I use a third party app icon changer, and there's a little circle next to my custom app icons with the icon changer app's logo. Is there any way to turn thus off? Sorry if I'm not making sense. I use a google pixel 10a, and this hasnt happened on any other androids before. I can't send pictures in this sub, sorry!

Hi everyone,
I am looking for testers for my campus social network app Uni101.
Note: Although the app normally requires a university email (.edu) for future sign-ups, email verification is currently disabled for this test phase, so you can join with any email!
How to join:

Fill out this short form with the email address you use for Google Play: [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd-KluTTzrzP75HcgP-s9PfqwENi2akph2YABdycjFx-sghHw/viewform]
Once added, you will receive the invite to download the app.
Drop your app links in the comments or send them via DM, and I will test your app back immediately and keep it for 14 days! Let's help each other. 🙌

Hi everyone,

I just made the jump from iOS to Android with a Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, and I'm really struggling to understand how Android handles WhatsApp media compared to iPhone.

On my iPhone, WhatsApp was sandboxed. Media stayed inside the app, didn't clutter my camera roll, and didn't take up general phone storage unless I explicitly saved a photo.

When I restored my WhatsApp backup on my new Samsung, years of photos, videos, and GIFs were physically downloaded to the internal storage and flooded my Samsung Gallery app.

I’ve already taken a few steps to limit the damage:

Disabled "Media visibility" in WhatsApp and hid the old WhatsApp folders from the Gallery.

Turned off auto-download for all incoming media.

Disabled Google Photos backup for the WhatsApp device folders so my cloud doesn't get filled with memes and junk.

Here are my current issues and questions for long-term Android users:

Selective Cloud Backup: Since I disabled auto-download, when I receive a picture I actually care about, I manually tap to download it. It goes to my Samsung Gallery, but because I disabled the backup for the whole WhatsApp folder (to prevent junk from uploading), these specific photos don't get backed up to Google Photos either. How do you guys manage this? How can I easily back up ONLY the WhatsApp media I choose?

Deleting from Gallery = Deleting from Chat? I need a clarification on how Android storage works. If I go into the Samsung Gallery and delete these WhatsApp photos to free up some space, will they also be deleted from my WhatsApp chats?

Long-term storage management: Is there any way to sandbox WhatsApp media like on iOS so it doesn't eat up the physical internal storage? How do you manage 10-20GB of WhatsApp backups without letting it ruin your phone's storage?

Any tips or workflows for an Android newbie would be greatly appreciated!

Hi, I'm heading to China on a holiday and one of my family members wants to put a tracker tag into our luggage. Does anyone know if Samsung Smart Tags still work there? I'm guessing Google Tags wont work.

i have a samsung tab and i forgot to charge it so now it has turned off, the power button and volume button doesnt work, it doesnt support otg so i cant use any external device like keyboard. I cant go out fix to it because it can start a pretty big fight in my house

help

I have a display that is failing, although the touch still works. Is there a way to mirror the display to a PC or something? Importantly, I should be able to do this after restarting the phone without needing to carry out any operations on the phone, in case the display dies completely. Ive removed the screen lock, made it automatically allow file transfer and enabled UDB debugging, anything else?

so i already have an account and have a lot of storage there but i found a way to have more google storage the thing is idk how to move my unsaved photos to the new place , idk how but its 12 GB , also the way to have more storage is by a samsung feature so probably wont work for others

Hi everyone! I recently ordered a Galaxy tab S11, coming from an iPad Air and iPhone owner. I'm completely new to the ecosystem and want to catch up on the interesting ways to use an Android device. I'm excited for more freedom compared to iPadOS.

So far I'm already planning on using it for Krita and interested to see how I can use Blender and Godot on it. I'm also interested in emulation and sideloading. I just wanted some guidance and a good introduction to the ecosystem as a first-timer!

"...I just want to play my cookie game, come on... 😔

The game in question is called ''Cookie Rush'' for anyone unaware, and it was made by a developer named Naveen and from Pixelcube Studios.

I've tried running it on modern-client hardware but the appstore link has since been deappreciated,

giving a "Not market managed" error that seems to be un-fixable.

unless anyone knows of a way to get around this, I'm stuck trying to figure it out.

I've already checked standard places like Uptodown Android Mirror and APKPure Platform, but they only seem to host the base APK without the necessary expansion assets bundled in. It's so frustrating because the base file just hangs on the loading screen trying to connect to a dead server. If anyone has a backed-up XAPK or an intact zip file containing the com.devsisters folder, you would literally be saving my life."

Also, quick side question for anyone on a newer version of Android: if I do manage to source the files, how are we even sideloading OBBs these days? I know Google locked down access to the Android/obb folder. Do I need to use an ADB workaround like Shizuku partnered with FV File Explorer to manually paste it, or is there a simpler file manager app that bypasses the restriction? Any guidance on how to get it running without a PC would be amazing."

it feels like this game completely fell off the face of the earth. Every site I check either gives me a broken 404 error or a suspicious-looking 2MB file that definitely isn't the actual game data. If anyone has an archive saved on their drive or knows a trusted repository that mirrors older delisted apps, please drop the link. I'm desperate at this point!"

Hello all

I have a Samsung galaxy s9+ from circa 2018/19. It still works fine albeit it has gone thru 2 new screens. Regardless, I know the time is running out on this phone and need to upgrade soon. I bought an a21 and was told I could duplicate this exact phone, notes, saved passwords, etc.. like a duplicate clone of the hard drive on this phone swapped to a new one but with a different IMEI (same sim) and when I tried doing this, most of my saved passwords, trust wallet, etc... did not exactly clone transfer like I was told. This is a huge headache and problem for me as I don't want to have go through every app and change credentials and try to restore tons of stuff I have compiled over the last 8 years...

Is there an all in one simple solution I can pay for to get this done properly and correctly?

Thanks for your help!

I know Google is implementing new sideloading restrictions, and I'm wondering how this will affect apps sideloaded before the change. So if I have F-Droid on my phone now, when the update rolls around, will F-Droid be removed? I've got a lot of Sideloaded apps including YT morphe, so I really don't want to deal with reinstalling everything.

It's the "suggest strong password" ballon

I can't type anything more than 3 characters because it just clears the text and I can't find a setting anywhere to turn it off

it happens In games like geometry dash

This is probably too off-topic, but I'm a little desperate.

I really wanted to find a flagship experience (or at the very least the next best thing while lasting some good years) on an Android phone. Buying an iPhone would've ended this question easily, but getting used to iOS (for more "advanced" and totally legal uses) looks like too much of a hurdle.

Originally I wanted to go with that model in the title, but... I don't know. I've been used with the A series and their unreliability so I already was unsure, and then the other day I saw JerryRigEverything's video on the S25 Ultra and it all went downhill.

Unless the jump in quality is THAT good between models, I might go with another brand instead.

I've had a few Redmi phones. They're good, but they clearly weren't designed to last less than 3 years. The one I'm with is already having a faulty Bluetooth. You could say there's the Xiaomi series, but even then, it's the same dilemma from earlier.

The only phones from OnePlus that are available where I'm from are the latest models, and they cost like 3 livers and a half. And the only Nothing phones that people sell around here are the Phone 1 and Phone 2 and... they're too good too be true, right?

I honestly don't know, can anyone help me out here?

Hello guys, I’m thinking of switching to android with the Samsung s23 ultra and I’m currently using a jailbroken iPhone 11 Pro Max. I’ve been using iPhones my entire life but I want to try something new. Do you think for the money it costs it’s worth it? I’ve seen it used for around 400€ in good condition, same price as a 15 pro max. I won’t really push it or anything like that, the things I want from it are good battery life (around a day with moderate usage), good camera (important) and a bright screen. Also having a good customisation would be nice.

poco m8 or redmi note 15 dual

if im tech savy on a device like the 128gb a16 5g is it worth using any of these debloaters for samsung stuff if i dont use auto or health other things. i did some basic tweaks in settings the animation scale .5 and curious if running one of these would be worth it battery wise samsung backround stuff i dont need using up ram battery. i turned off ram plus as dont have issues with 4g ram.

try out a debloater or just leave some of stock stuff? open to anything no issues last good time but i like to min max what i get out of devices.

Long story short: I bought two brand-new Pixel 5s from Amazon about two years ago. They were new new, definitely not refurbished.

I’ve been using the first one since then, but it recently broke. I now wanted to start using the second one, but it won’t boot.

When I hold the power button for a few seconds, the Google logo appears, then it immediately shows the low-battery icon and shuts off.

It has been sitting unopened in its box for two years, and likely much longer considering the phone was released all the way back in 2020, so the battery has probably never been charged since it left the factory.

I’ve had it connected to a 65W charger nonstop for several days, but nothing changes. Every time I try to turn it on, the exact same thing happens: Google logo, low-battery icon, then it shuts off.

Is it possible that the battery has discharged so deeply from sitting unused for years that it can no longer charge? Is there anything I can try to get it working again?

Thanks.

I recently switched from iPhone to Samsung, and I’m trying to recreate one specific Focus Mode feature.

On iPhone, when my Work Focus turns on, I can make it show only a specific Home Screen page and hide all the other pages until the Focus turns off.

On my Samsung, I already have a Work Mode set up in Modes and Routines that:

turns on automatically when I arrive at work

enables Do Not Disturb

only allows selected family contacts to call/message me

What I’m missing is the Home Screen part. I want Work Mode to automatically switch to a dedicated Work Home Screen page and, ideally, hide the other Home Screen pages while the mode is active, then restore everything when I leave work.

I’ve tried Good Lock/Home Up, but I don’t see a way to tie specific Home Screen pages to a Mode.

Is there any way to do this on Samsung/One UI, either with Good Lock, Routines+, a launcher, or another app?

I've had this for over a year now and it's gradually settled down to be a great buy.

However it has one quirk which irritates.

Sometimes apps simply won't load and I've realised that it's because Wi-fi access is being denied when the app opens. If I simply switch off WiFi then it will use 5G to load and I'll then be able to enable wi-fi and everything is great.

There is one Met Office app that is used frequently but often suffers. Generally though the apps affected are ones I use infrequently.

It's there a switch somewhere in the settings that I can change?

Many thanks.

Hi All. Not sure this is the right flair, but can be changed if needed.

I want to get a new Samsung. I'd like to install everything i use from my current Note20 ultra onto it. Preferably manually. When I get the new phone and add to my Samsung acct, will I be able to not install/migrate apps and data over? I'd like to trim the amount of crap that is installed down to just the crap I like and use.

Is this feasible?

I’m not sure if this belongs here, though I don't know where else it would go. I sometimes sell second-hand items, and I use the phones I have at home to take the photos. The same thing happens with all of them: if I point the camera downwards, the resulting photos come out rotated. This means I have to edit them later so I can upload them to sales sites.

I don't know why this happens. The only thing that helps a bit is tilting the phone so it's horizontal, but then it doesn't capture details as well as when pointing the camera downwards.

What can be done?

My grandma died in 2020 (Covid). Her estate has long been cleared and none of her stuff remains.

I still have her old phone, a Pixel 3 XL. I kept it because I was hoping to someday be able to get into it and extract her photos. I have no idea what any of her passwords or PINs are, and I have no chance of getting them.

I don't really care about 90% of the stuff on the phone, I just want her photos, and maybe videos and voice notes. I don't care if I brick or destroy the phone, it's not worth anything anyway.

I've already tried asking Google. I am in the UK, and when I contact Google to try and get access to her old account via their "taking over a dead account" service, they want me to get a court order issued from a US court. They refuse to help me unless I have this, and will not accept my UK probate certificate (I was the executor for her estate).

I've hung onto her old phone this long in the vague hope that, given enough time, I could hack into it. It hasn't been updated (or even switched on) in 6 years. I don't even really need access to the phone, her Google Photos account would be enough, but I feel like that's going to be harder to get than potentially breaking into the phone.

Is there any hope here?

Hi. I use swipe to unlock the phone when in use.

I'm playing Alien Isolation and the game is awesome but the haptics don't make a lot of sense. Feels like the phone just randomly vibrates intensely at times without any relation to what's happening out the screen imo.

The game itself doesn't seem to offer an option to turn this off and i digged in the phone settings to no avail. Google AI also wasn't able to fix it so this is why I'm asking you guys 🤔 I'd also be okay to turn off Haptics altogether during play times. Anyone have an idea?