Database Users

25 cent apps today on Google Play

Google is celebrating 25 billion downloads today with 25 cent apps... Just thought I would share.
http://phandroid.com/2012/09/26/google-play-passes-25-billion-downloads-landmark-celebrates-with-25-apps-and-more/
Here are todays 25 cent apps:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/collection/promotion_celebrate_25_billion?feature=banner#?t=W10.

Excellent idea by Google, and already grabbed "Angry Birds Space" this morning.
Hoping we get more "Apps" since most that I've seen on sale is games...
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda premium

3 of the apps are at least productivity apps and 1 is a live wall paper app. Google usually refreshes the list with these sales and throws a few repeats in there. At least some of the games look good - they usually aren't all terrible.

Morphling27 said:
3 of the apps are at least productivity apps and 1 is a live wall paper app. Google usually refreshes the list with these sales and throws a few repeats in there. At least some of the games look good - they usually aren't all terrible.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hopefully some pretty good ones to come. I think it will be going on for the next 5 days.

I have a feeling that this is Google's way of fighting amazon
Three of the apps today were previously free Amazon apps
I am glad to pay a quarter and get rid of the amazon app store apk and having to be on wifi or data network to use my "Free" apps
If the next days have more free Amazon apps, I will buy them as well, and feel it really is google vs amazon

i don't like the amazon webstore either.mostly the apps are a tiny bit cheaper but the store itself is really slow and overloaded.

I'm rebuying a few office apps that I got for free on amazon app store. Even having them for free doesn't make them worth having that battery hog installed.

Mgamerz said:
I'm rebuying a few office apps that I got for free on amazon app store. Even having them for free doesn't make them worth having that battery hog installed.
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Click to collapse
I've done lots of stuff with Android devices, but I was never inclined to install the Amazon market. Is it really that big of a pile of steaming dog crap?

Morphling27 said:
I've done lots of stuff with Android devices, but I was never inclined to install the Amazon market. Is it really that big of a pile of steaming dog crap?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Definitely worse than installing Amazon music downloader on the PC...
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda premium

Do the apps rotate or are these going to be the same ones for 5 days?

Mgamerz said:
Do the apps rotate or are these going to be the same ones for 5 days?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
New apps out now...

NM.............Noob moment!

Mgamerz said:
Do the apps rotate or are these going to be the same ones for 5 days?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Apps do rotate each day, although IMO it was kinda disappointing today.
I'll be keeping an eye on this each day, and will definitely be reporting anything here anything that I'd personally recommend.
Here to hoping that tomorrow's selection is a little better...
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda premium

Nice. This time, there are some apps for me :laugh:

Banner ads! !!!

We all hate them, lets face it. We are not even warned of them.
I have a 'free keyboard ', no mention of ads.
It bombards me but I don't want to wipe it.
What I did was use J rummys pro app which has a handy feature called 'auto start manager' . This showed the app had a radio reciever, for no reason. I switched it off and bingo no more banner ads. Ad away won't stop them. This will. Hope it helps.
P.S I don't mind ads IN apps but hidden in the notification bar?? No thx.
PPS.. just checked data for the week that keyboard was putting ads up. It used 700 Kb in 6 days. That's theft in my book, as it never mentioned it. Thank God I don't pay U. S. rates
Sent from my GT-N7000 using Tapatalk 2

howard bamber said:
P.S I don't mind ads IN apps but hidden in the notification bar?? No thx.
Sent from my GT-N7000 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I hate ads because they suck battery life

burtcom said:
I hate ads because they suck battery life
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Click to collapse
Then better start buying the apps avoid your frustration, Save some battery and motivate/support the Devs out there:highfive:
A win win situation for everyone!!

The Rom Toolbox comes with a nice ad blocking feature which works in browsers as well as in apps. I haven't seen ads on my device for a very long time.
Sent from my Galaxy Note running ICS

AdAway works perfectly. I had free keyboard, but with lots of ads. This app removed all those crappy ads.
You need to be rooted though.

ruinkhan said:
AdAway works perfectly. I had free keyboard, but with lots of ads. This app removed all those crappy ads.
You need to be rooted though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Apparently OP already tried AdAway.
howard bamber said:
Ad away won't stop them. This will. Hope it helps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

I have adaway . It blocks all ads, except banner ads. I don't mind ads in apps. Devs. need to be paid. What gets me is when you get "a free" app that spies and puts adds on notification, with no warning. this worked where seaway did not. Oh and I am rooted have ben since it wa possible.
Sent from my GT-N7000 using Tapatalk 2

I completely agree with the rejection of ads. Alot of the time we are spied on to produce marketing results and targeted ads. As for developers getting paid and the ads being no harm to the user, I pay for my internet subscription, I do not give the authority to any app or ad or developer to waste my money downloading this ****.
Sent from my GT-N7000 using xda app-developers app

kyrirhcp said:
I completely agree with the rejection of ads. Alot of the time we are spied on to produce marketing results and targeted ads.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I read customer review at least 10-15 of them on play store(if it has issues with adds/anything somebody will definitely post it there), before installing an application.
Next I check for the permissions required by the app...If it looks unnecessary then I refrain to install that application (I mean since when a simple live wallpaper required data access??)
kyrirhcp said:
As for developers getting paid and the ads being no harm to the user, I pay for my internet subscription, I do not give the authority to any app or ad or developer to waste my money downloading this ****.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For most of the Add supported applications you have an add free version available on market, either pay it once and buy the adfree/pro version of the app or keep paying in small installments as ur data charges to fetch that ad and get annoyed as well with those ads(I wonder how much data it takes to fetch one add, not more that 10-15Kb???)
Well which one is a wise choice you do the math!!
Android is a smart OS made for smart people......
My 2 cents...

adaway is awesome app for removing adds
Sent from my GT-N7000 using Tapatalk 2

I need adaway to remove apps & adds
Via GT-N7000 using XDA-Elite App

I just wish all of you a great future!! I want all of you whining here to be great developers in future, then see the picture from the other side!!

You Sir just summed it up very well!!
Sent from my GT-N7000 using Tapatalk 2

Niggadawg, I said don't mind devs using ads which is why I don't like blanket ad ban apps like adaway but banner ads are a differant story. This one had no permission I could see & used @600kb per week with different ads,some I do not want people seeing on the front of my phone. I pay for apps. This did not say it was add supported. Not all devs are upfront. They want this crap in to spy so they can sell lists to others of what they gather. People are right to be posses when they step over the line.
RENT MY SIGNATURE LINE CHEAP!! FROM MY N 700

Samsung trolls Google, adds adblockers to phones

Not sure if this has been mentioned before but hope its true as the website also states Android 6 is out via OTA
Samsung has added built-in ad-blocking capabilities to its Android browser in its latest OTA (over-the-air) update to its Lollipop 5.0 devices, which include the Galaxy S6.
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Click to collapse
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/02/01/samsung_ad_ocalypse/

Does not say anything about Android 6 is out ota. Only that it's out for lollipop devices INCLUDING the Samsung s6
Meaning the ad block service
Sendt fra min SM-G925F med Tapatalk

thyttel said:
Does not say anything about Android 6 is out ota. Only that it's out for lollipop devices INCLUDING the Samsung s6
Meaning the ad block service
Sendt fra min SM-G925F med Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Read again, I said it mentions Android 6.01 is being rolled on the 'website', I donno sometimes

Interesting... I wonder if Samsung's browser will ever add (back?) an option to open new tabs in the background. I'd love to use it but I won't consider it without that feature.

episode96 said:
Interesting... I wonder if Samsung's browser will ever add (back?) an option to open new tabs in the background. I'd love to use it but I won't consider it without that feature.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know right!! I keep using it because it's faster than Chrome and i dont want to burn my screen in again with the black status bar, but it's very annoying to not be able to open tabs in background.

does anyone have the apk? and google should allow just adblocking in browsers else people will just block all ads

google backfired...removed that adblocker from play store ?

The APK is here. It's gone from the Play Store, it seems. http://https://apkpure.com/adblock-fast/com.rocketshipapps.adblockfast

Has anyone got the Samsung Internet 4.0 browser? Without that these plug ins are useless.
Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk

Missing some Advanced Features from settings...

Is anyone else missing some features from the advance feature menus on the verizon s7 edge? I was looking for the switch for the app drawer removal and the switch for the white pages caller id. Is there any way to sideload with out rooting? I cannot root i use samsung pay everyday.

Verizon has removed the white pages feature.

Any way to enable them like you can with adaptive storage?
Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

Coming from an iPhone 5s to this thing and I am again reminded of carrier tampering and bloatware on Android phones. Seriously, why would Verizon not allow users to try out the app drawer removal option?

megamanfre said:
Any way to enable them like you can with adaptive storage?
Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://forum.xda-developers.com/verizon-s7-edge/help/enable-white-pages-hopefully-t3333735
Sent from my SM-T320 using Tapatalk

blulite01 said:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/verizon-s7-edge/help/enable-white-pages-hopefully-t3333735
Sent from my SM-T320 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
FYI - This doesn't actually do anything. It will say you've turned it on, but it doesn't work.

They also removed the auto restart feature.

I finally have 7.0 on my Verizon GS7 Edge. I know Verizon blocks some Samsung​ features, but I was wondering if anyone has a list of everything that is missing. Unfortunately, this is a work phone, so I can't just switch carriers. I had the Note 7 with T-Mobile, but we all know how that turned out. Rather than carrying 2 S7 Edge phones I decided to cancel my line with T-Mo and just rock the one phone for a while. Now I'm wondering if that was a mistake.
Sent from my SM-G935V using XDA-Developers Legacy app

For everybody upset about the removal of features, wait for the 7.0 U firmware and flash it.

raduque said:
For everybody upset about the removal of features, wait for the 7.0 U firmware and flash it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If it ever comes LOL

Hey, just be happy they didn't remove the GPS, phone-dialer, SMS and the clock - and then offer to sell them back to you [VZ Clock, VZ GPS, VZ Phone, etc.]
Hell, I'm kind of surprised they don't remove the entire Android OS and offer to sell THAT back to you for a monthly fee.

FoxyDrew said:
If it ever comes LOL
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It will. XDA as a whole is just a bunch of impatient whiners, and I've been here a long time.
afh3 said:
Hey, just be happy they didn't remove the GPS, phone-dialer, SMS and the clock - and then offer to sell them back to you [VZ Clock, VZ GPS, VZ Phone, etc.]
Hell, I'm kind of surprised they don't remove the entire Android OS and offer to sell THAT back to you for a monthly fee.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, they do have VZ Nav, and I'm honestly surprised they haven't blocked Google Maps from their branded devices. Back in the early days of Android, they actually didn't ship them with Maps, though you could still install it later.

raduque said:
It will. XDA as a whole is just a bunch of impatient whiners, and I've been here a long time.
Well, they do have VZ Nav, and I'm honestly surprised they haven't blocked Google Maps from their branded devices. Back in the early days of Android, they actually didn't ship them with Maps, though you could still install it later.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I remember on my Omnia Verizon locked the GPS, it worked only With VZNav. Definitely a shady company.
Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk
---------- Post added at 10:34 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:32 AM ----------
On a related note, is there a repository of apk files for all stock apps in the 935U firmware? I might try installing P the app alone.
Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

you could see if this work for whitepages if you are rooted
https://forum.xda-developers.com/att-s7-edge/themes/whitepages-att-stock-fw-t3431054

Built in system app advertisements

Samsung say they do not put advertisements in their pre installed apps.
However, example the weather app does infact have advertisements.
This was on my S10 Plus and Now On S20U-Exynos
Its also present on both family members S20Plus and A50
So they are lying when they say they don't include advertisements on pr installed apps

Their response you posted is BS.
I watched a Korean tech channel and they complained about it and noted it's a recent thing.
Koreans also get adds in the built in text app too.

Funny thing now is that they said this is the third party weather channel app.
But infact their app just gets info as its source from the weather channel.
I sent back this and told them that the app package is
Com.sec.android.deamonapp
Unbelievable.

Oh yes, it's definitely Samsung doing this.
Could be worse, but 100% could be better.

Dolgogi said:
Oh yes, it's definitely Samsung doing this.
Could be worse, but 100% could be better.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Funny thing is All my personalisation and Google ads are off anyway. Yet still the ads keep coming up. Ive had them switched off for at least a year.
Samsung reckon this stops ads but no it makes no difference.

The Moment I see an ad from Samsung on my Smart Devices, I will stop buying and advocating Samsung Devices.

Just to make this clear to Samsung, I will give them back and have them refund me for every device I have from them which is starting to show ads. I am willing to go the legal route for that.
Then, I can go ahead and buy Chinese crap phones (regarding privacy policies, I mean) like one plus, xiaomi, realme, oppo etc.. Or switch to the boring side (appl).

They seem to keep coming back with a ridiculous load waffle not pertaining to the complaints or even looked at the screenshots sent.
But there is definitely advertisements on the weather app on 3 current devices in my family plus was also on S10 Plus i recently sold.
I wonder if an XDA Member could pull apart the coding on the weather app and see where the advertisements are coming from? Maybe as the source for weather is the weather channel it is part of a deal to include advertisements from weather channel websites.
This morning it appears in the middle of the weather app and at the bottom.
But who knows if this is just the first of many apps that are starting to push advertisements.

Darkat70 said:
Samsung say they do not put advertisements in their pre installed apps.
However, example the weather app does infact have advertisements.
This was on my S10 Plus and Now On S20U-Exynos
Its also present on both family members S20Plus and A50
So they are lying when they say they don't include advertisements on pr installed apps
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmmm... I looked and saw no ads. I do remember points in time that I have seen ads in the weather app but only to disappear at a later time. I almost want to say my Note 9? But yeah, I have seen this before. I think what I saw may have been a test. I don't have them on my S20U (at this time).

Scott said:
Hmmm... I looked and saw no ads. I do remember points in time that I have seen ads in the weather app but only to disappear at a later time. I almost want to say my Note 9? But yeah, I have seen this before. I think what I saw may have been a test. I don't have them on my S20U (at this time).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When i checked the weather app this morning for around 20 seconds it wasn't there, i almost got excited and then it just materialised above the radar image, then i scrolled to the bottom and boom that appeared too.
The best bit is they aren't even targeted ads, one was ribs and burgers. That restaurant just doesn't exist within 1000kms of my location. Im not sure if its even Australian.

You recently flashed the PHN update to your phone right? And I'm on BTU.
I wonder if that's part on the problem?
I can tell you that Samsung Korea has told customers that the ads now showing in the weather app there is from the company providing the weather service for Korea (not the same company as we get).

Dolgogi said:
You recently flashed the PHN update to your phone right? And I'm on BTU.
I wonder if that's part on the problem?
I can tell you that Samsung Korea has told customers that the ads now showing in the weather app there is from the company providing the weather service for Korea (not the same company as we get).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If it was just my phone & previously S10 Plus i would be agreeing with you that flashing could be the problem.
But my partner and my daughter A50 & S20 plus both have the same issues and they are on stock unflashed updates from Optus and the weather app has ads in both phone's.
I guess it probably comes from the weather channel but, you can never be sure what samsung are upto.
They must have some dealings with Facebook to have this as a pre installed app along with the other Facebook apps which I removed and makes no issues with the actual app. So what they were needed for is another question.

Darkat70 said:
If it was just my phone & previously S10 Plus i would be agreeing with you that flashing could be the problem.
But my partner and my daughter A50 & S20 plus both have the same issues and they are on stock unflashed updates from Optus and the weather app has ads in both phone's.
I guess it probably comes from the weather channel but, you can never be sure what samsung are upto.
They must have some dealings with Facebook to have this as a pre installed app along with the other Facebook apps which I removed and makes no issues with the actual app. So what they were needed for is another question.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Here is an idea... Check to see if the weather app was recently updated. Maybe you can revert to an older version on the system partition.
Otherwise there is another simple fix for this... You can change your DNS settings. Honestly, if you have not done that its a great way to block all adds, system wide, without root or any special app or VPN. Change dns to dns.adguard.com The DNS settings are in connections settings menu then I think advanced. I would also clear data on weather app. This will force it download new ads but it wont be able to.
So yeah, it sucks Samsung did this but you can get around it quite easily.

Scott said:
Here is an idea... Check to see if the weather app was recently updated. Maybe you can revert to an older version on the system partition.
Otherwise there is another simple fix for this... You can change your DNS settings. Honestly, if you have not done that its a great way to block all adds, system wide, without root or any special app or VPN. Change dns to dns.adguard.com The DNS settings are in connections settings menu then I think advanced. I would also clear data on weather app. This will force it download new ads but it wont be able to.
So yeah, it sucks Samsung did this but you can get around it quite easily.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have actually been running disconnect pro for samsung for about 3 weeks, which must ne working as it blocks advertisements in apkmirror and 9news app.
I was using dns.adguard.com on my S10 Plus for a while but what i found was happening with this, any inbedded videos from YouTube or news article videos it would also block them or ask me to login then do nothing. Which was a little annoying.
The weather app did infact update in the last week or so. But thats not the issue because they were still advertisements previously to the update and on other devices.
Unless theres something sneaky in my isp modem pushing advertisements over wifi, I'll have to switch to 4G see if ads persist.

Ok and heres the odd thing
I just
cleared weather app data and cache
Added dns adbock
Disconnect for Samsung Pro
And restart weather app, boom new advertisements
How is that possible? 2 ad block running?
The 9news app advertisements are greyed out.

Yep, still getting ads on the weather app.
That's okay, bye bye samsung weather app, hello Google weather widget.
Gutted that Shifty Jelly stopped working on their awesome weather app.

Dolgogi said:
Yep, still getting ads on the weather app.
That's okay, bye bye samsung weather app, hello Google weather widget.
Gutted that Shifty Jelly stopped working on their awesome weather app.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep going to remove with adb and i have two apps i tried once weather mate (M8) and Clyma weather. I might use one of them and check its performance / Battery & Data Consumption.
Just pray they don't start adding advertisements to anything else. Premium Phones shouldn't be bombarded with bloatware and crap.

Wow, I just purchased my S20U for $2000AUD yesterday. I just checked my weather app, and low and behold. Not happy considering it cost me 2k.

@Darkat70, are you in AU as well?

Scott said:
@Darkat70, are you in AU as well?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes In Bendigo