# Question
Title: How to set automatic time in our private WIFI network on MarshMallow
The most of TCP And UDP output port are closed in our WIFI network. The only way is for synchronize time of my android 6 in AndroidBox TV device is to be connected to our NTP time server. I tried ClocSync, NTPSync or Smart Times Sync with root access no issues. All of these application are connecting well on the NTP server and showing the NTP time, but they didn't change the system time of the android device in my case. I noted I don't have any `/system/etc/gps.conf` in my system too Google play is impacted by this problem and I can not to be connect with it if the time is no good.

Thank for any help

# Answer
> 0 votes
**Requirements**

1.Root access

2.Busybox : for 'rdate' service

3.init.d folder in /system/etc/ to start daemon service at boot

mount system partition in read write :

```
su -
mount -o remount,rw /system

```

Create a file 99my\_daemon at /system/etc/init.d with executable permission and enter the following lines

```
#!/system/bin/sh
while ! ping -c1 "0.pool.ntp.org" &>/dev/null
do wait 10
done
/system/xbin/busybox rdate -s 0.pool.ntp.org
exit 0

```

Close writing the /system partition

```
mount -o remount,rw /system

```

And reboot, your system should be connected to the 0.pool.ntp.org and synchronized when he booted. You could use the crontab to check synchronization during the using of the device

---
Tags: 6.0-marshmallow, settings, clock, date-and-time
---


title: What is this status bar icon for

text:
# Question
Title: What is this status bar icon for
Since I upgraded my s7 edge to nougat I am seeing this icon with circle quater of which is white and the rest dim and a plus sign in center. There seems to be no info in notification panel

# Answer
That indicates that Data Saver is turned On in Settings - Data Usage.
> 3 votes

---
Tags: notification-icons, 7.1-nougat
---


title: Transfer from yahoo to google mail

text:
# Question
Title: Transfer from yahoo to google mail
Can i transfer messages as well as contacts from yahoo to gmail ? And will the contacts remain in yahoo afterwards so i have a chance to close it in my own time ? Thank you, Marie

# Answer
> 0 votes
You'd have to export the Contacts from Yahoo, and import them into your Google account. For email, you can't really transfer, only real way would be to forward email from Yahoo to your Gmail account.

You'd want to do the Contacts transfer when logged into the accounts via a computer.

---
Tags: gmail
---


title: How do you unlock bootloader

text:
# Question
Title: How do you unlock bootloader
How do you unlock the bootloader of the huawei y5ii because I would like to flash TWRP

# Answer
> 0 votes
It looks like you need an unlock code from Huawei from them here, then unlock the bootloader with the code they provide using the fastboot command `fastboot oem unlock XXXX`, where XXXX is the code they provided.

Then using fastboot and the TWRP recovery for your device, flash it using: `fastboot flash recovery nameofTWRPfile.img`

That is the basics taken from XDA here.

---
Tags: bootloader-lock
---


title: Gallery is not opening

text:
# Question
Title: Gallery is not opening
I have multiple issues in my android device and I believe all are related to Gallery.

* Gallery is not opening.
* No images in Google Photo.
* When I go to File Manager \> DCIM \> Camera, I see all images. If I open any of these image files, it gives me an option to opens files with Google Photo.
* Phone is not in silent/ vibration mode. However, phone doesn't ring for any incoming calls and alarm.
* I open media players like Music, MX Player, etc; I don't see any audio file in any location. But I can play audio files, if I go to File Manager.

I did..

* Reboot device multiple times
* Removed and reinserted battery and
* Did Clear Data and Clear Cache for Gallery

However, issues not fixed.

I don't want to reset my android device. Can these issues be fixed without doing reset?

Please guide me. How to fix it?

EinfoMail

# Answer
> 1 votes
Your phone has malwares that hide files by adding a `.nomedia` file in every folder, and such folder should not be scanned and indexed by multimedia players.

Download ES Explorer, go to its settings and enable *Show hidden files*. Afterwards browse to every location where your photos, videos, music are stored and you should see a .nomedia file, delete it. Your files should now appear.

---
Tags: audio, gallery, google-photos
---


title: Are Android tracking apps legit?

text:
# Question
Title: Are Android tracking apps legit?
I'm wondering if the apps, which claim about tracking a phone number and giving you the exact location of the caller really work. Is this really possible? If so, how? And what's the name for the app that could do this?

# Answer
> 0 votes
Say I have the phone number 1-123-456-7890. The 1 is the country code, 1 is the USA. In the USA phone numbers are split geographly into area codes (123). Area codes are split into central office codes (usually also geographic)(456). The last four numbers (7890) are either randomly assigned, assigned in order, or chosen by the customer from a list of available numbers. With area code and CO code, you can get what state and city they phone number is (or what city it was registered in the case of a cell phone). My Samsung Galaxy S5's OS (Marshmallow) tells me what state the number is from. There are some special area codes such as 800 and 710. Other countries may have different telephone numbering plans, and even base cost on area codes you are tying to call:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telephone\_numbering\_plan

More info:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toll-free\_telephone\_numbers\_in\_the\_North\_American\_Numbering\_Plan

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Area\_code\_710

If you are worried about others knowing what state/city you live in you can type \*67 before the number you want to call. (ex \*671234567890) You will show up as `private number`. They will not have your number, so unless you tell them your number they can not call you back.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vertical\_service\_code

The only legal way (in the US) to get your location, is to get a warrant and the cell company has to give up your location. The only exception is when you call 911, they will have your location without a warrant.

---
Tags: applications, gps
---


# Question
Title: What's the fastest and most intuitive way to transfer and install an Android application from a PC?
I need an Android app to be installed on my phone. I have the APK on my PC. How can I receive it without manually transferring it over USB or using the adb install method. Preferably via WiFi.

# Answer
> 0 votes
You can transfer the file over with something like Pushbullet. It has some file size limitations, which I don't remember right now, but if it's small enough it's a very useful application to do that sort of thing with.

# Answer
> 0 votes
Google `android wifi transfer`

There are plenty of options.

---
Tags: applications, installation
---


title: Programmatic Alarm App in Android?

text:
# Question
Title: Programmatic Alarm App in Android?
Suppose you wake up at 00:00 AM and usually have an alarm ring half-way through the day at 12:00 PM.

But now you sleep in, and wake up at 02:00 AM. Is there an app that allows for you to "reset" such alarms (and in my case there is more than one) to (in this case) find the **new** half-way point (which is 02:00 PM) for your alarm?

I don't know what else to call this except "programmatic alarms" in Android. Does such a thing exist?

# Answer
> 1 votes
I haven't seen an app that does that specifically, but such a thing would be possible.

In the `Calendar` API in Android, there are values to set AM/PM for a time (`AM` and `PM`, respectively). The midpoint you speak of is the same time just with this value changed. There really isn't any formula that would have to be implemented to make this really all that programmatic. Just switch those values.

Here is the reference to the API: https://developer.android.com/reference/java/util/Calendar.html

EDIT: Thinking about this a little bit more, if there is a function in the app to silence the alarm after a certain amount of time then if this extends to 12 hours (which is highly unlikely) your specific use case is covered. I think that it might be worthwhile finding an open source alarm app, editing and compiling your own version for personal use.

---
Tags: alarm
---


# Question
Title: Nexus 5 only emergency calls call are allowed by device owner
I am new to Android and I am not the owner of the current device (LG Nexus 5) I use. I come across this problem: I am not the owner of the device. Instead, I am the second user. When I want to call someone, it prompts an alert box saying that

> only emergency calls are allowed by the owner.

Similarly, when I open the Messenger app, another alert box prompted:

> this app isn't allowed by the device owner

so I set Hangouts as the default SMS app, but SMS is disabled and not be able to enable.

Other features work fine. The reception is full. Cellular data works. I can even accept calls, just not be able to calling out or sending SMS. Do I have to contact the owner, for them to unlock the calling and texting features?

# Answer
when your phone is under guest it wont allow you to have access to everything. switch to original owner and your phone will work again!
> 2 votes

# Answer
Ok, log back in as the owner of the device (if you can)

Slide down the menu from the top

Click on the user icon

Click on "More Settings" down the bottom

Click on the settings cog next to the user you want to enable phone and sms for

Click "Turn on phone calls & SMS"

This is working for Android 7, Google nexus 5x

Found in this guide: http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/android-5-0-lollipop-how-enable-remove-restrict-guest-user-mode-1470690
> 2 votes

# Answer
Contacting the owner is the simplest way to do that -- they'll probably need to have the phone physically in hand, too.
> 0 votes

# Answer
**Here are 2 approaches**

http://www.thecellguide.com/ has detailed pictures to go along with the information below, which has been directly quoted.

* Go into Settings \> Storage and tap on Cached Data and select ok to clear data.
* Go into Settings \> More \> Cellular Networks \> Preferred network type.
* Select "2G" as your preferred network mode. - Turn your Nexus off completely, wait 10 seconds and then turn it back on again.
* Go back into Preferred Network type as shown above and switch it to 3G.
* Then select Network Operators \> Search Networks - Select your Carrier and you should connect successfully.

---

https://productforums.google.com/forum/m/#!topic/nexus/tkdAkJEAXmo information below is from **Srijith G Nath** answer.

> A lot of people have been having trouble with their network connections on the Nexus 5. Sometimes it will struggle to connect properly when switching between Wi-Fi and a mobile network; sometimes it seems to run into issues when switching between 3G and 4G. Sometimes it is dropping onto EDGE or GPRS when 3G or 4G is available. For some people it happens when the Nexus 5 sleeps and there are suggestions it might be related to fast dormancy if it’s not supported by your carrier.
>
> **Workaround:**
>
> Hold down the power button and reboot your Nexus 5 and the connection should return.Try going to Settings \> Wireless & networks \> More \> Mobile networks \>Network mode and choosing it manually.
>
> **Potential fixes:**
>
> * There’s an outside chance that your APN settings are wrong. Check with your carrier to find out what they should be and go to Settings \> Wireless & networks \> More \> Mobile networks \> Access Point Names to make sure they are set correctly.
> * Try using your SIM in another phone to make sure it’s not an issue with the SIM card.A few people say the problem is gone after a factory reset or replacement handset, but there are also reports that neither helps, so it’s definitely not a guaranteed fix.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: nexus-5, 5.1-lollipop
---


title: What is this usb property

text:
# Question
Title: What is this usb property
I stumbled upon property "ro.usb.vid=2970" so anyone know what it means and where it gets stored in which file because it's not in build.prop or default.prop..?

# Answer
> 3 votes
A USB device has a Vendor ID and a Product ID for the host to distinguish a device model. Both are 2-bytes integer. That `ro.usb.vid` is exactly your device's USB VID. It is located at

```
/sys/class/android_usb/android0/idVendor
```
Use `cat` in a terminal to read its value and `echo` to change it (effective until next boot).
Also you can find your device's USB PID at
```
/sys/class/android_usb/android0/idProduct
```
which is likely named `ro.usb.pid` in the same place. Again use `cat` and `echo` to access it.

---
Tags: usb
---


# Question
Title: How can I get out of safe mode on my Galaxy S6 Edge?
I droped my new Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge and I thought it was alright until my phone rebooted and stuck in *Safe mode*. Now I realized that my *VolumeDown* button is stuck and getting pressed.

# Answer
> 1 votes
Sorry for telling you the truth , but the only way to get out of the **Safe Mode** of your Device , is replacing the broken button , because while you pressing the Power button , the volume button is being used automatically during the boot , so the phone will boot in Safe Mode , only because of the broken button...

# Answer
> 0 votes
I actually did not figure out what was wrong with my device until I stumbled upon this post. My phone has been dropped, cracking the screen and weakening the volume down button. Apparently it finally gave in and became stuck as well, landing me permanently in **Safe Mode**. To fix it, I covered the stuck button with olive oil, and used a football air pump to try to force the oil down around it.

After a few minutes of prying at it with my fingernail, it came up enough for me to restart and exit safe mode.

It certainly isn't a permanent fix, but it'll do until I have time to get a new phone!

---
Tags: samsung, samsung-galaxy-s-6, safe-mode
---


# Question
Title: How to get the Pixel Android 7.1 Navigation bar back?
My brother has recently used the "factory reset" option on his Google Pixel XL phone, this made the navigation bar to change from the traditional

to one where the circular one in the middle is a solid disk (as in the first bar below).  I have been looking for a way to get the original navigation bar back, but all I found were "artificial ways" whose purpose is to get this navigation bar to other Android phones. Is there a natural way to get the default navigation bar back? Thank you!

# Answer
> 0 votes
Seems like the problem was changing the language from English to a less common one. Once it was changed back to English the issue has been resolved.

---
Tags: settings, google-pixel
---


# Question
Title: does SDK disk images of APIs for windows and mac differ?
I have started developing on a windows machine, I use the ADT with Eclipse, my SDK is updated with all the possible Android APIs, ie, (1.6-4.4). The windows machine is pretty slow so lately I got a Mac (Mavericks), so I am confused between ADT for mac and windows. Is the APIs updated with the SDK work with mac(can i copy and paste the version images to mac sdk from the windows sdk)? or should I update the SDK (APIs) for mac? thank you for any suggestion!

# Answer
Some parts of the SDK are the same between Windows, Linux, and Mac, and some are not.

The developer tools, such as `adb`, `fastboot`, and `hprof`, are native binaries so they're different for each OS. The emulator too is different for each OS.

The Android system images for the emulator are the same between the different host OSes, so you don't need to download these again.

The `android.jar` files containing the Android framework library itself are also the same between the different host OSes. It has to be this way because the JAR files are compiled into your app.

If you're not sure what to update, it's probably best to just start a fresh installation of ADT. That way you're sure to end up with a working version, and there's no risk of failing to update something you should have, or mimatched versions. It might seem that you're wasting time by downloading some of the same things again, but at least you'll be able to trust your tools. If you try and Frankenstein your installation to save downloading, then even if you manage to do it right, you'll suspect it's broken every time you have an unusual bug, and you'll waste more time in the long run.
> 2 votes

# Answer
I know its a late reply but here is the answer. Some parts of the **SDK are same except the SDK manager AVD manager ADB etc**. all the system images jar are common Remember Java is a platform independent language. In real life, I use the **same SDK library for Windows, Mac and Linux**. The files are kind of intact for Windows and Linux. But for mac, you have to download some other files too. And ya, you don't have to copy-paste. Just share via a network. That the best so that both copies will be same. download New version of android in Linux will reflect that in Windows. I use the same SDK for:

> 1. Android Studio Windows
> 2. Android Studio Linux
> 3. Android Studio Mac
> 4. Xamarin Studio in Windows
> 5. Visual Studio in Windows (Xamarin development)
> 6. Xamarin Studio in Mac

All works cool. Only thing is you have to give **write access for both Linux and Mac users**.

Thank you!

Please comment for any doubts.
> 0 votes

# Answer
The list of folders that you can share between Linux & Windows file system as they are the same files for Android SDK are below. You can just copy & paste these folders between any OS you use:

**add-ons, docs, extras, ndk-bundle, platforms, skins, sources, system-images, tools**

Apparently, you will need to download the below folders i.e. SDK Tools differently for each OS, as they are platform dependent tools which rely upon OS like Linux, Windows & Mac OS differently:

**build-tools, platform-tools**

These two folders don't eat up much of a download bandwidth. So you can easily download it as per the OS you are working on.

I have tested and tried this successfully so far and all worked well with full support. This will save a lot of disk space as well as download bandwidth & time for sure!
> 0 votes

---
Tags: windows, macos, android-sdk
---


# Question
Title: How to upgrade Xiaomi Redmi 3 to Android Marshmallow?
I have recently updated the MIUI 7 to MIUI 8. Thought it was based on Android Marshmallow. But it is on the same Lollipop version. How do I update it into Marshmallow? I know there is no official way to upgrade. So looking for other ways.

# Answer
> 1 votes
As of now MIUI 8 is still Lollipop (and will likely stay that way due to Xiaomi pushing Redmi 4 series), and there's no Marshmallow-based port either, so you will have to make a choice between up-to-date Android version and MIUI UI/features.

If you do decide that living on the cutting edge is worth the sacrifice, start unlocking and flashing custom ROMs. XDA-Developers will give you a good start, hosting a number of popular ROMs such as LineageOS (this would even bump you to Nougat).

---
Tags: 5.0-lollipop, 6.0-marshmallow, xiaomi
---


title: Android Google Play Install count

text:
# Question
Title: Android Google Play Install count
my company need to install one specific apk in 1200 devices

how do they play store count the installation/active?

its per e-mail (all devices will have the same playstore e-mail) or per device?

will be 1200/1200 (by device)

or 1/1 (by e-mail)

# Answer
> 1 votes
Google provides analytics like number of active user, type of device used,version of operating system used.

*I suggest to send a apk directly to specific user*

or

***ask user to signup for the beta version of your app and push company specific code to beta stage and proceed suitably .***

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


# Question
Title: Power button stopped working it fall down
I am using Asus ZenFone since 8 months but after fall down the power button stopped working which is actually creating a problem for me. What can I do about it?

# Answer
**1)** If you still have warranty then try to repair it for free.

**2)** You can also try to repair the ZenFone for money. But i think it will be too expensiv.

**3)** If you doint want to spend money the install an Power-Off-App like This one. And for Wakeup you can try to install/enable Double-Tap to Wake.

I hope i could help you:)

P.S If there's an other way then let me know.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: hardware, asus-zenfone-2
---


title: How do I open .pls files?

text:
# Question
Title: How do I open .pls files?
I downloaded a `.pls` file for an online radio, but I can't open it. Winamp, VLC player all fail when opening, and A Online Radio which according to the description can open this type doesn't show up in the "open with this" list.

What are my options?

# Answer
> 4 votes
Just tested and ServeStream can open .pls files to play online radio (looks like DeadBeeF Player and Stream Furious can as well.. When you click on the .pls link it should be an option to open with after it is installed.

Opening a web-linked .pls:

Then ServeStream opens the .pls file:

# Answer
> 3 votes
Since `.pls` is just a playlist file with the location to the real audio files you could try to convert it to other playlist files and see if you can open them. Examples are `.asx` and `.m3u`.

If you open the `.pls` file with a text editor, you should be able to see the location to the sound url(s). If it is a single url, you could try to copy/paste that one into a streaming client.

# Answer
> 0 votes
you can try to search for the streaming url and open it directly with this app: radio. After that you can add the link to favorites so that you'll not have to type it every time

# Answer
> 0 votes
Try open it with RadioNerd, it is quite easy to use and battery-saving :)

---
Tags: internet-radio, shoutcast, winamp
---


# Question
Title: What can I do to make only the active app use Internet?
I know there are few apps that can restrict apps from access internet, but I just want a simple app or a solution so that only the active app say WhatsApp uses the Internet and the rest apps don't access the Internet at all?

I am using MotoG3 with Marshmellow (6.0.1)

# Answer
There usually is no need to install some 3rd party app to do the blocking part. These apps mostly require root access, even after granting root access to them, I found that the very app that was supposed to restrict background data usage was secretly consuming large amounts of data in the background.

Not many know this, but, android devices actually have the ability to restrict background data usage built-in.

Just go to "Settings/Data Usage" and then select the options menu (the three-dots on top right corner) and just check the box saying 'Restrict BackGround Data'. And now you're good to go.

You can monitor the data yourself, it worked pretty well for me, but, then you would have to manually open WhatsApp every minute to check if you have any new messages, this feature does not allow any exceptions!!
> 0 votes

---
Tags: internet, background-data
---


# Question
Title: Nexus 6 display performance, PWM and flickering
Does anyone have any information about Nexus 6 (and its "brothers") real display performance? I'm worried about PWM/flickering, that usually exists in AMOLED displays and makes them completely unusable for me. (For example, all recent Samsung phones have flickering issue and because of that they are unusable). And Nexus 6 has AMOLED, if I understood right — but I couldn't find any details about it on the Internet yet.

It would be especially great if you have proofs (high-speed camera recordings, for example).

*A good article about what is PWM and how to test it:* http://tftcentral.co.uk/articles/pulse\_width\_modulation.htm

# Update

I've found this test result in a review:

It implies that above 30% brightness level the flickering must be (almost) absent. But it's not a complete answer, because

* it's unknown what's the real brightness at 30% and how much it differs from 100%, and is PWM completely inactive when brightness is above say 40% (the graphs show that at 30% there are indeed pulsations)
* is it possible to lock the brightness setting in such a way that it's forced to stay ≥ 40% for example

# Answer
> 0 votes
So I saw Nexus 6P phone in action (it was one of the testing devices at work).

The results are, unfortunately, pretty bad: it indeed does flicker, flickering increases as the brightness decreases, and even at 100% brightness there is some flickering that's noticeable by naked eye.

Not sure if "regular" Nexus 6 (not 6P) is the same, though.

# Answer
> 0 votes
Either steer clear of Amoled, or at 40% brightness use a screen filter app like Twilight to further reduce brightness without flickering. Contrast and colours may suffer though.

---
Tags: screen, hardware, motorola, nexus-6
---


title: strange theme on Galaxy S4

text:
# Question
Title: strange theme on Galaxy S4
my little brother has played on my Galaxy S4. I don't know what he did. Now it looks strange.

Does anyone know how do i fix it.

Thanks in advance.

# Answer
Since this is a Samsung Galaxy, evident from the screenshot, I would look first to the "Home Screen Mode" in the Device section of Settings.

Settings \> Device \> Home Screen Mode

See if the setting is not "Starter Mode", which gives a simplified home screen with large icons.

If so, switch the setting back to "Standard Mode" and click Apply button. You may have to bring your icons back manually when you do so, to configure the home screen to your liking again.
> 2 votes

---
Tags: samsung, boot
---


# Question
Title: What versions of Youtube for Android support fast-forward and rewind?
What version(s) of Youtube for Android definitively support fast-forward and rewind? I'm referring to the forwards and backwards buttons in landscape mode that permit you to jump ~10 seconds. I lost this feature after accidentally updating the Youtube app and am seeking a way to restore this functionality. If I can determine what version(s) support the feature, then I'll be able to sideload the correct version.

The only information I've been able to find on the subject references the introduction of the feature in 10.43.58. I've tested 10.43.58 and a number of other versions to no avail. Perhaps the feature has been disabled server-side? Does anyone have any first-hand experience with a version that includes this feature?

# Answer
> 6 votes
Actually, the latest version of YouTube app (tested on v11.27.53) has fast-forward and rewind features, but unfortunately *it's not active by default*.

As hinted by the string resources,

```
<string name="accessibility_rewind">Rewind</string>
<string name="accessibility_fast_forward">Fast forward</string>

```

the features only work on **Accessibility mode**.

Try enabling *Switch Access* (or *TalkBack*, but it's a lot noisier) from *Accessibility* on Android's *Settings*. The next time you use YouTube app, fast-forward and rewind buttons are shown beside the play button on the center.

# Answer
> 5 votes
On the latest app, double tap on the left or right of the screen to perform a 10 second rewind or fast forward

(I happened to find this by accident)

---
Tags: youtube
---


# Question
Title: Yu Yuphoria bricked after installing custom recovery and boot file
My YU YUPHORIA got bricked while I was working with it. I want to install custom ROM into it for that I am installing custom recovery and boot file but the file that is found on Internet was not working and that's why I am stuck with company logo. I can't go into recovery mod, neither it boot, and USB debugging mode is turned off. I tried to install fresh ROM from fastboot but after installing every driver properly command prompt is showing "waiting for the device". Please sugest some way to get rid of this problem.

# Answer
Flashing stock firmware may solve the softbrick. Download firmware fron this link. - The link is for model **Y5010a**, since you didn't mention which model. Update with model name if it's differ.

There is 3 files, in zip format. Choose any of them, unzip it and you'll find drivers, the flash files and the flashing instructions. Install drivers and your phone should be detected.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: custom-roms, unbricking, micromax-yu-yuphoria
---


# Question
Title: How does the android graphics stack work?
I know that Android is based on Linux. On a desktop machine, you have an X server which coordinates all the screen activity. Some Linux distributions are working on switching to something other than X (Wayland, or Mir.)

Android doesn't appear to be using X. What does it use instead, and how can I find out more about it?

# Answer
Android doesn't use X,
although there is a Java implimentation of X made for Android android-xserver.

Instead of X, Android relies on the SurfaceFlinger and HWC(Hardware Composer),
working with the BufferQueue.
> 2 votes

---
Tags: graphics
---


# Question
Title: How do I install Google voice search on a rooted gb custom rom?
I recently moved to X-gamer, a gb based stock rom. I flashed gapps for gb thinking I would get back voice search and talk. However it seems only talk got installed. Voice search link on Google play shows 'item not found'. How do I install Google voice search?

# Answer
> 0 votes
> In Android 4.1+ (Jelly Bean), it was merged with Google Now.

But *Google Now* isn't available for 2.3 (Gingerbread).

You have to search & download the last apk-File of voicesearch.

P.S.: If you have "*Connections Errors / Server-Problems*": Try reset the cache of the app.

---
Tags: 2.3-gingerbread, google-apps
---


# Question
Title: How can I run a startup script for GNURoot Debian?
I've installed GNURoot debian on a rooted Android device and I can launch a debian shell programmatically using `am`, but I couldn't figure out how to run a command like starting dropbear.

What's the recommended way of running a command straight after launching and GNURoot Debian shell ?

# Answer
> 0 votes
To install:
`apt install dropbear`

To start:
`service start dropbear`

Autostart:
Make sure `enable` is set to `1` in `/etc/config/dropbear`.

---
Tags: 5.0-lollipop, root-access, linux, shell, ssh
---


# Question
Title: Partial internet connectivity on Android device but device connected through hotspot has internet
I have a xiamoi mi5 which is hosting a mobile hotspot, and a laptop which is connected to this hotspot.

* On the android device, I cannot connect to the internet. Most Apps see that I am offline.
* Interestingly speedtest, whatsapp, facebook and playstore have internet access
* On the laptop everything is fine.

I made sure I didn't have incorrect APN settings, and the one I have match the official.

How can I get full internet connectivity on my mobile?

# Answer
The issue is due to the sim card loading two APN entries, one marked by the phone as *"MMS"* and the other marked *"General"* . After deleting the MMS APN entry, all phone applications now have full internet connectivity.

Personally I cannot explain the source of this confusion.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: wifi-hotspot, data-connection
---


# Question
Title: is there a reliable source of charging current?
I am testing several chargers and cables to find the optimal combinations for a fast charge.

I was so far using CurrentWidget and was getting just a few values, (independently of how much the battery is charged, for several cables and the same charger, as if there was no losses, etc.). I then tried Charging Report which was giving the same value, but also a "Max" and "Avg" one.

I finally discovered that these values most probably come from

```
/sys/class/power_supply/battery/current_*

```

Since in my case `Current` \> `Max` (1698 vs. 500) and the max current I get is always 1698 mA (and it is always that for a given charger) I have some doubts about the accuracy of the reported values.

Should I trust them?

# Answer
> 1 votes
I was trying many Apps, I quite liked 3C Toolbox, or an alternative smaller, but the same: Battery Monitor Widget

But most phones which I tried didn't have an access to the real Current readings from battery's chip, and value of Current was just calculated based on changes of voltage in time.

So I bought few testers like THIS

Use this to search for it on the Internet "USB Charger Data Cable Current Meter Tester Test for Samsung HTC Andriod E1HG"

You'll also find one without a cable, just connectors, one male and one or two females. And some showing also voltage, with LED segmented display.
I bought few different models, just to cross test them. There are also models, I didn't buy that, which shows mAh value.
The pictured one costed me $4.65 inc shipping. The LED segmented with connectors type starts at $1.8 but you won't get good quality cable with it and this in the picture is also the only one which proved to show reliable current values.

For Samsung phones/tablets, I tested 8 different models, none of those testers with connectors would charge with a current over a half of an Ampere. I think it's because some resistance in those connectors would influence sense signal. Or that the LED display and tester is using more current itself. I used original cable and charger, which is otherwise charging by 1.6 A

Other phones, including couple of Sonys were charging at currents from 500 to 1500 mA using any type of tester, but not showing the same values after each re-connection, except for this LCD type tester.

Anyway, I don't care how precise it is. I know what I wanted to know, which was exactly what you want to know. That is which chargers are really 'fast chargers' and to confirm that even if a cheap Chinese USB cable is working on my external disk, it's not good enough to charge a Samsung phone.

Phones and even iPhones are using data wires from the USB to check what kind of power supply is on the other side of the cable. Chargers have resistors as voltage dividers inside them, phone can sense voltage levels on middle, data pins and decide what kind of charger is used. If none, or if standard data voltage levels or if some other unrecognized levels are sensed, charger will use 'classic' USB charging current of no more than 500 mA.
Samsungs are extremely, stupidly sensitive to sense not only non-Samsung charger but also bad quality cable. I bought around 20 cheap wall and car chargers, none wall charger is charging over 400 mA and only one car charger is charging at at least 800 mA

# Answer
> 3 votes
Please consider these facts before jumping to conclusions:

The latest Fast Charge uses 3 voltages, 5, 9 and 12V. A higher voltage means a lower current thus a lower drop in voltage and losses, hence the whole point of increasing the voltage. If you have a standard 5V USB charger then all of the above has a sense (measuring just the current). However, if you are using a fast charge system, you need to consider the voltage also (if at 9 or even 12V) and not just the current when measuring externally.

Long USB leads for 5V charging are a no-no. Good quality copper wire is a must for power hungry devices (1600mAH+ devices). Samsung non-fast charge adapters are bundled with short cables (2 feet max) for this reason. The device does not control the remote charge current, it just is limited to what the cable can handle due to resistive losses. This means that to charge the phone correctly you need at least 5.1-5.2V ON THE PHONE SIDE. The charge circuit in the phone and battery are responsible for providing the correct amount of current depending on the battery and limit the voltage on the battery (max 4.3V with HV Li-Po or Li-Ion cells) and cut off the charge when full.

Charge reporting applications are only as good as the hardware used to monitor it. Different phone manufacturers use different vendor charge control circuits or make their own. This means that if this circuit is not provided with a SHUNT where you can physically SENSE the voltage drop across the calibrated shunt thus calculate a precise current, the current is only estimated based on some voltage drop sampling in time and may vary greatly. What you access through the android power supply class is what this hardware reports, and you cannot know if it is a precise value or not based on the above assumptions. You must know what kind of hardware is used in the device you are monitoring else you are walking in the dark. HTC and some other manufacturers use shunt based current detection while Samsung does not (at least not on its S4 S5 and S6 series), the current reported is based on an estimate that is calculated based on a prior measured voltage and its drop in a certain amount of time (usually a sample per second). This is greatly dependent on the battery state (new, old, defective) but it does give a rough estimate of what the current use is, however, it is NO WAY near the precision of a shunt meter. So please be aware of this fact and know that power reporting applications can only handle the data that is given to them by this hardware, there are no exceptions.

Having said this, the only way to be sure of current usage (current, not power) is using a shunt based meter in series with the charging device. If you want to know if your USB cable is good quality or not, you can easily test this by connecting a source Power supply and voltmeter on the output and see what the voltage drop is on the phone side. The higher the voltage drop the worse the cable. An alternative and easy method is using a sensitive Ohm Meter and measuring pin by pin (just the 2 external pins suffice) what the resistance is. 5V 1A/h = 5Watts. If your cable measures more than 600-800milliOhms (0.6Ohms) it is a very bad cable. This is equivalent to a 0.2Volt drop when charging 1Amp, hence the phone will revert to 500mAH which is fine for standard USB plugs but half of what a 1Amp charger can charge.

Additional note: a 5V 2Amp charger will charge any phone or device fine if the device requires less or equal to that current. If the device needs a more powerful charger (3+Amps) and it is still a phone or tablet, the charge limiting system will limit that current to what the charger can handle (2Amps) as it will reduce current until the voltage stays at around 5.2V so it will charge but not as fast as it should. For ex. use an old 5V 700mAmp charger with an S7 will work, but it will take much longer to fill up the 3600mAH battery than with its original Fast Charge charger.

Fast Charge note: Fast Charging is only beneficial when the battery is under 60% charge (50% on some models). When the battery is over 60% it won't be charged at or near its Capacity rating (less if its over the Charge rating) as this will limit the battery life (this has been discovered over years of testing with Lithium Ion technology). The last 10% of charge (so 90% SOC) is well under the rated capacity current as keeping a cell charged too much for too much time will eventually lead it to dehydrate its Hydrogen and expand (bulge). It is best not to discharge Lithium Ion batteries under 40% and not keep them charged for too long over 90-95%. This explains why in recent phones the charge of the battery is sometimes reported 100 but can drop quickly to 95 after disconnecting it, it is merely a safety precaution to prevent overcharging and no defect.

All these things may not appear straightforward, and in fact, they are not for the not privy. Suffice to say that it is a long studied and rather intricate discussion. Charging phones is much more to what meets the eye as there are several components involved and not just the battery itself. It depends mostly on the hardware (phone brand) type of battery (Lithium Ion or Lithium Polymer), charging circuit (phone side and battery) and lastly USB cable used and charger quality and type. Keep all these things in mind when you want the best from your phone's battery life and safety. There is also a difference with sealed phones and user replaceable/removable battery types. This is part of legislation for safety precautions - but this is another story.

# Answer
> 1 votes
Try Ampere, its a new app i was using to test wireless charging, so far it shows diferences between some cable/charger combinations i made

# Answer
> 0 votes
The value in the current file is 100% accurate. It comes directly from the hardware so there is no doubt about those values being accurate.

---
Tags: battery, charging
---


# Question
Title: Huawei Ascend G630 shows on the display: "Recovery image verify failed"
I've spent much time reading up on my issue with no progress at all. I have a problem with a Huawei Ascend G630.

I have never rooting my phone or flashing a custom rom. The phone does not work, I can’t reset it by pressing volume up, down and power, and only when it’s on charge, it shows the message:

"Recovery image verify failed Please update to the authorized images”.

I removed the battery, then, I tried getting it into the recovery mode to reset It or even flash its stock firmware following this instruction to solve it:

1) I downloaded HUAWEI G630 Firmware from here: http://consumer.huawei.com/kh/mobile-phones/support/downloads/detail/ascend-g630-kh.htm?id=26062

2) I extracted Huawei Smartphone firmware (UPDATE.APP) on my PC and then I have pasted it on micro SD card.

The process doesn’t start and the phone returns to the first message
“Recovery image verify failed”.

I think that bootloader is locked.

I enclosed a picture.

Please help me. Thanks.

# Answer
> 1 votes
There is a quite simple workaround to solve your problem.

* First you should search *(on XDA example)* and download an `original-recovery.bin` for your device.
* After you can flash it in `fastboot mode` with the following command:
    + **`fastboot flash recovery original-recovery.bin`**

After this you have an original bootloader on your device.

---

*Source: XDA-Developers*

---
Tags: 5.0-lollipop, recovery-mode, clockworkmod-recovery, huawei
---


# Question
Title: Do cache cleaner (or "phone booster") apps actually work?
Do apps that *clean junk files actually work?* For example, an app like Super Cleaner.

It promises to clean **residual files** and **junk files**.

My main debate is similar to "*Does Android need an antivirus?"* I can tell that some cleaners make my phone seemingly fast, I just don't know if it's needed, funcitonal or even safe. I've heard that some delete important files, while some don't.

# Answer
> 1 votes
I can say, in my experience that it is truly contingent on the tool you choose to use.

I am very happy with SDMaid, which i have used for years. It seems to clean everything it says it will.

If you read through my other postings here, you will find I usually recommend it for the "CorpseFinder" functionality to clear remnants of older, non-fully uninstalled apps, though the AppControl, SystemCleaner, and Databases functionality are useful, too.

I am satisfied each time I use it that the cleared item were non-critical, yielding back space I can use. I have not encountered a problem with either my phone, or my tablets, where files were improperly deleted, that I would attribute to some actions of this software.

DISCLAIMER - I am not the developer, or attached to the product in any way, except as a satisfied user.

---
Tags: applications
---


# Question
Title: How to get Samsung GT-19305 out of boot-loop?
My Samsung S3 (GT-19305) is stuck! It keeps restarting!

It doesn't reach the enter pincode, but keeps restarting showing the "Samsung Galaxy S3 i9300" screen. Then cycles starts again.

Here are the things I've tried:

I have already removed battery, put back in; still the same result. I have also tried to hard-reset, but it just turns off and restarts. Same result when trying `VolumeDown` \+ `Home` \+ `PowerButton`; goes back to restarting and the Samsung S3 screen.

PLEASE GUIDE ME IF ANY PROVISION ....

# Answer
/\** I am **not** responsible for your phone. Many options listed here will void your warranty and/or irreparably damage your phone! Proceed with caution and **at your own risk**! \**/

Hi there! As was mentioned, this is known as a boot-loop. This is usually a recoverable state, but you need to be EXTREMELY CAREFUL if you choose some of the more daunting items on this list; many WILL brick your phone for good (unrecoverable state). You don't give a ton of context as to your experience level, so this list is a little drawn out, but, without further ado, here it is:

1. USE YOUR WARRANTY. If you haven't already voided it and your phone is still under warranty, use it! All other options on this list will void it. DO THIS FIRST!
2. RECOVER FROM A BACKUP. If you got into this state by dabbling lightly into the world of roots and custom roms, it's likely you already have installed a custom recovery. If that's the case, and you followed instructions to a T, almost every guide will have had you create a backup. Booting into recovery (hold volume up+home+power from a cold start) will give you the option to restore your backup, or minimally the boot image from it.\*
3. GO NUCLEAR. Essentially the same idea as the recovery mode, but you'll need a computer. You'll want to flash the "stock rom" or "stock firmware" here. IT IS SUPREMELY IMPORTANT that you find the CORRECT VERSION. If you don't, your phone is likely forfeit. Kiss it goodbye. A website like Sammobile keeps a directory of stock firmwares to pick from. Again, CHOOSE THE RIGHT ONE or your phone goes kaput. The basic idea is to use a program called ODIN to flash the stock rom (or minimally the boot image from it) to your phone in download mode (hold volume down+home+power from a cold start). There are many guides online for this, so I won't go step by step here, but Google something to the effect of "Flash stock rom using ODIN" and you'll get some good results.

Hope this works out for you; lemme know if you need anything more!

\*Having a custom recovery with a backup is wonderfully handy. Once any android phone of mine is out of warranty (even unrooted ones!) I always flash a custom recovery and perform/keep a backup. I'm a pretty heavy power user and often find myself in boot-loops or the like. Being able to flash a fresh boot image straight from my phone's recovery has saved me many a trip to my computer, not to mention my sanity :D
> 0 votes

---
Tags: boot-loop, reboot
---


title: Persistent Loading in Chrome

text:
# Question
Title: Persistent Loading in Chrome
I've noticed that on the desktop version of Chrome, sites that employ Disqus will constantly load user comments and even post a "someone is typing..." message when appropriate. I was wondering if this feature is available as a setting or developer flag in the mobile version.

# Answer
> 0 votes
Fixed it myself! Turns out the symptom was *far* from the problem. At the time of posting this question, I was using a hosts file generated by AdAway. Before that, I was using the MoAAB hosts file. *Neither* allowed persistent loading in chrome.

I have since moved to Dan Pollock's hosts file and have been wonderfully happy. While it similarly blocks most if not all ads, it fixed problems with broken non-invasive redirects through ad networks, and, pertinent to this question, allows mobile chrome to once again persistently load data from an embedded app such as Disqus!

I hope this helps even one other person out there with a similar problem. Best of luck! :)

---
Tags: chrome-for-android
---


title: Google Wi-Fi Assistant VPN

text:
# Question
Title: Google Wi-Fi Assistant VPN
I have a Google Nexus 5, running 6.0.1.

I'm trying to figure out how to reconnect to the network I'm on through the Google Wi-Fi Assistant VPN.

Today is the first time I ever used it, because I got a notification for it. I went through the steps to turn it on and it worked great. I then got curious, wondering if I could get around the WebSense blocks (security crap) at work by using the Wi-Fi Assistant VPN.

To do this I had to turn the Wi-Fi Assistant VPN off for a moment. After I tested to see that using the VPN does indeed allow me to get around the security block, I can't seem to get it to use the VPN again.

I go into `Settings -> Google -> Networking -> Enable Wi-Fi Assistant`, but I never get the question in the notification area asking if I wanted to allow Wi-Fi assistant to connect through the VPN.

So now I'm connected to my network like normal, but it's missing the key icon and it does not say `Connected, via Wi-Fi assistant`.

Is there a way I can manually do this?

Update: The Google VPN was not working because the network is password protected, rather than an open network. I'm not sure what caused the VPN to connect when I initially enabled it. The answer below describes how to reconnect to an open network to start using the Google VPN.

# Answer
> 1 votes
If you want to use the VPN, the documentation suggests

> If you'd already connected to the network manually, you can "forget" the network. Wi-Fi assistant will then re-connect automatically.

because

> Wi-Fi assistant doesn't connect to networks to which you've already connected manually.

---
Tags: wi-fi, 6.0-marshmallow
---


# Question
Title: What folder does cyanogenmod store its updates?
I reverted to an older version of Cyanongenmod today. Now my phone reboots continuously. I want to try flashing on of the images that cyanogenmod downloaded in the past. What folder are they stored in?

# Answer
You can find it under:

```
/storage/emulated/0/cmupdater

```
> 15 votes

# Answer
On LineageOS (the new Cyanogenmod in 2017) it is in `/data/data/org.lineageos.updater/app_updates/`
> 5 votes

# Answer
If you use the Google Apps addon (gapps) and are updating between versions where your ... You will find downloaded zip under /sdcard/cmupdater directory.
> 1 votes

---
Tags: cyanogenmod, rom-flashing
---


# Question
Title: Backing up contacts, call log, SMS/MMS and gallery via adb?
I have an old Nexus 5 running KitKat and I need to back up its contacts, call log, SMS and gallery photos via adb - not through an app. After that I need to upgrade the phone to 7.1.1 and restore these backups. I have no idea how to do this but I understand SMS at least is not covered by adb backup. What do I need to do to change this?

# Answer
If you have a Google Account connected to your Android Device, then Contacts are automatically backed up. As far as the Call Log, that would be info that your carrier can provide. The same is for SMS, when you boot your phone, the server normally updates your sms/ call log info, so calling the carrier would be a good idea. There is an App on most Android phones, called Picassa, that comes with the phone. You could try connecting your Google Account to Picassa, and setting the App to upload your photos to it. I'm not a developer, but I own a phone with the same OS, I hope these suggestions help you. :)
> 0 votes

---
Tags: adb, 4.0-ice-cream-sandwich, backup, nexus-5
---


# Question
Title: Disable (dead) phone number? Retaining for historical benefit. Is this possible, how can I request this feature?
I am hoping to find a way to keep but disable phone numbers in Google Contacts.

For example, several people I know have at least 6 numbers in my contact for them, where often of those only a single one is the "right" number, where many of the others are their *former* mobile numbers.

I prefer to retain the (now dead / invalid) mobile number(s) on the contact so that this user's texts / calls / activities that I backup via apps all "stay together", but at the same time, I would like it to be *impossible* to call or send a NEW text to that number (since it is marked as "former" or "disabled" or "retired" or something to that effect).

This has been something I've been searching for for quite some time, but it has recently become more important as my sister forwarded a picture of my niece I'd taken opening Christmas presents from my phone to hers, not seeing that she picked the wrong phone number (for herself), and in so doing sent the photo to a totally random person (who simply by chance has been assigned her old mobile number). This is the scenario I'd very much like to prevent.

Of note, I'm using a Nexus 6 w/ latest (Marshmallow) OTA Android (6.0.1). I use mostly stock apps with the exception of VZW Messages for SMS.

I believe that this would need to be an OS-level feature for it to be effective, and I have to imagine other people have wanted the same thing.

# Answer
> 0 votes
Its easy to keep multiple inactive numbers; just place them in NOTES for each contact. Notes is a wonderful item available on each contact. I keep tons of data there and never run out of space

# Answer
> 0 votes
If there is a drop-down menu in the Contacts app, right next to each contacts' mobile number, then you could set their current number as their MAIN number, instead of asa generic “mobile" number

---
Tags: contacts, google-contacts
---


# Question
Title: My phone is not connecting to the cell network (No Service)
I have an Android KitKat based phone. For over a week the phone is getting poor (at times) or no reception but the WiFi and bluetooth is working.

There is a cross near where the range is shown and I get "No Service" in the notification. This screenshot summarizes my situation:

Here is a list of things I tried to do, but did not solve the problem:

1. Get a new duplicate sim card.
2. Use a working SIM card from a different service provider.
3. Switch to 2G mode and back.
4. Reset my phone.
5. Completely flash the stock ROM again.
6. Flash several modems from XDA.

**Edit:** Even if it is a hardware issue, is it possible to get some debug information? Like for example, somewhere in the kernel logs, it should be possible to know for sure what is happening, right? What and were to look for this information?

**Edit2:** Device is Lenovo P780, ROW (not chinese) per OP clarification

# Answer
> 0 votes
Reset Your android just search for recovery mode buttons combination in google for your android

then choose wipe data/cache in that option

---
Tags: cellular-radio
---


title: Google Play Services force closing

text:
# Question
Title: Google Play Services force closing
I have a Samsung Galaxy Pocket. Google Play Services has always worked for years on my phone. But a few weeks ago, I noticed my phone was 'force close vibrating' constantly.

After looking and watching my 'running services', I noticed Google Play Services kept restarting straight after the force close vibration. I uninstalled Google Play Services and it stopped. (but why was it doing it in the first place?)

I reset my phone to the factory, installed my usual apps, and installed Google Play Services again. And straight away it did it again.

Is there a way to fix this? As I play a few games, etc. on my phone, some games it says it needs Google Play Services to run it.

# Answer
Have you tried to factory reset the phone? If not just try it. Because there are some apps which make the Google play services to force stop.

**Even then if it will not be able to revive then report to Google**
> 0 votes

# Answer
I recommend you uninstall all the cleaning apps such as Clean Master, CM Cleaner, etc.

I had faced the same sort of problem with my Wynk app and don't forget to restart or reboot your mobile after doing it.
> 0 votes

# Answer
The problem isn't with the phone (Galaxy Pocket) but the fact that the version of Google Play Services is not supported by the phone. Uninstalling Google Play Services stops the vibration, try it.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: google-play-services, crashes
---


# Question
Title: Analysis of PIT file for Samsung Galaxy C7 (SM-C7000)
I got a Samsung Galaxy C7 (SM-C7000) from China. I'm trying to install Hong Kong firmware on it and of course, got the partition size error in Odin. I searched around and found one `pit` file for my model Hong Kong. However, I'm concerned if it is the right file or not.

The content of the PIT file: https://pastebin.com/FncY05pg.

USERDATA view

Can I flash the attached `pit` file? Otherwise, what is the correct file for my phone's Hong Kong PIT file?

**My Phone**

* Model - SM-C7000
* Variant - China
* Storage - 32 GB

# Answer
From what I've been told, the PIT file for HK and China versions are the same.

https://www.sammobile.com/forum/showthread.php?t=35053&page=2 (dead link)

---

There is definitely something up with the PIT files. I also have the 32GB device. And the partition structure defined in all the PIT files is for the 64GB version. The only strange thing is that I'm able to flash the Chinese versions but not the HK even though they apparently have the same PIT. Both PIT from a CNC firmware I can flash without problem and PIT from HK version I cannot have the same file checksum: D178FC793FDC4B833BDFB4FD6176159A.

I noticed there is one big difference between the CNC and HK images. The AP file for HK includes a userdata partition inside but the CNC images do not. That is the difference and when it comes to writing that part it stops. Also, from what I've been reading out PIT files. Block Size is the point on the disk where the partition begins and Block Count is the actual size of the partition. In this PIT file, the userdata partition has a block count of 0 which seems odd. And would explain why the CNC image flashes and HK ones do not.
> 0 votes

# Answer
I bought SM-C7000 and it was on TGY (HK) version with Play Store. I love to root my Android phones, found a post on XDA, and was able to root, install Xposed, etc. One night, I thought to remove the root because Xposed modules were not working well. So, I unrooted the device in SU. Restarted and then the accident happened. My device was bricked. I tried to install the HK version from Sammobile but in vain. Always got auth error or invalid data error showing data is too big. Then I tried Smart Switch and downloaded it by entering the model number and the serial number of my device. My phone booted. But when I used it, it was now the CHC (China) version with no Play Store. Then I again started searching. Again file big error. Searched the net and found that it was a partition error and I need a PIT file. But after searching, I found that the PIT file for both TGY (HK) and CHC (China) are the same.

For Odin, the solution is to first flash only the `ap` file and it will give the error at userdata ext 4. Remove mobile and again, put it into download mode, and now flash `bl`, `cp` and `csc` files only. Remember not to touch repartition. And untick reboot also. After flashing, reboot into recovery and wipe data and cache partition.

Now your phone will be the TGY (HK) version with Play Store, etc.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: samsung, rom-flashing, partitions, stock-rom, formatting
---


title: gallery thumbnail

text:
# Question
Title: gallery thumbnail
I accidentally deleted the contents of .thumbnails folder in DCIM in sdcard. After deleting it I am unable to access MediaStore.Images.Thumbnails.\_ID however MediaStore.Images.Media.DATA is having all the images. How do I regenerate thumbnails in the .thumbnails folder to get the details of MediaStore.Images.Thumbnails.\_ID?

I initially had the idea that the gallery app in Android generates thumbnails in the .thumbnails folder so what I did was clear the cache of gallery app. Unmounted the sdcard and mounted it again in the hope that .thumbnail folder will have all the thumbnails when I relaunch the app I am using Infocus M535 phone

# Answer
> 0 votes
Usually, the .thumbnail folder is autogenerated periodically. If the clearing cache didnt work, did you try clearing the data for the gallery app? This ideally shouldnt actually erase your photos and videos, but on the safer side do take the backup.

Alternatively, if that doesnt work and if you want a quick fix, then go Play Store and download great alternatives to the stock gallery such as QuickPic.

---
Tags: 6.0-marshmallow
---


# Question
Title: Removable MicroSD card detected but not mounted
I have recently switched from the stock ROM (4.4.2) for my Samsung Galaxy S3 Neo+ to Cyanogen 11 (4.4.4 - I wiped data, system and cache partitions before doing this). I have a 64GB external sd card formatted to FAT32 which was working fine when using my stock ROM but Cyanogenmod will not mount it anywhere. It detects the presence of the removable sd card as I am offered to erase it in the storage section in the settings. However, there are no files under /external\_sd or /storage/sdcard1.

Is there any way I can fix this and mount my external sd card?

# Answer
I solved this by converting my external SD card from FAT32 to NTFS using MiniTool Partition Wizard.
> 1 votes

---
Tags: cyanogenmod, external-sd
---


# Question
Title: How to unhide apps that has been hidden in the play store?
On the play store, I can hide apps I previously installed/bought by clicking on the "x".

How do I reverse this process? Thanks

# Answer
> 0 votes
Well pressing the install button will make they appear there again, duh.

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


title: "Show CPU Usage" not an option

text:
# Question
Title: "Show CPU Usage" not an option
Nexus 5X, running build number NMF26F, rooted. "Show CPU Usage" is not an option available in Developer options.

# Answer
> 2 votes
Unfortunately the current solution (running 7.1.1 build NMF26U on Google Pixel) was to completely remove the option, as the feature was broken in 7.0

https://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=213571

---
Tags: nexus-5x, developer-options
---


# Question
Title: How to type a curly brace ("{") in CyanogenMod 13?
By chance, I got hold of a Samsung Galaxy S III (S3) Mini, rooted it, and upgraded it to CyanogenMod 13 (Android 6.0.1). When trying to connect it to my WiFi network, I could not do so because my WiFi password contains a curly brace, and it seems I can't type that with the virtual keyboard.

I am quite sure there is a way to do that, so how to type a curly brace in CM 13's AOSP keyboard? Should I install another keyboard?

# Answer
**On Samsung keyboard:**

Touch `Sym`, then `1/2` the curly braces are under 7 and 8.

**On AOSP Keybord, Google Keyboard, Gboard:**

Touch `?123`, then `=\<` you'll get all symbols there.
> 3 votes

---
Tags: cyanogenmod, keyboard
---


# Question
Title: Where is the top new free games on play store?
Does someone knows what going on with the Google Play store? Can't seem to find the top new free game in there anymore so I can't play newest game anymore and only able to see the same old trending games

Where can I see latest added games now?

Edit

Here's what it was supposed to look like

# Answer
> 1 votes
Google deleted this section from mobile client about 2 month ago. However, you still can access it via web, for example https://play.google.com/store/apps/category/GAME\_RACING/collection/topselling\_new\_free Yes, for devs it's sucks. Now it's harder to reach users than before.

# Answer
> 0 votes
I don't have it either, I never even noticed that section. However, when you open Games on the play store you will have this (I don't know how to call it). Maybe this helps.

I took a look on another phone which has an older version of the store (7.1.25) and there isn't the section you asked about....

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


# Question
Title: Flashing CM 11, I get `set_metadata_recursive: some changes failed`:
ClockworkMod Recovery v6.0.2.3 gives me the folling error when I try to update my Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 (GT-P5113) to Cyanogenmod 11:

```
Restarting adbd...
Finding update package...
Opening update package...
Installing update...
set_metadata_recursive: some changes failed
E:Error in /tmp/update.zip
(status 7)
Installation aborted.

```

Being desperate I tried the same thing with Team Win Recovery Project (TWRP) v2.6.3.0 -- also the latest for my platofrm,

```
Checking for MD5 file...
Skipping MD5 check: no MD5 file file found.
set_metadata_recursive: some changes filed
E:Error: executing updater binary in zip '/data/media/0/sideload.zip'

```

# Answer
> 16 votes
In short, if you want to flash KitKat Android 4.4, you'll have to upgrade to a version of CWM greater than v6.0.4.5. Or, use an alternate bootloader. For the Galaxy Tab 2 GT-P5113 or GT-p5110 you can find the instructions here.

# Answer
> 7 votes
A zip package that contains a firmware update always includes two files in `META-INF/com/google/android`: `updater-script` and `update-binary`. `updater-script` is a text file containing commands required to install the update. `update-binary` translates the commands into binary code.

In Android 4.4 KitKat, Google has changed the interface that `updater-script` uses for setting up permissions. The previously used `set_perm` method was deprecated and replaced by `set_metadata`. This causes old versions of custom recovery software to fail with Android 4.4 packages (e.g. CyanogenMod 11) and display the error message "set\_metadata\_recursive: some changes failed".

The best solution is to update the custom recovery software. I haven't found a new enough version of ClockworkMod compiled for my device, but I have found the newest version of TWRP to work.

Second option is to fix the `updater-script` by replacing any `set_metadata` and `set_metadata_recursive` calls with the old syntax, i.e. `set_perm` and `set_perm_recursive`. I haven't done this so I'm not sure how easy this would be.

Third option is to replace the `update-binary` with a patched one created by XDA member daniel\_hk: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2532300 . I have done this and it worked fine, but the binary is compiled for ARMv7 and won't work in any other architecture.

# Answer
> 1 votes
In addition to jmullee's answer, made by comparison of cm-10.1.3 and cm-11 updater-script. After this replacement, I successfully flashed `cm-11-20141110-NIGHTLY-n7000.zip` with recovery 5 (built-in in ICS speedmod kernel).

```
set_metadata => set_perm
set_metadata_recursive => set_perm_recursive

sed -i "s|set_metadata(\(\"[^\"]*\"\), \"uid\", \([0-9]*\), \"gid\", \([0-9]*\), \"mode\", \([0-9]*\).*);|set_perm(\2, \3, \4, \1);|" updater-script

```

# Answer
> 0 votes
I have solved that modifiying the \META-INF\com\google\android\updater-script file in a text editor, and replacing all the set\_metadata\_recursive by its old version set\_param\_recursive (the signature of the functions are relatively equivalent), after that you have to re-zip the pack and sign the file. For replacing and figure it out how to do it: search in google "replace set\_metadata\_recursive by set\_param\_recursive phyton" somebody has created a phyton script but if you understand the functions signatures you can doit manually. \- then repack and sign the zip.

# Answer
> -1 votes
I wrote this search/replace pattern that munges the new format into the old, and it worked for me:

```
$ sed -i "s|set_metadata_recursive(\\(\"[^\"]\*\"\\), \"uid\", \\([0-9]\*\\), \"gid\", \\([0-9]\*\\), \"dmode\", \\([0-9]\*\\), \"fmode\", \\([0-9]\*\\),.*);|set_perm_recursive(\2, \3, \4, \5, \1);|" META-INF/com/google/android/updater-script

```

In the end the google-play app wouldn't install either, so I bit the bullet and flashed an updated recovery (`recovery-clockwork-6.0.4.6-i9300.img` with heimdal) and was then able to flash an unmodified CM11. Aside, Google Play had errors until I disabled 3G (forcing IPv4 over WiFi), it seems there were (temporary?) issues connecting to Play Servers via IPv6.

# Answer
> -1 votes
ERROR STATUS 7 is because of you will have to upgrade CWM version to greater than or equal to the version CWM v 6.0.4.4 to install kitkat and lollipop on samsung Galaxy Tab 2 GT-P5113 or GT-p5110

# Answer
> -2 votes
Make sure you enable "USB Debugging" under "Developer options" on your rooted phone. That worked for me.

---
Tags: clockworkmod-recovery
---


title: Gparted for android

text:
# Question
Title: Gparted for android
I would like to partition my sd cards using gparted on android.

I would like NTFS support along with the standard EXT formats.

Is this possible?

# Answer
Android surely don't have GParted. However a CLI version of GNU `parted` is available in a variety of custom recovery builds. Even if not, you can find a static build of parted easily with a little Googling. Transfer it to your phone, reboot to recovery and run it with 'adb shell'.
> 2 votes

# Answer
In most Android kernels is the header file "(Kernel root)/fs/ntfs/ntfs.h" already there, but nothing else. You have to download ntfs-3g and compile it together with the kernel - what means, you have to dig into the Android/ARM Kernel development for your device. But beside of that, for (Micro) SD/SDXC storage devices, NTFS (as long with other Journaling Filesystems) is the worst recommendation (SD Flash difference to SSD Flash, Wearleveling etc.)
> 0 votes

---
Tags: file-system, partitions
---


title: How to root Lenovo B (A016a40)?

text:
# Question
Title: How to root Lenovo B (A016a40)?
I am trying to root my Lenovo B (A2016a40), but I absolutely cannot find a working method. Here are some specs of my phone as a screenshot:

I have tried several apps (desktop and Android) such as KingoRoot, Framaroot, and so on, but nothing has worked so far. I have found this way: Kingo Root - How to Get Root Access on Android 6.0/6.0.1 Marshmallow devices with KingoRoot but I am not sure if this can be applied to my phone or not and I am scared to brick it.

Can anyone help?

# Answer
I am recommending you to use KingoRoot application because this app is very great for rooting devices and it won't put your device in brick. If this app failed during root, it automatically closes itself and notified you. In the end, it is your decision and you are responsible for your work.
> -1 votes

---
Tags: rooting, lenovo
---


title: Problems with Huawei Phone

text:
# Question
Title: Problems with Huawei Phone
I have a Huawei Android phone with 512 MB ram and a 1.2 GHz quadcore processor with 4GB internal memory with JellyBean on it. For the past few days no game is running on it. I have tried Riptide GP2, Dead Trigger, World at Arms but to no avail. They install but when I open them they load 20-30% and then it comes back to the menu screen with a wheel rotating.

I thought it was a problem with my ram but I researched that RAM frees itself to run apps. I have 30-40 MB free ram so please tell me what to do as I am really annoyed. I know it has good hardware as its antutu benchmark score is around 14000.

I do not want to root my phone.

I've uninstalled many apps just to make the games work, but it didn't work. I would like to play these games.

# Answer
As others have mentioned in the comments, 512 MB RAM with 30-40 MB free might be insufficient for running newer, resource-hungry games. Your version of Android (4.1, according to Huawei g520-5000's specifications) already handles memory quite efficiently by terminating background apps when more RAM is required for games and such.

Your best bet would be contacting the game developers over e-mail and asking for help. Many will provide some support, just be prepared to know how to extract and send over the phone's logs. Some, such as Vector Unit (developer of Riptide GP2) even go as far as issue a refund if they can't help you with the problem:

Quote from Riptide GP2's Play Store description:

> • • CUSTOMER SUPPORT • •
> If you encounter a problem running the game, please email the device you're using, Android OS version, and a detailed description of your problem to support@vectorunit.com.
> We GUARANTEE if we can't fix your problem we'll give you a refund. But we can't help you if you just leave your problem in a review.
> For fastest support on most common issues please visit: www.vectorunit.com/support
> 3 votes

# Answer
The fact is, that your phone is really outdated. In other words, too old to run these games. Even in previous days, the SoC on your phone, Qualcomm Snapdragon 200, is a low-end processor, as well as the 512MB RAM being a fairly small amount. I suggest that you should give up attempting to run those games, because even if they launch properly, they would run *extremely* laggy and will likely end up being irresponsive due to insufficient system resources.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: huawei-g520-5000
---


# Question
Title: How can I use the name "A Google user" in my reviews at Google Play Store?
I have seen many recent reviews (2017) in Google Play Store with the name "A Google user" and I'd like to know how one can do that. I've read some possibilities, but they were written in 2012 and now you can't do it anymore due to changes in G services. Is it possible to do without creating a dummy user?

# Answer
> 5 votes
**Edit**: As of August 2016, it is no longer required to have a Google Plus Profile to leave a comment in Google Play Store.

However, it would *still* require great sacrifices to comment anonymously in Google Play Store as you have to remove your Google+ Profile and as long as you create one again, all your "previously anonymous" comments will immediately be linked back to your new G+ profile.

Previously,

> ~~Due to Google's requirement since November 2012, a Google+ profile is **required** to leave comments under contents from Google Play Store, as is discussed here. All those comments from anonymous users without a Google+ Profile are left before Nov, 2012.~~

---
Tags: google-play-store, privacy
---


# Question
Title: Changing device configuration to display non-circular launcher icons
According to this article, an Android device's "system framework decides whether or not to return either the regular icon or the round icon to the launcher." "When a launcher requests an app icon, the framework returns either android:icon or android:roundIcon, depending on the device build configuration."

Is it possible to alter the device build configuration to change the default icon display to non-circular?

I'm on a stock, non-rooted Nexus 5X.

# Answer
> 0 votes
For a non-rooted device, it's not possible as far as I've seen, as it's totally under control of OEM as implied in this Android developers documentation. But otherwise, it's possible if one can edit config with the value of `config_useRoundIcon` to `false`.

Just for experimenting, you can decompile the framework-res.apk and change the above-mentioned value in bools.txt and recompile the apk and push the apk into the device.

---
Tags: launcher, nexus-5x, app-icons, 7.1-nougat
---


# Question
Title: Is there a cache memory in android smartphone as there is in laptop/desktop?
I know there are l1/l2/l3 cache in laptops but is the same kind of cache memory available in android smartphones. Also here in this link when website writes about lrucache what does that mean ?

# Answer
> 0 votes
Look at the Wikipedia disambiguation page for different definitions of cache.

Speaking of cache memory: yes there is, in a similar way to desktop processors. Take Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 as an example:

> L1 Instruction Cache per Core: 32 Kbyte I-Cache
>
> L1 Data Cache per Core: 32 Kbyte D-Cache
>
> Total L2 Cache: 1536 Kbyte L2

As for the "lrucache" you talked about, it's merely a part of memory space allocated to store content (in that context, bitmaps). It's much more similar to the other caches e.g. Web Cache on the page, in that it's purely software based - no dedicated software, dynamically allocated and released on storage. Different concept.

# Answer
> -1 votes
Yes, there is a cache, but depending on your phone, I can't tell you exactly where yours are. In the Samsung Galaxy Series (they're similar across the line), you go into your app manager. The recent download makes it really difficult to clear your caches, but, you go into each app, wait for it to come up, click on the storage option, and at the bottom of each app, you will see "clear cache". Do not clear your data, unless you're uninstalling the app. Hope this helps!

---
Tags: cache
---


# Question
Title: How to sync all emails for all labels without individually going to each label and selecting sync all?
I switched from the native email app to the Gmail app because I could finally have separate views for my Starred folder. But now I'm faced with another issue: I can't seem to find a way to sync all emails for all labels without individually going to each label and selecting sync all? Is this possible?

# Answer
That shouldn't be a problem at all! Go to settings\>accounts\>Google\>tap on Gmail (to untick the sync), and tap on it again to sync right away. Alternatively, you can also tap on 'Sync Now' option, which will sync all your Google apps.

Note: make sure you don't have sync only on WiFi option enabled, if you do, either be on a WiFi network, or disable the WiFi only option! :)
> 0 votes

---
Tags: gmail
---


title: LG G2 (d800) Stuck in Bootloop

text:
# Question
Title: LG G2 (d800) Stuck in Bootloop
After rooting my new G2 and tinkering with some XPosed modules I am now stuck in horrible bootloop limbo. My phone starts, shows the LG splash screen, plays the AT&T startup sound, and starts the boot animation. The boot animation slows down and freezes after a few seconds, and after a few minutes the sound plays again and the animation starts over ad infinitum. I didn't bother installing a custom recovery like an idiot, factory reset doesn't seem to do anything, I can't adb in when I'm in download mode, and I can't find a stock KDZ for a d800.

Please help me!

# Answer
Try flashing this zip (the xposed disabler attached to the OP) in recovery. You can also try repeatedly pressing any hardware button during boot until the phone starts vibrating. Xposed will have entered "safe mode" when it vibrates for a longer duration. From the post:

> Quick explanation of the safemode: It was developed by @Tungstwenty and makes it possible to disable Xposed by repeatedly pressing one of the hardware buttons during early startup. The phone will vibrate twice when the first key press has been detected. Then you have five seconds to press the same button four more times. Each key press will be confirmed with a short vibration; the final one with a long vibration. It creates /data/data/de.robv.android.xposed.installer/conf/disabled, which prevents most of Xposed’s actions (e.g. no hooks are made and no modules are loaded). There’s no 100% guarantee that this will get you out of a bootloop, but in most cases it should.
> 0 votes

# Answer
So I was able to find the TOT file for reinstalling your firmware here for kitkat and the directions to install the TOT method here. You just have to scroll down half way and there is also a video and picture instructions.

Hope this works and be very carful!!
> 0 votes

---
Tags: 4.4-kitkat, boot-loop, lg-g2, lg
---


title: "A Better Camera Unlocked" question

text:
# Question
Title: "A Better Camera Unlocked" question
I'm using a Galaxy S5 Android with version 6.0.1. I like the app called "A Better Camera Unlocked" but it is baffling me because sometimes it saves photos to the internal storage of the phone and sometimes to the micro-SD card, which is where I want them ALL saved. Any idea how to get it to save ONLY to the SD card? TIA for any help.

# Answer
I tried this app，It can set the file save path，in the main activity，click the arrow ，and than click more settings--save&share，now you can set it。
> 0 votes

---
Tags: applications
---


# Question
Title: Which version of Xposed should I use for Nexus 5X?
Xposed have 3 different versions: arm, arm64 and x86

Which one should I use for Nexus 5X?

# Answer
The LG Nexus 5X is the first device with Android 6.0(.1) so it's running SDK23.
X86 is only for x86 processors, which except for the ASUS Zenfone, no one is using.
ARM is for usual 32-bit ARM processors (and 32-bit ROMs). This was the standard about 1/2 to 1 year ago.
ARM64 is the newest generation of 64-bit ARM processors and ROMs supporting this architecture. I suspect your phone is 64-bit capable (at least the processor is).

1. Head over to the official Xposed thread on XDA: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=3034811
2. Download the appropriate Xposed version (xposed-vxx-sdk23-arm64.zip)
3. Copy it to your device.
4. Flash it using a custom recovery.
> 2 votes

# Answer
If you have custom ROM please define it. And if you are using stock ROM you probably have ARM. Or just download cpu-z from play store and find it there.

Hope that was helpful, Nik
> 0 votes

# Answer
Go ARM, not ARM32, so far all the Armv8 phones I have use 32 boot loaders, 32 bit Roms, and etc, a lot of them dont even have the memory to utilize 64, I believe Armv8 is more of a performance tweak, with a future capability to go 64. I could be wrong, but you KNOW Armv7 software will definitely work.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: xposed-framework, arm-processors, nexus-5x
---


title: Formatted phone, including system

text:
# Question
Title: Formatted phone, including system
I was going around TWRP recovery and tried a few things and then I accidently wiped my entire android system. Now I am left with the custom recovery and a phone that gets stuck at the bootloader warning. I can't seem to flash any stock rom to the phone. I am using a Moto G3.

# Answer
You need to either restore a TWRP backup, flash a custom ROM and Gapps, or use fastboot to flash a current factory image.

Moto factory firmware images are unzipped and flashed with fastboot, they cannot be flashed with TWRP. The best source for instructions and firmware images is XDA, do not use the ones on Moto's website, they are older images and will likely fail with a "Preflash Validation Error" due to being older than what is already installed in the device.

XDA - Moto G 2015 - Factory Firmware Images
XDA - Moto G 2015 - How to flash factory firmware images with fastboot

Be sure you have the correct image and version for your device. Flashing an incorrect image can cause the device to be completely non-functional (bricked), and flashing an incorrect or old version will fail.

Be aware that Moto has recently released several security updates and patches for this device, especially outside North America, and some of the firmware images are not available yet.

Flashing a custom ROM and Gapps is nothing more than copying the ZIP and gapps to your device, flash them with TWRP, and reboot. ROMs can be found at number of sources.

Of course, the best way would be to restore a TWRP backup of the system partition, if you have one. If not, one of the above methods is necessary.
> 1 votes

---
Tags: motorola-moto-g3
---


title: Should I upgrade my Moto G4 to Nougat?

text:
# Question
Title: Should I upgrade my Moto G4 to Nougat?
I my personal phone is a Moto G4 (2GB RAM, 16GB storage). I have bought it mainly to learn how to develop apps for Android (currently, marshmallow is working very well for me).

I've seen that my phone has an upgrade ready to download - the new Android 7.0 (today, he is 6.0.1, Marshmallow). I usually don't upgrade to newer versions unless I'm sure my cell won't be slower/somehow damaged by it. So I would like your advice, specifically to my phone.

* Will it run ok with my 2GB of memory? (today, my phone is really fast, I don't want it to become one of those phones that makes simple tasks, like reading whatsapp/SMS slow).
* Will it use more storage space than Marshmallow? How much it will use, approximately?
* Is there any known problem (incompatibility, apps that stopped running, unusable phone resources)?

Thanks in advance

# Answer
I've just upgraded my Moto G4. Here are my impressions:

* The systems are pretty similar, no big difference.
* Nougat seems a little bit faster than marshmallow (might be due to some apps I was always keeping in background, which were closed during the upgrade)
* No data loss (at least didn't notice anything until now)
* I had to reconfigure my dual-sim call/sms selection (it has apparently changed - more options - on 7.0, but I could configure with the same settings I had before, which were working for me).

Summarizing, I am happy with the upgrade :)
> 2 votes

---
Tags: updates, motorola-moto-g, 7.0-nougat
---


title: Firmware update

text:
# Question
Title: Firmware update
Ok so I've been waiting for the android 7.0 update for over 3 to 4 weeks now. Should of got it last week of January but because I'm on Three they have to test it which I think is stupid because my s7 is the g930f. So it should be unlocked & I shouldn't have to wait. How can I bypass this lock so I can get the firmware update thanks

# Answer
> 0 votes
You can bypass this lock but you shouldn't unless you want to loose warranty. To install unofficial software not provided by Samsung you would have to root your phone and install a ROM. But as I said I wouldnt suggest that. In your case its better to wait a little longer.

---
Tags: operating-system
---


title: Resoldering charger cable

text:
# Question
Title: Resoldering charger cable
My tab (Samsun Galaxy Tab 2) has a 30 pin to USB cable (similar to old apple cable).

I had soldered the wires a while back because the wire broke. Recently I decided to resolder them and now there is something wrong with it, now the moment I plug the charger it turns to 100% in a matter of seconds.I have taken good care to solder the Red Green White Black wires to the right place. Have I gone wrong somewhere?

Edit: It seems that the green and white cable have a short between them when I connect it to my tab , is that normal?

Here is the dmesg output if that helps

# Answer
# Ah, The Tab 2.

I've hit this problem more times than I want to count. It's an easy fix though- Just empty out batterystats.bin and plug it back in. Should be fine!
> 0 votes

---
Tags: charging
---


title: How to give a SU privileges to an app

text:
# Question
Title: How to give a SU privileges to an app
I change the custom ROM from CM to RR, but now some apps can't be granted with a root access. Even when i type "su" in the terminal no question is prompted to grand root access to the app. I have update the SU binaries to the latest version also, but this didn't help.

# Answer
Have you enabled root access in developer settings? Go to:

```
Settings > About phone

```

Then tap on the build number 7 times. Afterwards, return to settings and enter

```
Developer settings

```

In dev settings you will find this option:

```
Root access

```

Click it and choose either apps or apps and adb depending on what you want to do. I also use SuperSU for SuperUser rights management.
> 1 votes

---
Tags: root-access
---


# Question
Title: Does flashing stock ROM via Odin delete phone data?
So my Galaxy S6 is stuck in a boot loop and I've literally tried EVERYTHING already and nothing will solve the problem. Safe mode won't work, clearing the cache partition won't work and USB Debugging was turned off so adb wasn't seeing my device either. I also tried Kies and Smart Switch. I am convinced my phone is soft bricked and I need to recover some **very** important pictures and files from it. At this point my last hope is to flash the stock ROM via Odin and I saw that some people have said that they have successfully done this without losing any of their data. Is this possible? If so how do I go about doing it properly? If you can give me a step by step of what settings to use in Odin to not lose my data I would greatly appreciate it!!

Thanks for any help!

Phone is not rooted and 100% stock. Recovery and Download screens are working.

Phone: T-mobile Galaxy S6 with Lollipop

# Answer
> -4 votes
None of your internal storage files i.e. **Photos, Music, Videos, Docs etc**., will not be removed until you do a **repartition of the device** using Odin. Your phone will be restored to perfect condition; just that all your personal information will be gone such as contacts that were on the phone storage and apps.

***But I'm not responsible if anything goes wrong. Do it at your own risk.***

**OR**

You can **flash a custom recovery** using Odin and use the MTP feature of the recovery and move the required files (which I assume would be safer).

---
Tags: samsung, recovery-mode, stock-android, odin
---


# Question
Title: I flashed recoveries with Odin, why doesn't my phone boot bow?
Samsung S3 Android phone, not rooted, stock firmware.

In chronological order: I turned on USB debugging, although could not use fastboot. I used Odin to flash multiple recoveries, but I don't think I was successful, I believe the phone must have been rooted first. I downloaded some recoveries as .tar.md5 but I also downloaded .img and I tried to turn it into a .gz \- at that stage my phone still did boot Android, but normal recovery stopped working (Volume Up + Home + Power) \- Then I went to settings and chose Factory reset. Now all I've got is Odin mode. It reads: Custom binary: Custom System Status: Custom

Did I soft brick my phone ?

I din't loose data but I'd like to know in what state my phone is. Although I didnt intend to have an Android phone, now that I have one I will also try to mess up and change the bootloader if possible. Thank you for taking the time and answer.

# Answer
Since the phone can still boot into Odin mode the best thing to do here is to flash a stock firmware and start all over again. You could have flashed a wrong recovery hence the boot failure; it happens. Just get and flash a full stock firmware in Odin. Make sure the firmware is for your device model and network/region. Samsung phones have a tendency to require you flash the exact same firmware for your region/ network.
> 1 votes

# Answer
That is not the case. Since you've flashed a wrong recovery, the recovery changes the kernel of the phone which makes it non bootable. flash your stock rom and everything will be alright.

You can't convert a ".img" file to ".gz" and flash it. If you want to flash a custom recovery edit the ".tar.md5" file by opening it with any zip extractor such as WinRAR and put the recovery you want to flash. You won't be able to boot into the phone system but you should be able to boot into the recovery mode.
> 1 votes

---
Tags: adb, samsung, fastboot, bootloader, odin
---


# Question
Title: How can I uninstall this app which keeps getting reinstalled?
Hello I'm running android 4.2 Samsung rooted. There is an app which always appears on my `data/app` folder and always runs at start-up. When I go to app manager I can **uninstall** it however the next time I reboot it's still there. I cannot change its permission and I suspect it's **malware** since it's not in `system/app` folder I do not consider it a system app. How can I get it off my android system? **It always reinstalls during reboot**.

# Answer
Sounds clearly a malware. In such case, there is always another app/scripts that reinstall it whenever you uninstall.

Download ES Explorer, open it. Enable hidden files in its settings, also enabled root explorer.

Now navigate to the data folder, or even `/system/app` or `system/priv-app` and see if you can find some weird app names and look also for folders which names start with . (dot) and delete them.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: applications, malware, system-apps
---


title: Sending & Receiving SMS via WiFi

text:
# Question
Title: Sending & Receiving SMS via WiFi
Is there a way to send and receive SMS when a cellular signal is not available, but WiFi is? I'm often on-site at locations where the building has a strong WiFi (Internet) connection, but a simple cell signal is spotty at best.

# Answer
Several services exist to send SMS via the Internet. One of the most popular (an possibly most reliable) is Google Voice.
> 2 votes

# Answer
SMS is tied in with GSM telephony standard, so the answer to your question is No.

But what you can do, is use Viber, Whatsapp to send something similar to SMS (*not the GSM variety!*) to each party *provided* they have the appropriate app installed.
> 3 votes

# Answer
Use smtp to send as email thru sms email gateway. fairly easy to do. Gmail users can send 500 emails per day. You can leave the subject blank and send it to the gateway address which is usually something like 15552005555@vtext.com. vtext.com is for text sms only for verizon, also seems to handle many metropcs and walmart numbers. works well for simple text messages. I do it all the time from my email account when i need to text someone and im out of minutes.

refer to the sms gateway list on wikipedia. it really is rediculously simple, the issue is knowing which gateway to which number. typically, users would select their carrier when submitting their number to you say via website. used to see this alot.

the code u need is here... https://stackoverflow.com/questions/25136025/sending-mail-in-android-without-intents-using-smtp
> 0 votes

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Tags: wi-fi, sms
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# Question
Title: Warning message after doing backup in TWRP on Honor 8 (FRD-L09)
When I do a backup in TWRP on my Honor 8 (FRD-L09), it invariably end with a message saying that it failed to unmount /system due to device or resource being busy. The header still says that the backup is complete, and that it was successful.

In case it makes a difference, I'm running FRD-L09C432B131, which is EMUI 4.1, Android 6.0. Kernel is 3.10.94 from 11 October 2016. This is what was installed on the phone when I got it. I got the bootloader unlock code from Huawei, by registering and applying for it. TWRP is 3.0.2-0 downloaded from here and flashed using fastboot on Windows 10.

Here's a photo of TWRP after finishing the backup:

Need I worry about this?

# Answer
> 0 votes
To isolate the problem, 1) reboot into Android and see if it does so properly, and 2) reboot back into recovery and do the same operations.

Judging from your response on the 2 points, it seems your recovery is at fault here. Not unmounting `/system` is usually not a problem: that step is done as a safety precaution to prevent accidental modification to `/system` when not flashing. As long as you don't do that yourself you should be fine.

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Tags: twrp, huawei
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# Question
Title: Problem downloading add-on dictionaries on Google Keyboard (Gboard), can it be downloaded in different way?
Using Lenovo A6010 Plus with the latest update of Android 5.0.2. Here is the problem:

When I go to **GBoard Settings \> Dictionary \> Add-on dictionaries**, I simply look for the language I want to add and mark it. The status changes to "Downloading", but in a second, it goes back to "Available" again, and no downloading starts or language dictionary added.

Google Keyboard comes with the phone and it can't be uninstalled. The problem occurs after updating Google Keyboard to Gboard (the new Google Keyboard name). What I tried:

* Restarting the phone.
* Allowing unknown source installation
* Trying the same exact steps on another phone, on the same WiFi, and verifying it works ***(is there any way to transfer the dictionary after downloading it from one phone to another ?)***
* Trying mobile data and disabling WiFi
* Uninstalling the update and installing it again

Looking forward to any suggestions.

# Answer
> 0 votes
I had the same phone and the same problem.

Yesterday, I have installed "Norton Clean, Junk Removal". Open it and make it clean. After that, I can download any add-on dictionary.

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Tags: languages, gboard, dictionary
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# Question
Title: By Mistake i deleted system folder from root file and my mobile was rooted from then my mobile not working what can i do?
By Mistake i deleted system folder from root file and my mobile was rooted from then my mobile not working what can i do ? usb debbug is off flah file not found "reach cogent colours" plzzz help me ........

# Answer
> 2 votes
The only thing you can do in that situation is to flash a ROM. If you can flash the same ROM you just were using, you could even do a "dirty flash" (i.e. without wipe), so your settings and data stay intact.

For details, please see our tag-wiki and follow its links. What tools you will need depends on your device (which you didn't name). If you don't know where to find a ROM for your device, please refer to Where can I find stock or custom ROMs for my Android device?

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Tags: file-system
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title: Long term battery capacity degradation

text:
# Question
Title: Long term battery capacity degradation
I've had a Nexus 6P for about 14 months now and recently I discovered the app AccuBattery, for those not familiar one of the features is to estimate the capacity of your battery by taking measurements on every charge (percentage indicated by your device and the charge measured in mAh). With using this app based on 122 charging sessions it estimates a full battery capacity of my device as about 2,300 mAh or about 68% of the originally designed capacity (3,450 mAh).

So my question is this: Is this amount of capacity degradation considered "normal" or "acceptable"?

The real world implication of this is that now I'm charging my device almost twice every day, which I suspect probably only amplifies the problem of degrading it faster. When I first got the device I could go roughly 2 days without having to recharge and I don't believe I changed my usage patterns since then.

# Answer
> 0 votes
It seems that the battery indeed passed through enough cycles to degrade. However, I don't think that there is a "normal" or "acceptable" level. If you feel that you are not satisfied with the battery, probably the time to change it has come

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Tags: battery, charging, battery-life, nexus-6p
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# Question
Title: What is this CyanogenMod 13 icon symbolising
Thanks in advance for those who will help. :-)

# Answer
The widget in question is Power Control, one of Android's default widgets. The icon you're asking about is Sync. As described in the page I linked to:

> Press the Sync icon, second to the right, to cut the power to your Droid's Sync functionality. Sync keeps your contacts, email, calendar and other features readily available and constantly updated, which saves you time and effort when you're using your phone.
> 1 votes

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Tags: cyanogenmod, 6.0-marshmallow, notification-icons
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