Below is a post I made for the Vibrant. Being that our phones are so similar, I thought you guys may be able to benefit too.
Please note though, this is for the Vibrant and there may be very big differences that I am NOT aware of. Hope this helps some of you!
ROOT TOPICS
HOW TO ROOT
justadude had a great post on how to root. Please read his post. Rooting takes maybe 2 minutes. This does void your warranty - but so much is gained from having Root! I currently do not feel the need to explain all the benefits. If you found XDA, you must be fairly smart person. Enjoy!
* Alternate Method *
XDA user TGA_Gunnman has again made another great thread. This time he has created a program to make root even simpler than downloading a file, renaming it and going to the stock recovery... yeap, the one click Root (and now an unroot too). Please see his thread here, and thank him for his work.
Got Root? YOU NEED A RECOVERY!
Big props to XDA user Koush for his amazing Rom Manager App, and the work he put into getting us such an easy & safe recovery. Everyone who has rooted their Vibrant should get his app (STRONGLY encourage the Premium Version). In short, this lets you create system backups for those "oops" moments. It also gives you a directory of ROMs for easy downloading and flashing. Yeah, it is that cool. Please see his post for instructions. After successfully installing, be sure a make a Nandroid Backup of your system before flashing any rom's. Please note that the Premium is a key that unlocks functionality in the free version, so you will need both if you are willing to help Koush out.
Free:
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
Premium ($3.99):
HOW TO MAKE A NANDROID BACKUP *ALWAYS BACKUP BEFORE YOU FLASH A NEW ROM
1 - Open Rom Manager
2 - Click on Flash Clockwork Recovery (you can skip this if you have already flashed the recovery before)
3 - Click on "Reboot Into Recovery"
4 - At the prompt, click "ok" to reboot into ClockworkMod Recovery
5 - If this is your first time, you may be at the stock recovery on the Vibrant. Thats normal. Click on "reinstall packages" (ALSO: Volume up and down navigate, and power is used to select an item).
6 - Now, you are at ClockworkMod's Recovery. Scroll down (volume down), to "Nandroid" and select it (power button).
7 - Click on Backup. It will run it's course.
8 - Voi'la, you now have something you can always fall back on in case you F up. Thank Koush and all the testers.
HOW TO RESTORE A BACKUP
Follow the steps from above, but select "Restore" instead. They will be sorted by date YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS.
DID YOU F'UP AND NEED TO GET BACK TO STOCK?
Well, thanks to XDA User justanothercrowd we have a Nandroid Backup to get you back to how the Vibrant shipped (and rooted of course). Hopefully you don't need it, but thank him after reading his post just in case you do!
HOW TO UN-ROOT *ie, sending your phone in for warranty work
The following code can be keyed in Terminal Emulator (could also be done in ADB or deleting the files using Root Explorer). If you do use Terminal, change the keyboard to the stock Android KB prior to opening Terminal. Apparently the backspace on swype does not work in Terminal. Each line should be entered separately. bahnburner gave the instructions in this thread, which you should review first.
su
rm -r /system/app/Superuser.apk
rm -r /system/xbin/busybox
rm -r /system/bin/su
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
* Alternate Method *
TGA_Gunnman in this thread created a one click root/unroot program. Thank him for his effort.
THINGS TO DO WITH ROOT
CONTROL YOUR STARTUP (PLUS MORE)
There are many apps in the Market for this function, I only know and use Autostarts (found here). The developer has been very receptive to feedback and informative. This app does a lot, but this is what I suggest.
Download it. Install it. GO TO MENU > SETTINGS > APPLICATIONS > (can't recall the next menu name at the moment) AND ENABLE USB DEBUGGING (it will not work otherwise). Open Autostarts.
It will scan the system and put all the apps that are used for MANY different tasks the phone does. I then go to the options and hide all of the system apps (no point in messing with those). After that, simply control what market/3rd party apps should be running given the task identified by Startup. You will be surprised what apps appear, for no good reason. Of course Android will eventually kill these when needed, but why have them open in the first place (this is better than a task killer if you ask me). Obviously if you are sending a text message you do not want to disable an app like handcent, so use common sense here. Any questions or issues, I would suggest emailing the developer or posting a question in the App section (perhaps there is already a designated Startup thread to ask this question, hint hint).
Autostarts (Approx $1):
RESTORE SETTINGS AFTER WIPING YOUR PHONE *If changing from one ROM to another, be courteous, and wipe.
XDA user SykesAT reminded me that Titanium Backup is a great app for restoring after wiping your system. I do not use it, so I asked him to do a small write up. He obliged, and here it is:
Backup Your Apps and System setting with Titanium Backup
It can backup/restore:
* All the applications you have installed, including protected ones,
* All the data and settings of these applications,
* Most (or all) of your phone's settings and data. (incl. SMS, bookmarks, call log, calendar, launcher, WiFi, etc)
* Market links when restoring apps.
* NOTE: It will not backup the system applications from your ROM. Only their settings will be backed up.
Titanium Backup is available from the market (free version only) or you can DL from the dev's site. There is a premium (donate) version with more features. Please see the Dev's site for more details, instructions and FAQs. Here is a link to his site!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Titanium Backup:
DELETE THE BLOAT!
Download Root Explorer (i'm not associated with) and go to System/App to remove a lot of the bloatware that came on the phone. I strongly encourage researching what can & can NOT be removed. ALWAYS make a backup. Here is a good thread about removing the bloat. Remember, I am not responsible. It will be some time before we have a custom ROM that removes this crap for us.
TAKE SCREEN SHOTS!
If you have root, the easiest way is to download shootme or drocap2 from the market. You can also use the Android SDK, but I'm going to keep is basic here. Once you have your pic, upload it for all of the community to see!
Shootme:
DISABLE ADS WITHIN APPS!
Download AdFree from the market... check for updates and voi'la, most, if not all apps should be ad-free.
AdFree:
HOW TO TETHER
Download Barnacle from the Market (consider the donate version). Then visit Lovellkid's thread for more instructions.
Donate Version ($1.99):
Free Version:
CAMERA / VIDEO SECTION
HOW DO YOU ZOOM IN?
XDA user antonio91282 pointed out that you can zoom in by pressing the volume rocker while using the camera. It goes from 1-4x.
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN RECODING VIDEO TO SD VS. INTERNAL MEMORY
XDA user wphend00 asked (By creating two separate threads!, tiss tiss) if there were differences between recording video to the SD vs. Internal memory. I thought it was a great question, so I did a very quick test. Disclaimer, I'm certain others can do a better job. Here is my post with links to the videos so you can see for yourself. Here is a link to the entire thread so you can see discussion about it, if any.
APP TOPICS
USE GOOGLE GESTURE FOR QUICKNESS
XDA user os2baba pointed out using Google Gesture to search the phone (everything, apps, contacts, music, etc.). It's a great app where you make gestures with your finger and it isolates your search results based off the letter/number you enter. Highly recommend trying it.
Google Gesture:
WHERE ARE APPS LOCATED?
System Apps:
system/app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Market Apps:
data/app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Market Apps (Private):
data/app-private
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Downloaded Apps (using browser):
sdcard/download
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
* If you download an app using the browser, you can use Root Explorer to move the app to data/app so the apps are stored on the 1.9GB partition the system uses. Once moved you can click on it to install it. My personal preference.
TRY A HOME REPLACEMENT (ADW or LauncherPro)
Go to the market and download either - both are free. ADW has more customization, but I like the look and feel of LP more. If you don't like it, uninstall and go back to TW. Gravis86 started a good thread debating which is better, located here.
ADW:
LP:
This my LP setup on my Vibrant. Notice the docks (these are also scrollable & there are 5 per each desktop screen you have). The Live Wallpaper is Aquarium.
XDA user afive720 had a nice post on how to revert back to TouchWiz (without uninstalling). You can read the thread here for more information.
WHAT WEATHER APP IS THAT?
It is Beautiful Widgets, found here.
WANT TO USE ALLSHARE: PC > PHONE AND VICE/VERSA?
I found this thread to be extremely helpful. I ended up using Windows Media Player and it was too easy. Great app.
XDA User BritCrit has also given some really good information in this thread you may also want to review.
USE AWESOME DROP TO MOVE FILES IF NO CABLES
If you are ever in a bind, or just being lazy you can use this app to move files from a PC to your phone. No hastle, no account setup and it is free. Just go to this site: http://labs.dashwire.com/drop and then enter the 4 digit code when you open the app on your phone. Drag whatever files to the browser on your PC, and voilà, it will instantly start showing up on your phone.
REDUCE A PICTURES SIZE BEFORE SHARING IT?
PaulO'Brien tweeted about an app, Image Shrink Lite, that lets you adjust the size and then select the method you want to share (twitter, messenger, gmail, etc). I mention this only because a lot of people get frustrated when they take a pic and try and send it out, but gmail hangs on it (and it eventually ends up a draft email) because it is too large. Resize the pics before you email them and you will not have this Fail.
Image Shrink Lite:
NEED HELP WITH METAMORPH?
Stericson is a master, and his thread is the tell-all on MetaMorph. Basically, this app allows you to customize the color/look of almost everything on your phone. It seems above my level, but those who use it, love it. You can view it here. I would caution using it unless comfortable.
MetaMorph Donate ($1):
Free:
VIBRANT TOPICS
STOP THE BOOTUP / SHUTDOWN AUDIO NOTIFICATIONS!
This thread has it covered: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=731059
I deleted these two files using Root Explorer (referenced below) and can attest it works perfectly.
Thanks to XDA Member PhilSlater I know that the File locations are:
Bootup: system/etc/PowerOn.wav
Shutdown: system/media/audio/ui/Shutdown_128.ogg
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
BUTTONS - Tap vs. Long Press (LP) Taken from www.androidcentral.com:
Home: Returns to the main home screen. If at the home screen, another tap gives a preview of all home screens.
(LP) = See your most recently used apps (GREAT for multitasking).
Back: Takes you back a level in an app, or back a page in a browser, etc.
(LP) = In your browser, quickly access bookmarks, history and most-visited sites. Thanks, Snapdragon0503!
Menu: Tap this for additional options in an application, or from the home screens.
(LP) = Make the keyboard appear.
Search: Brings up the search function. Could be search within an app, Google search, or universal search of contacts, bookmarks, apps, etc. that are in the phone.
(LP) = Launches voice search.
WANT A NEW LOOK? CHANGE YOUR FONT!
In settings, go to sound and display. Change the "Font Style" is like 8th from the bottom. There are a few freebies, and about 50 for a dollar in the market. I changed my system to helvetica, and I was amazed at the level it changed the phone. If you already have some free fonts you downloaded from the market, I believe you can move these .apk files to this directory to make them appear under Sound and Display:
data/apps
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
(It is where Helvetica appeared once I downloaded and installed it).
XDA user RandyN added some input with this post, and I tend to agree. Though I love helvetica
XDA User nick_karstedt also pointed out there is an app that also does this called Type Fresh. I'm going to stick with the OS settings, but this looks like a good option for a lot of people. Thanks for the suggestion.
CHANGE THE DOCK BUTTONS ON TOUCHWIZ!
Open the app drawer, menu, edit, change to customizable. With the app drawer open now, press menu and edit again. You can now replace the two app docks in the middle (dialer and app drawer can't be replaced).
DELETE APPS FROM THE LAUNCHER OF TOUCHWIZ
Open the launcher, menu > view type, change to customizable. Now press Menu again and select Edit. All of the non-system apps will have a red subtraction logo. Thanks to XDA user erikrios and his post for this gem!
QUICKLY ADJUST YOUR BRIGHTNESS
Move your finger left to right across the notification bar. You probably need to cut off auto-brightness though. thanks to soklean (neat!)
NEED TO COPY AND PASTE?
If at a site, and you need to copy some text... click Menu > Select Text > Drag your finger over the text you need to copy. When you release your finger, the selected text is copied to your clipboard. Long press and paste when ready. I agree this is not perfect, but some of us may not even know you could do it. Froyo is coming soon, and with it the ability to easily copy/paste within gmail.
HOW TO CONTROL + F USING THE ANDROID BROWSER
I Very often use Control + F when browsing sites on a PC. Android makes this very easy when using their browser as well. Simply press Menu when in the browser, go to More, then select "Find on Page." You can then enter the keyword you are looking for and use the directional arrows (to the left of the word) to move from one entry to the next. Awesome.
CHANGE THE HAPTIC VIBRATION INTENSITY
Love this feature. I often find haptic feedback is too much. To adjust the intensity, from the home screen: Menu > Settings > Sound and Display > Vibration Intensity. As you slide the bar it gives you an idea of the intensity. Great addition.
TAP CONTACT IMAGE FOR MORE OPTIONS
XDA user jkang29 reminded me of another thing I took for granted. When you are in Contacts, click on the image of the contact for MANY options on how to contact/share with that particular contact. Thanks jkang29!
WANT TO DISABLE SD CARD NOTIFICATIONS?
I do not see the point in hearing this chime. To cut off the sound, from the home screen: Menu > Settings > Sound and Display > SD Card Notifications. You can uncheck this and never hear that sound again.
CONTACTS / DIALER TOPICS
EDIT YOUR CONTACTS (ON YOUR PC FIRST)
If you are new to Android, the first time you logged in it was probably amazing (and frustrating) when you saw ALL of your google contacts sync with your phone. Here are my thoughts, I hope it helps. First things you need to know, google does not allow you to stop the auto-adding of the random people you email to be added to your contacts. Of course, those randoms are now likely showing up in your contact list (hence the frustrating part). Here is how I fixed it:
*please note, if you hide all contacts who do not have a phone number (see below) you can likely skip this, but I included for those who REALLY want to clean up their contacts*
1 - Login to gmail on your PC. Click on "Contacts" on the left border.
2 - Notice you have "My Contacts" (the good) and you have "All Contacts" below that (the bad).
3 - go to the "search contacts" search bar and just enter one SPACE and then press enter.
4 - The middle column will now have your contacts sorted by THE GOOD (My contacts) on top and then THE BAD (All Contacts) below that. You may have more tiers, but I am keeping it simple for illustration.
5 - Scroll all the way down to the bad list. Review the names. Some may be legit people you just have not added to your My Contacts list yet.
6 - If you have a hard time recalling who someone is, google has included a "show conversation" link. This shows any previous email exchanges so you can decide to either delete or add them.
7 - Work through this list. I would suggest deleting them as you go, but not adding them to your My Contacts list until the very end (to prevent from having to do step 3 over and over).
8 - Okay, great. Lets assume you got rid of all the clutter. NOW, go to your My Contacts.... the far right panel should have a box that says "Find Duplicates". If you have any, fix them... no reason to have several entries for the same person.
9 - Now just review the My Contacts list and make any edits or format changes. I am Type A, so you could only imagine how clean your Android Contact list is about to appear.
Great, enough with the PC. Go to your Vibrant. Chances are it is already synching up with the changes you made.
The phone came with a bunch of #s stored on the Phone and SIM stock, I could care less about these. If you agree:
1 - Open Contacts. Press menu, go to "Display Options"
2 - Uncheck Phone and SIM (others may not agree, I just dont see the point), leaving Google as the only one checked.
Alright, almost there now. As it is, you have removed a LOT of clutter, but you may still have a ton of contacts. That is because, by default the Contacts app shows All contacts, even if they do not have a phone number. Now again, this is a personal choice.... but if I need to call someone, I would rather not have to deal with people listed who I do not have a phone number for. Also, if I am emailing them, I am using gmail, not Contacts (so again, not needed). IF you agree:
1 - Open Contacts, Press Menu and go to "Display Options"
2 - The top will say something to the affect of, check here if you only want to show contacts with phones.... Click it. Then click Done.
3 - Bam, your Contacts may not be perfect (like mine), but I bet they look a ton better. I tried to point out there is a lot of personal preferences, so please take this with a grain of salt. I like things clean.
FIND YOUR CONTACTS FASTER!
TouchWiz has a lot of cool tricks. One of my favorites is in the Contacts app. When you load the app, you will notice the far right has the alphabet running top to bottom. Good news, by simply pressing on the letter you will automatically jump down, instantly. I much prefer this to the old Android where you had to grab a silver bar and scroll down. Good job Samsung.
SMART DIALER!
Samsung even included a smart dialer. Pull up your dialer and just start typing the number out. It filters down your contacts as you type each new digit. Likely, after the area code and first 1 or 2 digits after should be enough. There will be a drop down on the right and a number above it (the # of possible contacts based off what you input). Just press the contact, and the press CALL, genius. Seriously should be on all android phones.
KEYBOARD TOPICS
TRY A NEW KEYBOARD!
Our phones came with Swype, Samsung's KB and the default Android KB. All are very good in their own right. You will find you prefer one over the other (or maybe many of the alternatives in the market). To switch... simply long press anywhere that you would normally input text (a text message or the search widget). "input method" will pop up, click on this. Now choose the KB you want to try out. If one is not showing up, go to Menu > Settings > Locale and Text and make sure its there/checked.
NEED A TRACKBALL?
In swype, move from the "swype tips" button to the "sym" key. Voila, directional buttons appear + other goodies (see pic).
MISC. GUIDES
HOW TO MOUNT PHONE TO PC
One of the most basic things I have overlooked. XDA user DaMaDo reminded me Android does not auto-mount like some other phones on the market. I am so accustomed to this, I neglected it. Precisely the things I want you to help remind me of. When most of us connect the phone, the USB drivers are automatic. If not there is a guide below to assist. For now, let's assume all is well on the first connection of the Vibrant to the PC. When you connect you will likely get a popup on the PC about installing drivers, great. Please use the cable that came with the phone! I had an error with another cable (nexus one's I believe).
Pause a bit. Alright, seems like nothing is happening right? Okay, go to the phone's notification bar and pull it down. You will see USB Connected. Click on this. You have a pretty little pop up window. Click on "Mount."
Shortly after, your computer should pop up automatically TWO devices, the "/SDCARD" (Internal Memory) and "SDCARD/SD" (SD Card). If not, go to My Computer and find the drives you just mounted to the PC.
NEPHRON'S GUIDE FOR ADB, etc (taken from the G1 forums)
This guide helped me a ton. I realize some things may be diffrent, but I could not think of a better starting point. Please read this thread.
CONVERT VIDEO FILES ON YOUR PC FOR YOUR PHONE
XDA user TGA_Gunnman did an excellent job putting a thread together for how to convert videos using HandBrake (get it here) and then moving them to your phone. I have a 2 year old. One thing I do a lot of is take video of my girl and share them with people. Perhaps you just want to share a prank video... regardless, this is the thread to get you on point. Be sure and thank him if his how to helped you!
HOW TO PROPERLY INSTALL A NEW SD CARD
XDA user techspy posted this question and I had recently done it so I responded with how I did it. Again, like always, I'm certain there are people on here who know how to do this better/easier, but this works and is nothing difficult. Here is my post with instructions, and here is the thread for discussion.
MISC. QUESTIONS
WHAT ARE THOSE FUNKY BARCODES?
These are QR Codes. Download Barcode Scanner from the market. Scan any of these codes I linked. You will be sent to the app in the market. Download, enjoy.
NOTICE LAG?
I do not encourage this, but some will want to play with it. There is a great thread on tweaks that can be done to speed up the Galaxy. I personally will wait for either an update or a custom ROM. Others users have reported a Factory Reset has helped. Again, updates are coming soon as well as custom ROMs.
DOUBLE NOTIFICATIONS?
If you are using a 3rd party app, you may be getting double notifications. For example, I use Handcent for texting (you should try it). First thing you need to do is open the stock Messanger app, go menu > Settings and disable notifications. This is basic, but sometimes it's easy to overlook.
SHOULD I USE A TASK KILLER?
Absolutely not. You have the best OS and one of the best spec'd phones ever. You would be doing more harm than good. If you do have one, uninstall, reboot and let me know what you think!
In addition, even Google at Google I/O 2010 addressed app developers and asked them to no longer include "quit" or "close" as options within their apps. I think Andronica (another great android site) summed it up well with their article, found here.
XDA user iunlock created a thread with some good debate based off this sticky. You can read all the thoughts by clicking here. In short, the overwhelming majority agreed and some have commented on seeing an increase in performance after deleting their task killers. Awesome job guys.
HOW TO DO A FACTORY RESET!
Rarely should you need to do this (I've never done one), but if you want to, simply press menu and go to settings. Scroll down to Privacy. In there is the option to perform a Factory Reset.
NEED HELP INSTALLING THE DRIVERS ON YOUR PC?
TGAGunnMan started a great thread with links for the drivers. You can view it here.
THREE (3) LIGHTS/SENSORS - SURE THERE IS NO LCD?
Yeap. I asked myself when I noticed there were 3 items. Two are used for the proximity sensor, the other is the light sensor.
Big props to XDA user gravis86 for answering my query so fast, see his post here.
Wow! Nice compilation! The only thing I know that doesn't work properly with the Captivate is method 2 of the lag fix in the link given under the lag section.
Other than that, this is great! Thanks man!
^ yeah, I'm not a fan of those lag fixes... tried to convey that in my post. I just switched to LauncherPro and use Autostarts.... my phone flies.
Hope this helps you guys. Never really thought that some of you guys were not checking the Vibrant threads (like I was not reading the Captivate ones).
Someone please feel free to take ownership of this and make it more suitable to the Captivate. Just want to help... if someone does use it, would appreciate at least a name drop
nice work on that and thanks for the qr codes for those programs, a lot of useful stuff that I didn't know about
Awesome post
Thanks s15274n!!
Thank you ever so much for the the Swype arrow keys tip. That was the biggest problem I've had with the Captivate. The brightness control through the notification bar was also a big help. Sometimes its the simple things that make your day.
This needs to be stickied immediately. Phenomenal thread. Nice work.
Nice compliation! I second the sticky vote.
To me, TouchWiz is the single biggest lag producer on the phone. I've gone LauncherPro and never looked back.
Yep, I used this thread before, great stuff indeed ..thanks!
Awesome, awesome post. Thanks TC!
thanks a ton for this thread, and *facepalms* for me not thinking to check out the Vibrant forums also....
Doesn't look like this thread really got much attention like it did on the Vibrant. I am not going to maintain this one like i do the Vibrant.... feel free to check there periodically (OR, have someone maintain this one as a sticky).
I'm not sure how many people here use Google's 2-step authentication android app, but if you do: How do you go about setting up the Google Authenticator App after you flash a new rom?
What I end up having to do is disable 2-step authentication in my Google Account settings, then re-enable it to be able to get a new QR code that i can setup the App with.
It seems like there should be an easier way. If anyone knows of one, let me know please.
Thanks
I've tried Titanium Back without success.
I have always had to disable and re-enable it like you said. If there's a better way, I don't know what it is. The good news is it always seems to give you the same backup codes, but more often than not it messes up all of your application-specific passwords.
I realize this is a very old and dead thread... but I figured it was worth sharing the info I've found.
If you have a rooted device, launch adb shell, and then do a "cat /data/data/com.google.android.apps.authenticator2/databases/databases"
It's ugly, mainly because it's a sqlite DB that you're catting to the shell lol. If you want could always pull it off and open it in a sqlite reader app of your choice. Anyway.... the info you're looking for is near the bottom. It dumps it out in the following fashion. Note, there's no spaces in between your account and the initialization serial key.
[email protected]thisisnttherealkey
I entered that on my new device and voila, synced perfectly. Verified by looking at the codes on 2 phones side by side.
snowmanwithahat said:
I realize this is a very old and dead thread... but I figured it was worth sharing the info I've found.
If you have a rooted device, launch adb shell, and then do a "cat /data/data/com.google.android.apps.authenticator2/databases/databases"
It's ugly, mainly because it's a sqlite DB that you're catting to the shell lol. If you want could always pull it off and open it in a sqlite reader app of your choice. Anyway.... the info you're looking for is near the bottom. It dumps it out in the following fashion. Note, there's no spaces in between your account and the initialization serial key.
[email protected]thisisnttherealkey
I entered that on my new device and voila, synced perfectly. Verified by looking at the codes on 2 phones side by side.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello everyone.
I use Google Authentication for almost every available site and all my custom made web apps.
Is there an app or an easy way to backup up and restore Google authenticaton on NON rooted Nexus 4 ?
With a heavy heart i have to keep my SEx1 aside and have entered to Android Ecosystem.
I'm a customized freak & made my X1 ROM super stable with my super minimalistic custom rom's, im still going to use that as my primary portable music gear, but for rest of the things Google Nexus 5 is the new companion.
Kitkat is whole new world for me, used gingerbread a a little bit but both are poles apart. hence need some suggestion to keep myself educated with latest trends and tech. Please ignore my noobe-tagged question. So here i start:
No Lollipop ? ?
As broadcasted nexus devices should be the first one to get Android 5.0, Lollipop.
Im yet to get any update & currently running 4.4.4. Any words on when could i expect Lollipop upgrade in my device.
[I don't want to root/ flash until my device is out of warranty].
Contact Backup & Google sync:
a) When starting the device for first time, it prompted me to use google account credential, i did, and it dumped all thousands of my gmail contact in phonebook. Too bad. i have manually deleted all of them from phonebook. and switched-off auto sync.
b) it refused to sync my contact form X1, which was back uped in outlook under win7. Found an alternative, transfered all my contact via bluetooth to nexus 5 and imported them one-by-one. Again when importing in batches, it gives error, which is kind of helpful for me. I only imported selected contact and not the obsolete 8 yrs old contacts
Now the question: How my Sync my contacts without downloading email-contact from gmail. Another gmail account doesn't seems to be ideal as i use email, calendar, drive from this mail. Please suggest.
Customization:
a) I like to keep my phone at minimals. used mycolorscreen- Themer for few days, which let me customize to what i want till great extent. but its getting corrupt by it own at random times, spoiling my widgets location & functionalities and sometime replacing wallpaper with "black" and have uninstalled it now.
Do we have anything similar to HTC / touchflow full screen animated weather for android? roa any alternative to themer which let me customize N5?
b) Lockscreen customization like changing the background according to themer wallpaper and add few information like battery level, weather, etc. I goggled DashClock please let me know what you guys think about it or any other recommendation.
Few App recommendation
Fitness tracker : currently using Pedometer by j4velin, which is good, but it doesn't give me much control, no difference in distance covered if you running or walking, no actual track of distance covered as it derived from the stride length we enter in the setting. Any recommendation in this please ? should i try Google fit app ?
Pulse Light Controller N5 seriously missing "things" in this department, apart from default white glow of unleaded sms, i never noticed any other indication. they should have provided a notification for low-battery and missed call. Currently using Light Flow but i hate its presence always in my notification area. what's XDA's thoughts in this please? I dont need anything with bells and whistles, just a minimal app which show me red light when my battery is low & some other-then-white-color from unreaded SMS & missed calls.
Vibrate on call connect Got ExDailer but im clueless how to make it the default dialer. Also i liked the stock dialer is there any way to make it vibrate when a call connects, i have to install 3rd party app on my phone
Cache cleaner
as im playing installing, uninstalling lots of stuffs these in these experimenal days what would be a recommended app for this, if its mandatory. have used this bloatware Clean Master in my X10i earlier which killed the phone in multiple ways. any other recommendation please, i just want to clean junk files and do not want any antivirus and gold plating.
Thanks in advance.
- bump -
netant said:
No Lollipop ? ?
As broadcasted nexus devices should be the first one to get Android 5.0, Lollipop.
Im yet to get any update & currently running 4.4.4. Any words on when could i expect Lollipop upgrade in my device.
[I don't want to root/ flash until my device is out of warranty].
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OTAs are a rollout. They don't give it to everyone at the same time.
You can sideload the OTA instead of waiting, and you don't have to unlock the bootloader for that.
There is also no point in "keeping warranty" since the only way to tell is if you have bootloader unlocked/or tamper flag is left triggered. Bootloader is easily re-locked and the tamper flag isn't that big of a deal to reset unlike on many other devices (you can do it with apps lol..). There is no other way to tell unless you blatantly have modified software. Of course, if the device was defective to the point where it doesn't boot up, then the bootloader/tamper flag/any sort of software doesn't even matter anyways. Also, if you bought from the Play Store, Google will even let you send it in with a custom ROM and kernel if you wanted to.
netant said:
Contact Backup & Google sync:
a) When starting the device for first time, it prompted me to use google account credential, i did, and it dumped all thousands of my gmail contact in phonebook. Too bad. i have manually deleted all of them from phonebook. and switched-off auto sync.
b) it refused to sync my contact form X1, which was back uped in outlook under win7. Found an alternative, transfered all my contact via bluetooth to nexus 5 and imported them one-by-one. Again when importing in batches, it gives error, which is kind of helpful for me. I only imported selected contact and not the obsolete 8 yrs old contacts
Now the question: How my Sync my contacts without downloading email-contact from gmail. Another gmail account doesn't seems to be ideal as i use email, calendar, drive from this mail. Please suggest.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mass delete your obsolete contacts from gmail: https://www.google.com/contacts/ then sync them afterwards.
netant said:
Customization:
a) I like to keep my phone at minimals. used mycolorscreen- Themer for few days, which let me customize to what i want till great extent. but its getting corrupt by it own at random times, spoiling my widgets location & functionalities and sometime replacing wallpaper with "black" and have uninstalled it now.
Do we have anything similar to HTC / touchflow full screen animated weather for android? roa any alternative to themer which let me customize N5?
b) Lockscreen customization like changing the background according to themer wallpaper and add few information like battery level, weather, etc. I goggled DashClock please let me know what you guys think about it or any other recommendation.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just look at the Themes and Apps section, there is also a stickied homescreen thread.
netant said:
Few App recommendation
Fitness tracker : currently using Pedometer by j4velin, which is good, but it doesn't give me much control, no difference in distance covered if you running or walking, no actual track of distance covered as it derived from the stride length we enter in the setting. Any recommendation in this please ? should i try Google fit app ?
Pulse Light Controller N5 seriously missing "things" in this department, apart from default white glow of unleaded sms, i never noticed any other indication. they should have provided a notification for low-battery and missed call. Currently using Light Flow but i hate its presence always in my notification area. what's XDA's thoughts in this please? I dont need anything with bells and whistles, just a minimal app which show me red light when my battery is low & some other-then-white-color from unreaded SMS & missed calls.
Vibrate on call connect Got ExDailer but im clueless how to make it the default dialer. Also i liked the stock dialer is there any way to make it vibrate when a call connects, i have to install 3rd party app on my phone
Cache cleaner
as im playing installing, uninstalling lots of stuffs these in these experimenal days what would be a recommended app for this, if its mandatory. have used this bloatware Clean Master in my X10i earlier which killed the phone in multiple ways. any other recommendation please, i just want to clean junk files and do not want any antivirus and gold plating.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't use fitness trackers so I can't say anything about them. The Nexus 5 has a hardware pedometer rather than using sensors like accelerometer/gps/etc to determine steps, which saves a LOT of battery but obviously can't determine distance.
There are a multilude of LED apps.
Cache cleaners are useless since you can wipe cache in recovery anyways, including stock recovery. If you mean for cleaning in general, I don't use anything myself as I don't find it any necessary, but some others do.
netant said:
hence need some suggestion to keep myself educated with latest trends and tech.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are far as this is concerned, there really isn't any big thing with the Nexus 5 that would not be applicable to other phones. Just read around the forums to see if anything piques your interest.
Thanks for the reply.
I will wait some more time for official OTA update, in the meantime exploring the device. once i done i will do a factory reset anyways
contact things is easier to manage in Gmail interface, thanks for pointing out. Took hours to clean all the contact, but feel good after housecleaning
i'm looking for a specific type of app that i cant find anywhere in the playstore and i did my fair share of testing. This app would enable the lock screen to recognize two pins. One would be the normal pin you enter when you want to unlock the phone and the secondary pin when entered would trigger a series of security protocols like wipe all data on the phone ,erase all contacts and sms apps etc. Is there such an app? If not,then this would make a great idea for an app. I know i'd pay for it. Thanks in advance.
There are no such apps right now .
But you may try something like android device manager or mcAffee which provides online accessibility to your device for wiping data,fact. reset etcetera .
Or , instead of writing/requesting here , you may contact your favorite lock screen app developer and simply request to then to implement your idea on it . They will add it without any doubt
Sent from my GT-S7562 using XDA Forums PRO
bg1129 said:
i'm looking for a specific type of app that i cant find anywhere in the playstore and i did my fair share of testing. This app would enable the lock screen to recognize two pins. One would be the normal pin you enter when you want to unlock the phone and the secondary pin when entered would trigger a series of security protocols like wipe all data on the phone ,erase all contacts and sms apps etc. Is there such an app? If not,then this would make a great idea for an app. I know i'd pay for it. Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There's not an exact match to your requirements always but still on the half way down there are some apps which you may try & deal accordingly.
I would recommend you to use
1. Smart Applock
2. Theftie
3. Cm Applock.
Out of these you may select the one you feel comfortable with.
Hope you find this useful...
ayushbpl10
ayushbpl10 said:
There's not an exact match to your requirements always but still on the half way down there are some apps which you may try & deal accordingly.
I would recommend you to use
1. Smart Applock
2. Theftie
3. Cm Applock.
Out of these you may select the one you feel comfortable with.
Hope you find this useful...
ayushbpl10
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OP posted a SINGLE requirement, and none of the apps you listed can fulfil that requirement.
snapper.fishes said:
OP posted a SINGLE requirement, and none of the apps you listed can fulfil that requirement.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you tried Smart Applock...
Then look for a feature of lock screen setting which allow you to have 2 passwords for the lockscreen & also has the feature of siren when password feeded wrong & mailing an image as well as video of the person trying to gain unauthorized access to your device. Also it provide wipe & lock feature.
Talking about other apps they also function the same but don't have a feature of multiple password.
I hope next time you try the apps first & then post such a reply....
Moreover I strictly mentioned that the exact requirements are not be found with these apps & user must look accordingly as per the available features.
ayushbpl10
ayushbpl10 said:
Have you tried Smart Applock...
Then look for a feature of lock screen setting which allow you to have 2 passwords for the lockscreen & also has the feature of siren when password feeded wrong & mailing an image as well as video of the person trying to gain unauthorized access to your device. Also it provide wipe & lock feature.
Talking about other apps they also function the same but don't have a feature of multiple password.
I hope next time you try the apps first & then post such a reply....
Moreover I strictly mentioned that the exact requirements are not be found with these apps & user must look accordingly as per the available features.
ayushbpl10
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok. By now i understand there is no such app so let me tell you why all of the above do not work for me.
We all store more and more sensitive info on our phones,we make payments with the phone we have banking apps installed ,private emails and so on.All the above apps are great apps if your phone is stolen,but full of flaws.you can take out the sim card and that's it.What do you do if someone forces you to enter the pin and then disappear with the phone wallet etc?in the time it takes you to go home and remote wipe the phone they already have everything that was on the phone. All those apps are useless and full of flaws in cases like this.
Hi all,
I just bought a S7 Edge International version and I am trying to figure out if there is a way to activate certain apps by pressing the home key 3 time or other methods?. I didn't root the device.
My main goal is to activate Privacy mode or hide apps before letting someone use my phone. I really don't want to use the drop down then have to toggle. Takes to long.
I replied to your other post. How often do people use your phone. Doesn't everyone have their own phone these days. I can't remember the last time someone asked to use my phone. HaHa.
For now u can always block certain apps from opening requiring fingerprint scan.
U can hide them in app drawer and use a slide in launcher to reach them quickly. Edge panel or app called swipe pad.
AnThOnY- S7 Edge
iTouch24 said:
I replied to your other post. How often do people use your phone. Doesn't everyone have their own phone these days. I can't remember the last time someone asked to use my phone. HaHa.
For now u can always block certain apps from opening requiring fingerprint scan.
U can hide them in app drawer and use a slide in launcher to reach them quickly. Edge panel or app called swipe pad.
AnThOnY- S7 Edge
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I actually use my phone for work and they flip the bill. There have been several times someone from work wanted to see my phone so they can look at drawling schematics on the job. I don't want them looking at my pictures of my family or going through my cloud service apps or seeing my Facebook apps which I don't use my real name. I don't even want them to know that I have these apps.
The cool thing about having a jailbroken iPhone with Protecti+ is I can hit my home button three times and it will make the apps I don't want to share disappear.
Maybe I can hide those apps on my SDCard or something.
JoeFromSFO said:
I actually use my phone for work and they flip the bill. There have been several times someone from work wanted to see my phone so they can look at drawling schematics on the job. I don't want them looking at my pictures of my family or going through my cloud service apps or seeing my Facebook apps which I don't use my real name. I don't even want them to know that I have these apps.
The cool thing about having a jailbroken iPhone with Protecti+ is I can hit my home button three times and it will make the apps I don't want to share disappear.
Maybe I can hide those apps on my SDCard or something.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How to add and remove files from Private Mode on the Galaxy S7
Private Mode supports several different media types including photos and videos. Follow these steps to add supported files to Private Mode:
After you enter Private Mode for the first time, a quick walkthrough will be given and you’ll need to enter a pin code. (The Pin Code will be required every time you enter Private Mode)
Turn Private Mode On. (Settings/privacy and safety)
Go to the photo or file that you want to hide and only make viewable in Private Mode.
Select the file (s) and then select on the Overflow menu button in the upper right.
Select on Move to Private.
Geoz said:
How to add and remove files from Private Mode on the Galaxy S7
Private Mode supports several different media types including photos and videos. Follow these steps to add supported files to Private Mode:
After you enter Private Mode for the first time, a quick walkthrough will be given and you’ll need to enter a pin code. (The Pin Code will be required every time you enter Private Mode)
Turn Private Mode On. (Settings/privacy and safety)
Go to the photo or file that you want to hide and only make viewable in Private Mode.
Select the file (s) and then select on the Overflow menu button in the upper right.
Select on Move to Private.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the instructions. I was in private mode yesterday but I wasn't walked through anything but putting a password in.
Are you able to hide apps in private mode? Is there a easier way to activate / deactivate private mode instead of hitting the toggle every time?
JoeFromSFO said:
Thanks for the instructions. I was in private mode yesterday but I wasn't walked through anything but putting a password in.
Are you able to hide apps in private mode? Is there a easier way to activate / deactivate private mode instead of hitting the toggle every time?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When activated you'll find it when swiped your hands from the top
How to disable Private Mode on Samsung Galaxy S7
Using two fingers from the top of the screen, swipe down to find a list of options.
From the list of options, select Private Mode.
Now the Galaxy S7 should go back to normal mode.
You can hide picture and files but to hide installed apps and more you’re probably going to have to resort to third-party apps, I'll recommend Hide It Pro which I've used for years. You can protect or hide individual files including media files like videos,audios,notes etc... but small plugin need to be downloaded
Geoz said:
When activated you'll find it when swiped your hands from the top
How to disable Private Mode on Samsung Galaxy S7
Using two fingers from the top of the screen, swipe down to find a list of options.
From the list of options, select Private Mode.
Now the Galaxy S7 should go back to normal mode.
You can hide picture and files but to hide installed apps and more you’re probably going to have to resort to third-party apps, I'll recommend Hide It Pro which I've used for years. You can protect or hide individual files including media files like videos,audios,notes etc... but small plugin need to be downloaded
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for information. I will checkout Hide it Pro.
Is it true wifi calling, Visual Voicemail, Samsung Pay does not work on the international s7 edge version even if I put an att rom on it?
JoeFromSFO said:
Thank you for information. I will checkout Hide it Pro.
Is it true wifi calling, Visual Voicemail, Samsung Pay does not work on the international s7 edge version even if I put an att rom on it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think true wifi calling and Visual Voicemai is a provider based as for Samsung Pay (BTU Firmware) which is UK may support it but I don't really know. You can create a new thread and someone who may have the same problem can help you
The "users" feature introduced in android lollipop (though not perfect) would solve your problem, every user has their own password and setup (they even don't share apps installed), like an user for a pc/mac, sadly samsung get rid of that feature with touchwiz
Knox (downloadable from play) should get what you want: all apps you want gets in a secure workspace and require fingerprint to be used. For photos and videos you can use private mode or some apps like keepsafe