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Tips n Tricks thread.

after spending a lot of time to do this. the apps icons reset when i rebooted my phone. how do i fix that?

I don't know, but the same thing is happening to me. It's a new phone, updated to 2.3.6 and I have replaced the 'Messaging' icon with the 'Email' icon in the bottom section of the Home screen. Everytime the phone is switched off (or reboots by itself) the 'Email' icon disappears and leaves the remaining 3 icons only.
 
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using the same downward swipe action to drop down the notification bar, will drag the bar back up again i.e. swipe down to drop down the bar, swipe down again in exact same way to collapse the bar to normal state.

saves having to swipe up from the bottom of the screen, and sometimes having to swipe up a few times because you didn't swipe far enough or whatever.

Or you could just tap the top of the notification bar

I don't know, but the same thing is happening to me. It's a new phone, updated to 2.3.6 and I have replaced the 'Messaging' icon with the 'Email' icon in the bottom section of the Home screen. Everytime the phone is switched off (or reboots by itself) the 'Email' icon disappears and leaves the remaining 3 icons only.

Settings, applications, manage applications, all tab. Then scroll down to whatever launcher you are using and clear data and cache. This will reset your homescreens to default so make a note of where everything is, but the next time you set everything up it should stay put.

how do u make the useragent stay to desktop for good?

I don't think its possible on the standard stock browser. I have only seen the option on modified stock browsers which come with some custom roms or third party browsers such as dolphin
 
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This might be obvious, or not so obvious, but I'm going to post it anyway.

If you have 2-step verification enabled on your Google account, you might have set up an application-specific password for your phone to access your Google account. If ever you get signed out of your phone, like in my case my phone went in for repairs, just turn off 2-step verification on your Google account and sign into your phone with your usual Google password.

PS: I just struggled for three days before figuring this out and I'm sure that I'm not the only one.
 
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Importing iTunes playlist to your phone:

I had trouble with Kies loading a larger music library, it crashes after loading only a few thousand songs. You can instead make a playlist on iTunes (which can handle huge libraries of music) and load it onto your phone:

1. Create a new folder somewhere on your PC
2. Open the iTunes playlist you want to export
3. Select all the songs in the playlist and drag them to the new folder

This makes copies of all the MP3s in just the playlist without affecting your original media folders or itunes.

Then simply cut and paste from the new folder to an appropriate folder on the phone and you're done.
 
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In the unfortunate event of getting your phone wet...

1. DO NOT TURN IT ON!.

2. Immediately remove the back cover and battery.

3. Gently, and carefully, dry the components with kitchen paper.

4. Take a plastc (tupperware) container and fill it with dry, uncooked, rice and place your phone in the centre of it.

5. Leave for 2-3 days in a warm place like an airing cupboard.

6. Remove and reassemble. Offer up a prayer and switch on.

Hope this helps. :D

Should we do it with battery compartment closed or open? Wouldn't it be tricky if some of the rice grains get into the one of the tiny holes in the back of the phone. I would probably do it with the compartment closed.. But then there are other holes in the phone, which I'd be worried about, so better to place it in some kind of fine mesh before putting it in.
 
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Should we do it with battery compartment closed or open? Wouldn't it be tricky if some of the rice grains get into the one of the tiny holes in the back of the phone. I would probably do it with the compartment closed.. But then there are other holes in the phone, which I'd be worried about, so better to place it in some kind of fine mesh before putting it in.

Cover off, battery out.
You're only placing the phone on top of the rice. You dont have to ram it in and cover it completely with rice.
 
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hey folks, i have the Otterbox Commuter case and the 2000mah extended battery. we know they don't fit well together, stock. what i did:

took rubber insert, cut the flat back out to make more room for the new the new 'thicker' back cover. if you look at the Neo Hybrid Ex, i cut the back to look similar. in essence, making a 'ring' out of the rubber insert.

works great! and i get to keep my otterbox.

(didn't know which 'tip' section to post in, there's two sections, this one more active)
 
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Put all your ringtones in a folder called RINGTONES

It should then appear as a phone selection when you specify ringtones. The folder can be placed either in the phone memory or external microSD. And the folder can also be a subfolder in a folder called music, or any which way you want to organize your files. Android will pick it up.

Although this might be the wrong place to ask this, since this section is to give tips, not ask for it....
 
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Advanced steps to take for Kies connection problems

1. Ensure your phone is not in USB debugging mode:
Go to Settings, Applications, Development and make sure USB debugging is switched off.
2. Press the Home Key your GS2 and make sure it is not locked. If it is, unlock it.
3. Plug the USB cable into the PC.
4. Plug the other end into the GS2.
5a. Pre KH3: You will now see a picture of a USB connector entitled MTP Application, with a message on the bottom saying Connected Press home key to quit Samsung Kies.
5b. KH3+: You will see an MTP-Initialization message in the notification bar. If successful you will shortly see that message change to MTP Connected.
6. Keep tapping the screen of your GS2 so that it does not shut off (and possibly activate the phone's lock if you have one set). Keep doing this until you get to step 14 below.
7. Wait for Windows to pop up an Auto Play window.
8. Select Open device to view files using Windows Explorer
9. In the window that this opens, double click Phone.
10. Keep this window open, minimize it if you want to. If it remains open for any length of time (10+ seconds) then you have a great chance.
11. Open Kies. As long as Windows Explorer's Phone window is still open then you will probably find Kies detects the GS2.
12. Kies should now be attempting to connect to your GS2.
13. Once connected you will see your phone appear in the top left of Kies
14. Begin using Kies.

If unsuccessful along any of these step then give it a few attempts. Dont just give up after the first connection failure to do something more drastic. I have had the Auto Play window (point 8) not popping up at all after connection, or it pops up, stays open only for a few seconds, and it closes itself. If this happens, unplug the USB from the GS2 and repeat from step 4.
If reconnecting the cable at the GS2 end keeps failing after several attempts, unplug both ends of the USB cable and repeat from step 2.
If this again keeps failing, unplug both ends of the USB cable and try a few more times in another USB port, repeating from step 2. If it still continues to fail each time then more drastic action is required:

If you can NEVER get your PC to see your GS2
You need to wipe all existence of Kies from your PC and try again. To do this follow these steps:

Open up your PC's Device Manager (right click Computer, Properties, Device Manager) then plug in the USB cable and connect cable to GS2. You may find that the device list refreshes every second or two and the device does not get added. If the Auto Play window pops up, then device manager will stop refreshing and you will see your GT-I9100 appear under the Portable Devices section. If Auto Play does not pop up, Device Manager will continually refresh. This indicates a problem:
1. Uninstall Kies
2. Run program files\samsung\usb drivers\uninstall.exe (This is important! This does not get done on a Kies uninstall)
3. Reboot
4. Delete the Samsung folder from Program Files.
5. If you want to be even more thorough, run a free utility called CCleaner on the files and registry, and if your confident, remove anything that references program files\samsung in the registry using regedit. (You have to know what your doing with regedit, as it is possible to "break" your PC if you do something wrong).
6. Reboot then reinstall Kies.
7. Plug in your GS2.

Do not rely on Kies to detect new version, as it will only detect major increment leaps.
It will ignore the last number, and will only detect a change if the first group of numbers in the version have changed. (See this thread)

Personally I think that all these problems we are having do not lie with the Kies software itself, but with Samsung's USB drivers for the device, as I've seen the Auto Play window disappear after a few minutes when not even opening the Kies software, thereby constant refreshing in Windows Device Manager occurs. I dread to think what would occur if this happened in the middle of performing a firmware upgrade!!

Just remember, plug+play your GS2 isn't. It's more like plug+pray!

If you simply cannot connect to Kies at all, then try the following:
1. Open up your dialer
2. Dial *#7284# This opens up the PhoneUtil menu

There are 2 sections:
UART
MODEM
PDA

USB
MODEM
PDA

3. Ensure PDA is selected for USB. If it already selected to PDA, try reselecting it by selecting Modem, then PDA.
4. Press the Back key
5. Retry Kies

Download the latest version of Kies and manuals here

Kies Version History
2.2.0.12014_18_8 (8th Mar 2012) (Current version)
2.2.0.12014_18_7 (9th Feb 2012)
2.1.1.11124_17_6 (2nd Jan 2012)
2.1.0.11112_41_7 (2nd Dec 2011)
2.1.0.11095_121_6 (9th Nov 2011)
2.0.3.11082_152_4 (24th Sept 2011)

I had tried everything to get my GT-I5800 to connect to Kies and nothing worked. I followed this and it connected immediately. I think it is the 7284 fix which actually did it.

My PC was showing the phone as a Modem in the 'Devices and Printers' when I connected it by cable, and the auto connect option was not appearing at all. After the 7284 fix auto connect popped up and 'Devices and Printers' shows the phone. Now how do I get those three days of my life back spent trying to get the thing to connect?? Thanks Samsung:mad:
 
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Dont know if that was posted, its a little stuff i discovered yesterday. As many you knowed, pressing severial times in 'android version' who is located in Settings-> about phone directory, a photo apears (in GB was zombie paiting) Now it changed, (if you updated your device to ICS 4.0.3) to a picture of a android, with body is ice cream. Now the good part, try holding your tumb on it for couple of seconds. :)
 
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Dont know if that was posted, its a little stuff i discovered yesterday. As many you knowed, pressing severial times in 'android version' who is located in Settings-> about phone directory, a photo apears (in GB was zombie paiting) Now it changed, (if you updated your device to ICS 4.0.3) to a picture of a android, with body is ice cream. Now the good part, try holding your tumb on it for couple of seconds. :)

lol. Love it
 
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There have been a few posts on how to take a screen shot using the Gingerbread version of Android on the SG2. However when the phone is upgraded to ICS 4.0.3 (T-Mobile in the UK) the key combination changes. It on ICS press the volume down and power butons at the same time. Took me a few attempts to get the knack as I kept turning the volume down rather than take a screen shot. However, once I got the hang of it I can do it every time.
 
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There have been a few posts on how to take a screen shot using the Gingerbread version of Android on the SG2. However when the phone is upgraded to ICS 4.0.3 (T-Mobile in the UK) the key combination changes. It on ICS press the volume down and power butons at the same time. Took me a few attempts to get the knack as I kept turning the volume down rather than take a screen shot. However, once I got the hang of it I can do it every time.

Thanks for the tip! Works for AOSP/AOKP roms and probably stock ICS. On Sammy-based ICS roms, the combination is Power + Home as before.
 
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Two things i noticed, was not knowed that from beggining, so maybe someone also does not know this.

1. You can flip your caculator, giving you aditional matematic options, like caculating square root, sin, cons, and more.
2. Microbe and nexus live wallpapers are touch sensitive, for example if you touch in nexus live wallpaper free space (not swipe it) you will see a new row. With microbes is difrent, if you tap on free space, the white dots will apear, and the colored ones will going to 'eat it' . Also if you tap on 'microbes', they will schater. By playing so be couple of minutes, i noticed that coulored dots multiply as you feed them, and my phone filled with them :)
 
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