title: Twitter app with pic.twitter.com upload

text:
# Question
Title: Twitter app with pic.twitter.com upload
The official Twitter app uses an external service for image upload instead of its own image service. I want a app which uses the official twitter image upload service. The reason is that I don't want to show my uploaded images the whole world.

Any suggestions?

# Answer
> 1 votes
You can use Twicca with the plugin "Multi Image".

# Answer
> 1 votes
The current version of the app defaults to the official service.

---
Tags: twitter
---


# Question
Title: K-9 Email App Not Finding All Folders - Labels/Folders
Quick question, I have a problem in that my K-9 mail application is not finding any of my Google Mail IMAP folders/labels. Now I can send and receive messages without problem, however I'm curious as to why K-9 cannot find any of my folders such as \[Google Mail\]/-Poeticemails

Any ideas? Am I getting confused between labels/folder and the two aren't interchangable?

# Answer
Have you enabled the visibility of these labels/folders from the IMAP section of options in the main Gmail web interface. Advanced IMAP controls were recently rolled out to all users, so certain labels/folders may have been deemed hidden.

Click SETTINGS and then within the LABELS section, check mark those boxes whose labels you want shown as IMAP folders by selecting SHOW IN IMAP.

===========

UPDATE: Also check within K9 ACCOUNT SETTINGS \> FOLDERS and make sure certain folders aren't hidden.
> 4 votes

# Answer
I went to the folder list. I then hit my menu button & a new menu popped up that said "refresh folders" on the bottom. When I did that, it grabbed the new folders I created & removed the ones I had deleted (from using previous webmail programs).
> 4 votes

# Answer
I was having the same problem (with a non-gmail IMAP account), what worked for me was to monkey with it. Set all the folder settings to display only subscribed folders. Then refresh folders. Then change it to display all folders. Now I can see my newer IMAP folders.

So ... if you're loathe to re-install your account, try just changing the folder display settings around and then changing them back.
> 1 votes

---
Tags: email, k9-mail
---


# Question
Title: SD Card partition named differently on different devices - breaks music player
I have recently moved from a Droid 2 to Droid 3, both running Android 2.3. The same SD card registers as "sdcard" on the D2, and "sdcard ext" on D3. Probably for this reason, I am having problems with music files, as well as playlists. When I move the SD card back to the D2, it is in the "sdcard" folder. In the D3, it is in the "sdcard ext" folder. I would like to know:

1. why is this different?
2. where are the music playlist files typically stored?

# Answer
> 1 votes
Your new device has a small amount of internal memory and a large amount of storage memory. This larger section is termed as `/sdcard` and the contents of a physical microSD card inserted into your device is assigned the label `/sdcard_ext` or similar.

The android media scanner will intelligently scan thru your entire sd card (both if you have a physical card inserted too) at boot time.

You can place your music files in the following folders. YMMV due to differing versions of Android.

`/sdcard/Music/` \- Media scanner classifies all media found here as user music.

`/sdcard/Podcasts/` \- Media scanner classifies all media found here as a podcast.

`/sdcard/Ringtones/` \- Media scanner classifies all media found here as a ringtone.

`/sdcard/Alarms/` \- Media scanner classifies all media found here as an alarm sound.

`/sdcard/Notifications/` \- Media scanner classifies all media found here as a notification sound.

`/sdcard/Pictures/` \- All photos (excluding those taken with the camera).

`/sdcard/Movies/` \- All movies (excluding those taken with the camcorder).

`/sdcard/Download/` \- Miscellaneous downloads.

---
Tags: external-sd, music, file-system
---


# Question
Title: How can I upgrade my Samsung Galaxy S2 to the latest kernel?
I have an SGS2 with Gingerbread 2.3.4 and kernel version `2.6.35.7-I9100XXKG1-CL349526 se.infra@SEP-39 #2`.

I heard that I can update the kernel to a newer version, but I have a few questions before I do it:

1. Which version should I update to?
2. What are the changes? Is there a change log ?
3. I'm using GO Launcher and have lots of apps installed. Should I back up these apps beforehand?

# Answer
The version number come alphabetically, so a XXKH# is newer than XXKG#.

If you installed your apps from the market, they will be memorized and even installed back after update.

If your update comes through kies, just go ahead... But if its more complicated and you're not sure what it brings then why bother?
> 1 votes

# Answer
1. You might want to wait for the next big android update for SGS2. Its called Android 4 or "Ice Cream Sandwich". For the 15 biggest changes in ICS, you can take a look at this website.
2. If you want to backup everything before a upgrade or reinstall, **use "MyBackup pro"**. You can get it here.
> 0 votes

# Answer
Get Titanium Backup Pro before you experiment with kernels & ROMs. It's a paid app, but the best one for backup/restore of all your apps and settings.

You can wait for ICS as patchie says, or you can head to XDA Developers to look for custom ROMs and kernels.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: 2.3-gingerbread, updates, samsung-galaxy-s-2
---


title: Freeing up space on SD card

text:
# Question
Title: Freeing up space on SD card
I'm trying to clear some space on my SD card, so I can run AnTuTu Benchmark. Also, having some extra space for music would be great. I'm assuming apps installed to your SD card can eat up free space faster than you'd imagine. As of now, 19 (out of 65 apps) on my SD card which occupy appox. 197 MB total.

I currently have 1.74 GB used and 103.47 MB free, would my ROM be occupying a lot of space (i.e. needing 4GB of HD space to install Ubuntu/Linux)?

I want to figure out the best way to maximise space on my SD card without haphazardly deleting files. Also, knowing what are key folders would help too.

# Answer
> 0 votes
It's better if you don't manually delete stuff, unless you can recognize the package names for the apps you want to remove. Though it sounds hilarious to install an app to get rid of apps, APPS2SD will neatly list out whatever apps are on the SD card or can be moved between that and the internal memory, so you can make a list of the apps you don't want and manually uninstall them.

Speaking of key folders, here are a couple of common ones-

* DCIM - This stores camera photos.
* Attachments - Default save location for Gmail attachments.
* download - Default file download location.
* data - Stores app specific data. If you have games that download additional data, they may store that here.

This is based off my SD card - most of the other folders I've seen are app specific.

**Update** \- Some phones have a Camera directory, with DCIM under it, so look for both.

---
Tags: sd-card, storage
---


title: How can I make my emulator load faster?

text:
# Question
Title: How can I make my emulator load faster?
I just installed eclipse along with the tools for developing android apps tonight; so I'm new to both of them. Anyway, my emulator takes about 5 or more minutes to load each time, and generally comes up with errors. And it is always really big, like as tall as my laptop screen, and about half as wide.. Any help?

# Answer
> 9 votes
If you're doing development in Eclipse, you don't need to turn off the emulator. If the debug/run button in Eclipse is set up properly, then Eclipse will close the current instance of your program inside the emulator, install your new program to the emulator, and start the program on the currently running emulator -- all without rebooting the emulator.

Yes, the emulator booting still takes 5 minutes, but it's not that bad since you only boot the emulator once a day (and booting up Eclipse at the start of the day takes roughly the same amount of time anyway).

# Answer
> 8 votes
Lie Ryan makes a good point that once you start the emulator you don't need to close it when you are done testing a build. Leave it open and each time you run or debug your app it will automatically be re-loaded and launched.

If you are having trouble with the size of the emulator you can modify the settings and have it display the actual size of the device you are trying to emulate. This can be done by opening up the "Android SDK and AVD Manager", select the AVD you want to manage and click "Start". This will bring up the dialog on the right (in the screen shot below). Check the "Scale display to real size" and then you need to modify the `Screen Size` field and the "Monitor dpi" field. The "Screen Size" will be the size of the screen for the device you are emulating and "Monitor dpi" will relate to your monitor's dpi. You may have to play around with this for a bit 'cause it took me a couple attempts to get it right.

Hope this helps

# Answer
> 5 votes
I think there is nothing to do to accelerate the emulator, it is just really slow.

You'd better use a real device for tests, if possible.

# Answer
> 3 votes
In addition to the other great answers here, this is sort of an obvious answer.

Anyhow, I figured I'd add it to the list here. If you increase hardware specs on the development computer your running this on (most specifically RAM or hard disk spindle speed) you'll see an increase in the speed at which the Emulator starts up and runs.

My development computer had 2GB of DDR2667 and when I went to 4GB of DDR800 I had a noticible increase in the speed of emulator startup and operations.

# Answer
> 3 votes
If you're using a multicore machine, you could try to force the emulator to use more cores. The Android emulator uses a single core by default, and on some processors it can be really slow. However, this decreases the stability of the emulator.

To do this, launch the emulator and press `Ctrl+Shift+Esc` to open Task Manager. Go to the `Processes` tab and right-click the `emulator.exe` process, select `Set Affinity` and select additional cores. Note that you have to do this every time you launch the emulator.

I did this on my old dev machine (Q9650, Win2008, 8GB DDR2 800MHz RAM) and it improved the speed a little, but crashed about once a day on average.

# Answer
> 3 votes
There is a feature build into the Emulator, named Snapshot. Snapshot, basically saves an image of the emulator (in it's current state) when you close it. Then next time, you can start it from the same place. The emulator will start almost immediately, since it doesn't need to go through the boot process. Using Snapshot, I consistently can start my emulator in less than 5 seconds (as opposed to 60 - 90 seconds to start it without).

Basically, when you create the AVD (create your emulator image) - there is a section titled: "Snapshot". Make sure this is checked ("enabled"). You can also go back and edit an AVD to enable this if you missed it the first time.

Next time you start the emulator, the "Snapshot" options will be enabled. Select "Launch from snapshot" if you want to start from a saved image, and select "Save to snapshot" to save whatever state your emulator is in when you close it.

---
Tags: android-emulator
---


# Question
Title: Will I be able to make video calls over Skype with ACME Tablet TB01?
I want to buy ACME Tablet TB01 and I want to know if it will allow to speak over Skype using both front or back camera. Can I make video calls?

# Answer
> -1 votes
The current Skype Android app does not support video calling at all.

If it did, and your device ran the appropriate version of Android, you shouldn't have any problems. However, just like using a desktop computer - your performance will be variable. Using a less powerful device will result in a less optimal experience.

There is an alternative, using Google+ (and hangouts). However, to use this, I am pretty sure you will need the Google custom libraries. In that case, you need to check the device you are buying to see if it is marked as a "Google Experience" device. This means it has the "blessing" to run Google apps. Otherwise, the device is likely based on the Open Source version of Android, which is not as full featured.

---
Tags: skype
---


title: Reconnecting Emulator to Eclipse

text:
# Question
Title: Reconnecting Emulator to Eclipse
My main problem with developing in Android is that the emulator seems to continually get disconnected from eclipse. This always happens the 2-3 time I try to upload my .apk from eclipse without rebooting the emulator. Eclipse indicates this with an empty DDMS -\>Device section and logcat stays blank - sometimes I'm not sure if the new code made it on the device.

The only fix I have for this is to shut down eclipse, and restart it. With the restarting of Eclipse, on top of the emulator boot time, I can't get any momentum going in my development.

Is there a way to reconnect the emulator to eclipse without having to restart Eclipse or even the Emulator?

# Answer
you can use "emulator" from console. That way it will stay on regardless of eclipse state.
starting emulator

also, try using `adb devices` to find out is your emulator really running
> 1 votes

# Answer
You can reconnect your emulator using the Android Debug Bridge (ADB).

There are 2 primary methods to do this:

1. In Eclipse, open the "Devices" view. The last button on the right (upside down triangle) will open a menu of additional options. The very bottom selection is "Reset adb"
2. From a command prompt you can type the following 2 commands to stop and restart ADB. adb kill-server
adb start-server
> 0 votes

---
Tags: android-emulator
---


title: Froyo Proxy settings

text:
# Question
Title: Froyo Proxy settings
How do I set (global) proxy settings in Froyo? I want to access market, but my college wifi does not work without proxy.

EDIT:
Is there any way to set proxy without rooting?

# Answer
Wifi proxy settings were not added until Android 3.0 (here's the issue on the tracker and here is the comment noting its release). If you're willing to root your device you could try something like TransProxy, though.
> 2 votes

---
Tags: 2.2-froyo, proxy
---


# Question
Title: why do I have to move my apps manually to the SD card to free up space?
If the internal memory is so precious why doesn't Android move the apps to the SD card automatically. I just don't get the logic of searching through the All Apps list one by one to get a couple of apps that are only installed on the internal memory and then move them to the SD card.

In my opinion is a rather lazy memory management that relies on user intervention to free up space for important OS operations.

# Answer
> 4 votes
I can only speculate, as this is something that can really only be answered by an Android engineer, but off the top of my head I can think of a few reasons they might have decided on this:

* It's less confusing for end users, since I certainly wouldn't expect apps to magically show up on my SD card after I install them (especially for users coming from versions of Android prior to 2.2, when this feature didn't exist yet).
* It allows the user to manage their storage however they see fit, which can be relevant in some cases since you can't access SD apps when your external storage is unmounted. Maybe I don't want some apps on my SD card because I always want to access them, but Android has no way of inferring this, really. Otherwise you might unexpectedly be unable to use an app you wanted because you didn't know it was on the external storage.
* Many apps *can't* be installed to the SD card, so how do you handle a situation where you want to install an app that must be on internal storage but it won't fit? Do you arbitrarily bump another app onto the SD card instead? What if that's not what the user wants (like above)? It could get a little sticky.
* Some apps, confusingly, allow you to move them to your external storage despite the fact that it breaks certain features. Pandora, notably, could be moved to external storage even though it breaks the widget (I don't know if it still allows this). How do you handle that situation? Do you forcibly move it anyway, possibly breaking the user's widget?

# Answer
> -1 votes
I just discovered I was barking to the wrong tree, it is not the OS fault is a wrong choice for hardware design (obviously driven by economic factors). Since the Operating System is taking most of the 512 or 570MB of my phone's internal memory I'm left with the dribbling of moving apps from the phone to the SD Card. I just checked other manufacturers' phones and they come with 1-16GB of internal memory or even more! (Samsung's Galaxy S II), SD card is effectively just an external/supplementary storage.

With more internal memory available there is no need to move application anymore.

Thanks for your comments.

---
Tags: applications, internal-storage
---


title: How to update rooted HTC Incredible

text:
# Question
Title: How to update rooted HTC Incredible
I rooted my HTC Incredible a few months ago by following a tutorial. My phone downloaded an OTA update and is asking to update. I would like to update and remain rooted. How do I go about doing this?

I removed a few bloatware apps. I couldn't tell you which ones, though.

```
Android version: 2.2
Baseband version: 2.15.00.07.28
Kernel version: 2.6.32.17-g9a2fc16
Build number: 3.26.605.1 CL264707 release-keys
Software number: 3.26.605.1
```

# Answer
> 4 votes
First of all, since you've modified the system, the OTA update could very well fail partway through -- most of those are distributed as patches against the existing binaries.

The easy way to update is to find a pre-rooted stock ROM, like this one. You may need to update your radio first though, information and download links are available here. I think the one you have was the official Froyo radio -- you'll need the Gingerbread radio for newer ROMs to work properly. 2.15.10.07.07 is the official Gingerbread radio.

However, if you want to go the hard way, keeping root (or at least the ability to re-root easily) is easy provided your Incredible is NAND unlocked (aka S-OFF). Recent versions of Unrevoked do this automatically, but depending on where you downloaded from and when could affect that.

To check if you're S-OFF, reboot into the bootloader (aka HBOOT). To do that, power off the phone, then hold down the volume down button and power it up. Keep the Vol Dn button held until you get a screen like the following:

You can also see the notification that it has S-OFF at the top of the screen. That's what you want to see. If that's missing (or says S-ON), then you don't have S-OFF. If you're not, get the latest Unrevoked Forever.

Once that's done, you can flash whatever you want and still be able to reroot easily by simply flashing your recovery of choice (often ClockworkMod) from HBOOT and then reflashing a root/superuser package from recovery.

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


# Question
Title: Sending sms from tablet not allowed or not possible?
This is more of a meta question, but the best place to ask I'm sure..

Why can't I send an sms from my samsung galaxy tab 10.1 3G tablet? Is it because the hardware does not support it (most likely), or because android 3.1 does not support it (least likely)?

Cheers!

# Answer
The hardware and software support SMS, but not calling. The most likely explanation is that your contract is a data-only contract and SMS messaging is disabled by your operator.

There is a chance, however, that the problem is your SMS settings. You can check these by opening `Messaging`, then open `Settings` from the top right corner and check that the `Message center` under `Text message (SMS) settings` is correct. The Message center number is network specific, so check it from another phone that uses the same network or ask your operator.
> 2 votes

---
Tags: sms, tablet, samsung-galaxy-tab-10
---


title: Are Android OS updates region specific?

text:
# Question
Title: Are Android OS updates region specific?
Well, I have a Galaxy Ace with 2.3.3, build XWKPY and Samsung Kies doesn't show an update to 2.3.4 yet.

I'm thinking of manually updating it through Odin and I need to know if I can just download any Gingerbread 2.3.4 update file or is there anything else that I need to be worried about?

# Answer
Android OS updates can be region specific. It depends on the OEM builds. In case of Samsung, yes.
You can update through Odin, but other region binary may not have the required operator information or other settings related to your region.
I suggest you wait for an update in Kies. Should be available soon.
> 2 votes

# Answer
Typically yes, but I don't know that you could definitively say "always" since there is of course potential that some devices I'm unaware of don't follow that pattern. Usually, though, there are different firmwares due to regional differences in carrier bands/settings, wifi channels, and other considerations (localization, possibly).

As an example, though, take a look at the stock firmware listings for the Motorola Xoom. There are a whole bunch of different images available, divided up by both model number and region.

There's also a thread here where people discuss how you could try to go about flashing a firmware from a different region via Odin without affecting your connectivity. I don't know much about the process myself, though, as I've never done this.
> 1 votes

---
Tags: 2.3-gingerbread, updates, samsung-galaxy-ace
---


# Question
Title: Sync Hotmail with Android so it recognize read status
All the email it pulls are currently unread, it's really annoying, how do I set it up so Hotmail and Android know a email has been read?

# Answer
> 3 votes
I know the built-in Android mail client doesn't sync read status with Hotmail.

Have you tried the official Hotmail client? It does seem to support most of Hotmail's more advanced features.

---
Tags: email, hotmail
---


# Question
Title: What to do before reformatting phone or setting back to factory state?
Recently it seems as if my phone has bogged down to a point where is is almost unusable (Droid Eris running 2.1).

I'm on the verge of reformatting or setting back to a factory state. I was wondering what things should I do to make sure I have all my contacts/pics/etc.. and what tools can help me accomplish this? Also what about the apps I have paid for? How can I get those to transfer?

# Answer
> 8 votes
1. If you have an SD card, I would copy its contents to a PC. That should save all of your pictures.
2. Paid apps are linked to your Google account and can always be re-downloaded.
3. Have you entered your contacts manually and not synced them to your Google account? If not, you don't need to back them up; they're in the "cloud", to use the common catchphrase.
4. If you're rooted, you can use an app like Titanium Backup to save your applications and data, so that you don't need to redownload them (and so your settings, saved games, etc. are backed up).

# Answer
> 5 votes
Your contacts and calendar will be stored in the cloud and synced back when you re-login with the same Google Account. Also, most of your settings. Apps that you purchased will be listed in your Market Account.

I suggest you use SMS Backup or something similar to save your messages (if you wish to) to your Storage Card. GoSMS and Handcent SMS also have SMS backup/restore facility.

By default, your camera pics are stored in the DCIM folder on your storage card.

Use a backup app like Titanium Backup or MyBackup Pro to backup all the stuff first, just as an additional safety net.

NOTE: Busy right now, so haven't added links. A quick search will turn up the apps in the Market. ;-)

# Answer
> 1 votes
I'd recommend doing all these steps regardless of the fact that your data is in the cloud

1. Download MyBackUp Pro (or a similar app)
2. Backup everything to a micro SD card
3. Deactivate any license (for BlockBuster Movies, etc)
4. Export anything that is exportable (like contacts, calendars, pictures, etc)

I always say that its better to be super safe than sorry. Sometimes if you have multiple accounts that merge data into one place, you may expect Tom Smith (example use of name) to be on Google's servers but they are actually on FaceBook or some other server. By exporting it, you'll have a file with everyone and then you can upload the contacts to your Gmail account.

I say this from personal experience by losing pictures and data.

---
Tags: factory-reset, reformat
---


# Question
Title: Why does phone reset to Gingerbread instead of the version of Android that came with the OS when it was purchased?
When I first purchased an Android phone over a year ago the installed OS was Android 2.1 (Eclair). The OS has been updated twice by the carrier since then and now runs Gingerbread. However, I had to restore my phone to factory settings recently and the OS that was reinstalled was Gingerbread. I was expecting it to restore back to 2.1 (Eclair). Is this expected behavior and was the phone reset properly to factory settings? I followed the hard reset instructions here and everything looked correct. However, this was not the factory restore I expected. If this was correct does anyone know how the Gingerbread OS "replaced" the OS that was installed from the factory? I thought the factory settings were "read only." Thank you very much.

This is all from a stock Android phone that has never been rooted.

# Answer
Resetting to factory settings removes all personal settings, data and installed apps from the phone.

It doesn't uninstall operating system updates and doesn't remove apps that your manufacturer or service provider have included in the system.

It also (normally) doesn't delete data from your SD card.

Installing operating system updates on an Android phone overwrites the previous version of the Android operating system and doesn't keep any of the old OS files. It's the same as if you upgraded a Windows Vista PC to Windows 7, you can't go back to Vista on that PC without finding the original install disks, as it has overwritten and deleted the old Vista files. The only way to go back to the previous version is if your manufacturer/network has made a copy of the old OS files public that you can download and install.
> 4 votes

# Answer
when you reset factory settings, it will not downgrade firmware (gingerbread to eclair). this is normal and expected bahavior
> 1 votes

---
Tags: factory-reset
---


# Question
Title: How can I configure my phone to show random background wallpapers from my pictures galery?
I know how to set a static picture from my photo gallery as a background wallpaper picture. However, I would like to see a new picture every time I turn the screen on. Is there a way to configure my Android smartphone to do this? Or maybe some app that does something like this?

I'm using a Samsung Galaxy 551, with Android 2.2 (Froyo).

# Answer
You could try an app like WallSwitch, which can be set to change your wallpaper every time you unlock the device or on a timer. I don't know that there's a way to tell it to pull from "the gallery" in general, but you can just specify that you want to pull from the folders your gallery images are in (works out effectively the same).
> 1 votes

---
Tags: 2.2-froyo, gallery, wallpaper
---


# Question
Title: How do I unlock the bootloader on the Samsung Galaxy Nexus?
I have a LTE (Verizon) Samsung Galaxy Nexus. How do I go about unlocking the bootloader such that I can root the device?

# Answer
> 6 votes
Full instructions can be found here.

In short:

1. Install SDK
2. Get the Fastboot.exe and place in your SDK/tools
3. Turn on USB debugging on phone
4. Connect to PC via USB
5. Using adb, run `adb reboot bootloader`
6. At the bootloader, run `fastboot oem unlock`
7. Accept dialog to unlock bootloader
8. Start phone, phone will reboot, **do not battery pull!**

Afterwards, you can get root access.

---
Tags: bootloader, samsung-galaxy-nexus
---


# Question
Title: Contacts Sync problems: phone contacts not syncing to Google
I had some problems syncing my GMail contacts onto my phone, so I:

* did "Clear Data" for the Contacts app
* re-imported all my Google contacts from a CSV file into the "Google" account on the phone.

It managed to sync contacts with GMail after that.

But new contacts that I've added to the phone since haven't synced to GMail — although contacts from GMail *will* sync to the phone. (And if I delete them on the phone, they don't get deleted on GMail.) I'm also getting "Sync is currently experiencing problems" messages.

The question is: How can I make it sync again?

And if I can't, how can I avoid deleting the newly-added contacts or creating duplicates?

(I'm using an HTC Desire Z with HTC Sense.)

# Answer
> 2 votes
Make sure that when you add a contact, the contact type is set to GMail. If it's set to **phone** then it will not sync to GMail and will stay solely on the device.

Contact Type is the first field on add new contact and is set to phone by default.

# Answer
> 1 votes
When you have a HTC droid phone with Sense, it seems to be required to setup your HTC Sense account to be able to synchronize contacts between Google or Exchange and your cell phone. At least, that is a statement which is to be read when starting the Sense setup app on your HTC Phone.

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


# Question
Title: Does rooting Kindle Fire disable your default Kindle Fire functionality?
I am thinking on getting a Kindle Fire due to the good reviews and the price tag. I see that there are a lot of links showing you how to root your Kindle Fire so that you can have regular Android OS and be able to benefit from the Android Market.

My objective is to be able to **have both worlds running side by side**. I was planning following these tutorials:

http://www.gizmowatch.com/install-android-sdk-root-kindle-fire.html

http://www.androidauthority.com/how-to-root-the-amazon-kindle-fire-36015/

## My questions are as follows:

1. If I root Kindle Fire, do I lose all the functionality that the Fire was designed to do?
2. If I root Kindle Fire, do I lose access to the Amazon Appstore?
3. Will following this instructions above leave me in a situation where I cannot revert back to the original functionality?
4. Does anybody know if the Fire will be upgradable to ICS (Android 4.0)?
5. Why is Kindle Fire running a 2.3 version of Android rather than the latest Honeycomb?

# Answer
1. The Kindle Fire will function as it normally would, but you cannot use the Video on Demand service while you are rooted.
2. The Amazon Appstore functions fine even if you're rooted.
3. You can revert to the "original functionality" with the "Unroot" button provided by SuperOneClick.
4. Nobody knows this but Amazon.
5. Honeycomb was not open-sourced when the Fire was being developed, and Amazon forked the Android open source code to create the Kindle Fire's codebase. Thus, the Fire was built using the newest available source at the time of development - Gingerbread.

I rooted my Kindle Fire ~30 minutes after I got it, largely because I wanted access to the Market but also to ease any development I do with it. Everything works like normal except VOD (as noted above).
> 7 votes

---
Tags: 2.3-gingerbread, rooting, amazon-kindle-fire
---


# Question
Title: Is there a widget available that duplicates the Launcher Pro Calendar Agenda widget?
Here's what I'm talking about:

I want a widget that shows me an agenda of my Google calendar just like this. But I'm not using Launcher Pro anymore, I'm now on a Samsung Galaxy Nexus and am using the stock ICS launcher, so I need a new widget to replace the widget from Launcher Pro.

# Answer
Indeed - there are a few but I'd recommend Rolf's Agenda Widget. Lots of options and highly configurable.

Scrolling support is present, although the launcher must support scrollabel widgets like ADW / LPP / GoLauncher do.
> 1 votes

---
Tags: app-widgets, google-calendar
---


# Question
Title: Received messages are not showing names of contacts on HTC Desire S
I just bought a new HTC Desire S (so no custom ROM has been installed or rooting done). Everything else seems to be working fine, except in messages the names of at least one contact are not displayed. This number happens to be in my contact list with the proper details and linked with a facebook contact. Even after copy-pasting the number from the received message onto the contact (which has only one number btw), the messages app refuses to show the name. What should I do?

# Answer
http://forums.androidcentral.com/t-inspire-4g/110483-phone-number-instead-contact-name.html

HTC is aware of the issue but there is *no* true fix for it yet. Anything in that link is temporary, but it's insightful. HTC should be working on a fix.
> 1 votes

# Answer
there is a dirty fix to it, create an empty contact that is only the name but no number, then merge the fb contact with the dummy contact. Should set it right, as i said it is a dirty fix but it works.
> 1 votes

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


# Question
Title: How to make Google Maps Navigation show forward as up?
It used to be that Google Maps Navigation on my phone would show the direction of travel = as "up" on the screen. However, ever since my phone upgraded to Gingerbread, navigation is displayed with North as "up" on the screen.

How do I revert to the old behavior?

# Answer
> 7 votes
It turns out that the solution to this is rather easy, but scarcely documented.

To switch between forward-is-up and north-is-up, simply tap the red/white compass needle in the upper left hand corner of the screen.

On the updated maps, where the red/white compass icon is no longer there, goto settings and turn off "North is always up'

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Tags: google-maps-navigation
---


title: How to root my new Galaxy SII

text:
# Question
Title: How to root my new Galaxy SII
I just bought my Galaxy SII. Can anyone here tell me how to root my phone with Lite'Ning?

Baseband:I9100GDZKH5 Kernel: 2.6.35.7 root@DELL81 #2 Build: GINGERBREAD.JPKH8

# Answer
> 1 votes
You can find a detailed guide with screenshots and all here. It's done with odin.

> Step 1: Install Odin v1.85 on your computer then download and unrar the Lite'ning Rom rar file.
>
> Step 2: Make sure that your phone is in USB debugging mode: Settings -\> Applications -\> Development -\> USB debugging.
>
> Step 3: Reboot your phone into download mode. To do so: Turn the device off, then power it on again by pressing and holding the Volume Down + Home + Power on simultaneously.
>
> Step 4: Start Odin.
>
> Step 5: Connect the phone to your computer using the USB cable.
>
> Step 6: Wait a few seconds, the Odin screen will show that a device is now connected... Added!!
>
> * Make sure that in Odin nothing is checked, except the "Auto reboot" and "F. Reset Time" checkboxes.
> * Press the "PDA" button, and select the md5 file.
> * Press "Start". Odin will now flash the Lite'ning Rom, after flashing your phone should reboot.
>
> Step 7: Done! Now you have a fully rooted SGS II with the Lite'ning Rom installed!

---
Tags: 2.3-gingerbread, samsung-galaxy-s-2, rom
---


# Question
Title: How can I stop my sent emails from containing raw HTML?
When I send an email from my official exchange server, the person who receives it, whether through web access or through Outlook, gets the email with HTML coding! It is very embarrassing and I have searched for the solution in vain. How can I stop this behavior?

# Answer
> 0 votes
Making text encoding the default behaviour for the stock Android Email app is not possible. You can use K9mail instead. This question is already answered here.

*https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/9237/disable-html-emails-in-composer*

---
Tags: 2.2-froyo, exchange, samsung-galaxy-551
---


# Question
Title: How can I add a reminder to a calendar event at a specific date and time?
On my Samsung Galaxy S2, I can't add a useful reminder time. The calendar only offers 5 minutes, 10 minutes, ... one day, two days, ...

This is utterly useless. What I usually need is "19:15 the day before the event" or remind me 12:00 on the 13th.

How do I do that?

# Answer
> 1 votes
Create a new appointment and then click the green + sign under the REMINDERS section. At the very bottom of the list there's a CUSTOMISE option that allows you to specify the number of minutes / hours that you want the reminder to occur.

Certainly not as good as a fixed time occurrence but it certainly gives you a close workaround.

---
Tags: samsung-galaxy-s-2, calendar
---


title: Galaxy S2 synced but no emails show

text:
# Question
Title: Galaxy S2 synced but no emails show
I have created an exchange account on a Galaxy S2. Upon creation of the account no errors were thrown or encountered. Yet when the user open email for this account "refreshing" keeps popping up and going away at the bottom. No emails ever show up for any folders, but all folders in the exchange account do appear. When the user sends an email via the GS2 two identical emails are sent. The exchange server that the account is on has a ssl certificate from a CA installed and working. Other android/apple phones are working fine. Several different exchange user accounts have been tested on the GS2 even one created just for testing(one email was sent to this account for testing). I'm perplexed and need a push in the right direction on what to look for to resolve this issue. Using a different email app shouldn't be necessary and is not an acceptable answer. The GS2 is Android's flagship phone and it's email client should be sufficient. I appreciate any help on the matter.

Thanks, Jonathan

# Answer
Exchange server/ domain administrator needs to make a change to your Active directory account by opening ADUC, selecting View, Advanced Features, double clicking your account's property, and going to Security.

From there select Exchange Servers and click on the advanced button. check the Include inheritable permissions from this object's parent and click ok a couple of times. After that, the phone should start syncing.
> 1 votes

---
Tags: 2.3-gingerbread, samsung-galaxy-s-2, exchange, active-sync
---


# Question
Title: Transfer emails from Thunderbird on PC to  Asus Transformer email app
is there any way how can I get my e-mail from Thunderbird on my W7 pc to Transformer? My laptop just died so I am considering Transformer, but without my mails...

Syncing via GMail isnt a solution for me, because I have multiple e-mail accounts on many servers with both POP3 and IMAP.

# Answer
> 0 votes
If your goal is *solely* to transfer your email, your best bet would be to create a dummy gmail account with IMAP and add it to tbird as a separate account (so that it doesn't go to the general inbox). Once you had that done, in tbird copy all the folders you want transferred to the dummy account and wait for it to sync with gmail's IMAP server. Finally, add the dummy gmail account to your choice of email client on your phone and wait for the IMAP sync to complete.

If you want to continue to receive email on your phone from all these accounts, you can add them in as you like to the email client of your choice. Personally I'd recommend K9 for multiple email account management myself; it has an unified inbox similar to tbird's general inbox and is all around mucho handy.

---
Tags: sync, email, asus-eee-pad-transformer
---


# Question
Title: Kindle Fire Not Recognized when plugged into PC
I have just got a Kindle Fire and I want to root it and Install Android Market on it. I am having a problem that is ticking me off big time. I plug my Kindle Fire to my computer (Windows 7 Professional) and I get the message in the Fire screen that states that I can now start to transfer files to my device but two things are happening:

1. Every time I plug the USB end to any USB port on my computer my Internet goes down !!! WTF!!!!
2. When double clicking on my computer the Kindle Fire does not seem to be recognized correctly as it shows under Devices with Removable Storage. When clicking on that drive mapping I get a pop up saying: "Insert disk"

Any ideas?

**UPDATE:**

I have installed the Kindle drivers by adding **0x1949** to the **adb\_usb.ini** and now under **Device Manager** I do not longer see "Kindle" under Others. Now I see **Android Phone/ Android Composite ADB Interface**

I double click on My Computer and I still do not see the Kindle anywhere. I have the letter I: which appears there once I plug the Kindle Fire but its not clickable. What am I doing wrong?

I have followed this instructions to the dot correctly. http://www.jayceooi.com/2011/12/13/how-to-install-kindle-fire-adb-usb-driver/ but yet I cannot see the Fire as an icon in my computer

# Answer
> 1 votes
The instructions I have followed in the link above do the job. The solution to my two problems listed above was:

Replace this Micro/Mini USB to USB adapter

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Rocketfish%26%23153%3B+-+1.5%27+USB+Cable/1000247.p?id=1218207305639&skuId=1000247&st=RF-CC1MC&cp=1&lp=1

...with this one:

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Rocketfish%26%23153%3B+Mobile+-+Micro+USB+Data+Transfer+Cable/2077196.p?id=1218308698225&skuId=2077196&st=rocketfish%20micro%20usb%20&cp=1&lp=3

It sounds weird but trust me do not get Micro USB to USB adapter from the first link. You will not be able to access the Kindle Fire as a storage device, guaranteed.

---
Tags: rooting, usb, amazon-kindle-fire
---


# Question
Title: Problem with wi-fi after updating Nexus S to Android 4
My Nexus S phone doesn't detect any wi-fi networks after the update to Ice Cream Sandwich.

Any suggestions?

# Answer
> 1 votes
I've just manually updated my GSM T-Mobile Nexus S and it connected automatically to my home wi-fi, I had all the previous settings stored, and I'm also detecting all the wi-fis from my neighbours.

Could you give more details about your issue?

---
Tags: wi-fi, samsung-nexus-s, 4.0-ice-cream-sandwich
---


title: Do I need a new Bluetooth headset?

text:
# Question
Title: Do I need a new Bluetooth headset?
I just picked up an HTC Droid Incredible a few days ago. I already had a Plantronics Discovery 975 headset, which I like, so I've been trying to use it with the phone. It pairs fine and does work, but I've been having some problems that make it not very usable.

**Problem 1:** The "Bluetooth in-call volume" always goes to minimum between calls, and I can't hear the voice prompts. It doesn't matter whether I raise the volume using the Bluetooth or the handset, it always goes back to minimum on the next call.

**Problem 2:** The standard Navigation app (Google Maps Navigation for mobile) doesn't work with the Bluetooth at all (even if I make sure it's connected before starting of the Navigation app). I have to speak into the handset and all sound comes out through the phone's speaker. I can't find any setting to change this.

**Problem 3:** The Voice Dialer also doesn't work through the Bluetooth. The only way I can use the Voice Dialer is to hold the main button on my Bluetooth for 3 seconds. If I activate it from the phone, I have to speak into the handset.

Does this mean my Discovery is just not compatible with the phone or is there something I can do with settings to get it to work properly?

If I do need a new Bluetooth, can you recommend one that works well with an Android phone (or even better, one that works well with an Incredible)?

# Answer
If I recall correctly, for Navigation directions over BT you need A2DP (just like music). I just checked the specs on Plantronics' website for the Discovery 975 and it doesn't mention having this.

There's also a setting somewhere in Navigation to route it over the speaker or the headset; I remember turning it off on mine because it was interrupting conversations when I was trying to listen. Unfortunately I can't recall exactly where the setting is; I'll update this later if I find it again.
> 1 votes

# Answer
There have been some issues with the fact that Android's bluetooth was not up to date. Testing your phone with another headset would be a first step in singling out the problem. Also, try to see if you can go to your local authorized reseller or a carrier store to see if a technician can have a look at it.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: bluetooth, htc-droid-incredible
---


# Question
Title: Can I download Android apps to a computer and then transfer to my phone
> **Possible Duplicate:**
> How to download APK file on PC from Market?

I'm wondering if I can download Android apps to my computer then transfer to a phone because I don't have a wifi connection on my phone to download.

# Answer
> 3 votes
Indeed you can - there are a number of ways - via ADB and pushing it.

A simpler way would be to either connect your device via USB to your PC and copy over the android APK files to a folder on your SD card (either internal or external on your device).

Using a file explorer like ASTRO, Estrongs or some other one of choice, you can then navigate to the folder where you placed those APKs and click on them to install.

Prior to this, you ought to enable the option ALLOW INSTALLATION FROM UNKNOWN SOURCES in ANDROID SETTINGS \> APPLICATIONS.

# Answer
> 1 votes
Maybe what this user is actually asking is if he can download apps from "Market" to his computer and them pass them to the android device.

Currently I don't know how to do it, and what is more, market does not allow you to download or push apps to devices that are not listed as compatible with the app, and this is annoying because there are a lot of tablets that are not the the list.

---
Tags: applications
---


# Question
Title: eBooks from Amazon Market or from Android Market?
I have finally succeeded at Rooting and installing Android Market on my Fire, but now I'm wondering if there are any complications with using both the Market and Amazon to purchase ebooks.

## Scenario

Say that I want to purchase an eBook and that book is available in the Android Market and the Kindle Market for the same price. I need to build some foundation in order to make a decision, here are my concerns:

## Concerns

1. Does an eBook from Android market have a different format than a Kindle format eBook?
2. If so, Which one should I buy looking forward? Android Market seems to be more open while Amazon even though they are using Android they follow closed practices similar to Apple. However, Amazon is a big book seller and a strong innovative technology company.
3. I also have a lot of books in PDF format. Which app do you guys recommend for reading PDF from Kindle or any other Android device?
4. Which is the best app for reading **mobi** format eBooks?

# Answer
> 5 votes
1. Yes, an eBook from Android Market (in Google Books) has a different format from the Kindle. It would seem that you can obtain Google books in either ePub or PDF (more information here). Amazon books are in the AZW format.
2. This comes down to personal preference. I have read books on both Google Books and Kindle on my Xoom; I see little to no difference in quality. Both can sync to my phone to keep my place. Since you have a Kindle Fire, perhaps sticking in the Amazon ecosystem would be a good idea, since you may wish to un-root in the future.
3. There are a lot of PDF readers; just recently the Kindle software was updated to read PDFs. I personally use ezPDF Pro for PDF files because of speed and its ability to remember my location in PDF files from read to read.
4. This again, would be personal preference; however I have loaded Mobi into the Kindle app without problems. The book acted like any other I had in regards to reading (except it did not sync across devices and had to be manually uploaded to each of them). I would suggest looking at this question as well for more information on eReaders.

So, the Kindle App does what you want it to do overall (Books, PDFs, and Mobi) and also is a major part of the Kindle Fire Amazon Ecosystem they have setup for the device; and may be the way to go if you decide to revert your Fire to its un-rooted state.

**Edit (Addition):** Amazon also seems to like releasing updates that Un-root your device (and prevent further known rooting methods - for now). Source states that unless you have changed ROMs, you are susceptible at any time on WiFi to get the update.

---
Tags: amazon-kindle-fire, pdf, ebook-reader, ebooks
---


# Question
Title: Where can I find a 2.3.6 stock ROM for Nexus S (i9020)?
> **Possible Duplicate:**
> Where can I find stock or custom ROMs for my Android device?

I've installed a hacked version of ICS three weeks ago or so and now I want to switch to the stock 4.0.3 ROM. As it needs the 2.3.6 stock ROM, I'll have to downgrade to it so that I can install ICS again.

I've found a 2.3.3 on ROM Manager. I know it may be possible to update from it to 2.3.6, but I'd like a direct approach.

I have a Nexus S (i9020), bootloader unlocked, clockworkmod recovery installed, rooted, with a hacked version of 4.0.1.

# Answer
These kinds of downloads can usually be found on the XDA-Developers forum. Usually the stock ROMs are in the "General" section of the device forums and custom ROMs are in "Development". Check out this thread for a pretty comprehensive collection of stock ROMs.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: 2.3-gingerbread, stock-android, 4.0-ice-cream-sandwich, downgrade
---


# Question
Title: Reinstalling apps after replacing an SD card
I recently had an SD card die in the field. I've tried everything I know and can't get anything out of it or have it recognised on any reader with any OS, so I'm pretty much resigned to the fact that it's gone. Nothing irreplaceable on it.

I bought a replacement 8 GB card and now some of my apps don't work. Is the only way to fix them a remove/reinstall or is there some other option, especially a batch repair/update? I've had some apps update in the normal way, some work, some don't.

Android 2.3.3 HTC Desire HD, Sense 2.1

# Answer
Most apps save their settings and preferences to the internal memory. However, many apps are written to use the SD Card for some storage as well. This is usually done to prevent taking up too much space on the (often very limited) internal memory. For example, many apps with "offline" mode (e.g. news readers) will place downloaded content onto a folder on the SD Card.

Some apps handle disappearance of such cache from the SD Card better than others. In most cases though, you can get away with clearing the app cache and data via `Menu -> Settings -> Applications -> Manage applications` menu, then tapping on the app, and tapping "Clear data" and "Clear cache" buttons, if available.

Uninstall and re-install is a last resort option and should always work.
> 1 votes

# Answer
I believe it depends on how that app was using the sd card or if it was installed on it. If the app was moved to the sd card it will probably have to be uninstalled/reinstalled.
> 3 votes

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Tags: external-sd
---


title: Notification snoozes alarm?

text:
# Question
Title: Notification snoozes alarm?
Found a pretty interesting feature/bug from the combination of K-9 Mail and the stock Alarm app on my Galaxy S (rooted + Darky's Rom 10.2, 2.3.4). This morning, just as the alarm started to ring, I got an email. This caused the alarm to snooze and the short email notification sound I have to play. I'd think that an alarm would have preference over an email notification, and thankfully I had a regular alarm clock as a backup.

Has anybody else run into this problem or is it just me? Suggestions how to avoid in the future?

# Answer
As long as the alarm in fact snoozed and didn't get turned off I'd think you'd be safe, just maybe a bit later than normal. :) I can't find any other info about how to force alarms to play over notifications or of anyone else having the issue. If you're worried you could silence your phone at night, then notifications would be silent but the alarm would still go off.
> 1 votes

---
Tags: samsung-galaxy-s, email, notifications, alarm, k9-mail
---


# Question
Title: Where can I find stock or custom ROMs for my Android device?
There are several reasons to be looking for a ROM:

* Upgrading or downgrading your stock ROM
* Looking for firmware from a different region/language
* Flashing a custom ROM for different features, removing bloat, etc.

But where can one find ROMs in the first place? What sites are likely to have the ROM I need?

*This question is intended to be canonical; please add to the wiki answer instead of posting separate answers.*

See also: How do I update Android on my device?

# Answer
# Manufacturer Websites

While they don't usually host ROMs directly, you may find that they have software useful for upgrading stock ROMs, such as Samsung's tool Kies. If you want to upgrade and stay stock then you should try official methods first.

# Google Flagship Updates

Google hosts update packages for the flagship Nexus and Pixel devices at

```
https://android.clients.google.com/packages

```

You can't browse that link directly, but a web search is your friend here. Search for that link plus the code name of the device and the version you want; for example, searching `android.clients.google.com/packages crespo ics` results in a lot of pages with this link -- the OTA Ice Cream Sandwich update for the T-Mobile Nexus S. Links for various "factory images" for Nexus devices can be found here.

# XDA Forums

Probably the first place you should look after trying the official route is the XDA Developers' forums. Stock ROMs are usually posted in the General sub-forum for your device, and custom ROMs in the Android Development sub-forum for your device. No guarantees.

They don't have dedicated subforums for all devices, so if you have a less-popular device you should use the site search instead of the subforum search.

# RootzWiki Forums

You may or may not want to check RootzWiki before XDA Forums above. Developers tend to move from forum to forum and RootzWiki provides devices for the best developers so a lot have jumped on board.

They have sections for many devices and for those that don't, there is a General section. The forums tend to be divided into 3 sections per device (not always): General, Development (ROMS and such), and Themes.

# Android Forums

This site often has ROMs for more obscure devices, as well as popular ones.

# PHONEDB

This site provides a long list (about 800 pages) for all kinds of devices, including Android, Blackberry, Symbian, and more. It misses a filtering mechanism, unfortunately...

# TheUnlockr

Grouped by vendor, then device. Seems to be quite up-to-date and quite complete -- for sure one of the best resources.

# SamMobile

This site posts stock Samsung ROMs from all over. It does require you to sign up.

Note: you may need to register an account before downloading. If not, then the "Download" button is just pointing to the register page, and no actual file is downloaded.

# Google

When in doubt, do a web search. Make use of quotes (e.g., `"vibrant" and "stock 2.2.1"`) in order to narrow the results and find what you need.

# Shipped Roms

A collection of shipped ROMs. Contains ROMs for 40-odd devices.

# MIUI

Translated from a popular Chinese ROM, MIUI is a highly customized version of Android with a large base of customization and theme options and a strong iOS aesthetic. Available for many devices and in Froyo (2.2), Gingerbread (2.3), Ice Cream Sandwich (4.0), and Jelly Bean (4.3) options.

# AOKP

Android Open Kang Project (AOKP) is just like Cyanogen Mod (CM) a Android Open Source Project (AOSP) based ROM. AOKP focuses on providing extensible settings with the disadvantage that fewer devices are supported in comparison with CM.

# Android Central

Another popular Android forum, similar to XDA and RootzWiki.

# OmniROM

Similar to CyanogenMod, OmniROM is a committed open-source project that provides ROMs for a variety of devices.

# Replicant

Similar to OmniROM, Replicant is a committed open-source project that provides ROMs for several devices (mostly Samsung). It is a fully free Android distribution (with a marked aversion to binary blobs), putting the emphasis on freedom and privacy/security.

# Lineage OS

Lineage OS is the successor to CyanogenMod (in the sense that the numbering scheme matches only). It allows for customization of the buttons at the bottom of the screen and for root access.

# Flashtool for Sony Xperia

Flashtool provides an inbuilt tool - "XperiaFirm" that lets you download the stock firmware for Xperia devices. Using flashtool you can even install the downloaded firmware onto your Xperia device.

# NeedROM

The website provides original & custom ROMs for more than 65 brands (mostly Chinese). In addition, it contains very useful Tools with their latest updates.

# MTK Firmware

Contains a lot of MTK-based brands (mostly Chinese), and tools and drivers also are available there.

# Android MTK

Similar to MTK Firmware.
> 134 votes

---
Tags: custom-roms, rom, rom-flashing
---


# Question
Title: Why does Samsung Kies say that my device does not support software upgrading via kies?
I bought a Galaxy Ace. It initially came with:

1. Gingerbread 2.3.3
2. Build is GINGERBREAD.XWPKY, for regions France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Turkey, UK
3. Unrooted

With that, let me add that I am from the Philippines. And I know that there's a 2.3.4 Asian ROM update (DXKPD) as per here: http://www.pinoytechblog.com/archives/have-you-updated-your-samsung-galaxy-phones-to-gingerbread-yet

But Kies doesn't show any update. So I thought that Samsung has not released an update for that European region, and concluded that I might need to change it to my region. (Although my local carrier was able to send me GPRS settings while under this region).

So that's what I did. I used Odin on 2 attempts I did so far. I flashed it FIRST with a different region ROM (Germany, I think). SECOND time, I got it right. I now have 2.3.4 GINGERBREAD.DXKPD via Odin and using an OFFICIAL 2.3.4 Asian ROM from this page (MediaFire link): http://rumah-android.com/new-stock-rom-android-2-3-4-s5830dxkpd-for-asia.html

Here's what troubles me.

1. Regardless if there's an update or not, Samsung Kies tells me that I couldn't update my firmware even if it's an official ROM.
2. I can't get GPRS settings now that the region's changed.

Finally, the questions:

1. Is it possible that my phone is locked to that European region? Is there such a thing?
2. Or did I use an unofficial ROM?
3. What should I do next from here?

I'm sorry this is too long. I'm confused and I just need clarifications. I hope I made myself clear. Thanks in advance.

# Answer
> 1 votes
Fortunately there is no region-locking for phones, just carrier locking.

If your phone came with European firmware then you should probably stick with European firmware. Ideally you'd be able to find something from your carrier even if it was re-packaged by someone for Odin.

As for your network settings, there are a couple possibilities. You may need to supply the APN information, which you can usually find by doing a web search for "\<carrier\> apn" or similar. You might also need to flash a different modem if the one you have is buggy or otherwise incompatible with your device/carrier.

---
Tags: 2.3-gingerbread, samsung-kies, samsung-galaxy-ace, odin, localization
---


# Question
Title: Why does the 3G connection drop issue happen on all Verizon 4G LTE handsets?
OK, after having reviewed the Samsung DROID Charge, reviewing and owning a DROID BIONIC, and hearing from many Thunderbolt users, it seems like one problem is common to all Verizon 4G handsets: a dropping 3G data connection. So far, I've observed the following:

My BIONIC often refuses to get a 3G data connection back when switching from Wi-Fi or 4G back to 3G. If I switch to Airplane Mode and back, sometimes I'll get the 3G connection back, sometimes I won't. In the About Phone -\> Status menu, it says the mobile data network is "connecting." Sometimes I end up having to reboot.

Additionally, when attempting to use the phone in CDMA-only mode, the phone seems to decide to drop its 3G connection at random and refuse to get it back - even on reboot the phone is slow to acquire signal. I noticed a similar problem on the DROID Charge.

Is there any theory as to why this is happening? Do all Verizon's LTE phones share a common chipset model? Because it sounds to me like whoever makes the chipset is doing a real bang-up job of shipping phones with near-defective radios or radio firmware. As it appears to happen across **three different manufacturers**, the buck falls on Verizon and their LTE chip partner. I'm frankly getting very, very annoyed with this problem and think it needs some public exposure with good empirical evidence that it happens on all LTE handsets on Verizon.

So, I'm asking for your assistance in that regard as well. Leave a comment about your experiences with Verizon's LTE phones and connection drop issues, with as much detail as possible. Of course, the **answer** I'm looking for here is as to *why* this is happening, but I think this is going to be a fairly long ongoing investigation. If you've found a method of fixing or working around this issue on your Android phone, please leave that an an answer as well!

# Answer
> 1 votes
It seems the issue is network authentication problems caused by Verizon's switch to a UICC SIM-based authentication for both 3G and 4G connections on all of its 4G LTE devices. See this article:

http://www.androidpolice.com/2011/12/19/this-is-why-your-verizon-galaxy-nexus-or-other-4g-lte-vzw-phone-is-losing-data-signal/

# Answer
> 2 votes
https://market.android.com/details?id=com.dazbradbury.restartConnections

While not an actual solution - this app does remedy (99% of the time, in my experience) the connectivity issues.

# Answer
> 1 votes
At least for the Droid Bionic, this appears to be a known software issue. This post on the Motorola support forums includes the following listing.

> Marginal 4G to 3G transition: Loss of data connectivity - The device may display 3G service indication but no data connections are possible. Action: The user will need to power cycle the device or enable/disable Airplane Mode. Resolution: A fix for this issue is under review and will be included in the first post launch maintenance release software for this device. The tentative release date is early November 2011.

The "November 2011 update" has not been released as of December 6, 2011.

---
Tags: verizon, 4g, motorola-droid-bionic
---


# Question
Title: Where did the wifi sleep policy go in ICS?
With the update to Android 4.0.3, I noticed that the **wifi is always on**.

I used to have the sleep policy where is turns itself of when ilse for some time.

Where did this feature go with ICS?

# Answer
On a pretty much vanilla build on my EVO, I can get to it by going into
`Settings->Wifi->(Menu Button)->Advanced`. It's listed as "Keep WiFi on during sleep". Just be sure to tap on the left half of the "Wifi" menu item, since the right half is simply the toggle.
> 8 votes

---
Tags: wi-fi, 4.0-ice-cream-sandwich, standby
---


# Question
Title: Taking a screenshot in ICS without rooting
Is it possible to take a screenshot in ICS (Galaxy Nexus) without external apps and without rooting? Most apps on the market seem to require rooted phones.

I did find this app which claims to not require the phone to be rooted but it costs $4.99 which is a bit steep for an app that only takes screenshots.

# Answer
Press the `Volume Down` and `Power` buttons at the same time and hold them for a second or so (this is the vanilla behavior, at least; source).

By default on my device it will save to `/sdcard/Pictures/Screenshots` (or whatever your equivalent "external storage" path is, I assume).
> 4 votes

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


title: How reliable is ICS face unlock?

text:
# Question
Title: How reliable is ICS face unlock?
After following a liveblog of the presentation where Google announced Ice Cream Sandwich, one of the more interesting features announced was the ability to unlock your phone with your face. As in, the front facing camera is able to determine if the person in front of the camera is the owner of the phone.

What is the rate of false positives and false negatives for this feature? Can it be fooled by a photograph of the owner of the device? If it fails to unlock automatically, is there a fallback password/pin mechanism to unlock the device?

# Answer
The ICS' config screen says it's for low security situation. It shouldn't be used for cases where you have sensitive information, and more for the casual user that uses their phones for personal photos; not the type who carries their company's next secret world domination plan. While face unlock is a gimmick, it's a cool gimmick nevertheless, and I'm sure it will be used by the casual users who values convenience more than security, as it is basically an automatic unlock for them.

> If it fails to unlock automatically, is there a fallback password/pin mechanism to unlock the device?

Not sure about that; but all stock unlock mechanism has a fallback to unlock using your Google Account username and password. I don't see why they wouldn't do that with face recognition.
> 6 votes

# Answer
As seen on the Android event today, if it can't verify face it falls back to PIN/pattern.
> 1 votes

# Answer
False negatives are rare in my experience. I did try to take a picture of myself with another phone and point the face unlock at the photo on the screen and that unlocked it. So it's not secure at all.

> If it fails to unlock automatically, is there a fallback password/pin mechanism to unlock the device?

It does require you to choose a pattern as fallback
> 1 votes

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


# Question
Title: Facebook mobile for Droid unable to delete friends
How does one go about deleting friends via the Droid's Facebook application? I am running the latest build of Facebook.

# Answer
> 4 votes
It doesn't appear that you can, at least at this time.

Not particularly surprising. Their app just sends you to m.facebook.com for anything more than basic functionality.

# Answer
> 3 votes
Viewing their profile touch the friends tab, a menu should pop up and at the bottom should be the option to "unfriend". Hope this helps.

# Answer
> 2 votes
You can't do it using the Droid app. The only way is to use Facebook's mobile webapp. Find the friend you want to delete, then scroll down and find the remove friend option.

# Answer
> 2 votes
Sometimes if you are viewing your news feed, you are seeing posts from a profile you are not necessarily friends with, you just "liked" something of theirs which will then add to your news feed. In THAT case you go to their profile and "unlike" them. That should stop them from posting to your wall.

---
Tags: facebook
---


# Question
Title: Battery level on Asus eee pad Transformer with dock
I'm wondering if anybody knows how the battery level is measured on the Transformer when the dock is connected.

I fully charged the other day, and after few hours of use the battery level was still 100%, so my first thought is that first uses the dock battery until this one is empty and the continues with the tablet's battery.

Can anyone confirm/deny my guess about the battery level measurement on this tablet?

Also, does it work the same when you charge the tablet though the dock, that is, starts charging the dock and when is fully charged continues with the tablet?

# Answer
> 3 votes
The Eee Pad Transformer will use the battery of the dock to both power and charge the tablet so long as it is connected. You can see this when docked and on battery because the tablet shows its battery as "charging". This gets the most use out of the tablet because when you undock it, it is most likely to have more charge than the dock.

When docked and on the charger, I am fairly sure that both charge at the same time. However, I haven't checked as my TF is docked most of the time.

Incidentally, if the dock's battery goes flat, it gets its power from the tablet (without trying to recharge its own battery).

---
Tags: battery, battery-life, charging, asus-eee-pad-transformer
---


title: Stock 2.2 Clock app locks phone

text:
# Question
Title: Stock 2.2 Clock app locks phone
Last week, my LG Optimus V started having a strange problem. Steps:

1. Open Clock
2. Tap "Alarms" icon at the bottom of the screen
3. I must enter my pattern to access alarms
4. Do anything else in Clock
5. … ?
6. Exiting Clock requires entering lock pattern

This happened once before, but I don't remember what I did to fix it, or even if I did anything (it might have just fixed itself).

Had anyone else had this problem? What did you do to fix it?

**Edit:** The screen is locking when the main Clock screen (Activity?) is displayed. Exiting from Alarms (for example) doesn't require unlocking the phone again.

**Edit (2011-12-20):** My solution was to download Alarm Clock Launcher and just bypass opening Clock. My Optimus still has this issue; we'll see if I end up having it on my new Motorola Triumph.

# Answer
I haven't figured out what the problem was, but I did find a workaround for my particular use case: Install Alarm Clock Launcher (donate version).

That way, I can change the alarm clock settings without having to unlock my device twice.
> 1 votes

# Answer
I had the same problem. Phone screen used to get locked when i tried to access clock(from widget or from home.) Had to disable the lock pattern.

Anyhow, my solution:

1. goto -\> setting -\> applications -\> Manage Applications -\> Running -\> Clock
2. Clear data.

activated the lock pattern & clock was working now!!

Cheers!
> 0 votes

---
Tags: 2.2-froyo, lock-screens, clock
---


# Question
Title: How to install custom stable ICS rom on galaxy S2 (rar file)?
So if you follow this link then apparently this is an unofficial stable release of ICS for the galaxy S2. Also it's been tested by the members of XDA and they also say it's legit.

So if I want to test this out, the link to the download is here, how do you install the rar file? You flash it with Odin right? I loaded some custom roms on my phone a while ago but I can't remember if you flash rar files with Odin or put it on your micro sd and run it from there..(Although I think that you do with zip files.)

Any advice would greatly be appreciated! Thanks!

# Answer
I can't see any obvious mention of that particular SGS2 ICS ROM on XDA's SGS2 pages but there are a few other ICS ROMs there, all with install instructions in their main post.

Have you tried opening the RAR file with something like WinRAR or WinZip to see if there are instructions or a readme inside it?
> 2 votes

---
Tags: 4.0-ice-cream-sandwich, samsung-galaxy-s-2, rom-flashing, rom
---


title: How to monitor tethering bandwidth

text:
# Question
Title: How to monitor tethering bandwidth
Is there any way to monitor 3G *tethering* usage. ie excluding regular 3G bandwidth. (This is for a UK GiffGaff plan, where normal use is unlimited, but tethering charged per GB.)

# Answer
If you're rooted you could try Wireless Tether for Root Users.

More info and more recent versions here: https://code.google.com/p/android-wifi-tether/

Besides having way more options than the stock wifi tether application it also allows you to have a look at the bandwith used when tethering is active.
> 1 votes

---
Tags: tethering, 3g, resource-monitoring
---


title: Tethering HC3.2 with Windows Mobile

text:
# Question
Title: Tethering HC3.2 with Windows Mobile
I bought a non-3G tablet because I already have a 3G phone with tethering function: HTC HD2 with stock WM6.5.

When I enable "Wi-Fi Router" program from WM I successfully create the `Aldaris` network (yes, that one!) that any Windows and Linux laptop can see.

But not my Iconia Tab!!!

Any ideas on how to use a tethered wifi from HC3.2? Thanks

# Answer
Seems due to a limitation in the OS (Android I mean) that hides (why the hell??!?!?) ad hoc networks like HD2 creates. Solution is posted on http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1060909 and is now working!
> 1 votes

---
Tags: wifi-tethering, 3.2-honeycomb, windows-mobile, acer-iconia-a500, htc-hd2
---


# Question
Title: How to decide whether a system update should be installed?
An Android device shows a notification that *a system update is available*. I guess it is shown because the user has to decide - otherwise it would just be installed silently.

How should the user decide whether he wants to install the update?

# Answer
Phone updates are an odd thing. Manufacturers decide if the phone is capable of handling the update (based on the device's hardware) and carriers decide when to push the updates to the handsets. There are exceptions, such as Wifi only devices, where it is solely up to the manufacturer.

However, system updates are **generally a good thing**. These updates bring bug fixes, security patches, and general improvements to the Android experience.

There have been some bad updates, that have broke existing features; but these have been fixed within a few days and are few and far between on recent devices.

But how to decide? If you are hesitant at all to install the update, do some searching for the device and update. Technology sites such as Gizmodo and Engadget post updates to many devices, especially if the update introduces problems. There are also many Android specific blogs that post information of patches and updates.

If no one is reporting problems then the update should be fine to install.
> 11 votes

# Answer
Mostly it lets you choose when to install it so that you can make sure you phone is plugged in during the update & so as not to tie up your phone for a few minutes if you need it.

Usually you should install an update as soon as it's convenient to do so.
> 4 votes

---
Tags: updates
---


# Question
Title: What's the difference between calendar reminder types "alert" and "status bar notification"?
In the calendar reminder settings, these are the two options: "alert" and "status bar notification." However, I'm a little confused between the exact difference between the two. Is alert simply the same thing as status bar notification except that it will play a ringtone if one has been selected? But if that's the case, why is there a ringtone option even when you have chosen "status bar notification?"

# Answer
> 12 votes
"Alert" will cause a new window with the event details (or a list of events with their info, if more than one) to pop up on top of the active one and take focus when the reminder occurs. It also puts a notification icon in your status bar tray. The "status bar notification" setting causes the status bar icon to appear but doesn't automatically bring up the details dialog.

---
Tags: calendar
---


# Question
Title: How can I install Skype on my Acme tablet?
I have Acme 7" tablet. How can I install Skype on it? When I go to the Skype for Android site it seems to allow installation for mobiles only.

Also, when I go to the Android Market and sign in with my Google account it says that "There are no Android phones associated with this account". How do I manage my tablet from the web interface so I will be able to download apps from the Market?

# Answer
> 1 votes
If you don't want to/can't install the market on your tablet, you can download the .apk file for an app either directly from a website on your tablet or download it on your PC and then transfer it to your tablet. After that you can use any file manager to navigate to the APK and then click on it to install it (you have to have third party app installation turned on).

I usually get my APKs at Android Community for Devs

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


# Question
Title: Wi-Fi icon next to apps in android market
In Android market some app have a Wi-Fi icon next to them. Some examples are Cordy, Fieldrunners HD, Flight Control, Where's My Water?, Wind-up Knight, World of Goo.

What dose it mean that these apps have this icon next to them?

I'm using Galaxy Nexus.

# Answer
It means that a Wi-Fi connection is strongly recommended to download them. This is usually because the apps are very large, such as World of Goo which is ~48 MB.

The newest version of the Market (v3.4.4 as of writing) displays a warning that lets you download it anyway, but I think that older versions just wouldn't let you download at all via a cellular connection (not positive on that, but I seem to recall seeing it myself).
> 13 votes

# Answer
It means you can only download those apps when your phone is on a WiFi connection.

If you're on 3G and you attempt to load one of those (I tried Cordy) you'd get the following message:

> Download required Wi-Fi This download may be too large to be made over a mobile connection. It is likely to remain paused until you are on Wi-Fi.
> 8 votes

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


# Question
Title: Where can I get Android Market App for my Tablet?
> **Possible Duplicate:**
> How can I add the market to my device?

I do not have Android Market App installed on my Tablet. When I try download Google Maps App - it redirects me to link which look like that `market://details?id=com.goodle.android.apps.maps` and my browser fails on it. I guess I have to have Android Market App installed in order to install other apps. Right? Where can I get Android Market App ?

# Answer
Google Maps and Android Market are not freeware apps, and are available only on Android devices certified by Google. Aside from using other marketplaces, you can try installing 3rd-party custom ROMs such as CyanogenMod (if available for your device) that provide Google apps as an add-on.
> 2 votes

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


title: No face unlock for the Nexus S?

text:
# Question
Title: No face unlock for the Nexus S?
I seems to me, that the **Nexus S did not get the face unlock feature with ICS**?

Why would this not be supported for the Nexus S? Is it the hardware?

I wonder because the code is open source and I assume any other competitor would not restrict this feature just because it's not perfect yet. I mean: There are still quite a few other things that also do not work perfectly.

# Answer
That's correct: starting Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS) 4.0.1 and until the curent *(at the time of writing)* 4.0.3 the **Face Unlock** feature is **not available** to any version of **Nexus S** (NS).

This thread on **xda-dev** provides various *speculations* as to why Face Unlock is not available on NS:

1. lower quality front camera hardware on the NS
2. the vulnerabilities of this feature
*(check out the note on the setting that says that Face Unlock is low-security and experimental)*
3. having this feature exclusively available for Galaxy Nexus

*Bottom line:* Face Unlock is present in various ported ICS ROMs, but it's reported to be pretty flimsy at the moment.
> 4 votes

---
Tags: samsung-nexus-s, 4.0-ice-cream-sandwich, face-unlock
---


# Question
Title: How can I prevent my music apps from launching and playing on their own?
When plugging headphones into my Droid X, I can listen to music for a little while. The issue will start if the headphones rotate while in place. This somehow triggers an event and my Droid X will start to play the default player, sometimes it will play Songbird...sometimes both. Sometimes when it does this it just keeps playing and pausing music. It seems really messed up on the hardware level. I intend to keep the device, as the only real issue is the default players launching.

My question is this: How can I prevent the default player(s) from launching and playing music ever?

# Answer
After doing some more research, I found a thread with a lot of users having the same exact problem:

Their solution is to use either Headset Blocker or Disable Autoplay apps. This seems to have sort of worked. Just make sure that taskkiller isn't disable either of these.

I am still experimenting on how to fix this issue...

**Edit1**: I still see the same issue even though both suggested apps are running. I believe the taskkiller app may be causing this issue. I am going to try disable it and seeing if this gets anywhere.

**Edit2**: Still no luck. I am going to try rooting my phone and installing the Autostarts app
> 2 votes

---
Tags: motorola-droid-x, bugs
---


# Question
Title: How to get more information about Android random restarts
Android randomly restarts - where would I find an error log or some other way of enabling information gathering from this process? I want to attempt to troubleshoot this.

# Answer
Most logs are stored in catlog, you can use ADB (Android Debugging Bridge) to read it; there are apps on the market can be used to read catlog.
> 2 votes

---
Tags: reboot
---


# Question
Title: How to access a linux shell from my phone via bluetooth?
Basically I want to send shell commands from my phone to my PC (Ubuntu 11.10) via bluetooth. Why? Because I don't always have WLAN and WLAN on my phone sucks.

All possible solutions are welcome. I know that most solutions will require some kind of daemon running on the linux system. This is no problem.

Thanks in advance.

**EDIT:** I will not root my phone.

# Answer
> 4 votes
Yes you can, but the steps may be a little bit complicated, see the following blog post about ssh-ing over bluetooth.

---
Tags: bluetooth, linux, ssh, shell
---


# Question
Title: Galaxy Tab 7" - can I install the original Android? any version would do
I can't stand Samgsung's bloated customization of Android. It's slow and horrible.

Is there a way to get a custom rom for it? It doesn't have to be honeycomb or icecream sandwich. All I want is the original android system and basic google applications.

Particularly the Calendar and Contacts app are painful to look at. I would like to replace those with the originals, made by Google.

Is this possible? How?

# Answer
> 1 votes
There are quite a few Galaxy Tab roms on the XDA forums, here, most of them with instructions on how to do it.

---
Tags: samsung-galaxy-tab, stock-android, google-calendar
---


# Question
Title: Workaround needed: Buying an application for someone else in the Android Market
Reading around I can see that Android Market doesn't yet support Gift tokens or similar, and while Amazon's Android market does, its only available in the USA. So the question is, what sort of workarounds are there for this?

For example, could I log in to android market from the recipients phone with my google credentials, buy and then download the application, then logout again? Would the application still work? Can I pay with my credit card with the other persons Google wallet? Is this consistent with the usage policy of the Android market? What other options might I have?

# Answer
> 2 votes
For some apps, you could buy it on your account, then give them the APK, but this won't work for all apps, as many of them contact the market to make sure they've been paid for. That also might not be entirely legal. At the moment, I think the only option you really have is just to give them the money to buy it.

# Answer
> 0 votes
Apps are tied to the account; so while the app may work they wouldn't be able to get it back if they uninstalled it, reset the phone, etc. There is no simple, good way to do what you want currently.

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


# Question
Title: How can I charge an ASUS Transformer while connected to USB?
Currently I'm developing with my Nexus S but would like to use Asus Transformer for that.

So far I figured that device won't charge from USB. And for me - I need to have it on USB for debugging while charged and ON all the time.

Is that even possible? How long device lives on battery when 100% on?

**EDIT**

I look at keyboard accessory and it looks good. It seems that I can charge and it will serve as a stand. But I'm not sure if USB in keyboard will work for debugging?

# Answer
> 3 votes
The Asus Eee Pad Transformer uses a USB 3.0 cable. I've seen noises elsewhere on the 'net that it will only charge on a USB 3.0 socket. This is likely associated with the extra power only available on USB 3.0.

---
Tags: usb, charging, asus-eee-pad-transformer
---


# Question
Title: Can One Increase the Mobile AP Hotspot Timeout?
I have a Samsung Captivate (Galaxy S) and I have an AT&T plan that includes tethering. I can turn on the Mobile AP hotspot and then other devices can connect to it.

However, after several minutes, the Mobile AP turns itself off. If I manually turn it back on again, it works fine again, but this gets pretty annoying.

Is there any way to make it stay on, or to lengthen the time it will stay on?

# Answer
Go to your WiFi settings and hit the menu button and click the Advanced menu item. Check the WiFi sleep policy, and if it isn't set to Never, try setting it to Never to see if this resolves the issue.
> 3 votes

# Answer
I had the same problem and solved it on a Samsung Captivate (Galaxy S - SGH-I896) with Rogers in Canada. The problem was an annoyance at first (disconnecting every 10-20min) but got worse one day when it stopped allowing tethering altogether with a message "This Account is not configured for Tethering. Please Contact Rogers Customer Care." Calling Rogers solved nothing as the problem is not at their end. The problem stemmed from a bad version/copy of a file /system/app/TetheringManagerRoger1126.apk
I first rooted the phone using SuperOneClick: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=803682 (Had to turn off my antivirus to unzip the files and they contain linux exploit code.) After ensuring I had successfully rooted my phone, I got the app: "ES File Explorer" from the market. In that app, I had to go to Menu-\>Settings and turn ON "Root Explorer" which required SuperUser permission. And turned on "Mount File System" as writable. Once that was done I could browse to the: /system/app/TetheringManagerRoger1126.apk file and just rename it to .bak That solved both the error message and the constant disconnecting and I can tether indefinitely on the phone now. I assume that if you're on AT&T, there is a similar TetheringManagerApp file that is the cause of these problems and renaming it should fix it. Hope that helps.
> 2 votes

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


# Question
Title: HTC STATUS-INTERNAL MEMORY LOW EVEN WITH SD-CARD?
> **Possible Duplicate:**
> What can I do to manage my phone's internal storage?

I have the HTC Status, and love it! But lately I'm getting "Internal memory low" messages when I try to open or download something in my messages. It tells me to go to the "settings" tab and make space. I don't have many Apps on it, the biggest I believe is the FB App-but it's the so called "FB Phone" so why am I still having issues? I uninstall and delete data and try to move things to the sd-card and empty inboxes all the time and it just moves a few MB and leaves me alone. It gets bad sometimes, where it won't let me even ope and read a text even if there aren't any pics to load. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

# Answer
The sdcard is not included with internal memory. What it is actually complaining about is the location where the data and apps are stored (/data & /data/data) and could also include the cache (/cache). I have been saying for a while that more space needs to be allocated for these locations.

I have to go through and remove some apps some times, and even go to apps like Google+ and "clear data". Google+ is actually a good example of a data hog. I had to clear it today. Google+ was using 42MB of storage.

The best thing that I can suggest is to clear the data on apps that are "hogs" or remove apps that you don't use.
> 2 votes

---
Tags: internal-storage
---


# Question
Title: Ringtones directory won't update in settings
I removed some of the stock ringtones (from my ROM) that I didn't want from /system/media/audio/ringtones and added some new ones that I got from the xda forums via my SD card and RootExplorer.

When I open the Sound/Default Ringtone menus in settings, some of the old ringtones are listed and new ones are listed as well, none of them play. The only ones that do are the few that I left in /system/media/audio/ringtones and a few stored on my SD card.

How can I fix this issue so that my phone recognises that all files are in their proper directories?

# Answer
> 3 votes
To update the ring tone directory, the media scanner has to run. Usually restarting the phone will do this, but if media scanner is not checking that directory when the device starts you can try to create a file in the sdcard ringtone directory with an app that triggers media scanner. I think Astro File Manager will trigger it.

If that doesn't work, you could try clearing the cache (I assume root since you are using root explorer and deleting system ringtones), the system may be caching that information and thinks they are still there.

---
Tags: ringtone
---


# Question
Title: How can I build the TextSecure app from source code?
Unless I’m mistaken, the TextSecure app (which provides encrypted text messaging—both over the wire and on disk) was pulled from the market a while back, leaving no way to install the app is readily available from the Market. Just today, however, the source code was released to the public. How can I build the app from source code and get it onto my phone?

# Answer
> 5 votes
I know nothing about Android development, so keep that in mind. Following various instructions online, however, I was able to build the source and put it on my phone. Perhaps someone who knows what they’re doing can come along and explain how it really should be done. Until then…

1. Install and configure the Android SDK. Make sure you add the SDK tools to your PATH. I’m building this on Linux, but if you know what you’re doing it should be possible to follow along on Windows.

You may need to run `android` and install various platform software for the build to work. I did this a while back, so I don’t remember exactly what I had to do. Sorry.
2. Download the source code (requires git):

```
git clone https://github.com/WhisperSystems/TextSecure.git

```
3. Enter the source directory and build the app.

```
cd TextSecure
android update project --name textsecure --path . --target android-7
ant release

```
4. Cross your fingers. Hopefully the build succeeds. If it does, we will need to sign the newly built .apk file, `textsecure-unsigned.apk`, before Android will let you install it.

```
cp bin/textsecure-unsigned.apk bin/textsecure.apk
keytool -genkey -keystore mykeystore -validity 10000
jarsigner -keystore mykeystore bin/textsecure.apk mykey

```

Running keytool will prompt you to enter a bunch of information, as well as a password. Enter whatever you please, as it shouldn’t matter.
5. Copy the apk file, `textsecure.apk`, to the SDCard on your phone. Install it like you would any other non-Market application.

---
Tags: sms, encryption, open-source
---


# Question
Title: Contact sorting in ICS? (Galaxy S alpha version)
I can't seem to find the sorting options in the contact list. Currently, the contacts are sorted by first name and displayed as "firstname lastname". I'd like to change it to be sorted by last name and displayed as "lastname, firstname", but the option seems to be missing.

Is this really the case in ICS or just the teamhacksung's alpha version?

# Answer
Is there something like:

> People app -\> press the menu button bottom right (the 3 vertical dots) -\> settings -\> Sort list by
> 2 votes

---
Tags: contacts, 4.0-ice-cream-sandwich
---


title: Android display to TV?

text:
# Question
Title: Android display to TV?
I have an android device(tablet) and I want the screen that I see on my tablet to be able to see it on my TV. The TV has HDMI to which I connected but I only have the video playback or whatever. I need what I see on my tablet to be able to also see on the TV. I need this very fast. Any help is appreciated.

I understand it is possible but only for movies. Is there a way to see media other than movies?

# Answer
> 2 votes
I have both the Iconia A500 and the Transformer TF101. Both output just fine to TVs with HDMI.

There is a little bit cropped off the image in both cases and the home - back - recent buttons don't show on the TVs, nor does the notification panel, all suggesting that it isn't really an external monitor type feature, only to play back movies etc on the big screens.

---
Tags: hdmi, external-display
---


# Question
Title: Why doesn't the Gmail app delete my e-mails permanently?
Android 2.2 on an LG GT540. If I delete an email from my inbox in the default Gmail application then the email is in the trash, OK. But why isn't there any options to delete the e-mail from my trash?

Is it a security feature or what?

# Answer
> 6 votes
If you check this post and the answer by Google employee : http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/Google+Mobile/thread?tid=61ec816cf6ebd668&hl=en , its known limitation rather than a security feature.

The alternative as per this post by Osky: http://www.google.ru/support/forum/p/Google+Mobile/thread?tid=2f07884f917d86eb&hl=en

> This is a known limitation. There are a couple of ways around it depending on what you seek to achieve:
>
> 1. Logon from your browser and select delete forever from the web app.
> 2. Don’t sync the Deleted items label
>
> I’ve chosen the second option but on the other hand I very rarely delete and am not that affected by this curious lack of feature.
>
> Thing is that trashed mails should be deleted after 30 days, and since I selected to only sync 4 days worth of garbage it should only be present in the cloud for 26 of those days.
>
> To sum it up, the trash function is flawed. If it’s a viable option for you, you can chose not to sync that label and messages that you delete from trash will not show up again on your phone.
>
> See Eth@n from Google comment on it in the referenced thread, looks like we can hope for the future :)

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Tags: gmail
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# Question
Title: Musicplayer that shows BPM information and allows sorting according to BPM
Is there an music player that shows the value in the BPM tag? I would also like it to sort according to BPM.

# Answer
> 1 votes
As far as just showing BPM, PowerAMP does that quite nicely while the song is actually playing and in the info section. Sorting is a different story (though lots of other great sort options). and of course this is a paid app. Now that you've mentioned it though, I might email the dev about it.

Neutron MP is also an interesting program that shows everything from BPM to sampling rate to crossfade sliders to a bunch of other advanced dj controls that you'll probably never touch. It's slow as molasses though and while it's uber advanced, it's not particularly user-friendly. Also I could find no sortation options at all.

I tried (unsuccessfully) to find BPM info in the following music apps: 3, WinAmp, BoomBoxoid, Meridian, Zimly, and MixZing. I also tried the tagging programs iTag & Pimp My Music with no luck.

# Answer
> 0 votes
You could try Droid DJ. It says its got a beat countneed I don't think it'll sort by bpm but it may be worth a try if you don't find exactly what you need.

# Answer
> 0 votes
I can't say with perfect certainty, but I've not seen anything like this in any of the major music player apps, which all struggle each in their own way to provide any extra-functionality. However, winamp for android was just released and is supposed to be fairly feature rich. Check there, maybe.

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Tags: music-player
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title: How to utilize those Market QR codes?

text:
# Question
Title: How to utilize those Market QR codes?
Once in a while I see a description of a program that is to be installed via Android market. It is often accompanied by a two-dimensional barcode looking like a QR code that I guess somehow contains a link to the right Market page and the process of using it should be very easy.

I've searched and the closest thing I found is this question about reading QR Codes which makes me think it shouldn't be that hard and so I can't see whether that question is about the same usecase I'm asking about.

How exactly to make use of such barcodes? What's the way to proceed from the QR code on a web page to Market page?

# Answer
> 5 votes
I have installed the application "Barcode Scanner" from here https://market.android.com/details?id=com.google.zxing.client.android

To install an application, I open the "Barcode Scanner" application and hold the phone up to the barcode. It scans and decodes it automatically and then gives me the option to "open brower". I click on that and it eventually leads me to the Android market when I am given the option to install the application.

# Answer
> 2 votes
If you are seeing a QR code on a web page that you are browsing with your phone, then generally there will also be a clickable link to the same place as the QR code points to.

If you are seeing a QR code on a web page on your browser on another device and want to follow it using your phone, you can install any one of a number of barcode scanning apps and then capture it using your camera; if the QR code encodes a market link, the scanner app should open it for you in the market.

I recommend QR Droid for QR decoding myself, it's a very flexible little app that has tons of extra features (including generating your own QR codes that other phones can scan for things like contacts so you can easily share them, etc)

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Tags: google-play-store, barcode, qr-code
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# Question
Title: Can you get MAC drivers for Huawei U8180?
I have a Huawei U8180 (sometimes called X1).

When I mount the USB I can see the SD card and there is also a tool on the device to install the Windows drivers. But can't seem to find anything for Mac.

Does anyone know if you can get Mac drivers for it so adb commands will run on it?

# Answer
> 3 votes
You do not need drivers for a Mac.

What you can do so you can access adb from anywhere is create an environment variable that points to the path of adb.

1. Open Terminal
2. Type `cd ~` this will take you to your home directory
3. Type `touch .profile` this will create a hidden file named profile
4. Type open -e .profile this will open the file you just created in TextEdit
5. In the file, type export PATH=${PATH}:/pathToTheAndroidSdkFolder/android-sdk-mac\_86/platform-tools
6. Save file, close TextEdit, Quit Terminal, and Relaunch Terminal

now when you run `adb devices`, in a terminal, you should see something like the following:

> List of devices attached
> 5751A45CB25EF device

if you don't see anything listed for devices, make sure you have USB Debugging enabled in `Settings > Development > USB Debugging`

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Tags: usb, usb-drivers
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