MTS: GSM + GPS real time tracking and messaging - General Topics

I am not sure if this is the right section where to post this, but I didn't find any general software dedicated sections.
Mobile Tracking System is a complete solution for GSM and GPS tracking and for SMS or e-mail (push) messaging.
Some of the Mobile Tracking System features:
- displays on the mobile phone the current location (like Celltrack and the rest)
- displays on the mobile phone the information from the GPS receiver (geographical coordinates, speed)
- access the live reporting tools through a simple web page
- any user can send and receive text messages to and from any other MTS user no matter how long or how many there are
- any user can send and receive e-mail messages no matter how long or how many there are (currently only plain text supported)
- if the internet connection on your mobile device is not present you can use the built in local database system - however the live reporting tool will not work in this case. Also, if the internet connection is temporarely down, MTS automatically reverts to the local database system
- if two users (with previously configured settings) are in the same cell, the software will notify them
- you can stop server communication automatically when you are in some designated cells (for example, if you are home, you have little need for live tracking and thus gprs traffic will be spared). However note that the GPRS traffic is extremly small because only a few bytes are sent in each transaction
- you can specify how often your mobile device should communicate with the server
- MANY others
Notes:
- right now every feature mentioned above is free for any user that signs up. Registration is also free.
- the users that add the most cells will be rewarded
- the project is available with any GSM network from all over the world (if you don't see your network operator, please tell us and we will add it in a few moments).
- the project works with any GPS receiver with NMEA support
Requirements:
- mobile phone or pocket pc that runs Windows Mobile 2003 or 5
- internet connection available on your mobile device (if you don't meet this requirement, the local database will be used, however the live reporting features will not be available)
- GPS receivers are optional - MTS works perfectly without any GPS receiver. Also, if your device is not compatible with the GSM location feature, you can use only the GPS feature or if you don't have a GPS receiver or GSM location feature compatible phone, you can use only the messaging features
Screenshots:
http://www.fightersoft.ro/mts/screenshots.htm
Tracking report demo:
http://86.105.56.50/v015trkstargate
Satellite image demo:
http://86.105.56.50/v015satstargate
The tracking and satellite demos are generated from this page - http://www.fightersoft.ro/mts/services.html . Also, forum/blog signatures are available - such as this one - http://www.fightersoft.ro/sigs/stargate.png
Info and download:
http://www.fightersoft.ro/mts/index.htm
User feedback is always welcome and appreciated!

stargatesg1 said:
I am not sure if this is the right section where to post this, but I didn't find any general software dedicated sections.
Mobile Tracking System is a complete solution for GSM and GPS tracking and for SMS or e-mail (push) messaging.
Some of the Mobile Tracking System features:
- displays on the mobile phone the current location (like Celltrack and the rest)
- displays on the mobile phone the information from the GPS receiver (geographical coordinates, speed)
- access the live reporting tools through a simple web page
- any user can send and receive text messages to and from any other MTS user no matter how long or how many there are
- any user can send and receive e-mail messages no matter how long or how many there are (currently only plain text supported)
- if the internet connection on your mobile device is not present you can use the built in local database system - however the live reporting tool will not work in this case. Also, if the internet connection is temporarely down, MTS automatically reverts to the local database system
- if two users (with previously configured settings) are in the same cell, the software will notify them
- you can stop server communication automatically when you are in some designated cells (for example, if you are home, you have little need for live tracking and thus gprs traffic will be spared). However note that the GPRS traffic is extremly small because only a few bytes are sent in each transaction
- you can specify how often your mobile device should communicate with the server
- MANY others
Notes:
- right now every feature mentioned above is free for any user that signs up. Registration is also free.
- the users that add the most cells will be rewarded
- the project is available with any GSM network from all over the world (if you don't see your network operator, please tell us and we will add it in a few moments).
- the project works with any GPS receiver with NMEA support
Requirements:
- mobile phone or pocket pc that runs Windows Mobile 2003 or 5
- internet connection available on your mobile device (if you don't meet this requirement, the local database will be used, however the live reporting features will not be available)
- GPS receivers are optional - MTS works perfectly without any GPS receiver. Also, if your device is not compatible with the GSM location feature, you can use only the GPS feature or if you don't have a GPS receiver or GSM location feature compatible phone, you can use only the messaging features
Screenshots:
http://www.fightersoft.ro/mts/screenshots.htm
Tracking report demo:
http://86.105.56.50/v015trkstargate
Satellite image demo:
http://86.105.56.50/v015satstargate
The tracking and satellite demos are generated from this page - http://www.fightersoft.ro/mts/services.html . Also, forum/blog signatures are available - such as this one - http://www.fightersoft.ro/sigs/stargate.png
Info and download:
http://www.fightersoft.ro/mts/index.htm
User feedback is always welcome and appreciated!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
does this actually work on the wizard yet? downloaded it last night, and cant get it to work at all....

Yes, starting with this version - 1.19 (launched a few hours ago) it does work with most of the pocket pc models.
This is the changeslog for 1.19:
- greatly increased the number of supported devices (virtually any Windows Mobile 2003 or newer smartphone or pocket pc should be compatible)
- fixed some minor bugs
Make sure that in Options - Settings - Hardware "COM Port (specify below)" and COM port 9 are selected.

stargatesg1 said:
Yes, starting with this version - 1.19 (launched a few hours ago) it does work with most of the pocket pc models.
This is the changeslog for 1.19:
- greatly increased the number of supported devices (virtually any Windows Mobile 2003 or newer smartphone or pocket pc should be compatible)
- fixed some minor bugs
Make sure that in Options - Settings - Hardware "COM Port (specify below)" and COM port 9 are selected.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, i will re-download it again and give it another go

woo hoo, works on the wizard!! except i cant register now, i guess the servers are down or something

Yes, the MTS server is down due to some ISP problems. It should be back up soon. Until then you can play around in offline mode (you can add or edit locations). To go to offline mode press Options - Settings - Work Offline.

are you sure all isp's report antenna the user is connected to ?

It's a matter of functionality. Without this information a cell phone can't work. All MTS does is to tap into the phone's memory if you will and get this information.

now that i have gotten registered and what not, i noticed a bug... and tried all different settings with the same result... But when working online it constantly drops my data connection and restarts it.... What i think is happening is this.. i am using Push Mail from an exchange server, so my data connection has to stay connected, when the connection drops the phone automatically restarts it to stay connected with the email. I think this program tries to disconnect the data connection after it recieves the data it needs from the server, after it disconnects it the phone restarts it... seems like it sends it into a loop

It shows nothing on my HTC TyTN.
It can't locate its database thinking that my MicroSD is mounted under \Storage Card directory, while the system settings clearly call its mount point as \Карта памяти (I have a Russian ROM). I wonder why you hardcoded the card mount point name if it can be retrieved from the system... Also note for me it's in Unicode or UTF-8.

shogunmark, MTS needs to disconnect from GPRS in order to get the LAC-CID combination. This only takes a few miliseconds. Granted, it's an inconvenience when trying to surf the net while MTS is on auto mode. Unfortunatly this is a "by-product" when getting the LAC-CID data and cannot be helped.
Lurker0, if you want to use another path, use a registry editor (such as RegeditSTG) and update the path in the smartdevice's registry at \HKEY_CURRENT_USER\MTS\mtsfolder.

Ok, I've corrected that. I also added my operator to their database manually. Still it shows nothing on the screen.

You mean it shows nothing when you press Refresh? Make sure that in Options - Settings - Hardware COM Port (specify below) and COM9 are selected.

Yes I mean it, and I have COM9 selected. It was selected by default, and also I tried other ports, incl. manual selection of COM9 again. Blank fields.

Ok then. Extract the files from this archive - http://www.fightersoft.ro/uploads/mts_debug.zip anywhere in your smartdevice and run mts_debug.exe. Select port 9 and press Refresh.
Note: before pressing refresh, make sure that you are not connected to the internet via GPRS (check that the G character is NOT present near the signal strength indicator).
Let me know what the greyed textbox says (if it says anything at all).

Tried it:
MTS_debug.exe
CommPortException
CreateFile Failed: 55
Application::Run+0xf
Form1::Main+0xa
If it matters, I have .NET Compact Framework 2.0SP1 intalled (or whatever is the latest version).
GPRS was off. BT/Wi-Fi off as well. Launched just after a soft reset.

I see. It looks like it can't open the port itself. Do you happen to know what COM port is used by the builtin GSM modem in your PPC? Perhaps the product documentation will reveal that. In either case, try different ports (including 0). If none is working the only logical conclusion is that either the GSM modem is in use or there is no GSM modem installed. Let me know if you have any luck.
At the same time try to setup your PPC to work as a modem for your PC (so that the PPC will be available as a modem in Control Panel - Phone and Modem Options). Click on the PPC modem (in the Modems tab) and press properties. If it responds to Diagnostics - Query Modem then launch mts_debug.exe FROM the DESKTOP PC (not the PPC itself) and use the port from Control Panel - Phone and Modem Options - the selected device. Let me know what happens.

Oh, no! I don't need it as much! I'll better wait for a working version.

The ideea was that without knowing how your device works with the mts_debug application, I will never be able to create a working version.

You see, I just installed phoneAlarm, and it showed me Cell IDs w/o asking for a COM port with GPRS enabled. You're on the wrong way as it seems to me. At least for me your approach is useless and inacceptable.

Related

VDA GPS/Toshiba G710/Amoi 6711: HowTo Permanently Enable/Disable GPRS/EDGE Connection

I like the idea of having the smartphone always on, checking my emails, being ready to tweet, receiving facebook notifications, etc.
The thing is that, although I have a data plan for the smartphone:
(A) I always need to switch it on after reboot
(B) it turns off automatically after a certain period of time
Apart from being really annoying, I was facing various issues:
(C) I need to always reconnect to the data network right after turning on the device
(D) receiving error messages from various applications expecting a data connection
Here is the solution, which need some registry adjustments:
(01) Install SKTools 3.3.3.1 for a full featured Registry Editor
(02) Switching connection immediately on after reboot: set HKLM\Comm\ConnMgr\Providers\ConnectionSharing\DisableOnBoot=0
(03) Keeping connection permanent alive: HKLM\Comm\ConnMgr\Providers\{7C4B7A3 8-5FF7-4bc1-80F6-5DA7870BB1AA}\Connections\[Pick your connection here]\AlwaysOn=1 (the hash key may vary on your device)
Of course, one can adjust the parameters according your needs this way permanently deactivate a certain conenction type.
I, for one, have a data flat rate and don't care much about any traffic. I want to be connected: always and at any time...

[Q] Questions about hidden settings in Android 2.3

I have quite a few questions some hidden settings I found while using ANYcut app.
My phone is the Epic 4G and on Gingerbread leak EH17 if that matters.
1) MSL code. I did some google searches and found that is an algorithm to determine the ESP and other things. What is the algorithm? If a phone had a bad ESP could you change the MSL to make Sprint think there is a clean ESP?
2) Cell broadcast SMS. What is this? And what is it for? some of the settings are Emergency broadcast, administrative, maintenance, local weather, area traffic reports
general news:
local
regional
national
international
And those same options for other types of news also
3) Data Create. I think this one is self explanatory. But is this for the maximum number of each I can store on the phone before it deletes them. So if i set the maximum number of texts in my inbox to 500, that is the maximum I can store?
4) Dial up networking. I thought this was going to be the 3G but I was wrong. What is it? I turn it on and click on the connection settings but nothing happens why?
5) Dock settings. Its obvious. But I herd that you can connect your phone to the a computer via USB and have it act as a dock and play songs or videos through the speakers on your computer. Is this true?
6) DUN. It has a picture of a computer with 2 green arrows. And 2 progress like bars, labeled, RX and TX. Any ideas? I was thinking it might have to do with USB activity.
7) EVDO settings??? I am on the Sprint network. Why would they not opt this options out of there SDKs? Isnt EVDO T-Mobile network? But I am on a leaked build so maybe they haven't removed it yet?
8) Preconfig? I really not sure what this is. It says sales code and then an input field. And at the bottom a button that says install and one for cancel. What would this be for?
9) License settings. most of the options are obvious but there is one for expiry reminder. whats that? reminds you when your DRM content is going to expire?
10) MMS Provision Settings. some settings are transaction logs, optional field attendance, UA string, UAP url, and test modes. Anyone know what this is for?
11) Now one that is just called advanced. Some options are home orig. vocoder. homepage vocoder, roam orig. vocoder. whats this for?
12) USB Logging(DM) One section is Function, with the options of, enable and disable. And other section called Type. the options are CP only, AP only, CP+AP. No idea about this one
13) WiMAX CT. there is a button at the top that says open device. then options of max num of used FA, FA Index, BW, FA index. Are these settings for WiMAX networking?
14) WiMAX Mode Change. The options are, SDIO, WTM, DM, USB, Auth modes. What are these different modes and what do they do?
15) WiMAX LineTest. Optioins are, write eeprom, power on, power off, write mac with and input field, and read mac. any ideas??
16) Work mode. it says Work Mode :2 and then a button that says set work mode. and i can set it to 1, 2 or 3. what are these different modes for?
Bump - Anybody want to jump in and help the op?
Wow, with all the brilliant minds on here no takers? Or is the question too big for anyone to take a stab at?
First off, as someone who somehow burnt out my 4G chip, I would suggest that anyone reading this be very careful, search here and google before fiddling with settings. lol
Since I am doing research to see if I can get my Wimax to work better I will answer a couple of questions a day, however anyone feel free to jump in.
1) MSL code. I did some google searches and found that is an algorithm to determine the ESP and other things. What is the algorithm? If a phone had a bad ESP could you change the MSL to make Sprint think there is a clean ESP?
The MSL code or (Master Subsidy Lock) is how a phone carrier keeps the phone from going to another network, however some phones including the E4GT can be found through using Android Debug Bridge (adb) a command line tool that lets you communicate with an emulator instance or connected Android-powered device - or even easier just go to the market and download, for free, Get My MSL which will display your Master Subsidy Lock code.
2) Cell broadcast SMS. What is this? And what is it for? some of the settings are Emergency broadcast, administrative, maintenance, local weather, area traffic reports general news:localregionalnationalinternationalAnd those same options for other types of news also
According to Wikipedia:
Quote:
Cell Broadcast is not as affected by traffic load; therefore, it may be usable during a disaster when load spikes tend to crash networks, as the 7 July 2005 London bombings showed. Another example was during the Tsunami catastrophe in Asia. Dialog GSM, an operator in Sri Lanka was able to provide ongoing emergency information to its subscribers, to warn of incoming waves, to give news updates, to direct people to supply and distribution centres, and even to arrange donation collections using Celltick's Cell Broadcast Center, based on Cell Broadcast Technology.
All for today. Peace

[App] Wi-Fi CleanUp v.3.0

I recently faced a nasty problem with my device, I had to keep on re-entering the Wi-Fi key of a specific hotspot even if I had managed to connect successfully on previous attempts.
Also as I leave the Wi-Fi on most of the times, I started to get a bit uncomfortable when the device connected by itself to an Open Network (one of the many around my place) and got notifications (Adverticements).
I am sure I had connected before to that Open Network but did not bother to 'forget' it.
As a result, I created this app which helped me resolve the next problems:
a. Having to re-enter the Wi-Fi of certain hotspots by removing all instances of the same secured network that may have been mis-configured.
b. Slow loading time of Wi-Fi settings by maintaining a shorter list of configured networks.
c. Automatically forget Open Networks.
d. Assign a friendly name to a network (while being displayed in this app).
e. Assign a friendly name to a hotspot (BBSID) of a network (while being displayed in this app).
f. Automatically restrict connection to a specific BBSID (Further changes are planned to restrict the connection to a set of BBSIDs, this is still experimental).
As an overall,
this app offers the possibility to forget (remove them from the configured list) Wi-Fi Networks (Open, Secured) from your device in a convenient way:
- Assign a friendly name to a network (and its hostspots - BSSIDs) (Touch the 'Name' label of the network).
- Display the signal level of a network (and its hotspots - BSSIDs) and be able to connect to it (Touch the 'Signal Level' indicator of the network).
Also it is possible to explicitly connect to a hotspot for a network (restricts any automatic connections to this specific BBSID).
[Experimental] Connection can also be restricted to a set of BBSIDs.
- Forget manually selected Secured Networks/Open Networks with a few clicks (Favorites are excluded).
- Automatically forget Open Networks when not in use (Favorites are excluded).
- Mark a Network as 'Favorite' so that is not forgotten by mistake either manually or automatically.
- Show a Notification if the Wi-Fi is on but no connection yet.
This is the Google play link:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=cs.anddev.wificleanup&hl=en
No root access required.
Permissions Explanation:
- Connect and disconnect from Wi-Fi. Needed to get the Wi-Fi status.
- View network connections. Needed to get the status of a Wi-Fi connection.
- View Wi-Fi connections. Needed to get the list of Wi-Fi connections.
- Run at startup. Needed to get the Wi-Fi connection status without running the app.
Changes for v.3.0:
- Show a Notification if the Wi-Fi is on but no connection yet.
- Assign Friendly name to a hotspot (BBSID) of a network (Touch the 'Name' label of the network).
- Display the signal level of a network hotspots and be able to connect to any of them (restricts any automatic connections to this specific BBSID). Further changes are planned to restrict the connection to a set of BBSIDs. This is still experimental and can be used once it is enabled from the Settings menu.
- Access Wi-Fi settings
- UI changes
Wi-Fi CleanUp v.1.1
Hi all,
new version is out (v.1.1) with the next added functionality:
- Automatically forget Open Networks when not in use (Favorites are excluded).
- Mark a Network as 'Favorite' so that is not forgotten by mistake either manually or automatically.
Enjoy
Chris
Wi-Fi CleanUp v.2.0
Hi all,
new version is out with the next added functionality:
- (v.2.0) Assign Friendly name to a network (Touch the 'Name' label of the network).
- (v.2.0) Display the signal level of a network and be able to connect to it (Touch the 'Signal Level' indicator of the network).
Also bug fixes and UI changes.
Enjoy
Chris
Would you be willing to pick up where Wi-Fi Ruler left off? I've emailed the author, with no luck, several times to ask if he can help me troubleshoot whether its my phone (SM-G920T) or his app that needs tweaking. Basically, his app allows us to rank what SSIDs are more desirable (in our eyes), and is *supposed* to allow us to use BSSIDs to make choices. Prime example: "xfinitywifi" is all over the country now, but I only want to connect to the 'xfinitywifi' signal in one location, not everywhere. I can't tell if his app is working perfectly, but it's my Samsung GS6 (5.1.1) that keeps usurping the app because it only knows that I "remembered" xfinitywifi once, so I must want to connect to it everywhere and anywhere.
Where to find the app? Link? Am I blind? Can't find...
great
@bwb8771
Sounds interesting idea, let me do some investigation and I will revert. @Technical
This is the Google play link
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=cs.anddev.wificleanup&hl=en
Hi bwb8771
I am in the process of making a prototype as a proof of concept, will you be willing to test it for me?
If yes, pm me an email to send you the apk.
Thanks
Technical said:
Where to find the app? Link? Am I blind? Can't find...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
me too, cannot find it..
I have added on the first post the Google play link.
chrisstavrou said:
I have added on the first post the Google play link.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
great
Wi-Fi CleanUp v.3.0
Hi all,
new version is out with the next added functionality:
- Show a Notification if the Wi-Fi is on but no connection yet.
- Assign Friendly name to a hotspot (BBSID) of a network (Touch the 'Name' label of the network).
- Display the signal level of a network hotspots and be able to connect to any of them (restricts any automatic connections to this specific BBSID). Further changes are planned to restrict the connection to a set of BBSIDs. This is still experimental and can be used once it is enabled from the Settings menu.
- Access Wi-Fi settings
- UI changes
Enjoy
Chris

[APP][4.4+]WiFi Companion

WiFi Companion, a new way to manage your WiFi.
WiFi Companion switches your WiFi in a smart way by turning it on only when is needed in order to save battery. You can set when and where your WiFi turns on or turns off, how often it connects, at what time or even which days. It is all up to you.
Additionally, it records relevant information of every network you use so now you will not wonder where this "default" network is located, or when was the last time you used it. For every network you use, WiFi Companion (privately in your phone) stores:
- Name of the network.
- BSSID.
- Last IP address.
- Maximum speed reached.
- Precise location. This location is determined once per each network and uses GPS if available, so you can see its location on a map. You can also manually set its location.
- Last time of connection/disconnection.
In addition, for each network you can:
- Set a label to help you recognize it later.
- Set a password reminder, or even the password itself if you want it. Since Android doesn’t let you see passwords once you set them, now you can use them later or share them with someone else.
- Enable location optimization. Some networks are not related to cell towers location, such as mobile access points, so you can ignore them while searching nearby networks.
- Save map location. Here you can choose if you want to save the network precise location on a map.
- Control master synchronization based on the current network. Useful for limiting data transmission over insecure or non-trusted networks.
WiFi Companion provides a notification that shows you when your WiFi is turned on, so now you can easily check when you are wasting battery by not being connected. It also shows current network name, IP address and last time of connection/disconnection.
Play Store

How To Guide [GUIDE] Device Settings Menu Guide, Tips & Discussions | Part I - Connections

Device Settings Guide, Tips & Discussions
Part 1 - Connections
If you're new to this series or want to see the index, please read Post #2 first.
​
Wi-Fi
Click on Gear icon besides any network:
View supported Network speed and security
Auto reconnect: If on, automatically connects to this network when Wi-Fi is ON. Switch it off for backup Wi-Fi i.e. you can keep it ON for 5 GHz network and OFF for 2.4 GHz so that it always connects to 5 GHz automatically.
Manage Router: Opens up the router admin page by going to your Gateway IP Address.
IP Settings: Choose from DHCP or Static. If you want to use custom DNS, you have to use Static IP. If you want to know the Network info like IP, Gateway or Subnet Mask, choose Static once and note the displayed info.
Proxy: Set manual or auto-config proxy here.
Click advanced to show:
View device's MAC address and allocated IPv6/IPv4. Learn about MAC and IPs here.
Metered Network: If you set a connection as metered, you or device can restrict background processes, big downloads and save data.
Randomized MAC: Devices are supposed to have a permanent MAC but this could be used to track you. From Android 10, you get an option to use randomized MAC each time your device connects to Wi-Fi. You can disable this if you use MAC Filtering on your router.
QR Scan (icon on top-right): Connect to Wi-Fi without entering password. Use a device that is already connected to the network and scan the QR code displayed by the former.
Menu > Wi-Fi Direct: Turn on Wi-Fi Direct on a nearby device as well to transfer files wirelessly and fastly. Works best with Samsung Devices and it does NOT require connection to a Wi-Fi network. You get speeds maxed out at the supported wireless speed of your devices! It is a better and more secure alternative than ShareIT or JioSwitch.
Menu > Advanced:
Sync with Samsung Cloud: Backup your Wi-Fi usernames and passwords and use the same on synced devices.
Switch to mobile data: If your Wi-Fi network quality drops, use mobile internet directly even if Wi-Fi is still connected (needs Mobile Data to be ON). You can add (Wi-Fi) Network Exceptions to prevent switching. Get notified to Allow individual apps to switch to mobile data i.e. if WhatsApp is blocked on your college Wi-Fi, you can allow WhatsApp to use Mobile data while keep using the Wi-Fi!
Turn on Wi-Fi Automatically: Your device will automatically enable Wi-Fi where you use it frequently. For example, you or your device can turn off your Wi-Fi when you go out and you won't need to enable it again when you get back home (you can configure the frequent networks after they appear here). Tasker used to handle this job for me (try IFTTT for simpler setup) but now the OEM solution is more optimized.
Wi-Fi power saving mode: For example, if you get WhatsApp messages every 30 minutes on average, the device learns about this traffic pattern and can toggle Wi-Fi accordingly to fetch notifications every 30 minutes. I keep this disabled as my usage pattern is dynamic like most of you. Better use App Sleep or Hibernation Apps like Greenify to save battery. Learn more about this mode here.
Wi-Fi control history: View apps that have toggled Wi-Fi recently. You can figure out if there's any culprit app that is toggling your Wi-Fi frequently when you have explicitly turned it off/on.
Hotspot 2.0: Automatically connects to APs that support Hotspot 2.0 or 802.11u. Network providers are themselves upgrading existing Wi-Fi in public areas like airports and encryption is a must for Hotspot 2.0 so you can trust and rely on it while you don't have to manually guess the right network. Learn more about Hotspot 2.0 here.
WPS push button; WPS PIN Entry: (Pie doesn't support WPS but Google says it's coming back, Read here) Connect the device to WiFi by pushing WPS button on the router or entering WPS PIN in case these are enabled on the router. Learn about WPS here.
Install network certificates: Normally not needed. Some organizations would need you to install certificates to access their domains. Same as what you do on a PC to install certificates.
Wi-Fi Calling
(Formerly VoLTE calling) Uses Wi-Fi to transmit voice instead of the mobile network but they still appear to be done via your SIM or number. This saves your mobile plan and also beneficial when you have low mobile network inside your home but good Wi-Fi! You'll see the SIMs in case the carrier supports VoLTE calling. #JioWaale
Bluetooth
When the Bluetooth is ON, you can STOP/SCAN for nearby devices manually. Keep BT on for playing with the following settings.
Menu > Advanced:
Sync with Samsung Cloud: Note that this only sync Samsung devices like Galaxy Home Speakers and Galaxy Buds.
Music Share: Enables your friends (or else) to connect with a speaker connected to your phone without requiring you to unpair and them to pair with the speaker. Useful in cases like you want your car to be always connected to your device. However, on a trip, your friend wants to play music from his phone while you drive. Get more explanation here.
Ringtone sync: Sync the ringtone you set on your phone to the connected speaker. I did not know they played different tones!
Bluetooth control history: Similar to 'WiFi control history' above.
Block pairing requests: Block spammers to request pairing.
Bluetooth scan history: Shows apps that scanned for BT devices. Review this once in a while as Apps can scan even when the BT is off!
[Discontinued] Dual Audio: Enables your device to connect to 2 different audio devices and play the same audio on both of them. Samsung explains this here.
[Discontinued] Media volume sync: In case the connected audio device supports this, you can change the player's volume by your device's volume rockers by enabling this i.e. you don't have to manually raise the volume to the fullest on both your device and the connected player to get the highest volume possible for your house party.
[Discontinued] Phone visibility: (Moved to Separate section after Bluetooth in Pie, please tell if it works for BT as well) Allow devices (with Samsung Connect) to find your device for connection. You can disable it unless you live in a Smart Home or transfer files from other devices more often. Learn more about this mode here.
NFC and contactless payments
It's turned ON by default on a new phone so do turn it OFF first. Samsung Pay will turn that ON if needed. Samsung Pay uses only NFC now starting from S21. MST is discontinued though no other brand could use this for payments. In case you don't know about MST (patented by LoopPay), must-read here. More information on the discontinuation in the FAQ.
[Discontinued] Android Beam: Allows you to share stuff when you tap your phone with some other-phone-with-already-enabled-NFC.
Contactless payments (Formerly Tap and pay): Select the default app for Payments and Others. Your default app will open up when you, for instance, tap your phone on an NFC-enabled POS (of course you need NFC to remain ON beforehand).
Pay with currently open app: By enabling, if currently opened app supports payment, it will used instead of the default app above. I have kept it enabled because I don't want Samsung Pay to open up when I know I am going to use GPay!
[Discontinued] Default NFC Method: By default and normally needed, 'Auto select'. In case you are the curious breed, learn about the different options here.
Flight Mode
Disables your operator's network. Since enabling this will also disable Wi-Fi and Bluetooth altogether, you can turn back these two on without toggling flight mode.
Mobile networks
Data roaming: Enable it if your carrier doesn't charge you for roaming or you're rich enough.
Network mode: By default, 'auto connect'. You can play with the options in case you're facing network mode changing issues or want to save battery (put to 2G only). If your region does not have 5G yet, you can go back to 4G/LTE to save battery!
Access Point Names: I recommend you to request or configure your operator's settings for the first time even if it had been automatically fetched. Nerdy guide here.
Network operators: Suggest usage?
Data usage
Data saver: Formerly known as 'Restrict background data'. Your background apps will stop using network data i.e. you'll receive WhatsApp notifications only when you open the app again. You can also whitelist apps in 'Allowed to use data while Data saver on'. This feature can help a lot in saving battery or making you check the phone less when you're hanging out with your girl. Me no girl so no enable!
Mobile data usage; Billing cycle and data warning: Do check this in a while to review the apps that use most of your mobile data (maybe you don't need those apps that much on mobile data); Change your operator billing cycle, set data warning and enable data limit in case your operator doesn't give you free GBs. The app options you change here will be reflected in the Data saver section above.
Mobile data only apps: You can choose apps that you only want to use mobile data. Useful in case your organization's Wi-Fi blocks some apps like WhatsApp. This is related to 'Allow individual apps to switch' in the Wi-Fi section.
Wi-Fi data usage; Restrict networks: Like mobile data, you can also review your Wi-Fi usage! Do review it once in a while to identify data-hungry apps that can affect battery and CPU as well. The apps you disable here for background usage will be blocked while Mobile Data is on OR the Wi-Fi is metered. Please confirm?
SIM card manager
Select Icon, Name and Network mode (described above) for the corresponding 'SIM slot' (not the SIM). Select preferred slot for calls, messaging and data. Learn about Smart Dual SIM here.
Mobile Hotspot and Tethering
Mobile Hotspot > Advanced:
Wi-Fi sharing: In addition to mobile data, you can also share your Wi-Fi. This can be helpful in case you don't want to reveal your network or its credentials or don't know about them. Also, your device can become a repeater for devices that are too far away from the Wi-Fi (keep your phone on charging).
Security: Use 'WPA2/WPA3-Personal' (Learn about wireless encryption here).
Timeout: Keep timeout low so that hotspot turns itself OFF earlier in case there's no client or change to 'Never Timeout' if you are going to need it for some time.
Hidden network: Enable 'Hide my device' to stop exposing your SSID.
Power saving mode: Similar to PMS in Wi-Fi Advanced. Keep Protected Management Frames (PMF) on by default and change in case the client doesn't support.
[Discontinued] Menu > Allowed Devices: Enter MAC addresses of clients you want only to connect to your hotspot. Same as MAC filtering in routers.
Mobile Hotspot > Auto Hotspot: You might get this ON by default. Turn it off! This enables your or family devices to share your internet connection via Hotspot. You know when you need it!
Bluetooth tethering; USB tethering; Ethernet tethering: Learn about BT/USB tethering here.
More connection settings
Advanced Calling & Messaging: Some iMessage kinda thing? Anyone?
Nearby device scanning: Although it uses Bluetooth Low Energy, I have it disabled. If you enable it, you get notifications for nearby devices like TVs that support connections through your device (will annoy you at airports).
Printing: Do download Google Cloud Print and any other printing plugin required by your or your organization's printer.
[Discontinued] MirrorLink: Learn more here.
[Discontinued] Download Booster: Uses both WiFi and LTE at the same time to download apps over 30MB from Play Store and Galaxy Apps. In case you want that app as soon as possible.
VPN: Configure your VPNs here in case you have. I use Psiphon. You can also manually configure profiles as you do on PC.
Ethernet: Yes, you can use a wired connection on your device too. Discussions here.
Private DNS: Supports DNS over HTTP/TCP and I recommend reading about this here. I use 1dot1dot1dot1.cloudflare-dns.com.
Series - Full Menu Guide Explained
Series - Device Settings Menu Guide​
Hey XDA! I just got free from the initial setup of my Galaxy S22 Ultra. I don't know how many of you do this but I'm one of a kind that gives a considerable amount of time to explore every setting, feature and every single option whenever I get a new device or even when I factory reset the existing one. It's been years since I have started with this curiosity and I have never found an 'all-in-one' menu guide to explain each and every option in the device. Yes, you could also simply google the option you want to know about but how about compiling all of them in one guide? I don't know if this experiment would work or not but here's I am starting with this. I have spent the past three weeks taking out time whenever I could to compile this guide.
There are a couple of reasons I had decided upon to start with this series. Firstly, I want to help newbies (or even experienced) out there to explore and know about every feature or option your device could offer. I have seen many duplicate threads that are created every day to query fellow users even about an individual but unfamiliar option in the settings. I intend to do my bit to clear this clutter and help potential askers to get answers beforehand. Secondly, this guide could serve as a manual in case you want to find or get briefed about an option. You could then simply 'Find in a page' over the threads or simply use XDA's 'search in the thread' option to save your time. Thirdly, since I've broken the settings into different threads, this could help users engage and discuss over a particular device's super-menu and spread their knowledge, come up with new ideas and explore more of their devices. Fourthly, this series is not constrained to Note9 only. The settings on every Android device out there is similar and you would be able to find any common to your device settings here as well. Fifthly, since I have provided links and sources to some options, this can serve as directory map as well. Sixthly, this guide consists of tips for many options that you won't probably find normally.
This guide is intended and recommended to be read by anyone at least once. If you're reading a thread for the first, I recommend you to open up the corresponding settings in your phone and read the settings description in case there is. All the threads are arranged in the same order as the settings would come up. You could then simply read out my description of the same, my selected configuration and hyperlinks to some articles or videos in case you're the curious breed. This guide is strongly recommended after a fresh start. I want you all to give some time to explore each and every option your device can offer.
Hope this experiment lives up to the marks. Both criticism and appreciation are greatly needed and appreciated. Please comment.
I've tried to explain each option you could find by going deep into any setting. No matter whatever links I have provided, I will feel grateful if you want me to explain any feature more than I have done already. Please ask questions related to any settings. Do provide me suggestions and your take on my configuration. Please provide me with more guides and articles for a particular feature. I want to have the precious contribution of XDA members in this guide. Discussion over any feature, setting, your configuration, did-you-knows and anything else is greatly appreciated. This is a newbie-friendly place so don't hesitate to ask questions - besides the fellow XDA members, I'm always here for you.
Regards,
Paras Lehana
Index
Part 1 - Connections
Part 2 - Sounds and vibration, Notifications, Wallpaper and themes
Part 3 - Display, Lock screen, Biometrics and security
Part 4 - Advanced features, Device maintenance, Apps
Part 5 - Cloud and accounts, Google, Accessibility, General management, Software update, User manual, About phone, Developer options​
FAQs
Why did Samsung discontinue MST for Samsung Pay? (Contributed by @sansart)
Ans: With big card companies like Mastercard ditching Magnetic Stripes due to security concerns, Samsung could be taking a step in this direction. Starting with Galaxy S21, Samsung discontinued MST and, in a statement, it added: "Due to the rapid adoption of near field communication (NFC) technology by consumers and businesses, beginning with devices launched in 2021, Samsung Pay will focus its support on NFC transactions, across the Galaxy portfolio. While future devices will no longer include magnetic stripe technology (MST), customers with previous, compatible Galaxy devices will be able to continue using Samsung Pay, including MST." (Source: The Verge)
Mastercard nicely explains about ditching Magnetic Stripes here: Swiping left on magnetic stripes
Good read, thanks! I think your NFC section needs updating though, Samsung no longer uses MST.
Updated. FAQ too. Thank you for contributing!
Since S22U is my upgrade after spending over 3 years with Note 9, I was doubting about the MST thing after the payment failed once. Now I have read about it. Thanks again!
sansart said:
Good read, thanks! I think your NFC section needs updating though, Samsung no longer uses MST.
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