title: What exactly is superuser.apk and su?

text:
# Question
Title: What exactly is superuser.apk and su?
I've done a lot of reading into rooting of Android devices. I really want to know exactly what is going on at each step before I commit to the process.

I'm a little confused as to where the superuser.apk and su files come from. It doesn't look like they are official Google files, but rather files created by a (random) individual. That said, how safe are these files?

From research, I have a general understanding of their purpose. I was wondering if anyone knew what these files were (executables? scripts?), what they contained and how they generally work.

Thanks!

# Answer
`su` (short for Switch User) is a binary executable. It's used by Android and other \*nix based systems to allow a process to change the user account it is associated with. The reason it's important from a rooting standpoint is that `su` without any other parameters will switch to the root user, meaning that processes that require root permission for their functionality need to invoke `su` (since by default they are not being run by root).

Superuser is an Android application (.apk is an Android application package). It works as a sort of "gatekeeper" to the `su` binary. Applications which attempt to invoke `su` will be forced to route through Superuser, which will then prompt the user if it is an unknown or new application. The user then has the option of approving or denying the access to `su` and optionally having Superuser remember their decision so it can automatically apply it for subsequent calls by that app. By doing this, the only apps which are granted root permissions are ones that the user chooses.

The source of both applications is available on Github, and can be examined/audited by anyone who wishes to look at it (Superuser here, su here).

You can find further details - as well as changelogs - on Superuser's website.

Other related questions on Android Enthusiasts:
> 32 votes

# Answer
The source code for Superuser is available on github, the main author of Superuser are Adam Shanks (ChainsDD) and Koushik Dutta (koush, also author of Clockwork Recovery).

Koushik Dutta explained in his blog how Superuser.apk works; note that the post is from the very earliest incarnation of the Superuser app, a lot of things have changed since then and some of what was written there are no longer correct for modern superuser/su implementation, but the basics should still be the same.

Both su and Superuser can certainly be replaced by alternatives, but it wouldn't really do much as the facility that su uses (i.e. exec() and setuid() system calls) is available to any executables, given that the executable had the proper permission bits (i.e. setuid bit is set to root). At the core, su is a very simple program, it just spawns a process as another user; the real security check is done by the kernel.

So, as long as you're getting the official, unmodified su and superuser app and they're installed properly with proper permission, you don't have anything to worry about, they're open source and safe, you can verify the source code yourself at github. However, it is certainly possible to get a trojaned superuser/su binary, so make sure that wherever you're getting your superuser/su binary is trustworthy (or compile su/superuser yourself if you're truly paranoid).
> 11 votes

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Tags: root-access, superuser
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# Question
Title: How can I set Froyo's screen timeout to "Never"?
I have to keep my Skype running all night on my mobile. I am using a `Motorola MB200` Mobile which I have today upgraded from Eclair to Froyo. Now the `Screen timeout` option has a maximum of 30 minutes and there is no "Never" option, causing my mobile to automatically disconnect my wifi after and Skype. Previously using screen timeout set to never solved this problem for me.

How can I fix this?

# Answer
Seems like what you need is to set the "wifi sleep policy" to never... You can find that in the Advanced Wi-Fi menu. Then you could let your screen shut down and still be able to talk with no interference with skype.
> 1 votes

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Tags: 2.2-froyo, wi-fi
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title: timestamp on messages is wrong

text:
# Question
Title: timestamp on messages is wrong
1. My phone is turned off
2. 11:00 - My friend sends me a text message/sms
3. 2:00 - I turn my phone on.
4. 2:01 - I receive the text message/sms, the timestamp is 2:01
5. But I want the timestamp to be 11:00

How do I get this to happen? I am on a ZTE Racer on giffgaff in the UK. I have Android 2.1, Eclair.

# Answer
This has been reported as a bug in the Android source but no particular action seems to have been taken. You can follow and star the issue on the Android bug tracker.

Alternatively, one comment on the bug tracker notes some potential workarounds you an take a look at:

> Just an additional comment for all those still waiting for this bug to be fixed: current version of Handcent saves the "sent time" of the messages. It can be seen on "message details". It's not the perfect solution but it's the best solution that we have right now.
>
> "SMS Timestamper Fix" from andrperk worked for me most of the times but not always.

Additionally, some commenters have reported that certain handsets do not suffer from this bug, presumably because the manufacturer patched it themselves in their messaging application or SMS framework.
> 0 votes

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Tags: sms, zte-racer
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# Question
Title: Default launcher app hangs at boot up. Unable to do anything with phone (NexusOne)
My NexusOne's builtin launcher is suddenly hanging at bootup. Since the main lock screen is hanging the screen touch is not working, soft buttons are not working -- I am just completely unable to do anything with the phone. When I tried calling the phone the call comes through, and I see the "Activity Launcher is not responding. Force Close?" popup, but when I force close it and the call ends, it goes back to the hanging lock screen and once again I am able to do nothing.

Since it is stuck at lock screen there is literally nothing I can do to kill it or try other apps or settings or anything else. Even connecting USB cable didn't work since I need to enable USB storage from the notification bar and the hanging lock screen wont allow any touch response anywhere...

What can I do or try? I guess hard reset is an option to try, but I want to keep it as a worst case option.

# Answer
> 2 votes
Have you tried booting in safe mode?

Nexus One Safe Mode

1) Turn off your Nexus.

2) Remove the battery if it cannot be done the normal way.

3) Press the power button to start your phone, and right when the logo appears, press and hold the trackball.

You should also be able to hold down the touch sensitive Menu button at this point, if you prefer that.

4) Keep pressing until you see the lock screen, and you should now be in safe mode.

While in safe mode, see if the problem persists. Uninstall recently installed / updated apps that you feel may be causing a problem and clear app caches / data caches.

To exit Safe Mode, just reboot your device.

# Answer
> 1 votes
I know this IS an old question but I had the same issues and came to nicer solution:

Go to the android market using your windows-(or mac)PC. Install ANY other launcher.

In my case the installation in background still worked. After that you can select a launcher when pressing the home button. Select the other one. Uninstall the "wrong" launcher.

If after restart both launchers crash at startup another application is the reason. In my case it was "permissions" causing all that trouble

# Answer
> 0 votes
If you can access the phone with ADB, you push and install another launcher onto the phone. Otherwise I think a factory reset is the least destructive of your options.

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Tags: nexus-one, launcher
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# Question
Title: how to get skype to work when the phone sleeps
I got a Samsung Galaxy 3 GT-I5800 with Android 2.1. Installed Skype on it, and when connected to wifi it works. When WiFi is not available it switches to G3. While I use the phone, skype works fine. If the phone sleeps/locks, no one can call me from their PC. I think it's because skype disconnects when the phone sleeps and logs-in as soon as I activate the phone touchscreen.

What do I need to do, to get Skype to work and receive calls at all times?

# Answer
Android shuts of WiFi after a certain time by default, sometimes as little as 15 seconds after the phone is locked. To change the timeout period, go to:

```
Settings -> Wireless and network -> Wi-Fi settings

```

Then press the menu button, choose **Advanced**, and change the **Wi-Fi sleep policy** to "Never".
> 1 votes

# Answer
Turn off any Battery saver app, As I selected the wifi sleep mode to NEVER, but it kept switching off, I then uninstalled the Battery saver app .. Voila now skype works un-interrupted.
> 1 votes

# Answer
Normally Skype should stay connected on both networks, wifi or 3G. And it should also stay connected when your phone goes to sleep. So there are two things that could be your problem:

1- Maybe your provider is blocking Skype from the 3G network, in this case follow @Matthew Read answer:

> Settings -\> Wireless and network -\> Wi-Fi settings -\> Then press the menu button, choose Advanced, and change the Wi-Fi sleep policy to "Never".

2- Make sure that the background data usage is enabled in Settings -\> Data Synchronization -\> Background data. If not, applications are not allowed to use data while the phone is on sleep.
> -1 votes

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Tags: skype, samsung-galaxy-apollo
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# Question
Title: How can I root the GT 10.1 (running 3.2)?
> **Possible Duplicate:**
> Rooting Samsung Tablet GT--P7510 Android 3.2

I've tried using Odin to get root access, but when I finish the process, I still don't have root privileges. Seems like all the tutorials about how to root are assuming the tab is running 3.1 or lower... did the update to 3.2 break the root methods? If so, how can I root this darn thing? ;)

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

# Answer
With 3.2 Google fixed the exploit that allowed most current methods to gain root on 3.1 version. The only way to get root on Galaxy Tab 10.1 running Android 3.2 is to flash a pre-rooted ROM via Odin (or Heimdal) utility. Take a look at the appropriate section on XDA-Developers forum for more details.

This completely wipes all data off the device, so it's recommended to back up anything you need first. Also, be sure to pick the correct ROM for your specific version of the Tab, since different versions (WiFi-only Vs. 3G) will require separate ROMs.
> 1 votes

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Tags: rooting, samsung-galaxy-tab-10
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# Question
Title: The meaning of 3 axis values of magnetometer
Could someone explain to me the meaning of 3 axis x, y & z of Magnetometer

# Answer
The magnetic field of a certain point is directional and has magnitude. The x,y,z returned by the sensor is a **vector** that describes the strength and direction of the magnetic field relative to the device measured in microtesla.

For example, a value of `(x, y, z) = (50, 50, 0)` means that there is a magnetic field `sqrt(50**2+50**2+0**2) ≈ 70.7107` microtesla strong in the direction of 45 degree to X-axis and Y-axis of the device.
> 7 votes

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Tags: sensors
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# Question
Title: Network operator says "Registered on network" but Why can't I connect to the internet?
Good afternoon all,

I was originally using a GSM iPhone and I've switched to an android Samsung Galaxy Ace S5830L. I've got some problems connecting to the internet and was wondering if someone could help me resolve the issue.

These are the steps I took from **Settings** \>\> **Wireless and networks** \>\> **Mobile networks** \>\> **Network operators**:

I've selected SGP-M1-GSM and it says "Registered on network" but I still can't seem to connect to the internet.

What do I have to do to enable internet connection?

I'm currently using v2.3.4 if that matters.

# Answer
I am not sure if this would work, but worth a try. Some mobile phones and some cell phone service providers require the use of APN. Contact your cell phone service provider for the APN.
> 3 votes

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Tags: networking, internet, samsung-galaxy-ace
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# Question
Title: How to keep Apps, that are banned from the offical market, up to date?
Sadly, a few fine Apps are banned from the official Market by Google (e.g. Transdroid): How can I keep those Apps up to date, without visiting the project sites regularly?

# Answer
I usually sign up for an RSS feed on the project's website, and add the feed to a separate group in Google Reader. Since I sync up with Reader twice a day, when an update to an app I'm following is available I know about it the same day.

For sites that don't provide a native RSS feed, there are some services that can generate an RSS feed on-the-fly, like Feed43 or FeedBeater, for example.
> 2 votes

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Tags: applications, google-play-store, updates
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title: How to install Whatsapp on Android 1.6

text:
# Question
Title: How to install Whatsapp on Android 1.6
I am interested in installing Whatsapp on Android 1.6 (Cyanogenmod 4.2) on a rooted HTC Dream G1. Is there any way to install it?

# Answer
From the whatsapp site, the minimum requirements are Android 2.1, so even if you managed to find the APK and side-load it onto the G1 running 1.6, it probably will not work.

Stable releases of CyanogenMod 5 (Android 2.1) and 6 (Android 2.2) are both available for the G1. You can install Whatsapp if you upgrade to CM 5/6.
> 6 votes

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Tags: cyanogenmod, whatsapp-messenger, htc-dream, 1.6-donut
---


title: andLess .flac "Decoder Error"

text:
# Question
Title: andLess .flac "Decoder Error"
I try to play a .flac audio file on my htc sensation with the andLess player, but every time I try to open a file it just shows a "Decoder Error" with no further explanation. The .flac files work fine on my Creative Zen X-FI 2, so the files should not be the problem. I use android version 2.3.4. Does anybody know this issue and/or have a solution for this?

**Update:**

Is it possible that I have to install the necessary codec on my own? From the description of the app, I assumed that it is delivered with the app.

# Answer
> 1 votes
I would suggest reporting the issue on the andLess issue tracker. I didn't see anything that relates to exactly what you mention but the developers may know what your issue is or they can correct it.

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Tags: music-player, htc-sensation
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# Question
Title: Do the front buttons on the Droid X turn on the screen?
I had an LG Optimus V phone and the physical buttons on the front could get pressed when it was in my pocket, which would turn on the screen.

I'm considering a phone (Droid X) with physical buttons b/c I *like* the physical buttons easier to see and feel when using). But.... I don't want the screen turning on all the time (and draining the battery).

Does the Droid X's row of menu/back/search buttons turn the screen on?

# Answer
> 1 votes
Yes, the Home button (and possibly the Volume buttons) turn on the screen.

Found a fix on: http://www.droidforums.net/forum/drod2169-x/132091-ocd-stop-home-button-waking-screen-save-battery.html

Have not tested yet, but it's mentioned in several places. Not sure if it works on an unrooted phone.

GINGERBREAD

---

Open /system/usr/keylayout/sholes-keypad.kl remove "Wake\_Dropped" And/or "Wake" after any entries for: HOME MENU SEARCH BACK VOLUME UP VOLUME DOWN

---

FROYO

---

Open /system/usr/keylayout/cdma\_shadow-keypad.kl remove "Wake\_Dropped" And/or "Wake" after any entries for: HOME MENU SEARCH BACK VOLUME UP VOLUME DOWN

---

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Tags: motorola-droid-x, screen
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# Question
Title: Flashed ICS i9020T image onto AT&T I9020XXKI1 baseband phone now intermittent WiFi
I flashed a Nexus S i9020T Android 4.0.3 package image onto my AT&T Nexus S. The flash was a success, but the wi-fi is intermittent. It will come on for a bit, but then lose connectivity. In the top notification bar, the wi-fi icon goes away, but the system says that wi-fi is still on.

Could the wi-fi problem be caused by my not flashing the correct radio image after I flashed the ICS ROM? This warning/error message is showing up in LogCat every 1 second.

> 01-31 09:49:18.824: WARN/wpa\_supplicant(2202): wlan0: Failed to initiate AP scan
>
> 01-31 09:49:18.824: ERROR/wpa\_supplicant(2202): ioctl\[SIOCSIWPRIV\] (cscan): -1

# Answer
As that's the wrong stock image for your phone there's something in it that doesn't work correctly, such as a baseband or radio image that's incorrect.

You may have luck updating the drivers: http://code.google.com/android/nexus/drivers.html#crespo
> 1 votes

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Tags: wi-fi, 4.0-ice-cream-sandwich, rom-flashing, cellular-radio
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# Question
Title: Will Android shift Google Calendar events when I go to different time zones?
I'm entering a bunch of events into my Google Calendar on the web interface and am wondering if I should do them all in local time or select the proper timezone.

If I explicitly pick a timezone (e.g. 1 PM PST) and it shows up as 4 PM EST, will it "fix" it when I go out to California? What about events with different starting and ending time zones?

# Answer
Yes, at least for me. All of my events are stored as GMT and the time of the event is displayed based on the time of the device (my location).

Now, I don't know what happens if you "specify" the timezone like you mentioned, as I have never done that.
> 3 votes

# Answer
Google calender works with time zones exactly like you hope it would. All events shift appropriately based on your local time zone without user intervention. I particularly like how on the web you can specify a different time zone for the start and end of an event so you can accurately record the time of an airplane trip.
> 2 votes

# Answer
Yes, this will all work as smoothly as you hope.

I recently traveled to a different timezone. Before the trip I added a lot of events in my Google calendar with an explicit timezone set (of my destination). Google (and my phone) did the timezone math correctly when I was there.

The only caveat is that if you travel somewhere outside of your phone's cellular service, then it will not be able to automatically set the timezone (assuming you leave that feature enabled generally). You'll need to use `Settings -> Date & time`, then un-check `Automatic` and then manually set the local timezone.
> 2 votes

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Tags: calendar, google-calendar, time-zones
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# Question
Title: How to transfer SMS message store to new phone which does not have an SD card
> **Possible Duplicate:**
> How do I backup and restore SMS Messages?

There have been many duplicate questions asking about transferring SMS messages from one Android phone to another. The agreed answer recommended using SMS Backup & Restore.

However, it involves the use of an SD card.

My old HTC T-Mobile G2 has an SD card. The new Samsung Galaxy Nexus does not have an SD card slot.

Can I transfer the message store through USB mass storage on a computer? I have access to Windows, Mac and Linux boxes and will use whichever is easiest.

# Answer
you can use SMS Backup+. It syncs your sms messages with your gmail account and allows you to restore. If you have deleted the messages though, they are gone and if they are not already backed up then they are lost in the nothing for ever.

I have never use SMS Backup and Restore, but if this backs up to the sdcard, you should be able to pull them off the sdcard on your computer (using mass storage) and then transfer those backups to the galaxy nexus. If memory serves though, I don't think you can use Mass Storage on the nexus, it uses MTP (Media Transfer Protocol).
> 3 votes

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Tags: sms, data-transfer
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# Question
Title: Phone not mounting as a drive when "Connect USB storage" is clicked
I have a Samsung Galaxy S, using the default firmware (version 2.2). It is configured to select "Mass Storage" when plugged in via micro USB.

When I plug the phone into the cable, I receive the "Click here to connect via USB" button.

However, when I click it, the phone thinks for a bit and then tells me that it's connected; yet Windows makes no mention of it and the drives are not accessible from the computer. It has worked in the past, but has apparently decided I am no longer worthy or something.

I have rebooted both the phone and the computer with no change in behaviour.

What am I doing wrong? Is there something obvious I've missed?

# Answer
Yes I used to have this problem, where the phone connects once and then again I connect and face the same problem as you, then again I restart my phone and it is ok. This happens if you disconnect your phone with out ejecting the drive properly, one remedy is reset. But mine is ok after a few times, hope yours will be too.
> 1 votes

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Tags: usb-connection-mode
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# Question
Title: How to install vanilla Android OS on Kindle Fire?
> **Possible Duplicate:**
> How can I install vanilla Android on the Kindle Fire?

I have a Kindle Fire device and I want to install the vanilla Android OS on it.

Please help me how to flush out the original ROM and how to install new vanilla Android on it.

# Answer
> 2 votes
Rooting the Kindle Fire (necessary for installing a new system, see tutorials below)

Installing CyanogenMod on the Kindle Fire (I guess it is pretty much the same with other Android systems)

Installing the Android Market on the Kindle Fire (may also be helpful)

**! Warning !**

**The Kindle Fire is known for having hardware compatibility issues with systems other than the pre-installed one!**

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Tags: rom, amazon-kindle-fire, vanilla-android
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# Question
Title: Is it possible to modify files on sd from PC without unmounting?
**Motivation:**

As I currently got started to put some media (music,ebook,etc..) I need to organize (add,modify,move,rename) files often but also see if the android apps are still recognizing my files properly.

As file transfer and organization is much faster on PC I plug in the USB cable and do what I want. Unfortunately android unmounts the sd memory so my apps e.g. Gallery wont be able to see the data. So I have to unmount on my PC and then nasty long media scanning takes places, and finally I can see the files within android. What me disturbs is the tedious mounting/unmounting process.

**Question**:

Can't I just simply alter files on sd memory over USB/Wifi or whatsoever while leaving the sd memory mounted? That would be awesome.

# Answer
> 3 votes
Ahh, I should have known, ssh is the solution. Therefore install an ssh server e.g. SSHDroid then you should usually have sftp and ssh to your phone. As command line tools like sed echo and basename are available even renaming is really easy :D.

The really great thing is you even don't need a wifi around, you can make your own with wifi thetering and SSHDroid will still work, though you have to disable the presence of a network in its options first.

You don't need to root the phone.

# Answer
> 1 votes
You can use adb (android sdk) to open a shell from the device on your computer. You can connect over wifi or via a usb cable (wifi is a little more complicated then using the usb). Root is not required.

Once set up you open a command window and do `adb shell` then you have a shell from your device.

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Tags: sd-card, mount
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# Question
Title: Clockworkmod sd-ext partitioning + link2sd mount = Where is my ext partition mounted?
HHi all... I am desperately trying to locate my sd-ext partition in android terminal...

Where is it located?

Or, if the location changes from smartphone / rom... How can I locate it?

I've tried fdisk -l without luck (the command doesn't exist in android)

# Answer
> 1 votes
It's in

/data/sdext2

Now I just need to understand how to mount it manually.

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Tags: external-sd
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# Question
Title: How to track device locations in an office
> **Possible Duplicate:**
> How can I make my phone/tablet ring remotely without a SIM card?

There are many Android devices in our office which we use for application development and QA. Finding a particular device is sometimes necessary, but requires walking around asking who has it.

Is there some way to track where a particular device might be in an office environment? Either an app on the device or some way to listen on the computer it was most recently plugged in to (via ADB), for example. Hopefully something with minimal user interaction, otherwise nobody would ever actually do it.

I haven't tried anything specific yet. Just looking for ideas on which way to go. I'm pretty sure GPS is not nearly accurate enough for such a setting, and that's the only real idea I've had.

# Answer
Do you have Wi-Fi connections active on these devices? If so, you could create a service that allows a remote web application to cause the device to chirp/make a sound similar to a ring. That web application could contain a list of phones and potentially even allow you to checkout devices etc through the same interface. Not an entirely trivial solution, but you could probably whip something up in a day or two.
> 1 votes

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Tags: gps, adb
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title: Just how secure is a pattern lock?

text:
# Question
Title: Just how secure is a pattern lock?
I recently had a phone stolen. It's been replaced, I've changed my passwords, the phone company has shut down connectivity for the stolen one... I think I'm pretty much as safe as I can be.

However, it did get me wondering. How secure is the pattern lock? My phone had a pattern lock, so I assume that means that the casual user can't pick it up and do anything.

But if one had all the time in the world and some technical know-how, could they circumvent it?

Or is the phone only useable if the person wipes it and starts over?

*Note 1:* I know the data on the SD card is a separate issue, I'm just wondering about the phone and it's internally stored data.

*Note 2:* I've seen other questions about recovery of the password via one's Google account, but the person who has taken my phone (presumeably) doesn't have the ability to reset my pattern that way, so I believe this question is a separate issue.

# Answer
> 24 votes
You don't even need much technical know how to crack most touch screen phones. There was a white-paper written recently about the security of touch screen lock mechanisms (and pattern locks in particular) and breaking into these devices using purely the greasy smudges on the screen to get the unlock code.

> **8 Conclusion**
> In this paper we explored smudge attacks using residual oils on touch screen devices. We investigated the feasibility of capturing such smudges, focusing on its effect on the password pattern of Android smartphones. Using photographs taken under a variety of lighting and camera positions, we showed that in many situations full or partial pattern recovery is possible, even with smudge “noise” from simulated application usage or distortion caused by incidental clothing contact. We have also outlined how an attacker could use the information gained from a smudge attack to improve the likelihood of guessing a user’s patterns. ...

Smudge Attacks on Smartphone Touch Screens (PDF)

The rest of the paper is well worth a read too.

# Answer
> 18 votes
**It is insecure depending on a few cases\***.

Here's a sample of an exploit that a hacker or an above average user can do (with the adb tool and the phone connected to a PC) :-

Exploit 2

<sup>\******May only apply on rooted devices. (not all adb commands require root though) "USB debugging" should also be set prior to using the adb tool\*. But as eldarerathis said, some devices can also be rooted through the ADB. In fact, a skilled hacker may also find loopholes for gaining access to the internal data. (perhaps even find a way to utilize the adb without the usb debugging option) </sup>

The Android Pattern lock also has many glitches making it relatively unsecure. Here's an example..

While the exploits mentioned above and certain glitches may be fixed by Google in the upcoming versions, a pattern lock remains a pattern lock. ie, It can be considered as a mere solid gateway to using the android's user interface. **A pattern lock does not encrypt the contents of a phone.** It will not stop a hacker from playing around using the adb shell. He can view the internal memory of the phone etc using the adb tool which is freely provided in the Android SDK

Also, the internal memory is pretty much compromised as there may be other ways to mount it or read it.

All I can say for now is it would be better if you disable "usb debugging" unless you need it, as an added security measure.

# Answer
> 8 votes
At least on most phones you can just hold down the volume key/keys to get to the fastboot/recovery. From there one can easily get adb connection, even if you don't have usb debugging on, and access straight to the internal memory. From there it is even possible to root the phone to make it possible to edit internal files and disable the lock, like Power-Inside suggested. All this can be done in several minutes!

# Answer
> 1 votes
The pattern is not very safe, because you can simply do a data wipe in recovery. And you're in the phone. In addition the pattern can often seen in the screen, because you swipe everytime you unlock your phone this pattern.

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Tags: security
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# Question
Title: How can I control a list of applications in "Share" pop up in Android built in browser?
I'm using Android's built in stock web browser (Froyo 2.2 if it matters), and when I choose "Share page" from the menu, I get a list of like 15 different apps.

Of those, I only ever use 2-3, and 99% of the time I use Gmail, which happens to be near the end of the list.

1. How does Android browser compile that list?
2. Is there a way to:

* Control which applications appear in the list?
    * Sort the list the way I would want to?

The phone is rooted, so I'm perfectly fine if the answer is "Get a file from filesystem in this location and edit its contents".

Also, I don't necessarily need the answer to be 100% permanent - meaning, that if installing an application update will re-add the app to the list, I can live with that.

# Answer
> 2 votes
This list is generated (on every boot) from the installed apps that have registered themselves with the system to handle this function. The only certain way to remove an entry from this list is to uninstall the corresponding app.

You can try de-compiling the app, removing the share intent from its "manifest.xml" file, and re-packing it. However, this will most likely cause issues with Market updates because of signature mismatches.

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Tags: stock-browser, share-menu
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# Question
Title: How do I set Wi-Fi sleep policy to Never on Froyo 2.2 Droid X without Advanced Wi-Fi Settings menu?
I've encountered the following instructions on a forum about battery drain

> Set Wi-Fi sleep to Never in the `Settings > Wireless & Networks > Wi-Fi Settings > Advanced >Wi-Fi Sleep Policy` menu.

However, my Droid X (Stock rooted Froyo 2.2) doesn't have "Advanced" option in "Wi-Fi Settings" menu!

**How do I set Wi-Fi Sleep Policy?**

# Answer
Those instructions sound incomplete. You need to press the `Menu` button on the Wi-Fi Settings screen. `Advanced` will be in the menu.
> 3 votes

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Tags: 2.2-froyo, wi-fi, settings, battery-life
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# Question
Title: Removing non-Google contacts from Messaging
I have a Samsung Galaxy S2 (running Gingerbread 2.3.3) and enabled syncing of contacts for Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google. I've been finding it really annoying that when I go to write a message I start typing in a name and I get a bunch of e-mail addresses from Facebook, etc - people who are not in my main contact book and that I do not want to contact from 'Messaging' on my phone.

I have tried setting the option where only contacts with phone numbers are displayed but I think this only applies to the 'Contacts' application and not messaging. Any ideas?

# Answer
> 1 votes
If you're using the in-built (stock) messaging app, see if there's an option in the settings similar to what you've described. By default, only contacts with mobile numbers should be shown.

Alternative messaging apps like GoSMS and Handcent also have an option to restrict contacts with mobile numbers. In GoSMS, it's in the SENDING section of the settings.

# Answer
> 0 votes
I had similar problems. Finally I just decided to unlink all my contacts from both Gmail and Facebook and whatever else, Android want's to sync contacts with. Basically turn off any contact sync you may find on the phone. Then backup and clean out or delete the entire Address book. (Do the same with "new" phone contacts in Gmail, which usually gets doubled.)

Here is a long guide how to manually backing up all your contacts and emails to a CSV file, and how to import them again. You can then use the same CSV file to import your contacts into Gmail afterwards.

*"About Contacts Import/Export, Backup/Restore and Data/Sync"*

Hope this helps.

---
Tags: contacts, sms, samsung-galaxy-s-2
---


# Question
Title: Two phones -- Two separate contact lists (me / wife) want to use same account for calendar
I have a Droid X, which I am about to give to my wife and I am getting a newer Driod. We have been using the google calendar, with great success, for the past few years. This will be the first time we have two smart phones and we want to keep the phone contacts (and email in my case) separate from each other such that they don't download each others to the other phone. Can that be done?

# Answer
My wife and I have been doing something like this for years.

We each have our own separate Google accounts (separate contacts, Gmail, etc.)

We've also done this with our calendars:

* We each have our own default Google Calendar and have shared read-access to the other.
* We've also created several shared calendars (Household, Local Events, plus a calendar for each of our children) that we both edit
* As needed we create separate calendars that we can choose to share or not. (For instance, she doesn't really need to know when my meetings are at work, just if my work schedule is different.)

(This works just fine on regular old Google accounts.)
> 12 votes

# Answer
The ideal solution would probably be to try setting up a calendar on one account and then sharing it with the other account from the Google Calendar website. I know this works with things like my office's apps accounts because I can see our shared calendars on my phone, but I'm not positive if it will work with a personal Google account (I'd imagine it might, though). You'd also want to make sure that both accounts had permission to modify the calendar, I assume.

Alternatively, Android will let you selectively choose account data to sync with Google's servers, so one way to do this would be:

1. Set up the existing calendar's account on both phones
2. Go into `Settings->Accounts and Sync` and select the account
3. Uncheck everything **except** "Sync Calendar" (do this on both devices)
4. Set up individual accounts for email, contacts, etc on each phone

This should cause the calendar data from the shared account to sync to each phone, but none of the other data (email, contacts, etc). Then the individual accounts can be set to sync the rest of the data, and will exist separately. You could also choose to have your phone sync email, contacts, and calendar data all from the shared account (if appropriate), while your wife's only syncs the calendar data. Then she can have a separate email/contacts account for herself, or vice versa.

One possible downside to this method, however, is that I believe the calendar account will still appear in e.g. the Gmail app, though it won't automatically sync emails and create notifications (in other words, you could choose to manually pull down emails by opening the app).
> 7 votes

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


title: Disable Android Market localization

text:
# Question
Title: Disable Android Market localization
I'm using LG GT540 with (LG) official Android 2.1. The market has never been updated, but months ago, the top apps show my local (Vietnam) apps.

Those top rated are actually very bad, can I disable it, use old international version?

# Answer
> 1 votes
If your phone is rooted, you can install Market Enabler from Android Market and choose another location. Sometimes you may need to change the language settings on your device.

---
Tags: google-play-store, 2.1-eclair, localization
---


title: Widget for controlling tethering

text:
# Question
Title: Widget for controlling tethering
Are there any widgets on the market that let me control standard Android tethering? I use it quite a lot and it's a pain to have to navigate through all the Settings options just to check a checkbox...

# Answer
You can simply install the GoLauncherEX and then install the GO Switch Widget. It is awesome and lets you control lot of other functionality other than tethering.
> 2 votes

# Answer
Have a look at Tethering Widget. Its a free widget with nice look. It can be used to enable/disable WiFi and USB Tethering as well.

To add, press Home button

```
Menu | Add | Widget | Tethering (full) / Tethering (small)

```
> 1 votes

---
Tags: tethering, app-widgets, usb-tethering
---


title: Android "loses" a game

text:
# Question
Title: Android "loses" a game
I installed this game via APK on my Chinese tablet "Infotmic M799CA", created a desktop shortcut for it and noticed that after a (very frequent) device hang with consequent reboot, the game gets lost.

Tapping on the desktop icon says "Application not installed". I have to reinstall it again to make it work.

I found this happening only with this software. Any ideas about how to prevent it?

# Answer
This most likely a problem with the program itself. Try sending in your issue to the actual developer team. Also most likely you can say force stop on the application instead of deleting and reinstalling.
> 2 votes

---
Tags: 2.3-gingerbread, apk
---


# Question
Title: Where are the downloads from the Amazon Appstore stored?
> **Possible Duplicate:**
> Amazon App Store - Location of the downloaded APK

I like to grab the free app of the day but space on my phone is too precious to go though with the install. But I can't stop the download when I do purchase. Where is that download stored and how can I get rid of it?

# Answer
> 1 votes
From what I can tell, they are stored in `/sdcard/Android/data/com.amazon.venezia/cache`

I have a lot of apks in that directory. I downloaded the one from today and I now have a new file in there dated today with the time stamp of when I purchased the application.

The files in there seem to use some "identifier" that amazon uses for the application. Cleaning out this does not affect the amazon app store in any way, but if you want to install an application that you previously purchased, you will have to redownload it, which it does with out any issue. I just cleared my directory out and tested this.

---
Tags: amazon-appstore
---


# Question
Title: How can I get the Amazon Appstore to stop re-installing applications?
Whenever I install an app through the Amazon store, I usually set my phone down while I wait for the download, and pick it up afterward to hit the "Install" button when the OS prompts me. Sometimes I won't do this immediately.

It seems that the Appstore assumes the install failed if it wasn't completed within a certain length of time, and tries again. This is fairly short (a minute or two) and sometimes it might be hours before I go back to my phone. Until recently this wasn't a problem; I'd either just hit Install twice, or Install once and Cancel once, and move on.

Now, however, the Appstore seems to get stuck in a loop. No matter how many times I hit Cancel or Install, it just repeatedly asks me to install the app. I have to kill the Appstore and/or reboot my phone, ruining any other updates I have queued. Then I have to wait for them again, and I'll probably forget about my phone for a few seconds too long and run into this issue again.

Is there any way to make the Appstore behave reasonably?

# Answer
Try to clean out the `/sdcard/Android/data/com.amazon.venezia/cache` directory. This is where the apks are stored when initially downloaded, and they should be deleted when the application is installed. Seems for some reason, they are not always deleted, so it continued to ask to install it.
> 1 votes

---
Tags: applications, amazon-appstore
---


# Question
Title: How can I ensure that I'm logged out of Google Latitude?
When in Google Maps, when I go into the menu, I see "Join Latitude" option next to Latitude icon.

When I am on Google Latitude web site, it tells me "Location sharing is not turned on"

Does that mean that I am 100% logged out of Google Latitude?

The reason I ask is that I was experiencing major battery drain via Google Maps, and many people on forums heavily recommend signing out of Latitude as a solution. However, it seems that my Latitude is already off.

# Answer
If you see "Join Latitude" then your latitude options are already "off". If you also now see "location sharing is not turned on", then your account is not set up to share the location information and it will not be sharing the information.

If you don't already, turn off wifi & gps when you are not using them, mpas will be less likely to try and get "pin point" information if you do not have these running.
> 1 votes

---
Tags: battery-life, google-maps, google-latitude
---


# Question
Title: Phone keeps downloading data with no user activity, where's the leak?
I've got a strange problem. My HTC Incredible running MIUI has a data leak of some sort.

It downloaded over 4 GB's of data last month and I can't seem to figure out where it's coming from.

I've installed Onavo and My Data Manager to track what's using the data and in Onavo i get 'Market Downloader' and in My Data Manager i get 'Download Manager'

I have barely installed any apps and certainly haven't downloaded 4GB of data, video streaming/downloading, or music. This never used to be the case and I've tried to delete as many of the apps as I could think of that might be doing this, but still nothing.

How can I pinpoint what's downloading this data?

# Answer
One of the three Incredibles we own had the same problem. It too was running MIUI.

I found this thread on the MIUI forums. After changing the build.prop file as indicated in that thread the problem went away.

Edit to add the following information:

> http://androidforums.com/incredible-all-things-root/447517-stop-update-notification.html
>
> Changed these lines to this:
>
> Do not try to parse ro.build.description or .fingerprint ro.build.description=3.26.605.1 CL264707 release-keys ro.build.fingerprint=verizon\_wwe/inc/inc/inc:2.3.4/GRJ22/222219:user/release-keys end build properties
>
> It's really just the "build fingerprint" that matters as you can see.

If the MIUI is referencing an older version of Android then the carrier will keep trying to download the latest Android update. That's where the data download is coming from.
> 2 votes

# Answer
Having two monitoring programs point to the same nondescript process is frustrating. Just to verify, does MIUI's built in Traffic Monitor ("Monitor" icon on your homescreen) show the same thing Onavo and My Data Manager?

In the likely event that it does, the most simple (and time consuming) answer is to systematically disable every single app until you identify the culprit. You would need to make sure to disable only one at a time then monitor traffic over a set period of time to look for a change. For most ROMs this means completely uninstalling apps to disable them, but MIUI's Monitor app also includes Firewall settings that allow you to disable data to specific apps on the fly (including system resources like Android System and Download Manager). I suggest working through the entire list even if you find a result earlier on.

You might also consider connecting to a WiFi router and monitoring your phone's traffic using the router's firmware or other network software. If you can identify where all this traffic is going it might give you a clue as to which app is requesting it all.
> 0 votes

# Answer
This might be of some help. Because I had a similar problem on my 3G. There must definitely be a feature called as "Background Data" somewhere in your Accounts and Sync Settings. Make sure it is disabled.

What this does is gives access to your apps to contact their servers and download data in the background, without your permission. This reduced my 3G usage considerably.

Second thing you might want to try is, Disable automatic update of all your apps in your phone. This is even worse and uses a lot of data.

Third and the most safest of all, turn your wifi or 3G OFF when you are not using it.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: htc-droid-incredible, data-connection, data-monitoring
---


# Question
Title: Galaxy Tab - How to keep alerts visible until the screen is unlocked?
I've noticed that when I get an alert (an incoming email, or a notification from an app (**cough** *Words with Friends* **cough**) and the screen is locked, I'll hear the alert sound but, when I wake up the tablet, I won't see the alert.

Is there any way of having the tablet leave those alerts on the screen until I wake it up?

I'm using a Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 wifi-only, running Honeycomb 3.2.

# Answer
> 1 votes
The Samsung flavor of Android (and possibly others?) keeps the alerts accesible, but very well-hidden. Click on the section of the bottom menu bar with the time, then slide up where it reads "Settings". The alerts are visible there.

---
Tags: samsung-galaxy-tab, alerts
---


# Question
Title: How can I prevent the signal and 3G icon from turning it to white icon when my connection to Google server is lost?
I have a limited plan for mobile data usage(only 100MB per mounth) so I use mobile data for sending/recieving MMSes and for browsing only. I have mobile data turned off 99% of time. White signal bars are hard to see, so I would like to know, if there is any way to turn the "icons goes white while not connected to Google servers" funtcion off?

# Answer
You have to edit your `Framework-Res.apk`.
Its a bit complicated and differenct on every phone. So I can't simply provide a guide.

But I suggest you, to ask in your phone forum on xda-developers.
> 3 votes

# Answer
My first instinct is to tell you to find a theme where the "not connected to Google" bars are painted the same color as the connected bars. Of course that only works if you have a theme manager on your phone and can find one you like.

Or hell, make one.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: 2.3-gingerbread
---


# Question
Title: Why isn't Clockworkmod Recovery "Sticking"?
I've tried multiple times to flash ClockworkMod recovery onto my unlocked Galaxy Nexus (LTE\CDMA variant "toro" build) device. Each time I can boot into recovery and ClockworkMod displays. However, if I completely reboot my device (boot into Android and then reboot), when I try to run recovery, my phone shows an android with a red exclamation point and refuses to boot. I've tried flashing from both Linux with the fastboot tool as well on the device itself with ROM Manager. ROM Manager reports that ClockworkMod 5.5.0.4 is flashed.

What am I doing wrong?

# Answer
> 12 votes
I had the same problem and I found the solution is to rename a file in the system folder:

> * remount /system in read/write mode (use something like the Root Explorer app or ES File Explorer; both have root modes (check the app's settings) for remounting /system as writable)
> * rename the /system/recovery-from-boot.p to /system/recovery-from-boot.p-bak
>
> (note: you could delete it, but renaming is much safer since its easily reversible)
>
> you could also do this manually in an adb shell or on-phone Terminal session:
>
> * mv /system/recovery-from-boot.p /system/recovery-from-boot.p-bak
> * after you've renamed the file, you might have to re-flash your CWM if it had been missing previously

http://androidforums.com/galaxy-nexus-all-things-root/470831-how-all-things-root-samsung-galaxy-nexus.html#post3712027

---
Tags: rom-flashing, samsung-galaxy-nexus, clockworkmod-recovery, recovery-mode
---


# Question
Title: Jorte sync NationalHolidayCalendar with Google Calendar
Is there any way to sync the NationalHolidayCalendar which the Jorte has with Google Calendar?The NationalHolidayCalendar of Jorte has been set up to show Greek Holidays.The google calendar shows greek national holidays ,but it only shows a few of them,while jorte shows most of them.So,I was wondering if there is anyway to sync the Jorte's NationalHolidayCalendar with Google Calendar.

# Answer
From the Jorte help pages:

1. Select `menu → Settings → Data Syncronization`
2. If "Select synsapplication" is not checked, tap on "Select synsapplication" and have it checked.
3. When the "Calendar" item is checked, synchronizing will start immediately.
> 2 votes

---
Tags: jorte
---


# Question
Title: Is it possible to skip confirmation on app restores?
i'm using Titanium Backup to restore my data and apps,but clicking "install" and "done" is driving me crazy. Is there a setting for that?

# Answer
"0-click" batch restore (as the Market page describes it) is one of the features of the Pro version. You cannot do it in the free version, but purchasing a key for the Pro version allows you to perform a batch restore unattended.
> 14 votes

---
Tags: backup, restore, titanium-backup
---


# Question
Title: I have a refurbished Samsung Galaxy Tab with no Android Market App
I bought a refurbished Samsung Galaxy Tab running Android 2.3.5

1. There is no app for Market on the phone.
2. When I get to market directly, it only shows my Iconia and I've already downloaded things there that I also want on my Galaxy.
3. When I'm told to sign in to google account, it says I can't add that account, it's already there. I'm not trying to add it, I'm trying to sign in through the google system.
4. Skype will not download, either.

# Answer
> 1 votes
Have you tried installing the Market? I've installed the 3.4.4 Market from Android Police a few times, if you're looking for a safe file. Just put it on your SD card or internal storage (make sure it has the .apk extension) and install it via a file manager. `Settings -> Applications -> Unknown sources` needs to be checked for this.

---
Tags: google-play-store, samsung-galaxy-tab
---


title: Where are binaries installed?

text:
# Question
Title: Where are binaries installed?
I just recently rooted my phone so I could install SL4A. I want to execute some commands via a Python script, specifically turn Google voice off for all calls, make the call and then turn it back on. I'm just guessing that I need access to whatever the binary is, but there doesn't seem to be a /bin/ folder, so where are my apps installed to? (p.s. Searching from my mobile browser doesn't work on SE so if this a duplicate, please link me and I'll go ahead and delete the question.)

# Answer
> 4 votes
Android apps aren't binaries. They're .apk's, similar to Java .jar files, and .dex or .odex files when in bytecode form. They're run in the Dalvik virtual machine, again very similar to a Java VM.

You can launch an app from a shell as follows:

```
am start -a android.intent.action.MAIN -n <package name>/<activity name>

```

For example, Angry Birds:

```
am start -a android.intent.action.MAIN -n com.rovio.angrybirds/com.rovio.ka3d.app

```

The name of the activity is found in the AndroidManifest.xml file inside the .apk under //manifest/application/activity/@name. For Google Voice there are quite a few activities, and you may need to use other intents. I don't have SL4A.

You can also disable apps temporarily with this:

```
pm disable <package name>

```

And re-enable:

```
pm enable <package name>

```

---
Tags: file-system, scripts
---


# Question
Title: Shell utterly borked, toolbox claims "no such tool"
HTC Magic, rooted with CyanogenMod 5. Tried to install busybox using "Busybox Installer" from the Market, ended up with a strangely borked system. Android does not boot, freezes on the splash screen. ADB shell, however, works. On the other hand, almost none of the commands work.

The busybox file is in /system/xbin, it seems. However, whenever I call it, I get "Permission denied". Even after sudo.

Running common commands like ls, cp, ln gives the same error message: "permission denied". Seems like those are symlinks to busybox, which is borked, see above.

/system/bin/toolbox is there, but it refuses to do most useful commands with a uniform message "No such tool". Ls, cp, mount, chmod, chown - "No such tool". Experimentally I found that set, ps, kill, reboot work. Is there a list of toolbox commands out there?

The only message of relevance in logcat is "02-02 01:36:38.280: E/logwrapper(61): executing /system/xbin/busybox failed: Permission denied". I kinda knew that.

I can write to the SD card. Is there a way to reflash the busybox while making it executable?

Is there an executable file anywhere on /data, so that I could push a copy of busybox there?

I can reboot into recovery mode, which is Android's own recovery mode.

Any ideas how to bring the system back to usable state? The phone is a scratch phone, so data loss is not an issue - there's no good data there.

It seems like making busybox executable somehow would bring everything back. I'm utterly lost, however, how to do that. And I'm rather surprised toolbox won't support chmod.

EDIT: funny data point. When I boot into recovery, I still can do ADB shell. And I get a completely different environment - there's command line with ls, busybox (!) and stuff. /system is almost empty. From that environment, can I somehow go back to the regular /system? The mount command is available.

# Answer
Yay, the phone boots again.

Here's the magic recipe.

```
Boot into recovery.
adb shell
mkdir /data/s
mount -o rw -t yaffs2 /dev/block/mtdblock3 /data/s
chmod 755 /data/s/xbin/busybox
Reboot the phone.

```

My shell is back. There's a weird quirk now - ls (from the busybox, one assumes) thinks ADB is an ANSI terminal and tries to emit ANSI escape sequences. Still, yay.
> 1 votes

---
Tags: cyanogenmod, system-freeze, shell, htc-magic, busybox
---


# Question
Title: How do I set reminders using Voice Actions in ICS 4 - Galaxy Nexus?
Willing to pay for an app.

Thanks

# Answer
Try My Voice Reminder. Its a free app. Don't know if it supports ICS.
> 1 votes

---
Tags: notifications, 4.0-ice-cream-sandwich, voice-command
---


# Question
Title: How to sync only Facebook contacts that already exists in phone for Android 2.2
Device: Samsung Galaxy Fit
Android: 2.2 Froyo

How can I sync only the Facebook contacts which already exists in my phone memory? I don't want to sync the contacts that are not on my phone memory.

# Answer
> 1 votes
You could choose to only show contacts that have phone numbers. If I remember correctly, this is in `Contacts` -\> `Menu` -\> `Display options` -\> `Only contacts with phones`.

Another possible solution is to go to `Settings` -\> `Accounts & sync` and remove the Facebook sync, `Add account` -\> `Facebook` and in this process select `Sync existing contacts only`.

I'm not 100% sure about the menu item names, but they should be somewhat similar. It's been a while since I've used Froyo.

---
Tags: sync
---


# Question
Title: Where has the option to mount as hard drive gone ...?
I have an HTC Desire HD (on Vodafone UK). I noticed this week that when I now connect it to either pc or mac the option to mount as a hard drive is no longer present. Why? What do I need to do to get it back?

# Answer
Ok, so I had a look at this thread and, as it suggests, I took the microSD out and put it back in again. Now it works as before. Smells like a bug to me?
> 4 votes

---
Tags: htc-sense, htc-desire-hd, connection-issues, usb-connection-mode, mount
---


# Question
Title: How do I stop my phone from beeping when it completes charging?
I have a Samsung Galaxy 2 S running Android 2.3.

When I plug it in to recharge, it beeps when it reaches 100%.

I would prefer that it not notify me with a sound.

However, I can't for the life of me find anywhere that this is set.

Is it possible to disable this annoying chime?

# Answer
> 2 votes
~~Here's~~ Here's \[tnx @GAThrawn\] a free app that claims to be able to do that.

---
Tags: notifications, samsung-galaxy-s-2, audio, charging
---


# Question
Title: Why are some applications on the Market not on AppBrain as well?
Take this game; why is present on the Android Market but not on AppBrain?

# Answer
> 5 votes
The reason can be find in AppBrain FAQ:

> **4.I cannot find some apps, what's going on?**
> It always says "The requested item could not be found". AppBrain lists applications that are available in the US that are available for Android version 1.6 and up for devices with a normal screen size. Developers can restrict availability of apps by country, Android version and screen size. This means that if you're not in the USA, have a device with a small screen size (for instance the HTC Wildfire or Tattoo), or when you're not on the latest version of Android, you may often get the "not found" message from the Android market.

So, to give you an example, I am a developer and published an app on Android Market, that is restricted to France and Germany, so users from those country will find it on Android Market, but not on AppBrain, who lists only US applications.

---
Tags: google-play-store, app-brain
---


title: How can I root my LG Optimus M?

text:
# Question
Title: How can I root my LG Optimus M?
How can I root my LG Optimus M MS690 on Metro PCS? I've tried Gingerbreak, Superoneclick, and z4root without luck.

# Answer
> 1 votes
I am not 100% that this is for your device, I can't find anything on the LG Optimus SH, these instructions are for the LG Optimus S (LS670)

**Requirements**

1. Download and install the .net Framework. Part of this utility software is needed by the rooting application. Get the .net Framework here.
2. The rooting application will also need the Visual C++ 2008 Redistribute Package. You can get this here.
3. This process will need a Windows PC which runs either Windows Vista or Windows 7.
It is also best to have a fully charged battery before you perform this process.

**Instructions**

1. Download the rooting application from here.
2. Unzip the downloaded file to have access to the main rooting application.
3. Download and install the USB driver for the device from here. If you have successfully connected the device to your PC before, you don’t need to do this.
4. Enable USB debugging in the Optimus S. To do this, just follow this path Settings \> Applications \> Development and check the box for USB Debugging.
5. Connect the device to your PC via USB cable.
6. Open the notifications window on the device and make sure “USB debugging connected” is listed under “Ongoing”.
7. Go to the folder where you unzipped the rooting files. Right click on “Gingersnap.exe” and then choose “Run as administrator”.
8. Click on the Root button to complete the rooting process. And, if you just came back here to Unroot the Optimus S, then feel free to click the Unroot button.

---
Tags: rooting, lg-optimus-one
---


# Question
Title: Where are the downloads from the Browser stored and how to I get to downloads from the browser?
Using a Galaxy Nexus I download an apk and it showed up in the notifications bar when it was done downloading. I went to install but I didn't set option to allow external apps so I did that and I went back to the browser to install the apk and couldn't find it. It wasn't in the notifications anymore and there didn't seem to be a "downloads" option anywhere in the browser. I ended up having to download it again just so it would be in the notifications so I could then get to the apk to install it. And I downloaded it AGAIN to show a friend the issue. Now I'd like to delete all three and know where to go next time.

# Answer
There should be a "Downloads" app in your app drawer. Open it to view your downloads. Previous versions of Android (up to Gingerbread, AFAIK, possibly Honeycomb) had a "Downloads" option in the Browser itself under `Menu->More->Downloads`, but it's possible this no longer exists on ICS.

Alternatively, if you have a file manager they should be in `/sdcard/download`, I believe (on ICS this actually appears to have changed to `/sdcard/Download` with a capital 'D'). It can vary by device a bit, but generally it should be `/<whatever_your_"sdcard"_path_is>/download`.
> 7 votes

---
Tags: browser, samsung-galaxy-nexus
---


# Question
Title: Is there a way to add Kindle Fire as a device on the Android Market
> **Possible Duplicate:**
> How can I download an APK file from the Android Market?

I want to download APKs from the Android Market and sideload them to my Kindle Fire. I'm able to run APKs using ES File Explorer but not able to download them :(

# Answer
> 6 votes
The title of your question and it's body are really not very related to one another, but I think the title is actually something that's worth covering since I haven't really seen it come up here before (in a general sense).

Per the **title** of your question: You can't register a device on the Market from the web interface alone. Devices appear once the Market application has been configured on the device itself, at which point you can install applications via the web interface or from the device directly. The Market's website basically uses C2DM ("push") to install the app to the device over the air, it does not download the .apk to your computer.

So, per the **body** of your question: You cannot download .apk files from the Market website to sideload them - even with a registered device - so ES File Explorer is not going to help you with that. This has also been previously asked here: How can I download an APK file from the Play Store?

Your Kindle Fire will appear in your account (it most certainly does on mine, anyway) if you install the Market on it and log into your account from the device. There is a question regarding how to do this already: How can I get the Android Market installed on my Kindle Fire? Note that you must be rooted to do this.

# Answer
> 0 votes
The only way to add an Android device to Android Market is to install Google's core applications on it (including Market.) Unfortunately, Kindle Fire does not ship with "Google experience" apps, and there is no "official" way to install them. You must root the Kindle Fire first (voids your warranty,) and then install the Market's APK with supporting apps.

See this thread on XDA-Developers forum for an easy script. It's dated 1/9/2012, so be aware that it could be outdated if there has been an OS Upgrade for Kindle Fire recently. Browse other threads on the Kindle Fire Development section for other alternatives.

---
Tags: google-play-store, amazon-kindle-fire
---


# Question
Title: Is there a free android app which can launch apps on a successful wifi connection?
Is there a free android aplication which can launch other pre-selected apps when it detects a successful wifi connection?

Bonus, if it can kill the apps when the wifi connection is gone.

I know plug in launcher pro version claims that it has this feature (but it ain't free)

More background:

I'm using wifi powermanager to startup wifi whenever a power source is connected. Once wifi, is connected, I wish to start applications like airdroid, wifi fixer.

# Answer
Try AutomateIt. This app allows you to set up various triggers (WiFi enabled/disabled included) and then assign actions like launching apps or toggling other settings.
> 4 votes

# Answer
The free Llama app allows you to combine rules (when connected to certain wlan) with action (then launch this app).
> 2 votes

---
Tags: applications, wi-fi, launcher
---


# Question
Title: Is it possible to extend/upgrade media decoders?
As I am very happy with the internal player for music I would like to keep it. Unfortunately it does not support a certain codec: flac. Is it possible to upgrade the player so it can decode flac?, or do I have to switch to another player?

# Answer
Core Media Formats table from Official Android Developer site states that FLAC Decoder is integrated and available by default in Android 3.1 and newer versions.

So if you want FLAC decoder for your stock media player, you either need to get your device upgraded to ICS(4.0) OR you can switch to another media player (such as andLess or Winamp) that has its own playback libraries to support multiple codec formats including FLAC.
> 4 votes

---
Tags: music-player, media-player
---


# Question
Title: How Can I Ressurect My Chat History from Google Talk on Droid?
I'm chatting someone on my Droid, but when I check the chat history in Google Talk, that chat isn't there. This chat is confined to my phone, but I want to keep a record of it off my phone. Is it saved somewhere in the phone in a log file or something? Can I manually forward that chat to my desktop? I can't `ctrl`+`a` / `ctrl`+`c` the conversation to my e-mail account, so that's out. What else?

# Answer
> 1 votes
Google chat/Talk sessions can be recorded and saved to your Gmail account using a Gmail setting. From Google's Chat Support pages:

> **Changing your chat history settings**
>
> You can adjust your chat history settings in Gmail at any time. Chat history for Google Talk is only available to users who are signed in with a Gmail username.
>
> From Gmail:
>
> * Sign in to Gmail.
> * Click the gear icon at the top of any Gmail page, and open the Chat tab.
> * From the Chat tab:
>     + Select 'Don't save chat history in my Gmail account' to disable chat history saving, or,
>     + Select 'Save chat history in my Gmail account' to enable chat history saving.
> * Click Save Changes.
>
> Keep in mind that if you've disabled chat history saving, people you chat with may still choose to save chat histories in their Gmail settings. If you would prefer that someone you're talking to doesn't save your chat, you can take the conversation off the record. If you're talking to someone who is connected to the network with a desktop chat client, it's possible that his or her software is keeping a separate copy of the chat history.

# Answer
> 0 votes
While inside the chat if I tap on menu I see an option to *stop to save...* (I don't now the exact text in English.
Maybe you selected that menu?
Or did so the person you are chatting with?

---
Tags: google-talk, chat-history
---


# Question
Title: How can I return from power-saving mode in Android 2.3?
I'm using a Samsung Galaxy S II Epic (with Android version 2.3.6 installed), and whenever my phone reaches 10% battery life it prompts me to turn on power-saving mode (and I do).

However, once my phone is fully charged, I'd like to turn off the settings that power-saving mode comprises (lowered screen brightness, shorter display timeout, etc.)

I see no way to do this in Android except by manually going through the settings and resetting them to the non-power-saving-mode levels. Is there a better way?

# Answer
> 1 votes
Total guess here: press and hold the power button. Is there a Power Saving option in the popup menu?

# Answer
> 0 votes
Try a swipe down on the top status bar, don't you see a toolbar with a button to turn it off ?

If you don't see that probably you can customize the buttons on them and add what you wanted to it.

Hope it helps.

---
Tags: 2.3-gingerbread, screen, battery-life, screen-brightness, screen-timeout
---


# Question
Title: Is there a podcast app that can download podcasts so that they're available to the stock music player
I'm looking for a podcast app that will just run in the background, download new episodes when necessary and make these episodes available to the default music player.

I like to access my music and my podcasts in the same place and don't really like the idea of using separate apps to listen to podcasts and the rest of my music.

# Answer
> 1 votes
The BeyondPod podcast player will download new podcasts directly to your device, on a schedule. For example, I have it run every morning to look for new podcasts. And, it can be configured to "Share Podcasts" with the default Android Music Player.

I have never used the share-with-default-player feature, so I can't really comment on how well that works in practice. But the basic podcast management and download features have all worked nicely for me.

# Answer
> 0 votes
Are you willing to consider changing your default music player? If so, DoubleTwist is a great iTunes-like desktop/Android app that allows you to sync and play everything all in one place. Best part is that it's free (everything but their wireless AirSync).

---
Tags: music-player, podcast
---


# Question
Title: Is a google account mandatory to use the market?
Is a google account mandatory to use the android market?

# Answer
> 6 votes
Yes, it is mandatory to use Google Account to use Google's Android Market; however it is not mandatory to use Google's Android Market to install Android applications. There are many third party app markets and you can sideload an .apk file you have downloaded to the device (except on some devices from brain-damaged carriers where this option is disabled). Some alternative markets do not require registration.

# Answer
> 3 votes
Yes. You need one to sign in, even for free apps. Paid apps are paid for via Google Checkout.

---
Tags: google-play-store, google-account
---


# Question
Title: If I set an Android 4.0 to use face recognition, after which I shave my head, will face recognition still work?
I was reading about the new face recognition unlock of Android 4.0 and was just wondering that , if I should shave my head afterwards, the face recognition still would work ?

# Answer
You can "recalibrate" face unlock by switching to another type of lock screen and back, as this causes a new reference image to be taken. Meanwhile you can unlock the device with secondary measures (either PIN or pattern unlock).
> 4 votes

# Answer
Yes it should work, Since the Face recognition technology in Android ICS is designed to match the face with the help of **points of recognition** as shown bellow.

Majority points will be applied on the facial parts. So it should recognize your face.
> 1 votes

---
Tags: 4.0-ice-cream-sandwich, face-unlock
---


# Question
Title: CM7 GPS works randomly, no rhyme or reason, is there a fix?
I have the Incredible and here are the specs:

CyanogenMod 7.1.0 Stable Baseband: 2.15.00.07.28

I can't seem to get my GPS to run in a stable manner. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.

I've installed all the diagnostic GPS apps: GPS Essentials, GPS Status, GPS Test, GPS Fix, and doesn't make a difference. Cleared the AGPS, d/l new AGPS, etc...

When I use any of those, or my speedometer apps - Speedview and UlyssesSpeedometer - the GPS icon doesn't even blink. It's as if it can't hook the GPS command to turn on.

When it does work, it's great, a fix in about 3 seconds and 10 or 11 satellites.

I've run Fix Permissions in Rom Manager, and that seemed to help right away, but nothing since then, and I've ran that after I've installed new apps unrelated to anything GPS, and still to no avail.

How can I fix this to get a stable GPS on my phone?? Any help would be greatly appreciated, so frustrating.

# Answer
> 0 votes
Alright everyone, I think I may have found something, so if anyone is having this problem, hopefully it can help.

I believe it's a problem with google maps. For me, sometimes, when I launch maps and the GPS icon flashes a few times without locking and disappearing, that's when the problem starts.

Well i had the Google Maps Traffic Widgets active, and I would use those all the times and didn't realize it wasn't locking the GPS, But my speedometer apps wouldn't work, or even maps wouldn't work

I uninstalled maps, and reinstalled, didn't help.

This is what i found that works - don't use the traffic widgets, just open maps and look at traffic if you need to.

The second is, if you open maps and GPS doesn't lock, exit maps. Open up GPS Status, let it lock - for me I don't even need to clear or update AGPS info, but you may need to. Exit GPS Status, not open your speedometer app or Maps, and it should work.

I have been able to 'fix' the GPS issue this way over the last few days with multiple reboots and intalls/uninstalls of maps.

Hopefully this can be helpful or at least a start to troubleshooting. Good Luck!

# Answer
> 2 votes
I had this very same issue with my Incredible! I did everything you described and even flashed a newer Radio version to no avail. I got so frustrated I broke down and did a factory reset - for some reason it magically fixed my issue. I know it's the nuclear option here (as well as a popular catch-all answer) but I honestly think it's worth a shot. This also might be an excuse to bump up to CM 7.1.0 Stable.

FWIW I've had various strange and inexplicable issues with Cyanogenmod on my Incredible, this GPS trouble being just one. If you're up for a slight paradigm shift I've come to really like MIUI and haven't run into anything terribly strange (...yet).

*EDIT: Just in case, here are some great instructions for performing a factory reset from the helpful MIUI HTC Incredible Installation Guide (these steps are applicable to performing a factory reset in any ROM as long as you're using ClockworkMod Recovery).*

> 3) Open Rom Manager and select "Reboot into Recovery." (Yes, we're assuming you have already flashed the latest "Clockworkmod Recovery." If you have not, please do so now via Rom Manager by selecting "Flash ClockworkMod Recovery" from the Rom Manager options before trying to reboot into recovery.)
>
> 4) ...from the Main Clockworkmod Recovery menu, select "Backup and Restore." Then Select "Backup." This will create a Nandroid Backup in case anything goes incorrectly during or you get a bad ROM, you can always load your backup and return your phone to EXACTLY the way it was before you began making changes in Recovery. You may also Restore your Backup from here, but only after performing a Full Wipe of your phone to eliminate any trace of the old data that may corrupt your "restore" process. For more info on performing a "Full Wipe," see the next step.
>
> 6) Now to do a clean wipe of your phone. ***Note: At this point you will lose everything on your phone that you have not backed up to an alternative storage space, via cloud, PC, SDcard. This will basically return your phone to a straight out of the box setup.*** Select Factory Wipe/Data Reset from the list of options (On the HTC Incredible, you may move your selector up and down with the trackball or the volume buttons, the press the trackball to enter your selection.) After your selection scroll down through the Nos to the "Yes" and select it, and your phone will begin to clear out its memory. When it completes, you should be back at the menu to Wipe Data/Factory Reset.
>
> 7) After your Full Wipe, scroll down to the "Advanced" menu, and select it. The next list of options should display "Wipe Dalvik Cache." Select it, Scroll down through the Nos to the "Yes" and select it. It should only take a second. This step may be redundant after a full wipe, but if you ever need to "Update" a ROM, its important to know where this option is, so good practice.
>
> 8) Press the "Power" button on the phone to go back to the main Clockworkmod Recovery options.
>
> ...
>
> 13) Select Reboot System Now, and your phone should reboot.

---
Tags: cyanogenmod, settings, gps, htc-droid-incredible
---


# Question
Title: How do I boot my Samsung Nexus S into safe mode?
I have a Samsung Nexus S with Android 2.3.

I somehow managed to set the Zoodles application to start up with laucher. As a result, whenever I boot my phone, I see the Zoodles app and cannot close it or access any other applications.

I searched and understood that if I can boot the device in safe mode, I can remove the Zoodles app. How do I boot into safe mode?

# Answer
Try booting the phone while holding down the power button during boot. I have also read people saying that holding the menu button during boot works.

Once you are in safe mode, you will see "Safe Mode" at the bottom left of the screen.
> 2 votes

---
Tags: samsung-nexus-s, boot
---


# Question
Title: Is there an alternative DLNA player for Logitech Revue under Google-TV?
The Logitech Media Player included with the Logitech review is problematic - occasionally pausing causes it to stop or jump from video playback to music, etc. I am not seeing any alternative DLNA players in the Android Market that run under Google-TV. Are there any others out there that I am missing? Running Honeycomb 3.1.0.

# Answer
The aVia Media Player is compatible with Google TV and is available in the Android Market on Google TV. https://market.android.com/details?id=com.videon.android.mediaplayer
> 2 votes

# Answer
I use Plex, and have had good results with it (also available in the Android Market) Plex seems to play a lot more of my video files than the stock Logitech app.

https://market.android.com/details?id=com.plexapp.gtv
> 1 votes

---
Tags: media-player, dlna, google-tv, logitech-revue
---


# Question
Title: How do I prevent applications from restoring after a factory reset?
I have a lot of apps I don't really use, and my phone has been misbehaving as of late. I'm thinking about just doing a factory reset, but the last time I did one, it restored all my applications, I believe based on my Google/Android Market account.

Is there a way to prevent this so I have to 'opt-in' to all my stupid apps? Or at the very least be able to remove the apps from the web interface versus going to the app on the phone...hitting uninstall...waiting...repeat a few dozen times?

# Answer
> 4 votes
Before doing the factory reset, you can turn off backup by unchecking `Settings -> Privacy -> Back up my data`. The Market will remember your paid apps. If you're not going to root and use something like Titanium Backup for the other apps you do want to keep, you could do something like `ls /data/app > /sdcard/apps.txt` to record what apps you have and then refer to it afterwards, or use something like App List Backup.

---
Tags: applications, factory-reset
---


# Question
Title: How do I simulate packet loss on an Android device?
I'd like to simulate packet loss on a rooted Android device to see how different levels affect video streaming quality. I've tried netem and iptables, without success:

netem:

```
# tc qdisc change dev rmnet0 root netem loss 0.1%
tc qdisc change dev rmnet0 root netem loss 0.1%
Android does not support qdisc 'netem'
Garbage instead of arguments "loss ...". Try "tc qdisc help".

```

Is the format wrong or is it possible to add netem support somehow?

iptables:

```
# iptables -A INPUT -m statistic --mode random --probability 0.01 -j DROP
iptables -A INPUT -m statistic --mode random --probability 0.01 -j DROP
iptables v1.3.7: Couldn't find match `statistic'

Try `iptables -h' or 'iptables --help' for more information.

```

Is there any other alternative in Android?

# Answer
It is possible to set network latency and speed using the emulator control functions of the standard Android Developer tools.

If using eclipse: Select Window\Open Perspective\DDMS On the screen you will see a tab named "Emulator Control". In this tab, you will find the Speed and Latency options. The 'Telephony Settings' at the very top have speed and latency selections.

There are other ways to modify these settings (including scripting them in your emulator setup), but this is the simplest way to access the settings.
> 2 votes

# Answer
Since your device is rooted you can install a Proxy. I've used TransparentProxy. Then setup a proxy on another machine on your local network. Point TransparentProxy to that proxy and then set your Proxy to throttle. A few proxies that might work include CharlesProxy or Service Capture.

If that doesn't work then you can come at it from the router level. A machine running BSD or Linux can function as a router. Or you can get a Virtual appliance or bootable CD to do it for you.
> 2 votes

# Answer
I would reference this thread: https://serverfault.com/questions/201588/configuring-a-router-to-drop-packets-introduce-latency-corrupt-data

Doesn't seem to be any reason iptables shouldn't work.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: 2.3-gingerbread, networking, streaming
---


# Question
Title: Are the apps safe? How can I make my Android more secure?
Are the apps on the Android Market checked or audited?

If I search Google for "hardening Android", the best hit I can find is *Google Android Hardening Checklist*.

What's your opinion regarding this? Is there a way to make Android safer or more secure?

# Answer
> 6 votes
Google added a new security layer to the Android market in February 2012.

> **Adding a new layer to Android security**
> Today we’re revealing a service we’ve developed, codenamed Bouncer, which provides automated scanning of Android Market for potentially malicious software without disrupting the user experience of Android Market or requiring developers to go through an application approval process.

For further information read here: http://googlemobile.blogspot.com/2012/02/android-and-security.html

Android 4.2 has added extra security with a setting that allows Google's security scanner to (optionally) scan all of your non-Market (ie side-loaded) apps for malware too.

> The feature is an extension of the security technology Google introduced for the Play Store this past February. While that technology worked exclusively on the server side, analyzing apps that were uploaded to the Play Store, the new system works with your device and scans any apps you install from third-party sources (a process known as "sideloading").

*(ComputerWorld: Inside Android 4.2's powerful new security system)*

# Answer
> 21 votes
It only takes a one time fee of $25 for a developer to start putting apps on the market. No hoops to jump through. $25 and you can publish as many applications as you want, instantly. No waiting, no queues, no approval process, nada.

However, there have been a few cases of malicious applications. When these problems arise, Google usually pulls them from the Market (and from user's phones). It doesn't happen very often.

Android was designed to to keep yourself protected: all applications have to ask for "permissions" to do certain things: make calls, read contact data, access the internet, etc. **Read the permissions before you install an application.** Make sure you know and understand what it is going to be doing. Does it seem to have a dubious "permission" that it asks for access to? However, at the same time: don't berate the developer because of certain permissions. Some ads ran in apps require at least the internet permission and sometimes some other ones (about the phone state, I believe). Be sure to have a thorough understanding of why a developer would need certain permissions. Most importantly, read what other people are saying about the application in the market. Read some of the comments (although beware that the comments on the Android market are the same level as Youtube in terms of quality) and see what the app's rating is. Have you heard of the app before? Has a blog mentioned or reviewed it?

**Worse case scenario**: if you aren't rooted, then no single application should be able to damage your phone as every application is sandboxed from each other (technically, each developer's set of applications are sandboxed from each other. Apps signed by the same developer key can have access to other apps signed by the same developer). They could potentially steal your data, depending on the amount of permissions the application is given. The rarest scenario I can think of is if an application uses an exploit to enable root access on your phone and then does something malicious (e.g., delete everything).

# Answer
> 3 votes
I do not believe anyone from Google explicitly audits Market apps. They probably run some checks now to look for known malware (edit: yes, see Leandros' answer) and that sort of thing, but Android apps do not have an approval process like iOS apps. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Android\_Market#Application\_security

The best way to keep your device secure is to make sure others never have access to it, and to make sure you only download apps you trust. Android uses a Linux-style kernel and has a tightly sandboxed security model, so as an OS it's very safe in and of itself. You mostly need to protect against user error :)

# Answer
> 2 votes
No platform is 100% user-proof, so exercise caution and common sense in the same way as you do on your desktop -- you probably wouldn't install some random program on your computer that you heard about on a website without some prior research, even with an antivirus program/latest updates installed.

Same rules here -- do yourself a favour and find more information about the program you are interested in and its developers. Market comments are usually a good place to start, but perusing other Android-related sites won't hurt either,

# Answer
> 2 votes
Assuming you're in the US, the new, just launched Amazon Android Appstore does check and audit the apps before they're put up on the store, so should be a safer place to get your apps from.

From their Developer FAQ:

> Our goal is for Amazon Appstore customers to have a good experience with every app they buy from the Appstore. As a result, we will be testing the apps you submit prior to making them available in our store to verify that each app works as outlined in your product description, does not impair the functionality of the mobile device or put customer data at risk once installed, and complies with the terms of the Distribution Agreement and our Content Guidelines.

However, as they've only just launched this week, they don't have any long term record that we can look at to see how effective their screening is, and what they do if an app does slip through their process somehow.

# Answer
> 1 votes
If you are worried about people getting a hold of your device and using it, you can add a passphrase, code, or swipe gesture to keep people out. If you are worried about the data within individual apps once the phone is unlocked, Protector does a nice job of blocking access to a list of apps you specify, enter a PIN to unlock.

# Answer
> 0 votes
There are antivirus products like AVG and Lookout, but I don't think they detect spyware. Google Market itself is really risky, since anyone in your account can remotely add any app, and some security holes have been found and patched. Best thing to do is check an app's permissions when installing, and use antivirus and firewall such as droidwall for privacy.

---
Tags: applications, security
---


# Question
Title: Is there any way to make Android Market "global"?
> **Possible Duplicate:**
> How can I circumvent regional restrictions in the Android Market?

What I mean is, is there any way to make the recommendations offered by Android Market be the same as the ones shown on the Android Market website. The app version currently shows localised rankings, which is very annoying because there's a ton of low quality apps and regional stuff which I couldn't care less about.

Y'know, kinda like the option that you get on Youtube.

# Answer
There is no way to make the market global, but you can change your region with `MarketEnabler`. Simply set it to US and you will see the same, as on the website.
*Notice: You need root access!*
> 3 votes

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


# Question
Title: Samsung Galaxy Tab P-1000 no longer recognised by the computer
I have a Samsung Galaxy Tab P-1000. I tried to add a language to it using some software, but it stopped working and now my computer can not recognize it. Signs of computer and mobile appear in the black screen only. What shall I do?

# Answer
Try starting your Galaxy Tab in Download mode. This is done by completely shutting it off, and then holding both Power and Volume Down buttons together until a big yellow sign with a droid holding a shovel appears, with "Downloading, do not turn off target" message underneath. If so, you can try flashing the stock ROM via Odin or Heimdal utilities.

You can find the detailed instructions on the Development section of XDA-Developers forum.
> 0 votes

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


title: What does "SNS" mean on Android?

text:
# Question
Title: What does "SNS" mean on Android?
> **Possible Duplicate:**
> What is SNS App?

Everything I try to do (Text, Video, Email, Call out, Apps, Games) I get an "SNS not working" message and have to force close. I am having a lot of trouble with this phone. Its a Cricket LG Droid.

Now a lot of my friends & family cannot receive my texts or calls. It seems that all calls from my phone go directly to their voicemail without it even ringing. No really, I stood right there with friends calling their phones and they never rang. What can I do?

# Answer
SNS stands for social networking service. I think your device is having problem in connecting to your sns accounts. To solve this problem, try this general solution- Delete all your SNS accounts and recreate them.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: social-networking-service
---


# Question
Title: Why can't I use my iPhone Headphones with my HTC Thunderbolt?
I am trying to use my white in ear iPhone/Apple headphones with my HTC Thunderbolt. I can hear, but the mic does not work with the thunderbolt. Any suggestions for a fix? A specific app or setting I should use?

For clarification. . . my headphones work fine with my Apple iPhone. But when plugged into my android phone, the mic does not work. A guy from BestBuy said, that Apple iPhones doe not work with Android devices. This seems odd (and likely incorrect). . . hence my post here.

# Answer
They both may have 3.5mm jacks, but if you look at it you can see the the insulating plastic bands around the metal jack. The problem is that Apple wire these sections of the jack up to different inputs than other manufacturers, so that different sections of the jack carry different signals than normal.

I have heard that as long as you're happy with getting mono rather than stereo sound out of the speakers, then you can get the microphone to work by pulling the jack out of the socket slightly. RIM used to do the same thing with their 3.5mm jacks on Blackberrys, but I believe they use the same configuration as most manufacturers (except Apple) now.
> 9 votes

# Answer
An Apple accessory only working in Apple hardware - sounds about right to me ;-). You can get converters take a look here but it's probably cheaper to just get some 'standard' ones.
> 5 votes

# Answer
This (the mic not working) is apparently a widely known bug with the Thunderbolt. Sorry, this is probably not the answer you were looking for, but it appears to be an issue with that particular phone and TRRS (tip ring ring sleeve) headsets.

Out of curiosity, do you see a "headset" (little boom below the 'phones) icon on the phone when you plug it in, or just the stereo headphones icon?

Apple uses the standard pinout in their headset jack, and the button works the normal way (by crossing ground/common and mic). If you have a phone that follows the standard, it should work
> 2 votes

# Answer
I have been neck deep in exactly this for a long time, the problem is Apple innovates special stuff that's not compatible with other brands, they have deals with many accessory manufactures to make stuff that has many functions like Mic and buttons that do great things like change tracks and skip etc.

What I find is Android is totally lacking, and it's a gamble when you try it. Some things work with either or, some with specific phone models, there's just so many different things all trying to do everything at once.

I use Skullcandy headphones, which i love, and have a Thunderbolt

I found out certain types of headphones only work with Apple, the label says it, some with both Apple and Android, to an extent. Apple has the button actions that Android doesn't, the Mic OS hit or miss. I found there's the buttons on the wire that have a rocker with center, they seem to only work with Apple, Mic too, but the smaller single button works with the Mic.

I can turn my mp3 player with one press and call the the last number connected via voice call with double press...but its so complicated and many variables, just don't try to use headphones for both platforms if they specifically say works with iPhone, iPad and i-etc...what a ramble...
> 2 votes

# Answer
I have the Droid Incredible 2, and I was running into the same thing, but I figured out a way to get it to work: hold down the volume down button of the headset while inserting into your phone. You should now see the headset recognized as a microphone headset, and so your mic and your clicker should both work.
> 1 votes

# Answer
The configuration for i devices in the case of headphones that also use a mic is different than for other products in general. Headphone & mic combos that state "designed specifically for ipod" etc. often will not function with non mac devices. The headphone may function but mic and volume controls etc may not function correctly. If you're lucky they will, if not so lucky....
> 1 votes

# Answer
The guy at Bestbuy has incorrectly informed you, it will work, but it depends on the phone. It works on my Droid Charge.. with the mic, I had to force the headphone plug to go further into the phone... and the mic work... the remote however requires a driver... that has not been made yet (to my knowledge) for the headphones
> 1 votes

# Answer
Found a fix after a couple minutes of messing with the headphones!! Plug your apple headphones with mic in then hold both volume up and down keys on the headphones until you see the symbol on the thunderbolt showing a headphone with a mic!
> 0 votes

# Answer
Yes, you can download an app to change the priorities of the buttons.

I just got myself the Etymotic mc3 set (for iPhone), and use Headset Button Controller. You can make different profiles, and there are many options for the buttons... almost too many.

IMO, it's better having the three-button mic if you also own an iPod touch or iPhone.

You could also look at Klipsch S4a (Android), if you can find them.
> 0 votes

# Answer
"I was told my a bestbuy guy, that apple headphones do not work with android devices." thats not true you can video chat with someone on qik or tango and it works fine plus i have a pair of sony and bose that also dont work with it. and it has three rings at the input part of the headphones. I also have the HTC Thunderbolt.
> -2 votes

# Answer
Try downloading btunes for the thunderbolt and then holding down the volume button as you plug the head phones in. I have some Bose headphones I bought at the apple store and this seems to do the trick
> -2 votes

---
Tags: headphones, ios, htc-thunderbolt, headphone-jack
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# Question
Title: How can I refresh an email in the native gmail app?
I get many emails with pictures in them. When I try viewing them in the native gmail app, it displays some of them, but not all. The only way to view the undisplayed ones is to preview them one at a time.

Is there any way to tell the app to refresh the current email?

# Answer
> 1 votes
Go to Inbox, press `MENU button` and click on `Refresh`. Now, open the email again.

In the Gmail app, there is no way to refresh the current email, you can only refresh your Inbox. When you refresh Inbox, emails are downloaded(in text format) to your inbox. Images from the email were downloaded on opening the email.

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Tags: gmail
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title: Cannot enable GPS  on G510

text:
# Question
Title: Cannot enable GPS  on G510
I have an Android G510 running 2.3.4 but cannot access the GPS. In "Location & Security" there is no GPS item, just "Use wireless networks".

Can anyone help please

Is there any test I can do to check?

# Answer
Here is a site that has the specs for the G510, and it does say that it supports GPS. Maybe there is a problem with the hardware on the device that the GPS chip doesn't work or something, and the software doesn't see the chip so it doesn't show the option.

You can try using the "Power Control" widget if you have it (i think its part of stock android). It has a toggle for GPS, and you can see if it lets you turn it on/off.
> 2 votes

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Tags: 2.3-gingerbread, gps
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# Question
Title: Connect android phones through adhoc wifi network
I want to connect my android phones (two Galaxy s2 and two nexus1 phones) in adhoc mode through wifi connection. Something like peer to peer network so that I can transfer messages with mobiles in my adhoc through wi-fi connection.

Does android support creating an adhoc connection?

# Answer
It might be possible with an app, but it's not built in. Can't you create an ad-hoc network on a computer, then connect the phones?
> 1 votes

# Answer
There is no such thing on Android's menus, but since Android is Linux based you can run a few commands on ADB in order to do that (phones **must** be **rooted** though).

if you have some knowledge with Linux command line you may know ifconfig and iwconfig:

```
ifconfig wlan0 up
iwconfig mode auto;iwconfig wlan0 essid "your SSID" channel 11 mode auto
ifconfig wlan0 10.0.0.x netmask 255.255.255.0

```

Where your SSID should be replaced with the name of your Adhoc network, and 10.0.0.x is a different IP you give each device.
> 3 votes

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Tags: wi-fi, ad-hoc-networks
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# Question
Title: Need only one icon in the top notification bar for multiple Gmail accounts
I am trying to figure out how to have only one notification icon on the top notification bar for an incoming e-mail for any of my multiple Gmail accounts. This was the way Gmail worked on my phone prior to the 2.3.5 Gmail update.

Now, at any given time I can have up to four little Gmail icons on my top notification bar which is an pain.

Is there any way to change it to the way the notifications worked before?

That is, one icon for all my accounts, and if I receive an e-mail, it sends me to the main accounts page.

# Answer
It is almost certainly a new feature, as there was a software update for GMail earlier today. I have gone through the settings, but unfortunately, I can't seem to find an option to get the previous one-icon notifications...
> 1 votes

# Answer
You could set up one of the accounts to read the other accounts; that way you would only need to sync the one email account.

You will still be able to send from the correct account - there is a setting to send from the main account or from the account the original email was sent to.

I use one Gmail account to collect the email from several email accounts (gmail and ISP). I set it up so can I also send email from any of the accounts. That way I only need to log into one account.
> 0 votes

# Answer
I'm running 2.3.5.2 and I am now experiencing the same issue.

I'd recommend just resetting the app's cache, it may of just got into a muddle.

settings \> applications \> gmail \> click \> clear cache
> -1 votes

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Tags: settings, gmail, notification-bar
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