# Question
Title: Fast, easy, reliable way to transfer large files between Android devices? (aka. WiFi Direct stories from the field)
I'd like to be able to easily transfer large files wirelessly, fast, between Android devices - preferably without requiring root.

As a secondary objetive, it wouldn't hurt if the same solution could be used, to transfer files between the Android devices and a Windows PC.

Specifically, I'm trying to exchange files between my Nexus 7 (Android 4.2.2) and Samsung Galaxy S2 (Android 4.0.4).

* Bluetooth is simply too slow, so that's out of the question
* Transfer via the Internet is also not an option, hence so is cloud-based solutions
* Only Nexus 7 supports NFC, so that's out too
* Fast File Transfer looked promising and very simple, but does not work on "Devices that don't have WiFi Tethering setting, *such as the Nexus 7*"

Wi-Fi direct (supported from Android 4.0 and up) seems to be a decent lowest common denominator between my two devices, however...

Galaxys S2's native **Send via Wi-Fi Direct** sees the Nexus, but seems to get stuck in the "Connecting..." most times. When there finally seems to be breakthrough, I get "Waiting..." and a spinning circle. Even if it worked, it would only allow me to send from the Galaxy S2 to the Nexus 7, as a similar option os not present on the Nexus 7.

J4velin's **WiFi Direct** is no longer available in the Play Store, with the following explanation:

> WiFi Direct drivers are broken on many devices, which led to users leaving negative reviews for this app. As I don't see any sense in keeping a free app published when only getting 1-star-ratings (for an issue which only your device manufacturer can fix), the app is no longer available at the Play Store.

Nick Adams' **WiFi Direct File Transfer** seems flaky at best. Invations from Nexus 7 to Galaxy S2 are never received. Invitations from Galaxy S2 are mostly received, but even when accepting promptly, the peers doesn't always show as connected. When they finally do, usually after quite a long wait, I can select a file to send but it's never transferred - "Transfer failed" it says almost immediately in the notification bar.

budius inc's **WiFi Shoot** is working slightly better, but still very unreliable. I actually managed to (occasionally) send files both ways, but never when attempting connection from the Nexus 7. To send from the Nexus 7 to the Galaxy S2, I had to go through this akward manoeuvre:

1. Share the file on the Nexus 7 via the *WiFi Shoot* intent
2. Start the *Receive WiFi Shoot* app on the Galaxy S2
3. Invite the Nexus 7 from the Galaxy S2 (never the other way around!)
4. Accept the invitation on the Nexus 7
5. Press the *Shoot* button on the Galaxy S2

Take the whole switching back and forth between devices, and garnish with random delays or failures in any step of the process...

Is there really no easy, reliable, fast way to transfer files directly between different Android devices?

Generally, my experience with Wi-Fi Direct is all but positive...

* A device often won't even see a device lying next to it
* Sometimes, it will see the other device, only to have it disappear from the list, before I have the chance to connect
* When I do have a chance, invations are not realiably received (from Galaxy S2 to Nexus 7 mostly reliable, but never worked the other way around)
* When invitations are received (and accepted), a partnership rarely manages to be setup ("invited" or "connecting")
* And even when that happens, some apps can't seem to transfer files through it...

****Sigh****

Maybe J4velin's explanation pretty much sums up the sad state of Wi-Fi Direct on Android, which otherwise seemed as the best solution to my quest?

# Answer
Rather than sleeping, I spent a few more hours experimenting.

I found what works best for my needs is an FTP server app.

For casual transfers, when both devices are connected to the same network, I'll just transfer through my Access Point. With the limitations that implies.

If I'm not near an AP or just want full speed, I'll deal with the hassle of setting of the Wi-Fi direct partnership and then launch the FTP server. It usually takes 3-5 tries before the devices connect, but once they do, FTP works stable and fast.

Furthermore, this solution also satisfies my secondary goal, of being able to use the same method to transfer files between Android device and PC.

Now, there are a lot of FTP server apps out there. Most are ad-supported, most are rather big as well. To my surprise, there's also quite a performance difference between them.

I thought I'd might as well shared my experience with the four FTP server apps I tested...

# Required Permissions

None of the tested apps required ridiculous permissions. Just the following special permissions:

* FULL NETWORK ACCESS
* MODIFY OR DELETE THE CONTENTS OF YOUR USB STORAGE MODIFY OR DELETE THE CONTENTS OF YOUR SD CARD
* PREVENT TABLET FROM SLEEPING PREVENT PHONE FROM SLEEPING

In addition, Andreas Liebig's FTPServer also required:

* READ PHONE STATUS AND IDENTITY

# Speed Test Setup

The speed test wasn't exactly scientifically performed, but devices were in the exact same spots during tests.

* FTP server app running on Nexus 7
* FileZilla FTP client running on Windows 8 laptop
* Both connected to the same 802.11n network. Windows reported the link speed as 130 Mbps (I know this is not exact)
* I downloaded the same 103,4 MiB large file two times through each app

# Test Results

All stats, numbers and other facts are as of March 30th 2013.

Apps ordered by measured throughput, fastest on top.

## Andreas Liebig's FTPServer

* Price: Free
* Latest version: 2.4.0 (2013-03-26)
* Size: 78 kB
* Install base: 100.000 - 500.000
* Avg. rating: 4.6
* Android OS requirement: 1.1+
* Comments: Initial configuration required, not plug-and-play. Detailed server log on main screen when service is running. No anonymous access possible?
* Throughput: 103.4 MiB downloaded in 43 seconds **@2.4 MiB/sec**, 103.4 MiB downloaded in 47 seconds **@2.2 MiB/sec**

## Boby Ertanto's My FTP Server

* Price: Free (ad supported, ad-free version available)
* Latest version: 2.1 (2013-02-28)
* Size: 1.2 MB
* Install base: 50.000-100.000
* Avg. rating: 4.1
* Android OS requirement: 2.2+
* Comments: Simple interface. Very basic settings.
* Throughput: 103.4 MiB downloaded in 48 seconds **@2.2 MiB/sec**, 103.4 MiB downloaded in 49 seconds **@2.1 MiB/sec**

## The Olive Tree's Ftp Server

* Price: Free (ad supported, ad-free version available)
* Latest version: 1.11 (2013-01-14)
* Size: 1.1 MB
* Install base: 100.000 - 500.000
* Avg. rating: 4.4
* Android OS requirement: 2.1+
* Comments: Based on Apache ftp server. Simple interface. Configurable port, home dir, username/password, service resillience, energy saving etc.
* Throughput: 103.4 MiB downloaded in 56 seconds **@1.8 MiB/sec**, 103.4 MiB downloaded in 56 seconds **@1.8 MiB/sec**

## Berserker's FTPDroid

* Price: Free (ad supported, ad-free version available)
* Latest version: 1.3.1 (updated 2012-12-28)
* Size: 2.0 MB
* Install base: 50.000 - 100.000
* Avg. rating: 3.9
* Android OS requirement: 2.2+
* Comments: Based on Pure-FTPd. Simple interface. Configurable port, home dir, username/password, service resillience, energy saving etc.
* Troughput: 103,4 MiB downloaded in 135 seconds **@0,8 MiB/sec**, 103,4 MiB downloaded in 121 seconds **@0,9 MiB/sec**

# Conclusion

Not only is Andreas Liebig's FTPServer the only completely free of the apps tested, it's incredibly light weight (78 kB!), can run on any Android phone you can find but also has the fastest throughput of the apps tested.

Once the initial configuration is done, the main window simply displays your standard FTP server log, whereas other applications pretty much displays nothing but a few buttons and maybe the IP address and port of the server.

Thank you, Andreas!
> 7 votes

# Answer
I'm Budius, the developer of the WiFi Shoot! and I must say that J4velin's explanation is really spot on and pretty sad.

I started developing it just because I saw this cool technology and no one was using it but it only proved to be a big headache.

Even during development (I was using a Transformer TF300 and a Galaxy Nexus) it took me much more time than it should had and I had lots and lots of problems simply because the technology is broken on the driver level. Example of that is that Asus removed support for WiFi Direct on their Jelly-Bean built of the transformer (and that was reason for one of my 1-star rating, it stopped work on the user transformer)

If my app was completely free I probably was going to the same approach of J4velin and simply pull the plug on it, but now I feel I can't just cancel it for the users that paid for it.

I started checking some options to allow it to operate over normal WiFi too and only use WiFi-Direct if the user specifically request for it, but it's a personal project and I simply don't have free time now.

Really hope the manufacturers get their act together, but I wouldn't put my hopes up. Anyone who always uses bluetooth everyday (a technology that was originally developed in 1994) know that sometimes you have to reboot your mobile just to have it connect to a headset.
> 5 votes

# Answer
I released an app last week that I hope will solve your problems. WiFi Direct Friends https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.cobaltstar.wififriends

Most significantly, it can transfer files in both directions once the two devices are connected, which I think seems to be your main big issue. So even though you may have to guess which device to press connect on (blame the device manufacturers), you'll know that once they're connected you can send and receive no problem. Make sure you aren't connected to any other WiFi networks, or else things will get slow and unreliable.

I also added auto restart of the WiFi when there are problems or hangups in the initial connection process, so hopefully there won't be much guesswork or troubleshooting.

You've hit the nail on the head with regards to finding problems about how WiFi Direct is implemented across these devices. We're dealing with the most trivial use case of the technology here and the internet is full of tales of woe. Direct just does not seem ready for prime time in any big feature that needs to be depended on.
> 2 votes

# Answer
I use an app called HitcherNet-BETA to move files across Wifi Direct between devices. it is fast and stable, great for pushing video files and other big files. in jelly bean the permissions issues of other versions are solved so two way transfer is possible. i am working with these guys to build wifi direct into a game app i am building.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.kharybdis.hitchernet
> 1 votes

# Answer
Another possible solution that is very useful is using Total Commander with the WiFi Transfer plugin.

Then in TC you select the files or folders to share, tap copy/move and select Wifi. If you're already connected to a Wifi network it will work with that, but if you're not it offers to use Wifi direct instead.

It creates a webdav server that you can connect to with whatever device with a web browser.

The transfer rates are fast too.
> 0 votes

# Answer
In 2021 you can do this from Google's "Files" app directly. It has simple "send" and "receive" buttons and sets up peer-to-peer WiFi temporarily and securely with zero configuration hassle.
> 0 votes

# Answer
Have you tried Superbeam? Should work between Android devices, won't work with PC though.
> -1 votes

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Tags: 4.0-ice-cream-sandwich, 4.1-jelly-bean, nexus-7, file-transfer, wifi-direct
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# Question
Title: How to transfer huge files between Android phones only with ES File Explorer and Wi-Fi?
I have few HD movies each occupying around 1Gb to be transferred from one Android phone to another. I've read the question How to transfer files over Wi-Fi without a hotspot and its answers. Even before reading the question, I explored transferring one of the above said movie file from my LGP500 to my Nexus 7 (2012) successfully using ES Explorer and Wi-Fi.

Now at my work, I am trying to do the same to my friend's Micromax A110 and all my efforts goes vain. I tired to make Micromax A110 to host a random Wi-Fi network and I join my LGP500 to it before transfer. After selecting the file and choosing `Send` option, the upcoming UI just shows `scanning...` and a progress bar goes on and on. There are no visibility settings like Bluetooth in Wi-Fi transfer mode.

I tried the reverse the connection and again it failed.

I am bit puzzled and think I am missing something obvious. **Can someone help by providing a step by step guide to transfer files between two Android devices with ES File explorer using Wi-Fi?**

I am sticking with Wi-Fi because the transfer rate was too good. I saw near to 10 MB/s. And I do not want to install other apps as I find ES File explorer available with many of my friends.

Some trivia:

* My LG P500 is rooted and runs stock v2.3.3
* My Nexus 7 is rooted and runs stock v4.3
* My friend's A110 is not rooted and runs stock 4.0.1
* Size of the file that I transferred successfully is 600Mb and face failure on the same file.

# Answer
If Es File Explorer doesnt work, I suggest that you use SuperBeam: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.majedev.superbeam

It uses Wifi Direct Technology to transfer files at wifi speeds, and the wifi direct connection is initialized by scanning a qr code generated by the app of by touching them together with nfc on. You can "Share" the file with Superbeam and opening the app starts the reciever end of the communication
> 2 votes

# Answer
If you open ES Explorer select the file you want to share then click more "has the 3 dots vertical" and select send "has a image of a phone with a double sided arrow" it will scan and find the device. Select the device and share. This is the only way I was able to get ES File Explorer to work with sharing. I am sharing between my Note 3 and Nexus 7 (2012).
> 2 votes

# Answer
In 2021 you can do this from Google's "Files" app directly. It has simple "send" and "receive" buttons and sets up peer-to-peer WiFi temporarily and securely with zero configuration hassle.
> 1 votes

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Tags: wi-fi, file-transfer
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# Question
Title: Cannot connect to xfinitywifi on Google Pixel 3a
I just bought a Google Pixel 3a phone, I cannot connect to xfinitywifi. I have no problem with many other Wi-Fi.

What happened is like this:

1. When I tap xfinitywifi at the Wi-Fi list, I can see that it comes to the phase of acquiring an IP address.
2. Then it shows I need to log in to the Wi-Fi.

At this point, I encountered several different problems:

* I am led to a sign-in page, `wifilogin.comcast.com`, but before I can finish typing user name, I am led back to the Wi-Fi list interface and it shows either "not connected" or "connected but no internet"
* I am led to that sign-in page, but before I even have a chance to type, it goes back to the Wi-Fi list interface
* It does not leave from the Wi-Fi list interface at all. I can see some notification at the top saying login is needed, but it does not change to that login page

At the first start of the phone, it asked me whether I want to transfer everything from my old LG phone to this phone, I did that. The LG phone connected to xfinitywifi automatically.

I tried the following:

* Open the browser and go to wifilogin.comcast.com, it only gives me a blank page
* Click Forget the wifi and re-connect
* Power down and on
* Go to setting and delete all the user credentials.

None of these works.

Any suggestion?

# Answer
> 0 votes
Using http://neverssl.com/ only works if you have a data connection. Maybe the problem is that Private DNS is enabled?

# Answer
> 0 votes
It is an obvious Pixel bug. I can't connect my Pixel 3XL to xfinitywifi hotspots either. I am totally gobsmacked that Google allows such bugs to exist in perpetuity. It is totally unbelievable that in some ways Google's stuff is trash and they don't care.

It should be noted that my provider is Google Fi. There own stuff does work together... Unbelievable.

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Tags: wi-fi, google-pixel
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# Question
Title: How do I disable notification sounds and vibrate in messenger?
I'd like to disable sounds and vibration for messages on Facebook messenger, but leave on sound/vibration for calls and other apps. How can I do this?

# Answer
As of now, notifications for chats and calls in Messenger are grouped and can only be enabled/disabled together.

Your best bet is to contact facebook/messenger and ask them to add the feature, by splitting the notifications into channels, which can then be controlled seperately.
> 0 votes

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Tags: facebook-messenger, android-11
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# Question
Title: Turn off ALL Daylight Savings Features in Android's calendar?
Thanks to Daylight Savings Time (DST) I have run into an issue. I live in Arizona where we don't participate in DST. I'm using the default calendar app that came with my phone. I have an outlook.com calendar that I sync between my phone, my desktop (Outlook 2007), outlook.com (the cloud) and my wife's phone. It has been working great until DST hit yesterday. Now all the Outlook appointments have shifted one hour.

In reading up on the issue it seems that Outlook relies on the computer's time setting to handle the time zone and creates its appointments with GMT +/- your time zone (so for AZ, it's GMT-7) rather than specifying the time zone explicitly (i.e. Mountain Standard Time - AZ). When another computer gets it, it looks at their time zone information on the recipient computer and adjusts accordingly (oh, AZ computer that's GMT-7 and NO DST adjustment). The problem is that the calendar app on the phone (and the new Google calendar app) just read the GMT-7 and then make the DST adjustment, but never factor in that we're AZ which get's no adjustment. So, it changes it to GMT-8 rather than leaving it at GMT-7. If I create the appointment on the phone, I can set the appointment to be GMT-7 (AZ) which then will display correctly across all devices, however I don't always create on the phone.

Is there any way to have the calendar(s)/the phone stop using DST altogether? DST doesn't apply to any of the calendars I have on my phone and I don't see it applying anytime in the future either. (I tried the new Outlook App for Android, but it's still beta - really beta).

I have an Motorola Moto G with Android 4.4.4

# Answer
> 1 votes
The answer I finally settled on was to use a different calendar app. The Android app (even after an OS update to Android 5.1, and an update to a new version of the Android Calendar app) still has this issue. I'm currently using the Microsoft Outlook app and have had no issues with DST changes. My recommendation for people with the issue is to get a different calendar app. This has been a know issue for several years and Google hasn't addressed a solution for it.

# Answer
> 1 votes
I had the same issue on my S4 and finally got it fixed. This is what I did:

1. Delete account credentials from phone
2. Delete all data from calendar and email app
3. Reconfigure account credentials
4. Sync calendar and emails

After that all calendar events were showing up correct for AZ time zone.

# Answer
> 1 votes
Set the timezone manually irrespective of DST. Go to Settings -\> General settings. Enable "Use home time zone". At the Home time zone setting, type "GMT-X" where X is your timezone, scroll to the bottom, select the desired timezone.

Just remember to change the timezone for DST.

EDIT: Also changes the current time perceived by the calendar application, so this does not work.

# Answer
> 0 votes
Turning off daylight saving handling likely will just makes things worse. You don't want that.

For calendar calculations to work, you need to have these things set up correctly:

1. The computer's system timezone is set up to the correct local time zone and has an up to date timezone database
2. The phone's system timezone is set up to the correct local time zone and has an up to date timezone database
3. You created the events with the correct time zone
4. The format conversions during calendar synchronization are implemented correctly

> Now all the Outlook appointments have shifted one hour. ... If I create the appointment on the phone, I can set the appointment to be GMT-7 (AZ) which then will display correctly across all devices

That is indicative that your events are created in the wrong time zone. You should fix the timezones used in the events and fix the settings of the program that created the incorrect events. Giving the timezone might mean that you'll have to shift your existing events en masse.

# Answer
> 0 votes
I had the same issue on my Samsung Galaxy S4 which started at the onset of DST. Here's what I did and it seems to work. I turned off the Automatic Date and Time feature, as well as the Automatic Time Zone. Then set my own date and time, which for all intents and purposes was already set, and reviewed the effect on my calendar. Things before today were still off by an hour, but who cares! Things today and in the future I just deleted, then re-entered. Now it looks okay!

# Answer
> 0 votes
Device info: Nexus 6p/Android N beta Issue: Calendar sync off by one hour. Desktop Outlook correct/phone calendar one hour later. GMT seems to be set correctly and device getting its time from the network. Solution: 3rd Party app 9 by 9Folders. My preference is simplicity and sticking with the minimum number of 3rd party apps but guessing if my calendar has gone rogue is not an option

# Answer
> 0 votes
I found that all of my calendar entries before the time change stayed with the time zone when they were created. So, I had to go in and change the time zone on each of my entries to Phoenix time.

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Tags: calendar, outlook.com
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title: MAC address keeps changing

text:
# Question
Title: MAC address keeps changing
My MAC address keeps changing when ever I turn off the phone or turn on/off the wifi card. It's a big deal because I have to register my device on my network at school, and if it keeps changing it doesn't know who I am.

# Answer
Poking around on google there are a lot of other folks with this problem (MAC address is re-generated on wifi/phone resets). It seems to mostly be Motorola hardware.

Normally a MAC address is burned into the WiFi device. So it seems very, very odd to generate MAC addresses on the fly like this. Too much software (technically incorrectly) relies on MAC addresses as a stable identifier for an endpoint, so this seems likely to cause more problems than it fixes...

Here's a post about the problem from 2010: https://supportforums.motorola.com/thread/38758

The only useful recommendation I saw on the internet was the obtuse 'WiFi Fixer' app, that is known to work around some problems on early Android wifi handsets. I saw no concrete evidence that it 'fixes' this problem.

Alternatively, you could look into the tools for MAC spoofing (AFAICT, these all require a rooted phone). Then just "spoof" a stable address all the time. Here's a highly manual method: http://blog.thecodecracker.com/hacks/spoof-mac-address-in-android/
> 3 votes

# Answer
Maybe this will help some lost soul in the future. It turns out, that in the WiFi advanced options (next to proxy and DHCP options) there's now a feature that randomizes the MAC address (enabled by default!!!).

If I only knew this, before I lost so much time diagnosing my WiFi setup...
> 3 votes

# Answer
Did you know that you can long press the connection? It was just that simple.

1. Go to Settings and tap on Wi-Fi.
2. Turn on the Wi-Fi and connect to a network.
3. Long press on the connected network and select Modify Network.
4. Check Show Advance Options.
5. On IP Settings drop down menu, select Static.
6. Assign IP of your choice but leave other variable untouched.

This may not be a total fix for businesses and educational establishments, because an IP address with need to be assigned. But for personal devices, this is a life saver!

For further information on this see, visit the article How to Fix Failed to Obtaining IP Address Error in Android.
> 0 votes

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Tags: wi-fi, networking, mac-address
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title: WhatsApp chat export not working

text:
# Question
Title: WhatsApp chat export not working
Exporting WhatsApp chat doesn't work from Android (WhatsApp v2.21.1.16, Android 11).

When exporting a chat, it exports only partially (circa 20MB+/- 3MB). Exporting the same chat from an iPhone works fine.

Any ideas?

Can't wait to be rid of WhatsApp. Telegram all the way.

# Answer
On Android, WhatsApp has a limitation on how many messages you can export.

> When exporting with media, you can send up to 10,000 latest messages. Without media, you can send 40,000 messages. These constraints are due to maximum email sizes. https://faq.whatsapp.com/android/chats/how-to-save-your-chat-history/?lang=en

You might be successful in transferring your chat to an iDevice or accessing the database of the backup on your computer.
> 1 votes

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Tags: whatsapp-messenger, telegram
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title: MI A3 DPI issue

text:
# Question
Title: MI A3 DPI issue
I recently got a new phone, a Xiaomi Mi A3 that runs android one (10). The default DPI is "too big", so I changed the DPI from the developer settings from the default one (380 IIRC) to 411 image. But now, I'm having an issue. When I lock my phone, and unlock it, after pressing the power button, or the volume button, the icons will be too big, just like on the screenshot above. Sometimes, the battery indicators font changes too, and becomes very big. I found a forum post on XDA and Reddit, and they have the same issue with me. Is this a bug/issue with the phone, or android 10? Is there anything I can do? Any solution? Maybe ADB can fix this issue?

# Answer
You have the following options :

1. Disabling your fingerprint will solve the issue (permanent fix ).
2. resetting your DPI to 480 will fix this issue (sometimes works).
3. you can just turn on and off dark mode will fix this for some time.
4. Reset your phone and don't mess with DPI ever (don't do this).
5. Get a custom ROM or a new phone.
> 1 votes

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Tags: xiaomi, android-10, android-one
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title: Keep Pokémon Go from taking over audio

text:
# Question
Title: Keep Pokémon Go from taking over audio
I like to drop into Pokémon Go while I'm out and about in the world. Trouble is that I'm usually listening to a podcast or some music, and as soon as I launch the app it takes over the audio, so that whatever I was listening to stops.

Of course, I have the settings for the app with music and sound effects off.

Is there a way to use the app while still listening to a podcast?

# Answer
> 1 votes
I solved the problem this way:

When you listen to your podcast or music and launch Pokemon Go, the music stops playing. Go to your recent tasks, open your music/podcast app and start playing your music again. After that just open recent tasks again and switch over to pokemon go.

If your phone holds more than 1 app in RAM and is not killing them, this should work.

# Answer
> 1 votes
I use Podcast Addict. If you go to their Settings then Player there is a checkbox under Experimental for "Ignore Audio Focus requests" this will allow the podcasts to play while playing Pokemon Go or most other apps.

# Answer
> 1 votes
I feel your pain I'm looking for the same thing

But I found a work around similar to above but doesn't require you to "leave" Pokemon go

Just swipe down from the top and click play again If your music controls show up in the bag menu)l that is. If it's not then add the music to the drop down using the Personalize options in the options

Of course it all depends on you phone + os version, but thats my least invasive workaround until I find another way

# Answer
> 0 votes
I use an audio player that even loses its notification when I switch to Pokemon Go.

I found that a headset button press (wired or Bluetooth) will start my audio back up. The app I use does not get focus when this happens so I am still in Pokemon Go listening to my music.

# Answer
> 0 votes
i found by when in game swiping up from bottom of screen and selecting the nintendo icon in the bottom left screen; i had "mute media" on. by turning it off it allowed me to keep audio playing while using Pokemon Go

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Tags: audio, pokemon-go
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# Question
Title: Is a specific charger needed to utilize 25W charging?
I have a Samsung Galaxy S10 5G. Is it important for the charger and cable to have certain specifications to utilize the 25W charging capability?

# Answer
> 1 votes
Yes and it's usually the OEM supplied / recommended charger. Reasons:

For fast charging, the charger, cable and charging algorithm running inside the Phone need to be able to *negotiate* the right power (voltage & current) levels to charge the phone as designed. If any of these is not as per design, you won't get the fast charge as advertised.

* Charger: I don't know if your device supports Qualcomm or Exynos chip. If it is former, Qualcomm fast charger is backward compatible so any other Qualcomm charger would work but not fast charge. AFAIK, Exynos chip doesn't support this (Related what happens if you plug a non QC 2.0 device into a QC 2.0 charger?)
* USB cable needs to be of right capacity as explained here, else you may not get the right charging speed.

**TL:DR** Go with OEM recommended charger and cable if you want fast charging.

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Tags: samsung, charging
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title: Annoying "No data service" alert

text:
# Question
Title: Annoying "No data service" alert
I'm receiving this stupid message every 5 minutes.

How to disable it **without** disabling other important messages of similar category ?

# Answer
I've also had the problem of a notification alert every 5 seconds. I think I solved the problem by doing the following.

1. Make a recording in a quiet place and make sure there is no sound recorded. (only 1 sec needed.
2. Save the recording as "No Sound" or what you want.
3. Locate the recording in "File", "Audio"
4. On the 3 dots select to set it as "Notification"
5. On the main menu settings select this as your "Notification sound"
6. Go to your other application ("What's app", "SMS", "eMail", etc.) and change the notification sound from "Default sound" to your required tune.

You will still receive the message but it won't make a sound.

Hope this makes sense and will help solve the annoying notification.
> 1 votes

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Tags: notifications, mobile-data, alerts
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# Question
Title: Can we use an Android phone as a Wi-Fi repeater?
Can we use an Android phone as a Wi-Fi repeater?

Imagine situation when you can access a weak Wi-Fi signal from a free hotspot (coffee shop) signal near window, but want to work in the middle of the room. Then we can put the phone on the window sill to spread the signal over the entire home.

Is it feasible?

# Answer
> 8 votes
The answer is yes, there is an open-source project available that does exactly that.

To quote:

> It is a software designed to help you by-pass Great Firewall of China (GFW). Different from similar softwares, it is designed to run as router instead of running as a client installed on some device. Being router means, you can have one thing (Android mobile phone, for example) running fqrotuer, then other devices can just connect the wireless network created by fqrouter.

Blog: fqrouter Source: fqrouter

# Answer
> 11 votes
No. To do this would broadly speaking require multiple Wifi interfaces (or specialized software) which is not readily available (or easily installable) on Android.

In general this is done on Linux using something like hostapd in master mode: I don't believe that is easily setup on any Android phone.

# Answer
> 2 votes
Yes. I wrote VPN Hotspot that is able to do this if you have a rooted Android 5.0+.

# Answer
> 1 votes
Well yes, there is an application that I tested with this functionality

NetShare tethering (no root) application is a solution to the problem addresed.

> Now this application uses a vpn proxy to route traffic from device connected to Wi-Fi network to another client via a p2p connectivity.

Thus allowing to "share wi-fi over wifi" or act as a repeater through **Wi-Fi direct**

* Essentially, it uses a HTTP proxy to route traffic to the client and configuring the connection is fairly easy:

1. Go to connection settings of any device e.g PC, Iphone etc (but in this case used a Symbian device)
    2. Add the wireless access point if not done already, and input the Wi-Fi direct Group password.
    3. Under advanced settings change proxy settings:

`Server: 192.168.49.1`

`Port: 8282`

(remember to allow this port on firewall settings for other devices)

# Answer
> 1 votes
As of Android 10, there is an option called “Enable Wi-Fi Coverage Extend Feature" in Developer Settings to turn on the WiFi extender/repeater feature.

# Answer
> 0 votes
Yes. The Alcatel One Touch Glory 2s has this function. You can choose to tether wi-fi via wi-fi or mobile data. You can create the SSID and password too. I used this phone as repeater to my home wifi router.

---
Tags: wi-fi, wifi-hotspot
---


title: twrp failed to sideload

text:
# Question
Title: twrp failed to sideload
I tried flashing a custom rom using ADB Sideload in TWRP 3.3.0.0. Now I am unsure how to proceed. I did my preparations:

* Bootloader is unlocked
* USB debugging is enabled

However when the sideload froze, after 20-30min I unplugged usb. When I inserted the usb-cable again I tried the following things:

* when I type `adb` devices I see my device-id and the status is `recovery`
* `fastboot devices` is not returning my device
* `adb push` returns me a `couldn't read from device`
* ADB Sideload in TWRP wont work
* when I trype `adb root`I get a msg saying that I already am root

Now I am wondering what to do. When I go into twrp reboot menu I have the options System, Power Off, Recovery and Bootloader. In addition I have the option slot A and slot B. It also tells me that currently I am in Slot B. Here are my questions:

* How do I reboot TWRP from TWRP? My current guess is to reboot Slot B
    + I also noticed in previous installations that TWRP seems to reboot automatically if no System has been installed.
* What is the difference between rebooting Slot B and Recovery? Would both reboot in TWRP?
* Does it make sense to reboot into Bootloader?
    + Do I then need to flash TWRP from fastboot again? Because I am unsure if this would work, as currently my fastboot doesn't find my device

Update: I am using a temporary TWRP booted using `fastboot flash boot <twrp-image.img>`

# Answer
Not sure this counts as an answer. But I prefer to summarise what I learnt from the long comment thread. Note these are lessons learnt from flashing 4 Android Phones in the last 3 months:

1. Check your usb-cable before starting. If it doesn't connect to the laptop where your adb is installed, get a new one!
2. If you install want to unofficial builds, try to have at least another alternative ready for installation. Best try to have at least one alternative *stable* build ready for installation.
3. Unofficial builds may not support `ADB` as @alecxs pointed out in the comments
4. Have an OTG cable ready! I didnt have one ready, but ordered one and left the phone in TWRP for the days until it arrived. With the OTG I managed to install without issues

If 1-4 do not work for you, then I suggest rebooting into bootloader. Thanks @Evan Carroll for the link: Is it possible to boot into a different recovery from TWRP?
> 1 votes

---
Tags: adb, twrp
---


# Question
Title: What would presently be the best way (if any) to emulate older versions, like Android 2.0 Éclair, on a PC or mac?
I'm not experienced in android development, so I was hoping for a straightforward way of just testing apks designed for 2.3 for example. I'm not sure if Genymotion offers virtual devices for versions below 4.4. I did find one called YouWave that looked interesting, but I am still curious as to what would be the best option. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

# Answer
**Warning: performance on older pre-HAXM emulators was slow**

My experience at the time: Android AVD not showing anything. only “ANDROID” in the middle of the screen

Do realize that any Google Services like Google Maps or even cloud based notifications for those older APIs probably don't work anymore.

If you need performance, sadly old hardware is your best bet as emulators had to do ARM to x86 translation in addition to mainly software based rendering.

If you are still serious about finding an old emulator see: Where can I download an older version of the Android SDK? You will have to download the entire package and install the full legacy SDK.

Should you go down the legacy SDK path, please use a small screen size (640x480 or 800x480) as rendering fewer pixels helped performance.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: android-emulator
---


# Question
Title: Why are all my messages getting auto archived?
I have One Plus 3 running OxygenOS (Android 6.0.1). Of late I am facing a weird issue. All my important incoming messages (SMS) are automatically moving to Archived section. Also I am getting no notification for them same. Only few crap SMSs which I don't care about land up in Inbox.

How to fix this? I am missing on important updates because of this. I am using the default Messenger app.

# Answer
> 1 votes
The issue got fixed for me. I went to Messenger app's App Info page. From options (top right corner three vertical dots) choose `Uninstall Updates`. My app already started working fine after this. However, it was again auto-updated to latest version and is still working fine.

# Answer
> 1 votes
Open default sms app Click on three dots icon on top right of the screen Select Settings Deselect or Disable the "Auto archive OTP's" option under Features.

# Answer
> 0 votes
I had the same issue wherein SMS (except few useless ones) were going in Archived folder. I went to Settings-Messenger- '3-dot at the top' and did "Uninstall Updates". This took the Messenger app back to factory version and voila, the OTP message from HDFC was right in the Inbox !!!

---
Tags: sms
---


title: Unable to play some multimedia

text:
# Question
Title: Unable to play some multimedia
I have a P30 lite. When trying to play a video from YouTube (app and web), the video open, but just keeps spinning, and eventually it just freezes. I've tried both with a without WiFi.

I am unable to play videos saved on my device, and neither am I able to play videos sent to me on whatapp, nor audio clips. I am able to play voice notes though.

I've restarted my device, and I've tried logging out of YouTube, reinstalling YouTube as well as trying to use an incognito tab in chrome.

Bar reinstalling my phone, what can I attempt to fix this?

# Answer
> 0 votes
After two days, the media started working again. It's very possibly that (as @alecxs said), there was an update done in the background that broke something, and then another one that fixed it.

Unfortunately I am unable to give a concrete solution as to how to fix this issue if this happens with anyone else.

---
Tags: audio, video
---


# Question
Title: Voice activated / HF inputs: how can you escape special function phrases?
For example, say I have a sentence that I want to end with a period then have returned to a new line, but the contents of that sentence itself *include* `period` and `new line` as literals. Is it possible to use voice-only commands to write such a message?

# Answer
I tested the sentences below. They should have been separated by a new line.

```
The first period is about to start.
He crossed a new line on the sand.
This is the end of a period.

```

In my case, period was handled correctly the majority of the time whether I wanted the word period or a dot for the first sentence. The 3rd sentence was hit and miss. For a sentence that as both the word period and the punctuation mark period, you can make it easy for the phone by saying `full stop` so it can differentiate between the two. But for the third sentence, the differentiation did not work.

To go to a new line, I had to pause 1-2 seconds before saying new line. Only then, was it recognized as starting a new line and not the literal `new line`.

In both cases, while dictating my sentences in one go, the literals were considered. Pausing would insert the punctuation marks. This is not a scientifically proven experiment. You will have to test on your side and reach a conclusion.
> 0 votes

# Answer
I found saying "new line" is very hit-or-miss\[1\], but "carriage return" seems to work more consistently. I haven't actually found this documented anywhere. AFAICT the "Text Editing" section of the online Voice Access commands reference makes no mention of punctuation, including "new line" or "carriage return", while the command reference on the phone (via `Voice Access settings` =\> `Voice Access commands` or saying "what can I say") lists "new line", but not "carriage return"

\[1\]: Very occasionally it actually inserts a new line, but it seems to far more often get mis-recognized and inserted as "New life" "Do line" etc. (seems to be mis-recognized far more often than any other phrase for some reason. Maybe because I'm often saying it in isolation, out of the context of a full sentence?)
> 0 votes

---
Tags: voice-recognition, hands-free
---


# Question
Title: Nexus 7 stuck at Google logo, and system recovery, and OEM locked
**Short version:**

* Normal startup: Stuck at Google screen.
* Unlock bootloader: Stuck at the selection.
* Recovery mode: Stuck at Google screen.

---

**Long version**

My Nexus 7 (2013) had always been fine, and I liked stock Android very much, thus saw no need to unlock the bootloader. When the 5.1 OTA came, I updated my N7 and it started crashing and restarting on its own. One day, it restarted again and got stuck at the Google screen.

Of course, the first thing I did was to get the Nexus Root Toolkit, and tried flashing stock ROM. Of course, it didn't work since it was OEM locked. When I tried to unlock the bootloader, I was prompted with the screen asking if I want to unlock and wipe all data. I selected unlock and pressed the power button. Then it froze (I left it for 8 hours, plugged it into a power outlet).

The next logical thing to do was to start recovery mode in the fastboot to do a factory reset, except it simply switched to the Google screen and was stuck there.

I've read many articles, but it's always one of the three issues I have. They often refer to using a method that involves an area where it's affected by the other problems.

How to recover from this situation?

# Answer
This sounds like a common bug that has been reported on recently by Android Police. To summarize:

> Affected units stop booting at the "Google" logo screen. Attempts to unlock the device through fastboot fail at the "erasing userdata..." step, leaving the devices locked. Some users report successfully flashing factory images on unlocked devices, but this still doesn't fix the problem. There are mixed reports about starting up in Recovery, with some users complaining that the Nexus 7 freezes, and others being able to get in to perform some maintenance.

There are no know solutions at this time. Sorry to bring bad news. I hope I'm not right.
> 3 votes

# Answer
Searching through Google, I found this thread: Android Central Forums - Nexus 7 stuck on Google logo screen on boot up.

Someone there suggested knocking the backside of Nexus 7.

I did that and it worked, Google boot animation appeared. My Nexus 7 (2013) is ok for now.
> 2 votes

# Answer
I had the same problem as well, and was stuck at the Google logo whatever I tried.

I was able to unlock the bootloader and install custom recovery (TWRP), and a custom ROM using the "Nexus Root Toolkit" and fastboot. But I was still stuck at the Google logo. But then I found this post and gave the tablet a few knocks on the back and sides, and suddenly it started booting into the custom ROM I installed!

EDIT: My touch was also unresponsive. But now even that works :)
> 0 votes

# Answer
It can be a battery problem if your stuck at Google logo. I couldnt get my Nexus7 2012 to boot up and it was stuck. Replaced the battery and it started charging.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: 5.0-lollipop, boot, nexus-7
---


# Question
Title: How do I lock phone phone with OK google?
Unlocking a phone with okay google is useful. However, how can I lock it again using okay google. It's very handy being able to talk to my phone whilst working on the laptop but in the interests of battery power locking it again would help. Particularly if I'm using bluetooth and the phone is in my pocket. Time out is set to 15 seconds but a lot can happen in 15 seconds.

# Answer
> 1 votes
If you want a native (i.e., officially from Google) solution, you can install and use the Voice Access feature, which can also be turned on via Okay Google. Note that Voice Access allows much more interactions where Okay Google does not (permissively speaking).

While Voice Access is active, saying "lock (the) screen/phone" will lock the phone.

# Answer
> 0 votes
Unfortunately there's no command for this. Google needs to see the use for this and add it obviously

# Answer
> 0 votes
As it stands the Google Assistant which is activated by the OK Google command does not give you the functionality to lock your phone, if you ask it, the Google Assistant will tell you as much.

However there are ways round this, there is an article from MakeUseOf

which details how to do this, it does require the installation of an app and pairing it up with a custom command that you set in the Google Assistant.

My personal set up for screen locking is to lock immediately.

---
Tags: google-now, ok-google
---


# Question
Title: Trying to unlock & access a password locked Android cell phone that has screen damage on a small section so I can't input the last # of password
I've tried going around the password with some of those programs they have advertised, where they claim it will eliminate the password requirement and get you right into your Android device. What I don't quite understand is what were they thinking of when in the procedures, one of the steps will involve changing the settings in the ***locked*** Android (e.g. Debugging must be on, or load this program onto the locked Android....) Did someone actually go through some of these processes before releasing program? I mean, how are you supposed to get into the settings of a phone you're locked out of, or let alone, load a program or app onto the android you're trying to unlock? I wanna see that happen.

So anyway, I have an android cell phone, I dropped it, screen cracked and part of the screen has no capacity to input anything, it's like a dead area; screen works there, but no touch entry.

Is there any way of eliminating the passcode step, get into it, and load it up with mirror app to view and control the device? And, getting another device to recognize the locked device via USB wire connect.

# Answer
> 0 votes
Things I have done:

1. Remote into the device
2. Connect a peripheral input device
3. Use ADB to send inputs (added bonus of being scriptable and/or AHK/Rainmeter combo)
4. Use the accessibility tools Assistant Menu or Universal Switches
5. Screen casting
6. Specific to Samsung Note series: the phone screen uses two separate touch digitizers. If one is broken (e.g., touch), the other (in this case the magnetic induction digitizer) may still be functioning.

---
Tags: broken-screen, locked-out
---


title: Moto 360 Allow Wear Debugging

text:
# Question
Title: Moto 360 Allow Wear Debugging
I have enabled UDB Debugging for my moto 360, but when I connect it to my computer, I don't get the "Allow Wear Debugging?" dialog.

How can I get this to show up?

# Answer
> 2 votes
First of all become a developer on *Moto 360* and enable Debugging.

1. Launch **Settings**
2. Select **About**
3. Tap on **Build number** until you *become a developer* :-)
4. Above will enable **Developer options** in Settings on your Moto 360

Enable ADB debugging and Debug over Bluetooth.

5. Under **Developer options** enable **ADB debugging** and **Debug over Bluetooth**
6. Launch **Android Wear** on your phone/tablet
7. Press settings (gear) icon
8. Turn on toggle button **Debugging over Bluetooth**
9. Connect your phone via USB and make sure USB debugging is enabled
10. Run **adb devices** from the command line.
11. If device called “localhost:4444” is listed, you are already paired and can continue at step 13.
12. From command line run **adb forward tcp:4444 localabstract:/adb-hub** then run **adb connect localhost:4444**
13. Launch **Android Studio**. When you launch your app your device should be available in the list for debugging in **Choose device** dialog under **Choose a running device** checkbox.

Hope this helps.

# Answer
> 1 votes
Just an update to the above.

Google has removed the "Debugging over Bluetooth" option from the Wear OS app some time in 2021.

If you need to enable this feature, downgrade to an older version. I had success with https://www.apkmirror.com/apk/google-inc/android-wear/android-wear-2-36-0-318474873-gms-release/

# Answer
> 0 votes
For some reason it only worked when my phone (Moto G5s) was in "charge only" mode when connected via USB. As soon as I changed it to "file exchange" the connection broke and ADB refused to connect to the smartwatch. After switching the phone back to "charge only" and restarting the adb console I could connect again using "adb connect 127.0.0.1:4444"

---
Tags: android-wear
---


# Question
Title: Does "Visited <name of app>" shown on Google's My Activity mean that the app has been installed?
My minor child has 'visited `<name of app>`' in her Google's My Activity from the Google Play Store multiple times. Does this mean she has/had the app?

She recently got a new phone and was setting it up from her old phone.

This is the actual activity:

> Google Play Store
> Visited Reddit
> Mar 12, 2019, 5:52:48 PM EDT
>
> Google Play Store
> Visited Plenty of Fish Free Dating App
> Mar 12, 2019, 5:52:48 PM EDT
>
> Google Play Store
> Visited Plenty of Fish Free Dating App
> Mar 12, 2019, 5:52:37 PM EDT
>
> Google Play Store
> Visited Twitter
> Mar 12, 2019, 5:52:25 PM EDT

# Answer
**No, Google's My Activity showing "Visited `<name of app>`" on Google Play Store doesn't mean that the app has been installed**. It literally just means that the app detail has been seen on the Google Play Store app, regardless if it's installed or not. In fact, My Activity doesn't even add any entry for app installation, so there's no way to know if an app is installed from there.

Alternative ways to know are:

* Searching for "Used `<name of app>`" in My Activity instead
* Browsing Google Play Store's My Apps. It lists apps that have been installed at one time unless the entry has been manually removed by the user from the Play Store app
> 1 votes

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


# Question
Title: Prompted to enter new password for Gmail on Android for no apparent reason
In just one of multiple Gmail accounts on my cell phone, I noticed that an outgoing email sent while away from home (probably over 4G) got stuck on the Outbox without being sent. At first I attributed it to cell phone data coverage issues in the area I was in, but even after connecting to WIFI it didn't send.

When I tried to sort out what was going on with that account, it prompted me to verify it, and didn't recognize the password, having to enter a new one after typing the one that I thought was still valid to verify my ownership of the account. After that everything was good until it happened again twelve hours later (and again, everything went back to normal after changing the password, which at this point, I have changed multiple times from a PC to try and avoid being tracked).

None of the interfaces seemed out of the ordinary within standard routines within Google. The other email accounts worked without a glitch on the same phone.

I don't use 2-step verification for this particular account.

I looked for any POP or forwarding, or other sharing settings that could show that the account was compromised, but everything was fine. And I looked under the account activity, and all the changed password events were done by me.

There was only one thing unexpected under the Access tab: an address from out-of-state that I couldn't reverse ID:

> Mobile United States (PA) (2600:1002:b117:ccd7:e506:e318:fc5c:a2cf)

I don't recognize this address, but it doesn't show like there was any password change done by this address, and there were no emails sent or received during that time. Critically, I did not received any notification of an unrecognized new device logging on to my account, and all the devices listed as having accessed my account are mine (under a separate tab in the Settings - not in the list of recent activity, where this IP address appear). In terms of the time, I could have accessed the account from my phone, and only from my phone, which appears elsewhere but not in that entry. One option is that the IP address changes when not using the home network WIFI \- so it was possibly my activity using cell data. But that doesn't explain why I was prompted to enter a new password.

I checked my android for malware with no returned flags.

What could be going on? If the account was compromised, how can I prove it, and how can I find out what sort of access the intruder could have gained? And are the steps I took good enough?

# Answer
> 0 votes
I have all but confirmed through toggling my cell phone from Wi-Fi to 4G that the long address is indeed the network IP address (Verizon service) that my phone used to access my Gmail address when I was in transit (outside the Wi-Fi boundaries).

Although this is a partial reply to the question, and in truth I still can't figure out why I was prompted to enter a different password, there has been zero strange activity that I could detect, or that Google recorded on any tracking or notification system.

So what did I learn:

1. Cell tower IP addresses may not match the State you are connecting from under the **Last account activity** at the bottom of the Inbox on the Gmail display on a laptop.
2. Confirm this by going to **Settings** on Android, selecting **System**, **About phone**, **Network**, and watching the IP address change as the phone is switched from Wi-Fi to 4G.
3. On Android, go to **Manage your Google Account** under **Settings**, then **Security**, and check **Recent security activity** to make sure any password changes were legit, and there were no new devices signed in. Also check **Your devices** under the same tab to make sure all devices are recognized.
4. If not your phone (for 2-step verification) it is at least worthwhile to link the account to some other Google account, since the absence of notifications as to any attempt at logging onto the account by an unrecognized device is reassuring.

---
Tags: gmail, google-account
---


# Question
Title: How does a incoming call show my location?
I got a spam call on my mobile recently and while the phone was ringing, on the screen I can see my location displayed along with incoming person's name. Why my phone was showing my own location for this particular call? Does it mean that my phone is compromised or something?

Edit:
Just before the call, I was having a call with a scammer who was trying to trick me to enter my bank details through a phishing site (which I entered some random numbers, but correct phone number)

# Answer
> 1 votes
When many phones receive incoming calls, they display the incoming number as well as an approximate location of the incoming call, usually based on a table lookup for the country code / area code / prefix of the Caller ID of the incoming call.

The Caller ID data is easy to forge, so often scammers set it to match whatever location they are calling (by matching your country code / area code / prefix). This way, when they call, it looks like a local call, and they believe you are more likely to pick up the phone. But, in reality, they can be calling from anywhere in the world.

When they set their Caller ID to match the country code / area code / prefix of your phone number, your approximate location will appear on your screen because that is simply the location associated with that Caller ID data.

The best way I have found to circumvent their tactics is to get a phone number with a completely different country code / area code / prefix from where you live or typically travel and different from any of your close contacts. That way, when an incoming call uses Caller ID data that is similar to yours, you quickly know it is most likely a scammer.

# Answer
> 0 votes
Most cell phone towers know and publish their exact location. If your phone is now in an area with multiple cell phone towers in reception range it is a simple mathematical task to triangulate your position based on the phone tower locations and the signal strength to each cell tower.

The more towers there are in reception range and the smaller the signal covering area of each cell phone tower is, the better the calculated location.

As modern 4G and 5G cells in city areas are getting smaller and smaller the calculated location can be very accurate nowadays.

---
Tags: call-screening, caller-id
---


title: Help using RDP via a tether

text:
# Question
Title: Help using RDP via a tether
I run a PC which controls my astronomical telescope equipment, it works off batteries as there is no mains power at the site. There is mobile service at the site and I've successfully tethered my phone to the windows 10 PC via a USB cable tether, so I can get internet access using a browser on the PC.

I would like to use my PC at home to control the remote PC via its phone tether and I usually use Microsoft's Remote Desktop software to do this when connecting to PCs on a LAN or over the internet, but I can't seem to find the tethered PC's connection credentials. I'm probably missing something I guess.

I've searched for solutions on the internet such as ' how to rdp to a phone tethered PC', but not had any luck with that.

Could anyone explain how to use the remote desktop client to login to my tethered PC?

Many thanks for help.

# Answer
> 1 votes
The main problem of RDP is that you need a public IP address for directly establishing the RDP connection on port 3389.

In your case there are two obstacles which make it next to impossible:

1. Nearly all mobile data plans do not grant you a public IP address. Instead you are getting a private IP address from a carrier internal network. To access servers on the Internet this network uses carrier-grade-NAT (NAT on carrier side, this implies that you can not configure a port mapping as you can do on DSL home routers which also do NAT). The main reason for most carriers (nowadays) is that they don't have enough public IPv4 addresses to assign every device an own. And mobile networks providing IPv6 services (und may be a public IPv6 address) may exists but I have not yet encounter one. Some carriers allows communication within this private network, in such a case you could use a second cell phone for the RDP client and then connect to the carrier network internal IP address of RDP server. The problem is how to get this IP - regular dynDNS clients I know only give you the public IP.
2. For tethering the phone acts as NAT router, therefore even if you would manage to get direct access to the IP of the cell phone attached to the RDP server you would still need to forward the RDP port from the phone to the PC.

---
Tags: remote-access
---


# Question
Title: Some App keeps crashing / can't enter the settings
I have a Pixel 3 XL running Android 11 security update March 5th 2021 I get constant popups that flash for a sec saying app stopped working and goes away, I can't tell which app it is. Other things I noticed, The google news feed (swipe left) is gone. I tried to go to the home settings and toggle it back on and off and it doesn't come back. But also in the home settings if I click At a Glance it sends me to a setting screen and then kicks me back out.

The app called Google (not chrome) does not open, if I go to the settings for that app and try to clear storage, a screen pops up called Google Search Settings but then kicks me back out to the previous screen

I did a clear storage on Pixel Launcher and I wiped out my home screen, but what ever the app is it keeps crashing.

How can I determine what app is causing the issue?

# Answer
So it was actually the app called Google. Now why you can't uninstall it from your phone, by dragging it to the top, you can go to the app info page and on the bottom of the page is a link that says installed from the Play Store. If you click that it will take you to the play store app page. From there I was able to uninstall and reinstall the app. Now google search voice and news are working again.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: crashes, google-pixel-3-xl
---


# Question
Title: Bad screen resolution permanently crashes Poco F1
In short: I used SecondScreen app and changed the screen resolution to a bad one. The app autostarts and changes my resolution automatically. This causes a boot loop. What can I do?

In detail: This is what I did on my non-rooted Poco F1:

1. installed Second Screen
2. I gave it the permissions it needed, using ADB via my PC, and other permissions it asked via UI .
3. I chose some big resolution.
4. I shut down the PC, before disconnecting the phone from PC.
5. The phone was stuck in the weird resolution, so I restarted it.
6. it is now in an infinite boot loop. :(

It starts booting normally, but than the screen resolution becomes bad (see the photo), and, before finishing the booting, it restarts again :(

At last, the recovery menu is reached and it gives me 3 options.

1. Reboot (this is the restarting loop that brings me back to the same menu)
2. Access via MI PC Suite: I cannot access the device this way; the device is not detected. It never sees the device, except in Fastboot it says: "Try connect in normal mode first then switch", but I cannot enter "normal" mode.
3. Wipe the data (if at all possible, I would prefer to avoid losing the data).

What I know:

```
Codename:       beryllium
Bootloader:     locked
Anti version:       1

```

I can get my phone into `FASTBOOT` and `adb sideload` modes, but unfortunately not in the "normal" adb mode. Can I uninstall the app somehow, stop it from autostart, undo its damage, or anything to fix the phone without losing the data?

A non boot-loop fix was done by typing:

```
From adb shell, type:
wm size reset
wm density reset

```

but I cannot find out how to do that from FASTBOOT or sideload....

# Answer
> 2 votes
I fixed it\* by letting the phone bootloop until fully discharged. I then plugged the phone into the computer and turned the phone on as soon as it charged enough to allow me this. At that point there is a brief window where full ADB access is possible, but only because I did have USB debugging enabled after all, but the bootloop was too fast to allow full ADB access at any point.

I imagine the phone does a fuller/slower reset when discharged. At one point in the "good" bootloop it shows a nice, round, "loading" circle, and that is when I got ADB access. There is little time before "bad" bootloop is resumed.

1. This is what I kept entering in command line during the "loading" circle boot phase, until it finally indicated that I have the full ADB access by showing the alphanumeric ID of the phone and "device" after it:

```
adb devices

```

List of devices attached

```
    03464364da54  device

```
2. Uninstall the culprit app called SecondScreen, by first finding its proper name, and then uninstalling it via adb:

```
adb shell pm list packages | grep second

pm uninstall -k --user 0 nameOfTheAppReturnedByTheAboveCommand

```
3. This was not enough, and the phone entered the "bad" bootloop again, so I discharged it again and reset the screen size and density (DPI I believe):

```
adb shell wm size reset

adb shell wm density reset

```

It works like new now.

---
Tags: boot-loop, side-loading, screen-resolution
---


# Question
Title: Intermittent failure to receive SMS and MMS messages
I noticed an issue in mid December where a few messages in a row that were sent in a group MMS were never received on my phone. A few days ago, I had the same issue with an SMS message sent to me. There may have been other instances as well that I'm unaware of. In December, my default messaging app was QKSMS. In the instance a few days ago, my default SMS/MMS app was Signal.

I'm using an Asus Zenfone 6 on Wing's AT&T network (for those don't know, this essentially means Wing bought AT&T contracts in bulk and is reselling them individually).

I don't know of any issues with outgoing messages. The intermittent nature of this problem makes it difficult to troubleshoot. What steps can I take to ensure I don't lose any incoming MMS or SMS messages in the future?

# Answer
In my case, the issue with the two non-stock messaging apps was the battery settings. Android was throttling the apps when they weren't in active use to save on battery. For whatever reason, incoming text messages would be directed to the apps but the apps would never wake up and the message would fall into a black hole. The stock messaging app was set to never be throttled in the Android battery settings. Changing Signal to also never be throttled seems to have resolved the problem. This is a known issue for Signal: https://support.signal.org/hc/en-us/articles/360027913252-Troubleshoot-receiving-messages
> 0 votes

---
Tags: sms, mobile-network, mms
---


# Question
Title: Keeping ADB permissions while USB tethering
It seems that I can only get ADB permissions for my device only while in MTP or PTP mode and NOT in USB tethering mode, which is what I need.

I have done plenty of research but I stumbled upon so much contradicting and very old information that I can no longer see how to proceed.

Here they say that it is not possible, but it dates back to 2012. Here and here they propose to invoke the shell via ADB to put the device in USB tethering mode (which works for me as well) but also to disable it, which in my case fails since as once stepped away from MTP or PTP mode I no longer have permissions for my device.

Then I found this interesting post which seems relevant but does not provide a complete solution. This also looks relevant but it does not touch the tethering case.

So, once and for all, how do I **keep ADB permissions** for my device when it is ***NOT*** in **MTP or PTP** mode? I only care about recent Android versions. I obviously have **root** access for my device as well the possibility to deploy custom ROMs, although, for personal taste, I tend to stick to LineageOS.

---

Additional note: this is the error that I get when not in MTP/PTP:

```
$ adb devices
List of devices attached
2d8568f6    no permissions; see [http://developer.android.com/tools/device.html]

$ adb shell
error: insufficient permissions for device
See [http://developer.android.com/tools/device.html] for more information

```

Unfortunately the link is quite useless, but it seems that ADB identifies and communicates with the device, but this does not accept any request.

I don't think that this has something to do with my PC, the udev rules are in place, plus ADB works fine when the device is in MTP or PTP mode.

Here is a screenshot (click for video browsing to that menu):

---

When in MTP mode I can open a shell via ADB, this is what I see:

```
$ su

# pwd
/

# ls -lah
total 1.0M
drwxr-xr-x  18 root   root   4.0K 2008-12-31 19:30 .
drwxr-xr-x  18 root   root   4.0K 2008-12-31 19:30 ..
dr-xr-xr-x  56 root   root      0 1971-04-23 21:51 acct
lrw-r--r--   1 root   root     11 2008-12-31 19:30 bin -> /system/bin
lrw-r--r--   1 root   root     50 2008-12-31 19:30 bugreports -> /data/user_de/0/com.android.shell/files/bugreports
drwxrwx---   6 system cache  4.0K 1971-04-23 21:51 cache
lrw-r--r--   1 root   root     13 2008-12-31 19:30 charger -> /sbin/charger
drwxr-xr-x   3 root   root      0 1970-01-01 01:00 config
lrw-r--r--   1 root   root     17 2008-12-31 19:30 d -> /sys/kernel/debug
drwxrwx--x  42 system system 4.0K 2020-05-02 11:50 data
lrw-------   1 root   root     23 2008-12-31 19:30 default.prop -> system/etc/prop.default
drwxr-xr-x  17 root   root   3.4K 2018-03-20 08:10 dev
lrw-r--r--   1 root   root     11 2008-12-31 19:30 dsp -> /vendor/dsp
lrw-r--r--   1 root   root     11 2008-12-31 19:30 etc -> /system/etc
lrw-r--r--   1 root   root     20 2008-12-31 19:30 firmware -> /vendor/firmware_mnt
-rwxr-x---   1 root   shell  2.1M 2008-12-31 19:30 init
-rwxr-x---   1 root   shell  1.2K 2008-12-31 19:30 init.environ.rc
-rwxr-x---   1 root   shell   29K 2008-12-31 19:30 init.rc
-rwxr-x---   1 root   shell  7.5K 2008-12-31 19:30 init.usb.configfs.rc
-rwxr-x---   1 root   shell  5.5K 2008-12-31 19:30 init.usb.rc
-rwxr-x---   1 root   shell   511 2008-12-31 19:30 init.zygote32.rc
-rwxr-x---   1 root   shell   875 2008-12-31 19:30 init.zygote64_32.rc
drwx------   2 root   root    16K 2008-12-31 19:30 lost+found
drwxr-xr-x  12 root   system  260 1971-04-23 21:51 mnt
drwxr-xr-x   2 root   root   4.0K 2008-12-31 19:30 odm
drwxr-xr-x   2 root   root   4.0K 2008-12-31 19:30 oem
dr-xr-xr-x 512 root   root      0 1970-01-01 01:00 proc
lrw-r--r--   1 root   root     15 2008-12-31 19:30 product -> /system/product
drwxr-xr-x   3 root   root   4.0K 2008-12-31 19:30 res
drwxr-xr-x   3 root   root    300 1971-04-23 21:51 sbin
lrw-r--r--   1 root   root     21 2008-12-31 19:30 sdcard -> /storage/self/primary
drwxr-xr-x   4 root   root     80 2020-02-27 08:07 storage
dr-xr-xr-x  12 root   root      0 1971-04-23 21:51 sys
drwxr-xr-x  17 root   root   4.0K 2018-03-20 02:40 system
-rw-r--r--   1 root   root   5.2K 2008-12-31 19:30 ueventd.rc
drwxr-xr-x  15 root   root   4.0K 2008-12-31 19:30 vendor
-rw-r--r--   1 root   root    524 2008-12-31 19:30 verity_key

```

I can open the various `.rc` files in there (with `nano` or `/sbin/.magisk/busybox/vi`) but in readonly mode. I might be able to get rw permissions from recovery, but still I would not know what to change.

# Answer
I had the same problem and I think it is caused by some bug or misconfiguration in the ROM.

As a workaround, I figured out enabling the option *ADB over network* from the *Developer options* allowed me to connect using adb while having USB tethering mode turned on. However you have to be careful not to enable that option on untrusted networks (untrusted wifi or 3G) because it allows remote access to your device over TCP to anybody on that network.
> 1 votes

---
Tags: adb, linux, permissions, usb-debugging, usb-tethering
---


# Question
Title: Taking pictures/videos from both front and rear camera simultaneously?
There are apps that can do this but they are not exactly Bothie. The app allows the user to first take a picture from rear camera and then from the front camera (but not simultaneously). Nokia first came up with this idea in 2017.
More about Bothie

I am just wondering if this is a hardware feature or software. I can handle the software issue(with root) i think. And if this is not possible then can you please explain why and how it works (totally optional)? Because if this is possible then people will be able to take videos from both cameras (poor cameraman will also be included in the clip).. and that would be pretty cool IMO =)

Every little opinion or googling is accepted. Thanks in advance : )

# Answer
> 1 votes
This is what I could gather from answers on Stack Overflow. I have no development background, so corrections are welcome.

* Camera could have only have one object as mentioned here. But this was depreciated from Android 5.0. So, devices running KitKat and below, *cannot* have this feature.
* It seemed to be possible on some devices to open both front and rear camera as mentioned here. However, it is not possible on all devices due to **hardware & Software restrictions (see comments)**

> The Android camera APIs generally allow multiple cameras to be used at the same time, but most devices do not have enough hardware resources to support that in practice - for example, there's often only one camera image processor shared by both cameras.

* The link in your question is the best I could find for a clear explanation.Nokia, Samsung, LG seem to have started this trend on some of their devices. Such devices either need Dual Camera Mode or Dual Sight Mode. There wasn't much I could find about these OEM specific technologies. The Frontback Camera app mentioned in the link, works on Pixel 4a Android 11. **Note** that the pictures were very grainy and not worth the result IMO.

OP tried apps mentioned here and they didn't work.

This leads me to conclude that it is both a hardware & Software feature and apps can be poor substitute. I doubt if trying on other devices would show better results. Neither have I come across any rooted or Xposed modules that can do this, so it is best to buy the devices that support this natively, if you want this feature badly.

# Answer
> 1 votes
I was also searching a dual camera for my vlog but could find nowhere.

However, I want to give you some good news. Such camera is possible and I had found it on POCO X3 NFC MIUI camera. My friend uses this phone and dual camera works at a same time. I wasn't able to transfer that app through shareMe app, so I couldn't use that app for my mobile.

I thoroughly searched on google and haven't found anyone. If you have found, do let me know.

# Answer
> 0 votes
In short, if you want to check if your device is compatible.. Download two 3rd party camera apps.. Grant them the permission.. Split screen and try to open both the camera apps.. If one of the app crashes when you open the second app then there is some hardware restrictions in your device.

---
Tags: root-access, camera, hardware, images, front-camera
---


# Question
Title: How to install xapk, apks, or multiple-apks via adb?
`xapk`, `apks`, or `multiple-apks` is the new standard for apps that is basically one folder and multiple apks in it.

I know there are apps like apkpure or SAI that can do it, but I want to know how to it manually.

I know we can use `adb install-multiple` to install signed apks but if they are unsigned how can I do it if I have the root?

I used to be able to copy and paste single apk to `/system/priv-app/${folder}` to bypass the signature check but simply copying and pasting multiple apks under the same folder doesn't seem to work in this case.

# Answer
For those who are trying to install XAPK files through `adb` because their XAPK Installer does not work on their Android phone, I've got you covered.

You must have Android Debug Bridge (ADB) set up and working.

XAPK files are basically ZIP Archive files (described by their PK header at the beginning of the file)
This means we are able to open/extract those files using any ZIP tool that we have (I prefer 7-Zip)

Once we have extracted the files from the archive, we are only interested in .APK files.
Open the Command Prompt/Terminal in the folder where you've extracted the archive,
and type the following command: `adb install-multiple "AppName.apk" "ConfigA.apk" "ConfigB.apk"`

### Notes

* The order of files in the command does not matter.
* AppName, ConfigA and ConfigB are examples, they will differ depending on the package.
* There might be more APK files, make sure to include them all.
* If there are several APK files with different architectures, make sure to check your phones CPU architecture before proceeding with installing the APK.
> 21 votes

# Answer
Here is a guide on how to install an XAPK file to your Android device via adb on a Windows machine:

1. Rename your `.xapk` file to `.zip`.
2. Unzip the file to a new folder.
3. In the new folder, you will see a few `.apk` files, and sometimes also a folder `Android` which includes a `.obb` file (you can ignore the following files: `icon.png` and `manifast.json`).
4. Open a Command Prompt from within the new folder and run `adb install-multiple "com.application.name.apk" "config.one.apk" "config.xxhdpi.apk"` (these apk names are just an example; replace them with the apk names you see in your folder).
5. if your XAPK file contains a `.obb` file (you should see a folder named `Android`), then run also the following: `adb push Android\obb\com.application.name /storage/emulated/0/Android/obb/` (replace `com.application.name` with the name of the apk you are installing).
6. Done!

I also include a few notes from @user337422's excellent answer:

* There might be more APK files, make sure to include them all.
* If there are several APK files with different architectures (example: `config.arm64_v8a.apk`), make sure to check your phone's CPU architecture before proceeding with installing the APK.
> 8 votes

---
Tags: adb, apk
---


# Question
Title: Toggle between dark and light theme in Google Maps
**Can we toggle between light and dark theme in Maps?**

Maps has shown a message after a new update asking to choose between dark and light theme. After selection (dark, which was illegibly dark under daylight and especially sunlight, or maybe it's my presbyopia) the way to switch out of that without changing the whole system theme was to uninstall (downgrade) the app, update it and then chose the light theme when aforementioned message popped up again. My system theme is dark, and I want it that way, but I don't want dark for Maps, except maybe when it's really dark *outside*.

Maps 10.62.1 Android 10

# Answer
You can change it from settings (to access settings, tap on the icon with user initial/user profile icon, next to microphone), then theme, wherein the same dialogue pops up, that you had initially to choose a theme.

Tested on Android 10 & 11, Maps version `10.62.1`
> 4 votes

---
Tags: google-maps, android-10, themes
---


# Question
Title: How to fix mount errors when trying to mount the raw image that converted from android sparse image?
I have `sparse.img` image with the following properties:

```
$ file sparse.img
sparse.img: Android sparse image, version: 1.0, Total of 2512896 4096-byte output blocks in 60 input chunks.

```

I want to see its contents so

* I have converted it into raw image.
* Created a new directory
* Trying to mount the raw image on to the directory

using the following commands:

```
$ simg2img sparse.img sparse_raw.img
$ mkdir raw
$ sudo mount -t ext4 -o loop sparse_raw.img raw

```

First two commands run fine and I can see `sparse_raw.img` generated of size larger than `sparse.img`.

Last command failed with an error:

> wrong fs type, bad option, bad superblock on /dev/loop27, missing codepage or helper program, or other error.

I think that may be the `sparse_raw.img` is not an `ext4` image but how can I sure about it?

I have tried to mount it as

* ext2, ext3 or without -t
* without -o loop but nothing works.

Please suggest a way to fix it.

# Answer
> 5 votes
The file system might not be in the beginning of the raw partition image.

First you need to convert the image from sparse to raw, using either `simg2img` or sparse\_img\_to\_ext4.py.

Then, you need to find the beginning of the actual partition, binwalk is my favorite tool for that:

```
$ binwalk super.raw.img

DECIMAL       HEXADECIMAL     DESCRIPTION
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1048576       0x100000        Linux EXT filesystem, rev 3.0, ext2 filesystem data, UUID=8f83745e-c212-5aab-a776-4aeed9fad9fa, volume name "/"
[...many many irrlevant hits...]

```

Now you can mount the file system using the first offset from the binwalk output:

```
sudo mount super.raw.img -t ext4 -o ro,loop,offset=0x100000 /media/super/

```

# Answer
> 1 votes
The ext4 feature (400) is the new metadata\_csum feature. If this feature is enabled and old tools are used to mount the filesystem they will only be able to mount read-only.

Try to mount it read-only:

```
$ sudo mount -t ext4 -o ro system.img.raw ~/mnt

```

---
Tags: linux, mount, images, aosp, bind-mount
---


# Question
Title: How do I hard reset/factory reset my Supersonic SC-74JB 7-inch tablet with no physical volume button on?
I forgot the security password to get into my Supersonic (SC-74JB) 7-inch tablet that you need after you turn on the tablet. It doesn't have a physical volume button.

How do I hard reset/factory reset it?

# Answer
If you have enabled usb debugging, in ADB shell type `reboot recovery` to boot to your recovery.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: factory-reset, hard-reset
---


# Question
Title: Can't format SD card as internal storage
Today I installed my first custom ROM (Lineage OS 17.1, official page) on my old Motorola phone (Moto G3 Turbo edition, XT1516). Everything great until I wanted to format my SD card as internal storage, you know, that kind of format android uses that doesn't allow you to view its contents if you plug it on a PC. Well... at the moment to configure it, it asks me if I want to format the SD card, if I select format SD card it formats as portable storage as default (screenshots in Spanish).

And to get that menu again I need to remove the SD card from the phone, erase the partition and try again. I can exit that pop up menu touching another part of the screen. This time it shows me two options, first, additional storage (Almacenamiento adicional in Spanish) which is only for apps, etc and to use it only on the phone, the second one is portable storage, the one I don't want. **The problem is the first option is disabled!!**, what am I doing wrong? If I insert the SD card already formatted as FAT32 the configuration menu doesn't appear and uses it as portable storage.

# Answer
> 2 votes
It seems that they disabled that function for the Motorola phones. But I found a way to force it using ADB commands. Here are two links with instructions to do so if someone faces the same situation as me.

How to turn a portable SD card into internal storage via ADB command?

How to Easily Make MicroSD Card Become Internal Memory Without Root – No More Insufficient Storage

---
Tags: internal-storage, sd-card, custom-roms, lineageos, bugs
---


title: Galaxy S9: Most apps keep stopping

text:
# Question
Title: Galaxy S9: Most apps keep stopping
Galaxy S9: All day, most apps that I open will stop and immediately close. Apps running i the background repeatedly give the message "(app) keeps stopping".

I've removed the SD card, and started it in Safe Mode. I also wiped the cache partition and cleared the Chrome cache.

I'm using 57.1 GB out of 74, and memory shows 2.3 GB out of 4 used.

# Answer
Uninstall Android System Webview on the play store. I just did this and it fixed the issue.
> 2 votes

---
Tags: crashes, samsung-galaxy-s-9
---


# Question
Title: com.google.android.trichromelibrary causes many Android apps to crash
Recently, apps that are fine an hour ago now crash when I open them. The crash report message seems to be caused by a null pointer exception (NPE) in `com.google.android.trichromelibrary`.

Apps affected for me:

* Gmail
* Dashlane

Is it just me, or is there actually something wrong with the library? How can I fix these affected apps?

Crash report:

```
*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
Build fingerprint: 'Xiaomi/polaris/polaris:10/QKQ1.190828.002/20.9.4:user/release-keys'
Revision: '0'
ABI: 'arm64'
Timestamp: ...
pid: ..., tid: ..., name: com.dashlane >>> com.dashlane <<<
uid: ...
signal 11 (SIGSEGV), code 1 (SEGV_MAPERR), fault addr 0x0
Cause: null pointer dereference

    ...

backtrace:
    #00 pc 00000000038621f0 /data/app/
com.google.android.trichromelibrary 438909034-YaxP9ttrIDcQBfleP5vm7Q==/base.apk!
libmonochrome_64.so (offset 0x646000) (BuildId: ... )

```

<sup>(click here for the screenshot of the bug report)</sup>

# Answer
It was a WebView issue and it has been fixed as mentioned here:

https://www.google.com/appsstatus#hl=en&v=issue&sid=1&iid=aa75515d184a2423be444d676b7ebf45

> Updating Android System WebView and Google Chrome via Google Play should now resolve the issue for all users.
>
> 1. Navigate to Play Store app
> 2. Search for Android System WebView (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.webview)
> 3. Select the "Update" option
> 4. Repeat these steps for Google Chrome (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.android.chrome)
>
> For more information about updating Android apps please see: https://support.google.com/googleplay/answer/113412
> 11 votes

# Answer
Downgrading "Android System WebView" (which seems to be related to the Trichrome Library) solved this problem on my phone.
> 6 votes

---
Tags: chrome-for-android, crash-reports
---


# Question
Title: List devices/computers that have been authorized for ADB USB Debugging
I want to know which devices I have already connected to my computer with my ADB or know which computers I have connected to my phone previously. Either way works for me.

`adb devices -l` does not show anything important, because it only displays currently attached.

I would prefer a way without root (on phone), but will accept any help.

# Answer
You can see which devices were authorized by you on your phone to interact with it through adb. **You would need root access though.**

Go into the directory `/data/misc/adb/`. There would be two files:

* adb\_keys
* adb\_temp\_keys.xml

`adb_keys` shows the public key of the other device followed by its user@machine name format. The user@machine should tell you which machines or the users from other device tried to interact with your device over adb.

```
QAAAAIHvxXl/r5XiRyUjky9qXWjKlhORSv609je3tETRN+K8RLwMLD2spGbiFcBK8s1vNvINcaXalAURVHTwiEL6wgfC+1taH8coI/I1OvnA6/8wd9VC22s3ZMESL1XcibGyLm1mSn02niAu7kSPw4skFjl06na8SKNEFmxhVqBkuV8kNj8cXmeacRX4clhPOZOX40f2I0YzfYSrhTLL5bvG4l3OVfljnJ2+xTwgrhgCdTWL0OfbfSdJ7B5FUAuqoYhEaRbRmBRUELosvFfzgO4PgdSGbkZ6vBPHyOMXQGOm/4ASbD4cZ2BGyhNcObOkCtskVtpZvXF1w+veOK7jq/H1PLxlnaiOnqa/39DcWXWPUrUEQbiqQ78FECb/L/NqkypDoQbsELuTta+ZrrFTQJelX4FuQZERGpUpwDMniIbuqCoFvxEy24t9kBQL94lduMkFIpcgHjioLveK8oBA6VZczhBHoU1Bnv/3YnRX8WoDtLRvKxiJVo/yll+P+6F0rurYKoYRybSQY01+dxL0qx93lDvEIb5H4SJho0yPcIBDk8qTn9Wuo/xHvCqBuuY7JTFAyGBPD2VDxvjqZZq7+nf6m4/wmJxmTmUubvy+Xs7CjrkVpBfgc4UYG5hZGtPv4MlGvhAlPYWOK1ilz4VUne5aDHJA7SqatXDW8y6F6oE/1G7TP6KmUgEAAQA= **root@slackware.aes**
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 **neon@neon**

```

`adb_temp_keys.xml` also has the same information as in adb\_keys file except that it is formatted in XML and also shows last connection time (in UNIX Epoch format).

```
<?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8' standalone='yes' ?>
<adbKey key="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 neon@neon" lastConnection="1616486869211" />
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```
> 6 votes

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


# Question
Title: How to find google account of locked phone we found to return it to owner
We found a phone in the park and would like to return it to the owner.

* Samsung Galaxy S10
* Battery was dead
* Charged the phone, its locked by pin code, not registering on network
* Took off SIM card and installed to another phone to wait and receive a call from someone/owner
* SIM card not registering in the network, looks like it was locked/reissued

Is there any way to find Android or Samsung account tied to this phone, so we can send an email to owner to return it?

Thanks.

# Answer
Keep mobile charged. Owner may send message or call. Try to restore mobile, it ask for google account. May be you can see email id.

Find IMEI number, contact service center for owner or police station for lost complaint.

Try to backup mobile use adb of usb debugging is on. You can find some contact from mobile.
> 1 votes

---
Tags: locked-out
---


# Question
Title: I can't downgrade webview nor update it because I'm locked out of play store. What can I do?
My mom's phone (yes, I know what you're thinking :-) suffered from the webview update glitch yesterday.

She thought that for whatever reasons it might have something to do with her credentials, so she set a new password from another device.

I know about the fix for that glitch, but can't do much about it using the recommended methods because now she's locked out of her Google account on her phone. Obviously, trying to update her credentials on her phone must bring webview which doesn't work.

It does sound like some kind of catch 22 that my very limited knowledge can't help me getting out of.

Any help would greatly appreciated, thanks for your attention.

# Answer
> 0 votes
I've just done what @Robert wisely advised me to do which is to use an APK app to install the newest copy of Chrome to my mom's phone and thus benefit from the bug free version of webview to update her credentials and regain control of her phone. That's worked a treat.

Thanks Robert :-)

---
Tags: updates, webview
---


# Question
Title: Prevent dark mode from activating during battery saver
I just updated my OG Pixel 1 to Android 10. I normally use light mode (not dark mode), but my phone just hit the threshold to turn on battery saver mode, and now it has forced my phone into dark mode. I can't toggle this in settings while battery saver is on, and I don't see any settings in battery saver to prevent this force theme change. I find it incomprehensible that this wouldn't be an option, given that there are plenty of phones (like the OG Pixel) that still use LCD screens, and thus whose screen colors don't affect the battery usage.

Are there any settings, hidden or otherwise, that prevent dark mode from activating during battery saver on Android 10?

# Answer
According to the source code file

> frameworks/base/core/java/android/provider/Settings.java

there is a global setting in the user profile called **battery\_saver\_constants**, which can hold several comma separated parameters. These parameters are applied when battery saver is on. Here's the list:

```
/**
 * Battery Saver specific settings
 * This is encoded as a key=value list, separated by commas. Ex:
 *
 * "vibration_disabled=true,adjust_brightness_factor=0.5"
 *
 * The following keys are supported:
 *
 * <pre>
 * advertise_is_enabled              (boolean)
 * datasaver_disabled                (boolean)
 * enable_night_mode                 (boolean)
 * launch_boost_disabled             (boolean)
 * vibration_disabled                (boolean)
 * animation_disabled                (boolean)
 * soundtrigger_disabled             (boolean)
 * fullbackup_deferred               (boolean)
 * keyvaluebackup_deferred           (boolean)
 * firewall_disabled                 (boolean)
 * gps_mode                          (int)
 * adjust_brightness_disabled        (boolean)
 * adjust_brightness_factor          (float)
 * force_all_apps_standby            (boolean)
 * force_background_check            (boolean)
 * optional_sensors_disabled         (boolean)
 * aod_disabled                      (boolean)
 * quick_doze_enabled                (boolean)
 * </pre>
 * @hide
 * @see com.android.server.power.batterysaver.BatterySaverPolicy
 */

```

On recent Android's, the global settings configuration file has XML format and is located here

> /data/system/users/0/settings\_global.xml

So you can add this new parameter called **battery\_saver\_constants** with its value **enable\_night\_mode=false** like this:

```
<setting id="9999" name="battery_saver_constants" value="enable_night_mode=false" defaultValue="enable_night_mode=false" package="android" defaultSysSet="true" />

```

Notice the **id** parameter, it can be any number but should be unique in this configuration file.

P.S. You need root to edit this file.
> 4 votes

---
Tags: settings, battery-life, google-pixel, android-10
---


# Question
Title: How much free storage does Android need?
How much free storage does Android KitKat need?

I've noticed that when storage (not RAM) gets down to somewhere between 200 and 300MB, Android starts to complain that it will not be able to function properly unless some storage space is freed up. This seems a bit surprising as 200MB is a huge amount of space.

What is the actual amount of storage required to be free, and why is it so large?

# Answer
Having worked for a major phone carrier in tech support for the last 3 years I have noticed that a lot of the common procedures for androids typically recommend to have at least 150 MB of storage available to run efficiently with your basic preinstalled apps.

But I have gathered that the more apps you download on your phone, the more notifications and updates are constantly being pushed to your phone in the background which will slow it down quite a bit the lower the available amount of space gets.

Typically disabling automatic push updates, notifications and turning the data off in the background will help to keep your battery life longer and your phone running smoothly as long as you remember to keep going in and manually updating your apps.

If you use multiple social media apps and streaming video apps take lots of photos and videos, text and call a lot as I personally do, while continuing to keep updates and notifications on, I would personally recommend having at least 500 MB to 1 GB free. And make sure to have photos and videos synced up to a cloud service like google photos or dropbox so you can free up space on your phone quickly.

Some people use SD cards which can help, but I have noticed SD cards can be easily corrupted and if not purchased in the right speed class or storage size can actually slow your phone down.
> 2 votes

# Answer
I would say atleast a GB of free space. Many internet related apps like Facebook, instagram, twitter etc have lots of pictures and videos which are written on to the flash memory of the device and many of them keep running on the background even when you close the app. Not to mention android itself writes to the flash memory sometimes if needed. So when there are no free spaces left you will most likely face slow downs. And it is recommended to to keep 10% free space on any flash based memory to help extend its life.
> 1 votes

# Answer
I am not sure, there's a definite value or range for minimum storage required on Android; but as a rule, I tend to have at least 1GB of storage free on my device, which should be good enough for the phone to keep running smooth without any issues.
> 0 votes

# Answer
Minimum storage is decided by android on your device. Example i have Xperia ZL 16GB model I get 12 GB to use. And i get system storage low notification when i have less than 500MB free. In older devices android would use pre determined part of storage for user app and data and remaining for user files (i.e. Videos music stuff). That predetermined storage would be labelled as data partition and that was system storage. Now in new devices we dont have different partition for app n user files And minimum space is used for cache and different files generated by system and apps.
> 0 votes

# Answer
From my experience from multiple phones and tablets .currently android requires nearly 6-700 MB free in internal to work properly .Thats the absolute minimum when it starts to lag and act funny .
> 0 votes

# Answer
For smooth functionality an android device need ***150 to 200 MB*** free space in its internal memory so that its aap function can run smoothly .
> 0 votes

# Answer
Having worked on various types of computer for 38 years, I can tell you that Windows and Mac computers, of both desktop and laptop, have a minimum of 10% free space rule. As a precaution I use that same principle on other devices. This is because of 'operating capital' - it needs space to store temporary files as you use apps, it needs space to download updates to and space to store the uncompressed update files prior to installing them (it should delete the compressed and uncompressed update files automatically after install). Also, the updated OS or App may be slightly bigger than the previous version.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: 4.4-kitkat, internal-storage, insufficient-memory
---