer as such, I don't have the reputation to comment (which I think they should allow everyone to do instead of risking losing a ton of rep).

P.S.S Have you checked to see if your SD card is being read by your phone?
> 0 votes

# Answer
A simple solution, don't know you have tried or not.
Install any Cache Cleaner apps if possible. Some uncleaned cache may take GBs of data.

If its not possible, delete the files from the cache folders inside the folders in
Android\data\\\< some\_folder \> \
> 0 votes

---
Tags: sd-card, storage, insufficient-memory
---


# Question
Title: Will switching to GSM only network switch off data access?
I'm using Samsung Note 3 N900 model and i want to make sure i don't connect to internet but continue to make calls & SMS/MMS. Believe this is opposite the query of others.

# Answer
# Option 1 (no data at all)

Go to

> Settings --\> More Settings --\> Mobile Networks --\> uncheck "mobile data"

The device will no longer connect to the internet, but continue to receive calls & text. MMS are not possible.

---

# Option 2 (data only for mms)

(source)

Go to

> Settings --\> More Settings --\> Mobile Networks --\> Access Point Names --\> Select your data APN --\> APN Type

Remove in the field APN type everything but "mms". You have to leave "Mobile Data" **enabled** (see Option 1)
> 1 votes

# Answer
You can have a look at this app
> 0 votes

---
Tags: samsung, mobile-data
---


# Question
Title: Is it possible to copy files to PC when in download mode?
My LG E975 doesn't boot anymore after I tried to install CWM (6.0.4.5) with the help of ROM Manager (Method 1A from these instructions). I get stucked at the `reboot into the stock recovery` part and now the device doesn't work anymore. I get the message

```
Secure booting Error! Cause: boot certification verifiy

```

The available options are hard reset and the download mode. Recovery mode (`in FastBoot mode press 2x Volume Down and than Power`) doesn't work because the device doesn't get in the fast boot mode (`Volume Up + Power`). Safe mode (`Power + Menu button`) also doesn't work. Because I wan't to access the files (apps, data, ...) on the phone I thought if there is a possibility to copy the files if I'm in download mode? Or is there another way to access the data?

PS: Has this problem happened because the bootloader was not unlocked?

# Answer
No, download mode doesn't provide you with access to the phone's files, and yes, the error message you see looks very much like it's telling you you're trying to boot an unsigned ROM from a locked bootloader.
> 1 votes

---
Tags: backup, boot-loop, data-recovery, clockworkmod-recovery
---


title: How to download file using tasker?

text:
# Question
Title: How to download file using tasker?
I need to download files using tasker.(detailed post here on softwarerecs)

But I am not able to understand the HTTP\_GET task. I want to download different files from various links read from a file, so I tried this settings.

```
Server:Port    http://
Path           %Line  #this is variable that stores link

```

Everything else was optional so I left it as it is.

But I get Unknown host error. So I think I'm doing something wrong.

So can you give an example of downloading a file using tasker?

# Answer
Have a look at the Documentation (search for HTTP GET).

```
Server:Port    www.example.com:80
Path           path/to/file.txt

```

This is how you should format that request. The server is just the base of the url (www.example.com) and the Path is the path to the file in the respective server (path/to/file.txt).
> 2 votes

---
Tags: downloading, tasker
---


# Question
Title: How can I send my 4.4.2 device's SMS from the Web without changing the default app?
I would like to be able to send SMS from my phone via the Web.

I used to use MySMS, however, since upgrading to 4.4.2, the app demands that it be the default messaging app due to messaging changes introduced in 4.4. I'm quite happy with using GoSMS and don't want to change.

What options do I have?

# Answer
Sadly that's a limit of android Kit-Kat the "options" I see are:

* not to use MySMS for sending via Web, and have GoSMS as default SMS App
* Set MySMS as default SMS App, in order to send via Web
* Wait until and if in the future MySMS support that feature ie. sending via SIM without having the `default` privileges
* Find an other app that may fit both of your needs.

eg. *A quite similar app is HOLA SMS it can send web SMS without being `default` (edit. That changed to the last update) So you can buy credits for it and send web to sms with sender your Phone Number so nobody can understand that it is not a SIM message. Then setting it as `default` once in a while the messages will be synced and added to your phone.*
> 1 votes

---
Tags: sms, 4.4-kitkat
---


title: Website auto redirects to playstore app

text:
# Question
Title: Website auto redirects to playstore app
I have runkeeper installed and within the app they direct yoy to there website to create routes. However when I browse to runkeeper.com it redirects me to the playstore app automatically. How can I force to open and browse the website?

# Answer
Go to Settings-\>Applications, search for your browser and clean default settings
> 0 votes

---
Tags: google-play-store, samsung-galaxy-s-4, internet
---


title: Why can't my laptop detect my S3 phone?

text:
# Question
Title: Why can't my laptop detect my S3 phone?
I want to upload pictures from my S3 to laptop.

There is no problem with my cable and laptop because my phone was able to charge when I connect my phone with the laptop. However, my laptop didn't detect any device when I connect my phone in with the cable. Hence, I am unable to upload images / add songs to my Samsung Galaxy S3.

# Answer
> 1 votes
Samsung has very bad connections on that line of phones (S3, N2) I know this because I have a Galaxy Note 2 and about 6 months ago it was doing the same thing, then eventually it stopped charging all together. I also have a friend with S3 and the exact same thing had happened, except it wouldn't charge(luckily his was still in warranty).

You need to check if it is being detected in another PC, if not, the connection is broken.If you really really need to be able to plug it into a PC, you will have to buy a replacement charger dock port.

Or you can use airdroid to wirelessly transfer files to an from your PC over a wireless network.

# Answer
> 0 votes
Did you install the correct USB drivers for the Samsung Galaxy S3? If not, download and install Samsung Kies.

You also need to make sure USB tethering is disabled: `Settings > Wireless & networks > More > Tethering & portable hotspot`. Then, check USB settings: `Settings > Device > Storage > Menu > USB computer connection`.

Source.

# Answer
> 0 votes
We people have issues like that too. I am not so sure about Samsung S3, but I am sure about Android, I had an android phone, whose Drivers were perfect! I have checked for Drivers by the CD that came.

The issue is either not because of the cable, because if it charges well then it must connect to PC too, then where is the issue?

Here are the two major reasons:

1. Please check that your USB supports fast data transfer (USB 2.0), because Android would try to connect to a faster one.
2. Please note that there is alot of issues with Android itself too. Like many other apps running. When you connect to the USB, you get a popup that connecting usb storage would stop many other apps bla bla. So that is a reason too as android does not want to stop some personal apps from working. For this, you can restart the phone. This way this issue would be resolved, I have checked this one more than 5 times.

And USB tethering is just related to Internet, you won't get to use Internet on your connected PC, if you're having the tethering settings turned off. So that has nothing to do with the USB Storage!

**Tip:** When android gets the favourable conditions it would itself show the Connect dialog, otherwise you might need to change the port of USB you are connection too. Ory try **the might Restart-the-phone trick.** This way, you will get the images there! There is no other issue, I have been facing this issue for a long time. Then I caught the errors, the basic one is the USB port, then the Android apps; for that you can restart the phone.

USB drivers are installed by Default while you're connecting the device by general. In Windows OS (That's the only one I use) you would see the popup saying Installing Device Drivers, if that goes perfectly, then you can connect the device. Otherwise the only is this! Or there is a bug in the ROM (if you installed a custom ROM).

# Answer
> 0 votes
My problem was solved when I restarted my phone. After that, it automatically detected my phone from my laptop

# Answer
> 0 votes
Few Samsung phones have issues with their micro USB ports. Even my Galaxy Nexus has had this problem. The easiest way to fix it it use a pin(something shard) and push the micro USB port of the phone slowly and very carefully to the screen.

I suggest you to take it to a authorized service center though.

# Answer
> 0 votes
Maybe you have connected the device as PTP but not MTP. Follow these steps to connect through MTP-

1. First connect the USB cable to your laptop then scroll the notification bar down and you will have USB icon box ,Click on that and change your connection to MTP (Media Transfer Protocol) to transfer files in Windows.
2. Now that you have the proper settings you can connect to the Laptop. As soon as you connect your laptop the Windows Operating System will try to identify the hardware(Mobile device) connected and install its drivers which would be already present in the Operating system thus making it a plug n play Operating System.
3. Else if you still are unable to change the setting then visit this link it has a complete description along with pictures

Else if not available then you need to update your drivers either through the windows update \>USB Drivers for Samsung or manually download the drivers from the Samsung site.

---
Tags: samsung-galaxy-s-3, usb-connection-mode
---


# Question
Title: How to unlock bootloader on samsung devices?
Before you try to install any custom ROM on your device, you need to unlock the phone’s bootloader, which is a code executed before any OS (operating system) launch. The notion of a bootloader is unanimous to all operating systems worldwide and includes systems running on your personal computers, laptops, tablets, smartphones, smartwatches and everything that has OS on it

HTC website has a section for developers where you can grab SDK; you just need to find your phone’s model. Samsung website does not offer such luxury, Sony Mobile website offers a section for users looking to unlock their Sony’s bootloader.

* So, For Samsung Devices How to unlock Bootloader?
* any useful reference *links* or *comments* or *answers* will much be appreciated :)

Note: am using Samsung note 3 neo

# Answer
> -1 votes
To unlock the boot loader you need to have the ADT with all the packages installed and configured.

Later once the configuration is done properly then you can connect your device and enable USB Debugging under the options.

1. Download Modaco’s Superboot files and save them to your computer.
2. Once downloaded, extract it by right clicking and extract all.
3. On your phone, click on Settings \> Developer Options \> Turn USB Debugging On.
4. Plug the device in to your computer via USB cable.
5. Open the superboot folder that we just extracted (until you see the folder with fastboot-windows inside it), then hold the shift key down on your computer and right click any blank area.
6. Now, select open command window here.
7. In the command prompt, type the following with hitting enter at the end of each line.

`adb-windows reboot bootloader` (and wait for the device to reboot)

`fastboot-windows oem unlock`

(If it gets stuck at waiting for device here, download and install PDANet on your computer, once installed, unplug then plug the device back in and see if that fixes it)

Once it runs the device should display a screen asking you if you are sure. Click yes using the volume buttons. The device will go back to the bootloader screen but say unlocked at the bottom.

---
Tags: samsung, bootloader, bootloader-lock
---


# Question
Title: How do I backup data (SMS/contacts) from a device with a broken screen?
I just broke the screen of my (unrooted) Galaxy S.

How do I get back my SMS and contacts?

PS: I tried Kies but it won't detect my phone for some reason. (Kies works fine with another Galaxy I possess but not this one)

# Answer
All of the solutions above require USB Debugging to be on. If it is not and you are using Android 4.0 then you can press power and volume down buttons simultaneously to obtain screenshot. If USB is not connected it will be placed somewhere on the SD card (e.g. `\Pictures\Screenshots`). Then you can connect USB to see the screenshot, then disconnect, navigate further and so on till you navigate yourself to enabling USB Debugging.

When USB Debugging enabled it is all easy as pie.

1. Provided you have SDK installed you can use ddms.bat from tools folder to get screenshots fast and convenient, adjusting any options you need and even installing apps.
2. Classic way - adb
3. I've found Moborobo to be very convenient way to make full backup

I understand this is very late and hardly helps OP, but I hope it helps someone else lurking here for the way to save data, like me.
> 7 votes

# Answer
Does your device has HDMI or TV out facility? If so, you can connect it to another display device (monitor/TV) and install applications to backup your stuffs.

Another solution you could try is to install an app called Remote phone access via adb and control your device through PC. But the catch here would be that if have to configure the app for remote access, then you are in trouble as you cannot see what is happening as your screen is dead.
> 6 votes

# Answer
These are located in

```
/data/data/com.android.providers.telephony/databases/mmssms.db

```

and

```
/data/data/com.android.providers.contacts/databases/contacts.db

```

Edit: I couldn't get `adb pull` working (requires root, can't remember how to call `adb pull` with root) but I just opened `adb shell` and used `cp` as root to copy it to /sdcard.

Edit2: I found this thread and it looks like your directories might be different.
> 5 votes

# Answer
I had the same problem with my S3 (broken screen, locked phone, Kies doesn't let me access it, etc).

Solution: Get another working S3 from a friend, take off the backs of both phones, take off some screws, take the motherboard out, put your motherboard in the phone, turn it on, back up, done). Your data is saved on the motherboard, so you can just put it in another phone and back up from there.

Just go to youtube and type `Galaxy S3 board swap`. It's easy and works.
> 4 votes

# Answer
Have you not thought of considering using DroidExplorer as the alternative to using Kies instead? It might help you pull in the contacts?

Using Kies can be quite obnoxious and not exactly on-the-ball...
> 2 votes

# Answer
I had the same problem trying to get contacts off my Galaxy S3 with a broken screen. The solution was a program called "My Phone Explorer" from http://www.fjsoft.at/en/ It's free. You DON'T have to be rooted, modded, or anything to use it. I had tried everything I could find on the web, plus the people at my Verizon store, but couldn't find a solution that worked for retrieving contacts AND SMS messages from a phone with a broken screen.
> 2 votes

# Answer
I suggest using MyPhoneExplorer and its desktop companion:

In my case, debugging was ***not*** enabled on the phone. MAKE SURE THE PHONE IS ON AND PLUGGED IN!!!

You have to make sure that the driver is installed and that there is not an exclamation mark next to the device in device manager:

* right click *My Computer*
* left click *Properties*
* left click *Device Manager*

If there is an exclamation mark next to your phone:

1. go to Samsung's website and download the correct driver., there is one for sprint, Verizon, google, etc...
2. Install the driver by double-clicking the downloaded file.
3. go back to device manager and double click on the device
4. click on update the driver
5. click on browse my computer
6. click let me choose from a list of device drivers
7. click on adb interface
8. click on the newest android interface
9. click on whatever is necessary to keep the driver install going.
10. It will say complete.

Get MyPhoneExplorer from the Playstore and install it (it's well worth a donation if you can afford it, if not it is free). On your PC, download and install the app's desktop companion.

From this app, read the help file and sync!!! It's very easy to use.
> 1 votes

# Answer
Moborobo and Mobogenie both do great job of backup/update apps etc. (Windows)

Do not worry about downloading drivers etc. Both do the needful. Both are free.

http://moborobo.com/

http://www.mobogenie.com/

FYI I use Moborobo.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: backup, data-recovery, broken-screen
---


# Question
Title: Polaris Office cannot set Date Format to UK
how can we change the input & displaying of dates in Polaris Office to UK format?

The devices are set in Settings/System/Date and Time/Select date format to UK style (dd/mm/yyyy).

The default within Polaris seems to be yyyy/mm/dd. Other android users wrongly think this is UK format.

You can change the date format of cells to be any of the following:

* yyyy/mm/dd (default)
* mm/dd/yyyy (US format)
* mm/dd
* dd-month-yy
* dd-month
* month-yy
* month-yy
* month dd, yyyy
* dd month yyyy (almost UK format)

Ideally we need the correct UK date format dd/mm/yy or dd/mm/yyyy as this is already in our source files. We cannot change this (only the format of the cells) as users will be working on files generated from MySQL in MS Access and outputted to .xlsx

This seems an oversight on Polaris part, but I don't see much 'chatter' about it around the web, so should we notify Polaris of this?

# Answer
> 1 votes
Yes. If an app doesn't work the way you want, or you can't work out how to make it do what you want, it's always appropriate to contact the developer.

You can do this via Google Play: every app has to have an email address or phone number for support, which you can find on that app's page. Many apps also have a "support" or "feedback" option inside the app too.

Even if the answer is that there's no way to do this and they don't intend to add it, at least you know that from the horse's mouth, and of course if they get enough requests they may change their mind and add it. And going the other way, even if there was already a really simple way to do it, and they just tell you how to do it, it lets them know that they need to make it easier to find in future.

---
Tags: 4.2-jelly-bean, polaris-office
---


title: How to get rid of ad-ware

text:
# Question
Title: How to get rid of ad-ware
I've recently installed some games from Google Play Store. Then I uninstalled them all using application manager. The problem is now an advertisement popup appears now and then which stays on top for about 30 seconds and then a close button appears which lets me close it.

How can I get rid of this malware? device is a Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0.

# Answer
You can turn off your mobile data while playing the games. `Settings > More Settings > Mobile Networks > Deselect "Mobile Data"`

But with this, you can't sign in to Google Play Games service (if available in the game).
> 0 votes

---
Tags: samsung-galaxy-tab, malware, popup
---


title: Root android lg ms690 version 2.2.1

text:
# Question
Title: Root android lg ms690 version 2.2.1
Does anyone know how I can root my lg ms690. It is android version 2.2.1. Build # FRG83. Kernel version 2.6.32.9. SW version MS690ZV4. HW version 1.1. PRL verdion 3042. ERI version 1003. I have tried both zroot and gingerbreak, both with no success.

# Answer
Have you tried using POOT? Download from Playstore and confirm if it supports your device. It works for most Android 2.x devices.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: rooting
---


# Question
Title: Can't get file to copy from /sys/ on rooted Android
I'm currently rooted on a Samsung S3 i9300 running a custom rom on Kitkat 4.4.2

I use es file explorer to perform root tasks on directories and files, I wanted to permanently turn off the led lights on my phone's hardware softkeys as I don't use them anymore.

I read somewhere on xda developers that changing the numeric string `255` in the `max_brightness` file to `0` in `/sys/class/leds/mmc1::` and `/sys/class/leds/mmc2::` should do the trick.

I have "root explorer" on in Es file explorer and have the right permissions to copy the file over to my SD card but I kept getting a task failed error in the app.

I then decided to go hardcore by using the terminal emulator app from the play store using the Linux command line syntax.

I was able to copy the file over to my SD card but something strange happened, the original file according to es file explorer was 4kb in size while the file copied to the SD card was 2 bytes in size..

I'm really puzzled, is there a better way to copy files from the root directories?

PS: The "mmc1::" and "mmc2::" folder icon has an arrow shortcut icon next to it and I've always been able to copy other files from root directories using es file explorer until this particular file.

# Answer
> 1 votes
Files in */sys/* are part of *sysfs* which is a special virtual filesystem to dialog with the Linux kernel.

You can for example have a fast introduction here.

Therefore you cannot treat sysfs files as normal files as it may lead to strange behaviour depending on how the program treats them (same for device files, usually in */dev*, or files in *procfs* in */proc*).

Usually to tweak that files you just write in them with an echo, such as

```
echo 255 > /sys/class/leds/mmc1::/max_brightness

```

---
Tags: file-permissions, root-access
---


# Question
Title: my tablet is not using my external SD card for storage
I have an 8 gig SD card I plugged into my tablet. When I go to settings and look at storage I can see I have a 7.2 gigs free on my external SD card. I downloaded a 700 meg file to /mnt/sdcard/Download but after doing this and checking storage I see there is still 7.2 gigs free on my SD card.

I also have torrent programs which point to this same location on my SD card to save files. but none of these programs can actually download any files because they are reporting this location as only having 100 megs free, so I have concluded that my tablet is lying to me. Mnt/sdcard isn't actually my sdcard! this is infuriating how do I fix this?

This is an Azpen A727.

Android version: 4.2.2

I have rooted my tablet as well.

Edit: okay so I read that the actual location of the SD card is a folder called mnt/extsd. I rooted my tablet but when I try to use the folder as the download location for my programs it says I don't have access how can I grant the programs access?

I get error my app (a torrent) throws when trying to set the sdcard as the download location- the right location of the SD card. I can create folders extsd but can save any files there

# Answer
> 2 votes
Forgot I still had this thread open. It looks like I was suffering from a rather well known "feature" of Android 4.4 (I avoided it because running 4.2, but I guess it applying to this version as well).

After rooting I just had to go through this procedure to manually edit:

> /system/etc/permissions/platform.xml

and reboot and now its working. Yay.

# Answer
> 2 votes
I also have the A727. :)

It appears that whoever designed the system should have been more careful with how he named stuff -- the internal hard drive is called "sdcard," as you mentioned in your question.

To use the SD card on your tablet, you need to **hit the "SD card" button on the top of the screen** (using the built-in file manager), as in the picture shown below. There you can see the folder labelled "extsd" = external SD card. <sub>(as opposed to the internal one?)</sub>

Then, when you open that folder, you can access the files on your SD card. Enjoy! :)

---
Tags: 4.2-jelly-bean, internal-storage, sd-card, storage
---


title: Lost phone and WhatsApp issue

text:
# Question
Title: Lost phone and WhatsApp issue
I lost my phone and I have some contacts on WhatsApp which I don't have anywhere else.

Is there any way to get those contacts? I have already deactivated my SIM card.

Can I get the data back?

# Answer
> 3 votes
Sorry to say, but there is no or alternate way for this.

> I had lost my phone and i was having some contacts on whatsapp which i dont have anywhere else.

This thing is a bit wrong, because Whatsapp would use your own phonebook to check which of your contacts have whatsapp. It won't let you add any user to your stock pile by just adding them as friends.

> Is there any way to reach to that contacts .

If there is a backup of the data on Google servers, then there might be an option. But I don't think that would work! So there is no way to get them back.

> I know this is not a technical question concerned with android

True, but actually this is a site for the Android questions. So you're in the correct place. To ask how to get data, but now about **how to get data from a lost phone.** Thats impossible.

### Possible things that would help

Well these are not the helping materials, but just in case to remind you that, in the settings, did you check `backup my data`. If so, try signing in Google from other phone, it might give you some data.

**Not sure of this** but you said the contacts were no where else but on whatsapp, so try signing in to whatsapp again, maybe they still have those contacts for you!

# Answer
> 0 votes
WhatsApp does not remember your Gmail contact information. WhatsApp simply adds contacts from the phonebook. If you get a new phone and sync your Gmail account, then you will have those old contacts same as you had in old phone. That is the reason. WhatsApp primary ID is your phone number alone, not any other info.

# Answer
> 0 votes
Have you tried to go to https://www.google.com/contacts/ and see if your contacts are backed up there?

That's the only possible way to get data from a stolen device, by having your data synced somewhere.

# Answer
> -1 votes
Sign back into watsapp your contacts will be there. I was surprised to find them there when I signed back in but using a new number. I had lost my phone. Im guessing watsapp recognises your gmail sign in so your sync contacts to your google and watsapp account will.automatically be available.

---
Tags: whatsapp-messenger, lost-phone
---


# Question
Title: Will my phone (carrier unlocked but initially locked to verizon) get locked after Kitkat update?
I've bought Motorola Droid Razr M from eBay. It is locked with Verizon by default, so seller unlocked device for me and it is working fine. It comes with Jelly bean 4.1.2 and I found that Kitkat update for this device. Now the question is Will my device get locked again after update from 4.1.2 to 4.4.2???

# Answer
There's a 50-50 possibility of getting the phone locked because if the seller has unlocked through the proper way(legally) then you can go ahead and update your O.S else if your seller has unlocked by other means then definitely the phone will get locked to the Carrier with which it has the contract with(here Verizon).

I suggest you to get in contact with your device supplier and ask him his mode of unlock. An unlock never comes free of cost although some sites offer a legal unlock .The Same thing is what observed in other mobile OS(like ios) if you have unlocked it by other means and have updated your device then the phone gets locked to the carrier with which it was sold and you need to unlock it again.
> 0 votes

# Answer
I unlocked my HTC One by "other means" and had no problem with updating/rooting/ROMing, so I would expect the same for you.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: 4.1-jelly-bean, 4.4-kitkat, motorola-droid, sim-unlocking
---


# Question
Title: How can I enter an English unlock password when the keyboard is Arabic?
How can I unlock my tablet that my password is in English and the keyboard is in Arabic?

# Answer
Try plugging in a keyboard via USB. If you don't already have an adapter for it I would recommend that you go ahead and buy one. It comes in handy.
> 1 votes

# Answer
What is your OS? Here is a link that might help you:

How to unlock device when I forgot my password?

Now here are some scenarios:

1. If you are in Jellybean and you only have the stock Jellybean password, then I'm sorry to say you need to take a drastic measure in opening your tablet which is doing a factory reset. However, on the link above it will tell you that you can unlock your device by using your Google account online. I don't really know the details but that might help you.
2. If you are using another keyboard from the Play Store, chances are you can edit the settings on the keyboard itself. This could appear in the form of a settings button (a circle with a dot on the center) where you can set up the language of the keyboard or you are using Hacker's keyboard you can swipe the spacebar and the keyboard will change the language.

I strongly suggest you add what OS and keyboard configurations you are using(activated keyboards, current keyboard used) to your question so that others might add more helpful answers.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: keyboard, password, locked-out, localization
---


# Question
Title: Nexus 10, Android 4.4, Apple Bluetooth Keyboard Paired - but not working?
I have a problem: Once I have an Apple Wireless Keyboard paired with our Nexus 10 running KitKat 4.4 (rooted), no keys work. It is the oddest thing. To pair it, I have to enter the code that shows up, which I do and press ENTER and the pop up goes away. But yet, not a single key works. It even shows as Paired in Bluetooth (i've unpaired and paired it about 50 times).

This is not a duplicate because I have something unique that I have not seen in the dozens and dozens of blog posts, fixes, complaints, links, forum posts etc that I've read related to bluetooth and Android Keyboard.

I have previously paired another Apple Wireless Keyboard, and while it did pair and work correctly, a few keys were damaged. So, we got a new Apple Wireless Keyboard, and it is not working at all.

Even more info: the new keyboard works 100% correctly on my Nexus 5 (root), Galaxy Nexus (CM10.2) and Samsung S4 (CM 10.3) as well as on our Nexus 7 FHD (OEM, non-rooted).

So, the keyboard works on other devices. And, I previously had a different bluetooth keyboard paired with this Nexus 10. Why won't they both talk?

I have even factory reset, and wiped the Internal Storage on the Nexus 10 - nothing.

And yes, I removed the batteries from the other keyboard. Wifi does not matter as I tried it both on and off.

Again, it does pair successfully. Entering the wrong PIN during the pairing process gives the correct error message, and entering the correct one is accepted when pressing ENTER. So, the input IS working.

Lastly, I've noticed that the "Hardware Input" section of the Settings -\> Language & input area doesn't show on this Nexus 10 (again, before and after a factory reset and internal storage format). Nothing, nothing at all. This area shows up on my Nexus 5 (4.4) and Galaxy (4.2) when I pair the same keyboard, which allows me to type using the external keyboard with a few additional settings.

On the Nexus 10, while the keyboard is paired, all it does it show the touch keyboard popup when I tap on an input field. On the Nexus 5 and Galaxy Nexus, when I tap on an input with the same keyboard paired, the touch keyboard does not popup - indicating it knows to use the external keyboard that is paired.

# Answer
After a very long ordeal, several trips to several different Apple stores and basic trial and errors, I have found the solution as I blogged here:

http://eduncan911.com/technology/hardware/google-nexus-10-and-apple-wireless-keyboard.html

The situation is that Apple made 3 different bluetooth Apple Wireless Keyboards, noted by years: 2007, 2009 and 2011.

The issue is that the 2011 model, with its latest firmware updates, does not work with the Google Nexus 10. It must be a bluetooth hardware profile issue with the Google device itself, as the 2011 keyboard works flawlessly on all other Android 4.2, 4.4.3 and 4.4.4 devices that I have as well as an Apple iPod Touch 4th Gen.

## Solution: Get the 2009 Apple Wireless Keyboard

As I stated in my post above, I have tested several 2009 and 2011 keyboards and have confirmed only the 2009 Apple Wireless Keyboard works with the Nexus 10.

To restate the original issue: the 2011 Apple Wireless Keyboard will pair, and even "connect" normally to the Nexus 10. But, the Nexus 10 will not recognize it as an input device - it is missing the "A" keyboard icon at the top-left corner of the top status bar which normally shows with other bluetooth keyboards, such as the 2009 version.

Also note that the firmware I tested of the 2009 model was version x50. I could not confirm if the latest firmware update for the 2009 model worked or not.
> 3 votes

---
Tags: 4.4-kitkat, external-keyboard
---


# Question
Title: how to take a backup of my calender events in galaxy ace duos
is there any way to take a backup of my calender events in galaxy ace duos. am searching for the third party software but couldn't find one.

# Answer
You can export your calendar using this app: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=at.aichbauer.ical&hl=en
> 0 votes

# Answer
* One way is to sync up your calendar with your Google Account: Go to `Settings > Select "Google" under Accounts > Click on your Google Account` and now select `Calendar`.
* Check if the discussion under this question helps.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: 2.3-gingerbread, calendar, samsung-galaxy-ace
---


# Question
Title: Is there an app that can turn off wifi for me when screen goes off?
I have a Kindle Fire HDX 8.9. I have looked for a *WiFi Sleep Policy* (or similar) setting under *Settings -\> Wireless & networks -\> WiFi settings -\> (menu button) Advanced* but there is none.

Is there an app available for this device that can set WiFi to turn off during sleep?

# Answer
You may want to try this simple app.
> 1 votes

---
Tags: wi-fi, amazon-kindle-fire-hd
---


# Question
Title: ICS Wifi not blue and internet not working
I just bought a Phone here yesterday running with Android ICS, the first time I used the wifi was ok, no problem. But now, the wifi is not working sometimes even I have a strong wifi connection. My PC, and my phone are on the same network. My PC is reading Full signal strength, as I am literally 5 feet from the wireless router. My phone is showing NO blue. Wifi meter is grey even if I have excellent connection, If it is blue, I can use my internet, but when it is grey I can't use my internet. I have the blue wifi around 20% of the time. What should I do?

# Answer
Exchange the phone for replacement. Most likely defective wifi card in phone.
> -1 votes

# Answer
wifi not blue means net cannot connect with google server! if u have rooted ur device just go to etc\>hosts.bak using root explorer just add a '#' before the ip at the bottom line. Hope this will resolve ur issue works 99% with evry1! or try that on the first line ip!
> -2 votes

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


# Question
Title: Photos copied via bluetooth from LG 4X HD to Xperia Z are no longer sorted
I recently copied all my photos and videos from my LG to my Xperia Z using Bluetooth. It took a while but the all copied over fine and are in a single album, *My Album*, under a folder named *Bluetooth*.

The problem is that they are now unsorted. On the LG phone, I had all of the media files organized by different albums but now they are all in a single album.

Is there a way to copy these using Bluetooth or another method without losing the album structure and naming?

# Answer
> 0 votes
It seems you have lost your folder structure ("albums") due to the Bluetooth transfer. A possible solution would be to copy not over Bluetooth but rather with a Computer (USB) or over Wifi and a network share, to retain the folder structure.

There are many file managers available in the play store which can use network shares. You may also consider using DropBox or that kind of service.

# Answer
> 0 votes
If both the devices have NFC then try that or else as @Markus has said you can only do is transfer only through the USB cable. USB cable is a better option for faster data transfer and the best part it retains the file structure in the way it was stored on another device.

For that first you need to store the file as it is on the System later connect your xperia and transfer the same file .

USB transfer is best for moving files \>10MB (more then 5-6 photos) to reduce time whereas NFC is best for single or couple of photos

---
Tags: bluetooth, photos
---


# Question
Title: Is there any way to open recovery mode with only hard keys?
i had flashed a custom rom on my device. But unfortunately it does not boot properly. And suddenly i have noticed that my volume keys are not working. And i had'nt debug mode opened. so now what can i do? how can i open recovery mode with only one hard key?

# Answer
Possible with command but there are conditions,

1. you have usb debugging enabled
2. you need to configure adb

if you have this two things configured then you can type following command to boot your phone into recovery mode

```
adb reboot recovery

```

or

```
adb shell reboot recovery

```
> 1 votes

---
Tags: 4.1-jelly-bean, rom-flashing, custom-roms
---


# Question
Title: Is there an Android equivalent for iPhone's "mobileconfig"?
iPhone provides an easy way to add Email accounts using .mobileconfig files, "installable configuration profiles" or whatever they call it. Its basically a XML file containing all the parameters needed to install the Email account, its extremely handy.

But I'm in need of something similar for Android. Any ideas?

Or perhaps something I can configure in my server that makes Android detect the technical stuff automatically, like the IMAP and SMTP server/port etc. Google is not being helpful on this.

# Answer
Nope, unfortunately there is nothing like this to my knowledge.I'd love to be proven wrong though
> 2 votes

---
Tags: email, ios
---


# Question
Title: Files and Data loss when sd card is changed from java supported phone to android phone
I have changed my micro sd card from Samsung Star2 S5263 which is running on Java OS to a new android phone. Later I have connected my android phone to my PC to copy some files from the system.

And after copying, I have placed my sd card into my old phone (Samsung Star2 S5263) only to find some of the files, images and videos are missing. When I tried to open those, it says invalid file format.

Files which were absolutely fine a few minutes ago, now says invalid file format. When I have connected to the system, I haven't touched these files. Any reason why this happens? How to get the files back? (Those images are absolutely important!!)

Thanks

# Answer
> 0 votes
If you removed the micro SD card from a device (any device) while it was still in use, this can cause filesystem corruption. This can often be repaired by connecting it to a card reader on your PC and using a disk scanning tool (e.g. ScanDisk on Windows).

---
Tags: sd-card, data-recovery, java
---


# Question
Title: Why chrome shows video in android device, but opera does not?
Opera has built-in proxy and presser of traffic - it is very useful for me. But opera, instead of to show a video, downloads it. It isn't I want. How can I (without root and with android 4.3) learn opera to show a video as well as chrome does?

# Answer
If you disable the `Off-road mode` in Opera then it plays the video rather than downloading it.
> 1 votes

---
Tags: browser, video
---


# Question
Title: How can I exclude an App (camera) from the recent Apps list?
How to exclude camera from recent App list? (long-press Home Key in Galaxy S 2)

I don't want it to appear in the Recent app list since it has traces/image of last captured image.

# Answer
You can remove it from the list by just swiping it off. I don't know how to permanently remove it from the list, though.
> 3 votes

# Answer
Judging from the fact that you are seeing previews of recent apps, I'm assuming your SGS2 is running Android 4.0 (or ablove). I don't believe you can exclude apps from "recent" list out of the box.

This might be one of the few legitimate uses for the Task Killer kinds of apps. Basically if you set the task killer to always terminate the "Camera" or "Gallery" apps, they should stop appearing in Android's recent apps list.\*

***\[Correction\]**: The above statement turned out to be incorrect on Jelly Bean (Android 4.1). Task-ending an app does not remove it from the "Recent" list.
> 3 votes

# Answer
I just tested it while writhing those steps and it's working if your phone is rooted. If you need a method without root, Just ask me and I will try to do some test.

1. Download Tasker and open it then go in the preferences and uncheck the beginner mode.
2. Go back in Tasker and open the "Profile" tab then click on the + symbol.
3. If Tasker ask for a name, give it a name like "launch camera" and click on the check, Then click on the + symbol and choose "Application".
4. Choose the camera.
5. Use the top left arrow to go back.
6. Select "New Task"
7. If it ask you for a name give it a name like Launch Camera.
8. Click on the + symbol and type "kill" then select "Kill App" and select the Camera.
9. Check "Use root"
10. Use the top left arrow to go back.
11. Click on the + symbol and select "App" then "Launch App" and select the camera.
12. Check exclude from recent apps and then use the top left arrow to go back.
13. Use the top left arrow to go back one more time.
14. click on the 3 dots at the top right of the screen and select "Exit" then select "Save First"
15. Launch your camera app and see if it's working.
> 2 votes

# Answer
You can use Tasker! When you launch an app with tasker, you can specify to exclude the app from the recent apps.

You could create a button that launch the camera app in excluded mode.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: 4.0-ice-cream-sandwich, recents-screen
---


title: Installing cyanogenmod 11

text:
# Question
Title: Installing cyanogenmod 11
I have gionee gpad g3 whose specifications are 512 mb ram, 1.2 ghz quadcore processor and 4 gb internal memory. my device is not listed on CM supportable device list. so should i install it?

# Answer
What do you mean 'should I install it?' What are you going to flash on your phone?

BTW since your tablet lacks official support, try looking on xda-dev if there's any unofficial support for your device. There's little to no hope so I wouldn't count on it much. Even if you can find an unofficial support, its likely to be very buggy and unstable. Better stick to your OEM firmware.
> 1 votes

---
Tags: cyanogenmod
---


# Question
Title: Initial lock screen before the pattern screen not moving
I have a new MI 3 phone with MIUI, and I tried the theme Angry paper on this, and there seems to be a problem with the initial lock screen of this theme and it won't unlock to display the pattern, and so I am unable to unlock my android mobile. Can anybody help me with this theme or any other way to unlock the initial lock screen of MIUI.

# Answer
Hold Volume UP and Back key. Have you tried this?
> 0 votes

---
Tags: lock-screens, miui, themes
---


title: Install app without touchscreen or ADB?

text:
# Question
Title: Install app without touchscreen or ADB?
My phones **digitizer** seems to have **gone bad** (after 5hrs of few app updates and 3hrs of a fall, working twice after that for 10minutes). It doesn't seems that the USB Debugging option is enabled on the phone, due to which I **can't access phone using ADB**.

I intend to **install a VNC server app** on my phone and use it to control the phone through my Laptop. Then try and isolate the apps to rule out if the apps caused the issue.

Is it **possible** to install an app in my case\**?\**

There are no passwords or screen locks set. Also just the power and volume buttons are working. I can go to Fasboot & Recovery mode but can't select any option. :(

Please note: No data connection is turned on. So I can't install any remote app using Google Play store.

# Answer
Check if you can connect a mouse (or Keyboard) through USB OTG port (and microUSB-to-USB converter cable)...

I'm not sure whether your device supports OTG or not... Just give a try...
> 4 votes

# Answer
Yes, if the phone is connected to the internet, you can install apps from the Google Play web interface\](https://play.google.com/store/apps) without touching the phone.

Starting the app is a different matter, though: you may need to find an app that's specifically designed for this situation, so it can be triggered without needing to open it from the launcher, or use a USB gamepad (or a Bluetooth one, if it's already paired) to control the launcher without using the touchscreen.
> 1 votes

# Answer
Try with shell using a keyboard

```
pm install [path_to_apk]

```
> 0 votes

---
Tags: adb, touchscreen, vnc
---


# Question
Title: i have some files encrypted in gallery vault application
I have some files encrypted in gallery vault but my phone's software crashed and had to be reinstalled.

how can I restore my data from that app?

I do have my SD card but it is not showing my encrypted data.

# Answer
> 1 votes
Looking at the developers website it *should* be as simple as copying the Gallery Vault backup data folder `.thinkyeah/` to your new device's SD card. You should then be able to install the app on your new device and open the vault with the same password you previously used.

---
Tags: applications
---


title: Put six quick-toggles in Note 3 menu

text:
# Question
Title: Put six quick-toggles in Note 3 menu
I have a Samsung Galaxy Note 3. The 'slide down menu' \[1\] can be configured with 'quick-toggles' \[1\] at the top. A maximum of **five** 'quick-toggles' can be displayed at any one time, with the remainder of configured 'quick-toggles' available by sliding the 'quick-toggles' control to the left.

My particular use case is that I do need to **see at a glance *six*** 'quick-toggles'. Scrolling to see the sixth is a hindrance to my particular use case. First-world problem, I know! **How can I configure or hack the 'slide down menu' to show *six* thinner 'quick-toggles' on the display at once?**

\[1\] *This is my first Android device. Please correct my terminology so that I might be able to Google these questions myself next time!*

# Answer
> -3 votes
Use Wanam Xposed or Wanam Kit. It's an Xposed Framework module that will allow you to change everything about the toggles

---
Tags: settings, samsung-galaxy-note-3
---


# Question
Title: my samsung galaxy 2 battery is draining to fast!
I have an Samsung Galaxy S2 GT i9100. I have had it for quite a time, but today I noticed something strange:

First my battery had not been charging while I was sleeping: when I woke up I had only about 13% charge left. So I put the phone on the charger while I was making breakfeast.

When I came back to the phone some time later, it had nearly not charged at all: in fact the phone was using more battery then it was charging.

Why is my phone battery's charge dropping when I'm charging? I had this problem the whole day -- it won't charge more then 30%, then suddenly the battery level drops. How can this be solved?

# Answer
Had exactly the same, did the same as you asking questions and hearing lots of different answers. My solution new battery, couple of quid on ebay.
> 1 votes

# Answer
This mostly starts when you upgrade your firmware. I believe the Jelly Bean upgrade is a big drain on the phone resources.

My way out? Throttle down the CPU speed (antutu or CPU-Z can do the job for you)
> 0 votes

# Answer
I have had a very similar problem a couple of times in the past with my Samsung tablet. It was always software-related, and never the cable or charger (I have two original Samsung chargers for that tablet, and both had the same problem, as did various cables. For me, it would not charge past 50%.

The first time, I let the battery discharge all the way until the tablet went into severe battery-saving mode, and I let it go as long as I could until I lost patience. I then charged it up, and it worked OK after that. It happened again, it seemed, a few months later. This time, I unplugged the charger,turned off the power, then plugged it back in and it charged OK.

Samsung phones are often picky about chargers. I've found that some will not work at all with my Samsung tablet, but will work with my LG G2 and my wife's iphone, while others work with it, with my LG, and with my wife's iphone. I never really figured out exactly why. But as with all chargers, sometimes they will work, but at only .5 amp if you don't have the right match, or a special charge-only cable. So, if you have such a charger, it might not be able to keep up with the discharge.

I worked in electronics repair, testing, and design for about 15 years, so I have a good understanding of the basics, and troubleshooting. People who suggest special short, thick, whatever cables are simply not very knowledgeable, or repeating misinformation from others who are just guessing out of partial knowledge. For the amount of current going through the cable, and the difference in resistance for different types of cable, the loss is negligible. The only time a cable will make a difference is if the connector is damaged, or it is wired in a nonstandard way internally. Of course, a cheap cable can have a wire break, but that has nothing to do with size of cable.

Also, if you're not careful, the connector on the phone can be damaged, or have foreign matter caught inside, or some obstruction keeping it from making a good connection. The micro-USB connection is not the most robust way of making a connection, which is probably why they are creating a new standard.
> 0 votes

# Answer
The cable does make a huge difference, so I'm glad that I read your new cable made it last for a day. In addition, once a week you want to do a full charge cycle. Completely waste the battery, \[to the point where you can't boot\] and charge it for 8 hours straight, off.

I find that shorter, thicker cables make the battery of the device last longer.
> -1 votes

---
Tags: samsung-galaxy-s-2, battery-life, battery
---


title: push app from root adb terminal

text:
# Question
Title: push app from root adb terminal
So i have a rooted ms690, but su keeps crashing, the recovery is just a hard reset, I have no sd card, and metroweb is gone. The problem I want to solve is metroweb. I have the apk, and the only way I can get to root anything is this:

```
adb shell
$ su
#

```

What do i do from here?

# Answer
And what to do before that, also important. OK, short guide – assuming your `.apk` has the name `metro.apk`, and you're in the very same directory on your computer where that file resides:

```
PC> adb push metro.apk /data/local/metro.apk
PC> adb shell
$ su
# pm install /data/local/metro.apk

```

What I'm just wondering: What makes you think you need to be root for that? Taking the shorter road:

```
PC> adb install metro.apk

```

Saves a few steps :)

OTOH, if you're talking about a system app, things might look different:

```
PC> adb push metro.apk /data/local/metro.apk
PC> adb shell
$ su
# mount -ro remount,rw /system
# cp /data/local/metro.apk /system/app
# exit
PC> adb reboot

```
> 2 votes

---
Tags: root-access, lg
---


# Question
Title: Temporarily adjust message alert and call volume
I can't be the only person with the problem that you temporarily turn down the volume of your calls and texts (in a quiet place), and then three days later it's still quiet and you miss alerts.

Is there any way to adjust the volume only temporarily? Or, to put it a different way, is there a way to automatically reset the ringer volume to a predefined level each day?

# Answer
> 1 votes
There are several ways to get your volume levels back. Personally I like to use the IFTTT app to set my ringer volume to maximum when I connect to my home WiFi. (recipe)

If you want to fix your volume at a specific time, say, you can create a new recipe using the Date & Time Channel.

# Answer
> 1 votes
An option for you might be the Silent Mode Widget.

It puts a widget on your homescreen to silence / restore your volume settings with a single tap.

(I have not tried this app. There also appear to be several other similar apps that you might try instead.)

---
Tags: settings, volume-control
---


# Question
Title: How do I add a widget to my lock screen?
I am running a fully stock Android 4.4.4 Nexus 5, with Nova (Premium) Launcher. Since I first bought this device, I have heard, read, and been told that adding widgets to the lock screen is possible, as long as it is enabled in settings. Well, it is, but I can't figure out for the life of me how to actually add them.

Sorry if this is a Super Newb question, I've Googled, Binged, etc... With no luck whatsoever. The only thing I seem to ever come across are instructions on how to enable them, which as I stated, I have done.

# Answer
> 0 votes
You have to enable the lock screen widgets from `Settings > Security > Check "Enable Widgets"`. Once done, go to lock screen, swipe from towards right hand and now you will be able add widgets there.

---
Tags: 4.4-kitkat, lock-screen-widgets, nova-launcher
---


title: Can GSM operator affect battery life?

text:
# Question
Title: Can GSM operator affect battery life?
I am using samsumg galaxy s3 mini. Couple of days ago, I changed the GSM operator I am using which has more signal strength and internet speed than old one. But I realized my phone's battery life decreased. With old GSM it was about 1.5-2 day. Now It takes about 1 day. When I look battery usage, It seems 'android OS' is most battery consumer.

Is this about GSM operator, or it is just a coincidence that my battery life decrease after I change GSM operator?

# Answer
Yes, it can. GSM and later phone protocols automatically adjust the phone's transmit power according to the strength of the signal it gets from the cell tower. It's just like how, if you're talking to someone and you can't hear them very well (because they're a long way away, or in a noisy environment), you'll tend to talk louder or shout, but if you can hear them clearly (they're right next to you), you'll talk more quietly. The phone works the same way.

Of course, for the phone, "talking more loudly" means putting more power into its transmitter, so the battery will be drained faster. If you switch to a network that has cell towers further away from where you spend most of your time, your phone will be using more transmit power more often, so it will use energy more quickly. Note that it's the received *strength* that matters (i.e. how much attenuation there is), not the quality of the signal, so you may find this happens even if you get a better signal overall.

*Cell handover*, when you move from one cell to the next one, also takes more power, and your new network's better internet speed might be a result of having denser cells in your area, leading to more handovers.

Finally, the worst thing for a phone is being completely out of range, because it has to periodically transmit on the maximum power to try to get a response from a cell tower. (This is why it's especially important to turn your phone off for a flight: once the plane gets out of cell range, all the phones will start blaring out as loudly as they can.) It's possible that your new network's coverage is much better at your home and your office, but during your commute, you haven't noticed that you leave the service area completely, and so your phone starts draining the battery then.

In summary, there are lots of factors, so it's hard to predict the effect of changing network operator, but it can have an effect. Of course, that doesn't stop it being a coincidence in your case.
> 2 votes

# Answer
In my experience I found that a GSM internet connection consumed less energy than a WCDMA. (Can't tell about LTE, since the signal strength is insufficient in my area).

So by having "faster" internet, this might be the reason for higher battery consumption.

Another possibility is signal strength. The stronger the signal you are receiving, the less battery is used. But since you spoke about having a stronger signal, this seems not to be the case. Maybe you double-check if signal quality is also improved on WCDMA, in contrary to GSM.
> 0 votes

# Answer
Many other users experienced the same things however the suggested thing :- You may be satisfied by the provided solution.

> it is deep sleep related. Please download CPU Spy from the market, and take a look at % at a single frequency. Reset the timers and immediatelly press on/off button to put the phone in sleep. After lets say one minute being in "deep sleep", refresh the timers so you get the actual usage, and checked the deep sleep time. In GSM only mode, it won't almost one minute, as it should, maybe 30 secs. In WCDMA you will get almost 1 minute of deep sleep. And this is the reason why the phone is draining the battery quickly.- says a user.

---

Check the thread below: http://www.modaco.com/topic/346890-gsm-only-mode-drains-battery-abnormally/
> 0 votes

---
Tags: battery, battery-life, samsung-galaxy-s-3-mini, gsm
---


# Question
Title: Any solution for sharing text with friend but prevent copy?
Is there any App / solution can suffice the follow needs ?

1. I want to share some text with friends (not public).
2. I don't want them be able to copy the text in anyway.
3. able view the text offline.
4. cross-platform. (not a must)

# Answer
> 0 votes
Simple idea is to type the required message in any text editor on phone (or in any messaging app itself / or write a Gmail and save as draft) and then take a screenshot of the text and send it over to the intended people!

---
Tags: applications
---


title: How do i update the video driver?

text:
# Question
Title: How do i update the video driver?
How do I update the video driver for my Droid 2 Global? I have a custom Cyanogenmod installed but YouTube videos have a green bar, green tint, or are garbled.

# Answer
> 2 votes
By installing a different version of Cyanogenmod. Android is not like Windows, where you have to install each driver separately: all the drivers come integrated in the ROM. Sometimes, with third-party ROMs like Cyanogenmod, they don't quite manage to integrate the drivers properly (because only the manufacturer has all the required information), so you get defects like this one.

If you found the problem in a stable release, release candidate, or beta of Cyanogenmod, you should report it to the maintainers for your phone so they can fix it. If you've been using a nightly snapshot, don't bother, as they are expected to have serious errors and aren't suitable for everyday use.

Upgrade to a newer release if there is one, or perhaps to an older release.

# Answer
> 0 votes
I fond a "patch" solution. Basically, you must "downgrade" the video quality. To do the "downgrade" on Google's official app, follow these instructions:

1. Open a video with the YouTube app.
2. Tap any place of screen to show the menu (in landscape).
3. Hit the 3 dots on the top right corner.
4. Hit the settings icon to show the available resolutions of current video.
5. Select 240 or less.

---
Tags: cyanogenmod, motorola-droid-2
---


title: number of downloads

text:
# Question
Title: number of downloads
How can we find that how many times a specific app has been downloaded? For example, in this page I cannot see any information about that.

# Answer
> 3 votes
Scroll down and you will find it inside "Installs" under "Additional Information" section. It will show you the range of number of downloads.

Right now, that app shows a range of "10-50" installs.

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


title: Searching for installed App by name

text:
# Question
Title: Searching for installed App by name
I used to have a HTC Hero with had it's own search button. When being in the application selection menu I could press the button and then search for an app by typing it's name. Is there similar way to access apps in Android 4.x without a specific search button?

# Answer
> 1 votes
The Google Search app is able to search the applications on your phone. On 4.1+ this can be done through a Google Now search. On many devices, this is accessible by swiping upwards from the home button in the navigation bar.

When you search for the app on your phone, you can use the bar along the bottom to scroll to "Phone" to search your phone rather than the web.

You can also search "start " so for example if I had an app called (in your case) "Battery", if I typed into the search bar "start battery" it would give me a card showing the app name and icon with a button below saying "Open App"

# Answer
> 0 votes
Try google gesturesearch using this you can not only search for an application but also contacts,music and bookmarks.

This has a cool feature that you can use natural hand writing to type the app name and keypad is not needed.

# Answer
> 0 votes
There is an option in Google Search / Now settings to allow you to search through apps as well as web (Go to Google Now settings, there you'll see phone search, open it and tick Apps)

---
Tags: search
---


# Question
Title: Android Nexus 5 knows password of WiFi he was never connected to!
I just bought a new Nexus 5 after using a Nexus 4 for about a year.

After turning it on and using it at work, I go home and as soon as I turn the WiFi on the phone it connects to my home network without having to insert any password.

I have never used it before at home and I did not insert the password on that phone. To verify I went to a friend of mine's place where I had used the old Nexus 4 and tried again and voila' the phone connects to the network again.

Does anybody know if it's an expected behaviour or does it sound strange to you as well?

What could be the reason? The only thing I could think of is that Google is storing details about the WiFi you connect to on your Google account. Can anybody confirm? Is this even legal?

# Answer
> 17 votes
Did you backup/restore your settings to/from Google? If so, that's why you can connect to these wireless networks. One of the things that gets backed up is the wireless network passwords so when you restored them back on your new device it is able to connect.

Android has built in backup functionality. It offers to backup settings (including wifi settings) automatically from each device. When you go through the set-up on a new device it then gives you the option to restore these settings. If you had this configured (I think it's enabled by default) then your wifi settings would have automatically been backed up on your Nexus 4 and restored to your Nexus 5.

# Answer
> 2 votes
To add to bmdixon's answer, go into Settings on your old Nexus 4 or current Nexus 5, select "Backup & reset" and have a look at the top option there:

> **Back up my data**
> Back up application data, *Wi-Fi passwords* and other settings to Google servers

# Answer
> 0 votes
You can connect to your wifi even if it has password with the WPS(Wi-Fi Protected Setup). if WPS is currently pressed or on in your modem other device could connect to the network without using the password..

---
Tags: wi-fi, 4.4-kitkat, nexus-4, nexus-5
---


title: Texting with Samsung Galaxy S4

text:
# Question
Title: Texting with Samsung Galaxy S4
My Samsung Galaxy S4 has been saying that my text is "sending" for hours now. However, one of the recipients has responded to my text. Was not doing this earlier today

# Answer
"Have you tried turning it off and back on again?" Honestly, I would just recommend restarting your device. It might just magically fix the problem.

Sometimes, if you're sending a message to multiple recipients, one person will receive the message before the others. Your phone could have lost cellular service during the process of sending the message (thus resulting in one person replying while your message is still being sent to the others).

If restarting the phone doesn't work, you can try the dumb brute force solution:

1. Copy the content of the message.
2. Delete the message from your outbox.
3. Create a new message with the pasted content and send it.

Maybe another user can recommend a techy solution, but this should be enough to get you past this issue if it happens again. If it happens regularly, you should contact your carrier.
> 1 votes

# Answer
This is most likely a carrier issue instead of a phone one.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: sms, samsung-galaxy-s-4
---


# Question
Title: What is "Easy mode" (during initial phone setup) and are there any problems with it?
I just got a new Samsung Galaxy Core Duos running Android 4.1.2, and put a new SIM card in it. The phone has taken me through some initial setup screens for a Samsung account, Gmail account, and name, and is now asking whether I want to enable "Easy mode", for which it says "Easy mode helps you to use your device more easily with the easy widgets feature and the ability to customise the font size."

Does anyone know more detail about the difference it makes?

# Answer
The primary purpose of Easy Mode is to make the customization and use of a smart phone simpler and easier (usually for a first-time smartphone user or non-techy user). Easy Mode Vs Normal Mode for Android is quite similar to Apple vs Android --\> Apple is often simpler, but less customizable.

If you just want to use your phone, Easy Mode will be easier for you. You won't have all of the same home screen customization options (but then again, you might not need them). Easy mode gives you 3 default home screens, a simpler settings menu, and a simpler camera interface.

If you love customizing the crap out of your phone, don't use easy mode. You'll then enjoy a full settings menu, fully customizable home screens, the full camera interface, and more.

Here are some resources I found for you on google ;) http://www.samsung.com/us/support/howtoguide/N0000003/10091/120408
http://www.digit.in/mobile-phones/understanding-easy-mode-on-the-samsung-galaxy-s4-14698.html
> 1 votes

---
Tags: samsung, settings
---


# Question
Title: How to partition SD card on Android 4.1.1 using Linux?
Hi I have a HTC Desire X and this device has a SD CARD with 16 Gb. I want to extend my memory using Link2D. I read I have to make partitions on my SD Card. The problem is that I do not know how. If I connect my phone in debugging mode with my Linux Mint laptop, it will connect with MTP and therefore I cannot use a partitioning tool. The Team Win Recovery Project Partitioning Tool (2.5) fails while partitioning the card and installing the app "APparted" or a busybox fail as well. How can I partition my SD card in the phone using Linux or Android?

The phone is rooted and SU is installed.

# Answer
Is this an external SD card? If so, you can simply remove it from the SD card slot, and use either an SD card reader on the laptop, which may be built in, or you can get a cheap adapter that takes an SD card, and acts like a USB drive. I've seen them on Amazon for as little as $2.25 including shipping, or nicer ones for $5 - $10. Search for "sd card reader" to see.

Then, you can use gparted to partition it. Just make sure to use the correct filesystem(s).
> 1 votes

---
Tags: external-sd, linux, partitions, link2sd, htc-desire-x
---


# Question
Title: How do I set a max allowed volume limit?
On iPhone I could set a maximum volume limit so I wouldnt be able to put my music too loud accidentally. How do I do this in Android? I dont seem to find the setting in the volume menu.

# Answer
If you are referring to the headphone output rather than the speaker, then you could use an app such as "Headset Button Controller" Link to Play Store Trial.

I have the paid version on my phone, and I like it a lot. It allows you to set up button controls for various apps, but it also has a nice feature that allows you to set the default volume when you plug in the headset. You can set the minimum and maximum, also, but this would only work with a headset like the iphone's, with volume control that controls the phone.
> 0 votes

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


# Question
Title: The Mystery Of The Disappearing App Icons
If I try to rearrange the shortcuts to app icons on my homescreen, sometimes they disappear. It happens to all apps, bookmarks, and folders, too: even stock apps, like Play Store. I have an LG optimus s that I got about a year ago, new. I'm running 2.3.3. Gingerbread. Details : app icons often reappear in folders after reboot, sometimes without reboot. I'll say again, for clarity, that this only happens when I attempt to rearrange the icons : no spontaneous disappearances! I use my phone almost 24/7, as I do not own a tablet or a computer with wifi, so I like everything to be in it's place.

# Answer
are you using the stock launcher? Clearing all data from your launcher app should sort of reset your app. You can try that from **Settings -\> Applications -\> (Launcher App)** and then hit the "Clear Data" button. You will lose your homescreen settings preferences.

Also, you can try using a different launcher like Nova Launcher or GO Launcher. This should solve your issue.
> 2 votes

# Answer
For me, tapping **Menu****Show more icons / Show less icons** (this should be "Show fewer icons", but w/e) does the trick usually.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: applications, 2.3-gingerbread, home-screen-shortcuts, lg-optimus-one
---


title: IMEI = NULL in Samsung Galaxy Note 3

text:
# Question
Title: IMEI = NULL in Samsung Galaxy Note 3
I have a Galaxy Note 3 FM-N9005 which had base band version N9005ZHUDMJ9 and build number JSS15J.N9005XXUDMK2 running on jelly bean 4.3.

I searched for its latest firmware on Sam Mobile and there was KitKat 4.4.2 update available for it having build number KOT49H.N9005ZHUENF1. I downloaded this firmware and flashed it using Odin. Everything was successful and firmware was downloaded successfully.

When I restarted the mobile, the baseband and IMEI was unknown. I hadn't backed-up the EFS Folder but it is mounted in CWM Recovery. I am unable to restore the baseband and IMEI number. Please suggest a solution to recover IMEI

# Answer
> 1 votes
Flash the NF2 modem, I had the exact same use with no imei / baseband http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2649176 CP\_N9005XXUFNF2.tar.md5 is the file you want

---
Tags: updates, samsung, samsung-galaxy-note, samsung-galaxy-note-3, imei
---


# Question
Title: Can I remove silent mode from the volume rocker?
I've got a Nexus 4. I keep accidentally going into silent mode by hitting the volume down button. My intention is to only put it into vibrate mode though. Is there a way I can just get rid of silent mode from the volume rocker so that I don't do this by accident anymore?

# Answer
> 3 votes
I had the same problem. Download the app called "Vibrate mode by force" and enable the Never Silent option.

Hope it will help :)

# Answer
> 0 votes
I have a similar issue with the Note 3. Shush seems to work fine. The app lets you configure after *how much time* to reenable the standard ringer, and it gives you hard-to-miss notification that the phone is in silent mode.

---
Tags: nexus-4, vibration, silent-mode, volume
---


# Question
Title: Samsung Galaxy S3 SCH-I535, rooted, won't switch over to T-Mobile
Recently, I changed carriers from Verizon to T-Mobile. However, when I inserted my T-Mobile SIM card into my phone and rebooted, the status is always "Searching for Service" (not just for data, NOTHING works). I've looked on Android forums and they all have instructions for turning the SCH-I535 into a world phone, but that's not what I want. I just want to switch to T-Mobile (do I need to have a "world phone" to do this?)

I've installed APN Manager and tried to change APNs, but entering the details found here

The phone is rooted and not on a stock TouchWiz ROM (I'm using Paranoid Android, a JB ROM)

Why won't my phone recognize the T-Mobile SIM?

# Answer
SCH-I535 is not a GSM phone so will not work with any 2G or 3G T-Mobile tower. Also that phone only supports LTE frequencies of 700 MHz & 1900 MHz, neither of which are bands that T-Mobile use to any significant degree. Instead T-Mobile uses 1700 & 2100 MHz.

T-Mobile is however in the process of rolling out 700 MHz & 1900 MHz, so you might get data in the near future however you will not generally be able to make calls as that is currently handled by the 3G networks. And even where VoLTE is available this phone will may not have the software update to support it.

**Update:** Despite not being listed in the specs of Samsung's website, nor GSM Area, or Wikipedia SCH-I535 does infact support GSM beyond LTE. It appears that Verizon pushed out an update with 4.1.2 Jelly Bean which enabled support for GPRS/EDGE/GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz and HSPA/UMTS 2100 MHz (band 1). T-Mobiles 3G support requires AWS-1700/2100 (band 4), however they do support 1900 MHz for GSM/EDGE 2G service.

So you can get EDGE but not HSPA, although you may soon get LTE depending on T-Mobiles rollout.
> 1 votes

---
Tags: samsung-galaxy-s-3, t-mobile
---


# Question
Title: Transfer a folder with subfolders from PC to Smartphone Note 3 via WLAN
I'd like to transfer a folder with approx. 300 files (wma, mp3 etc.) in different subfolders to the Galaxy Note 3 External SD Card.

I've tried some possible solutions: WiFi File Transfer Pro: does not transfer the subfolder-structure AirDroid: is too expensive (approx. 20 Dollars per year) Kies Air: does not work neither

Is there any (almost) free solution?

I tried and it was possible per hazard with this one: "ES Datei Explorer" App --\> Activate ES FTP-Server Installation of FileZilla on PC and open this WLAN Server Nummer It was possible to tansfer whole subfolder structure

If someone knows an even bether or easier way (because in the way describes with FileZilla you cannot directly transfer to the external SD Card, you have to move on the smartphone afterward) please let me know.

# Answer
> 1 votes
There are a number of programs. You're described the functionality of an FTP or SMB service.

One of the best is Servers Ultimate.

You might also take a look at Airdroid.

Type this in the file explorer window of your OS to see a GUI resolution:

```
ftp://192.168.1.150:2121

```

*(The IP address should be replace for the one that Servers Ultimate Pro gives you.)*

You'll end up with a regular file browser window where you can drag and drop items between your computer and your Android.

This is a view of your drag/drop (copy option) in Linux:

This is a view of your drag/drop (copy option) in Windows:

The Android is on the left of the two pictures. The PC is on the right of the two images.

When you drag and drop, you can drag and drop (transfer) **full subfolders** between the Android and the PC, or of course individual files.

**Enable write access for the user:**

Ensure you have setup a user for your ftp server and enabled write access for this user. You can check this by clicking (from Servers Ultimate Pro):

* Click on Servers then Click the FTP server you setup
* Click Edit
* Click General
* Click Users
* Click the specific user
* Put Check mark in Allo write access

# Answer
> 0 votes
1. Get ADB running on your computer (see e.g.: Is there a minimal installation of ADB?)
2. Enable wireless ADB on your Android device
3. on a command line: `adb push <local_folder> <remote_folder>` to get the files from your computer to the Android device – or `adb pull <remote_folder> <local_folder>` for the other direction

---
Tags: file-transfer, ftp
---


title: how to stop an app upgrading?

text:
# Question
Title: how to stop an app upgrading?
How can I pin an app so that it can't be upgraded? I have one app where version 2 is not as good or stable as version 1, so I want to pin it at version 1 and not upgrade it .

# Answer
> 2 votes
I needed to do that for Google Maps. I still believe the original Google Map is about the best. The upgrade lost a lot of functionality, almost two years ago and still hasn't caught up.

So I had to do the same thing you described and found that the only way to do this was to disable auto updates and only manually update the items (all the items) except for Google maps.

You can disable auto updates by going (from the Android) into Google Play \> Apps \> Options \> Settings \> (Click on) Auto-update Apps \> (Tick) Do not auto-update apps

After you have done this, you'll be notified when Apps have updates. You can select which ones to update from the notice.

---
Tags: updates
---


# Question
Title: Galaxy S3 high RAM consumption even on idle
I have a Galaxy S3 International Version, without any modification whatsoever-- no rooting, no nothing. It is as good as a stock phone with a few Play Store apps.
However, of late, I have begun experiencing problems

I do not have background processes (of my own) running and even then all I have left free in the RAM is usually only 300MB of the 800MB that is there. Task killers cannot free more than that.

I experience lag when opening settings. What I mean is this: Say I click on the `Battery` option under Settings. There is a visible lag between the time I press the option and when the battery information is actually displayed on the screen.

Android Version: 4.1.2
Build Number: JZO54K.I9300XXEMF6

# Answer
> 2 votes
First a few things on the symptoms:

* On Unix/Linux/Android, "free RAM" is considered a "wasted resource". If RAM is not occupied by running processes themselves, the system uses it to buffer and cache other things, like the file system. This should speed things up, as usually RAM allows faster access.
For more details, please check out ram tag-wiki.
* "task killers" are discussed controversely. While most (if not all) people agree they are fine to stop "rogue processes", it's certainly not their job to "free up RAM" or even "save battery". In these terms, they are rather contra-productive, as most killed processes simply restart themselves (which costs more battery than if they'd kept running, and fills up the "freed RAM" again as well).
For details on this, closer information can be found in the answers on e.g. Do I really need to install a task manager?, Do task killers actually work? and Is it advisable to run a task killer app on Android.

And finally, to the issue itself (experiencing lags). As you describe it as a problem "growing with the time" (i.e. it was not there in the beginning, but slowly became more and more visible), you will probably find some help in the answers to My device is getting slow, apps start misbehaving/crashing. What can I do?

# Answer
> 2 votes
The lag you're seeing is unrelated to RAM usage. My "international" S3 runs the stock ROM and isn't rooted. Right now it has 277 MB free and it never lags at all.

As Izzy explains, free RAM is not a predictor of performance on Android. Android tries its best not to remove processes from RAM when they stop running, because if the same process needs to run again, it would cost energy and cause lag to load it into RAM again next time.

The only time you get lag as a result of RAM use is after you've used one particular RAM-hungry app. When one app hogs all the RAM, all these "cached" processes get evicted from RAM to free it up. Then, when you switch to a different app (even the launcher or settings), Android has to stop the memory-hungry process and load the new one into RAM from storage.

Oddly enough, this is the behaviour you get for every app, if you use a task killer to keep stopping background or cached processes, or if you force-close every app (or swipe them out of the recent apps list).

# Answer
> -1 votes
Very elegant solution - root the phone, download nobloat app. Disable all unnecesary processes - google for the ones u can disable . My phone is 500% more responsive after this. I am using original samsung 4.3 rom .

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Tags: samsung-galaxy-s-3, ram
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title: Reliable way to set DNS

text:
# Question
Title: Reliable way to set DNS
I have an LG P880 phone on 4.2 and a 2013 Nexus 7 on 4.4. I use 2G, 3G and Wifi for the phone. I am experimenting with changing the DNS to Google's. I do notice that the ISP (Wifi of course) DNS performance is unacceptable.

Which is an app that allows me to set DNS with minimum drama: no random failures, no need of root, no interception of traffic (one app creates a VPN)?

# Answer
Go into WiFi Settings \> (Press and hold) the preferred network connection \> (Click) Modify network config \> (Check) Show advance options \> (Select) Static (instead of DHCP) \> \[Under DSN 1 and DSN 2 enter your choice) \> (Click) Save

This will work for wifi. I don't think it will change the DNS provided by your phone carrier.

When you specify static you are overriding the DHCP distribution of the router. You would have to specify an IP address outside of the specified automatic range pool
> 0 votes

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Tags: internet
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# Question
Title: Pop-up advertising message filling the screen
Sony Xperia M, model C1905. Android 4.3 official firmware, build number 15.4.A.1.9

Screenshot (click to enlarge)

The blue button on the message is a link to play.google.com of "du speed booster" page. It is a useless application. All of applications on a phone installed from google play site. First time I thought, this message is an android generated to force me to free some internal memory. Now there is enough free memory, and the message still appears.

I do not know how figure out the harmful application. I searched in Google by words in message to find people, who faced the same message and solved the problem, but there are no such results. I have installed the AirPush Detector, but it did not find anything.

Must I do full wipe?

# Answer
That's not an Airpush ad. Also, these kind of ads are forbidden by the Google Playstore TOS. Always pointing to the same app *suggests* another app from the same developer placing it, not an ad module.

I'd first check which apps are running when this happens (*Settings→Apps*, select the corresponding tab). See if there are "non-essential" apps listed which you can live without. Note them down.

Second, check permissions of the apps installed. There are some permission checker apps available which make things easier for you. Fot this specific case, Permission Explorer seems to be a good candidate:

*Permission Explorer:* List of permissions, apps using a certain permission (source: Google Play; click images for larger variants)

As the screenshots show, this app allows you to browse your installed apps *by permission*. Your screenshot looks like a system alert window, so the offending app most likely has the SYSTEM\_ALERT\_WINDOW permission. Check for apps having this permission. Note them down.

In a third step, compare your notes: apps that were running when the message appeared, apps using the `SYSTEM_ALERT_WINDOW` permission. If you find a match, you most likely found your offender. Uninstall it, and see whether your issue is gone then.

If this has solved your issue, don't forget the following to help others: check if that app is still on *Google Play*, and if the version there matches the version you have installed. If so, first report that app to Google, as it violates the TOS, and put a comment warning others. Google should react by removing the app from the store.
> 14 votes

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Tags: sony-xperia, ads
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# Question
Title: Not able make conference call in Motoroal MOTO E
When i tried to make a conference call in Motorola MOTO E it is not allowing.

While giving the merge call option it says "Conference call is not allowed".

please clear my doubt whether MOTO E supports Conference call facility or not .

# Answer
> 2 votes
That message tells you that conference calling is not allowed **by your carrier**; it's not that the phone doesn't support it. You need to contact your carrier to enable this feature.

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Tags: calls, motorola-moto-e
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