# Question
Title: Reinstalling purchased apps on a new phone?
> **Possible Duplicate:**
> Move paid apps between devices?

My contract is getting close to finishing so I'll be upgrading to a new Android phone and giving my old phone to a family member.

When I move my Google account across to my new phone will I have to repurchase or just re-download my paid for apps?

Also will I'll have to remove the paid for apps from my old phone before it is associated with a new Google account?

# Answer
> 9 votes
You will not have to repurchase them if you associate the same Google account with the new device. They will be available in your market to re-download.

I don't know if you can have more then one phone associated with the same account, but I did not do anything when I got a new phone, except associate my google account to the new phone.

# Answer
> 4 votes
You just have to re-download them, not re-purchase them. The apps are tied to your account, not your device.

As far as I know you don't have to do a thing to your old device before your apps are available for download and installation on your new one.

Post #2 in this thread states the same, for what it's worth.

# Answer
> 3 votes
Amazon App Store also follows the same model. I had to switch to a different ROM after clearing cache and reinstall on my NotionInk Adam Tablet. Through the browser I reinstalled the AmazonAppStore App. I used the same amazon UserID and passwd. It immeidately recognized all the apps I had purchased and provided option to download and re-install them.

---
Tags: applications, accounts
---


# Question
Title: What can cause a Droid Incredible to stop connecting to a PC via USB?
When I connect my phone to my laptop via USB, it is able to charge, but I am not able to mount it as a drive. Neither my computer nor my phone recognize that there is a device plugged in. This happened within the past few days, and I don't think that I changed anything on either side.

I already checked the settings and USB debugging is on, USB debugging notify is on, and Stay awake is on in the Development settings menu. I also tried rebooting both devices to see if that would fix it, but it hasn't.

My phone is a Droid Incredible running CM7.0.3. My laptop is running Windows 7.

# Answer
Try changing usb cable. Bad cables can cause this (at least I had this problem once, which went away simply by using another cable).
> 3 votes

# Answer
It could also be that Windows 7 or the BIOS disabled that USB port...possibly due to something power related. Have you switched the USB port you're plugged into? Possibly try switching to another USB port.
> 1 votes

# Answer
It's also possible that you've damaged some of the pins on the device's micro USB connector. If connecting it to another computer with another cable doesn't works I could recommend you to contact your dealer for repair :)
> 1 votes

# Answer
As another possibility (although you mention that you did not change anything on the PC): I had a similar problem once when I still had my PALM desktop software (and synchronization software) installed on my PC.

After a log of searching I found out that the PALM sync software used the COMM4 port on my PC.

For some reason, the USB connection between my Galaxy S and my Windows 7 PC used the same port.

Once I uninstalled the PALM software, the USB connection worked flawlessly.

Maybe more technical people at this forum can explain why, but that's what I found out.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: cyanogenmod, htc-droid-incredible, usb-connection-mode
---


# Question
Title: Help with resizable widgets on Samsung Galaxy S 2?
I'm using the default launcher (TouchWiz 4.0). Some of the widgets can be resized which is great, but unfortunately it seems many others cannot be resized at all.

1. What causes this discrepancy?
2. Is there any other way to resize those seemingly non-resizable widgets?
3. Is there a way to tell in advance whether a widget (for example, one I am seeing on the market) is resizable this way?

# Answer
Stock Android widgets are not re-sizable (although this is supposedly a feature that will be coming soon). If you can re-size some of them one of two things is going on: either the developer of the widget made it that way, or Samsung implemented this ability to work for some widgets. In the case of the latter they probably had to set it up specifically for the widgets that do it, so it is unlikely that any you find on the market are going to be re-sizable via TouchWiz. However, you do have another option. Launcher pro is a homescreen replacement app on the market; the paid version (yes the free version is misleadingly called launcher pro) offers resizing widgets as one of the added features. To my knowledge that would work for any widget regardless of how the developer made it. So if you're willing to put a couple bucks into it, you can re-size any widget that you want.
> 1 votes

---
Tags: app-widgets, samsung-touchwiz, samsung-galaxy-s-2
---


# Question
Title: What to do with 'duplicate' apps? (ie. HTC version and 'vanilla' version)
I was going through my app list today when I saw:

> Facebook
>
> Facebook for HTC Sense

similarly, there are other "duplicate" apps like Peep & Twitter, Mail & Gmail, Calendar (red) & Calendar (blue).

At the moment, with an un-rooted phone I believe I can only remove the non-HTC versions. However if I root my phone, I should be able to remove the HTC versions if I want.

I was wondering though, what would happen if I remove the HTC versions of the apps? Will it mean HTC-integrated apps like friend stream will stop working?

Thanks in advance :)

# Answer
You are running sense that comes with these "extra" "sense like experience" apps.

You are right, you cannot remove them by normal means. If you go to manage applications and select each htc app (Peep, facebook for htc sense) you will not be given the option to uninstall them or delete them.

If you do root your phone, you will be able to uninstall them via either adb or flashing some zips. You won't be able to just uninstall them the normal way once rooted.

Removing peep can possibly disrupt some htc widgets but you can still access twitter via the twitter app or other apps such as plume, tweetdeck etc. Same thing for facebook/facebook for htc sense.

Friend stream is another htc app that integrates other social apps. Users report different compatibility issues between Friend stream and versions of the social apps. It does allow login with any version of facebook/twitter/flickr.
> 3 votes

---
Tags: applications, htc, bloatware
---


# Question
Title: Update ongoing notification stuck after reboot
I selected to upgrade all of my applications, but my phone shut down for some reason during the upgrade. After restarting, I noticed that the upgrade was stuck so I cancelled the updates. Unfortunately, I still saw a notification that the other app were being downloaded. Even after restarting more times, clearing market data and killing the download process, the issue remains. How can I fix this?

# Answer
> 1 votes
Strange that clearing the data did not fix it. However, you should be able to click on each of the apps that are pretend-downloading and hit Cancel.

---
Tags: google-play-store
---


# Question
Title: Why most of the devices supported by CyanogenMod are from HTC?
Why most of the devices supported by CyanogenMod are from HTC?

# Answer
> 11 votes
Because, for the most part, HTC doesn't try to lock down their phones. Compare this to Motorola: all their phones have locked bootloaders except for the original Droid. However, Motorola has been showing signs that they might be changing this behavior in the future. A lot of the HTC phones can use the Unrevoked method to root their phones (except for maybe the Thunderbolt?).

# Answer
> 1 votes
In the past, HTC phones have been the easiest to unlock, which directly translates to their hackability and therefore support from community developers.

Allegedly, newer HTC devices are a lot more restricted, which will put a damper on custom ROM availability. I believe Samsung will soon take the lead in the "most hackable" category, and we'll start seeing more of their handsets on the CM's "supported" list.

---
Tags: cyanogenmod
---


# Question
Title: “There are no android phones associated with this account.”
I recently bought an eLocity A7 Internet Tablet. I'm unable to download any apps from the Android Market, even though I have a Google account. I keep getting the reason, “There are no android phones associated with this account.”

One fix I've heard of is to get a gmail account and hook up your Android phone number to it, then it will be associated with the account. But the eLocity tablet is not a phone.

Another fix has to do with installing the Android Market apk file, which brings a user to the Android Market. Signing in will associate the device with the account. But I haven't found a reputable link from which to download the app.

Any other ideas?

# Answer
> 8 votes
In short, you have a non-Google-approved device. That's why there are no Google apps on it. And you can't download from the Market unless you have the Market installed on your device.

There are ways to get the Market on your device anyways, though. (See this question). However, none of those ways will have a "reputable link" for you to download. You're going outside Google and possibly the law, depending on your jurisdiction.

# Answer
> 2 votes
Looks like this is a very common problem, and I guess the google guys are on it, but so far, no solution.

I bought an Archos tablet and for two days I've been trying to download and install a good browser. I tried every single solution I found in every single forum on line (believe me when I say that it is a very common problem!!!). No luck.

What worked for me was quite simple: I found a website where you can download the same apps and they actually can be downloaded. You don't even need to create an account!! Try it: http://www.freewarelovers.com/android. Maybe you will find what you want. I did.

Good luck!

# Answer
> 1 votes
Regardless of an Android device being a phone or tablet, I *believe*, that to make use of the core Google apps you will need to tie directly to a Google account. I am user of a Moto Xoom (wifi only) and this is absolutely true. So I would suggest adding a Google account with the device (Settigns - Accounts & Sync).

---
Tags: google-play-store, accounts
---


# Question
Title: Are there cases where Android would start an app/service other than due to Intents or explicit user start?
I'm trying to understand how/why some of the processes that are running on my phone (DroidX, stock 2.2 ROM).

It's obvious that 2 likely reasons for a process to start are:

* A direct action by the user/another program to start it (e.g. click on the icon of an app, or another process launches the .apk explicitly)
* An Intent is registered by the app, and the event associated with that intent happens.

**The question is, are there other reasons/causes/mechanisms by which a process could be started in Android?** (**aside from Intents** or direct launch).

P.S. As a plausible theory, something could be started off of init.rc (being how Android is based off of Linux) but I don't know enough about Android internals to judge if it launches any apps via init.rc

# Answer
> 1 votes
A raw native process can be created by any of the usual unix-like mechanisms.

An android activity or service is usually forked off by zygote (in response to an intent), but I think there's an obscure way to start a vm by hand using app\_process.

---
Tags: launcher, task-management, multitasking, processes
---


# Question
Title: Different notification tones for multiple Gmail accounts
Is it possible to use different notification tones for each Gmail account? I.e.:

account1@gmail.com =\> tone X
account2@gmail.com =\> tone Y

Maybe with a helper app?

# Answer
The GMail app already appears to do this on a per-account basis. Simply open an account, then navigate to `(Menu button)->More->Settings->Select Ringtone`. This works fine on my version (2.3.4.1) and allows me to set a different ringtone for each account.

You can also use this to cause some accounts to provide vibrate/audible notifications while others do not. For example, my work account is set to vibrate "for all notifications", but my other accounts have their vibration set to "Never".
> 5 votes

---
Tags: gmail, notifications
---


title: Google Goggles Battery use

text:
# Question
Title: Google Goggles Battery use
I have not even opened the google goggles app in several weeks. Why does my phone report that it is using such a large amount of my battery? This is especially disconcerting considering that this app has the ability to analyze images which it could be taking without my knowledge or consent. Anyone else ever experienced this?

# Answer
> 3 votes
I have had similar issues with Google Goggles, the Android API Demo app, and one or two other apps. I strongly believe this is just a bug in the battery statistics, as it has never impacted my battery life in a meaningful way. Usually the way I make this go away is by rebooting the phone, although that is not ideal.

# Answer
> 1 votes
I also had a similar problem,to me it looked like battery stats issue, i discharged my phone completely and then recharged it. That solved problem with my phone.

---
Tags: battery, google-goggles
---


# Question
Title: Why does my phone occasionally show the boot animation?
I have a Motorola XT720 on eclair. A couple times, I've seen it show the boot animation (mystical Motorola logo), usually it's while it's sleeping. After I see the boot animation, I am on Emergency calls only, just like when I first boot my phone. (I'm not sure if this is normal either.)

I just saw this now, and it was plugged into my computer (usb debugging enabled). I had it set to memory card access and ejected it and switched to portal & tools. It sat for a couple minutes and then I saw the logo. I touched the screen and it showed my lock screen.

I'd assume this is a crash and reboot, except that if I goto Settings \> About phone \> Status, I see the uptime listed as 116 hours.

What is the phone doing? Does anyone else see this behaviour?

---

Update: I read elsewhere that it may be related to the SD card and I've started fscking whenever it happens.

First I find out where my device is connected (I'm on /dev/sdb1) and then I fsck.

```
grep fat /etc/mtab
sudo fsck.vfat -r /dev/sdb1

```

fsck will do interactive repair and ask you how to fix the errors. After I get one of these crashes, there are errors to repair. I think this has reduced the crash frequency.

---

Update 2: I put in an old 1 GB SD card awhile ago and I don't remember the last time I saw one of these crashes.

# Answer
This is a crash and restart of the android runtime, without a crash and reboot of the underlying linux operating system kernel. The uptime refers to the underlying linux, so it is maintained across the framework restart.

The difference between a framework crash and restart vs. a kernel crash and reboot is not very apparent to the end user, since there's no visual console while the gui is down; from a debugging perspective though they are very different and imply bugs in different parts of the system.

For point of comparison, if you connect to a device by adb (and I think this even works on a secured, ie not rooted one), you can cause a framework restart by typing

```
stop ; start

```

and a reboot by typing

```
reboot

```

You may or may not see any difference in sequence of splash screens, though the framework restart may be a little faster than a reboot.
> 6 votes

# Answer
This may not be exactly what you are seeing, but I have seen situations where the "home"/launcher app will be garbage collected. The next time the phone returns to the home screen, it shows a loading screen as it restarts the launcher app.

Depending on the model of phone, ROM, and launcher you use, this initialization screen may be different, and it may go through the process of re-detecting the current signal/connection, etc. So it could be a question of which parts of the boot sequence are actually the boot sequence and which parts are the launcher startup which happens immediately after bootup, but which can occur at other times too.

On my Droid Incredible with Skyraider, I see the Skyraider launcher splash screen (which is different from the boot animation) and then I see all the widgets and shortcuts on my home screen load from scratch when this happens.
> 1 votes

---
Tags: 2.1-eclair, motorola, boot-animation
---


# Question
Title: Is there a way to turn off backlit buttons on Motorola Droid?
The four buttons at the bottom of the Motorola Droid (back,menu,home,search) are backlit when its dark and the phone is unlocked. The brightness of the buttons' back light doesn't adjust with the brightness of the screen, which can be a real problem when I'm using an app at night. Is there any way to turn off or dim these buttons?

# Answer
There's the LEDs Hack app if you've got the root thing going.
> 2 votes

# Answer
There's an app called Screen Filter that will allow you to switch the menu button backlight off.
> 1 votes

---
Tags: motorola-droid, backlight
---


# Question
Title: Other manufacturer's USB data cable for charging?
Is there any harm in using a USB data cable of any other phone (say LG) for charging up a Nexus S? "Any harm" here means will it adversely effect my battery life or the Nexus S device in any way?

# Answer
USB data cables are pretty much interchangeable. Even on devices that have modified sockets to allow connecting a headset cable to the USB port, you can usually still use a normal USB cable for charging and data with no harm to the device.
> 15 votes

# Answer
As far as I know, Nexus S uses the so called `micro-USB cable`, the same my Galaxy 5 does.

This is very good, because you can buy a generic cable like that in retail stores or shops that sells electronic stuff. I did so a few days after I bought my cell phone, and it costed the equivalent of US$4.00 in my country (Chile).
> 5 votes

---
Tags: usb, charging
---


title: B&N Audiobooks on Novel

text:
# Question
Title: B&N Audiobooks on Novel
My wife has a Pandigital Novel and would like to be able to listen to audiobooks from Barnes & Noble. The people at the Barnes & Noble store said this can only be done on a Nook. However, since we just recently (last Fall) bought the Novel, I'm not much inclined to turn around and buy another tablet/e-reader for her if it can be avoided.

Is there any way the Novel can download/play Barnes & Noble's audiobooks?

# Answer
> 3 votes
After some googling, it appears that B&N audiobooks are in MP3 format with no DRM. That means they should play on **almost everything** that can play audio, including the Novel.

**Edit:** Their FAQ says exactly that, and mentions how to download the files.

# Answer
> 0 votes
I have a Pandigital and DO play mp3 audiobooks on it without any issue. However, I have been borrowing them from the public library and it seems you have to got through iTunes to drag and drop them to you PDN.

---
Tags: pandigital-novel, audiobooks
---


# Question
Title: lock ES File Explorer or similar options
I want to lock ES file explorer, so that it can be opened after I put a password or pattern lock.

Is it possible in ES file explorer? Is there any other file explorer that provides similar functionality?

# Answer
There are many apps on the market that allows you to password-/PIN-/pattern- protect other apps, see: https://market.android.com/search?q=app+lock
> 2 votes

---
Tags: applications
---


# Question
Title: Process com,google.process.gapps stopped unexpectedly
Started getting this error in the last few days. It is stopping various things like Gmail, Market and Listen from syncing.

I've read that it can be caused by bad data in records and that you should clear the data on the phone and then edit it on the server, but that's tricky if you don't know which item it is or even which app it is in.

Any suggestions? I've switched it off/on several times. The error occurs when I do just about anything in Listen and can't get my Gmail up at all. Only thing I noticed is that one podcast was showing some error in Listen. Dropped it from the queue, but still getting the problem.

HTC Tattoo on V1.6. Not rooted. No new apps added recently.

# Answer
> 3 votes
Didn't find a reason for the error, but ended up doing a factory reset and since then everything has been fine. I had to reinstall my apps, but my Google data came back.

---
Tags: sync
---


# Question
Title: Dell Streak's screen cracked - what are my options?
*I hope this question is being asked in the right place - it's not a question about the Android OS, but it is about Android hardware. Please move it if it's better off on SuperUser.*

I have just dropped my Dell Streak 5", and the screen has cracked.

I have a couple questions:

1. I have heard amazing things about Gorilla Glass - the machine is under a year old, has anyone else managed to get the screen replaced under the warranty because Gorilla Glass is supposed to be so strong? Then again, it could be that the screen under the Gorilla Glass is cracked...
2. Is the screen actually replaceable or is this effectively a brick?

# Answer
Found this on the Dell Forums:

> My Dell Streak Gorilla Glass broke today...i was coming back from eating dinner with the family and walking up the stairs the DELL STREAK fell out of my jacket pocket....and bam crash boom..it has all types of cracks and glass pieces all over the place...
>
> SOLUTION....
>
> I immediately called dell customer care to see what my options where and the CSR...WAS JUST GREAT. She went out of her way to take care of all my issues and she did...before i knew it she had ask for my service tag on my Streak...and some personal info and the next thing you knew it was getting a email confirming that my NEW DELL STREAK was on the way....UPS TRACKING # i was amazed....how quick it was being resolved....THANK YOU DELL

You can also probably get replacement screens off ebay, and I am sure there are youtube video tutorials on how to replace the screen.
> 3 votes

# Answer
I would assume the Gorilla Glass is not broken, just the underlying LCD display, but I would definitely argue that it should have provided more protection if I were trying to get a warranty claim fulfilled. I would also assume the screen is replaceable, most are; talk to your carrier though (not sure if they'll route you to Dell).
> 1 votes

---
Tags: screen, hardware
---


# Question
Title: How to Sync Text Messages from Outlook 2010 to Android
I went from the HTC "Tilt" running Windows 6.1 to the Samsung INFUSE running Android. I use an exchange server plus Outlook 2010 at my office. I can no longer send/receive text messages from my desktop. Everything else sync's fine. Does Android support an exchange between the PDA and the desktop for text messages?

# Answer
> 1 votes
SMS Backup + will sync SMS messages to your GMail account, you can then sync those to your outlook using Google Apps Sync.

# Answer
> 0 votes
No, not directly.

However, if you use Google Voice, you can have all your text messages emailed to you, which would allow you to sync them.

Link to Google Voice

# Answer
> 0 votes
There is a messaging app called Touchdown which will sync SMS. It is not perfect but I'll never go back. You can see more on their website.

---
Tags: sms, outlook, samsung-infuse-4g
---


# Question
Title: How do I sync and share Calendars from multiple Google accounts with my phone?
I have some questions regarding to Android's default calendar app in Galaxy 5 (five).

1. I am working with two Google accounts, but my calendar app shows calendar of only one account which is marked default. How to see events in calendar of other account?
2. How can I sync events of Android calendar and Google's online calendar?
3. How can I share events of my calendar to other Android device or my friend's Google calendar?

# Answer
> 4 votes
Assuming you upgraded your Galaxy 5 to Android 2.2, you can do the following:

1. To sync and see calendars from both accounts:
**a.** If you already added your other GMail account, skip to step **c.**
**b.** Add your second GMail account under `Menu -> Settings -> Accounts & sync -> Add account -> Google` and follow directions there.
**c.** Tap on the newly added account and make sure the "Sync Calendar" option is selected and exit out of Settings.
**d.** Open up the Calendar app and go to `Menu -> More -> Calendars` expand the newly added Google account, which should show you all of its available calendars. Keep tapping the button to the right of each calendar until both icons are enabled, and the text under the account name reads "synced, visible", and tap the OK button.
**e.** You should now be able to view the second calendar's entries in the Calendar app (or any app that accesses Google calendars.)
2. Any events you create on your phone via the Calendar app and assign to a GMail account will automatically sync to your online GMail account.
3. Instructions for sharing your Google Calendar with a friend can be found here.

---
Tags: sync, google-account, google-calendar
---


title: Sideloading Apps on Google-TV

text:
# Question
Title: Sideloading Apps on Google-TV
Even though a new version (which includes the android market) is coming out for the Google TV this summer, I'm a little impatient and slightly curious.

There are a few apps that I'd like to try out on the google TV that I don't think would necessarily break anything (i.e. apps that come to mind don't use sensors, camera, etc) so I'm wondering if there is a way to sideload apps into the current generation of the Google TV?

There is no support for opening APK files natively, but I wonder if I hook my computer up to the STB via USB, if I could run some adb blackmagic and inject apps into it.

Any thoughts or opinions?

And yes, I am aware the current apps out there aren't optimized for a google TV, but I'm looking to add some basic functionality to hold me over until the next version comes out.

# Answer
Unfortunately the ADBD (adb daemon) is not enabled on any current Google TV hardware, so adb connectivity is not possible via USB, Ethernet, or any other means.

However, a few crafty tinkerers from GTVhacker site managed to hack the Logitech Revue unit to enable this functionality. Keep in mind that this is a hardware hack and includes physically opening up the Revue box and soldering connections on the motherboard. You can read more on this mod here. Needless to say, this hack is not for everyone, and carries even more risk of bricking the STB as a plain software hack.
> 5 votes

---
Tags: side-loading, google-tv
---


# Question
Title: Which, if any, of the major console game developers also develop for Android?
The Android market has a lot of apps now, and for the most part almost anything that could only be done on the iPhone a couple of years ago is now possible on Android. The app stores have become quite competitive and comparable.

However, one thing that appears to be missing from the Android Market are major console game developers. iOS, for example, has many titles by publishers such as Electronic Arts, SEGA, and Square Enix. Some of these are ports of console games (like Sonic the Hedgehog), and some of them are made-for-mobile games (like Square Enix's Chaos Rings). I don't see anything from those publishers in the Android Market.

So, my question is **are there, in fact, any major console-game developers/publishers currently selling games in the official Android Market**? If not, is there any reason to believe this might change?

Note that my question is about Google's Android Marketplace and does not include any 3rd party markets. I'm aware that Electronic Arts is selling apps in Amazon's store.

# Answer
Gameloft has been reluctant to publish on Android Market because of their own DRM policies, but lately they have been changing their stance and putting more of their games on Android Market.

EA has plenty of titles up for sale as well (in Europe, see EA Netherlands).

Some other big names like iD Software and Epic have mentioned a strong possibility of bringing ports to the likes of Rage and Unreal Engine to Android some time in the future as well.

And then of course, there's Zynga, if you're not getting enough spam from their apps on Facebook.
> 3 votes

# Answer
How did you search for the publishers? Electronic Arts, for example, most certainly has applications in the Market. I only see one Square Enix game, though.

Beyond that, the Xperia Play will be supported by a line of Playstation titles. They're already starting to hit the market, in fact. I wouldn't recommend purchasing them unless you own an Xperia Play since I have no idea what running them on a non-suported device would entail (or if it's even feasible - I'll leave that to XDA), but it's another angle to it.

Whether or not they'll continue to update them or develop new games...I could only speculate, really.
> 3 votes

---
Tags: google-play-store
---


title: Locale app & export settings

text:
# Question
Title: Locale app & export settings
Is there any solution to backup Locale settings? I've defined couple of rules and I don't want to lose them while I reinstall some custom ROM.

# Answer
Quoting from the Locale's feedback forum regarding the Backup/Restore functionality:

> AUTOMATIC BACKUP/RESTORE
> Locale has automatic backup and restore using Android 2.2's cloud-based backup mechanism. There are no configuration options within Locale--it just works!
>
> To use this feature, simply make sure that backup/restore is enabled by going to the Android Settings -\> Privacy and verifying that the checkboxes for Backup and Restore are both checked. Whenever Locale is uninstalled and reinstalled, the device is factory reset, or you upgrade to a new device, the situations will be automatically restored as long as Android is set up with the same Google account.
>
> Locale's backup and restore is designed to work correctly across different devices with different hardware and software capabilities. For example, let's say a backup was made on a device with Wi-Fi and restored to a device without Wi-Fi. Locale will properly handle that transition.
>
> Automatic backup and restore requires Android 2.2 or later, as well as a handset supporting Google's backup manager. If there are no options for Backup and Restore under Android Settings -\> Privacy, then the device does not support backup and restore.
>
> Since backups are tried to a Google account, be sure to always use the same Google account when setting up your Android devices.
>
> MANUAL BACKUP/RESTORE
> In addition, there is a beta manual backup/restore feature to create a manual backup to the SD card. This feature is disabled by default, and must be manually enabled. After backups are enabled, a new Backup menu item will appear under the menu of the Locale home screen. From that menu item, you can create a backup to the phone's SD card. When Locale is re-installed, it will automatically detect any existing backups and ask whether you'd like to restore them. Because manual backups are a beta feature, we are unable to offer any support. To enable manual backups, please follow these instructions:
>
> 1. Allow installing apps outside of the Android Market
> a. Go to the Android Settings
> b. Tap on Applications
> c. Tap on Unknown sources
> 2. Install Backup Enabler
> a. Open the web browser on your phone
> b. Go to this address: www.twofortyfouram.com/backup.apk
> c. Once the download completes, tap on the download
> d. Follow the instructions to install
> 3. Perform backup
> a. Open Locale
> b. Choose Menu -\> Backup
> 4 votes

---
Tags: backup, locale
---


title: Project my screen of my Nexus One

text:
# Question
Title: Project my screen of my Nexus One
I have a Nexus One, I would like to know if there is any way for me to project my screen content to my large screen TV?

Nexus One does not come with a hdmi port.

Thank you.

# Answer
By "project", do you mean "play video"? Because that might be a bit of a challenge, depending on your network and (phone) CPU.

To just get screens/presentations, you could connect a laptop to your TV and a VNC server on your phone.

If you do want to play media files, and you have a DLNA client (Xbox 360, PS3, one of the million media boxes like Roku) connected, you can install a DLNA server on your Android (search Market - there are plenty) and stream media.

Plenty of the latest TVs even have a DLNA client built in.
> 5 votes

---
Tags: nexus-one, screen-sharing
---


# Question
Title: Why can't I find Firefox in Android Market
If I search for Firefox in the Android Market on my phone I can't find Firefox! How can I install it on my Phone??
Thanks.

# Answer
> 6 votes
Can you visit this link with your phone?

```
market://details?id=org.mozilla.firefox

```

Also you must note that: Firefox is available for Android phones (2.0 and above) and the Nokia N900.

The official page of Firefox Mobile gives also a list of supported devices that have been tested.

# Answer
> 4 votes
What model/OS/screen size do you have?

Firefox is not supported on all platforms. For example, I can get it on my Nook with Gingerbread, but can't find it on my Froyo Ideos with a tiny screen.

---
Tags: google-play-store, firefox-for-android
---


# Question
Title: How do I turn on the battery full notification sound?
Similar to this previous question, but I want to enable the battery full notification sound, not the opposite :)

My Galaxy S used to make a nice beep and switch the screen on briefly when the battery was fully charged, since the Gingerbread update (official Samsung 2.3.3 JV9 release) it still briefly switches the screen on, but no longer makes the noise.

This used to be great because the plug socket on my desk is right at one end, so (if I don't want a long cable getting tangled in everything) the phone's out of my line of sight and I rely on the audio notifications to tell me there's a reason to glance over at it. Now, since Gingerbread, I don't get any audible notification for the battery full, and never know when it's been fully charged.

Unlike a lot of people here I don't plug my phone in to charge overnight (why would I, when I have to pay for the electricity at home :D), so was never bothered by the noise waking me up.

I've hunted through all of the Sound and Notification settings that I can find, and already have System and Notification volumes turned up, so it's not those. I'm slightly worried that they've listened to the moaners and removed a useful feature, but hope that buried somewhere there's a nice setting that can keep everyone happy.

# Answer
> 1 votes
Try Batteryminder.

In the features section it claims to allow for "Low/Full Battery Alerts"

Hope this helps

---
Tags: notifications, audio, battery, charging
---


title: Apps crash too slow

text:
# Question
Title: Apps crash too slow
Every time an app crashed on my Galaxy S my phone vibrates, 15-25 seconds later it vibrates a little longer, shows an error message and asks if I want to close the app or wait. I don't know why this takes so long. I developed an app myself and noticed that the same app crashed instantly in the android simulator, while it would take a really long time to crash on my phone. (I don't think it is because the pc is faster, because the app itself runs slower on the pc just the crashes are faster)

That's really annoying somtimes because some of the apps I use crash regularly and I always have to wait this long. So I wondered if there is some way to change this or if this is the same on all Galaxy S/Android phones.

# Answer
> 3 votes
I could solve the problem by updating to the newest firmware with Kies. Now my build number is FROYO.XXJQ3 and everythings works as it should.

---
Tags: samsung-galaxy-s, crashes
---


title: Qualcomm HSUSB device driver issue

text:
# Question
Title: Qualcomm HSUSB device driver issue
I have a Qualcomm HS-USB device on which I want to test my developed application. The problem I am facing is that the device drivers are not getting installed. I have tried the following steps:

1. Downloaded the Google USB drivers (latest).
2. Downloaded the ZTE USB drivers (the device is ZTE manufactered).
3. This device I have configured earlier also on a Windows 7 system and it worked fine. I dont know why it is not working this time on a new Windows 7 system.

Please help me to make the device driver work. Or please tell me if there is any other solution to this.

# Answer
> 1 votes
As for all driver problems, you should first try the following:

1. Disconnect the device
2. Uninstall all drivers for it
3. Reboot
4. Install the official drivers (probably the ZTE-specific ones)
5. Reboot
6. Connect the device

---
Tags: usb, usb-drivers
---


# Question
Title: How do I load android 2.3.4 onto my dev phone?
So, I have an original Droid (rooted), that is also my working cell phone. Can I load 2.3.4 onto it to develop accessory apps?

If so how do I load the new OS?

# Answer
> 2 votes
One option (probably the easiest) would be to install CyanogenMod on your phone. I don't recall offhand if the latest stable release (7.0.3) is based on 2.3.4 or 2.3.3, but you could certainly use a nightly build instead which would be 2.3.4. The forums for the Droid can be found here, and they have a section for stable builds and a section for nightly builds that you can take a look at.

For detailed instructions on how to prepare and install CyanogenMod, the best resource is their wiki page.

---
Tags: hardware, rom
---


# Question
Title: Will Google Music sync my iTunes playlists?
I have been invited to the Google Music Beta, and in setting up the service, I chose to upload music from "My Music" folder rather than the "iTunes" option, simply because my music files are in the root folder of "My Music" and not in the "iTunes" folder "My Music." I was unsure of whether the "iTunes" option in Google Music only takes the music from the iTunes folder. However, in choosing "My Music" as my upload source, will it lack my iTunes playlists when I play from my Android Device?

# Answer
Figured it out. Originally synced it with "My Music" folder option and no playlists showed up. Restarted with option of "iTunes" and in a few minutes my playlists showed up without having to resync all the music.
> 4 votes

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


title: Can I use Gmail while offline?

text:
# Question
Title: Can I use Gmail while offline?
Is it possible to download the new emails from the Gmail account while online, and then read them while offline? Is it possible to write emails while offline that will be sent when online?

# Answer
> 22 votes
Yes. And not just for the inbox, but inbox and sent may be the only folders synchronized by default.

```
From within the android gmail client:
Press menu
select more
select settings
scroll down and select labels
change the number of days from which you want messages kept on the phone
change individual labels (effectively folders) to none, this number of days, or all

```

NOTE: this answer was written about a now obsolete version of the gmail app, which continues to change in its user interface over time. The answer *will not* be updated to track that evolution, as there are multiple versions in use at any time which behave differently, and it is ultimately the idea rather than the specific steps which are important.

# Answer
> 15 votes
As far as I know, gmail will "cache" your most recent emails. If you have to "search" or browse through any labels, you probably won't be able to get to those emails. But your inbox (or at least the most recent in the inbox) should be available to view since your last sync. Additionally, you should also be able to draft emails while offline (and save the drafts), you just won't be able to send them until online again.

# Answer
> 6 votes
> Is it possible to download the new emails from the Gmail account while online, and then read them while offline?

Yes, but only for your inbox I think. If you open your inbox on your phone while you have a connection and let all of the messages you have unread propagate to your phone, then close the Gmail app and put yourself in airplane mode you can reopen the Gmail app and read through your unread messages.

> Is it possible to write emails while offline that will be sent when online?

Yes. If you compose and send an E-mail normally the messages that say "Sending..." will go out as soon as you have a connection again. I just tested this by using airplane mode.

# Answer
> -1 votes
The MailDroid app gives a lot of storage options to allow offline caching.

---
Tags: gmail, offline
---


# Question
Title: Galaxy Tab 10.1 with unmodified Honeycomb (ie no TouchWiz)
I'm thinking about buying the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1. It will have a modified version of Android Honeycomb (TouchWiz). Is it possible to install original Android from Google on it?

# Answer
> 7 votes
As soon as someone unlock the bootloader(I don't know if they already done) someone will come up with a stock default theme ROM. You can stay tuned at XDA-Developers for news about this.

# Answer
> 2 votes
It's absolutely possible, as long as you can access the bootloader (ie. unlocked bootloader).

---
Tags: samsung-galaxy-tab-10
---


# Question
Title: Are apps downloaded from an unrestricted market disabled when the phone is used in a restricted market?
I am currently on t-mobile in the US and have access to a lot apps that are not available in the Indian android market. What happens to the apps that I download off the US market when I return to India and plug in my local sim card?

# Answer
Most applications should not disable itself, but that depends on the individual applications.
> 3 votes

---
Tags: google-play-store
---


# Question
Title: How to change screen orientation of my samsung froyo device
Any one knows how to change device orientation, from portrait to landscape. I'm new here, thanks in advanced for any help! :)

# Answer
> 2 votes
Normally you just tilt the device. On my Samsung Galaxy S, you should also have rotation enabled (pull down the notification bar, it's the far right icon).

---
Tags: 2.2-froyo, orientation
---


# Question
Title: Manually set a hostname for IP address (i.e. /etc/hosts equiv.?)
I am a web developer and am developing our website on my local desktop machine. I have an android phone (htc desire running android 2.2). I want to test what our web application looks like on android. I can connect to the same wifi network as my desktop machine, however we make use of several hardcoded fake domain names in our web application. On my Ubuntu Linu7x desktop machine I use `/etc/hosts` to set these domain names to local IP addresses.

Is there anyway to do this on android? I want "foo.xyz" (our testing domain name) to point to 172.31.1.67 (my internal desktop machine). Is there any way to do this without rooting the phone (as my android phone is not rooted now)

# Answer
Firefox Mobile supports HTTP proxies, so whilst it's a different rendering engine you should at least be able to get a feel for how your UI performs on a small touchscreen. Here's how to get to the secret config section - http://support.mozilla.com/en-US/questions/758279

The default browser includes proxy support in Gingerbread (although that doesn't help you and your unrooted Desire right now, HTC should be offering an OTA update to Gingerbread soon, or it may spur you into rooting and re-flashing your phone).

(For both of these, you'd need to configure a proxy on your network so that it can serve up your foo.xyz domain)

Finally, you could always use the Android SDK's emulator. Performance will be painfully slow, but you would at least be running the same rendering engine.

**Edit:** As GAThrawn mentions in the comments above, you could also possibly achieve what you want using DNS entries on your network's default DNS server or a development DNS server. Your phone will pick up your wifi network's default DNS server, or you can change it to something specific via Settings \> Wireless & networks \> Wi-Fi settings \> Menu softkey \> Advanced.
> 6 votes

---
Tags: 2.2-froyo, htc-desire, networking, internet
---


# Question
Title: Why can I download Kindle books from amazon.com but not from amazon.co.uk?
I installed the **Android Kindle** application and purchased my first Kindle e-book yesterday.

Although I have an account on **amazon.co.uk** and have used this account for multiple purchases of dvd's and regular books, I **cannot purchase Kindle e-books** from this site.

**I can, however, purchase Kindle e-books from amazon.com** (with the same login).

Does anyone know why this is ?

# Answer
> 5 votes
It's an artificial geographic restriction that Amazon have put in. Essentially the .com Amazon Kindle store is accessible to any Amazon customers worldwide (except for customers who's account has an address in a country that has its own Kindle store). Country specific Kindle stores, like Amazon.co.uk's Kindle store are only accessible to Amazon accounts that have an address in that country.

So, the Amazon.co.uk Kindle store is only accessible by UK devices, based on a UK Amazon account. The Amazon.com Kindle store is accessible to everyone worldwide who has a non-UK Amazon account. The same thing happens for the newly launched Amazon.de Kindle store, only users with German or Austrian addresses can use it. It's based on your account's home address/billing address, not on which website's account you use. You can apply to Amazon to have your Kindle account moved from .com to the country-specific site, if you created your account before your country's site was available, but you can't use two sites at the same time.

Presumably when more countries have their own Kindle store, they'll be locked out of the .com store, and other countries will be locked out of their country-specific store.

# Answer
> 1 votes
Just register your Kindle(Your Android) for your Amazon.co.uk account instead of the Amazon.com, to do it just go to your account on the site and register from there

---
Tags: kindle-for-android
---


# Question
Title: Why does my Galaxy S now displays 'couldn't connect' when I press the microphone key
I have been entering numbers using the microphone key on the keyboard fine yesterday.

All of a sudden, when I tried to enter numbers with the microphone key some time later, the message 'couldn't connect' is displayed when I press the microphone key.

Anyone any idea how to fix this ? Restarting the phone, does not seem to help.

# Answer
> 6 votes
The text-to-speech conversion in Android is all done on the cloud. The phone sends in your recording and returns the speech. You need to make sure you're connected to either 3G or Wifi for this to work.

Do other apps that require connections work?

---
Tags: keyboard, voice-recognition
---


title: Android 2.3 for HTC Wild Fire

text:
# Question
Title: Android 2.3 for HTC Wild Fire
> **Possible Duplicate:**
> When will my phone get the Android 2.3 update (Gingerbread)?

Is there any update on Update for HTC Wildfire to Android 2.3 . I have android 2.2 .

# Answer
From the list of when phones will get 2.3:

**HTC Wildfire (buzz)**

* OTA: never *(source: official mail from HTC support; cause: doesn't meet the min. requirements, eg. 1GHz)*
* Unofficial:
> 1 votes

---
Tags: 2.3-gingerbread, htc-wildfire
---


title: Data only plan on Motorola Atrix 4G?

text:
# Question
Title: Data only plan on Motorola Atrix 4G?
I finally made the switch from iPhone to Android. So far it has been quite nice with the Atrix.

I got the phone with the intent of having 3G data and WIFI only, no voice or SMS.

I got a data only service from a company called FOMA, installed the SIM and the phone comes up with:

SIM not provisioned MM#2

Google searches say the SIM is bad, but that is not the case for me. Here is what I have been able to test:

1. SIM from another carrier in Atrix that has voice service - OK
2. FOMA SIM in a Blackberry, Blackberry comes up OK and recognizes the network

The provider says the SIM is active, which makes sense since it works in my Blackberry.

If I go into the network setup the phone can see the two major providers here, but can't operate on either of them.

Is it possible the phone is saying the SIM is not provisioned because there is no voice service available?

Anyone know how I can go about debugging the problem?

# Answer
> 1 votes
I would talk to FOMA. I once got a data-only SIM from T-Mobile and my phone worked for a couple days, but then they disabled the SIM because they don't allow Android phones to be used without voice. It's pretty stupid, but that might be the situation in your case as well.

---
Tags: sim-card, motorola-atrix-4g
---


title: Can I install Skype on my xperia?

text:
# Question
Title: Can I install Skype on my xperia?
I want to install Skype on my xperia x10 but I cannot find it in the market when I go to Skype.com/m and try to download it, I get the following message:

> item not found

A friend of mine who has a Nokia C5 was able to install it.

How can I install it?

# Answer
> 4 votes
There are regional and phone network restrictions for Skype. They may well be different for Nokia phones than Android phones, and your friend may not be on the same phone network as you.

There (is now) one official Skype app in the Play Store, and one I know of that isn't in Play Store:

* Skype on Three\- Three UK customers only, follow directions on the linked page to get it
* Skype \- requires Android 2.1+, works on all phone networks (outside of the US) where your phone network allows it.

The above options for finding Skype in the Play Store only work if your country has its own Play Store, if your country currently uses the "Rest of the World" Store, then you won't be able to find Skype. According to Skype's FAQ, if this is the case then you should go to GetJar.com and download Skype from there.

Assuming you're not in a country/network that's blocking Skype then your problem may be the Android OS version on your phone, I think most Xperia x10's are still running Android 1.6 and the normal Skype app requires that you be running Android 2.1 or newer.

I think most countries have an Eclair (Android 2.1) upgrade for X10's, check what Android version your phone is running, and then find out if an upgrade is available.

---
Tags: installation, skype, sony-ericsson-xperia-x10
---


# Question
Title: Cancel All Market Updates/Downloads at Once
I just re-flashed CM 6.1 and when I opened up the market to download Titanium Backup, 27 apps started to automatically download, simultaneously. I'm not sure why they'd do that, and they never have done this before after flashing a fresh ROM. Needless to say, is there any way to stop all downloads all at once, or prevent this from happening in the future?

Android 2.2.1, Moto Droid 1.

# Answer
I think it is the result of a new synchronization option in 2.1 or 2.2. On the first boot it asks whether you want to store some information about your apps online. I found it quite confusingly worded and was surprised by this effect. IIRC you can prevent this from happening by refusing all the synchronization on the first boot. And I learned to only update when on wifi..
> 6 votes

# Answer
Try clearing you data and cache on the Download Manager... Menu button \> Settings Applications \> Manage Applications (wait 15-30 sec to load)\> Download Manager clear cache and clear data.
> 1 votes

# Answer
Maybe you're flashing an ancient ROM, where the built-in apps all are now outdated?

For a fast way to stop downloads, shut off the Wifi, 3G, and all connectivity?
> -1 votes

---
Tags: google-play-store, updates
---


# Question
Title: Why doesn't my Evo bring up the Hacker's Keyboard?
I have an HTC Evo, which is still on Froyo. I've installed Swype and Graffiti, and while I mostly use Graffiti (I used to rock a Palm III), I switch as I need.

I heard of the Hacker's Keyboard on the Android Market and I jumped at it. I have ConnectBot on my phone and I sometimes use it to get a command line on both my home and work machine, and it seems like the right thing. But it isn't showing up as one of my choices. Just Swype, Touch Input and Graffiti.

I see "Gingerbread" in the description. Sprint hasn't pushed out Gingerbread yet. Is that the problem?

# Answer
Newly installed third-party keyboards need to be enabled in your settings before they become selectable. Make sure you have it checked under `Settings->Language & Keyboard` after installing.
> 8 votes

---
Tags: htc-evo, input-methods
---


# Question
Title: Why does my Nexus One power off with 15% power remaining?
Once my Nexus One's remaining power drops to 15%, it automatically powers off. On turning it back on again, it reports that it's now on 0% power.

Do all Nexus Ones behave like this, or is it just mine?

Possibly relevant apps I have installed are:

* BatteryTime Lite. This gives a percentage power in the notification bar. I thought it might be mis-reporting, but the value it reports always seems to match what the phone reports in Settings \> About Phone \> Battery Use
* JuiceDefender. This turns the data connection on and off to try to preserve battery.

I can't see settings in either of these that would turn the phone off at 15% power.

I'm currently on Android 2.3.4, but I think this happened on earlier versions too.

# Answer
Probably your battery does not hold as much charge as it used to, and so your phone's estimate of 15% is incorrect; the battery is actually almost dead. To get a more accurate reading, try the following:

> # RECALIBRATION:
>
> A recalibration is mostly needed, when dealing with different kernels (ROOT!). Most custom recovery images provide the option "battery stats wipe" under the menue "Wipe".
>
> Here is how ya do it!
>
> 1. Enter Recovery Mode
> 2. do a full nandroid (or nandroid+ext) backup
> 3. Enter "Wipe"-Menue
> 4. do "Battery stats wipe"
> 5. reboot
> 6. Calibrate the battery by completely draining it until the phone completely shuts itself off.
> 7. Turn the phone on again and let it shut itself off one more time.
> 8. Then charge your phone while it is off for over 8 hours.
> 9. This will fully charge the battery so that when the Android is turned on, it now sees the battery as full.
> 7 votes

# Answer
> Do all Nexus Ones behave like this, or is it just mine?

Mine does not do that, I cannot speak for any others though.

If I had to guess it sounds like for some reason the OS is tracking the battery health incorrectly so when it reports 15% the battery is actually all the way dead. When you try to turn it back on it fixes the reporting and (correctly) reports it as 0% and then probably turns back off a short time thereafter if it isn't plugged in. I think it is probably unrelated to the 3rd party battery monitor app that you use. Are you running the stock OS or did you flash a ROM onto it? If you are running stock the only suggestion I have is factory reset and hope that it is fixed after that. If you are running a 3rd party ROM it is likely a bug in the ROM that is affecting your device.

Edit: I would try @Matthew's suggestion before you resort to factory reset. That seems like it could be what is happening to your device.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: nexus-one, battery
---


# Question
Title: How can I fix Android Market app's "Allow Automatic Updating" checkbox after it hid?
I ran into a really weird problem (bug?)

In Android Market, when looking at a specific application's info, the first area in the lower white half of the screen is "**Updates**", containing "Allow Automatic Updating" check-box.

When I try to click on the check-box and miss even a little, the whole area containing the check-box **disappears** completely (the next "My Review" area becomes top-most).

I can not seem to get back the area for that app, even after reloading its info, or even killing Market app.

1. Is this a bug? A design feature?
2. How can I get back the Update checkbox-containing area from wherever it's hiding?

# Answer
> 2 votes
I don't think this is a design feature ... I'm not able to reproduce this at all (except for scrolling down a bit :).

However, as the Android Market App isn't the most stable app on the Android platform, you might want to try clearing the market app cache.

Go to Settings - Applications - Manage Applications - Select Android Market App - Click the Clear Cache button.

Restart the Market app and check if the checkbox is present.

---
Tags: google-play-store, application-autoupdate
---


# Question
Title: How can I disable auto-rotate on my phone?
I have a Droid 1 now running CM7.

Previously in CM6, there was an option to prevent the phone from auto-rotating (a rotation lock of sorts). The only time it would rotate was when I slid out the keyboard. I can't seem to find the option in CM7 (it might have been removed). Is there any other way to replicate this behavior (or am I blind and missing the feature in CM7)?

# Answer
> 5 votes
1. `Menu -> Settings -> Display -> Auto-rotate screen` \- This option should disable screen rotation throughout the system.
2. `Menu -> Settings -> CyanogenMod settings -> Display -> Rotate 180 degrees` \- This option disables the "upside-down" rotation only.

# Answer
> 6 votes
if you need easy access to it then

Menu -\> Settings -\> CyanogenMod settings -\> Display -\> Interface -\> Notification power widget - \> Widget buttons -\> Toggle Orientation

will add a widget on the notification menu that lets you enable or disable rotation. just about the only time it seems useful is if you are lying on your side and you want the phone to stay in landscape, but it sure is convenient for that.

---
Tags: cyanogenmod, auto-rotation
---


# Question
Title: Do apps that claim to increase SD card performance really work? Strain on card?
I was recommended an app today that supposedly increases the r/w cache on the SD card. By default it's set to 128kb.

I'd imagine this works in a similar fashion to a BufferedReader (in java).

My questions are:

* Does this really work as advertised? Will I see increased I/O performance?
* What effect, if any, does this have on the SD card? Can it cause premature failure?

Below is the Android Market description for **SD Speed Increase** :

> ## SD Speed Increase
>
> This application allows you to make more powerful the using of SD Card. This is changing a parameter in a file system (thus the need of Root access) that manages the size of the cache on the memory card. By default, this value is set to 128 (kb) but it was found that changing this value in 2048 (kb), the performances are optimized, making read-write on our external memory faster. Many thanks to brainmaster, XDA Member that discover this. Note that if you reboot/turn off your device, you lose the setting that you did, so you can click on the dedicated box to allow this app to set on every boot the value that you choose.
>
> This function may be not work.

*Device: ZTE Blade. Rooted and running CyanogenMod 7.0*

# Answer
Here's the original XDA thread.

Basically, it shows a fairly significant improvement for some devices. 2048 kB might not be the best setting for your particular device, so you might want to experiment. I'm running it on my device and noticed a minor improvement; it certainly wasn't harmful. I'm not 100% sure but I would think it would not increase wear.
> 4 votes

# Answer
```
<cynical>

```

To me, it sounds like one of the many voodoo tweaks for every OS.

You'll find that a loud few % of users will proclaim it's effectiveness.
The silent majority won't

If there was an effective way to improve SD card speed then I'm sure the clever engineers at HTC or wherever would have implemented it.

Some of the "improvements" posted appear bogus: you can get 66MB/s read from an SD card? No: you can read from the cache at that speed. Non-cached access will be normal SD speed of course

For example, post 588

```
</cynical>

```

Also from XDA (actual title, BTW): Increasing readahead in a not completely retarded manner
> 1 votes

---
Tags: applications, external-sd, performance
---


title: Galaxy S lagging

text:
# Question
Title: Galaxy S lagging
I've bought a brand new Galaxy S just several weeks ago and so far my expectations are not met. I've never used a PDA before, so I expected it to be a full power computing machine in a hand. :) But here's what I've found out (and corresponding questions):

* sometimes (haven't figured or experimented to find out the proper steps to reproduce yet) it simply reboots without any message, notice or any event alarm
* some apps may suspend the device, which can be solved by forced reboot (there even were several times the only working solution was to take out the battery :S)
* the latest lag I've found was Aldico eBook suspend \> reboot \> sd card is not visible from the app and several other apps, though seen by certain apps (it also removed phone, messaging from bottom pane when showing home screen)
* processor requires a good cooler as reboot/suspend is average after allowed t \< actual t

Questions:

* is it normal/average for PDAs (android devices) to reboot or suspend sometimes (let's say after certain uptime threshold)?
* any one else experiencing reboot/suspend issues?
* any idea why sd card might be non-visible to certain apps but seen by others?

P.S.: my favourite is having default music player not reading .flac format while alarm app does it perfectly. :)

# Answer
> 6 votes
Regarding your first 2 questions (reboot / suspend) :

No this is not normal, however, as a lot of software from a lot of different vendors are running on your phone, it's inevitable that under certain conditions certain apps can cause your phone to "crash". In an ideal world, no piece of software should be able to crash the underlying OS and the phone, however, most likely, difficult to reproduce bugs with the underlying Android OS can lead to phone reboots.

Regarding the lag. There is a known issue with the Samsung Galaxy S and the "lagging". Checkout the links below for more info on the actual issue, and some fixes (all require rooting your phone unfortunately).

Updating the android version to \> 2.1 doesn't seem to resolve the issue. Samsung is aware of this issue, but doesn't seem to have any plans in fixing it (probably focusing on their new flagship phone). It's an outrage that users need to resort to all kinds of hacks on their 500$ phone to get it running properly.

http://crave.cnet.co.uk/mobiles/how-to-speed-up-your-samsung-galaxy-s-with-the-voodoo-lag-fix-50002228/

http://www.groovypost.com/howto/mobile/most-common-lag-fixes-for-samsung-galaxy-s-captivate-vibrant-fascinate-epic-4g/

# Answer
> 2 votes
About the lagging: please update your software to the latest supported by Samsung.

After updating my Samsung Galaxy S to version 2.2.1, my phone was much, much and I do mean much smoother than before.

# Answer
> 1 votes
The lag issues are caused by Samsung's modifications to the offical Android release, nothing to do with Android itself or the capabilities of the phone. For reference, i have owned an SGS for 9 months now and have got it to the point of being basically perfect. The hardware capabilities of this phone are amazing.

However, the default SGS software is without a doubt terrible. The above answer is very good at addressing your specific concerns, but my advice is to do away with the standard Samsung ROM and replace it with Darky's ROM which has all of the above answers already implemented, as well as a host of other speed and usability improvements, including integrating a large part of the Gingerbread UI which is very nice. Version 9.5 would be my recommendation, which is based on the official Froyo release and is proven to be very stable. I recommend you erase all caches and apps off your phone and start afresh - it helps avoid some minor niggles you can have with apps that were installed on a previous version. Full and clear instructions are available in the **Forum** section of the linked page.

With this ROM, i have no FCs and no lag at all, but some of the problems you mention (eg - Flac compatibility may fit into this category) are app specific and can only be fixed with updated applications. Bear in mind that the official Gingerbread update should be released by Samsung in the coming weeks, but based on their previous efforts im still likely to stick with the derived Darky's ROM 10.x when it comes out of Beta.

---
Tags: 2.2-froyo, samsung-galaxy-s, reboot
---


# Question
Title: Is it possible to run Minecraft on an Android?
I was thinking in using some tools to convert the JAR into an APK. But will my Nexus One have enough memory? And what about the controls?

# Answer
Minecraft Pocket Edition is available in the Google Play Store and Amazon's Appstore. Engadget has a hands-on of the game, and "SonyEricssonDev" has a video showing Minecraft being played on the Xperia Play.
> 17 votes

# Answer
I know nothing about Minecraft but I can't see how it would be possible without rewriting big chunks of it. Even if you can convert the JAR to an .apk, there are many Java classes that are not part of the Android API. Furthermore, Android does not include AWT, Swing or Java 2D/3D, it has its own UI and graphics APIs, so the user interface would need to be rewritten.
> 12 votes

# Answer
Android cannot just "run" native Java applications. Android does not have a Java Virtual Machine. Android uses a Dalvik Virtual Machine, which is completely different.

While android applications are written in Java, it is a "subset" of actual Java. so even if you could run the jar files through a "converter", there is no guarantee the code is actually supported by Dalvik.
> 9 votes

# Answer
You can run a JAR provided that is a midlet for mobile (j2ME)

There are some JVM available in the market. I used them a lot in the early days of my G1 for some "killer apps" (Opera Mini, QQ)
> 1 votes

---
Tags: applications, compatibility, java
---


title: All calendar events disappeared

text:
# Question
Title: All calendar events disappeared
Saturday at 10pm I checked the calendar and my events were there. When later, at 1am I checked again, all the events in the android calendar disappeared, while in the web calendar are still there.

How I can restore them?

I disabled autosync and did a manual sync, let some day to pass, did not resold the problem.

# Answer
Open up main SETTINGS \> APPLICATIONS \> MANAGE APPLICATIONS

Press MENU \> FILTER \> ALL

Search for Calendar and Calendar Storage. Clear Data for both and then return to the Calendar App. Choose the Calendar(s) you want from the options within the calendar app (if you have more than the default calendar you wish to sync) and then sync.
> 4 votes

---
Tags: calendar, htc-dream, 1.6-donut
---


title: Download Zip file attached on gmail

text:
# Question
Title: Download Zip file attached on gmail
I recieved an email with a zip file. But I'm not able to download even having some installed apps that can open zip files.

Is there any way to enable the zip file download?

I'm trying to do this on a Motorola Xoom 3.0

# Answer
> 5 votes
The gmail app doesn't support downloading attachments. It does support viewing a limited amount of mimetypes.

If you want to download the zip file, you'll need to go to gmail.com using the browser on the phone and download it from there.

Another alternative is to use another android email client. K-9 Mail works well with Gmail accounts and can both download attachment to the SD card as well as open them from the mail itself.

---
Tags: gmail, 3.0-honeycomb, motorola-xoom, zip
---


# Question
Title: How many DPI does the T-Mobile G1 phone have?
I've got a G1 borrowed from a friend and I was wondering what is the DPI/PPI for this phone.

I tried to Google for that, but no luck so far. Thanks!

# Answer
> 2 votes
According to the specs at Wikipedia it is

* 320 x 480 px
* 3.2 in (81 mm)
* HVGA 65,536 color LCD
* 180 pixels per inch (ppi)

---
Tags: htc-dream
---


# Question
Title: How come my my HTC Desire Z sometimes doesn't notify me about a new SMS?
My HTC Desire Z has developed an issue (well several, but just one for this question) where it doesn't always notify me of a new message. When a new message arrives, I expect:

* the phone to beep (well ring tone), and
* there to be an indicator in the notification area until I look at the message or clear notifications.

This does happen the majority of the time, but sometimes neither of these things happen. But if I open the Messages app, there is the new message. This is really quite annoying, so does anyone know ways to fix this? Are there alternative SMS apps that might be different, or is this functionality an OS thing? Would using, say, CyanogenMod fix it, or at least be worth a try? Is it possible that the formatting of particular contacts would cause such a problem? Any other ideas?

Version info:

* Phone: HTC Desire Z (Vodafone UK)
* Android: 2.2.1
* Kernel: 2.6.32.21-g540976a htc-kernel@and18-2 #1
* Build Number: 1.72.161.1 CL296256 release-keys

# Answer
> 0 votes
Since you're still receiving the messages, the app must just be buggy. You could try using the Handcent SMS app instead.

# Answer
> 1 votes
How much free internal space do you have on your phone? When my phone has too many services running or doesn't have enough free internal space then services will get killed left and right, therefore the messaging service won't run to alert me of a new message. Try uninstalling some apps or moving them to the SD card. You can check for any unnecessary running services under Settings -- \> Applications --\> Running Services.

# Answer
> 0 votes
I had this same problem and all I did to fix it was restart my phone! Worked like a charm!

---
Tags: sms, htc-desire-z
---


# Question
Title: Unlocking Nexus One without pressing the power button
The power button on my Nexus One doesnt work smoothly any more, sometimes taking nearly half a dozen attempts before the unlock screen appears on the phone. I was wondering is there is any other way to invoke the unlock screen on my phone, apart from pressing the power button. I have Gingerbread 2.3.4 on my phone.

# Answer
> 3 votes
Here is my comment as an answer xD

There are custom roms like CyanogenMod that allows you to unlock using your trackball, dont know if there on market is and app for that...

--some minutes ago...--

hey there is one at https://market.android.com/details?id=org.liberty.android.anyunlock&feature=search\_result called AnyUnlock,

there are other apps like this.... --as you discovered xD --

pd: rate with 100 for the effort :p

---
Tags: 2.3-gingerbread, lock-screens, nexus-one
---


# Question
Title: Has anyone encountered (and resolved) the force close issue with Google Music Beta App?
I was very happy to receive a Google Music Beta invite recently. Unfortunately, when I try to play music via the app (on Droid X rooted with Liberty GB 0.5) the application force closes every time. I am aware that since this is in beta, there may be no fix available yet, but I figured that I would ask the question and hope for the best. Thanks for any help.

# Answer
It seems that this issue was related to the ROM. Since multiple re-installs of the app did not correct the issue, experimenting with another ROM (Apex 2.0 beta) did the trick. After flashing the new ROM and installing the app, music streams quite well.

Update: I have learned that the Liberty Toolbox \> Liberty Tweaks \> Ad Blocker feature being set to "Block most ads" has been tracked down as the root cause of this issue. Make sure to "Enable ads" under this setting and there should not be anymore FC issues.
> 2 votes

---
Tags: motorola-droid-x, google-play-music
---


# Question
Title: Minimizing data usage for users with data caps
To reduce my phone bill, I recently switched from an unlimited plan to a prepaid plan which only has a 50 Mb data cap per month. I think that should be adequate for email, google voice, and navigation.

In order to avoid going over the data cap, I would like to disable all data heavy applications such Youtube, Application Update, etc. while the carrier's data connection is on, and enable them only when WiFi is on. Is there any easy way to achieve that?

In general, what settings do I need to change in order to minimize my data usage?

# Answer
> 3 votes
If your phone is rooted, I would highly recommend DroidWall. It's a firewall application that allows you to restrict access to Internet by application. It has separate permission settings for WiFi and Cell data, which allows you to restrict the data usage by the connection as well. Chances are though that you will also need to be running a custom ROM or kernel that has "iptables" module built-in.

In terms of minimizing data usage in general, there are several settings you can play with. I'd recommend going all manual by disabling "Auto-sync" and "Background data" options under `Menu -> Settings -> Accounts & sync`. Then take a look at interval update settings in all 3rd-party apps you use for services such as Twitter (Twidroid, Seesmic, etc.), Facebook, e-mail (K-9 Mail, E-mail, GMail, etc.), RSS feeders (NewsRob, FeedR, etc.), and others (widgets, weather apps, etc.) Most such apps let you configure the update interval via settings. Either make them all disabled/manual, or use the farthest update interval they allow. Also disable any notifications in these apps so that they use even less data.

You might also be able to use some apps/widgets that toggle the data connection (without affecting the cell signal) and only enable it when you need to use apps requiring data (retrieve e-mail, catch up on tweets, use browser, refresh weather status, etc.) and then toggle it back off when you're done.

# Answer
> 2 votes
You might try an application like Tasker. It detects state changes and events and allows you to change settings or take other actions based on that. It's really quite powerful in that regard. Here's a link to the app market

https://market.android.com/details?id=net.dinglisch.android.taskerm&feature=search\_result

Please note that I am in now way affiliated with the company. I just like the product.

---
Tags: wi-fi, data-connection
---


# Question
Title: How can I turn off the "allow automatic updating" for an app?
Once I've checked off the box to "allow automatic updating" for an app in the market, is there any way to undo this without uninstalling and reinstalling the app?

Moto Droid running 2.2

**UPDATE:** Apparently I am losing it. Originally it happened with PDAnet. I accidentally clicked the checkbox and as soon as I did the option disappeared. I tried restarting the market, restarting the phone but the option never reappeared. I uninstalled it and reinstalled it and I had the box back, unchecked. I was afraid to test it out on other apps until the answers below confirmed that either it was an isolated bug or I was crazy. Needless to say I have the option to uncheck it now.

# Answer
On the HTC Incredible I just searched for the particular app in the market, selected it and unchecked "allow automatic updating" from there. Hopefully it works that way on your phone (and others).
> 4 votes

# Answer
I just went to Market | Downloads and selected the app. The "Allow automatic updates" checkbox is at the top of the page and checked, allowing me to uncheck it.

I also have a Motorola Droid running 2.2.

Is there a particular app with this behavior? Maybe it's a system app that requires automatic updating.
> 3 votes

# Answer
I just had this happen to me (HTC Incredible, Android 2.2). An app updated automatically, I decided to turn auto updates off, and the checkbox was gone. Happened with two happens, My Tracks and Maps, both from Google. I found that if I pulled down the notifications panel and tapped on the "Successfully Updated" message for the app to make it go away, then returned to the Market page for the app, the checkbox had reappeared and I could disable automatic updates. Tapping the notification also starts the app, so it could be either removing the notification or opening the app once after the update that made the checkbox reappear.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: 2.2-froyo, google-play-store, application-autoupdate
---


# Question
Title: Is it possible to add a keyboard layout and dictionary to Swype?
I used the official Motorola upgrade tool and updated my Motorola Defy to Froyo (French firmware). Before the update, when I held the Q key on the Swype keyboard, many languages options were offered, and among them there was the Polish language. Now I don't have that option anymore, as there are far fewer languages available.

Is there any way to have that language installed back? I have tried Manylocale2, but it does NOT what I need: it changes the locale, but it will not add any languages to the language menu...

Thanks

# Answer
From Swype Help

> Swype supports text entry in a number of languages. To switch between languages:
>
> ```
> Tap the SYM key.
> Tap the key showing the abbreviation code for the currently
>
> ```
>
> active language (e.g. "EN" for English). A Language Choice window displays, showing available languages. Select the desired language by tapping it in the list.
>
> To toggle between the current language and last-used language, Swype from the Swype key to the key with the current Language indicator.

However if the Swype was preinstalled (as seems the case by way of the update given to you) it seems that you are stuffed as there is no way to add a language, or if it comes to that, edit a preinstalled language with Swype.

This is probably the one downside of Swype, whereby they have a business model to sell to carriers not to the public and a preinstalled Swype is neither updateable or removeable.

Solution: spend a couple of bucks on the excellent SwiftKey in the Market, it has editable and readily available language dictionaries and is very full featured and is directly comparable to Swype.
> 2 votes

---
Tags: swype, motorola-defy
---


# Question
Title: Backup stock HTC Desire ROM with Unrevoked
I want to play with different ROM's for HTC Desire (which is still under warranty). Based on my understanding, in order to keep the warranty and still play with custom ROM's, the following steps are required.

1. Root the Phone with Unrevoked Method
2. Take a backup of the stock ROM
3. Restore a custom ROM
4. And when warranty is required restore the stock ROM from backup

Am I going in the correct direction?. If yes where can I find the guides to perform all of the above mentioned steps.

**NOTE: I don't want to lose the warranty of the phone. I know it will get void once I root it but then there should be options to unroot the device and get it back to factory settings. **

# Answer
Your steps are correct and I would add to the end of the list to remove the rooting as well.

Two sites that will provide the majority of the information you are looking for are Android Forums and XDA Developers

**Edits:**

Video and Guide - HOW TO ROOT THE HTC DESIRE (UNREVOKED METHOD)

Video and Guide - HOW TO LOAD A CUSTOM ROM ON THE HTC DESIRE

In order to backup your stock ROM, after you root your phone and before you install a custom ROM you will need to install "ROM Manager" (available in the Market). After "ROM Manager" is installed and you start it you will need to install ClockworkMod Recovery (the first option in ROM Manager). Once the custom recovery is installed, look further down ROM Manager's menu and you will see an option to backup your current ROM, which is what you want to do.

Once the backup is made copy the file to your computer so you have a secondary backup. In fact, copy the entire contents of your SD Card to your computer because sometimes the card is formatted or wiped during the install of some ROMs.

That will get you started but definitely do a lot of research so you understand what you are doing and more importantly what options are available. There are probably 30 ROMs available for the Desire and they all offer something different. You'll have to find the one that you like the most in order to get the best experience.
> 1 votes

# Answer
If you root or install a custom ROM you void your warranty. It doesn't matter if you undo it. You might be less likely to be caught, but that depends on the carrier/manufacturer. And if you're running a custom ROM and your phone breaks, you will often not be able to restore the backup (depending on how it broke). If you want to keep your warranty, don't do anything that is against its terms.
> 2 votes

---
Tags: htc-desire, custom-roms, rooting, unrevoked
---


title: Open Source Email Application

text:
# Question
Title: Open Source Email Application
Does anyone here know of an open source email application for Android? Thanks in advance

# Answer
K-9 Mail is open-sourced and is equipped with features like search, push email, multi-folder sync, flagging, filing, signatures, bcc-self and more

Project Hosted on Google Code
> 10 votes

# Answer
Android's own Email application is, in fact, open source.
> 9 votes

---
Tags: email, open-source
---


title: Share Picture to Picasa

text:
# Question
Title: Share Picture to Picasa
To begin with, I'm using a Google Apps account as a primary account, and am running 2.2 on a Samsung Captivate, non-rooted. I have Picasa Web Albums checked off under account Sync, and can see my web albums in the Gallery, however, I can't share pictures to Picasa, it's missing from the 'share to' list. Does anyone have any idea how I can set this up?

# Answer
> 1 votes
Found the problem. It's not that Picasa wasn't there as a share option, but rather it was not visible. There were too many items installed that offer this intent, and the Gallery application does not have a scrollable menu. This is apparently a known bug and it's been there for quite a while so it doesn't look like it's going to get fixed either. I now use a different application for sharing to Picasa.

# Answer
> 0 votes
You can try some dedicated apps for this such as:

---
Tags: picasa, share-menu
---


# Question
Title: Why does the clock think he's in Detroit?
We have brand new phones, and my husband's HTC Evo Shift 4G clock app seems to think he's in Detroit. He isn't. We've never even been to Michigan, which is probably our loss, I'm sure Michigan is beautiful, but the point is that it isn't like we've got a billing address in Detroit or a Detroit area code. The map knows where we are, but the clock shows his "current location" as Detroit. I can't find a way to change that in the clock settings.

We've tried with `Settings > Date & time settings` on both "Automatic" and not. I even rebooted after enabling automatic date/time. Doesn't seem to make a difference.

# Answer
I assume you're referring to the HTC Sense clock widget that appears on the Home screen? It looks like this:

If so, it's important to note that the location listed there is indicating what location the **weather** refers to, not the *time*. HTC's support site has an explanation of how to work with the widget, including editing settings.

It sounds like you added a new location to the weather configuration (which is why it separates it into "Home" and "Current location"), but it's still showing some other, non-current, and non-"Home" weather forecast. For that, you'll want to read Checking weather, also on HTC's support website. It explains how to add new cities to the list, how to rearrange the order of the cities (e.g., so that the *important* one shows up first), and most important: how to *delete* one ;)

Don't worry about it being for the HTC Desire S -- both phones run Android with HTC Sense, so the steps will be the same for both.
> 4 votes

---
Tags: geolocation, clock
---


# Question
Title: My xperia x10 is booting again and again
I just installed busybox and then my phone is rebooting again and again!!

What can I do to stop it?

I don't know how to boot it into recovery. I did it once (before I installed busybox) by clicking the back button when it's starting, but it's not working now.

I tried to do it from quick boot (while my phone stays on for a minute or less) but it doesn't work.

I have xperia x10 rooted to android 2.2 with cyanogenmod 6

# Answer
I fixed it :)

in case somebody is in the same situation, here is what i did: i flashed my phone to its original rom using flashtool (if u dont know how to use it go here )

thats it

thanks everyone
> 0 votes

# Answer
Try holding the "Back" key while turning the phone on.

It sounds as if the phone is in a boot loop. Why did you need to install Busybox in the first place? CyanogenMod (and most other custom ROMs) already has it included. I would recommend re-flashing CM6 again.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: cyanogenmod, sony-ericsson-xperia-x10, boot
---


# Question
Title: How can I fix Xperia x10i application crashes under CyanogenMOD 6?
I have a lot of issues with my Xperia x10i:

* I get a lot of forced close of apps
* I don't have zoom in my camera nor flash light
* I don't have Mediascape nor Timescape and maybe other apps I don't know about
* From time to time it reboots from its own
* My music app dosnt work
* My camera doesnt work in apps (like Goggles or Barcode Scanner), it just gives me colorful stripes and no picture

As far as I know Sony has only released Android 2.1 for this phone and doesn't plan to do 2.2, But I noticed (in the info tab section) that my phone is 2.2.1! It seems that it was rooted and had Cyanogenmod 6 installed.

Please help me fix my issues.

i also have several question to understand a bit more :
is my phone rooted? and what does it mean exactly? and if i do this would i still have Cyanogenmod? can i get back after that (i like its features)? and what does rom and mod mean?

Thank you

# Answer
> 1 votes
I fixed it :)

in case somebody is in the same situation, here is what i did: i flashed my phone to its original rom using flashtool (if u dont know how to use it go here )

thats it

thanks everyone

# Answer
> 2 votes
I would recommend going back to the Sony official firmware.

This thread has step-by-step instructions for reverting Xperia X10 handsets to stock ROM. You might want to search the thread to confirm that the process is the same for your X10i model before starting.

Keep in mind that flashing to the stock firmware will erase all of your settings and installed apps, so back up the important bits.

# Answer
> 2 votes
I would suggest to start your phone in recovery mode (download and install quickboot from market). If your phone restart in recovery mode you just need to find the last version of cyanogen working on your phone, install it and live happily.

If you don't feel like it just do a wipe all from your recovery menu (that's a complete "format" of your phone) and install from scratch latest sony firmware from their website.

As you start in one path or another and face different problems just come here with new and more accurate questions so we can give accurate answers :)

You'll get a brand new phone: do not give up!

---
Tags: applications, reboot, sony-ericsson-xperia-x10, crashes, force-close
---


title: Can't connect to phone network, banned?

text:
# Question
Title: Can't connect to phone network, banned?
I need a sanity check here. I was sitting on the train listening to music over 3G, and we went in to a tunnel. Lost the signal, tried to reconnect and couldn't. Now I can't connect to my phone service at all, even though

1) I have a strong signal

2) I can see my phone service in the list of available networks.

When I try selecting the network, it says it's not available to connect, and that I should try later. The thing is, my coworkers have similiar service and phones, and their works.

My question is; can the service ban my specific phone from connecting?

# Answer
> 3 votes
The basic test you should do is to just switch the SIM card: have a coworker of yours try their sim in your phone, or try your sim in their phone, and see if it works. If your sim can not log into the network on a different phone, you should contact your phone company for explanation. On the other hand, if it is your phone, then you should look into that.

---
Tags: samsung-galaxy-s-2, connection-issues, mobile-network
---


# Question
Title: My Nexus One cannot connect to Wi-Fi being broadcast by a Windows 7 laptop
My Android (Google HTC Nexus One) is not detecting Wi-Fi being broadcast by my Windows 7 laptop. However, my iPhone can detect the laptop's network. Why is that?

Is there any solution for connecting my Nexus One?

# Answer
It sounds like you're trying to broadcast a wireless signal using your laptop so that your mobile devices can connect to it. If you set this up via the standard Windows 7 networking tools it would have created an ad-hoc network, and Android does not support ad-hoc connections out-of-the-box.

You can, however, use a "softAP" (that is - software access point) to broadcast a signal as an AP instead of in ad-hoc mode. Connectify works great for me, and I would recommend giving it a try. A list of their supported wireless cards can be found here.

Additionally, you can try to "enable" ad-hoc networking on the Nexus One using the steps described in this forum thread. These steps will require that you have rooted your device, however.
> 3 votes

# Answer
If you're using a different band of wireless-N, your wi-fi may not be detected by your phone, but can be detected by your laptop. I.e. I have a dual band D-Link wireless router at home. All my laptops can detect both 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz bands, but my phone, iPod and Nook only "see" the 2.4Ghz band. Check your router's band to verify it matches what your phone can see (usually 2.4Ghz only).

Another thing to check in the router is security measures: you (or whoever set up the router) may have limited access or visibility, based on MAC addresses, or a manual access page.

Update: The original question was changed after I posted my reply - which was right at the time. Should I delete it completely, or just leave it here to collect negative replies?
> 0 votes

---
Tags: wi-fi, connection-issues, nexus-one, windows
---


title: Read APK permission by shell command

text:
# Question
Title: Read APK permission by shell command
I want to read the requested permissions of an .apk file on the computer (android sdk is installed) via command line.

I.E.:

```
$ android read-permissions /path/to/someapp.apk

```

I know this is possible, I just cant find the proper command.

# Answer
> 29 votes
If I'm interpreting "on the computer" correctly to mean "I want to use the command line on my computer to read an .apk file's permissions" then you can do that with `aapt` on a local file like so:

```
C:\>aapt d permissions "MyApp.apk"
package: com.app.myapp
uses-permission: android.permission.ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE
uses-permission: android.permission.INTERNET

```

If you mean that the .apk is on the device, then I'm not aware of a way to do this aside from pulling it and running `aapt` as above. `pm` has a `list permissions` command but it just lists all available permissions on the device and does not accept a package as a parameter (as far as I know, anyway).

# Answer
> 1 votes
On the device it will probably be easier to look for the relevant section in

/data/system/packages.xml

(which *can* be read, even though its directory cannot be browsed or listed) as this is a text file, while the AndroidManifest.xml in an apk is in a compressed format.

There is code around on the net for interpreting the compressed manifests on the device, but that's a bit more complicated.

---
Tags: permissions, apk, shell, command-line, android-sdk
---


# Question
Title: Hiding System icons in Notification area?
Does anybody know a reliable way to remove system icons from the notification area? I have a smaller screen on my (rooted, default ROM) Optimus T and I find some of the system notifications icons unnecessary. I would prefer to find an app to do it rather than have to do it myself, I'm always nervous about changing framework pieces by hand in a text editor.

For instance, I work full time and use my phone as my alarm clock. I will, for the entire life of my device, have an alarm set. I do not need an icon telling me I have an alarm.

Also, I have no need to know if headphones are plugged into my device. If they're plugged into my device, they're plugged into my ears, and that's an easier indicator while not taking up screen space.

Lastly, I keep my phone on vibrate. I never want my phone to ring because if I'm talking to somebody and my phone goes off, if I answer, I'm rude to who I'm face to face talking to. If I don't answer, then the person I'm talking to knows that I blatantly ignored a call; I'm worried if they call me, they'll think I didn't answer because I did the same thing. On vibrate, I'm the only one who knows what calls I answer/ignore.

Does anybody know an app to let me turn off these system icons in the notification area?

# Answer
> 1 votes
Here is an excellent thread on XDA on how to do this the *really* hard way (manually, with de-compiling and recompiling the framework.) I would highly recommend *not* flashing the different mods from that thread because they are based on files from a different device. Also, backing up the files you will be playing with is a must.

I have not found any 3rd-party apps that can do this. Could be because this mod requires edits to system files that are very device-specific.

---
Tags: notifications, system
---


# Question
Title: Can you read a USB flash drive from an Android phone?
I have a Samsung Galaxy S (i9000) with Android 2.1.

I am wondering if it can read a USB flash drive. It will be really useful to copy files across USB drives so you don't have to carry laptops around.

I think if there is a cable/converter to plugin a USB into the phone and there is an app to read the connected USB drive, I don't see why it can't be done.

The problem is do the cable and app exist?

# Answer
> 10 votes
Yes and Kinda.

You're talking about USB On the Go (OTG) and Android is capable of it but it's not officially supported. I couldn't find any apps in the app market that handle it but here are a couple people that got it working:

http://sven.killig.de/android/N1/2.2/usb\_host/ *(this guy basically turned his Nexus One into a whole work station)*

http://www.tombom.co.uk/blog/?p=124

That second tutorial tells you to hack a cable but you can actually buy an OTG cable so this isn't necessary.

Also, I've seen some phones claim they are going to come out with USB OTG a while ago but I don't recall anything ever materializing.

# Answer
> 0 votes
The Samsung Galaxy S2 officially supports USB OTG. It seems it has a special adapter.

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Tags: samsung-galaxy-s, usb, usb-host-mode
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# Question
Title: Can you connect USB devices to an Android phone?
I have an HTC Desire and would like to connect USB devices to it, for example an external USB thumb drive to transfer files or a USB keyboard.

Is this at all possible?

# Answer
> 18 votes
You want *USB host mode*, which requires Android 3.1 (and up) and hardware support.

Android before 3.1 does not support *USB host mode*. i.e. you can't connect things like USB Thumb drives, keyboards etc.

However, for the Nexus One, someone has managed to modify the Android kernel to hack USB host support to the Nexus One running Android 2.2 (although apparently this hack will also work on 2.1):

And similar instructions for the HTC Desire:

# Answer
> 2 votes
The Samsung Galaxy S2 officially supports USB On the Go (OTG). The official adaptor for the Samsung Galaxy S2 converts your handset's microUSB connection to a standard USB connection so you can connect a USB flash drive. Look for part number ET-R205UBEGSTD.

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Tags: htc-desire, usb, usb-host-mode
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# Question
Title: Set Calendar default reminder to "none" for new appointments
When I input a new appointment on my HTC Desire S (running Android 2.3) the meeting has a 10 minutes reminder by default. I can manually set it to none for each appointment.

However, as I rarely want a reminder, how can I change the default to be None?

Thanks all

Andrew

# Answer
Open the calendar app then select:

Menu-\>More-\>Settings-\>Default Reminder Time

and set to none.
> 2 votes

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Tags: htc-desire, calendar
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title: Which system files are safe to delete?

text:
# Question
Title: Which system files are safe to delete?
I got only 160MB internal storage out of which 100MB is reserved by android operating system.

Which System files and folders are safe to delete?

For example:

* de, fr, es and it files in `/system/tts/lang_pico/` seems useless
* `/cust/hw/es` folder seems uselss
* As I have moved many of my application to SD Card, many folders in `/mnt/asec` seems useless

So which files/folders of Android system are safe to delete so that I can make more space for applications

# Answer
> 2 votes
Not a description of all system files that can be removed but the Cyanogen Barebones page gives a pretty good description of which system applications can be removed and how. This may help you clear out some space. Details here: http://oldwiki.cyanogenmod.org/index.php?title=Barebones

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Tags: files, internal-storage, system
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# Question
Title: can i install windows phone 7 on HTC desire?
I own a android phone, desire . I wish to install windows phone 7 on it . Can I do so ? and if the answer is yes, how ? Thanks

# Answer
> 2 votes
Nope you can't. Android phones are a bit "blocked" for other OSes to be run and installed on the device... By the way the first approach for this can be found at HD2 ToolBox and Hot Bootloader, which may help developers to build boot some other OSes on top of Android.

Different from the Windows Mobile era, that for example my HTC Touch Pro2 can run Android(fully featured) and Ubuntu(with some restrictions), not to mention al those OSes that have been ported to the HTC Leo(HD2).

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Tags: htc-desire, updates
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