Database Info

This one goes out to the US T-Mobile Defy owners - OTA 6.39 ROM

If you purchased your phone in the last three weeks and from this date onwards (Feb 8), you have the latest 6.39 US rom preinstalled. (Currently being rolled out for older devices through the OTA).
This means that you have a high likelihood of bricking your device if you attempt to flash a non US rom – or probably any rom.
This is my experience so I decided to post this thread in this section (despite grumblings) as a caution.
After a heroic 24 hour effort last week, I gave up on trying to unbrick my last device and this time (last night) decided to take the safer road and see if the updated rom could at least still be rooted….
As mentioned elsewhere, it still can be rooted using superoneclick (run from the pc – instructions in other threads)
I’ve attached the file that worked for me below, and will briefly describe the route I’ve followed this morning to get to a smoothly running, rooted Defy that still runs 2.1 but cleanly bypasses blur and looks and feels good:
• Root using the file below or find it in other threads – there are a few versions to choose from.
• Install Tenfar’s recovery (big thanks!), found elsewhere or attached below. (Again there are a few versions to choose from including a newer version from tenfar but the one attached below worked for me)
• Make a backup using recovery – remembering that it always has to be run from the recovery app and can’t be booted into from a switched off state or battery pull – (power on volume down) This is at the core of the locked boot loader issue - correct me someone if I’m wrong.
Once backed up you can set about downloading app remover/freezers, overclock apps (setcpu) and an alternate launcher – ADW. (Aside from a bunch of other apps that require root and are lotsa fun!)
My approach to the bloatware:
I first tried freezing apps one by one (deleting/removing them will affect your ability to get future OTAs smoothly without restoring the original backup so instead unfreeze them later)
…but froze one too many – bluraccount app and got froze out of the phone interface (Blank screen - not having any way to run the functions/apps or change settings, and a factory wipe/restore or using the stock recovery didn’t fix this by the way) and four hours later found a backdoor to reinstalling recovery and restoring the backup – sweaty work believe me.
(How to: By multi tapping the home button it opened up the internet app – then navigated to a link to the online “appbrain” app and clicked a link there to download directly from the market. This then automatically opened up the market app on the phone which was otherwise unavailable by any other means. Once the market app was opened, I downloaded, installed and immediately clicked to open linda file manager then used it to navigate to the SD card to find the recovery app mentioned above, clicked to reinstall which opened the install dialogue, I then chose to open it because it was already installed and chose to boot into recovery from where I restored the earlier backup - voila! All better)
I decided then to only remove non moto/blur related apps and install ADW free and basically take the blur interface out of the equation while getting a visual upgrade.
While this approach leaves the blur account sync and other blur related apps intact, if you have the updated rom, you’ll know that it’s fast and smooth anyway, making this a workable compromise because the blur interface/launcher is basically the other half of their annoying equation.
I chose not to permanently overclock to protect the phone long term and also preserve battery life, but it does give it an immediate kick!
Once ADW and some free themes are downloaded from the market, it’s accessed by going into any area or menu of the phone, say settings, then clicking the home soft key.
This opens a dialogue asking how you’d like to execute this command, ADW or Home (blur) - click the box saying remember choice (make default) – note the instructions on how to undo this choice later and say goodbye to blur baby!
To access ADW settings – because you’re now looking at a different desktop/home screen (for want of a better term) – click the menu soft key (bottom, far left) and choose ADW settings.
From here you can change all manner of launcher (phone interface) settings:
How many icons around the app drawer button, how fast it opens, making it 3D and transparent (sorry you’re going to have to figure this out for yourself – OK, ADW settings, drawer settings, zoom effect speed 100 – background color – move the alpha slider to the far left then click in the middle of the color wheel) themes, how many rows of apps, auto hiding the task bar, and on and on.
Basically a smooth running visual overhaul to add to the rooted, free to do whatever you want device.
And for those of you who are concerned about still running éclair (2.1) – I’d say that once you’ve basically achieved a 2.3 (gingerbread) visual experience with ADW, have disappeared blur for all intents and purposes, have a device that runs smoothly (and let’s face it it’s a defy) you basically won’t miss the little extra’s that come with froyo and if you really do – just hang in there for the upgrade.
It’s gotta come sometime.
Peace out

USA T-Mobile Defy owners - Rom 6.39 OTA update

NOTE: THIS IS AN UNINTENTIONAL DUPLICATION OF THE EARLIER POST.
If you purchased your phone in the last three weeks and from this date onwards (Feb 8), you have the latest 6.39 US rom preinstalled. (Currently being rolled out for older devices through the OTA).
This means that you have a high likelihood of bricking your device if you attempt to flash a non US rom – or possibly any rom.
This is my experience so I decided to post this thread in this section, as a caution.
After a heroic 24 hour effort last week, I gave up on trying to unbrick my last device and this time (last night) decided to take the safer road and see if the updated rom could at least still be rooted….
As mentioned elsewhere, it still can be rooted using superoneclick (run from the pc – instructions in other threads)
I’ve attached the file that worked for me below, and will briefly describe the route I’ve followed this morning to get to a smoothly running, rooted Defy that still runs 2.1 but cleanly bypasses blur and looks and feels good:
• Root using the file below or find it in other threads – there are a few versions to choose from.
• Install Tenfar’s recovery (big thanks!), found elsewhere or attached below. (Again there are a few versions to choose from including a newer version from tenfar but the one attached below worked for me)
• Make a backup using recovery – remembering that it always has to be run from the recovery app and can’t be booted into from a switched off state or battery pull – (power on volume down) This is at the core of the locked boot loader issue - correct me someone if I’m wrong.
Once backed up you can set about downloading app remover/freezers, overclock apps (setcpu) and an alternate launcher – ADW. (Aside from a bunch of other apps that require root and are lotsa fun!)
My approach to the bloatware:
I first tried freezing apps one by one (deleting/removing them will affect your ability to get future OTAs smoothly without restoring the original backup so instead unfreeze them later)
…but froze one too many – bluraccount app and got froze out of the phone interface (Blank screen - not having any way to run the functions/apps or change settings, and a factory wipe/restore or using the stock recovery didn’t fix this by the way) and four hours later found a backdoor to reinstalling recovery and restoring the backup – sweaty work believe me.
(How to: By multi tapping the home button it opened up the internet app – then navigated to a link to the online “appbrain” app and clicked a link there to download directly from the market. This then automatically opened up the market app on the phone which was otherwise unavailable by any other means. Once the market app was opened, I downloaded, installed and immediately clicked to open linda file manager then used it to navigate to the SD card to find the recovery app mentioned above, clicked to reinstall which opened the install dialogue, I then chose to open it because it was already installed and chose to boot into recovery from where I restored the earlier backup - voila! All better)
I decided then to only remove non moto/blur related apps and install ADW free and basically take the blur interface out of the equation while getting a visual upgrade.
While this approach leaves the blur account sync and other blur related apps intact, if you have the updated rom, you’ll know that it’s fast and smooth anyway, making this a workable compromise because the blur interface/launcher is basically the other half of their annoying equation.
I chose not to permanently overclock to protect the phone long term and also preserve battery life, but it does give it an immediate kick!
Once ADW and some free themes are downloaded from the market, it’s accessed by going into any area or menu of the phone, say settings, then clicking the home soft key.
This opens a dialogue asking how you’d like to execute this command, ADW or Home (blur) - click the box saying remember choice (make default) – note the instructions on how to undo this choice later and say goodbye to blur baby!
To access ADW settings – because you’re now looking at a different desktop/home screen (for want of a better term) – click the menu soft key (bottom, far left) and choose ADW settings.
From here you can change all manner of launcher (phone interface) settings:
How many icons around the app drawer button, how fast it opens, making it 3D and transparent (sorry you’re going to have to figure this out for yourself – OK, ADW settings, drawer settings, zoom effect speed 100 – background color – move the alpha slider to the far left then click in the middle of the color wheel) themes, how many rows of apps, auto hiding the task bar, and on and on.
Basically a smooth running visual overhaul to add to the rooted, free to do whatever you want device.
And for those of you who are concerned about still running éclair (2.1) – I’d say that once you’ve basically achieved a 2.3 (gingerbread) visual experience with ADW, have disappeared blur for all intents and purposes, have a device that runs smoothly (and let’s face it it’s a defy) you basically won’t miss the little extra’s that come with froyo and if you really do – just hang in there for the upgrade.
It’s gotta come sometime.
Peace out

Suggestions for custom rom makers/stock rom mods.

Hello everyone,
As it seems that I really like writing a lot (in English especially) and writing guides (my job requires a lot of standards), I thought of creating a guide for devs/custom rom makers/stock rom modifiers.
This guide is not something that I want to impose, these are just suggestions and I will also include some known issues around here. So, let's begin.
1. Bootanimation
This can be selected as you wish. Any bootanimation other than the standard one should be fine. Or, if you want, you can provide more animations and a short guide on how to change bootanimation.zip and where.
2. Lock Screen
Removing the HTC Lockscreen will lead to the default android Gingerbread one. Now this one's buggy. Like hell. For example, pull the right slider (the one with the sound control) to change the profile to vibrations. Now you can see that the slider is hanging from the top, pointing to bottom (can be fixed with a phone restart).
Example:
3. Missing caller screen when phone is locked
If you have the default lockscreen you will notice that there is no incoming call screen displayed when the phone is locked (that or I removed too much stuff). Keep this in mind.
4. Icons/Notifications
Even though the default Gingercroissant (too much bread) looks black, if you pull the status bar (taskbar) you will notice that it turns back to white-grey (the default HTC Sense/ChaCha) one. Keep this in mind when adding icons/notifications. (picking white icons will render them barely visible)
5. Applications
Most devs/modders prefer to add their most liked applications and integrate them into the ROM (so that you cannot uninstall them from Settings -> Applications -> Manage Applications) which kinda sucks since not everyone uses/likes the same stuff (it's called "taste"). Basically I am suggestion to add only SuperUser and let the users install their own apps (Titanium, Messenger, GPS, etc.). For example I have my own Titanium Backup.apk (it's personalized) which I want to install - cannot be installed if Titanium is already present though.
6. Google Sync
Some of us like to have the Google account synchronized with the GMail server and I would suggest leaving the Google Contacts Sync and Calendar Sync in the rom (they can be removed later). It's easier to remove than to search the internet and add them separately.
7. Bloatware
News, Weather, Mirror, Stocks, News&Weather (Yes, 3 different applications for the same stuff), HTC Likes, HTC Hub, Downloads, Facebook, Peep, Tweeter, GTalk.. There are more, of course (for example I have also removed Live wallpaper stuff since I don't use Live wallpapers, skin picker, skin scanner, profile widget, ringtone widget, and more) and it should be taken into consideration this question: how much is really enough?
8. Link2SD and ext-partitions
Well, since custom roms do allow the use of ext and Link2SD I suggest using them as much as possible.
I do hope that this could help some of you (or mocked by others) but any feedback is welcomed.

Excellent suggestions! I'd also like to keep the HTC Sense widgets, as I find them quite useful. HTC Likes & HTC Hub can be removed, as they don't provide much use. Cheers.

Applications bundled with a rom can still be easily uninstalled, provided that the rom maker knows how to, and puts the apks inside an /data folder. Mounting and extraction is similar to that of the /system partition. The profit of this is the uninstallability (nice word, huh?) Of the added apks, the downside is of course that a data wipe will remove these applications. Ideal would be a /system rom base update.zip, and an applications.zip containing all the added applications the developer likes, to be extracted into /data. Just sharing my thoughts..

Alex C. said:
2. Lock Screen
Removing the HTC Lockscreen will lead to the default android Gingerbread one. Now this one's buggy. Like hell. For example, pull the right slider (the one with the sound control) to change the profile to vibrations. Now you can see that the slider is hanging from the top, pointing to bottom (can be fixed with a phone restart).
Example:
3. Missing caller screen when phone is locked
If you have the default lockscreen you will notice that there is no incoming call screen displayed when the phone is locked (that or I removed too much stuff). Keep this in mind.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i have been customizing my rom based on the stock, but this was one of the irritating parts. finally, i have decided to use the original htclockscreen.
to change the icons in the lockscreen, you don't need to have rosie installed. all you need is simply to add setting.xml in /data/data/com.htc.lockscreen/shared_prefs. (i did it in init.d)
the format of setting.xml is as follow:
Code:
<?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8' standalone='yes' ?>
<map>
<boolean name="customized" value="true" />
<string name="shortcut1">#Intent;action=android.intent.action.MAIN;category=android.intent.category.LAUNCHER;component=com.android.htcdialer/.Dialer;end</string>
<string name="shortcut2">#Intent;action=android.intent.action.MAIN;category=android.intent.category.LAUNCHER;component=com.google.android.gm/.ConversationListActivityGmail;end</string>
<string name="shortcut3">#Intent;action=android.intent.action.MAIN;category=android.intent.category.LAUNCHER;component=com.android.camera/.CameraEntry;end</string>
<string name="shortcut4">#Intent;action=android.intent.action.MAIN;category=android.intent.category.LAUNCHER;component=com.handcent.nextsms/com.handcent.sms.ui.ConversationExList;end</string>
</map>

qtotter said:
i have been customizing my rom based on the stock, but this was one of the irritating parts. finally, i have decided to use the original htclockscreen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You mean Stock lock screen on CWM???, can you shows us how?

regarding your chacha rom
ajeevlal said:
You mean Stock lock screen on CWM???, can you shows us how?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hi ajeev, i am sorry i am posting this here... but i really need your help in fixing some problems with ZaSa_4chacha_GB1.57_v2.0... i am currently using it... the best rom... but i am having some issues i wanted to report....
1. Power off is not working properly
2. if charging turned off phone, then the phone gets stuck and needs to remove battery to start.
3. my '@' sign has been moved to '~' button and dollar has changed to pound
i tried to fix keyboard layout issue but couldnt get my CID to match the ones stated in other posts
in any case i am loving the rom thank you

jd_dpgc said:
1. Power off is not working properly
2. if charging turned off phone, then the phone gets stuck and needs to remove battery to start.
3. my '@' sign has been moved to '~' button and dollar has changed to pound
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What do you mean by 1. ?
For 2. get the latest CWM, it's a recovery issue and has been fixed.

rom makers should not remove Gtalk, It is Incredibly hard to restore it once removed. and all just to save a few KB of space...

jd_dpgc said:
1. Power off is not working properly
2. if charging turned off phone, then the phone gets stuck and needs to remove battery to start.
3. my '@' sign has been moved to '~' button and dollar has changed to pound
i tried to fix keyboard layout issue but couldnt get my CID to match the ones stated in other posts
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for trying my custom rom.....
1) what do you mean by this? does your power off button not showing the power options? if yes, you need to press and hold the button for 2 to 3 sec for the power option menu to show up
2) As alex stated, you need to flash the latest CWM recovery
3) what CID you have? what did you changed.
And did anyone know how to move this post to the original ZASA thread?

I've done the same thing you are doing over here and, beside Link2SD removing the Sense UI and things, i've removed even the default E-Mail client, News, Meteo, HTC Clock Widget, Facebook, Peep, Latitude, Messages Widget, Inform HTC, Meteo Widget, Music Widget, HTC Sense, Street View, Home Suggestions, HtcTrendsWidget, Photo Widget, Meteo Sync Provider for HTC, Ringtone Widget, Animated Wallpaper Selector, Sense Plugin Manager, HTC Meteo Wallpaper, HTC HubSync Provider, HTC Report Agent, HTC CheckIn Service.
Instead i've installed:
Kingsoft Office
Facebook for Android (From the PlayStore)
GoLauncher EX (i had an unlock bug, but i still see the volume button as you; i will change the lockscreen)
K-9 Mail
GoClock Widget
Quadrant Standar
* Winamp
Link2SD
Battery Indicator
Terminal Emulator (thinking about change it)
SuperUser
---------
*Thinking about removing "Music"
The reason for doing this is as simple as "You don't use it, you don't need it" and battery life ( IMPROVED! ).
---------
I'm having problems with the fB button, but i will fix it with the .apk that let's you choose what for to use it. I don't really need a fB button. Trying to make it sync the mails atm.
BTW, it was pretty hard to get it rooted and CWM installed. But i've done it!
If anyone needs help, pm me.
p.s. Keep the stock ROM, it's way better than everything atm.
p.s.s. i've used for work for 2 days so far and it's doing his job very well. F* BB&WP7 )

ajeevlal said:
Thanks for trying my custom rom.....
1) what do you mean by this? does your power off button not showing the power options? if yes, you need to press and hold the button for 2 to 3 sec for the power option menu to show up
2) As alex stated, you need to flash the latest CWM recovery
3) what CID you have? what did you changed.
And did anyone know how to move this post to the original ZASA thread?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey
1. When I power off and put on charging ... Phone starts up automatically with HTC report notification that something went wrong...
2.I am updated with latest cwm. Temp work around was to use Rom manager and directly reboot recovery
3. I got my keylayout fixed. See this post ...... http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1496730
Yeah I don't know If we can move the post to original thread coz at that time I was restricted to wait for 10 posts policy lol to comment in a development thread

Android tips and tricks (new)

Avoid task killers
It is best to avoid task killers such as Advanced Task Killer. Android is designed to automatically pre-load certain applications, even if you don't load them yourself. If it starts to run low on memory, it will smartly unload the oldest running apps automatically.
Manually killing tasks will only mean they get loaded in memory again. Task killers can make the phone slow, laggy, or drain battery life more quickly.
Bookmark a contact on your homescreen
To bookmark a contact on your homescreen, long press on the home screen background and select Shortcuts. Then select Direct dial.
If you call someone regularly this can be useful as you will have a shortcut to them handily placed on your homescreen
Bookmark a web page on your homescreen
To bookmark a website on your homescreen, go into your browser and find the bookmark of the page you want to create a shortcut for.
Then long press on the bookmark and select Add Shortcut to Home.
If you regularly visit certain websites, this can be handy as you will have a shortcut to the site on your homescreen.
Create folders to tidy your Apps
If you find yourself with too many Apps on the homescreen, then you can create folders to organise them.
To start, simply press and hold on an App and drag it over the top of another App. The App should change colour/shape. Then release your finger and the two Apps will be combined into a folder.
You can then drag more Apps into this folder using the same process.
To give your folder a label, simply long press on the folder and you will be able to enter a name.
Double tap for a full stop (period)
While typing emails or notes, you can simply tap the space key twice and the phone will insert a full stop / period
Install new keyboard to improve accuracy
The standard Android keyboard is good, but not great. There are many third party keyboards available which will improve your typing speed and accuracy.
Go to the Android Market and search for 'Keyboard' to see some great alternatives, many of which are more accurate and make typing much easier.
A good one is GoKeyboard.
If you see a warning saying the keyboard will collect all information (including credit cards) just ignore this. This is just a security feature that Android shows for every third-party keyboard that you install.
Accents and special characters
If you want to type non-English letters (eg those with an accent), long-press on the relevant letter. A list of options will appear for you to select.
Access the scientific calculator
To access the scientific calculator, rotate the phone to landscape mode.
The calculator will change to a scientific one
Add email or phone number from text
To add an email or phone number to your contacts from a text message, you can long-press on the email / phone number. Then select Add to contacts
Add widget to the homescreen
To add a widget, go to the homescreen and press the Apps icon (the circle with 6 dots). Then you will see a list of your Apps with the word Apps and Widgets at the top. Press Widgets, then you will be presented with a list of available widgets.
To add a widget, press and hold on it and then position it where you want
Android Easter egg
There is an Easter egg hidden in the Android operating system. To see it, go to your Homescreen, then press Menu - Settings - About phone.
Then tap on the Android version option 5 times and you will get a surprise.
Sometimes it doesn't work, so try a couple of times. By the way don't expect to see an actual Easter Egg. That is just the name given to things hidden inside software or operating systems.
Auto focus the camera
When taking photos or videos, tap the screen where you want to focus on. The phone will automatically adjust the settings to improve the image or video
Bring up more predicted words
If you have word prediction enabled while you are typing, you can long press the middle word that is suggested. This will bring up a menu allowing you to select various other suggested words.
Browse websites in full-screen mode
If you want to browse in full screen mode, without the URL bar at the top of the browser, then you can enable this..
Open the standard browser and press Menu - Settings - Labs. Then put a check mark under Full Screen .
To get access to the browser options (that are now invisible), there is now a neat hidden menu. Slide your finger in from the left or right of the screen. A circular menu will appear with various options.
Capture a still shot while recording video
To capture a still shot while recording a video, simply tap the screen while you are recording.
This will save a still image.
Change keyboards
To change keyboards (if you have additional keyboards installed), you can switch between them by pressing the small keyboard symbol in the top left of your screen. You will need to be in keyboard input mode (i.e. typing something) for this to work.
Note: you need to have more than one keyboard installed for this to work
Change quick response texts
The phone has the ability to send quick response text messages if your phone is ringing but you can't answer it.
To change these, go to your Dialer App - Settings - Quick responses. You can only have 4 of them and you may need to edit existing ones.
Change the backlight screen timeout
To change the backlight screen timeout, go to Settings - Display - Screen. Then choose the screen time out duration.
You can also tell the phone screen to always stay lit when it is plugged in via USB. Go to Settings - Developer Options. Then check Stay Awake.
Change the screen brightness
To change the screen brightness, start from the Homescreen and press Menu - Settings - Display - Brightness.
Then choose the desired brightness setting. You can also select Automatic brightness to let the phone decide for you.
If you have auto-brightness enabled, you can also press, hold and slide the top notification bar left and right. The brightness will increase and decrease accordingly.
Check phone status and battery usage
To find out information about Signal Strength, Network Information, Remaining Battery Time and Battery Usage (by Application), go to your Homescreen - Menu - Settings - About Phone.
Check the firmware version
To check your firmware version, start from the Homescreen and press Menu - Settings - About Phone- software version
This should list your Android version, Build number and Model Number.
Copy files between your phone and PC using WiFi
To copy files between your phone and PC, go to the Android Play Market and download an app called AirDroid.
This is an extremely useful App that connects your phone to your PC wirelessly, allowing you to move files and many, many other things.
Copying iTunes songs to Android
If you have decided to ditch your iPhone in favour of Android, then there is a simple way to take your iTunes music, playlists and album art with you.
Simply go the Android Marketplace and download a Free App called Easy Phone Tunes. You will also need the computer version of the software, so go to http://easyphonetunes.com and download it from there.
Then, when that is done, turn your phone into a USB storage device (this will vary from device to device, but instructions are on the website).
Once your phone is connected to your computer, open the computer version of the software and select your device from the Easy Phone Tunes list. Then follow the instructions to Sync your media
Create folders in your Quick Launch bar
If you have used up all of your Quick Launch spaces, then there is a trick.
Once it is full, press and drag an App from the homescreen and move it over the top of an App in the Quick Launch area. Then release your finger. This will create a folder containing the original App plus the new one. This is a great way to have access to regularly used App
Create shortcut to websites on your home screen
To create a shortcut to a website on your homescreen, go to your browser bookmarks.
Then long press on a site and select Add shortcut to Home
Customise your favourites tray
At the bottom of each homescreen is your favourites tray, which consists of 5 icons. You can customise it by adding icons to the tray. If it's full however, you will first need to remove some.
To remove an icon, simply press and hold an icon. Then drag it to your desktop.
Then to add a new one, simply drag an icon from your homescreen to the favourites tray.
Enable / disable vibrate / haptic feedback when you type
To disable / enable vibrate (also called haptic feedback) when you type or press the screen, go to Settings - Language & input - Settings.
Then uncheck Vibrate on keypress.
Enable sideload of Apps
If you want to install Apps outside of the Android Market (called sideloading), then go to Settings - Security - Unknown sources.
Note: use at your own risk.
Help, I have forgotten my unlock pattern
If you have forgotten your custom unlock pattern, then don't panic.
After 5 unsuccessful tries a button should appear saying 'Forgot pattern'. Press this and you will be asked to enter your Gmail username/password.
The phone will then ask for a new unlock pattern. If you don't have a Gmail account, then you might have to either call your carrier or factory reset your phone.
Hide folders or files
If you want to hide folders or files from being index or displayed, simple put a . (full stop / period) before the file or folder name.
Make volume / music louder
WARNING: Making your volume or music louder can damage your hearing.
Most phones have their volumes limited by local laws to protect our hearing. There is a way to boost your volume however. Go to the Android Market and download an App called Volume+ (Sound Boost). There is also a free version called Volume+ Free.
You will need to root your phone for this App to work.
Make your phone run faster
Here are the top 5 tips to make your phone run faster:
1) Use only essential widgets on your homescreen - each widget consumes memory and processing power which can slow your down your phone.
2) Uninstall apps that you don't use - after awhile your phone can get cluttered as some Apps are designed to always run in the background. If you rarely use an App, then uninstall it to free up memory and CPU resource.
3) Install Apps to your phone memory - if you have an SDCard, always install Apps to the phone memory, which can be accessed faster. If you have Apps on the SDCard, then move them back to the phone memory with an App called Move2SD available from the Play Market.
4) Use Static rather than Live wallpapers - Live wallpapers consume processing power and memory. Unless you really must have them, uninstall them.
5) Kill tasks occasionally - Some Apps will run in the background indefinitely unless you kill them. Most of them won't cause a problem, but it pays to check your running tasks from time to time. Hold down your Home key and check the Task Manager.
One last thing: Don't use Task Killers. Android manages tasks very well and Task Killers just make your phone unstable and can slow it down further
note this guide is mainy to help the people who didnt recieved a manual instructions booklet along with their phone like my country(INDIA)
SUPPORT THE SOFTWARE DEVELOPER'S IF YOU LIKE THE GAME / APP BUY IT

Wow thanks! Im gonna uninstall my task killer now.

Good job! Some of this are well known but many aren't so it should be sticky subject for all who are coming into Android from wherever hey are coming.
The taskkiller part should be put in red

Another one: manage your contacts in gmail. It is bscked up accesible from anywhere and so convenient. Much easier to edit from the computer after all.
Sent from my GT-I9100T using XDA

Awesome thread op. Thank you very much!
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using xda premium

The calculator one only applies to the HTC calculator. In the AOSP on you swipe to the right to access advanced functions.
Sent from my HTC Wildfire using xda premium

nejc121 said:
The calculator one only applies to the HTC calculator. In the AOSP on you swipe to the right to access advanced functions.
Sent from my HTC Wildfire using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes i have htc one v soo made a compilation of what has been known to me and what is facts
if anyone with new tips pls post here soo tht i can add to the op to help others
and also a request pls statehow to take screen shots on your device's because it's different on each device
dont just say thanks hit thanks if i helped
a true lfc supporter
and a former symbian lover
sent from my awesome HTC One V running rc 2.0 by CKPV5 -using xda premium
SUPPORT THE SOFTWARE DEVELOPER'S IF YOU LIKE THE GAME / APP BUY IT

Thanks paarthdesai. Did not know about the 'double spacebar to get a period'.
Another software to connect to computer is 'Software Data Cable'.
---------- Post added at 12:15 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:11 PM ----------
Is there a way to save the dictionary on the sdcard and restore after full wipe/flashing custom rom?

the guide which I look for..sometimes I tend to forget small things and this guide could recall back

paarthdesai said:
yes i have htc one v soo made a compilation of what has been known to me and what is facts
if anyone with new tips pls post here soo tht i can add to the op to help others
and also a request pls statehow to take screen shots on your device's because it's different on each device
dont just say thanks hit thanks if i helped
a true lfc supporter
and a former symbian lover
sent from my awesome HTC One V running rc 2.0 by CKPV5 -using xda premium
SUPPORT THE SOFTWARE DEVELOPER'S IF YOU LIKE THE GAME / APP BUY IT
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Stock ICS screenshot is Vol- and power.
I think some HTC phones have home and power
Sent from my Ainol Novo7 Elf using xda premium

k1p2n3g4 said:
Thanks paarthdesai. Did not know about the 'double spacebar to get a period'.
Another software to connect to computer is 'Software Data Cable'.
---------- Post added at 12:15 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:11 PM ----------
Is there a way to save the dictionary on the sdcard and restore after full wipe/flashing custom rom?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
backup the dictionary app via titanium backup app+ data
that should work
dont just say thanks hit thanks if i helped
a true lfc supporter
and a former symbian lover
sent from my awesome HTC One V running rc 2.0 by CKPV5 -using xda premium
SUPPORT THE SOFTWARE DEVELOPER'S IF YOU LIKE THE GAME / APP BUY IT

Very nice tips. Add one more, use Greenify App which silently hibernate your apps. It can save much battery and memory. A must have app.

Thanks

Handy tips
Thanks for the handy tips. Didn't know you could double tap for a full stop.
Should also include a homescreen icon for some websites. =]

Thanks! That task killer thing is really interesting!

GB Whatsapp (sammods) v. 14.40 Backup and Restore + custom theming 04.2023 nonroot tested and working!!!

Hi guys,
I often see the question howto backup and restore GB Whatsapp...
I faced this problem by swiching in april 2023 to a new phone and restored all there, my chats, my pictures, my videos, just everything!
Its very easy to do this and here is my tutorial...
1 ) On youre old phone open GB Whatsap, tap the 3 dots menu on the top right corner,
then tap on the bottom of the popup menu settings (NOT GB SETTINGS), tap chats, on the bottom of this menu tap Chat-Backup!
2) For the next step start again on the 3 dots menu on the top right corner,
now tap GB Settings (the opposite of the first step), then tap Universal, then Backup and restore, on the top tap Backup WhatsApp data!
3) Now close GB Whatsapp and connect your Phone via USB to your PC with Datatransfer enabled, i use a Windows PC, first time will take a view seconds to install the Drivers (on Windows 10 and 11 automaticly), then open the File Explorer and click on youre device (xiaomi, samsung or whatever), on Linux and OSX it should be allmost similar!
4) Now you will see the SD-Card folder, there you click the Android folder, then media folder, there you will find a folder named com.gbwhatsapp!
Copy this folder wiht all inside to your PC, for example on your Desktop! Be aware the folder can be huge , depending on your chats pictures and videos inside,
my folder was about 5 Gigs and needet about 10 Minutes!!!
4a) Instead of copy to PC you can connect a USB Drive to your phone and copy the folder to it!
5) Now connect your new Phone to PC the same way like before your old phone!
5a) Now connect your new Phone to SD-Card the same way like before your old phone!
6) Now copy back the saved folder to the same folder like before (Android - media, if the media folder dont exists, create it... )
7) Now install GB Whatsapp and open it.
8) ON THIS STEP YOU HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFULLY, DONT TAP THE RED RESTORE BUTTON, INSTEAD TAP THE GREEN BUTTON UNDER THE RED BUTTON called something like AGREE AND CONTIUNE!!!
DONT INSTALL GB WHATSAPP BEFORE YOU COPIED THE BACKUPFOLDER or if you did allready, DONT OPEN IT BEFORE!!!
Enter your Phone Number using the simcard from your old phone (DO NOT USE A NEW SIMCARD/PHONE-NUMBER) and recive your verification Code after verification you will get a message something like found backup, restore? Tap yes, your username will be showed (in my case it was correct) and let it restore...
I think if the username is not correct (like John D. instead of John Doe) the restore will fail so if you make the backup it can be usefull to check your EXACT username just to prevent failtures...
Thats all, after restore everything should work like on your old Phone!

Let's get to the themes!
I really searched all over the internet
there is NO ONE tutorial on how to create your own GB Whatsapp Themes!
Everywhere you will only find "download themes through the app" etc!
However, I found out how to change background images of ready-made themes and that's enough for me personally!
So the themes of mine are existing themes where I just changed the background, in other words, don't thank me but thank those who created the original themes!!!
First, just look for one (or more) original themes where you like the layout, i.e. icons, colors, fonts, etc. regardless of the background image! If you download a theme in the app, you will find it in the Download - FMThemes folder, let's take the Coca Cola theme as an example!
It consists of 3 files:
Coca_Cola.xml
Coca_Cola_homeW.jpg
Coca_Cola_w.jpg
The first file is apparently responsible for the layout already mentioned and is not changed!
I'm not sure about the second one, although it has a .jpg extension, it can't be opened as an image file, so we'll leave that one as well!
The third file is clearly an image file and can be opened as such!
We will now replace this file with an image file of our choice!
To do this, we right-click the file on the PC and go to rename, we copy the marked text (Coca_Cola_w) with another right-click!
Then we find the image file we want to replace the original with, right click on it again and go to rename again and then right click on paste again, this way we make sure the file WILL BE NAMED EXACTLY THE SAME!
That's almost it, now you add your theme (preferably in a separate folder) back to the Download - FMThemes folder on your smartphone (or wherever you want)!
Then you open GB Whatsapp, go to the 3-point menu at the top right - GB Settings Themes - Load theme - look for the folder Download - FM Themes - Coca Cola Theme (or whatever you named the folder where your theme is)
and select the file Coca_Cola.xml from our example! If you then go back to your chat folder you can see your new wallpaper...
Some themes also have 2 working background images, there you can of course change both background images using the method mentioned above!
Presumably the non-working .jpg files mentioned above can also be changed with it, which will probably change the chat overview, but I haven't tested it myself! Feel free to do that and post the result here!
I picked a total of 18 themes and varied each of these 18 themes with about 90 different background images, that's over 1500 variable themes that I've attached in a zip file! I've also included the 18 original themes that were used as a zip file, so you can see for yourself what I've changed! Have fun tinkering...
Ps: My favored Varables are
1
3
6
8
9
10
(see in each Folder) Which variables do you like most?
I have also created some themes with adult content, but for understandable reasons I will NOT post them here, not even via PM!!!
You can basically use any type and size of image as long as it is in .jpg format!

I allso found a animated theme from an other whatsapp mod, maby a older version, the xml file is totally different from the files above and dont work in this version of GB Whatsapp! Is here a coder who maby can translate the code to work in this version of GB Whatsapp!?
Would be great if someone can make this work...