Images have disappeared from gallery, but still in "My Files" (Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge, 5.0.2) I have a Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge (64GB) running Android Lollipop 5.0.2 which I've had since release day (April 10th 2015) and as the title mentions, there seems to be an issue in that my images are no longer displaying in the default gallery app. I also have quite a lot of music on the phone which doesn't display in the "Music Player" anymore. I'm not sure what causes the photos and music to disappear as it seems to be totally random. I can still see the files in the default file manager "My Files".

The first time it happened I thought that it may have been a glitch so did a factory reset and everything was fine again (although it does take about 3 hours for me to get the phone just how I like it). It then happened a second time a few days later and so I did another factory reset. When it happened the third time I was getting pretty annoyed and took it to my local Samsung Repair Centre where they said it was a software problem and they would have to reinstall Android and it would be sorted. However, 5 days later it happened again so I went back to Carphone Warehouse where I purchased the contract from and demanded a new phone as it had to be an issue with the phone as I couldn't find a record of it happening to anyone else and Samsung had already eliminated a software problem.

NOW, 2 weeks after I got a new phone IT HAS HAPPENED AGAIN! The images were there this morning and come this evening they have all disappeared from the gallery and again the music has disappeared. I've done nothing out of the ordinary with my phone today so cannot identify what has happened.

If I take new pictures on the camera, they appear in the gallery fine, but the old ones do not. If I look in "My Files" I can see that the old images are in the exact same location as the new photo that I've just taken... It's almost like they are hidden from the gallery. If I install an app such as QuickPic all the images are displayed in there, both new and old however I cannot use this for sharing images to facebook etc so it's not ideal.

The same applies to the music files that I have. If I look in "My Files" I can see them but they do not appear in "Music Player" which means that all my alarm tones have been set back to their default tracks i.e. "Morning Flower".

The screenshots below shows all the images that are currently in the Camera folder where only the top one appears in the gallery and only the top one is in the Images Category in "My Files".

I've had a play around with all sorts of settings, cleared the cache partition, clicked "Show Hidden Files" in "My Files" and rebooted the phone several times but there still seems to be an issue. I've also deleted the "Media Data" from the "Media Storage App" which emptied my gallery but on reboot didn't do a rescan (or at least didn't get any results). As it's an S6 Edge there is no SD card so it shouldn't be an issue with mounting the disk (although it wouldn't make sense since the new files are in the same location as the old ones).

I've managed to find a couple of people with a similar issue on AE but they've not had a response see here and here.

Is there some sort of debug log that I can create and upload to somewhere? Could it be a specific combination of apps that I've got since there are minimal people with the same issue?

I'd be grateful for any ideas as it's driving me insane!

Thanks in advance,

Adam.

EDIT: I've linked up my phone to the computer and run adb logcat but the log is huge and I'm not sure what I'm looking for. The following error appears fairly frequently:

  < 6>[18330.193843] [6:MediaScannerSer:22775] binder: 3874:22775
  transaction failed 29189, size 416-0

If there is a specific bit in the log that would be helpful, please let me know and I'll do my best to extract it.

EDIT 2: Is there a procedure that I can follow to create a bug report that I can then send to Google or Samsung?

Updated answer:
Check if you have a hidden file named .nomedia (double check also for uppercase name) on device memory (storage folder) and delete.
Go to Settings > Apps -> ALL -< Media Storage. Select Clear data + Clear defaults. Disable the App.
Reboot the device. Now enable again Settings > Apps -> ALL -< Media Storage. Wait a couple of minutes (so it should reindex files). I think all files should be now again in Gallery.
Note:  Do not try to run any rescan App, just follow the above steps.
Old answer:
The error you got in logcat is related to a specific function for processing/scaling up images. It is a known fact: Binder transaction buffer has limited and fixed memory (1MB). This buffer is used by all transactions and shared across process. For e.g., If you have a big number of large images files and some of them are corrupted  (either by poor, bad transfer via computer and device, computer and SD card, and so on), or some of them are not recognized by your app (in your case Gallery), once this app tries to create thumbnails or previews for your files and actually scale down/up one of those files, the process may fail.
The same case must be with a number of files (like ringtones or .wav diles, or .ogg, or any type of music) which have problems either in content, size, signature.
Because you said the problem comes back, I suspect this kind of strange behavior from your apps. I don't even think to a bug in kernel or something like this.
So, for your own safety:

Try to put back all those files on your pc;
Clear from SD card/phone memory;
Verify in PC for the 'bad' files, then put back 'correct' files in your device.

Take in consideration this fact also: a .gif, .jpg, .png or whatever kind of image you have, may be rendered as 'correct' in your computer or device, but actually may have 'bad' content (disrupted content). Remember, all operation related to process images inside your Android device are based on compress/decompress them  (for the most common operations) and those are made 'bit-by-bit' if I can say so. Forcing an app to render incorrect type or content (wrong height/width/file lenght) should outcast a TransactionTooLargeException (this is what MediaScanner throws in logcat).

Use media scanner apps(such as force media scanner) to initiate  media scan manually.


Why does stat report no space on / (root) but space available on /system? On my rooted Android 4.4.2 Samsung Galaxy S4 phone with armv7l chipset, if I start a shell, I can use the stat command, but some devices report strange.  In particular, the / device shows zero size, zero blocks, wheer as /system reports valid numbers:

root@jfltevzw:/ # stat /
stat /
  File: /
  Size: 0           Blocks: 0          IO Block: 4096   directory
Device: 1h/1d   Inode: 1           Links: 31
Access: (0755/drwxr-xr-x)  Uid: (    0/ UNKNOWN)   Gid: (    0/ UNKNOWN)
Access: 1970-01-01 00:00:00.000000000
Modify: 2015-04-25 00:48:54.000000000
Change: 2015-04-25 00:48:54.000000000

root@jfltevzw:/ # stat /system
stat /system
  File: /system
  Size: 4096        Blocks: 8          IO Block: 4096   directory
Device: b310h/45840d    Inode: 2           Links: 25
Access: (0755/drwxr-xr-x)  Uid: (    0/ UNKNOWN)   Gid: (    0/ UNKNOWN)
Access: 1970-01-01 00:00:00.000000000
Modify: 2015-01-10 01:52:27.000000000
Change: 2015-01-10 01:52:27.000000000

Looking at my mounts, I see these two entries:

/dev/block/platform/msm_sdcc.1/by-name/system /system ext4 rw,seclabel,relatime,data=ordered 0 0
rootfs / rootfs rw,relatime 0 0

Why does my root partition show via stat as having no space available and is there a way to reliably determine how much space is available from a shell command or via a C entry point such as statvfs() that is also reporting zero space available to my application.

stat reports 0 space/blocks on / because
/ = ramdisk which lives in ram, ram is not a block device.
Your actual ramdrive lives in storage with your kernel an dt.img
on a specified emmc partition labeled boot .

The combined ramdisk, kernel binary, and dt.img (device tree binary)
are known collectively as your boot.img

The boot image also contains some actual directories [real] that function as placeholders, they are usually /data /dev /proc /system

Also your ramdisk contains the necessary *.rc and *.sh configuration and shell scripts necessary for booting you device and establishing/bringing up your operating system. The ramdisk also contains your device's selinux policy configuration, sepolicy and context files, lastly your ramdisk contains the /sbin directory, which is where the adb daemon lives and usually charger, healthd, and ueventd binaries and any manufacturer specific binaries related to services, usually security. The ramdisk/ramdrive is temporary and is dumped out of memory when you powerdown or reboot, and reloaded to it's designated place in memory when your device boots up again.

Think about it as Windows. On the same 1TB hard drive. You may can C:\ and D:\ at the same time at the same drive. You cant just look for the free space of all.

On android there are partitions on mmc

/cache
/data
/system
etc.

each has its own information look for each.

I will attach some screenshots from my 16GB N7000 and its partitions. Maybe this pics will lead you somewhere.

(Click image to enlarge)


Preventing a single app from updating from Play Store I have a single app (ES File Explorer) that I want to prevent from updating and I don't quite understand what is happening.

Removed the app from My Apps in the Play Store
Turned off my network connection
Uninstalled the new version
Side loaded the old version
Immediately unchecked the auto update within the app  (maybe about 30 sec later)
Turned my network back on

If I now check My Apps, there is an update for the app waiting and if I turn auto update back on, it will update to the new version.

If the app is not listed on My Apps - All (and I rechecked) and auto update is turned off within the app, what is causing this app to update and how do I prevent it?

If you search the app on Play Store and open the app detail page you'll see three dots on upper-left corner (overflow menu).

Click on it. Then uncheck 'Auto-update'

Click image for larger version

Well, turning auto update off shall prevent the update. Though there is another way of doing it:

Uninstall the app.
Download and install the apk from any website other than playstore.
Now you are good to go!

Playstore now shouldn't list your app under the installed app section. So, no more updates!

Hope it helps.


How do I stop my note 4 from activating the screen when it is done charging? When I charge it at night and its finished the screen will stay on all night unless I plug it out. How do I stop this from happening.

Do you have the Developer Options settings enabled on your phone? If you do, go to Settings >> Developer Options >> Stay Awake. If that option is checked, then your phone will never sleep while charging. Uncheck it.

Also, in Settings >> Display >> Daydream >> When to Activate (at bottom),do  you have Daydream set to activate while charging? It's possible Daydream is triggering.

Change the screen timeout option, or the 'Never sleep on charging' option


Random headphone/icon bug? LG G3 running Sprint Android Lollipop 5.0.1 Last night, when I was attempting to use my headphones, the first 3 times I inserted them, they were detected by my phone as an Auxiliary Cable. The 4th time, however, it correctly detected them as headphones. I've plugged my headphones in 6 or 7 times since then, and the issue hasn't happened again; I was just wondering if this is a common bug, or if I should be worried about the headphone jack failing.

Basically, the Linux switch driver will raise the event to Android. I suspect that your headset jack insertion circuit failed.


How to stop Wifi from automatically turning itself off? So on occasion, my wifi automatically turns itself off for some strange reason. This happens on both my Lenovo ThinkPad and my Samsung Galaxy S5. Is there a way prevent this from happening?

Turn off Connection Optimizer

Settings -> More Networks -> Mobile Networks -> Connections optimizer -> TickOff connections Optimizer

Or Turn Off Wifi Timer

Settings -> Wifi -> Tap the vertical ... and then Advance -> Wi-fi timer -> Turn off any timer selected.

I hope this works for you.

Format your phone and check..
This happens due to a virus attack by installing various malware applications by unknown sources.


How to change camera default save location? When I was using the camera of my Sony Xperia S, the following message popped up.

So how do you change the default save location of your camera (as highlighted with red underline)?
Note: Yes, my memory was full and the message stopped showing up after deleting some files of course. I just want to know how to change the default for CAMERA.

When you see this message first select OK then select sub menu and it gives you options such as scenes selection, resolution, flash etc. What you got to do is slide the tile and go to the second tile. There you should be able to find data storage where you can change where you want to save your pictures at.

Alternately, the gear icon (for settings) in the slider at the bottom of the camera (where you select flash, effects, etc.) will take you to the settings dialog where you can then choose a different save slot (under Save Location).


CAN a Simple Mobile SIM card be unlocked? I have a unlocked Blu Pure XL. I've used T-Mobile and GoSmart SIM cards in it.

I purchased a Simple Mobile SIM card because I like the plans. However, I find out later i can't use it has a Hotspot service.

Is there a way to get around this problem?

To use a device with a Simple Mobile sim card as a mobile hotspot, you have to purchase their 8GB data plan, which I believe is $60/month.


How to root lenovo A526 mobile I tried to root lenovo A526 mobile using "Kingo" and "root genius". But they are unable to root this device.Thanks for helping hands.

I haven't used it but I used kingroot to root my tablet some 3 months earlier after which I removed it because I thought it would be dangerous. But It rooted...
So You Answer Should Be:-
I don't know but KingRoot roots easily and on mobile or tablet without pc

I'm even using A526 but in the latest version of root genius you will be able to root your phone.


adb.exe runs then disappears I had ADB working just a few days ago, but now, whenever I try to run adb.exe, it will start the daemon successfully, and then after a couple of commands the adb.exe file itself will disappear. When I try to uninstall then reinstall platform-tools via Android Studio's SDK manager immediately afterward, the uninstaller hangs (though the window doesn't freeze) after the following output:

To install:
Preparing "Uninstall Android SDK Platform-Tools (revision: 27.0.1)".
Generating patch...
"Uninstall Android SDK Platform-Tools (revision: 27.0.1)" ready.
Finishing "Uninstall Android SDK Platform-Tools (revision: 27.0.1)"
Stopping ADB...

with the status:

Packing .installer/

However, I can't seem to find anything ADB-related in Task Manager. I tried killing it with adb kill-server, buy CMD's reply was of course that it couldn't find adb. After I restart Windows, the uninstallation/reinstallation runs perfectly well, but ADB just disappears all over again. What in the world is going on, and how do I get ABD up and running again?

Example CMD. When I reinstalled ADB after taking this screenshot and tried again, I didn't even get the * daemon started successfully message.

OS: Windows 10

Device: LG V30+ (United States/Sprint), Android 7.1.1, LGE USB driver

As esQmo_ guessed in the comments on my question, my antivirus (Avast) was blocking adb.exe, probably with some silly "heuristic protection" feature. I checked my quarantine folder and found it chock full of adb.exe's. I whitelisted adb.exe and did not run into any more problems.

That's all true. Disable Avast for Adv. exe but it seems to be a real threat because when trying to install the APK on a real device, the antivirus of the cell blocks it. If we unlock this option, we see strange behaviors in the Android system so I'm convinced that  "Adv. exe " comes with bad intentions from a download server in Android Studio.


Is there any way at all to skip the setup process after factory reset on an android phone with an unresponsive touch screen? I have an android phone with an unresponsive touchscreen. I, at first, thought it might be a software problem and did a factory reset with power button and volume up button as given here.

The reset went fine and i rebooted the phone. It rebooted to the initial setup screen where you have to select a language. Now, the touch screen is still not working. Probably a hardware defect. And i am stuck in this screen unable to proceed.

So, is there something, anything i can do about it without needing to take to a repair shop.?

The phone is an honour h6

Since you're talking about a mobile phone (and I'm assuming that you're not rooted), then, unfortunately, no there is no way to skip the setup screens if the touch screen no longer works.

I was thinking that maybe you could pair an external bluetooth device (mouse and/or keyboard) but you have to get past the setup screen to do that.

You could try using an OTG cable with a USB mouse and/or keyboard.

I know this question is an year old, but I also faced this problem recently on my Lenovo Vibe phone. For me, tapping multiple times (may be 4-5 times) on the screen did the trick.


ADB sideload and fastboot uses. What's the difference? 1) If i want to flash a stock rom what should I use adb sideload or fastboot. I have seen on youtube people using both of these. Are both of these similar or different. Sorry if this sounds stupid but I'm a noob and I'm very confused.

2) Do i have to unlock bootloader for flashing stock rom.

3) Does fastboot oem lock/unlock command works on every android device.

Folks consider adb sideload <ZIP> when they have a ready to flash .zip file. The command is mostly used when booted into Recovery mode.
Fastboot on the other hand often deals with per partition flashing at a time. E.g. fastboot flash  recovery <IMG> -- only flashes Recovery partition and not all the relevant partitions for ROM installation. ADB sideload <ZIP> usually does full ROM installation in one go.

You unlock the bootloader only if it is locked. Google Nexus devices comes with locked bootloaders while some Chinese Mediatek devices comes unlocked. You've to search web for your model.

No, the command doesn't work on every Android device. The reason is 2.

ADB sideloading can be used to push a ROM into you device via you PC. Fastboot can flash a ROM (Most likely stock) by installing each parts one by one.


Mi2 broken screen, any way to retrieve photos? My daughter's got a Xiaomi MI2 stock phone with a screen broken in such a way that it can't be unlocked. She already had a new phone on the way but she's devastated at the thought of losing her photos (no backup).
Is there any possible way to retrieve the photos short of getting the screen repaired?

I've read around quite a bit but every possibility seems to require ADB enabled.
And the Xiaomi MI phone manager can connect but doesn't show any files at all, nor allow backup, so I assume the phone has to be unlocked for this to work.

Oddly, some methods I've tried of retrieving the images (dropbox, windows) activated the camera, where I could see and delete the most recent picture, and also determine the pictures are stored on a path that suggests an SD card, but I understand this is only a virtual SD card so presumably removal is not an option.

So this is my last ditch attempt to avoid a screen repair. Can anyone help, or confirm that I really am out of options for retrieving the photos?

Thanks for your time.

You could try and boot the phone into recovery or bootloader mode (using either adb or just turning it off then holding the power and volume up or down keys as it's booting back up) and then use the adb pull /sdcard/DCIM/* C:/camera_backup command (as LyricWulf suggested) to backup all the photos from the phone.

Good luck getting those photos :)


How to set a Google Plus photo as a contact-picture? One of my Google Plus contacts has some great photos from a recent family reunion I was unable to attend. I would like to use a number of these as contact photos on my Android device (Galaxy Nexus GSM w/ CyanogenMod 10.0). I have the latest Google+ app.

Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be a way to DO anything with the photos, whether setting them as contact photos or saving them to the device. The Google+ app likewise does not show up as an option when setting a contact photo and choosing an app to select a picture with.

How can I set a picture from the G+ app as a contact photo?

I would like to set the pictures on the phone rather than from my computer because that way it keeps much higher resolution versions than setting them through the gmail contacts functions.

I know there are tons of UI differences between the Nexus and Samsung Galaxy S4. However, here's what works for the S4, in case it leads you in the right direction.

From the Google+ slide menu, go to "Photos" and tap the desired photo. Once open, tap the phone's hardware menu button, then tap "Set as..." --> "More" --> "Contact photo" and select the desired contact.

Apologies if your Nexus doesn't have the "Set as..." menu option.

Thats just by the help of Google Contacts, you cannot do anything on your own, however you can change contact info by yourself, like Update the Photo to user or contact!

However there is a way, every your contact on Google, will be able to get their images in your contacts. But for that their must be some Email, Phone Number, Or atleast the name matching the name or other data at the Google servers!


Looking for a launcher similar to Launchy, Synapse or Kupfer (with type to find and launch app feature) When using a normal computer I like to use a launcher to quickly launch applications and perform other tasks. Examples of such launchers are Quicksilver, Launchy, Gnome-Do and Kupfer (which I currently prefer). The power of these launchers is that you can easily open them with a shortcut, type a few characters to find the application and press enter to launch it.
I'm looking for a similar app for Android (I'm using a Nexus 7 with 4.2). I already found a few solutions, but they all have small shortcomings, so I'm still looking for the perfect solution:

Quickdroid: This Open Source app can search apps, contacts, music and a few other things. It also provides a 'quick launch' by adding a permanent notification to open Quickdroid. However it still feels as not fast enough, as you have to open the notification drawer, search for the quickdroid notification and touch it.
FAST App Search: This is a much simpler app (also Open Source), which only searches apps (no contacts etc, so that's it's weak point). It can however be configured to launch when dragging the home button from the bottom up to the center of the screen, thereby replacing Google Now.
Google Now: When dragging the home button up, the Nexus 7 will by default launch Google Now. This actually searches for apps, music, contacts etc and applications can add 'catalogs' to it. So in fact this is pretty much what I'm looking for. The problem here is that (1) After opening Google Now you need to tap the search field before you can start typing, (2) because of the google search suggestions, the actual matching applications are hidden behind the onscreen keyboard and (3) to really search all the 'catalogs' you need to tap 'search tablet'.
Google from homescreen: I can also press the google search button on the homescreen of the Nexus 7. The result is similar to opening Google Now, except that the search field immediately gets the cursor-focus. This obviously adds another step because you have to make the homescreen visible, and doesn't solve the search suggestions.

Is it possible to configure the 'drag the home button up'-action, to launch the google search, with the search field focused and immediately in tablet-search modus? This certainly feels like the best solution as it is already part of Android and apps can extend it by adding content.
Or are there other similar apps that can be configured to launch by a single tap/drag and search for apps, contacts, music, etc?

Have you not considered this application which actually overlays the existing launcher, and by using gestures such as tapping on the corner of the screen, to launch a certain app. The app is called SwipePad
Its a complement to the existing launchers out there on the market.
To quote:

SwipePad is a launcher panel overlay. With a single swipe action, you
can launch anything from within any app. It's extraordinarily simple
and intuitive to use:

Touch down a pre-set edge of the screen;
Move your finger towards the center of the screen so the pad will emerge;
Release your finger on a specific slot to action.

try conjure app on google play. might be similar to what you want. (lifehacker has an article on them).


Birthday reminders in my phone start 12 hours prior for birthdays stored in Gmail contacts I store birthdays in my Gmail contacts. I have HTC One X with Android 4.2.2 and Sense 5. I have synced my calendars with Gmail contacts and all the birthdays are visible in my calendar app on Android. But the reminder for each of the birthday is set to 12 hours prior.

I don't want to reminded of someone's birthday 12 hours before! Is there any way to customize this time? Or remove it completely for all the birthday reminders coming from Gmail contacts?

First, go to your phone Settings > Date and Time and check if your time zone is correct.
Second, change the time zone of your Google account by following this guide.
Good luck!


samsung phone gets hot I have a Samsung s4 which easily gets hot even when doing light things and being on power saver mode, low brightness etc I've also tried factory reset

I'm on stock android 4.4

I've installed a temp app and initially the temperature is 26 Celsius and about 29 when browsing internet and about 35 when playing a game it gets hot on top of phone near earpiece

is this normal?

May be this can work for you. Reformat your micro SD card. Some users have reported that media server can cause the phone to overheat. Save a copy of your files in your microSD card to your computer then reformat if.

Go to Menu Select Settings
 Tap More Select Storage Touch Format SD
 card Review the message and touch Format SD card Tap Delete all
 Remove then reinsert the microSD card afterwards.

If the problem continues, this means that you have a phone defect causing it.For more details you can refer Samsung India site.

If it get really warm (greater than 35C) try Clean Master (like reachrk suggested) and Battery Doctor.

Clean Master will clear the RAM, which when loaded will cause the CPU to overheat dramatically trying to process all the data. Battery Doctor will close all background apps, limiting power consumption and thus reducing heat generation.


Galaxy S5 Freezes Constantly I have a Samsung Galaxy S5 from Verizon, bought a little over one year ago. As soon as the one year warranty was over the device started acting up. Right now it is in an unreliable working state.

Symptoms:

The device freezes almost constantly at a rate of at least once an hour (4 times in the past 3 hours).
There is not one app in particular to cause the freeze, that I can trace to. It seems that any time I do something which requires it to work a little, like loading a web page, brings the device to a freeze.
Sometimes it just restarts.
Sometimes it says "Start Up Failed" when booting up.

What I've done:

Removed the SD card completely.
Reset the device to factory defaults multiple times (about once per week). After this, it works good for a few days then goes back into freezing mode.
Uninstalled most of the apps, especially the once I don't really use daily.
Disabled all the pre-installed Verizon apps (the once that I could).
Disabled auto updates.
Took the device to the local Verizon shop and they didn't do anything to help, besides trying to get me to buy something else.

Any idea of what else I could do to fix this issue?

EDIT

The device got to a point where it became impossible to perform any operations. If it wasn't constantly restarting, it would restart at the very first operation. Any attempt to do anything on the device sent it into restart.

I was able to talk to a few technicians from Samsung and they determined that the problem sits with the hardware, perhaps the motherboard. Therefore I ended up sending the device to Samsung for repair.

As a method of starting to debug this, Linux keeps a log for the kernel. I'm not sure if /proc/last_kmsg is there or not, but you want the kernel log.

I'd start by replacing the stock recovery with TWRP. Whether or not you want to Flash to a different rom. TWRP has a file browser. It should let you save the kernel's log either way. You want to pay attention to two files:

/var/log/boot.msg (useful in the state after the failed boot)
/var/log/syslog (useful in the state after the crash, and the state after the boot)

You'll want to thoroughly examine these files and paste the contents up here. It's possible the problem is hardware though. I'd flash CM13 (because it's all around better), and see if that fixes it. If problems persist on a fresh CM13, you know you've got a hardware issue.

I found a few solutions online, maybe you can glean some information from them as they seem to all relate to the model you are having issues with:

http://thedroidguy.com/2015/05/how-to-fix-freezing-lag-slow-performance-problems-on-samsung-galaxy-s5-part-1-107191

http://thedroidguy.com/2015/10/how-to-troubleshoot-a-samsung-galaxy-s5-that-constantly-freezes-and-lags-other-performance-issues-1050209

Hope that helps.  They also have a form you can fill in to state your specific problem, perhaps they can assist if none of the other solutions work.


Galaxy S3 high RAM consumption even on idle I have a Galaxy S3 International Version, without any modification whatsoever-- no rooting, no nothing. It is as good as a stock phone with a few Play Store apps.
However, of late, I have begun experiencing problems

I do not have background processes (of my own) running and even then all I have left free in the RAM is usually only 300MB of the 800MB that is there. Task killers cannot free more than that.

I experience lag when opening settings. What I mean is this: Say I click on the Battery option under Settings. There is a visible lag between the time I press the option and when the battery information is actually displayed on the screen.

Android Version: 4.1.2
Build Number: JZO54K.I9300XXEMF6

First a few things on the symptoms:

On Unix/Linux/Android, "free RAM" is considered a "wasted resource". If RAM is not occupied by running processes themselves, the system uses it to buffer and cache other things, like the file system. This should speed things up, as usually RAM allows faster access.
For more details, please check out ram tag-wiki.
"task killers" are discussed controversely. While most (if not all) people agree they are fine to stop "rogue processes", it's certainly not their job to "free up RAM" or even "save battery". In these terms, they are rather contra-productive, as most killed processes simply restart themselves (which costs more battery than if they'd kept running, and fills up the "freed RAM" again as well).
For details on this, closer information can be found in the answers on e.g. Do I really need to install a task manager?, Do task killers actually work? and Is it advisable to run a task killer app on Android.

And finally, to the issue itself (experiencing lags). As you describe it as a problem "growing with the time" (i.e. it was not there in the beginning, but slowly became more and more visible), you will probably find some help in the answers to My device is getting slow, apps start misbehaving/crashing. What can I do?

Very elegant solution - root the phone, download nobloat app. Disable all unnecesary processes - google for the ones u can disable . My phone is 500% more responsive after this. I am using original samsung 4.3 rom .


How to prevent WhatsApp images and other local pictures folders appearing from Google+ Photos app? I've enabled auto backup for camera photos except local folders. Although local folders are not uploaded to the cloud, Photos app keeps showing these folders and making a mess. I'd like to have this app clean with only camera photos just like Dropbox's Carousel do.

Update: How to do it in the new  Google Photos Android app:

Open Google Photos.
Go to Settings on the left panel.
Click on Backup & Sync.
Scroll down a bit.
Click on Choose folders to back up...
Activate or deactivate each folder by clicking the switch.

Google+

From: Back up photos & videos automatically

Turn on or off for individual folders

Open the Photos app .
Touch the menu icon   at the top left and then On Device.
To the right of each folder title, touch the cloud icon to turn Auto Backup on or off for that folder:

 Auto Backup is on for that folder.

 Auto Backup is off for that folder.

Goto accounts > Google > sync > un tick   pictures


What kind of account does the Calendar support? I cant add events to the Calendar, nor the default nor aCalendar because I need to have an online account to sync them.
In Settings/Accounts I have the option to add a Corporate Account (Exchange), Facebook and Yahoo. Facebook and Yahoo do not work, Exchange looks like the right option but I dont have Exchange.
I am using Android 4.1 and it doesn't have the Google applications installed.

Is there another alternative like using a webcal or a local calendar?

Try using the Business Calender app, or one of the offline Calendar apps.


How to disable the OTG (USB) on Android 9? I want to disable the OTG (USB) on Android 9. I coud control it on Android 6 by disabling a permission on the file android.hardware.usb.host.xml located in /system/etc/permission but it is not working anymore on Android 9.
Any idea?

Follow the steps below:

Open the Android settings, touch the menu button and select Settings or Android     Settings from the menu that appears.
Then on the Settings screen, you will show many different settings broken down under different categories. Scroll down the list of all the settings and touch Storage when you find it.
In the Storage settings, you will find the option to Unmount USB storage near the bottom of the screen – then select this option to start the unmounting of OTG (USB) storage devices connected to your phone via OTG or USB cable.
You will be shown a confirmation screen -  if you really want to unmount the USB storage. Touch OK to continue and unmount the OTG storage.
After the OTG storage has been successfully unmounted in Android, you can remove the OTG cable from your Android device without worrying about any data loss.


Backup to SD card in kit kat Is there a backup program that will allow me to back up directly to my SD card in Kit Kat without an internet connection?

I currently am forced to back up to the internal storage {after clearing space} then copying to the SD card, then deleteing the copy on my internal storage.  this wastes much time and effort.  My phone storage is only 2.8GB free, but my SD card has 28.0GB free.

I'm not sure what you're wanting to back up, but most backup applications on the Play Store will do this for you.  Examples are MyBackup Root, Titanium Backup, and Helium.

EDIT:  Scratch that.  As mentioned by Izzy in the comments below, you must be rooted for these apps to work, as there is a..."feature"...in Android 4.4 KitKat that prevents "rouge" SD Card access: link

kitkat all but broke any usefulness of sd cards.
solution export your back up to your pc. sad thing is this is easier than using your sd card use a program like snap pea. or one of the many  others like it.
edit too root most kitkat devices you can download towelroot apk
do a quick google search for it. go to settings allow apps from other sources. think its in dev options been a while since i needed it. install with package installer. open click make it rain. now you will either reboot and be rooted or nothing will happen. install supersu. update binaries, install busybox. install you choice of backup apps.


Google Maps always zooming out The Google Maps on my Android phone got updated and now everything's screwed up. It keeps automatically zooming way out. It does this whenever the phone changes orientation or when the screen is locked. How do I keep it from automatically zooming out?

The version is 7.1.0 (#701000802).

Here's an example. It automatically goes to the second image after a few seconds, I think because I move the phone.

Click the images for larger variant

May I know the reason why it happens? Maybe it's not a problem with Google Maps but my device.

The app does this because you're not in navigation mode, you're browsing the route. It zooms out to fit the entire route on your screen when you reorient the device. If you don't want it to zoom, press the navigation button in the lower right corner and optionally switch off voice navigation.


Detailed instructions for replacing KingoRoot's Superuser with SuperSU KingRoot's Superuser, while effective at its main purpose, is throwing up adware lockscreens.  I'd like to replace it with SuperSU but have had difficulty finding instructions detailed enough for my low level of knowledge.

I tried just installing SuperSU from the play store but that failed.

When googling, I see results for kingroot, kingoroot, and I don't even know if they are the same or not.

The Superuser package on my device is com.kingouser.com version 2.1.6.8 (2168). The device is an Azpen A746, the world's 2nd cheapest tablet.

Detailed information on replacing this SuperUser with SuperSu would be greatly appreciated.

TL;DR - skip to the STEPS section

Kingroot and Kingoroot are two completely different apps, made by two completely different group of developers.

Kingroot, while it is probably the leading app for "1-Click-Root" solutions, also installs a ton of bloatware and annoying services that you may or may not know about.

Kingoroot I can't really speak too much about, considering there have always been many other solutions to achieving root including Kingroot.

Okay so I've used this method dozens of times and it works 99% of the time. The only time I haven't had it work was for a Verizon HTC One M8, since Kingroot only gives (at least at the time) temproot it took a few tries to get it working properly. I give all credit to w0lfdroid to finding it, and the original guide can be found here http://www.w0lfdroid.com/2015/05/How-to-Remove-Replace-KingUser-KingRoot-with-SuperSU.html

WARNING

This may leave your device in an unrooted state, if this happens then just run Kingroot again and it will fix itself.

STEPS

Download the following three items:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=jackpal.androidterm&hl=en

--(Terminal Emulator App / Alternatively you can just use ADB shell)--

http://tiny.cc/1a5lyx

--(Zip archive containing necessary files / v1)--

http://tiny.cc/fo78zx

--(Zip archive containing necessary files / v2)--

The two zip archives contain the same files, but if the steps don't return the desired result using the v1 files, then repeat the steps using the v2 files.
Extract the "mrw" folder from the zip archive and place it anywhere in "/sdcard". For convenience let's just say you're not using a computer and instead doing this all from the phone you're wishing to switch from Kingroot to SU. Downloading the files will put them inside /sdcard/Download. So navigate to there using the built-in file explorer (or Root Browser if you don't have one), extract "mrw" from the zip, and proceed to install Terminal Emulator.
Open Terminal Emulator and type the following commands:

su

sh /sdcard/Download/mrw/root.sh

This will return a ton of text and quite a few errors, don't worry about it, I've never had it not return some errors. When finished it will install SuperSU automatically and open the app, asking you if you'd like to install the necessary binaries. Tap "Yes" and choose the option that is NOT to install in recovery.
At this point it will go one of two ways: either the binary installation will fail, at which point you'll have to re-root with Kingroot and repeat the steps using the other zip files; or the binary installation will succeed and you'll need to reboot the device. Upon booting you will see Kingroot and all associated files have been removed, and replaced instead with SuperSU.

If neither of these methods work there is a paid app in Play Store called Super-SuMe that's supposed to be specifically made for removing Kingroot and installing SuperSU, although despite purchasing it multiple times I have never once had anything happen besides either a reboot, force close, or the app hangs.

Best of luck.

Just going to add this on topr of therealjavi's answer in case there are other people like me who got pretty stuck. Finally got this right after a couple runs or so.

If, after updating the binary according to the instruction given above, your phone prompts that you have two superuser apps now [instead of having the kinguser automatically removed], find a little time to unsinstall that little pesky app, [in my case, I used Link2SD which is available in the PlayStore,] then go back to the terminal emulator, and rerun the scripts again. Voila, you're done.

I also had the problem of ending up installing SuperSu on my sdcard. To fix that  [not sure if necessary or I'm just paranoid], I did the following:

Used native setting of android to move SuperSU to Internal Storage
Used Link2SD to convert SuperSU to system app
Reboot.

Btw, I did this on Cloudfone Excite 501o (Android ver. 4.2.2 [KitKat]). I used iRoot (previously known as vRoot, but not sure how similar it is to VRoot which also exists now) to root the phone, and ended up getting a Chinese market app and lots of ads.


How do i recover my wifi pass from android using adb? I'm connected to a wifi spot with my android, but i'd like to connect with my laptop aswell. I don't want to root my phone (warranty and stuffs) nor reset the router, as it has complex settings on it. I tried recovering the password from /data/misc/wifi/wpa_supplicant.conf using adb, but i get an error, which sent me on a rabbithole of solutions until i met a dead end.
I'll post the steps i followed bellow, i would like someone to tell me if i goofed on any step.

(I wanted to post images, but i need 10 reputation, sorry)

So i enter on adb and i check if my device is recognized using

  >adb devices

Everything seems fine, i proceed to try to pull out the config file with

  >adb pull /data/misc/wifi/wpa_supplicant.conf c:/wpa_supplicant.conf

At this step i get this message:

  failed to copy from "...." to "..." : permission denied.

So i searched for a solution for this and i found that i have to use "adb root" to restart adb with root permissions. I try it, but i get this message.

  adb can't run as root on production builds.

So again, i went down the rabbit hole, and i found someone else with the same problem, who says that solved it using ">adb shell" and then "$ su".
I'm getting tired, but i try it, i go to shell, and everything seems fine i get into shell@android with no problem, now i only need to access as su, but as i try i get this message:

  system/bin/sh: su: not found

Now this may or may not have to do with this (i'm a noob), but if i used "adb devices" while on shell, or right after exiting it, no devices would appear listed, even if i checked before doing all the above.

I'm very noob at this and i'm sure i'm messing up somewhere, but i can't find where and its getting late. I've spent 2 hours aready looking for solutions and every step deeper i get, less results i get because any of the above solutions worked for other people. Does anybody have any idea on how to access that damned file without rooting my phone?

(I can use my phone as router usb while i'm connected to the wifi, but i'd rather have the freedom of knowing the password, as i'm going to stay here for the whole summer)

Using this method won't work for you, since /data is not accessible except after acquiring root permissions. But if you can root your device, try this afterwards:

adb shell
su         # allow it from phone if required
cp /data/misc/wifi/wpa_supplicant.conf /sdcard/
exit
adb pull /sdcard/wpa_supplicant.conf

Sorry but AFAIK this can't be done without root.

If You have an android device with wifi access. Go the wifi setting when you are connected. Then press the connected wifi (Access Point / BSSID) for few seconds. It will Pop Up "Forget Network" & "Modify Network". Click on Modify Network. Then Check on "Show Advance Settings". Then scroll down till end. You will see the ip assigned to your device. It should look like "192.168.90.115" or any ip which is assigned to your device. Note it down. And Paste it in the browser of that device and just replace the last number with 1 (i.e: 192.168.90.1) or (http://192.168.90.1)

type admin for username and passward


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

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

Click image for larger version

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Wi-Fi Video Conferencing My daughter will be in Japan soon, studying abroad. And she just got a Macbook Air. Meanwhile, I have Android 2.2 and a Samsung Galaxy Tab. I don't mind paying for an app, but am not too keen on monthly service bills. I want to be able to have video conferencing with her on Wi-Fi only. I imagine SIP would be the way to go.

So what is the best app out there for Android right now for doing Wi-Fi video conferencing between a Mac and a Samsung Galaxy Tab, and which lets me do unlimited calling, not charged by the minute? I don't mind paying even up to $50 for the app on each system, just to not have to pay the monthly fees. I looked at the Tango app, but it said it only installed on iPhone and Android. I didn't see a Mac or PC version for it.

Another option will be ooVoo.

The free version allows 2-way video chat between Android and Mac (plus many other platforms)

They are expected to release a version for the Galaxy Tab in February according to this http://www.cnet.com/8301-19736_1-20025684-251.html

Am using Facebook Messenger. It's safe and quite helpful and easy for me.


Mobile data is not working after missed call I have this strange issue in Sony Xperia U. Currently I am using 6.1.1.B.1.100 bulid ICS 4.0.4. There is no option in mobile network to select 2g or 3g or 2g/3g. All I have is Use only 3g networks in my settings. But I managed to select 2g network from the code *#*4636#*#* (Phone info) and select GSM only in Select prefferred network type.

But the problem is this when I am using 2g data( to save juice) whenever I get a missed call after that my mobile data is unavailable( I know unlike 3g in 2g you cant use data during voice call but this is after the missed call). This is not happening if I am in 3g and only for missed calls alone.

The only way I am able to use the data again is I have to enable 3g again and change back to 2g.

Is this normal? Any workaround for this? I didnt find this when I am using previous build.

A typical A-GPS-enabled receiver will use a data connection (Internet or other) to contact the assistance server for aGPS information. If it also has functioning autonomous GPS, it may use standalone GPS, which is sometimes slower on time to first fix, but does not depend on the network, and therefore can work beyond network range, and without incurring data usage fees. Some A-GPS devices do not have the option of falling back to standalone or autonomous GPS.


Galaxy S2 - Accessing Internal phone memory in Recovery Mode How can i access to Internal Storage in Recovery mode using Android Debug Bridge (ADB.exe) ?

C:\Users\MohammadReza\Desktop\platform-tools>adb devices
List of devices attached
4F58000600000001        recovery

C:\Users\MohammadReza\Desktop\platform-tools>adb remount
remount failed: Operation not permitted

C:\Users\MohammadReza\Desktop\platform-tools>adb shell
$ mount /system
mount /system
Usage: mount [-r] [-w] [-o options] [-t type] device directory

You cannot issue adb remount unless your handset is rooted, which is why it failed in your case a la "remount failed: Operation not permitted".

There is an answer to how to root the Galaxy S2.

i don't know much about the Android debug bridge, but i guess hard reset (simple) can do the trick for you. i have a solution with me right now, actually i had some sort of issues on my GS2, so i bookmarked the forum where i had found the solution, here it have a look:- http://howmobile.net/samsung/2150-how-hard-reset-samsung-galaxy-s2.html it worked like a charm for me and i hope will do the same for you and other who are looking for a Galaxy S2 hard reset procedure. thanx


Automatically Install apps after factory reset I'd like to know how I can set up my android 4.1.2 (Galaxy S2 I 9100) that it will install all my apps in the Play Store (the one you can see when you click "my apps").
I think it was CM 10.1 where it worked sometimes and in stock rom I did not noticed it.
Is there a way to configure my Galaxy S2 so I don't have to install the apps manually?
I hope I asked clearly enough ;)
Thanks so far !

Edit: I reseted my phone, logged into samsung account to google account.
I always allowed to back up and restore my data. But the apps haven't been installed automatically.
And that was the only thing I tried. I did not try any ADB recoveries. And I did not use any backup third party apps or the stock rom backup.
I hope this information is enough. I fnot please tell me what information you additionally need!
Thank you again!

Make sure you have checked Automatic Restore and Backup my Data in Settings>Backup & Restore.

And also sync your google account right after a reset. You'll notice that all of your apps are reinstalling in the background.

Hope it helps.

I guess it has to do with what you had on your device installed right before
you wipe & flashed a new Rom.

Google remembers last apps and all


Is it possible to stream a tablet screen to desktop via bluetooth to a PC? This way you could give a presentation (and make annotations), show movies on your tablet and stream it to your PC/laptop which is connected with bluetooth (in e.g. a classroom) with no need to go to the PC.

Has anybody used this setup?

As a teacher it would make a smartboard out of my tablet (which i would buy for this purpose, amongst few others) and a simple bluetooth dongle which I could plug in the school PC.

Looks simple to me, but probably isn't as simple as I imagine?

I'm even prepared to pay a fee for an app if this is available.

I do not know of a way to display your tablet screen other than some sort of display adapter. Things like this with the receiver would allow you to do it wirelessly, but they get mighty expensive.

Additionally, I do not believe bluetooth is designed as a "Display out" port, so to say, and I am hard pressed to believe it would be easy to do this, beside the fact that you may need to write that yourself.

I would recommend something like Splashtop Remote. This does not display your tablet screen on the PC  but allows you to see and control your PC screen from your tablet. So you could not share your tablet screen, but you could still walk around the classroom with your tablet and control what is being projected to the screen.

Also, and I don't know if this works over bluetooth, but you could try the Android Screencast Project. Maybe it has what you need!

I know it's not the solution you're looking for, but hopefully it helps!

There is software that I am looking at called SmartClass by Radix software.  Do a search on Youtube and you will see it in action. :-)  I have been in contact with the software developer and we will be going with the application if we get classroom tablets.


Is it possible for my mobile carrier to track my wifi usage and bill me accordingly? I watch a lot of inspiration videos from TED (www.ted.com.au) on my new Galaxy S2 phone. However, I only do this when I am at home and can access my home wifi network.

My home wifi and the phone's 3G networks are with different providers. Obviously, my phone switches to the home wifi network automatically when I am at home.

My question: Is it possible for my 3G network provider to see/track my wifi usage and bill me accordingly (as if I am using the 3G network) because everything goes through the phone that is on their network?

I am new to smart phones so please bear with me. My monthly 3G data download allowance is only 150 MB but my home wifi came with 5 GB.

Of course not. Your WiFi will go through your WiFi chip to AP and to some other ISP. There is no connection with 3G just like you can use WiFi even without SIM.

But your carrier can(though highly unlikely) use some tracking program to track you and find what you are doing. Even if they do, the WiFi usage won't be counted as 3G.

One advice I'd like to give you is sometimes you think you're on WiFi but due to many reasons you might not be connected to WiFi and you might be browsing over 3G. So just keep an eye for that.

Just flick your phone to flight mode, this stops the 3G from clicking over if your wifi falls off for whatever reason.


Huawei does not accept password to unlock I have a Huawei tablet it was reset  now when i try to sign in with Google it gives me a message shown on the image.

What can i do? Thanks.

Please sign in using one of the owner's accounts for this device


Using Swype, or a Swype-like keyboard, is there a way to type without lifting my finger up? Swype is great, but I feel like it could be even faster/more fluid if you just dragged your finger over the space bar/performed some other gesture to insert a space between words, rather than having to pick up your finger. Is there any way to add functionality like this to Swype? Alternatively, are there any good gesture-based keyboards that support this?

Your lifting the finger between words IS a gesture. And I guess that's the fastest & easiest one without confusing the keyboard.

try this Jellybean new keyboard .
It is fast enough.

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1966456


Is there an XMPP (Jabber) client for Android that supports video calling? I have searched quite a bit but still javen't manged to find a general Jabber client that supports video calling. There are a few that support sending video files though.

No there is no federated XMPP Client for Android that supports video calling. Federated because there many proprietary XMPP Clients that do so, but they work only within their own network.

The reason because there is no such XMPP client is pretty simple: Jingle (the XEP which is used for XMPP video calling), is pretty new and most XMPP libraries don't support it yet. This is especially true for the most relevant XMPP library Smack (relevant because it's a Java library). Smack has some Jingle components, but the development on them stopped years ago and they don't seem up to date.

Update: Jingle development in Smack gained some traction in the last months.

official android jitsi repository  is on hold.
and the github repository does not allow to publish issues

i found this github fork where android jitsi testers can publish issues

https://github.com/xavierle/jitsi-android


Disable permanently or uninstall the exchange services I'm fighting with the exchange services on my Samsung Galaxy S4. They can render the phone unusable, draining even 40-50% of battery during the day. I've deactivated the Exchange account mail synchronization, and I'm constatly killing the app when I notice it's running, but it keeps respawning which is extremally annoying. And if I don't notice, I can find myself out outside without battery power to do other things I need.

Is there a way to permanently disable the exchange services, or even completely remove it from the device?

First try clearing the app data of the stock email app in settings->apps, if that doesn't work:
If you go to settings->apps again and click on the stock email app (not gmail) then click disable, that should do the trick.
However:
If you still have a non-gmail email you could try lowering the sync frequency from push to every 30 mins.

Sure. It's super easy and worth freezing that app. Open App Info and tap on "Disable".


I want to copy a zero width space to the clipboard I want to copy a zero width space to the clipboard and paste it somewhere else, but after selecting all, the selecting handle thing doesn't pop up. I'm trying on chrome on this site.

Edit: no, I wouldn't want to do it with a character map

What do you mean here? Do you mean
- ONLY the zws
- zws WITH text

ONLY the zws? Go to Emojipedia - Zero Width Joiner (or click here).
Then click on copy.

zws with text: NO IDEA

Select All & copy the text in the text box from this web address:

https://codepen.io/chriscoyier/full/iLKwm/


How can I view and examine the Android log? There is a lot of interesting stuff in the Android system log, that is helpful in many ways

find root causes of problems
identify misbehaving apps

How can I view and examine the Android log?

Android 4.1 and newer
The preferred way is to download the SDK and use adb logcat (requires to activate "developer options" on device).
There are apps available for viewing the full system log, however they only work on rooted devices or require issuing a manual command via adb to make them work. For more information view see this question.
Android 4.0 and older
You can either download the SDK and use adb logcat or get Logcat Extrem from the Google Play Store, which shows the log directly on your phone.


Phone connected as USB storage but PC can't connect to SD card I have a Huawei Prism II, and my laptop is running Win7.  When I connect it to my laptop's USB port, I get a notification that says "Connected as USB storage," but when I go to My Computer, the phone is showing as:

CD Drive (E:) Mobile Partner
0 bytes free of 7.75 MB
CDFS

So the SD card's memory isn't available to transfer files.  When I go to the Notifications screen and tap "Connected as USB storage", the radio button for "USB storage device" is already selected.  I can select the "Media device (MTP)" option and successfully perform file transfer to/from my SD card this way, but I'm wondering why the "USB storage device" option doesn't make the SD card available.

It looks to me you need the USB driver on your pc. Search Huawei site for "USB driver". Also set "USB Debug" on (on your phone, that is. I don't know if this alone would solve your problem, though).

First Go to [settings]. Then go to (general column). Then go to [developer options]. If you are not getting developer options, then in the same area go to [about the device]. Go to [build number]. Tap on it 5-7 times. Then go to developer options. I guarantee this will help you.


How many SIMs does Data Usage remember? The Data Usage screen of Android seems to remember data usage per SIM. What I want to know is how many SIMs does it remember before deleting the old ones or does it not do that?

With my carrier it's cost effective to activate a new SIM (heavily discounted) every month so was wondering how much data the Data Usage screen would take up.

Each time you change the sim card and use internet, The data will be added up to the previous data. In lollipop, The Data usage moniter screen will show the entire data. If u want to clear that, You have to Root the phone or Reset your phone.
There are many third party apps on Play store to Record usage. And u can also customize them for your need.


google play services do not support your device When I open some application it says Google play services it says "Google play services which some of your applications rely n do not support or device"..what should I do about it?

Following steps helped me. May be you can try.

Go to Settings -> Apps
Find Google play
Click on Uninstall updates
Once Uninstall update is done, Open Google Play several times till it updates to latest version itself.
Open youtube to check if the message is gone and you are able to open youtube.

1) Go to Settings -> Storage
        Clear the Cache (select the item and hit OK to clear it), then:

2) Go to Settings -> Date & Time
        Check the first 2 options -- if they're selected already, uncheck and re-select them; see if the time fixes itself.
        If it works, reboot the device and see if the time sticks. If not:

3) Power off the device, pull out the SIM and re-insert it, then power on the device.
        Repeat Step 2.
        If that doesn't work:

4) Try a different SIM (preferably on a different carrier).

5) Lastly, try to manually set the date to within a few minutes of the actual time, then see if it survives a reboot.

If all of that fails, I would suggest booting into recovery (while device is off, hold Power + Volume Down until you the the 'laying down android' screen) and doing a factory reset (back up your data first).


Android x86 Marshmallow not booting on Virtualbox and VMware Workstation I've downloaded the latest Android x86 (android-x86-6.0_20160129.iso) from here and tried to install it to the HDD on a VM in VMware Workstation and in Virtualbox.

The installation seems to proceed properly (using EXT4, and EFI Grub) and i get a message that it has installed successfully. However when I reboot it passes GRUB, picks the correct Android installation, but it does not boot. I get the result seen in the screenshot below and then a blank screen with a blinking cursor.

I've seen somehow similar questions on Android-SE (here and here), but they use older versions of Android x86 and don't seem to have solutions that work for me.

The VMs in both VMware and Virtualbox have: HDD=4GB(IDE), RAM=2GB, 2 CPUs and they boot through EFI. I've tried nomodeset and xforcevesa in the Grub boot parameters but nothing seems to work.

The .iso does boot up though all the way to the GUI in Live mode (LiveCD).

Any assistance would be greatly appreciated. I have a feeling that the solution might be something linked to the graphics settings but i'm not exactly sure.

Found the solution!

You have to edit menu.lst file. Here is how:

boot in debug mode (usually the second option in boot menu)
when booting stops (for me it just hangs there with flashing cursor and without any prompt) enter mount -o remount,rw /mnt
enter cd /mnt/grub
enter vi menu.lst
press Shift+a
right under the first boot entry find the line starting with kernel initrd=/in (your line might look different; it depends on Android version; in general just find the line that starts with kernel)
at the end of the line type vga=834 nomodeset xforcevesa
press ESC then :wq - these commands will save the file and quit vi
enter cd /
enter umount /mnt
enter reboot -f

Now the system should reboot in the VESA mode of your choice.

This will enforces to use the VESA driver for X.

You can replace the vga=xxx by any number you want for your screen resolution.
Also tested that 832 works fine (gives 800x600 resolution).

You can find all the VESA modes when you use the iso file and pick the boot option to boot in VESA mode - it will show the list with all modes (numbers are in hex and there is also a redundant letter in front of some modes - ignore it) and you can test them there immediately to see if it works and is good to use in this menu.lst fix, but you have to convert it from hex to dec first using any hex->dec converter.

I had the same problem with the installation on my hard-disk and for me the following steps helped:

Like Jay mentioned above: On the installation medium I pressed the [Tab] key.
I wrote down exactly all the arguments like
androidboot.hardware=android_x86_64 and DEBUG=2 etc. which are shown now for the installation medium boot menu entry.
I added all these arguments in my custom grub configuration and updated grub.
When booting I have to enter twice "exit" in the prompt of the console.

Doing this Android booted and started the window manager.

P.S.: Very uncool if an reviewer messes up the format of an answer and than even votes you down without getting the content.


I Rooted My Phone and Uninstalled Google Play Service Even though I was warned, I went and uninstalled Google Play and Services because I've been using iMobile for my app store as I didn't think I needed them any more. Guess I was wrong because now iMobile won't open.

I had same problem few months back. Then what I did was:

I used a second, identical device (running the same Android version), and from there transferred all the components I had accidentally uninstalled on the first one, using some sort of apk sender application.


Can I use 2 android phones as walkie talkie? (without internet!) I want to use 2 (or more) android phones as walkie-talkie (i.e. they talk each other without needing internet/voice call).

Of course this should work with WiFi, because it doesn't make much sense a to have Bluetooth or USB connection for this application.

Here is what I use that do not need an internet connection:

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

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.remaller.android.wifitalkie_lite

There are many push to talk apps on the Marketplace, but they all required an Internet connection. As far as I know, Android doesn't support ad-hoc WiFi connections.


Can I configure my device or computer to stop trying to install software when I connect them? When I plug my HTC ONE into my computer via a USB cable, it always wants to try and install a bunch of random things on my computer that I really don't want nor need. Just plugging it in with the current drivers installed, it shows up fine in my Portable Devices list on Windows 7, as seen here:

Even with it working perfectly fine already, it still insists on installing other stuff. It wouldn't let me capture a screenshot of the User Account Control dialog:

Do you want to allow the following program to make
changes to this computer?
Program name: TL-Boots Application
Verified published: HTC Corp.
File origin: CD/DVD drive

Is there any way I can configure either my phone or computer to stop trying to install all this crap ever time I plug my phone into the computer? It's really annoying always having to click No on that popup every time I plug it in. I really don't want all their excess software that I'll never use on my computer. I can't seem to find anything in the USB settings that mentions auto-installation. Last time I installed this junk it made my simple storage access through My Computer stop working (my phone stopped showing up in the list when connected). That's literally the only feature I even use, so that was rather inconvenient.

Don't have a windows machine handy but look in the microsoft site advises, (for windows 7):

  AutoPlay lets you choose which program to use for different kinds of
  digital media, such as music CDs or pictures from your digital camera.

  Show all To turn AutoPlay on or off

  When you turn AutoPlay on, you can choose what should happen when you
  insert different types of digital media into your computer. For
  example, you can choose which digital media player is used to play
  CDs. When AutoPlay is turned off, you are prompted to choose what you
  want to do when you insert digital media into your computer.

  Open AutoPlay by clicking the Start button Picture of the Start
  button, and then clicking Control Panel. In the search box, type
  autoplay, and then click AutoPlay.

  Do one of the following:

  To turn AutoPlay on, select the Use AutoPlay for all media and devices
  check box.

  To turn AutoPlay off, clear the Use AutoPlay for all media and devices
  check box.

  Click Save.

N.B. It is almost always a good idea to turn this off as it stops malicious code on CDs/DVDs/USB keys/etc from being able to run.

Try to connect the phone as MTP Device > Under the USB connection settings.

Should help!


how to root Galaxy SL GT i9003 for DDLF2 I am running official Samsung ROM build version 2.6.3 DDLF2. I wish to root it for reverse tethering and few other utilities. Need a trusted link for rooting tutorial or a rooting package for the same.

Your device seems to be quite easy to root.

Make sure you have Samsung Kies installed.
Download Odin 1.8.3
Go here and download the appropriate file for your firmware. To find out you firmware's version, you can run dumpstate on the phone (via adb shell or any terminal application). The fifth line of the output will contain the version identifier (like Build: GINGERBREAD.XWKPG).
Start your phone in download mode. Switch off your phone, and restart it while holding power + volume down + home
Enter download mode and plug your phone into your PC.
Start Odin and put the firmware you just downloaded into the PDA box.
Click Start. Your phone should reboot after a while.
Congratulations! You are now rooted!
Switch off your phone and reboot into Recovery by holding volume up + home + power.
Wipe Dalvik Cache.
Reboot.

Source

The BAM kernel v15 beta will root your device. Just flash it via Odin and that's it!!  There you will get everything what you need!

I own the same phone, and I feel it's safest way to root because some newbies flash some other packages which break their Wi-Fi or even cause the phone to boot loop.


How to login to Android with Security Key? I would like to login to my android by my security key.
The phone has NFC support which is the easiest way to authenticate the login if supported.
I am thinking how to accomplish the task by 3rd party app.
The login is well maintained by the OS so not sure if possible at all to change the login way.

Security key: YubiKey Neo (NFC support)
Android: 7.x, 8.x

Not supported by default in Android 7 nor Android Oreo 8.x.


How can I delete backed up Google+ photos off of the phone? How can I delete backed up Google+ photos off of the phone? I know Flikr has support for this, and I don't think there is a way to do this natively with Google+, so is there a 3rd party app or utility?

Using the Photos app, tap the hamburger menu (the three bars in the upper left corner), scroll down and choose On Device. You should be able to delete these without touching the backup. If you are prompted Delete Everywhere, select cancel, you are in the wrong place.

You could also use a file explorer app, such as ES File Explorer. Your photos are stored in DCIM>Camera. You should be able to select all and delete.

But if you are asking for something that will auto-delete them as you go, there doesn't seem to be a way to do this with Google Photos. Since they have recently been integrated with Google Drive, a new solution may arise soon.

You need to go to Google+ app and delete your photos from there.


LOTS of red pixels Meizu M2 I've had lots of red pixels with my Meizu M2 (Flyme 5.1.6.0G) when I increased luminosity
I tried JScreenFix with luminosity at 100% but I just got some more when luminosity is at 0%...
Anyone knows how to fix this ?
Thanks.

PS: It does not appear in screenshots

I just had to make the color temperature a bit colder... and I see no red pixels, and rarely some blue ones !


/etc/hosts file is ignored (android) I changed my hosts file using ES Explorater after root to

127.0.0.1 youtube.com

but it still takes to the real website, I tried on chrome browser and the default browser. I found the same problem on many forums but it didn't help me at all. can any one help me?

I had a similar issue.

Check if the content of hosts ends with a line feed. The trailing line feed is required.

On the most Android systems, /system/etc/hosts is used as the hosts file.

You can read how to change the hosts file from a desktop computer here.


Local Phone contacts not syncing with google I have a OnePlus one mobile. The contacts that I store are getting stored in the Local Phone  (I am able to see this when I select "Show Contacts from phone alone"). Those new contacts are not visible in my google contacts and these new contacts are also not visible in Whatsapp.

What should I do to resolve this?

Try saving all contacts you want to sync to Google. This should fix the problem. You do this by opening the contact page, tapping edit, and then tapping on the "Location" text box. This will open another window and you should be able to change where the contact is stored. You also need to go to Google Account settings (in the Accounts section of Settings), and ticking Contacts under What to sync.

Try re syncing your contacts. I had this same problem and re syncing my contacts work.


Differance in installing a rom from a different country What are the differences in ROMs that are from different countries? Like for the S4 GT-i9500 4.3, There are some many country versions. Is it just localization differences? or something at system level?

Yes, it's OK to flash stock ROM from another country. BUT, take note that it may have different languages, and a different baseband/modem. Having a different baseband can cause network issues (or a very hot phone), but you can flash a baseband that works for your country.

If you install different countries ROM, you will get some different app that follows in that country region.


Shortcut of end the call This might seem a foolish question but I'm facing this basic issue on my Samsung Galaxy Y Duos (android 2.3.6). This is my first Androide device and using it only since a week and a basic issue is ruining my Android experience.

While on call, if I press home button by mistake (Habit of last mobile), call minimize to top bar. This is specially painful when I need to cancel the call in urgency and I found call is minimized to taskbar, which then take considerable time to open the call and end it.

Is there any way to end the call immediately (shortcut) or at the least prevent the call to minimize during call.

Most basic and primary purpose of phone is to make/receive calls. I'm sure android must have taken care of that but its frustrating for me not to find that basic function.

Go to your phone settings menu. Under Accessibility, click the checkbox for Power button ends call.

Be careful using this with bluetooth. I have accidentally ended calls because I wanted to put the phone in my pocket; I pressed the power button (don't want my touchscreen active: I might accidentally end the call!), and the call ended.

Power Key End Call will let you end a call by pressing the power key. This should solve your problem; you can press the power key on any screen and end the current call.


Contacts and Phone icons missing My Contacts and Phone icons are missing from my primary shortcuts bar. I can't restore from the Edit in the app drawer since they don't show there. Can anybody point me in the right direction?

(Samsung Galaxy Note)

Same happened to me on my NOTE 3, and what I found was I had inadvertently TURNED OFF the CONTACTS app.

On Samsung phones go to Settings, General tab, Application Manager scroll to the last page labeled "TURNED OFF". Click on the app you need to turn on and select Turn On.

That did it for me.

Go to Settings → Apps → All → Phone and press the Force to Stop button. Phone now will appear


Missed calls log not showing in Lenovo A7000 My mobile is Lenovo A7000 with Android lolipop
Recently I the missed call logs not showing, sometimes for one or the other number it shows, it might be stored contact or new but the log is not happening, I also cleared the logs and cleared cache memory of call logs, but not fixed.
I tried updating firmware too but no use.
Please suggest me, thanks.

Today I was checking my phone for call log but didn't find anything, but after while I open securezone from statusbar on home screen all call logs are visible. So turn on secure zone.


Do I have any chance to recover this video? Using Samsung Galaxy ACE s5830
Android 2.3.6

Well I made a mistake. I was recording an important video with my smartphone (the default video recorder) and then I put the cellphone close to my chest. I noticed later that the video stopped but i thought it was saved. seems like somehow the jacket touched a cancel button (not delete) and then ok. odd but it happened.
now i dont find the video.
My question is if anyone knows if i have any chance to recover the video from a place in the SD memory, probaly using an forensic tool to recover deleted files. I mean if the data was being created somewhere in a temp file until its done, It could be recovered but as this is android i dont have idea.
The video was important so I'll try anything.
NOTE: checking in windows, it shows the modification date in the folder DCIM\Camera, corresponding to the moment i was recording. So at least there was access to that specific folder.

thanks

If the video is recorded, then it will be saved to your phone. But for your case, what I guess is that the video is not recorded.


recursive adb pull a directory using $EXTERNAL_STORAGE parameter I wish to pull a directory from an Android device which contains screenshots, reason why, is that I don't know the name of these screenshots to pull them 1 by 1, so pulling the directory seemed a better idea.

My command is,

adb pull "\\$EXTERNAL_STORAGE/screen/" .

However I get the error,

remote object '\\$EXTERNAL_STORAGE/screen/' does not exist

I have tried with and without the trailing '/' but both same error message, and I have verified that 'screen' does actually exist.

My question, is it even possible to pull a directory, as opposed to individual files, and if so, what am I doing incorrect?

EDIT:
I have read a similar issue, but my device still shows the error above rather than "Is a directory"
Recursive adb pull

Thanks.

If the screenshots are getting saved in external SD card then I believe external SD card is set as default write-disk. In that case, you can do,

adb pull /sdcard/{YOUR_DIR}/ {TARGET_DIR}

I use my custom alias named adbshots which is,

/usr/bin/adb pull /sdcard/Pictures/Screenshots/ /root

try this. This should work.

adb pull /sdcard/screen/


Taking pictures using an external (USB) camera on a Samsung Galaxy S2 Question: How can we take a picture using an external, USB camera, on a Samsung Galaxy S2 (setup in host mode, using an OTG (On The Go) cable), running Android 4.0.3 (Ice Cream Sandwich).

Details:
We are trying to build an app as part of a project, where the phone will be out of sight (e.g. in someone's pocket), but the external camera can take a picture (on demand) that our app can process. We have seen evidence of success using OTG and flash drives/mice/keyboards, but are unsure of what difficulties may arise (and how to approach them) for a USB webcam.

Given that we are trying to write an app (API level 15), other pointers (with regard to interfacing with the external camera) would be appreciated (as a starting point, we really would like to just prove that the camera CAN work - that is, using any existing app, take a picture using the external camera).

Beyond basic recognition and potential problems, we are concerned (perhaps needlessly) about the power that the phone can provide to the USB camera - is it likely that this will be sufficient to power the camera?

If it is not possible to use a USB webcam as an external camera on an Android phone, other suggestions as to how we can setup an external camera to work with the phone, would be appreciated.

Specifications:
Android version: 4.0.3 - Ice Cream Sandwich
API level 15
Device: Samsung Galaxy 2
Model GT-I9100M
Build Number: IML74K.UGLD3

I found this: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=infinitegra.trial.usbcamera
This is an Android application to display and record the video from an USB camera which is connected to a smart phone or a tablet device. For more details please check his website: http://www.infinitegra.co.jp/en/solution/AndroidApp1-spec.htm

you should try this: Webeecam Free-USB Web Camera

This android application displays/records video and captures images from a USB UVC camera that is connected to Android phone or tablet device. This a free trial version so you can check if it works.


Device wants desperately to install a package (com.google.system.s) on its own I have in my hands a Mpie M8 device (Android 5), The previous owner said it wasn't working properly and I suspected it had a virus. I factory reset it and now the phone wants desperately to install com.google.system.s every 5 seconds even though I press cancel and even though I have WiFi off. I install it and it said that it is about locking. The phone started restarting all the time. I downloaded 360 Security and it said this is malware.

I tried to uninstall it and it said that this app is deep in my phone. I finally uninstall it (with a lots of sweat). And I have the same problem again, every 5 seconds. What is this file? What should I do?

From experience, flashing in any conventionally accepted way instantaneously bricks this Mpie M8. It takes a lot of efforts to unbrick it, too. So work with what you have, root it first so that the malware can be managed. When the auto-installation-without-permission starts, pull down notification and click on app info to see which system process is being hijacked and disable it immediately. As an example, mine shows Launcher and Android Service are involved. Have used a different launcher instead just to be on the safe side. Android Service, hiding in /system/priv-app as android_service_800000_0923_outsea.apk, appears the true culprit. Once deleted, the phone runs flawlessly. Of course your phone may have different malware in it depending on which malicious websites that you have visited. Good luck.

Go to Settings → Security → Device Administrators and uncheck  COM.GOOGLE.SYSTEM.S. Now you can uninstall it.


Galaxy A3 2016 bluetooth problem.Devices are visible but won't pair I have a Samsung Galaxy A3 2016 Android Version 7.0 .

Pairing with other devices was working just fine until the last couple of months .

Lately my device can discover other devices , but pairing is not working with any device .

I tried to pair it with my laptop, beats and a LED bulb but it's not working .

Any ideas ?

It may not work but I just rebooted the phone then paired again and it worked !  Mike


Displaying age of contact on birthday calendar events When entering birthdays on a Galaxy Ace S8530i (e.g. Tim 1993), how can I get the calendar to show Tim 1993 20 where the 20 on the end is Tim's age?

First of all, remember that you can only do this with your birthdays and events that are in your google account contacts. NOT phone contacts.

Go to google.com/calendar from a computer.
Under Other calendars in the left pane, click add.
Click Browse interesting calendars
Click More (the More next to Sports).
On Contacts' birthdays and events, click subscribe.
Sync your contacts and calendar with your google account.

After sucessful syncing, the events should appear in your handsets calendar.

If you need to add the event details of your phone contacts, you need to export your phone contacts to your google account (or to your Gmail)

See this link for more info


Samsung Kies fails to restore all my stuff. What other software can I use to complete the process? I spoke with the Samsung Support today, and as part of the troubleshooting process they asked me to do a backup of the phone and then reset it. I followed through and I've done that (the initial problem still remained). What they failed to tell me is that I won't be able to restore all my stuff to the phone. Because apparently, the Samsung Kies (version 2.6.1.13105_7) can only restore some parts of your data from a previous backup.

When you make a backup, it offers to include everything in the backup. Here's a list of the stuff it offers to backup.

 - Contacts
 - S Planner (Calendar)
 - Call log(s)
 - S Health
 - Message(s)
 - Videos
 - Music
 - Photos
 - Miscellaneous content files
 - Ringtone(s)
 - Applications
 - Home screen
 - Wi-Fi
 - Lock screen
 - Email account information
 - Other preferences

(Click on screenshots below for a bigger view.)

This is what it offers to restore after the reset.

 - Contacts
 - S Planner
 - Message
 - Videos
 - Music
 - Photos
 - Miscelaneous content files

Obviously, it offers to restore less than half of the things it had taken a backup of. Why offer to backup something you know you can't restore?... This makes absolutely no sense! It's absolutely insane!!

The options that I can't select for restore are greyed out. There's also a small blue warning triangle icon with exclamation mark on the side of each of these options. If I hover over this icon I get a bubble message explaining the following.

  This item cannot be restored to the connected device.

What the hell is that supposed to mean?... It's still the same bloody "smart" phone! It's not like I have switched to some Samsung Bada phone or something. It's exactly the same phone?... So what the hell!?...

How do I restore the rest of the stuff like apps, app data, messages, account settings, customized settings, widgets and app shortcuts on the home screens?

I can see it has taken a backup of more than it likes to admit! I can see a whole list of APK files in a subfolder of the backup location. I recognize some of them as the apps I had previously installed. So why doesn't it want to restore them then?

File locations...

Everything that has been backed up can be found in this location.

%userprofile%\Documents\samsung\Kies\Backup\GT-I9506\GT-I9506_\GT-I9506_20140108044055

Contacts, logs, messages, calendar events, etc. is stored in

.\Calllog.scl
.\Contacts.spb
.\LockScreen.sls
.\Message.sme
.\SHealth.ssh
.\SPlanner.ssc
.\Wallpaper.swp
.\WIFI.swi

Even the Wifi settings!

Apps are stored in

.\APPLICATION\_SamsungBnR_\Abackup

Some sort of settings are stored in

.\CONFIGURATION\BR\Configuration.bk

Email messages are stored in

.\EMAIL\BR\Email.bk

Music files are stored in

.\Music

App data seems to be stored in a folder named Others
e.g. the backup files from ColorNote are stored in

.\Others\data\colornote\backup

Pictures are stored in

.\Photo

Videos are stored in

.\Video

Photos and videos are stored as actual media files and they can be read without a problem. But all the other files (scl, spb, sls, sme, ssh, ssc, swp, swi, bk) are encoded in a format I can't read, and some might be encrypted. Is there a way I can open and make use of these files and have them imported to the phone? Or is it just garbage now?

I solved the same problem with Samsung Kies (version 2.6.1.13105_7) installing older version 2.6.0.13074_14 downloaded from Samsung pages.

http://www.samsung.com/cz/support/model/GT-I9195ZKAETL-downloads


Call blocking with spoken message? Does anyone know of a call blocker that will let you create a voice message for blocked calls?

What I want is to block calls from hidden numbers. This is almost always salespeople so I want to just block them, but maybe once in a while someone with no ill intent might be calling from a line with a hidden number.

So I want the app to actually take the call, but not tell me about it. Then it should play a sound file that I make and then hang up.

This will let me tell the person at the other end, that I just blocked them to get rid of salespeople and that if they are not such a "person" then they should just use SMS.

I know that some of the apps will let you type in a text that will be sent to blocked callers, but as it will almost never be a cellphone, but an old land line with blocked number, then that will not help a lot.

If no one knows of an app that will let me do this, then I will just have to make it my self, but I thought I'd better ask first.

I found one that does just this last week. Check out http://www.youmail.com. It's an app you download, but can manage it from their website. You can record different greetings for different people; family, business and the main reason I got it.... the number has been disconnected for people I REALLY don't want to talk to! I also have a msg just for Blocked Called IDs, telling them I dont accept them and to unblock their number. And...it's FREE :)

Well, the only thing that blocks the call from coming through to your phone (you never know about it, it shows up nowhere) and gives a message to the caller who blocks their number stating that there is call restrictions is "Family Base" from Verizon, but it charges you $5/month. Yes, that is a bit much to spend monthly just to have this 'convenience', it seems to be the only way I can figure out how to take care of those calls.

I did use an app called "Call Filter". That app would not notify you of the attempted call, & what I liked was it just 'hung-up' & not go to voicemail. But, since I have a 'Jellybean' update, I guess the app does not support that yet, so I got a "free month 'trial'" of the 'Family Base' until I can either find an app that does not send call to voicemail, or the "Call Filter" app updates to support the 5.+ Jellybean update.

Hope this helps someone, but I can't give a definitive answer as to if it works outside the USA.


samsung galaxy s2 continually flashes and will not turn on I hope someone can please help me!! I have had my galaxy s2 for about 1 year with no problems until now.  I have never dropped the phone or gotten it wet etc...today I forgot to pay my bill and phone was shut off by ATT. Once I realized, I paid the bill and had it turned back on.  When it came back on, I could make and receive calls however I Could not connect to the internet or use facebook without turning on WIFI.

If I tried to use internet with no WIFI it said no internet connection.  I then decided to turn the phone off by pressing and holding down the power button.  I waited a few seconds then tried to turn the phone back on.  It began to boot up by flashing the normal samsung galaxy s2 screen.  Instead of fully booting, it continually flashes the samsung galaxy s2 screen over and over.  After 10+ minutes of this, I decided to remove the battery and try it that way.  I am still having the same issue!

The battery is fully charged and when I try to connect it to my computer, the computer does not reconize any decives.  I have a lot of pictures, videos and contacts that I am extremely afraid to lose because I have not copied them to my computer for quite some time....I pray that someone can please help me!!

As far as I can tell this is what you need to do. NOTE: This information comes from my research and not my experience and while this may make your phone usable you may lose your data. I suggest removing your microSD card as it is most likely where your pictures and video are:

Download ODIN from here
Register at Sammobile here
Download your firmware here
Open ODIN
Put your Firmware.tar file in the PDA box and tick PDA (DO NOT TICK OR UNTICK ANYTHING ELSE)
Attach your phone to your computer using your USB cable and click Start. Don't do anything else until it is done.

It's possible that the button is stucked. All you have to do is hold down the power button until it works.


How to Disable Screen Rotation Icon I lock my screen rotation to portrait, and I have my navigation bar hidden to provide more screen real estate.

With the navigation bar hidden, I have come to experience the rotation icon appear in the bottom right corner just above the virtual keyboard enter/submit key. As it would typically be displayed in the navigation bar, it has its separate icon when it is hidden.

This is a problem because even when the icon is invisible, it blocks the touch to the vk key, albeit a tiny sliver of the edge still able to be pressed.

Is there a way that I can retain the hidden navigation bar and disable the rotation icon?

Additional information: My phone is stock, not rooted.

Edit

As of software update G965FXXU2CSB3/G965FOXM2CSB3/G965FXXU2CSB3, this is no longer an issue. However, I would still like to know how to disable the icon from appearing.

Or you could do it the easy way.... I just figured it out with a lightbulb moment turning my flashlight brightness down

Unless Google or Samsung bring out an update to give you the option to disable it, the icon can't be disabled.