This is an extension of the auto-translate in Chromium) I did not notice that the message was translated. I should delete it altogether.

This is a nine year old thread so it's important to keep in mind that apps and how they're developed and supported has changed quite a bit since then, and Google's Play Store as evolved (or devolved to appease the Google haters out there) into a very different repository. Also, app Permissions are very different now than when KitKat and Lollipop were the current versions on our devices at that time.

You might find this 'GPS Status & Toolbox' app useful:
It isn't likely to occur but just in case some kind of GPS connectivity glitch does pop up this app has some helpful utilities that might help fix the problem. And it's a nice compass that uses GPS coordinates with your phone's sensors to show direction and leveling.

petecal said:

I have an old android phone that I would like to use for things other then a phone.
No SIM card, just Wi-Fi.
The phone is alive, old installed apps work.
When I try to access Play Store it wants a "Google sign-in". It has prefilled my gmail address as the Username and asks for a password. I give it the password but it won't authenticate it.
I can use the same username and password to log in to Google Play on my desktop or tablet.
What can I do?

Note, this is an old Verizon phone.
LG Vortex.
When I try to add it to my Google Play devices I am told to use Google Maps on the phone. Google Maps is not installed on the phone so that won't work.

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Google continuously deprecates old Android versions, for security purposes. Currently, devices have to have Android 5 or higher in order to be supported by Google Play

Ericbarker306 said:

If Google backups are in a md it backs up sms
Is there a way to restore SMS from Google backup without wiping and retiring phone and then it asks if you want to restore backup?

Also I noticed mms messages for mms pictures is an option if you choose a level deeper than just sms backups. But if you have never cleared your SMS conversations it can save a lot of data of old picture that can chew up Google drive space from many years of conversations

Anyone know how to purge messages older then say a year so backups and space on phone are not wasted

Click to expand...

You can't restore from a Google backup via anything other than Google's official restore process.

But, you can use a 3rd party app to backup and restore texts - "SMS Backup & Restore" is great, You can even give it a date range to back up from

Wow, worked for me too. I scrapped around a bit not really using much pressure and there was no difference. Tried again using more pressure and got a bunch of stuff out and now it works like new. I guess the debris gets packed in pretty hard over time.

Hi thanks for your reply. but when I investigated the recorder app on google play it said it is not compatible with my device.
The pixabay reference lists animal sounds which I don't want. I want to be able to record sound fom my tablet onto my tablet.

Hi. I need help...
I have an old LG G Vista (2014) with Android 5.1.1. It stuck in fastboot mode without a reason.

BEFORE HARD RESET:
- It loaded normally from time to time (after I take off the battery and put it in back again).
- It also loaded in Safe Mode.
- It was possible to charge the battery.

AFTER HARD RESET:
- It stuck in fastboot mode.
- It won't go to Download mode.
- It goes to Recovery mode (but it's useless).
- It won't load in Normal or Safe mode.
- It's impossible to charge the battery.

INSTALLED DRIVERS:
- adb drivers.
- LG drivers.
- Koush driver.
- PdaNet driver.

INSTALLED PROGRAMS:
- LG Flashtool 2014.
- Can't install LG Mobile Support Tool (process freezes at 5% of progress)

ADB / FASTBOOT:
- "adb devices" list is empty.
- "fastboot devices" detects the phone!
- "fastboot reboot" doesn't reboot the phone.
- commands like "fastboot erase laf" / "fastboot boot laf.img" / "fastboot flash laf laf.img" gives: FAILED remote unknown command.
- in Windows 8.1 devices manager phone can be shown as "Android Phone / Android ADB Interface" or "TP-Link Android Phone / Android Bootloader Interface" (depending of what driver is chosen in "update driver" section).

*When I'm typing any of fastboot commands I see these commands on my phone screen. For example after typing "fastboot reboot" in cmd I see "fastboot: reboot" on my phone screen but phone doesn't reboot in reality.

**As I read on some forums some people said that it seems like 5.1.1 Android for my phone has locked bootloader but I'm not sure about it. However I'm ready to downgrade to Android 4 just to unbrick the phone somehow...

Jason Hernandez1234 said:

If you want to update an old APK that is no longer supported and is not compatible with newer versions of Android, there are several things you can try.

1. Change the target SDK version: The first thing to try is to change the target SDK version of the app to a newer version. You can do this by decompiling the APK file, editing the AndroidManifest.xml file, and changing the value of the "targetSdkVersion" attribute to a higher number that is compatible with the Android version you want to run the app on. Keep in mind that this may not always work, as there may be other compatibility issues that prevent the app from running on newer versions of Android.
2. Use an emulator: Another option is to use an Android emulator to run the app on your computer. This can be done using tools like Android Studio or Genymotion. Emulators allow you to simulate different versions of Android and test the app to see if it works on newer versions.
3. Use a compatibility layer: There are also compatibility layers like "Android Runtime for Chrome" (ARC Welder) or "Anbox" that allow you to run Android apps on non-Android systems like Chrome OS or Linux. These tools can be useful if you want to run an old Android app on a non-Android device.
4. Use an app wrapper: Finally, you can use an app wrapper tool like "Expo" or "PhoneGap" to package the old APK as a web-based app that can run on multiple platforms. This can be a good option if you want to make the app available to users on different devices or operating systems.

Keep in mind that these options may not always work, as there may be other compatibility issues or limitations that prevent the app from running on newer versions of Android. It's always a good idea to test the app thoroughly after making any changes or modifications to ensure that it works as expected.

Click to expand...

Thanks ever so much!!

Development thread moved to the dev area for better exposure.

I am very happy with our cell service, now that we've dumped Verizon. Why pay for their retail stores and sports stadiums when they're going to reduce our service but still charge full price? We now have LTE and "5G" all over the place. I didn't believe that whole 5G thing so I did a speed test on my phone. 259 mbps down, 31 up. Well, okay then: that's all the 5G I need!

I didn't find mark text, but there's an underline current text feature that seems to solve my problem.

Thanks for helping.

Duckster said:

Hey! Thanks! I just ordered it. They are so cheap, that it can't hurt to give it a shot. What I can't figure out is why many are trying/using the individual camera protectors. The last one I bought gave off a "halo" when taking shots at night while using the flash. I hope this one doesn't. Thanks again.

Click to expand...

***UPDATE*** The Lens Protector is holding up VERY WELL. No issues in the past few months and the photos are coming out clear. It is very easy to clean (wiping it with a dry cloth) and the adhesive has held up with no issues at all. I'd highly recommend this and vouch for the SGS22U.

Thanks @kokiangel for the recommendation.

I believe this issue is with your watch and the app for it, which is messing with the proper functions of the phone

Transferring playlists from one Android device to another can be a bit tricky, but there are a few ways to do it. One option is to use a music app that allows you to export and import playlists, such as Google Play Music or Spotify.

To transfer playlists using Google Play Music, you can follow these steps:

1. Open the Google Play Music app on your old device and select the playlist you want to transfer.
2. Tap the three dots icon in the top right corner of the screen and select "Export playlist."
3. Choose a location to save the file, such as your Google Drive or Dropbox account.
4. On your new device, open the Google Play Music app and go to "Settings."
5. Select "Import playlist" and choose the file you exported from your old device.

If you're using a different music app, check if it has a similar export/import feature. Alternatively, you can use a third-party app such as "Musconvtool" to transfer your playlists between devices.

I hope this helps!

the verizon version has it:

I used to use Express up until two years ago. Originally I was happy with their service, until it became very slow and often unusable in China. Since then I've used both Astrill and Nord, and found both of them are good here. As for free VPNs, I've found they don't work at all in here now.

Windroid said:

That makes it worse, not better!

If some country demands that tourists hand over that kind of information, they clearly don't want your money. Take your business elsewhere and vacation in another country.

Click to expand...

I had some strange happenings with the Homeland Security and TSA last time I visited America. Like been unable to pay for flights using my credit card, and a lot of excessive questioning at airport security. And I haven't been back since.

Windroid said:

Hence why that makes it worse, not better.

Anyway: If I can't trust our private talks to be private, then I can't speak freely with you.

Click to expand...

OT:

Well WhatsApp is Facebook(Meta inc), so I'm thinking nothing on there is going to be truly private and away from govt spooks(strangers) anyway....



If you're communicating via Wechat or TikTok, those have absolutely no privacy at all.
If really want true privacy and want to talk freely about anything you like, just don't put it on the interwebs, end of.

P&CA:

Apparently you've got this RESTRICT ACT bill coming up now, which from what I've read will make it a criminal offence to use a VPN in the US. This is exactly what the law is here in China, i.e. using a VPN can get you jail time.

why not just log into your whatsapp on a computer using your web browser to check if it is there or not. i do not use this app so i can't be of much help other than my suggestion.

I just read an intresting article of "We are even closer by of having an anime charater, now these days, who wants our SS number and cell phone."

notification center? is this from the pulldown at the top of the phone? or from your phone's settings? never seen notifications appear at the bottom. why not just ask the person who the phone belongs to?

the shield is probably some kind of anti-virus app or an ad block app. there are a couple of youtube notifications and the last one is the play store.

johndweyn1 said:

Good day. You should look on YouTube, there are just a lot of different training videos on the topic of 3D pens.

Click to expand...

That might be helpful, always looking for a better small shapes to start off with, I did a bunch of abstract art with it already.

Good day. At the moment, I am looking at photos of these devices and I understand how far we have come in the field of gadgets, namely their design. Everything turned upside down and it's cool.

Don't know of a way to get a real number for free, but you can get a number for $1.50 a month plus tax from US Mobile if you only need texts for verification:

Go to the Build Your Own Plan section and select 50 texts per month for $1.50. At that price the taxes are probably more then the plan. They also have a $5 plan for light usage if you want to actually use the number.

Not sure if Twitter would consider prepaid carriers a valid number, or if only Verizon/AT&T/T-Mobile will work.