Ask Android

The phone models shouldn't matter should they? One is on Android 11 and the other is on 13. I can only get them to connect for about a second, then the connection drops out. And yes, they're right next to each other.

And where the hell am I supposed to enter the 'pairing code' thing? No entry box pops up on either device..

You can't remove things from it, you cannot rearrange it... Useless things and suggestions get stuck at the top.

I'm on Android 13. Have they made any improvements in the newer versions of Android?

I accidentally all Gboard layouts and can’t enter my password anymore. I do have some other keyboard apps, but they don’t load immediately after booting. adb shows no devices, probably need to unlock and allow USB debugging… I thought about connecting a hardware keyboard. How would that work?

I bought a galaxy Tab a7 lite at an estate sale place. Tried to set it up, but it's locked out of resetting without a password which unfortunately died with it's previous owner. I called samsung, who told me I need to find someone to do a factory reset bypass.

I don't want to use it as a phone, just as a tablet.

I did some reading online and looked at some software supposedly meant for the purpose, but no luck.

Any advice out there?

I will be recieving a gastric surgery somewhere in the future. After which, I am to follow a strict schedule for eating and drinking. I looked at a lot of routine apps, and tasker apps. But they all lack the flexibility I need. Or I am just missing it.

Why I need it: my life does not fit a daily or weekly strict schedule. It is quite dynamic when my day actually starts and varies month by month.

If I have to move the tasks or alarms manually every time, I know I won't be able to stick to it.

If I have to manage a massive list of routines for any possible starting time. I will probably overwhelm myself and abandon the schedule.

What I need:

• Able to set a day spanning routine, that can be started at any time.
• Have an alarm that can be snoozed, and will also push all next task with the same amount.
• Be able to trigger a task early, and push all next event forward by the same time.
• Have a buy-once option
• Nice to have: wearos support

I am about to investigate how to make this myself. But I would suspect someone already made this.

Thank you for reading, and your time.

Q: Is it still possible to have "Web & App Activity" turned off, but also have history of previously searched places in Google Maps?

This was possible until recently (Pixel 8), and came back this week for a few days, but now my history is empty again with a button trying to get me to turn on privacy cancer.

(Yes I use OSMAnd and Organic Maps when I can already.)

It shows up every time I dismiss or switch apps and displays over other stuff that might be more relevant. Any way to turn it off?

I'm considering stock pixel 9, but I was wondering if anyone had specific critiques of Gemini's privacy.

I use LLM bots frequently, but am a bit hesitant to let one take over my phone.

In light of what's happened to Durov and possibly seeing Telegram compromised, I'm doubling my efforts to find a new main messenger. Before you start, not Signal as it's a bad fit for the needs of me, my family and friends.

So what do I need?

• The ability to run on multiple devices. Me, my family and friends all have multiple Android devices.
• The ability to run on desktop. Linux and Windows.
• Built in sticker repository. What can I say, I like to lazy flirt.
• Animated Emoji. I like my messenger experience vibrant.
• Material You. Again with the vibrancy, but also, it's a sign of modernity.
• Phone number linking. My family and friends are lazy as hell.
• Synchronized chats. I don't mind self hosting a bridge, but the ability to see messages on multiple devices is a must.
• Voice Messages
• Video Calls
• Group Video Calls
• Stories integrated into as first class citizens
• Private. If you suggest WhatsApp, I'm assuming you're either stupid or a troll.

Can anyone recommend anything?

So i have really been contemplating rooting my Pixel to gain more control over the android OS. I know this comes with risks and if your not carefully one can brick their phone.

I have already been able to decentralize myself from googles stock Android OS with out root by side loading Graphene OS on to my device which has worked out great.

Just wanted to get some input on whether it's worth the hassle to reflash a factory android is by google just to root the phone, then proceed with installing another non Google android os once again.

Input from anyone with more knowledge than mW regarding this matter would be greatly appreciated.

I know the title may sound a bit misleading, but this is my situation: I'm interested in using a custom launcher on my device, but the problem is that there's this option to "Pause app" that I want to use to prevent some apps from using my battery or getting my location or something, but I can't do that on custom launchers (for obvious reasons). Does this thing actually works or there isn't any actual difference?

I've used LineageOS with microG on my Oneplus 6 for years — so happily, in fact, that I haven't bothered with major updates since version 17 (Android 10). Oops!

Now I've been flashing updates to an older phone, and I might as well continue getting my daily driver up to date. I'm going to dirty flash my way up to the current version (21). But I'm rusty as all heck, and the upgrade instructions seem to have changed since last:

1. Back in '21 I recall being recommended to disable screenlock (fingerprint/PIN/pattern, etc) before upgrading. Is that still a thing?
2. With a/b slot devices it used to be necessary to flash ROMs twice or use a copy-partitions or simiilar zip file. The instructions make no mention of it, is that rolled into the upgrade package now?
3. Finally, is it safe to just upgrade directly from LOS/mG v18 to v21? Because neither LOS main or the mG branch seem to archive older versions but I'd hate to miss some system update or other.

All help is appreciated!

Edited for clarity: Please don't offer suggestions on "better" phones or OSes — my question regards the above only. Thanks in advance 👍

First time buying a tablet, seeking feedback.

https://m.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_tab_s6_lite_(2024)-12897.php

https://m.gsmarena.com/lenovo_tab_k11_plus-13186.php

Lenovo has awful update cycle but the display is bigger.

just something basic and open source

I want to compile all the GUI LineageOS apps and release their APKs.

To make them installable on other Android OS, I need to change the app ID. Otherwise Android would attempt an upgrade and fail because of mismatching keys.

For example the LineageOS Clock

There are many many files that refer to com.android.deskclock which I want to change to org.lineageos.deskclock.

Do I just need to change this line? And can I leave all the others normal?

I think I got build failures when changing more, and I wonder if I would need to change all the lines (using sed or something)

Most of the messaging apps are "secure" hence save their data, downloads in locked space. They do allow one to save a particular image or file anywhere but it is a manual process not practical if I want to access all images I received in the last 5 years.

WhatsApp has been good for me in this regard because it saves them in a user accessible directory. But recently WhatsApp has made it impossible to use offline as backup because it refuses to read from it in a new phone. Only Google Drive backup is allowed.

Is there any other app which allows storage in a user accessible location?

I have a DVD hard copy, but no DVD player. Anyway, I found the DVD online and downloaded it, only problem is it's a 7GB mkv. Is there a method to shrink it down by around 6GB?

Is Google Services Framework ID (GSF ID) of the device visible and accessible to all apps downloaded on the device on Android 10 and higher? Or is the GSF ID only visible and accessible to privileged apps?

Im currently using Traditional ZH(HK) language setting, which uses the date display system as the (for lack of better words) "Chinese system", where dates are listed like "6月19日, 週三", however I would like to use the Seven Luminaries system (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Names_of_the_days_of_the_week#East_Asian_tradition), available on the JP language setting, which displays date like "6月19日(水)". I do not know Japanese but would like to use this date system whilst using Traditional ZH(HK) language setting. I have tried messing with settings in the Samsung Calendar app as well as messing with the settings of the phone itself but I cant figure it out.

I think I have done a pretty good job at describing what im asking about, but if not, I have also asked about it on Google support where I also included pictures: Change date display system on phone - Android Community (google.com)

Thanks for the help!

Recently formatted my phone. Reinstalled whatsapp n the imported the backup.
It seems very slow and buggy. After 1-3 mins of usage, the app starts acting up and after a minute or so autocloses.

Has anyone experienced the same?

I'm planning on reinstalling to check whether that fixes the issue. Asking here to see if anyone has experienced something similar and/or has resolved it.

I rarely "app", but when I do, I usually get them from F-Droid. Unfortunately, I had to actually go into the Play store today to install my work's new authenticator app. Play Store is practically unusable with ads and "suggestions" strewn all over the place and the app info scattered around those almost like an afterthought. My device's ad-blockers are DNS-based, so there's no blocking those.

I vaguely recall there was at least one alternate frontend for Play Store, but it's been forever and a day since I last went down that route. I don't recall the name of it, and definitely have no clue if it still works or not.

Are there (still?) any recommended alternate frontends for Play Store?

Edit: Aurora Store was the one I was trying to remember. Thanks to @[email protected] and @[email protected] for that. If you know of any others, please share; always nice to have more than one alternative.

So I noticed that when you close an app, most apps, they never actually quit. Is this a new behavior? Or am I missing a setting to terminate, completely, an app when I actually close it without using Force Stop on everything.

I seem to be suffering from the above bug

https://github.com/TeamNewPipe/NewPipe/issues/11139

but it only seems to pervade if I'm using Tailscale to VPN ~~home~~ to my exit node at a family members house?

Is Google / YT blocking the use of VPN's here / anyone else experiencing this?

I'm thinking about resetting my phone to see if it fixes a mobile data download issue.

I want to avoid losing important data and also avoid cloud services for backup, as much as possible.
So, how should one ideally go about it?

• I can directly backup all files in /storage/emulated/0
• I can backup contacts as vcf
• I can backup apk's using apk extractor
• I can write down saved passwords in Chrome and Firefox
• Create backups from apps like Pipepipe and Mihon. And also get the database file from whsap

Is there a way to save preferences for apps without root?
Are there foss or offline apps that simplify this?
~~Also is there a way to locally backup google calendar?~~
(Fossify calendar seems to have an export local calendar option. The backup file seems to be supported by google calendar too.)

Are there other things that I'm overlooking?
Would like to get suggestions/advice on this.
Thanks in advance.