title: How can I root LG G3

text:
# Question
Title: How can I root LG G3
What do I have to do to root my LG G3?

There are multiple variants of this device:

* D855 : International Version
* D850 : AT&T
* D851 : T-Mobile
* VS985 : Verizon
* LS990 : Sprint / US Cellular

To add to the How do I root my Android Device

# Answer
> 2 votes
**DISCLAIMER: ROOTING YOUR PHONE WILL PROBABLY VOID YOUR WARRANTY FROM BOTH THE CARRIER AND THE MANUFACTURER. IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO ACCEPT FAULT FOR ANY ADVERSE EFFECTS OF ROOTING, THEN DO NOT READ ANY FURTHER. HERE BE DRAGONS.**

---

For more information, and other devices see How do I root my Android device.

PurpleDrake is a set of scripts that will root your LG G3 device and optionally install TWRP recovery by TeamWin.

It works with just about all variants of the LG G3. You can see the PurpleDrake supported devices in their spreadsheet on Google Docs.

TWRP will allow you to easily apply new ROMs to your device. Which is especially helpful, since it is recommended that after you root you should disable OTAs.

1. You will need the USB drivers if you are on Windows:
2. Download PurpleDrake Scripts (currently R03)
3. Extract the files to a folder you can easily get to.
4. Open the folder
5. Run PurpleDrake

* a. OSX: Doubleclick `purpledrake_osx`
    * b. Linux: In a terminal.
        1. chmod +x purpledrake\_linux.sh
        2. ./purpledrake\_linux.sh
    * c. Windows: Doubleclick `purpledrake_windows`
6. Follow the instructions from within PurpleDrake.
7. After running PurpleDrake, you will still have to install an app like SuperSU, as PurpleDrake does not include one.
8. Disable OTA \[Source\]
    * You will probably want to disable the OTA's. From here on out, if you get an update Over-The-Air, you may lose root, or worse, your unlocked bootloader.
    * From Dialer: 3845#\*851# \[*Replace 851 with your device model number, 850, 855, 990*\]
    * Go to `WLAN Test => OTA Setting => OFF`

**If you install TWRP, then you must be aware, you may run in to issues if you do not disable OTAs.**

**Some "patches" that come down from the carrier will still notify you even if OTAs is disabled. DO NOT INSTALL OTAs IF YOU INSTALL TWRP, YOU WILL GET STUCK IN A RECOVERY LOOP.**

If you get stuck in a Recovery Loop because of an OTA, do not panic, these things always have a fix.

From the TWRP recovery terminal commands enter the following:

> dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/block/platform/msm\_sdcc.1/by-name/fota
> PRESS ENTER, THEN TYPE
> dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/block/platform/msm\_sdcc.1/by-name/misc
> PRESS ENTER
>
> REBOOT

---
Tags: rooting, lg-g3
---


# Question
Title: Android 5.0 Lollipop device not detected via USB
When the device is set to use MTP, neither Windows, nor ADB will detect the device when connect via USB cable. I have tried multiple cables, in multiple USB ports. I have not tried other computers yet, as this is the only one that actually has the driver installed.

*Disclaimer: I am running an Unofficial CyanogenMod 12 build of Android 5.0.2*

Device : LG G3 (LG-D855)
Android 5.0.2 CM12-Unofficial-20141228
Google USB Driver: Installed
USB debugging: Enabled
PC: Windows 8.1 Pro Update 1
No one, except me, has reported this as an issue in the XDA thread.

I have been unable to get my PC to detect the device via USB since I first installed CM12, which was around 11/10/2014.

If i change to PTP, Windows will detect the device, as will ADB. But Windows will only let me access the internal storage, and Camera folders.

# Answer
> 17 votes
After a couple of days of digging, I found the solution to this issue.

I opened up Device Manager. My first problem is I was looking for **Android Composite ADB Interface**, which is what it usually is called. I started looking harder. When I noticed **ACER Device**. My machine is not an ACER, nor do I have any ACER devices attached, or so I thought. I expanded that group and found **ACER Composite ADB Interface**.

These are the steps that I followed that got my ADB working with my device. YMMV.

* Download the latest USB Driver from Google
* I right clicked this device
* Uninstall
    + You may need to reboot after. I did.
* Open device manager up again
    + The device may identify differently, and will probably have a *triangle* icon.
* Scan for hardware changes
* Right click the device again
* Selected *Update Driver Software*
* Clicked on *Browse my computer for driver software*
* Select the path to the drivers that you downloaded at the first step, check the "*Include subfolders*"
* Let it install
* Open a command windows (I had to open as administrator)
* Run the following:
> adb kill-server
* Now run:
> > adb start-server
* Finally run:
> > > adb devices
* Profit!

---
Tags: cyanogenmod, 5.0-lollipop, windows, mtp, lg-g3
---


# Question
Title: Samsung S duos - showing charging symbol but percentage not increasing
I have samsung s duos. Suddently one day, when i was charging .. though the indicator shows charging, the battery level keep going down. I restarted mobile... still same issue.

Then i tried with another charger, and there it was ok. Note: The first charger is a smiley data charging cable connected to Laptop. This charger i was using never, had this problem earlier. Is this OK ?

# Answer
> 1 votes
The charger will show as connected because the cable is making contact with the charging port, regardless of actually charging.

Yes chargers do go bad, usually at inopportune moments and there is a long list of reasons why. Sometimes from being plugged into long, getting dropped, getting too hot, used with wrong devices, being improperly pulled out from the wall, the charge connector getting bent in the charging port, etc.

When acquiring another charger, check a few things.

* Is the charger OEM (recommended, although aftermarket's will work)
* Does the charger have proper charging connector (miniUSB, microUSB, male plug, female plug, etc.)
* Will the power output match the requirement of your device (voltage & amperage must be correct)
* Is the charging cable long enough (for convenience).

# Answer
> 1 votes
It sounds like your laptop can't supply enough current to charge the phone. Most USB devices only want a fraction of an amp of current (e.g. a mouse might draw 0.1 A), so the USB ports on laptops can only supply a little current. Generally a phone or tablet wants 1 A or more to charge efficiently, which most USB ports can't supply.

The cable isn't really the issue. As HasH\_BrowN states, cables can be damaged, so it's good to check with another, but in this case the problem is what the cable is plugged into. Ideally, you should use the wall charger that came with the phone.

When you do have to plug it into a lower-current supply like a PC, you can get best results by turning the phone off to charge, so that the phone's not using more power than it's getting from the charger.

For more explanation of why chargers don't always charge, you might like to look at the related questions such as What causes battery to drain faster than it can charge?

# Answer
> 0 votes
I know how frustrating this can be. Mine did the same thing. At first any micro-usd could charge my phone, then some would not work, then all of a sudden, none of them worked. Everyone told me it is the charger, the outlet, the cable, etc. Luckily, I was in the Philippines and I took it to the repair shop. It was a defective port. They replaced it and it works fine now. It took about 45 minutes and cost 300 pesos = $7 USD.

I hope that helps.

---
Tags: battery, charging
---


title: Does Vaulty app use AES encryption?

text:
# Question
Title: Does Vaulty app use AES encryption?
In the knowledge base of the Vaulty app to answer this question: Is Vaulty safe? they say that they modify the files and the files are safe.

I wonder if Vaulty is really safe and specifically whether this app uses AES encryption or not?

# Answer
> 4 votes
First, I'd like to quote all texts from the knowledge base,

> # Is Vaulty safe?
>
> Yes, Vaulty uses several advanced layers of security to protect your private media. Files are moved to a location that the gallery cannot view and are modified so that they are not able to be viewed without changing the file back. Vaulty's protection offers the perfect balance between privacy, security and speed.

As of current version (4.0.10 r3710), what the app is doing:

1. Move the file to `/sdcard/Documents/Vaulty/data` (can be changed inside the app) with `.nomedia` ("*Files are moved to a location that the gallery cannot view*")
2. Change the file's extension (`.vdata`) and obfuscate the filename (currently, no idea how it's generated)
3. Prepend `obscured` to the file ("*modified so that they are not able to be viewed without changing the file back*")

The app doesn't actually encrypt the file at all. The file's content is the same, but only prepended by `obscured` which make it invalid image/video file. The reason why this works is because of how image/video viewers work. They check the signature of the file, and if it doesn't match to any, they will think that it's an invalid image/video file.

The conclusion is:

1. Moving a file to a folder with `.nomedia` is only safe for device without file manager. However, anyone can download file manager. To make it worse, the file is saved on external storage which can be accessed when connected to PC.
2. If someone doesn't know that `.vdata` is Vaulty's data, then it's at least "safe", unless they analyze the content. However, if they know, then obfuscating the filename is actually not useful at all (any filename is valid for image/video). The only problem is to determine the correct original extension.
3. This is the main feature. I assumed Vaulty avoided real encryption due to speed, since en/decrypting a big file (especially, video) can be slow ("*Vaulty's protection offers the perfect balance between privacy, security and speed*"). Instead, it decided to only prepend a short text, which can be removed easily and considerably faster even on big file. However, if someone knows this, then they can remove it manually and retrieve the original file. From here, they can also determine the extension/file format based on the signature itself.

# Answer
> 1 votes
Was curious so I downloaded the app and tested: pictures are saved in the apps data folder without any encryption.

# Answer
> -1 votes
Vaulty is a private app and disclosing publicly the type of encryption they use would not be in their best interest.

---
Tags: encryption
---


# Question
Title: Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Mini (E10i) stuck on boot logo after installing a custom ROM using CWM Recovery
I was trying to install a custom ROM on my Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Mini (E10i) by flashing the ROM with the `.zip` file in ClockWorkMod Recovery, but after installation the device doesn't boot. It hangs on the Sony Ericsson boot logo.

What can I do to recover from this situation?

# Answer
If you unlocked your bootloader and flashed a custom kernel, try:

1. Hold Home and Power button, phone will restart.
2. Press back button repeatedly, phone will boot into recovery.
3. Now
wipe data, wipe cache, dalvik chache, dalvik battery status. In mount n system: format data, format system, format cache.
4. Now flash your rom zip and after successful flash, reboot the phone.

Note: Always flash the kernel which is given along with the rom
> 1 votes

# Answer
Try to install the stock ROM. Download (stock ROM) FTF file from here and flash it using Flashtool.
> 0 votes

# Answer
I had this too but it was because I forgot to clean dalvik cache. Go into recovery\> wipe dalvik cache\> install zip from sd card. Then it should work
> 0 votes

---
Tags: custom-roms, clockworkmod-recovery, boot-loop, sony-ericsson-xperia-x10
---


# Question
Title: recover whatsapp messages (database folder deleted)
**Problem**

I accedently formatted my memory card which had the database folder of whatsapp which had the last backup of my messages .... Now how can I get all my messages back ?? is there an online backup of my messages ?? Is there a way to get the messages back or should I stop searching for solutions since there is no backup in the sd card nor phone ...

# Answer
I'm sorry for you but that isn't possible. Whatsapp only stores message backups locally. The only things on the Whatsapp servers are messages that hasn't been delivered yet. I.E. Skype doesn't backup messages on their servers and they also don't store messages on it which haven't been delivered yet so the 2 contacts have to be online to receive the message. If one of them isn't the message will never be delivered to the other unless they come back online at the same time. It might be usefull to backup your Whatsapp message backups to the cloud. I.E Google Drive.

Have a nice day,
> 1 votes

---
Tags: whatsapp-messenger
---


# Question
Title: How do I recover photos taken from guest account in andriod 5.0
On my Nexus 5, with Android 5.0.1, I had switched to guest user and had taken some photos. Then I switched back to my admin user. A day after I switched back to guest user to get those photos and started a new session instead of continuing the previous session and I lost all my photos. I know starting a new session would have deleted all data of previous guest user as it is temporary data, however is there any way I can recover those photos deleted from guest account.

# Answer
> 0 votes
No, if it's right what you say and all guest data from the previous session was deleted you can't find anything back. If it isn't deleted completely you can try to look for it in the system folders.

Have a nice day,

---
Tags: nexus-5, 5.0-lollipop
---


title: How to run android apps on pc?

text:
# Question
Title: How to run android apps on pc?
Now i want to run android apps on my pc.I runned apps on pc by using bluestacks but i want to know any other way to run android apps on pc.Is there any alternative to this one.

# Answer
An quite easy way is to configure an android virtual machine (using virtual box or VMware). You can find the Android ISO image here: http://www.android-x86.org/ It exists many guide on the Web to install Android on a virtual machine. (only google "Android x86 virtualbox for instance)

You can also use Genymotion (requires register) which configure a VM according to the device you specified
> 1 votes

---
Tags: 2.3-gingerbread
---


title: Error opening terminal: Screen

text:
# Question
Title: Error opening terminal: Screen
I just installed nano on my Nexus 9, which is rooted. However, when I try to run nano, it says "Error opening terminal: screen."

```
bash-3.2# nano
Error opening terminal: screen.

```

Any help would be appreciated.

# Answer
This would be better as a comment, but I don't have enough reputation for that. I'm happy to help you troubleshoot though!

Basically to answer your question it would help to have more information. How did you root your Nexus and what version of root are you using. How did you install bash and nano?What is your TERM variable set to? Are you using a terminal emulator or adb? If an emulator, which one and what is the terminal type set there? (Look in settings). If you set both of these to something nano can handle this might solve your problem.

Also Google your error message and "nano" - it seems others have had and solved similar problems.

By the way rather than responding to me it would be better if you changed your question to include information about what troubleshooting steps you took. If we solve the problem I can also edit my answer to fit the solution.
> -1 votes

---
Tags: bash, terminal, root-access
---


# Question
Title: AC3 Codec for MX Amlogic MX2 Android Media Player Box
OK, so I have just bought the MX Amlogic MX2 Android Media Player, and I see that it doesn't play the most common audio file, AC3. I know that there are some licencing issues, and I also know that there is some workaround for this, but as I am a technophobe for all things with googly amps, could anyone please provide me with a step-by-step walk-through to show me how to get AC3 Audio?

For instance, do I need to connect the box to the internet to connect to the appropriate website, or can I just download the needed codec onto a memory stick (via my PC) and upload it to my MX2 Player? Aaaaand, where can I find the codec?

Hoping someone can help me..... :-)

# Answer
> 0 votes
AC3 is not by any means the most common file type/format for audio files.
MP3 and Apple's AAC/m4a is do l far more often used especially on mobile devices and on the internet.

Downloading codecs like on PC is not possible. Android has to ship it in it's system or your media player has to support AC3 files.
This is also not very easy because AC3 is patented and licensed so developers have to use free codecs.

---
Tags: audio, mx-player
---


# Question
Title: how to disconnect asus usb connection from eclipse
im a beginner in android apps mobile. i already launch it in my phone asus T00Q, but i have problem to disconnect the usb from eclipse. some said we should put the mode on charging mode and not Media device(MTP) mode, bcause it will corrupt the sd card. the phone showing its charging. but i cannot change it in charging mode as the only option is Media device (MTP) and camera (PTP). how can i disconnect it properly from eclipse?

# Answer
Modern devices and especially devices with their own power supply are not harmed if you simply unplug the USB cable.
Most storage controllers have enough power left even if the device shuts down to flush the read/write cache and prevent any corruption.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: applications, security, usb-connection-mode, android-sdk, asus-zenfone-5
---


# Question
Title: No recovery mode .. Stuck in Fastboot mode (RAMDUMP)
i have my cherry mobile Omega spectrum .. i was supposed to reboot my phone after installing a custom i can't find any answers in my group so i decided to post here about this problem anyone here can help me ?? i'm new here ..p thanks a lot

# Answer
As Ryan commented, you can use fastboot commands to push a recovery image to your phone.

download a recovery image for your phone if you don't have one, then connect your phone to your pc and, via the fastboot tool on your computer, type

```
fastboot flash recovery recovery.img

```

where "recovery.img" is the absolute path of your custom recovery image (path is not required if you placed your img in the same directory of your adb-fastboot toolkit).

Afterwards, get into recovery (it should go automatically there if system is missing/corrupted, if not try pressing the power/vol combination for you device)

As you are into recovery, flash your OS as you normally do.

**PS:** before flashing your system via recovery, remember to update your custom recovery, to avoid using a buggy one. Also, be sure to make it check MD5 sums before flashing.

It is also possible that your problem is temporary: a lot of people got through this just by extracting battery, SIM and SD from the phone and then booting normally. Try this before doing anything.
> 1 votes

---
Tags: recovery-mode, fastboot
---


# Question
Title: delete all email from Samsung galaxy s3 at one time?
How can I delete all my emails without doing it checkbox by check box? I can't do it from my computer at this time all I have available is my phone. And I don't know how to delete all email at once. Please help my inbox is overwhelming with emails.

# Answer
Go to Settings =\> Storage =\> Used Space =\> Applications

Find your email app in the list and select it. For example mine is Gmail.

Click on "Clear data". You will get a warning saying you will have to set up your account again. *It is your choice if this is what you want to do.*

Once you have done this, go back into your email app as you normally would to check your emails and enter your account details. In the Settings of your email app you should set things up not to keep so much email. So for example in Gmail you can reduce "Days of mail to sync" from the default 30 to for example 5.
> 1 votes

---
Tags: email
---


# Question
Title: What is the difference between chromebox and "android tv"?
What is the difference between Chromebox and "Android TV"? I was thinking of buying either a Dell Chromebox or a Lenovo Touchscreen Chromebook to go with my Chromcast on my living room TV but I don't know if Chromebox is designed to work like the Chromebook. Also, would a Chromebox be a good replacement for my Chromecast?

# Answer
Chromeboxes, such as Dell Chromeboxes, are essentially small computers with video output. They are designed to run Chrome OS on a larger monitor - think of these as Chrome OS Desktops, whereas Chromebooks are Chrome OS Laptops.

Android TV devices, on the other hand, are media devices designed to run a version of Android and deliver media (video, music, pictures, and games) to your television. They are more similar to a Roku, Apple TV, and Amazon Fire TV.

Chromebooks & Chromeboxes are very similar, however with different form factors; they should run the same Chrome OS versions and act very similar.

Chromebooks & Chromeboxes work nicely with Chromecast - you are able to cast Tabs, and various apps to the Chromecast.

Using the Chromebox as a replacement for the Chromecast could work - but it would be like connecting a PC to your TV and be very mouse and keyboard driven.

It is a usable solution, but it is not ideal. An Android TV device might be easier, as its interface was designed to be more simple, and easier to read from "couch distance."
> 3 votes

# Answer
A chromebook (or chromebox) runs Chrome OS. This is basically a very lightweight version of Linux that runs a Chrome Browser. You do not have the ability to install "native apps", with the exception of recently, it was announced, you can now install some Android apps.

The difference between Chromebook and Chromebox is a Chromebook is a laptop, which has a screen, keyboard, mouse/trackpad. While a Chromebox is the *desktop* version. It does not include a monitor, nor a mouse or keyboard.

Android TV runs Android. It is designed to be connected to a large display, like a TV. Its UX is designed for the *10 foot experience*. It runs Android applications, but may not run all the same apps that you can run on a tablet or phone, because of the different user experience. Apps need to be tailored to use a remote or a gamepad.

Android TV would be a better "replacement" for a chromecast. As they usually offer the functionality that a chromecast does, and more.

A chromebox is not necessarily designed for that *10 foot experience*, and may not offer you the apps for streaming content like Android TV would. While you could probably log in to the service websites and stream from there. But you would need to have a mouse and keyboard connected.
> 5 votes

---
Tags: chromecast, android-tv
---


title: Gmail offline mode

text:
# Question
Title: Gmail offline mode
I'm connected to my network and Wi-Fi is on but I cannot search in google nor can I send email. It says that gmail is offline. How do I change this? I'm using a ProScan Android tablet.

# Answer
> 0 votes
Just because you are connected to WiFi does not mean you are online.

1. Try browsing using your built in browser. If you can then post it.
2. If you can't, then check if you can browse in other devices connected to the same WiFi network.
3. If you can't, then try running diagnostics in your router. This will show if your router can connect to your ISP. To do this, you have to open router settings in a web browser. Check your router manual for more info on this.

Please post the result from all the abide tests.

# Answer
> -1 votes
which android do you have ? what version of gmail do you have. Tell in detail that what your gmail is actually telling. Do you had forced closed it? if force closed, then try clearing its data and later do everything that you have done in the first time.

---
Tags: offline
---


# Question
Title: Set up new device with very long Google password
My Google Account password is hundreds of characters long. It's intractable to type. That's normally OK, because I use a password manager, but I recently did a factory reset on a 2012 Nexus 7. Tap & Go from my Nexus 4 phone copies all accounts, but asks for my Google password and I can't figure out a sane way to get my password to the device. Here's what I've tried:

1. I actually tried typing it in, once. It took about 15 minutes and I got something wrong.
2. I tried creating an App Password. The Nexus 7 said it was incorrect. I tried this several times, and I'm sure I didn't get the app password wrong, so I can only figure that app passwords can't be used to sign into new devices (?).

I really don't want to change my Google password to something insecure just to get past this step. It shouldn't be necessary. At this point in setup it's too early to install a password manager, and even if I skip sign in now, I can't really install a password manager without access to the Play Store, right?

Is there a way to get my password into this prompt without arduously typing hundreds of complex characters onto a tiny default keyboard? Perhaps a way I can get the password from the Nexus 4 using NFC or any other protocol, or trick the 7 into treating a device plugged into the USB port as a keyboard?

# Answer
> 1 votes
#2 that you tried is if you have 2-step authentication on. The App Passwords are for applications (like some windows apps, for example, that authenticate to google) do not work with 2-step verification. These passwords are meant to be used with those apps. App Passwords will only work if you have 2-step authentication enabled on your Google account.

I would suggest that you change your password to something that you can actually remember, and type in less than 15 minutes, then enable 2-step authentication.

2-step requires you to use an app like Google Authenticator (or SMS)

This app will provide an access token that is only valid for your account, and for like 60 seconds. It is similar to SecurID.

Notice that Google Authenticator will provide me tokens for use with multiple google accounts, and other services as well, and the tokens are different for all of them. The *Pie* is a countdown, and once it reaches 0, that token is no longer valid and a new token will be displayed.

---
Tags: google-account, password, accounts
---


title: LED status light

text:
# Question
Title: LED status light
The light at the top of my phone is always flashing various colours. How do I know what they mean and how do I turn them off? It's Kitkat on Xperia Z2.

# Answer
Not sure what the default colours are, but with an app called "Light Flow" on Google Play, you can change & add colours for almost any app or notification, or indeed turn all off as you are looking to do.
> 2 votes

# Answer
Navigate here. Settings - Display - Light effects. You can find various options on LED flashing.
> -1 votes

---
Tags: notification-led, sony-xperia-z2
---


title: How can I root my Motorola Fire XT316?

text:
# Question
Title: How can I root my Motorola Fire XT316?
I'm new Android user and want to root my Motorola XT316 with Android 2.3.4.

I found this guide but is based on Windows XP, and I use Linux (Fedora 16). Is there another method?

# Answer
> 1 votes
This is an old question, but here are the steps to root this device. I am posting it so the *Rooting Index* is up to date and has an answer for this device. YMMV

These steps should work for XT311/XT316/XT317, XT530/XT531, XT532, and XT611

Steps are from this thread on XDA:

*Looks like this does require Windows*

### Required Tools / Files

1. SuperOneClick 2.3.3.0
2. SUT LR 1.8.2 (Doesn't seem to be working on 64-bit systems)
3. FXX\_PR3\_NV.xml and NvDefinition.xml Available On The XDA Thread

### Before Rooting

Prepare your phone by doing the following: * Go to Settings \> Applications \> CHECK "Unknown Sources"
* Go to Settings \> Applications \> Developer \> CHECK "USB Debugging" and "Stay Awake"
* Connect your phone via USB, when prompted DO NOT select USB Mass Storage.
* Extract FXX\_PR3\_NV.xml and NvDefinition.xml from the attached zip file in to a folder

### Rooting

* Now, install SUT LR
* Run the app
* Select the FXX\_PR3\_NV.xml \[ensure NvDefinition.xml is also in the same folder as FXX\_PR3\_NV.xml\]
* Your phone will restart.

---

Here is another solution that looks like it may not require a Windows PC

1. Extract the file Available On The XDA Thread
2. Mount /system as RW.
3. Open Root Browser and copy bootmenu folder from sdcard/XT530 and paste it in /system.
4. Open Pimp My Rom and Add universal init.d support.
5. Create 97bootmenu manually. (For this using ES file explorer is recommended) Steps:

* Open /system/etc/init.d
    * Create a file, name it 97bootmenu.
    * Open the file as text Type:

    #!/system/bin/sh stop exec /system/bootmenu/binary/bootmenu
    * save the file
6. Change permissions of 97bootmenu to `rwx r-- r--`
7. Reboot your phone.
8. Now your phone will start at bootmenu.
9. Select Recovery\>Custom Recovery

---

To boot the device normally again, open a console/terminal window, while the device is connected via usb.

```
cd path-to-adb
adb shell
rm -R /system/etc/init.d/97bootmenu
exit
adb reboot

```

---
Tags: rooting
---


title: How can I root the Amazon FireTV?

text:
# Question
Title: How can I root the Amazon FireTV?
I would like to root my Amazon FireTV so I can sideload applications on it. Like XBMC (Kodi), Google Play, Google Play Movies.

My FireTV OS version is 51.1.1.0\_user\_511070220. Can I root it? What are the steps to root it?

# Answer
> 2 votes
# **Important: Not all versions of the FireTV can be rooted. See below if your version can be rooted.**

For a list that may be more up-to-date, see AFTVNews software list.

> Due to recent software updates that block rooting, some Fire TVs cannot be rooted. To know if your Fire TV can be rooted, check your software version by going to: Settings \> System \> About on your Fire TV.

* 51.1.4.3\_user\_514020320
    + Released: 2/5/2015
    + Rootable: **NO**
* 51.1.4.2\_user\_514015320
    + Released: 12/15/2014
    + Rootable: **NO**
* 51.1.4.1\_user\_514013920
    + Released: 11/18/2014
    + Rootable: **NO**
* 51.1.4.0\_user\_514005520
    + Released: 10/23/2014
    + Rootable: **NO**
* 51.1.4.0\_user\_514006420
    + Released: 10/23/2014
    + Rootable: **NO**
* 51.1.3.0\_user\_513010720
    + Released: 10/26/2014
    + Rootable: **NO**
* 51.1.3.0\_user\_513011820
    + Released: 9/25/2014
    + Rootable: **NO**
* 51.1.3.0\_user\_513011520
    + Released: 9/13/2014
    + Rootable: **NO**
* **51.1.2.0\_user\_512073320**
    + Released: 8/13/2014
    + Rootable: **NO**
    + Notes: As of 1/1/2015, all updates after this date have not been rootable.
* 51.1.1.0\_user\_511070220
    + Released: 7/9/2014
    + Rootable: **YES**
* 51.1.1.0\_user\_511069920
    + Released: 6/25/2014
    + Rootable: **YES**
* 51.1.0.2\_user\_510058520
    + Released: 4/29/2014
    + Rootable: **YES**
* 51.1.0.1\_user\_510055620
    + Released: 4/7/2014
    + Rootable: **YES**
* 51.1.0\_user\_510047320
    + Released: 4/2/2014
    + Rootable: **YES**

---

If you made it this far, congratulations! You have a build of FireOS that is rootable. Let's proceed

1. Download TowelRoot by clicking on the Red Icon
2. Download SuperSU Apk \- We need the APK because we do not have Google Play - XDA Thread for SuperSU
3. Side load the applications on to the FireTV - This is beyond this question, I may do a Q&A for this in the future. In the mean time, look for adbFire to sideload the apps or Ask a Question for help with this step.
4. Launch `towelroot` from your FireTV application menu
5. Use the remote and click `make it ra1n` button
6. Wait for `towelroot`to finish.
    * You may need to reboot.
7. Launch SuperSU
8. Update `su` binary if you are asked.
9. Verify you have root access - see how can I tell if I have root

* this can be done from a console/terminal window and connect to the FireTV via adb

    adb connect xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx:5555
    adb shell su
10. You should be promted on your FireTV with a *Grant* request

---
Tags: rooting
---


# Question
Title: Why does my Nexus 4 not support WMA audio files?
My LG Nexus 4 (Android 4.2.2) does not play my .wma audio files. However, my generic/budget Android 4.0.3 tablet plays the same .wma files just fine.

* Why?
* How can I get my Android device to play .wma files?

# Answer
> 3 votes
It seems that ICS does not have native support for WMA files.

You can use an app like MX Player (or its Pro version) to play WMA files.

# Answer
> 1 votes
I didn't have any joy with MX Player or VLC, but I did find an app that played WMA songs on my android phone. The app that worked for me is called jetAudio Music Player Basic. The free version worked fine, so I haven't tried the paid upgrade.

My phone is Sony, not Nexus, so maybe that's the difference?

# Answer
> 0 votes
A bit of a workaround, but... If the music (.wma) files are part of your music library then you can sign up to Google's "Play Music" and upload all your library to the cloud (20,000 songs for free). The resulting streamed music appears to be in a format that the device can play.

The "Play Music" app still can't play .wma files directly that are stored on your device. However, the streamed music is saved/cached and plays offline.

The "Music Manager" that runs on your PC uploads all your music tracks (.wma files) to the cloud. However, it doesn't upload songs that are already in its music library. I thought this was maybe the key - that the same song already exists in a compatible format in Google's storage - but it works with any .wma file, even files I have recorded myself.

**EDIT:** If I download a track, that was originally a .wma file, from my cloud library on the web then it downloads a .mp3 file. This is the same for all .wma files - even files I have recorded myself, so Google must convert them.

---
Tags: audio, 4.2-jelly-bean, nexus-4, wma
---


# Question
Title: Does replacing a damaged SIM slot changes the IMEI as well?
I damaged my 3G (WCDMA) SIM slot which I need to get replaced/reparied.

I'm curious whether the replacement will also change the IMEI no or the slot? i.e. is IMEI info linkedup with the SIM SLot (Hardware) or is the information embedded in the phone's ROM

# Answer
The SIM slot is independant from your antenna/radio so your IMEI will remain the same.
No need to worry about it at all.

The IMEI itself is usually inside your phone's internal read-only memory (On Samsung phones it seems to be inside the `/efs` folder).
*Sidenote:* Your IMEI + your IMSI are unique identifiers for your device. It's similar to a MAC address but works for cellular networks. Every IMEI can only connect once to every transmission tower, two devices with the same IMEI would cause both to lose connection.
> 1 votes

---
Tags: hardware, rom, sim-card, imei, dual-sim
---


title: Charging the Asus Transformer (Prime)

text:
# Question
Title: Charging the Asus Transformer (Prime)
Can you charge the Asus Transformer (or the newer Prime) without the keyboard dock?

Since the tablet itself does not have any USB ports, I don't see how you could charge the tablet without the dock or a very clunky proprietary charging cable. However, It seems insane to manufacture and market a high-end tablet that can't charge without a giant peripheral (and sell/price the thing independently too).

Am I missing something? Or, is Asus just insane?

# Answer
It comes with an AC adapter and a charging/data cable which can plug directly into the tablet, though it does still use their proprietary cable connection since it plugs into the same connector that the keyboard dock uses (the other end is male USB).

Using proprietary charging cables is not unheard of - Samsung and Apple have done this; I don't personally like it when companies use proprietary cables, but in this case it's mostly because the charging/data port doubles as the dock connector.

Here's an image from Engadget's unboxing/review of the Prime. The AC adapter is at the bottom.
> 11 votes

# Answer
As others have pointed out, the Transformer does require a proprietary cable for charging. There are a couple of drawbacks to this.

1. The supplied cable is not very long. My Nexus S phone came with a really long micro-USB cable and it's great, because I can plug the phone in and put it up on a high shelf out of reach of the kids (who know not to touch the wires).
2. The cable is a proprietary plug on one end, and standard USB device plug on the other end. But don't be fooled: it won't charge from the PC. The Asus adapter (which is AC-USB power) detects the transformer and negotiates a higher current/voltage. The Transformer won't charge in a standard USB plug. You can, however, use the Asus adapter to charge normal USB devices without problems.

I am not sure why Asus went with a proprietary cable for charging. I suspect it's because that port is meant to be a multipurpose port for the dock, charging, and accessories, and that using a proprietary port makes all that much easier. However there aren't really any accessories for it and anyway they could have included a micro-usb port along with the dock/accessory port.

In any case, you would still need the wall plug adapter because of the higher power requirements for charging this device.
> 1 votes

# Answer
I think the proprietary charger is needed because of the higher voltages required by the dual-battery design. I guess you could use the regular usb connector, but it might annoy people when a regular cable did not work because it does not provide the right voltages. Using the odd connector ensures that the correct charger gets used.
> 1 votes

# Answer
From what I can see, the transformer charger works much simpeler. If you look closely into the USB connections, you can see an extra set of five pins. At the charger USB socket, a pair of these pins supplies +15V to the tablet. References on the net state that is OK to connect a +12V source to the USB power pins.
> 1 votes

# Answer
Most of these answers are correct as far as they go.

* You CAN charge the ASUS Transformer without the base using any standard USB source (computer, plug, etc) with the proprietary cable. The Transformer needs to be off or at least have the screen blank in order for this to work, and with less than 10 volts it will NOT indicate that it is charging...but it is, albeit very slowly.
* The included wall charger uses pin 3 of the USB to determine if it is connected to an ASUS transformer or another device. It supplies 15 volts if connected to the Transformer or base, and 5 volts to any other device so it can be safely used to charge a phone or other device.
* Many people have successfully charged their transformer with a direct connection to a 12-volt source like a car battery. The positive terminal needs to go to USB pin 1 (red wire) and the negative to the ground at pin 4. BE AWARE THAT WHILE THIS WORKS, IT MAY VOID YOUR WARRANTY. Such a charging setup CANNOT BE USED FOR PHONES OR OTHER DEVICES!
> 1 votes

# Answer
I've tried several third party "generic" 2.1A chargers (AC and DC) with the proprietary ASUS supplied cable and all of the chargers DO NOT work with the ASUS TF300T tablet. As stated above, you need both the proprietary cable AND proprietary charger to charge. Very disappointing.

With the big push to the micro-USB standard for all cell phones to be more green (don't have to throw out the cables/chargers with each new phone anymore), it's irritating to find a tablet that doesn't do the same. Now, you have to the proprietary charger/cable around and it wont charge with the 2.1A car chargers.

Perhaps there is a technical reason and not just wanting more money from customers to buy the ASUS charger.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: charging, asus-eee-pad-transformer
---


# Question
Title: How can I change backlight intensity with root on lcd phone?
I want to have the backlight on my phone dynamically change intensity, even turning completely off during completely black screens and such. How possible is this? It's a nexus 5 running cataclysm 5.0.1 with elementalx kernel.

# Answer
You could consider capturing an image of the screen, then processing that bitmap for the brightness of each pixel.

The Android Screenshot Library (ASL) should give you information on how to do a screen capture. This link on StackOverflow talks about how to do it as well, but the main link seems to be to the ASL.

To calculate the luminosity of the pixels, you could do it in either of the RGB or HSV color spaces. I think I'd do it in HSV, since the Value (the V in HSV) **is** the brightness of the pixel's color. You could also do it with the three color parameters in the RGB color space, but then you're working with ratios and you're having to perform more calculations yourself. With HSV you would (I think) simply add up all the Values and divide by the number of pixels. (Possibly you'd throw in a scalar if a linear change in brightness doesn't look quite right. Eg: Have a slower backlight change when you have bright graphics, but move more quickly towards no backlight when you have graphics approaching black.)

With that working, you might want to consider doing the work using Android's RenderScript. Processing graphics is what RenderScript was designed for, and it takes care of parallelism for you. You might as well use all the CPU / CPU / DSP cores you have available.

Finally, you might want to follow this up by getting tricky and using the device's light sensor information. After all, if you're going to dynamically change the backlight based on what is on the screen, you might as well also consider the ambient brightness around the device. :-)

I hope that helps!

**Edit:** I hope you were looking for a programming answer. I hadn't really thought about the fact that this question was posted to Android Enthusiasts instead of to Stack Overflow. :-)
> 1 votes

---
Tags: backlight
---


title: Samsung S3 pattern lock on used phone

text:
# Question
Title: Samsung S3 pattern lock on used phone
How do I get past the screen being locked up with pattern lock for Samsung S3? I just got the phone and has someone else's settings. I just want to get to the basic swipe unlock. If a phone is reset, will it remove the pattern lock, and need to use it? I just want to get into the apps so I can use the device. Right now, I can't even get to the main screen page.

# Answer
> 1 votes
A reset (through the recovery) will remove all data from the user.
If you don't want to preserve that simply follow the short guide:

> (Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvD6ZCENlJA)
> 1. Shut down your device.
> 2. Enter recovery mode by holding *Power, Home and Volume-Up* **at the same time.**
> 3. When the screen turns on you can release the **Power** button. (*keep all other buttons pressed until the recovery comes up*)
> 4. Select *Wipe data/factory reset* from the menu with the *Volume-Up/-Down* buttons.
> 5. Press the *Power* button to select the action.
> 6. Reboot your device. (In case of no auto-reboot do that like you did with the *factory reset*)
>
> First reboot will take some time to set up everything. After that all data is lost, even on the internal "SD card".

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


title: Rooting Samsung Galaxy sDuos s7562

text:
# Question
Title: Rooting Samsung Galaxy sDuos s7562
I followed the steps mentioned in the link below:

http://www.androidrootguide.com/2014/01/root-samsung-galaxy-s-duos-s7562.html#comment-45216

I got an error on step 13, where we need to install SuperSU from recovery mode,

while installing the Update-SuperSU v1-1.80 (which i downloaded from http://download.chainfire.eu/370/SuperSU/) it gives the following error message:

— Install /sdcard– Finding update package… Opening update package… Verifying update package.. E: failed to verify whole-file signature E: signature verification failed Installation aborted.

android android-resources samsung-mobile

# Answer
> 1 votes
Sounds like you are using the Stock Recovery. In which you won't be able to flash the SuperSU that you downloaded because it will not pass the signature validation.

You will need a custom recovery, or some other way to install SuperSU as a system app on the device.

---
Tags: rooting, superuser, samsung-galaxy-s-duos
---


# Question
Title: How to install/swap Recovery on Redmi 1S, running on CM11
I had install TWRP on Redmi 1S (while running on stock MIUI ROM) and I installed CM11 ROM. It is running fine.

My question is

1) How do I upgrade the TWRP with latest version?

2) How to I change the TWRP to CWM (or vice-versa)?

3) Does CyanogenMod has its own Recovery? If yes, how to get that on my device?

# Answer
1 & 2: Just flash what you want to have on your device, the old recovery will be overwritten. I recommend the app "Flashify" from Google play store for flashing recovery without computer.

3: About phone \> tap build number seven times \> press back \> developer options \> check "update CM recovery"
> 0 votes

# Answer
To update TWRP you can install TWRP manager from the play store. From there you can update the recovery.

To update ClockworkMod you use ClockworkMod ROM Manager from the play store.

Another option, you can install them manually by downloading the recovery image and flash them using adb, or flashify, or some other tool.

* Latest TWRP (for your device)
* I do not see an officially supported version of CWM for your device.

Cyanogen does have a recovery, which I believe is based off ClockworkMod. I think only officially supported devices have a recovery. As @saloalv said, you should be able to update in the developer options if they have a supported recovery.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: cyanogenmod, recovery-mode, twrp
---


# Question
Title: Apps are automatically closing/restarting and phone is running slow
I am running Nexus 5 with Android 5.0.1 (Lollipop), stock (via OTA Google push). I like it for the most part, except for the fact that I have noticed a repeating problem. After awhile of using the phone (over the course of a couple weeks with no reboots) my phone begins to get noticeably slower. Apps switch much more slowly between each other. Eventually, it gets so bad that, I'll do something like browse from one app, to Chrome, and when I press the back button (to return to the app I just left), the entire app reloads as though it had been shut down behind the scenes. Eventually, foreground apps start closing themselves which, from my understanding, should never happen based on the prioritization of which apps get what memory.

I did take a look at my memory use, and, when the problem is occurring, I have almost 600MB free. (1GB dedicated to system, and 200MB dedicated to various apps.) It doesn't appear that a lack of memory is the problem.

I took a look at my running apps, and I noticed something very interesting. A bunch of the apps listed show as "Restarting..." in their status. They constantly stay like that. That strikes me as very suspicious. Here is a screenshot of what I'm seeing.

That strikes me as a bit odd, but a Google search didn't turn up anything.

Does anybody have any thoughts, suggestions, etc? Have I run into a bug in Android? This seems to be a pretty "base" thing. I'm not familiar enough with the OS to know for sure, though.

# Answer
"The problem is that under certain circumstances Android 5.0 and 5.0.1 leak memory, and when the leak has reached a critical point then Android tries to compensate by forcibly closing apps to free up resources. What the out-of-memory killer doesn’t know is that it is Android itself that is leaking the memory and not the apps."

http://www.androidauthority.com/fix-lollipops-massive-memory-leak-coming-soon-ish-577101/

It is an Android lollipop bug. It should be fixed with the next update.
> 2 votes

---
Tags: applications, 5.0-lollipop, ram
---


# Question
Title: Notification light in silent mode on Lollipop
With Android 4.4 on my Nexus 5, when I set the notification volume to 0, the notification LED would still pulse when receiving a notififaction. This is the setting I usually want. Now, with 5.0, I cannot find a way to keep the phone completely silent but still receive notifications via the LED.

Did I overlook a setting, or did Google really mess up that badly?

# Answer
The best solution I have found so far is purchasing the popular app "Light Flow" for currently $2.49 and in this app activate "Show LED in priority mode". Then just set the phone to priority mode and you have pretty much the same behavior as in pre-Lollipop. Still annoying, though, to have to use an extra app for this. There might be free app alternatives, but I already wasted too much time for this and didn't search for that.
> 1 votes

---
Tags: notifications, 5.0-lollipop
---


# Question
Title: Mount Binding to move App data to External Memory
I recently came across the idea of mount binding in Linux. I am wondering if I can mount bind the `/storage/emulated/0/Android` to `/storage/sdcard1/Android`. Will this extend my internal storage?

Should I partition my sdcard into 2 partitions with one being ext2 file system for this to work?

Will apps whose data is stored in the internal memory work if I do this and then move the data to the external sdcard? Where will the apps I download in the future store their data?

# Answer
Yes, partition the SD card into 2 *primary* partitions with one being ext2 and the other FAT32. Then download the newest version of Link2SD from Play Store, patch with Lucky Patcher's custom patch. When you load Link2SD, you'll be told if everything is set up right. If it doesn't say anything negative, then open the settings, and make sure to enable auto-link and a few other settings you'll notice you may want to enable. After that, set the default install location to the external SD, and then you're all set. For all the apps you already have installed, just change the filter so it displays the moveable ones (almost all will be) and touch each one, and hit link to SD.

The biggest thing to avoid while setting all this up is to not do any unnecessary actions other than what I just said. It's a simple process but if you are like me and think oh I better clean my Dalvik cache while I'm here in recovery mounting my card or hey I better uninstall Link2SD I already had and reinstall with an already patched ver, etc. keep it simple and what was said, you'll have no problems. Took me 3 days to get it to work. I was told exactly what I just told you and in the end that was exactly what I had to do to get it working.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: app2sd, mount, terminal, ext2
---


# Question
Title: Install multiple user accounts on kitkat 4.4.2
I have an Azpen A1040 and it did not come with the ability to have multiple device user accounts, which is less than desired because this tablet is shared in my household.

I rooted my tablet, but I am not sure how to install or enable that feature.

# Answer
> 4 votes
Some phones and tablets do not have the multiple user feature, which means that this feature is disabled by manufacturer. The feature can be enabled by installing "Multi Users for Phone" module on Xposed Framework, which needs root. This works for Tablets too, and works for Android 4.4.2 KitKat (I am not sure if it works on other versions).

**Steps on how to do this:**

1. Root device (Required)
2. Backup data (Recommended)
3. Download Xposed Installer
4. Install Xposed Framework
5. Go to Modules and search "Multiuser"
6. It listes "Multi Users for phone" in "Not Installed" Category, click that
7. Swipe left to Versions and download the latest version
8. Install the Module, Activate and Reboot

Tada! To edit Users, go to Settings and Users.

---
Tags: 4.4-kitkat, installation, multi-user
---


title: locked galaxy tab 3

text:
# Question
Title: locked galaxy tab 3
Please help. Am locked out of tablet. Keeps saying wrong password even though I know it is correct. Have tried on and volume. Have tried on and home button. Can only get password screen. What next?

# Answer
> -1 votes
First go to the recovery mode of your device. Every device has its own method for recovery. If you are able to go to recovery then go to it and navigate to factory data reset and select it. It will reset your phone and after turning on your phone, the lock system will be disabled.

---
Tags: samsung-galaxy-tab, locked-out
---


# Question
Title: "APN settings are not available for this user"
My phone is a stock Nexus 4 from Google with the 5.0.1 Lollipop image from Google.

I've mistakenly hit "reset APN settings". Instead of resetting them to defaults, it wiped them off and grayed out the "add access point" button. I don't know what to do to gain access to this back.

I've tried launching the "Settings" activity from the terminal with root access (using the "su" command), see this answer, but the "Settings" activity crashes right after its launch.

What can I do? There seems to be a user permission problem. I'm using the only user account configured on this phone, besides the "guest" user.

# Answer
> 1 votes
I've found the problem: I had bad permissions on various MMS-related files that I've copied from a backup, especially inside `data/data/com.android.providers.telephony/databases/`.

Files inside `data/data/com.android.providers.telephony/` have to belong to the **radio** group and be owned by the **radio** user. CHMOD has to be at least **761**.

---
Tags: settings, nexus-4, 5.0-lollipop, mms, apn
---


# Question
Title: Missing 2.2 GB of space on my micro SD card
I pulled my micro SD card out of my phone (LG G3) and inserted it into my PC (Kubuntu 14.04). I was in the process of moving several large video files off of the SD card onto my computer. Moving these videos would have given me 4.0 GB of free space on my SD card.

As the process appeared to finish, I encountered an error that said the last of the files (2.5 GB) could not be deleted (from the SD card). And my file manager could not access the directory (/DCIM/Camera) that held the video files I was moving.

I safely ejected the SD card, then re-inserted it. Everything appears fine and the video files I was moving are all apparently gone. However, there is only 1.8 GB of free space on the SD card, not the 4.0 GB of space that there should be available.

How do I recover this missing free space? I would prefer to use my Linux desktop tools to do the job.

# Answer
> 2 votes
If there were problems with the file system (which your error message suggests), broken files may have been "re-allocated". For such things, \*nix systems have a special directory on each file system, usually called `LOST+FOUND` or, on FAT file systems, `LOST.DIR`. Whenever things could not be "assigned to a file", they are placed there with some "cryptic" names.

So I'd suggest you mount the card on your Linux PC again, and check for that directory. If there's something in that directory, that could be the "broken" video files, and you simply could delete them to re-gain your space.

---
Tags: sd-card, file-system, file-management
---


# Question
Title: Why am I not receiving network signals on a Samsung S3 T-999?
I just bought a Samsung S3 T-999. The problem is when I switch the cellphone on, it connects to my network but just for a second. The moment that second is gone, I lose signal completely. So it's not like the IMEI is corrupted or something. Moreover, the phone is not asking for an unlock code at all, so I assume it is unlocked too.

What could possibly be the problem? How can I solve it?

This is the screenshot:

# Answer
It was a really stupid thing. My phone's network mode was set to cdma while my country operates in gsm. It solved it.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: samsung-galaxy-s-3, samsung, mobile-network, sim-unlocking
---


title: How can I reinstall Play Store?

text:
# Question
Title: How can I reinstall Play Store?
I was having some issues with my samsung galaxy s2. I took it to an I.T. store to get it fixed and now all is working fine, except play store is no longer there. I went into 'all applications' in settings and play store is not there either so there is no way for me to set it back up. When I try and download straight from the internet version of plays store, an error tells me I do not have a device. Can anyone please tell me what I can do to fix this or if there is any other way for me download apps such as facebook and snapchat? Thank you in advance.

# Answer
> 1 votes
Of course you can install all your applications via their **.apk** package, downloadable from the internet (you'll also find several alternative markets like aptoide and F-Droid). As of play store: the website only tells the android app to install a certain app, so if you don't have it installed, you won't go any further.

1. install play store via it's .apk there
2. if, once it is installed, it opens and then closes immediately, it is possible that the company that fixed it flashed a firmware without it. In this case, you'll need to flash the appropriate GApps package

PS: I highly recommend to flash gapps as most apps have google-modules dependencies (for instance google play services)

# Answer
> 0 votes
There are many other android markets like 9apps,mobogenie,mobomarket etc and they work fine but if you compare to Google play store, they are a little bit lower. In case of restoring Google play store, download Google play store and check that the version is supported by your device or not. Or you can google about the version of play store your phone was having then download it from any website. If problem resists, then use titanium backup and get the backed up play store of any other device and place the backup in the titanium backup folder of the sdcard and then manually go to titanium backup and then restore it. You can also flash the Gapps again but this will reset your phone. So the great idea is to flash the Gapps or download straight the Google play store from the apk file. Try the newest version supported by your android.

---
Tags: applications, google-play-store, downloading, system-error
---


title: Stuck on Boot Animation

text:
# Question
Title: Stuck on Boot Animation
Recently I installed MIUI v5 rom on my smartphone.

When I rebooted my smartphone it got stuck on the MI Boot Animation Logo.

What is the problem?

Please Help me.

# Answer
It is stucked in boot-loop and maybe soft bricked. Its not bricked but can be soft bricked. I had also suffered this problem two times. Dont fear it will not damage any of your hardware function. It only happens if 1. The ROM you flashed doesn't matched with your phone. 2. Gapps has not been installed correctly.

You can solve this problem. Try turning off your phone and after turning on immedietly press the volume up and power button simultaneously. It could be different because different companies have different methods of booting into recovery. If you succeed in it then go ahead and if you fail then try other button combinations. After booting into recovery, navigate to wipe data section by using the volume keys. Then clear your cache partition. After doing this, get your default ROM from any website. I am sure that one or more websites will surely contain it. AFTER DOWNLOADING IT INSTALL THE ROM. Then clear the dalvik cache and cache. Now, just reboot. Your problem will be solved.If any problem, please comment.
> 5 votes

# Answer
This means you are stuck in a bootloop which means that your phone can't boot. It can be caused by the wrong installation of the rom. You can try to do a factory reset from recovery. If it doesn't fix you should try to install the stock rom. If you need more help please ask.
> 1 votes

---
Tags: root-access, custom-roms, miui
---


title: Parsing problem

text:
# Question
Title: Parsing problem
I have been trying to root my Le Pan II android tablet with Kingo root app, and when I try to install I keep get error parsing problem. What would be the easiest way to root my tablet?

# Answer
i have a solution. First go to your application list in your settings and navigate to "all "section. See and check that an system application called mtk logger is present there or not. If it is present, i can definitely help you. If it is there then download an application "framaroot" 1.9.5 and install it. Open it and select any option present below. Then wait the process to be finished. Then reboot your phone. Your phone is now rooted.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: rooting
---


# Question
Title: Sync latest email attachment with Android
My college mess hall menu is shared as an attachment (.jpeg) on the **same thread** every week. The thread has no other content except for this. For convenience, I'd like to access it quickly from my Android mobile. I don't want to keep it as a starred conversation and interrupt my urgent emails.

Is there a way to sync the file (i.e the latest attachment on the thread) so that I can have one click access to it? Maybe sync it to google drive so I can use widget or rename it to current\_mess\_menu.jpg and save it in a Dropbox folder so I can do the same? Open to other alternatives as well.

# Answer
> 0 votes
Assuming you use the Gmail app, it always downloads the attachment if you're on WiFi AFAIK.

# Answer
> 0 votes
You can use the app 'If This Then That' (IFTTT) https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ifttt.ifttt

---
Tags: email, sync
---


# Question
Title: Can I play high end games on my rooted low end phone
I own a spice phone which have low internal memory and ram but it is rooted. My question is that is it possible to play high end games like GTA vice city or nfs on that phone. I had Googled about it but it makes more confusion. Some sites say yes and some no. Can anybody tell exactly the answer. It is running on android 4.2 and I had played some big games like angry birds epic and prince of persia on my device. They worked great. I can increase internal memory and ram also but after that, do really big games will work. Though GTA is a very large file so please help me solving this.

# Answer
> 4 votes
To the best of my knowledge, just having your phone rooted does not make it Memory efficient and that means it will not automatically become suitable for high end mobile games.

Rooting phone gives you additional privileges, one of most common of which is a privilege to remove system apps that are shipped by your device manufacturer.

You can try this yourself, by downloading some bulky apps from Play store and soon when you will reach device memory threshold, you will find that Android OS will complain and ask you to free some memory, albeit your phone is Rooted.

Good Luck!!

# Answer
> 4 votes
Is it possible? Yes, if you do enough tweaking to the graphics drivers so it doesn't crash or at least renders something. Some graphical effects may not work properly or it may be extremely slow, or you may have to add swap space, or edit the apk to skip particularly intensive parts. You can always make any games "work" with enough effort.

Is it a good idea? No, in general, it's not worth the effort. The experience would be so crappy, the developer wouldn't want to support it, and you'll just make it frustrating for yourself. There are many great games that runs well on low end phones, why would you want to play a choppy, inferior version of a game on a device that just cannot play it? If you still want to play it without having to spend on a high end device, IMO, it's better to just wait a few years until the new low end devices become powerful enough for that game.

Credit: XKCD

---
Tags: rooting, internal-storage, ram
---


# Question
Title: How do I disable the backlighting for the menu and back buttons on a Galaxy SIII?
Does anyone know how to disable the lights of the buttons at the bottom of my phone? They are really annoying and I can reach them without the lights on. I've tried several apps but none of them worked.

I have a custom ROM and I'm rooted. This ROM doesn't show any option for my issue. I don't want to change my ROM because I really fell in love with it.

# Answer
> 1 votes
GravityBox module for Xposed Framework can do it. Xposed requires root, but from reading your question, it looks like you have root.

From the XDA Thread:

> * Button backlight modes (default, disabled, always on while screen is on)

---
Tags: samsung-galaxy-s-3, root-access, buttons, backlight
---


title: How to get Lollipop update for Nexus 5?

text:
# Question
Title: How to get Lollipop update for Nexus 5?
I bought Nexus 5, it had android 4.4.2. I updated it to 4.4.3 and 4.4.4, but I am unable to update it to 5.0. It says that system is up to date and it has been this way for a few hours. I know that Nexus 5 has 5.0.2 (I think) already. Why is my phone not finding any new updates?

# Answer
> 0 votes
As it turns out OTA updates can take up to several weeks. There is a solution: you can manually install OTA updates by yourself. There are tons of guides out there.

---
Tags: updates, nexus-5, 5.0-lollipop
---


# Question
Title: Windows doesn't recognize Nexus 7 in recovery mode
So I have the Nexus 7 (2012). When the tablet is on and USB debugging is enabled, ADB recognizes it. But when I shut it off and put it into recovery mode, then press power and volume up to sideload, Windows/ADB does not recognize it. If I navigate to `usb_driver` it says it can't find a driver there. I'm trying to update it to KitKat using the OTA update.

# Answer
The problem is that you're missing the adb recovery driver. You might consider trying Koush's universal USB driver installer -- it solved this very problem by installing the missing drivers.
> 8 votes

# Answer
I had a similar problem with my Nexus 5. Windows 8.1 and adb recognized the device until I put it in recovery mode, then it disappeared. I finally said "let me pick from a list of device drivers" and chose the "Android Composite ADB interface." Then adb recognized it and I was able to sideload an update.
> 1 votes

# Answer
I just spent way too many hours trying to fix this same problem when trying to sideload onto my Nexus 6.

What finally worked for me:

* Apply update from ADB in the recovery menu.
* Once the phone was waiting for the files
    + I unplugged the phone from USB
    + then re-plugged it back into the computer.
* Then it was there in the device manager and when I did a device check through adb on my console
* I ran the adb sideload command and it is currently optimizing my apps

Hope this helps anyone having this problem on their nexus devices.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: adb, nexus-7, recovery-mode, windows
---


title: Recover files of an App

text:
# Question
Title: Recover files of an App
My phone is a Motorola MOTO G (first generation). Due to some troubles, I had recovered the factory settings of my phone. But I forget to backup some data of an app (Tricount). A this point my phone was not rooted.

My question is: is it possible to recover the data files of this application?

Currently, I just rooted my phone and I am currently making a RAW copy of the android system using command `adb shell su -c "cat /dev/block/mmcblk0" | pv > mmcblk0.raw`. My idea is to used `extundelete` command to recover the files after extracted the partitions using `Testdisk`.

Do you recommend to search files in a specific partition? I am not really familiar with the android filesystem...

EDIT: One other method (I don't have tested yet). In terminal 1

> adb forward tcp:5555 tcp:5555
>
> adb shell
>
> su
>
> /system/bin/busybox nc -l -p 5555 -e /system/bin/busybox dd if=/dev/block/mmcblk0p12

In terminal 2

> adb forward tcp:5555 tcp:5555
>
> nc 127.0.0.1 5555 | pv -i 0.5 \> mmcblk0p12.raw

NB: websites:

**EDIT:** unfortunately, it seems that Android overwrites the files when you recover the factory settings (for security raesons) and so it is impossible to recover the files... :-(

# Answer
> 0 votes
What kind of App is Tricount? Meaning is it came pre-installed in your phone or you download it from Play store such as Google Play Store?

Answer to above question is IMP as Android File system maintain clear distinction between system apps (which are shipped by your device OEM) and Downloaded apps.

Assuming that it is a downloaded app, you can check below location: /data/data/app-package-name Where app-package-name is the name of the package (Given by the Developer who developed Tricount app).

---
Tags: root-access, data-recovery, file-system
---


# Question
Title: Prevent app installation when switching phones
I would like to know if there is a way to prevent the auto-install of apps when switching to a new phone / device. Going in and uninstalling apps is a bit of a pain and I'd like to avoid it. I did not see any option to prevent this on the google play website (which is where I expected to find it).

Similar question, but not the same; it deals specifically with ROM switching: How can I prevent Android from auto-installing all of my apps?

# Answer
I finally got an answer for this by contacting google, so here goes:

1. On your old / current phone, open the Play store app
2. Go to "My Apps"
3. Select the "ALL" tab
4. Scroll and click the gray "X" next to the app to prevent its install on the new phone

This does not delete the apps from your Play account; you can install the apps at your convenience via the Play store web interface and purchased apps don't need to be re-purchased.
> 1 votes

---
Tags: google-play-store, installation
---


# Question
Title: Voice commands for contacts with unusual names
Device: Samsung Galaxy Note 3.

My partner's name is not "anglo" and I have not worked out a way to pronounce it and have it understood. Are there work-arounds for this?

1. Can I get the phone to pronounce the name so that I can try to use the same tortured pronunciation?
2. Is there a way to set a simpler "nick name" for a contact that can be better understood?
3. On my device, can Google Now do the same thing instead of S-Voice I.e. "Call partner\_name/nickname" and would it be any better?

# Answer
> 1 votes
I would try the first approach, and have the system pronounce the name. To do so, a simple TTS app like Auto Speak Clipboard 2 will do: Install it, copy her name to the clipboard, send out all cats and your girl (to avoid their punishment), and have that app speak what it thinks the name should sound like. Have some Valerian ready in case you freak out ;)

# Answer
> 1 votes
A simpler way to do this would be to open the contacts/people app, go to phonetic name, and use voice typing, speaking naturally, to enter it into the phonetic spelling field.

---
Tags: voice-command, s-voice, samsung-galaxy-note-3
---


title: Lollipop: alarm isn't firing in time

text:
# Question
Title: Lollipop: alarm isn't firing in time
After updating my Nexus 5 to Android 5.0 I noticed that alarm is not fired at set time (actually that spoiled my today's morning).

When I set time for alarm it writes correct delta (e.g."Alarm set for 3 minutes from now"), but it doesn't make any sound or any on-screen changes in 3 minutes: the alarm just hangs in notification tray as an "Upcoming alarm".

I've checked the notification settings and didn't find any problem. but the notifications from Google Keep don't work as well...

What can be wrong with built-in alarm in Android L?

# Answer
> 2 votes
Well, I couldn't find the solution so I followed Ian Clark's advice and performed factory reset. That helped.

# Answer
> 1 votes
I went through and stopped all of the Google Play Services (Settings-\>Apps-\>Running), including the cached process(Settings-\>Apps-\>Running-\>Show cached processes). It takes persistence, since they restart sometimes, keep at it and kill them dead. Restart when you get them stopped.

I get text's again (these would previously show as "Downloading 1KB") and the alarms go off now.

Hope this helps someone else, or at the very least saves them the hassle of a factory reset.

---
Tags: nexus-5, alarm, 5.0-lollipop, clock, date-and-time
---


# Question
Title: How can I prevent an APP from using my phone's camera
I have some apps on my HTC One (M8) that want to have access to my camera and microphone (Yahoo Mail app). I have seen on an iOS device that you can disable this access but still run the app. Is there something similar in the Android world?

# Answer
Not directly, but with a rooted device, Xposed or a custom ROM (e.g. CyanogenMod) you are able to *revoke* permissions granted to the app by Android.
If your device allows the installation of applications signed with developer keys, then you might be able to do that without root needed.

Side effects may be unexpected application crashes or hangs if the app decides to do something that needs one of the revoked permissions.
In the best case the application will just not be able to use e.g. the camera and show a black preview of the image (*Camera App* for example).
> 1 votes

---
Tags: camera, permissions
---


# Question
Title: Removing the home screen number to have one more row of app shortcuts
Is there any way to remove the home screen "numbers", i.e. (red rectangle):

and instead have one more row of app shortcuts?

I am using a Samsung Galaxy S5 SM-G900A with Android 4.4.2.

# Answer
This is not possible on Samsung's Stock Launcher but many alternative launchers have the possibility to display even more rows by shrinking them in height.

Try a third-party launcher as nearly all Samsung stock applications tend to be unoptimized for any Samsung device; especially in memory consumption.

---

E.g. using Nova Launcher Prime you can remove the scroll indicator as follows:

Result (the number of rows and columns of the desktop grid can be changed as you want):
> 2 votes

---
Tags: 4.4-kitkat, home-screen, samsung-galaxy-s-5
---


# Question
Title: ADB backup restoration on an older Android version
I have made an adb backup of my OnePlus One running an unofficial CM12 ROM based on Android 5.0.2. Is it possible, considering the latest release of Android for the Nexus 5 is 5.0.1, to then restore this backup onto a Nexus 5 running 5.0.1?

# Answer
You may be able to restore apps and data as far as they are no system apps. But be sure to fix permissions (Owner, Group and access) to what the system uses for all files (data and apps).

I already did this on my SIII LTE for an upgrade of Android 4.4.4 (CM11) to Android 5.0.1 (CM12) with no side effects (except some single apps that deleted and recreated their data for some reason).

> Also: Of course your device needs to be rooted to be able to write onto the `/data` partition.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: cyanogenmod, adb, nexus-5, 5.0-lollipop, oneplus-one
---


# Question
Title: What's a good way to read PDF musical scores on Android tablet in rehearsal and performance?
As a chorus and opera singer, I frequently download public-domain scores in PDF form. I would like to read them on an Android tablet during rehearsals. I don't have an Android tablet myself yet, but from my experience with an Android phone (small screen) and iPad tablet, I expect the following flaws:

* Some PDF files containing high-resolution scans of the score take a long time to display. The degree of lag is a function of how the PDF file was made. In some scores it seems like the page starts off blurry and comes into focus. (Observed on iPad)
* It's difficult to jump to arbitrary points in the score (e.g. director says, "let's skip to page 166", those with books turn easily, I fumble fumble on the device) (Observed on phone and iPad)
* It's hard to add bookmarks to PDF files to correspond to rehearsal numbers, to speed up jumping to points in the score. (Observed on phone and iPad)
* There's no way I know of to make annotations on the score during a rehearsal, even an "x" to say "review this later". (Observed on phone and iPad)
* Other wishes for Android PDF readers, gleaned from about a dozen questions here on Android.SE tagged with

So I'm looking for a good way to read PDF musical scores on Android tablet in rehearsal and performance. I'm looking for characteristics like:

* Should read ahead in the PDF file, digesting the next couple of pages of the score, so that when I turn to the next page, the page appears instantly -- for all PDF files, even those with high-resolution scanned images.
* Easy ways to jump to page numbers and rehearsal numbers quickly, while rehearsing.
* Ways to add bookmarks to scores for rehearsal numbers
* Some way of annotating the score.
* Displays each musical staff at least 7mm high
* Displays the score at least 15cm x 10cm, preferably 20cm x 25cm, and a huge 50cm x 33cm would be even better.
* I can think of many features which would make the experience even better.

Can any of you recommend a way to use an Android device as a good PDF musical score reader?

Background: I'm dithering about whether to buy an iPad or Android tablet, and music score reading is an important use case for me. Knowing there's a good way to get the job done will influence my choice.

I have found only one other question in Android.SE, *Auto scrolling PDF reader?*. They ask only about the auto-scrolling feature, which is one I actually don't find so important.

There is a Music.SE site, but they consider questions like this one out of scope.

**Update**: rephrased into a "How can I do X?" question per Android.SE meta discussion.

# Answer
Agreed, I think MobileSheets or the Fakebook (my favourite) is the way to go. Quick browsing in music and (almost) no delay when swiping between pages. Some of the other features between these two varies, so YMMV. Fakebook is at http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.skrivarna.fakebook.android Hope this helps!
> 3 votes

# Answer
The major problem here is not the app, there's a lot of suitable music readers, but finding a large enough tablet. From my experience, the really large screens tend to be powered by older processors and lack resolution, being manufactured by some of the smaller and lesser known brands. This also means they often run older versions of Android. To put it simply, the main (sole?) selling point is the screen size.

That being said, as recommended by Ulf above, give the Fakebook sheet music reader app a try. It has most of the features mentioned, including pre-loading/pre-parsing for quicker page loading. Still no bookmarking though. As it's only $2 at Google Play. it won't break the bank (and, as the developer, I can offer you a refund if not completely satisfied).

Have fun playing!
> 3 votes

# Answer
I have been using MobileSheets recently and have used it with big band charts that I scanned in as PDF files. The nice feature I found was the ability to set links (up to 10 per song) back to a D.S, sign and then from the "to coda" sign jump there using a Airturn 105 pedal. Worked great in a performance where I had the set list set up and could just keep hitting the pedal to go to the next song or section of a song without trying to flip multiple pages in the charts.

I was using my Asus tablet a TF101 which is a little smaller than my Freehand Music pad which I have used for a few years. The Freehand its reaching the end soon and I have been looking for a replacement and the MobileSheets supports PDF, and image files much better so I am thinking the Android will be a good change. I am looking for the right size screen the Asus p1801-t (has battery 5 hours) is a possibility or the Viewsonic VSD221 (no battery). Either of those could display (2) pages I think.
> 1 votes

---
Tags: pdf
---


title: Galaxy Note Phones lock when call ends

text:
# Question
Title: Galaxy Note Phones lock when call ends
Galaxy Note 3, and Galaxy Note 4 Edge:

When a call ends because:

1. The caller hanging up first, or
2. Ending call using Bluetooth earpieces (a number of different brands and models)

The device LOCKS.

It does not do that if you end the call first using the buttons on the device screen.

Also this problem is with:

* Phones that are encrypted and phones that are not.
* Phones that have S View covers, or have no cover at all.
* Phones that use PIN lock, and phones that use fingerprint lock.

Note also that this problem does not occur on S3 or S4 to my knowledge, but that is simply a friend claiming that he does not have this problem with his phones.

# Answer
As far as I can tell, that is simply the phone working as designed. If you receive a call while the device is locked, the device will remain locked after the call ends. This should be the same whatever device you use.

It may be different if you set your device to have no lock screen, but I hadn't tested it.
> 0 votes

# Answer
It is not a feature, it's a bug. I own a Galaxy Note 4. I unlock my phone with my fingerprint. I make a call over my Bluetooth earphone, then end it with Bluetooth. For the next call I have to unlock the phone again, although my security settings allow the phone to stay unlocked for 5 mins.

If I do that without a Bluetooth device, there is no problem.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: samsung
---


title: LG Optimus G fastboot not working

text:
# Question
Title: LG Optimus G fastboot not working
Alright, I have an LG Optimus G that I'm playing around with and trying to install ubuntu on. I'm following this guide I've done everything up to the point where you enter this into the terminal:

```
$ adb reboot bootloader

```

Which just reboots the phone but not into the bootloader.

when I check for adb devices:

```
$ adb devices
devices attached
LG-LS970-9c07c856   device

```

And when I run

```
$ fastboot devices

```

I get nothing. Any idea how to fix this so that it will reboot into the bootloader?

# Answer
try using

```
adb reboot-bootloader

```

from the `adb` usage text

> `adb reboot [bootloader|recovery]` \- reboots the device, optionally into the bootloader or recovery program
> `adb reboot-bootloader` \- reboots the device into the bootloader
> 0 votes

---
Tags: adb, fastboot
---


# Question
Title: Can my tablet connect to a 4g pocket wifi?
I bought my tablet in lazada and i am planning on buying a pocket wifi, so i want to know if my tablet can connect to a 4g pocket wifi. after reading articles about data connection hotspot something like that, it made me more confused. please help and explain and elaborate. Im gonna buy it at lazada.

MY tablet - Cherry Mobile Superion Probe Android 4.2 Jelly Bean (White)

POCKET WIFI CHOICES: 1.) 3G - Huawei E5330 21Mbps 3G Mobile WiFi Hotspot 2.) 4G - Huawei E5373 4G Mobile Wifi

# Answer
> 1 votes
Before buying pocket WiFi, switch on the 4g hotspot in your mobile and try to connect to it through tablet. If it works then proceed to buy what you are planning.

Note: while connecting be sure the SSID, security type and password are correct or not.

---
Tags: wi-fi, mobile-data
---


# Question
Title: How To Edit TwLauncher lnk path/application/label
How does one edit TwLauncher home-screen shortcuts (lnk) internal information (NOT JUST ICON) to change application/path/title-text?; Where is the homescreem layout/presentation/shortcut information hiding? Why isn't this information available from the HelpSystem? How can I edit my help system? What evil has hidden this information so effectively? How do I edit shortcuts on ADW .launcher? How do I go about finding/learning how to findout how to edit information on ANY given launcher?

# Answer
> 0 votes
As far as I know the TW launcher stores the informations about the home screens icons and the packages icons in a SQL database file inside its data folder for which the full path can be, as for example for the stock TW launcher on a Galaxy Y phone (GingerBread v.2.3.6), /data/data/com.sec.android.app.twlauncher/databases/launcher.db

To view the content you need a SQL viewer app, to edit the content you need a SQL database editor.

I don't think Evil has any part on hidden so well what you are looking for; I think is just a kind of obscurity by complexity ;)

And for the Help part of your question, I'm sorry but I don't have clues.

Anyway, hope that my answer will be of some help to you.

All the best.

Hal Ex

---
Tags: launcher
---


title: Clear "Recent Labels" list in Gmail

text:
# Question
Title: Clear "Recent Labels" list in Gmail
It's bugged me for awhile that Gmail shows a "Recent Labels" list when viewing the labels. Does anyone know how to clear this list or even remove it?

Gmail: 4.7.1

OS: Jelly Bean - 4.1.2

# Answer
Although the **Original** **Answer** is already in place, let me just re-phrase it, which hopefully resemble Vanilla Android AOSP based phones.

1. Open "Settings" application
2. Choose "Apps" or "Applications" from the list of different Settings.
3. Locate "GMail" App in the List of Apps shown.
4. Select "Gmail" App and in this screen, there is "Clear Data" option available. Tap the button Clear data. Confirm the operation and wait for Gmail Sync to complete.

This should clear the Recent labels.
> 5 votes

# Answer
Do the following:

1. Go to App info for Gmail: Open app drawer and drag up the Gmail icon to the option **App Info**.
2. Tap the button **Clear data**. Confirm the operation.
3. Wait for Gmail sync.

You'll be greeted again as if it was the first time you opened Gmail, but **Recent labels** list will be cleared.
> 2 votes

---
Tags: 4.1-jelly-bean, gmail
---


title: HTC Desire cannot connect with HTC Sync

text:
# Question
Title: HTC Desire cannot connect with HTC Sync
I recently received an HTC Desire as a gift with no SD card. It was updated to Froyo. I'd like to update it further to Gingerbread, however I cannot get any version of HTC Sync to recognize my phone.

* I've tried several versions
* I've disabled firewall and antivirus
* I've run HTC Sync in compatibility mode and as administrator
* I've rebooted both phone and PC
* I'm sure I've tried other things that I forgot to list.

The standard answer to this seems to be 'install the HTC Sync version that is on your SD card', but I don't have the original card. I have been unable to find out which version of HTC Sync that was originally included.

Does anyone know which version of HTC Sync I need for my HTC Desire to connect?

# Answer
> 0 votes
It is the original desire. It seems to have come with 2.0.28 which I can't find anywhere. I did find 2.0.33 which also didn't work.

---
Tags: 2.3-gingerbread, 2.2-froyo, htc-desire
---


# Question
Title: I have an atrix Motorola and I tried to load the "rider x" app (memory problem)
I have a Motorola Atrix and have most all my apps loaded on the sd card. Seems like I can not get "Rider X" app to work. It loads but then won't open. I uninstalled and reloaded. Sometime I get the message - The location Google Play Store (process com.android.vending) has stopped unexpectedly. Please try again. How can I get more internal memory or whatever it is that I need to do? Thanks

# Answer
> 0 votes
It is probably too old or too new for your phone. If you did not have enough space it would tell you insufficient storage when installing.

---
Tags: applications
---


# Question
Title: Samsung Galaxy S III (S3) Won't Connect via USB with Android File Transfer with MacBook Pro - Mountain Lion
I saw some similar questions along these lines with newer Samsung devices, but I will post a question here anyway in case an answer for me ends up being an answer different than that for someone else. I have not seen a post concerning my particular phone, Mac hardware, and Mac OS.

Problem:

My Mountain Lion MacBook Pro (10.8.3) doesn't recognize my Samsung Galaxy S3 (4.1.1) for file transfer over USB. I am trying to use Android File Transfer, having been promised that it would solve all my woes.

The Situation:

I've downloaded Android File Transfer, and, when connected with my device, the app launches, but it just continues to demand that I attach the USB cable and or restart my device.

What I've tried doing:

Settings \> Applications \> Development \> USB debugging

When set to on, nothing happens. When set to off, nothing happens either. I've turned it on, then on and off, then off, and restarted before, during, and after connection, and every combination possible. The result is the same: app launches and then gives error message.

USB Cable:

I've tried with two different new cables and the error message is the same.

Connected to a Windows device:

My phone is recognized just fine by my desktop PC running Windows 7. The phone is recognized and the SD card is recognized, and I can transfer files between them. However, my Windows device is not my primary computing device, and I am frequently away from home (otherwise, at this point, I would chuck the Mac and that would be that).

As with the person who posted a similar question about the Galaxy S2, please do not post answers suggesting the use of Kies, Bluetooth, Wireless, and the like unless they lead to me being able to use Android File Transfer via USB. I want my phone to work over USB and with AFT for a reason (speed, convenience, and better synchronization). Kies seems to be the default suggestion to solve this issue, but it is terribly buggy and it accomplishes file transfer much the same way that nuking my house would get rid of spiders. (Always good to have a little levity at this level of frustration.)

# Answer
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4163985?start=0&tstart=0 Android File Transfer worked with S3 on Mac running Snow Leopard once I used the right cable! I discovered I had 2 different type USB cables- one seems to just charge and so Android File transfer didn't recognize the phone at all. The other cable, bearing the Verizon label, was entirely different. Please see link above and go to my posting under Interpret for full explanation.

Post from linked site:

> As already mentioned, download and install Android File Transfer app . NOTE: To connect be sure to use the right cable- in my case, I discovered 2 cables - one is a USB plain one that just charges the phone. After much frustration I discovered there was another one (it has a Verizon label in my case.) **They both seem to be USB cables but I discovered one works with Android File Transfer and not the other.**
>
> When I connected the wrong one, Android File Transfer said: **No Android device found. Please connect your Android device with a USB cable to get started.** I wasn't getting any notification or option on my phone to switch any configuration menu.
>
> When I switched to the right cable however, I got a notification in the top notification area of the phone stating:
>
> **Connected as an installer** and a USB icon next to it. Swiping down the top notification part there was yet another notification stating **Connected as a media device. Touch for other USB options.** Tapping on that statement I got the following screen:
>
> **USB PC Connection**
>
> **Connect as**
>
> **Media Device (MTP)** box to check
>
> xxx explanatory text which mentions you can sue Android File Transfer on a Mac in this mode
>
> **Camera (PTP)** box to check
>
> xxx explanatory text (transfer to PC that does not support MTP)
>
> (Note that these options were not available and not displayed with the wrong cable. I noticed many users stating they don't see that menu, wonder if the culprit is the cable being used.)
>
> I checked off MTP box and voila, clicking on the Android File Transfer icon I could see the files organized under Phone and Card and had access to them.
> 3 votes

# Answer
I was in the same situation until just now. Let me start by saying that you should not disregard the suggestions that I make right away simply because i spent all day attempting to figure this out. lol

So, like i said, i was in the same boat:

* USB debugging - didnt work (checked and unchecked)
* PTP and MTP combos of all types - didnt work
* 3rd party programs - didn't work

This is exactly how my s3 came to work with AFT via USB:

* I installed AFT on my computer and it brought up the error messages that everyone else gets. Essentially it was saying that my s3 didnt exist.
* I never previously had KIES installed on my mac (os x mountain lion 10.7.5)
* I proceeded to install KIES (in a futile attempt at anything that might work)
* It worked for MTP, however i couldnt physically access the files i needed to access on my phone so i deleted it using the uninstaller.
* After deleting KIES, I tried one last time (using the Samsung USB that came with my phone) to open AFT and it worked.

There is just no logical reason why it started to work after installing, then uninstalling KIES however it DID in fact work so give it a shot if you havent already.

Best of luck to all of you poor s3/mac owners who are still trying to fix it. I feel for you.
> 2 votes

# Answer
I too struggled with that. Kies is the problem indeed. Just throwing it in the trash did not work. You have to download it again to get the dmg and then use the uninstaller.

AFT was not working on 2 boxes I have here (10.6.8 and 10.9.5) and after properly uninstalling kies, everything started to work perfectly.
> 1 votes

# Answer
Do you have Kies installed on your computer? It tends to interfere with Android File Transfer. If you do, find the Kies dmg file you used to install Kies, and open it. You should find the uninstaller in there. click on it to uninstall Kies, and then try connecting your phone with Android File Transfer.
> 0 votes

# Answer
I just had the same problem earlier today -- after months of no trouble, the AFT no longer would recognize that a phone was connected, and the little USB icon would not show up on the phone notification bar (although the phone WOULD charge).

Here is the fix that worked for me:

I had been using a standard USB 2.0 Micro-USB cable, and up to today I had had no trouble with the phone's being recognized by the AFT.

Once the trouble started today, I brought out the USB 3.0 Micro-USB cable that comes packed with the phone. With that cable the connection with AFT still works fine.

Why the sudden change -- I have no clue.
> 0 votes

# Answer
After struggling with this issue for many days, uninstalling Kies finally did the magic for me!
> 0 votes

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Tags: samsung-galaxy-s-3, usb, samsung, data-transfer
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# Question
Title: How can I make the Galaxy S3 detect media on my sdcard?
I have transferred some mp3s onto my sdcard using samba but the operating system doesn't seem to automatically detect them as it would if you copied it using MTP or whatever. How can I force it to detect them?

# Answer
> 1 votes
My S4 wouldn't recognize music on my external SD-card. You can fix this on your S3 by going to settings\> more \> storage \> remove SD-card. Wait till it says 'You can now safely remove your SD-Card' then remove the card out your phone. Clean your RAM and then put it back in again. Wait a few seconds till it's succesfully installed and your card will be visible. I.E for music open your music player and it'll all be there. Make sure the files aren't in too many subfolders or your phone will not find it and show it in your music player.

Have a nice day,

# Answer
> 0 votes
Run the following shell script on the command line, either via SSH or adb.

```
#!/system/bin/sh<br/>

export ANDROID_ASSETS=/system/app
export ANDROID_CACHE=/cache
export ANDROID_DATA=/data
export ASEC_MOUNTPOINT=/mnt/asec
export ANDROID_ROOT=/system
export BOOTCLASSPATH=/system/framework/core.jar:/system/framework/core-junit.jar:/system/framework/bouncycastle.jar:/system/framework/ext.jar:/system/framework/framework.jar:/system/framework/android.policy.jar:/system/framework/services.jar:/system/framework/apache-xml.jar:/system/framework/filterfw.jar
export EXTERNAL_STORAGE=/mnt/sdcard
export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/vendor/lib:/system/lib

am broadcast -a android.intent.action.MEDIA_MOUNTED -d file:///mnt/sdcard

```

Source: Can I trigger a media scan via the command line?

Alternatively if you prefer a UI I find Force Media Scan ideal. You do not have to reboot your device for these.

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Tags: samsung-galaxy-s-3, external-sd, media-scanner
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# Question
Title: Broken Samsung Galaxy S4 screen.. (not working) need little help
I have Samsung galaxy s4. I have broken screen which is not working and it's completely dark. Am I right that I need to change digitalizer and LCD screen ?

I am looking to buy from ebay co uk, which one would be the best the genuine or other brand ?

There is many videos on youtube, is it that hard to replace on my own, as I have to take out camera etc. Is there any safety tips what should I follow ?

Thank you.

# Answer
> 0 votes
If you are doing the replacement yourself, you're best to replace the entire front assembly. See the warnings as to why on this page.

I would personally recommend the genuine item as I would have no idea where some other brand came from. I'd guess they would be refurbished items as these panels are made specifically for the devices. Using one might be a gamble, but I honestly don't know.

There are many safety tips, including having the right tools and ensuring you have grounded yourself. Prepare by watching the videos carefully, reading other documentation, and ensuring you know exactly what you will be doing. Don't force anything or the little bits will break. Ensure you have a lot of light in your work area, and that you have containers to put the little tiny screws and parts into.

My most important tip is to warn you that there's a reasonable chance you will damage the phone if this is your first try at fixing one. You need to balance that fact, as well as your own abilities, against the cost of having the fix done for you. I don't want to discourage you from trying it, but you need to be realistic about the possible outcomes.

Best of luck!

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Tags: samsung-galaxy-s-4, samsung
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# Question
Title: Play High-Resolution mp4 Videos on Galaxy Y
When I try to play high resolution videos on my phone I get this error message:

> Sorry, this video cannot be played

Is there a way to make these videos play, like an app that can handle these videos or is it a limitation of my device?

# Answer
> 5 votes
I'm sorry but your device cannot play high-res videos. Your device should be able to handle videos up to 640\*360, this is the resolution of HQ YouTube.

Note that there's absolutely no point in watching HD videos on your phone. It has a screen resolution of 240 x 320. Anything above this will be scaled down to fit the screen.

# Answer
> 1 votes
I can play all videos like 780p HD on Galaxy Y. Download MX Player from Google Play.

# Answer
> -2 votes
Yes: *Galaxy Y* can play `.mp4` videos. I'll tell you how to do that:

The first thing you should do is download Mx Player from Playstore, install it and open the app. Enjoy your `.mp4` videos!

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Tags: video, samsung-galaxy-y
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