# Question
Title: What apps in base Android can be replaced?
I've seen that you can replace the default launcher app with something like LauncherPro, the onscreen keyboard with Swype or ShapeWriter, and I've heard of others. Does anyone have a list of all default apps in the base Android OS (version 2.2 preferred) that can be replaced?

# Answer
> 1 votes
* Keyboard can be replaced
* Browser can be replaced (Opera, xScope (i like), Dolphin HD, etc.)
* Launcher can be replaced
* Gallery can be replaced (3d gallery is my favorite)
* Camera can be replaced (Camera 360 (drains battery like crazy), Retro Camera, etc.)
* Hell you can even replace the kernel if you root.
* Not an app, but you can add search providers like getting the DuckDuckGo app which allows you to search using all search tools, but ddg vs google.

---
Tags: applications
---


# Question
Title: How do you link to applications in the Android market?
When posting app links, I'm always using a link on Cyrket or AppBrain -- becuase I can't get a link to anything in the official Android Market.

But I have seen some links out there for use w/ Android itself ( ''market://'' protocol ):

```
market://details?id=de.schildbach.oeffi

```

(as seen @ Android Dev Studio)

Is it possible to web-link to apps in the Market so that a non-Android user can link to the appropriate Market page in a non-Android web browser?

# Answer
If you are talking about making a link that goes directly to the app in the market on an Android device, yes, just append the Package Name to the `market://details?id=` or `market://search?q=pname:` to create the link. In your example above the Package Name is: `de.schildbach.oeffi`.

If you don't know the package name you can get it from AndroLib. It's a pain because their pages are so busy but if you can't find it just do a text search for "Package Name."

Just to be clear this link format only works when clicked on and Android Market enabled device.

---

**Update: Yes.** You now access the full Android Market on the website, and when you use the link format that therefromhere mentions in his answer (with http://market...), users clicking it on their phone will be brought to app in the market and users clicking on it on the web will be brought to the app's market web page.

**Edit:** No. The Android Market can only be accessed on Android Devices (more specifically only Android Devices with the Android Market Enabled).
> 12 votes

# Answer
It's worth noting that you don't have to use the `market://` protocol - you can swap in `http://market.android.com/` instead of `market://`.

eg these two links should have the same effect:

Unfortunately, this currently isn't quite as useful as it could be since a non-Android browser will just get a 404 from the `http://` link, but I imagine if Google wanted to they could give you a useful page instead.

See the Publishing Your Applications page in the Android developer guide for more details.
> 5 votes

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Tags: applications, google-play-store
---


# Question
Title: Voice command slow with large contact list?
On my HTC Hero running 2.1, the voice command is slow - both startup and processing. I have a large contact list (on the scale of 1000 contacts), and I suspect that is the cause. Does anyone know if there is a correlation between the two? If so, is there a solution other than trimming the contact list?

# Answer
I have a similarly sized contact list and I've found that the Voice Dialer is both slow to load and slow to find responses on my Moto Droid (on 2.0, 2.1 and 2.2). I stopped using the Voice Dialer and started using Voice Search (aka. Voice Actions) by saying "Call Jane Smith mobile." I've found Voice Search to open quickly and to find contacts quickly. Both of those apps came preloaded on my phone and are from Google.

While I don't know the architecture of either app it would make sense to me that the Voice Dialer would be affected by the size of the Contact list more directly than the Voice Search app.
> 1 votes

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Tags: contacts, performance, voice-command, voice-recognition
---


title: Where to copy wallpapers?

text:
# Question
Title: Where to copy wallpapers?
I downloaded some wallpapers for my phone using the PC. Now, in which folder of my Android phone should I store them in order to be visible in Wallpaper Gallery?

# Answer
> 3 votes
A quick solution : just copy them in DCIM (to use Gallery as a source) or store them in Picasa.

It'll allow you to get them from another handset if you want :)

EDIT (Thanks to Matt) : You can put the file in any folder of your FS, and Android will find it and suggest it as a wallpaper.

---
Tags: 2.2-froyo
---


title: shutting down hasn't finished (2.1)

text:
# Question
Title: shutting down hasn't finished (2.1)
my battery was getting flat so HTC Desire 2.1 decided to shut down. That's fine but the shutting down never finished.

Put it on charger. And when clicking Power Off nothing happens. The phone is slow to operate.

Is there anything else I can do except taking the battery off?

# Answer
My Desire always did this, I have no idea what caused it, I always just ripped the battery out, it didn't seem to do any harm. Upgrading to Froyo fixed the problem for me.
> 1 votes

# Answer
A while back I read something that suggested this problem could be caused by a dodgy SD card. The suggested fix that seemed to work for me was to unmount the SD card and then power off. I have since bought a new SD card and the problem has gone away entirely.
> 2 votes

---
Tags: htc-desire, 2.1-eclair
---


# Question
Title: How can I attach a web page to an email?
I need to send a web page as an email attachment using GMail, not as a link to the page, but the entire page saved and attached to the email. I don't see any way to do this with the Android web browser. Is there a way to do this that I've missed, or are there other browsers that can accomplish this?

# Answer
> 2 votes
Dolphin Browswer HD has an option to "Save Page." I tried it on this page and it saved it as 1606.htm. I then went into gmail and chose to "add attachment" and used ASTRO file browser to attach it.

# Answer
> 0 votes
The Xscope browser lets you save webpages but I can only seem to be able to attach pictures to emails from the Gmail app so you might struggle attaching the webpage.

# Answer
> 0 votes
FYI, Downloading the HTML of a webpage without authorization from the owner of the site would probably be breaking terms of use of said site. If this is your website you maintain/own, then you should be fine here.

As for an app that can view source code of webpages try:

* HTML Source Viewer
* Search Marketplace for "html source" and there should be others too.

Not sure if any of them can copy/paste code, but its worth a look.

---
Tags: email, browser
---


# Question
Title: What do I have to do to get my file system to recognize foreign characters?
I have some MP3 files that have Cyrillic in the mp3 data, as well as being named Сyrillic (the file names themselves as in "музыка.mp3". Is there some additional language package that can install to have my music player and file system render the Cyrillic data correctly?

I realize these are two separate features. I'm happy to get answers for both.

TIA

# Answer
My assumption would be you need to install some kind of language package, buy a phone from the country of origin for that language, or convert the files back to English language.

When I go to Settings \> Language & keyboard and look at the languages I can only choose from English and Spanish. So to install another language search the market for it like so, "Russian Language Pack". Install and go back to the language place in settings and select it. Then see if you can play the files.

If that doesn't work you are going to have to try the other two options.
> 1 votes

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Tags: languages
---


# Question
Title: Is there a way to display Interstate Rest Areas on Google Maps Navigation?
I've had several instances where this information would have been useful when navigating w/ Moto Droid, but I haven't been able to figure out a way to get to interstate (USA) rest areas in Google Maps Navigation. Are they grouped in with something else? Called something else?

I was thinking of suggesting this to Google, but I wanted to make sure it wasn't already there and missing it.

# Answer
> 5 votes
A bit of a hack.

Thanks to an answer in the gis.stackexchange.com, I was able to contact the owner of a web mashup (driven by a google spreadsheet) who created an KML export link.

http://tables.googlelabs.com/exporttable?query=select+col3%2Ccol1%2Ccol2%2Ccol4%2Ccol5%2Ccol6%2Ccol7%2Ccol8%2Ccol9%2Ccol10%2Ccol11%2Ccol12%2Ccol13%2Ccol14%2Ccol15%2Ccol16%2Ccol17%2Ccol18+from+261434+&o=kmllink&g=col17

Copy/Pasting this link into the search box in Google Maps on my droid displayed the rest areas on the map.

There's a limit to the number of points the map will display out the KML, so if you are zoomed out too far, you'll only get a cluster of points. So make sure you are zoomed in close enough--having a few states visible should still work and be no problem.

When the map points load, the extent changes. I guess it's to the extent of all the points that were loaded from the KML.

---
Tags: 2.2-froyo, motorola-droid, gps, google-maps
---


title: How to change dashboard icons?

text:
# Question
Title: How to change dashboard icons?
I want to be able to change the dashbord icons/text on my Android.

I've got HTC sense on the phone, but I'm currently running ADW.Launcher.

I know there's another launcher widget that allows photos as icons, but I'd like something so I can get the sleakness of the iOS icons e.g. http://dribbble.com/shots/57799

# Answer
> 1 votes
Desktop Visualizer

It's the best I could come up with.

---
Tags: htc-legend, home-screen-shortcuts
---


# Question
Title: List of special Android SD card folders?
I've seen mention of special folders on the SD card such as "ringtones" and "notifications" .

What is the full list of special folders recognized by Android's (Froyo preferred) configuration and its standard apps?

# Answer
The information below is from a developer website, it is the closest I could find to a definitive answer.

From website:

If you're using API Level 7 or lower, use getExternalStorageDirectory() to open a File that represents the root of the external storage, then save your shared files in one of the following directories:

```
* Music/ - Media scanner classifies all media found here as user music.
* Podcasts/ - Media scanner classifies all media found here as a podcast.
* Ringtones/ - Media scanner classifies all media found here as a ringtone.
* Alarms/ - Media scanner classifies all media found here as an alarm sound.
* Notifications/ - Media scanner classifies all media found here as a notification sound.
* Pictures/ - All photos (excluding those taken with the camera).
* Movies/ - All movies (excluding those taken with the camcorder).
* Download/ - Miscellaneous downloads.

```
> 12 votes

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


# Question
Title: Can I boost/improve reception on my Droid?
With a rooted phone and an app you can overclock or underclock your processor. Also, off Android, with some hacks you can boost power of a wifi router and wifi antenna. It seems to me that if you can do those things you could boost the reception of your cell antenna some how. Am I right? If so, how?

# Answer
As a telecom engineer student, I know that one of the main limitation for power is the EIRP (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equivalent\_isotropically\_radiated\_power).

Overpassing the EIRP is one of the must known way to increase wifi router power (by adding a better antenna, which leads to an increase in gain, and in power RX/TX). This power is perhaps fixed by the software in Android handsets, and you could use this parameter to leverage the emission power.

But, as far as I know it's illegal (at least in France).
> 1 votes

# Answer
Not really to do with actually altering your reception per-se, but you can update your PRL (preferred roaming list) of your phone for newer cell towers which might give you better reception. On Verizon, dial `*228` and follow the prompts.
> 1 votes

# Answer
updating your radio may help (if there is update for your phone). after some search its seems there is.
> 0 votes

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Tags: network-signal
---


# Question
Title: Do keypad commands come from Android or the manufacturer?
I'm curious if keypad commands like those listed below come from the Android OS or if they're added by manufacturers. On my N1, I know of these two commands:

`*#*#checkin#*#*` \- Phones home to check for updates.

`*#*#info#*#*` \- Enters a detailed phone information menu.

# Answer
There are many that seem to be "standard", but they can also be added by individual applications (e.g. provider-installed).

Check out http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=540483 for a method to extract telephony codes from your installed apps.
> 2 votes

# Answer
I entered *#*#info#*#* on my Captivate and got to the same menu.

So, in the interest of adding to the list

\*#\*#1472365#\*#\* gets you to the GPS configuration menu (not sure what word that works out to)
> 0 votes

# Answer
It's android based, I tried same commands on Moto Droid and HTC myTouch, both worked exactly the same.
> 0 votes

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Tags: dialer-codes
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# Question
Title: Does Youtube app playback not work with wifi?
On an HTC Evo with Sprint, when trying to playback a video, the Youtube app regularly (always?) reports it can't play a video when I'm connected to a reliable wifi network. If I immediately turn off wifi and use only the Sprint network, it works fine.

Is this really the case? If so, why?

# Answer
After some experimentation: the EVO on Sprint can playback YouTube over WiFi. The problem is likely some domain being blocked by the hosting WiFi network which is necessary for the YouTube app.
> 3 votes

# Answer
That must be a carrier restriction, as I am able to playback videos on my Moto DROID v1 on Verizon form the YouTube app regardless of which network I am connected to.
> 2 votes

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Tags: wi-fi, video, youtube
---


# Question
Title: Is there any way to crop widgets in HTC Sense?
I've seen people crop off part of a widget to make it take up less space. Is there any readily-available way to do this on an HTC phone with Sense (Droid Incredible, to be specific)?

# Answer
If you purchase the paid version of launcher pro you can crop widgets. Just long press on a widget with Launcher Pro installed and running, and then let go. It should be highlighted in an off orange/yellow color. In the lower right corner is a little arrow type icon, click this and drag to crop the widget.

Not sure how to do this otherwise.
> 1 votes

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Tags: htc-sense, htc-droid-incredible, app-widgets
---


# Question
Title: What do the buttons on the Android power control do?
The first two buttons on the Android power control widget are Wifi and Bluetooth. What do the other 3 buttons do?

# Answer
The last three are GPS Receiver, Data Sync and Screen Brightness. As seen here.

And it looks like the Extended Controls app gives you even more control (android police article) and here it is on appbrain.
> 7 votes

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Tags: app-widgets
---


# Question
Title: How does Android get the coarse location?
I read that Android (and similar operation systems, e.g. iOS) get the current coarse location by using either WiFi or GSM tower triangulation. I get the basic idea but have questions about the details.

1. Does Android normally use both methods, or does it prefer one and fall back to the other?
2. Does it communicate with a server to get the position via WiFi? (e.g. sending the SIDs of the WiFis to a web service)
3. Does it communicate with the carrier to get the position via the GSM towers or is this done on the device?

# Answer
> 9 votes
It is really up to the developer as to how to implement the location service. The full description is available on the Android Developers official site (as captured on 24 Sep 2010)

The graph about 1/3rd down the page is pretty useful to see what a typical app might do, but again, it is completely up to the app developer. The location service types are:

* Cached Fix
* Cell-ID
* WiFi
* GPS
* Mock Location

If the app requests permission for coarse location only, it will not use the GPS to determine location.

To answer your questions:

1. It is up to the individual app developer, but in most cases, the sequence will be Cached Fix, Cell-ID, WiFi, GPS, in that order.
2. Yes, after acquiring the tower IDs or SSIDs of the WiFi signals, that data is transmitted to Google to determine a rough location.
3. No, Google has done something really clever here. Google has their own database of cell tower locations and does not require an interaction with the carrier to determine the location of the tower.

An article by Francisco Kattan on "Dynamic Cell-ID" has some of the detail. The short version is that, when you use an app like Google Maps, the app will send the current Cell-ID information back along with your current GPS fix. In this way, Google gets a very good sampling of the signal strengths in various locations and is able to build a very rich database.

# Answer
> 3 votes
A lot of this is carrier-specific and I'm not a dev but here's what I could piece together from the interwebs and the trainings I've had in electronic crime investigation:

1. Yes, but it depends on the specific apps LBS priorities which are set by the dev and can be based on current course accuracy, power levels, predefined priorities, etc.
2. Yes. The carriers have proprietary WiFi base station location DBs.
3. I can't speak to Android specifically, but generally, this is going to be the carrier and network type (CDMA or GSM). Phones are capable of both, but at least a few years ago they did this work on the handset because of the bandwidth constraints of doing it OTA.

# Answer
> 0 votes
Your phone knows what the closest towers are.

There is a provider database for each country in which the location of tower IDs on the map is stored. This database might be small enough to be preinstalled by your provider or supplied over the air. How an Android phone gets this data, I don't know.

# Answer
> -1 votes
> Does it communicate with the carrier to get the position via the GSM towers or is this done on the device?

The device could be used if you want to use triangulation, but you need to use the carrier if you want to match the Cell-ID and the localization of the GSM (or CDMA) tower.

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Tags: geolocation
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# Question
Title: Facebook calendar not displaying properly
I have a Facebook calendar on my Google Calendar. While my other calendars display by name this one displays by its Calendar ID (a string of numbers and characters). Furthermore, the events do not appear. I know that my phone (HTC Legend) already had a Facebook calendar set up, but this calendar displayed birthdays as well and so I didn't want to use it. I have tried adding and removing the calendar on my phone, but nothing has changed. Does anyone have any suggestions on making the calendar display properly?

# Answer
I'm not sure about facebook events here because I have very few events ever listed in my facebook calendar. But if you sync your phone with Facebook (Settings \> Accounts & sync) and have it sync live feeds, it should display calendar items in your calendar. I know I have birthdays in my calendar that show up and that is how I have facebook sync setup.

If you are setup the same way, try removing facebook sync, clear cache and data from the app (Settings \> Applications \> Manage application \> All, then find facebook and click on it. There should be an option to clear cache and data. Reboot. Then recreate the account and sync.

Not sure if this will help but usually solves most issues...
> 1 votes

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Tags: calendar
---


# Question
Title: Can I make the browser stop autmatically refreshing pages that haven't been displayed for a while?
If I surf to a page and then leave the browser for a while, when I open up the browser again it still shows the content of the page - but after a second or so it initiates a refresh. Is there a way to stop this behavior?

I have experienced the same behavior in Dolphin Browser, fwiw.

# Answer
> 1 votes
I've noticed this with Dolphin as well, but in my findings it is not actually refreshing the page, rather I think it is reloading the cached content of the page. I'm pretty sure this is whats going on because at work we have a guest wireless system that requires authentication. When I connect my phone to it and browse I have to login with credentials at a landing page. This page doesn't come up right away after opening Dolphin browser, even though I sit and wait for Dolphin to load up the page. I have to hit refresh and then I am redirected to the landing page to login.

I hunted for a cache setting that may improve this annoyance, but didn't find one. We might have to wait for an update to the app.

Update:

This should HELP solve the problem for root users, I say help because there still may be some refreshing that occurs.

The problem:

Android is set to offload the browser cache from memory to the local partition (where apps are stored) when you leave the browser. This is because most android phones still don't have much space in the partition where apps and such are installed. My Evo only has 400mb of space.

My best guess is that Android was set to work this way because originally phones didn't have much space to work with. No that is becoming less of an issue.

Possible Solutions:

1. For rooted users only: Download Swapper2. From what I have read in other forums, this makes a huge difference in how often the browser offloads cache to the local partition. And users have reported it makes a big difference.
2. Set Dolphin browser to store cache on the SD card. Maybe if the browser doesn't have to wait for cache to be shuffled around it wont refresh as much, or if it does still refresh, maybe it will take less time.

What did I do? I installed Swapper2 and wow. It really works. Now I can open Dolphin and not have to wait for refresh. Finally!!

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Tags: browser
---


title: Any way to listen again to BBC radio?

text:
# Question
Title: Any way to listen again to BBC radio?
I would love to listen again to BBC radio in the UK. There was an app called beebplayer for watching BBC TV as catch up, and for live radio, but not for radio listen again, although it has now been withdrawn.

So are there any other apps (that don't require flash)? Are there statements from the BBC about Android support anyone could point me to? Is it flash only for ever?

My phone has Android 1.5, so I cannot use the flash player that comes with Android 2.2

**Edit:** Just to be clear, the "listen again" service is for catching up with radio programs you've missed, rather than just streaming what is on at the moment. Some are available as podcasts, but not all.

# Answer
> 3 votes
The BBC released statements about their support for Android with iPlayer back in June: BBC iPlayer on mobile: a new version and Adobe Flash 10.1 streaming on all Android 2.2 phones and BBC iPlayer on Android update. This all boils down to saying that their current strategy for mobiles is to offer a mobile optimised version of their Flash site, and not to create individual apps for every smartphone out there.

I'm also a Flash-less fan of BBC Radio and TV (though in a better position than you as my manufacturer and carrier have announced that 2.2 is coming very soon), I had Beebplayer on my previous Android phone and it is sorely missed now.

For the moment I just subscribe to the podcasts of the shows I'm interested in (and luckily most of mine are available as podcasts) using the Google Listen podcast app, this does have the benefit that they work without cutting out while I'm on the tube!

EDIT: Going through the comments on some more recent articles on the BBC Internet blog I've discovered an app called Myplayer it seems to offer access to (as far as I can tell) the full iPlayer TV and radio library with both streaming and downloads for later viewing/listening. Picture quality doesn't seem quite as good as I remember from Beebplayer, so presumably its using a different stream. Anyway it's there and seems to work, grab it before "Aunty" spots it!

Newer EDIT: The BBC have released an official iPlayer app, called BBC iPlayer though this is really just a Flash wrapper around the mobile version of the website and does require a wifi connection before it will play most content.

# Answer
> 3 votes
I haven't tried it, but perhaps TuneIn Radio will do what you want? It appears to be internet streams of actual radio stations, I'm sure you can find one that streams BBC. They have a listing of stations here by location: http://radiotime.com/region/c\_0/Browse\_Locations.aspx

# Answer
> 0 votes
It sounds like you need a podcatcher. I use BeyondPod which costs $7 but there are many free ones in the market (try searching the market for Podcast or Podcatcher). It will allow you to subscribe to a specific BBC show's podcast feeds then download or stream each episode. This works with audio and video (although I don't think BBC supports video podcasts anymore).

I subscribe to several BBC radio podcasts including "The Interview" and "One Planet" and there's one annoying quirk I've noticed: Unlike many other podcast providers, the BBC only offers the most recent show for download. You can't download old shows, but once you get set up you can have you podcatcher automatically download each episode and then you can get several weeks behind but have ll the episodes downloaded to your phone.

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Tags: applications, adobe-flash, internet-radio
---


# Question
Title: how to batch update one's market application?
> **Possible Duplicate:**
> Is there a good app that lets me to the app updates in one go?

can I batch update the apps I dowloaded from the market? I receive notifications like "14 updates available", but I don't know how to update them all, usually I just click some important apps and update manually. It's tiring and takes quite some time.

# Answer
> 1 votes
This question has already been asked and answered: Is there a good app that lets me to the app updates in one go?

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


# Question
Title: Google Nexus One Android 2.2 -- Listen Volume very low
I find that podcasts have very low volume on my nexus one, using the google listen application while using headphones. My headphones have no volume control, and the nexus one is turned up to the max. I don't suppose there's any way to up this more? As it is now, I can't listen to podcasts while I'm on the bus/metro since the ambient noise drowns them out. Maybe I can talk to the city to see if they will lower the volume on their public transit systems!

# Answer
This website has some audio hacks for some phones (looks like HTC phones). Also it may not work on Android 2.1+. You have to rooted to use this.
> 1 votes

---
Tags: nexus-one, volume-control
---


# Question
Title: How to disable Verizon backup assistant?
My friend has an HTC Droid Incredible and his phone's battery is draining like nothing else. He says Verizon Backup Assistant seems to keep getting hung up while his battery is draining. During this time he also can't get Google to snyc.

From what I can tell Verizon Backup Assistant offers no useful features once your contacts are already in Google so I'm thinking just disable it. Does anyone know how to do this?

# Answer
> 2 votes
Can you uninstall the application? Or is it one of those pre-installed apps?

If it's preinstalled, you'll have to get root access to remove it completely, see here.

However, removing it can potentially cause a brick if you factory reset your phone.

**EDIT:** It looks like there are no easy ways to disable this app. You have two choices:

1. Factory wipe. During setup process, do NOT enable the backup assistant.
2. Do some trickery using this method mentioned in this post (quoted below). It does not require a Factory wipe.

> 1) Be sure to have all your contacts backed up to your Gmail account. Check online before proceeding to step 2.
>
> 2) Log into your My Verizon account. Go to the contacts tab, sort by list view and select all contacts. Delete the entire list. There's a deleted contacts tab as well. Select that and delete anything that's in there.
>
> 3) Go into your Incredible settings tab, select applications, manage applications. Do not sort or filter, allow list to populate. Select Sync Service, (icon resembles backup assistant icon) select clear data.
>
> 4) Also in manage applications scroll down to backup assistant, select clear data. This should do it.
>
> 5) To verify backup assistant is now disabled, select settings, accounts and sync, then under manage accounts, select backup assistant. You should be looking at a license agreement screen.

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Tags: verizon-backup-assistant
---


title: HTC HERO Android 2.2

text:
# Question
Title: HTC HERO Android 2.2
> **Possible Duplicate:**
> When will my phone get the Android 2.2 update (FroYo)?

Will my HTC HERO get Android 2.2?

I guess i can upgrade to Anrdoid 2.2 but can i get Sense UI on Android 2.2 for hero?

# Answer
> 4 votes
The answer is no. But if you root your Hero, the answer is definitively yes. Check out XDA Forums and lookup your device. I know for the CDMA hero there are already 2.2 ROMs ripe for the picking.

# Answer
> 2 votes
Since it has been officially discontinued, I doubt it. Although Sprint is rolling out an update in October, it doesn't appear to be Froyo. In fact they've said as much: http://androidspin.com/2010/09/26/sprint-hero-getting-some-love/

# Answer
> 0 votes
If you are using a GSM Hero (Europe) you should look up Villain Rom. It's the most mature rom with auto updating and such. There are both Sense UI ROMs and Stock Android 2.2 ROMs. http://www.villainrom.co.uk/forum/

# Answer
> 0 votes
My Sprint Hero is running Froyo, a Cyanogen build. Runs great.

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Tags: 2.2-froyo, htc-hero
---


# Question
Title: How to improve camera shooting responsiveness?
Is there a camera application (or other solution) that has quick response time between button press and taking the picture?

On HTC Hero, the delay from button press to shutter is painfully long - focusing, etc seem to take a lot of time with the stock camera app.

On HTC EVO with the stock Camera app, distant shots focus and shoot quickly. However, closer shots can take some time focusing.

# Answer
I think that if you tap on the screen to set a place for the focus, you'll gain some seconds for the effective shoot.

It's also allow you to focus on a special part of the picture.

I hope it's help.
> 2 votes

# Answer
Turning off other processing features, like face recognition, may also improve performance... though at the expense of other benefits.
> 1 votes

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Tags: performance, camera
---


# Question
Title: Why do some apps with no internet features require internet access?
A couple of apps I've installed or considered say they require internet access even though they have no obvious internet features. One of the most surprising ones was a simple compass app.

Why is this?

# Answer
> 19 votes
Usually apps require internet access for ads, analytical data, or for sending bug reports/stack traces back to the developer.

Other reasons might include ~~using Google's licensing servers to validate legitimate copies of apps with Android market purchases~~ (Google's licensing servers use the CHECK\_LICENSE permission). Similarly, some developers produce their own keys and license servers (prior to Google's implementation).

For instance, I am the developer of a tipping calculator app. It requires the internet permission to send analytical data back to me via Flurry. One day I plan to add this remote stack tracing program for more detailed errors (but I haven't yet because so far my app hasn't really generated any bugs/errors). But the value of this information is worth asking for the internet permission. I can see exactly how many users of what Android OS are using my app and what are the most popular phones using my app. However, I also give users an "opt out" in the settings if they choose to not send me this information.

---
Tags: security, internet, permissions
---


title: How to increase music playback volume?

text:
# Question
Title: How to increase music playback volume?
The volume on my headphones (even on maximum) isn't very high at all. Is there any way I can increase the volume higher than the program allows?

# Answer
> 1 votes
I know I may not be understanding your question the way you intend it but Bryan Denny just pointed out AndroidAudioHacks.com which I believe will solve your problem but not mine (because it only works on HTC phones).

via Bryan's answer to another similar question

# Answer
> 1 votes
I don't think so. But depends of the application, if it's open source you can submit a patch or ask for bug fix/new feature.

---
Tags: volume-control
---


# Question
Title: Is there a way to see the top apps across all categories?
Is there a way to see some stats about the top apps in the Android Market across all categories?

The Google Play Store gives me some top paid and free apps per category. How do I get the overall stats?

# Answer
> 2 votes
AppBrain can give top apps overall and by cateogry. It also has filters for Free, Paid, New, Updated and Price Reduced.

# Answer
> 2 votes
This site gives stats on the App Market in general, as well as distributions of ratings and downloads.

---
Tags: google-play-store, paid-apps, freeware
---


title: How do I do Skype calls using Fring

text:
# Question
Title: How do I do Skype calls using Fring
I have read that Fring supports doing Skype calls. I have installed Fring it but see no Skype options.

How do I do Skype calls using Fring?

# Answer
> 7 votes
Skype has blocked Fring from using it's services. For more info see http://www.fring.com/blog/?p=2322

# Answer
> 0 votes
So, even though Fring supports Skype calls, Skype won't have any of it. Skype blocks calls from Fring now, so the mobile app no longer includes that functionality. However, there is a Skype for Android app...

**Update:** And, now the Skype app is available for everyone except those in China and Japan.

---
Tags: skype, fring
---


# Question
Title: Is there a direct repo for various Android Build Numbers' update.zip
I am looking to wipe my phone. I have a motorola droid currently running one of the first Nexus One 2.2 builds (no mod) that could be rooted to the droid. I tried downloading a version of Froyo and using sprecovery to update using the update.zip method; however it wouldn't pick up on there being an update.zip to use, and it would not allow me to specify which file to use (since it wasn't in .tar format; ie not a backup).

According to phandroid (and no anger in the comment section), the two versions I downloaded should have worked. I did not MD5 all three copies, but downloading three copies and not having one of them work due to corruption seems unlikely considering nandroid spits out corrupted copies.

Anyway, I did a factory reset/wipe and I am back to the basic install of the 2.2 build I started with. However, I want to implement the official motorola droid version (either FR22\* or FR33\*). I would be willing to put up a ROM (likely CM6).

* Where can I download this from?
* What did I do wrong?
* Should I use a .tar ROM or a .tgz instead?

# Answer
> 2 votes
Some questions, and hopefully some answers:

1. So you are currently rooted, running one of the earlier leaks of Froyo for the Droid?
2. You are willing to switch to a mod CM6?
3. Or do you want to go back to plain vanilla stock without root?

If you are currently rooted and willing to try out a mod like CM6, then go to the Market and downlaod ROM Manager. **Make a Nandroid backup of your phone before you do anything**. Then download and install CM6 via "Download Rom" -\> CyanogenMod. You want 6.0, not the RC version. When you download and install it, make sure you include Google Apps and wipe your data and cache.

If you are wanting to go back to plain vanilla stock, be noted that **apps like EasyRoot (one click root access) will not work for the latest version of Froyo for the Droid.** You'll have to downgrade to 2.1 to get root access back if you go this route.

With that said, if you are rooted, go get ROM Manager. Under Download Rom are "Stock Images". One of those options is 2.2 FRG01B with the option of root/unrooted. This should put you on the right path of plain vanilla stock.

Hope this helps, let me know if I misunderstood you and I'll try to clarify.

---
Tags: updates, rom-flashing, rom
---


# Question
Title: Is there a media center extender app for Android?
Is there an app that will work as a Windows or Linux media center extender?

# Answer
HomePipe is one such service.

Subsonic is an open source server / web based solution.

A free alternative solution is ampcache / amdroid
> 1 votes

---
Tags: media-player, video
---


# Question
Title: Why is Samsung Galaxy S (Captivate) USB not supported in my Honda Pilot?
Any thoughts on how to resolve the "USB not supported" error my vehicle (Honda Pilot) displays when I connect the phone (Galaxy S Captivate) via the USB jack?

Thanks in advance!

# Answer
That USB input in the Honda Pilot only supports certain drivers. It looks like it has support for standard flash thumb drives and iPod products. Android comes preloaded with the drivers necessary to communicate with windows so until Honda updates the stereos driver support or someone puts the necessary drivers to interface with the Pilot on your device I believe you will be out of luck.
> 3 votes

# Answer
do you have the USB set to the right setting? settings-\>Applications-\>USB Settings-\>\[Mass Storage or Media Player\] Try all the different settings, it's not obvious which one the car is happy with (if any)

Also under settings -\> Applications -\> Development try turning on \[USB Debugging\].
> 3 votes

---
Tags: samsung-galaxy-s, usb
---


title: High-density RSS reader widget

text:
# Question
Title: High-density RSS reader widget
I've been trying to find a good RSS widget that maximizes the number of entries that will fit in 4x2 or 4x4, especially for titles or sites with short entries like headlines.

Any good ones out there?

# Answer
> 1 votes
TalkAndroid.com has this list of the top 5 RSS readers for andoid here.

1. gReader (3rd party app requires your google credentials)
2. FeedR (costs 1.99)
3. FastReader (3rd party app requires your google credentials)
4. FeedSquares (3rd party app requires your google credentials)
5. NewsRob (3rd party app requires your google credentials)

# Answer
> 0 votes
The Complete RSS widget looks like it can get pretty dense. And, the app page says they'll eventually support custom font sizes, which means you could make it denser. The widget isn't free though, about $1.25 (US).

---
Tags: app-widgets, rss
---


# Question
Title: What are the technical differences between 1X and 3G on Verizon's network?
My Android device (on Verizon) will sometimes display 3G in the status area, and sometimes display 1X. What do these indicate, and what is the difference?

# Answer
> 4 votes
The Verizon network uses a technology called CDMA2000, or CDMA for short. There are different types of CDMA2000 connections. The first is 1x, or 1xRTT, which has a potential throughput of 153kbps, but will likely be lower depending on signal strength. When '1X' is displayed in the status bar, this is the connection type your device has.

CDMA2000 1xEV-DO, or EV-DO for short, uses multiplexing to increase throughput. The Rev.A version of the EV-DO standard has a potential throughput of around 3.1Mbps. This is the connection type when 3G is displayed in the status bar.

Verizon is in the process of rolling out a technology called LTE which the carrier will market as their 4G service. This new technology will allow much higher throughput (estimated 12Mbps at launch with the specification capable of delivering rates as high as 50-100Mbps).

---
Tags: verizon, mobile-network
---


# Question
Title: Can you see your groups and pages in the Facebook for Android application?
I just received my mobile (Samsung Galaxy S) this week, so I'm really just playing around with it and the various applications.

On facebook for Android: is there a way to see your groups and pages ? You can see and type messages, see your profile and your inbox, but I can't seem to find the groups I can see on the website.

# Answer
The Facebook for Android does not currently support groups and pages. Try accessing these features via http://m.facebook.com or http://touch.facebook.com
> 5 votes

---
Tags: facebook
---


title: How to disable all "home" keys

text:
# Question
Title: How to disable all "home" keys
I would like to disable all my home keys for a specified event. Lets say my daughter is playing a game, she is 3.5 years old so she does not have very good coordination when it comes to not touching one of those keys accidentally.

Is there a known app that (through whatever means) disables home keys, and through some other means enables them again.

I define home keys as:

Home, Back, Menu, Search

Being on an HTC evo, the home keys are "part of the screen" which is what makes it annoying.

Side note: What tags should I use? No idea what is appropriate for this question.

# Answer
> 4 votes
This is a common problem with parents giving their phones for children to play with. See my answer here for some related information.

Essentially, it's a security problem. If I take away your right to use the back button (or more importantly, the home button), then you can't quit my app and therefore I have hi-jacked your phone.

Therefore, the only way you are going to get around this is if there some method to do this with a rooted phone. Or if an application/game supports some sort of "kid lock" that might not be foolproof. Developers can override the back/menu/search button intents, but I don't think they can override the home button unless it is a home launcher app.

Take a quick look at this search on the Android market. There are some games specifically tailored to this problem that you might find interesting.

---
Tags: 2.2-froyo
---


# Question
Title: How do I turn off the light that comes out of my moto droid's usb port?
When I plug my moto droid into a charger a bright white light comes from the micro usb port. It is super bright when its on my nightstand and the lights are out. It drives me nuts.

# Answer
Simple hack: cover it with a small strip of black sticker. Or, cover the nightstand with a handkerchief.

Complex hack: Find if the USB port driver allows you to turn the light off; I think that's quite unlikely, as it may be hardwired to the hardware itself.
> 1 votes

---
Tags: charging, backlight
---


# Question
Title: Does Android come with free navigation in non-US contries?
The fact that free gps turn-by-turn navigation is available for new enough Android devices using Google-owned map data is well known.

Does Android offer free navigation in non-US countries as well?

# Answer
> 10 votes
Google Maps Navigation is currently available in the United States, Canada, UK, Ireland, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, and Switzerland.

# Answer
> 2 votes
I have an unbranded German HTC Desire. It has Google Navigation installed by default (IIRC, it came with the Froyo upgrade -- I don't remember seeing it in the preinstalled Android 2.1.).

---
Tags: gps, navigation, google-maps-navigation
---


# Question
Title: Can I install live wallpaper on a Samsung Galaxy 3?
I am proud owner of Samsung galaxy 3 with android 2.1. Unfortunately it doesn't supports live wallpaper. So is there any alternatives/options for installing live wallpaper with or without rooting ?

Thanks,

Ankur Shah

# Answer
It looks like it is possible with root.

Here is the relevant thread on how to do it (after you're rooted).

And how to get root here.
> 2 votes

---
Tags: 2.1-eclair, samsung-galaxy-apollo, live-wallpaper
---


title: Share 3gp video files as mpeg

text:
# Question
Title: Share 3gp video files as mpeg
Is there a relatively easy way to convert 3gp files to share as mpeg format from an Android device?

# Answer
> 3 votes
No, probably not easily. This SO answer points to using FFmpeg via the command line. It offers examples on Audio and Video conversion. For example:

```
ffmpeg -i /tmp/a.3gp /tmp/a.mp3

```

This Android Shell Command app is on the market, which could theoretically call FFmpeg, but it looks sketchy weighing in at only 2.5 stars. Could be worth a try but it's tough to tell.

---
Tags: video
---


# Question
Title: What podcast app supports podcasts that require basic authentication?
I subscribe to podcasts that require paid subscriptions. It works fine on iTunes, but I can't find a (free) Android app that supports Podcasts that require basic authentication. Does anyone know of one?

# Answer
> 2 votes
BeyondPod supports Feed Authentication. I use the pro version which costs $7, but if you choose not to go pro there are only a few limitations. The free lite version should still handle Authentication.

---
Tags: podcast
---


title: Which versions of Android support VPNs?

text:
# Question
Title: Which versions of Android support VPNs?
Which versions of the OS can be configured to connect to a VPN?

# Answer
> 6 votes
VPN capabilities (PPTP, L2TP and IPSec) for Android were included from version 1.6 (Donut) onwards.

---
Tags: vpn
---


title: Google voice for voicemail

text:
# Question
Title: Google voice for voicemail
When a phone is configured to use Google Voice for voicemail, his does that work? is the call routed to VM by the phone, or is the setting changed at the carrier too?

# Answer
It's routed by the carrier so even if your phone is off it will get appropriately routed to Google Voice. With non-android phones you have to type the carrier specific activation code into the keypad and hit send to make the change at the carrier level. The Google Voice Android App takes care of this for you with a simple toggle in the settings menu.
> 3 votes

---
Tags: voicemail
---


# Question
Title: Where can I find a good comparison of available custom ROMs?
I'm looking for a good comparison of custom ROMs' features and quality. I would prefer a comparison that is actively maintained.

# Answer
> 6 votes
The Android Release Matrix at AndroidSpin is pretty comprehensive.

There is also the PDAdb.net Rom Respository, although I don't think it's as user friendsly as the AndroidSpin db.

Last (and least relevant to your question) is theunlockr's list of Android Roms (I just thought it was worth mentioning).

---
Tags: custom-roms
---


title: Special Wi-Fi authentication

text:
# Question
Title: Special Wi-Fi authentication
I got access to a Wi-Fi network which claims to use PEAP-MSCHAPv2 authentication. My phone (X10 mini pro with Android 1.6) was able to detect it as a WPA-EAP network. It even asked for the password to connect to it (which I have), but as far as I know I have to use an user name with PEAP-MSCHAPv2 too. The question is: can I somehow connect to that network with my username+password? If not, will it be possible after the 2.1 update for X10?

# Answer
Yes, connecting to a PEAP-MSCHAPv2 network with 1.6 is not possible due to a lack in the network manager. After an upgrade to 2.1 or 2.2 it is possible.

Alternatively you might want to root the device and enter your login credentials in your `wpa_supplicant.conf` file manually.
> 1 votes

---
Tags: wi-fi
---


# Question
Title: Some application sets alarm loudness to zero
For some reason some application sets the alarm loudness over night to zero. How do I find out which application is to blame?

# Answer
> 3 votes
You might want to look for applications that do require this permission: `android.permission.MODIFY_AUDIO_SETTINGS`

Then uninstall it and set the alarm a short while after that. If everything is back to normal you have found the application in question.

---
Tags: alarm
---


# Question
Title: charging from power outlet or computer? to save battery lifetime
I realized that charging my HTC Desire (Android 2.1) takes longer if connected to computer compare to power outlet.

Does it matter which method I use to charge in terms of battery life time?

# Answer
No, the battery doesn't care *how* it got charged in terms of a given charge. It just takes longer when using your PC because it's getting less current from the PC than the AC charger.

Here's a post on android forums which suggests that the current coming from the PC is significantly less than the AC charger. The forum posts list 100mA or 500mA for the PC's USB port vs. 1000mA from the AC charger; these numbers could be off but the point is correct. I also found this regarding the same phenomenon with the iPhone 4.

So using the AC charger is just a matter of whether you want the phone to charge quicker or not.
> 20 votes

---
Tags: battery-life, charging, 2.1-eclair
---


# Question
Title: Android market - Application downloading problem
I am accessing an Android market and trying to download Free applications, when i have tried to download any application by clicking on "Install" button.

When i click on "Download" button, it always shows the downloading application with the message : "Starting Download", i am seeing this message since last 2 hours, but application is not getting donwload to my phone.

Whats the problem ?

# Answer
> 1 votes
This question is redundant: Please see this one for a solution.

---
Tags: 2.2-froyo, 2.1-eclair, google-play-store
---


title: Media Player with Chapters Support

text:
# Question
Title: Media Player with Chapters Support
Is there a MediaPlayer with Chapter Marker support? I want to listen to audio books and the Economist Audio podcast (\> 7 hours/episode).

# Answer
I've used MortPlayer and it supports chapters, multiple bookmarks and remembers your place. As far as chapters go, it depends on how the audio book is setup, most mp3 audio books save each chapter as a different track and that works just fine. Also, it's free.

While I haven't tried it, it's my understanding that Ambling Book Player Pro is the cats meow of audio book players, although it costs $9.

I don't really listen to audio books much anymore (too many podcasts to keep up with) and I use BeyondPod for my Economist Podcasts. It remembers the last place you were listening but it doesn't let you set bookmarks.
> 3 votes

---
Tags: music
---


title: any application to detect sound tone?

text:
# Question
Title: any application to detect sound tone?
is out there any Android application that would tell me **what sound tone** makes my Singing bowl?

* HTC Desire on Android 2.1

# Answer
Any guitar tuning app should help.

(There should be some.. or else I'll make one.. ;)
> 3 votes

# Answer
Try Spectral Audio Analyzer
> 1 votes

# Answer
gStrings is an awesome guitar tuning app. It should do exactly what you want. You can have it try to match a specific pitch or you can do "Tune auto" to find out what pitch you are currently at.
> 1 votes

---
Tags: 2.1-eclair, audio
---


# Question
Title: Restricting Web Access to a single domain on Android tablets?
Our sales team came to me earlier with a question about Android OS. I've never used Android, but I do know it is a Linux-based OS.

Frankly, I don't have the time to research for myself the capabilities of the Android OS. What I need to know is:

* Is it possible to restrict web access to a single domain (domain.com, *.domain.com, domain.com/*)?
* Is it possible to launch, on boot, the browser with a specific URL or perhaps if the home page is set, have it launch on boot to the home page?
* Is there a 'Full Screen' mode for the browser that could be the default for whenever the browser is launched?
* Can SMS/MMS/Email be disabled (if the tablet has those capabilities) but still maintain a 3/4G and/or Wifi connection?
* Can I use a custom boot screen?

Since it's a Linux-based OS I imagine I could restrict the web access with IPtables or hosts files, but that of course means the OS has to support that, and I'm not sure if it does.

We hope to use a tablet running Android to tie in to our internal systems. The tablets will be in the hands of operators, who we do not want to be able to use the data connection for anything but our web-based application. Hence the need for browser-launch-on-boot, full-screen mode, and restricting web access.

# Answer
> 9 votes
Yes all this is possible but you'll have to root the tablet and whether or not ***that*** is possible will depend on the tablet.

Here's the answer to each request:

1. Yes, you have to edit the hosts file for which you'll have to root the device.
2. Yes, any browser (I recommend Dolphin HD) will let you set the home page, so just set this to the page you want it to launch with. With the Launch After Boot app (~$1.60) you can set the browser to launch on start-up.
3. Yes, the aforementioned Dolphin HD Browser has a "Full Screen" mode under settings.
4. Since you are rooting the device you can just uninstall the messaging (SMS/MMS/Email) apps.
5. Yes. This app requires a rooted device (and dropping $2): Boot Animation Changer Pro

All in all this is possible assuming you can root you device, and while it won't be easy, it also wont require you programming any custom solution.

**Edit:** I should have mentioned that going "Full Screen" on the browser will not prevent people from navigating away from the browser screen to other parts of the device but you can basically uninstall every single app that you don't want your people using, and uninstall the market so they can't install more apps. You can also Password protect apps that you don't want people using with an app like App Protector Pro ($2). Any enterprising person will be able to get around anything you do with some work but that can be said about any workplace restrictions.

**Edit #2:** Don't quote me on this but I'll bet you could use Tasker to furhter restrict access to the device and/or services. Assuming you guys operate during set business hours and are at one bricks & mortar location, you can set location and time based restrictions so when they are in the store during business hours only certain things are possible. You would just need to password protect Tasker after setting it up.

# Answer
> 1 votes
You will have to modify the OS to support most of this, since it doesn't incorporate this by default, but since Android is fully open-source this shouldn't be too much of a problem. It's always better to put restrictions like these as near the kernel as possible so they are hard to bypass.

---
Tags: security, internet
---


# Question
Title: Failure upgrading a rooted stock Nexus One to Android 2.2.1
I have a root Nexus one, that at one point ran a custom ROM, but now has the stock Android 2.2 release. I just got an update to 2.2.1, and it fails with:

```
Build : RA-nexus-v1.5.3
Finding update package...
Opening update package...
Verifying update package...
E:No signature (188 files)
E:Verification failed
Installation aborted.

```

What is the problem? Why does it say 1.5.3 in the build?

# Answer
Installing the stock Android 2.2 FRF91 or newer unroots the phone. I had this same problem.

You can downgrade and root using the directions here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=717870
> 1 votes

# Answer
Have you tried installing a stock image from ROM manager and then upgrading from there? Just to make certain that you are using a clean stock image.

Are you wanting to keep root? Any OTA updates might remove your root (I don't have a N1, so I don't know how the 2.2.1 update will affect your root status).
> 0 votes

---
Tags: 2.2-froyo, ota-update, root-access
---


title: Is it possible to unroot a device?

text:
# Question
Title: Is it possible to unroot a device?
Once a device has been rooted, is it possible to unroot?

I also want to keep my data, so can I unroot without wiping/re-imaging? If so, how difficult is this?

# Answer
This really depends. What phone are you using and how did you root it?

For example: some phones have an easy "one click" root method to root your phone. They often have a reverse easy "one click" unroot method. An example of this is EasyRoot for Droid.

As for doing it via a factory reset, that's not necessarily enough. Factory resets usually (always?) wipe only the user partitions such as `/data` without touching the system partition, where `su` and other evidence of rooting is likely to remain. Re-flashing the ROM should be enough though, although some devices have flash counters that may also be checked if you send in your phone for warranty purposes.
> 9 votes

---
Tags: unrooting
---


# Question
Title: My Samsung Galaxy S front-facing camera doesn't work in camera app, Gtalk or Skype -- How can I use it?
One of the reasons I brought my Samsung Galaxy S was because it has a front facing camera.

However I have found since buying it:

* Camera app can't use it
* Gtalk doesn't support video calling on android
* Skype isn't supported (Update: skype has announced support, but not working on Galaxy S yet, and is voice only)

So what can I actually do with my front facing camera or did I just waste my money?

# Answer
> 18 votes
The built-in Camera app on the Galaxy S can use the front facing camera. It's called "Self Shot Mode" and I've used it on mine once or twice, easiest way to grab a quick picture of you and a friend when there's no one else around to take the shot.

Open the camera app, press the square symbol at the top-left (the mode button), press Self-Shot, smile at the funny person on the screen!

**Update November 2010**: As an update, the official Samsung Froyo release has changed the way this works, there is a new icon in the top-left of the camera screen, that looks like a camera with rotating arrows around it, pressing this button swaps between the front and rear cameras. Picture of the new button to swap between cameras

See this table for a list of which Galaxy S models have the front facing camera (and other differences between the models in the range).

# Answer
> 6 votes
Well, at least I've been using the front facing camera for video phone calls. Seems to work well enough between Samsung Galaxy S phones, haven't tested with other phones yet.

# Answer
> 4 votes
I wrote an app that uses the front facing camera of the EVO and Epic. It is silly, but it's free. :-) Check out "RealMirror".

# Answer
> 3 votes
qik and fring both support video chat using that camera, but only to other cell phone users using qik or fring respectively. fring launched with skype support, but that was quickly disabled after a spat between the two companies.

At the moment (October 2010), there doesn't seem to be any way to video chat from android to a PC. :(

**Update:** There is a leaked version of Yahoo IM that includes video chat: http://phandroid.com/2010/10/19/yahoo-video-chat-app-leaked-thanks-to-mytouch-4ghd-rom/

**Update (12/17/2010):** http://www.oovoo.com/ now has a client in beta that will allow PC \<-\> android video chat. Currently the Epic is supported, but they say it's "coming soon" for other Galaxy S phones.

# Answer
> 1 votes
According to their spec THIS is how a developer would take advantage of the camera. I'd be really surprised if the pre-installed camera application didn't do this, but the point is that it's definitely accessible to the outside world for taking advantage of, so it's just a matter of time before someone does (if no one yet has).

If you have more money you'd like to spend, and can't wait to use it, I can write you an app that takes pictures with that camera for about $500. :)

---
Tags: samsung-galaxy-s, camera, front-camera
---


# Question
Title: How to check version of OR update the flashplayer on HTC Android phones?
Is there a way to check the version of the installed flashplayer?
And how do you update the flashplayer? Is it automagically updated?

# Answer
You can install/update the flashplayer from the market. Just search for "flash player" and the one from Adobe should show up first.

To find out version go to: Settings \> Applications \> Manage applications \> All \> Adobe Flash Player. In there it should list the full version.
> 1 votes

---
Tags: updates, htc, adobe-flash
---


# Question
Title: Stock Mail App - Outlook Sync, File As Problem
My MD now has a Desire and I notice something strange happening when he syncs his outlook contacts.

Now I know from both sides (outlook, Android) , it doesn't really matter what you file someone's name as because when you search, it still appears either way. However, he is very particular so here is my problem.

When he syncs his outlook contacts to the device, on outlook they now appear as first name, last name. Even though they are set to File As Lastname, Firstname. Now if I open a contact in Outlook, flip the File As back from and to what it was, it then appears in outlook correctly (well how he wants it to).

However, next sync it will re appear as first, last... although file as is still last, first (Outlook)

Anyone have any ideas or noticed something similar?

I appreciate this is a minor issue but I would like to resolve it for him if possible.

Thanks for reading and any help appreciated.

# Answer
> 1 votes
Currently there is no way to do this on an HTC phone. The People app from HTC will automatically display names as First and Last.

However if you connect the phone to exchange, as I have mine, then all Exchange contacts show up as Last and First, including in Mail and in People. So as of right now I would say if you can get his phone on Exchange, only display contacts from Exchange, and tell him to put them all in Exchange, then it should be a workaround to the issue.

---
Tags: htc-desire, email, outlook
---


# Question
Title: How to change the 'hosts' file to redirect URLs?
For windows machine we got the hosts file to edit to redirect url's to other domains. Is there a file like that on android?

I'm looking to redirect a very long url to a shorter one using the hosts file, is this possible? This can also be used to redirect a list of known spam domains to nothing so the worst flash/gif adds are removed.

I'm running Android 2.1 on a rooted samsung galaxy S

# Answer
The original link is dead. I pulled this short guide from way back machine, copied here:

> With the first few official Pre-Alpha builds of CyanogenMod 7 being released, it’s worth noting that a new feature has been included that allows you to change the hostname on your device from the Settings menu. If you have a supported device, you can get the nightly builds from the TeamDouche Mirror System. Once you’ve flashed (I take no responsibility if you break something – make sure to read up on issues/pitfalls/requirements before flashing), open the Settings menu, then choose Applications, then Development, and select Device Hostname at the bottom. This setting persists between reboots and ROM upgrades (unless you wipe).
>
> Warning: I accept no responsibility if you brick your phone while doing this.
>
> I ditched my iPhone due to problems my local provider was having and got an HTC Dream instead. I promptly rooted it using the Cyanogen Mod, but noticed that by default, Android reports the hostname as ‘localhost’. I don’t really like this, so I set about finding an easy way to change it.
>
> First off, even rooted, the / partition is mounted read-only when you boot normally, so you need to boot to Recovery Mode (Home+Power). In the recovery menu, choose to boot to console. From there, browse to /system/etc/init.d.
>
> IMPORTANT: Make a backup of ’05userinit’ before continuing! You can do this by simply running the following command – ‘cp 05userinit /05userinit’ (without quotes). This will create a copy of it in the / directory. If you screw up your editing, you can just rm the messed up version and cp the backup back in.
>
> To add the command to set the host name, we’re simply going to echo in the following two lines:
>
> ```
> echo  >> 05userinit
>
> echo hostname NEWHOSTNAME >> 05userinit
>
> ```
>
> Note that there are two spaces after the first ‘echo’ command. This creates a blank line at the end of the file. The second echo adds the hostname command. This way, whenever your phone boots, the hostname is set. Also, be sure to use two greater-than signs (\>), as that appends – if you only use one, it overwrites the contents of the file.
>
> Make sure the edits are correct by typing ‘tail 05userinit’ – as long as it isn’t blank, and there’s more than just the hostname line, you’re golden. Reboot the phone by typing ‘reboot’ at the prompt and hitting ‘Enter’, and you’re done.
>
> Once you’ve booted back up, open up your terminal emulator of choice and type ‘hostname’ (by itself, no parameters) – it should echo out whatever hostname you specified.
>
> Update (April 6th, 2010): To change your hostname on Cyanogen 5.x, add the following line to the bottom of /system/etc/init.d/01sysctl — and make sure you make a backup of 01sysctl before editing it!
>
> ```
> echo NEWHOSTNAME > /proc/sys/kernel/hostname
>
> ```
> 6 votes

---
Tags: networking
---


# Question
Title: Is it possible to shut down all antennae except for the gps?
I am thinking of buying an Android phone soon (Probably Desire HD), and would like to use it to record hiking trips GPS data.
All those run tracking apps seems just right to me, but I am looking for something that can run more than a few hours, so I figured that turning off the wifi/3g/cell antennae will give me a much longer battery life.
Is it possible to achieve it easily? Maybe only with root access?

# Answer
> 5 votes
You can activate the Airplane mode to shutdown everything (calls, wifi, etc), and then re-activate the GPS. Only the GPS Antenna will be activated... I think :D

# Answer
> 1 votes
This is possible with a free app called quick settings. You don't need to root your phone. You should know that if you turn off your data, you won't have real time set to the maps, but you'll still be able to record your gps data. To get around that you can download offline maps app like maveric. Ill add links to this answer later when I'm not driving and using speech to text.

# Answer
> 0 votes
You can use APNDroid to toggle your data on/off.

Alternatively, if you still want data and have a SIM phone, you can force it use 2G only in the network settings.

---
Tags: gps, gps-tracking
---


# Question
Title: Sleep Tracking App connected with google health
Do you know if there's an app :

* Dedicated to sleep tracking
* Connected with Google Health

I'm interested in such an application, so if you know one, please share it w/ me.

Thanks.

Rob

# Answer
There's Sleep Bot Tracker Log and Sleep Logger. They don't seem to directly connect to Google Health, but they let you export data (one does CSV, the other doesn't specify).
> 4 votes

# Answer
I'm developing an open-source app called ElectricSleep, and it will eventually have this sort of functionality. It is getting close to going into beta.

project website: http://code.google.com/p/electricsleep/
> 2 votes

---
Tags: sleep
---


# Question
Title: Contact account association with non-HTC phones?
My HTC legend give me the ability to associate my contacts' various accounts in the People application (ie. email, Facebook, Twitter...). Is this a HTC only feature? If it is, is there an alternative for non-HTC phones?

# Answer
> 4 votes
The people application itself is an HTC exclusive, but merged contacts from multiple sources (GMail, Exchange, Twitter, Facebook, SIM, carrier phonebook, etc) is a standard Android feature for 2.x (maybe earlier). By default the system tries to intelligently merge identically named contacts, but you can manually add/remove contacts from the merged identities.

---
Tags: contacts, htc
---


# Question
Title: Any reason not to allow automatic updating for an app?
Since Android 2.2 (Froyo), you can select "Allow automatic updating" for applications. For some reason, I haven't started using this yet. The benefit would be to save time, but are there any good reasons **not** to use this feature?

# Answer
> 17 votes
I leave it off so that I can review the list of pending updates and see what changed. Of course, that only helps for the apps that list changes in the market description.

Every once in a while, developers do release updates that are a step backwards- either because of introducing bugs or major redesigns that lose features (Astrid, I'm looking at you). If you wait long enough before updating, then you may be alerted to that situation via comments.

# Answer
> 11 votes
The main reason why i won't use the feature is traffic. In germany, we have mostly traffic limitated flatrates. So after 250 or 300 MB of traffic or something like that, you'll be forced to only use 2G connections for the rest of the month. Because of that limitations, i only update my apps when i have wifi access somewhere around me.

# Answer
> 6 votes
Sometimes a developer might release a controversial update: interface changed, ads added, or a lot of bugs were introduced and therefore you may want to hold off before upgrading (or at least give yourself a chance to back up the apk). A good example of this recently was psx4droid.

# Answer
> 5 votes
Also, you might want not to update apps automatically if you have a old/cheap device. On my HTC Hero, installing apps kind of takes a lot of resources and I don't want the device to slow down randomly.

# Answer
> 5 votes
Everyone offers plenty of good reasons not to auto update so I'll offer a solution -- Use a good backup app such as Titanium Backup, and you can safely leave autoupdates on and manually revert to an older version if an app changes in ways you aren't happy with.

# Answer
> 3 votes
A lot of things:

* Traffic: if your data plan is pay-per-byte (or has a data cap/limit)
* Battery life: Updating apps uses the processor (which consumes battery).
* The new version of the program may have problems, bugs, etc.

---
Tags: applications, 2.2-froyo, application-autoupdate
---


title: Google bookmarks app?

text:
# Question
Title: Google bookmarks app?
Is there an app for Google Bookmarks (this is distinct from Chrome bookmarks)?

# Answer
There is Gomarks. Looks promising.
> 2 votes

# Answer
Dolphin can actually sync with Google Bookmarks. Dolphin is widely used, so that's a plus in terms of trustworthiness. Searching the bookmarks isn't very nice though, but you can filter by tags
> 1 votes

---
Tags: bookmarks
---


# Question
Title: What causes battery to drain faster than it can charge?
I have a Moto DROID (v1). On a trip from Tyler, TX to DFW airport I had my phone in the car dock and charging. I was using Navigation for directions to the airport and also had Listen running to play a podcast over the device speaker. As I neared the airport, the phone rebooted a few times and then remained off. I took the phone out of the dock and noticed it was very hot to the touch. At the airport, the phone had cooled and I plugged it into a wall charger. The battery was completely drained!

My brother had the same experience with his Moto DROID (v2). He was on a 4 hour road trip and was using the navigation app and participating in a conference call (hands-free). The phone was connected to the car dock and charging the entire time, but after a couple of hours the phone rebooted and then shut-off with a dead battery. We left the phone off and plugged into the charger for a while and it was able to boot again, and like with mine showed a dead battery!

Is the phone really able to drain the battery faster than it can be charged via the car dock? If so, are there known combinations of apps or uses that will cause this behavior?

# Answer
> 14 votes
I think you answered your own question ;)

Navigation uses a lot of power: it needs constant use of GPS along with reading the map and processing text to speech. Throw in another power-intensive activity like bluetooth or the phone's speaker (or calling, or data, etc), and it's very conceivable that it would drain power faster than it can pull it from a charger, especially a car charger, though the exact specifics would vary from phone to phone.

Here is a great list of the things that use the most power on a phone.

# Answer
> 5 votes
Make sure the charger outputs 1 amp. Most vehicle chargers that aren't specifically for smartphones or don't list output are going to be .5 amp.

# Answer
> 1 votes
This might just be a nonsense story but here is a start.

Some 'chargers' don't supply enough power to fully and quickly charge the device. A car charger might just not give enough power to charge faster then the applications are using the battery.

Ever noticed a computer cable charging slower then a wall socket charger. There is a difference there.

# Answer
> 0 votes
You can always underclock the phone, I notice a SIGNIFICANT decrease in heat generated which means less energy used. Yes it affects performance, but may give you what you need. Running the EVO 4G (so I can underclock to 50% and still get same mhz as the droid).

---
Tags: motorola-droid, battery, charging, car-dock
---


title: OS 2.2 on the Samsung Moment

text:
# Question
Title: OS 2.2 on the Samsung Moment
> **Possible Duplicate:**
> When will my phone get Android 2.2 (FroYo)?

I currently have a Samsung Moment which has OS 2.1. Will I ever be able to upgrade to 2.2?

Is the hardware capable of handling 2.2?
If so, when will this happen?
What's the best way to be informed of any announcements related to this upgrade?

# Answer
> 1 votes
As of right now there will not be an official 2.2 release for the Moment. Here's a thread to keep updated.

---
Tags: 2.2-froyo
---


# Question
Title: Can you get a list of the RUNNING applications on Android for the purpose of activating them?
On my Samsung Galaxy S Android phone: if I start a couple of apps, I can get an overview of them in the 'Active applications' icon on my first screen.

Clicking this icon, shows me all active applications but allows me only to end them.

I find no way to activate them.

Pressing the center touchpath at the bottom displays the last 6 clicked icons - which may or may not be the ones running.

F.i. if I start 6 applications, I see these 6 icons, if I start a 7th one I see the last 6 started. I wont see the first icon again . So how can I activate this first one, other than knowing it is running, and tapping it's icon again ?

Please don't start telling me why I should start 6 or more applications. That's not the point, here , of course :)

ANSWER:

**You can't** \- at least not by using the system as it is installed. A well, no big deal, really. Just wanted to see if I was missing something here. Coming from a Windows background (*and aren't we all because otherwise we should be holding an iPhone now*), this did not seem to illogical. Thanks for all answers.

# Answer
The app Smart Taskbar will show you a list of the all tasks(apps) that are currently running on your device and allow you to switch to that app, similar to the native functionality but you are not limited to the 6 most recent apps.

Basically it opens from any screen and also lets you set some shortcuts and widgets and choose from all installed apps (like the app drawer) so you can complete any task from anywhere on your phone without having to go to the home screen first.

There are a bunch of other apps that let you switch between running apps, just search the market for "task switcher."
> 8 votes

# Answer
Sounds like you're overthinking it. Android goes out of it's way to intelligently manage applications and resources. When you leave an app it will generally keep running as long as the resources are available. Long pressing Home and selecting it or just launching the shortcut again should take you right back to the running app.

Theoretically it shouldn't matter if it is still running or not, though -- every app is supposed to save it's state in such a way that if the OS kills it before you come back, it should still be able to launch back to the same state you left it in. This isn't universally applied in programs yet, but it does seem to be much more widespread these days -- presumably because the developers are getting used to the "android way."
> 8 votes

# Answer
I know of two other places in Android to get the list of what's currently running. (This is on my Motorola Droid.)

From the Home screen:

```
Settings | Applications | Running Services

```

OR

```
Settings | Applications | Manage Applications | Running

```

The views are different; one shows all the services from each app, the other just shows the apps.
> 1 votes

# Answer
I usually started an application by inputting the name of the application on the Search Textbox. In my Samsung Spica, there is a dedicated "search button", I can click on the search button to go to the Search Textbox and start typing the first few letters of the apps I want to start; the autocomplete will do the rest and you can click on the application you want to start.

In Android, conceptually all programs are continuous and never halted. When the OS needs to reclaim memory, it pauses the application and asks it to save state; later on, the OS wakes the app up and asks it to load its state. Conceptually, applications never dies; conceptually, all applications are running all the time; Android's Activity life cycle is designed to give this sort of illusion.
> 0 votes

# Answer
A program like Advanced Task Killer will give you a list of running applications. Long press on one of them pops up a menu, and one of the options there is to switch to the application. You can also customize the long press so that the default action is 'switch to', saving you a menu.

There are lots of reasons why something like a task killer is not something you should be using, but I won't get into all that. I have it on there for the extremely rare occasion that I need to kill a rogue process.

You can also do a search over at App Brain for 'task switchers'. AppSwipe! looks decent, but I've not used it (or any of them).
> 0 votes

# Answer
This may not exactly answer your question, but if you press-and-hold the home button, you should get a list of the most recently-run applications. Pressing any of them will activate the app.

This is built in to (I believe) the launcher, so it is possible that this only applies to stock Android and that it has different behavior on TouchWiz (or whatever skin Samsung put on the Galaxy S phones).
> 0 votes

---
Tags: applications, samsung-galaxy-s, 2.1-eclair
---


# Question
Title: What is meant by "Wi-Fi Hotspot" in Android 2.2?
Android 2.2 has a new feature called "Wi-Fi Hotspot" which was not available in previous versions. What is the importance of this feature? What is meant by "Wi-Fi Hotspot"? Is there anywhere that I can find information about this?

# Answer
> 5 votes
Wi-Fi Hotspot allows you to share your phone's internet connection with other devices which have Wi-Fi adapters. For example, of you have a laptop with Wi-Fi and you want to connect to the net, you can enable Wi-Fi Hotspot on the phone then connect the laptop wirelessly to the phone.

There may be carrier restrictions or costs for doing this... like Sprint which requires you to activate the Wi-Fi option for your EVO's account which costs an additional $30/month. Other carriers may assess charges by amount of data consumed or block the feature altogether.

Some users have rooted their phones to bypass the enablement restrictions, but that may still result in charges for bandwidth used.

---
Tags: 2.2-froyo, wifi-hotspot
---


# Question
Title: Undeleteable blank contact on HTC Legend
I have a contact with no contact details, apart from a name and which can't be deleted. The option just doesn't appear in the context menu like for other contacts. Is it possible to delete this contact?

# Answer
Try deleting it from your Google contacts. If it's not in your Google contacts, it probably came from another source, like Facebook or Twitter. You should also be able to hide contacts that don't have a phone number, so as a last ditch effort, that may be good enough for you.
> 3 votes

---
Tags: contacts, htc-sense
---


# Question
Title: How to Import/Export Group field in Contacts via VCF?
OS: 2.1 Phone: Samsung Galaxy S (Vibrant)

When exporting or emailing a VCF file from the Contacts app, the Group data (e.g. Family, Friends) does not get exported. Similarly, the CATEGORIES property is ignored when importing a VCF file. Does anyone know how to get this data into/out of the Contacts app via VCF? Thanks!

# Answer
> 1 votes
You are doing this on the web inside of gmail, right?

I didn't see the groups included in the VCF file either. But they do seem to be included if you export it as a CSV. Is it possible that you can use the CSV instead?

---
Tags: contacts
---


# Question
Title: How Do I Keep My Droid X's SD Card from Mounting as a Drive in Windows?
Stock Droid X, running 2.1. I have the USB Connection mode set to "Charge Only".

Whenever I connect the phone to my computer to charge, the SD card mounts as a drive in the computer. In the phone's USB Connection settings, it is still listed as "Charge Only", but the SD card is not available to the phone.

They only way to get it back is to:

1. Change the connection mode to "USB Mass Storage" on the phone
2. Unmount the SD card within Windows.
3. Change the connection mode back to "Charge Only"

This works, but it is a pain to do this every time, when I should be able to just set the connection I want and plug it in. Is there anything I'm missing?

Edit: This happens with more than one computer - one running Windows XP, one running Windows 7. Neither have the Android SDK installed.

**Update** \- The upgrade to Froyo seems to have fixed this issue.

# Answer
> 1 votes
Try this (not sure if it's the same for all phones):

1. Go to Settings -\> About phone -\> USB Settings
2. Select 'Ask on connection' (if it's there).

When you connect your phone via usb, it should ask you what to do. There was the option to 'do nothing' for me.

# Answer
> 1 votes
Motorola Mytouch 2.1

Settings -\> connnect to PC -\> Default connection type Choices are charge only / Sync / disk drive

I leave it at charge, unless I want to get to the SD card. It gives a alert that it's charge only, pull up that alert and it lets you change it.

---
Tags: usb, usb-connection-mode, motorola-droid-x
---


# Question
Title: Performance gain from upgrading higher class SD card
> **Possible Duplicate:**
> Is the class rating of my MicroSD card relevant?

If you've upgraded the SD card on your phone to a higher class, have you measured or noticed any significant performance difference? What kinds of apps seemed most affected?

# Answer
> 3 votes
A higher class card is going to give you faster read and write speeds to your SD card. So any apps that use or write data to the memory card will get a boost (one example would be the camera and gallery apps). Another possible example would be apps saved to the memory card. You probably, however, won't be able to tell a huge difference, or at least it won't be as noticeable as it would on a DSLR camera where high speed cards make a world of difference when taking fast, continuous shots (sports).

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


# Question
Title: Is there a flash lite installation package for smartphones of android 2.1?
I don't know whether installation package for different smartphones of the same OS/version is the same.

But if that's not the case,mine is HTC g3.

Note: I've already tried to install flash player 10.1 but failed,so I'm targeting flash lite now.

# Answer
Flash is only available for Android 2.2+. You won't be able to install it on any older version of Android.
> -1 votes

---
Tags: 2.1-eclair, adobe-flash
---


# Question
Title: Maximum (micro) SD card speed class for HTC EVO?
What is the maximum class (e.g., 2,4,6,8,10) supported of microSD card supported by the HTC EVO?

I noticed an improvement in performance when upgrading from the Class 2 to a faster card on my Hero. I don't want to pay extra for performance that won't benefit my EVO.

HTC and Sprint have not included this information in their specs and I can't find it elsewhere. Either I'm not understading something fundamental about SD classes or it's not published where I'm searching.

# Answer
> 5 votes
It looks like someone sent HTC an email back in July and got the following response:

> I understand you want to know which speed is the best for your device as far as SD card is concerned. We have tested the devices on a class 4 speed. I could not recommend anything higher than that. The phone may be capable of running a higher-class speed, but we have only tested it on a class 4.

You may also want to email HTC support and see what they officially say. From I've been reading, people have been using Class 6 just fine. Not sure about 8 or 10.

---
Tags: external-sd, performance, htc-evo
---


# Question
Title: Google Map alternatives with offline navigation support
> **Possible Duplicate:**
> alternatives to Google Maps

Hi All,

Does google map application provides voice guided navigation ? Does it supports offline navigation ? Any app which supports offline/hybrid (like nokia ovi maps) mode of map navigation ? Any google map alternatives in android market ?

Thanks,

Ankur Shah

# Answer
I've never used it, but here's one: OsmAnd

> Open-source OSM-based GPS app with online/offline capabilities and audible navigation.
>
> * Online: maps, routing, search, edit OSM POI/bugs.
> * Offline: search POI, address, transport, map cache.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: google-play-store, google-maps, offline-map
---


# Question
Title: Gmail only reads my emails when I press the 'refresh' button - is this normal
On my Samsung Galaxy S, gmail only loads new emails when I press the 'refresh' button.

Is this normal ? Or should I set some options somewhere ?

I thought gmail should push emails to the phone.

# Answer
> 4 votes
In answer to my own question (and in thanks for the answer already provided), but the problem was that in my office, my phone uses Wifi router which is connected to the internet via a **firewall** . And on this firewall **one of the necessary imap ports was blocked**.

My collegue changed this setting , and now gmail is behaving as expected.

*I am really not in the habit of choosing my own answers as the selected answer, but for this question, this was the solution.*

Hope it helps others !

# Answer
> 5 votes
From the Home screen, go to `Settings | Accounts & sync | <your account>` and make sure that "Sync Gmail" is checked.

# Answer
> 3 votes
In addition to what Al E. says, you also need to make sure Syncing is general is on. Form the Home screen go to `Settings | Accounts and sync` and make sure both `Background data` and `Auto-sync` are checked.

---
Tags: samsung-galaxy-s, 2.1-eclair, gmail
---


# Question
Title: Is it possible to change the name underneath the icons on the home pages?
Just wondering: is it possible to change the name which is displayed underneath the icons on the home pages ?

I added some short cuts to internet pages on these pages, and they use way too long names . It would be nice if I could change them.

# Answer
~~No, this won't work for shortcuts to apps.~~ **EDIT2:** Turns out this part of the answer was wrong. Thanks Bryan and Drake for your answers.

Yes, it works for internet bookmarks. From your browser, select Menu \> Bookmarks. Long-press the given bookmark and select Edit Bookmark; this will allow you to change its name. You may need to delete/re-add the shortcut to your home page for the change to take affect.

**EDIT1:** Alternatively, if you use a bookmark manager app (like any of the ones mentioned here), you should be able to edit the bookmark directly from there.
> 4 votes

# Answer
LauncherPro is a great Home Switcher app, personally is the best.

Between the different dozens of useful features it provides also the possibility to change the text of all home icons that are shortcuts to applications, to bookmarks, etc.
> 3 votes

# Answer
BetterCut will let you create shortcuts with custom icons/text.
> 2 votes

---
Tags: 2.1-eclair, home-screen-shortcuts, home-screen
---


# Question
Title: Anyone know of a custom GPS ROM for Samsung Galaxy 5?
> **Possible Duplicate:**
> Where can I find stock or custom ROMs for my Android device?

I recently bought a Samsung Galaxy 5 (model number GT-I5500) and I'm new to the android world.

I'm not satisfied with the performance of the GPS on my cell phone so I thought it would be interesting to use a custom ROM to see if it improves a bit.

Anyone knows of a ROM that was tested in this model?

# Answer
> 3 votes
Not necessarily what you are looking for, but on my Captivate, the GPS is kinda slow. I just came across this and thought I'd try it later tonight.

---
Tags: gps, custom-roms, samsung-galaxy-5
---


title: Who runs the Android market?

text:
# Question
Title: Who runs the Android market?
Does Google run the Android Market?

# Answer
Yes, Google is in charge of the Android Market.
> 6 votes

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


# Question
Title: Where can I see what the screen dimensions are of an Android mobile phone
I have a Samsung Galaxy S mobile phone, I can't seem to find the dimensions of the screen (apart from looking it up on the internet of course).

But in general: can you somewhere see the correct screen dimensions of a mobile device's screen ?

# Answer
I don't believe there is a way, which is strange. Maybe because it can't be changed they don't think we need to know?

You can install an app called "Screen Resolution" which will display your phones resolution if you really want to see it on your phone.
> 1 votes

# Answer
Here is a chart with most devices specs to help find the resolution. Source matt :) in a response on what-size-should-images-be-for-android-wallpaper?
> 1 votes

# Answer
GSMArena.com, just to point one site of this type, list almost all mobile phones known, with their technical specs.

For you example Galaxy S, here it is the dedicated page
> 1 votes

# Answer
Screen&System provides screen resolution (pixels), pixel density (dpi), screen metrics, height, width, and diagonal in centimeters and inches.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: settings, screen
---


# Question
Title: What is Google's Stance on Keeping the Android Market Open to the General Public
(And by "General Public" I mean, people who aren't paying $30 a month for data transfers, and just using wifi instead.)

# Answer
You can download applications over a wifi connection without *any* phone plan. For example, I recently removed an HTC Hero from my phone plan and was able to download applications to the phone over Wifi with no problem.... even though I could not make calls.

Since Android is not limited to phones or devices with wireless data plans, requiring a phone plan would not be possible for all Android devices.

Additionally, with competion in the works like Amazon's upcoming Android applications market, there will be too much disincentive for Google to require a monthly fee for market access.
> 5 votes

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


# Question
Title: How to restrict Android Market search results to a particular publisher?
Is there any way that I can restrict searches in the Android Market to just show apps from one particular publisher? For example, if I wanted to just see apps from Google, searching for "Google Inc." will also show apps that mention "Google Inc." in their descriptions.

# Answer
> 10 votes
If there is an app you like by that publisher, open the entry for the app in the market and select "View more applications".

OR

You can search by name:

```
pub:"Google Inc."

```

---
Tags: google-play-store, search
---


# Question
Title: How can I update my droid x to the 2.2 operating system?
I'm trying to find a (hopefully official) place to update my droid x to 2.2 I'd appreciate any help/pointers

# Answer
> 0 votes
about phone -\> system updates.

# Answer
> 2 votes
OTA update went out already. You should have gotten it automatically.

What does `Settings |About phone | Version number` say? What about `Build number`?

---
Tags: 2.2-froyo, motorola-droid-x
---


title: HTC People Widget: Changing Pictures

text:
# Question
Title: HTC People Widget: Changing Pictures
Is there any way to change or set the source for the pictures on the People Widget when you have linked contacts?

Example: I have my wife as one of my contacts. I have her Facebook/Twitter accounts linked to my entries for my GMail and Exchange contacts. I've added a picture taken by the on phone camera to the Exchange contact entry but the widget uses her Facebook profile picture as the display picture.

Any way to override this behavior?

# Answer
> 2 votes
Yes. From the widget, select the contact name (not image). This brings you to the contact info. Select the chain link in the upper right hand corner (it should say Linked in your specific example). Finally, select the image in the upper left corner. You can select the image source from there. I tested it on the HTC incredible.

**EDIT:** I was originally referring to the Favorites Widget but basically, the Favorites Widget is just an example of the People widget which can be the any-group-at-all widget.

(I apologize if this is obvious, caffeine has not fully sunk in yet.)

---
Tags: contacts, htc-evo, app-widgets
---


title: Do I need root to use NewzDroid?

text:
# Question
Title: Do I need root to use NewzDroid?
I would like to use NewzDroid for usenet, but I'm not sure if I need root for it to work.

# Answer
Their website doesn't say that you need to be rooted to use it. Just need a NZB file and a Usenet account.
> 2 votes

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Tags: rooting
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# Question
Title: How can I get the Windows 7 USB driver working for my Android Tablet?
I have a Tech\_7 from Chinavasion, S3C6410 Android 1.6;

When I plug it into the usb port, it shows up in the Device manager as HiDROID, but the driver is not installed.

How can I get the USB driver working?

# Answer
* Install the avd & sdk manager - I'm assuming you use c:\Android\_SDK
* Edit c:\Android\_SDK\usb\_driver\android\_winusb.inf
Find the section \[Google.NTx86\] and add the following:

`;Techpad
%SingleAdbInterface% = USB_Install, USB\VID_18D1&PID_0002
%CompositeAdbInterface% = USB_Install, USB\VID_18D1&PID_0002&MI_01`

Find the section \[Google.NTamd64\] and add the following:

```
;Techpad
%SingleAdbInterface% = USB_Install, USB\VID_18D1&PID_0002
%CompositeAdbInterface% = USB_Install, USB\VID_18D1&PID_0002&MI_01

```
* Edit .android\adb\_usb.ini and add the following:

`0x18D1`

**Note: This corresponds to the device id up top**

* Plug device in - you should have an unknown device in the device manager.
* Update the driver on it and manual select the location of c:\Android\_SDK\usb\_driver.
It should install the driver and show up as an ADB Device.
* Run adb kill-server then adb devices

**Remember to turn on USB debugging from the application settings as well**
> 2 votes

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Tags: tablet, usb-connection-mode
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# Question
Title: How can I set up a VPN connection on my Nexus One?
I often check my mail at my office using the VPN connection which bridged my PC with the Microsoft Exchange Server and so that I can check mail using Outlook.

I want to do the same thing when I'm out of my office and on my Nexus One mobile phone. But I don't know how to set up a VPN connection like the way I do it on my PC.

Below is the screenshot of how I set up my VPN on my PC. Please share if you know a solution for me. All helps are welcome and very much appriciated!

# Answer
> 2 votes
I don't know about older versions of Android, but from my 2.1 version it is pretty straight-forward. From the Home screen go to Settings and tap "Wireless and Networks." Then "VPN Settings" and Add VPN and follow the prompts from there.

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Tags: nexus-one, email, settings, vpn, exchange
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# Question
Title: How can I turn off the shutter sound for the camera on droid x running 2.2 froyo?
> **Possible Duplicate:**
> How do I disable the 'click' sound on the camera app?

I'd appreciate any help

# Answer
You should check this question for a solution.
> 1 votes

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Tags: 2.2-froyo, motorola-droid-x
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# Question
Title: Some application require 'root access', what is it, what is the risks, and how can we make it available?
> **Possible Duplicate:**
> Are there any risks to rooting a device?

I download the screenshot to use on my Nexus One (N1) but it can not run and said it requires `root access`. What is it, how can I allow that and what risks/notes to take when letting them the "admin" access like that?

# Answer
Please see my related questions/answers here and here.

In short:

* Root gives you full administrator access to your phone to do things that it normally cannot do (take screenshots, \[free\] wifi tethering, overclocking, etc).
* **You will void your warranty** (but you can typically unroot your phone to a previous state that makes this point moot).
> 3 votes

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Tags: applications, nexus-one, root-access
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# Question
Title: What can I do to increase battery life on my Android tablet?
Tablets have different usage profiles than phones. So many of the "Phone" suggestions don't apply.

So, what can I do to get better battery life on my Android Tablet. (TechPad 7" Tablet from Chinavasion, S3C6410 Android 1.6;)

Works well, except something unexpected is consuming power; Just having the tabled turned on will drain the battery in 2-3 hours. Also, the power status shows 40% of my battery is always being used by "cell standby";

While this tablet has Wifi, it is disabled. It also has no built-in cell phone, so what could be draining the battery?

# Answer
The key was to delete the Telephony application. This tables has no phone. After deleting the following built-in applications, TelephonyProvider & Phone, A new icon appeared in the top box, it was a signal bar strength icon with an X in it.

Now the "Cell standby" no longer appears, and the battery lasts 3-5 hours depending on what I am doing.
> 4 votes

# Answer
Try installing the app PowerTutor, it's a power profiling application that can measure the amount of power that applications and other phone's subsystem takes. Install PowerTutor, let the profiler run, and use the phone/tablet normally for a few days. PowerTutor gives a much more detailed power profile than the built-in Battery Use.

Using PowerTutor, I found that the biggest battery sucker in my Spica is the stock home app, Pantheon; I found a noticeable battery life improvement after replacing Pantheon with Launcher Pro.

The biggest drawback of PowerTutor is that, it is itself a power sucker, it is frequently showing itself as a top power hungry applications.
> 1 votes

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Tags: battery-life, tablet
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