Hi all,
Background:
I bought an android phone from Chinavasion. It is described as
Wholesale Waterproof Android Phone - Mini Android Phone From China
I cannot identify its device type which is why I am posting here. The play store identifies the phone as
Alps Ratech72_wet_rlk_lca
The phone has a MT6572 Dual Core 1GHz CPU and runs Android version 4.2.2.
I want to increase the ram of the phone. It is 256MB. I want to use virtual memory. I have a 2GB sdcard in the phone. I am planning to give it 512MB. Can I do this without rooting? If I have to root it, then how do I do so? I would prefer not to use an exploit.
Anyone any suggestions?
Pranav
Hiya,
I went around looking for some hints on this phone as well but didn't come up with anything.
I got my device yesterday and I understand your issue. I have no sollution for you but I do have a solid work-around to get some more app space which, I'm afraid, involves rooting.
Activate USB debugging, connect your device to a PC. Download and run Kingo Android Root and follow the instructions.
After that I "adb'ed" to make the phone choose the SD-Card as the default installing path. Run th following command with adb.
Code:
# adb shell pm set-install-location 2
For the apps that wouldn't move to the SD-Card, due to su issues, I moved manually with the app called Move app to SD card.
Grant the app root access to sort out the apps not willing to move by themselves.
With this sorted I now have 500 mb of apps installed on the SD-Card. I am running low on memory now due to some parts of the app still installs on the phone memory.
Not a real app2sd script but it certanly will get you some more apps installed!
Another hint: When I ordered the phone they said it supported 16 GB SD-Cards only but I'm running flawless with a 64 GB card!
I'd love to see a costum recovery (since I don't know chinese) and CM for this device, but since it's not a western phone I guess we'll have to settle with stock.
Hope this helps.
A few hours has gone by and without doing any backups I replaced some system apps and now I can bearly work the phone! Haha.. Thou shall not do this sort of thing after 2 h sleep.
Anyway, don't be afraid of doing what I wrote in the previous post, it worked just fine! I'm hoping you'll do it, it's the only way I can think of to get the system files back. :-S
Since there seem to be no one but you and me who have bought there phones..
edit: Sorted out my problem, got it running again! However, if you are going to root it, please do share the stock files! :-S
PranavLal said:
Hi all,
Background:
I bought an android phone from Chinavasion. It is described as
Wholesale Waterproof Android Phone - Mini Android Phone From China
I cannot identify its device type which is why I am posting here. The play store identifies the phone as
Alps Ratech72_wet_rlk_lca
The phone has a MT6572 Dual Core 1GHz CPU and runs Android version 4.2.2.
I want to increase the ram of the phone. It is 256MB. I want to use virtual memory. I have a 2GB sdcard in the phone. I am planning to give it 512MB. Can I do this without rooting? If I have to root it, then how do I do so? I would prefer not to use an exploit.
Anyone any suggestions?
Pranav
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
to use virtual memory you would have to root it and plus you cant get that much more ram with virtual memory, 256mb of ram on a 4.2.2 phone? i hope you got a good deal for it because 256mb will get you nowhere with nowadays google play apps updates hogging all the ram.
Some more info. Appearently the phone is also called "Nanex" and/or Z18 Mini Smartphone.. Maybe it's called different things in different regions?
Move to SD card SUCCESSFUL!
Im so glad there was this thread, it seems like nobody else knows about this awesome little phone!
I followed the instructions that "pingaan" posted and it worked! now i can install as many apps to SD card as i want, awesome!
I'm glad I could help.
I've been using this device for about a week now and I have to say that the stock rom is horrible! There are many flaws and no updates incoming, as far as I know.
Another disappinting thing is that the screen material is >VERY< easily scratched so DO NOT order this phone without screen protection.
I am going to order a new one cause I love that it's so small! It's even smaller than my old "dumbphone", but I don't see myself using stock rom. I'd rather not use the phone at all.
I'm going to try to compile a custom recovery and port a suitable CM11 rom to this device for proper usage.
Don't expect it any time soon, cause my days are normally filled up with family, house and work.
Regards.
pingaan said:
I've been using this device for about a week now and I have to say that the stock rom is horrible! There are many flaws and no updates incoming, as far as I know.
Another disappinting thing is that the screen material is >VERY< easily scratched so DO NOT order this phone without screen protection.
I am going to order a new one cause I love that it's so small! It's even smaller than my old "dumbphone", but I don't see myself using stock rom. I'd rather not use the phone at all.
I'm going to try to compile a custom recovery and port a suitable CM11 rom to this device for proper usage.
Don't expect it any time soon, cause my days are normally filled up with family, house and work.
Regards.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
everything about this phone is pretty good for the size, except the ram is so ridiculously small, i've tried to add virtual ram with link2sd and partitioned sd card, but apparently link2sd won't work without hacing the bootloader unlocked first, but i can't unlock the bootloader as it seems like there doesn't seem to be proper drivers for this phone.
if you are planning to do a custom rom on there, please let us know how when and how you managed to get the bootloader unlocked plz! :fingers-crossed:
Since I noticed the screen being easily scratched I ordered a new device from a different retailer, along with a plastic screen protection.
There is an interesting thing about this. The bootanimations are different and there's also a reboot option in the powermenu on the new.
Maybe the bootloader already is open? I mean, if you can change the power menu you need to alter the framework, right? The bootanimation is quite easy to change with root access however.
Have you checked the built-in recovery? There is actually an option for installing "update.zip"..
Do you have a proper app2sd script that I can try out on my old device?
Cheers...
Anyone have a backup of the ROM for ratech72_wet_rlk_lca ?? I plugged in a MTK Tool and I seem to have corrupted the system ;-( ... Didn't even get a chance to backup!
Help would be appreciated!
z18 ROM
regardtv said:
Anyone have a backup of the ROM for ratech72_wet_rlk_lca ?? I plugged in a MTK Tool and I seem to have corrupted the system ;-( ... Didn't even get a chance to backup!
Help would be appreciated!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Anyone find a copy of the ROM I need it also?
Hello everyone,
I have bought various Android TV boxes in the past, and haven't had problems getting them up and running.
I recently ordered 2 chinese models from eBay however, which are giving me nothing but grief. I apologize in advance for such a loooong post, but I am at my wits end and I am really hoping someone can help me out.
The action was for this model here:
www.ebay.com.au/itm/231275032090
It appeared to be a pretty standard model, like a Justop 4.0, but with a hard switch where the optical should be, and a cut down remote.
Firstly, the Specifications according to the auction:
1GB ddr3
4GB nand flash
Allwinner A20 dual core 1GHz CPU
On closer inspection after receiving the unit, an additional physical difference is that the reset button appears to be between the USB ports, instead of behind the AV out - not a big deal.
After powering it up, I am having huge problems with them.
Firstly though, what the software says about the hardware:
Advanced Settings/About Tablet:
Model Number : BBA22
Android Version : 4.2.2
Firmware Version : V2.0
Kernel Version : 3.4.39 [email protected] #10 Wed May 14 22:36:36 CST 2014
Build Number : BBA22-UI4-V2.0.1
And what Droid Info says about the (relevant)hardware:
Model : BBA22 (sdk-normal)
Manufacturer : unknown
Chipset : sun7i
RIL version : sw-dataonly-ril-0.5
Build Number : BBA22-UI4-V2.0.1
Build Bingerprint : softwinners/ninss/ninss4.2.2/NinssSoftware/20140521:eng/test-keys
OS Version : Jelly Bean MR1 (4.2.2)
SDK : 17
CPU Architecture : ARMv7 Processor rev 4 (v71)
Now, the BIGGEST issue these things have, is that at random points of use, it comes up with a message "Warning - System configuration is inconsistent with the production configuration, please contact your supplier, thank you!". This message will flash over and over again for anything from 30 seconds to half an hour. I half suspect it has tablet code SOMEwhere in it also, as it keeps coming up with 'touch the circle' walkthroughs for applications like avia. This might be unrelated though, I have no idea.
So anyway, I have tried doing the Justop 4.0 flash method with a SD card, however it will not turn on if there is a card in the slot. Also, when you hold the reset button down and power it up, it does not seem to go into the diagnostic mode so I can't flash it that way either. I am guessing the ONLY way I can update short of soldering in a serial port, is to use the backup/restore function.
I read through this whole thread here, but cound not fine anything to help me:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2398632
If anyone has any ideas, please let me know, I seriously can't get anything to work. I thought maybe the 'hotspot' being enabled was causing the incinsistency problem, but I used a process killer to stop that at startup, still no luck. Doing a system reset through advanced config didn't help either, I got the error almost as soon as turning the unit back on.
I've attached pictures of the error I am getting, the top of the board, and the back if the board.
Cheers,
Smak
PS - I am yet to hear back from the seller, but if I ever do, I will post the result here...
Smakky said:
Advanced Settings/About Tablet:
Model Number : BBA22
Android Version : 4.2.2
Firmware Version : V2.0
Kernel Version : 3.4.39 [email protected] #10 Wed May 14 22:36:36 CST 2014
Build Number : BBA22-UI4-V2.0.1
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I seem to be in a very similar situation. My device also reports as being "BBA22" but it's a different form factor and the identification on the board is "TXCZ_A20_v1.0". I tried contacting the people that made the board (Shenzhen Tianxing Chuangzhan Electronic Co.) but they refused to help. I also tried contacting the company that made the firmware images (Shenzhen NINSS Technology Ltd.) and they also refused. The supplier I bought the device from says they have the image file but they can't seem to figure out how to get it to me (they tried emailing the +200mb file then they gave up and stopped responding). The build number on my device is "BBA22-UI4-V2.0.4" so apparently there's an update available that may work on your device.
I'm pretty sure you need to flash the image using the Phoenixsuit program to make a special sdcard that you place in the device and boot from to reflash the device.
Please post your image file if you ever get it!
tisdall said:
I seem to be in a very similar situation. My device also reports as being "BBA22" but it's a different form factor and the identification on the board is "TXCZ_A20_v1.0". I tried contacting the people that made the board (Shenzhen Tianxing Chuangzhan Electronic Co.) but they refused to help. I also tried contacting the company that made the firmware images (Shenzhen NINSS Technology Ltd.) and they also refused. The supplier I bought the device from says they have the image file but they can't seem to figure out how to get it to me (they tried emailing the +200mb file then they gave up and stopped responding). The build number on my device is "BBA22-UI4-V2.0.4" so apparently there's an update available that may work on your device.
I'm pretty sure you need to flash the image using the Phoenixsuit program to make a special sdcard that you place in the device and boot from to reflash the device.
Please post your image file if you ever get it!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is good to know, I might email them again now. Will let you know the outcome!
OK, so I got a reply from the seller.
I've attached the patch file and the instructions to this message, but theres a few things to note.
- Its only like 20 meg big, so it isnt a full firmware update
- The instructions talk about pressing the reset button at the start.., I don;t think this is neccesary if its rooted already
- The instructions are VERY engrish-y, basically just dump the update.zip onto a sd card, and apply the patch through the settings menu
- The default language is changed to some form of Chinese after applying, theres plenty pictorials on how to change the android language though.
- The version has been updated from BBA22-UI4-V2.0.1, to BBA22-UI4-V2.0.3 - This is still lower than the one you mentioned @ BBA22-UI4-V2.0.4
So far though, I have re-installed all my apps, and haven't seen the error.. yet. I was a little concerned it is still giving me touchpad tutorials, but mouse mode on the remote is making short work of those.
I'll just have to wait and see, I guess.
Smakky said:
OK, so I got a reply from the seller.
I've attached the patch file and the instructions to this message, but theres a few things to note.
- Its only like 20 meg big, so it isnt a full firmware update
- The instructions talk about pressing the reset button at the start.., I don;t think this is neccesary if its rooted already
- The instructions are VERY engrish-y, basically just dump the update.zip onto a sd card, and apply the patch through the settings menu
- The default language is changed to some form of Chinese after applying, theres plenty pictorials on how to change the android language though.
- The version has been updated from BBA22-UI4-V2.0.1, to BBA22-UI4-V2.0.3 - This is still lower than the one you mentioned @ BBA22-UI4-V2.0.4
So far though, I have re-installed all my apps, and haven't seen the error.. yet. I was a little concerned it is still giving me touchpad tutorials, but mouse mode on the remote is making short work of those.
I'll just have to wait and see, I guess.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That seems very promising for you! Unfortunately it probably won't help me at all... It sounds like it's a sort of update patch instead of a whole image. Starting the device with the reset button causes it to load the recovery partition instead of the regular partition (I'm guessing you saw a green android with a text menu with options for recovery). I full flashing would/could involve an SDcard, but I think you would have to create it with Phoenixsuit and not just copy the file contents over (it would then just boot directly from the SDcard and you wouldn't need to press the reset button).
In my case, both the regular boot partition and the recover partition are wrecked so I couldn't even try this patch if I wanted to.
Thanks for posting, though... Hopefully it helps someone else out.
tisdall said:
That seems very promising for you! Unfortunately it probably won't help me at all... It sounds like it's a sort of update patch instead of a whole image. Starting the device with the reset button causes it to load the recovery partition instead of the regular partition (I'm guessing you saw a green android with a text menu with options for recovery). I full flashing would/could involve an SDcard, but I think you would have to create it with Phoenixsuit and not just copy the file contents over (it would then just boot directly from the SDcard and you wouldn't need to press the reset button).
In my case, both the regular boot partition and the recover partition are wrecked so I couldn't even try this patch if I wanted to.
Thanks for posting, though... Hopefully it helps someone else out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmm, is clockworkmod still a thing? I could try taking a backup of my ROM and see if that's something you can use.., only problem is I will need a bit of time. If I get a chance, I'll do it over the weekend. I will need a place to dump the image though, it will be too big to attach here, can sort that out later though.
Smakky said:
Hmm, is clockworkmod still a thing? I could try taking a backup of my ROM and see if that's something you can use.., only problem is I will need a bit of time. If I get a chance, I'll do it over the weekend. I will need a place to dump the image though, it will be too big to attach here, can sort that out later though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd appreciate that... Your board seems to have a completely different layout, but all the same components. I'm not familiar with clockworkmod, though, so I'm not sure how that backup would work. I guess I'd need to get clockworkmod flashed on to the recovery partition first and then I could flash the backup to the NAND from there?
tisdall said:
I'd appreciate that... Your board seems to have a completely different layout, but all the same components. I'm not familiar with clockworkmod, though, so I'm not sure how that backup would work. I guess I'd need to get clockworkmod flashed on to the recovery partition first and then I could flash the backup to the NAND from there?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not actually too sure. The last timed I used clockworkmod was for flashing a galaxy s2 phone, so I'm not even too sure if its still around or compatible with tv boxes. There will definately be SOME sort of tool though, that can take a full backup suitable for restoring. I'm about at the limit of my knowledge, so I am sort of playing by ear and going into a google-learn-try sort of cycle as I try different things. Maybe someone with more experience will stumble in here and let us know what we need to do
This is interesting... I found another device with an identical PCB board: YBKJ_A20 (I can't post links yet, but a Google search will find it) Several chips are different so the firmware would differ. It's so hard to work with these devices when no one claims credit for making a lot of these things!
What is J4?
http://dl-1.va.us.xda-developers.com/2/9/3/6/8/3/3/DSC_0207s.jpg
I was wondering what the upper left 2 pin connector is for? (the little white 2 pin plug next to the USB)
Is it SPDIF? Power input? output? Something else? I see in this picture a cable connected so i'm hoping you can tell.
Ask BBA22-V.1.50 TV BOX Model Android 4.2 Firmware
Smakky said:
OK, so I got a reply from the seller.
I've attached the patch file and the instructions to this message, but theres a few things to note.
- Its only like 20 meg big, so it isnt a full firmware update
- The instructions talk about pressing the reset button at the start.., I don;t think this is neccesary if its rooted already
- The instructions are VERY engrish-y, basically just dump the update.zip onto a sd card, and apply the patch through the settings menu
- The default language is changed to some form of Chinese after applying, theres plenty pictorials on how to change the android language though.
- The version has been updated from BBA22-UI4-V2.0.1, to BBA22-UI4-V2.0.3 - This is still lower than the one you mentioned @ BBA22-UI4-V2.0.4
So far though, I have re-installed all my apps, and haven't seen the error.. yet. I was a little concerned it is still giving me touchpad tutorials, but mouse mode on the remote is making short work of those.
I'll just have to wait and see, I guess.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello
Thank You For This Firmware But It Work For BBA22-UI4-V2.0.1, to BBA22-UI4-V2.0.3.
My Device Model is ((BBA22-V.1.50)) with Android 4.2 and I had to update it with your firmware file to fix problem black page after boot.
after update my device with your firmware, black page broblem is solved but device not work properly and it show Error message for (android.process.acore) systematically in loop!
also I can not make very actions because this error message show repeatedly.
also the default device language is china and i can not change language (error message show repeatedly)
have you original firmware for ((BBA22-V.1.50)) with Android 4.2 device???
thank you for help me...
H.SHAFAGHI said:
have you original firmware for ((BBA22-V.1.50)) with Android 4.2 device???
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So... For everyone looking for a full firmware for this box, and stumbled upon this thread from google like I did: DESPAIR NO MORE.
I found a compatible firmware for this device (exacly as described and same board as the one OP has) It will work even if your box came preinstalled with another software version, but its the same hardware
Found it in another thread, posted by @daaviles30 Its not EXACLY the same as the one I had originally loaded but appears to work without any issue whatsoever (even the remote works), if a little bit better.
So here it is:
daaviles30 said:
A20_V20_SDK_EN_XBMC_0703-2.img*491.4 MB
*https:/ /mega.co.nz/#!XAIRiD5Q!aIb0tvvjvzUdaf11vIR7PAadeXPV8XizYJ9X2mAzpQI
RH46-update-a20.zip*582 KB
*https:/ /mega.co.nz/#!HZwTgQIT!LQGxb6R-lCIKe58RgIGROfufY-aq5PODSAq3-NPKOeo
PhoenixCard_V309
*http:/ /mega.co.nz/#F!HAIhBJyS!L_UQPNnYdPyHTD3ggnJ6OA
After flashing update and then go to the play store and download SuperSU update that and your ready to go.
---------- Post added at 03:57 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:29 PM ----------
Titanium Backup Pro v6.1.5.3.apk*6.2 MB
*https:/ /mega.co.nz/#!vAAWRJga!vOFKlAq_25ssrG5kvwa3-oC-d0saL06YGBIWIyN2jss
You can delete all the unwanted system apps with this app.
Hope this helps Happy New Years.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The flashing process is exacly as described earlier in this thread. Use phoenix card to burn the img to an SD card, turn the device on with the card inserted in the slot and enjoy your restored android box.
It Working Only With Booting From Memory Card Slot...
amedeh123 said:
So... For everyone looking for a full firmware for this box, and stumbled upon this thread from google like I did: DESPAIR NO MORE.
I found a compatible firmware for this device (exacly as described and same board as the one OP has) It will work even if your box came preinstalled with another software version, but its the same hardware
Found it in another thread, posted by @daaviles30 Its not EXACLY the same as the one I had originally loaded but appears to work without any issue whatsoever (even the remote works), if a little bit better.
So here it is:
The flashing process is exacly as described earlier in this thread. Use phoenix card to burn the img to an SD card, turn the device on with the card inserted in the slot and enjoy your restored android box.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello My Friend And Thank You For Replay...
This Android is Working And is Very Good But i Can Not Install This To My Device. I Copy The IMG File To A External Memory Card (Using PhonixCard Application) and put the Memory Card To My Device And PowerOn My Device. My Device Automatically Boot From Memory Card And New Android is Appear. It Is Very Fast And Have No Errors.
Now...
HOW I CAN INSTALL THE IMG FILE TO MY DEVICE (INTERNAL MEMORY) AND BOOT MY DEVICE WITHOUT USING MEMORY CARD (FOR ALL TIMES)???
H.SHAFAGHI said:
Hello My Friend And Thank You For Replay...
This Android is Working And is Very Good But i Can Not Install This To My Device. I Copy The IMG File To A External Memory Card (Using PhonixCard Application) and put the Memory Card To My Device And PowerOn My Device. My Device Automatically Boot From Memory Card And New Android is Appear. It Is Very Fast And Have No Errors.
Now...
HOW I CAN INSTALL THE IMG FILE TO MY DEVICE (INTERNAL MEMORY) AND BOOT MY DEVICE WITHOUT USING MEMORY CARD (FOR ALL TIMES)???
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow.
The Phoenixsuite makes an sdcard that flashes the internal memory. After it's finished flashing, you take the card out and it runs off of the internal NAND. That's it. It never runs the Android from the sdcard.
My device can boot from sd-card!!! I need to flash this to install your android!
tisdall said:
Wow.
The Phoenixsuite makes an sdcard that flashes the internal memory. After it's finished flashing, you take the card out and it runs off of the internal NAND. That's it. It never runs the Android from the sdcard.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello My Friend And Thank You For Replay...
1- My Device Can Boot From SD-CARD With A Bootable Memory Card! (Such As OpenSuse Linux)
2- I Use PhonixCard Application That You Send.
(PhoenixCard_V309
*http:/ /mega.co.nz/#F!HAIhBJyS!L_UQPNnYdPyHTD3ggnJ6OA
3- I Can Not Use PhonixSuit Application And I Don't Know How To Use PhonixSuit. When I Connect My Device To My Computer To Use PhonixSuit, My Computer Don't Find Any Hardware And Can Not Connect!
4- I Copy The IMG File To A SD-CARD (Using PhonixCard Application) and put the Memory Card To My Device And PowerOn My Device. My Device Automatically Boot From Memory Card And New Android is Appear. If Unplug The SD-CARD And Power On My Device, Old Android Is Appear!!! Master Android Software Is In My Device And I Need To Clear This From My Device And Install Your Android!
HOW I CAN INSTALL YOUR ANDROID TO MY DEVICE (INTERNAL MEMORY) AND BOOT MY DEVICE WITHOUT USING MEMORY CARD???
I need help!!!!
no any answer???
I cannot access simple tasks in Marshmallow regarding SD CARD used as portable
(Used as Internal Memory I would lose the ability to use it in another phone)
E.g.: I can't save a simple photo to the external sd using CameraFV5 . Very annoying!!!
I'm using 5.1 only because of that s***
I got 0% of drain in hours using 6.0.1 so i NEED doze mode .. lol..
If anyone knows how to solve this instead of asking every dev to update their apps I would appreciate!! :good::laugh:
Look likes there's no SDCard Fix yet as it had in KitKat (as a module in Xposed)..
Luckzzz said:
I cannot access simple tasks in Marshmallow regarding SD CARD used as portable
(Used as Internal Memory I would lose the ability to use it in another phone)
E.g.: I can't save a simple photo to the external sd using CameraFV5 . Very annoying!!!
I'm using 5.1 only because of that s***
I got 0% of drain in hours using 6.0.1 so i NEED doze mode .. lol..
If anyone knows how to solve this instead of asking every dev to update their apps I would appreciate!! :good::laugh:
Look likes there's no SDCard Fix yet as it had in KitKat (as a module in Xposed)..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have this **** to, so I am waiting for fix with you.
Hopefully someone will discover the right method to patch this because writing the WRITE_MEDIA_STORAGE didn't work to me:
"All you need to do is finding the XML section for the app which should be able to write to the SD card, and add the tag
Code:
<item name="android.permission.WRITE_MEDIA_STORAGE" granted="true" flags="0" />
to the perms section. Doing so will grant the app the WRITE_MEDIA_STORAGE permission.
This permission is normally exclusive to signed system apps. It allows the app to write on /sdcard and any external storage, so it's essentially the same as WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE in the pre-Kitkat-era.
I've tried it with several apps, and it worked like a charm"
/\ This method didn't work for me
Luckzzz said:
I cannot access simple tasks in Marshmallow regarding SD CARD used as portable
(Used as Internal Memory I would lose the ability to use it in another phone)
E.g.: I can't save a simple photo to the external sd using CameraFV5 . Very annoying!!!
I'm using 5.1 only because of that s***
I got 0% of drain in hours using 6.0.1 so i NEED doze mode .. lol..
If anyone knows how to solve this instead of asking every dev to update their apps I would appreciate!! :good::laugh:
Look likes there's no SDCard Fix yet as it had in KitKat (as a module in Xposed)..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Battery usage of Lollipop and Marshmallow on the G3 are virtually identical, the Moto G 2015 does NOT support Doze Mode. If you are seeing something different I suggest looking to the cause of that.
And the most likely reason your camera app can't access portable storage us not the Moto G, but the camera app hasn't been updated properly to handle it yet.
Sent from my MotoG3 using Tapatalk
There's one thing I hate about living in Germany. It's that we never get the high storage capacity models of most Smartphone models. We always get the base models with 16 or 32 Gigabytes of internal storage. But the ads and people working at the big stores will tell you "Well, you can put a microSD card in it". Screw you, you idiot! We both know it won't help me! I need high storage because games have become huge and WhatsApp folders are at least 2 - 3 Gigabytes since the introduction of animated GIFs. We also know that Google's adoptable storage is A) complete BS B) it's disabled on almost all Samsung devices and C) even if you enable it, it doesn't work the way it's supposed to on Samsung devices. More on that some other time. We also know that moving apps to external storage doesn't do crap because it only moves 50 or 60 Megabytes which is completely useless if you ask me. So, here's my guide.
This should work on any ROM, be it AOSP or TW and Android version higher than 5.0.
Tested working on:
Samsung Galaxy S3 running LineageOS 14.2 (Android 7.1.2)
Samsung Galaxy S4 running deodexed Android 5.0.2
Samsung Galaxy S7 (Edge) running stock Android.
Samsung Galaxy S7 (Edge) running SuperMan ROM 2.7.x with SuperStock Kernel 2.10.x.
What you're going to need:
MAKE A F*#?!85 BACKUP OF ANYTHING YOU'RE GOING TO TOUCH!
- Root isn't necessary but advised.
- TWRP.
- Official Xposed Framework.
- XinternalSD.
- If your on a stock ROM or you know the ROM you're running doesn't have an SD card fix (RW for external storage) implemented, we're also gonna need Marshmallow SD fix. Don't get confused by the name. It works on Lollipop and Nougat, too.
- Alternatively you can use SDFix: KitKat Writable MicroSD by NextApp, inc. (FX File Explorer). This also works on Marshmallow but I haven't tested it on Nougat.
- Don't forget to enable XinternalSD and Marshmallow SD fix, if you chose to use it in Xposed Installers Modules menu!
After you've successfully installed all the steps above do the following:
- Open a File Explorer of your choice and move the WhatsApp folder to you external Storage.
- Open XinternalSD and tap on "Enable for apps".
- In this list you're going to want to check the box for WhatsApp.
- Reboot (Not sure if necessary. Just for good measure) and you're done.
- Test to see if new media is stored on external storage.
To store downloaded files from Chrome directly on external storage do the following:
- Open XinternalSD and tap on "Enable for apps".
- In this list, check the box for "Chrome".
- Reboot for good measure and you should be done.
This method works for almost any app, but to quote @MBariya
But supports only in that apps which has location modification option only in internal sd...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To be fair, his statement is from 2014. A lot of things changed since then. Maybe it's obsolete. I don't know, I'm not an engineer.
I reply here because I spent a lot of time searching through very old posts and trying outdated methods. I didn't know that actually today there is a very easy solution to move whatsapp media folder to SD card. It perfectly worked on my Samsung Galaxy A3 A320FL with Oreo:
1) Root (I used twrp + magisk method)
2) Download "App2SD" (the original by Vicky Bonick; it's free) and follow instructions on how to create partitions
3) Use "folder mount (app analyzer)" feature, which apparently was not considered in the old posts in this forum, so I suppose it was recently added to App2SD.
It's like folder mount, but it's pre-set for some common apps, including Whatsapp. With this feature, you can successfully move Whatsapp media folder to SD, in one clic.
In my case everything worked fine. When I reboot I have to re-mount folder, but it takes one second (just open Apps2SD, tap Folder Mount, slide "whatsapp other").
I recently got a Xiaomi phone on Android 7.0 (Nougat) which while rooted could not write to the external SD memory card as Google has blocked writes to that card in the last several OS versions. Some of the fixes for that issue on XDA involve using Xposed Framework (which has been a problem on some of my phones) and others involved modifying some system files which I tried but I believe that is what caused numerous apps to force close and ultimately I think it was what caused Google services to stop working and to declare my phone was not supported (but it is on their list of supported devices and was working fine until I implemented one of those patches).
So what is my Alternative fix? I have noticed for a long time that when I use Total Commander (for Android) - great program - that if I try to copy a file to the external SD card it shows a popup that says the external SD card is write protected - BUT - if I hit cancel on that dialogue it copies the file anyway! Or you can follow the directions on the dialogue which just involves a couple more touches to complete the file copy. That works either way.
But what if you could avoid that popup alltogether? The easy solution: If you want to copy files to the external SD card as if there was no write protection this is what you do. Get an App like JR Rummy's ROM Toolbox (I think there are others which can also easily perform this operation but his is one of the nicest) and go into the App Manager in ROM Toolbox and search for Total Commander. Then once it is opened choose the 'Advanced' menu (scroll right). Then choose "Convert to System App". When that is done exit ROM Toolbox and try copying a file to the external SD card. It should copy without any popups or problems. You will of course need a rooted phone for this to work but for the purpose of copying files where YOU want them this works great. I imagine this could work for other file managers also but if you have never used Total Commander from Ghisler I highly recommend it for both Android and Windows.
I don't see any reason this wouldn't work for any Android phone but if anyone finds a problem with implementing it please post here. Christian Ghisler has been developing Total Commander for Windows since 1995 and I think he is a coding genius and while the Android version is newer I totally trust the App to be converted to a system App. If there are concerns about that please post here.
Total Commander:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ghisler.android.TotalCommander
ROM Toolbox Lite:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.jrummy.liberty.toolbox
ROM Toolbox Pro:
Pro: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.jrummy.liberty.toolboxpro
Additional info: On Lollipop most of the apps which patch the external SD card writes work well. On Marshmallow some still work okay but not always the best. On Nougat it seems some patches work on some phones but many people have problems with them on this OS version so my suggestions above will hopefully help those stuck with issues using those other methods.
I have Xposed framework on some phones and it works great but on other phones it has caused noticeable slowness and app crashes so I removed it and all was well again. Xposed framework is needed for one of the external SD card fixes as seen here:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/xposed/modules/xposed-marshmallow-sd-fix-write-t3403263 . But if you have a phone which doesn't like Xposed or the other patches have not worked give the above a try. It's an easy fix for copying / moving your own files to the external SD card.
On phones that are using a 'systemless root' this probably will not work.