Android Discussion

**lewisipso** · 03-28-11, 10:18 AM

I can't seem to figure out how to delete apps. I long press and drag to the remove tab at the bottom but they are still there. I'm looking to get rid of Blockbuster, LiveTV, and any app that I download and then don't like. I also did a restart but that doesn't help either. Did I miss reading something?

**Xiphos** · 03-28-11, 10:26 AM

That only deletes the shortcut.

Go to the Market and then your downloads or My Apps. Select the app and then delete it. This only works for apps you installed, if the app was pre installed you have to root the phone to delete it.

**Jks9199** · 03-28-11, 04:45 PM

Originally Posted by Xiphos

That only deletes the shortcut.

Go to the Market and then your downloads or My Apps. Select the app and then delete it. This only works for apps you installed, if the app was pre installed you have to root the phone to delete it.

Which is one thing I don't like about Android. I'm leery of rooting my phone because I suspect I know just enough to turn it into a paperweight... but I'd love to get rid of some of the pre-installed crap that I have no use or desire for. Especially since I'm starting to get "low memory" messages when I try to install stuff sometimes.

**Xiphos** · 03-28-11, 10:54 PM

Originally Posted by Jks9199

Which is one thing I don't like about Android. I'm leery of rooting my phone because I suspect I know just enough to turn it into a paperweight... but I'd love to get rid of some of the pre-installed crap that I have no use or desire for. Especially since I'm starting to get "low memory" messages when I try to install stuff sometimes.

Rooting is very easy. My last two phones were rooted before I had the phone fully booted to sign on. Most of the time if you follow the well established instructions you'll be fine. The risk of bricking is usually when you are loading custom ROMs or trying to update the Radio or Baseband.

Low memory can be a couple of different issues. If you go to Menu -> Settings and then phone info you can see how much memory you actually have. If it is actually low because you have installed lots of stuff then that's one issue. The other is sometimes the Dalvik Cache and the Cache partition can get full of garbage. Custom recoveries like Clockwork Mod recovery can wipe those caches for you.

The hardest part of deleting the system apps that come preinstalled is that it is command line stuff. I have the Android Development Bridge (ADB) installed on my computer. When my phone is plugged into my computer I can use adb to type commands into the phone. That makes command line stuff easier. It's just a pain to make sure you have all the right USB drivers and the software downloaded from the Android Development Kit.

If you have the time and want to learn how to do this stuff, go to the XDA developers forums Android Forums & Windows Phone Discussion @ xda-developers and look up your phone. Do not post a question asking how to root your phone, you'll get flamed. The threads are all there explaining this stuff, they are just in the phone specific sections.

**Five-0** · 03-31-11, 01:01 AM

Just downloaded Evernote:

Evernote for Android | Evernote Corporation

Basically a quick note taking app that syncs to your desktop, laptop ect on the fly note taking. Includes process for taking pics or recording audio, webpages with your notes too. Good in a pinch.

**tobad** · 03-31-11, 11:32 AM

Rooting Android

Something I know much about. ALthough it varies but the phone model I use a simply program called Z4root.

I've been along time Android user since the G1 came out. Was actually one of the first to get the phone as my wife worked for t-mobile.

I've done the adb commands etc. but nothing beats clicking a button.

I have bricked a phone but that was only short term until the offical sbf came out to restore.

**Xiphos** · 03-31-11, 01:41 PM

Originally Posted by tobad

Rooting Android

Something I know much about. ALthough it varies but the phone model I use a simply program called Z4root.

I've been along time Android user since the G1 came out. Was actually one of the first to get the phone as my wife worked for t-mobile.

I've done the adb commands etc. but nothing beats clicking a button.

I have bricked a phone but that was only short term until the offical sbf came out to restore.

Those were the days! I waited for the MyTouch 3G because I hated the physical keyboard on the G1. I think I still have some CyanogenMod ROMs from back then in the cobwebs of my computer. Bricking was fairly common with some of the crazy mods available.

I love the Nexus S now, although I'm not a fan of Samsung (previous Vibrant owner). I had fastboot oem unlock done before I even saw the lockscreen. I think I'm going to stick with the Google dev phones from now on, they're made for hacking.

**Pudge** · 04-05-11, 10:06 PM

**Xiphos** · 04-07-11, 10:14 PM

Just installed Innobell. Fascinating story and a fantastic idea for an app.

Gizmodo, the Gadget Guide

**lewisipso** · 04-10-11, 09:57 AM

I tried to send a video to photobucket and it simply would not go through and failed. However the phone keeps trying to send it over and over. I've tried what I know to stop it but I still get a notification of a failed message send. If it is trying to send you cannot open it to stop it. Once the notification comes in I select it and try delete it. Any thing else I can do to stop it?

**Xiphos** · 04-10-11, 10:04 AM

Originally Posted by lewisipso

I tried to send a video to photobucket and it simply would not go through and failed. However the phone keeps trying to send it over and over. I've tried what I know to stop it but I still get a notification of a failed message send. If it is trying to send you cannot open it to stop it. Once the notification comes in I select it and try delete it. Any thing else I can do to stop it?

Get Advanced Task Killer. You can use it to force close apps like that.

**Duckling** · 04-10-11, 11:21 AM

I've got a Samsung Moment with Android on it and it takes FOREVER to do the simplest things, like opening up my contacts or my messages and downloading apps is out of the question, unless of course I have all day to wait on it to finish. Is there a program I could download (on a free day :P) that might clean up my phone a little?

**Xiphos** · 04-10-11, 01:11 PM

Originally Posted by Duckling

I've got a Samsung Moment with Android on it and it takes FOREVER to do the simplest things, like opening up my contacts or my messages and downloading apps is out of the question, unless of course I have all day to wait on it to finish. Is there a program I could download (on a free day :P) that might clean up my phone a little?

The initial line of Samsung Galaxy S phones (Moment, Vibrant, etc) have a serious problem with lag.

Bear with me a second. The way data is saved on the phone's memory is called a file system. The Galaxy S phones used a system called RFS. RFS is very safe in case it suddenly loses power or is shut down improperly your data will still be there. The trade off for that safety is performance. One of the first hacks that came about for these phones to speed them up was to change the file system. In fact the latest version of Android for phones (Gingerbread) specifies an ext4 file system, which coincidentally was the system that improved the speed of the Galaxy S phones when it replaced RFS.

The upshot of the Geek-Speak is that unless you want to Root your phone and get into hacking the internal specs you are going to be stuck with the lag.

Task Killers won't improve performance on your phone because of the way the Android system pre-loads apps in memory to help them start up faster.

What you can do to improve performance and battery life is make sure you don't have a lot of widgets running. Also shutting down Wi-Fi and Bluetooth when you aren't using them will help.

**Xiphos** · 04-27-11, 12:10 AM

Great article!

How to Get Better Battery Life From Your Android Phone

**121Traffic** · 05-29-11, 08:28 AM

I'm rocking the Droid X^2. I was craving a bigger screen goodness. I wasn't going to leave my Incredible for one of the new 4G phones. They're all single core, with dismal resolution. 4.3 inch screens, with the same res as my 4in Incredible screen, a year later. Unacceptable. Single core processor. Unacceptable. Terrible battery life. Spotty 4G coverage.

So, I had an update available, with my new every 2 discount about to expire. Here comes the Droid X^2. Keeps the great form factor of the original DX, minus the external camera button. qHD display, and a dual core proc. This thing screams. No 4G, but I don't live in a 4G area (Denver has it, but I'm in the burbs). 4G won't be here for at least a year or so.

More to come. Happy so far!

**Xiphos** · 05-29-11, 01:12 PM

Excellent choice for your upgrade!!!

**Pudge** · 05-29-11, 04:37 PM

Very nice phone!

**ManImBored** · 05-30-11, 07:37 AM

I bricked my Vibrant doing something stupid so I went with the T-Mobile G2. I missed having the physical keyboard but I am really missing the larger screen and better display on the Vibrant. Guess you have to take the trade off somewhere.

**Pudge** · 06-01-11, 09:20 PM

I just pulled the Android 2.3 (Gingerbread)/Moto Blur 4.5.596 upgrade OTA on my Droid X. I've only been playing with it for 20 minutes or so, but I'm digging it.

**Xiphos** · 06-01-11, 09:22 PM

I've been rocking it with the Nexus S. I loooove 2.3. It's fast and smooth as butter. The GUI is much more refined and polished.

I'm jonesing for Ice Cream now!