# Question
Title: Can't boot into 7.0 Nougat in VMware Fusion
I followed these instructions on *how to Install Android 7.0 Nougat on VMware*.

I am using VMware Fusion on a Mac.

I've found little difference between VMware Fusion and the instructions provided.

I can boot into grub, and select the OS (note: this is not a screenshot from my Mac):

but after I select the first Android entry, I receive the following:

where the cursor blinks and nothing else happens.

If I reboot, and select (Debug mode) from the OS selection screen, I get to the following, and no further:

If I reboot and choose (debug nomodeset), I reach the same place.

Same happens when selecting (Debug video=LVDS-1:d).

I run Windows 10, and Ubuntu through VMware Fusion fine.

Troubleshooting advice appreciated.

# Answer
> 0 votes
The comments on the page you linked already contain some helpful suggestions from people who had the same problem with those instructions. Nigel Christiaans suggested enabling 3D acceleration in VMWare's settings, and several visitors reported that this got them past the same root prompt you're stuck at. Robert further suggests that you should choose "Ubuntu" instead of "FreeBSD" when you create the VM.

---
Tags: 7.0-nougat, vmware
---


# Question
Title: How do you keep your phone vibrating indefinitely?
I'm suspecting that the vibrator in my phone is not working properly. Before opening the case, I'd like to diagnose first. I need to make my phone keep vibrating for a while, say, like 2 minutes or more. I haven't found any good solution other than calling this phone with another.

I'd like to keep it vibrating without generating other sound, e.g. ringtone when someone calls you.

# Answer
> 1 votes
Since it is a one-time test, I suggest a simple macro using MacroDroid.

Use **+** to add Trigger/actions from the corresponding panel

**Trigger:** Empty Trigger

**Actions**

1. Conditions/Loops → Repeat actions → Fixed number → OK → Fixed count say 70
2. Tap on End Loop → Add action above → (Device Actions → Vibrate → Long buzz) → OK
3. Tap on End Loop again to add one more action of wait 1 second (MacroDroid Specific → Wait Before Next Action)

From the Overflow menu, choose "Test actions" and your phone should buzz *almost* continuously for long enough (increase the count in step 1 if required)

---
Tags: vibration
---


# Question
Title: Can't set Android emulator date - stuck on 1/1/1970
I am having trouble manually setting the date on my android emulator.

I am using an ARM AVD which is running on a Windows 10 Virtual Machine (no Intel HAXM available), and the emulator is being run with the "-gpu swiftshader" option.

I tried setting the date both from the Android UI (the settings menu) and from the shell (adb date -s command with root privileges) with no success. The date keeps beeing stuck on 1/1/1970.

I Also tried changing my AVD's and the Android versions. I tried it on Android versions 2.3, 4.2, and 4.4. None of them worked.

What might be the problem? Any ideas?

# Answer
I use Eclipse Oxygen.3a Release (4.7.3a) I had the same problem. I resolved checking "Snapshot" in Emulator Options (in Android Virtual Device Manager). When you launch the Emulator you'll see your current date and time.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: shell, date-and-time, emulators, virtualization
---


# Question
Title: Can't hide/change battery icon on Doogee S60
I'm using a Doogee S60, on Android 7.0 Nougat, rooted, with Xposed and GravityBox installed. I'm seeing this weird issue where my status bar has a non-standard battery icon, and I can't seem to either hide it or find out where it's coming from.

Turning off the battery icon in the GravityBox tweaks just moves the signal icon closer to the point where it starts to overlap with the battery icon. If I select a different battery icon, it just adds it overlapping.

In addition, if I open an app that makes the status bar background white, the battery icon colour doesn't change with the rest, making it mostly invisible.

I've looked in all the settings I can think of/find (including System Settings, System UI Tuner, GravityBox, and my launcher settings), and have no idea how to get rid of this. I just want the stock battery icon, or failing that, add a custom one. Either way, I want this battery icon gone.

Does anybody have any ideas about this?

# Answer
## The answer lies in build.prop!

All credit for this goes to Nephiel on XDA-Developers (this post, specifically).

The Doogee S60 has the setting `battery_view_land_show`, which is defaulted to `yes`. On a rooted phone, this setting can be changed easily using BuildProp Editor. Set the value to `no`, reboot the phone, et voila! Back to the standard battery icon, and all expected behavior from GravityBox and such!
> 1 votes

---
Tags: battery, 7.0-nougat, notification-bar, notification-icons, doogee
---


# Question
Title: How to revert to android 7 on Xiaomi A1 phone
The phone has some bugs in this new update I have tried doing a factory reset but it still has the android 8.

# Answer
> 0 votes
It applies the same concept as this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06rlFAwGJYM

you will need to download the ROM of android 7 and flash the device

its an easy process that take less than 5 minutes

---
Tags: xiaomi, mi-a1
---


# Question
Title: Is it possible to pre-download a YouTube video to view it later?
Is it possible to pre-download a YouTube video to view it later offline? I know this is a duplicate, but the functionality has been removed for a year, and no (automatic) alternatives to the problem.

So here is the problem I take the train 2 hours everyday, and I dont have Wifi and 3G would just have its download limit busted in a day.

Si I would like to have my 'Watch Later' playlist (or could be another playlist) automatically downloaded to my phone when I have WiFi so I can watch it later, when I have no network.

The current solutions would be to manually download every video, then transfer them to my phone. Any app that does it automatically?

# Answer
> 3 votes
You should try to download Youtube Go from playstore, it has the ability to download the video you want and watch it wherever you are. This works offline too and when you prompt the download you can set the quality of the video you want to download

Take a look at here

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.youtube.mango&hl=en\_US

# Answer
> 1 votes
If you are planning to download the videos through the YouTube app: yes, you can!

YouTube has that functionality present internally at the moment, so no need for third party apps.

Screenshots (Click to enlarge image)

# Answer
> 0 votes
You can also open the youtube video you'd like to download in your browser and then add "dlv" in front of youtube in the URL so that it becomes dlvyoutube.com

Not sure how much more smooth this will be compared to working on your computer + transfer if you want to download several videos..

---
Tags: wi-fi, youtube
---


title: How to unlink contacts?

text:
# Question
Title: How to unlink contacts?
I had a call from a new number. I went to create a new contact for it but accidentally clicked on the first item in my contact list. Now, it doesn't seem possible to unlink or unjoin them. When I view that contact, I can view the 'Joined Contacts', and it is joined to the Google contact I clicked on, and there is a minus icon but it is greyed out. How can I unjoin or unlink them or move this number to a new contact?

Using Samsung Galaxy S on Froyo.

# Answer
> 7 votes
This isn't actually a linked contact unless the contact you added it to is from a social network. That's why the unlinking won't work.

Go to edit the number, select the entire number and copy it, then delete it from the wrong contact, go back, add a new contact, long-press the phone no. field and select paste. Or you can use pen and paper too if you prefer.

# Answer
> 1 votes
I was searching this question because I had a linked device contact with a google contact. I don't know how I got it that way. To unlink 1 contact from another open the contact. Choose the menu and choose separate contact. From that screen it isn't obvious but there is a faded button on the right of each of the contacts that are linked. When you press it, the device will prompt "Separate contact" Cancel or OK. For me I have a contact that is Exchange and Google. It was also linked to another Google and a Device contact. I had to separate the device contact (another person) and the Google contact (a different other person).

# Answer
> 0 votes
To unlink 1 contact from another open the contact. Choose the menu and choose separate contact. From that screen you will see a ( - ) button on the right of each of the contacts that are linked. When you press it, the device will prompt "Separate contact" tap ( OK ). Do this to each of the contacts you want to unlink, the last one will stay because its the one that the link was created with.

---
Tags: contacts
---


# Question
Title: My new tablet tells me that I am making a wrong pattern and I am not able to use it
I have been given by a EE shop an Android on contract. Brand new it came in a sealed box. I went home, nuwrapped the box, got the tablet, put the sim in ant switch it on. I was confronted with a new type of request for me that up to now I’ve always used Apple: it asked me to digit a pattern to join some dots distributed on the screen. I have never been faced with such request and I joined few dots randomly. I never pressed any save or done ani thing to record that setting. I then tried to do it again, after I understood that the pattern would be my password to access the gadget, but as soon as two Frits were jointed together the tablet told me that it was wrong please try again. I went to EE Shop and the staff just patronised me and told me that it is not their problem. Now I am left with a new tablet that I am paying for monthly and no way to make use of it

# Answer
What actually happened there is that: You were setting up the tablet and it asked you to set a pattern for unlock.

*You then drew the pattern and repeated the same on reprompt. It got accepted and saved.*

**Now, you need to draw the same pattern to unlock the tablet.**

Here's what you can do if you have forgotten the pattern that you have initially drawn: Go into the recovery mode and perform a factory reset. Now, since this is an unknown tablet, running on gingerbread, I cannot suggest the exact key combination to enter the recovery mode. So, just keep on trying all these combinations one after other *when the tablet is powered off*.

**Note:** Press and hold the keys mentioned.

```
Volume Down + Power
Volume Up + Power
Volume Up + Power + Home
Volume Down + Power + Volume Up
Home + Power

```

In the recovery mode, you will get the options for wipe or factory reset. Just do it and your tablet should start from fresh. Be sure to read the instructions while setting it up this time.

If you know the manufacturer of the tablet, then please try searching their website or directly on Google about how to enter the recovery mode on it.
> 3 votes

---
Tags: 2.3-gingerbread
---


# Question
Title: Older Exchange calendar disappear in Android Calendar, but not in Apple Calendar
I have an Exchange account for my email and calendar, which I use on my Mac in the default Calendar desktop app, and on my phone in the Android Calendar app. On the phone, older items (last week and older) disappear, on the Mac they stay, so it looks like this is not an Exchange problem.

I want to see my old appointments on the phone, back to the first appointment ever. It's just text, so it can't be that much.

**Why do these older items disappear and how can I bring them back?**

# Answer
* Open system settings
* Goto Users and accounts
* Click on the exchange account
* Click on Account settings
* Click on the settings button next to the account name

Now you see all settings for this account.

* Scroll down
* Click on "past items synchronisation"
* Change this to all past items
* Click the back button till you're out of the settings

NB: I translated "past items synchronisation", so the actual English name for this might be different, but I think it's clear what I mean. If you have the correct naming, then please comment here.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: sync, calendar, exchange
---


title: Odd recurring noise

text:
# Question
Title: Odd recurring noise
I have an LG g5 running Android 7.0. every now and then, several times per day, my phone makes a sound that belongs to no alert (that can be seen on screen at least). As best as I can describe it - it's like a mailbox opening and mail being taken out and the door being closed. It began a week ago and I cannot think what is causing it. What can I do?

Thanks

# Answer
I also frequently experience this, and in my case I discovered that the source of the noise was the NFC tags that restaurants embed in the table for use with table tracker devices. It seems that my phone beeps whenever it picks up an NFC signal. There might be a way to shut off the noise, but I haven't found it.
> 1 votes

---
Tags: 7.0-nougat, lg, lg-g5, custom-sounds
---


title: Flashlight Enabling for a video call

text:
# Question
Title: Flashlight Enabling for a video call
As far as I know, there is no support for flashlight while we are chatting via video call in a smartphone. Why it is not present? Is there any hardware limitation? Can someone explain?

# Answer
> 0 votes
As of now, Android doesn't provide any option to enable flashlight during video calls.

Examples for iPhone and Blackberry are here.

The Mi forum question "How can i turn on front flash during video call - Redmi Y1 - Mi" says option #3 works. Another thread "\[Q & A\] How to start Selfy Light During Video Call????" claims it's a known problem and that you can fix it by resetting your phone and not enabling Face Unlock.

There's no reason the light shouldn't work and you can stand near a white wall or reflective surface to get enough light at night to make a video call. If you edit your question to include a specific phone model we may find a specific set of instructions for your phone.

If nothing works you can get around it by purchasing a "Phone USB Light":

---
Tags: stock-android, ios, video-calling, flashlight
---


# Question
Title: Using open-source ROM and social network activities
If you install a open-source ROM on your android. Can still an invisible rootkit (from manufacturer) monitor your tweets Invisible means being invisible even in USB connection

# Answer
Yes. The manufacturer can do anything they like to the phone. There could be spyware in the radio firmware, which monitors transmitted packets. There could be a filter in the bootloader, which modifies any system image you flash to add spyware. There could be spyware in any of the closed-source drivers, which would be the same in your custom ROM as in the official image.

If you don't trust the manufacturer, don't buy their phone, but on the whole, a phone OEM monitoring your tweets is not a likely threat.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: security, custom-roms
---


# Question
Title: samsung j7 showing process is not responding?
after using link2sd app to move app to sdcard while moving the app, my mobile got restarted and then it shows process is not responding error, and i can't access images, my mobile not showing any files and it can't recognize sdcard, and my mobile is rooted. please help

# Answer
If you go to Link2SD, on the left top corner, press the triple line, and look in the list for "revert SD card changes"

Alternatively try booting into safe mode using the right hardware key combination for your device.

For your Device Model it would be:

1. Turn the device off.
2. Press and hold the Power key past the screen with the device name.
3. When 'SAMSUNG' appears on the screen, release the Power key.
4. Immediately after releasing the Power key, press and hold the Volume down key.
5. Continue to hold the Volume down key until the device finishes restarting.
6. Safe mode will display in the bottom left corner of the screen.
7. Release the Volume down key when you see 'Safe Mode'.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: rooting, samsung
---


# Question
Title: Getting rid of Samsung's Gallery app notifications? (or even the entire app)
I'm currently using a Galaxy S5 mini with Android 5.1.1 and one thing that I find particularly irritating is Samsung's Gallery app that keeps giving notifications. For some reason I can't seem to turn them off.

There appears to be no setting in the Gallery app itself to disable it. And I cannot disable or remove or uninstall the app itself.

If I go to Android settings, Sounds and Notifications, Application Notifications, for most apps in the list I can block the notifications. Strangely enough this is not the case with a few built-in apps like Gallery:

I also looked in the Application settings for Gallery, unfortunately the "Show notifications" checkbox and the "Disable" button are both disabled.

Is there any way to get rid of Gallery's notifications, or rather just get rid of the app entirely?

# Answer
Gallery is a stock app, you can uninstall it without root by following this guide on XDA.

Link https://www.xda-developers.com/uninstall-carrier-oem-bloatware-without-root-access/
> 0 votes

---
Tags: notifications, samsung-galaxy-s-5, gallery, disable-app
---


title: How to root galaxy s9+

text:
# Question
Title: How to root galaxy s9+
Is there any guide or can somebody tell me how to root my s9+. Sorry for incompetence, I'm new to this)

# Answer
Rooting will trip knox and void your warranty, before rooting read the pros & cons of doing so, and then decide if it is worth it.

You can follow this guide

https://www.theandroidsoul.com/samsung-galaxy-s9-root/
> 0 votes

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


# Question
Title: Unable to mount /data after multiple wiped
Everytime I try to flash anything from TWRP it says "E: unable to mount /data". I have tried multiple wipes and entirely reflashing the os but everytime i finish setting up the phone after wiping it, it goes back to that error.

Phone is a Samsung J5 Prime (G570Y)

# Answer
How did you reflash the OS? using TWRP or ODIN?

A simpler solution is to flash Stock Firmware for your device via ODIN & then flash TWRP again.

You might first want to try the solution suggested on this XDA Thread if you are comfortable with using Terminal https://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2683787

Reflashing the Stock Firmware via ODIN will most likely fix this issue.
> 0 votes

# Answer
Alright, i found a solution a few minutes after i posted this question.

The solution is to

* download the stock firmware
* then open up the AP Tar and replace the boot.img and recovery.img with the patched kernel and twrp respectively.
* then flash the AP Along with the BL, CL AND CSC files you get with the stock firmware file.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: rooting, twrp, file-system, partitions, samsung-galaxy-j5
---


# Question
Title: Why is Android refusing to resolve DNS records pointing to internal IP addresses?
I have a very strange behavior on an Android device (Nexus 7) when trying to access local network applications. Instead of getting the actual IP of the machine on LAN, the Android device gets the *public* IP, which means that Chrome, Firefox or any other browser simply shows the web page of the router.

I have an internal DNS server which handles the local networks. Doing `ping` from a PC works correctly:

```
$ ping s.pelicandd.com

PING pelicandd.com (192.168.1.15) 56(84) bytes of data.
64 bytes from front.pelicandd.com (192.168.1.15): icmp_seq=1 ttl=64 time=0.524 ms
64 bytes from front.pelicandd.com (192.168.1.15): icmp_seq=2 ttl=64 time=0.578 ms
^C

```

On an HTC One device (accessed with `adb shell`), it works well too:

```
shell@m7:/ $ ping s.pelicandd.com

PING pelicandd.com (192.168.1.15) 56(84) bytes of data.
64 bytes from front.pelicandd.com (192.168.1.15): icmp_seq=1 ttl=64 time=2.56 ms
64 bytes from front.pelicandd.com (192.168.1.15): icmp_seq=2 ttl=64 time=27.8 ms
^C

```

However, this is what I get when doing the same `ping` from Nexus 7:

```
shell@flo:/ $ ping s.pelicandd.com

PING pelicandd.com (90.78.26.42) 56(84) bytes of data.
64 bytes from LFbn-1-2441-42.w90-78.abo.wanadoo.fr (90.78.26.42): icmp_seq=1 ttl=64 time=2.56 ms
64 bytes from LFbn-1-2441-42.w90-78.abo.wanadoo.fr (90.78.26.42): icmp_seq=2 ttl=64 time=8.63 ms
^C

```

Instead of resolving to the internal IP, it resolves to the public one.

The network configuration is—except the IP address of the device—exactly the same on both devices: IP settings are set to *Static*, and DNS servers are the internal ones. Both Android devices are connected through Wi-Fi (unlike the PC). A major difference, however, is that Nexus 7 is using Android 6.0.1, while HTC One uses Android 5.0.2.

There is no `nm-tool`, `dig` or `nslookup` on Nexus 7. The device is not rooted.

The problem existed since I bought the device a few weeks ago, so it could hardly be the issue with DNS cache.

What can I do to further inspect this issue?

# Answer
We recently encountered this issue, and we narrowed it to occurring ONLY on devices running Android v5 and newer. Android v4 and all other OS's have no issue.

With that tidbit, we determined that Android v5 and newer insists on using IPv6 for DNS name resolution. (Since we've completely disabled IPv6 on our network, this jibes with the issue.) If Android v5(+) can't get an IPv6 response from local DNS, then it reaches out to Google's public name host (8.8.8.8). Hence, no internal DNS, just external.

We worked around the issue by creating DNS records on our public-facing DNS servers for select internal names and IPs. With that done, Google's public DNS could resolve these internal names with internal IPs, and the devices could then reach our internal hosts.

We're proceeding with fully enabling IPv6 on our internal DNS servers (domain controllers) as a permanent fix.

=========================================

UPDATE-- Well, it turns out this may be a total red herring...or not. My home network is Win2008R2, single-domain with DHCP and DNS and no IPv6 binding. Tested an Android v5 device from there and had NO ISSUE. Office network with issue is Win2012 (non-R2), single-domain.

Bypassed current office WAPs with stand-alone Linksys WAP and separate SSID for testing, issue persists.

Differences between office and home networks (that I can think of): \- Windows version - 2012 vs. 2008 R2 \- router model (Cisco vs. Linksys) \- WAP model (Dell-branded Aruba Networks vs. Linksys)

Proceeding with whatever further testing I can think of for narrowing the issue. Any suggestions or input is extremely appreciated!

=========================================

PROBLEM GONE (?!)

Our issue seemed to disappear on its own following a network topology change that I wouldn't think was related, but here's the info in case.

(HUGE APOLOGIES for this long, drawn out story, but this is when our Android issues disappeared, so ride this out if you can. I'm probably providing WAY too much detail here, but because I can't see a direct connection, I'm laying it all out exactly as it happened.)

Our ISP is Comcast Business Class—a cable modem with a static IP block of five addresses (weird number but that's how Comcast sells them). Comcast's cable modem is essentially a combination modem/firewall/router/switch, with our static IP block remotely programmed into it.

For 10+ years and almost as many employers, I've always built office networks the same way:
Configure a LAN IP for the ISP modem/router, which NAT's traffic from the internet. Couldn't be simpler, and that's how my current office network has been configured for four years.

Recently our office internet service went down. Usually a modem restart corrects it, but when it didn't we called Comcast who sent a tech, who replaced the cable modem to restore service.

A few days later, the same thing happened again. We called again, and the onsite tech (different tech than before) attempted to replace the modem again, this time with a newer model. Surprisingly, the newer cable modem did not support changing the LAN subnet address. The default subnet is 10.1.10.0/24, and it cannot be changed. (Only the 4th octet was configurable.) As our office subnet is 192.168.100.0/24, I let the tech know we couldn't use it without being able to change the LAN subnet. He understood, but had no info as to why the cable modem would prevent the change. So he installed a replacement modem of the same model as before, which we configured identically, and internet access was restored.

Another day or two passes, and the service goes down again. This time when I called Comcast, the initial tech I spoke with asked detailed and knowledgeable questions about our network configuration. When I explained that the cable modem was configured with a LAN IP on our subnet, he seemed puzzled by this. He said that most Comcast customers connect a NAT'ing router between the cable modem and LAN rather than use the cable modem's NAT'ing. In fact, he said he wasn't aware that the cable modem supported NAT'ing.

Comcast sent out another tech with a brand new cable modem (latest model that doesn't support changing the LAN subnet). He did extensive testing on the existing modem, and finally determined that it was only passing IPv6 traffic—no IPv4. He also confirmed what the phone tech had said--that it's recommended to use a separate router for NAT'ing, and to not change the LAN subnet on the cable modem (which we can't do on the newer modems now anyway).

And now we finally come to the network change we made. I installed a simple LinkSys router between the cable modem and our core router, configured with our static IP on the modem side, and a LAN IP on the inside. Internet service was then restored, and has remained stable for some time now.

After internet service was restored, I thought about the oddness of the IPv6 issue with the cable modem, which in turn reminded me of the Android v5 issue. I then tested our Android devices in the office, and was stunned to see that the DNS issue was no longer occurring.

Adding the LinkSys router for NAT'ing is the ONLY NETWORK CHANGE WE MADE. Coincidence?? Possibly, but it just seemed a little peculiar that both were related to IPv6.

Anyway, sorry again for the long story, but our Android issue is gone. Make what you can out of it.

Dimarc67
> 7 votes

# Answer
I came across this post while trying to get my Android 6.0 device to use the locally configured DNS server to resolve local hostnames. One answer above indicated that Android 5.0 and newer insists on using IPv6 DNS servers. This was the clue that lead me to my solution.

My router was advertising the IPv6 DNS servers provided by my ISP using DHCP-PD. I reconfigured my router to stop advertising the IPv6 DNS servers and now the Android 6.0 device is resolving the local hostname using the IPv4 DNS server provided by DHCP (IPv4).

I also have a DNAT to redirect all DNS queries (TCP/UDP port 53) to my local DNS server. This was in place before disabling the router advertisement with IPv6 DNS servers so I don't know if Android 5.0+ falls back to the Google DNS servers (as claimed in the previous answer) and I caught them with my DNAT rule or whether my Android 6.0 device just used the DHCP assigned IPv4 DNS server. Either way, the local hostname resolution is working now.
> 3 votes

# Answer
I was finally able to solve this by setting up a DHCP server myself on the same network, which configures the correct Search Domain to send to the clients.

Once I had a dhcp server, in my case isc-dhcpd with the configuration in dhcp.conf:

```
option domain-name "myrealdomain.tld";

```

Android was able to resolve local A-records set in my DNS server.
> 3 votes

---
Tags: networking, dns
---


# Question
Title: Make google searches and "Ok, google" open in broswer, not Google "App"
Is it possible to change my settings so that the results to me asking a question through "Ok, google" or typing on the search bar in my home screen, open in my default browser instead of the Google "App"?

I dislike how the Google App isn't actually an app in the sense that I can't open it through the recent applications shortcut, and the broswer-like window isn't actually saved in memory anywhere for me to go back to if I switch out after a search. Additionally it doesn't allow me to filter search results by date, etc. like a normal Google search does.

# Answer
> 0 votes
You need to open Google app. Then go to Settings \> Accounts & privacy \> Open web pages in the Google app.

Turn the above toggle off and you can open the web pages from search result in your choice of browser. You are forced to install Chrome before but once that's done, any browser will handle the webpage to display the results.

**For results:**

I'm not sure of an alternative to the Ok Google. But for the widget or search bar at the homescreen, it is better to use the search widget from Chrome or Firefox instead of relying on the Google app widget. In that case, your search (not just webpages) will entirely open in your browser.

---
Tags: search, google-pixel, google-search, 8.1-oreo, ok-google
---


title: How to remove the Google search bar?

text:
# Question
Title: How to remove the Google search bar?
How can I remove the Google search bar from the main screen? It's taking up screen space and I'm not using it. I have a Pixel running 8.1.0. I found ways to remove it from other models and versions, but not mine.

# Answer
> 0 votes
Google Pixel phones rely on an exclusive "Pixel Launcher". For Google to be able to push itself more onto the user, the search bar is made permanent.

There is currently no way to hide/remove the search bar from Pixel Launcher. If the bar hurts you a lot, then you need to switch to a different launcher. *Nova Launcher* is one such highly recommended launcher.

---
Tags: app-widgets, google-pixel, google-search
---


# Question
Title: Replacing the gmail account on my Mi android phone
My mother gave me her MI phone with android. It has her gmail account. I want to replace it with my gmail account. How can I do this? I looked at Settings -\> Accounts -\> Google, but did not find there any way to replace the account.

Even better: is there a way to "format" the phone, so that I can start from a blank phone and directly enter my gmail account?

# Answer
My phone is mi5 pro running MIUI 9.5 Android 7 In the settings menu go to Sync \> scroll down \> click add account \> enter your Google account

Step 2 is to delete the existing mothers account. Sync \> Google \> select moms account \> gear icon on the bottom \> remove account.
> 1 votes

---
Tags: factory-reset, google-account, xiaomi, formatting
---


# Question
Title: Where are LineageOS nightlies compiled & Who has commit rights to the codebase?
A\] Where are LineageOS nightlies compiled?

1) Are they compiled on maintainer's machines 2) On a project controlled build farm? 3) Pool of contributed (random) machines?

B\] Who has commit rights to the codebase? Is that tightly controlled or is it easy for rouge commits or rouge maintainers to enter the project?

Note: I am trying to determine if I got SMS spam shortly after installing LOS. I am trying to determine the security of the Lineage OS contribution and

# Answer
> 0 votes
CyanogenMod (the ancestor of LineageOS) compiles nightlies on its own build farm, but now without the backing of a corporate, LineageOS pay for 3rd-party servers. See costs here.

Among all AOSP-based ROMs, LineageOS has argulably the most strict standard for accepting a device into official queue, including a recently composed charter. A list of contributers / device maintainers can be seen here. Moreover, there's also a complete code review system that guarantees the non-malicious nature of commits.

On top of all above, all the device-dependent and -independent sources, sans Google apps, can be found on their GitHub. This might sound natural, but do note that for a lot of other ROMs, even if an "official" moniker is given to a device, its sources aren't necessarily readily available or easy to find.

Feel free to review the code on your own if you suspect a security breach.

---
Tags: security, malware, lineageos
---


title: Stop Android from killing Runtastic

text:
# Question
Title: Stop Android from killing Runtastic
Runtastic is an app for tracking the paths you ran, how fast you were, etc. It worked great for me for many years but almost 2 years ago started crashing on virtually any run.

A few months ago, I tried different running apps but all of them crashed too. The only way I have found to somewhat reliably stop this from happening is to open the app every 2 to 5 minutes which is really obnoxious to have to do.

I already tried turning off battery optimization for Runtastic in the Android settings. This seems to make the problem less severe (though I'm not sure) but doesn't eliminate it. Furthermore, occasionally battery optimization for it just turns back on automatically for some reason.

How can I tell Android that Runtastic may use however much battery (mostly via GPS usage, I guess) whilst in the background without getting killed?

I use a OnePlus 3 running OxygenOS 5.0.1 which is based on Android 8.0.0.

# Answer
Hello fellow OnePlus user! I had this same problem on my OnePlus 5. Turned off battery optimisation, still no dice. It was quite frustrating. I mean, I have 8 GB of RAM, why would it need to be killed?

Well, it turns out OnePlus has an additional setting: "Advanced optimisation". You can access it by going to Settings → Battery → Battery Optimisation and press the 3 dot menu on the top right. Turn it off.

Advanced optimisation is extremely aggressive. I was even missing emails because of it. Turning it off immediately fixed the problem for me, and I haven't really felt that much of a difference in battery.

P.S. You can turn on optimisation for Runtastic back on.
> 1 votes

---
Tags: battery, gps, task-management
---


# Question
Title: Google Maps location not working when offline
I have a Galaxy J7 Prime, android version 7.0. I'm abroad for a week and as such, am not using data. I can only use WiFi intermittently when I'm near a free hotspot.

When I had an iPhone, I was able to view my location even when offline. This was very useful for directions, as I could download an offline Google Map and figure out where I was. Now I can't seem to do that with my Android-- even with Location enabled, the location dot stubbornly stays gray (unless I connect to WiFi).

I've enabled automatic date and time as suggested by this question. I have high accuracy turned on.

Is there no way to view my location offline in Android?

# Answer
> 0 votes
There is actually a Google Maps Offline version app you can download. I always had problems getting directions with google maps on devices that didn't have cellular connections, I now use one of my old smartphones as a dedicated GPS for my car.

# Answer
> 0 votes
You may want to try an alternative to Google Maps : OsmAnd (https://osmand.net/). It's a navigation app with downloadable maps for offline use.

Also, be aware that Android considers two types of "location" :

* "Precise location" (about 1-10m) is got from satellites (american GPS, russian GLONASS, chinese Beidou, and soon european Galileo, according to your device). You'll need a clear view of the sky and up to 15 minutes to get a good position fix.
* "Coarse location" (about 100m-1km, enough to know what city you're in) tries to get your location by scanning your surrounding cell antennas and wifi/Bluetooth access points, sending the list to Google's servers, which will then give back an estimate of your position (I bet you didn't know about that spying...). Alternative backends exist that mimick that behaviour, but without relying on Google. Check MicroG's Unified NLP if you're interested (https://github.com/microg/android\_packages\_apps\_UnifiedNlp/blob/master/README.md).

A good app to check your precise and coarse locations is SatStat (https://github.com/mvglasow/satstat) : on the map view, red is precise, and blue is coarse location.

---
Tags: gps, google-maps
---


title: Zip file is corrupt error in TWRP

text:
# Question
Title: Zip file is corrupt error in TWRP
TWRP and TWRP Treble give me error of "Zip file is corrupt" when I install zip roms or files. I wiped all the things that needs. (/Dalvik Cache, /System, /Data, /Cache) but nothing changed.

I redownloaded 2 or 3 times and checked the MD5 and it was all fine.

# Answer
If your zip file is corrupt then no wiping will change anything.

You'll need to redownload the file, and check the checksum to see if it's been corrupted during transfer. If yes, you may want to redownload it again, using a different mirror.

Alose, be sure to get the right OpenGApps package for your Android version and device CPU architecture.

EDIT : My bad, I didn't read your whole comment. Have you tried reinstalling TWRP (again, checking the checksum) ? If EVERY zip file is seen as corrputed by TWRP, it might be your storage that's damaged. Using the "Repair" function may help.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: twrp
---


# Question
Title: Is there Malware on LineageOS that causes to receive SMS Spam
I never get SMS text spam on my phone. Installed Lineage OS on a Samsung Galaxy S4 mini phone. I installed TWRP and LOS both from official website (not various links on google or XDA). Installed F-droid (with privilege extention).

I only had a handful of apps installed: Fennec F-Driod, Firefox Focus, Stocks Widget, Net Guard, net Monitor, BlueBourne Scanner, Termux, SnoopSnitch and Yalp,

Phone was running without a SIM for about a week. All was OK until I inserted a SIM. Moment I insterted the SIM a got spam from a load.

Note I have used the same apps (except for Fennec) on another phone without a single spam SMS!

So is the nightly infected with malware or spyware?

# Answer
> 0 votes
Beware of *post hoc, ergo hoc* : it's not because you started getting spammed after installing LineageOS (+ apps) that it DID cause the spam.

Since LineageOS (any many if not all the apps you cite) is open-course, it's highly doubtful that it's infected (that's the point of open source software !). Also, have you asked on the LineageOS community channels (Reddit, IRC, of XDA forum) if anyone has the same symptoms ?

I've set up a Galaxy S4 Mini with pretty much the same apps as you, and did not get such a spam.

My take is that for some reason, your phone number got leaked to a spammer *during the time* of your LineageOS transition. I think the cause lies elsewhere.

---
Tags: sms, security, malware, lineageos, spam
---


# Question
Title: How do I store pictures on SD card by default?
How do I move the photos I have in my gallery to my SD card? Someone told me to download an app that allows you to do this, but it didn't.

Also, is it possible to save them to the SD card by default, rather than the internal memory? Someone told me to open the camera and select settings, but there was no option to change it. I think my phone is an HTC wildfire. It's the smallest white HTC on the market and it has 'with HTC sense' on the back.

# Answer
I have (or rather had, until a few minutes ago) a Desire C, with SD card, but photos storing on internal Memory. Unfortunatly, the previous suggestion is no option in Desire C, as there is no "storage" option in the camera app. The phone should, but does apparantly not always, default to storing pictures on the SD card.

What I did to try and solve this problem, I connected the phone to my PC as USB storage. (This connection mode is important, otherwise you cannot do the following.) My pictures where in the \DCIM\100Media folder on the internal storage. I did the following

1. Copy the 100Media folder on the internal storage.
2. Paste it into the dcim folder on the SD card (in my case there was a dcim folder, if not I'd suggest you can just create it. I haven't tried that).
3. Remove the 100Media folder from the internal storage (and keep it on the desktop, just in case). At this point is no 100Media folder on the internal storage, but there is one on the SD card.
4. Unplug the phone from the PC, as camera does not work when connected to PC in USB storage mode. Try to make a picture. Actually the phone asked me: Do you want to switch to SD? Happy to oblige.... It did apparently not create a new 100Media folder in the internal storage, exactly as I had hoped it wouldn't.

After making some test pictures, I checked by connecting to PC again as USB storage, and voilà, the pictures where on the SD card now.

Looking back, I may have had a question on storage when I first inserted the SD card, but I do not remember. I might have, since I got this queston now. If I did I must have answered it incorrectly.
> 2 votes

# Answer
First confirm that your photos and videos aren't in your SD Card. To do that Unmount and Remove your SD Card from the Phone and try to use the Camera and see your previous photos.

If they are still coming up then the photos are stored in your phone internal memory. If the photos are not coming and shows any warning message something like "Please Insert SD Card" then all your photos and videos are stored in SD Card.

I don't think so that the Photos and Videos are stored in internal memory as it is for **System Data** not for **User Data**

There might be a different folder where it stores the pictures on your SD Card.
> 1 votes

# Answer
I have a HTC Desire and in my case non of the other answers worked. But I solved it in his way.

Do not go into the camera app settings. Go into the general phone settings. The path is then...

Settings/Storage

Here I was able to define the default writing media from internal to SDcard. This includes also the camera app. Now my pictures can be saved either on the internal or the SD by default. You should also notice that the amount of pictures or the rest space changes.

In the HTC WildFire I had before this was done in the camera apps under settings. The thing with the move the folder and to the SDcard did not work. The phone just created the same folder again.
> 1 votes

# Answer
I have an HTC 10 running Oreo and on that you can change the picture folder to the SD card using the options in the camera app itself. Pull down the two bars at the top then scroll to the far left and you will find 'settings', scroll down (it isn't obvious that there are further settings below the four shown on screen), simply change the setting for 'Storage' to 'Removable Storage'.

Easy when you finally fathom it out!
> 1 votes

# Answer
Judging by your description, I believe your phone is the Desire C. To set it to send pics to the actual SD card rather than the pseudo-SD card in internal memory, you'd open the camera app, hit the menu and there should be a "storage" option you can set to "phone" or "storage card".
> 0 votes

# Answer
Connect the phone to your PC and choose as connection "Disk Drive". Selecting this connection mode is mandatory, otherwise you will not be able to implement the steps below. Also remember that, by default, your pictures are located in the `\DCIM\100Media` folder on the internal storage.

To move your photos and define a new storage location (i.e. the SD card) proceed as follows:

1. Copy/Paste the `100Media` folder on the internal storage into the DCIM folder on the SD card (if no `DCIM` folder exists you can just create it).
2. Delete the `100Media` folder from the internal storage. Note that at this point there is no more `100Media` folder on the internal storage, but there is one on the SD card.
3. Unplug the phone from your PC. Note that the camera does not work when the phone is connected to PC in USB storage mode.
4. Open the camera application and try to take a picture. The dialog box **"Define storage location"** pops up with the following question: **"Do you want switch to the memory card?"** Select **Ok**.
5. Then, the following message appears: **"Press the screen to activate the camera"**.
6. Finally, the camera is on and you can take some pictures for a test.
7. After making some pictures, reconnect the phone to your PC and check that the test pictures are stored on the SD card.

Have fun!
> 0 votes

---
Tags: sd-card, htc-sense, photos, ram
---


# Question
Title: Android "google play music app". How force it play ONLY local songs on my phone
How to force "google play music app" play ONLY songs I paid for and downloaded to my phone. In other words how to restrict it from contacting the web and using my data allocation. thank you

# Answer
Press the hamburger button (top left) and enable "Downloaded Only".
> 1 votes

---
Tags: mobile-data, music-player, google-play-music
---


title: My Nexus 4 shutdown randomly?

text:
# Question
Title: My Nexus 4 shutdown randomly?
I'm living in India. Last year I bought my Nexus 4 in the US.

For a couple of months now my device is getting quite hot, and shuts down randomly. I have done a factory reset 2 times, but no use of that: the shutdown continues.

This mostly happens when I'm on 3g, but not when I lock the device to 2g. The problem started about 5 months after purchase, so it didn't exist from the start.

Has anyone experienced this issue? Can anything be done to solve it?

# Answer
its an hardware issue because of network kernal... When I replaced the board and now the phone works fine.
> 1 votes

---
Tags: nexus-4, reboot
---


# Question
Title: Contacts keep crashing. What are my options?
Using unrooted vanilla Android 8.1. The default `Contacts` app always crashes on start.

* I have made sure to update to the latest version: `2.8.4.201036949`
* I have rebooted the device and installed all other available updates
* I have cleared the cache for `Contacts`
* I have tried to sideload the apk but got "*INSTALL\_FAILED\_VERSION\_DOWNGRADE*" error
* I have used `adb backup` but the backup is only 1kb when the app's data is over 10mb on the phone so I'm worried that the backup doesn't include all my contacts

Interestingly, other applications that rely on `Contacts` such as `Phone` or `Signal Messenger` can see these contacts but I cannot create or modify contacts.

I am hoping for ideas on how to get out of this conundrum without losing my contacts. I don't sync contacts with Google (would like to keep it that way) and wouldn't want to do it with another party either. Perhaps running in some kind of "Safe Mode" or using another app to read and copy contacts and create a `vcf` file that I can import from `Contacts` once I've uninstalled/reinstalled it

# Answer
> 0 votes
I found a 3rd party Contacts app that could read Android contacts and save them as a `.vcf` file. The `.vcf` file could then later be imported into the default Contacts app once I get things sorted. The app is called Contacts VCF

As for my crash problem, I went to Settings \>\> Applications \>\> Contact and force closed the Contacts app. Then from the same screen I tapped "Disabled" and confirmed that data would be lost. This reset the app to its initial state (before all the updates since I started using it).

I then went to the app's page in the Google Play Store and clicked Enable to turn the app back on, then Update to bring it current.

Now the app works again; I imported the `.vcf` file that I had exported in the first step above to restore my contacts.

---
Tags: contacts, backup, crashes, 8.1-oreo
---


# Question
Title: How to join WhatsApp group from "chat?code=" link
I was provided a web link in an email. I was reading the email on my computer, so when I clicked it, it opened in Firefox. It bounced around a bit (since it was a marketing tracking redirect link), but finally landed on `whatsapp://chat?code=(randomlookingthing)&usp=sharing`.

I would like to participate in this group (only). In other words, I don't need to or want to involve my existing contacts, I just want to be able to interact with this group.

So far I have:

* Forwarded the `whatsapp://` link to my phone via an email
* Installed WhatsApp on my Android 7.0 device from the PlayStore
* Answered 'no' to the requests to access contacts
* Pasted the link into the phone's browser, which had an error "Problem loading page" (didn't understand protocol `whatsapp://`)

I don't see where I enter the group in order to begin interacting with those in the group.

How can I join the group?

# Answer
The marketing link clicked in the original email "secretly" went through a `http://chat.whatsapp.com/(randomlookingthing)` link first, before landing on the `whatsapp://...` link. That link is only understood by phones that have WhatsApp installed. As noted, the Firefox on the computer doesn't understand the `whatsapp://` protocol, and the browser on the phone doesn't either. What is needed is the `chat.whatsapp.com/...` link.

The easy solution is to forward the original email to the phone. That link, with the original marketing link, should bounce through the `chat.whatsapp.com` link, then, since WhatsApp is installed on the phone, it will understand how to add you to the group.

Alternatively, you can open Firefox's `Developer > Network`, then run the marketing link. This will expose the `chat.whatsapp.com` link that's aligned with the group. If that link is used in the phone's browser, since WhatsApp is installed on the phone, it will understand how to add you to the group.
> 1 votes

---
Tags: whatsapp-messenger
---


# Question
Title: How to bring back custom notification sounds in Oreo
I upgraded to Oreo about a week ago and I've noticed that all my apps' alerts now sound like my SMS alert.

This means that I either get constantly bothered by unimportant notifications (It's your turn in a game!, etc.), or I miss important notifications like most SMSs, because now now unimportant and important notifications sound the same.

With the new notification channels I can set a custom sound manually, but the last thing I want to do is customise every single notification on my phone, and I also don't know where the sound files are for the original sounds. It's just too much work.

How can I get Oreo to behave like Nougat in this regard?

# Answer
> 0 votes
Maybe not the best solution, but set the SMS channel notification sound as something different instead of customising for each app?

# Answer
> 0 votes
You may use Ultimate Notification Control in Gravity Bx with Xposed Framework. You can set per app vibrations and notification sounds there.

---
Tags: notifications, 8.0-oreo, custom-sounds
---


# Question
Title: Identify app icon that looks like a letter "b"
Anyone know what this one is? It was on a screen cap I received of a Galaxy S5.

# Answer
* Its the icon of application named Bixby in Samsung devices.
* Bixby is a virtual assistant developed by Samsung Electronics.
> 1 votes

---
Tags: app-icons
---


title: How does Messages suggest replies?

text:
# Question
Title: How does Messages suggest replies?
Quite recently, Android Messages (com.google.android.apps.messaging) started providing reply suggestions to SMS messages I receive. The suggestions are (usually) relevant to the content of the received message: e.g., somebody texts me with a "Can I call you tomorrow?" and Messages suggest things like "Sure" or "Sounds good".

How exactly does it do that? I would be surprised if this kind of AI system could run on my phone. But does that mean that the messages are processed somewhere else? If yes, where and how?

I'm wondering because I've never given any explicit authorisation for my messages to go anywhere, and in fact, I'm using AFWAll+ to prevent Messages (and many other apps) from accessing the Internet at all.

**UPDATE**: As a test, I used the firewall to also block anything Google Play-related from accessing the Internet, which was the following three entries:

* Google Play services, Google Services Framework, Google Account Manager, Google Backup Transport
* Google Play services for Instant Apps
* Google Play Store

Yet, the suggestions showed up again.

---

**System details**: * Device: Samsung Galaxy S5 Duos (SM-G900FD)
* OS: LineageOS 14.1
* Android version: 7.1.2
* The phone is rooted with SuperSU.

# Answer
After some research, it is, as I thought, Tensorflow (or to be precise, Tensorflow Lite). You can read the following articles posted by the Google Research team:

Relevant quotes:

> Android Wear 2.0 which featured the first "on-device" machine learning technology for smart messaging. This enabled cloud-based technologies like Smart Reply, previously available in Gmail, Inbox and Allo, to be used directly within any application for the first time, including third-party messaging apps, **without ever having to connect to the cloud**.
>
> Today, we announce TensorFlow Lite, TensorFlow’s lightweight solution for mobile and embedded devices. This framework is optimized for low-latency inference of machine learning models, with a focus on small memory footprint and fast performance.
>
> ...
>
> This model generates reply suggestions to input conversational chat messages, with efficient inference that can be easily plugged in to your chat application to power **on-device** conversational intelligence.

They've also posted a source code link to TF lite's Smart Reply feature, as well as a demo app for testing out Smart Reply.
> 2 votes

# Answer
To my best knowledge, Google has not revealed how it processes the text messages to generate the suggested replies.

Here are a few things which Google shares: In the Messaging app, the description for *Smart reply* reads:

> To show you suggestions, Smart reply uses your recent messages but does not store them.

Then, if you follow the Google webpage, the page doesn't reveal much other than:

> Note: You might be charged for data. Check with your carrier for details.

So, at one place Google said that it uses your recent messages. Then, Google also mentions that you might be charged for data. So, I guess it is easy to summarize that the recent messages are transferred to Google servers to understand and suggest replies.

A part of this processing might also be happening locally on the device. But it is hard to imagine everything happening locally in the Google's world. The cloud and the servers are where the real algorithms reside.

Most of Google services are connected together using Google Play Services. So, even if you do not allow Messages to access the internet, Play Services can. And it won't be too hard for messages to communicate with Play Services which then connects to the internet and interpret messages to generate replies.

**Note:** This is my personal understanding of what I was able to read from Google website. Google has no where explicitly mentioned that it sends your messages to the cloud. They did mention that *they at least do not store any messages*.
> 2 votes

---
Tags: sms
---


# Question
Title: How to delete a file once it is created by an app?
This question applies to any file created by an app, but this is the description of my problem.

I have an app installed in my phone that creates a .nomedia file in the root of my storage every time a specific action happens in the app. This causes all media files on my phone not to appear in gallery applications because the media scanner ignores everything.

I have contacted the app but they still did not have managed to solve that problem. What I want to know then is if there is a way to immediately delete the .nomedia file as soon as it is created by the app.

# Answer
Monitoring a directory for a newly created or modified file is a simple task for an app as Android provides an API for doing so.

Therefore a lot of apps include file monitoring capabilities, such as Automate or Tasker. In these apps you can monitor the file as add a trigger to delete the file that will be executed immediately when the file is created.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: applications, internal-storage, file-management, media-scanner
---


title: Transferring apps to new phone

text:
# Question
Title: Transferring apps to new phone
Applications I updated my phone from Samsung s4 to Samsung a8. I transferred all my info with smart switch. Some app's appeared and the rest are "in progress". It has been several days now, why are the apps still in progress please help. Btw I do not have WiFi

# Answer
> 0 votes
So I believe you used a USB cable with a USB/microUSB adapter ?

If so, you may want to check the quality of your cable and/or use a better one (USB cables are NOT "all the same" : some are excellent, some are utter sh\*t).

Unfortunately, the only tool I know for that goal is the QooPow qualMeter : http://www.qoopow.com/. It's a physical tool (= not an app) and a bit pricey, but if you find yourself lost in your cables, it might be a good investment for the future (your friends may find it useful too. Why not pool some money to get one for the lot of you ?).

# Answer
> -1 votes
Use ApowerManager , not only the applications but also videos, photos,contacts, messages, notes, books can be traferred from one phone to PC. Then import the files to your new phones. It gives you free choice to pick out the files you want.

---
Tags: applications
---


# Question
Title: How to install python in android rooted device?
I am trying to **install python in my android device** but it fails. For references i have used scripting language for android and python for android apks from the below link:

> https://github.com/damonkohler/sl4a
>
> https://awesomedetect.com/how-to-install-python-on-android-without-root-and-no-internet/

I have installed these apks but still through adb shell when i try to access or run the python interpreter its showing me the following errors.

```
   ASUS_Z010D:/data/user/0/com.googlecode.pythonforandroid/files/python/bin#
   ./python

   CANNOT LINK EXECUTABLE "./python": library "libpython2.7.so" not found

   Aborted

  ASUS_Z010D:/data/user/0/com.googlecode.pythonforandroid/files/python/bin#

```

Kindly help me out with this issue..!

**I need to install python and run the .py script in my android device.**

Thanks in advance..!

# Answer
Depending on what your script is trying to do you may find QPython sufficient for your needs.

It is available free from the play store and provides a python 3 environment but with some limitations on the libraries available.
> 1 votes

# Answer
You can install python in Termux even without root. Run: `pkg install python` or python2.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: applications, python
---


title: Android x86 Won't boot up

text:
# Question
Title: Android x86 Won't boot up
I am trying to install Android-x86 6.0 marshmallow on Oracle Virtual Box. I was experiencing difficulty installing, but I read elsewhere to change the grub from `android_x86` to `x86`, which I did with little to no difficulty, and successfully installed it.

On bootup, it gives the message: `Failed to find cpu0 device node`, but it keeps going. When it gets to the A N D R O I D message, it stops, unlike all the tutorials floating around on the internet.

I am a total beginner to android, so help would be appreciated. Thanks!

# Answer
You can get a little further by using Grubs 'edit, e' key and adding `debug DEUBG=1`

That will give you a linux shell, and kernel debug messages.

Also, you can force by choosing the resident option and replacing `USB_PARTITION=1` with `INSTALL=2`

http://support.jide.com/hc/en-us/articles/222974048-How-to-install-Remix-OS-for-PC-single-boot-on-hard-disk-
> 1 votes

# Answer
You must choose to install grub with the system.

In the grub menu press 'e' to edit the boot command, press 'e' again to edit the first command which starts with "kernel". Append this:

```
 nomodeset

```

to the and of the command and press Enter to save, finally press 'b' to boot from the modified command and it will boot up successfully.

I tried this with CM 14.1 and Android 7.1 images and it works after I had the same problem with VMWare Workstation 14.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: boot, android-x86, virtualbox
---


# Question
Title: Android x86 Stuck at A N D R O I D x86_64:/
I downloaded Android x86 7.1 from Android x86 Project website. I have made a Virtual Machine for it in the VMware Player. It's stuck at

VMware settings are as follows: 1 Core, 2048 RAM, 20GB IDE Virtual Drive.

---

PC Specs: Intel Core i5-2400 4GB of DDR3 RAM 250GB HDD // if that helps :P

# Answer
> 4 votes
If you want to run Android without installation:

From the grub menu after booting the installation media, choose advanced options then:

"Live CD VESA mode - no GPU hardware acceleration"

and if you already installed android and you want to boot it, in the grub menu press 'e' to edit the boot command, press 'e' again to edit the first command which starts with "kernel". Append this:

```
 nomodeset

```

to the and of the command and press Enter to save, finally press 'b' to boot from the modified command and it will boot up successfully.

I tried this with CM 14.1 and Android 7.1 images and it works after I had the same problem with VMWare Workstation 14.

---
Tags: 7.1-nougat, android-x86
---


# Question
Title: On android, how can I unzip more than one zip files at once?
In PC you can choose more than one separate zip files and extract to "zipname" folder all by selecting at once, how can I do the same in Android. I've tried ES file explorer, Z Archiver etc but they all seem to work only for multipart zip files and not for multiple separate zips.

# Answer
Okay, so just tried another app RAR by Rarsoft and it did the job perfectly, though extracted all the zips to same folder....enough for me.
> 1 votes

# Answer
Solid Explorer works like a charm. You can try it out, but it's a paid app. You select all the files, like on a desktop and choose the extract option. The contents of the zip file are extracted to the respective folders.
> 1 votes

---
Tags: applications, apk, zip
---


# Question
Title: How to restore GBWA backup on new phone to GBWA app
I'm simultaneously running Whatsapp & GBwhatsapp on my phone for both of my numbers.

For me it's easy to just transfer Whatsapp data to new phone. However, when its come to GBWhatsapp i feel like there is no one how can actually help to transfer GBWhatsapp data to new phone on GBWhatsapp application.

I have purchased a new phone, now trying all effort to get the GBWhatsapp data to be restore on new phone on GBWA app.

I tried compressing GBWA data using ES file explorer and moved to new phone and verified my number with GBWA. However, after verifying the account i do not get any option to restore even-though backup folder already exist on new phone.

As I don't wanted to loose my data, i again verified my account on old phone and removed GBWA from new phone. I have read multiple articles and checked many videos but didn't find them useful in my case.

Could you please help me to get my issue resolved.

# Answer
if you do the following it must work:

go to gbwhatsapp on your old phone choose GB Settings --\> other MODS
--\>6.7 Backup data (i do for secority reasons also the following, go to gbwhatsapp--\> settings--\> chats-- make backup) then transfer the whole GBWHatsapp map to sdcard, and take it out of your old phone. install GBWhatsapp on your new phone and DONT OPEN IT YET now put in your sdcard with the backup of GBWHatsapp in your new phone --\> copy GBWhatsapp map to internal memory --\> then open GBwhastapp and choose for restore
> 1 votes

---
Tags: whatsapp-messenger
---


title: Unwanted alert sound

text:
# Question
Title: Unwanted alert sound
I have a Samsung Galaxy 8.Every 5 minutes or so I hear my phone buzz then I hear a gong sound. This gong sound is driving crazy.

Here is what i tried:

1: restarted my phone

2: killed all applictions

3: Ran a good antivirus

Also every time this song comes, if im watching a video on YouTube It causes to pause.

Any ideas?

# Answer
> 0 votes
sounds like (no pun intended!) you have notifications set to alert you. Do the sounds coincide with email delivery, twitter alerts, Facebook alerts etc. You can probably check notifications in Android Settings. I don't know about Samsung but on my HTC running OREO the notifications are under Settings/Personalise.

If this doesn't help I suggest you edit your original post to include the Android version that you are running - see Settings/About/Software Information.

---
Tags: applications
---


title: Retrieving phone conversations

text:
# Question
Title: Retrieving phone conversations
I know this is a shot in the dark, but I had a phone call yesterday that I really want to retrieve it.

Can I phone up my provider (Vodafone) and ask for the recording? How do I go about doing this? Or is the conversation stored locally on my Galaxy S3?

# Answer
> 1 votes
No, your provider can't give you a recording of your phone call, and it's not saved on the phone by default.

There are a zillion apps on Google Play for recording phone calls, but there are two things to be aware of:-

1. Some phones simply can't record calls. This is because the "cellphone chip" in your phone has direct access to the microphone and speaker, so the phone call sounds don't ever pass through Android's phone system. If your phone was designed this way, probably you can record your side of the call (because Android still has access to the microphone), but not the other side. It doesn't matter which call recording app you use, because it's a limitation of the hardware.
2. In some countries, it's illegal to record a phone call without the consent of the other participant(s). Before doing anything, you should check, especially if you intend to use the recording as evidence to confront the other participant later or in a legal dispute.

# Answer
> 0 votes
Although the Android phone call recorders I have tried only record the audio from the other end via my mobile phone's microphone I have taken the audio files into Audacity on the PC and amplified and flattened the volumes so that both ends are clearly audible. A bit laborious but if it's a small number of calls it's quite do-able.

---
Tags: data-recovery, call-recording
---


# Question
Title: Is there a way to download and store Google Maps permanently?
Google Maps are arguably the most accurate online maps in the world, but the problem is that the app itself has many limitations when it comes to offline use like not allowing downloads of maps bigger than a certain size and deletion of stored maps after a number of days.

Is there a way within Google Maps or using 3rd party software (available on F-Droid maybe) that can download Google Maps and store them indefinitely and also allow offline search? Or is there an alternative way to do this?

# Answer
> 3 votes
I use MAPS.ME as an alternative. It works perfectly offline, you can save places, search anything in the downloaded maps, and it has a router for driving and walking too. Its map data is from OSM. It is also accurate enough, (but) it can be edited by anyone, though this *can* lead to mistakes (I've not encountered any of them so far), and on the other hand, sometimes it is even more detailed than Google Maps.

Anyway there are a lot of apps on Google Play using OSM's data.

# Answer
> 1 votes
The latest version of Google Maps 9.22.1 allows downloading multiple offline areas. Offline directions & voice navigation is also supported. You can download areas up to max 120,000 sq km. Maps are updated after 30 days.

Google Support - Download and Use Offline Areas

# Answer
> 1 votes
Google Maps is not a good source for permanent offline maps, but it does have offline map capability

Pros

* Uses less memory
* will automatically download offline maps along your route in case you lose signal

Cons \- offline maps self delete if unused for a time

---

Here WeGo is a good Android application for offline maps.

Pros

* You can download offline maps for your state/region, country, continent, or entire world.
* if you phone has aGPS, this application will work with or without cell service as long as you have downloaded the maps for your location and you can see the sky.
* Maps stay on your phone until you delete them.
* Gives you directions via walking, biking, public transport, lyft, driving, or ride share.

Cons

* You can not add nicknames to saved locations
* Uses more of phone memory (Map of the entire USA is just over 8GB)
* Managing saved places can be tedious.

---

For my personal use I usually use Waze for my day to day navigation needs, however when I go on long trips I use Here maps to download maps for regions I expect to be in, in case I lose cell signal or data connection. I only use google maps when Waze is having trouble with my request.

# Answer
> 0 votes
Google maps got one of the worst offline map options out there, try something else instead. HERE or Sygic for example.

---
Tags: google-maps, offline-map
---


title: Lenovo Vibe p1m suddenly slow

text:
# Question
Title: Lenovo Vibe p1m suddenly slow
Today I notice my Lenovo Vibe p1m is running slow. It coudn't open Chrome without freezing. The whole UI is basically sluggish. It also couldn't open the flashlight.

I have tried removing the sdcard and restarting in safe mode. Same slowness. I didn't install anything new so it's baffling what could cause it. I also can't open the Update screen of Google play because it freezes. I check the running apps section, RAM usage is just 700MB out of 2GB.

Looks like the phone is basically screwed for no logical reason. The phone is only 1.5 years old.

Any ideas what could cause this and how/what else could I diagnose?

# Answer
> 1 votes
Exactly this happened to me today, at morning I was watching videos, then I use the mobile again, and i cant even load youtube! Ill try deactivating some apps as phaethon said.

Deactivating some apps and uninstalling some helped, but mobile is still very slow :/

So I decided to factory reset my phone and everything is like normal, I have no clue what was the issue :/

# Answer
> 0 votes
After deactivating playstore and relative apps + whatsapp the pproblem is solved.

I dont activate playsrre again for now until I get a "lenovo" reply

---
Tags: 5.1-lollipop, performance, lenovo, lagging
---


# Question
Title: Opening a pdf file duplicates it on android
Whenever I open a pdf file in adobe reader in Android and then close it, the pdf file duplicates itself in the same folder. This happens again and again as I open and close the file.

I tried searching google but found nothing relevant.

# Answer
I would try to go to the pdf reader app settings and clean the data. Settings -\> apps -\> the pdf app -\> clear data This will reset the app. Is this happening to different pds files or just one? Is the file located on the phone or on the internet?
> 0 votes

---
Tags: pdf
---


# Question
Title: Battery drains every time screen is turned on
I just bought a new phone, it is Android 4.4.2, but it seems that it has a problem with its battery. Every time I turn on the screen, the battery drops 1%. For example, the battery is 30%. then I close the screen and turn it on again after a minute, and then in few seconds,the battery becomes 29%. It only happens when I turn on the screen, but when im using it, the battery discharge is normal. How can I fix it?

# Answer
> 1 votes
Based on our chat, things which were tried are:

* Turning *off "proximity sensor" and "Smart Stay"* (to rule out malfunctioning causing battery drop h
* Checking screen usage from inbuilt battery statistics (seemed to match usage)
* Booting into safe mode and observing battery drop
* Factory reset to rule out rogue app causing this

OP has confirmed that the **Battery drop continues** as stated in the question

Being a new phone, it could either be

* ROM bug, which can be checked from user forums. If it is a reported bug add if the OEM rolls out a fix then the problem is solved
* Defective piece, which being in warranty can be exchanged (**Recommended** course of action on my opinion)

(Flashing stock again is an option but do not advise it as rooting methods, flashing tools etc may not be readily available being a lesser known phone My25 (myphone). Flashing a custom ROM for the same reason and absence of developer support , is not recommended)

# Answer
> 0 votes
There is a new thing in android called Smart Pixels. It is available in some custom roms like AOSP Extended (I don't think it is available on kitkat) or an android app called Pix Off

you can choose to disable a percentage of pixels on your screen to save battery :)

---
Tags: 4.4-kitkat, battery, screen
---


# Question
Title: Samsung phone charges poorly, periodically
My Samsung S8+ has started having periods when it does not keep up 100% charging when connected and in simple editing usage. If I leave it idle it charges slowly and the "charger beep" occasionally goes on and off. (But charging icon is lit most if the time.) If it is turned off it charges fast.

I only use original cable and charger and have replaced these. The problem has ocurred with several different power grids. I am abroad and can not claim warranty.

I had exactly the same problem with a Note 3. Original Samsung service ran the full program on it and declared it ok. (It was 3 yrs old then.) Finally I let unauthorized repair shop change all charging components to no avail.

I barely use a computer any more. My phone is connected to charger and often in heavy use about 18 hrs/day.

Once when I bought new battery for Note 3 (often change these) the original service center insisted on examining my phone even though I considered it OK at that time. They said phones that are connected all day may develop problems. I couldn't leave my phone for examination for privacy reasons.

Note 3 is now bricked by yours truly.

S8+ is 1 yr old and I have never changed its battery. It has started developing this same strange disease.

Maybe I should just leave my S8+ for battery change, but I fear it has developed the same problem as my Note 3. Changing battery was simple with Note 3, but did not help.

I have considered factory reset, but that would be difficult for me now, since backing up would take time. (Could malware or something be running and draining battery?)

Sorry for long post but does anyone have advice? Does SS include "controlled aging" in the software? ;)

Edit: I wrote this long post connected to a stable power grid with original charger. Charging is still 77%, like when I started, charging symbol is lit. When phone was new it would charge rapidly during such an edit. Charging has gone off and on maybe 7-8 times, but it is mostly on.

# Answer
> 0 votes
**The phone probably had malware introduced through a SIM-card.**

The phone also stopped recognizing the SIM-card. No calls or data possible. It asked me to make a factory reset to "accept new network configuration". Charged poorly when not turned off.

I removed the SIM, made backups and factory reset (which needs wifi to find my Samsung account password to allow for reset).

I do not wish to point out any country in particular. This has happened before in other countries. The new SIM that only worked for two days, I had bought in a big shopping center that also gave away SIMs for free with other buys. Largest network in the country I believe.

I had also connected to a hotel wifi with advertisments etc.

I went to the only direct outlet for the network and asked. They told me the SIM had given me the problems. Hotel networks have ads but are safe.

Malware was running, draining power and also interfered with connection.

The network shop was super pro. They sold me a new SIM and "pocket wifi" and set up everything perfectly. All works fine now.

My conclusion: **Only buy SIM directly from the network shops** (or if you trust their envelope seals). (A lot of hassle for me that often travel and roaming becomes too expensive. But no other choice.)

Data I backed up but apps seem to have problems downloading through the Google/Samsung system. Hopefully it will improve when wifi is not crowded in the night. But I can restore apps manually. The app *data* seem to be there if I just download the app manually. The nice Adobe Lightrooom that I reinstalled suddenly has pay-options for what used to be free :( ;)

What the malware programmer wishes to achieve is not clear.

---
Tags: samsung, battery, charging, malware, samsung-galaxy-note-3
---


# Question
Title: Restoring Android apps and settings on new redmi 4 from backup not possible
I used to use a Samsung Galaxy S5 and now switched to a Xiaomi Redmi 4. I have backup'd my phone settings and app settings to my google account. However, when I initialize my new phone, there is no such option as to whether I want to restore from a backup. My google drive says it has backup settings for 16 apps. Also in the new phone, when browsing in the google drive app, there's no option to restore any kind of settings.

How do I get my apps and settings (especially wifi passwords) back?

# Answer
* The Restore backup option is only present while setting up the phone first time.
* So, You will have to factory reset your new phone and choose option to restore settings from other phone.
* You will see a page to restore your data from a previous backup while setting up the device named "Which Device" or something similar.
* Choose your Samsung Galaxy S5 from the list.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: xiaomi, google-backup
---


# Question
Title: File-based encryption security and backup/restore considerations
I'm evaluating making the move to file-based encryption on my device, but am having trouble finding satisfying answers to the following questions:

* Apps can place data in either a Credential Encrypted (CE) or Device Encrypted (DE) storage, but does this necessarily mean *all* files in `/data/` are encrypted? What if I run `echo 1 > /data/test.txt` from a shell? Is `test.txt` encrypted via CE?
* I want my data to be protected with more than a four-digit PIN. Can a separate boot passphrase still be used to unlock encryption?
* To enable FBE, `/data/` needs to be wiped. Can I restore a pre-FBE TWRP backup after enabling it to fully restore my data?
* Does TWRP still prompt for encryption password at boot as it does with full-disk encryption?
* Can I make TWRP *not* prompt for encryption password so I can run automated backups via OpenRecoveryScript?
* If I create a backup without providing my encryption password, is TWRP smart enough to restore the encrypted data as-is on restore?
* Are there any other TWRP backup or restore caveats I should be aware of before diving in?

# Answer
# Android 9 and lower

> Apps can place data in either a Credential Encrypted (CE) or Device Encrypted (DE) storage, but does this necessarily mean all files in /data/ are encrypted?

What will be encrypted and which key is used depends on the encryption policy. The encryption policy specifies on a per-directory base what to encrypt. Exclusions (no encryption) seem to be possible, too.

For Android 9 and below used policy us hard-coded in the source code of Android.

There you can read that currently some exclusions are known:

* /data/apex
* /data/data
* /data/lost+found
* /data/media
* /data/misc\_ce
* /data/misc\_de
* /data/system\_ce
* /data/system\_de
* /data/user
* /data/user\_de
* /data/vendor\_ce
* /data/vendor\_de

For some of those exclusions there is an encryption policy for a subdirectory specified. However If I understand it correctly placing a files directly into one of those directories means that no encryption will be applied.

## Android 10

> In Android 10, the encryption policy was hardcoded into this location:
>
> `/system/extras/libfscrypt/fscrypt_init_extensions.cpp` 1

## Android 11+

> In Android 11 and higher, the encryption policy is no longer hardcoded into a centralized location, but rather is defined by arguments to the mkdir commands in the init scripts. Directories encrypted with the system DE key use encryption=Require, while unencrypted directories (or directories whose subdirectories are encrypted with per-user keys) use encryption=None. 1
> 3 votes

---
Tags: security, backup, twrp, encryption, restore
---


title: Google Contacts. Does it sync avatars?

text:
# Question
Title: Google Contacts. Does it sync avatars?
My family has me in their contacts app (the google one: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.contacts). If they enter my email for that contact my google account avatar will be displayed for that contact. I will probably change that avatar from time to time. The question is: Will the avatar will be updated in a automatic way and if so how long does it take to sync? Or maybe the avatar is imported only during manual contact creation/editing?

# Answer
It appears that after some time it will sync. It took few days.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: contacts, google-contacts
---


# Question
Title: Create several Gmail accounts anonymously using only one Android tablet without letting Google know that they are created from the same single tablet?
I would like to anonymously create several Gmail accounts using only one Android tablet (but not phone) without letting Google know that the accounts are created from the same single tablet. I do not want Google to know that any two of the accounts are related to each other.

If my ISP (Internet Service Provider) cooperates with Google and informs Google of the true identity associated with the IP address with which I connect to Google to create the Gmail accounts, then Google would know exactly who I am. However, assume that this is not the case.

If the Android device were a phone, then Goole might uniquely identify the Android phone by IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity), ICCID (Integrated Circuit Card Identifier of SIM chip) or IMSI (International Mobile Subscriber Identity); hence, Google would know that these accounts are created from the same Android phone. However, this is not the case; I am talking about an Android tablet without phone.

First of all, I would like to make sure that Gmail accounts are free and that there is no need to provide Google with my credit card information, my billing address or my real name. Is this correct? Please provide an answer to this specific question as well.

So, with the above three assumptions (my ISP does not inform Google of the true identity associated with the IP; the IDs associated with phone are unavailable to Google; Gmail accounts are free, and hence Google does not ask for billing information), does Google obtain any information that reveals my true identity, when I create Gmail accounts using an Android tablet? (If it does, what are they?)

Even if Google cannot obtain the true identity of the person whom the Android tablet belongs to, can Google uniquely identify each Android tablet? (If it can, how?)

If Google cannot obtain the true identity and cannot uniquely identify each Android tablet, then I have further questions.

Assume that there is no account on this tablet yet.

Will Google know that the two Gmail accounts are related to each other if two Gmail accounts are created by the following steps?

1. Create a Gmail Account A using an Android tablet.
2. Disconnect from the Internet, that is, switch to the off-line mode by turning off Wi-Fi.
3. Turn off the Factory Reset Protection ("Settings" \> something that says "Security" or "Screen" \> set "Screen Lock" to "none".)
4. Remove Account A from the Android tablet. (The account will remain intact on the Google server. See "What will happen when I remove my Google account from an Android tablet?".)
5. Perform a Factory Reset ("Settings" \> something that says "Backup" or "Reset" \> Factory data reset).
6. Using a different IP (by going to another location for example), connect to the Internet (that is, turn on Wi-Fi).
7. Create a new Gmail Account B from this Android tablet.

If these steps successfully prevent Google from knowing that the two Gmail accounts are related to each other, then let me ask the following. Are all these steps necessary? Are any steps omissible to make the process simpler?

Note that Factory Reset deletes all of your precious files; but the law enforcement authority is likely able to recover them later.

Instead of Factory Reset, does it suffice to delete all the regular cookies and EverCookies that the account-management app creates? How can they be deleted?

# Answer
> 1 votes
What you're talking about is **not** sufficient. As seen in answers to this question, some tablet devices do have IMEIs even though they don't have a SIM card slot or telephony capability. Besides, all Android devices come with some extra unique identifiers. Both the Bluetooth and Wi-Fi hardware include a *MAC address*, which is used in those network protocols to uniquely identify the device. These can be read by any app with the appropriate network permissions, including the pre-installed Google apps.

They can be overridden in software, but the true values are part of the hardware, so the OS can read the true values anyway. (And of course a factory reset would undo the override anyway.) The OS can also read the unique identifier that's a part of the CPU itself and can't be overridden. If you really don't trust Google to this extent, you need to install a custom ROM (which still leaves open the possibility of a malicious binary driver).

> I would like to make sure that Gmail accounts are free and that there is no need to provide Google with my credit card information, my billing address or my real name. Is this correct?

Yes, that's correct. You'll be offered the opportunity to add your credit card details when you sign up, to enable buying apps on Google Play, but that's not mandatory. They'll also pester you to add a phone number or "backup" email address, to aid in recovering a lost account and for confirmation after an unusual login, but again, this isn't mandatory.

---
Tags: google-account, tablet, privacy
---


# Question
Title: How do you see Memory usage in Android O?
Prior to Android Oreo I could see Memory usage by going to `Settings` \> `Memory` but this does not exist any more since upgrading to Android O. Is there any way to see this now or has it been removed completely?

# Answer
Enable Developer Mode (see here), and go to `System` \> `Developer options` \> `Memory`
> 15 votes

# Answer
Since accepted answer is not applicable in my situation (there is no "Memory" menu item) (Android 8.0.0, Samsung S8), I want to share another way of getting memory usage info. This shows RAM status and RAM usage by applications.

```
Settings > Developer Options > Running Services

```
> 3 votes

# Answer
This answer will only apply when you are a developer, and you have your development PC near.

First make sure that you have **USB debugging** enabled.

Then on your PC open a shell that can run `adb` (of you don't know what this is, then this answer is not for you)

Then in that shell run `adb shell`

This will open a shell to your Android device, within this shell you are running command line applications on your android device.

Now in this adb shell run `top -s rss | head -n 20`. This will print out a list of about 20 apps sorted by RAM usage(-ish, its not precise).

If you are able to enable **ADB Root** in developer options (Again, if you don't know that this is, then it is not for you), then you can see more details:

In the adb shell run `su`. This will elevate your access to the kernel.

Then run `procrank`. This will show a lot more info about ram and swap usage.
> 0 votes

# Answer
To show memory usage in android Oreo, first of all make sure enable developer mode in android Oreo

**Enable developer mode android Oreo:**

**Settings \> System \> About phone \> Tap build number 7 times**

Now enabled developer options in android 8.0 Oreo.

**Go to settings \> System \> Developer options \> Memory \> Memory used by apps**
> -2 votes

---
Tags: ram, 8.0-oreo
---


# Question
Title: How can I see the browsing history and bookmarks in the stock browser?
I have an SGS with Froyo. I can't seem to find the browsing history in the stock browser. I'm also only able to access bookmarks (or favorites, or shortcuts) from inside the browser.

How can they be accessed?

# Answer
> 6 votes
On my Samsung Fascinate I click on this button next to the address bar:

And it takes me to this screen, which also has a History tab (top-right):

The functionality shown above is also available to me on CyanogenMod 7, leading me to think that it's a feature of the stock browser (i.e. not added by Samsung).

# Answer
> 3 votes
Note this is "one way" to get there on a true stock android browser. Samsung, for some reason, removed the Bookmarks menu item. eldarerathis' answer will work for both Stock and the TouchWiz (Samsung) versions of the browser.

* Open the browser
* press menu key
* select bookmarks
* here are the bookmarks
* There should be a tab that is called "History"
    + You can also clear the history from that tab.

# Answer
> 0 votes
My browser history was at the bottom right of the screen.looked like the bookmark with a star. I think i deleted it by opening the settings where the 3 vertical dots is by the address bar. My phone says Galaxy prevail LTE on the back

# Answer
> 0 votes
Hi I don't know what version of android or Samsung internet browser you use but on my phone galaxy A7 I found this

and

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


# Question
Title: Prevent a specific app from being updated on client side
I want to prevent a specific app from being updated by Play Store and Package Installer, preferably by refusing updates. Whenever I want to update it, I am supposed to be required to revoke the prevention manually, or the app cannot be updated. It should be a system tweak or a change somewhere in `/data`.

Things I've thought:

* Tweak somewhere so the system reports the app to be infinitely new
* Make the app "invincible" and cannot be modified

It doesn't matter if the app can be removed by regular means. Any thoughts?

# Answer
I just found that Titanium Backup has a "Detach from Play Store" option for apps (requires PRO version). After detaching, apps won't show up in Google Play and thus won't be updated unless you manually navigate to the page and tap "Update".
> 0 votes

# Answer
It seems as if you cannot turn off auto update for specific apps. But if the app updates independently of playstore, you can restrict background data for the app and it won't update as such
> -1 votes

---
Tags: applications, updates, installation
---


title: How to find app based on package name?

text:
# Question
Title: How to find app based on package name?
I've installed a malicious app that is posting ads over my notification bar, but can't find it. I know the java package name for it: `com.letang.game103.en` using the command: `adb shell dumpsys notification`.

As you see the name of the app is not obvious from the package name. I want to find which app it is, that uses this package name. I also want to report them to Android Market, after leaving a nice feedback for them there!

I've looked at different dumpsys commands:

```
adb shell dumpsys [something]

```

But so far wasn't able to get apps based on their package names. Is there any way to do this?

# Answer
> 12 votes
The easiest way, without using any specialized tools is just to visit that app's page in the Play Store (website, not app).

All apps in the Play Store have their package name as part of their URL, so you can just take your package name and prefix it with `https://play.google.com/details?id=` to get

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.stackexchange.marvin

where `com.stackexchange.marvin` is the package name which will take you to the page for Stack Exchange Android app.

# Answer
> 7 votes
The question was asked back in 2012 but given that no Android version constraint is given I would like to suggest a solution, which as of now is helpful **for Android 5.0 and above**.

Install App Manager from F-Droid. Launch it, start searching your package name using the search/lens icon and your app would show up.

<sub>(Click image to see enlarged version)</sub>

---
Tags: applications, adb, malware
---


# Question
Title: How to force Adobe tracking link in SMS to open Google Play Store app and not the web browser
I am sending a bitly in SMS that masks an Adobe tracking link to download an app. I want the link to open the Google Play app, not the web browser. Is there a way to force this? Given that I can't change the settings on everyone's phones, need to be able to do it from my side.

# Answer
> 0 votes
Instead of linking to play.google.com, make the link point to `market://details?id=com.example.android`, though you may find that some software will block these links for security reasons. There's no way to force a play.google.com link to open in Play Store.

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


title: Andriod Emulator can't find ip link set

text:
# Question
Title: Andriod Emulator can't find ip link set
I am currently using an unrooted Huaweii LYO-LO1 and I am trying to change my mac address using Andriod Terminal Emulator. I found a website that told me to find out things like my current MAC address and I did all that. The last part told me to type the command:

"ip link set AAAA address XX:XX:XX:YY:YY:YY"

I did that by typing "ip link set wlan0 address 84:9F:B5:0A:95:1F" but the output said

/system/bin/sh: ip link set wlan0 address 84:9F:B5:0A:95:1F: not found

I tried reinstalling the app, rebooting my computer, everything but it's the same result. Still the same MAC address. Anybody know the solution?

# Answer
> 1 votes
Don't type the double inverted commas (`""`) around the command. The command should be

```
ip link set wlan0 address 84:9F:B5:0A:95:1F

```

---
Tags: android-emulator, mac-address
---


# Question
Title: Mi max not able to boot up after flashing
I successfully flashed my Mi Max prime 3/64GB to helium\_global\_images\_V9.1.2.0.NBDMIEI\_20171109.0000.00\_7 ROM using mi flash in edl mode. Now the problem is the phone doesn't start up. It shows mi logo and android logo down the screen, its loading dots go for a few seconds, it vibrates and button lights gets on, and then it switches off completely.

I also tried going to recovery mode and wiped all data after flash. but it seems nothing works.

my device is not unlocked that's why I flashed it in EDL, and I prefer it to stay this way if possible.

any suggestions?

# Answer
> 0 votes
It turns out the problem is with the battery. the connector that connects the battery to the main board was damaged. so I guess it didn't provide enough output for the main board to boot the operatinng system up.

# Answer
> -1 votes
Sorry for the one who gave you a wrong answer previously About battery connector seems he have no idea that problem it's happening because you phone bootloader locked if you can unlock it you will just need to wipe data then start it up normal.. i experienced this problem in mi max 1 the 32gb version ... try to search for unlocking your device by ADB method it will work with you

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Tags: boot-loop, xiaomi
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# Question
Title: Disable "unlock with voice" notifications Xperia XA1
tl:dr - despite repeatedly choosing the "no thanks" option, my phone keeps displaying notifications to setup voice unlock. I Say "no" - as far as I know it is not enabled - but an hour later it asks me again.

How can I disable this feature permanently. (re-asking me to setup voice notifications).

Phone is Sony Xperia XA1 running Android 8.0.0

longer:

Starting yesterday, I got a notification saying "Unlock with your voice" - "Unlock your phone by saying "Ok Google". (screenshots at the bottom of the question)

Now, being a privacy conscious tin-foil hat wearing type - I do not want my phone to *ever* be listening to me for voice commands. No problem, I tap the notification - and another page comes up with a description, and two options: "No Thanks" and "I agree". I choose, "no thanks". The phone seems to be content with my decision. But.... an hour or so later, the notification returns. It's happened about 3 or 4 times now.

Screenshots:

### Notification

### No Thanks option page:

# Answer
Remove Google Now Launcher (discontinued) from the homescreen and disable Google from Settings \> Apps \> Apps List.
> -1 votes

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Tags: lock-screens, privacy, sony-xperia, notification-bar, voice-command
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# Question
Title: Android Application fundamentals Process Virtual Machine
I just started on application development and wanted to learn properly everything about how Android works.

I came across four bullet points (https://developer.android.com/guide/components/fundamentals) that explain that Android sets each app as a different Linux user and that each process has its own virtual machine (VM). Here's the part confusing me, one of the bullet points (third one) doesn’t specify which process are encompassed in a virtual machine.

> • Each process has its own virtual machine (VM), so an app's code runs in isolation from other apps.

This is the first time on the page it mentions a *process* which is why I am confused.

My question is which processes are running in a virtual machine? \- Is it the main Linux process only? \- is it ALL of the processes within the Linux process?

If so, how can processes communicate between each other if each one of them are running in isolation (in VM)?

Thank you for your time.

# Answer
> 1 votes
None of the apps are running in a virtual machine. Really, the page is trying to explain that there's a separate instance of the JVM for each application process. It's quite a misleading description.

FYI, there's no such thing as a "main Linux process". Linux is the kernel, which is not a process; rather, it is above all of the processes, in charge of creating, scheduling, and destroying them, and mediating their access to the hardware.

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Tags: processes, vm
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