# Question
Title: Is there any way to lock the screen without turning off the display?
I just purchase a Nexus S.

Currently, to lock the screen, I need to

1. Press the power button.
2. Screen locked.
3. Display turned off.

To unlock screen, I need to

1. Press the power button to make screen visible.
2. Slide the touch screen to unlock.

Is there any way I can?

---

1. Press a button to lock the screen.
2. The screen remains visible, but get much less bright to preserve power.

---

1. Slide the touch screen to unlock.
2. Brightness of the screen back to normal.

# Answer
I'm not aware of such an app/feature right now, but you could use the collective effect of a couple of apps to get almost the desired thing.

1. Lightning Bug: This is a cool free app that has always-on display feature and shows the clock, (and weather, etc.) and more.
2. Screen Filter: This app will allow you to reduce the brightness even lower than what the Android system would allow you to.

However, when you want to put your device into standby, you will need to open these apps to get the effect. Also, running these apps does not mean it's in "lock" mode.

I see a great potential for an app that does both of these together and also put the device into lock mode at the same time.
> 5 votes

# Answer
Try this widget for locking your screen with just one click.

What exactly do you mean by your second question?
> -1 votes

# Answer
I have same issue with my s5, the screen flickers and once it dims it's hard to turn back on. So i downloaded keep screen on app so it doesn't turn off, then i downloaded touch lock app to prevent apps from being pressed when it's in my pocket.
> -1 votes

# Answer
The app is called Advanced Screen Control, the feature is called Proximity Wakelock and its based on the proximity sensor.

Its my app. :-)
> -2 votes

---
Tags: lock-screens
---


# Question
Title: How to reboot an Acer B3-A20 into safe mode?
When holding down the Power off button on the screen, nothing happens till I let go, and then the system just powers off.

# Answer
This guide is not exactly for your model, but it will probably work on your model, too:

> Turn on safe mode
>
> 1. Turn device off.
> 2. Press power button.
> 3. When the "Acer" logo is displayed, release the power button.
> 4. Immediately after releasing the power buton, hold the volume down button.
> 5. Keep holding down the volume down button until the phone finishes rebooting.
> 6. Release the volume down button when you see `Safe Mode` appear in the lower left corner of the screen.

Source: http://howtosafemode.com/843/how-to-turn-on-safe-mode-on-acer-iconia-tab-7-a1-713?show=845#a845
> 0 votes

---
Tags: reboot, safe-mode
---


# Question
Title: Screen goes back to home screen frequently, after Data Network enable
When I enable Data Network, my phone goes back to home screen frequently whenever I use another application or go to another place. Even when I close my screen, my home screen appears. How to fix this error? When i deactivate the data network mode, the phone works normally.. please please please update me the solution on it.

My phone is Samsung Galaxy S plus.
Model Number - GT-I9001
Firmware version - 2.3.6

# Answer
> 1 votes
Same phone. Never had this happen to me. Using a custom ROM though. BroodROM Business Edition. I would recommend upgrading your system or flashing a custom ROM.

# Answer
> 0 votes
This is happening because of WakeLocks. You can use 'Phantom key press manager' to avoid wakelocks. My i9001 is working like a gem after installing the application.

---
Tags: samsung-galaxy-s-plus
---


# Question
Title: phone not charging but lightning bult is on
my Android marshmellow phone isn't charging or connecting to pc, at first i thought it's the charger so i got a new one but the problem is still there, it shows that it's charging but the pourcentage doesn't increase or dicrease and if i connect it to my laptop it keeps connecting and disconnecting really fast. also sometimes i can get it to charge by moving the charger around. it became a frustrating game of luck so i'm wondering what may be wrong with it

# Answer
> 1 votes
It sounds like hardware issue. Moving charger around? Do you move end connected to phone or end in laptop? Depending on which end is one you moving it is probably charging connector broken or usb on your laptop. Try connecting other phone to that laptop, and connecting your phone to other PC so you will se where problem is. And maybe the battery is near dying.

# Answer
> 0 votes
Most of the times, it's the phone's USB connector which gives bad contact("moving the charger around"). Buying a new USB connector and embed it yourself is not easy & another option is maybe to ask in your local repair store if they'll do it for you.

---
Tags: charging
---


# Question
Title: Apks files download but will not install?
I wanted to downgrade my YouTube app so I got a few APK files from previous versions, and they downloaded successfully . When I clicked on them to install, the page showing install and cancel came up. Once I chose the install button it took me a page which said installing, but it immediately stopped and told me the app is not installed (picture) . I tried this with 3 different apk files and through many downgrading apps but i emded up in the same place and the same thing kept on happening. Background info: Samsung s4 mini, 700mb storage space, unknown sourced apps allowed. Someone please help I hate this update.

# Answer
If you have upgraded the **YouTube** app, then you can easily downgrade it. Just open **YouTube**'s app info and then click **Uninstall Updates** button. In this way you can get the default version of **YouTube** back.
> 0 votes

# Answer
Try the following:

1. uninstall all YouTube updates: Manage Apps \>\> YouTube \>\>\> Uninstall Updates/Disable,
2. Disable all automatic updates. Go the Google Play store \>\>\> Settings \>\>\> Auto Update Apps \>\>\> then select " DO not auto update apps".
3. Then try installing the apks you have.

Other things to check:

* Check your android version. Do do so go to settings \>\> About Phone \>\> Android version. For an S4 mini it will either be 4.2.2 (Jellybean) or 4.4.2 (KitKat).
* Make sure the apk you downloaded was for the same version of android that was on your phone.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: updates, installation, apk, downloading, downgrade
---


title: Dim the back light to low battery level

text:
# Question
Title: Dim the back light to low battery level
Even when I set the backlight onto its dimmest, it is still very bright when using it in the dark. However, when you have low battery it appears even dimmer, so I know it is possible to get it to that level.

Is there anyway to set it to this reduced level?

If it makes any difference, I am using a Galaxy Ace (2.3.3).

# Answer
I'm currently using Screen Filter. It reduces the brightness of your phone below the level of what Android OS provides. Works for me and is a good battery saver. Hope this helps.
> 2 votes

# Answer
You can use Dimmer available on F-droid (an installable catalogue of FOSS (Free and Open Source Software) applications for the Android platform).

> ### Dimmer
>
> Lower brightness
>
> Lower the brightness beyond the limit through a filter.
>
> License: Apache2

Current version (3.3.1) apk.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: screen, samsung-galaxy-ace, backlight
---


title: Uninstall Spy Apps

text:
# Question
Title: Uninstall Spy Apps
There are a lot of spy apps, that can record audio of the surroundings of the phone, take pictures and trace the phone using GPS, Cell towers, and transfering the information to the spy (husband/wife/parents/stalker/criminal) using internet or SMS. Some of these spy applications hide once installed and the user cannot detect them.

Question 1: Does the factory reset uninstall those spy apps?

Question 2: Is there any way to see these kind of hidden apps?

# Answer
> 2 votes
As Colin already pointed out, a clears all apps, data, and cache from things installed/edited *in user mode* (i.e. without root or system privileges, see our factory-reset tag-wiki for details). So yes, if you didn't root your device, it's pretty safe to assume a factory-reset removes those "spy apps" along.

Concerning "checking for spy apps": There are plenty of apps on *Google Play* claiming to do that. However, it might be hard to decide what makes an app a "spy app": Recording audio? Fully legit for an audio recorder. Taking pictures/videos? A video recorder/camera app is supposed to do that. Still, there are several "frameworks" or "ad-modules" known as being suspicios, and apps using them will be presented by e.g. Lookout Ad Network Detector, Privacy Scanner (Antispy) Free, AppBrain Ad Detector (to name my 3 favorites here), and similar tools – which often even offer you to remove "offenders".

# Answer
> 0 votes
Answer 1: In short yes, the factory reset (as the name suggests) brings the phones software back to the state it was when it left the "factory". There are most likely some hypothetical cases where this wouldn't fix it, but they would require some personal time with your phone and some hardcore technical skills that seem extremely unlikely to occur and are most definitely nothing to worry about (it would be like worrying Anonymous is going to hack your personal website).

Answer 2: There is a very similar question to this one located here: Android Spy Apps with two answers that should be satisfactory.

# Answer
> 0 votes
To uninstall specific app like "iKeyMonitor Android Spy App", you can follow its FAQ.

For general guide about how to uninstall other spy apps, there are 2 methods you can try:

1. Go to Android Settings - Application Manager, find the app you want to uninstall. The name may be masked. You should know what's the real name before trying to uninstall it.
2. Factory reset of the Android device will remove all the apps installed.

# Answer
> 0 votes
Yes.

Question 1: Does the factory reset uninstall those spy apps?

Answer 1: It will be better if you uninstall from Application Manager after unhide the application from Device Manager.

Question 2: Is there any way to see these kind of hidden apps?

Answer 2: Yes. We can see these types of apps

```
        Settings  :>   Security :>  Device administrator :>

        Here is the list of these types of apps.

```

# Answer
> 0 votes
Every modern spy app (unless it's not a fake) admit that factory reset of the host phone deletes the app client. So yes, answering your first question, you can delete them in this way.

Regarding second question, it depends on the type of the app. Every app leaves specific tracks which are unique, has its own algorithms and so on - but neither is completely untraceable.

# Answer
> 0 votes
You can uninstall the apps simply by GOING IN THE SETTING-\> SECURITY or PRIVACY-\> DEVICE ADMINISTRATORS-\> UNALLOW SPYAPPS (YOU HAVE). Then you simply uninstall the spyapp just GO THE SETTING-\> INSTALLED APPS-\> UNINSTALL THE APP.

---
Tags: malware
---


title: Apps auto updating even if disabled?

text:
# Question
Title: Apps auto updating even if disabled?
I have been using Android for a couple of days now (coming form iOS), so I am not familiar with it.

I have disabled automatic update of apps in the Play Store. Nevertheless, I received a couple of notifications stating "14 apps have been updated", or the like. I have now lost such notification, so I cannot replicate its text exactly (I do not know if there is any way of recovering it).

What could the cause be?

# Answer
> 1 votes
In Play Store settings set "Auto-update apps" to "Do not auto-update apps". And it is now off.

What might have happened:

1. You received a notification that there are apps that HAVE updates but have not yet been updated. In this case it just notifies you and asks for further actions.
2. The update process might have started automatically before you disabled the updates. In this case all apps that started updating will finish updating but after that no further auto-updating will occur.

# Answer
> 1 votes
If you change the setting for auto-update in the Playstore app, this affects only apps you install *thereafter* (it's the default to set on installation of new apps). If you don't want your already installed apps to auto-update, you've got to check with each of them:

1. Open the Playstore app
2. Navigate to "My Apps" (via the "Hamburger menu")
3. Open the settings for each app you don't want to auto-update, and uncheck the auto-update setting

Auto-update check box (click images for larger variants)

Also see this howto for a complete walk-through with screenshots (second screenshot above comes from there). Location and "visuals" of that check-box might depend on the version of the playstore app, but the principle should stay the same.

Note that for some "system apps" (usually parts of the "Google Apps") you might not be able to turn this off. I've e.g. experienced that for *Google Play Services* on some devices.

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


# Question
Title: Does using brightness dimmer (screen filter) really save battery?
We know that the lower the scree light/brightness, the lower the battery consumption.

There are some applications which provide ability (without root) to lower the brightness beyond the (default) limit.

So, I want to know does it really save battery? In other words, does it affect battery consumption comparatively to default minimum limit?

Btw, I'm also interested to know *how does such application do this task if going beyond limit?*

And is there any command-tool related to settings brightness level?

# Answer
> 0 votes
When you decrease the brightness of a light, it normally means less power is consumed. Therefore, having a lower screen brightness than your default would suggest battery use is reduced further than normal.

As far as I can guess, the screen brightness will just be a command in the android system that changes power flow through the screen LED's. The phone manufacturers likely just set their brightness slider's lowest value to whatever arbitrary value they expect a standard user would require. The app's that you are using just influences the same function, but drops the power lower.

*e.g.* *Samsung use a minimum screen brightness of 30% power, but your app will drop to 10%*

I don't know the specifics of such tool.

---
Tags: applications, command-line, screen-brightness
---


# Question
Title: How do I upload music files to my android phone?
I have bought some music on my phone. I can't find the files on my phone. I have found them on my computer. I created a playlist on my computer but not on my phone. I had found a conversation about how to do this, but when I joined this group I lost the link. I had tried to do some of the things that were mentioned in the conversation, none of them worked or the settings they mentioned weren't where they said they would be. How do I get music on my phone?

# Answer
If the music you bought are in mp3 format and are on your computer:

1. *Plug your phone into your computer*
2. *Open the music folder*
3. *Copy your mp3 music files that are on your computer*
4. *Paste the mp3 music files into the music folder*
5. *Enjoy your music!*

If the music was bought through the Google Playstore or Google Play Music:

1. *Open Google Play Music*
2. *Find the album or single*
3. *Tap on the diagonally pointing arrow head*
4. *Check the box to "Keep on Device"*
5. *The music should download*
> 0 votes

---
Tags: file-transfer, downloading
---


# Question
Title: Android 5.1 : Cannot install, but I can Cancel
I have a tablet named Samsung Galaxy Edge Max, I need to download and install Minecraft , and `Install` button doesn't works, while `Cancel` Button works in Android 5.1.

# Answer
> 1 votes
Do you have any screen dimming App running? if yes its probably that this app generates a overlay and send all presses through the overlay and the Install button is protected against such clicks. Or you didn't enable the Unknown Sources in your Settings

---
Tags: 5.1-lollipop, installation, apk
---


# Question
Title: What does "moving" mean in Google Location History?
While reviewing my phone location on https://maps.google.com/locationhistory, I see some locations where I know the information is right. There are other times though that Google Maps says my phone was "Moving" but doesn't say where it started, where it finished, or offer an explanation. Furthermore, I don't recall going anywhere at those times.

What is wrong? What does "Moving" mean to Google (does it mean moving a few feet, does it mean changing WiFi networks, does it mean connecting to a different cell tower)?

# Answer
if a location is modified in any way, it will say moving. I.e. if you change location name or time, any modifications made means moving. Try it!
> 0 votes

---
Tags: google-maps, google-location-history
---


# Question
Title: How do I get my picture to appear in message threads?
In the **stock messaging app**, the contact I'm messaging has their picture next to their replies, but mine is just a grey box; how do I get my picture there? I have a contact called 'me' with my picture and phone number, but it's not making the link.

I'm running Gingerbread 2.3.4 on Nexus S.

# Answer
Assuming the answer to my comment above is Talk, you need to change your picture in your Google Account. This is most easily done through Gmail's settings on a PC.

If you sync your contacts from Gmail, that picture might possibly show up in your SMS app as well.
> 5 votes

# Answer
I created a contact with my name, full telephone #, and email and added the photo to my contact. My photo now shows up in txt messages and in gmail app. I have no clue if it will work with other email and sms apps.
> 3 votes

# Answer
I stumbled across getting my picture to show in a very weird way. First of all I use Gtalk and my phone is connected to my gmail and my gmail happens to be firstname.lastname@gmail.com which I have a picture for. So I went into contacts clicked add new contact. For first name I put in only my first name and filled nothing else out then I hit the button that brings up the settings on my phone and there was a join option. When I hit join option it gave me suggested contacts which i'm assuming recognized my first name and pulled up gmail account to join and I saw myself show up with my gmail picture voila!
> 2 votes

# Answer
I am facing the problem as well on 2.2.3. I have gone through different suggestions and from them it seems that the owner's phone number needs to be in the SIM itself. The original post is here : http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=687011 .

I could not try it myself since I am yet to find a phone where I can assign my number to self.
> 1 votes

# Answer
This worked for me (CM71 firmware):

*For users of CyanogenMod-6* go to `Settings -> Call Settings -> Additional Settings -> My phone number`. Have a try, this should solve you all problems.

Source: http://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=8519
> 1 votes

# Answer
I had the same problem, I was very frustrated with all the postings that kept directing me to facebook! Not all of us want to be that connected... Anyway I kept at it on my own and this is what worked for me:

* Go into your text message history
* Tap on your "shadow" figure
* Tap on your menu icon at the bottom of your phone
* Tap on "Edit"
* Tap on your "shadow" figure
* Tap on "Gallery"
* Tap on photo from your gallery
* Save

Jeez couldn't believe how long this took me to work out, it's not in the manual that comes with the phone in fact almost nothing is in the manual I have had to find just about everything I needed through forums such as this. That being said after it's all figured out I am ultimately happy with the HTC Wildfire S.

Thanks to all of you who took the time to help us out.

Good luck! :-)
> 1 votes

# Answer
Mine was similar to, but not exactly like, Kimmy's above:

* sms history / view a specific conversation.
* tap gray image. phone wanted to add a new contact.
* tap menu button.
* select insert image - select image from gallery.
* select OK - I never did assign the contact a name, phone number, or email address.

Now all my sms messages show the image I just assigned.

Note - I already had my own contact with an image, which was sync'd to gmail, but for some reason the sms app wasn't picking it up.

HTC Droid Incredible

Hope this helps somebody out there...
> 1 votes

# Answer
If you get the error Toast message "The contact does not exist" when you click on your gray profile image (in the Messaging app), then do this:

1. Open the "Contacts" app (it has a blue icon that looks like a stack of cards)
2. It should list all your contacts, with an entry "Me" at the top, with a gray icon
3. Click on the gray icon at the top, in the section "Me"
4. Add a photo from the Gallery or from an installed file browser app.
5. This photo will now show in the Messaging app.
> 1 votes

# Answer
Turns out that if you log into the Google+ app, then your local account ("Me") will be synced with your profile account (Google contacts).

So just download the google+ app (if you don't have it aldready) and log on to it should solve the problem.

I am using Android 4.0 by the way.
> 0 votes

# Answer
G+ option didn't work for me.

I just went into contacts and added my mobile number as a contact. That way you can set what pic shows when that person talks. And it's you.. so :p
> 0 votes

# Answer
This works with the default Apps on Android version 6.0.1

• Have the image you want ready on your phone. • Open Contact app. • Create a record for yourself if not already there. • Tap your contact and tap edit, the pencil icon. • Under "My local Profile" tap picture icon. • Under "Contact photo" tap Image (other options available here). • On the left hand column Choose "gallery" or choose the image you want if the image is already present. • Image appears in right hand column. • Tap the image for size editing. • Choose Done. • Choose Save. • Image should immediately show up in any Messages conversation.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: contacts, 2.3-gingerbread, sms
---


# Question
Title: What am I supposed to do with Bug reports captured?
From time to time I get a notification on my phone which says:

```
Bug report #1 captured
Tap to share your bug report

```

When I tap, it warns me about the possibility of sensitive information being in the report. I tap on "Ok" to continue.

But now, instead of the report being submitted somewhere automatically, like it would under something like Windows or Mac OS X, it pops up a "Share with" prompt, asking me how I want to share it. I have no idea, I don't even know what caused the bug report!

The choices I see are `Gmail` (who am I supposed to send it to, especially given that I don't know what the report is even about?), `Add to Dropbox` (what good would that be?), `Android Beam` (never used this, but it sounds like maybe I would need to be in the same room as Android developer for this to be useful), and `Save to Drive` (again, seems about as useless as adding to my Dropbox).

I'm not even sure why I'm being prompted to do this, given the complete lack of instruction on what I should be doing.

Update: I tried e-mailing the report to myself. The bug report contained an empty (black) image, and a zip file containing a 16.4MB log file (which appeared to just be a dump of various process info - I didn't look at the whole thing due to length, but I couldn't find any obvious indication of what the problem was) and a FS directory containing a path FS/data/tombstones containing 10 separate files ranging between one month and one year old (nothing from today!). The newest of these files appear to be system related (/system/bin/rild, com.android.nfc, system/bin/netmgrd, ...)

# Answer
> 1 votes
Where you *share* the bug report depends entirely up to you. A bug report can be generated regardless if there is an issue/error/crash or not.

Usually, bug reports are needed by developers and/or supports in order to find more details in pinpointing a specific issue. The bug report is essential since it provides a *lot* of details about the device from which the error/issue is occuring.

How you share it depends on how you are communicating with the developer or support, it's usually just through email, but it's also safe to save it via your own Cloud Storage account (e.g. Google Drive, Dropbox), then share the download URL.

---
Tags: bugs, 7.0-nougat
---


# Question
Title: no system partition - lost adb connection while updating
I was updating my Nexus 10 tablet - had gotten to the system partition - when I lost the ADB connection. I've since learned that's a problem with newer Macs (I was connected to Windows through Parallels). Because of the lost connection, the system partition did not flash and my tablet is bricked. There is no operating system so it can't boot into Android, but it can boot into the Bootloader and Recovery mode. All the other partitions are fine.

I have a custom recovery (TWRP) and an unlocked bootloader, but I'm at a loss to figure out how to flash the system.img file. I can't boot to Android so I can't connect through ADB in Fastboot mode to flash the ordinary way. I am connected through ADB when I'm in Recovery mode, but I can't use the flash command in Recovery mode. Nor can I figure out a way to make TWRP flash the partition by running it as a zip file - mainly because I can't figure out what the update.zip file should consist of.

I tried pushing the system.img file to the Nexus 10 using the Linux dd command, but that doesn't work with the system partition, which uses a special format. The details are explained here, but I don't fully understand it:

http://www.modaco.com/forums/topic/327661-how-to-backup-the-systemimg-bootimg-and-recoveryimg/

I've spent hours and hours trying to figure this out, and I can't. I need help. I hope someone knowledgeable can give me some guidance. I posted in xda, but they ignored me (as usual).

Thanks in advance.

# Answer
> 0 votes
I got the update (with system.img) from the Google site. The problem is fixed now - so much time wasted. First I wrote an update.zip file that formatted the system partition (to fix the corruption) & write out the files in system.img. That seemed to work, but my tablet would only boot to Recovery. I suspect the formatting - perhaps a boot flag was needed. In the end, I discovered that I was wrong about not being able to flash. AUGH!! I could have fixed this so easily. Once in Recovery, if I rebooted into the Bootloader, I was connected. I reflashed the system partition & all is well now.

On the plus side, I learned a lot (trying to see a silver lining from so much wasted time). I know how to write flash updates that run in Recovery mode, and I know a lot more about the features of TWRP. I think I could wake up any soft-bricked device at this point. :)

# Answer
> 0 votes
I cannot see the date of the post but I am replying in case if helps other. Just install the ROM.zip from your custom recovery. It contains system.img, boot.img and more. But don't erase the fastboot.

---
Tags: rom-flashing, unbricking, system
---


# Question
Title: Lock Screen Dialer App Replaced with Microphone
I have a OnePlus 2, although I suspect this applies to any Android 5.x OS. When I upgraded to Android 6.0, the dialer icon on the lock screen was replaced with a microphone (some sort of Google search thing).

I checked all the settings, but I can't seem to find any way to customize or change this to replace it with the dialer. Is there a way to do it?

# Answer
I found the answer here:

> * Go to Settings \> Apps
> * Click the Gear Icon (top-right of the UI)
> * Click on Default Apps \> Assist & Voice Input \> Assist app.
> * Click "None" (the other option is Google App).
>
> This puts the dialer shortcut back on the lock screen, but it also disables long-pressing the home button to launch the Google App.
> 0 votes

# Answer
In CyanogenMod 13 (Marshmallow) you can can goto `Lockscreen` in Settings.

1. Inside that, select `Lock screen shortcuts`.
2. Tap on microphone(on the left), which displays `Choose action`, tap on `select application`. And, it displays `select custom app`, in that, select `Apps` and select activity `Phone`.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: 6.0-marshmallow
---


# Question
Title: Would Energz Gofit or Intex Fitrist work without smart phone?
I am not sure if I am asking question at correct community, if yes please guide me. However, my concern is I am thinking to buy Energz Gofit or Intex Fitrist and I have Android phone with Andoid 4.0.4 so will it be compatible or even better if I can use it on my laptop's bluetooth to store data ?

Thanks

# Answer
EnergZ Gofit is compatible with Android 4.3 and higher and bluetooth 4.0

FitRist Band is compatible with Android 4.4 and higher

So it's time for a new phone. If they have a program for your laptop then you might be able to get by but, just get a better phone before buying one of those.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: 4.0-ice-cream-sandwich
---


# Question
Title: How do I install custom ROM on HUAWEI Honor 4A?
I have a Chinese HUAWEI Honor 4A and want to install a different OS without the bloatware and restrictions that come with it (eg no play store).

Any recommendations on which path to choose?

I just want a simple, stable, hassle free OS and the tips on the right way to do it.

# Answer
You need to ROOT your device first.

This link helps you to ROOT and install custom Recovery on your device.

You can download custom ROM from here.

After rooting and installing custom Recovery(TWRP), Download ROM file zip,GApps zip(if you need to install Google apps), .

1. Reboot to recovery mode.
2. Prepare a backup of current ROM (IMPORTANT). In TWRP, select backup, and check System, Data, Boot, and select backup.
3. After that, go back and select Wipe, select System, Data, Boot, Caches. Wiping deletes all your data.
4. Then, go back and select Install, and select zip file.
5. And you can install Gapps, select Install, and select zip file.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: google-play-store, rooting, rom-flashing, stock-rom, vanilla-android
---


title: S6 keeps turning off

text:
# Question
Title: S6 keeps turning off
My girlfriend has a Samsung Galaxy S6 that keeps turning itself off randomly multiple times a day (not rebooting). The only way to turn it back on again is to hold down the power and volume buttons. Has anyone else had this problem? Or more importantly has anyone got a solution?

# Answer
> 1 votes
1. Backup your data
2. Flash last firmware with Odin
3. Do not install any app

Check it again if turning off happened again, Its hardware relative and you should send it for repair.

I think flash firmware will fix your issue.

---
Tags: samsung-galaxy-s-6
---


title: Fastboot on Samsung devices

text:
# Question
Title: Fastboot on Samsung devices
I was trying to do some fastboot commands on my Galaxy devices (Galaxy S4, 9515, 4Tab4), I start with fastboot devices and I am getting nothing (after `adb reboot bootloader`), is there any problem with samsung devices?

# Answer
> 13 votes
Simple... Samsung devices do not support fastboot, you use Odin or Heimdall to flash what you need.

# Answer
> 1 votes
Finally It works for me this way :

1. Got the CF-Auto-Root-xxxx-xxxxx-gti9515.zip from : https://autoroot.chainfire.eu/
2. unzip CF-Auto-Root-xxxx-xxxxx-gti9515.zip
3. mv CF-Auto-Root-xxxx-xxxxx-gti9515.tar.md5 CF-Auto-Root-xxxx-xxxxx-gti9515.tar
4. tar xvf CF-Auto-Root-xxxx-xxxxx-gti9515.tar
5. Put the device on Download mode ( Vol Down + Home + Power then Vol Up)
6. sudo heimdall flash --RECOVERY recovery.img --CACHE cache.img.ext4
7. after testing you have root rights ( adb shell & su )
8. sudo heimdall flash --RECOVERY recovery.img ( TWRP )

Then you can go to recovery mode and use TWRP to install custom ROMs.

---
Tags: samsung, fastboot
---


# Question
Title: Problems receiving German characters in SMS
I am learning German with a friend of mine, so we send texts in both German and English. I can send an umlaut (a/o/u with two dots above) to him, but when he sends to me it is replaced with a question mark. For example, when he sends me Grün, I receive Gr?n. Very aggravating.

I am using a Motorola XT1080 running Android 4.4.4 and using the native text messaging app. Can anyone tell me what setting I should look for? I think my buddy is using an iPhone, if that matters. Thanks much.

# Answer
Android is Unicode-aware, and the native SMS app has no problems whatsoever in displaying German umlauts, regardless of the phone's language setting.

The problem most likely sits with your network provider and is therefore outside your reach (unless you can easily switch providers after making sure the prospective provider offers better character support).

If you have data access, what you can easily do is use an alternative messaging app. None of the major apps like Whatsapp (the most popular in Germany, so your friend might already have it) or Viber should have problems with Unicode.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: sms, stock-android
---


# Question
Title: How can I trace which user account my kids dead phone had?
My kid broke his phone. (Well actually, a bully classmate broke it..) It's all black, but probably runs. Not-rooted.

Problem: I've forgot his gmail-account. Can I grab the used account (not password) through adb or fastboot somehow?

# Answer
> 2 votes
Is usb-debugging enabled at all? Then you definitely can. That's one of the things my little tool Adebar does:

```
adb shell dumpsys account

```

gives you all the account information (which accounts exist on the device), including the Google one. No root required.

---
Tags: google-account, data-recovery, fastboot
---


# Question
Title: How to tell which application has pushed a notification
Android allows notifications to be pushed and some times when we install certain applications, they push adverts to the notification bar.

For example, this screen shot shows a notification icon that a download is in progress (and the notification is also shown in more detail when we expand the notification area).

My question is, how do we find out what posted any given notification. You can probably guess that I'm getting unwanted notifications (adverts/spam).

The advice is usually start uninstalling apps, reset the OS etc and whilst I don't disagree that those methods don't work, they're not easy either.

So, is it possible on stock Android 5 or higher to find out what application sent the notification?

# Answer
Just long-press the notification. That should either directly lead to the corresponding app in *Settings › Apps* – or at least reveal a button to go there:

The  button brings you to the details, where you also can configure notifications for that app (Android 5.1 here)

AFAIR that feature was added somewhere around Kitkat (Android 4.4), but not before JellyBean (4.2), so it should definitely be available with Android 5 (Lollipop).
> 1 votes

---
Tags: 6.0-marshmallow, notifications
---


# Question
Title: Remove minimum number of points from pattern unlock
I've recently gotten a Samsung Galaxy J5. Its default (insecure) unlock procedure involves simply swiping *anywhere* on the phone in *any* direction. My primary concerns are (a) being able to quickly unlock and use the phone and (b) not accidentally unlocking the phone when it's in my pocket.

As it is, the 'swipe to unlock' feature is too easy to accidentally unlock, since any movement in any direction is sufficient. A solution to this would be to setup a simple unlock pattern that can be executed quickly and easily. That would make the phone much *less* likely to be accidentally unlocked whilst in the pocket. However, setting a pattern lock requires a minimum of four points to be used, for security reasons. Using a three-point unlock would make life easier as it would just be a quick swipe in one direction (crucially, a very specific direction, which would make the system much less prone to butt-dialing)...

I understand *why* four points are mandated as a minimum, but my concern here is not around security. Can anyone offer a solution that would allow me to either (a) remove the minimum number of points required for a pattern lock or (b) replace the lock screen with something similar that involves a more specific swipe than 'anywhere and in any direction'?

Note that as the phone is new and therefore still under warranty, I have no plans to root the phone unless absolutely necessary.

# Answer
A quick google search for `android custom lock screen` presents me with a list of lock screen apps (for example this one: https://www.androidpit.com/best-android-lock-screen-apps). I don't think these apps need root access to function.

Many of these apps support "slide to unlock". Which is basically the same as a pattern consisting of a straight line, which is what I assume you want. Most apps I saw require you to swipe from left to right on the bottom of the screen. This is a specific direction starting from a specific location on the screen, yet the pattern is incredibly fast and easy. This prevents most cases of "butt-dialing" without giving up speed of unlocking your phone.

Take your pick from the many lockscreen apps that support this and enjoy! :)
> 0 votes

---
Tags: lock-screens
---


# Question
Title: How do I resize/change resolution of pictures easily?
I just tried to make a post on another StackExchange site, but unfortunately, when I tried to take a picture of the problem, I got an error that the image must be less than 2 MB to upload it to StackExchange! The edit button on my Android photos app lets me draw over, crop, change tint/brightness/contrast, and add lots of WACKY EFFECTS to my pictures, but I can't figure out how to shrink the resolution! Thanks in advance.

# Answer
> 2 votes
I'm not aware of any "native" or "pre-installed" capabilities. But the easiest way, if you need it more than once a year, is to use a suitable app. You can find some candidates in my app-listing Other photo editors. Examples:

* JustResizeIt! allows to resize single images or entire batches. Comes for free, size less than 1MB, decent permissions (access storage and internet only).
* Image Shrink Lite is even smaller (less than 400k), and additionally allows you to remove Exif data (location etc.) No network permissions requested, just read/write storage. Free again.

Both mentioned apps also have paid counterparts; I didn't check the differences between those versions. For more candidates, see the list linked above :)

# Answer
> 1 votes
Easey peasy. Search online for resize tools. I'll give you a random one...

http://www.picresize.com/

Upload your image and select the resolution you want to get.

# Answer
> 1 votes
i'm not sure if this is the right thing for you but from time to time i use Send Reduced:

once you have done your settings in the app, you can resize images by just using the share button and "share it via"/"send it to" Send Reduced. no extra interface, settings or other junk you have to consider... just resizing.

it is very handy if you use the same resolution for the most of the pictures you want to resize, and also for batch-resizing it is quick and easy.

---
Tags: images
---


title: Why doesn't pin code/pattern work?

text:
# Question
Title: Why doesn't pin code/pattern work?
I have a Samsung Galaxy Grand Prime and when I set a pin code it would show up, but it would switch back to swipe to unlock even though I have it secured as PIN. It just occasionally switches my screen lock to swipe and to PIN and I can't figure out how to make it stay as PIN.

# Answer
> 0 votes
Did you consider trying other screen lock screen apps from playstore?(If not please do!)

If this doesn't work then a factory reset might do the job.

# Answer
> 0 votes
Go to apps in settings then list of apps all check your permission on each app one of them has,ability to change lock security's then disable that permission hope it helps

---
Tags: lock-screens
---


title: Is there an error display app?

text:
# Question
Title: Is there an error display app?
Is there an app for android that displays an error when an app or game crashes ? Because in windows, when a program crashes , an error is always displayed revealing a reason for crash. Eg. It says ' * file is missing','incompatible graphics card' etc. But an android app quits, or fails to install without explanation. So is there an app that displays errors that explain, for example if an app needs a specific android version, what gpu works with it, or it is not an original etc.

# Answer
> 0 votes
There is no general, automatic way to find out a human-understandable reason why an app failed to install/run/work. It is definitely *not* true that Windows apps always fail with a sensible error message.

> if an app needs a specific android version

Apps contain explicit information about what versions of Android they target and support. This information is displayed in the Play Store and other app stores, or you can find it using one of the tools listed here.

> what gpu works with it

Ideally this would be published by the developer/app store as well.

> it is not an original

Don't pirate apps.

---

To get other errors/logging or stack traces, you can use the `logcat` command from ADB or a local shell on your device. There are also apps like aLogcat to provide a graphical interface.

# Answer
> 0 votes
Your best opportunity to do this is using:

```
adb shell logcat

```

with your device hooked up to a computer in debug mode. It will provide a live stream of debug info, from which you can ascertain the cause of any failure. It's not as easy as what you want but it does the job you need.

---
Tags: applications
---


# Question
Title: Google Play Services have stopped message is popping up continuously on screen
Phone is MI4I , Google play services have stopped msg is popping up continuously on screen. None of the conventional methods are working I.e clearing Google play cache is disabled, restore to factory version or uninstall updates or clear data is disabled. Stopped and cleared cache of framework, still issue exists. Any other solution possible?

Can't access play store since it needs this. Thinking of downloading Google Play Services latest version from web and installing. Is it a good idea?

# Answer
> 0 votes
Have you already tried rebooting your phone or deleting some data/apps, because if you don't have much space the app will always crash also you could try to reset the play services to the factory version and try starting Google Play to automatically download the newest version that hopefully works.

---
Tags: google-play-store, google-play-services, xiaomi-mi4
---


# Question
Title: Trouble with finding an app on play store
I'm using Android 6.0 (non-rooted) phone and looking for an application called `call tools optinno`.

*Though* it can be easily found by searching on net : https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.calltoolsoptinno , *However*, I can't find on play store by searching `call tools optinno` or by `call blocker` etc.

I've also tried by entering id : `com.calltoolsoptinno` on the play store but didn't get.

Note: I've scrolled down multiple times but can't find the app I'm looking for.

What's wrong with searching mechanism?

# Answer
> 0 votes
There are two reasons - I think - an app can't be found in Google Play Store: The app is not designed for your phone model and/ or android version and/or it is a geographic specific app. Use a VPN if it is geographically unavailable for your region/country.

---
Tags: applications, google-play-store, 6.0-marshmallow, search
---


# Question
Title: how to clear phone number and user from about device status - galaxy S5
Getting my Sprint Galaxy S5 ready to sell. I've tried factory reset. Even went into android recovery menu and wiped cache and factory wipe reset. Yet when I go into settings -\> about device -\> status: I see my user names (something like myname@samsung.com) and my phone number! How do I wipe this? I think I found the answer once before online when I was selling another phone a few months ago, but can't remember what it was. I think I had to type some special #*#* into the dial pad to get it to wipe. I think the info is store on the sim card. Please help.

# Answer
> 1 votes
I found the answer. Dial ##72786# This restores all phone setup information to the original factory settings. It is *NOT* the same a factory reset. It removes completely the old phone number and old user name from the phone.

I found the answer here, near the bottom of the page; post #13 on the page: http://forums.androidcentral.com/sprint-galaxy-s-ii-epic-4g-touch/254641-how-do-i-remove-my-user-name-phone-etc-settings.html

Answering my own question to hopefully help someone else ;-)

---
Tags: settings, samsung-galaxy-s-5, sim-card
---


title: Samsung S7 not responding

text:
# Question
Title: Samsung S7 not responding
While playing the Android game Alto's Adventure on a Samsung S7 Edge, I had to watch an ad to revive my character, but then my phone got stuck. It is saying "Buffering" on an empty black screen instead of showing the ad. The phone has not responded to the power button (no matter how long I hold it for), it has not responded to the home button and it has not responded to the volume buttons.

I have tried Android Device Manager, but it is unable to locate my phone.

Technical details: Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge on Android Marshmallow

I just want to get my phone to respond and to work normally.

Any help is appreciated!

# Answer
> 0 votes
So my friend (it was not my phone) said that he waited until the phone ran out of battery. It took 8-ish hours for it to run out. Then he charged the phone and it worked.

---
Tags: 6.0-marshmallow, samsung-galaxy-s-7-edge
---


# Question
Title: Disable all blackground apps when using some apps (possibly with Tasker)
Is there a way to disable **all** background apps (gmail, google notifications, messaging apps, etc...) when a certain/any app is running? I would like to do this because I play a certain game (Sine Line) which requires you to press the screen for short periods of time, in a very controlled manner, and any lag kills me.

I assume this could be useful for other resource-intensive apps, such as maps/gps, or image editing.

Either disabling/killing background apps when a certain or any app is running are acceptable solutions. Tasker is also acceptable, however Tasker itself is quite resource-intensive so avoiding it would be best.

Thanks

# Answer
> 1 votes
You can do so by forcing the system to limite background processes. Open the Settings \> Developers Options \> Limite background processes and select No background process.

If Developers Options is not enabled (on Android 4.4.2 and above), enable it at Settings \> About phone \> Tape 7 times on Build number \> Go back to Settings, the option should be on.

---
Tags: applications, tasker, task-management
---


title: Place icons anywhere on Droid Maxx

text:
# Question
Title: Place icons anywhere on Droid Maxx
I have a Droid Maxx. Unlike any other Android device I've had, I cannot place app icons anywhere on the screen. They fill in towards the bottom of the screen, just like iOS.

Is there an option to turn this off?
Failing that, is there an invisible icon app to use to fill in?

# Answer
> 0 votes
Long hold on the app icon, and drag it to the remove button the appears on top of the screen. This will put it in the app drawer, but it will stay on the phone.

---
Tags: motorola-droid, app-icons
---


title: Send selected text to dialer

text:
# Question
Title: Send selected text to dialer
Is there an App that registers itself as a Share Command and lets me send a selected text in a webpage or email to the default dialer? I would like to avoid copy and pasting a number from a webpage or email to the dialer manually...

Thanks in advance!

# Answer
I was looking for the exact same thing and thanks to your question, I just found the answer! There you go!

**Send To Dialer**
> 0 votes

# Answer
I guess Clipboard Dialer might be your choice:

> This little tool enables you to extract all phone numbers from what ever text is in your clipboard. It will present a list of all numbers it finds giving you an easy way to call, SMS or create a new contact.
> 1 votes

---
Tags: phone-app
---


# Question
Title: Can my Droid MAXX NOT delete everything if someone enters in the wrong password 10 times?
Recently someone was messing with my phone when they shouldn't have been, most likely playing with the password screen (I use the pattern thing with nine dots), and my phone factory reset.

I'm trying to find a way to password-protect my phone so that no random kid at school can access my email, but I don't need to be secure against North Korea trying to hack into it with brute force. I would prefer if this is possible in vanilla (obviously) but if there is a *free* app required, then that's okay too.

Thank you in advance!

# Answer
I have found exactly what I'm looking for in vanilla Android: Settings \> Security & Screen Lock \> Device Administrators \> Local Wipe Policy \> Deactivate
> 1 votes

# Answer
There's no such thing built-in to Android currently. However, you might wish to take a look at AutoErase:

> * When the number of failed unlock attempts reaches the limit that you specified, AutoErase will reset the device to factory default and erase all user data.
> * When the unlock attempts fail, messages warning that the device will be erased after certain number of unsuccessful attempts, will be displayed on the lock screen at the timing of your choice.

A pure is nothing super-secure, as with some knowledge and the right tools content can be recovered – but certainly enough "so that no random kid at school can access my email" (as it's unlikely that random kid has the required knowledge *and* tools at hand when at school).

A comparable tool would be Wiper, in case *AutoErase* doesn't fit your needs.
> 1 votes

# Answer
If possible, you can use a different locker app like Next from Microsoft, disable the normal lock sreen and set a PIN or pattern in Next.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: password, motorola-droid, delete
---


# Question
Title: Can I make phone call and receive SMS with Nexus 9?
Does the Nexus 9 come with standard phone and sms functions?

# Answer
The specs on the official website include cell radios, but the battery life estimates therein only include tabletty things (browsing and video) and not talk time. Since phones always include a talk time estimate in their battery specs, it seems like this feature isn't present.
> 1 votes

# Answer
No, but you may get Pushbullet. All you do is download Pushbullet on your phone, and then set it up on your tablet. This will allow you to text when your phone is on from your Nexus 9, but will not allow calling.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: hardware
---


# Question
Title: How come Microsoft products can be used on Android?
I was under the impression that Microsoft software couldn't be run on Linux/OS X unless they emulated something or used a VM.

Thinking Android was Linux-based, I figured I wouldn't see any Microsoft products on Android, but about a month after owning my smartphone, I found out I could have apps like Outlook, One note, and etc.

Can anyone clarify this for me?

# Answer
> 2 votes
The answer is simple: There are Android apps developed by Microsoft for the Android platform. Those apps have the same name like their counterpart on Windows and may have a similar functionality. But these are different programs that have explicitly developed for Android.

Therefore the answer to your question is: You can not use Microsoft software that has been developed on Android.

# Answer
> 0 votes
# Microsoft chose to.

Microsoft created the android apps intentionally to get a higher userbase, like a sensible company. It ain't on Linux because Steve ballmer made MSOffice, and he called Linux 'A Cancer' Though that may change one day.

Also, **Android is NOT Linux** Its based on Linux. Yes, there is a difference.

-EDIT-

I would also like to point out you can get Google Apps on IOS, and vice-versa. It ain't new, either.

---
Tags: applications
---


title: help how to root HTC desire s

text:
# Question
Title: help how to root HTC desire s
Please help me how to root HTC desire s

# Answer
> 0 votes
Check out this link:

## How To Root and Install Custom Recovery On The HTC Desire S

## ONLY FOR WINDOWS COMPUTERS

1. Take note of your phone’s serial number. Look for it in the battery compartment. It’s usually beside the label “S/N” in the battery compartment. Copy the serial number accurately.

2.Find out the HBoot version of your phone. To do that, reboot your phone into bootloader mode. First, turn off your phone. Then, turn it back on by pressing the Volume Down button and Power button together for a few seconds. Your phone will start in bootloader mode. The screen will show you the HBoot version. Copy the HBoot version number.

3. Turn your phone off and turn it on again normally.

4.Download su-2.3.6.3-efgh-signed.zip. Save it to your desktop. Do not extract the ZIP file. Copy the ZIP file to the root of your phone’s SD card.

5. Enable USB debugging in “Settings \> Applications \> Development \> USB Debugging”.

6.Turn off the Fast boot option from “Settings \> Power \> Fast boot.”

7. Download the HTC Sync drivers into your phone. Install the drivers to your computer. These are for Windows machines only.

8.Go to http://revolutionary.io and download Revolutionary: S-OFF & Recovery Tool 0.4pre4 by clicking on the “Download for Windows” link in the Downloads section. A form will also appear below the link after you click the link.

9. Fill out the form with your operating system (Windows), device name (HTC Desire S), HBOOT version (you copied this as instructed in a previous step), and your device’s serial number (you also copied this as instructed in a previous step).

10.Click the Generate Key button. The page that appears will show you your beta key. Copy this key exactly as shown. It is case-sensitive.

11. Extract the contents of revolutionary-0.4pre4.zip into a folder on your computer.

12.Connect your phone via the USB cable. If your phone asks you for a connection type, choose “HTC Sync” and just ignore the warnings.

13. Launch the Revolutionary tool (revolutionary.exe). A command prompt window will open and will ask you for the beta key.

14.Type or copy-and-paste the beta key for Revolutionary into the command prompt window. The beta key is case-sensitive. Press Enter to allow the tool to proceed.

15. Wait a little bit for Revolutionary to enable S-OFF and unlock the rewritable NAND on your handset. If the program asks you to install ClockworkMod Recovery, choose to do so.

16.Reboot your phone. Then, turn it off again.

17. Boot into bootloader mode by pressing the Volume Down and Power buttons together. Enter recovery mode by selecting Recovery from the list. Use the Volume Up/Down keys to scroll through the list and use the Power button to select.

18.In ClockworkMod Recovery, choose “install zip from sdcard,” then choose “choose zip from sdcard.”

19. Find su-2.3.6.3-efgh-signed.zip on the list and press the Power button to select it. Wait a little bit for the process to finish.

20.Reboot your phone. It is now rooted and already has custom recovery installed.

Hope It Helps!

---
Tags: root-access, htc
---


# Question
Title: CM12 Samsung Galaxy Note 3: Unable to encrypt
I am using the latest nightly of Cyanogenmod 12 (not 12.1) on my Note 3. I wanted to encrypt my phone but whenever I start the encryption process the phone shows a wireframed android and restarts. After that my external sd-card is not mounted. Another restart fixes this. There is no progress bar.

Are there any logs I could check? Has anybody experienced the same problems?

Thanks for any help! Alex

# Answer
I came across the same issue. It has to do with permissions. You should set SELinux to permissive before starting the encryption. To do that, access shell via adb shell or terminal emulator and type the following;

```
su
setenforce 0

```

Now if you go to about section, it will show SELinux as permissive instead of Enforcing. Now go to security -\> encrypt and follow along the wizard. It will work.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: cyanogenmod, encryption, samsung-galaxy-note-3
---


# Question
Title: How to install android from my Computer terminal?
I have a HTC M7 without any OS on it (it goes to black screen when I boot it).

It doesn't have any memory card.

I am however able to have a root shell with "adb shell" when connecting it with USB.

How can I reinstall android from my computer?

# Answer
> 0 votes
You can boot into the bootloader and flash the phone with a RUU file from here or from here. Download the one suitable for your CID (Carrier ID).

```
adb reboot-bootloader

```

---
Tags: adb, installation, fastboot, terminal, operating-system
---


title: AVD Dose not start, No Errors Either

text:
# Question
Title: AVD Dose not start, No Errors Either
I have my AVD setup with a Virtual Phone created, but when i click start. It shows me the window that it is starting the AVD, and then when the prograss bar gets done, the window closes and nothing starts up.

Any Ideas?

# Answer
I had a similar issue, turned out to be a fault with my graphics driver . Assuming you're running windows check your event logs for more info
> 1 votes

---
Tags: avd-manager
---


# Question
Title: Connectivity problem with an app on my Android phone
What can I do about this message: "Could not complete the action due to poor connectivity"--Says Network Issue? I have downloaded an app called LYFT. Everytime I try to get into this app, that message comes up.

# Answer
> 0 votes
Check using different connectivity type (wifi, lte, etc.). Also Check with whomever wrote the app, could be a server issue or bug in app too.

---
Tags: htc-desire
---


# Question
Title: Skype showing me as online - after stopping app and even after device shutdown?
**Scenario A:**

1. start Skype
2. do some other work
3. shut down the Android device

**Problem:**
My contacts are still seeing me as being "online".
Strangely enough there seems to be no `heartbeat` feature implemented in Skype.
So even after 1 day my contacts are trying to call me - even though the device is powered off.

Initially I thought this symptom would occur in case i forgot to manually quit the Skype app before shutting down the device.
So i was searching for an answer how to configure Skype to *automatically* log off / quit when the Android device is *shutting down*?

But now it turned out the situation is even worse:

***Scenario B:***

1. start Skype
2. do some other work
3. quit the Skype app
4. shut down the Android device

After step 3 I'm still listed as being "online".
When a contact sends me a chat message it pops up.
So it means: even though Skype no longer appears in the task manager it seems to be running as a `secret, invisible background task`!?

And after step 4 the behaviour is the same as in Scenario A. I'm not transitioning to "offline" state.

**Summary:**
There seem to be 3 problems:

* no heartbeat feature implemented in Skype
* quitting the Skype app is not properly terminating / signing off
* shutting down the Android device also is not influencing the online status

**The only thing that works for me so far:<br>You must switch to Skype, tap on your profile, at the very bottom *manually* do "sign out".**
That's just not bearable.

This is:
**Android 4.1.2**
**Skype 4.9.0.45564**
**Skype 5.0.0.49715**
**Skype 5.1.0.56619**
**Skype 5.1.0.58677**
**Skype 5.4.0.5871** (at least I'm now showing as being "Away" - instead of "Online")

2015-08-15 - the problem is back and it's even worse:
**Android 5.1.1**
**Skype 5.9.0.14047**
Even though I'm manually signing out, terminating the app and shutting down the Android device I'm still being shown as being "online"!!

--
All of the above tested @ Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 (WiFi only) / GT-P3110

# Answer
> 10 votes
OMG, I have found the following posting: http://community.skype.com/t5/Security-Privacy-Trust-and/Skype-invading-and-changing-people-s-online-status/m-p/2961695/highlight/true#M28546

According to above the "always on" concept was a *deliberate* decision by Microsoft:

```
(...) we have changed the way online status presence works:
(...) we are showing you as online to your contact even when you left or
force killed the app on your mobile phone (...)

```

They admit that certain scenarios need fixing:

```
Now we've identified a few scenarios where this is simply misleading:
 - you've switched off your device
 - you've disconnected from the internet (e.g. by switching to airplane mode
   and you are somewhere mid flight)

In these occasions you are right now still shown online and we are working to
make Skype presence indicator be meaningful in these scenarios as well.

```

This is just so weird.
They should certainly make it configurable.

**For now the only way to disconnect is to *manually* "sign out".**
Quitting the app isn't sufficient. Shutting down the device is neither.

*Status Update (2015-08-15):*
The problem is back. And it's even worse!
Even though i manually sign out, quite the Skype app and shut down the Android device I'm still being shown as "online"!
Observed with: Skype 5.9.0.14047 @ Android 5.1.1

# Answer
> 3 votes
Send any of Your contacts:

```
/showplaces

```

It will show You all devices currently online for this account:

```
 [18:47:36] System: You have 3 online endpoints:
    {25cf308c-73a9-ddfe-c6c7-c4a2507cf657}) my_desktop Linux Skype
    {e00a3a04-9ff8-1ad3-4b45-4a3a6d2caf95}) my_notebook Linux Skype
    {8440a849-0209-4ffb-25c8-c5bdbbe1035b}) localhost Android Skype

```

Then send:

```
/remotelogout

```

It shokld kick off all devices but current. Now check again by

```
/showplaces

```

It should now be only one connection in list:

```
 [18:50:32] System: You have 1 online endpoints:
    {25cf308c-73a9-ddfe-c6c7-c4a2507cf657}) my_desktop Linux Skype

```

# Answer
> 0 votes
Each with a Skype account, 5 members of my family and I can confirm the efficacy and success of the following (which is the same as this on Apple SE) that solved this problem:

> There is an easy way to fix the issue with contact appearing Away while they are actualy Offline. Just log in Skype, open a contact (whoever it is), try sending as an instant message this text:
>
> /remotelogout
>
> After that try sending this text:
>
> /showplaces
>
> And finally try sending this text again:
>
> /remotelogout
>
> You are ready, next time you go offline, you will appear as offline, not as away.

---
Tags: skype, shutdown
---


# Question
Title: Is there any way to install apps incompatible with Android 4.1.2 (Jelly Bean)
After looking around on the Google Play Store, I've found a lot of apps that 'I like the look of'. But by tapping on them, quite a lot of the time it says **"This app is incompatible with your Android version."** Is there any way around that?

P.S:I don't have any other Android devices and no, I haven't edited any of the files.

# Answer
The Android Market pulls the OS version directly from the system. As far as I'm aware there's no way to fake this other than building a custom ROM that fakes it, or possibly some sort of code injection.

As ce4's comment says, you'll need to obtain the app from a different device running a supported OS or through some other means (a different app store for example).
> 1 votes

# Answer
If it is due to the manifest, which most likely bit is, then an error will occur if you try and side load the app.

The only way to install it would be to use a utility such as apktool to edit the manifest file to make it compatible with your device, and then side load it.
> 0 votes

# Answer
Yes there is a way first download apk editor pro from ihackdit.com then open it select any apk file that u want to run then click on it then tap on the option full edit then slide to third page and then select option below application line the type min version14and Max14 then click save above and then install the app and enjoy
> -1 votes

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


# Question
Title: Turn off the notification sound when I turn the phone on
Phone: Samsung Galaxy S3 Model: GT-19305 Version: 4.4.4

Good day! I want to know if there is a way to turn the notification sound off every time I turn my phone on. It is unnecesary.

Thanks! Greetings.

# Answer
> 0 votes
Why not just turning notification sound off completely then?

1. Go to *Settings › Sound*
2. If it exists and is switched on, switch off "Use same volume for ringtone and notifications"
3. Now set the notification volume level to zero.

In case the system changes that back to default on reboot, you could use some app like (might be a bit overkill) or any other simpler solution (see my app listings on Automation (Profile Switching and more) for possible candidates). Several of them should support actions on-boot (Tasker does), or alternatively let you have a profile valid from 0:00-23:59 (i.e. always) you could assing the task "set notification volume off".

---
Tags: notifications
---


title: Can't get adb on Macbook to see Pixel C

text:
# Question
Title: Can't get adb on Macbook to see Pixel C
I'm trying to connect my 2014 Macbook pro to a Pixel C tablet. The tablet has developer settings enabled, usb debugging enabled and unknown sources enabled. 'adb devices' shows nothing and there is no debug icon shown on the tablet.

I'm using a usb 3 type C connector that works **Perfectly** from my Macbook to my Nexus 5x

I've tried resetting the PRAM/NVRAM and the SMC to no avail.

The strangest thing is that we have 3 developers here with 2 ports per macbook. It *does* work on ONLY 1 port on one macbook, a 2015. We have a second *exact* same macbook bought on the same day that this tablet doesn't work on either.

Since it works on 1 port on one macbook, we know that the tablet is configured correctly for debugging. But why can't we connect it to the second port on the same machine or to another macbook??

We've never had any issues connecting any other Android device to any of these macbooks before.

**Updates:**

1. Got a different usb C cable and still have same issue.
2. Default USB Configuration (from Dev Options) is MTP, tried other USB config PTP and didn't help
3. After testing again on the 1 port that it worked in the past, trying 'adb devices' shows the Pixel C about 3 out of 5 times (in the span of 10 seconds). Trying to deploy to the device fails every time, presumably due to the flakey connection...

# Answer
I have tried a number of USB 3.0 cables with no luck but every high quality USB 2.0 cable I've tried has worked for me. This includes USB 2.0 cables that have a Type C connector (There are many of these on Amazon. I'm currently using an "iOrange" brand cord) as well as traditional micro-usb cables with a Type C adapter ("TechMatte USB-C to Micro USB Adapter").

I'd prefer faster charging and better speeds but this takes care of my debugging needs reliably.
> 3 votes

# Answer
Unfortunately, I've found that rebooting the mac will cause the adb to recognize phones through the usb-c, even if I later unplug and plug it in again. Eventually, something happens and it stops working until I reboot.
> 2 votes

---
Tags: adb, usb-debugging
---


title: Network latency spikes every 20 seconds

text:
# Question
Title: Network latency spikes every 20 seconds
On my LG G3 running Android 5.0 I have a problem that I started to notice while playing Clash Royale (a real time multiplayer game). My actions would sometimes have a delay of up to 2 seconds. Other players wouldn't have that problem. So I started investigating.

Here are the facts:

* I'm always on my home Wi-Fi.
* When I ping my router from my G3 I can see a spike in the latency exactly every 20 seconds.
* It is not location dependent, reception is good.
* Other devices don't experience this using the same Wi-Fi.

Hence I think this must really have to do with my G3. It is not rooted and I haven't been playing with any internal settings. Displaying the CPU usage from the developer settings doesn't show anything suspicious during the spikes.

Has anybody experienced anything similar? Any ideas how to further track down the root of this issue?

# Answer
I've been living with this for a while now. Somehow restarting the device twice in a row seemed to fix the issue for some days.

But now I've finally come around to connect the device to Android Studio and in the logcat I've found some interesting stuff. I'm still not sure why this happens but the workaround is to disable Location. Enabling it again leads to an instant 2 second ping and then again periodically every 20 seconds.

The wifi service polls the location every 20 seconds and for that it seems to use a lock. It takes it over 2 seconds to release it again. Here is the log of this occurrence if anybody whose also affected wants to investigate further:

```
11-26 20:03:00.743 1045-1328/? V/AlarmManager: ELAPSED_WAKEUP set : Alarm{3182c1c9 type 2 when 108939554 com.google.android.gms} when 108939554
11-26 20:03:00.752 1045-2096/? D/WifiService: acquireWifiLockLocked: WifiLock{NlpWifiLock type=2 binder=android.os.BinderProxy@45a441e}
11-26 20:03:00.754 1045-1692/? D/WifiService: startScan pid=2911, uid=10005, packageName=com.google.uid.shared:10005
11-26 20:03:00.758 1045-1346/? E/WifiStateMachine:  ConnectedState !CMD_START_SCAN 10005 1580 ic=1 proc(ms):2 dur:2185 rssi=-54 f=2437 sc=60 link=54 tx=4.1, 0.0, 0.0  rx=4.4 fiv=20000 [on:0 tx:0 rx:0 period:808] from screen [on:0 period:-1576736363]
11-26 20:03:00.759 1045-1346/? E/WifiStateMachine:  L2ConnectedState !CMD_START_SCAN 10005 1580 ic=1 proc(ms):4 dur:2185 rssi=-54 f=2437 sc=60 link=54 tx=4.1, 0.0, 0.0  rx=4.4 fiv=20000 [on:0 tx:0 rx:0 period:2] from screen [on:0 period:-1576736361]
11-26 20:03:00.761 1045-1346/? E/WifiStateMachine: WifiStateMachine CMD_START_SCAN source 10005 txSuccessRate=4.08 rxSuccessRate=4.42 targetRoamBSSID=any RSSI=-54
11-26 20:03:00.761 1045-1346/? D/WifiNative-wlan0: doBoolean: SCAN TYPE=ONLY
11-26 20:03:00.762 1413-1413/? I/wpa_supplicant: wlan0: CTRL-EVENT-SCAN-STARTED
11-26 20:03:00.762 1045-1505/? D/WifiMonitor: Event [IFNAME=wlan0 CTRL-EVENT-SCAN-STARTED ]
11-26 20:03:00.762 1045-1505/? E/WifiMonitor: WifiMonitor:wlan0 cnt=3840 dispatchEvent: CTRL-EVENT-SCAN-STARTED
11-26 20:03:00.762 1045-1505/? E/WifiMonitor: handleEvent 14  CTRL-EVENT-SCAN-STARTED
11-26 20:03:00.763 1045-1505/? E/WifiMonitor: handleEvent unknown: 14  CTRL-EVENT-SCAN-STARTED
11-26 20:03:00.763 1045-1346/? D/WifiNative-wlan0: SCAN TYPE=ONLY: returned true
11-26 20:03:00.772 1918-1918/? D/PhoneInterfaceManager: [PhoneIntfMgr] handleMessage : 2
11-26 20:03:00.779 1918-1918/? D/PhoneInterfaceManager: [PhoneIntfMgr] handleMessage : 3
11-26 20:03:00.839 1045-1692/? W/ActivityManager: getRecentTasks: caller 10003 is using old GET_TASKS but privileged; allowing
11-26 20:03:01.480 1415-1415/? I/[SystemUI]StatusBar.NetworkController: onSignalStrengthsChanged signalStrength=SignalStrength: 14 0 -120 -227401 -85 -1 -1 99 2147483647 2147483647 2147483647 2147483647 2147483647 gsm|lte 2 level=5
11-26 20:03:01.481 1415-1415/? D/TelephonyIcons: updateDataType sub=0, type=2, inetCondition=1 showAtLeast3G=false show4GforLte=true hspaDistinguishable=false
11-26 20:03:01.481 1415-1415/? D/TelephonyIcons: data type item name: array/telephony_data_type_sim1
11-26 20:03:01.481 1415-1415/? D/TelephonyIcons: data type item id: 2131623942
11-26 20:03:01.485 1918-1918/? D/PhoneInterfaceManager: [PhoneIntfMgr] mSigLevel = 5
11-26 20:03:01.485 1415-1415/? D/TelephonyIcons: updateDataType mSelectedDataTypeIcon[0]=2130839171, mSelectedDataActivityIndex=2
11-26 20:03:01.493 1415-1415/? D/StatusBar.NetworkController: refreshViews: Data not connected!! Set no data type icon / Roaming
11-26 20:03:01.952 1415-1415/? I/[SystemUI]StatusBar.NetworkController: onSignalStrengthsChanged signalStrength=SignalStrength: 14 0 -120 -227401 -85 -1 -1 99 2147483647 2147483647 2147483647 2147483647 2147483647 gsm|lte 2 level=5
11-26 20:03:01.952 1415-1415/? D/TelephonyIcons: updateDataType sub=0, type=2, inetCondition=1 showAtLeast3G=false show4GforLte=true hspaDistinguishable=false
11-26 20:03:01.952 1415-1415/? D/TelephonyIcons: data type item name: array/telephony_data_type_sim1
11-26 20:03:01.953 1415-1415/? D/TelephonyIcons: data type item id: 2131623942
11-26 20:03:01.957 1415-1415/? D/TelephonyIcons: updateDataType mSelectedDataTypeIcon[0]=2130839171, mSelectedDataActivityIndex=2
11-26 20:03:01.958 1918-1918/? D/PhoneInterfaceManager: [PhoneIntfMgr] mSigLevel = 5
11-26 20:03:01.966 1415-1415/? D/StatusBar.NetworkController: refreshViews: Data not connected!! Set no data type icon / Roaming
11-26 20:03:02.203 1415-1415/? D/StatusBar.NetworkController: refreshViews: Data not connected!! Set no data type icon / Roaming
11-26 20:03:02.224 338-428/? E/ThermalEngine: [GPU_MON] 0 percent. Current Sampling Time is 1 sec
11-26 20:03:02.839 1045-1389/? W/ActivityManager: getRecentTasks: caller 10003 is using old GET_TASKS but privileged; allowing
11-26 20:03:02.954 1045-1346/? E/WifiStateMachine:  ConnectedState !CMD_RSSI_POLL 125 0 "Private WLAN" 00:25:9c:cf:5f:e6 rssi=-54 f=2437 sc=60 link=54 tx=4.1, 0.0, 0.0  rx=4.4 bcn=0 [on:0 tx:0 rx:0 period:2189] from screen [on:0 period:-1576734167] gl rssi=-54 ag=0 hr ls-=0 [56,56,56,56,61] brc=0 lrc=0
11-26 20:03:02.958 1045-1346/? E/WifiStateMachine:  L2ConnectedState !CMD_RSSI_POLL 125 0 "Private WLAN" 00:25:9c:cf:5f:e6 rssi=-54 f=2437 sc=60 link=54 tx=4.1, 0.0, 0.0  rx=4.4 bcn=0 [on:0 tx:0 rx:0 period:4] from screen [on:0 period:-1576734163] gl rssi=-54 ag=0 hr ls-=0 [56,56,56,56,61] brc=0 lrc=0
11-26 20:03:02.958 1045-1346/? D/WifiNative-wlan0: doString: [SIGNAL_POLL]
11-26 20:03:03.037 1045-1505/? E/WifiMonitor: WifiMonitor:wlan0 cnt=3841 dispatchEvent: CTRL-EVENT-SCAN-RESULTS
11-26 20:03:03.037 1045-1505/? E/WifiMonitor: handleEvent 4  CTRL-EVENT-SCAN-RESULTS
11-26 20:03:03.044 1045-1346/? E/WifiStateMachine:  ConnectedState !SCAN_RESULTS_EVENT 0 0 found=5 known=0 got=5 bcn=0
11-26 20:03:03.045 1045-1346/? E/WifiStateMachine:  L2ConnectedState !SCAN_RESULTS_EVENT 0 0 found=5 known=0 got=5 bcn=0
11-26 20:03:03.047 1045-1346/? E/WifiStateMachine:  ConnectModeState !SCAN_RESULTS_EVENT 0 0 found=5 known=0 got=5 bcn=0
11-26 20:03:03.048 1045-1346/? E/WifiStateMachine:  DriverStartedState !SCAN_RESULTS_EVENT 0 0 found=5 known=0 got=5 bcn=0
11-26 20:03:03.050 1045-1346/? E/WifiStateMachine:  SupplicantStartedState !SCAN_RESULTS_EVENT 0 0 found=5 known=0 got=5 bcn=0
11-26 20:03:03.050 1045-1346/? D/WifiNative-wlan0: doString: [BSS RANGE=0- MASK=0x21987]
11-26 20:03:03.065 26890-26890/? V/WiFiOffLoadBroadcast: WiFiOffLoadBroadcast: android.net.wifi.SCAN_RESULTS
11-26 20:03:03.084 1045-1132/? D/LocationManagerService: incoming location: Location[network [removed],[removed] acc=20 et=+1d6h15m41s881ms {Bundle[mParcelledData.dataSize=596]}]
11-26 20:03:03.102 1045-1045/? V/UlpEngine: handleNetworkLocationUpdate. lat[removed]lon[removed]accurancy 19.732
11-26 20:03:03.102 1045-1045/? D/Ulp_jni: send_network_location.
11-26 20:03:03.105 1045-2262/? E/LocSvc_libulp: E/int ulp_brain_transition_all_providers(), no QUIPC/GNSS transition logic run due to both engines are OFF
11-26 20:03:03.107 1045-1132/? D/LocationManagerService: incoming location: Location[network [removed],[removed] acc=20 et=+1d6h15m41s881ms {Bundle[{networkLocationType=wifi, travelState=stationary, noGPSLocation=Location[network 46.599326,14.313926 acc=20 et=+1d6h15m41s881ms {Bundle[mParcelledData.dataSize=240]}], nlpVersion=2023}]}]
11-26 20:03:03.109 26890-26890/? D/WiFiOffLoadBroadcast: Not supported operator for automatic switch
11-26 20:03:03.118 2911-25111/? W/ctxmgr: [ContextSpecificAclFactory]LocationConsent failed, ULR opt-in status is: false, account#-2116008859#
11-26 20:03:03.118 2911-25111/? W/ctxmgr: [AclManager]No 2 for (accnt=account#-2116008859#, com.google.android.gms(10005):UserLocationProducer, vrsn=10084000, 0, 3pPkg = null ,  3pMdlId = null). Was: 2 for 1, account#-2116008859#
11-26 20:03:03.144 2911-25111/? W/ctxmgr: [ContextSpecificAclFactory]LocationConsent failed, ULR opt-in status is: false, account#1995265525#
11-26 20:03:03.144 2911-25111/? W/ctxmgr: [AclManager]No 2 for (accnt=account#1995265525#, com.google.android.gms(10005):UserLocationProducer, vrsn=10084000, 0, 3pPkg = null ,  3pMdlId = null). Was: 2 for 1, account#1995265525#
11-26 20:03:03.167 1045-2006/? D/WifiService: releaseWifiLockLocked: WifiLock{NlpWifiLock type=2 binder=android.os.BinderProxy@45a441e}

```
> 0 votes

---
Tags: wi-fi, lg-g3, wlan
---


# Question
Title: Data usage slider missing in Android Lollipop
After upgrading my Galaxy S5 to Android 5.0, the sliding bar on the graph which allows you to show data usage for a prescribed date range is no longer there. For example, in the older Android I was able to slide the bar to show data usage for the last 24 hours, or for whatever range of days I wanted- it was so easy and fast. I understand that there is an option to change the date range in the options, but this is more time consuming and you need to change it every time you want to show a different range- the slider was so much easier and faster. Is there any way to bring this back or perhaps an app that has this feature? I don't understand why several useful features have been removed in the new update, as I mention in my other question here.

# Answer
> 0 votes
Samsung probably removed this ability in their recent update, as LG handsets are also missing this feature from previous Android versions. The best course of action to monitor your data usage in detail is to run a search on the Play Store for data monitoring apps. A quick search I ran returns a plethora of results.

# Answer
> 0 votes
Thing is mine disappeared but I still got the notification that I reach my limit. From that notification I could use the data slider but if I come out from it I won't be able to get it unless the notification comes up again.

# Answer
> -2 votes
I'm not sure if it'll work, but disable wi-fi, enable mobile data and resart your phone, try if it works

---
Tags: mobile-data
---


# Question
Title: Xiaomi 5S keeps losing Nova Launcher as default launcher
I can set Nova Launcher as default launcher in Settings -\> Installed Apps -\> Defaults -\> Launcher, but whenever I tap the home button, the device loads the system launcher. In the settings of Nova Launcher I keep getting the following message: "Not set as default - Nova launcher is not set as the default launcher. Tap to set."

I tried all combinations of rebooting / re-installing / clearing caches and whatnot. It all doesn't help.

# Answer
Got it after some research.

1. Make sure developer options are enabled: Settings -\> About Phone -\> MIUI Version, tap it 7 times (no kidding). Should turn on the developer options.
2. Turn off MIUI optimizations: Settings -\> Additional Settings -\> Developer Options -\> Turn on MIUI optimization: Turn it off.

Next time you'll use the home button with your custom launcher running, the system will ask you what app to use for the "home" action. Just select your launcher and set "remember my choice". From now on the settings will stick.

See also:
> 0 votes

---
Tags: launcher, xiaomi, nova-launcher
---


# Question
Title: Access to Find My Phone locked in initial popup
I am transitioning from iPhone to Samsung. I mean to setup Find My Mobile in two phones, say, P1 and P2. What I did:

1. I Added the account in P1.
2. I entered findmymobile.samsung.com, and before accessing my account it provides a popup with 3 "I agree to the terms and conditions" checkboxes, including accessing my screen unlock code (In iOS this was not needed, AFAIK). I have no problem in doing that for P2, but not for P1.
3. I mean to not proceed, for the time being, on P1, and go ahead with P2. But access to findmymobile.samsung.com is now locked in that popup, so I cannot proceed with adding/managing P2.

**How can I recover the initial findmymobile.samsung.com screen?**

I suspected that removing my Samsung account from P1 would freed internet access to findmymobile.samsung.com. But doing that gives a warning (in Spanish, so I am not certain that the message in English is exactly this) that "Removing the account will delete all messages, contacts and other data from the device ¿Ok to continue?".
**Will I lose all that data from my phone?**
That is certainly not what I want from disconnecting the phone from my Samsung account.

# Answer
The way I solved this is by confirming all 3 checkboxes for P1, thus being able to move on to my Samsung account. I could link P2 as well.

Then I removed the Samsung account from P1, and I did not lose my contacts (perhaps since I did not set it up for syncing contacts).
> 0 votes

---
Tags: samsung, location-services
---


# Question
Title: Multiple devices associated with a single Samsung account
I am transitioning from iPhone to Samsung. I mean to setup Find My Mobile.

For iOS, I can have one account and link many devices to the same account. Then, I can monitor/operate any of the devices from that account.

Is that possible with Samsung?

I read that something can be done with Android Device Manager, but I am asking specifically about Samsung accounts.

# Answer
Yes, it is possible, and quite simple. Nothing special needs to be done.

In my specific case, I was stuck in a step prior to this due to other issues. See Access to Find My Phone locked in initial popup
> 0 votes

# Answer
Yes you can. Just go to settings (if the device is already on), and go to accounts and add account (Gmail).
> 0 votes

---
Tags: samsung, location-services
---


# Question
Title: Anybody can help? My File manager shows 2.46gigs but there are not many apps in it!!!!why?
My android internal storage is 8 gigs totally. In the storage, it showes 2.46gigs for 'file manager' while there is not a considerable number of apps or any heavy app installed. The file manager app is 22meg but its data size is 2.43gig. I HAVE moved Most of the apps to my sdcard. Moreover, when I unistall an app, there seems to be no difference in its size. It looks like there remain some files in it that I cant see!

What if I uninstall the file manager or clear its data? What would I loose, doing so?

Thanks in advance!

# Answer
No you wont loose any data rather than its own data . The memory you are seeing can depend on many factors your file manager might also showing the memory consumed by operating system which can take huge amount of memory. Try changing the file manager.
Hope this helps.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: default-applications
---


# Question
Title: Samsung S5 compatible with tracfone and Verizon Wireless
I currently have Verizon wireless. I want to switch to tracfone and change my cell phone at the same time. I'm thinking about getting a Samsung S5. My question is, can I get a Samsung S5 to use with tracfone that will also be compatible with Verizon if I choose to go back? If so, what details should I look online when I'm shopping for a phone? I think I need an unlocked phone but some say that it won't work with Verizon. I'm unsure how to proceed.

# Answer
After having gone through this process, it seems that all Verizon-compatible Samsung S5s are compatible with TracFone, and there is no unlocking that needs to be done. All I had to do was get the new SIM card from TracFone and put it in the S5, then follow there instructions to get it activated. AFAIK, I could go back to Verizon at any time, by simply putting the old Verizon SIM card back in.

For any other model phone, just contact TracFone. They'll tell you whether the phone is compatible or not. It really was a straightforward process.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: samsung-galaxy-s-5, sim-unlocking, verizon
---


title: Stuck inside twrp, can't get out

text:
# Question
Title: Stuck inside twrp, can't get out
Help!

Last question I asked was a software issue. Anyway I am stuck in twrp.

I just formatted my phone this time in twrp and it was successful. I then installed my stock/custom rom and it was successful again. Then when I rebooted it to system, it booted back into twrp. I formatted it again. But this one time after the first formatted it said install supersu, so I did it.

# Answer
Did you try flashing a custom rom again? If not please do. The recovery mode might some how removed your system (my guess). Try flashing some other roms. Good Luck!
> 0 votes

# Answer
Can you insert an SD card in your device? If yes then take a screen shot about what is it about. Sorry but I forgot the button combination. Try power with volume up or down.
> 0 votes

# Answer
This happened with me too. Just flash twrp from Fastboot.
> 0 votes

# Answer
I fixed it 2 weeks ago. I just locked the bootloader in fastboot and then fatboot oem unlock did not work. I was worried but never gave up, then I saw a new wat to unlock bootloader in fastboot. It was fastboot oem unlock-go
> 0 votes

---
Tags: 5.0-lollipop, rooting, custom-roms, rom, huawei
---


# Question
Title: How to disable all notification sounds in Android 6?
I want the simplest way to say that I should never hear audible notifications from apps.

I don't want to have to configure apps individually, and once I set all app notifications to mute, newly added apps should still be mute.

I am happy to install a new app to do this, if needed.

# Answer
Go to Settings\>Sound & Notification\>Volumes and tap on 'Notification sound' icon to mute it or drag handle to the left. Or press Volume + or - than expand volume panel and drag handle to the left or tap icon (for notification sound)
> 0 votes

---
Tags: audio
---


# Question
Title: "Ok Google" Greyed Out / Unavailable After Hard Reset
After Android phone was hard reset to factory settings and restored from backup, inside Google Services Settings, "Ok Google" function was Greyed / Unavailable.

This is even after language selected was English(US) and updated language.

How to solve this issue?

# Answer
The solution that enabled the "Ok Google" function was to Clear the Storage Data of Google Services Framework.

Caution, this will invalidate GCM ids of applications that have registered for one. May require reinstall of those applications.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: google-play-services, ok-google
---


title: Autoboot LG Android Phone

text:
# Question
Title: Autoboot LG Android Phone
How can i setup my LG Sprint Phone Model LGLS885 to auto-boot when plugged in. there is instruction on the web to modify the lpm file, but there is no lpm file in system/bin.

# Answer
> 0 votes
look for possible file, like charger\_monitor (some lg systems use it) or any file contains the word "charge" or "lpm". change it's name and try to turn off the phone and charge it. if there is not an usual battery animation - that's the file!

if it's not the file, don't forget to rename it.

---
Tags: boot
---


title: Travelhacks pop up ads

text:
# Question
Title: Travelhacks pop up ads
I keep getting a Travelhacks pop up ad. Chrome just opens and the travelhacks site pops up then I get a video ad thing in my notification bar. Idk where its coming from or how to stop it from continuing. Does anyone have this problem or know how to stop it. I have an Android( marshmallow) lg stylo 2. Oh and lately my phone has been very slow and lagging a ton this all just started recently. Someone help please!!

# Answer
This sounds like you have installed some AdWare on your phone. The best and easiest thing to get rid of that is factory resetting your phone.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: ads, lagging
---


# Question
Title: Android 6+, how to revoke sub-permissions?
In android 6+ we can control the permissions granted for all the apps installed but there's something I call sub-permissions.For example, when you grant whatsapp the contact permission you're giving the app the ability to read AND write contacts. I'd like to let whatsapp only read the contacts but not create new ones.

In Lollipop I could install App Ops that does exactly what I'm describing here but it's not working with Marshmallow.

Do you guys know any trick I can use in Marshmallow?

# Answer
> 0 votes
Because it we removed from Marshmallow... that granularity doesn't exist anymore. My best guess is it was causing more problems than it was solving by users not knowing what it really did so they simplified permissions in Marshmallow.

http://www.howtogeek.com/230683/how-to-manage-app-permissions-on-android-6.0/

# Answer
> 0 votes
First I have to apologize cause I made a mistake here.

I'm not using Marshmallow, actually. I put android 6+ because Nougat is a brand new android system and doesn't have many users yet. So that plus sign (6+) means Marshmallow and above and it's supposed to include Nougat as well. After I have discovered the solution I googled it to check if that function is available in Marshmallow too and the site Webandother (http://www.webandother.com/how-to/android-marshmallow-startup-apps/) says yes and I trusted them and came here and posted the solution like it was a hidden option in android 6, but NO. That site is wrong. I shouldn't have trusted them.

Sorry again. Now, if you're using Nougat and wanna know how to revoke sub-permissions like 1-Contacts \> 1.1-Read contacts \> 1.2-Write contacts, read the following:

Android Nougat has an option to do this but it's hidden and I found it by chance. You can acces it in Settings \> Memory \> Apps started on boot \> Click on the app you want to change permissions. In my case, I could revoke whatsapp permission to modify contacts.

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Tags: contacts, whatsapp-messenger
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# Question
Title: How do I change Whatsapp tones to my own not from the Whatsapp predefined ones
I want to change it to one that I downloaded off the internet but I dont know how to do that.

# Answer
Put all your tones in InternalStorage/Notifications or InternalStorage/Ringtones. You'll now find them in ringtone list like **esQmo** said in the comment above (WhatsApp \> Settings \> Notifications). This works for all messenger apps.
> 0 votes

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Tags: whatsapp-messenger
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# Question
Title: How to hard reset MI tablet when the volume down key and power key combination leads to fastboot screen
I want to hard reset my MI tablet as I have forgotten the pattern and the developer options are also not turned on. By try all the key combinations, the fastboot screen comes up and the boot menu doesn't show up. Is there any way through which I could hard reset my tablet?

# Answer
> 0 votes
You can wipe the userdata partition in Fastboot mode.

Connect the device to an USB cable. Install drivers if needed, you'll have to download them.

Download Minimal ADB and Fastboot (link 2), it a command-line utility. Open it and tape, the following:

`fastboot -w` (confirm by hitting ENTER)

The device shall reboot and all settings reset.

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Tags: 5.0-lollipop, tablet, hard-reset
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# Question
Title: Unknown status icon that looks like a broken "N"
There is an unknown status icon that looks like a broken "N" on my LG G4.

What is it?

# Answer
> 5 votes
The icon is for the NFC, short for Near Field Communication, a feature that helps you use tap-and-go services such as Apple pay, Google Wallet, Amiibo and so.

**Switch NFC on or off:**

From the Home screen, touch and slide the notification panel down with your finger, then select the NFC icon (N) to turn it on or off.

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Tags: notification-icons
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# Question
Title: Why should I trust SuperSU / TWRP / Clockwork / ...?
One more phone, same questions. Despite being a developer myself, I am quite a bit far from Android development. However I prefer having something from SlimRoms rather than stock bloatware. But the question arises:

**Is there any sensible reason to trust my credentials and privacy to popular software like SuperSU, TWRP, ClockworkMod, custom CyanogenMod builds and so on?**

I am also aware that TWRP is open source. Though I have no clue how to build it, and who did it for me with which modifications.

Sorry if the question sounds a bit unethical for somebody.

# Answer
The same reason that people trust already-compiled builds of Ubuntu, LibreOffice, Linux kernels and mainstream-compiled builds of thousands of other open-source efforts.

Namely that they are being backed by large organisations of people, the code or patch file used to build it is required to be submitted (and is most likely diff'ed against the original build, making the insertion of malicious code extremely hard to hide), and the maintainer is usually a trusted member of the community around said program.
> 1 votes

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Tags: cyanogenmod, rooting, security, twrp, supersu
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# Question
Title: Android: How to force an application to display itself as portrait no matter what device orientation
I have a rooted device, and the device orientation was in landscape mode but some of the application only designed for portrait screen. Is there a way to force the application to fit inside the landscape screen so the whole application can be visible within my rooted device.

# Answer
If you can install the Xposed framework, try the module App Settings which allows you to feed each app its own specific settings (including orientation).
> 0 votes

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Tags: root-access, orientation
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# Question
Title: Customize interface for elder / older users
My father in law asked me if a "elder smartphone" is good for him, since he is having difficulties with an old iPhone his wife gave him. After digging a little bit I discovered that the "elder smartphone" being sold is nothing more of an Android with a better launcher with bigger font and easier to comprehend icons.

I've done some searching here and only found this answer below: Is there a larger interface for older owners?

Which is from 2014.

The question is: Do you guys have any experience with launchers designed for elder people ? What would be the do's and dont's that such launcher should have ? Are there any native settings that would help him to use an Android smartphone better and easier ?

His basic use is to send/receive SMS, place and receive calls and use WhatsApp. No games, no need for a fancy camera. A large battery would be nice too.

# Answer
> 0 votes
You don't need a phone specifically geared to "elderly people", as you will likely just end up paying more for less just to get that tag.

The latest Android N (Nougat) version offers a quite advanced `Screen Zoom` function that can enlarge all screen items. You can see it in action here.

On older Android versions, you mostly have the option of setting text size, and if you have root or install a custom ROM like Cyanogenmod (which in its official versions is usually totally unproblematic for daily use even by non-tech-savvy users), you can change the device's **DPI setting**, which basically lets the system know about the physical screen size of the phone.

By setting the DPI value higher, the system believes your screen is smaller than in reality and makes both text size and icons larger (in a limited number of increments, not continuously). I have found in the past that this works quite well (using it for instance to enlarge all items, including map scale, in navigation apps).

So I would recommend choosing a well-reviewed large-screen phone (the largest your father-in-law cares to pocket) with Android N software (or with Cyanogenmod support) and enlarging the screen items as detailed above.

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Tags: screen, launcher
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# Question
Title: Permanently remove stock from Google Feed
I'm using Google Feed (formerly known as the Google Now screen) and one of the cards I have is for stocks.

For some reason, some fund keeps getting added to the stocks card. ProShares UltraPro QQQ ETF (ticker: TQQQ) keeps appearing. I have neither added it, nor to my knowledge, ever searched for it. (At least, until just know, when I was looking for the full name.)

I've been in to the settings for the stocks card multiple times, each time to confirm that the stocks/funds I want are there (GOOG, FB, TWTR, DJIA, NASDAQ Composite) and TQQQ is not listed.

I have swiped away the listing on the stocks card I can't tell you how many times, and while it seems to stay away for the rest of the day, within a day or two it's back.

I don't want it. How can I make it go away forever?

Motorola Moto X (1st edition), Android 5.1.

# Answer
Apparently I'm not the only one with this issue.

Lifehacker has an article about it.

> 1. Open the Google feed.
> 2. Swipe out the left-hand navigation panel.
> 3. Tap Customize.
> 4. Tap Stocks.
> 5. Add the symbol for the stock you want to block.
> 6. Tap the symbol you just added to your list.
> 7. When it asks if you’re interested in the stock, tap No.
>
> It’s very confusing that you have to add a symbol to a list of stocks you do care about in order to block it, but for reasons that are unclear, Google doesn’t give you another option.

It is confusing. And dumb. But barring other options this is what I'll do.
> 0 votes

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Tags: google-now
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# Question
Title: Re-sign APK to prevent updating - crashes "divide by zero"
I'm using an app that has been updated, but doesn't work on my phone on the current version. So I'm currently using an older one. But of course it always shows up with an update in the PlayStore.

Now I've found one workaround to be signing the apk with my own key. Therefor, it would not be recognized anymore by the PlayStore. It is a banking app (code verification). The app at first seems fine. Unfortunately, when I try to scan the activation code, the self-signed version crashes. Via adb logcat it throws this error:

java.lang.ArithmeticException: divide by zero

Is this some kind of security mechanism inside the app to check whether the certificate is the correct one? Shouldn't it be possible to alter this check? Or is there a way to trace with action causes the divide by zero exception?

# Answer
Dude, just tell Google Play not to automatically update the application.

Given that this is a banking app, I would be VERY surprised if there was not some kind of anti-tamper mechanism in place, and this could be a part of it. Of course, this could have been a basic coding screw-up too. From the information you provide, we simply do now know.

Apktool might give you more information as to what is going wrong.
> 0 votes

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Tags: google-play-store, apk, application-autoupdate, certificates, signature-error
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title: Can't install apps on SD card

text:
# Question
Title: Can't install apps on SD card
I'v got the Alcatel One Touch Pop C9 It has not much space by itself, thats why I use a SD card. I tried to set the SD card as default install. But everytime I want to install something I get the error that I dont have enough space and first need to delete someting.

Can somone help me please?

With Kind Regards,

Vlusion

# Answer
No app can be installed on SD card if it isn't set as adoptable. Some apps can store it's data but thar isn't much space if you want to really move apps to SD use app like link2sd, but your phone has to be rooted.
> 0 votes

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Tags: internal-storage, sd-card, storage
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