Ask Android

Recently, I came across an article talking about hardware security features in android. It was talking about radio HAL versions.

I wanted to see which version is present on my android 14 device.

The article in question: https://security.googleblog.com/2024/08/keeping-your-android-device-safe-from.html

I was using the Nova launcher forever, but it's been getting buggier and buggier and support just blames android. plus I understand there are privacy concerns about them these days

I switched to hyperion, and it works just fine except for one feature, and I can't get support to respond anywhere for any reason.

which launcher do you use, and why do you like it?

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.

Whenever I watch the in car cameras in the NASCAR app, the whole interface for laps, driver positions etc is shifted downward, and when I try to do a screen share with smart view, a huge gray bar appears at the top. I'm in a Samsung Galaxy s20fe, and how do I fix this?

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.

Hello, I'm looking to upgrade my Huawei PSmart 2020 and considering these 3 options.

-Galaxy S21 5G 128GB - 276€

-Galaxy S22 5G 128GB - ~~276~~ 378€

-Galaxy S23 128GB - 539€

Which one is the best price-quality match? If you have any other recommendations I'll be happy to hear them.

I'm in Spain and the store selling them is backmarket. Thanks!

I recently bought a Redmi,and I skipped the setup process,since I was in a different city from my old phone and now I cant get back my photos and videos,I tried copying it on a PC from phone to phone but it doesn't work,idk what to do

It happens only when Google Maps is navigating and the phone ist connected to the cars aux cord via usb c to aux adapter. The device is a Fairphone 4 running Android 13.

My search skills fail me at this one. Any ideas how to stop this?

I use Solid Explorer a lot. I use it mostly to transfer files from my phone to my Samba network storage. However, in the past couple days, this has randomly stopped working for Solid Explorer and I can no longer connect to my NAS as a guest. I've confirmed that it's a Solid Explorer problem by connecting with Material Files and so I tried to contact NeatBytes and got no response, so now I'm looking for an alternative.

You might be thinking, if Material Files works, why not use that? It's single pane. I really need a dual pane user experience.

The other thing I would really like is a Material You looking/feeling user experience. One of my issues with Solid Explorer is that it feels a bit dated.

With all that in mind, can you recommend something please?

Looking at my Pi-Hole logs, one app is trying hard AF to contact segment.io. The only issue is, it's my second phone and while most apps are the same as what's on my first, I tried uninstalling a bunch and it's still trying desperately. Does anyone know of a way to find out which app is the culprit?

Hey! I looked around a bit and the last thread like this I found was several months ago, so I thought I'd make a new one. As per the title, what game do you play on your phone? I'm both looking for new ones myself by also hope others might find some of interest to them.

For my own part of this I mostly like puzzle games, especially these:

Hook, Klocki, NABOKI etc. from Rainbow Trains games

Monument Valley games from ustwo games

The Room series from Fireproof games

I Love Hue duology from Zut!

And all the games from Legenbeary games (very addicted to Wordathlon, currently at level 3253)

(all playstore links)

Would love recommendations of any lesser-known similar ones! But post anything you like of course. :)

Hope anyone finds something they like from my list above or recommend by others in comments (if there are any, heh).

Cheers!

I have Xiaomi Redmi note 12 prop plus ( HYPER os)

So a few months ago i change LTE BAND settings in Engineer mode by Phone dialer (##3646633##)

Now i have other interface of this app and there are no all options, i can't set LTE BAND settings

Can anyone help me ?

https://imgur.com/a/T7k7Cri

I think it happened after updating the system from miui 14 to hyper os

https://www.reddit.com/r/AndroidQuestions/comments/1d0mqb0/problem_with_engineer_mode_app/

I have Samsung Galaxy f12. It has a Voice recorder which was pre installed from Galaxy store. I had a software update 4 days ago and my Voice recorder is also updated.

I access it a lot and recently it is having problems. I access it mostly thru the lockscreen shortcut. I press the record button then record the stuff but when I press the save button it doesnt save the recording for a few seconds to minutes. It stops the recording but then it looks more like it froze with the play/pause button,save button and recording timer still visible. Then it closes the recording and goes back to being a big red button which we are supposed to press for a new rec, but it doesnt show me the usual pop up message on the bottom of the screen saying that my voice recording is saved as this name etc etc.

I did 5 recs tonight. When i went to check in my recorded stuff i saw nothing until a few mins when it saved the last 2 recordings only after showing this message "recording stopped suddenly. Recording is now saved as xxx" or smth like that. I cant see my past 3 recs in the folders/albums of saved recs.

I even opened the app itself and recorded thru it but the same problem persisted.

I just want to know how and why this happened and will i get my recs back through any way?? Also what can i do to prevent it? I have cleared the cache too, i have kept it updated always but still this happened.

Hello,

Just noticed this the other day as I switched from Heliboard to Gboard. I have the same vibration settings on both (30 ms), but Gboard just feels more responsive, while Heliboard feels kind of clunky.

Does anybody experience the same? Can anything be done about it?