# Question
Title: Android libc in Htc Desire x throwing fatal signal SIGBUS and crashing
I have an HTC desire x(CID HTC\_038) running a rooted stock Rom,my problem is that the phone crashes reboots randomly by throwing fatal signal 7 SIGBUS at various addresses. I have the following logcat outputs and I cannot see any software faults that could lead to this problem:

**Logcat output 1**

```
D/Socket_Alarm( 6570): HTCSocketMonitorImpl::HTCSocketMonitorImpl
D/LocationManagerService(  224): add listener to CarGpsProvider to provide NMEA
V/LocationManagerService(  224): requestLocationUpdates
V/LocationManagerService(  224): _requestLocationUpdates: listener = Receiver{40f323c8 Listener android.os.BinderProxy@41570118}mUpdateRecords: {}
V/LocationManagerService(  224): _requestLocationUpdates: provider = passive listener = Receiver{40f323c8 Listener android.os.BinderProxy@41570118}mUpdateRecords: {passive=UpdateRecord{413aba28 mProvider: passive mUid: 10049}}
D/WifiService(  224): acquireWifiLockLocked: WifiLock{NetworkLocationLocator type=2 binder=android.os.BinderProxy@413e8640}
D/WifiService(  224): updateWifiState(): enable and start wifi
D/WifiStateMachine(  224): [DriverStartedState] CMD_START_DRIVER
D/WifiStateMachine(  224): setWifiEnabled: true
I/PackageManager(  224):  setEnabledSetting(), pkgName=com.google.android.apps.maps, clsName=com.google.android.maps.driveabout.app.DestinationActivity, state=1, flag=1, pid=5948, uid=10049
W/wpa_supplicant(  287): wlan0: [HTC] wpa_supplicant_event():2261- Got an original EVENT_SCAN_RESULTS
I/global  ( 6570): call createSocket() return a new socket.
D/WifiStateMachine(  224): fetchRssiAndLinkSpeedNative RSSI = -56
W/System  ( 6570): Error writing session data for www.google.com to /data/data/com.google.android.apps.maps/app_sslcache/www.google.com.443.
F/libc    ( 6570): Fatal signal 7 (SIGBUS) at 0x4d34ecf9 (code=2)
D/GpsLocationProvider(  224): GPS status listener died
D/CarGpsProvider(  224): GPS Mock status listener died
D/LocationManagerService(  224): [LPS] In removeUpdatesLocked.p.setMinTime:
W/ContentService(  224): binderDied() at ObserverNode
D/WifiStateMachine(  224): [DriverStartedState] CMD_START_DRIVER
V/LocationManagerService(  224): Location listener died
V/LocationManagerService(  224): _removeUpdates: listener = Receiver{40f323c8 Listener android.os.BinderProxy@41570118}mUpdateRecords: {passive=UpdateRecord{413aba28 mProvider: passive mUid: 10049}}
D/WifiService(  224): releaseWifiLockLocked: WifiLock{NetworkLocationLocator type=2 binder=android.os.BinderProxy@413e8640}
D/WifiService(  224): updateWifiState(): enable and start wifi
D/WifiStateMachine(  224): setWifiEnabled: true
I/ActivityManager(  224): Process com.google.android.apps.maps:NetworkLocationService (pid 6570) has died.
W/ActivityManager(  224): Scheduling restart of crashed service com.google.android.apps.maps/com.google.android.location.internal.server.NetworkLocationService in 5000ms
D/Zygote  (  134): Process 6570 terminated by signal (7)
D/WifiStateMachine(  224): fetchRssiAndLinkSpeedNative RSSI = -55
I/ActivityManager(  224): Start proc com.google.android.apps.maps:NetworkLocationService for service com.google.android.apps.maps/com.google.android.location.internal.server.NetworkLocationService: pid=6608 uid=10049 gids={3003, 1015}
D/Socket_Alarm( 6608): registerHTCSocketMonitorCallBack
D/Socket_Alarm( 6608): set mSocketMonitor
D/Socket_Alarm( 6608): HTCSocketMonitorImpl::HTCSocketMonitorImpl
D/WifiStateMachine(  224): fetchRssiAndLinkSpeedNative RSSI = -54
D/LocationManagerService(  224): add listener to CarGpsProvider to provide NMEA
V/LocationManagerService(  224): requestLocationUpdates
V/LocationManagerService(  224): _requestLocationUpdates: listener = Receiver{413db688 Listener android.os.BinderProxy@415effa8}mUpdateRecords: {}
V/LocationManagerService(  224): _requestLocationUpdates: provider = passive listener = Receiver{413db688 Listener android.os.BinderProxy@415effa8}mUpdateRecords: {passive=UpdateRecord{413bb580 mProvider: passive mUid: 10049}}
I/PackageManager(  224):  setEnabledSetting(), pkgName=com.google.android.apps.maps, clsName=com.google.android.maps.driveabout.app.DestinationActivity, state=1, flag=1, pid=5948, uid=10049
D/WifiService(  224): acquireWifiLockLocked: WifiLock{NetworkLocationLocator type=2 binder=android.os.BinderProxy@41716128}
D/WifiService(  224): updateWifiState(): enable and start wifi
D/WifiStateMachine(  224): [DriverStartedState] CMD_START_DRIVER
D/WifiStateMachine(  224): setWifiEnabled: true
F/libc    (  439): Fatal signal 7 (SIGBUS) at 0x5226616e (code=2)
W/ContentService(  224): binderDied() at ObserverNode
W/ContentService(  224): binderDied() at ObserverNode
W/ContentService(  224): binderDied() at ObserverNode
W/ContentService(  224): binderDied() at ObserverNode
W/ContentService(  224): binderDied() at ObserverNode
W/ContentService(  224): binderDied() at ObserverNode
D/Process (  224): killProcessQuiet, pid=623
W/AudioFlinger(  136): AudioFlinger::NotificationClient::binderDied() died
I/ActivityManager(  224): Process com.android.phone (pid 439) has died.
W/ActivityManager(  224): Scheduling restart of crashed service com.android.phone/.BluetoothHeadsetService in 1250ms
W/ActivityManager(  224): Scheduling restart of crashed service com.android.stk/.StkAppService in 11250ms
W/ActivityManager(  224): Scheduling restart of crashed service com.android.phone/.NetworkQueryService in 21250ms
I/ActivityManager(  224): Kill android.process.acore (pid 623): provider com.android.phone.IccProvider in dying process com.android.phone
I/ActivityThread(  623): Removing dead content provider: icc
D/Zygote  (  134): Process 439 terminated by signal (7)
F/libc    (  224): Fatal signal 7 (SIGBUS) at 0x4dc1bd31 (code=2)
W/AudioFlinger(  136): power manager service died !!!
W/AudioFlinger(  136): AudioFlinger::NotificationClient::binderDied() died
W/AudioFlinger(  136): session id 16 not found for pid 136
W/Sensors ( 3824): sensorservice died [0x7464c0]
I/ActivityThread( 4415): Removing dead content provider: settings
I/ActivityThread(  303): Removing dead content provider: settings
E/OMXCodec(  136): wrong state to free OMXCodec 1
I/ActivityThread( 4374): Removing dead content provider: settings
I/ActivityThread( 1934): Removing dead content provider: settings
I/ActivityThread( 2496): Removing dead content provider: settings
I/ActivityThread(  999): Removing dead content provider: settings
I/ActivityThread(  623): Removing dead content provider: settings
I/ActivityThread(  450): Removing dead content provider: settings
I/ActivityThread( 4429): Removing dead content provider: settings
I/ActivityThread( 3699): Removing dead content provider: settings
I/ActivityThread( 5948): Removing dead content provider: settings
W/Sensors ( 6608): sensorservice died [0x78c870]
I/ActivityThread(  417): Removing dead content provider: settings
I/ActivityThread( 4520): Removing dead content provider: settings
I/ActivityThread( 6608): Removing dead content provider: settings
I/ActivityThread( 5692): Removing dead content provider: settings
I/ActivityThread(  503): Removing dead content provider: settings
E/SurfaceTexture(  133): [StatusBar] dequeueBuffer: SurfaceTexture has been abandoned!
E/SurfaceTextureClient(  303): dequeueBuffer failed (No such device)
F/libc    (  303): Fatal signal 7 (SIGBUS) at 0x4d3a518b (code=2)
W/wpa_supplicant(  287): wlan0: [HTC] wpa_supplicant_event():2261- Got an original EVENT_SCAN_RESULTS
D/Zygote  (  134): Process 303 terminated by signal (7)
E/SurfaceTexture(  133): [com.htc.music/com.htc.music.HtcMusic] dequeueBuffer: SurfaceTexture has been abandoned!
E/SurfaceTextureClient( 4415): dequeueBuffer failed (No such device)
F/libc    (  139): Fatal signal 7 (SIGBUS) at 0x0000973c (code=2)
F/libc    ( 4415): Fatal signal 7 (SIGBUS) at 0x4d3a518b (code=2)
W/JavaBinder( 2944): BinderProxy is being destroyed but the application did not call unlinkToDeath to unlink all of its death recipients beforehand.  Releasing leaked death recipient: android.database.CursorToBulkCursorAdaptor
D/Zygote  (  134): Process 4415 terminated by signal (7)
F/libc    (  138): Fatal signal 7 (SIGBUS) at 0x400c4222 (code=2)
D/Zygote  (  134): Process 224 terminated by signal (7)
I/Zygote  (  134): Exit zygote because system server (224) has terminated
F/libc    (  144): Fatal signal 7 (SIGBUS) at 0x0000af4c (code=2)

```

**Locat output 2**

```
E/SurfaceTexture(  134): [StatusBar] dequeueBuffer: SurfaceTexture has been abandoned!
E/SurfaceTextureClient(  378): dequeueBuffer failed (No such device)
E/ViewRootImpl(  378): IllegalArgumentException locking surface
E/ViewRootImpl(  378): java.lang.IllegalArgumentException
E/ViewRootImpl(  378):  at android.view.Surface.lockCanvasNative(Native Method)
E/ViewRootImpl(  378):  at android.view.Surface.lockCanvas(Surface.java:76)
E/ViewRootImpl(  378):  at android.view.ViewRootImpl.draw(ViewRootImpl.java:2158)
E/ViewRootImpl(  378):  at android.view.ViewRootImpl.performTraversals(ViewRootImpl.java:1810)
E/ViewRootImpl(  378):  at android.view.ViewRootImpl.handleMessage(ViewRootImpl.java:2700)
E/ViewRootImpl(  378):  at android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:99)
E/ViewRootImpl(  378):  at android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:156)
E/ViewRootImpl(  378):  at android.app.ActivityThread.main(ActivityThread.java:5099)
E/ViewRootImpl(  378):  at java.lang.reflect.Method.invokeNative(Native Method)
E/ViewRootImpl(  378):  at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:511)
E/ViewRootImpl(  378):  at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit$MethodAndArgsCaller.run(ZygoteInit.java:784)
E/ViewRootImpl(  378):  at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit.main(ZygoteInit.java:551)
E/ViewRootImpl(  378):  at dalvik.system.NativeStart.main(Native Method)
E/InputQueue-JNI(  378): channel '413d4c70 StatusBar (client)' ~ Publisher closed input channel or an error occurred.  events=0x8
E/InputQueue-JNI(  378): channel '413d5be0 NavigationBar (client)' ~ Publisher closed input channel or an error occurred.  events=0x8
E/InputQueue-JNI(  378): channel '413517f0 TrackingView (client)' ~ Publisher closed input channel or an error occurred.  events=0x8
E/InputQueue-JNI(  378): channel '41630278 RecentsPanel (client)' ~ Publisher closed input channel or an error occurred.  events=0x8
E/InputQueue-JNI(  378): channel '413556a8 com.android.systemui.ImageWallpaper (client)' ~ Publisher closed input channel or an error occurred.  events=0x8
E/InputQueue-JNI(  496): channel '41287c10 com.htc.launcher/com.htc.launcher.Launcher (client)' ~ Publisher closed input channel or an error occurred.  events=0x8
E/InputQueue-JNI(  378): channel '412ebea8 StatusBarExpanded (client)' ~ Publisher closed input channel or an error occurred.  events=0x8
D/Zygote  (  135): Process 267 terminated by signal (7)
I/Zygote  (  135): Exit zygote because system server (267) has terminated
F/libc    ( 3472): Fatal signal 7 (SIGBUS) at 0x0000efe0 (code=2)

```

I cannot figure out what is going wrong. can anybody help me? The full logcat can be found in this link.

# Answer
> 0 votes
Finally i found the issue and resolved it!, the error was in the firmware of the device(especially in the radio,don't ask me how did it got the error, cz i've no idea). The solution is to download the OTA update and install it in the device. if the OTA update is not able to install to the system because you have a custom recovery, goto cache\ and find the OTA update package like `OTA_PROTO_U_JB_45A_S_hTC_Asia_India_2.22.720.6-1.18.720.3_release_316889ltmnu8ffxfy8672r.zip` open it with WInzip/Winrar/7zip and extract the `firmware.zip` to a folder. This archive contain the firmware files like `radio.img,recovery.img,boot.img,hboot` etc. now we are going to flash the file to the device if you are on an unlocked bootloader

## Re-lock the bootloader

1.reboot the device to bootloader(goto cmd\>type `adb reboot-bootloader`)

2.type `fastboot oem lock`

## Flash the `firmware.zip`

1.type `fastboot oem rebootRUU`

1. `cd` to the directory where the `firmware.zip` is located.

3.type `fastboot flash zip firmware.zip`

now the firmware is updated and it will be visible in the bootloader menu,use the HTC provided method for unlocking the bootloader

# Answer
> 0 votes
Judging by the logcat, `libc` does not like it at all, coincidentally it does look like the wifi triggering it?

But this what caught my eye though:

```
> W/System  ( 6570): Error writing session data for www.google.com to
> /data/data/com.google.android.apps.maps/app_sslcache/www.google.com.443.
> F/libc    ( 6570): Fatal signal 7 (SIGBUS) at 0x4d34ecf9 (code=2)

```
* Are you running out of space on the `/data` partition?

The OMXCodec, which is related to the graphics driver, should not be crashing like that at all:

> `E/OMXCodec( 136): wrong state to free OMXCodec 1`

Questions:

* Try disabling the wifi completely, and check for stability with it turned off, any differences?
* When did the problem appear? Was it after you installed a last app recently?
* Are you running some app that requires root and modifies the system - such as Xposed module running?
* What version of Android are you referring to?
* Is it overclocked?

These are the questions you need to work out and investigate.

Last resort - try a factory reset or wipe cache/data from recovery (You will lose root!)

---
Tags: 4.0-ice-cream-sandwich, htc-desire, crashes
---


title: Android keeps rebooting

text:
# Question
Title: Android keeps rebooting
I have a ZTE v9. I flashed it with CynogenMod7 from here. I have installed ClockworkMod recovery 4.0.0.2. Then I rebooted phone from recovery. Now, the phone keeps restarting.

I can't get into recovery mode using power + volume down button (earlier I could). I have a backup of previous rom. How can I restore it?

# Answer
> 1 votes
*NEVER EVER FLASH ANDROID ROM WITHOUT WIPING DATA / CACHE WIPE DALVIK CACHE FORMAT SYSTEM (optional, but requires for some rom)*

Always read instructions carefully before flashing any Rom / Mod and reverify whether its for your phone model only.

Anyway, as you said you are not able to go to Recovery mode, therefore there is no use of having a backup. Try to reset your phone, (ie, press power button for approx 7 - 10 sec). If nothing works, follow below instructions:

* Take out the battery. Put on the back cover.
* Hold both `volume +` and `volume -` while plug in the USB cable to a PC. It will automatically get into FTM mode.
* Then flash generic 2.2 firmware on it.
* After flashing, it may stuck in the FTM loop. Put in the battery and flash again.
* After 2nd flashing, take out the battery for 10 seconds. Then put it back.
* Press and hold both `Power` and `Volume +` to boot into Android.

I have no experience with ZTE v9, so i can't hand on step by step tutorial . Hope your phone gets well soon.

**Sources:**

---
Tags: cyanogenmod, rom-flashing, zte-light-tab
---


# Question
Title: Viber's sticker bought will be owned once or permanently?
On my Android smartphone Google Samsung Galaxy, I install Viber app and intend to buy a sticker.

My question is whether I will have to re-buy the same sticker on another phone (using the same Google account of course) or it will automatically restored?

# Answer
> 2 votes
Stickers can be synced to other devices. So YES, it's permanent.

Source: How do I sync my stickers across all devices?

---
Tags: viber-messenger
---


# Question
Title: How can I get both sound and vibration at the same time on my Samsung S4?
Need some help. I must have pressed something on the settings on my Samsung S4 because when I receive a chat or SMS the phone doesn't vibrate unless I turn off the sound.

So right now I have to choose to eıther have vibration OR sound and I want both at the same time.

# Answer
In the Messaging app, click the left soft key and open `Settings`. Under `Notifications`, make sure `Vibrate` is checked.
> 1 votes

---
Tags: notifications, samsung-galaxy-s-4, vibration
---


# Question
Title: Performance comparison between internal and external memory
What are the performance differences between phone's internal memory, the internal SD card, and the external SD card? I wonder if that counts when deciding where to store apps. What technologies are used for building a phone's internal memory? How about the internal SD card, if it is not really an SD card at all? How do they compare, in general, to SD card speed classes 4, 6 and 10?

Note that I am not asking about the filesystems, as a deleted answer focused on, since performance comparison on this aspect would be totally ruined by just switching the SD card from FAT32 to something better (which I think the industry should have done since a long time anyway).

# Answer
For what's worth, I had a class 4 SD card. Running games whose data was on that external SD was painfully slow, during loading and during gameplay, with frequent mini-freezes. After upgrading to a class 10 card, I find no difference in running games from the internal and the external storage.

Please don't draw any conclusions from these highly rigorous scientific experiments.
> 1 votes

# Answer
I'll give some numbers collected while testing my Samsung Galaxy SII GT-I9100 with 16 GB internal memory (11 GB available for user files) and 64 GB SanDisk MicroSDXC memory card (UHC-I SDSDQU-064G-U46A):

```
------------------------------------------------------------
|        |     Internal memory    |     External card      |
| File   |------------------------|-------------------------
| size   |    Read    |   Write   |    Read    |   Write   |
----------------------------------|-------------------------
| 300 MB | 33,34 MB/s | 5,35 MB/s | 11,44 MB/s | 8,52 MB/s |
------------------------------------------------------------

```

Larger files make the write speeds to lower slightly (ca. 7 MB/s for ext card and almost no change for internal memory).

So, in this very case, on this phone and a memory card of exactly this type, internal memory has better reading performance, but there is a catch in it: Flash memory wears out the more the often you write to it, so both the internal memory and the card may become faulty some day. And when this happens a memory card is easier to replace. To replace internal memory you should go to repairing service.

What about flash memory speeds it is all about your feeling - do you feel that using the slower external card fits your needs or you notice a slowdown. I've set up camera app to write pictures and movies to external card and do not feel any discomfort.
> 1 votes

---
Tags: external-sd, internal-storage, internal-sd
---


title: Convert signal strength to dbm

text:
# Question
Title: Convert signal strength to dbm
I've got this app which shows network signal strength as a positive integer value btw 5 and 35. Another app uses negative integers like -99dbm.

Is there a way to convert the positive values (unit unknown) to dbm?

# Answer
dBm = (2 × ASU) - 113 ASU in the range of 0-31 and 99 (for not known or not detectable).
> 0 votes

---
Tags: mobile-network, network-signal
---


# Question
Title: Does deleting content on my phone affect content on Google Photos?
If I delete photos and videos on my device to make more space for other content on my device, will it delete the corresponding content backed up on Google Photos or will it stay online?

# Answer
It will stay online. Auto-backup only add photo, they never remove it.
> 4 votes

---
Tags: google-photos, instant-upload
---


# Question
Title: should you be on a tablet when its charging?
is it OK for the battery if you keep using the tablet while it's charging? And should you stop charging when it's fully charged.

# Answer
> 2 votes
Yes, you can use a tablet while it is charging. But, if you do something cpu intense (like 3d game) it can become a little hot.

No, you don't need to stop charging when fully charged. The tablet will make sure you don't overcharge.

# Answer
> -1 votes
1. It's advisable not to play graphic intensive games while charging, the cpu and graphics chipset gets hot which is not good for a long run meaning decreases longevity of the device.
2. Please disconnect the device from charge after a full charge i.e 100%, good for longevity of the battery.
3. To further increase the longevity of the battery you can keep charge cycle of 10%-90% or 20%-80% every time charging the device and give a full charge i.e 100% atleast once per month. P. S - Number 3 Point only if you want to be extra careful with your battery. What I always do and is normally advisable never let battery go below 10% and never leave it charging once it says fully charged.

---
Tags: charging, tablet
---


# Question
Title: How does hibernating an app work technically?
I was wondering how hibernating of an app works technically.

**I know about freezing an app (`shell pm disable com.mypackage.name`)**, but this also hides the app icon from launcher. I want to know how Greenify App works. It disables the app from running in background until I launch it again and then when I exit from that app, Greenify automatically hibernates it.

So my question is how does it do that?

# Answer
> 1 votes
This is a citation from excellent explanation by lioux on XDA:

Greenify uses the Android command `am` to stop an app and applies this command again if the app is awakened by any action whatsoever. That's what hibernating means. Hibernated app will no longer start during phone boot, respond to registered intents or be triggered by alarms from the system. Everything it does is temporary. The `am` command does not touch the installed files or any configuration information.

---
Tags: greenify
---


# Question
Title: Why did my Galaxy Tab 7.7 suddenly stopped connecting to my Wifi router?
I have Galaxy Tab 7.7 tablet running Android 3.2. Recently, I'm having connection problems to my home Wifi router. The device keeps scanning for Wifi access points for long periods. My home Wifi router is shown with a "Not in range" message next to it in the Wifi settings screen. However, sometimes after long period of time, the device randomly connects to the Wifi router.

It is worth mentioning that during the scanning mode the device does not detect any Wifi access point even thought where I live there are many Wifi access points (over 8 access points).

What is the solution to my problem?

# Answer
The solution turns out very trivial and surprising. It shows and proves practically that the behavior of complex software systems is unpredictable.

The solution: Go to Mobile network settings and disable Use packet data. Next, enable Wifi and then go back and enable Use packet data.

Magically, all my problems disappeared after I applied described steps.
> 2 votes

# Answer
I was having the same problem, but I can connect easily at home (automatic) but my problem was at work. I just changed some of the settings. Turned connections optimizer (yesterday in order to connect I had to turn it off) and reset wi-fi timer for 7a-5p. We'll see how that works once I get home. The settings have been on set for approx. 10 min and I haven't lost the signal. Decreased but not lost.
> -1 votes

---
Tags: wi-fi, connection-issues, samsung-galaxy-tab-7.7
---


title: Getting KitKat on my Galaxy S4

text:
# Question
Title: Getting KitKat on my Galaxy S4
I was wondering if there was like an installation that you can install to a Galaxy S4 device to enable you to get KitKat? I know some people with Galaxy S4's have already got KitKat installed, but it is taking forever to come through as a software update.

Do Samsung push out the KitKat update or the mobile carrier?

# Answer
I'm O2 UK as well, and at 4.3, my phone is 'up to date'.

This article suggests we'll be getting Kitkat, but not quite yet. If you look at comparable previous releases from Samsung, I think we've still got months yet.
> 2 votes

# Answer
In the US, updates generally come through the carrier. Each carrier has to test & approve the update; so if an AT&T S4 has the 4.4 update, that doesn't mean that the Verizon version has been approved.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: updates, samsung-galaxy-s-4, 4.4-kitkat, samsung
---


title: Is Odex really faster?

text:
# Question
Title: Is Odex really faster?
Is an odex file different from the dex file generated and stored in dalvik-cache?

Is it faster? More optimized? Or just the same?

Most people mention the benefit of improved boot speed after wiping the dalvik cache or on new boot, but no one ever discusses runtime performance of both files.

# Answer
The DEX file stored in dalvik-cache *is* an optimized ("odex") file. For historical reasons it carries the file extension ".dex".

The canonical documentation on dexopt is in dalvik/docs/dexopt.html. It's a bit stale at this point but is a reasonable starting point.
> 3 votes

---
Tags: dalvik, odex
---


# Question
Title: Prestigio MultiPhone 5430 and nonexistant boot/recovery partitions
I've got the Prestigio MultiPhone 5430. It's built on Intel Medfield platform. The phone isn't popular as it was released about 6-7 months ago.

Because (as far as I know) nobody before me has tried to hack into it, I'm seriously interested in getting this model's recovery and bootloader partition to have any modding start-point. I've already searched for any clues in `init.xxxx.rc`, `xxxx.fstab` and in `/proc` partition, however that research yielded nothing.

**What I already know is:**

* The DROIDBOOT is locked and doesn't accept any fastboot commands besides some basic info commands like `version` and one `oem erase`. I'm trying to guess possible commands.
* I'm not sure about the partition layout, devices are identified like `mmcblkX` and `mmcblkXpY` where X is device number and Y is partition number.
* The recovery seems like it's a really limited CWM recovery; allows only to install updates from ZIP and reboot, but does not allow backing up whole filesystem.
* Another way to flash bootloader is to use Intel SoC Manufacturing Tool and Medfield board drivers I got from Intel support (they actually responded and even provided some useful usage info), but then, I would have to get a bulk-upgrade file, like .KDZ for LG.

**The partition layout in FSTAB file is:**

```
/reserved hidden /dev/block/mmcblk0_none none size_hint=164
/panic    raw    /dev/block/mmcblk0p1    none size_hint=8
/factory  ext4   /dev/block/mmcblk0p2    none size_hint=32
/config   ext4   /dev/block/mmcblk0p3    none size_hint=16  ro
[then nothing helpful: media - mmcblk0p5, cache - mmcblk0p6]
/logs     ext4   /dev/block/mmcblk0p7    none size_hint=16  ro
[and then nothing really interesting, down to mmcblk0p9, then sdcard begins]

```

It's interesting that `mmcblk0_none` doesn't exist in `/dev/block`, at least at runtime. Another interesting fact is that some parts of `init.rc` were copied straight from Acer Liquid C1, as far as I can deduce from comment left-overs.

Is it possible the system is hiding some partitions from me? If so, how can I reveal them? Can I get service documentation for this Prestigio model anywhere? Has anyone done any research on this before?

I'd really appreciate pointing me into the correct direction, because I'm in dead-end of this research for about a week already.

Oh, and I already tried asking Prestigio support. They didn't answer (such a surprise!).

# Answer
> 0 votes
While I am not nearly as well up as you, I haven't seen any replies and this might be of interest - if not to you then to others looking for info on Prestigios.

I have a Prestigio PAP 4500 Duo which bricked itself spontaneously on New Year's Eve, sleeping the sleep of death. It's under guarantee so all I was looking for was a possible reboot mechanism. I happened upon this menu which seems to offer lots more than you described. Now I couldn't navigate the menu, but that may be because of a fault, but the menu is there to be accessed.

Thanks for your info and hope this adds a little,

MJF

<sup> (Click in the image for larger picture) </sup>

---
Tags: recovery-mode, boot, partitions
---


# Question
Title: Why did Google block Facebook Contact Sync on the Nexus 5?
Is there a particular developer clause that was violated? If so, why is the facility blocked only on the Nexus and not other Android based devices?

# Answer
I did some digging around and found that this change was introduced in an update for Gingerbread. It applies to all Nexus devices starting from the Nexus S (except the Nexus One since it comes pre-installed with Facebook).

The problem Google has with Facebook sync is the inability to port the data that Facebook sync adds to the contacts, out of your device.

Here is an excerpt from their statement on this issue:

> Since Facebook contacts cannot be exported from the device, the appearance of integration created a false sense of data portability. Facebook contact data will continue to appear within the Facebook app. Like all developers on Android, Facebook is free to use the Android contacts API to truly integrate contacts on the device, which would allow users to have more control over their data. We are removing the special-case handling of Facebook contacts on Nexus S and future lead devices.

TechCrunch's coverage on this: http://techcrunch.com/2011/02/22/google-android-facebook-contacts/

Engadget's coverage: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/22/google-disables-contact-sync-in-facebook-for-android-only-nexus/

I am still trying to find the official statement on a Google site. Will update it here if I find it. Also I want to know why Google doesn't get all manufacturers to enforce this rule if it is part of core Android policies.
> 12 votes

# Answer
According to a post in a Google Product Forum:

> A sync between Nexus devices and Facebook isn't possible by default. To get that information on your phone you will need to install a third party application that will sync the information to your phone.
>
> Manufacturers like HTC and Samsung enabled this on their own for the people that bought their devices.

An alternative to make this sync happen is to use a 3rd-party app like Sync.ME - Sync for Facebook:

> • Full Screen Caller ID - See your friends' picture from Facebook, LinkedIn or VKontakte when they call you and when you call them.
>
> • Smart Matching - Matches automatically between your contacts to their social network profiles.
>
> • Contact Enrichment - Magically update your contacts with missing details (phone number, email, company, job title, address & website).
>
> • In-Call Experience - Take your phone calls to the next level! View your friend's latest social network posts and photos during call.
>
> • Birthday Reminders - Never forget your friends' birthdays again! Create and share personalized greetings for any occasion.
>
> • ME Card - Your ultimate contact and business card. Choose how you appear in your friends' and colleagues' phones. Edit your picture and details to keep them updated.
> 4 votes

---
Tags: sync, facebook, nexus-5
---


title: Messaging from desktop

text:
# Question
Title: Messaging from desktop
Is there something besides Moto Connect and Mighty text that would allow you to SMS/MMS from the desktop. Mac or PC. I came from a iOS world where iMessaging worked really well for the desktop. Hangouts is close, but I message a lot people with iPhones so it just doesn't cover enough people.

Any suggestions?

# Answer
This sounds a lot to me like a sort of push notification system. The way I have implement this into my own foot print is to use growl/libnotify on the desktop and notify my android which allows me to have a central cloud based datastore for my alerts.

There is also the option of just emailing all your devices/contacts instead. One can find a Email To SMS Email Address List which lists the domains you would need to send a message to for your SMS/MMS communication to be transmitted.
> 0 votes

# Answer
Try MySMS. This is a really nice tool and allows you to send, reply, and delete messages from your browser.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: sms, mms, google-hangouts, moto-x
---


# Question
Title: Different user interface than usual on Facebook app
Whenever I download the Facebook app for my Android phone (Motorola Razr D3) it shows up normal for the first time but then changes to a strange interface and then stays that way.

<sup> (Click picture for larger variant) </sup>

I've tried deleting it and then downloading it again and again but it keeps changing back, what is this? What should I do?

# Answer
I would say you are very lucky to have that UI (user interface). I've been waiting to get that version, to no avail.

What you have is the Holo-fied UI of Facebook, which I think was initially available to selected alpha testers of the Facebook app. A group would get the Holo version, while the rest would get the regular version. This concept is called A/B testing. Eventually, if there are no more issues, everybody will that that UI. Have you, by any chance, applied as an alpha / beta tester?

Holo, as described in WikiPedia, is the Google recommended theme for the design of Android apps, introduced with Android version 4.0.

Is there a way to change the interface? NO, because the UI is determined by Facebook's servers. If you attempted to download and install (by sideloading) a Holo-fied version of Facebook, and you were not given the rights to have this UI, you would be reverted to the regular UI. This is the reason why Holofication Nation cannot make a custom Holo-fied version of Facebook. To date, they have already released a Holo-fied UI for Grooveshark, Steam, and Instagram. (and I think for CNN too!)
> 3 votes

---
Tags: facebook, motorola-droid-razr
---


title: MID-android tablet with no Bluetooth

text:
# Question
Title: MID-android tablet with no Bluetooth
All I ask is for an answer. Can I put a Bluetooth dongle on this tablet and run Bluetooth devices such as a keyboard/cover. It's a MID-android 4.1 with a mini USB port and adapter cable to a full sized USB. Everything else is stock. The kernel is standard 13.something, I think. thank you

# Answer
> 0 votes
According to this XDA post Bluetooth USB dongle support is native starting from Android 4.2.2. So if you're running 4.0 as the tag suggests, it doesn't work. You'll have to update the tablet.

Also, you'll have to confirm that the USB port supports full host mode with USB Host Diagnostics.

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


title: Retrieving old/deleted messages

text:
# Question
Title: Retrieving old/deleted messages
Is there any way to recover the messages that I accidentally deleted on my cellphone. I am not using Google backup or any other backup service and have never synced with any other device.

# Answer
> 0 votes
Not in any simple, user friendly way.

You're really wandering into the realm of digital forensics here, unless you can convince your carrier that it's worth their while to salvage something from their logs.

Or, y'know, ask your friendly NSA contacts ;p

---
Tags: sms, restore
---


# Question
Title: How to upgrade android market to Google play
I am using Micromax Android A60( version android 2.1 ) phone since two years ago. Now the Market app is not working. When I download any other app it gives error download unsuccessful. Even the Facebook app which is already downloaded to the phone is also not working.

Is this problem because of Market is not upgraded to Google Play?

Why is my mobile is not upgrading Market to Google play? How can I upgrade it?

On Google I got following steps to upgrade Market App but not able to do 3rd step.

Follow these steps to upgrade it manually on your Android device:

1. Go in to Settings in your Android device and then Apps.
2. Look for Market under the "All" tab and then press clear data.
3. Now open the newly updated Play Music app (Google Music). `(This step not found)`
4. Hit that little Market icon in the bottom tray.
5. Confirm Google Play upgrade.

# Answer
> 4 votes
Google Play requires Android 2.2 or higher. Since your phone has 2.1, it won't run. You'll either need to upgrade Android (which may not be possible with your phone) or sideload any apps you want to install from now on.

# Answer
> 0 votes
You can download from Softpedia. Before that, however, you will need to make sure you have selected the `Unknown Sources` for installing applications.

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


# Question
Title: Where does Android ICS store the cursor graphic?
If you plug in a mouse to an Android device, a cursor shows up. I was wondering where that cursor graphic is stored? I'm a root user and want to know in case I wanted to modify it in the future.

# Answer
> 8 votes
Mouse cursor graphics can be located in the `framework-res.apk`. Specifically, `res/drawable-x/pointer_arrow.png` inside the APK file where x (suffix of drawable) is pixel density class of your device.

---
Tags: 4.0-ice-cream-sandwich, usb-on-the-go, mouse
---


# Question
Title: WhatsApp does not vibrate when I get a message
In Samsung Galaxy Note 2, WhatsApp does not vibrate either in sound mode or vibration mode when I get a message. How do I fix this?

# Answer
> 1 votes
Go to `Settings > Notifications`. Select `Vibrate` for message notifications subsection. Can you please check if this works?

---
Tags: 4.3-jelly-bean, whatsapp-messenger, vibration
---


# Question
Title: Apollo stopped working even though it was never launched
I'm running a custom CM10 ROM built for the Lenovo Ideapad K1. The ROM includes Apollo as the default music player. For a while now at seemingly random intervals, a

> Apollo has stopped working

modal dialog box would suddenly pop up, even when Apollo was never launched. How can I fix this?

# Answer
Apollo could be running a background service. The crash might be happening because of some broken code. This can be fixed with a fresh install

Try the links here : Apollo
> 1 votes

# Answer
Try clearing the app data and clearing the cache. To do this, go to the app view, open the menu, "manage apps", choose "apollo", "clear data", and "clear cache". This method worked for me.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: cyanogenmod
---


title: Omega ROM 4.4 bootloader/modem problems

text:
# Question
Title: Omega ROM 4.4 bootloader/modem problems
Hi I was wondering if anyone else has had problems with this ROM update

OMEGA ROM for Samsung Galaxy S4 I9505

I have followed the steps to flash the boot loader (completed successfully).
Flashed the model (failed) but once I booted into the ROM all was fine apart from I can't make any calls or receive calls. Or more specifically it will dial the call but the screen goes black like its froze/locked up. Has anyone seen this or a similar issue before that they may be able to help me with?

# Answer
Before you flash a modem, try another dialer app, just in case it is at fault. Check if 3g/LTE/WiFi are working at all. Chances are that it is the modem that is causing the issue but it is easier to install an app or two before flashing basebands.

On the Samsung Galaxy S4 International LTE model: GT-I9505 you cannot flash a Modem through recovery. You must use `Odin` to do this.

Complete list of Modems for GT-I9505 and I9500 is here.

It is with noting that sometimes the first flash fails, and can even read as "Success" in Odin. Untick reboot and try it twice, then reboot the device.

You man need to try a couple of modems, but try initially to flash the one relative to your ROM (in your case `XXUFNAD`). However, the baseband (modem) can be different depending on your region/carrier/settings/ROM so a little trial and error is required. You may be using a 4.2 modem for example and this probably won't work. Most 4.3 and 4.4 modems will work fine in KitKat.

Edit: This is the recommended modem with the NEW bootloader. This modem is `XXUEMJ5` version. Try this first. Then experiment with others.

Flash it in Odin as below, HOWEVER, do it separetely without the option.

<sub>(source: omega-roms.net)</sub>
> 1 votes

---
Tags: rom-flashing, 4.4-kitkat, troubleshooting
---


title: how to free unused memory in android?

text:
# Question
Title: how to free unused memory in android?
i had downloaded an app but after connecting my phone(HTC ChaCha) to pc and after disconnecting my phone from pc,i found that the app is not working any longer.Rather the phone was failing to recognise the app.So i uninstalled it.But after uninstallation the memory occupied by the app was not freed.how can i free that memory?

# Answer
In settings, see if you can find something called "Application manager". When in that, find the "all" list. See if the deleted app is still listed there. If yes, there should be a few options to clear the data it stores, use them. I am not sure how your android looks like, but they should generally be the same.

If that does not help, you can use this app: Clean master - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.cleanmaster.mguard&hl=eng

I use it on my private phone, and it seems to do good when it comes to free up memory. However, I am unsure if it work on your phone, as it does not list all versions it supports. It's also free.

You can also connect the phone to your computer again and see if you can remove the app data manually, however, how this can be done differ between phone models, and it can be risky as the data you want to delete might not be found so easily.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: 2.3-gingerbread, htc
---


# Question
Title: Does Samsung Galaxy Grand Support USB OTG?
Hii Everyone iam Using Samsung Galaxy Grand (GT-I9082) Duos Model and it is running with Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean Version. I Just Wanted to know whether my device supports USB-OTG Cable Support For Connecting USB Drives i have Searched for the same in google and found different answers like this video from YouTube is saying that my device doesn't support OTG and in other site here saying that my device will support OTG

Please Help Me to know whether my device supports OTG or not

Thanks in Advance

# Answer
> 2 votes
The Galaxy Grand kernel does not support OTG from what I can see. There may be a custom Kernel to support it if you are willing to root etc, the only one I found was for 4.1.2 and abandoned due to huge number of bugs.

Rooting will void your manufacturer/carrier warranty and is not for the wary or anyone who can't risk losing all data from their device.

Try XDA developers for your device and see what custom kernels are available. As it stands you don't have that option (unless something in the firmware has changed in the last few months). This XDA thread seems to confirm there isn't a kernel you can use for this I'm afraid.

This XDA thread has an experimental kerlel, which may help, but as previously stated there are warranty, and functionality issues with any custom kernel.

IF you decide to root your device, this link has a how-to guide which you use at **your own risk!**

Read, and read some more before you decide. Back up everything and follow the steps to the letter. Ensure that you have the EXACT same device as in the thread also.

**DISCLAIMER: ROOTING YOUR PHONE WILL PROBABLY VOID YOUR WARRANTY FROM BOTH THE CARRIER AND THE MANUFACTURER. IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO ACCEPT FAULT FOR ANY ADVERSE EFFECTS OF ROOTING, THEN DO NOT RISK IT. HERE BE DRAGONS.**

# Answer
> 1 votes
Is your device rooted? If not try rooting and installing USB OTG Helper or Stickmount. These apps work only on rooted devices and help to mount USB devices.

However, USB OTG Helper app has a site which has a database of supported device. Even there confusion prevails. A user has commented as:

The best way to know is to try is to root and try these apps yourself. By rooting you can change kernels that could help these apps to mount USB drives.

There is a XDA webpage, which seems to show some light at the end of the tunnel. However, patching kernels are not for faint hearted and I would not advice to take that path, if you are hesitating even to root.

# Answer
> 0 votes
Samsung Galaxy Grand (GT-I9082) Duos 4.2.2 Jelly Bean does not support OTG. I checked.

# Answer
> 0 votes
You could check with USB Host Diagnostics \- though, you'd need to get a USB OTG adaptor and actually plug something in to check.

I'd also add, while many devices may support USB OTG, they may not support plugging in mass storage devices - I have a tablet that I can use a keyboard with, but not USB drives.

I do seem to find a lot of references to it not working, like RossC's link, but nothing that says it does.

---
Tags: 4.2-jelly-bean, usb, usb-on-the-go, samsung-galaxy-grand
---


# Question
Title: Nexus 4, ART vs Dalvik Runtime: Which provides a lower battery consumption?
I'm using a Nexus 4 and currently using the Cyanogen Mod 11 ROM. I was using Paranoid Android Beta 4 for KitKat before but switched to Cyanogen Mod due to the stability that Cyanogen Mod offers right now.

I was wondering what are the pros and cons from ART and Dalvik. Especially since I am no longer running the Nexus 4 stock ROM. Is there any other ways of improving battery life by switching governors?

# Answer
The new ART runtime is still **experimental**. It will make your phone less stable, and some apps just won't work at all. That's why the option to switch from Dalvik to ART is in the developer options: it's only there to let developers and system integrators test their stuff and help Google fix problems.

For this reason, it's a little pointless to measure the performance of ART right now, since bugs in it might cause artificially low or high performance, even in situations where the bug doesn't occur or isn't apparent. Fixing a bug might reduce performance (increasing battery or memory use, or decreasing speed) because extra checks or a slower algorithm are needed to avoid the bug; or, it might increase performance by making some computation unnecessary. Also, further work on improving the performance of ART will certainly be done before it's turned on for everybody.

Combining the effects of fixing all bugs, and all the performance improvements that are made, it's very hard to predict how the finished product will perform. The performance could completely change before ART is ready for mainstream use.
> 1 votes

# Answer
Currently, very few apps properly support ART. So, the performance difference is not really noticeable. As for battery consumption, there should be little to no difference if your CPU settings are left at default.

ART is a great innovation, and I can't wait to see some great performance numbers in the near future, but we are not there yet.

If you're running CM11 nightly builds, you might see some poor battery life. If you do, try another kernel, such as Devil.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: cyanogenmod, nexus-4, root-access, 4.4-kitkat, kernel
---


# Question
Title: How to charge a new Samsung Galaxy tab & what to expect
I am now trying to charge my new Samsung Galaxy tab since morning and it keeps flashing on me. No signs of it being charged. I am unable to switch it on. Please, for how long is it going to have to be charged before I can turn it on for my usage?

# Answer
I realize that this is too late to help the OP, who apparently couldn't be bothered to follow up, but for future readers that might come across this in a search...

Samsung products are pretty picky about the chargers they will recognize, and there can be several problems using "known-good" chargers.

Most after-market chargers are designed for Apple devices, and will not quick charge most Android devices without a special cable or adapter. But even with this special charging adapter/cable, some chargers won't work for Samsung even though they might work for, say, LG (I have this scenario, so I know about it).

Also, most USB ports, and many chargers, cannot supply more than .5 amps, which is not enough for many phones or tablets.

So, the bottom line is to always keep the original charger and cable to test the device, and if you can, try to get a replacement before you need it, so you can compare it to the original to make sure it works. Otherwise, if your original goes bad, and you get a replacement that doesn't work also, you'll never know where the problem lies.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: charging, samsung-galaxy-tab
---


# Question
Title: Please explain the android partition structure to me?
I've tried finding the answer myself, but everything that I am able to see seems to miss out the really basic first steps.

Here's my logic: FIRST Look at the phone's specification. Lets say Samsung galaxy S series. There are three elements: Memory (e.g. 1Gb); Storage (e.g. 16Gb); and removable storage which may or may not be present (e.g. upto 32Gb - I have 8Gb.)

SECOND Now the systems settings of Android 4+, there is an "Apps" item which shows at the bottom of the screen a label "Internal Storage". In my case it will say 1.4Gb used and 627Mb free. That's 2Gb.

If I swipe right, will will say "SD Card storage" 4.6Gb Used and 6.9Gb free. That's 13Gb or so.

THIRD If I use an app like "Hardware info" it says: System RAM 790Mb Internal Storage 2Gb External Storage: 11.7Gb

So, my question is how do I correlate these? 1. On which physical storage does "Memory" sit. 2. On which physical storage does "Internal storage" sit 3. External storage is easy - that's the removable card.

# Answer
> 7 votes
> 1) On which physical storage does "Memory" sit

When the specs say "Memory", it's referring to the RAM that the device has. This is not persistent storage, it is "volatile" storage, which loses its information when unpowered (after a brief discharge time). RAM is memory the system and apps use to function, for things like storing the state of an application (variables, functions, etc), graphics buffers, and the like. Most mobile systems on a chip will have the RAM attached directly to the CPU die to make it as fast as possible.

As per the specs: the device has 1 GB of RAM available to the system and running apps. It reports less than this because the system reserves some for things like the cellular radio and the graphics chip, which it will not give to user processes. The hardware info app is reporting the amount of RAM available to user processes.

> 2) On which physical storage does "Internal storage" sit

In this case, "internal storage" and "SD storage" refer to the same physical storage area. This is persistent storage, generally flash or eMMC based, that is soldered onto the motherboard. The storage chip is partitioned into two pieces, which you can visualize roughly like so:

```
                         Total Storage
+-----------------------------------------------------------------+
| Internal Storage |                 SD Storage                   |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------+

```

Internal storage is where apps and their private data are stored; e.g. it is the `/data` partition. SD storage is accessible via USB when attached to a computer, and is where media (music, photos, videos, etc), downloads, and any non-private app data will be stored. Again, looking at your specs, you can see that:

1. The device has 16 GB of storage. That is, it has a 16 GB storage chip embedded in it.
2. Of that, 2 GB is partitioned as "internal memory" for apps
3. The remaining is partitioned for "SD storage" (13 GB, in your case, probably due to filesystem overhead and such; this is very common).

This partitioning scheme as become somewhat less common since Android migrated to Media Transfer Protocol for providing access to the storage from a PC. The reason the separate partitions were originally necessary is because Android used UMS in the earlier versions (anything \<3.0), which requires block-level access to the storage space, meaning Android had to unmount the storage space that it provided to the PC. A consequence of this was that the entire partition could not be given to the PC because Android would basically cease to function until you unplugged your phone if it did.

The storage space and the RAM are unrelated to one another, and are not on the same physical chip. They serve entirely different purposes.

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


# Question
Title: How to find IP addresses of nearby Wi-Fi networks?
Smartphone application show info about nearby Wi-Fi networks it finds, i.e. channel, SSID, MAC address of router, etc, except it IP addresses. Is it possible to discover IP addresses of nearby Wi-Fi networks without connecting to it?

# Answer
> 3 votes
No. To find out the IP addresses you'd have to be able to connect to the DHCP server that handles giving out the IP addresses for that subnet, get and IP address and a subnet mask, and then scan the subnet for active IPs. To do this, you'll have to be connected to the access point.

---
Tags: wi-fi, ip-address
---


title: What do "faster GPS fix" apps do?

text:
# Question
Title: What do "faster GPS fix" apps do?
There are at least a dozen "Faster GPS Fix" apps in the Play Store -- one is even a $5 paid app -- and they remind me of those RAM Booster/Optimizer utilities of the 1990s.

What do they do -- and the better question is: why doesn't Android do this by itself?

# Answer
> 11 votes
One of the apps you have a picture of, the venerable GPS Status & Toolbox, describes this claim in the app description:

> **Keep your GPS fast:** reset it or download A-GPS data regularly for faster fixes

Wikipedia does a great job defining the basic concepts behind Assisted-GPS:

> Standalone GPS provides first position in approximately 30–40 seconds. A Standalone GPS system needs orbital information of the satellites to calculate the current position. The data rate of the satellite signal is only 50 bit/s, so downloading orbital information like ephemeris and almanac directly from satellites typically takes a long time, and if the satellite signals are lost during the acquisition of this information, it is discarded and the standalone system has to start from scratch. In AGPS, the Network Operator deploys an AGPS server. These AGPS servers download the orbital information from the satellite and store it in the database. An AGPS capable device can connect to these servers and download this information using Mobile Network radio bearers such as GSM, CDMA, WCDMA, LTE or even using other wireless radio bearers such as Wi-Fi. Usually the data rate of these bearers is high, hence downloading orbital information takes less time.

If your phone's A-GPS cache is corrupt or stale, forcing a refresh can be beneficial. Normally, Android does in fact take care of maintaining this cache automatically. I've personally only used this app to help diagnose and solve GPS problems, something it does very well. In normal usage I wouldn't bother with the A-GPS cache until you find it needs intervention.

# Answer
> 1 votes
There is another style of app that simply keeps the gps working non-stop or more regularly.

The android system, unlike CE and systems used in various GPS only units, has a feature of letting the GPS go back to sleep until needed. Or we could reverse that and say that it only wakes it up as needed. This can save a lot of power (a lot more in the early years of these devices).

If you can keep the GPS reciever awake and continually polling the sattalites, any time you actually need this data , it will be working, it will be gathering data from many sattalites and the accuracy of a single quick poll of the location will be much better.
Again only because the GPS receiver is running non-stop. (not too special, but it is a method)

One app of this style is "tracker booster" , also "gps status" (a real status program) has both methods possible (AGPS and Keep alive). Many Car Dock and Car Home type apps, will apply the "keep polling" the gps method. Plus any app that simply needs to use the GPS data, speed widgets, speedometers, location tools.
Anything that keeps the gps awake and going.

When is a Location not a good location :-)
Quick polls of the sat data from the gps only expect there to be a "lock" which only requires 2 sats for 2D and 3 sats for 3D positioning. But this position is not hugely accurate. Given enough time running, the GPS can lock onto more like 8-20 sats (in the US) and aquire a positioning that is within 9 Meters (thats about max from what I have seen). Add in some averaging (multiple polls same location) a full fix, clear view of the sky I can confirm my location within about a 10 feet area.

The claims of this style of apps to be more accurate, and faster fixes, is achieved by keeping the gps awake, that is all.
When Hiking, GPS tracking, GPS cache hunting, or car navigating, most applications already Keep the GPS running non-stop, but not all of them, and not for all situations.
If an app is pushed to the background and has no settings for keeping the GPS alive, when it comes back on the accuracy will suffer some for a while.
Serious GPSers will employ such a method to . . . Keep the gps alive, which does help.

In this different method, AGPS assistance can still be employed to gain a faster first fix. If your device has no data connection of any sort, And the GPS software does not fail when AGPS is not loaded, Keeping the GPS going will keep a good fix on the sats going, AGPS at that point is unnessisary.

Both types of programs show up in the store , often with very poor explaination of the functions, so it helps to know what method(s) is employed.

---
Tags: gps
---


title: Storage on HTC desire X

text:
# Question
Title: Storage on HTC desire X
The internal storage on my phone is almost full. The storage screen tells me

* 2.77GB / 2.91 GB taken
* Apps 0.89GB
* Other 1.89 GB
* Available 138MB

What is this "other" and how can I clean it up? I already followed the steps of "make more space", it barely makes a difference.

Phone Storage then tells me 43.00MB / 1.09GB is taken.

And on the SD card I have 1.86GB / 14.72GB taken.

I have plenty of storage in various places yet when I try to install apps I'm unable to do so cause of "insufficient storage". How can I fix this?

# Answer
> 1 votes
On the HTC Desire X the memory (you would think you get 4Gb, but you don't) the partitions are as follows:

> System is 940 MB,
>
> Data is 1 GB, (This is what you get for your apps really)
>
> 'Phone' storage is 1 Gb
>
> 1 GB towards "internal SD".

Basically you only get 1Gb on the device for your apps. You could use a micro SD card to expand your storage and move your pictures/music/media to it, and some apps still support App2SD functionality.

Keep in mind Chrome can run up to 300 Mb no problem, so a cache cleaner may well help you with storage. Lifehacker article on what to do if you run out of space.

You can't really mess with the other partitions without rooting and then partitioning your SD card with an EXT3/EXT4 partition and a ROM that supports Link2SD to 'trick' your phone into believing there is more internal memory. These partitions contain Android, HTC stuff, system apps, data partition etc. So you get 1GB in all (you have 138Mb left). `Other`above is the OS, HTC apps and other Android related things, that you have no access to (without a rooted device).

---
Tags: internal-storage
---


# Question
Title: How to block apps on tablet from accessing the Internet while on tethering
I use my WiFi-only tablet for turn-by-turn navigation. I either use wifi hotspot tethering or bluetooth tethering through my phone's data plan. (Or USB tethering once I get a Y charging cable.)

My problem is that my tablet apps run their background updates and syncs while I am tethered, consuming my limited data plan. The worst culprit is Google account autosync.

While most apps nowadays are wifi/3G-friendly, that is, they have a setting to do heavy downloads only on WiFi, they do not differentiate broadband wifi or my phone's wifi hotspot. The Play Store app on my tablet would particularly update large apps in the background while I am driving!

# Answer
In Android 4.2 and later, you can tell Android which Wi-Fi networks are mobile hotspots. In the device **Settings**, go to the **Data usage** page, then open the overflow menu (the three dots in the top-right) and click **Mobile hotspots**. It shows a list of Wi-Fi networks known to the device: tick any that are mobile hotspots.

Then, when you're on a network that's ticked on that list, Android will tell apps that the device is on 3G. Any "Wi-Fi only" update settings in apps or in the OS will act accordingly.

In addition, if the mobile hotspot is an Android phone running 4.3 or later, the hotspot will communicate this to the tablet, so it will automatically treat that Wi-Fi network as a mobile hotspot, without any user intervention.

For earlier Android versions, certain apps (such as my app Showr) have similar settings to the Android 4.2 mobile hotspots page, allowing you to treat a Wi-Fi network as 3G within that app. This is less useful than the Android-wide setting, because not every app supports it, and you need to set it for each app individually, but it works just as well if you can't update to 4.2.
> 7 votes

# Answer
For completeness the answer will also include everything some of which you already know.

I understand in your situation that the phone is not distinguishing from your hotspot style of Wi-Fi (using expensive data from a cell tower) to any other Wi-Fi connection that the data would be cheaper to use.

**Manual and automatic methods**

There are methods to both easily manually disable Auto-Sync, and methods to automate the disabling of it:

**Automatic**

* If connected to "Home WiFi", then Turn on Auto-Sync (less account data).
* If connected to "TeatherName WiFi", then Turn off Auto-Sync

Simple "scripters" like "MacroDroid", plus other simple "rules creators" can pull this off.

Example:

I mention these 2 because I could not program my way out of a paper bag, but I can make a few scripts, or rules, or constraints, using those methods. Probably tasker and automate-it could also perform these functions. Auto-Sync off is a "easy one".

In my short time with that Macrodroid app, I was also able to have it reliably recognise that specific Bluetooth devices are connected (keyboard), so that could also be applied to make a auto-sync change.

It can also use a "hotspot" trigger and actions , which won't do any good in your situation, because the hotspot isn't the device you need to control. That method would have to be applied to the hotspot machine, and some creative firewalling, that does not sound so easy.

**Stopping Google Store auto updates Manually**

To access the setting when your in the Google Play store application hit your menu button, and select settings.

Go to the Auto-Update section of the settings. Setting your apps to never auto update does mean that you have to manually update them, but that gives you the option to choose when the updates occur, giving you control,

The google play store settings for update applications can be set to update as follows:

A) Do not auto-update apps
B) Auto Update at any time
C) Auto update apps over Wi-Fi only

**Manual updates at the google store** are made easy When you select the play store icon, and go to My Apps section.

The google store sorts apps that have updates available to the top of the "My Apps" listing

By carefully adding updates to your device manually you can know if a specific update is causing problems.

**Widget Auto-Sync switch**

There are many "widget" programs that will add an icon on your home screen to disable Auto Sync easily.

**Widget Manual Sync Starting**

There are also Widget apps that have "Sync Now" button, with SyncNow syncing will be updated manually at the press of a button. On my machine this activity ends, after any needed sync is done.

**Background Data from Apps**
**Manual settings**

In the network settings you click on the mobile data

Clicking on the menu button to get to the settings. We can see the Restrict background setting, and the auto-sync data setting.

**Automatic , Identifying a mobile hotspot for no background app data**

In the above settings Mobile data / menu button / Mobile Hotspots

In the Mobile hotspot settings , you can select exisiting mobile hotspots , to restrict background app data.
> 1 votes

# Answer
I found four partial solutions to this, with varying thoroughness:

**1. Configure Tasker or Llama to turn off auto-sync.**

See the question Auto sync only when connected to a specific wifi network. Instructions are similar for Bluetooth or USB tethering. This eliminates the background sync of Google apps such as Calendar, Contacts, Gmail, Maps, etc. All other apps, such as weather apps, could and would still update.

**2. Set the Tethering AP as a "Mobile Hotspot"**

This is a duplicate of "Treat certain WiFi networks as mobile/cellular". You would check your phone's hotspot AP name as a mobile hotspot. Reading off the screen,

> Select the Wi-Fi networks which are mobile hotspots. Apps can be restricted from using these networks when in the background. Apps may also warn before using these networks for large downloads.

See Dan Hulme's answer for further information.

However for wifi-only devices the Google Play Store doesn't have a "Auto-update apps over only WiFi only" option. I don't know yet if the Play Store updates apps while on a mobile hotspot. Maybe. So I guess the solution is to keep app auto-updates off.

**3. Use Bluetooth or USB Tethering**

Bluetooth and USB Tethering *are not Wi-Fi*, so therefore apps that set to update only on Wi-Fi will not update while the tablet under Bluetooth or USB Tethering.

Turn off autosync, as per #1, and this appears as comprehensive as one can get....

However for wifi-only devices the Google Play Store doesn't have a "Auto-update apps over only WiFi only" option. I don't know yet if the Play Store updates apps while on bluetooth or USB tethering, so again I guess the solution is to keep app auto-updates off.

**4. Enable/Disable a Firewall**

The most thorough solution? If your tablet is rooted, then you can install a Firewall to block all internet access except the turn-by-turn navigation app. Then all you got to do is enable or disable this firewall.

See also Izzy's answer which mentions a VPN-based firewall.
> 1 votes

# Answer
As you indicated a firewall might do the trick, but you've got no root: You might wish to take a look at NoRoot Firewall and Mobiwol: NoRoot Firewall, which both claim to require no root (as their names indicate).

*NoRoot Firewall* works based on defined IP rules:

> NoRoot Firewall requires NO ROOT. It protects your personal information from being sent to the Internet. NoRoot firewall notifies you when an app is trying to access the Internet. All you need to do is just press Allow or Deny button.
>
> NoRoot Firewall allows you to create filter rules based on IP address, host name or domain name. You can allow or deny only specific connections of an app.

So this will probably not do, as it would apply to "everything". However, *Mobiwol* should fill the gap: it registers as a VPN, and explicitly claims: ***Disable background activity for selected apps***

<sup>*MobiWol:* App-specific rules, settings, logs (source: Google Play; click images for larger variants)</sup>

As a side-effect, you can see in the logs which apps connected *where to*, and might catch some performing suspicious activities ;)
> 0 votes

---
Tags: tethering, wifi-tethering
---


title: How do I root Xperia ZQ_6025?

text:
# Question
Title: How do I root Xperia ZQ_6025?
How do I root this phone and any risk of losing Ltd for my region?

# Answer
> 0 votes
Check on xda-developers for your device. Search for root in Xperia zL/zQ forum. (Isn't Xperia zQ also known as xperia ZL in other parts?)

Rooting will void your warranty and in very rare cases can also brick your phone. Follow all instruction given very carefully.

Rooting probably will not affect Lte for your region.

---
Tags: rooting, root-access, sony-xperia
---


# Question
Title: Is it possible to disable logcat logging for an application?
Is it possible to disable logging to the logcat for an application (APK) in Android entirely.

Since i make heavy use of my logcat output, I'd like to see only bits that are relevant to me but there are a lot of apps that write to the logcat, it is quite cluttered.

I would simply filter the output but it seems that the logcat entries only have the PID for deciding what the application is and the PID is something that changes everytime a process is restarted.

# Answer
> 4 votes
You can use filtering to include only the selected app's messages by the tag(s) used. Use the syntax `adb logcat YourTag:I *:S` to show logcat output only from `YourTag` and hide all others. You can have multiple tags also, just separate them with space and have the `*:S` entry as last.

If you need to get all messages from multiple tags in the same app, you have to fish out the PID. If you use Linux/OSX, you can use the command:

```
adb logcat | grep `adb shell ps | grep com.android.example | cut -c10-15`

```

or you can check out proclogcat and use:

```
adb logcat | proclogcat

```

---
Tags: logging
---


# Question
Title: Samsung Galaxy Note 3 - Eye detection on non-native apps?
Although I feel that the eye detection still requires a lot of tweaks and performance improvements by Samsung, I would be more tempted to use it and test it if it worked with non-native apps.

For example, although Google Chrome comes pre-installed on the device, the eye detection will not work with it.

It would also be nice if the feature worked with messaging apps such as HandCent SMS.

To put it simply - Is there a way for this feature to work with apps you install on the device?

# Answer
> 2 votes
There's an important distinction to be made: Android in its stock form, and Samsung's version of Android, with the Touchwiz framework.

The Touchwiz functionality for the eyeball recognition works with only with apps 'native' to Samsungs Touchwiz version of Android. Apps like Samsung SMS, Samsung Internet, Samsung Gallery etc.

Air Gestures can be ported to 3rd party apps, Flipboard is an example of this.

Fore the eye recognitions stuff, like smart scroll etc. the app needs to be embedded in Touchwiz. However, the 'keep screen on' functionality works over apps, so the screen shouldn't lock while gaming etc.

After looking into this myself, I havn't found any Xposed or other modules to override this for root users. Also, on the S4 Google Edition (running almost1 stock Android) there is no eyeball recognition whatsoever, and cannot be implemented.

Also, from a developer's point of view it, even if it was possible to access this functionality, would it be worth implementing it for only one device, and not being accessible on any other phone? It's a good idea in a way, but I don't see it expanding for a while, until other OEMs decide on similar tech perhaps.

---

1 Techincally the Touchwiz framework is there to enable the S-View cover. On the HTC One Google Edition HTC Sense is there to allow Beats Audio to be built in.

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


# Question
Title: Galaxy Note 3 - Is there a way to add more apps to use when drawing a 'Pen Window'?
Is there a way to add more applications in the list that appears when you press the button on the S-Pen and select "Pen Window" to draw a floating application?

It would be really nice if you could open a floating twitter or Facebook application.

# Answer
Without root it is up to the developer of the particular application, and chances are there aren't enough Note 3s out there to justify it.

There is an S-Pen SDK from Samsung

There are lists (but these will often be out of date in no time) like this best S-Pen apps out there.

---

With root access there is a way to open any app in Pen Window Mode

> First, make sure you are rooted with busybox installed.
>
> Second, make a backup.
>
> Third, just download PenWindowManager\_v1.apk and install as normal. Finally, just tick the apps you want and don't forget to press the save button. A soft reboot maybe required for the changes to take effect.
> 3 votes

---
Tags: samsung-touchwiz, samsung-galaxy-note-3, s-pen
---


# Question
Title: How to add a symbolic link to bypass unavailable busybox applet
I have BusyBox version v1.15.3 installed that came with the ROM gingerdx 31b. This busybox version cannot be updated/changed, because if it's being updated, the phone goes into a bootloop on the next reboot, it is said not to update the busybox in the ROM thread too.

The problem is, this busybox version doesn't include the applet `pgrep`. Whenever pgrep is typed in the shell & executed it gives out a `pgrep: not found` error. "pgrep" is needed by the "super charger" script to do some tasks.

So, I tried creating a symbolic link to a working pgrep from another busybox version. I stored the busybox file in the `/data/` folder, made it `chmod 777`, then `cd` to that directory. Then execute the command;

> ln -sf "busybox pgrep" "./busybox pgrep"

but even when I execute pgrep, it still gives the same error. How do I make the pgrep command point to a working pgrep, via another busybox or a pgrep file?

Also, how do I make this link permanent, so that it stays that way after a reboot? Should I add this to the .bashrc or do this using a init.d script? Both my knowledge on android & linux commands are limited as well. Any help is much appreciated.

Thank you.

# Answer
> 1 votes
Thinking error. You've created a link named `busybox pgrep`, linking to a (not existing) other file of the same name. What you probably wanted to achieve is:

```
ln -sf </path/to/alternative/>busybox </path/to/linkdir/>pgrep

```

Replace `</path/to/alternative/>` with the path to the `busybox` binary featuring `pgrep` functionality, and `</path/to/linkdir/>` with the path to a directory contained in your `$PATH` (best the one where the other symlinks reside).

Busyboxes usually decide their "wanted functionality" by checking where they're called from. So the symlink is simply named `pgrep`, `grep`, or whatever, and pointing to the `busybox` binary.

---
Tags: linux, shell, busybox
---


# Question
Title: Is it possible to unlock the bootloader without root access?
Is it possible to unlock the bootloader without root access? If so, is there another way to unlock the bootloader without using the command...

```
fastboot oem unlock

```

Now, for the background stuff that might be helpful to understand my question. My particular device does not seem to support fastboot so I am wondering if there is a way to do it using

```
adb shell

```

This is the behavior when I try to use fastboot.

```
build@build-VirtualBox:~$ lsusb
Bus 001 Device 009: ID 2207:0010
Bus 002 Device 002: ID 80ee:0021 VirtualBox USB Tablet
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub

build@build-VirtualBox:~$ adb devices
List of devices attached
OUGRYBWWCM  device

build@build-VirtualBox:~$ adb reboot bootloader   #<--- Tablet enters      bootloader mode

build@build-VirtualBox:~$ fastboot devices        #<--- Empty results, no fastboot commands will work

build@build-VirtualBox:~$ lsusb
Bus 002 Device 002: ID 80ee:0021 VirtualBox USB Tablet
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub

# Bus 001 Device 009: ID 2207:0010 --> missing from lsusb command

```

The device is based on Rockchip's RK3066 processor.

# Answer
Short answer is yes you can. Long answer is below but basically it depends on your device, your bootloader and if someone has figured out an exploid to unlock the yet.

More information:

From this link you can see the difference:

> **What is bootloader and why unlock it?**
>
> In literal terms, bootloader is code that is executed before any Operating System starts to run. Bootloaders basically package the instructions to boot operating system kernel and most of them also have their own debugging or modification environment. As the bootloader kicks off before any piece of software on your device, it makes it extremely processor specific and every motherboard has it’s own bootloader. Every Android phone has a bootloader that instructs the operating system kernel to boot normally.
>
> **Why is it locked?**
>
> A bootloader is usually locked on an Android device because although it’s an open source OS, still the manufacturers want you to stick to their Android OS version specifically designed for the device. In order to apply this concept, manufacturers lock the bootloader. With a locked bootloader on Android devices, it is virtually impossible to flash a Custom ROM and forced attempts void warranty as well as usually end up in bricks.
>
> **Why should I unlock?**
>
> The explanation to this question is really simple. If you want root, you’d be wanting to flash Custom ROM post-root, and if you want to install a Custom ROM, you’d need to have your stock bootloader unlocked. In simple terms Unlocking the bootloader allows you to install custom Firmware on your Android phone Warning: Unlocking your phone’s bootloader voids its warranty. It also completely wipes (formats) your Android phone’s internal memory including applications, contacts, SMS and MMS messages etc.

**Just a quick note…. Root can be achieved without unlocking the bootloader but that requires an exploit that is discovered by a developer.**

This quick note is the important part really. It has to be discovered by a developer, so it depends on the device and if someone has figured out the exploit and released tools for you to do it. HTC let you unlock your bootloader through HTC Dev Site but others will not give you an inch on this.
> 4 votes

---
Tags: rom-flashing, bootloader, fastboot, usb-debugging
---


# Question
Title: How do I know I'm entering my password in the real decryption prompt?
I have a Nexus 4 phone with full-device encryption. As I took it out of my pocket, it was displaying the "Type password to decrypt storage" screen. Presumably it had crashed in some way and rebooted, but how would I know this is the real decryption prompt and not some login spoofing malware app?

I powered off the phone and restarted, and curiously, it prompted me for my SIM card PIN first, only then for the decryption password. In any case, the power-off sequence clearly involves software (a long press of the power button invokes a touchscreen menu with only the power off option available).

This is Android 4.4.2, unrooted (as far as I know).

# Answer
> 1 votes
As far as I know, applications (especially non-root ones) can't modify the power menu. If you long-press the power menu, there should only be the "power off" item as you mentioned. If you see the other items on the menu, you're not in the real decryption screen.

Or alternatively you could input a false password and see if it's accepted without verification, which would imply phishing.

---
Tags: encryption, stock-android
---


title: Galaxy SIII has a weak data connection

text:
# Question
Title: Galaxy SIII has a weak data connection
I've noticed that my Galaxy SIII has a very weak data connection at times. This occurs even when people around me with the same phone and carrier (T-Mobile) have perfectly adequate connections.

Are there settings somewhere I'm missing? I've looked at the app mentioned in this post, but would prefer not to install another app if this can be fixed with configuration changes.

# Answer
Look for the signal indicator in between clock and battery bar. If the signal indicator is full, then voila! You should be able to get the fast data connection.
> -2 votes

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


# Question
Title: Android Custom ROM Missing “Add Google Account” Option
In the customized Android system, all pre-installed google apps are missing and it's not allowed to add google account. I downloaded the Gapps from http://goo.im/gapps, but I cannot install the apps due to signature issue

Is there other possible way to retrieve the "add google account" option back?

Thanks

**Update:**

I wasn't aware that I need to push the Gapps into /system/app to avoid signature problem. When I did, it works!

# Answer
That's pretty normal for (almost) all Custom ROMs: They are not *permitted* to include Google Apps. GApps are proprietary, and to ship them bundled with *anything* requires an explicit license from Google.

However, Custom ROMs come rooted usually. and also usually, you (at least in most cases) have a custom recovery when installing them. So if you feel you need a way, you've got two choices primarily:

* pick the GApps package corresponding to your Android version from Goo.im, and flash them via your custom recovery, or
* head over to XDA and check for the NOGAPPS packages if you prefer an open-source replacement
> 1 votes

# Answer
Google Apps (Gapps) is the only way to sync with Google. Whatcustom ROM have you downloaded, and which device do you own? Try to find Gapps installation somewhere else.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: custom-roms, google-account
---


# Question
Title: The ps command shows many repeating processes named "app_process". Why?
as of today my phone (Samsung Galaxy Nexus (4.1.1) slows down a lot. I noticed following:

```
root@android:/ # ps | grep -c app_process
136
root@android:/ #

```

and here is few details:

```
root@android:/ # ps | grep app_process | tail
root      3651  1     429424 12600 ffffffff 40061c74 S app_process
root      3667  1     429420 12596 ffffffff 400e3c74 S app_process
root      3680  1     429420 12596 ffffffff 4013cc74 S app_process
root      3681  1     429416 12596 ffffffff 4003bc74 S app_process
root      3682  1     429432 12608 ffffffff 400b4c74 S app_process
root      3711  3710  429424 12600 ffffffff 40102c74 S app_process
root      3722  3721  429424 15244 ffffffff 4004fc74 S app_process
root      3726  3725  429416 15236 ffffffff 40049c74 S app_process
root      3727  3723  429420 15240 ffffffff 4004ac74 S app_process
root      3728  3724  429420 15240 ffffffff 40014c74 S app_process
root@android:/ #

```

I just boot my phone run adb logcat on my laptop and it's been 15 min already and screen already off yet I still see something going on through logcat. Is this normal?

I cleared /cache and dalvik cache - that didn't help

# Answer
I had a similar problem before. In my case, the culprit was one or more background services. Deleting Google Goggles solved it for a while, then it came back.

This time, I removed Trust Go. So far, so good.

Whether or not you have those specific apps, I'd say there's a fair possibility that one of them is the problem.

I tracked it down by going to Settings \> Developer Options and checking the box to overlay the processes on the screen. This is important because the act of using another app to check on what's happening can itself change things. I saw that even though a system process was eating all the CPU, Trust Go was frequently in the top five. Removing it seemed to cure it for me
> 0 votes

# Answer
Running Flappy Bird with no network results in heaps of these app\_process instances running. Each uses about 7Mb of RAM and they don't go away. Using "OS Monitor" I have never seen app\_process instances except for this.

However, killall app\_process rebooted the phone so clearly there are other instances running, probably with changed identities. OS Monitor sees these, as does ps on my phone so for me, seeing app\_process is never good.

I'd guess something has failed to start or failed to cleanup when exiting.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: processes
---


title: How does update.zip work?

text:
# Question
Title: How does update.zip work?
`update.zip`s are packages containing replacements for parts of an Android system. The packages contain all the files the update is intended to replace and a script that will do the replacement when it's run.

`update.zip`s can come from OTA updates, but in some cases, it is necessary to manually download and put an `update.zip` in some special folder. However, the `update.zip` is still detected and applied in the same manner.

What part of Android detects and handles `update.zip`s?

# Answer
`update.zip` are never touched by Android.

Inside that archive is a script that is parsed and interpreted by the Recovery runtime.

The Recovery, at execution, opens the archive by unzipping into a temporary directory, reads the script, aptly named `update-script`, analyzes it, and based on the syntax, executes a function known to Recovery, that function may do the following, to name but a few:

* mount `/system` and other filesystems, and perform read/write file operations including, copying the kernel, or, an apk or even formatting a partition etc
* check the `build.prop` for certain properties, such as device, manufacturer, etc
* print display to the screen, progress information etc

It is pretty much a de-facto standard incorporated into Android Open Source Project (AOSP)

ClockworkMod, TWRP are derivatives of the barebones version that resides in AOSP with additional enhancements, such as touchscreen input.
> 19 votes

---
Tags: updates
---


# Question
Title: Possible to do Nandroid Backup BEFORE unlocking bootloader?
I have a stock Atrix 4G with Froyo (2.2.2) (Version.4.1.83.MB860.ATT.en.US). It's past warranty, so I'm not worried about voiding the warranty.

As one would expect, the stock recovery doesn't offer me the option of doing a Nandroid backup.

I'd like to flash a custom recovery like ClockworkMod so as to give myself the option of doing a Nandroid backup before trying out a custom ROM like epinter's CM10.1 (Jelly Bean, Android 4.2).

But I get the distinct impression that I will first need to unlock the bootloader **before** I'll be allowed to flash a custom recovery.

But as Motorola makes so vividly clear, it seems like unlocking my bootloader will delete all the things from the phone that I want to backup (e.g. the stock ROM in case I want to go back to it) before trying out a custom ROM.

So it seems like I'm in a Catch 22 here:

* Need to unlock bootloader before flashing custom recovery.
* Need to flash custom recovery before I am able to do a Nandroid.
* Would like to do a Nandroid backup of stock ROM before unlocking bootloader.

Is there any way to get out of this Catch 22? Any way to backup my existing stock ROM before unlocking the bootloader?

Or must I just forget about backing up the stock ROM before unlocking the bootloader? I know I can do all sorts of other backups of installed data and apps and so forth, but I'd like to backup the stock ROM itself if possible.

I noticed this question/answer, but this too seems to require CWM to be installed (I am skeptical of being able to get a faithful Nandroid backup of mounted partitions as would necessarily be the case if the phone was powered on as mentioned in the associated xda thread).

# Answer
Unlocking the bootloader performs a factory-reset on the phone, deleting all the user data. It **doesn't** wipe the ROM. If you're just trying to back up the stock ROM before flashing (a sensible precaution), then you can safely do that **after** unlocking the bootloader.

If you want to back up your user data (i.e. installed apps and their data, contacts, etc.), then you do have to do that **before** unlocking the bootloader, and the answers to this question explain how.
> 6 votes

---
Tags: recovery-mode, bootloader, nandroid, motorola-atrix-4g
---


# Question
Title: How can I track my location and phone logs?
As an experiment, I would like to track the following things:

* Location
* Phone logs
* Text messages

I have a Nexus 4 running KitKat (CyanogenMod, rooted), and I would prefer to export to CSV or something.

Thoughts?

# Answer
> 1 votes
Android itself has no such features built-in (at least none I know that are accessible to the customer). But there are monitoring apps available targeted at "child protection", which can do most of the things you asked for. One example would be Parental Control Board:

Parental Control: Position tracking (source: Google Play; click images for larger variants)

From the app's description:

> Parents can track all movements of their children in real time from web or from their own devices. At any point of time it is possible to get precise kid’s location.
>
> Parents can controls all calls made and received by their children, as well as all SMS messages, and set up Black Lists or White Lists of phone numbers for incoming and outgoing calls and messages.

Additional to your requested items, the app can also be used to lock apps not-to-be-used, and more. Not having used it, I cannot tell whether data can be exported to CSV, though.

---
Tags: sms, nexus-4, geolocation, call-history
---


title: SD Card not working on LG Optimus L7II

text:
# Question
Title: SD Card not working on LG Optimus L7II
I Brought a 16GB Lexar micro sd card for my LG Optimus L7II and installed the micro sd card and I've have tried downloading apps but it keeps coming up insufficient storage space available! How do I get the SD cards to work?

# Answer
Applications never get installed to SDcard. It is *by-design*. If you can access other files (music/video/...) then it is working perfectly. Applications are only installed to the internal storage.
> 0 votes

# Answer
What version of Android do you have? Depending on the version (2.3+ I think) you can move apps to the external SD card via App2SD (or check the Settings/Applications for the option). You will have to install on internal first and then move to external, so to free memory you will have to move some other apps which are already installed.

But some later versions of android no longer support this.

If you root your phone, then try Link2SD.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: sd-card, lg-optimus-l7-2
---


# Question
Title: How to install apps by connecting to the desktop
I was just wondering is that possible to install apps on my tablet by connecting it to my dekstop from google play.

Thanks for any help

# Answer
> 1 votes
Actually, it shouldn't be necessary to connect the tablet to your desktop. All you need to do is to log into Google Play on your desktop with the same account that's registered on the tablet. Then navigate to an app and press the `Install` button (or `Installed` if it's already installed on one of your other devices):

Once you click `Install`, a dialog will appear which allows you to select the device to install to:

After clicking `Install`, click `OK` on the next dialog that pops up. Then connect your tablet via WiFi, wait a bit, and the app will be installed!

---
Tags: google-play-store, usb-connection-mode, usb-debugging
---


# Question
Title: Sync saved wifi passwords from defected mobile
I had an accident few days ago and broke the screen of my Samsung Galaxy Note 2, everything in it is working fine, even the touching system is working fine as well, but I want to retrive the saved wifi passwords, I looked over the internet, though if I could sync the screen of the mobile with my PC, though about the synced passwords on google, non of them could help.

I have purchased samsung galaxy tab 3, logged in using same account and tried to retrive the saved passwords from google account, but it seams that there is nothing saved there.

can you please advice how can I solve this issue?

# Answer
There are multiple possible approaches:

1. If you have Google Cloud Backup activated on the "old" device, your WiFi passwords have been stored along (plain text, by the way). So starting with a new (or factory-reset) device, you should be asked on account creation whether to enable it here as well. Answering with "yes" will restore several things even from your old device, including WiFi passwords (for details, please see Google Backup: Multiple devices using the same account - what happens on Restore?)
2. If both devices have root access, you can use either a dedicated tool like WiFi Pass Recovery & Backup, or straight go for a full-fledged solution like Titanium Backup
3. If at least the "old" device has root access, you can obtain your passwords from their configuration file directly. They are usually stored in `/data/misc/wifi/wpa_supplicant.conf` using plain-text.
> 1 votes

---
Tags: wi-fi, samsung-galaxy-note-2, password
---


# Question
Title: Reset DHCP cache for Asus Memo Pad HD7 'Avoided due to poor connection'
Only the other day, my tablet now refuses to connect to any Wi-Fi spot.

I've tried resetting both the tablet and the router to no avail. After looking around, it seems to be some form of issue with the DHCP, as I can connect via a static IP address, but obviously this only helps on my home connection.

I'm just wondering if anyone knows how to clear the DHCP cache if that's even possible? Any help is appreciated.

# Answer
I faced the same problem when using my Asus MemoPad HD7. For home connection a static IP worked fine, however this was not acceptable. I did a bit of research and found out it should be possible after gaining root access to the device to delete the corresponding cache file.

As I needed a fast solution I just did a factory reset of the Pad, which resolved the issue for me.
> 1 votes

---
Tags: wi-fi, dhcp
---


# Question
Title: When will the reader option appear in Samsung's Internet-browser?
Samsung's browser called "Internet" offers for some sites a separate reader. But not for all sites. What is the criterion to offer the little green box? It looks quite random to me.

# Answer
It is based on content of site, if any site comes under categories: Article, documentation, blog, news or same kind comes under browser reader feature, hope you got you answer.
> 0 votes

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


title: How to Install apks from computer?

text:
# Question
Title: How to Install apks from computer?
Was just wondering is it possible to Install apks directly from pc. I am not talking it through Google play . I have a rooted device.

# Answer
> 0 votes
There are a few ways.

**ADB is the first one.** By connecting your phone to your PC with USB Debugging enabled and ADB installed, you can simply run the following command (where 'android' is the location of your ADB or platform-tools installation and 'appname' is the name of the apk to install):

```
C:\android> adb.exe install c:\somefolder\appname.apk

```

This assumes Windows. For other operating systems the process is basically the same just executing adb install in the terminal in the folder where adb is installed using the appropriate path name to the app in the format of your OS (forward vs back slashes).

**The next way is with an app.** Apps like AirDroid will let you install apps and much more over wifi (for free, or you can pay a fee and use mobile network). AirDroid is simple. Install the app on your phone and open it and then go to http://web.airdroid.com/ from the same wifi network and follow the instructions to connect. If you sign up, you don't have to use the Pin or qr code each time, just log in. Then you can install apps and more from the desktop like interface.

If you haven't checked it out, AirDroid is very useful.

# Answer
> 0 votes
Yes, you can just copy that apk file to your SD card and just tap, its start installing.

---
Tags: apk
---


title: How to update Cyangenmod 10.1 to 10.2?

text:
# Question
Title: How to update Cyangenmod 10.1 to 10.2?
I have Cyangenmod 10.1.3 installed on my Xperia Z. When I tried to download Cyangenmod 10.2-20131101 nightly build in my phone's settings, no error but it silently failed after some time. I tried again but the problem persists.

Any idea what went wrong?

Am I supposed to download the zip file, copy it to my phone and boot into recovery mode to do a manual installation?

# Answer
> 1 votes
You can't upgrade form 10.1.3 to 10.2 directly. You must flash it manually from recovery and you also have to wipe data.

# Answer
> 2 votes
You should follow these steps:

1. Download the relevant ZIP file from get.cm
2. Copy the downloaded ZIP file to your devices storage card
3. Using an app such as Titanium Backup, do a complete backup of all your installed applications.
4. Boot into recovery, and follow these steps:
    1. Wipe data (all data)
    2. Install the zip file as usual
5. Once done, reboot device.
6. Using the backup app, restore your apps.
7. Reboot device.

You will now be running the latest version. The data wipe is highly recommended, but your device should still work without it - you *must* wipe the dalvik cache at the *very* least however, or you'll get a boot loop.

**Important Note**

If you use google apps (GApps) then you *must* make sure you download the version for CM 10.2. If you do not, you may experience compatibility errors.

# Answer
> 0 votes
Several sources state that no wipe is needed while updating CM 10.1 to 10.2:

> You can also do this manually (which is required if you flash additional things like kernels), by downloading the update to your sdcard (from http://get.cm) and rebooting into recovery to flash the update (and any additional zips - although, if you have the gapps installed from http://goo.im/gapps, there is no need to reflash those).
>
> Contrary to popular belief, there is no need to wipe ANYTHING when you update CM. This includes your cache partition, your dalvik cache, and your battery stats. While wiping these won’t hurt anything, you can increase the time it takes to boot up CM after you install the update. Android is smart enough to manage both your cache and dalvik cache without you intervening.

I faced no issues after following this advice.

---
Tags: cyanogenmod, 4.2-jelly-bean, 4.3-jelly-bean, sony-xperia-z
---