title: How safe are downloadable lock apps?

text:
# Question
Title: How safe are downloadable lock apps?
I've noticed quite a few lock screen apps and some of them do seem to be rather interesting.

But, are they really that secure? I've seen some where I can bypass them by using the Recently Opened Apps list. I've also noticed that some of them show whatever was previously up when I turn my phone on again.

These shortcomings seem to imply that they're very easily circumvented. Is this true and is there a way to make them more secure?

# Answer
It depends. Some are secure while most are insecure. For example there are finger print apps. Most of the people knows the trick so its insecure.
> 0 votes

# Answer
If you feel you must have a different lock screen than the stock one available on your device, there is certainly a degree of insecurity. I used WidgetLocker for a few years on two HTC devices and it worked perfectly, but installed on a Samsung Galaxy S3 the app would unlock with a simple press of the home button.

It really does depend on the device you have as well as the app. You might be better off searching the web for instances where users have your device and what apps they specifically recommend.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: lock-screens, security
---


# Question
Title: im tring to recover my freinds contacts but when i go to gmail it will not let me put in his gmail account how do i do this
how do I recover my contacts from my freinds Google email account he lost his phone and when I go to gmail it won't except his email account only mine because it's my phone.

# Answer
> 1 votes
You can ask him to export his Google contacts as a .csv or .vcf file and send that file to you. Then import that file from the contacts app in your phone.

---
Tags: contacts
---


title: HTC one m7 serious problem

text:
# Question
Title: HTC one m7 serious problem
Hi all I want you to help me with my htc one m7 international sense 6 android 4.4.3 version of the image 6.15.599.101 S-ON HR Tampered UNLOCKED I actually rooter phone and I have TWRP Version 2.6.3.0 I wanted to install HTC One HD 50.0.0.zip Maximus and firmware unsigned\_7.15.401.1, my problem lies in the installation unsigned firmware file here are the errors that appear: Skipping check MD5: MD5 no file found Error flashing zip '/ sdcard / firmware\_unsigned ... Then when I install the ROM htc one Maximus everything goes well in the end we wonder REBOOT SYSTEM NOW when I say YES turns off the phone and comes back in the recovery menu I download HTC One Maximus 53.0.0.zip when I try to copy by ADB sideload the control file says CAN NOT READ sideload, I also download Sprint\_HTC\_One\_m7wls\_1.29.651.10\_RUU when I try to install it at the is terminated me wrong signature I REALLY AM TROUBLE HELP ME PLEASE THANKS IN ADVANCE

# Answer
> 0 votes
Don't use adb sideload...instead, I use the following method ;

1. Open recovery (latest version of twrp recommended) but do not enter fastboot mode, stay in main recovery screen
2. run cmd and enter the following codes under fastboot folder \> `adb push rom.zip /data/media/0` with this code we copy rom.zip into main folder in phone storage.

!!! You can rename your ROM.zip whatever you want, but in this case you should use its new name in command.

3. Flash your rom.zip by using your recovery

---
Tags: htc-one
---


# Question
Title: Typing dialer secret codes in devices other than phones
Dialer secret codes are fun and useful and all the rage, but how can I use them in my tablet, or my TV dongle, or any onther non-phone android device?

# Answer
From `adb shell`:

```
am broadcast -a android.provider.Telephony.SECRET_CODE -d android_secret_code://<secretcode>

```

Where `<secretcode>` is the code without the asterisks, e.g., `4636`.

This is more effective than the DIAL action because it's direct and does not rely on the dialer to parse the code and fire the secret code intent itself. (Some dialers will not do this automatically and you'd have to hit "Call".) The DIAL intent is also handled by multiple apps (Phone, Skype, and Hangouts Dialer on my device) so this can skip that annoyance.
> 5 votes

# Answer
There are at least three ways of doing it.

# Programmatically by starting an Activity with `Intent.ACTION_DIAL`:

```
String secretCode = "123456789";
Intent intent = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_DIAL);
intent.setData(Uri.parse("tel:*#*#" + secretCode + "#*#*"));
startActivity(intent);

```

# Programmatically by broadcasting an Intent:

```
String secretCode = "123456789";
String action = "android.provider.Telephony.SECRET_CODE";
Uri uri = Uri.parse("android_secret_code://" + secretCode);
Intent intent = new Intent(action, uri);
sendBroadcast(intent);

```

# With a third party app:

I developed an open source app that crawls AndroidManifest.xml files on your device to find secret codes, and allows you to execute the secret codes available on your device.
You can get it on the Play Store or on the GitHub repository Android-Secret Codes.
> 3 votes

---
Tags: tablet, dialer-codes
---


title: Change privacy settings on Hangouts

text:
# Question
Title: Change privacy settings on Hangouts
Hangouts shows a green phone icon when someone is on a voice call.

Is it possible to hide this indicator to other users so nobody knows if I'm on a call?

# Answer
> 1 votes
Yes, press the 3 bars on top left, choose **Settings**, under **Account Settings** select your username (*username@gmail.com*), select "**Share your status**" and uncheck **Device**

Keep in mind, this will remove the little mobile icon when you're chatting as well. I have found that some of my friends message me more if they think I'm on my computer.

---
Tags: google-hangouts
---


# Question
Title: Rooting the Galaxy S3 Without a Computer
Is it possible to root the Galaxy S3 without a computer? If so, what would the process be? My Galaxy S3 is with Verizon and is currently running Android 4.3.

# Answer
> 4 votes
You can indeed.

**DISCLAIMER**: Rooting may brick your device and invalidate your carrier and manufacturer warranty. **I didn't write the guide below** (***full credit is due to the poster on XDA*** Developers, and I have left the words 'my' in place but it is HIS work), and it is your responsibility to check you are happy to proceed. HERE BE DRAGONS.

This guide was written in July of 2013 and I can't say for sure if it will work on Android 4.3 and your particular bootloader at all. I have not tested this method.

Rooting form a PC is easier and has less scope for human errors and is liklier to work in general.

This XDA thread is relating to the sprint version but should apply to the S3 general.

**Prerequisites**

The following files are attached to this post for convenience. Download and install the apps, download and extract the zip file somewhere convenient. Superuser by Koush(MUST be this one. You can change it later if you so desire.) Terminal Emulator by Jack Palevich ( MUST be this one) Zip file, extracted somewhere convenient

**THE GOODS**

These generic names will be used: /path/to/motochopperDir - This is the full path to the extracted motochopper-mobile DIRECTORY or FOLDER. Example: /sdcard/motochopper-mobile (will vary depending on where you extracted the files).

NOTE: After running the script, Motochopper may or may not print "Failed", but the exploit DOES indeed work regardless of this. Make sure you reboot for changes to take effect.

Download the attached zip file AND both apps. Install Terminal Emulator and Superuser (use a file manager, navigate to the downloaded .apk files and click on each file to install them). Open up Terminal Emulator and type the following commands. Press the ENTER key after each command.

Code:

```
cd /path/to/motochopperDir
cat setup.sh > /data/data/jackpal.androidterm/setup.sh
cd /data/data/jackpal.androidterm
chmod 755 setup.sh

./setup.sh /path/to/motochopperDir

```

From there, my setup.sh script will handle the rest of the process. If you are still unsure, see my sample run below.

Sample run (files were extracted to /sdcard/moto)

```
cd /sdcard/moto
cat setup.sh > /data/data/jackpal.androidterm/setup.sh
cd /data/data/jackpal.androidterm
chmod 755 setup.sh
./setup.sh /sdcard/moto

```

**The Links**:

Android Term.apk

Super User

MotoChopper

# Answer
> 0 votes
To my knowledge, there is no computer-less method of rooting the Samsung Galaxy S3 unfortunately.

# Answer
> 0 votes
You can root without a computer as long as you already have a recovery mode that lets you install from a zip.

I have just rooted an S3 i9300, the stock international unlocked model, this way. Its specifications are

* Model GT-I9300
* Android 4.3
* Kernel 3.0.31-2168382 Thu Nov 28 21:02.26 KST 2013

I had previously installed ClockWorkMod Recovery (the *touch* version 6.0.4.6) on it and I used a Linux computer and the Heimdall application to do that. So this isn't a strictly computer-free solution due to the CWM prerequisite but it does demonstrate (and perhaps demystify) how to root.

First, I used the phone's Chrome browser to download *Super SU* from http://download.chainfire.eu/supersu. The version that I got was `UPDATE-SuperSU-v2.46.zip`.

I then rebooted the phone into CWM (press and hold `UP` `HOME` and `POWER` for 20+ seconds).

I selected `install ZIP`, then `choose zip from /sdcard`, then browsed through `0/` and `Download/` to locate the `UPDATE-SuperSU-v2.46.zip` file. I then selected `YES` perform the install.

When the install completed, I used `+++++Go Back+++++` twice to return to the main menu where I selected `Reboot system now`.

CWM showed a warning that `Root access possibly lost`. I declined the offer to fix that by selecting `No`.

The phone rebooted.

I then confirmed the presence of the Super SU app and used the Root checker Basic app to confirm that I now had root access. I also confirmed that I could now use `su -` from a shell (I use the ConnectBot terminal app).

# Answer
> 0 votes
I used towelroot on my SCH-I535 and it worked perfectly.

---
Tags: samsung-galaxy-s-3, rooting, verizon
---


# Question
Title: Set TreehouseGO app to use the memory card for downloads?
I installed the TreehouseGo app on my wife's Galaxy S4 phone so that she can entertain our daughter while she goes on a trip with her. However, when I tried to download some episodes, I found that there is only 9 MB available to it and that it won't download anything as a result.

So, I went out and got a 64 GB mini SD card, but the app didn't see the new storage. I even tried uninstalling and reinstalling the app, but it still only sees the internal memory.

How do I get the app to see the SD card so that I can download some of the videos? I can't seem to find any settings for that in either the app or the App Manager settings for the phone.

# Answer
I got in touch with the help desk for the TreehouseGo app, and they told me that it's not even an option to let the app use the SD card; although they did say that it was a great suggestion and that they would consider implementing it.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: applications, settings, external-sd
---


# Question
Title: ClockWorkMod Recovery supports three backup formats. What's the difference between them? Which should I choose?
I'm using ClockworkMod Recovery v6.0.4.5.

One of ClockworkMod Recovery's features is that it lets me back up the data stored on my phone's built-in flash memory. The "Choose default backup format" menu lets me choose from among three options:

1. `tar`
2. `dup` (`dedupe`)
3. `tar + gzip`

What's the difference between each of the three options?

Which option should I choose?

(Note: Elsewhere on this site, there's a related discussion. It speaks more about the `dedupe` format, but not the other two formats.)

# Answer
> 3 votes
# The formats

1. `tar`

This is essentially snapshots of all partitions each in single file with extension tar. If you make two backups of the same rom with little difference in user apps, two snapshots of tar files are created, consuming more data on your sdcard.

2. `dup` (`dedupe`)

This backup format backups up individual files in the partitions renamed uniquely depending on some hash algorithm. The major advantage of this is it takes up less space on sdcard. If you make two backups of the same rom with little difference in user apps, the second backup only contains changed files. And when you delete the first backup from recovery, the common files are never deleted, so you don't loose your second backup. But it creates many files on sdcard, thereby many indexes.

3. `tar + gzip`

It is same as the tar format with gzip compression applied to save some space on sdcard.

# Which one should you choose?

Which one to use is upto your choice. I wouldn't recommend dup format as it takes considerable time during operations. But if you donot backup/restore frequently and concerned about the space on sdcard, u may use dup.

---
Tags: backup, clockworkmod-recovery
---


# Question
Title: Is there an app that will list my phone's info in an easily copy/paste-able format?
There's a great Add-on for Firefox called InfoLister, all it does is provide a nicely formatted list of stuff and versions, for example here's what it lists for me:

> Last updated: Thu, 27 Jan 2011 17:03:32 GMT
>
> User Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 6.0; en-US; rv:1.9.2.13) Gecko/20101203 Firefox/3.6.13 ( .NET CLR 3.5.30729; .NET4.0E)
>
> Extensions (enabled: 23, disabled: 7):
>
> * Contacts 0.3.2
> * DOM Inspector 2.0.8
> * etc...
>
> Themes (1):
>
> * Default 3.6.13 \[selected\]
>
> Plugins (13):
>
> * Garmin Communicator Plug-In
> * Google Talk Plugin
> * etc...

Are there any Android apps that can generate an easily copy & paste-able list of the phone's version, etc. all in one place? Basically the stuff that appears in Settings -› About phone.

# Answer
I also wrote an app in response to this question. It's free in the market. Let me know what you think. If you want more information, please let me know and I'll add what I can.

It's called "Android Information Text ".
> 3 votes

# Answer
Well out of my own curiosity, I made this to start:

https://github.com/dieseltravis/AndroidBuildInfo

Here it is running on my Moto Flipside:
> 8 votes

# Answer
Yes of course

SysHard Info - show system and hardware information on Android https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.kinocat.andinfo

Copy Screen
> 0 votes

---
Tags: applications, system-info
---


# Question
Title: Where does Lollipop stores notification policy?
Unlike its predecessor Android versions which saves notification policy in the file `/data/system/notification_policy.xml` (the file which saves the package name of apps you've selected to stop giving notifications by unchecking "Show notifications" from **Settings → Apps →** your app name) Lollipop doesn't seem to follow that concept.

I have a Oneplus One running rooted CyanogenOS 12 (CM12). I also tested Paranoid ROM (AOSP) running Lollipop and the behavior remains same i.e. disregard for that file.

In the logcat's output the entries I see when I uncheck and later check "Shows notifications" for an app (e.g. AutomateIt) is:

```
[ 08-24 15:46:43.441   899: 1966 V/NotificationService ]
enabling notifications for AutomateIt.mainPackage

[ 08-24 15:47:01.361   899: 1966 V/NotificationService ]
disabling notifications for AutomateIt.mainPackage

```

Surprisingly, the source code of Notification Manager Service doesn't seem to disregard the said file.

So, where does Lollipop keeps notification policies which are effectively executed by system?

**Edit**: Compared to Android Kitkat or below, how Lollipop uses that file? Can a user simply change the content in that file and expect the notification policy for an app to be changed after a reboot. The process is very simple in Jelly Bean though.

# Answer
Since this commit notification policy settings were migrated from the separate `/data/system/notification_policy.xml` file to the generic AppOps subsystem. Now they are stored in `/data/system/appops.xml` together with other AppOps settings.
> 2 votes

---
Tags: 5.0-lollipop, notifications, file-system
---


title: Create websites with Android phone?

text:
# Question
Title: Create websites with Android phone?
I have Google searched this many times, but I only get "how to make a mobile version of your website" and such. I want to know if I am able to use my Android phone to write code/script and view the results. If so, how would I go about it?

# Answer
> 1 votes
Yes you can do this. You can install different Android apps to edit the code, any HTML editor tool will do - they can be found in the google play store.

You do not need to make a totally different version of your website, you can use google's mobile friendly test to check what needs to be changed.

---
Tags: development
---


# Question
Title: How to get files off of Nexus 5 Android when LCD Screen + Touchscreen doesnt work?
So I have a Nexus 5 Android 32gb phone that boots up but the LCD screen and touchscreen doesnt work. I know because it gets detected on my computer. Also the bootloader is still locked, which means I cannot flash a recovery image to it. Also I do not have usb debugging on so I cannot connect via adb.

I have a bunch of family photos on the phone and would like to get these files off. What other alternatives can I do to get these files off?

I even changed the LCD screen and that doesnt work neither. It's possible that some chip on the motherboard is fried, but I'm not even sure how to test something like that. However I do have the proper tools for micro soldering, but not sure how to go about this.

Another option I was thinking about is extract the SD chip on the board and implant it to another nexus system. This requires extreme micro-soldering work and reballing. The sd chip that the nexus 5 uses is the following: SDIN8DE4-32G

Totally loss on what to do next.

# Answer
If you have ADB debugging turned on, you can give Vysor a try: http://www.vysor.io/

PS: If you can't get to it because the phone is locked, attach a computer keyboard to the phone and unlock it.
> 1 votes

---
Tags: adb, nexus-5, data-recovery, fastboot, broken-screen
---


# Question
Title: How can I reclaim space used by the defaul email client
The default email client on my phone is reported as have almost 2.5Gb of data. It's used to sync with my work Exchange account. I've reduced the number of days to sync and the number of folders to sync, with no reduction in the reported space used by the app. I do notice that the trash folder claims 999+ messages, even though I delete the contents most days from my laptop client. That folder doesn't offer sync settings, and I can't find a way to select all of the messages to delete them.

Short of clearing all data for the app and setting my account up again, is there any way to reclaim some of this space?

# Answer
> 2 votes
I ended up deleting the account and re-adding it. Space used by Email went from 2.7Gb to 16Mb.

On my Moto X, running Android 4.4.4, Delete the account from System settings (i.e., not in the Email app) -- under Settings, in the "Accounts" section, find the account with the Email app's icon and name that matches the name in the app. Tap the account name, then the menu icon, and select "Remove account". Details may vary on other Android versions.

To add an account to the Email app, click the menu icon, then select Settings", "Add Account" will appear in the right side of the top menu bar.

# Answer
> 0 votes
I you work at a company with an IT department that your device has been added to, you may need to consult with someone there as to how to handle this matter. Administrators have to be very particular about who has access to what on the company network.

---
Tags: internal-storage, exchange, stock-email-app
---


# Question
Title: Will the rooting method I previously used with my Nvidia Shield Tablet work with the new update?
I'll soon be getting a replacement for my Shield Tablet due to the recall.

I used a rooting method that used ADB and Fastboot to unlock the bootloader, flash CWM, then flash SuperSU and root.

It worked with Android 5.0.1, shield update 2.2, but the new tablet will most likely be on update 3.1, Android 5.1.

So I ask - will the rooting method and all of the files linked to in the guide (which I will link to down below) work with the new setup?

Guide I used: http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/how-root-nvidia-shield-tablet-android-5-0-lollipop-install-cwm-recovery-1481041

# Answer
> 0 votes
Your original rooting method will work. The bootloader is still unlockable on the replacement devices, just as it was on the original ones. The fact that it is running a newer version of Android doesn't really have any meaningful bearing on this since SuperSU is still actively developed to ensure compatibility with newer Android builds.

---
Tags: rooting, 5.1-lollipop, nvidia-shield
---


# Question
Title: Nexus 5 Location has not updated for months?
I have a Nexus 5 running on 5.1.1 but the location has not updated for the past couple months, traveled out of town but still in-state, then came back and the city never updated, so now Google Now doesn't display the current weather and things like Yahoo Weather show either the wrong location or no location.

Tried to find fixes online but most posts are out of date or about some other issue related to location, the phone's location simply isn't updating at all. This also makes things like Google Maps and Navigation useless.

Would appreciate any help, again it's just stock Android and I don't have a ton of experience flashing the OS or changing these settings.

Thanks so much!

# Answer
> 0 votes
Okay, just figured it out. For some reason I had Location set to "Device only" and the subtext below this says "Use GPS to determine your location." Seems like this should still update the location, but like I said in my question, it simply hadn't updated the current city for months.

**SOLUTION:** **Fixed it simply by switching to "Battery saving" mode. Obviously "High accuracy" would work too.**

I'm not sure why the GPS feature under "Device only" wouldn't be able to find my location, maybe my GPS component is malfunctioning. Either way, it's fixed now.

---
Tags: nexus-5, geolocation
---


# Question
Title: "Show notifications" is greyed out for some apps. What's causing it and how do I change it?
There are some apps for which "Show Notifications" is greyed out, thus effectively barring you from changing the notification policy of that app.

1. Why or when does it happen?
2. I've noticed this issue for system apps only? Does it mean that only system apps can have this option greyed out?
3. How do I change the notification policy for such apps?

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

I have a rooted Android 4.2.1, 4.4.2 and 5.0.2. I'm aware of changing the notification policy in Android 4.2.1 and 4.4.2. You may move the focus to Lollipop, only for third point.

# Answer
> 3 votes
jan's answer already addresses how to change the notification policy for such (disabled "show notifications") apps.

As for why and when (or essentially, in what condition it applies), your guess of system apps is on the right track.

To be exact, as Sergey has explained in the comment, only packages that are signed with the `platform` key (from vendor/manufacturer, e.g. AOSP) will have this privilege. These packages are part of the core platform. Other preinstalled apps (including apps with some special privileges, which are signed with the `shared` or `media` key) and "system" apps (apps which are put on `/system/app` folder and granted access right) are not counted.

Summary: as of the latest version (Android 5.1.1 Lollipop), the checkbox is disabled if:

1. The app is signed with `platform` key (part of the core platform), or
2. The app is not installed on the current user (in multi-user case)

---

From InstalledAppDetails.java (this is what "App Info" displays),

```
private CompoundButton mNotificationSwitch; // this is the "show notifications" checkbox

...

private void initNotificationButton() {

    ...

    if (Utils.isSystemPackage(mPm, mPackageInfo)) {
        mNotificationSwitch.setEnabled(false);
    } else if ((mPackageInfo.applicationInfo.flags & ApplicationInfo.FLAG_INSTALLED) == 0) {
        // App is not installed on the current user
        mNotificationSwitch.setEnabled(false);
    } else {
        mNotificationSwitch.setEnabled(true);
        mNotificationSwitch.setOnCheckedChangeListener(this);
    }
}

```

**Note**:

* `Utils.isSystemPackage()` returns `true` only for packages signed with the `platform` key.
* This doesn't apply on Android 6.0 Marshmallow due to overhaul on App Info's user interface; there's no checkbox, instead there's a centralized notification settings per app. However, the underlying principle is still the same that you cannot block notifications on an app that is system package.

# Answer
> 4 votes
With root access, there are some apps such as 3c Toolbox that allow you to change the notification settings for any app. App Ops is another one that gives you control over all apps' general permissions.

You can actually manage all app permissions from the command line with root access. In Android 5.x, `appops` was added. It gives control over general app permissions.

Find your app's package name by looking through the list generated by:

```
# pm list packages | sed 's/^package://'

```

Get a list of permissions and their `mode` (allow/ignore/deny/default) for a particular app:

(Note that `get` parameter is not available in 5.0.2 or earlier Lollipop releases, but was introduced in Android 5.1.0)

```
# appops get <package_name>

```

Set a particular app's permission:

```
# appops set <package_name> <permission> <mode>

```

**To accomplish the same thing as unticking the "show notifications" box in the application manager:**

```
# appops set <package_name> POST_NOTIFICATION ignore

```

From my experience, using `deny` as a `mode` can break appops so that permissions can't be accessed or changed from an app, so I recommend using `ignore`, which is what the system uses.

If in some case, you end up breaking access to app ops through something like the application manager, you can reset the permissions for an app:

```
appops reset <package_name>

```

---

For more control over detailed permissions, you can use `pm` in the terminal. This works with older Android versions.

Find your app's package name by looking through the list generated by:

```
# pm list packages | sed 's/^package://'

```

Then list the permissions for a particular package:

```
# pm list permissions <package_name>

```

Find the notifcation permissions:

```
# pm list permissions <package_name> | grep NOTIF

```

Grant or revoke a particular permission:

```
# pm grant <package_name> <permission>
# pm revoke <package_name> <permission>

```

The permissions listed with package manager are very detailed. Using a capable app to manage them may be a more practical route.

---
Tags: applications, notifications
---


title: DROID 4 ADB Driver for Linux

text:
# Question
Title: DROID 4 ADB Driver for Linux
I'm trying to unlock my phone using this tutorial. It stated that:

Prerequisites

But there are no Linux driver, or is it not needed for Linux?

Why I need this? because I need to remove /system/app/VZWPhoneService.apk and /system/app/VZWPhoneService.odex. then reboot., because the other way already expired. So I could use this phone using another carrier.

The alternate method also requires Windows OS.

# Answer
> 0 votes
Assuming your device is rooted there is a ppa for adb and fastboot.

Type:

```
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:nilarimogardwebupd8

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get install android-tools-adb android-tools-fastboot

```

Now you should open a shell/rootshell and type

```
adb

```

followed by

```
adb devices

```

Then your Phone should show up. To delete the app and odex file type:

```
adb rm /path/to/apk

adb rm /path/to/file

```

or

```
adb uninstall [-k] packagename

```

The option -k keeps cache and data on your phone if you want to.

Then end this process by using

```
adb reboot

```

Cheers

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


# Question
Title: Upload data from internal memory to Dropbox
I have been trying to upload xml data from the internal memory of my android phone to Dropbox. However, it only works when I use a virtual device. I currently believe that it is because the phone isn't rooted (i.e. I can access /data/data/appname/files in the file explorer for the virtual device but not the android phone) which is required to access the app's allocated internal memory. Is there a way to do this without rooting the phone?

# Answer
I was able to resolve my problem. I found out that since I am restricted in accessing the app's personal storage I couldn't create the folder called "files" (from /data/data/appname/**files**), however, by directly writing the data to /data/data/appname/, I was able to access and upload the data.

Hope this helps someone.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: internal-storage, auto-upload
---


# Question
Title: Android ICS spell checker does not know how to spell (English)?
English (United Kingdom) is set as the system language and regardless of whether I set the Android spell checker to use the system language or "English" it just doesn't know how to spell. Almost everything is underlined in red! Basically, the spelling dictionary (which should be built in to Android 4) appears to be empty? The same goes for French (I have not tried the other languages).

How do I correct this?

I have not seen these Android spelling dictionaries available for download anywhere. This does appear to be the same as the Android completion dictionary - which appears above the keyboard as you type; suggesting possible words. The only suggestions that show are names from my Contacts List! (I have later realised that "fox" in the example below would seem to be part of a name in my Contacts List!)

I mentioned in the comments below that I have installed the Hacker's keyboard. Together with this I have also installed the (Hacker's) English Completion Dictionary \- this works great, but only with the Hacker's keyboard and only in portrait mode (I don't really have enough room in landscape). Could this break Android's own spell checking dictionaries?!

# Answer
> 3 votes
Go to the Play store, and install Google Keyboard.

This includes its own spell checking dictionary. Navigate to:

```
Settings -> Language & Input -> Spelling correction

```

And select "Google Spell Check". You can click the settings icon to change the language too.

# Answer
> 3 votes
This appears to be a "fix" for the issue.. but it requires root to write to /system/app. I don't want to root my device just to get a standard feature.

> 1. Download these two files: LatinImeGoogle.apk & LatinImeDictionaryPack.apk
> 2. Put the apk's onto your sd card
> 3. Copy the apk's
> 4. Navigate to /system/app and paste the apk's into the directory
> 5. Rename (or delete) the file titled "LatinIME.apk"
> 6. You now have a working dictionary for your keyboard!

# Answer
> 1 votes
I had exactly the same problem - only words from Contacts shown on spellcheck line. I downloaded Google Keyboard and altered Settings as suggested but it didn't make any difference. However, when I ran Google Keyboard from the icon and selected "use Google Keyboard", everything magically started working. This post was corrected throughout 100% correctly. Hurrah!

# Answer
> 0 votes
Navigate to

> Settings -\> Language & Input -\> Spelling correction

then uncheck the box.

# Answer
> 0 votes
Just found that if you go into Android keyboard settings, Add-on dictionaries you can select and download an English dictionary there.

---
Tags: dictionary, spell-check
---


# Question
Title: Will SoftkeyZ Root app work on the device Yureka out of the box?
Softkeyz is a root app. Yureka runs CyanogenMod out of the box but I don't know if it's rooted or not. Is it safe to install softkeyz root app and use it?

# Answer
CyanogenMod comes with root support, however it needs to be enabled first from the settings app in the developer options section.

Also, CyanogenMod cones with the ability to modify the navigation bar already, unless you are talking about modifying the actions of physical navigation buttons, then you'll need the Softkeyz app.
> 0 votes

# Answer
First of all, there is a glaring error in the question which needs to be removed. Yu Yureka doesn't come with Cyanogenmod (CM; a community ROM) but with Cyanogen OS (COS12) which is a stripped out CM12 ROM meant to suit the needs of an OEM (a commercial software). Read this XDA thread for more.

As one would expect, COS12 doesn't come with `su` binary or a superuser app. In simpler terms, NO, your device isn't rooted yet. You can verify this with any root checker app and they should give you negative result.

> Is it safe to install softkeyz root app and use it?

The app has full network access (read: can connect to Internet and send or receive data) and has access to your storage (ability to read or modify your data). Besides, it needs superusers access as well.

If the app isn't open source and and its source independently verified by people, I say your part of question is speculative since there is not much can be said with surety.

Coming to the point of this app's usage, if your need is to get the navigational bar then why bother installing a third-party app. Cyanogen OS comes with in-built navigational bar (yes, those virtual buttons at the bottom of screen). Simply go to **Settings -\> Buttons -\> Enable on-screen navigational bar**. Done. You can somewhat modify the buttons as the other answer by Sonickyle27 noted.

Otherwise, setup ADB in PC, enable USB debugging in device, connect the device into PC, open a CMD/Terminal and enter:

```
adb shell settings put secure dev_force_show_navbar 1

```

This would enable on-screen navigational bar. Change 1 to 0 to disable it.
> 1 votes

---
Tags: google-play-store, micromax-yu-yureka, softkey
---


# Question
Title: I reset my Samsung Tab 4 and I lost my photos - Which aren't backed up
I really, really need to recover the photos. Please tell me how to recover them

# Answer
If the photos were stored on an SD card, there's software available (for a Win/Mac/Linux PC) that may be able to recover the images (works best if nothing else has been stored on the card since -- power down and pull the SD card ASAP while you search for recovery software). If internal storage, there might be ways to attempt file recovery, but they'll depend, first, on keeping the device turned off, because Android writes to internal storage on a continuing basis, and every write may overwrite image data. Power down now, and power up only when ready to actually begin file recovery.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: factory-reset
---


# Question
Title: Email has stopped message once per day on Android Lollipop version 5
I have an issue on Samsung Galaxy S5 where I get a `Email has stopped` message at least once per day.

I have updated to the latest OS - I'm on Android Lollipop version 5 and I have tried deleting the mailbox and recreating it.

I've also tried rebooting the phone and starting and stopping the mail application (and clearing the cache).

I'm using the default mail app. Any ideas what is causing this?

# Answer
> 1 votes
There are another one or two topics on this over at XDA-developers, and I haven't been able to find a solution or cause for the problem. I suggest you use the `Gmail` app, because it has great support for Emails that are "non-google". The most obvious (however I could be wrong) answer to this is a bug in the Samsung Email app (But if you're on Lollipop you should really consider using the `Gmail` app instead!).

If you really insist on using the Samsung app for Email, try clearing your `system cache` (from recovery), it seems to do a lot of fixing in the Android world. Note that your next boot *might* be a little (and by that I mean 10-20 minutes) longer then normal, as it is recreating the `dalvik cache`

---
Tags: 5.0-lollipop, email, crashes, stock-email-app
---


# Question
Title: Change default font and remove bloatware without rooting the phone
I have Lenovo S90 and I want to change the system default font and to delete some pre installed applications as well. Based on my initial research, the only possible way on how I can do what I want is by rooting my phone. My system is already running at Android 5.0.2 Lollipop. I was reading online tutorials about rooting this device and found them really troublesome and complicated as I am not a "techie" type of a person.
Is there a possible way that you can suggest with regards tot his matter? Would appreciate your response a lot. Thank you.

# Answer
> -1 votes
Changing the System font is may be an option without root. A quick Google Search will help with that.

As for *removing* (or "deleting" as you put it) System Apps, you **must** have root, this I can not stress enough. Like @Frank said in the comments, you can *disable* and app, but this is still on your System and it still takes space.

**My advice to you:**

```
    If you don't feel safe about rooting at this time, don't do it.
    If you hate the pre-installed apps so much (my main reason to first root)
    Make a backup and root away! (*Keyword:* backup)!

```

**Why you need root:**

Mostly to protect the system. Suppose you could uninstall system apps without root. What happens if you mistakenly remove an important part of the system? You now have a broken Android - And imagine if everyone had broken Androids! People would claim Warranty and that cost money, time and effort. That is part of the reason Rooting (as far as I know) will void your warranty.

---
Tags: 5.0-lollipop, lenovo
---


title: Can I enable USB debugging using adb?

text:
# Question
Title: Can I enable USB debugging using adb?
I own a Samsung Galaxy S3 and the display is broken and USB debugging is set to off too.

How can I enable it using `./adb` commands? I have done these steps already:

* `data/data/com.android.providers.settings/databases/settings.db` changed `adb_enabled` value from 0 to 1.
* Also edited `build.prop` in `/system`.

After doing all this, the phone seems bricked, it's not turning on. All I want to do is enable USB debugging and connect it to Vysor(beta) so I could control it on my computer.

# Answer
> 18 votes
I got it to work :)

**NOTE**: This requires unlocked bootloader.

* Connect the device to Mac or PC in `recovery mode`. (I had to map the process in my mind as the screen was broken).
* Now open terminal/CMD in computer and go to `platform-tools/`. type and enter `./adb devices` to check if the device is connected in recovery mode.
* Now type `./adb shell mount data` and `./adb shell mount system` to mount the respective directories.
* Get the `persist.sys.usb.config` file in your system using `./adb pull /data/property/persist.sys.usb.config /Your directory`
* Now open that file in a texteditor and edit it to `mtp,adb` and save.
* Now push the file back in the device; `./adb push /your-directory/persist.sys.usb.config /data/property`
* Get the build.prop file; `./adb pull /system/build.prop /your-directory`
* Add these lines:

```
persist.service.adb.enable=1
persist.service.debuggable=1
persist.sys.usb.config=mtp,adb
```
* Push build.prop back into the device; `./adb push /your-dir/build.prop /system/`

This way you enabled USB debugging on your device. But you still can't connect. Why? Because it asks for RSA verification. If you could view your display then you could easily tap on `YES` to authorize the device. I am currently figuring out to bypass this. I want to revive my dead phone badly. If you know any way to do this, please share :)

# Answer
> 5 votes
For the RSA verification that you asked to bypass, I don't know whether it would work in your device, but it worked in my little experiment. In Lollipop, the ADB keys (after authorization) are saved in `/data/misc/adb/adb_keys`. Your private key is saved in computer. In Linux the directory location is `$HOME/.android/`. On Windows that usually translates to `%USERPROFILE%\.android`, but keys might end up in `C:\Windows\System32\config\systemprofile\.android` in some cases. (Source)

There is a method described here by ashoke which might help out in bypassing the authorization.

However, in my Lollipop, the method varies. I noticed that in my primary and secondary Lollipop ROM the `adb_keys` had the same key actually. All I did was revoke the authorization from the secondary ROM (file deleted automatically ), disconnected device from PC, copied `adb_keys` from Primary ROM into secondary ROM, connected the device into PC, and *voila!* I wasn't asked for that authorization. I double checked the authorization using `adb devices` and it was all good.

Try the linked answer first. Authorize a different Android phone, copy its keys into your device from Recovery mode and see if it works.

---
Tags: samsung-galaxy-s-3, adb, usb-debugging, broken-screen
---


title: 'Ok Google' doesn't work on LG G3

text:
# Question
Title: 'Ok Google' doesn't work on LG G3
Recently the "Ok Google" feature no longer works on my LG G3, unless I factory reset my settings. But after a few hours it stops working again even if I don't change any of my settings back. I even upgraded my phone to Lollipop, but that didn't help either. Also, I tried reprogramming my voice back into my phone via "Google settings", but it won't pick up my voice either. So long story short the only way I can get it to pick up my voice is by clicking the microphone.

# Answer
Make sure "ok Google" detection is on for every screen. Do this by opening the Google app, navigate to settings \> voice \> "ok Google detection" and make sure the "from any sceen" option is enabled. Hopefully this solves your problem.
> 1 votes

---
Tags: google, voice-recognition, lg-g3, ok-google
---


# Question
Title: Ever since 5.0 was installed my text message notification always plays the default sound
Ever since 5.0 was installed my text message notification always plays the default sound. I have tried deleting and recreating the contact but no change. When I check to see what notification sound is selected it's the one I want. I can even play it and then save the contact information. Still, when a message comes in it plays the default message tone. Any ideas on how to fix this?

# Answer
The custom contact ringtone (at least it sounds like a custom contact ringtone) presumably only works with the default messaging app. Are you using the default messaging app?
> 0 votes

---
Tags: notifications
---


# Question
Title: Locked phone with Android Device Manager and can't remember the password
I lost my phone and used Android Device Manager to lock it. However, it turns out my boyfriend was last logged into my Gmail, so his phone is the one that was locked and now I can't remember the password!

How can we unlock his phone?

# Answer
Only solution,Hard reset your phone and do a reset factory settings in recovery mode. BTW which phone model you are using, I guess it must be Samsung :)

## updated

One more way, if you know your phone is rooted and ADB on.. You have to delete all your key files from system folder. Try this. Connect you device with usb and run following command. If you are not able to do so, i am afraid. You need a full wipe.

```
adb devices
adb shell
cd data/system
su
rm *.key

```

Even if shows lock screen after reboot, try a easy random pattern/password.
> 1 votes

# Answer
sorry that is probably too late, but I found a solution. You have to sign in to a SAMSUNG account, and there is an unlock feature. If it doesn't work the first time, locked it with a 4 digit pin from the same Samsung page, in the cell enter the code and the lock will be temporarily removed but the screen lock will still be in place, so then again Unlock it from the Samsung tool.
> 0 votes

# Answer
I had the same problem on my LG Nexus 4. I just logged into Android Device Manager and set another password. No need to remember the old password!
> 0 votes

---
Tags: locked-out, android-device-manager
---


# Question
Title: If I can access bubble of Messenger like apps from home screen then does it not mean any other app can also access that app? Is Android safe then?
In Android phones, we can access Messenger and many more apps similar to it from home screen ( like bubble-heads, lyrics etc). With this we let one app in your phone access another app, (we can use messenger chatting from every app in an android phone).

So if the other app running uses this information taken from a app which is running through bubble-heads, won't that be dangerous?

Does android have any security measures to prevent this?

# Answer
> 2 votes
Messenger bubbles are an overlay. Messenger isn't actually interacting with the app running in the background, it's just drawing over it. Even this is a permission that can be denied.

Android as an operating system is secure, but like all systems, it's as secure as the code running on it. Android sand boxes apps and only allows them to interact with each other through the system in predefined ways ( ex: intents to share or open with another app), and has a robust permissions model to boot.

However if you use an app that wants permission to read your messages (like an SMS app), and you grant it that permission, then if the app does something malicious with that data, or the app itself is not secure, then it's not really the operating systems fault.

Like I said, a system is as secure as the code and applications you choose to run on it.

---
Tags: applications, security, privacy
---


# Question
Title: System time not updating while screen is locked
Device: ASUS MemoPad 7 (K013), running the latest ASUS ROM based on Android Lollipop 5.0 (updated automatically with the included ASUS updater).

When I lock the screen, the system time stops ticking until I unlock it again. **After unlocking, it does not update to current time**, instead lags behind for the amount of time it was locked.

* The time zone is set correctly and the device has stable Internet connection via Wi-Fi (no packet data option available on this device).
* The date/time update setting is set to "Use network time", which disables manual time adjustment. After unchecking "Use network time" I can set the time manually.

*Interestingly enough, after adjusting the time and re-enabling "Use network time", the time instantly skips back to the "lagged" value (how it was before manual adjustment).*

**Rebooting** the tablet forces a time update, although the problem keeps persisting on screen lock, which renders the system clock, and thus the device, useless for my purposes.

A similar problem used to occur for me on a different device, but the time was updating automatically a couple seconds after unlocking. This is not the case here.

Please advise.

# Answer
Wiping cache with stock recovery seems to have solved it for me.

> Power off phone (be sure to turn off fast reboot in settings first). Boot into recovery by holding volume-down key and then holding power key until boot menu appears. Volume down to RECOVERY and tap power to select. HTC logo appears followed by a blank, dim screen. Wait about 30 seconds for red triangle icon to appear.
>
> Now, hold down volume-up and tap power button. Recovery menu appears. Volume-down to "Wipe cache partition" at bottom of list and tap power key. Cache gets cleared. Then select "reboot system now" by tapping power key again. Done!
> 0 votes

---
Tags: date-and-time
---


# Question
Title: My Android is Freezing after Factory reset
I am using a Galaxy Note Lte (SHV-E160S) it was working slowly lately so decided to root it to improved it performance. After rooting i Installed an application called SYSTEM APPS REMOVER which help me remove some unwanted apps on my phone because i am not using them and they keep on using my data. After going through this process i decided to Factory Reset. Now comes the problem after successfully factory reset it. Went i got to the configuration of language stage the phone keep on freezing and the screen won't respond but the back and menu keys are all working perfectly. Guys i just wanted to ask is the anyway i can skip that stage or any help will be appreciated. Thank you

# Answer
> 0 votes
(Just something you can try) I know what happened to you can be frustrating. It happened to me once when I accidentally uninstalled an android required app. You can try flashing a GApps zip package. That worked for me.

---
Tags: rooting, 4.1-jelly-bean, samsung, factory-reset
---


# Question
Title: How to prevent accidental launch of Camera app from lock screen?
I have an Archos Helium 50 phone running Android 4.3. It often activates the Camera app while the phone is still in my pocket. Plus, since it's dark inside my pocket, it activates the flash — this drains *a lot* of battery.

I tried to disable it but I didn't find any option in the menus which would allow me to do so. What can I try? Did I miss some hidden menu?

Please note that the phone is not rooted; I absolutely refuse to root it.

# Answer
> 2 votes
Try Lock Screen Policy App and disable the Camera.

**Disable multiple 3rd party widgets on the lockscreen. Also removes lockscreen camera access on some devices**

*WARNING: Not intended for use on Android 5.x*

# Answer
> 0 votes
Lockscreen Policy (\<= KitKat) is a third-party software which disables widgets on lock screen. You can give it a shot.

---
Tags: lock-screens, 4.3-jelly-bean
---


# Question
Title: Where is system update option located in Alldaymall A88S tablet?
I recently brought my sister a Alldaymall A88S tablet. Anyway, I cannot find the system update function (or at least, I didn't see it). Where is it?

And no root methods please.

# Answer
Settings **\>** About tablet **\>** System Updates/Update Center
> 1 votes

---
Tags: updates
---


# Question
Title: I get an insufficient storage space error when trying to download an app and I have several gigabytes of free space
I have my phone set to use my SD card as default storage. When I attempts to download the Facebook for Hulu app from the Google store it always gives me this error message. I checked both apps both take around 40 some odd megabytes. I have around 4 gigabytes of free space on my SD card. I have around two gigabytes of free space on my internal storage. Can you tell me what's wrong?

# Answer
> 0 votes
Apps don't necessarily install on an external SD card. Normally, they would install on the system memory and then, if capable, the app can be "moved" to the SD card. Moving still leaves part of the app on the phone memory and usually increases the overall size of the app.

Long story short- make sure you have room on your device's internal memory to install apps.

# Answer
> 0 votes
This happens with me all the time. The problem with my phone was that - Despite 4GB of internal memory and 8 GB SD card, it kept giving me that error. The operating system had made a partition in the internal memory of 4 GB where it stored the ROM and necessary apps. It will not store any other app data like Facebook, whatsapp, etc on the remaining internal memory. It kept using the small partition it made in that internal memory.

Thus I had to keep moving and clear data all the time.

I searched on XDA for a memory fix solution for my phone and it worked.

---
Tags: applications
---


# Question
Title: Wifi and Data switching on automatically in my HTC Desire 820 device
This morning I got a notification on my HTC Desire 820 running Android 4.4.4, about update of 1.22 version for network. I thought it was normal and I updated it.

From then my device is turning on both Wi-Fi and Data automatically. Many times I tried to switch it off but it again turns on.

# Answer
> 2 votes
Even if such notifications look "official", they rarely are. They are specifically styled in a way to make them appear such, to betray people thinking that and tempt them to install the "stuff" behind. But one is more likely to install some malware that way, often a Trojan – like in your case: Its permanent switching on of network functionality suggests it's "phoning home", very likely transmitting personal data. A Google image search on "android malware installation popup" gives you some examples:

browser popups wanting you to install an "update" (click images for larger variants

These candidates are easy to tell: you will never be informed on a system upgrade via browser popup, and there is no such thing like an update for your battery module coming this way (apart from which: the second screenshot proves its "fake-ness" by being a bad translation with grammar mistakes – another indicator to check for). A little protection can be gained from disabling "unknown sources" in your Android settings: that should keep installations from other than "official sources" (Playstore, your vendor) out. So if something claims to be an official update, but on installation you get told to enable "unknown sources" – be sure to cancel, as that's a fake and will almost for sure install malware.

But not all candidates are as easy to tell. Some even manage to place themselves as notifications in your notification area. A few rules on those:

* official updates never come as "browser popups" on visiting some site. They are usually shipped as ota-update, or are to be installed via your device manufacturer's special tool (e.g. Samsung Kies)
* if something tells you it has detected a "virus" – forget it, there is no virus for Android.
* if unsure on its genuity: long-press the notification and check which app caused it. If it's an app that didn't come pre-installed: get rid of that app ASAP, it might do other evil things.
* if you still cannot tell: ask in a forum where your device is dealt with, ask the manufacturer: is there an update deployed currently?

If you're already sitting in the mess (having that fake installed), the safest way out is a . You never can be sure where on your device the malware has spread. Hopefully it didn't manage to exploit some security hole and install itself as system app; if it did, the only thing to cure your device is a fresh firmware install.

---
Tags: 4.4-kitkat, htc-desire
---


title: Pop Ups in Browser - Possible Viruses?

text:
# Question
Title: Pop Ups in Browser - Possible Viruses?
Since moving to Japan, the chrome web browser on my phone (Samsung Galaxy S3) has been acting strangely. Sometimes it will happen when I switch to a new article on a news mobile website, or even if I click a link on facebook. What happens is that a popup comes up that takes up the whole screen that claims my phone has a virus and I should download something to get rid of it. I'm not an idiot, so I never click those popups and close the page immediately. My question is that I'm wondering if I may already have a virus on my phone, and that's why I'm getting these pop ups all of the sudden. Is there a good way to check for viruses on phones? Thanks for your help.

# Answer
> 0 votes
You can block pop ups for all sites in the chrome setting however I still get those spammy pop ups even after blocking pop ups for all sites in chrome beta.. All those pop ups you get saying that" your device has virus" or" your device is running slow" are absolutely spam. Those have no relation with your device. Their main motto is to mislead audience and make them install malicious apps that can compromise the security of device..But if you need some good security you can find plenty of them on the play store. You can go for 360mobile security which has a great detection rate and is free to download. Or you can go for Lookout that has a good anti-theft feature that is also free.

# Answer
> 0 votes
I can assure you there is no virus in your device. Those pop-ups will just lead you to any application and games sites, dating sites, etc. Internal pop-blocker of Chrome won't help you in this case. I would advice normal browsers like UC Browser mini & Opera mini to get rid of the pop-ups. Try them and you'll see the difference.

# Answer
> 0 votes
Great answer, Suyash Barve. I hadn't thought of that possibility.

Good answer, MANI, however this is abnormal under any of the top dozen browsers. Annnnd, antivirus apps just give you a false sense of security.

Next time that happens, I'd use the shellcode below to investigate these four places. Get the android terminal app.

```
shell@android:/data/data/com.browser.application # ls
cache
databases
files
lib

```

Maybe not lib....

Try this first: https://adblockplus.org/android-faq

# Answer
> -1 votes
I had the same exact problem. It went from my phone to my PC to my laptop. Reset my phone thrice to get rid of it but the pop ups would start again immediately after reset. I finally figured out that the problem was on my WiFi. My computer that had been hooked up to the wifi had a network virus and had infected everything that was connected to it. Disconnect everything from your wifi. Then connect one thing at a time as you download Quickheal and run their malware program. Once you've done it for the computer/laptop, the phone should be fine after a reset.

---
Tags: browser, samsung, popup
---


title: Samsung galaxy s3 app removal

text:
# Question
Title: Samsung galaxy s3 app removal
Can I uninstall a preloaded app I want to remove flip board but it pops up with a warning that it may cause problems with other apps?

# Answer
> 1 votes
I simply have Flipboard "Turned Off" in the Application Manager on my S3. I have no problems with other apps from turning this off.

---
Tags: applications
---


# Question
Title: Old contacts show on my partner's phone despite erasing it on mine
My partner tells me that number and names of contact I have deleted keep appearing as soon as I log on. I do NOT have these numbers and names in my contacts. How it is so? How can I fix that? Do I need to delete my account?

# Answer
It is possible that you have deleted your contacts on your phone, and not on your Gmail account.

Log on to your Gmail account at google.com, click the button at the top right, and then click more, then contacts.

From there you should be able to delete all of the contacts you no longer wish to have. Afterwards restart any devices, and refresh/sync any affected accounts. It might take a day (guessing) before the change is represented on every device.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: contacts, sync, delete
---


# Question
Title: How bad is my screen damaged? Do I need to replace the whole screen?
My dad has a Samsung phone. He dropped it once long ago and there was a crack across the screen as shown in the image:

Now he is having difficulty using the phone. There is always a touch at one spot automatically, which is very annoying. To show you what I mean, I have enabled "Show touch" in "Developer Options".

I have uploaded a video on youtube here showing how annoying it is.

Here are images showing the unwanted touch:

So how bad is the screen damaged? Do I need to replace the whole screen, as the guy at the repair shop said?

**Update:**

# Answer
If there's a constant "touch" at one spot, the digitizer is probably damaged, along with the glass. For some screen cracks, it's possible to replace the glass only (at least in some Samsung models including the Galaxy S4, which yours appears to be). Unfortunately, that's probably not the case here. A complete screen and digitizer assembly and labor to replace it cost about as much as a good used phone of that model, or a bit more than the insurance deductible if you carry insurance with service. If you can do the work yourself, cost would be reduced by about 1/3, and it may be worth attempting.
> 1 votes

---
Tags: screen, physical-damage
---


title: Is SlimROMS one thing or many?

text:
# Question
Title: Is SlimROMS one thing or many?
I was looking at some threads to download a custom firmware when I noticed one thing as a thanking gesture, developers or maintainers were thanking SlimROMS team. I went to SlimROMS website and its forums as well but I couldn't pin point:

1) Is SlimROMS one thing or many?

2) I found somethreads featuring names like Slimsaber or Slimkat which shares some common features. Are they SlimROMs? It's really confusing to me. Are there other ROMs with naming convention Slim\[XYZ\]?

# Answer
I think I found my answer after a bit more search.

I don't know why they use 's' and calls it SLIMROMs but Slim + Jelly Bean = SlimBean, Slim + Kitkat = SlimKat and Slim + Lollipop (LP) = SlimLP.

SlimSaber on the other hand is an unofficial build of SlimLP. I suppose 'Saber' comes from custom toolchain Sabermod.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: custom-roms
---


# Question
Title: Huawei Ascend Y330 Mass Storage notification bar not showing
I want to sync some pics from my phone onto my laptop but I can't since the drop down notification bar is not showing. This means I can't turn on the USB to connect to my laptop. I have hard reset my phone back to factory settings and it still won't show. I've been trying for 5 hours now and I can't work out how to get it to connect to my laptop.

# Answer
Go to main screen drop down menu from top while plugged into computer click on device file manager click device file manager (transfer and manage files with a computer

on computer, click in file manager you should be able to see your phone click on dcim click on camera

This worked for me
> 0 votes

---
Tags: sync, usb-mass-storage, huawei-ascend-y330
---


# Question
Title: Where does the Gmail app save the previewed files?
I had previewed a PDF attachment from an email recently. I deleted the email permanently without downloading the attachment. I want to retrieve the previewed file if possible.

Is there a specific place the previewed files are stored in?

# Answer
Gmail app stores those previewed files under its data directory. The file location would be `/data/data/com.google.android.gm/cache/<YOUR_EMAIL_ID>/<ATTACHMENT_NAME>`.

It seems that Gmail app doesn't have an in-built preview functionality so it gives the option to choose an installed app to open that file. If you did that then very likely, your file was also saved in the cache of that app. So now, there are at least two locations to get hold of that file.

E.g. WPS Office would have cached the file at `/sdcard/Android/data/cn.wps.moffice_eng/.cache/KingsoftOffice/file/download/<ALPHA-NUMERIC-NAME>/<ATTACHMENT_NAME>`.

Inbox by Gmail app also saves the previewed file in its data directory. The file location is `/data/data/com/google.android.apps.inbox/files/downloads/<ALPHA-NUMERIC-NAME>/attachments/<ALPHA-NUMERIC-NAME>/<ATTACHMENT_NAME>`.

Inbox by Gmail doesn't allow backup so you most likely can't get your hands on that file if the device is not rooted.

Gmail app does allow backup but I couldn't get a working backup file for some reason, so you're on your own about it.
> 1 votes

---
Tags: gmail, files, inbox-by-gmail
---


# Question
Title: Most secure peer-to-peer exchange of public keys?
Just what the question asks: I would like to have two Android users exchange public keys for use in a mobile app while not connecting to a centralized hosted server or website.

# Answer
Public Keys are PUBLIC: they are meant to be shared. So, I think it wouldn't matter how you transfer those keys. What is more important is how strong those keys are encrypted, so they aren't easily hacked or bypassed.

You might also want to check on these two questions:
> 1 votes

---
Tags: encryption
---


# Question
Title: Galaxy SIII SCH-I535, Android 4.4.2 - High Battery Drain
I am not quite sure where else to turn with this issue. It's been happening for about a week now. When looking at the stock battery section in Settings, I see that "Android System" is always using 35%+. It's up to 45% right now. Whereas I usually would not need to charge my phone for a few days, now, even though I still haven't changed my phone usage habits, i need to charge almost every day.

I do not have my phone rooted, or anything really special on the phone. But I am wondering why this would be so high, and how I might be able to figure out what's going on. I can provide any information that is needed.

# Answer
> 1 votes
When I first received my SCH-I535, it performed an OTA update. I was shocked at how much battery this brand new Samsung was using. After lots of research, I reinstalled the update through my PC. You need to attach with a USB cable, let it install software from the phone onto the PC and perform a phone system update through the installed software. Basically, something got messed up with the OTA update. Reinstalling the update through the PC fixed the battery drain.

Also be aware, though, that if you're coming from a phone that didn't have an AMOLED, like an HTC, you're used to seeing the display hogging all the battery. On a Samsung, you're more likely to see the OS using more power than the display.

Hope this helps!

# Answer
> 0 votes
There are many possible causes unfortunately. I had a seemingly impossible to find issue on my S5, even using ultra power save. I found it to be OpenVPN - once installed and used once, the drain started even when it wasn't in use and even after a restart of the phone. Removing OpenVPN and restarting puts battery use back to normal.

---
Tags: samsung-galaxy-s-3, 4.4-kitkat
---


# Question
Title: How to check my phone hardware specs on Android terminal emulator
I was wondering if there is a command to check the hardware specs of my phone. I just installed the Android terminal emulator. I've tried the 'lshw' but it does not work. Thanks in advance.

# Answer
> 9 votes
You can enter `getprop` to get info about device. Or, you can do `cat /system/build.prop`

If you've root access then you can enter `su` and then `dumpsys | less` to get the name of the services which can give more info about some specific things such as battery. See this answer to know more.

On a non-rooted device, you can do `adb shell dumpsys | less` provided that is running in wireless mode and your device is connected locally in loopback mode. See this answer for more info.

---
Tags: terminal, command-line
---


# Question
Title: Where can I report vulnerabilities to Google?
Where can I report glitches/bugs/vulnerabilities to google? I would look it up, but I don't know how to word it. Besides, I am working on more devices I can count (don't ask) and I have found some... Weaknessess in youtube.

# Answer
* Go to this page
* Select option for reporting bug.
* Enter your contact details.
* Select Google Product as affected.
* Enter how to reproduce that vulnerability
* Submit It.

Google will contact you within day or two. If vulnerability is vaild and they successfully reproduce it you may get Bug Bounty.
> 0 votes

# Answer
Settings → Developer options → Bug report. If that doesn't exist, try holding both volume buttons plus Power (USB Debugging might need to be enabled).
> 0 votes

---
Tags: security, google, bugs
---


title: Mobile/wifi network exclamation mark

text:
# Question
Title: Mobile/wifi network exclamation mark
I have a problem that almost always my mobile network is marked with exclamation mark and I can't connect to Edge/3G, sometimes this happening to WiFi. I have a Nexus 5 and Android 5.1.1. I'm also trying to enable/disable airplane mode but it doesn't help.

About WiFi, I reload my WiFi router and after it it works fine. Mobile network - it's happening at two cities and seems for everybody around me everything is fine.

# Answer
> 0 votes
The exclamation mark means you have no data connection. Go to *Settings* and in category *Wireless & networks* enable **Mobile Networks**. This assumes *Airplane mode* is off.

---
Tags: nexus-5, connection-issues, 5.1-lollipop
---


# Question
Title: how can i restore loosing system applications
I remove some system androids apps(that i dont konw which app) from my phon whith system app safe remover. and now my phon cant open any docx file whith any program. how can do i found the lossing app? my phon: samsung galexy not N7000 rooted android: 4.1.2 rom: n7000JPLSB (rooted)

# Answer
> 0 votes
You probably removed some bloatware which opened word (docx) files. To fix download a docx reader like this: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=couchDev.tools.DocxParser&hl=en

---
Tags: applications
---


# Question
Title: Is there a way to "Turn Off" My Magazine on Samsung Note 3?
I just got a new Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and it has the annoying feature of "My Magazine". I was able to unbind "My Magazine" from using Home button, however, is there a way to turn it off (like with some other apps: Settings -\> Applications -\> All -\> {app name} -\> "Turn Off")? I have searched around the net and seems like that option is available for Galaxy S5 users, however, could not find anything for Note 3.

# Answer
I know this is an old thread, but in case you're still annoyed by My Magazine, the Android 5.0 Lollipop update allows you to completely disable the app (not uninstall it, but it's still a huge improvement.)
> 0 votes

# Answer
The "My Magazine" feature is integrated into the Touchwiz launcher, so there's really no way to completely turn it off under Jelly Bean. If you freeze/disable the app you'll see frequent crashes.

If you're still under Jelly Bean, you unfortunately cannot do what Robert suggests because it only applies to Lollipop. However, the simple way to get rid of this piece of crap is to simply install say the NOVA launcher, or any other available in Google Play.
> 0 votes

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


# Question
Title: Is there a way to cancel a sending message?
While the message is "sending", I discovered that I had sent to the wrong person. Isn't there anything you can do about this? I used to use Nokia. In those older phones (or systems) you simply press the "C" botton to the right and the sending message is aborted.

# Answer
> 7 votes
Airplane Mode immediately..then force stop, then clear the data, the restart phone... Worked for me!

# Answer
> 2 votes
One way I can think of is by killing the Message application. But I'm not sure if the message sending is done by the Message application itself or if it passes the message to other process or android core to do the real transfer of message.

Anyways you can check by going to Menu -\> Settings-\> Manage applications -\> Select all tab and select Message and click Force stop.

# Answer
> 1 votes
While the message is "sending" press and hold the comment/text massage. A menu option should appear giving you the option to cancel message before it sends. Airplane mode is a good one that'll work too.

# Answer
> 0 votes
Take a look at Cancel SMS \- works as I mentioned in the comment above.

There's a delay of one minute before sending, thereby allowing a user to cancel the send within a minute of typing out the message.

Be warned, the app adds a bookmark and a search shortcut.

# Answer
> 0 votes
One easy way is, putting the phone into Airplane Mode. So the sending message will be cancelled.

# Answer
> 0 votes
Yes. You can do it with the SMS UNDO app for android. It runs in the background and is very easy to use. Also you can set up timer when it will be active and the time the message will be put on hold.

# Answer
> 0 votes
Check out PVLL. The app puts a delay of 5 seconds before sending, called the "5 second rule". Works for me.

It also has a feature that lets you schedule texts in the future, and there's a sharing layer on top of SMS that lets you discuss your conversations. I use it instead of taking screenshots or cut and paste.

# Answer
> 0 votes
just delete the text while its sending (click and hold on the message) if the text is not too embarrassing just tell the person who it accidentally got sent to that you didn't mean to send it to them and that it was an accident. or every time you send a text you could create a new text (by typing in/searching for the correct phone number or contact name within your phone's address book)with the correct person's name instead of texting them from the list of names from previous texts that shows up when you open the texting app (to avoid sending it to the wrong person in the first place)

# Answer
> 0 votes
The c button you mentioned works in Nokia only if the message stays in outbox which sometimes don't work always. The closest option you can get is by using Textra SMS from play store and set the delay sending SMS option to 9seconds. If you happen to send a message to a wrong recipient, you can cancel the SMS by pressing the x button after pressing the send button.

---
Tags: sms
---


# Question
Title: default_gain.conf not present (for volume)
I have been editing my default\_gain.conf on my android devices for as ong as I can remember now.

I recently upgraded to the Note 4 (***N9100F***) and I cant seem to find this file anywhere. My device is rooted BTW.

The location should be **/system/etc/default\_gain.conf** but it isn't there.

I also have a Samsung Galaxy Nexus running CM11 that I have disabled the radio and deleted all of the bloatware on, just so it can be used as a media player and I can't find the file on that device either.

Has the location been changed and I haven't noticed or do I now need to edit some other file to up the volume of my music player without using third-party apps?

I appreciate the help guys, thanks.

# Answer
> 0 votes
Try the app speaker booster on the play store. It claims to increase your volume/loudness by (up to) 30%, and I must say that (after trying it) it's pretty successful, with a handful of devices not getting boosted by it (it made my LG G2 quieter)

Also, it does not need root.

---
Tags: volume
---


# Question
Title: Why are some lollipop notifications able to be swiped away on lockscreen?
I have a pin set and privacy set to don't show sensitive content.

Some notifications such as tune in radio telling me about a recommended radio are able to be swiped away from the lockscreen where as some can't such as sky go notifications, texts email etc.

Why is this?

# Answer
> 1 votes
There are two types of notifications: Persistent notifications and swipeable notifications. Persistent notifications won't be swipeable because they are set like that by the app and for good reason (For eg: alarm or Poweramp or system notifications). There may be apps which abuse this. The only way to remove them would be to force close the app. And like you said, swipeable notifications can just be swiped away because it is assumed that they are unimportant.

---
Tags: 5.0-lollipop, notifications
---


# Question
Title: My samsung GT-s6312 phone does not connect to PC. Even after connecting USB cable,
My samsung GT-s6312 phone does not connect to PC. Even after connecting USB cable, please help to connect USB to PC

# Answer
> 1 votes
I know this is old, but maybe this can help someone now:

I was using my Galaxy S5 mini as usual connecting it to my PC for common use and also as a test device for Android Studio with the developer options and USB debugging enabled and with the latest Android Studio/SDK.

So I needed to test an app in a real tablet, and when I connected the tablet (It was borrowed, and it is one from Coby brand) to the PC with android studio still running, the tablet was recognized by the PC but Android Studio did not recognized it. So after a few failed tries I disconnect the tablet and connect the S5 mini again and the problem begun: the phone started to charge but it was not recognized by the PC, nothing appeared on Windows.

I tried many options that did not work:

-Using different USB ports of the pc

-Using a different USB cable

-Reboot phone and PC

-Connecting the S5 mini in another PC

-USB debugging option checked and unchecked

-The phone has Android 4.4.2 and I was not able to see the screen with the MTP options, so I entered \*#0808# and I tried every option of that menu and the connection still did not work.

-Updating android to the last release (I am not sure, maybe this helped to restore/update some configuration files, but the problems was not fixed)

Also I connected another Samsung phone with the same USB cable and the same PC and another PC and that phone is being recognized. With this I started to think something crashed in the galaxy S5, mainly because it does not appear at all in the PC, in the Device Manager nothing appeared, even there is no sign of any “!”, only charge was working, (the other phone appears with no problem) but I decided to try options in the PC side:

I installed/uninstalled Kies, (I tried using the installation of drivers by Kies). It did not work

I uninstalled/Install Android Studio/SDKs completely, and it did not work for the connection (I am not very confident of this, maybe it helped a little) I tried to delete all drivers related in the PC with USBDeview (the procedure is better described here: http://www.topnotchtablets.com/FixUSBproblems ) and it FINALLY WORKS

So I recommend any of these options (always make a backup of everything that is important to you):

Uninstall/Install the latest Android Studio/SDKs

Update the android device to the last release

Delete all the USB drivers related to Android/Massive storage

I hope this help anyone. So if you tried this and it still does not work, before getting my problem fixed, I was thinking about of connect the phone to MAC or Linux, and repeat some steps of before. Also restore the phone to factory state BUT I leave this as the last option.

---
Tags: samsung, file-transfer
---


# Question
Title: files from internal storage cannot be seen in gallery
in my samsung galaxy s2 having custom rom cyanogen 11, the files are not getting shown in gallery. i have reinstalled rom 2 times but it isn't working to show the files. i have also used the app SD scanner but then also it isn't working. please suggest me a strong way to get through this problem at once.

# Answer
> 1 votes
Make sure the media isn't in a folder with this type of name \> `.anyfoldername`, or hasn't any files in it with the name `.nomedia` (change the option so you can see hidden files). If it does change the folder to `anyfoldername` or delete the file `.nomedia`.

# Answer
> 0 votes
You have to move all images in the default image folder in phone memory and also follow same procedures for the video and after that in apps clear cache the gallery....

# Answer
> 0 votes
Try this Setting--\>apps---\>media storage--\>clear data---\>OK and reboot and check

# Answer
> -1 votes
Setting--\>apps---\>all apps----\>select gallery---\>clear data but first create backup

---
Tags: cyanogenmod
---


# Question
Title: Internal and external SD storage inaccessible as root
I'm having a bizarre issue where apps, adb, etc. can properly access my internal and external SD storage without issue **unless they are running as root**, in which case they are completely inaccessible. This is on my Oppo Find 7 running ColorOS 1.2.7i (Android 4.3), and I've verified that I am not suffering from this issue with WRITE\_EXTERNAL\_STORAGE. I am not sure when this started occurring but I think it was after an OS update quite a while back.

When I run `mount` in an unprivileged adb shell, it has these entries that do not appear when I run it as the superuser:

```
/dev/block/vold/179:65 /storage/sdcard1 vfat rw,dirsync,nosuid,nodev,noexec,relatime,uid=1000,gid=1023,fmask=0702,dmask=0702,allow_utime=0020,codepage=cp437,iocharset=iso8859-1,shortname=mixed,utf8,errors=remount-ro 0 0
/dev/block/vold/179:29 /storage/sdcard0 ext4 rw,seclabel,nosuid,nodev,noexec,relatime,discard,nodelalloc,noauto_da_alloc,data=ordered 0 0
/dev/block/vold/179:29 /mnt/secure/asec ext4 rw,seclabel,nosuid,nodev,noexec,relatime,discard,nodelalloc,noauto_da_alloc,data=ordered 0 0
tmpfs /storage/sdcard0/.android_secure tmpfs ro,seclabel,relatime,size=0k,mode=000 0 0

```

**I can remount those partitions elsewhere while root and access them just fine within the same shell**, but the permissions are funky and no other root apps can access them:

```
$ su
# mkdir /storage/sd_test
# chmod 777 /storage/sd_test
# ls -al /storage | grep sd_test
# drwxrwxrwx root     root              2015-05-28 15:17 sd_test

```

... good so far ...

```
# mount -o rw,user,umask=0000 -t vfat /dev/block/vold/179:65 /storage/sd_test
# ls -al /storage | grep sd_test
d---rwxr-x system   media_rw          2015-05-28 15:00 sd_test
# chmod 777 /storage/sd_test
# ls -al /storage | grep sd_test
d---rwxr-x system   media_rw          2015-05-28 15:00 sd_test

```

... different permissions, but I can see and read/write the files inside ...

... Root Explorer shows it with the "original" permissions but the folder is empty ...

```
# mount | grep sd_test
/dev/block/vold/179:65 /storage/sd_test vfat rw,dirsync,relatime,uid=1000,gid=1023,fmask=0702,dmask=0702,allow_utime=0020,codepage=cp437,iocharset=iso8859-1,shortname=mixed,utf8,errors=remount-ro 0 0

```

... hmm.

My `/etc/vold.fstab` just has one line:

```
dev_mount sdcard /storage/sdcard1 auto /devices/msm_sdcc.2/mmc_host

```

And `/fstab.qcom`:

```
/dev/block/platform/msm_sdcc.1/by-name/system         /system      ext4    ro,barrier=1,discard                                wait
/dev/block/platform/msm_sdcc.1/by-name/userdata       /data        ext4    nosuid,nodev,barrier=1,noauto_da_alloc,discard      wait,check,encryptable=footer
/devices/msm_sdcc.2/mmc_host                          /storage/sdcard1   vfat    nosuid,nodev         wait,voldmanaged=sdcard:auto
/devices/msm_sdcc.1/mmc_host/mmc0/mmc0:0001/block/mmcblk0         /storage/sdcard0   ext4    nosuid,nodev,barrier=1,noauto_da_alloc,discard        wait,voldmanaged=sdcard:29

```

How can I fix this?

# Answer
So, it turns out that SuperSU automatically checked off its "Mount namespace separation" setting without telling me! I had no idea it even had such a feature, much less that it was broken.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: root-access, external-sd, mount, file-permissions, oppo-find-7
---


# Question
Title: How can I rename a removable SD card, or create a folder on it. Permission Denied
I am not a programmer, I am a 'user'. I have bought a FonePad and added a 32GB SDHC card, naively thinking I could use it to store the maps I will need on a storage-hungry navigation software.

However, I find I cannot rename the device from Removable, I get the message 'Permission Denied'. Same result when I try to create a subfolder. Same result if I try using a utility like SDCard Manager or Card Manager HD.

Coming from a Windows world, I am just completely lost.

Take SDCard Manager for example: when running it says that it has \*Storage -- Modify or delete the contents of your SD card. I note that SD card is the 'built-in' device.

# Answer
It sounds like you formatted the card using your computer, or another device. It seems like now your Android device doesn't have proper permissions to write to the card. You can fix this by formatting the card. If you don't want to format the card, just run this on Ubuntu or another linux based system:

```
sudo chmod -r o+w /path/to/sdcard

```

This will recursively give everyone permission to write to the card. If the card is empty, you probably just need to apply this to the root directory, with no recursion:

```
sudo chmod o+w /sdcard/root

```
> 1 votes

# Answer
The device you mentioned runs Android JellyBean. A terrible feature was added to JellyBean that stopped apps being able to write/modify data on an SD card, except for folders they owned on the SD Card. When an app is installed, a folder is automatically created on the SD card for it. So, your app should be able to save the maps to its own folder on the SD card, however you cannot use a third party app to create folders and such on the card. You'll either have to use a built in file manager *or* create folders and edit data from a PC.
> 1 votes

---
Tags: external-sd
---


# Question
Title: How does Android detect new mail, tweet, etc?
I am curious about how Android is able to send notifications. I have installed apps such as Gmail, Google+, Whatsapp, Twitter, etc., how does Android know when there is new mail, whatsapp message, or Tweet? Is this something that is handled by Android or the application that is running? What kind of things happen underneath?

# Answer
It's a very clever system called "Push Notifications".

**How it works**

An Android device will keep an active connection to Google's servers. This is a small connection, using very little amount of data and power. Notifications are sent from app developer servers, say Twitter, or Facebook, emails, etc. to the Google servers. The Android device will then see that notification and download it.

I just found a better explanation on Stackoverflow. The good explanation of how it works can be found here. (Here's a quote of the first answer, although answer two is easier to understand):

> There is simply a TCP socket waiting in accept mode on a cloud Google server. The TCP connection had been initiated by the Goggle Play application. That's why Google Play must be installed on the device for making Google Cloud Messaging (GCM) (formerly Android Cloud to Device Messaging Service - C2DM) work.
>
> When this TCP client socket receives some message, the message contains information such as the package name of the application it should be addressed to, and of course - the data itself. This data is parsed and packed into an intent that is broadcast and eventually received by the application.
>
> The TCP socket stays open even when the device's radio state turns into "idle" mode. Applications don't have to be running to receive the intents.

**Why using push notifications are useful**

The effect of having a single open connection means two important things:

Firstly, your device uses less data/bandwidth connecting to all the third party servers.

Secondly, it uses less power, as applications don't have to be open in the background to check for notifications, as it's all handled by a single background application.
> 2 votes

# Answer
All those apps use a service called Google Cloud Messaging (formerly known as "Cloud 2 Device Messaging", hence the corresponding app permission still carries the `C2D` abbreviation: com.google.android.c2dm.permission.RECEIVE).

In laymens terms: Apps using that register with the GCM servers when your device starts, and tell them what the registration is for. On the other end, the target service (Gmail, Google+, etc.) has also registered with those servers. So the GCM servers mediate between the two: whenever there is a new "event", the Android device registered for the corresponding service gets notified. One big plus here: instead of each app keeping its own network connection for that, only the *Google Services* app will do that – and simply "wake" the target app when there's news for it.
> 0 votes

# Answer
It's impossible to tell exactly how it's implemented without having access to the source code (which we don't have), but looking at the permissions Android requires to install these kind of applications it's assumable it uses some kind of Push Technology.

In this kind of messaging system establishes the server as the initiator of the event, so basically the app registers itself in a central server and then the central server, when needed, sends an event to the client which is what you see when you receive a new Whatsapp message, for instance.

You might get more info here.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: notifications
---


# Question
Title: Droid Explorer does not recognize Android Studio as a valid Android SDK during install.
Trying to install droid explorer on a Win7 laptop.

To get Droid Explorer installed and working, do I need to: 1. Install older version of Android SDK? 2. Wait for Droid Explorer to catch up? 3. Do something tricky and undocumented?

Thanks in advance to all who answer. Bill

# Answer
*Disclaimer: I am the lead developer of Droid Explorer.*

I do not use the Android Studio SDK, nor do I have it installed. But what I can tell you is the following:

To be considered a valid android SDK for Droid Explorer to use, it has to meet the following criteria:

* `adb.exe` must exist in the `/*sdk-path*/platform-tools` directory
    + It can also exist in `/*sdk-path*/tools` directory, as this is where it originally was located.
* in `/*sdk-path*/platforms` there must be at least 1 platform. It will be named something like *android-23*.
* Droid Explorer installer will check `HKLM\SOFTWARE\Android SDK Tools\`. If it finds a value there, it will set that as the initial directory of the SDK. It will still verify the tools in the directory.
* Droid Explorer will also check that `aapt.exe exists in the /*sdk-path*/build-tools` directory.

If Android Studio SDK does not meet these requirements, then it will not validate the SDK as valid. These checks are made because Droid Explorer uses these tools, and even others in these directories.

The best way to get Droid Explorer to work is to install the SDK using the official SDK installer. You can set up Android Studio to use that path for the SDK.
> 1 votes

---
Tags: android-sdk, droid-explorer
---


# Question
Title: What is CP and AP and what are these options used for?
There is this service menu where I can select different USB modes for my phone. One option is called CP and the other is AP.

What do the acronyms CP and AP stand for? I recognize MTP, PTP and ADB. But what are the options CP and AP used for?

# Answer
**TL;DR**
Application processor (AP) = CPU + GPU
Cellular processor (CP) = Cellular modem

---

**The long version:**
CP stands for Cellular Processor. It's also referred to as Baseband Modem. Another reference is Baseband Processor, or BP for short. AP stands for Application Processor. These are 2 of the 3 fundamental building blocks in mobile devices. The third being the Graphical Processor, or GP for short. The CP includes all the digital components required to communicate with a cellular network. The CP usually consists of an ARM-based processor and a DSP. It has its own operating system and communicates via a HS (High-Speed) serial connection with AP unit on which operating systems such as Android, iOS and Windows Phone are running.

Previously, CP, AP and (GP) were found in separate, dedicated chips. However, there is a trend to combine all three components on a single System on a Chip (SoC) to save cost, reduce power consumption, and shrink the overall size of the circuit board.

The table below is showing SoC chips with two **AP** — CPU & GPU and one **CP** — the cellular or baseband processor. The table is copied from *3G, 4G and Beyond* by Martin Sauter.

---

**Bonus:**
The USB settings in the image above is used to determine what drivers are enumerated when connecting your phone to the PC via USB cable. It is a multiplexer switch which determines whether the USB port is directly connected to the CP or the AP.

There are also options to select device features that will be enabled once connected to the PC. These options include:

* **MTP** (Media Transfer Protocol)
* **ADB** (Android Debugging Bridge)
* **PTP** (Picture Transfer Protocol)
* **RNDIS** (Remote Network Driver Interface Specification) *for USB Ethernet*
* **DM** (Diagnostic Mode)
* **MIDI** (Used to connect MIDI device such as MIDI keyboard)
* **Modem**

Click on image to enlarge

More info can be found on XDA forums and in *3G, 4G and Beyond* by Martin Sauter.

---

**Reality:**
AP mode of UART serial connection is favored upon.
Many blogs seem to have found that AP mode saves battery capacity,
charges phone faster when connected via USB, increases battery life.
> 16 votes

---
Tags: dialer-codes
---


# Question
Title: Why do I see adverts after closing WhatsApp?
Every time I close WhatsApp I get some sort of an advertisement.

According to their site they don't advertise, but I see adverts like this after closing the app:

Click image for larger version

I have contacted the WhatsApp support team and their reply was:

> WhatsApp does not advertise. If you are seeing advertisement on your device, it is from your device and not WhatsApp.

How can the device advertise on it's own??

# Answer
Like KeshavaGN, I suspect a 3rd party app behind this. But neither your *Nova Launcher*, nor *WhatsApp* itself. To isolate the culprit, I suggest the following steps:

1. Check with e.g. Appbrain Ad Detector (or TrustGO, which you chose) for apps carrying ad modules. These *might* include your culprit – but on a second look, that's not a typical "ad network message". Anyhow, note them down.
2. See my answer here for how to check for apps having certain permissions. As described there, it's a "full-screen ad" here as well, so the SYSTEM\_ALERT\_WINDOW permission might be involved. As it happens always on closing *WhatsApp*, also check for GET\_TASKS (allows an app to check which apps are running) and GET\_TOP\_ACTIVITY\_INFO (details on the app running in foreground). Again, make a note on matches.
3. Keep an eye on what apps are advertized. Try finding them at *Play* (better not by clicking on the ad, but separately – though the URL behind the ad might reveal more). If it's always the same dev behind it, check whether you have an app from him running on your device. If that's already on one of your lists from above, you most likely have found your culprit.
4. Hard to realize, but possible while on some WiFi you control the router as well: If that popup is open, cut the Internet connection *behind* your router (i.e. your device is still using WiFi, but cannot reach the "open Internet"). Now it shouldn't be too risky tapping the ad (hopefully). I'd expect it opening your browser, which now cannot resolve the page – but you should see the URL in the browser's address bar. This might help to further narrow down suspects, if it is related to any of the apps you're using.

Finally, check your lists created during these four steps, and watch out for matches. If there's an app on list 2+3 (and optionally more), that's a pretty certain candidate. It gets even more likely if it's also on at least one of the other lists. Continue as described in the answer I've linked with item #2.

If you found out the responsible app, additionally to the steps described in the other answer, it would be a good idea to report your finding here as well ;)
> 3 votes

# Answer
I think applock is the culprit(and they openly mention that).

Try opening applock and inside left sidebar menu, tap first item(or menu header) called 'Account center' or 'Upgrade to Premium' and there you can see that it either shows banner ads or full screen ads.
> 2 votes

# Answer
I also had the same problem or still have the same problem. I tried all these adware scanners like adware but they couldn't the app that was causing the ads . So after thinking about it, I realised that this pop up is just an activity and an activity has a title. So I have this application that shows the name of each activity that I am interacting with. So when the ad popped was I able to trace it back to ilauncher, this seemingly harmless ios 8 launcher that I like so much. So check all your launchers.
> 1 votes

# Answer
This may be produced by some other application such as third party launcher.

Check any other 3rd party apps, mainly, 3rd party launcher that you are using. Uninstal/stop those launchers/apps and check.
> 0 votes

# Answer
I have the same issue on my phone and not only when I close whatsapp, some other apps do the same. The problem is APPLOCK. It's part of the free version and to stop those ads from popping the only way is to pay their annual fee. While I understand that devs need ads in order to maintain their apps and generate income, I also think that this type of advertising is abusive. It doesn't make me want to download what's being advertised, it does the opposite! Annoying!
> 0 votes

# Answer
So basically these are Google ads. I am not sure why these are shown but I think there is way to opt out.

Go to your Google settings in your phone - select ads and from there opt out of interest - based ads. After this you will see the option of Ads by Google, select that. There you will find the instructions to stop these ads. It will redirect to a link, my link is not working.

Can you please try it and if you get through, please let me know as well.
> -1 votes

# Answer
It is 360 security app. This app has almost all the permission. It is also able to track your activities such as browsing data. It shows app based on the things you browsed.

I also having the same problem and upon remiving 360 security app it seems that issue resolved.
> -1 votes

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Tags: applications, ads
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title: How to flash root.zip in fastboot

text:
# Question
Title: How to flash root.zip in fastboot
I need to flash the root zip I downloaded from Chainfire without having to install recovery like Clockworkmod. I have fastboot and adb and that's what I used to flash 4.4.4. This is for my Nexus 7 2013 Wifi. I have to leave in under 20 minutes, could someone write the correct fastboot command to do this

# Answer
**Step 1:** Unlock the bootloader; `fastboot oem unlock` This WILL wipe your device. Skip if already unlocked. Set up your device and put SuperSU.zip into it.
**Step 2:** Download the appropriate TWRP/CWM image for your device.
**Step 3:** Boot your phone into bootloader; `adb reboot bootloader`while the device is on or hold the power button and the volume down button while the device is off.
**Step 4:** Make sure your device is detected by fastboot; `fastboot devices`
**Step 5:** *Temporarily Boot* into recovery; `fastboot boot nameofrecovery.img`This will only boot the recovery, not install it.
**Step 6:** Flash the .zip file using the recovery and reboot.

You will have stock recovery and root access.
> 8 votes

# Answer
Try using:

```
adb sideload root.zip

```

That is generally the way for SuperSU. To be honest, a recovery would be better long term and in the time it takes for me to reply and you to read this you'd have it done! Might be worth considering. As far as I understand you need a custom recovery to do this. I would recommend installing one.

However, you could try this command:

```
fastboot -c "lge.kcal=0|0|0|x" boot customrecovery.img

```

This should allow you to **use** a recovery without installing. I don't recommend this as it is easier with a custom recovery and you can restore the stock one if and when you need it.

Alternatively you could try the Nexus Root Tookit and untick "Custom Recovery". I have not tested it though.
> 2 votes

# Answer
# Best Method on Nexus

# Use: TWRP

http://teamw.in/project/twrp2/103

get ADB drivers + binary (From cmd or Powershell)

> http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2588979

# Linux "Drivers" + adb, fastboot (ubuntu)

```
sudo apt-get install android-tools*

```

# Windows commands - Open Powershell (as administrator)

1. command

```
adb reboot bootloader

```

ADB tells android to reboot to bootloader. Wait for reboot
2. command

```
fastboot flash recovery TWRP-recovery.zip

```

if it doesnt like it, just unzip it.

In linux, instead of powershell = Terminal First command "sudo su"

thats it... PS: Almost forgot TWRP will install and fix SU automatically.
> 1 votes

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Tags: rooting, fastboot
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