[BIG FAQ] Nexus S General [Start Here before Clicking New Thread!] ** OUTDATED ** - Nexus S Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

EDIT: EXTREMELY OUTDATED. I have not had this device for some time and will not be updating this post.​
Please report all bugs encounter or search for and star the ones mentioned on these forums here: http://code.google.com/p/android/issues/list ; This is the official bug report forum of Google and the best way to let them know of the problems you are having. Don't post "Me too"s on known issues, simply star and cross your fingers!
Because people seem to be incapable of using the wonderful "Search" function built into these forums, I'm putting together a list of questions that keep popping up in new threads every other day.
Q: How's the Battery Life?
Officially, the Nexus S is rated for 6hrs of talk time and 427 of standby time. How much battery life you get will entirely depend on what you use the device for and how much. On my first real non-vacation day, my Nexus S lasted a little over 16hrs on one charge through what I would consider heavy usage (flashing roms/backups, emails, texting, web browsing, long phone calls, etc). Your mileage may vary. Fellow poster @Luxferro managed to get 2days, 14hrs, and 13minutes out of his phone on a single battery charge. Discussed here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=875809
Q: Does your GPS work?
Most people have reported their GPS to be functioning just fine, though there have been quite a bit of variation on lock times.
Q: Will this work on AT&T?
Yes, but you will not get 3G service. This is due to the different frequencies that T-Mobile and AT&T's 3G runs on.
Q: But it says it supports GSM band 850mhz!
GSM is 2G. UMTS is 3G.
Q: But Joe Bob/Dude down the street/My cousin's brother's nephew's wife said...
Stop it. It is likely that Google will release a version of the Nexus S with support for AT&T's 3G some months down the road, just like they did with the Nexus One but for right now, if you want 3G service, T-Mobile is the only way to go.
Q: Is tethering free?
So after having the phone for a bit of time now and tethering unimpended, I'm going to have to agree with @nxt that T-Mobile is not charging for or redirecting for tethering on this device. At least, for now. However, like in the original version of this answer, T-Mobile did announce that they were going to be charging for tethering but I've tethered every day for various amounts of time (including torrenting nearly a gig to my netbook) without so much as a hiccup. Source: http://bit.ly/d1NS9o
Q: Will TZones/Web2go/grandfathered web program work on this phone?
No, or at least, it doesn't appear to anymore due to T-Mobile locking down the IMEIs. When the phone was first released, people were reporting that it worked fine, then after a few days it became sporadic, before finally not functioning at all. See the discussion here for more information: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=864843
Q: I unplugged my phone, and my battery dropped from 100% to 95% immediately, or it won't/takes along time to charge past 99%, what gives?
This is by design. Your phone will slow down and eventually stop pulling charge at or slightly greater than ~95% regardless of what your battery indicator says. This is to extend the overall life of the battery, as constant 100% to 0% charge/discharge cycles will cause it to fail prematurely. If you're interested in really pushing it to 100%, you can use a technique that is called "bump charging" and is better detailed here: http://bit.ly/f6xiZ0
Q: When I reboot my phone while it's charging, the battery jumps from X% to Y%, what gives?
I'm honestly not sure what causes this, but sometimes Android/Gingerbread gets confused on how much exact charge is in your battery if you reboot it while it's charging. However, from personal observation, it's just a display issue. Android/GB will eventually start showing the correct percentages once the battery has "caught up" with what it thinks it is at. Also wiping the battery stats(root only) seems to help alleviate this issue. Either way, it's not a large concern.
Q: Can we port SenseUI/Galaxy S apps to the Nexus S?
Most likely, no. Those apps typically require the Rosie/Touchwiz framework in order to function. You can have those apps when and if a developer decides to port those ROMs in their entirety.
Q: How do I root/unroot the Nexus S?
Check the development section links below for more detail, but you gain root on the Nexus S by booting the phone into fastboot mode and typing "fastboot oem unlock." This will wipe your phone and it's SD card partition. To unroot it, again boot into fastboot mode and type "fastboot oem lock."
Follow the root guide stickied at the top of this forum: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=895545
In the event you want to return to stock, simply flash the NAND backup found here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=884093 . This will restore everything, including the stock recovery image. Then as mentioned above go into the bootloader/fastboot mode and enter "fastboot oem lock" in ADB.
(All credit goes to the original author(s) of the linked thread!)
Q: Linpack/Quadrant Scores?
Linpack doesn't play very nicely with the Galaxy S lineup generating very low numbers in comparison to HTC devices. This is because the processors that are powering these devices operate in different ways. Does this mean the Nexus S processors are slower? Not really, just different. As for Quadrant, it doesn't currently work very well with Gingerbread and needs to be updated. The scores folks have been seeing though put it in the 1600 range without a modified kernel.
Q: There's no LED Indicator? What are those two circles next to the speaker?
Correct, like all Samsung devices(minus the Epic 4G on Sprint) thus far, there is no LED indicator light. There are apps, such as NoLED, on the marketplace which work great on the Nexus S and provide more or less the same functionality. There's another app called BLN which will blink the capacitive touch keys to let you know you have a notification, but it requires a custom kernel to support it. Those two circles are the Proximity Sensor and Ambient Light sensor.
Q: I can't zoom in and out on the camera app!
Correct, the digital zoom feature seems to be missing.
Q: Can the Nexus S do 720p?
No, at least, not right now and not on the stock ROM. It is possible that eventually our wonderful developer community will come up with a software hack for custom ROMs to allow 720p video recording, but at a reduced framerate than if it had a true 720p chip similiar to what they did with the Nexus One. Until then, the answer is no.
Q: But that one guy in Italy says the Italian version can do 720p recording!
No, he says that it can do 720x480 which isn't the same thing. The 720p "name" comes from the last numbers in the resolution, so in this case, it would be 1280x720(which the other Galaxy S phones are rated to shoot at).
Q: How do I video chat?
Google, unfortunately, did not develop a native app to support video chat and so we must rely on some from the marketplace. Right now, as far as I'm aware, Tango is the only one that has been updated to support video chatting on the Nexus S.
Q: My toys are better than your toys! Hahahaha!
Stop it and grow up. Different strokes for different folks. People spend their money on what they want to spend it on regardless of your agreement on their choice. Not to mention that this kind of behavior goes against the spirit of this community.
Q: I'm rooted with Clockwork and can't install the OTA! I updated to 2.3.1 and lost root! What gives?
most of the time, official OTAs will not install through custom recoveries because of their tendency to break root or restore things like the stock recovery. Also if you've made any modifications to the system files such as replacing the default Mms.apk(messaging) with the custom Black Mms.apk found in the Themes & Apps section, or deleted any .odex files from the system partition, it will not install. The easiest way to update to 2.3.1 is to flash a custom rom such as one of the custom ROMs or use the 2.3.1 Stock NANDROID backup found in the development section. And yes, 2.3.1 "broke root." To regain it, simply follow the steps in this thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=884499 (All credit goes to the original author(s) of the linked thread!). The aforementioned procedure is only needed on the Stock Nandroid Backup, not any of the custom ROMs.
Q: Clockworkmod says I'm not set up for OTAs! What gives?
That's not for official OTA updates from Google. Some custom ROM developers set up their roms to receive custom OTA updates or at least notifications of said update specifically for that ROM.
Q: Why have my Wifi/3G/Signal bars switched from green to white?
A green set of bars typically means that you are connected to and syncing with the Google Account servers. White means that this is not happening for whatever reason, usually something like a bad signal or low coverage area. Also the WiFi connection is set by default to turn itself off(aka sleep mode) when the screen is off, this can be adjusted under Settings > Wireless & Networks > Wi-Fi Settings > Menu Key > Advanced > Wi-Fi Sleep Policy. Don't panic, though, it's nothing too major.
(Suggested by mmas0n, thanks!)
Q: How do I restore the stock recovery?
Right now, it is NOT possible to flash the stock recovery over Clockwork Recovery at all. The only way to restore it is by NAND restoring the Stock 2.3.1 backup in the development section.
Q: Does the Nexus S have Gorilla Glass?
No, it does not. Take care of your device.
Q: The Nexus S only gets 3G? Omg, I only see a 3G icon!
The Nexus S gets UMTS and HSDPA, which are both technically 3G. Your phone idles on UMTS 3G, and when it starts downloading/uploading, it'll flip to HSDPA after a few moments. You can see this by typing *#*#4636#*#* into your Dialer, going to Phone Info, and looking at Network Type while downloading something. The ability to switch the icons on the notification bar is something that was added in custom ROMS, and is not supported by the stock ROM. Furthermore, the icon is not always an indicator of what kind of data connection you have. If I were so inclined(and I'm not) and/or had the technical skills(which I don't) to modify the framework, I could make it say OVER9000g when connected to anything. Rest assured, if you are on a network that uses the 3G bands the Nexus S supports, then you are recieving HSDPA regardless of what icon you see.
As suggested by Gogol(thanks!), now adding a...
Possible Known Issues(Reported by some users but not all):
Lag in the Web Browser
Back button is not responsive or doesn't light up
Pink / white / yellow tint on the screen
Weak WiFi signal
Weak cell signal (not necessarily specific to the Nexus S; T-Mobile's frequencies typically have bad building penetration)
Some apps running wild consuming battery
Missing apps in market (until Google updates to recognize 2.3.1 buildprint)
Accelerometer becomes "locked" after using Google Sky Maps requiring a reboot to free
Ringtones changing on their own following reboot/USB plugin (Push the .mp3 to /system/media/audio/ringtones to stop this *requires rooting*)
Stock launcher has home screen/scrolling lag issues (not present on market launchers like ADW/LauncherPro)
Home screen icons on stock launcher randomly disappear, disappear after move, or show up in folders they weren't moved to. (not present on market launchers like ADW/LauncherPro)
Please report all bugs encounter or search for and star the ones mentioned on these forums here: http://code.google.com/p/android/issues/list ; This is the official bug report forum of Google and the best way to let them know of the problems you are having. Don't post "Me too"s on known issues, simply star and cross your fingers!
EDIT: EXTREMELY OUTDATED. I have not had this device for some time and will not be updating this post.​

Sti-cky! Sti-cky! Sti-cky!
Thanks for taking the time to make this list. Should be the first thing newbies read when they join the forum

Stuck due to the usefulness of this thread

Great FAQ thread man. Thanks a lot.
And lol @
But Joe Bob/Dude down the street/My cousin's brother's nephew's wife said...

Great FAQ, but it would be much better to add the list below, because there are many threads opened and will be more and more ...
Possible known issues:
1. Web browsing lag
2. Back button is not responsive
3. Cannot zoom when taking photo or video
4. Pink / white / yellow tint on the screen
....

Q: There's no LED Indicator? What are those two circles next to the speaker?
Correct, like all Samsung devices thus far, there is no LED indicator light.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually not true, the Galaxy S Epic 4G does have a LED notification light.

Q: Is tethering free?
No, tethering is not free. T-Mobile charges for this service. That being said, people have and still do tether without paying for the service with little to no consequence. T-Mobile seems to track the User Agent of the browser you're using on their network, and it is possible to mimic the Android browser's user agent on a desktop PC and tether undetected. In the event that T-Mobile discovers you tethering, you will receive a text message and all internet traffic on their network that doesn't contain the Android UA string will be redirected to an official T-Mobile site encouraging you to sign up for their tethering service.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is wrong.
Tethering is free and included with the Nexus S as long as you have a normal data plan with T-Mobile (not any $5.99 or $10.00 T-Zone hacks/etc.). There is NOT an extra special $10 add-on tethering free.

jblparisi said:
Actually not true, the Galaxy S Epic 4G does have a LED notification light.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks! This has been corrected.
nxt said:
This is wrong.
Tethering is free and included with the Nexus S as long as you have a normal data plan with T-Mobile (not any $5.99 or $10.00 T-Zone hacks/etc.). There is NOT an extra special $10 add-on tethering free.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Negative. As of 11/03, T-Mobile has begun charging for this service.
Source: http://www.tmonews.com/2010/10/t-mobile-launching-14-99-tethering-plan-november-3rd/
Android 2.2 introduced the ability to hotspot tether regardless of a paid service on nearly any device(and before that, this was available through some market apps). I believe some have had this ability "disabled," in the sense that it doesn't show up in the Wireless & Networks menu(such as the G2, though this was corrected in an update) but through apps such as AnyCut you can still activate the service and tether.
So, once more, you CAN tether without paying for it, however, T-Mobile may start redirecting your web traffic that doesn't contain the Android UA string to their website. They've been super inconsistent in their enforcement (a good thing, if you ask me!).
EDIT: After looking through the "services" options on my T-Mobile account, I don't see anything about a tethering plan. If other folks could take a peek and let me know, I'll revise that section and make the correction.
gogol said:
Great FAQ, but it would be much better to add the list below, because there are many threads opened and will be more and more ...
Possible known issues:
1. Web browsing lag
2. Back button is not responsive
3. Cannot zoom when taking photo or video
4. Pink / white / yellow tint on the screen
....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thats a great idea, I'll definitely start try to start collecting known issues.

Understand that the development section for more detail on rooting / unrooting, but would greatly appreciate if you could post specific links in your FAQ to threads that you would use to root / unroot.
Am a newbie and since I see more than a couple of threads on the subject in the development section, I would greatly appreciate it if you can give links here based on your order of preference (after all its your thread) if there are more than one ways.
Point is a link in the FAQs would give more greater confidence

Paparasee said:
Understand that the development section for more detail on rooting / unrooting, but would greatly appreciate if you could post specific links in your FAQ to threads that you would use to root / unroot.
Am a newbie and since I see more than a couple of threads on the subject in the development section, I would greatly appreciate it if you can give links here based on your order of preference (after all its your thread) if there are more than one ways.
Point is a link in the FAQs would give more greater confidence
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Updated to include links to two threads in the development section which should get you on your way.
The first one will help you setup ADB and the relevant drivers needed to input commands to the phone from your PC. The second is the actual rooting method and custom recovery installation.

unremarked said:
EDIT: After looking through the "services" options on my T-Mobile account, I don't see anything about a tethering plan. If other folks could take a peek and let me know, I'll revise that section and make the correction.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Again, since this is the Nexus S forum, the Nexus S, has NO tethering pay plans for T-Mobile. It's included and free. Yes that option was removed on the G2, etc., but again, this is the Nexus S.

nxt said:
Again, since this is the Nexus S forum, the Nexus S, has NO tethering pay plans for T-Mobile. It's included and free. Yes that option was removed on the G2, etc., but again, this is the Nexus S.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm well aware of which forum I am in and which phone I have.
The option was removed in the G2 and added back in via OTA update, it was also there on the MT4G at launch. I'll admit even setting my device to to show as one of those still does not pull up that option under services. I'm willing to believe that perhaps T-Mobile announced their intention to charge for the service then decided not to.
However, just to point out, the Nexus S/Nexus One are not special phones(as far as T-Mobile are concerned) on T-Mobile's network and thus entitled to special privileges. They are subject to the same rules and regulations as any other phone. In any which case, I'm going to make an adjustment to that section to note the ambiguity.

Is it just me or does the Nexus S seem to be more riddled with problems on release than most other phones? Perhaps it's just because of high expectations after the mind blowing release of the N1?

PhaedraCorruption said:
Is it just me or does the Nexus S seem to be more riddled with problems on release than most other phones? Perhaps it's just because of high expectations after the mind blowing release of the N1?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not really. Every device has it's bugs and issues at release, the Nexus One included. Touch screen wigging out randomly, capacitive buttons misaligned, the relatively easy "death grip," and just generally (at least for me) weak 3G connection. My favorite was when the Nexus One wouldn't send or receive any text messages or phone calls.
We should also keep in mind that Gingerbread itself is brand new as well.

unremarked said:
Q: Can we port SenseUI/Galaxy S apps to the Nexus S?
Most likely, no. Those apps typically require the Rosie/Touchwiz framework in order to function. You can have those apps when and if a developer decides to port those ROMs in their entirety.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
regarding this...
we might see some ports over in due time.
they guys over at SGS are already in the process of porting the SenseUI
once they are done with that feast, it'll be a lot more doable to bring it to Nexus S
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=788866
and
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http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=827745 Alpha ready for testing!

Please add "Q: Why do the Cell and WiFi signal icons switch to white?" or something to that effect.
We have 3 thread on this issue and I foresee many more.

mmas0n said:
Please add "Q: Why do the Cell and WiFi signal icons switch to white?" or something to that effect.
We have 3 thread on this issue and I foresee many more.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Done so! Thanks for the suggestion.

PhaedraCorruption said:
Is it just me or does the Nexus S seem to be more riddled with problems on release than most other phones? Perhaps it's just because of high expectations after the mind blowing release of the N1?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
its just the high expectations, the NS wasnt a game changer like the N1 was

After the update I can't download anything from the marketplace. Anybody else have this problem?

katana24 said:
After the update I can't download anything from the marketplace. Anybody else have this problem?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can't say that I have. Are you talking about missing apps, or are you getting some kind of error message?

Related

YouMail Sleep issues

I have been using YouMail's service on my phones for quite some time and was excited to see there was an app for Android, but after 2+ months of use (and several versions of the .apk, including the most recent Beta) I am still experiencing 100% awake time when the app is running.
If I kill it my phone will immedietly because to sleep normally. But each time I receive a phone call or open the app it will keep the phone from sleeping again.
I have been in contact with their support (which is how I received the Beta version) and have been sending Dumps their way, but was wondering if anyone else is experiencing this issue.
Info: Running Fresh 1.1 on a newly 1.56 RUU'ed hero.
crunchybutternut said:
I have been using YouMail's service on my phones for quite some time and was excited to see there was an app for Android, but after 2+ months of use (and several versions of the .apk, including the most recent Beta) I am still experiencing 100% awake time when the app is running.
If I kill it my phone will immedietly because to sleep normally. But each time I receive a phone call or open the app it will keep the phone from sleeping again.
I have been in contact with their support (which is how I received the Beta version) and have been sending Dumps their way, but was wondering if anyone else is experiencing this issue.
Info: Running Fresh 1.1 on a newly 1.56 RUU'ed hero.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I stopped using the app because of this. I tried contacting support and was brushed off. I love the app but not the lack letting my phone sleep.
I am working with a developer of the app to fix the problem and have tested several versions. Will keep you updated of the progress.
crunchybutternut said:
I am working with a developer of the app to fix the problem and have tested several versions. Will keep you updated of the progress.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That would be great. Thanks for helping him out with this as I would love to use the app.
I don't mean to thread jack this, but.
Whats the difference in YouMail and our Sprint Visual Voice Mail? I have never used youMail.
Kcarpenter said:
I don't mean to thread jack this, but.
Whats the difference in YouMail and our Sprint Visual Voice Mail? I have never used youMail.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
YouMail http://www.youmail.com/home/index.do is a service that replaces Sprint's (or any other provider) voice mail service with their own. It allows you to set custom "smart" greetings for each caller in your contacts, among other things. Check out the site for more info.
Here is the latest response from the developer I have been working with.
Hi [Name],
I did some more research and can confirm that I see the same behavior as you when I run the YouMail app ('active' @ 100%)
I'm not exactly sure what the cause is, as the application is indeed going to sleep when it has nothing to do. The problem also seems to be quite widespread, affecting what seems to be "most" applications that loiter around in the background doing nothing for most of the time.
Since you use 'Spare Parts' you should notice that in there is a way of viewing the 'Partial Wake Lock' usage of a given application. According to the Android developer documentation this is the ONLY way an application can keep the phone "awake" other than 'prodding' it every 30 seconds or so (and you'd notice that 'coz the screen would never go off).
As long as that "Partial Wake Lock" value is low (and it should be unless you're constantly hitting "Menu -> Poll") it means the application is indeed behaving correctly.
All I can offer is that we develop a new feature into the app so that you can tell it to automatically exit when all of the automatic polling settings are disabled - that way the phone would literally shut down the app "sometime" after you back out of the message list. Do you think that's worth it? Or should we wait for HTC/T-Mobile to fix the root cause of the problem?
Doug
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And my response:
Do you mind if I share some of our conversation with a community forum? It might help get others involved and more feedback for you to use in further development.
As far as other apps loitering in the background, my understanding is that Android (using the same process as other Linux distros) keeps recently used applications in RAM to make them more quickly accessible to the user, and will clear them as the RAM is needed by other apps.
I have seen this issue in the past with other apps (i.e. the HTC messaging app locking the dialer and maintaining 100% awake time) but has all been resolved by updates to the apps themselves.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lastly, his response:
Feel free, I don't think I said anything bad
I we get enough requests from "the community" I'll be given time to add the 'exit when done' option (basically it'll become a "dumb" app that only checks for messages when you start it up instead of waking up every so often to check [like after you miss a call])
And yes, Android is a little stranger than normal in that it tends to leave applications running for an unspecified time after you "close" them. (basically until it needs to run something else, or it runs out of memory, or .....)
The YouMail app is a little different in that it runs as a background service and schedules the phone to wake it up whenever "events of interest" occur (you get a TXT, your phone rings, it needs to poll, etc) - so even if the OS does close the app because you logged onto "hugebitmaps.com" and the phone ran out of memory, it'll start it up again as soon as it can.
I suspect the HERO OS is not allowing the phone to sleep, even though the application is literally doing nothing. I don't recall this problem on my trusty G1 when it had Android 1.5, so maybe some of HTC's customizations have broken something
Doug
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can post more of the conversation history if it would help. Anyone have any ideas what might be causing this beyond coding issues?
If anyone wants to send their YouMail log for inspection just enter this code in the dialer *#*#963867#*#* (*#*#YMDUMP#*#*) and it will let you send an email with the log's text.
Tried in 2.1 beta
"I suspect the HERO OS is not allowing the phone to sleep, even though the application is literally doing nothing. I don't recall this problem on my trusty G1 when it had Android 1.5, so maybe some of HTC's customizations have broken something "
I also tried using this app on the 2.1 ROM that Flipz and company have been working on, and had the same issue. I do not know enough programing to determine if this is a problem with OS or the app. I can only give you my experience and try other stuff out to see what the results are. I hope this helps.
Kevin
Hi, Doug from YouMail here.
Just noticed my words and thought I'd give an update - although not much good news.
I basically spent the last 2 days completely reworking the YouMail app's back end code so that anything and everything that could possibly be shut down when it isn't actually doing anything is indeed shut down.
When it came time to test it out -- 100% awake time again (although I stand by my earlier comments that "its not just us").
If I run the same app on a HTC G1 the phone will last a good 2 days (maybe more) without battery issues. If I uninstall the app the difference is minor.
This information, added to all the discussion on the Sprint forums about how the HTC "extras" that this phone comes bundled with have caused the same problem leads me to think that there is something in the Hero that's not behaving properly.
I see other comments like "It does the same on my <insert phone model here>" - well, we don't have unlimited resources, so if you can put the small amount of effort in to dial the 'dump' code mentioned above (*#*#963867#*#*) then maybe we can start to find a pattern here (maybe it's all the Android 1.5 based devices for example).
I'd also like to thank crunchybutternut for all of his assistance and time in trying to sort this issue out.
Doug
superman.namrepus said:
I also tried using this app on the 2.1 ROM that Flipz and company have been working on, and had the same issue. I do not know enough programing to determine if this is a problem with OS or the app. I can only give you my experience and try other stuff out to see what the results are. I hope this helps.
Kevin
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If I can get in touch with someone who has access to the "guts" of the device and that can help me determine whats going wrong then that would be great. Neither the Android developer list nor the HTC forums are particularly helpful when it comes to tricky problems.
Bump
Anyone have some insight on this?
Ok - If someone working on one of these custom builds is prepared to lend a little assistance I'm willing to put a custom build on my phone and try to debug this a little deeper. However, with the number of hours that I get to work on this app.... and all the "fun" blocks that Google have been putting in our way w.r.t Android 2.x, I may not get much more time to work this problem.
That being said, I'm going to try experimenting with a new test app that just adds (one at a time) the raw features of the YouMail app in the hope that a single change triggers this wonderful problem you guys have. If that's the case then I'll put on my Sherlock Holmes hat and try to work around whatever is causing it.
Doug
Any news ?
soundmind said:
Any news ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Got this from ymDoug:
No progress as yet - not seen anything from xda folks either.
I've made *massive* changes to ensure the app is shutting down absolutely everything it can when it has nothing to do - still no joy.
I've even gone through a lot of the Android source code and can't find anything that would indicate I'm doing anything wrong. There is one debugging method I'd dearly love to call inside the Google Android code (it dumps out a list of who is keeping the phone awake at any point in time) but the method is only accessible to (a) Google, and (b) People who cook their own ROMs. The official Android people are doing their usual stand-up job of ignoring the difficult questions
I am still making the odd change here and there, and my test app doesn't seem to be having the same problems (of course)
Regardless, there will be an updated version on the web site in the next day or so - I'll need to ensure my changes haven't completely screwed things up
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Doug has made some changes, does not seem to completely resolve the sleep issue though.
Here's the link to the change log:
http://forums.youmail.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=18
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
FYI: The version in the market is several revisions behind.

Safe Mode

Whenever i say that new smart phones aren't really phones, but actually entertainment devices that make calls, everyone nods and agrees. But what if there was a way to reverse that so they only made calls and pretty much nothing else? I'm looking to find a "safe mode", in which lots of services and drivers aren't even loaded.. ever. A good example of its use would be when i needed to drive 4 hours away for a funeral. I had no need for twitter and angry birds, I just needed to freely communicate with relatives. Another example is being stranded on the highway cause of dead car battery. Most Evo users would be clinging to dear battery life. Sometimes we want to be saturated with features, and other times we would be just fine with a classic green screen phone that only needs a weekly charge.
Would it be possible to dual boot into a very minimalist rom? If i knew my phone had a mode for emergencies, i wouldn't be searching every inch of the web for juice saving tips. Is this possible? If so, which rom would accomplish this? Thanks.
Sent from my HTC Evo 4G [rooted] Sprint 2.3.3(stock Sense, came preinstalled) Freedom-Aggressive kernel 0.8.5 hardware v.4
I have an option on my DroidX and it might work for you. I think it is generic for Android phones.
From the dialer do *#*#4636#*#* and go into the phone menu and you can change the network or disable the data connection altogether. On my phone it makes and receives phone calls and text messages but nothing else.
There is sometimes a delay when I make a change, a few seconds, so be patient.
I have a feeling you could do some damage in this menu so make a note of anything you change.
Since you are rooted, you could also install Droidwall or something similar and be very selective about what applications you allow to have a data connection.
You can theoretically create a custom CM7 or AOSP ROM with only the essentials- the phone.apk, contacts.apk, mms.apk, settings, and their corresponding supporting files/ framework.
Mind you, the screen would still be the biggest battery drain. And there comes a question of dual booting (which should be possible in my phone at least, with Magldr...).
Swyped from my HTC HD2 running CM7 (Gingerbread 2.3.5)

[Q] XT720 stock from WIND + Wifi/3G issues

Ok noob alert..just a prelude I've done alot of searching and reading, and *think I have some answers, but if some kind soul were to take a quick look and maybe verify what I've found, I'd be eternally grateful. I used to have a LG Optimus and easily rooted/upgraded to CM7 by reading this forum and didn't have to ask any questions.
Now I've gone and signed up for WIND (Canada) and picked up an XT720. It's my budget and I'm not overly concerned about whether or not I have ICS immediately. I'd rather have something stable and $$ saving.
OK so I'm noticing a serious difference in the way the XT720 handles the WIFI/mobile data situation compared to the LG: it doesn't. First off, there's no easy way to turn off mobile data. Secondly, enabling WIFI gets me a connection to my router, yes, but browsers and apps that require a connection just refuse to use the WIFI unless: 1. there is 3G data connection - in other words, it ain't using WIFI 2. I put the phone in Airplane Mode, and turn WIFI back on. Great, but now no phone calls or SMS. Not a viable workaround. Option 3 involves hard resetting the phone with a battery pull which sometimes works and sometimes doesn't.
From scouring around various sites, this seems to have been a common problem with 2.1 and this model of phone. And thus the workarounds I tried were also employed by others.
From what I know of all versions custom ROMs etc from 2.2 onward for other models of phones, though, this wasn't an issue, and also in 2.2 and onward you can switch off Mobile Data which will force the WIFI connection if turned on.
So is this something that I will see an improvement on if I install say CM 6.3 onward or whatever? I'll get the ability to turn off mobile data, right? And then there theoretically shouldn't be a conflict, right?
That's my biggest issue. I don't get enough 3G signal in my house to just use the mobile data connection, I absolutely have to be able to use WIFI and receive phone calls/texts at the same time, so if custom roms aren't going to help me, I'd best return the phone.
Some other things I'm curious about:
- do most of the normal functions of the phone work with CM 6.3? HD recording, camera, HDMI out etc? Anything I've missed?
- I see quite a bit of talk about people running out of RAM and using sd swapping etc is this a common problem? Even with about 20 or so apps and CM7 on my LG Optimus I was still able to maintain about 110 mb RAM free at all times by judicious use of installing apps on SD card...will I be ok?
- Probably the biggest question before I root/install...most of the guides I'm reading talk about installing various stock sbfs etc etc...I'm coming in from a WIND stock rom so I don't *THINK* I need to do this, right? I should be nandroid'ing, Open Recovery, flash custom rom....right?
Here's my specs
Xt720 Wind Canada
s/w STR_U2_05.1F.2
f/w 2.1-update1
f/w config GAS_NA_NAWIND_P012
Baseband 3GSMEPU91A_U_91.075EI
kernel 2.6.29-omap1
I realize that some of this is covered in other threads. To be honest tho some respondents/contributors aren't English first language and I just want to make sure I haven't misunderstood anything. Anyone who has done similar to what I'm trying to do, especially coming from a WIND perspective, lemme know your thoughts, please and thanks alot!
acrobat69 said:
Now I've gone and signed up for WIND (Canada) and picked up an XT720. It's my budget and I'm not overly concerned about whether or not I have ICS immediately. I'd rather have something stable and $$ saving.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've picked up the XT720 myself from Wind a few days ago at the clearance price ($150 outright, no plan). They even told me there are no guarantees with the phone with its stock ROM and seemed glad to hear that I was gonna use it with a custom ROM. I knew what I was getting into and the only reason I still bought the phone is this:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1300246
We are extremely lucky to get Gingearbread on our phones, so don't even think of ICS at this moment. As you noticed already the stock 2.1 is useless and I flashed mine the 1st day.
acrobat69 said:
That's my biggest issue. I don't get enough 3G signal in my house to just use the mobile data connection, I absolutely have to be able to use WIFI and receive phone calls/texts at the same time, so if custom roms aren't going to help me, I'd best return the phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The ROM I linked above (the only 2.3, actually CM 7.1 available for XT720) works as you'd expect with wifi and 3g, that is it uses wifi when connected to both. Any decent ROM will do that.
acrobat69 said:
- do most of the normal functions of the phone work with CM 6.3? HD recording, camera, HDMI out etc? Anything I've missed?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
HD recording - not yet (you don't lose much anyway, the camcorder quality would be crappy, check reviews with the stock OS)
camera - yes (pretty good quality)
HDMI - not yet (I'm guessing it will be fixed very soon, the devs are working on exactly this)
everything else - yes
acrobat69 said:
- I see quite a bit of talk about people running out of RAM and using sd swapping etc is this a common problem? Even with about 20 or so apps and CM7 on my LG Optimus I was still able to maintain about 110 mb RAM free at all times by judicious use of installing apps on SD card...will I be ok?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This one is tricky, the phone only has about 225mb usable RAM, there's not much multi-tasking you can do with that amount but it's workable. There are some performance tweaks you can do (overclocking, CM settings, V6 SuperCharger, etc.) to make it decent. Moving apps on sd card is a good idea in order to save storage space on the phone (another limited resource at only 174mb) but has nothing to do with RAM.
acrobat69 said:
- Probably the biggest question before I root/install...most of the guides I'm reading talk about installing various stock sbfs etc etc...I'm coming in from a WIND stock rom so I don't *THINK* I need to do this, right? I should be nandroid'ing, Open Recovery, flash custom rom....right?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've been wondering the same thing, what's up with all the SBFs people are talking about left and right? The answer is don't worry about them, you don't need any SBF. They are just that, stock ROMs, all 2.1. You would only need one (the Wind version) if you wanted to take the phone back for servicing and wanted to return to the original non-rooted state. Apparently even if you take a full nandroid backup with your stock ROM now and restore it later, the phone will still be rooted and this is where a stock SBF would help. I'm not gonna bother, even if I do take it back (highly doubt it, with the custom ROM it's a very good phone for $150 outright), I'm just gonna restore my stock nandroid backup.
So what you need is:
1. root the phone (personally I used SuperOneClick, google for the latest version)
2. install OpenRecovery: http://modmymobile.com/forums/563-m.../531599-open-recovery-v1-46-11-21-2010-a.html
I can send you the file you need if you pm your email address. I HATE it when I have to register on some forum just to get 1 stupid file. And you absolutely CANNOT get that stupid file anywhere else on the face of the Earth/internet.
3. install this mod for OpenRecovery: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1242259
4. go to the ROM's thread, dl the latest build linked in the 1st post, copy the zip file to your sdcard\openrecovery\updates, reboot into recovery mode, apply update, format data&cache, reboot. Done. Enjoy!
BuddyBud said:
2. install OpenRecovery: http://modmymobile.com/forums/563-m.../531599-open-recovery-v1-46-11-21-2010-a.html
I can send you the file you need if you pm your email address. I HATE it when I have to register on some forum just to get 1 stupid file. And you absolutely CANNOT get that stupid file anywhere else on the face of the Earth/internet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There's an OpenRecovery apk floating around here to install ther OR bootstrap, no need to register at ModMyMobile.
:Edit:
Woodrube has it attached to this thread. Install the apk from the sdcard, reboot, then run the apk & install OR. (Now you can switch out the OR files with Mioze's modded OR)
here you go
I knew that thread would come in handy one of these days. Plus Buddy and Acro there are other handy APKs in there too.
Mioze actually have all the necessary Open Recovery files linked in his CM6.3 topic
that's the most updated version
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU to James and everyone who has responded so far - even going so far as to direct link me to files I'll need? You guys are the best!!.
I really appreciate the encouragement. I think tonight's the night.
I'll try and log my procedures and steps and make note of anything I run into for future noobs like me I might be able to help..that's how community works, right?
Wish me luck!
Good luck
One more tip: If you find that Market keeps crashing after you flash fjfalcon's ROM, flash this updated Google Apps package - gapps-gb-20111216 (dl link here).
It worked for me. Put the zip file on the sdcard right next to the ROM file and flash it just like the ROM file.
PS: Who's James?
Ah BuddyBud sorry, there is another Canadian Wind guy named Biker Bob (real name James) who was posting about his experiences in another thread, and I mixed the two of you up..
About to try this...couple questions
Has anyone watched/used Reverend's tutorial video? Results?
I don't need to unlock the phone first, right? Please tell me no, I just got it! lol
The Revs videos are a good reference & if you are talking about a sim unlock that's not necessary.
Yes Revs videos are good to show.a visual of what you should do. Don't worry about it. I know it is scary the first time but once you do it, it will become second nature. Don't forget to wipe cache, dalvik and factory reset. If you bootloop, that is probably why.
No you don't need to be unlocked. That just deals with carriers and not ROMs.
Im on the edge of the decision precipice..am not too nervous about doing this, as in fact I'm pretty technically proficient..it just seemed that this process was a bit more convoluted than the one I picked up on easily for the LG.
Decisions decisions...6.3 or go all the way to 7.1
I think I need stability...and I'm not sure I want to get into a whole bunch of swapping locations etc. I noticed The Reverend mentioned he didn't bother with swaps. Mind you, I don't even think he made an ext partition either, which boggles my mind, I was almost sure you had to make at least one for any custom ROM. I might be showing just how little I know here! lol
Is it just that 7.1 is more of an ongoing thing, or by now are most of the +/- s of both pretty much on par? I know, I should be reading all 78 pages of the damn thread, right??
Oh boy, I just read through the Bravo thread...and the LED notification sounds SOOO tempting. No LED notification bugged the hell outta me on the LG. Hmmmm...
Ok...have settled on the ROM in this thread (Bravo):
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1332410
I just want to make sure of one thing...the VERY helpful steps that you all have outlined ie BuddyBuds...they stay the same up to step 4 (ROM + update) no matter what ROM I choose, pretty much.
Brians instructions are just a slight bit confusing in that Im not sure if I have to apply just the most recent update for LED ie v1.6...or if I have to install ALL the updates from the start on up (I think there are 4 of them). To me it would seem logical that each new version would be cumulative ie include the stuff from previous versions...but I just want to make sure!
One more thing..I didnt notice any mention of gapps in the download in that thread (nor did I see a gapps apk in the files I unzipped, but might have missed it..)...if not, Ill need to apply that too, right..any special version to useÉ
Ok so...
I went with Brian's BRAVO. I followed some of the steps provided in this thread, coupled with Reverand's video. I used his OpenRecovery install method (ie original from the Dexter build, copy new over top that) because I've never installed OpenRecovery before and it just seemed confusing on other threads.
To root, I used UltimateAndroot, in order to have the ability to unroot the machine (you'll see why...)
The first thing I checked, of course, was the pull down power/status bar to see about turning off various connections (ie Wifi, Bluetooth, Refresh, Mobile Data, etc). Unlike other 2.2 Froyo's I've used, specifically..LG..there is no pull down/status bar. Damn. Went thru every Setting imaginable, but won't work. This isn't looking great.
Next thing I tested was my 3G/Wifi issue. To my dismay...the issue remains. Browser and apps are still trying to use 3G first and foremost, as far as I can see. How do I know? Because if I leave Data Network Settting to "Allowed", browser/apps work, and *seem to be using the WiFi, but the second the 3G signal fades or is dropped, I get connection issues, and WiFi is still on. If I turn Data Network Setting to "Not Allowed", it might/might not use the WiFi for a bit and then pretty consistently stop. When I mean "stop", I mean the phone is still showing connected to WiFi yet there are data connection errors on all browsers/apps that need data etc. Sometimes, if the 3G signal returns, I get the pop-up asking me to Allow the data, and if I say yes it works for a bit (but then, because of the 3G signal issue, it cuts out again).
The fix - again - turn on Airplane mode, which disconnects all connections, turn on WiFi, then go back into Call Settings and search for the Home Network again. This is crazy, I can't do this every time, and eventually it craps out again and I have to do it all over.
The other really frustrating thing is I powered it down to do a full recharge overnight...when I booted back up it didn't find my Home Network at all and I had to rescan for it. Testing that out, sure enough, rebooting the phone I have to reselect the Network. Argh.
Any thoughts? The whole necessity of being able to turn 3G data off is so I can avoid this very problem. Basically, I walk in my front door, turn off data over the mobile network, and let my WiFi do it all while I'm home. I wish I could do this as effectively as with my LG on 2.2 (and later, CM7)
acrobat69 said:
Ok...have settled on the ROM in this thread (Bravo):
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1332410
I just want to make sure of one thing...the VERY helpful steps that you all have outlined ie BuddyBuds...they stay the same up to step 4 (ROM + update) no matter what ROM I choose, pretty much.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Once you get to step 4 inn Buddy's list check out this. It will explain it a little bit better. Brought someone back from the brink on this thread. Where is says Dexter, just replace that with Bravo.
Brians instructions are just a slight bit confusing in that Im not sure if I have to apply just the most recent update for LED ie v1.6...or if I have to install ALL the updates from the start on up (I think there are 4 of them). To me it would seem logical that each new version would be cumulative ie include the stuff from previous versions...but I just want to make sure!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Per Brian's OP the v1.9 has all the patches.
v1.9,A new Nandroid IMG backup,All patches included(20111217).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
One more thing..I didnt notice any mention of gapps in the download in that thread (nor did I see a gapps apk in the files I unzipped, but might have missed it..)...if not, Ill need to apply that too, right..any special version to useÉ
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Gapps is for CM builds. Bravo is a 2.2 build.
Side note: If you are going to partition it is up to you. I and a few other don't but it is really a personal preference. When I did, I used MiniTool Partition Wizard and it worked like a charm.
A few things though:
1: Your partitions must be set up this way---> Fat then EXT2/3 then Swap (if you choose-I don't and never did-requires you to fastboot a custom kernel and since this is your first experience, I would not suggest it)
2: Sizes. Many noobs will set their EXT2/3 partition to 1gb. That is way too big and you are just wasting space. I find that somewhere between 350-400mb is more than enough.
3: Do not convert your Ext partition to EXT4 unless the ROM you choose supports it. If/when the time comes, use MZ's open recovery utility to do it and not GPArted or MiniTool. The creat a Hugefile that has to be deleted and is a PITA.
4: If you do decide to partition, you will have to boot up fully, then go into your root explorer and in the SD-ext, you will need to create a folder called App (not apps-no S) so it will look like this sdcard/sdext/app. Then reboot and your apps will auto-install there.
Sorry for the long post and good luck.
---------- Post added at 11:30 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:42 AM ----------
acrobat69 said:
Any thoughts? The whole necessity of being able to turn 3G data off is so I can avoid this very problem. Basically, I walk in my front door, turn off data over the mobile network, and let my WiFi do it all while I'm home. I wish I could do this as effectively as with my LG on 2.2 (and later, CM7)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Once you click on WIFI it should take over as your primary source of data. Not sure why unless I think I might have figured it out. Go into settings>wireless>tick your WIFI and once your router pops up leave it alone and hit your menu button. Set your WIFI sleep policy to NEVER and I bet that takes care of it. Pretty sure that is toggling off your WIFI when 3g is present.
Other solution is Widgetsoid and Elixir both have a widget to toggle off data (so does Beautiful widgets too for that matter). You can use those but I really think the above solution should work for you.
Woodrube said:
Per Brian's OP the v1.9 has all the patches.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah, figured..however when I go into LED Notification, it says "revision 1.6" (or some wording to that effect) at the bottom. Maybe that's just an error, but I just used that to gauge whether or not I had installed the latest revisions etc.
LED Notification works for text messages. I haven't seen it work for calls yet, but maybe I'm doing something wrong. I call the phone, the screen lights up that there's a call, and then ultimately closes when noone answers it. It was at this point that I'd assume the LED notification would come on. Screen is out, so LED, right?
Woodrube said:
Gapps is for CM builds. Bravo is a 2.2 build.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok I guess I goofed then, because I tried to update with Gapps after I installed Bravo. One thing I noticed is that I wasn't prompted to sign up/into my Google accounts or set up the phone when I rebooted following the Bravo ROM + Gapps install..that had always happened on my LG when I did CM installs...your explanation makes sense!
But...isn't CM6 basically 2.2 and Bravo basically 2.2? Or maybe I misread that.
At any rate, the real reason I updated Gapps is because I wanted the "new" Market look. I don't like the old one very much, really like the My Apps function. Is there way I can just patch this in to Bravo?
Woodrube said:
Side note: If you are going to partition it is up to you. I and a few other don't but it is really a personal preference.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why do people partition? I did it on my LG, but never used it. Partitioning has nothing to do with installing user apps to the SD card, right? I can do that anyways, true?
Speaking of which..in CM there is the ability to set the default install location. I searched to find something similar in Bravo, to no avail. Is there a way to do this?
Wait...I think you just gave me the answer to both these questions...duh me..
Woodrube said:
4: If you do decide to partition, you will have to boot up fully, then go into your root explorer and in the SD-ext, you will need to create a folder called App (not apps-no S) so it will look like this sdcard/sdext/app. Then reboot and your apps will auto-install there.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I guess I do in fact want to partition, then. I can't imagine how one wouldn't want to, I mean you don't want apps clogging up internal memory, right?
Woodrube said:
Sorry for the long post and good luck.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Never apologize for long posts...I'm the worst at it and I love pouring over every single last detail. I'm sure there are lurkers who appreciate also, I know I really did when learning on my LG. Thanks a million!!
Woodrube said:
Once you click on WIFI it should take over as your primary source of data. Not sure why unless I think I might have figured it out. Go into settings>wireless>tick your WIFI and once your router pops up leave it alone and hit your menu button. Set your WIFI sleep policy to NEVER and I bet that takes care of it. Pretty sure that is toggling off your WIFI when 3g is present.
Other solution is Widgetsoid and Elixir both have a widget to toggle off data (so does Beautiful widgets too for that matter). You can use those but I really think the above solution should work for you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
DOHHHHH!!!! I knew I had forgotten something about past settings that made my LG work so well.. I have modified the Wi-Fi sleep policy and hopefully it will work better now! One constant in all the issues I was having, now that you've mentioned this, is that the screen was sleeping/timing out while things were going on. I'd bring it back up, and be all "like, wtf" when my browser wouldn't work or apps that were downloading hung, etc. Mind you, it probably should have reconnected by itself, but whatever, if it doesn't, there's no harm in using Never Sleep for WiFi. I'm not that much of a stickler for battery usage. I go to bed, I charge the phone, I wake up, repeat. I don't need 4 days battery life and if I ever am in a situation where I do, I'm camping or somewhere remote ie no WiFi hence this doesn't apply as I'd just toggle WiFi off completely anyways.
You're right, I could use a Widget to manage my connections and I managed to grab Beautiful when it was 10 cents..but those reside on the screen and I would love to get that pull-down bar back, just so handy to drag down no matter what app/screen you're in...I know, I'm picky
You know what? I got a Notification Toggle app on my PC at home that I'll upload here tonight. I just remembered it while I was at lunch. It is from an older ROM so not sure it will work but worth a try. Usual directions. Push it to /system/apps reboot. It should be just what you are looking for if it works. Might not though so you'll just have to see.
CM6 is 2.2 and so is Bravo only Bravo was made from the official Korean update that was handed down and Mioze has created the CM6 from source. So yes they are both 2.2 but very different.
Edit: I have the latest Market.apk too. It is floating around here somewhere but I can't find in for some reason. I'll upload them tonight.
acrobat69 said:
Decisions decisions...6.3 or go all the way to 7.1
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
try them both first, then see which one you want to use as your daily driver.
i personally like the 6.3 better because it runs the fastest even on stock speed 720 Mhz
you can use Open Recovery to do a full backup, and switch back and forth between 7.1 and 6.3 until you decide which one you like best
7.1 has more themes to choose from and is more up to date, but... less free resources vs. 6.3 which is indirectly related to why it feels less quick than 6.3
7.1 feels similar to the speed you get on the stock ROM from Wind, 6.3 feels like a brand new device

newb questions about GPS on my phone

Hi everyone,
Running a galaxy sII lte, rooted on official 4.0.4 and my carrier is Rogers. I believe this is the same phone a the skyrocket so I hope I'm in the right forum.
I have a problem with the GPS on my device, or maybe the option is not available on my device I don't know. I did some research about it but still couldn't address this problem. I turn on my GPS signal and it tries to locate me for hours never actually pinning me anywhere on the map. Now I don't have a data connection, but the maps are all cached to my phone, it's the pinning that doesn't work for me. My question is, is my phone capable of doing this without a data connection? If not, what makes an iPhone different that it can do this? Why even have a GPS toggle if I'm getting limited through data?
Thanks in advance!
First off, let me say welcome to xda! Also yes u are in the right section.
Secondly, look for the "agps fix.". It will address the issue with non-locking. With it, I went from 20 seconds to 3.
If that doesn't work look for the galaxy nexus GPS fix, its pretty much the same as agps, which I recommend u try first.
Lastly, caching of Google maps is frankly, [email protected] U need a data connection to use them. For offline GPS, theres really only one app capable, sygic. Look for it in the play store. I have no experience with it so I can't comment on its effectiveness.
If I helped hit the thanks button
Hi!
I totally agree with Icenight89. I also have the Rogers' Skyrocket (the model number is SGH-i727R; you can verify this under the battery inside the phone), and I got problem with GPS position locking. It took about 10 to 15 minutes to lock my position; after I applied the fix, locking takes seconds.
Google Maps needs an active data connection -- be it WiFi or a data plan from Rogers -- in order to guide you through the maps. Caching just takes an instant of the map/area you want, and allows you to view it while you are offline. Without a data connection, though, you won't be able to, say, search for a specific address, look for restaurant/gas station/touristic attraction or get directions. If that is what you are looking for, you might be interested in another GPS navigation app.
icenight89 said:
First off, let me say welcome to xda! Also yes u are in the right section.
Secondly, look for the "agps fix.". It will address the issue with non-locking. With it, I went from 20 seconds to 3.
If that doesn't work look for the galaxy nexus GPS fix, its pretty much the same as agps, which I recommend u try first.
Lastly, caching of Google maps is frankly, [email protected] U need a data connection to use them. For offline GPS, theres really only one app capable, sygic. Look for it in the play store. I have no experience with it so I can't comment on its effectiveness.
If I helped hit the thanks button
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Alexandre-P said:
Hi!
I totally agree with Icenight89. I also have the Rogers' Skyrocket (the model number is SGH-i727R; you can verify this under the battery inside the phone), and I got problem with GPS position locking. It took about 10 to 15 minutes to lock my position; after I applied the fix, locking takes seconds.
Google Maps needs an active data connection -- be it WiFi or a data plan from Rogers -- in order to guide you through the maps. Caching just takes an instant of the map/area you want, and allows you to view it while you are offline. Without a data connection, though, you won't be able to, say, search for a specific address, look for restaurant/gas station/touristic attraction or get directions. If that is what you are looking for, you might be interested in another GPS navigation app.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks guys, the patch worked wonders!
I wonder if there is a fix for those that don't root, because doesn't that take away one of the key functionalities of the phone? Was this addressed in jelly bean?
It looks like the GPS is working wonderfully for some people, but awfully for others. I had no problem with the GPS when I was on stock Gingerbread. I did not stay long enough on stock ICS to tell if the problem started when I upgraded, I went pretty quick to CM9 nightly, and I had the GPS to work not so good. Applying this patch was like night and day, now the GPS is working great.
So no, I'm not sure that this patch will make its way into a stable ROM -- in your case, Rogers' stock ROM. You may want to take a look at Rogers Community Forum and ask if someone had problem with the GPS. If a lot of people report GPS malfunction to Rogers, Rogers might consider patching its ROM.
And about your other question: I don't think there is a way to patch the GPS on an unrooted phone. This patch write/replace a system file, which means you have to have root access to apply the modifications.
Alexandre-P said:
It looks like the GPS is working wonderfully for some people, but awfully for others. I had no problem with the GPS when I was on stock Gingerbread. I did not stay long enough on stock ICS to tell if the problem started when I upgraded, I went pretty quick to CM9 nightly, and I had the GPS to work not so good. Applying this patch was like night and day, now the GPS is working great.
So no, I'm not sure that this patch will make its way into a stable ROM -- in your case, Rogers' stock ROM. You may want to take a look at Rogers Community Forum and ask if someone had problem with the GPS. If a lot of people report GPS malfunction to Rogers, Rogers might consider patching its ROM.
And about your other question: I don't think there is a way to patch the GPS on an unrooted phone. This patch write/replace a system file, which means you have to have root access to apply the modifications.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Technically u don't need a rooted phone, merely a custom recovery on Samsung based devices, which u can flash via Odin, and reflash stock after but yes, in principle u are correct. U cannot use it with a non-stock phone
Thanks everyone that helps a lot!
fornoggg said:
Thanks guys, the patch worked wonders!
I wonder if there is a fix for those that don't root, because doesn't that take away one of the key functionalities of the phone? Was this addressed in jelly bean?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why wouldn't you want to root? I feel so naked without it
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I727R running SKY-ICS 4.2F6-2.7
mymusicathome said:
Why wouldn't you want to root? I feel so naked without it
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I727R running SKY-ICS 4.2F6-2.7
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Everything I have bookmarked about GPS:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1726565
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1239713
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1438129&highlight=gps+lock
http://rootzwiki.com/topic/21453-optimal-gps-settings-for-galaxy-nexus/
They all work with everything from GB up to JB on multiple models...
Most of them require root permissions or a custom recovery (CWMR) to install.
Hope this benefits SOMEBODY, I spent a great deal of time researching this...
I had similar issues with my galaxy s2.
There is a free app in the play store called "gps status".
Tools/manage a state/reset
Fixed it.
~Samsung Galaxy SIII (SPH-L710) - Blazer ROM v1.6 - TWRP~

[MOD] Enable "Phone" Features on T-Mobile T869

To give you a little context, I came over to the T869 from the Galaxy Tab 2 7.0, which is basically the WiFi-only sibling of the "Plus" T869 that T-Mobile now sells. Being a WiFi only device, it had the "phone" parts of the GUI disabled, like the Phone and Messaging apps won't show up or run and you can't sync BlueTooth headsets. The T869 has the MMS app enabled, but no phone, so the same mod I did on the P3113 is useful on this one.
Thankfully, even though it seems fairly arcane, Wes Foster made a nice utility to make this much easier (and more n00b friendly) to do.
To do this (and other framework mods), first you should pull the framework-res.apk file out of the ROM.zip file you're using. Open the zip and go into /system/framework. In there you'll find framework-res.apk, which you should extract.
Drop that file into the "place-framework-res-here" folder within the Mod tool, then run the tool and enter option 1.
This will unpack the files to the "files-to-edit" folder.
Inside there you'll need to go to \framework-res.apk\res\values\
You'll need to modify the file bools.xml. Find this line and change "false" to "true":
Code:
[B]<bool name="config_voice_capable">false</bool>[/B]
Once you make that change, you're all set to "enable" phone features. You can also make other changes as desired.
Here's a partial guide: http://www.igottadroid.com/ModMarket/Listings/Darkside Agent1621289.html
Once you're done modifying the file, save it, and then run through options 2, 3, and 4 on the mod tool.
Once its done, you'll have a flashable ZIP file named "update.zip" inside the final-zip-file folder.
For extra safety, I reccomend making a copy of the update.zip called revert_framework.zip.
Open this copy in 7-Zip, go into the /system/framework folder, and delete the framework-res.apk file there. Replace it with the unmodified one from your ROM, then close 7-Zip. Now you have a second "flashable" ZIP that will put the untouched framework back onto your tablet, which comes in handy if you managed to break something and cannot boot
I did not make the tool, and found it in this thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1823701
I am simply reposting it over here since I found it very helpful
I stumbled across this thread when I was about to ask about the international version...is there any chance you could post a video of this in action? Not that I don't believe this works, but I remember following a thread for the T-Mobile Springboard where a few people said a certain update would allow for phone/SMS, but then others who actively tried were unable to do so because of how T-Mobile picks up the IMEI (and doesn't let you use a phone SIM with a tablet).
If this works (and if it also keeps T-Mobile 4G), then this would be a MUCH better solution than buying an international 7.0 Plus (which is not only ~$200 more expensive on average but would only work on 2G on T-Mobile US).
Well, the T869 has SMS enabled natively. I got a "data only" pay-as-you-go plan for a 4G / WiFi hotspot earlier this year, and recently got the T869 with a contact. Both of these came with a 10 digit phone number for administrative purposes, and even the hotspot had the ability to receive SMS.
This particular trick doesn't do anything to the back end services themselves, so its not like you magically get phone service just by doing this.
I use a combination of SIP and Google Voice to do phone-type stuff without a phone.
I prefer this hack because it enables the native dialer, and pretty much all the good softphone solutions allow you to "integrate" with the native call log & dialer setup, so you just go to the normal "People" app and click someone's phone # and are then given an option to call them.
Without this hack, you must go into whatever 3rd party app you're using and initiate phone calls from there.
Remember, I initially started doing this on my WiFi Only GT-P3113 (which is basically a T869 without 4G or vibration).
I was never able to get the "Native" messaging app to behave quite right. There's a Google Voice SMS Integration app, and it can sync your GV texting into the native SMS app's text history, but it can't (or couldn't) trigger native SMS notifications correctly.
I am kinda over texting in general, as I have it piped through GoogleTalk. I receive SMS at my GoogleVoice phone #, and they are automatically forwarded to GoogleTalk via a third party web service called GVMax, which is free. GV Max is basically a GoogleVoice to XMPP bridge. After federating in my other IM accounts, GoogleTalk is now my one-stop-shop for textual communications.
Just my $0.02.
Isn't the "International" version so-called because its got a quad band radio that works on like any carrier?
Also, I have heard (though this is not confirmed) that the "International" edition doesn't come with an IR blaster, whereas the T869 does. I dunno if that's true or something you'd care about, but food for thought
magus57 said:
I stumbled across this thread when I was about to ask about the international version...is there any chance you could post a video of this in action? Not that I don't believe this works, but I remember following a thread for the T-Mobile Springboard where a few people said a certain update would allow for phone/SMS, but then others who actively tried were unable to do so because of how T-Mobile picks up the IMEI (and doesn't let you use a phone SIM with a tablet).
If this works (and if it also keeps T-Mobile 4G), then this would be a MUCH better solution than buying an international 7.0 Plus (which is not only ~$200 more expensive on average but would only work on 2G on T-Mobile US).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well from what I remember, the reviews I read about the 7.0 Plus were regarding the international version and all of them mentioned an IR blaster - but regardless, that'd be one of my least-used features of the tablet. Kinda disappointed that it'd still only be calls over data - I think I'd pay the extra $200 and suffer 2G speeds (at least until T-Mobile 1900Mhz roll-out comes to Chicago) for GSM calls alone, as I'd rather not deal with a separate data plan or tethering data off my phone to get calls.
magus57 said:
Well from what I remember, the reviews I read about the 7.0 Plus were regarding the international version and all of them mentioned an IR blaster - but regardless, that'd be one of my least-used features of the tablet. Kinda disappointed that it'd still only be calls over data - I think I'd pay the extra $200 and suffer 2G speeds (at least until T-Mobile 1900Mhz roll-out comes to Chicago) for GSM calls alone, as I'd rather not deal with a separate data plan or tethering data off my phone to get calls.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah that's kindof a deal breaker. Out here in Portland OR we have 4G in most places, and I'm either at work (in an office) or at home 90% of the time, where I have a high speed WiFi hookup, AND I almost never talk on the phone, so the data-only setup is perfect for guys like me.
GSM only would pretty much make that a dealbreaker, since I suspect the audio quality would be pretty terrible.
DivinityCycle said:
Yeah that's kindof a deal breaker. Out here in Portland OR we have 4G in most places, and I'm either at work (in an office) or at home 90% of the time, where I have a high speed WiFi hookup, AND I almost never talk on the phone, so the data-only setup is perfect for guys like me.
GSM only would pretty much make that a dealbreaker, since I suspect the audio quality would be pretty terrible.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
While I do have a pretty stable 4G connection wherever I go (except for my brother's apartment, where ALL reception is horrible) or have access to my home's faster Wifi connection, and I don't talk much, I still get much better GSM service everywhere and can still get calls when I have to turn off data to save battery (since I use the data connection quite a bit when I'm away from a charger). And I haven't really had complaints with GSM audio or found voice over 4G/Wifi to be much clearer especially when the person on the other end is usually using GSM too..
I mean if you were doing some sorta data-only internet phone setup like SIP or GrooveIP or something. That's what I am using, and for it to sound alright you need decent bandwidth. Actually I ought to test out my stuff on a 2G connection and see how bad it is Should be interesting!
will this trick work on stock ICS build?
Galaxy t869
Does anyone know if this will allow making "regular" calls using my "regular" SIM CARD?
Thanks,
Jonathan
jon5407 said:
Does anyone know if this will allow making "regular" calls using my "regular" SIM CARD?
Thanks,
Jonathan
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I seriously doubt it, no way to be truly sure without trying it though.
T869UVLG7 ICS phone call hack
Hey I'm one the noobs mentioned in your post. I'm living in the Bahamas and a proud owner of the T869.First I have no idea what the ROM.zip is and whether this is supposed to be done on a desktop or the tab itself.I am rooted but running UVLG7 ICS UPDATE.It'd be awesome if I could get this working .My sim card is data and 3g/4g ready.Could you please /anyone inform. Thanks to u guys with your mod skills they're mad skills.Thanks man
Thanks mate~~
I did this on the T869 originally locked to T-Mobile, and it worked without a problem~!!!!
PS: >>> Be sure to first wipe cache. I skipped that the first time and i almost created an atomic bomb
PPS: >>> Also, the backup revert.zip is a brilliant idea, it's what i used when i messed up the first time!
Hey mate!
thanks again for the tutorial!
I have followed it to completion.
I however, can only do simple things like loading airtime [our networks are prepaid] and check balance,
but I can't seem to be able to make calls
I have an unlocked T869
---------- Post added at 06:34 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:33 PM ----------
dubblecup said:
Hey I'm one the noobs mentioned in your post. I'm living in the Bahamas and a proud owner of the T869.First I have no idea what the ROM.zip is and whether this is supposed to be done on a desktop or the tab itself.I am rooted but running UVLG7 ICS UPDATE.It'd be awesome if I could get this working .My sim card is data and 3g/4g ready.Could you please /anyone inform. Thanks to u guys with your mod skills they're mad skills.Thanks man
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey,
are you trying to follow the tutorial and are having problems???
Please be a little more clear where you're stuck so we can help
-accidental double post-
Read the thread.
To quote myself: "This particular trick doesn't do anything to the back end services themselves, so its not like you magically get phone service just by doing this."
Also I have upgraded a couple of times since I posted about this crap and no longer use my Samsung (now using a Nexus 7 2013 which is way better)

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