Database Users

Bluetooth working? Got limitations?

Hello all . . . need I say it? But, I'm new. Not just to this forum, but also to pda/smart phones.
I got an O2 XDA Mini S yesterday and began playing. Firstly, quick basic question, are all these the same thing:- i-mate, K-JAM, HTC Wizard and O2 XDA Mini S?
OK, next, I've been reading some sites today and one of the most repetitive things I've found is the recommendation to remove the O2 software from my device - on the basis that it is causing it to run slowly. But, I haven't found that to be the case, but remember I'm new to these toys.
I also came across Magic Button for closing apps properly, not just hiding them.
Lastly, before I move on to the subject of this post - can someone clarify the difference between a hard reset and a soft reset. In particular, if I do a hard reset, do I loose eveyone from my Contacts?
But, here is the question that relates to the subject:-
I turned on bluetooth and tried to send a picture from a Samsung D500 to the XDA Mini, but no luck. I also tried with a Samsung E720, no luck there either. Lastly, I also tried with an Apple PowerBook G4 and it was unsuccessful also - but it was more informative - it basically suggested that the capability didn't appear to be there.
I did turn on bluetooth on all the devices and I also made the XDA Mini discoverable. The two phones could scan and find the XDA, as could the Apple, but neither of the phones could retain the name of the XDA in the list of previously identified devices (I hope that is clear what I mean). The Apple could retain the name, but still can't interact with it.
I have tried changing the COM ports round - ie COM 7 incoming COM 6 outgoing AND COM 6 incoming and COM 7 outgoing, but that didn't make any difference.
The most bizzare thing (not really all that bizzare I suppose) is that Infra-Red works, so I could transfer stuff (albeit awkwardly) from my old phone to the XDA.
I was wondering (probably stupidly) if the 02 software could be limiting the functionality associated with the bluetooth, or if Windows has restricted it to only be used with ActiveSync [I just can't think of any other reason for it not to work].
Any light that could be shed on this would be appreciated.
Cheers.

1. Yes they are all the same things.
2. The o2 software tends to be quite animated, this slows down the device a little, it also masks the way the phone was intended to be used. Its not really necessary which is why its best to remove it. Plus, it free's up memory for other stuff.
3. There is a lot of talk on these forums about different programs that can "really" close an app as opposed to "minimising" to the background. There are "for's" and "against" arguments regarding this. It is true that programs only minimise when you press the "x" button but it does state, er, somewhere, i think it was in one of the help files in the device, that memory is managed automatically by windows and that programs are shut automatically to make room for new ones if memory becomes low. So you shouldn't have to worry about running out of memory, also when minimised the programs appear quicker than if they had been shut down, usually from where you last were too. This can be a good or bad thing depending on the point of view of the user. However, from my point of view and i think i share this with many other users, i "feel better" knowing that a program shuts when i've finished with it and it will start from a common point when i next open it. I think this is more down to the fact that people are used to this than anything else.
The program i use for this purpose is called SmartSkey, made by one of the people on this forum,it can do either and you can have an exception list of apps that minimise only, which is quite useful. Also it makes navigating the device easier with one hand, which is REALLY handy, it may be worth looking into.
4. A hard reset will make your device appear exactly how it did when you first switched it on. Anything at all that was on there will be gone, so yes you will lose your contacts. There are 3rd party applications you can use that can back up the whole device though. A soft reset just restarts the device and nothing is lost. Its equivelent to restarting a windows PC as opposed to Re-formatting one.
5. As regards you bluetooth problem, the only thing i can think of is that i have noticed that the device needs to actually be "ON", not in "sleep mode" or obviously "OFF", in order to successfully receive files via bluetooth. If it is in sleep mode then devices can see it but can't connect. I can honestly say i've had no problems as you describe with bluetooth names and stuff on mine.
Sorry i can't help you more with the bluetooth, but i hope the other info was of help to you. Enjoy your new toy, they are very customisable and as a result of which can be very annoying too. :wink:
Be prepared for late nights and hair loss, else, ignorance is bliss

Thanks for the reply Clivectmob. Very informative.
I've been playing again. This time I sent a picture from the XDA to the Samsung E720 and I was successful, but it doesn't seem to want to work the other way around . . . very strange.
I might bring it back and see if they can figure it out.
If anyone else fancies a shot at a solution, just fire away, I'll take any suggestions.
Again, thanks Clivectmob

Last question.
If I take the O2 software off of this, can I return it to factory settings by doing a hard reset?

Yes you can, as I said, it will be as it was when you first switched it on.
All that software is stored on a hidden ROM on the device, when you hard reset it goes through a customization sequence afterwards where it puts it all back on. One trick is to wait until it displays the customization message, then pull out the battery. Switch back on and it will not customize it, but then you need to manually configure all your conection settings and so on, so you need to be reasonably up on the use of them for that.

MT3G Help plz?

Ok so my gf owns a my touch 3G and she's complaining of the following problems.
Swype runs responds slow
pictures don't always load and camera says to load sd card before taking pictures but when I use her sd card in my phone it works fine. I think it's the memory card reader but then again with those problems it sounds like the whole phone. I have already called and customer service wants to do a warranty repair but they are not smart at all.
A hard reset fixed this for a few days but now it's back again.
The swype thing slows down when she runs music and to me that doesnt look like a problem but then again I didn't have that phone from the beginning.
Anyone have ideas?

sherlockpwnz said:
Ok so my gf owns a my touch 3G and she's complaining of the following problems.
Swype runs responds slow
pictures don't always load and camera says to load sd card before taking pictures but when I use her sd card in my phone it works fine. I think it's the memory card reader but then again with those problems it sounds like the whole phone. I have already called and customer service wants to do a warranty repair but they are not smart at all.
A hard reset fixed this for a few days but now it's back again.
The swype thing slows down when she runs music and to me that doesnt look like a problem but then again I didn't have that phone from the beginning.
Anyone have ideas?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm guessing the phone is not rooted? It's just that MT3G software can't keep up with both the music and swype.

whats rooting and whats its purpose?

sherlockpwnz said:
whats rooting and whats its purpose?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why root?
Rooting allows you to unlock more potential of your device.
In many cases allowing more stability, increased speed, optimization, options, memory, storage, etc.
You can also tether with your device to a computer for internet purposes and experiment with custom roms to really unleash the potential of your device. There are also themes that can allow you to customize the device and apps that can clean up the clutter of caches to allow more space for apps from Market. So the better question would be.... why not root?
The only answer that I can think of is that rooting can be dangerous if you do not read the instructions carefully and has the potential of bricking your device rendering it completely useless.
If you want more information on rooting your device check here: http://wiki.xda-developers.com/index.php?pagename=HTC_Sapphire_Hacking
Do not modify your girlfriends phone without her consent. Make sure that she is aware of the risks involved versus the rewards of a rooted device.
Also seek out videos on YouTube for guides as they can also be of great help.
And since you mentioned swype, I can assume you are using the new Mytouch device with the 3.5mm headset jack.
http://wiki.cyanogenmod.com/index.php/Full_Update_Guide_-_Fender/1.2 for instructions should you decide to proceed.

is there a way to unroot if warranty exchange is needed

[Q] Lock, unlock, screen tap sounds on SM910P

To start, I'd like you all to know I've spent the better part of a day searching google and elsewhere for an answer to my quandary. If there is an answer to this somewhere that I've missed, I apologize. I am at my wit's end.
I'm running a rooted SM910P with MasterZen88's rom. I have hardly anything extra installed (just SuperSU, FX, TB). I cannot for the life of me get the system to use screen touch and screen lock sounds that I place in /system/media/audio/ui. I have adjusted the permissions for the new files as appropriate (rw-r-r), though they were properly set from the get-go anyway. I've tried restarting the phone and clearing the cache several times. No luck. Those sounds will not work - they are always the awful default sounds, even though I've explicitly overwrote those files.
It seems that the sounds in question are actually being read from somewhere else, but in my exploring I haven't been able to find them. Perhaps embedded in some of TW's apks? I don't know a whole lot about this. The most perplexing thing is that some of the sounds I replaced work perfectly fine - the pen detach/attach, the power on and power off, and even the charger connect sounds all work just fine. If anyone has any ideas or could point me in the right direction, it would be much appreciated.

As an update, I did find out that there are some raw resources in the default Keyguard.apk that I assume (I have not tested because I'm still learning how apks work) are being used in place of the /system/ui directory ones, but that's only really for the lock screen - it doesn't explain the screen touch sounds not working when replaced. Still at a loss there.

Cheap Chinese Watch, Won't Push SMS, A Way Fix or Buy Something Else?

Last night I got one of those cheap Chinese smartwatches for $40 locally. (Amazon seems to have some for $20 at amzn.to/2qpSftK) Yeah I know, I know, but I work at a job that is anal about cell phones (a major gripe of mine the way places can be that way) and I need to know if my child's ride at school doesn't show up or if school lets out early due to a power outage etc, if that happens then I HAVE to pause what I'm doing and make a call or two to make pickup arrangements or else it's a legal issue of child abandonment. Such may only happen 2-3 times an entire school year, but it has happened a few times--my mother-in-law's battery was dead and she was running late, or she couldn't find her keys etc--in such cases I had to track down someone locally and get them to step-in, last minute.
Thus, I need a smartwatch which can relay calls which have come in so I can see them and it also needs to push SMS messages and let me reply to them, that way without even pulling my phone out of my pocket I will know if this has occurred (and can quickly reply to SMS) but I can otherwise keep my phone in my pocket knowing beyond any shadow of a doubt that if a call or SMS has come in, this watch WILL pick it up and I WILL be able to reply to them.
This watch I got, it is fine with relaying phone calls and it even relayed the audio from a YouTube video I was watching on the phone itself, but it WILL NOT WORK with relaying SMS. At first it did, such requires installing a "BT Notifier" on the phone (which is the best?) but even then it was hit or miss, and then it just stopped. I've done EVERYTHING in terms of different BT Notifier apps, I even scanned the "OCR Code" or whatever to point to the BT Notifier specific to that model (it appears to be a GT08 type, with the "fan" style of icons, menu/phone on the bottom left and names/text on the right, this YouTube video Ksy0pd-12BI shows one like it), I set that app up--no matter, IT WILL NOT push SMS to this smartwatch, no way/no how.
Is this a common occurrence with such smartwatches? Is this a case of that I'm going to have to just accept this model CANNOT handle SMS no matter what and get something else, vs being able to actually fix this? One model I had read good things about in an article (BIT and 2lTVoxg) called the OUMAX Bluetooth Smart Watch S6 for around $50, this model looked like a good one because it downplays "fitness" features I do not at all need and instead stresses pushing smartphone notifications and being able to replay to them, which is what I DO need. I started to get it on Amazon but then it would've required several days to get here and I need something up & running quickly but without spending $250. Maybe I should've just gotten that and waited?
Tips in general?

If anyone has any tips please do reply, I am only say this because I have an update but that doesn't mean I am not still looking for help.
I've somehow got it working just fine, no timing out of connectivity or any such thing. I had saved the downloaded BT Notifier .apk file from the app it referenced in the barcode I scanned, and I tried again but this time I disabled an app I've used on the phone for a long time--NoLED, which displays a moving dot on the LCD when notifications arrive, making it unnecessary to "wake up" the phone to see missed calls etc. I've used that app for forever, it's a long-time staple of mine, but I wondered if it was possibly interfering with this process.
I'm not sure if that is the case, but since disabling it (but also turning the watch off and letting it charge to full overnight) it's working great today. I possibly could get beyond that eventually but for now I'll take it, I mean having a smartwatch does somewhat make it less necessary anyway. The only issue now--the band, it won't attach and it's apparently a permanent part of the watch's structure, not easily swapped out. I'm not sure how I'll get around that, maybe stitching another watch band on top of it using a sewing kit?

Ultimate Fix: Watch-Specific App/Disable/Install 3rd Party
I'm somewhat disappointed in the lack of replies. Is this because this watch is now perhaps an older model, or what is the reason?
In any case, I now have the ultimate fix.
It's 3 things:
(1) Install the watch-specific app by scanning the QR code and "sideloading" the app
(2) "Force Stop" this app in Google settings but DO NOT uninstall it, leave it installed.
(3) Install the 3rd party app by "Shenznen Fan Yun Technology Co, Ltd" (green background, white circle with exclamation point) then under the "Accessibility" enable the second "BT Notifications" entry, leave the 1st one at OFF
When I got this watch, the first thing I did was download that 3rd party app, it worked some but not consistently, then it totally stopped. I then stumbled across the QR code in the watch, scanned it, installed that app, and that worked--but that app was FULL of adware, constantly bugging me to install this app or that, launching a new tab and page in my Chrome browser, and just being a total pain. I was glad the watch worked, but hated that behavior--so much I disabled the app, figuring I'd just have to re-enable it when the watch was being used.
On a hunch, eager to try again, with the watch-specific app still disabled, I downloaded the 3rd party "Shenznen Fan Yun Technology Co, Ltd" app and, just totally guessing, under "accessibility" enabled the 2nd entry (both entries have identical names so you can't tell which is which), but didn't uninstall the watch-specific app only because I figured that I would end up having to revert back to it anyway.
To my surprise, this has worked. It seems to require me turning the watch off and connecting through the watch initially, but however I get a connection and the SMS message log on the phone populates on the watch, at that point it is stable and reliable from that point on. I had it running today all-day and was receiving texts and the inbox was coming up reliably.
I hope this helps somebody. (Note: this watch is still being sold as eBay item #381686066028.)

Hight CPU and battery usage on idle system; restarts don't help

I've got a problem with my S8 which is running latest, official, non-rooted XEO firmware. Specifically, it uses battery like crazy and heats up whilst doing nothing. This smells like a virus / malware infection or just... well, the last update was in December 2021 so it's also possible some system component is wonky OR... <shivers> some rootkit? I'm generally rather careful when installing apps, most of which will be coming in from official sources (Google Store) or at least fairly trusted sources.
Every so often I'll get a warning that a system component is using too much CPU and I should restart the phone - which obviously doesn't help at all. Also the battery drain is reported primarily by Android System and System Core (29 and 15% respectively). Battery usage stats generally don't add up because the listings don't add up to 100%. :/
I know the S8 is an old phone... and I know there are probably steps I should take prior to asking here - like a factory reset. But I'm really sceptical of doing a factory reset simply because I've got so much stuff on the phone that, while not impossible to backup, is certainly annoying (authenticator or banking apps for example - and I don't think the standard backup tools like those available from Google or Samsung backup such apps).
So I'd rather try some solutions or methods of dealing with the damned thing without resetting the phone first. Is there anything I can do?

You need to find the root cause. It may be a 3rd party using one or more of the Samsung system apps running under Android services, lol Legend for there are many... all lumped together.
A firewall with logging can help. Karma Firewall is what I use, uses almost no battery. Being rooted you have more options... use them.
Malware is always a possibility.
3rd party apps can cause hell. I don't allow any social media apps on the phone, ever.
Try in safe mode... if things calm down it's likely a 3rd party app. If so start going through the installed apps.
Clear system cache.

blackhawk said:
You need to find the root cause. It may be a 3rd party using one or more of the Samsung system apps running under Android services, lol Legend for there are many... all lumped together.
A firewall with logging can help. Karma Firewall is what I use, uses almost no battery.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Will try that, thanks!
blackhawk said:
Being rooted you have more options... use them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The phone is NON-rooted.
blackhawk said:
Malware is always a possibility.
3rd party apps can cause hell. I don't allow any social media apps on the phone, ever.
Try in safe mode... if things calm down it's likely a 3rd party app. If so start going through the installed apps.
Clear system cache.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh, safe mode! I'll try that too! Thanks!

Shaamaan said:
Will try that, thanks!
The phone is NON-rooted.
Oh, safe mode! I'll try that too! Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry about the root thing, my bad.
If you're running on Android 9 or lower Karma Firewall's logging feature is fully active otherwise not. Samsung store>Galaxy Labs> Battery Tracker can be useful.
I use Accubattery's history page to get a quick idea of charge/discharge rates.
I use Device Care>storage>clean as well.
Make sure no cloud apps are running in the background.

Update: in safe mode the phone doesn't heat up and battery usage seems normal. So it's probably some app.
Alas, the firewall wasn't very helpful - it seemed that apps that attempted accessing the internet were your usual suspects - Play Store, One Drive or other sync apps, Vanced.
Any other suggestions on possibly nailing down the culprit?
PS. I've also decided to send Samsung an error report via the Members app - I don't know what their reply times are and I honestly don't expect much from them but who knows? Perhaps they'll come through.

Shaamaan said:
Update: in safe mode the phone doesn't heat up and battery usage seems normal. So it's probably some app.
Alas, the firewall wasn't very helpful - it seemed that apps that attempted accessing the internet were your usual suspects - Play Store, One Drive or other sync apps, Vanced.
Any other suggestions on possibly nailing down the culprit?
PS. I've also decided to send Samsung an error report via the Members app - I don't know what their reply times are and I honestly don't expect much from them but who knows? Perhaps they'll come through.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why other than maybe text messages is anything syncing? Take out the trash and go from there.
The ones that are connecting every minute or more when not open are prime suspects.
Some apps like Brave browser need to be closed out when not in use or they eat battery.
You can also try a hard reboot.

Update!
I left the phone in safe mode overnight. I mean, it seemed like things were better, so at least I'd have a stable phone.
Well, in the morning I was greeted with a severely depleted battery (went from 100 to 40 in the span of 6 hours) and I got the "high CPU usage" warning popup. The phone wasn't as hot to the touch tho.
So... Whatever is going on seems to happen also in safe mode, albeit less often? Or perhaps it's less "severe" where it doesn't heat up the phone but the drain is still there? But since safe mode is affected it's probably NOT an app, right?
At this point I'm completely baffled. Any other ideas?

Shaamaan said:
Update!
I left the phone in safe mode overnight. I mean, it seemed like things were better, so at least I'd have a stable phone.
Well, in the morning I was greeted with a severely depleted battery (went from 100 to 40 in the span of 6 hours) and I got the "high CPU usage" warning popup. The phone wasn't as hot to the touch tho.
So... Whatever is going on seems to happen also in safe mode, albeit less often? Or perhaps it's less "severe" where it doesn't heat up the phone but the drain is still there? But since safe mode is affected it's probably NOT an app, right?
At this point I'm completely baffled. Any other ideas?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hard reset... hold power button until it powers off.
Try temporarily disabling Google play Services at night, see what that does.

OK, I'm baffled. I feel like I didn't really do anything but the phone is now running fine. Battery drain now might be better than ever!
Warms up on usage, obviously, but when idle it's nice and cool and battery drain seems minimal. I'll... leave it for a few days to see how this develops. It's very difficult to tell what the heck's the case here.

Shaamaan said:
OK, I'm baffled. I feel like I didn't really do anything but the phone is now running fine. Battery drain now might be better than ever!
Warms up on usage, obviously, but when idle it's nice and cool and battery drain seems minimal. I'll... leave it for a few days to see how this develops. It's very difficult to tell what the heck's the case here.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Retrace what you did. Reason being you may need to do it again. Really most times all you need to do is just "play" with it a bit (a lot). Almost impossible to crash a stock load, so explore and learn by playing with it. You are what you load and download; be careful with 3rd party apps they are the biggest potential hazards.
Once you have a fast, stable OS that's fulfilling its mission, let it be. Don't update or upgrade it.
Updates can and do break Sammy's. This N10+ is still running on Pie, current load is over 2yo. Rock solid stable and it runs like a bat out of hell with minimal maintenance. Security isn't an issue.

blackhawk said:
Retrace what you did. Reason being you may need to do it again. Really most times all you need to do is just "play" with it a bit (a lot). Almost impossible to crash a stock load, so explore and learn by playing with it. You are what you load and download; be careful with 3rd party apps they are the biggest potential hazards.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have a suspicion this might have been some Samsung app (my bet's on Bixby) since those are likely still able to run in Safe Mode that got updated and then fixed...? Does that make sense?
blackhawk said:
Once you have a fast, stable OS that's fulfilling its mission, let it be. Don't update or upgrade it.
Updates can and do break Sammy's. This N10+ is still running on Pie, current load is over 2yo. Rock solid stable and it runs like a bat out of hell with minimal maintenance. Security isn't an issue.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm concerned about the last bit. I mean, upgrading to a new Android version is one thing but security updates are common, no?

Shaamaan said:
I have a suspicion this might have been some Samsung app (my bet's on Bixby) since those are likely still able to run in Safe Mode that got updated and then fixed...? Does that make sense?
I'm concerned about the last bit. I mean, upgrading to a new Android version is one thing but security updates are common, no?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Kill wittle bixby... you read it EULA?☠
It's more than one apk though. Takes a while to optimize a Sammy the first time
Well... if it's set up and used right Android 9 will run securely in the real world. No saving dumb bunnies anyway; they'll still get tagged even with the latest version
The proof is in my hand. Loaded over 2+ years ago and this N10+ UI version 1.5 is running clean like a bat out of hell. If I do get malware I can't erraticate in an hour or so, factory reset and change passwords.
My data is redundantly backed* up 4+ times, plus the onboard SD card used as a data drive. I'm ready to reload right now if I have to...
A malware forced reload is still less trouble than constantly updating and having the updates screw things up. That means more troubleshooting, finding new work arounds and still maybe needing a factory reset on top of all that. No.
Not vaxed either... not buying the hype.
*critical data must be redundantly backed up or sooner or latter it will likely be lost. Never encrypt data drives as you are the most likely to be locked out!

blackhawk said:
Kill wittle bixby... you read it EULA?☠
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh I'd love that - but it's a system app and removing those without root is kind of... impossible? I can look into disabling it completely however - I never use it anyway. Since it's not a single app - any chance you got a link to the list of apps that need manual disabling?
Anyway, I'm still getting those damned warnings. The phone isn't constantly hot however, which is some improvement.

Shaamaan said:
Oh I'd love that - but it's a system app and removing those without root is kind of... impossible? I can look into disabling it completely however - I never use it anyway. Since it's not a single app - any chance you got a link to the list of apps that need manual disabling?
Anyway, I'm still getting those damned warnings. The phone isn't constantly hot however, which is some improvement.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Package Disabler kills bixby proper.
You can also disable it with an adb edit. That's one of the first things I do.
Bixby is a hot mess best dump along the interstate... like Google Assistant it needs external servers for many of its functions. I may change my mind but it's eula is like eating dry hardtack for breakfast.