# Question
Title: SIM 1 Card Full notification on HTC Desire SV
On my **HTC** Desire **SV**, a notification says

> SIM card is full Delete some messages to make more space.

I've deleted all my messages and it still won't go away. I've clicked on it and it leads me to a page that says

> no messages on the SIM card:

under the title that says

> SMS messages on SIM card.

so, I guess my real question is how do I get rid of this? how do I access the SIM card to where I can delete photos and/or messages off of it?

# Answer
This is a problem with your phone, that it only shows the SMS on your phone, not with the SIM card. If you go into your SMS application and check settings, you should have an option which says something like: "Manage SIM SMS". From there, you should be able to delete the SMS from your SIM card.

Another option is to insert your SIM card in an another phone (probably an older phone will have access to your SIM's SMS) and try it from there.

Yet another option is to try some SMS management application like GoSMS which may enable you to erase SMS from the SIM card, though I haven't tried such applications, as it's been a long time since I used SMS.
> 1 votes

# Answer
Go into Messaging, SMS Messages, Settings and change SMS storage location to Phone. This is on a Doogee phone, running Android 5.0-R25-2015\_10\_20.
> 0 votes

# Answer
* Switch off your mobile
* Remove your mobile battery and SIM card
* Press your power button for 10 seconds
* Replace your battery and SIM card
* Switch on your mobile
* Issue cleared
* It worked for me :)
> -5 votes

---
Tags: sms, sim-card
---


# Question
Title: Is there a way to do Nandroid backup directly to pc and then restore it directly from pc also?
My phone doesn't have enough space to store backup files so I wonder if there is a way to do Nandroid backup and restore with files stored on pc.

# Answer
I have written some tools for *exactly* this purpose, due to similar frustrations: https://github.com/dlenski/tetherback

These tools are written in Python and use `adb` to create either nandroid-style backups (raw partition images from `dd if=/dev/block/mmcblk0pXX`) or TWRP-style backups (mixture of raw partition images and tarballs for `ext4` partitions).

They attempt to probe the correct partition layout, and show the progress of the backup:

```
$ ./twrp_backup.py
Device reports TWRP kernel (3.4.0-bricked-hammerhead-twrp-g7b77eb4).
Reading partition map for mmcblk0 (29 partitions)...
  partition map: 100% Time: 0:00:03
Saving TWRP backup images in twrp-backup-2016-03-17--18-53-12/ ...
Saving partition boot (mmcblk0p19), 22 MiB uncompressed...
  boot.emmc.win: 100% Time: 0:00:05   3.10 MB/s
Saving tarball of mmcblk0p25 (mounted at /system), 1024 MiB uncompressed...
  system.ext4.win:   2% ETA:  0:06:29   2.69 MB/s

```

**This is a work in progress—feedback is very welcome!**

Requirements:

* Python 3.3+ under Linux/OSX/Windows.
    + `progressbar` package is needed (`pip install progressbar` should do it)
* `adb` (Android Debug Bridge) command-line tools
* Rooted Android device with TWRP recovery installed.
    + The requirement for a rooted device and a custom recovery is *never going to go away*: if you don't have root access, then you have no means to copy the entire contents of your device's memory, simple as that.

**EDIT:** Looks like most of the traffic to https://github.com/dlenski/tetherback comes from this thread. The early issues with data corruption described in the comments below have all been resolved; tetherback now includes very strong checks against corruption.
> 15 votes

# Answer
A thread on XDA developers describes How to make a nandroid backup directly to your computer without using sdcard. Of course it only works on rooted devices. Further requirements include either a Posix OS like Linux/MacOS (Windows users can emulate this with Cygwin), and ADB (so either the entire SDK, or at least a minimal install). Moreover, `busybox` must be available on the device, and *USB debugging* activated.

The article describes step by step the commands needed to create a Nandroid backup. Basically, it's using dd via a named pipe to create a block-level copy of your device's partitions – what a basically is.
> 9 votes

# Answer
I noticed that (if you already have ADB configured, your phone is rooted and you're working on a Linux system or similar) it is possible to dump the partition content by a single one-liner:

```
adb pull /dev/block/mmcblk0

```

This is the same as what is described in the XDA thread for getting the bit-for-bit contents of flash memory, except without the dance with netcat and pipes (which might be needed or not depending on circumstances, I guess). Obviously no partition on the flash memory should be mounted while copying the data (ie. do it from a recovery while `adb mount` doesn't list any partitions mounted), otherwise you'll risk an inconsistent backup in places which Android decided to write data at the time of backup.

Note that for restore a simple:

```
pv mmcblk0 | adb shell dd of=/dev/block/mmcblk0

```

will not work, as `adb shell` does not support piping. But if you somehow can do a `dd of=/dev/block/mmcblk0` on the device itself, I suppose it should restore your backup. Don't trust me on this though, it might as well brick your phone. I haven't tested it yet; so far I only needed to recover a single partition and `dd` was fine for that.
> 4 votes

# Answer
1. Show Developer Options (`Settings > Developer> tap build 7 times`)
2. Enable USB Debugging (`Settings > Developer > USB Debugging`)
3. use recovery to avoid OS root limitations

`./adb reboot recovery`
4. do the pull

`./adb pull /dev/block/mmcblk0 mmcblk0.img`
> 2 votes

---
Tags: nandroid
---


# Question
Title: ADB pull fails to pull folder that exists
I have a folder I am trying to pull from my G3. Specifically `system/etc/wifi/`

When I pull that specific folder in adb it gives me an error

`remote object 'system/etc/wifi' does not exist`

But yet I can pull the entire etc and it copes all files and folders EXCEPT wifi.

The permission on the folder are `rwxr-xr-x` just like the rest of them.

Here is the output to prove that wifi is a folder and that I can pull from etc

```
C:\Users\Andrew\Desktop>adb shell
shell@g3:/ $ su
root@g3:/ # cd system/etc
root@g3:/system/etc # ls
More files/folders..
ppp
..
wifi
More files/folders..
root@g3:/system/etc # exit
shell@g3:/ $ exit

C:\Users\Andrew\Desktop>adb pull system/etc/ppp
pull: building file list...
pull: system/etc/ppp/ip-up-vpn -> ./ip-up-vpn
1 file pulled. 0 files skipped.
307 KB/s (5344 bytes in 0.016s)

C:\Users\Andrew\Desktop>adb pull system/etc/wifi
remote object 'system/etc/wifi' does not exist

```

Output of `ls -l` on system/etc/

`drwxr-xr-x root root 2016-03-13 18:32 wifi`

I can pull ppp just fine, but not wifi

**Edit**

Trying to move the folder to sdcard then pulling it

adb shell su -c "cp -R /system/etc/wifi /sdcard

adb pull /sdcard/wifi

```
C:\Users\Andrew\Desktop>adb pull /system/etc/wifi
remote object '/system/etc/wifi' does not exist

C:\Users\Andrew\Desktop>adb shell su -c "cp -R /system/etc/wifi /sdcard
cp: /sdcard: File exists

C:\Users\Andrew\Desktop>adb pull sdcard/wifi
remote object 'sdcard/wifi' does not exist

```

Why is this? and how can I pull this folder off. I have granted root permissions to `adb`.

# Answer
> 0 votes
I want to post this answer for future reference in case anyone experiences this problem. I was unable to pull the folder `system/etc/wifi/` using adb with root privileges until I booted into recovery.

I was using TWRP 3.0.0-0 and I was then able to access adb in TWRP and then pull the folder in question. I am unsure of why the folder was not pullable in the first place but pulling it from recovery works.

Commands **successfully** used in recovery

`adb pull system/etc/wifi`

---
Tags: wi-fi, 5.0-lollipop, adb
---


title: Clear spam folder from Gmail app

text:
# Question
Title: Clear spam folder from Gmail app
I have an LG-38 from Straight Talk. I have over 1000 spam messages in my Gmail account.

How can I erase all of my spam messages at one time?

# Answer
> 2 votes
I am on a MotoX Pure, but the Gmail application should be the same or at least very similar.

1. Open Gmail
2. Navigate to your Spam folder
3. Tap on the icon in the far upper-right corner that looks like three dots sitting on top one another
4. A dropdown will appear and the only option should be to "Empty Spam"

---
Tags: gmail
---


# Question
Title: "File too large" when merging a video file on TubeMate
I have Samsung Galaxy Note 2 and I'm using TubeMate 2.1.2 to download an HD video on YouTube. After the download finished, there is a merging file problem, and an error appeared:

> File too large

However, I have a huge empty space on my SD card.

What should I do to fix this problem?

# Answer
TubeMate app might be using phone's internal storage for merging.
> 1 votes

# Answer
If you are using default location of internal storage, then it needs more time to clear buffers and sometime have memory problem. So it's better to change the video download location to `sdcard` which should be large capacity as compared to file.
> -2 votes

---
Tags: external-sd, video, downloading, youtube, tubemate
---


# Question
Title: Installing CM 13 OTA causes so many app crashes that I can't do anything on my phone. Can I save my data?
I had cyanogenmod 12 on my Samsung S4 mini phone, and I upgraded OTA to cyanogenmod 13. After the update Google play services was crashing all the time. I tried downloading and installing GApps through the recovery mode but it only made it worse. Now the crash pop ups are so many that I can't do anything on the phone anymore. "Unfortunately Setup Wizard has stopped" is the one that shows up the most.

Is there any way to fix it without resetting everything? And if resetting is the only option, can I still save the data?

Thank you for any help!

# Answer
Try booting into recovery mode and enabling MTP, and then get your data from there.

What happened was that the Gapps were incompatible with your OS, since you were using Lollipop gapps on Marshmallow. Once you flashed Gapps, it was already too late, since they need to be flashed on first boot.

Once you have your data, factory reset and flash the packages in this order: CM -\> Gapps -\> Whatever else (SuperSU?). Make sure that they are flashed one after each other. Do NOT reboot until Gapps is flashed.
> 1 votes

---
Tags: ota-update, crashes, cyanogenmod
---


title: Usb otg not detected

text:
# Question
Title: Usb otg not detected
I checked my phone with USB otg checker and it shows that USB host support is detected. But when i plug in a otg cable it does not detect my flash drive. Any idea how to fix this.

# Answer
> 1 votes
Gadgets 360 review for P3S (see *connectivity under detailed specifications*) states OTG is **not supported**

Maybe the app you used returned a *false positive*

---
Tags: usb-on-the-go
---


# Question
Title: Android folder does not show up in Windows 7
I had a personal folder created in the root directory in Android (when you connect Android to windows, the directory that opens up). I copied a bunch of files and folders. It all went well. Then I disconnected the phone and I could access this folder from it.

However, later whenever I re-connected my phone to Windows, that particular folder did not show up in Windows explorer. I can still see it in File Manager. So it's definitely present. It contains some images and i can view those too. It's not hidden or system file. Yet it doesn't show up in Windows. Pretty weird right?

Any ideas what to do about this?

# Answer
> 2 votes
This also happened to me. This is because of a code issue in Android itself, no matter what version you are running it up to until Marshmallow 6.0.1, not with Windows. The workaround is to move or copy the file/folder you want to see in Windows using a File Manager on Android.

1. On Android, go to the File Manager.
2. Move the File/Folder on a different location.
3. On Windows, go to the location where you moved/copied the file/folder.
4. Voila! The file/folder is now there.

EDIT: Go to your Apps and clear Media Storage cache then reboot. Worked on mine.

# Answer
> 0 votes
1. Connect your phone to the computer.
2. In the status bar, You will get USB symbol.
3. Tap on that and change the settings from 'camera' to 'MTP'

This will help you to solve the problem. If the problem still exist, Copy your personal folder to DCIM folder. Now u can access that in Windows.

---
Tags: 5.0-lollipop, windows, file-management
---


title: How do in-app purchases work?

text:
# Question
Title: How do in-app purchases work?
I'm trying the free version of an app, and I'm considering to upgrade to the Premium version. The said app is Rewire.

From what I see, the Premium version in not directly available on Play Store, and it can be purchased only in-app.

How do these purchases work? If I uninstall the app then reinstall it later, or if in the future I change my phone, this purchase will still be recognised?

Will I be able to use the full version again without having to pay once more for it?

It appears that the purchase is managed by Google Play:

# Answer
There are two kinds of in-app purchases — managed, and unmanaged. The former have more direct involvement from Google and are transferrable between installs.

Managed purchases are generally for things like premium/pro versions and subscriptions, whereas the latter are for one-off purchases. Unmanaged ones might cover extra donations or things like virtual currency.

So as long as the developer has implemented the right kind of purchase, you should be fine. If not, and the transfer doesn't work, I would expect that an appeal to Google would result in a prompt refund.

See http://www.androidauthority.com/android-inapp-purchases-need-know-92432/
> 0 votes

---
Tags: google-play-store, in-app-purchase
---


# Question
Title: Increasing memory of Samsung Galaxy XCover 3
Having Samsung Galaxy XCover 3 (8GB internal memory) and 64GB SD card, what is the best way to use the card?

Apparently you can not save apps to SD card, just a part of it, and it has to be visible, because some apps are not visible. For example app "Znakujte s námi" shows to take only 14 MB but it takes 700 MB, so if you are able to root phone (How to root Samsung Galaxy XCover 3 is question too.), Link2SD will not see it as 700 MB app.

Is it even possible to use effectively card for this type of phone?

Fot me it seems unrootable now - How to root it?

If it is possible to root it, how to move apps to SD if they look like that they are taking less space than they really does?

# Answer
> 0 votes
Not all apps can be moved to SD card. Those that can be moved, you can do so from the Settings -\> Apps listing for your device. Alternatively there are several apps that help you move several apps in one go. The best way to use your SD card is to use it for all media. Move all your media files from the Internal Memory to SD Card. Also change your camera apps settings to use the SD card for storage as the default would be to store it in the internal memory. Hope this helps.

---
Tags: samsung, internal-storage
---


# Question
Title: Why does my Nexus 5 keep forgetting all wifi passwords after a reboot?
A month ago I got a Nexus 5. It's running Android 4.4.2 (kernel:3.4.0-gadb2201). I noticed after using it for a while that it constantly keeps *forgetting all saved wifi passwords* after *a restart*. In the beginning I thought it might have something to do with my router, but the device also forgot the password of my university's wifi network, so that can't be the problem. Before obtaining this device, I had a Samsung Galaxy Nexus running Android 4.3 which never had this issue. That's why I have a feeling the issue is specific to Android 4.4.2.

Google was my first stop to try to find a solution, but it seems that I'm one of a few people facing this problem generally, and none has it with their Nexus 5. It's not a major issue because I can mitigate it by not restarting my device, but rather an annoying tiny inconvenience I'd like to have fixed.

Does anyone have an idea why this is happening? Is there a solution for it?

# Answer
I have a Note 3 with Android 4.4.2 and I had the same issue. After disabling Google backup, everything is fine now. I couldn't retrieve my old backed up wifi networks, though.
> 7 votes

# Answer
I'd do something different instead...
Since your problem is that your device does not store WiFi passwords (or this seems to be the real problem) I'd suggest you to go into /data/misc/wifi/ and find the \*wpa\_supplicant.conf file. In this file the device stores every WiFi entry.
Open it and see if there are duplicates: when you enter a password more than once this file creates more than one voice, resulting in multiple entries for the same network.
If this is the case then it's normal that the device asks you for the password again (because in case of entries conflicts it doesn't know which one to use).
My advice is to delete all the duplicates or all the entries if you feel like (do NOT delete the file, I'm not sure that the device will recreate it).
Happened to me with my Nexus 4 and doing so solved everything.
Let me know if this helped you :)

EDIT: to access this file your device has to be rooted
> 2 votes

# Answer
I recently answered a **QUESTION** which had a similar issue.

I'm wondering if it would work for nexus devices as well.

**SUPER SHORT VERSION**:

1. Backup EFS using TWRP/CWM Recovery
2. Delete `ss_data` in `/efs` folder using root file explorer.
> 1 votes

# Answer
I cannot verify this fix, nor can I explain why it might work, but give this a shot

> Rename your device

If it works! Awesome! If it doesn't you just wasted 5 minutes of your life following this answer.
> 0 votes

# Answer
Here is the solution which worked for my rooted Nexus 5 (android 5.0.1)

1. Copy wpa\_suppliciant.conf file from /data/misc/wifi/ to your PC
2. Open with any text editor (I used wordpad) and delete all entries with you problematic wifi name on it.
3. Choose one of the Wifi in the list which you remember has worked before and change SSID and passkey according to you router. Press SAVE.
4. Copy/replace this modified file into /data/misc/wifi
5. Delete DHCP folder in /data/misc/
6. Reboot your phone.
7. Voila your phone now connects to your new wifi :)

**P.S.** Please make a backup of "wpa\_suppliciant.conf" file and "DHCP" folder. Just in case

**P.P.S.** For some people deleting old saved wifi from "saved wifi" did the trick too
> 0 votes

# Answer
I have S4 Zoom. Had this problem. Reading your answers i tested with just Root Browser renaming DHCP in /data/misc/ and rebooting and then again passwords needs to put put in but now starts remembering. So you can also just delete that DHCP in /data/misc/. I had this problem already 4 times and this works.

Since i had it already few times maybe Problem then lies in that maybe at some point in reboot or battery down file got corrupted so its not writing or some app changed writing permissions?!?

p.s. for admin. my answer was deleted and now i found this solution and edited and i couldnt undelete so i made new answer.. Thats not helpfull.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: wi-fi, 4.4-kitkat, nexus-5
---


# Question
Title: Can i use the download mode in lg g3 without turning on usb debugging
I recently bricked my lg g3 d855 european. But still i can get it into download mode. When i connect it to a pc, it does not get recognized. I tried the kdz method to unbrick it but it gets stuck at 60% in lg flash tool. Any help would be appreciated.

# Answer
Yes; Download Mode has nothing at all to do with USB Debugging (which is for ADB).

You should ensure you have the correct drivers installed and may want to try a different USB port and/or cable.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: rom-flashing, unbricking
---


# Question
Title: ADB doesn't recognize my device in recovery mode
I have an ASUS ZenFone 2. I have tried using ASUS USB drivers and Google Android composite ADB drivers on my computer, but neither recognize the device while it is in recovery mode.

Can anyone help me solve this problem?

# Answer
> 4 votes
Had the same problem, plus the device was shown with a yellow exclamation mark in the device manager but only when in recovery mode.

Solution was to install the Google USB drivers for this device again:

* Google and Download "Google USB Driver"
* Open device manager
* Right click device
* Update Driver Software
* Select "Browse my Computer ..."
* Select "Let me pick ..."
* Select "Android Device"
* Select "Android ADB interface" ...

# Answer
> 2 votes
I had the same issue and was able to solve it by updating Intel USB Driver for Android Devices. It is available here: Official

# Answer
> 1 votes
do you have android debug bridge enabled in developer options? i'm pretty sure that will enable it in recovery mode, too.

with your device booted, go into settings and choose "About phone (or tablet)." scroll down and tap on "Build number" 7 times.

now go back out to the main settings screen and you should see "Developer options." Select that and make sure the selection to "Enable USB debugging" is checked.

---
Tags: adb, recovery-mode, usb-drivers, side-loading, asus-zenfone-5
---


# Question
Title: Clean update/install of new Android version (non-nexus)
* I don't have a Nexus device (I have a Moto G2 2013).
* Today I received the OTA update from my manufacturer (6.0 Marshmallow).

I want to do a clean install/update on my device. For example, when upgrading Windows it asks me if I want a clean install. I found out Android doesn't give me the option.

**What is the cleanest way to upgrade my device?**

1. Factory reset my device (going back to 4.4) and then hop versions (OTA to 5.0 and then 6.0)?
2. Look for an ISO from my manufacturer and flash it?

# Answer
> 3 votes
I don't think a factory reset would revert your device back to 4.4, I'm pretty sure it would still be on 6.0. A factory reset would wipe all user data on your device without touching the OS.

If you some want to wipe all installed apps (bar system apps) and user data then a factory reset would do. If you want to wipe the OS too then you would need to find a full device image.

---
Tags: updates, ota-update, motorola-moto-g2
---


# Question
Title: Is a factory reset from recovery different from one started in the OS?
```
Galaxy S4 I9505 on 5.1 Stock

```

Handset has stability issues and I can't find a clear answer if a factory reset started in the OS runs the same process as one started via recovery?

# Answer
> 6 votes
There is only one difference — on Lollipop and higher, a factory reset from Settings will remove Factory Reset Protection from your device. It will ask you to enter your device and/or Google Account password in order to verify that you are the owner of the device. Resets from Recovery do not remove FRP since they can be initiated by anyone, such as a phone thief.

---
Tags: samsung, recovery-mode, factory-reset
---


title: My microSD card doesn't work

text:
# Question
Title: My microSD card doesn't work
My microSD card doesn't work on my android, Alcatel One touch Pixi 3 4.5. It first came up with the error message "Damaged SD card". I have searched online and discovered the way of plugging it into your computer, opening command prompt and typing in "chkdsk f: /f". It "resolved" the problem, but then when I put it in my phone, it said "SD card safe to remove"?????

It did not work as I could not access any photos in the memory card and soon after trying to find out what is going on, the "Damaged SD card" notification popped up again!!!

How can I resolve this problem?

# Answer
I recommend you to copy your photos and other data from your **SD card** to your PC(when the problem gets resolved by the **chkdsk** utility). Then format your **SD card** and copy the data back to it. Then try putting the car in you mobile phone. I think it would work for you. If not, then your SD card(according to my experience) is severely damaged and it is almost impossible to repair it.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: sd-card
---


title: Using Android device as a loudspeaker

text:
# Question
Title: Using Android device as a loudspeaker
I have a class of 100 students, and I have an idea to use my mobile as a loudspeaker so I don't have to shout.

Alternatively, it should work like an amplifier system. The difference is that the input is the mobile, the amplifier is the mobile and the output is a USB speaker connected to it.

Is it possible to do that?

# Answer
> 0 votes
You can use a microphone app like Microphone by Gaz Davidson.

There is a lag, but then again your phone isn't a full blown stereo mixer.

---
Tags: audio, microphone
---


# Question
Title: How can I extract NON-HLOS.bin from my Motorola Moto G xt1032?
I want to extract that file in order to restore my wi-fi on another Motorola Moto G

How can I do that ?

# Answer
From a root shell/terminal:

```
dd if=/dev/block/platform/*/by-name/modem of=/sdcard/NON-HLOS.bin

```

On some devices it might be `radio` instead of `modem` and you can, of course, place it somewhere other than `/sdcard`.

Note also that it will typically be padded with zeroes on the end — for example, the NON-HLOS.bin I flashed was 57.1 MB but when I retrieve it with the above method the resulting file is 64 MB (with it being identical apart from the padding).
> 2 votes

---
Tags: file-system
---


title: Android app identifier?

text:
# Question
Title: Android app identifier?
Is there such a thing as a searchable database or a website anywhere online where someone can type in the name of an app or a package name and see a summary of what the app is for, if it is a system app, if it is just Android or iOS, list of permissions needed, etc?

I guess sort of an app dictionary/encyclopedia with more in depth info than what searching Google Play will give me.

# Answer
Unlikely such a site exists *and is complete*. See the two links in this answer: The first currently covers 1718 apps, the second ~7,350 apps. My own site currently covers ~13,000+ apps (from multiple sources: GPlay, F-Droid, Aptoide "Apps", Xposed Repo).

Google Play covers \>1 Mio apps, and I have a lot of apps not covered there (so do F-Droid (~1,800 apps) and Aptoide (~90,000 apps in their main repo, plus tons more in other "user-repos"). Then there are those apps offered outside of stores at all, e.g. only on the website of some company.

All that's left is typing the package name (surrounded by quotes) into a search box (Google, DuckDuckGo, whatever) and see what pops up. As you're specifically after malware: those results sometimes include links to scan details by several known anti-X companies, which are interesting (but not easy to read).
> 1 votes

# Answer
I am not very sure if any such searchable database or a website is even possible for anyone to create (including Google itself), given the current size of Android apps, the indie app development ecosystem of Android and plethora of Android devices on offer, which varies from country to country and more.

I guess the simplest approach is to take it case-by-case for each app.

**If you find a new/unknown app, just do a quick Google Search using app's Name.**

Most likely that you will find a link to Either Google Play store (if that app is hosted on Google Play) or some other Link from where you can download the APK for the app. Developers tend to provide enough information (such as app permissions) about the app so that user can see and install apps through these links.

Having said that, I found few useful links/sites which can be visited for app info.

Link-1, Link-2

Of course, these links/sites have their limitations and they do not have EVERY Single app which is ever developed for Android.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: applications, malware, bloatware
---


title: Gmail app links are not clickable

text:
# Question
Title: Gmail app links are not clickable
For some reason any link that comes into my gmail app inside an email is not clickable. Whenever I want to browse to the link I have to drag select the link. I have a default Nexus 5. I have not made any modifications or really changed any settings. Whats the deal???

*** Update ***

This is still a problem (03/15/2016). It makes trying to visit for example forum replies VERY difficult! Does no one else have this problem? Please help!

*** Update ***

Default gmail app - Ver 6.0.115979076

Android - Ver 6.0.1

*** Resolved ***

Turns out this is most likely due to Cisco corporate high security email and phone controls. I cant say for sure, but it makes sense that email links would be one thing they would disable with the security policies. Marking this resolved and awarding points. Thanks

# Answer
I was not able to reproduce the problem on two different HTC devices. It did work in html emails as well as text only mails. As far as I can tell it does not seem to be a general problem of the app but you can try to uninstall all updates of the app since you are not able to completely remove it. Therefore just go to Settings -\> Apps -\> gmail -\> Uninstall Updates.
> 1 votes

# Answer
Gmail app has had occasional non-clickable link issues in the past, especially with plain text messages. But these tend to get fixed quickly. However, your issue does not seem to be due to the GMail app. Sometimes Anti-Malware or Anti-Virus apps with hyper-active spam filters can disable links in your email. Try disabling or re-configuring such apps.

Alternatively, you could switch to the more modern GMail alternative from Google, viz. Inbox.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: gmail, nexus-5, hyperlinks
---


# Question
Title: Internal Memory does not show up in the Computer(file Explorer)
I have Samsung GT-I19082 Galaxy Grand duos. When I connect it to my computer, it does not show the internal memory nor sdcard memory. When I switch to Camera memory option in the Phone, internal memory shows up in the PC, but it does not let me transfer data.

What can I do?

# Answer
First ensure you have a good connection between phone and PC. After you have connected, unlock your phone and open the status bar. There you should have a notification that reads "**USB for charging**" select it. A dialog will pop up giving you a list of options. Select the option "**File transfers**" With this option selected you should be able to see "**Internal storage**" on your PC.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: samsung, internal-storage, samsung-galaxy-grand
---


title: Start an app on start up without root

text:
# Question
Title: Start an app on start up without root
I have android lollipop 5.1.1 on my Samsung Galaxy Note 4. I would like to have an app start with my smartphone's boot. It's a call recorder app (automatic call recorder). How can I do that? Is that possible without root?

# Answer
I found AutoStart on the play store, it is a free app to start applications automatically. It has mixed reviews but might do what you want.

Alternatively you can utilize Tasker ($2.99) on the play store. Open tasker and add a profile (+ icon). Select "Event" from the list, you will get a popup menu, select "System", then select "Device Boot". Now select the back arrow in the top left corner.

Now select "New Task +" from the right side of the screen. Name does not matter, but I would name it something like "Start App". Press the + icon on the bottom to define your action, then select "App", then "Launch App", now select the applications you want to start on boot.

With the profile you created, you told tasker "When my device boots" then with the action you created in tasks you told tasker "start this application".

Tasker is a powerful tool to automate actions on android. It basically works by saying if this happens do that. I use it to disable my wifi when I'm not connected, kill all my apps and disable auto sync while on the charger and face down in order to speed up charging. It can be used for many things, I feel my $3 was well spent on it.
> 3 votes

---
Tags: 5.1-lollipop, auto-start
---


# Question
Title: CWM Recovery can't see external SD card, need to install a rom from ext SD
Phone is a SGH-I747M. Was rooted. Tried to put a custom rom on it. Something happened. Now it loads to CWM-Recovery v5.5.0.4. I can't view the files on the SD Card. I have tried mounting the card from the menu. Still nothing. Please help. I think I can save this phone, but I just don't know how.

# Answer
> 2 votes
Here is the Procedure:

* Make sure latest Samsung USB drivers are installed on your PC.
* Download Odin v3.07 on your PC.(Some SAMSUNG devices require Odin v3.04).
* Download Recovery.tar, download link. This link Provides CWM Recovery.

Follow the Steps:

1. Run Odin v3.07 on your PC as an administrator.
2. Switch off your device, go to download mode (volume down + home screen button+ power button), then press volume up to continue and connect to your PC.
3. When Odin recognize your device, click PDA option(*Do not touch any other options*) and navigate to the recovery.tar file where you have downloaded it.
4. Select recovery file and hit START.

The flashing process will complete and Odin will show a PASS button with green background, your device will be rebooted. After flashing the stock recovery file your phone should boot normally without any problem.

Now before you flash a new ROM –

* Make sure you have enabled USB Debugging on your device
* Make sure you have latest Samsung USB drivers installed on your PC
* Wipe cache partition and wipe data/factory reset before you flash a ROM

Above Procedure is Adapted version. Original Work.

And if you want Original Samsung Firmware. Download Kies from Samsung Website which can put Samsung Firmware on your phone. See This.

---
Tags: rom-flashing, clockworkmod-recovery, unbricking
---


# Question
Title: How can I root my 4.4.2 Razr Maxx HD Verizon
I've tried everything that I can think of to try and root my Razr Droid Maxx HD Verizon phone, running 4.4.2.
Towel root, sunshine and I can't even remember all of the others I tried. Nothing works!

# Answer
Successfully used the Hydrogen Peroxide method as outlined at this link.

http://forum.xda-developers.com/droid-razr-hd/general/root-droid-razr-hd-xt926-183-46-15-t3062040

Had to reflash stock firmware a priori though. Others had success without flashing, only factory reset prior to attempt.

Newest Kingroot or KingoRoot would be worth trying 1st.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: rooting, motorola-droid-razr
---


# Question
Title: Do any OS upgrades (between major versions) NOT require wiping data?
I'm an Android developer and I have a non-technical question regarding major Android version upgrades (e.g. from Android 4.x to 5 or from 5.x to 6).

Do any of the big Android device vendors offer these kinds of upgrades without wiping the data on the device?

I'm asking this question because I need to know if this kind of scenario should be supported by the app.

# Answer
> 7 votes
I must admit that I'm a bit confused by this post. Granted, I haven't been an Androider from the word go (my first device was a Nexus 7 running Jellybean), but every major update I have done has not required a factory reset (unless of course it has got stuck). This is true for all three of my devices: my Nexus 5, my Nexus 7 and my Nexus 9.

The biggest update I have done was on my Nexus 5 and Nexus 7, going from KitKat to Lollipop and that kept all my data. And of any update, KitKat to Lollipop would be the most likely to require a reset - they're very different.

Mind you, they are pure Android devices. So I'd say that if you have an official Google device (be it LG, HTC, etc.) with vanilla Android, you're pretty safe.

(Also, it would not be in the best interests of the vendor to require a factory reset before an update because then there would be less of an incentive to update.)

# Answer
> 3 votes
We have had several devices from Samsung, ASUS, Sony, Motorola, Huawei etc. get major upgrades from Android I to J, J to K, K to L and now from L to M but we never had any of the data affected. Of course, all of these were non-rooted devices with manufacturer or Google provided OSes and the updates where issued/pushed by the manufacturer. This would make sense, as there may be important data stored by individual apps.

The case may be different for custom ROMs, though good custom ROMs would try to retain app data during upgrades. Having said that, it is always wise to backup your important data before performing any OS upgrades, minor or major.

# Answer
> 0 votes
As a general rule, mobile OS updates do not wipe user data when transitioning from 1 version to the next. Such wipes would be devastating for the large amount of users that have very little tech knowledge and don't take basic precautions like backups and storing their files in multiple locations.

However, quite a few apps run into issues when upgrading the OS version. Even system apps can have this issue. For example, when I upgraded my S4 from 4.4.2 to 5.0.1, the "recommended apps" app that recommends apps to use when connecting a headphone kept crashing when doing so. That was solved after a factory reset. That's why it is recommended to do a factory reset after a OS update. A not insignificant part of the userbase does factory resets in this manner.

As an app developer, you should least prepare for the user doing a factory reset at any time. With Marshmallow, that should be easier considering google now backs up certain app data.

---
Tags: updates
---


# Question
Title: Alcatel Onetouch Idol 3 won't work with bluetooth
I have an Alcatel Onetouch Idol 3 that I purchased in January. It has static, breaks up and sounds muffled when I have my bluetooth on and wifi is on. If I turn my wifi off it works ok. I have tried 4 bluetooth and returned the Alcatel once. Has anyone else had this problem or does anyone have a solution? I am ready to cut my losses and purchase another phone.

# Answer
> 0 votes
Wi-Fi and Bluetooth both operate in the 2.4 GHz frequency band. As such, interference is to be expected; it's not your particular phone. Here is an interesting paper on it.

You could see if your home Wi-Fi router supports the 5.0 GHz band, and switch to using that exclusively. You could also try changing the Wi-Fi channel.

---
Tags: wi-fi, bluetooth
---


# Question
Title: How to select all messages Inbox Google?
The new Google email application, Inbox has just been released so I decided to try it.

I wanted to delete all my spam messages but I can't find a button to select all of them without clicking on each one.

Is it possible to select all messages at once?

# Answer
The "Select All" feature is not available as of now in Inbox by Gmail app. Nor this feature of multiple selecting of spam emails at once available in the web version of Inbox by Gmail. Only Gmail app has the `Empty Spam` option but not select all. You can also swipe to delete in the new version of Inbox app. But that won't make a big difference if you have hundreds of emails spammed to you.

Take a look at the Features not implemented yet blog post section.

> Gmail or Inbox by Gmail?
>
> So, which one should you use? Most of the above can be reduced to just a couple key points for each product. But remember that: `Inbox` is not simply a user-interface change to Gmail, it as an entirely new product.

Gmail

* Customizable - multiple inbox formats and message organization options -
* Flexible - many message attributes to manage e-mail

Inbox by Gmail

* Simple - easy to learn and use
* Consistent - the same user-interface on all platforms

> Of course there's no reason you can't use both. You could use Inbox on a day-to-day basis, or on mobile devices, and then use Standard Gmail for more complex activity like creating non-labeling filters, multiple message selection, emptying Trash and Spam, etc. Gmail and Inbox by Gmail are just tools and you should use whatever helps you manage your e-mail the best.
>
> So feel free to continue to use Gmail, switch to Inbox, use both as appropriate, or use neither if you prefer your installed e-mail client. The choice is totally yours.\[Ref.\]

**UPDATE** : This functionality is now available in Inbox by GMail as of 10th Sep 2015. Google has added an option to delete all spam messages in single click via the "Empty Trash Now" button. Read here.

As posted on Google Plus,

> Small update: You can now empty Trash and Spam in Inbox. Thanks to everyone for your feedback requesting this feature.

You can also do this in the webversion of Inbox by Gmail's spam page. Clicking on the "Empty Spam now" clears up the spam folder. Note that spam left undeleted for more than 30 days are deleted automatically.
> 6 votes

# Answer
You can now do a "shift select" style selection to select all the messages between two.

For example, if I have 6 messages in a row that I would like to delete (because they have been filtered or searched, etc), as below:

Message 1
Message 2
Message 3
Message 4
Message 5
Message 6

Then you can first, select Message 1 by clicking its checkbox. Then hold shift and select Message 6 by clicking its checkbox. All the messages between 1 and 6 should then also be selected.
> 1 votes

---
Tags: inbox-by-gmail
---


# Question
Title: Is there a way for me to use my phone as a Xbox One or 360 controller
I let my friend borrow my Xbox 360 controller which was the way for me to stream Xbox One onto my computer. Since he now has my controller I can't really do it, so I was wondering if there's a way to use my phone to control my Xbox.

# Answer
You should be able to do it with the Xbox One SmartGlass app.

Navigate the Xbox dashboard, pause and rewind your favorite movie, swipe, pinch, and tap to surf the Web on your TV, and use your device's keyboard for easy text input and search on your console.

Browse the entire Xbox catalog from your device.

Get real-time game strategy within the app.

Compatible with the following devices: \- Windows 8 \- Windows RT Tablet 8+ \- IOS Devices up to 5S and Ipad Air \- Android devices that run 4.x and higher

It also provide exclusive and interactive content for movies and TV shows.

More details on its website.

There is also an Xbox 360 SmartGlass app.

Both apps have positive reviews and perform well.

Alternatively, if you just want to play the games streamed to your computer, set up the Xbox App like so:

* On your PC, launch the Xbox app.
* Select Connect from the panel on the left side.
* The Xbox app will scan your home network for available Xbox One consoles. Select the name of the console you want to connect to.

More details on their website

Then download a controller app for your phone like DroidJoy app.

* Allows you to use your Android device as an Xbox like controller for playing games on your pc
* Requires running a "server" app on your computer to communicate with the controller app which you can download on their website
> 2 votes

---
Tags: game-controllers
---


# Question
Title: Accessing Windows PC folder on Android tablets without internet connection
I am trying to access a Windows PC folder on my Android tablets (let's say 10 tablets). I have a video folder in my PC and I want to access that folder and play video. Things I have tried are:

* Using JCIFS library and Samba server: the drawback is it requires internet connection.
* Using WAMP server and localhost: this solution was perfect until I tested it on multiple devices. It takes a lot of time to buffer big video files and sometimes fails to access videos.

Is there any other method to do that without root? Any other methods to connect my Android tablets to Windows PC and access the video files from a folder?

# Answer
> 1 votes
There are several File manager supporting all local file systems & LAN, so they can access your Windows shares directly – no Internet required, just a local WiFi both, your Android device(s) and Computer(s) are connected to. My (very subjective) "top 3" you can find described in my answer on our sister-site, together with some screenshots: ES File Explorer, Open Explorer (also see my recommendation here), Solid Explorer. All 3 have network capabilities and even can auto-discover your Windows shares.

---
Tags: wi-fi, windows, remote-access
---


title: how to back up an app's data manually?

text:
# Question
Title: how to back up an app's data manually?
I am able to backup my app's data from the `root/data/data/you.package.name` directory by just moving it to SD card manually. however, when i reverse the process, AKA paste the data back to simulate a restore, the app just force closes, i have tried it with a bunch of apps and noticed the same reaction. Where am i wrong?

# Answer
> 5 votes
As there's no more feedback, I'll sum up from the comments for those coming up with a similar issue:

Firelord correctly pointed out this most likely is an issue with file permissions. Internal storage uses a file system supporting granular file permissions**1** – which are not supported by the file system used on SD cards**2**. So the copy of all the contents on your SD card has lost that information, and ownership got lost**3**. So copying this back to your internal storage, it still has the wrong ownership, so the app cannot access it properly. Not expecting this**4**, the app will of course misbehave: an exception will occur without being handled, so the app crashes (force-close).

For those who checked with the `mount` command and now argue *you're wrong, SD card doesn't use FAT but FUSE!* – True it's FUSE, but in this case it *acts like FAT.* What file system is FUSE, please? :) It's not a *physical* file system on its own, but rather a *virtual* one (FUSE stands for File System in User Space, which opposes the "System Space" aka "kernel space") providing a "bridge" to the actual kernel interfaces. There're several file systems using FUSE: SSHFS, DAVFS and others have FUSE implementations. Again it was Firelord bringing up some backing to my claim: *sdcard program does the job of mounting FUSE and in config.jd is mentioned that the sdcard program is used by some devices to expose internal storage through FUSE.*

**Conclusion:** You took a complete wrong approach to and here. If you really wanted to deal with that on the file system level, you should have used a tool like tar (which is available and usually pre-installed on Android devices) to archive the contents while preserving permissions (the resulting "tarball" can then be copied to SD card, and the contents still be extracted to their original location properly). OTOH, as our backup tag-wiki will tell you, this is exactly what backup or apps like Helium - App Sync and Backup and Titanium Backup are for.

---

**1:** on older Android versions this often was YAFFS, on newer it's Extfs
**2:** usually FAT
**3:** or rather "reset" to the defaults used for content stored on the SD card
**4:** a normal user cannot do such stuff, as `/data/data/<package_name>` is not accessible to anyone but its owner and root

---
Tags: backup
---


title: Phone stuck in bootloop due to HiFont

text:
# Question
Title: Phone stuck in bootloop due to HiFont
My phone has stuck in a bootloop when it rebooted after installing a font using HiFont. I have tried HiFont many times, it works well. It is for the first time it happened. The phone boots up and shows the whole animation but gets stuck on the last frame. Please suggest me a good solution.

* Android version: **4.1.1 Jelly Bean**
* Mobile manufacturer: **Micromax**
* **Rooted**
* Model: **Bolt A61**

**Hard reset and wipe cache partition are not working.** *Typing* **ls** *in adb shell inside the* **/system/font** *gives the following output*

# Answer
> 1 votes
Since you have access to ADB with root, you can easily remove the font you installed using this command:

```
rm /system/fonts/xxxxx.TTF

```

If you don't have the slightest clue which fonts were yours, you can actually sort `ls` output by date modified, as so:

```
ls -tr

```

...which will show the most recent fonts at top, given the modified dates are correct.

If your most recent font is of the Roboto family, that means your customizer app replaced the default font! You'll have to write down the exact filename, remove it, and `cp` another font (eg. Arial) and `rename` it to the same filename. Of course, none of this will be needed if you have a device backup. Just copy the originals.

Hope this solves your problem!

---
Tags: root-access, boot-loop
---


# Question
Title: Connect through adb to a Nexus 4 with a broken touch screen?
I have a Nexus 4 with a broken touch screen from which I would like to recover some files. `adb` is a tool often referred for this purpose, as in this guide.

I have installed `adb` and `fastbook` on my computer and have tried to connect to phone using various methods, but always without success. When I run `adb services` the list always comes out empty.

Browsing through previous questions on this matter, I came across this answer where it is said a certain **USB debugging** feature must be activated in the phone itself to allow the connection from `adb`. Obviously I can not do this since the touch screen is not working.

Is there any other of connecting through `adb` to a Nexus 4 with a broken touch screen?

# Answer
You can access ADB if you install a custom recovery. I would recommend TWRP.

> Note that the following solution requires a Nexus 4 with an unlocked bootloader. To unlock the bootloader you can do a `fastboot oem unlock` – but running that **will wipe the user data as well**.

* Download the TWRP image for your device (Download the latest one)
* Power off your phone
* Press and hold the `Volume Down` Key and the `Power` button at the same time, this will let you boot your device in fastboot mode.
* Move the downloaded TWRP image into the folder where you installed `adb` and `fastboot`, and then rename the downloaded `twrp-X.X.X-X-mako.img` file to "recovery.img". Open the "Command Prompt" in that location.
* Type `fastboot devices` and check whether your computer recognizes your device. If the list the following command returns does not show your device, make sure you have the appropriate ADB Drivers installed.
* Then type in `fastboot flash recovery recovery.img` and wait for a SUCCESS message.
* Then type in `fastboot reboot recovery` and your phone should now reboot into recovery mode.

Your phone should now be accessible via ADB

Now you can follow this guide at XDA.
> -2 votes

---
Tags: adb, broken-screen
---


title: On-device calendar exists?

text:
# Question
Title: On-device calendar exists?
I am coming from iOS to my first Android (Samsung Galaxy S7) and having hard time adjusting. The first thing that is throwing me off is lack of a calendar app.

The phone came with Samsung's own S-Planner, but I wanted to use a more native android app (so that if my next phone is not Samsung, I don't have to relearn). However I cannot find anything else installed on the device. Any online search results in various 3rd party calendar apps. So, is there no such thing as a "***native* android calendar app**"?

Secondly, the 3rd party calendar apps have options of syncing to Gmail/Exchange/other accounts, but is there no such thing as "**on-device calendar**" (like on iOS)? One that isn't linked to some account online?

Thank you

# Answer
The native AOSP calendar app was replaced by Google's own**1**. It went by the package name `com.android.calendar`, but is no longer found in either *Google Play Store* or on *F-Droid* (you can find its code on Github, though). As for synchronization, that's usually not done by the calendar app itself but by the corresponding sync service; most calendar apps use the "calendar provider" of the Android system to store their data.

If you want a "local calendar" that's not synchronized at any cost, and your device doesn't offer such, you can e.g. use Offline Calendar; but that app doesn't seem to be maintained anymore (last version is from 2013).

---

**1:** See Google’s iron grip on Android: Controlling open source by any means necessary
> 7 votes

# Answer
Google Calendar could be considered as native android calendar app. You can download it from Google Play. But I personally don't like it.

As for device-only calendar - I have never seen an android phone without such a calendar (I'm not familiar with Samsung devices though). Normally you can choose a calendar during creating an event.
> 5 votes

# Answer
You could try Offline Calendar. App description says

> Lets you add calendars to the Calendar app, which are not synchronized and are accessible only on the device itself. Create the calendar in this app and it will then be available in the Calendar app.

I had tried it earlier, but gave up since I found interface not very friendly (for me at least-your experience may be different). Exporting to new device could be as you would do for other apps (backing up and reinstalling) or as I see in developer reply suggesting interface with another app to export(see 15/09/2015)

EDIT: I posted this as a comment and by the time typed the reply, found another answer (by Izzy) recommending this !
> 2 votes

---
Tags: applications, samsung, calendar, 6.0-marshmallow
---


# Question
Title: What controls the text preview in notifications?
I am new to Android (on Samsung S7 now), and trying to understand the basic (so that I can drill more into details later).

My notifications (emails) show the sender and email title, but not the email body preview (the iOS lock screen showed a few lines of the email body). I have "content preview" enabled on device settings.

What controls the amount of information displayed in previews?

* Is this a device/ROM setting that all notification apps have to adhere to?
* Is it the underlying email client application?
* Or is it the notification application itself?

In other words, in order to see email body preview in notifications, should I be looking for a different email client, different notifier, or different ROM?

# Answer
Everything in the notification is set by the app that created it. So in the case of your email, it's the email client.

Note that in recent Android versions, you can expand most notifications by pulling down on them with two fingers. In Gmail, for example, if you have a notification about several emails, you can expand it from "3 new messages" to show the sender and subject line for each. If you only have one new mail, the default layout shows the sender, subject line, and first line, but the expanded form shows a few extra lines of the content.
> 2 votes

---
Tags: samsung, notifications, email
---


# Question
Title: Soft bricked device fails to boot into recovery, both through key combo and fastboot
I have a Micromax Canvas 2.2 A114 which is soft bricked. I am trying to get into recovery mode after flashing CWM Recovery image using fastboot with the following command:

```
# fastboot flash recovery /tmp/recovery.img

```

The command gives the following result:

```
sending 'recovery' (6144 KB)...
OKAY [  0.233s]
writing 'recovery'...
OKAY [  1.098s]
finished. total time: 1.332s

```

However, when I try to get into the recovery mode, it doesn't boot into recovery and go into reboot again having infinite loop cycles.

How do I fix my phone?

### Edit

Attempting to directly boot into the recovery doesn't work. Console remains stuck on `booting...` and device doesn't boot at all.

```
# fastboot boot /tmp/recovery.img
downloading 'boot.img'...
OKAY [ 0.204s]
booting...

```

# Answer
> 1 votes
Solved...!!

First of all thanks to @Firelord for pointing me to SP Flash Tools and giving the link of stock ROM.

In case anyone ever stuck with this problem in future, I would like to tell I got my phone recovered by following this tutorial:

How to Unbrick every MTK China Phone ! Preloader / SP Flashtool Fix

---
Tags: unbricking
---


# Question
Title: ZTE Obsidian running Android 5.1 doesn't save files to SD card.
When I try to update apps through Google Play I can't save the app to the SD card. In settings I chose SD card as the default drive but it still doesn't work. Is there anyway to make the system recognise the SD card? I constantly get insufficient storage space messages.

# Answer
Later versions of Android do not allow for install to SD card. The cache can be saved here (which you've already enabled the option for) but installing the application directly to the SD card is no longer supported.
> 0 votes

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


# Question
Title: How do I create a calendar event that repeats every other week?
How do I create a calendar event that repeats every other week?

I'm using the default calendar app on the Droid X and the Xoom and I can't make an every other week appointment. I can do this on the website without trouble.

The only options are every week and I don't see where I can say every (2) weeks.

# Answer
> 0 votes
The current calendar app from google now supports custom repeat appointments where you can specify repeat every 2 weeks.

---
Tags: calendar
---


title: How to recover discarded contacts?

text:
# Question
Title: How to recover discarded contacts?
I was trying to save a number using the basic android dialer first I dialed in the number then I gave a name but then I ended up discarding the saving process, now I am unable to recover the number which I was trying to save. I tried opening up the contacts database which is saved under `/data/data/com.android.providers` but I am unable to retrieve anything from there. Can anyone please suggest on how to find the lost contact?

# Answer
> 2 votes
You can't. Anything you entered without saving it was never committed to long-term storage, whether as cache or otherwise; it was only in RAM. There is no way to retrieve this data.

---
Tags: phone-app
---


title: Root Samsung Galaxy XCover 3

text:
# Question
Title: Root Samsung Galaxy XCover 3
how to root Samsung Galaxy XCover 3?

I tried one-click-root-apps as KingoRoot and OneClickRoot but it does not work for me.

I have Android 5.1.1 installed and I can connect to phone from Windows 7 or Ubuntu 14.04.

Is somewhere a guide to do it (I don't want to destroy my phone) or could you tell me how?

Thank you

# Answer
***ATTENTION:*** For **Lollipop** root, please vist this thread its still EXPERIMENTAL root applied by me, and as such not gonna include here untill its been verified by users

---

I currently have the same phone on the same version as you, lollipop 5.1.1, and since it is not a well known phone, *their isn't a one click install method*. The only methods that I found, keep in mind I have not tried them and as such ***NOT* held responsible for damages to your phone or Mentality**

The only root method I have found would require you installing a custom recovery, in this case TWRP, and flashing the SU Binary (This enables us to have root) and then downloading SuperSU for the ability to grant root permissions to apps.

This following method **will trip knox** and thus making your warranty voided, and here are some facts about the problems with tripping knox

---

**Rooting the Smasung xCover 3 (SM-G388f) KitKat**

*I haven't used this tutorial as I don't want to trip knox and as such cannot verify the integrity of this method.*

Now to the good part!

**Preperations**

1. Download the newest Version of TWRP for this phone, Sansung xCover3, making sure to download the version with the .tar extension
2. Download the newest ODIN version and install in onto your computer
3. Download and the Phone USB drivers for the phone either, Via Samung Kies3 or from the ODIN webpage
4. Download the newest SuperSU Binary and put it into the root directory of your device (Internal SD Card Memory)
5. Install and read up on
6. Make sure Phone is at least 80% charged and has USB Debugging turned on

**TWRP Installation**

1. Turn off the smartphone
2. Boot your device into Download Mode, to boot into Download Mode **press** and **hold** the **"Volume Down + Home + Power"** together till Download Mode is active. Once entered you will be seeing a warning sign asking if you want to continue, hit the **"Volume Up"**
3. Open ODIN and then Connect your phone to your computer via USB Cable
4. After connecting your phone to the computer, ODIN should say **"Added"**
5. Once the device is detected by Odin, click on the button **"AP"** and select the .tar TWRP file you had download earlier, at the time of writing the current version would be twrp-3.0.0-0-xcover3ltexx.img.tar (9.1 Mb)
6. Now, click on the **"Start"** button in Odin to start Flahing, Flashing usually takes 30-50 seconds to complete for the process of flashing the Samsung Galaxy Xcover 3. Once the flashing process in completed you will be able to see a green box with the words **"Pass"** in Odin. *During this process the Smartphone will automatically re-boot*

**Rooting**

1. Once TWRP is installed, move the SuperSU.zip file to your internal SD Card if not already
2. Turn phone off
3. Boot into Recovery Mode by pressing and holding down the **"Volume Up + Home + Power"** simultaneously until the TWRP Recovery mode shows
4. Once booted into TWRP, Click **"Install"** and select the "SuperSu.zip", then Swipe to confirm the flash
5. Reboot phone, if it was successful you should see the SuperSU app installed, if not install the app
6. Verify root with the use of Root Checker, if it says root status verified then you have successfully rooted your phone, congratulations!

---

*Hope I Helped, if you require any assistance you can contact me*
> 1 votes

---
Tags: rooting, root-access, samsung
---


# Question
Title: Where is the mount point/folder for a USB pen drive mounted on Marshmallow?
Prior to Android Marshmallow, I used StickMount to access my USB OTG pen drive. When I tried it first time on my Nexus 5 I saw a native notification and notification from StickMount.

Stickmount usually mounts the pen drive as a folder under storage folder. This helped me to use my own file explorer and other apps. However the stock notification has two buttons:

Upon touching `Explore`, a native browser opens and shows the file. I would like to use my own file explorer like ES File Explorer.

By using the stock USB feature, I would like to know the mount point (the path) of the mounted drive. Does any know or tried this feature?

Device info: Nexus 5, Android 6.0, rooted with stock ROM.

Following is the output of the command `mount` in the terminal emulator after inserting the USB drive:

```
u0_a137@hammerhead:/ $ mount
rootfs / rootfs ro,seclabel,relatime 0 0
tmpfs /dev tmpfs rw,seclabel,nosuid,relatime,mode=755 0 0
devpts /dev/pts devpts rw,seclabel,relatime,mode=600 0 0
none /dev/cpuctl cgroup rw,relatime,cpu 0 0
proc /proc proc rw,relatime 0 0
sysfs /sys sysfs rw,seclabel,relatime 0 0
selinuxfs /sys/fs/selinux selinuxfs rw,relatime 0 0
debugfs /sys/kernel/debug debugfs rw,seclabel,relatime 0 0
none /sys/fs/cgroup tmpfs rw,seclabel,relatime,mode=750,gid=1000 0 0
none /acct cgroup rw,relatime,cpuacct 0 0
tmpfs /mnt tmpfs rw,seclabel,relatime,mode=755,gid=1000 0 0
/dev/fuse /mnt/runtime/default/emulated fuse rw,nosuid,nodev,noexec,noatime,user_id=1023,group_id=1023,default_permissions,allow_other 0 0
/dev/fuse /mnt/runtime/read/emulated fuse rw,nosuid,nodev,noexec,noatime,user_id=1023,group_id=1023,default_permissions,allow_other 0 0
/dev/fuse /mnt/runtime/write/emulated fuse rw,nosuid,nodev,noexec,noatime,user_id=1023,group_id=1023,default_permissions,allow_other 0 0
/dev/block/platform/msm_sdcc.1/by-name/system /system ext4 ro,seclabel,relatime,data=ordered 0 0
/dev/block/platform/msm_sdcc.1/by-name/userdata /data ext4 rw,seclabel,nosuid,nodev,noatime,nomblk_io_submit,noauto_da_alloc,errors=panic,data=ordered 0 0
/dev/block/platform/msm_sdcc.1/by-name/cache /cache ext4 rw,seclabel,nosuid,nodev,noatime,nomblk_io_submit,noauto_da_alloc,errors=panic,data=ordered 0 0
/dev/block/platform/msm_sdcc.1/by-name/persist /persist ext4 rw,seclabel,nosuid,nodev,relatime,nomblk_io_submit,nodelalloc,errors=panic,data=ordered 0 0
/dev/block/platform/msm_sdcc.1/by-name/modem /firmware vfat ro,context=u:object_r:firmware_file:s0,relatime,uid=1000,gid=1000,fmask=0337,dmask=0227,codepage=cp437,iocharset=iso8859-1,shortname=lower,errors=remount-ro 0 0
tmpfs /storage tmpfs rw,seclabel,relatime,mode=755,gid=1000 0 0
/dev/fuse /storage/emulated fuse rw,nosuid,nodev,noexec,noatime,user_id=1023,group_id=1023,default_permissions,allow_other 0 0
tmpfs /storage/self tmpfs rw,seclabel,relatime,mode=755,gid=1000 0 0
u0_a137@hammerhead:/ $

```

# Answer
> 7 votes
`/mnt/media_rw/random-hex-id` is the path you're looking for, where 'random-hex-id' is a folder name of format `ABCD-EF01`, e.g. E4E4-4394. Guess it took a random to actually be useful. You must have access to root.

---
Tags: usb-on-the-go, 6.0-marshmallow
---


title: shell command segmentation fault (ICS)

text:
# Question
Title: shell command segmentation fault (ICS)
On Cyanogenmod 11 (Kit Kat) I was running this ffmpeg binary from the command line and it worked great.

I needed to downgrade to Cyanogenmod 9 (Ice Cream Sandwich) and now I get a segmentation fault when running the same ffmpeg binary. Is there something obvious that I should check out?

# Answer
> 0 votes
Okay, I got hold of the developer and learned that the binary isn't compatible with Android ICS or earlier. Simple as that.

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


# Question
Title: How to disable data roaming notification? ('solved')
Is there a way to disable data roaming notifications?

I get them every few minutes when I'm working abroad. And it happens on every acceptable roaming setting (off/national), international roaming setting is no option.

Also, long press \> App info (Phone app) \> uncheck 'Show notifications' doesn't solve anything.

Android: 4.4.4 & 5.0
Phones: Sony Xperia Z1 compact and Z3 compact (but was also a problem on my previous phone on Android 4.1)

Screenshot with notification (click image for larger variant)

Edit: This issue has solved itself as there's no extra charge anymore roaming within the EU.

# Answer
This was a big annoying factor for me and I eventually solved it, but it requires Xposed (which needs root).

If you have root and Xposed, you can install XphonePlus to disable the data warning and modify the phone's notifications for calls, mobile data and many more.

Not sure if there is an alternative without rooting.
> 1 votes

# Answer
Temporary solution:

1. Change APN to anything out of thin air.
2. Set phone to use it.
3. Enable all data and roaming; national and international.

This solved my problem with annoying notifications. Don't forget to revert to normal APN after returning to original country.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: notifications, roaming
---


# Question
Title: How do I secure/encrypt SD card data transparent to apps?
Are there any off-the-shelf options for securing the contents of an SD card so that files written by apps writing to SD are encrypted? If so, what is the best option?

I'm looking for something for all apps. I would strongly prefer to do it without rooting.

# Answer
> 1 votes
Android 6.0 (Marshmallow) has a feature called "adoptable storage", which allows the external SD card to be treated as if it were internal storage. When this is done, everything on the card is encrypted.

More details: https://source.android.com/devices/storage/adoptable.html

# Answer
> 3 votes
For anyone who stumbles upon this topic. Motorola seems to offer a solution for full storage encryption of internal and sd card.

Link: https://motorola-enterprise.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a\_id/57094

# Answer
> 1 votes
As of July 2014, I've found the following options for SD card encryption:

* Boxcryptor \- not open source; developed by German company; supports sync with cloud storage; unclear if they've received a backdoor request
* cryptonite \- open source; supports mounting TrueCrypt volumes; no backdoor request yet

---
Tags: security, external-sd, encryption, files
---


# Question
Title: How can I hide the night time hours in Samsung's "S planner" calendar?
I am using the "S planner" calendar on Samsung galaxy note 2 (Android 4.4.2).
I never make appointments between 12am and 6am and I want to hide these hours from the view. i.e.

Apparently the same thing can be done in gmail

Today I achieved this by accident - then it restored itself to the default view, now I'm wondering - how can I do it again?

# Answer
> 2 votes
I worked it out - you just double tap in the area where the unused hours are and the view automatically adjusts!

<sub>(Click an image to enlarge it)</sub>

---
Tags: samsung, calendar
---


# Question
Title: SDcard in lollipop still readonly using EZPDF
I finally got my lollipop upgrade. Seemed fine but I have still issues with EZPDF. Let me explain.

I just upgraded from kitkat and therefore, I cannot write to the SD card as we all know. After the upgrade, two of my apps "File Expert" and "MX Player Pro" asked me to grant access to the SD card. I did and both work fine.

The issue is with EZPDF. I cannot find any way to grant the same permission in order to be allowed to write an annotated PDF into the SD card. The file list still marks the SD files as "Read only".

Any hint?

I really appreciate any advise with this.

# Answer
> 2 votes
Although the new Lollipop update allows apps to write to SD Card, it requires the user to grant the apps access, like you've stated above.

For apps to gain access they have to call the new API introduce in the lollipop which allows user to grant app permissions.For the apps to call this API, the devloper of the apps have to write code into their app to do this.

As I was saying above, the devloper needs to write some code to do this, for which the particular app you want to grant the access SD Card does not have.

I am sure that their are ways to forceable do this, of which I don't know of, that would probably require root, phone modification and technical know how to do.

---
Tags: sd-card, 5.1-lollipop, permissions
---


# Question
Title: Could a thief reset a stolen phone from its default config + screen lock?
For this scenario let's assume the following:

* The phone is stolen and locked. The thief does not know the lock combination and cannot determine it.
* There is no external SD slot.
* USB debugging is disabled.
* The bootloader is locked.

In case it matters, the phone is a Moto G from Motorola (i. e. not the Google play edition)

Is this enough to hinder a smart thief from resetting or flashing my phone? If not, what else could go wrong?

# Answer
Although difficult to generalize, in a pretty good number of cases, using a lock screen PIN/password is not going to be sufficient to prevent someone from wiping your phone and/or flashing it with a new ROM. It may be an effective enough deterrent to prevent them from accessing your personal data, but there are a few considerations that go along with that, as well.

Firstly, if the bootloader is unlockable, then there is effectively no way to prevent someone from reflashing the device. The `fastboot` utility will give them the ability to flash unsigned images once the bootloader is unlocked, and unlocking it will not be prevented by any userspace security (like a PIN/password or keeping USB debugging disabled). Nexus devices always have unlockable bootloaders, so those are a given. For other devices, you can typically find out if your device has an unlockable bootloader by visiting the development portal of your manufacturer's website. Samsung devices will use Odin/Heimdall instead of `fastboot` (excepting some outliers, like Nexus devices made by Samsung which *also* have fastboot), but you can generally find out if a Samsung device will accept unsigned images via a bit of searching (in many cases they will).

Some devices have other ways of accessing fastboot/recovery, some more esoteric than others. It's not terribly uncommon for there to be a key combination that will boot a device into its stock recovery system, which will provide some means of performing a factory reset, thereby removing any lock screen security that was configured on the device. Another complication can be if the device recognizes a factory cable. The Kindle Fire, for example, would let you flash an unsigned image with a factory cable, meaning you could actually get a custom recovery installed *without wiping the device*. This would put all of your data at risk if the attacker was properly equipped and technologically savvy.

There are probably other concerns that I'm not considering here, as well, but these are the basic ones aside from bootloader exploits and the like, which are not really predictable in the long-term. In general, though, there is a saying about security which Microsoft sums up as such:

> If a bad guy has unrestricted physical access to your computer, it's not your computer anymore

...and that's a pretty accurate way of putting it for an Android device. If your concern is securing your *data* then userspace security like a lock screen password, locked bootloader, and keeping USB debugging off are going to be great defenses. If you're looking to secure your *device* such that no attacker could make use of it, then you've got a significant uphill battle, and the odds of winning are going to be very slim (and quite possibly zero).

---

NB: For your specific scenario: the Moto G is supported by Motorola's bootloader unlock program. Therefore, userspace security will not prevent someone from resetting or reflashing your device.
> 9 votes

# Answer
If you flash a custom ROM with a bootloader that cannot be unlocked for any reason and that does not have a factory reset option, disable data transfer if stolen, prevent safe mode of any kind, enable gps tracking with no signal in or out of the phone/tablet except gps, encrypt the device, then you could possibly prevent a thief from using your phone. I do not know of any such custom ROM.
> 0 votes

# Answer
If you have a motrola phone ( Moto G as you have described it) with locked bootloader then your safe thief cant unlock bootloader without having access to your email.

In short if you have any motorola phone and you have not unlocked your boot loader and you have a lock screen password or pattern then your phone cant be reflashed or reset.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: lost-phone, android-device-manager, motorola-moto-g
---


# Question
Title: Removing extra screen on TouchWiz launcher
I have a Samsung Galaxy Core Prime (SM-S820L) on Android 4.4.4, and I'm using TouchWiz launcher.

How do I remove the extra home screens?

# Answer
Follow these instructions:

1. Tap the home button to make sure you're on the home screen
2. Use the pinch gesture (as if zooming out - fingers move toward one another)
3. Tap and hold the page to be removed
4. Drag the page to the X at the top of the screen (see image)

<sub>(Click image to enlarge)</sub>

Source: Pro tip: Remove unnecessary pages on your Android home screen
> 1 votes

---
Tags: home-screen, samsung-touchwiz
---


# Question
Title: Does uninstall all google-related android apps help to stop google from sucking too much cellular data bandwidth?
Many friends and I notice that google loves to suck cellular data bandwidth even though the following actions was taken:

1. Restrict Background data from data usage menu
2. Do not use live wallpaper
3. Disable backup in settings \> backup & restore
4. Go airplane mode when not in use.

Also, doing some research, it was mention that one may need to use AFWall+ but you need to root the phone, which means you need to void your warranty.

So, does uninstall all google-related android apps help to stop google-related apps (e.g. Android OS) from sucking too much cellular data bandwidth?

If there is no ways to stop it, my friends and I will abandon android since it is wasting our money and time finding ways to stop it from sucking too much cellular data bandwidth.

# Answer
> 0 votes
It seems that what you want to do does not really concern Google Apps but system apps in general. These apps that are installed with the system but are of no use (other than sucking bandwidth and memory) are called **Bloatware**. It is not possible to remove system apps in most of the devices unless they are rooted.

<sub>(Click image to enlarge)</sub>

Just long press on the app or choose App Info for this option. Disabled Apps do not use Bandwidth or clog device memory.

For rooted users, others options are available with **Titanium Backup** being best of the options right now.

There are also many custom ROMs available which do not rely on Google services or install their bloatware. XDA Developers might be a good place to start looking. Rooting voids warranty.

---
Tags: mobile-data
---


# Question
Title: Change the default app in "Open with" dialog
I have at one point chosen Truedialer as the default app for opening contacts.

I would now like to set Google Contacts as the default app.

I have cleared the `Launch by default` setting for Truedialer.

However, when I click on a contact (found using searchbar) I get a dialog stating

```
Open with View contact
                  [JUST ONCE] [ALWAYS]
Use a different app
Contacts

```

(`View contact` is the Truedialer app, `Contacts` is the Google Contacts app)

Now, I can choose `View contact` as `ALWAYS`, but I *cannot* choose `Contacts` as `ALWAYS`, I can only click it to use it once.

This same dialog shows up every time, no matter how many times I search for a contact. It only gives me the option of setting `View contact` as default, never `Contacts`.

How can I set `Contacts` as default?

# Answer
> 1 votes
I had the same issue with a widget.

For me the following worked:

Go to `Settings`-\>`Apps` and click on the menu button (the three dots in the right top) and select `Reset app preferences`.

This resets a lot of stuff, but I was able to select `Always`for the right app again.

---
Tags: default-applications
---


# Question
Title: Stagefright security issue: what can a regular user do to mitigate the issue without a patch?
There appears to be a giant security vulnerability with Android that seems to basically affect all phones. PC World wrote:

> The vast majority of Android phones can be hacked by sending them a specially crafted multimedia message (MMS), a security researcher \[Joshua Drake\] has found.
>
> ...
>
> Drake found multiple vulnerabilities in a core Android component called Stagefright that’s used to process, play and record multimedia files. Some of the flaws allow for remote code execution and can be triggered when receiving an MMS message, downloading a specially crafted video file through the browser or opening a Web page with embedded multimedia content.
>
> ...
>
> The MMS attack vector is the scariest of all because it doesn’t require any interaction from the user; the phone just needs to receive a malicious message.
>
> For example, the attacker could send the malicious MMS when the victim is sleeping and the phone’s ringer is silenced, Drake said. After exploitation the message can be deleted, so the victim will never even know that his phone was hacked, he said.

What can a regular user do to mitigate the issue? Disable Google Hangouts?

# Answer
This is not just about MMS or web surfing, since Stagefright is the library that helps phones to unpack multimedia messages: see Media and this article on Fortune.

So it is about any application (including your web browser) that works with multimedia (video clips and audio records). MMS is just an easiest way to exploit it, because your phone will not ask you before downloading it.

That is why you also need to think about all other applications working with multimedia and never open any multimedia attachments before the fix is not installed on your phone.

For the Web browser, you could switch to Firefox 38 or higher, then you could continue opening web pages with video and/or audio content.

To summarise:

* Disable auto-retrival of MMS in your Messaging App (whatever it is) (Guide with images)
* Switch to Firefox 38 or later (find it in your market / app store)
* Switch to a filesystem manager hiding video thumbnails, which is the default for Total commander
* Switch to a video player that is immune, e.g., the video player MX player (make sure to activate its "HW+" setting for all video formats) pointed out by hulkingtickets
* Do not open any multimedia files or draw video thumbnails in any other applications and block automatic opening/downloading of them in all apps if possible. **This is very important**. If your phone is not patched and you use **ANY** app with multimedia content, and there is no option to block automatic opening of multimedia in this app (example for browser: if you open some random web page, you browser should preload videos, if they are on this web page), then **stop using this app** and block Internet access for this app (if you can't - delete the app). If this app is important to you, and you can't update phone firmware or block multimedia in this app, **just stop using your phone and buy another one**, which is not vulnerable.

Yes, this means that in the worst case you need to change the phone. Stagefright is a very serious vulnerability affecting ~ 1 billion devices, so you could easily become a victim of automated attack, that is not done directly against you, but directed to all 1 billion users.
* Install updates, if you have Cyanogenmod 11 or 12 (fixed on 23.07.2015, see commits on github)

EDIT: fixes from 23.07.2015 were incomplete, you may need to update again after fix on 13.08.2015

EDIT 4: Fixes on 13.08.2015 were again incomplete, you need to update one more time after fixes from Google in October 2015 (so-called Stagefright 2.0). If you have Adroid 5.x or 6, you may need to update again after these next fixes from Google in November 2015, since there are similarly dangerous vulnerabilities (CVE-2015-6608 and CVE-2015-6609), that are probably not called Stagefright anymore. Please note, that the time of actual fix from your manufacturer could be later, or at least different. E.g., CM11 got updated on 09.11.2015, while CM12.1 got updated on 29.09.2015.

EDIT 5: 2 more Stagefright vulnerabilities are reported by Google at 01.02.2016, however, they "only" affect Adroid 4.4.4 - 6.0.1
* Wait for update from your manufacturer

EDIT2: Similar with Cyanogenmod, an update from your manufacturer could be not enough, due to the issue with initial integer overflow fix, that was reported on 12.08.2015: Original integer overflow fix ineffective. So even after update, it is recommended to check if your phone is still vulnerable using the App from Zimperium (finder of the Stagefright issue): Zimperium Stagefright Detector App
* If you already has root, try fix offered by GoOrDie. Also see this howto guide.

EDIT 3. I tried this fix on Samsung S4 mini, and it did not work. So think twice before rooting your phone.
> 20 votes

# Answer
To mitigate this attack, I've disabled MMSes, since I don't use them anyway. You can do that in the Settings menu. Select Cellular Networks \> Access Points Names, select your access point, and remove "mms" from APN Type. I've also cleared out MMSC.

(Click image to enlarge; hover the image to know the instruction)

Order of Instructions: Follow images from left to right in each row

Note that Android converts group SMSes to MMSes, so you might want to disable that too. To do that, go to the Messaging app, open the Settings menu, and disable Group Messaging and Auto-Retrieve.
> 9 votes

# Answer
The newest version of Hangouts mitigates this issue, it looks like it does some extra checks before passing the media on to the system service. It doesn't fix the underlying issue in the system, though.

You can also disable MMS auto-retrieve in Hangouts via its `Settings``SMS` → uncheck `Auto retrieve MMS` or in Messenger via its `Settings``Advanced` → disable `Auto-retrieve` under `MMS`. This site has detailed steps if you need them.
> 4 votes

# Answer
This issue affects web surfing too. Try disabling `media.stagefright`-related properties (if exists) in `build.prop` configuration file.

Mount root partition as `rw` and edit `build.prop`. Set `media.stagefright.enable-###` to `false`

**Note: this requires root access**.
> 3 votes

# Answer
As MMS(Multi-Media-Messaging) is one of multiple ways this exploit can be run, you can prevent this from MMS exploits. Stagefright on its own is not an exploit. Stagefright is a multimedia library built into the Android framework.

> The exploit was found in a multimedia tool hidden at deep system level, so almost all Android variants that have the tool at their core could be easily targeted. According to Zimperium zLabs’ study, a single multimedia text has the ability to open up your device’s camera and begin recording video or audio, and also give hackers access to all your photos or Bluetooth. Fixing Stagefright would require a complete system update (which still hasn’t been reported to be released by any OEM), as the exploit is embedded to a system-wide tool. Fortunately, SMS app developers have already took the issue into their own hands and released temporary fixes to avoid Stagefright to gain automatic access to your device’s camera by stopping video MMS messages from running as they arrive. \[Source - Android Headlines\]

You could use Textra SMS or Chomp SMS from the Play Store which claims that it is capable of limiting this Stagefirght exploit. Both apps Textra and Chomp SMS developed by Delicious Inc. have both received brand new updates that limit how video MMS messages run as soon as they are received by your device.

From the Textra Knowledge Base article,

> The stagefright exploit can occur when any SMS / MMS app creates the MMS video thumbnail that it shows in the conversation bubble or notification or if a user presses the play button on the video or saves to Gallery.
>
> We have provided a solution for 'StageFright' in Release 3.1 of Textra out now.
>
> **Very Important:** In other SMS / MMS apps, turning off auto-retrieve is **NOT** enough as once you tap 'download' the exploit potentially becomes active. Additionally you would not get any MMS pics or group messages. Not a good solution.

According to the developer of both the apps,

> the risk of your device being targeted to this new exploit is greatly decreased by denying MMS messages the ability to automatically run.

**How can I protect from Stagefright using Textra?**

Turn on the `Stagefright Protection` under your Textra app Settings.

Screenshot (Click to enlarge image)

So here is what happens if you activate the app's Stagefright Protection and if you receive a Stagefright exploit message,

1. **Stagefright Protected:** As you can see below, the message was not downloaded and the thumbnail hasn’t been resolved, so if this video has an exploit targeting Stagefright then it will not yet be able to execute its code. The message has a nice “Stagefright Protection” label beneath it.

Screenshot (Click to enlarge image)

2. **What happens if I click the Stagefright Protected message?** : When you hit the Play button on the MMS message: an even bigger box, with an even bigger play button, and an even bigger “Stagefright” label.

Screenshot (Click to enlarge image)

3. **Do you still want to open the Media and get affected?** : Finally, clicking the Play button one last time will bring up a nice warning message reminding you that downloaded videos may contain an exploit called Stagefright.

(*Note: there is no known exploit, and if there were its name wouldn’t be Stagefright as Stagefright is simply the name of the multimedia library that is vulnerable to being exploited*).

Screenshot (Click to enlarge image)

Pressing the `OKAY` button will then bring up whichever video you were going to view, and that’s it. If said video actually did contain an exploit that targets Stagefright then it would, in fact, execute at this moment.

Source : Phandroid

If you are curious about whether you are already affected and a victim of Stagefright exploit then download this app Stagefright Detector from PlayStore which was released by zLabs(Zimperium research labs) which first reported the issue to Google.

Updated: \[18-09-2k15\]

Motorola has officially released a security patch for Stagefright security issue on August 10 to the carriers for testing and it's release to the public based on the carrier provider. It is mentioned in the forums that,

> As soon as a patch is ready you will see a notification on your phone to download and install the update. We encourage everyone to periodically check if they have the latest software by checking in Settings\>About Phone\>System Updates.

And if you using Motorola and still din't get the security patch you can read the following to avoid the security risk of under attack,

> **What can I do to protect myself if my phone does not have the patch?** First, only download multimedia content (such as attachments or anything that needs to be decoded to view it) from people you know and trust. You can disable your phone’s capability to download MMS automatically. That way you can only choose to download from trusted sources.
>
> * Messaging: go to Settings. Uncheck “Auto-retrieve MMS.”
> * Hangouts (if enabled for SMS; if greyed-out, no need to take action): go to Settings \> SMS. Uncheck auto retrieve MMS.
> * Verizon Message+: go to Settings \> Advanced settings. Uncheck Auto-retrieve. Uncheck “Enable weblink preview.”
> * Whatsapp Messenger: go to Settings \> Chat settings \> Media auto-download. Disable all video auto downloads under “When using mobile data,” “When connected on Wi-Fi” and “When roaming.”
> * Handcent Next SMS: go to settings\>Receive message settings. Disable auto retrieve.

Read more on :

How to protect from stagefright vulnerablility?
What are the other attack vectors for Stagefright?
> 2 votes

# Answer
Zimperium, the company that reported the vulnerability, has posted additional information about the vulnerabilities related to Stagefright.. In the Google Play Store, there is an application that will detect whether the vulnerability is present on your device. Apparently Samsung has also posted an app that will disable MMS on Samsung devices, though this is not in the Play Store.
> 2 votes

# Answer
The ad-ware MX Player claims to play videos without stagefright-related bugs. You need to select all grayed buttons and all blue-checked buttons shown on these images:

You will also need to clear defaults of all Video Player apps, then select MX Player as the default Player app.

Disclaimer: This App comes in two versions: one free with ads, and the other "Pro" for 6.10€. I am not related to its authors. I will get no revenue from this post. I may only get a certain amount of rep points.

Thanks to hulkingtickets for the idea of this very answer.
> 2 votes

---
Tags: security
---


# Question
Title: nexus 5x fills up storage with system crap
My Nexus 5x is filling up its system storage space with data (location is upper /sdcard).

In the screenshot you can see the 3.25GB of data in other section.

Has anyone had this issue before? How do we clean it up and what is this data?

Click image for larger version

# Answer
If you click on the 'Other' section (or the 'Explore' option at the bottom of the screen) it will allow you to browse the files/folders and delete any that you do not need.

The 'other' data is actually just files on your device which it does not know how to categorise e.g. downloaded files, files that are used by apps (which are stored outside of the `/Android/data` folder).

Note: If you randomly delete files/folders then some apps may need to re-downloade/re-create them in order to function correctly. If you're not sure what a file is it's probably best to leave it, just in case.
> 3 votes

---
Tags: internal-storage, nexus-5x
---


# Question
Title: How do I delete a WhatsApp group I'm a member of but not an admin?
I'm in a WhatsApp group and the topics discussed there are more of vulgarity. I need to delete that group. Please help.

# Answer
You can leave this group only, you can't delete it for everyone.

Go to the Group -\> Group Info.

On the very bottom of the user list, you can see the button **Delete and exit group**

You will exit this group and the group will be deleted on your phone.

You won't recieve new messages (as you're no longer in the group) and the messages you already have will be removed.
> 2 votes

# Answer
A group admin can remove you even if you don't have the app.
> 1 votes

# Answer
Just go to what'sapp Step 1:go to the group which u want to leave Step 2:go to the bottom Step 4:you will see "Exit Group" Step 5:Click on that,and give ok Step 6:now click on "Delete Group" Step 7:and now you are no longer a participant in the group
> -2 votes

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Tags: whatsapp-messenger
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title: Set Battery Saver Always On

text:
# Question
Title: Set Battery Saver Always On
On Android 6, the battery saver automatically turns on when the battery is low and off after charging. I would like it remain on all constantly without having to manually turn it back on. How can I do this?

# Answer
If you're using an unrooted Android, you can consider using BatterySaver Lollipop Shortcut with Tasker (userguide), AutoShortcut and Nova Launcher.

Fire up Tasker and follow these instructions:

1. Profile: Event → System → Intent Received:

* Action: *android.os.action.POWER\_SAVE\_MODE\_CHANGING*
    * Priority: Highest
2. Task: (Actions):

1. Task → If → Condition: `%mode` `eq` `false`
    2. Task → Wait → Seconds: 1
    3. Optional: Alert → Flash → Enabling Battery Saver
    4. Plugin → AutoShortcut:

    * Configuration: Activities (next to Nova launcher's icon) → tap Battery Saver entry and select the entry listing the activity *com.fd.batterysaver.ToggleActivity*
3. Profile: State → Power → Power:

* Source: Any
    * tick Invert
4. Task: (Actions):

1. Optional: Alert → Flash → Enabling Battery Saver
    2. Plugin → AutoShortcut →

    * Configuration: Activities (next to Nova launcher's icon) → tap Battery Saver entry and select the entry listing the activity com.fd.batterysaver.ToggleActivity

You can use QuickShortcutMaker in place of Nova Launcher. However, I noticed that when Nova Launcher was not set as default launcher in my stock Android 6.0.1, although Settings app reported Battery Saver mode being enabled, I didn't get to see red shade in status bar and navigation bar. You may have to do some experiments here.

If you've root access, instead of using a shortcut to that battery saver app, you can setup the action Code → Run Shell and enter the following in the command field:

```
settings put global low_power 1

```

Make sure to tick Use Root in that action. (I came to know about this trick from this answer of Paweł Zmarzły.)

Whether the Android is rooted or not, the pro version of Battery Saver Lollipop claims to provide support for automation. It might be helpful considering that the free version causes few glitches during toggle. I cannot confirm though.

---

### Information about said Tasker profiles

Alright, so the first profile would make sure that as long as the device is not plugged in to any power source, whenever you would disable Batter Saver mode, whether accidentally or deliberately, the mode would automatically be turned on!

The second profile would make sure that Battery Saver mode gets turned on whenever the device is unplugged from a power source.
> 2 votes

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Tags: battery
---


# Question
Title: My Sony Xperia C4 can not Authenticate after a reset
I reset my sony Xperia C4. After that the theft protection appears and asks me to authenticate. When I try to authenticate it says "Sorry Xperia Helper Has Stopped. And I can't authenticate.

# Answer
Click on 'emergency call'. Type in this number *#*#7378423#\*#. It will fail, but after a while, your google account will ask you to log in. Log in. The installation will go on. At some point, you will again be asked to authenticate. Only that this time the authentication does not crash.

// Probably typing the number does nothing, but I think its best you just exactly reproduce what I did.
> 0 votes

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Tags: sony-xperia, anti-theft
---


title: Determine Android N preview stage build

text:
# Question
Title: Determine Android N preview stage build
I have Nexus 6P and I'm on Android Beta Program for Android N Developer Preview. From its program overview, it's stated that there will be 6 stages:

1. Preview 1 (initial release, alpha)
2. Preview 2 (incremental update, beta)
3. Preview 3 (incremental update, beta)
4. Preview 4 (final APIs and official SDK, Play publishing)
5. Preview 5 (near-final system images for final testing)
6. Final release to AOSP and ecosystem

How do I know which Android N preview stage I have?

# Answer
Android provides release notes for Android N Developer Preview on here (as of current writing):

1. Developer Preview 1
Date: March 2016
**Builds: NPC56P, NPC56R, updated: NPC56W, NPC56X**
2. Developer Preview 2
Date: April 2016
**Builds: NPC91K, NPC91O**
3. Developer Preview 3
Date: May 2016
**Builds: NPD35K**
4. Developer Preview 4
Date: June 2016
**Builds: NPD56N**
5. Developer Preview 5
Date: July 2016
**Builds: NPD90G**

You can compare your build number with the available release notes by going to **Settings - About phone - Build number**.
> 2 votes

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Tags: developer-preview, 7.0-nougat
---