How To: ROM Flashing 101; Loading A ROM To Your Phone Can Be Fun

Often times, we get our brand new smartphones but we don’t like all the bloatware that comes along with them. Perhaps we just don’t like the look of the UI and would rather have the stock Android experience. Sure you could just buy a Nexus, but maybe you like the device that you have for it’s features. The great thing about Android, is that you can easily load on a new custom version of the OS, by way of flashing a custom ROM to your device. I know what some of you might be thinking. “What’s a ROM?” Quite simply put, a ROM is a custom version of the Android OS, or otherwise aftermarket Android firmware that has been customized by someone in the development community. There can be many reasons for deciding to flash a custom ROM to your device. If not for the sweet custom experience with added features and cool tweaks made by the developer, at the very least for the fact that it can often times provide you with a stock android experience should you be looking for one. In this little how-to, we’re going to walk you through some easy steps on flashing a custom ROM to your device, so if you decide to take the plunge, you’ll know where to start. This guide is aimed at helping you complete the custom ROM process as easily and safely as possible, so make sure to go through the entire guide before you start.

Unlocking The bootloader/Flashing A Custom Recovery

Many Android devices come with locked bootloaders, so before moving forward the very first thing you’re going to have to do in most cases is unlock it. After this step is done you’ll need to make sure you flash a custom recovery. Although you don’t need to “Root” your device before you flash a custom ROM to it, (some ROMs even provide root access upon flashing them) it will certainly make the whole experience easier and then some. Since there are so many different Android phones out there, unlocking the Bootloader, rooting, and flashing the custom recovery is pretty much different for all of them. To make sure that you’re doing things correctly you’ll want to head over to the XDA Developers website and find some useful information about your specific device, and get the correct steps for your particular phone. Some are a little easier than others, and have specific tools to help walk you through the process or even do most of the work for you so long as you have the provided files. I’m speaking more generally for the Samsung devices which can usually use the popular program called Odin to do these processes, and Nexus devices which have the very hand Nexus Root Toolkitprovided by the savvy WugFresh, a dev found on XDA. Past these two, the process to unlock the bootloader and get the custom recovery on your phone is pretty vast, so we can’t really go into specifics. We can however recommend a couple custom recovery’s for you, as they are the most popular and provide some of the best features. When ready to find the custom recovery tailored to your phone model, you’ll want to find either TWRP(Team Win Recovery Project), or ClockworkMod Recovery, both of which can be searched for via Google or also found on XDA.

Backing Up Your System And Important Data

Next, before we move onto ROMs and anything else, you’ll want to make sure to create a backup of the system image, this way if the whole entire process takes a turn for the worst you’ll have a backup of the OS in a safe state before the issues arose. Since you now have the custom recovery, you’ll be able to boot into it and flash the safe backup image should things go wrong. Also, just to be clear, this backup process does not have anything to do with backing up any of the data you had on your device prior to unlocking the bootloader, rooting, and flashing the recovery. Unlocking the bootloader WILL wipe your device, so make sure to do a backup of anything important that you don’t want to lose. (I.E. photos, music, notes, apps, etc.) Moving on, to achieve the backup of your system, referred to as a “Nandroid Backup”, you’ll have to boot into recovery mode, which is usually accomplished by pressing a series of hardware buttons simultaneously. The exact set of buttons you need to press to enter recovery is different from device to device, so be sure to make note of which buttons you need to press to get there. It should go without saying, but your device also needs to be “off” for you to boot into recovery using the hardware keys. Once you’re in recovery mode, navigate to the backup section and proceed to commence the process. The backup of the system image can take quite some time, so use this little bit of free time to collect your thoughts, think about your favorite movie, or even make a sandwich while you wait. When it’s all over, you’ll feel rewarded for having gotten this far without breaking something, and you’ll no longer be hungry! As unlocking the bootloader will usually wipe your device, and since that’s the first step to this guide, backing up your app, and app data isn’t really necessary at this point in time, but at some point in the future should you be switching custom ROMs, you can use an app like Titanium Backup to do all the app+data backups you need so you don’t lose a thing. Titanium Backup doe’s require root access, so make sure you’re rooted before you attempt to use it.

Finding, Downloading, And Flashing Your Custom ROM

Now the fun part, it’s time to download and flash your custom ROM of choice. The ROM community has come quite a long way since the early days of Cyanogenmod, (which was really the only custom firmware when it first released) and there are now many different custom ROMs available for your choosing. Some devices have many more ROM options than others, but the most popular ROMs usually have a build for just about anything. Once again, XDA is a great place to look if you want to find out what’s available for your device and often provides you with the downloadable files you’ll need to complete the ROM flashing process, ROM included. Some of the most popular ROMs available currently are of course, CyanogenMod, and also the Pacman ROM, AOKP, and Paranoid Android, just name a few. Many of these ROMs offer lots of custom UI tweaks and features that the stock version of Android nor the manufacturer version have out of box, and there is a flavor to suit just about every taste. Whether you want something completely minimal with a few minor additions, or you want complete customization with all kinds of new features, you can more than likely find something that you’ll love.

CyanogenMod and Paranoid Android are a couple of our favorites if you want a place to start. Once you find the ROM you like, make sure to download and eventually place it in the main directory of your internal SD card so you can get to it when you’re ready to flash. The downloaded ROM file will be in the form of a .ZIP, and this is what you want so don’t worry about unzipping it before you begin. Once you have the file in the correct place, (you can do this a couple ways. Either by connecting your phone to your computer and navigating to your phones storage drive, or by using a file manager app directly on the phone if you have downloaded the ROM .ZIP file using your phone’s browser. If you’re using a file manager, ES File manager, and Astro are a couple excellent choices) it’s time to boot back into recovery mode so you can begin the steps to flash the custom ROM.

Once in recovery mode there are few things you’ll want to do before you actually flash the ROM. First, it’s a good idea to wipe the dalvik cache(although not usually required), and then move on to completing the step “Wipe data/factory reset”. If you’re using the latest ClockworkMod Recovery, wiping the dalvik cache option will be located under “advanced settings”. Navigate to advanced by using your phone’s volume keys, then hit the power button to execute. Under advanced, wipe dalvik should be the fourth option down. Navigate to it and hit the power button to execute. When that’s all done,(which should only take like 10 seconds or less) get back to the main menu by navigating to the “go back” option and hit the power button. Once on the main menu, the “wipe data/factory reset” option should be the third option down. Navigate to it and hit the power button to execute. There’s no going back from here, so hopefully you made all the backups you needed. The wipe process usually only takes a minute or so.

Once the wipe has completed, the next step is to navigate to “install .zip from SD card” and hit the power button. Next, you’ll want to navigate to “choose .zip from SD card” and hit the power button again. If you stored the ROM in the correct directory, (the main directory of your internal SD card) you should be able to scroll and find the package file name of the ROM. Navigate to it, then hit the power button to begin the install. The install process will probably take at least a few minutes, and once it’s done you can navigate back to the main menu of the recovery and hit reboot. The first time you reboot your device after flashing a custom ROM, the boot process usually takes a little longer than normal, and sometimes several minutes, so don’t be alarmed. This is normal. If starts to bootloop, something in the process went wrong, (usually forgetting to wipe data is a commonly missed step)This can also be specified in the ROM information when you go to download the ROM file. Once all booted up, you’re almost done, theres just a couple more steps.

Flashing The Gapps Package For Play Store Access And Google Related Apps

Flashing a custom ROM can give you all sorts of fun new tweaks and UI features, but ROMs don’t come with the play store or google apps installed. This is why you have to flash the Gapps package file. This is a fairly simple process, especially since you’ve come this far. All you have to do is find and download the correct Gapps package file for your Android version and flash it the same way you flashed the ROM. You can find the correct Gapps package many places on the web, but the simplest way to this is one of two ways. Find the right file via XDA, or you can download and install an app called Gapps manager to help identify and locate the correct file of Gapps to download, (you can find and download Gapps manager here)Once you have the right file, place in the main directory of your internal SD card just like you did the with the ROM, and reboot into recovery mode to flash it. When flashing the Gapps package file, you do not have to wipe your data. Just navigate to install zip from sd card, then to choose zip from sd card like before and flash. Once that’s done, reboot your device and you’re good to go. That’s it! Now you can start playing with your new ROM and customizing everything to your liking. We hope this helped you understand the process on how to flash a custom ROM if you weren’t already aware of how to do so, and maybe even spark your interest in flashing ROMs in the future. As always, you assume full responsibility for doing any of the above processes to and we nor the devs are liable should anything happen to your device. That being said, if you follow all the instructions to the letter, you should be perfectly fine. Happy Flashing!

Source http://goo.gl/PFnf3t

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How To Install Android 4.4.2 CM11 ROM On Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 (N8020)

Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 (N8020) users can now upgrade to Android 4.4.2 KitKat via a custom CM11 ROM released by XDA member Simon94. This guide will walk you through the installation process.

As always, DroidReport assumes no liability for the firmware installation. Proceed with caution.

Before Getting Started

Do not use this guide for any device other than the Galaxy Note 10.1 (GT-N8020 model). Flashing this ROM onto any other device will most probably result in a bricked phone.

You must have your Galaxy Note 10.1 rooted, with a recovery utility like ClockworkMod installed. As always, you want to backup your device and charge it to at least 80 percent.

Finally, enable USB Debugging mode by navigating to Settings -> Developer Options.

Updating Galaxy Note 10.1 to Android KitKat 4.4.2 via CM11 ROM

1) Download the Android 4.4.2 KitKat CM11 ROM, as well as the Google Apps package, which can be found here and here.

2) Using your USB cable, connect your Galaxy Note 10.1 to your computer.

3) Copy CM11 custom ROM and the Google Apps package to the root folder of your handset’s SD card. Do not extract either.

4) Boot your phone into Recovery mode by pressing the Volume Up, Home and Power buttons simultaneously until you see a Galaxy Note 10.1 logo, then release all three to enter recovery mode.

5) Perform a factory reset by selecting “Wipe data/Factory reset.”

6) In CWM recovery, navigate to “Format system” in the Mounts and Storage submenu, and then press “Yes.” Next, navigate to the Advanced submenu and select “Wipe Dalvik Cache.” Select “Yes” when prompted.

7) Navigate to “Install Zip from SD card” and select the ROM downloaded earlier. After the ROM is installed, repeat this step to install Google Apps.

8) After the installation is complete, press “Go back” and then select “Reboot system now” to restart your phone. This may take some time.

9) After restarting, your Galaxy Note 10.1 will officially be running Android 4.4.2 KitKat CM11 ROM. Kudos. 

Source http://goo.gl/WoF1Yv

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How To Flash A ROM To Your Android Phone

The version of Android that comes with your phone — whether its vanilla Android or something like Samsung’s TouchWiz — can sometimes leave a lot to be desired. Here’s how to install a new version of Android on your device for an even better Android experience.

What’s a ROM?

One of the best things about the openness of the Android platform is that if you’re unhappy with the stock OS, you can install one of many modified versions of Android (called ROMs) on your device. A new ROM can bring you the latest version of Android before your manufacturer does, or it can replace your manufacturer-modded version of Android with a clean, stock version. Or, it can take your existing version and just beef it up with awesome new features — it’s up to you.

If you’re familiar with Linux, it’s sort of similar to installing a different Linux distribution. Each version of the OS has a specific goal in mind, and as such differs quite a bit from the others. Which one you choose is dependent on your priorities and how you use the device. You’ll need to unlock your bootloader and flash a custom recovery (more info on that here), but once you get the hang of it, it’s not too difficult.

There are a lot of different ROMs out there, and if you’re looking for a place to start, check out our list of the five most popular. You can also check out this amazing chart which compares a lot of ROMs feature-by-feature, which is a great way to find the right one for you. Even if you have a Nexus phone with pure stock Android, ROMs are a great way to add new features and conveniences to Android.

Note: We originally wrote this guide in 2010, but things have changed quite a bit, so we figured it’s time to revisit the process. Many of you Android vets already know how to do this, but hopefully newcomers will find this guide valuable — and maybe even you veterans will learn a thing or two. Let’s begin!

Step 1: Unlock Your Bootloader and Flash a Custom Recovery

First, let’s clear up some confusion: Contrary to popular belief, you do not actually need to root your phone to flash a ROM — you just need to unlock your bootloader and flash a custom recovery. However, this process usually goes hand-in-hand with rooting — and most custom ROMs come with root access — so what you think of as “rooting your phone” is probably what you’re going to have to do first.

Unfortunately, we can’t go through this step in detail here, because it’s different for every phone! So, I highly recommend checking out our everything root guide to learn a bit more about what’s involved, what all the different terms mean, and what to watch out for. Then, search around sites like XDA Developers for instructions on how to unlock the bootloader of your specific phone, which recovery you should use (usually TWRP or ClockworkMod), and how to flash it.

I also recommend rooting your phone during step one, since it will make the backup process in step 2 easier — and save you some hassle along the way. A lot of methods and one-click apps will root your phone anyways, so it might be included in the process. Again, this can vary from phone to phone. (If the instructions require you to flash SuperSU.zip, you can refer to step three of this guide for info on how to do that — ironically, it’s just like flashing a ROM).

When you’re done, return here and continue to step two for the rest of the ROMming process.

Step 2: Make a Backup of Your System, Apps and Data

Now that you’ve got a custom recovery on your phone, the first thing you should do — before you evermake a big change to your system — is back it up. First, we’ll make a Nandroid backup, which is basically a image of your current system. That way, if something goes wrong, you can restore your phone to exactly the way it was before you started tweaking. This will save you a lot of hassle if something goes wonky (which, let’s be honest, can happen often). To do this:

1. Reboot your phone and enter recovery mode. This is a bit different on every phone, but usually involves some permutation of pressing the power and volume buttons at the same time.
2. Head to the “Backup” or “Nandroid” section of your recovery mode. The default settings should be fine. If given the option, give your backup a name that helps you remember what it is (like “Pre-CyanogenMod Backup 01-17-14″). Confirm your backup and let it run.
3. Wait for the backup to finish. This may take a while.

When you’re done, I also recommend performing a second type of backup: your apps and settings. When you flash a new ROM, you’ll often have to wipe all the data on your phone (more on this later). That means you’ll need to reinstall all your apps, get them set up the way you like, and so on. Instead of going through this whole process every time, you can save yourself a lot of hassle by backing up your apps and their settings with Titanium Backup.

This is different from a Nandroid backup because it just backs up the apps themselves, which you can then restore on any ROM you want. Nandroid backups take your entire system as it is, ROM included.

Note that you’ll need to be rooted to use Titanium Backup (which is why I recommend you root in step one). To perform a backup in Titanium:

1. Open Titanium Backup and grant it root permissions if it asks for them. If it experiences any problems with root, it will tell you right now.
2. Tap the “Batch” button in the upper right-hand corner (the one that looks like a little checkbox). Scroll down to the “Backup” section and find “Backup All User Apps.” Tap the “Run” button. This will back up any apps you’ve downloaded from the Play Store, and their data. (You can try backing up your system data as well, but I find this usually doesn’t work very well).
3. Wait for it to finish. If you like, you can also sync these to Dropbox as described here, but you don’t have to for this process.

This may seem like a lot of unnecessary backups, but trust me: it’s going to save you a lot of time in the long run. Now if something goes wrong, you have a nandroid backup to fall back on and don’t have to start from scratch. And, when your ROM flashes successfully, you don’t have to start re-downloading and setting up all your apps yourself because you can restore them with Titanium.

Step 3: Download and Flash the ROM of Your Choice

Now comes the fun part: flashing your ROM. First, obviously, you need to find the ROM you want. Again,this chart is a good place to start, as is our list of the five most popular. You may also want to poke around sites like the XDA Developers forums to see what’s available for your particular phone.

When you’ve found a ROM you want to try, download it and save it to your phone. It should come in the form of a fairly large ZIP file, so you’ll probably want to be on Wi-Fi to download it. You can either download it directly from your phone, or download it on your computer and transfer it over via USB.

To flash your ROM:

1. Reboot your phone into Recovery mode, just like we did back when we made our Nandroid backup.
2. Head to the “Install” or “Install ZIP from SD Card” section of your recovery.
3. Navigate to the ZIP file you downloaded earlier, and select it from the list to flash it.
4. Wait for the process to complete; it may take a few minutes.
5. Depending on your situation (see below), you may also need to wipe your data and/or cache. In TWRP, you’ll find this under the “Wipe” section, and in ClockworkMod, you’ll need to either choose the “Wipe Data/Factory Reset” option or the “Wipe Cache Partition” option. When you’re done, you’re free to reboot into your new ROM.

So, when should you wipe your data and cache? Here are a few general guidelines:

• If you’re flashing a ROM different than the one you’re currently running, you should wipe data and cache. Essentially, this performs a factory reset on your phone, and you will lose all your data.
• If you’re flashing a new version of a ROM you’re already running, we recommend wiping your data and cache — but you should be able to get away with just wiping the cache, meaning you get to keep all your apps and settings.

Remember, if you backed everything up with Titanium, then doing a factory reset isn’t all that bad, since you can just restore most of it. Keep in mind that even if you’re just upgrading your existing ROM, factory resets can be helpful. If you only wipe your cache, note that a few apps may run into issues, but reinstalling them or wiping that app’s data usually fixes the problem.

When you reboot, you should be in your shiny new ROM, ready to play! But what? There’s no Play Store? Read on for the last step of the process…

Step 4: Download and Flash Google Apps

Because Google’s apps are not open source, custom ROMs can’t bundle Google’s apps — like Gmail, Hangouts, or the Play Store — with their ROMs. That means you’ll need to download and flash them separately. Luckily, this is pretty easy to do: just head to this page on RootzWiki to find out which ZIP file you need, download it to your phone, and flash it just like you did the ROM in step three. Gapps Manager is also a great app that’ll help you find the right package if you’re stuck, and you can download the APK from XDA Developers.

Once you’ve flashed the latest Google Apps package, you should be all set! You’ll have a new ROM with lots of settings to play with, the Play Store to download new apps, and — if you made a backup with Titanium — you can now head into Titanium Backup and restore all your apps and their settings. Enjoy!

Source http://goo.gl/Ab0Fjk

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How to Swear on Android (And Disable Blocking Offensive Words)

Last week we shared some details regarding how to add words to the dictionary on your Android device, which spawned a few questions from readers, one which many of you have dealt with in the past. Swearing and using curse words. If you want to swear, go ahead, but Android has a few settings that may automatically wash your mouth out with soap.

Over the past couple of years Google’s really improved the voice-to-text features on Android. Google Now allows for instant Google searches through your voice, and many users even reply to emails and text messages all by voice. As a result, you’ve probably tried to call a friend an @$$hole while joking around, only to find out Google blocks offensive words. Not to mention the keyboard never suggests a curse word when you’re typing along. This is autocorrect done right.

If you curse like a sailor, as I sometimes do in frustration (like watching my football team lose) you’ve probably tried to text a friend only to get “these ducking refs are awful” in a text message. This is all a part of Google’s plan. The keyboard by default won’t suggest or even type swear words, so many users add them to the device dictionary, and if you’re using your voice that you’ll end up with S*** or f****** instead of the actual word.

Then, it blocks words Google deems offensive, so you’ll get regular words that won’t show up as well. Wired has a list of words Google blocks, and it’s quite odd to see some that are included and excluded. For example, almost all illegal drugs won’t appear, but Marijuana comes out just fine. So, with all this being said, here’s how to swear on Android by disabling all these fences Google has in place.

INSTRUCTIONS:

There’s a few different steps here, they disable a setting in different areas, and you’ll want to do both. Google Search (Google Now) handles the voice controls, while the regular phone settings menu handles the rest. You’ll want to disable the “block offensive words” while talking with speech-to-text as you see in the image above, and you’ll want to let the keyboard allow the words as well.

You’ll head into settings by finding the gear-shaped icon in the notification pulldown bar for settings, or in the application tray, or hit menu on your device and head into system settings. Then proceed to the following area below.

Settings > Language & input > Google keyboard settings (or keyboard of choice)

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Once you’re here you’ll scroll down to the text correction area of the menu and uncheck “Block offense words” and that’s it. You’ll now be able to text with swear words, and the dictionary may even suggest them from time to time. However, the biggest issue is that dreaded “s***” you see when using your voice to reply to text messages or emails, so here’s how to fix that.

Read: How to Add a Password to the Google Play Store

In able to swear with your voice, and have Android type it correctly, you’ll need to disable the same setting as we detailed above, but in the voice aspect of the settings menu. As a result you can do this a few ways, but if you’re already in the same menu as above, it’s dead simple.

Settings > Language & input > Google voice typing (not in keyboard, but below it) and tap the settings icon on the right.

This takes you right into the Google Search (Google Now) voice typing settings menu and there’s only a few options, once which is the same “Block offensive words” and you’ll want to uncheck this again. Users can also head into Google Now, hit settings at the bottom right, then select “voice” from the options, and uncheck the same box in this category.

Alternatively you can also enable “Personalized recognition” which will help Google’s voice-to-text engine be more accurate in the future. Whether you have an accent, lisp, or just talk with a southern twang.

That’s it, and now your Android smartphone or tablet will understand your potty mouth, and will go ahead and share those naughty words with the world, instead of filtering out your personality.

Source http://goo.gl/im4toF

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How To: Enable Or Disable Auto Screen Rotation On Android

Auto screen rotation is a convenient feature for some, while some hate it. Usually this option is loved by many people, but during certain times for example when you’re laying in bed, you have to constantly rotate your entire phone. It feels like you’re with war with your device. What an inconvenience during such times!

Average users would normally take a detailed look at each and every option on their Android smartphone or tablet, at times many people wonder if they’re able turn off screen rotation on their Android. Well, the good news is that turning off/on screen rotation is a matter of seconds and you don’t need to be an Android expert to do this.

While many people leave this option enabled by default, and never bother to disable it, it just doesn’t make sense. If there’s an option, then you should enable or disable it as per your convenience.

How to turn off/on screen rotation on Android

The exact method may vary by devices, for example, Samsung’s TouchWiz UI has the option to enable or disable screen auto-rotation from the pull down menu. For other phones, simply follow the below method, which can be said as a universal method that will work with mostly all Android devices.

Head to Settings and tap on Display. Here, you’ll find an option for Auto-rotate screen, and that’s what we’re looking for. Uncheck it to disable auto-screen rotation, or check it to enable auto-screen rotation. Well, that wasn’t hard was it?

Once disabled, no matter which app you use, your screen won’t auto-rotate. Alternatively, there are some widget apps that you can install from the Play Store which will add widgets which will enable and disable screen rotation.

Source http://goo.gl/Z2JGR9

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How to tell if your Android phone is infected with malware

l don't think it's far-fetched to say that most people have no idea if their mobile devices have been infected with malware, simply because they don't think mobile malware even exists (call it the Mac syndrome?).

On a PC the signs are pretty obvious. Your computer slows to a near-screeching halt, your browser re-directs you to random websites, your friends are suddenly calling asking about your career change to become a Viagra distributor (since your email has probably been hacked). Your IT guy can often tell by looking at your process names, as malware authors might name their malicious process 'svchsot.exe' to look like a legit one 'svhost.exe' (see what I did there?).
Harder to tell on a phone

According to Kaspersky malware researcher Tim Armstrong, users usually don't discover something's wrong until they look at their phone bills and don't recognise the numbers of text message recipients.

Premium rate SMS Trojans are the most common type of mobile malware. This malware disguises itself in a legit-looking app, and secretly sends SMS short codes that bill the caller.

Nor will an average user really be able to tell by checking app permissions. Android developers can choose from dozens of permissions, and as Armstrong notes, it's often impossible to guess which are legitimate and which are warning signs.

Another sign, according to Lookout Mobile, is sudden, decreased battery life.

Beyond malware, however, your mobile device might be subject to an even greater threat: an aggressive ad network. Google Play doesn't weed out apps with such networks (they own one of the most ubiquitous ones, AdMob), but many vendors now have ad network detectors. Check out Lookout Ad Network Detector or TrustGo Ad Detector.




No excuse for no antivirus

The only way to confirm your suspicions is to install an antivirus app. There are lots of free, fast, non-intrusive mobile antivirus solutions out there. Lookout for Android is our Editors' Choice for Android security, but other high-performing malware detectors include F-Secure Mobile Security 7.6 and McAfee Mobile Security 2.0. All have free versions that include a quick malware scan.

Theoretically these tips apply to the iPhone as well, but at the moment the closed nature of the Apple App Store means there are few examples of known malware plaguing iOS. Most iOS malware is distributed as fake rooting software.


Source http://goo.gl/PaBrnZ

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How to block ads on your Android (and save data!)

Ads and pop-up windows on your computer are one of the most annoying things in the world, and that's why practically everyone has a pop-up and ad blocker installed on their desktop. But for some strange reason not everyone bothers to do the same thing for their Android - and then suffers from various sites that pop up more windows and tabs than you can poke a honey-covered stick at (for catching the pop-ups with, you see). Suffer no more! We'll show you the best way to block ads, including pop-ups, on your Android and save some of your precious data at the same time.

You can disable ads, video ads, sound ads and pop-ups (as well as all ads!). / © Facebook

Did you know that all those ads (static and video) actually use up tons of your data allowance? Just think about it. If you load a web page and there's a bunch of video ads playing on the side the entire time you're on the site, that data flow has to come from somewhere, and that somewhere is your data plan. So installing an ad blocker on your Android can not only save your sanity but also your hip pocket.

Make sure your browser has popups blocked, and turn Reduce Data Usage ''On''.  / © AndroidPIT/Google

For starters, you can use a browser like Chrome that automatically blocks a lot of pop-ups. That's going to be a major boost to your sanity levels. You can also go into your Chrome Settings > Bandwidth Management > Reduce Data Usage to save even more of your precious bits.

Hit the APK link on your Android and install Adblock Plus. / © AndroidPIT/Adblock Plus

I'm rooted, so I used Adblock Plus. Simply hit the link on your Android, download the Adblock Plus APK (you'll need to enable Unknown Sources in your Security Settings first) and launch it. If you're rooted, Adblock Plus will ask you for Superuser permission. Grant it and you're done. You can then choose a subscription – EasyList is fine – and decide if you want all ads blocked or just ''inappropriate'' ones. It's up to you if you can handle some advertising or want everything blocked. Inappropriate ads include video ads and those with sounds etc.

Pick your subscription, uncheck Acceptable Ads and ditch that icon. / © AndroidPIT/Adblock Plus

To hide the icon in your notification drawer you can tick the box but this will only make the notification icon invisible. If you want it out of your notification bar entirely you'll need to go to your device's Settings > Apps > Adblock Plus and uncheck the Show Notifications box.

You'll simply have to configure your own proxy settings if you're not rooted. / © AndroidPIT/Adblock Plus

If you're not rooted, don't despair. You simply need to do a little more leg work with your proxy settings. Just go to your Settings and select Wi-Fi, long press the connection you're on (you'll obviously need to do this for all of the Wi-Fi networks you regularly log into) and select Modify Network. From here, go down to Show Advanced Options and switch the Proxy Settings to Manual (it'll be set automatically to None). This will bring up further options: you simply need to change the entry in the Proxy Hostname field to localhost and the Proxy Port to whatever number Adblock Plus has told you to change it to. For me it was 2020. You don't need to add any exceptions.

Et voila! Before and after - ads versus clean white space. / © AndroidPIT

Now, you can set your notification options as above and start launching ad-heavy websites as much as you like. Instead of seeing all the banner and sidebar ads you'll just get white space – it may seem a little weird at first but that nice ''breathing space'' is actually kind of nice once you get used to it. Not to mention the fact that you won't be seeing all sorts of flashy, noisy and moving image ads all of the time. Some sites, like Forbes, will still show their initial pop-up advertisement, but there will be nothing in it. Some of these are unavoidable. Combined with Chrome's pop-up blocker (plenty of other browsers have similar functions), Adblock Plus will save your sanity, your data and your impulse to consume.

Do you use an ad blocker or pop-up blocker on your Android? What combination do you use?

Source http://goo.gl/zD6sdC

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How To Install Android 4.4.2 KitKat Official Build (XXUENA6) On Samsung Galaxy Note 3

Ready for some Android 4.4.2 KitKat goodness on your Galaxy Note 3 (SM-N9005). We know you are, so we’ll just cut to the chase. The following guide will walk you through manually installing the N9005XXUENA6 official firmware build on your Samsung Galaxy Note 3.

As always, DroidReport assumes no liability for the firmware installation. Proceed with caution.

Before Getting Started

Before you get started, make sure that your Galaxy Note 3 is the SM-N9005 model.

As always, you want to backup your device since the firmware installation will likely wipe out all your data. Additionally, the installation will remove any custom ROM installed to your device.

Charge your Note 3 to at least 80 percent before proceeding.

Ensure that you have up-to-date USB drivers installed and connect your Galaxy Note 3 to your computer. Finally, enable USB Debugging mode by navigating to Settings -> Developer Options.

Updating Galaxy Note 3 to Official Android 4.4.2 KitKat (XXUENA6)

1) Download and extract the official Android 4.4.2 firmware, which can be found here.

2) Download and extract Odin, which is available here.

3) Launch Odin as an administrator.

4) Boot your Galaxy Note 3 into Download mode by pressing the Volume Down and Power buttons together until a warning prompt appears. Once you see the prompt, press Volume Up to enter download mode.

5) Right click on Odin and launch the application as an administrator.

6) Using Odin, install the following files from the .zip archive downloaded earlier:

    A) Click PDA and select the .tar.md5 file.

    B) Select Phone and navigate to the file with Modem in the file path.

    C) Click CSC and select the file with CSC in the file path.

    D) Click PIT and select the file with .pit in the file path.

7) Navigate to the Option submenu in Odin and check Auto Reboot and F.Reset Time. Uncheck Re-Partition.

8) Click Start and the installation will begin.

9) When the firmware has finished flashing to your Galaxy Note 3, your phone will automatically reboot.

10) Once your Galaxy Note 3 restarts, you will officially be running Android 4.4.2 KitKat XXUENA6. Kudos.

Source http://goo.gl/4an8os

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How to run Android apps on a Windows PC, the right way

A few years ago, I discovered an interesting company called BlueStacks that has an Android app player for Windows. And when I say I discovered it, I mean it moved into the office next to mine. Discovering the company was pretty easy.

Trending: Supercomputer takes 40 mins to calculate a single second of human brain activity

I had actually heard about BlueStacks from some of my OEM clients who were quite excited about what the company had shown them. So I met with the company and also became quite interested in its technology.

With BlueStacks' software, people can take apps from their Android devices and send them via a piece of software downloaded on to their device called Cloud Connect directly to the BlueStacks player on a Windows PC.

When a user goes through this simple procedure, Android apps just show up in the BlueStacks Player on Windows. Like magic, they run on Windows as is, in full screen, with no performance degradation. That means software written for Android, such as Pulse and Flipboard, can now run on your Windows PC and be tied to the data layer of your Android version, too.
Run Android apps on your PC

Although BlueStacks has a "Get More Apps" section built into the player itself, most of the ones there now are just to demonstrate what can be done. In actuality, people will just download Android apps from the Android Marketplace or Amazon's Appstore for Android and then use Cloud Connect to transfer them to a Windows PC.

The program has a lot of new features and enhancements planned that would give the program even more functionality. To be honest, though, just having my Android apps on my PC is already a good reason to try it out. Not to mention, it's free.

Think about your use of your apps on your smartphone or tablet today. How many times have you thought, "I wish I had that same app on my PC?" The reason you may be saying that is because so many of the apps written for a smartphone or tablet are compact, concise, and deliver just the function you need at the time you need it.



For example, when travelling, I often use a currency converter. To get that same function on a PC, I have to go to a website and find that converter. Even if I bookmark it, it takes at least two or three more clicks to get the information I really want. On the other hand, on my Droid or iPhone, I just tap the currency converter app and I am ready to go.



Read more: http://goo.gl/NjxMgE

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How to join the CyanogenMod GalleryNext beta

CyanogenMod has released its photo gallery app in public beta for all to test. Here's how you can begin using it right now.

(Credit: Jason Cipriani/CNET)

CyanogenMod, the open-source version of Android that is growing in popularity, has released what is expected to eventually be the officially gallery app for the custom OS.

Read more http://goo.gl/0HtV16

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How to Add Words to the Dictionary on Android

Typing on our smartphones and tablets has improved immensely over the past few years. Google’s own keyboard is getting smarter and smarter, and third party alternatives like SwiftKey and Swype are excellent. However, there is a dictionary on Android it tries to follow, and as a result some words or names always get corrected, even when you don’t want them to.

If you’re like me you have a few friends with crazy weird first or last names, not to mention we’ve all seen those autocorrect fails that are all over the internet. Thankfully on Android we can quickly and easily add words, names, and of course the occasional curse word to our phones dictionary, so it no longer tries to correct a word you actually want to use. Below we’ll show you how easy it is to add a few words.

We’re running Android 4.4 KitKat here, but almost all 3rd party keyboards have a similar solution, not to mention Google’s own keyboard has an “Add to dictionary” button to make this extremely simply. So next time you try to text your friend with an unusual name, the auto-complete field will correctly display that name, rather than switch it to something totally wrong.

INSTRUCTIONS:

Not all phones will have the exact same selection, not to mention 3rd party keyboards make this different for some. However, most Samsung Galaxy devices, or anything running Android 4.3 or 4.4 KitKat should have an add to dictionary option that’s rather easy to find.

You’ll tap settings (gear-shaped icon) and head into the phone settings, then you’ll want to scroll down to Language & Input or Language & Keyboard, and then tap Personal dictionary, or User dictionary, depending on the phone.

From here you’ll simply hit the + icon at the top right for stock Android, or hit the plus or add button for most other phones, and you’ll instantly be able to add a word, name, or swear word to your user dictionary. Now, the next time you type it your phone will remember, and you’ll keep your texting flow moving right along.

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Above you’ll also notice the right side screenshot says “shortcut” for an optional shortcut. This is great for websites or email addresses. If I add GottaBeMobile.com to my dictionary and set the shortcut as GM, typing GM will instantly have the dictionary suggest the website, and I’ve just typed two letters instead of the entire address. It’s a wonderful little hidden trick.

Read: How to Cut, Copy & Paste on Android

Alternatively, with the official Google Keyboard you can simply tap the word while typing it, if it isn’t the middle suggestion with next word prediction it will be to the left or right, tap it and Google will automatically give you a choice to tap again to save. This does the same thing as the steps above, all from the keyboard while typing, and makes it quick and even easier. See the screenshot below for an idea of what to lookout for.

Many 3rd party keyboards available today will simply let you long press a word while typing it, and instantly save it to your user dictionary as well, if the steps above differ from what you’re seeing on your own device. In general the steps or location should be the same, or extremely similar.

If these settings aren’t in the same place on a third party keyboard try going to settings > language and input > and head to the settings for that particular keyboard and you’ll likely find the option to add a word to the dictionary.

That’s it, it’s that easy to add a word and keep typing with ease. Enjoy!

Source http://goo.gl/Sb24nJ

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