Why dont Xiaomi phones support encryption? topic

Hi,

First time poster, long time forum stalker, I just bought a mi3 and I think I regret it. The reason is that it doesn't seem to support phone encryption. I headed over to the en.Maui forums but they seem to ignore people that ask difficult questions.

Anyway do I need to wait until the kernel sources are released or is there anything else I can do

Cheers

By: dd On 06:59

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Anyone else swapping between phones?!? topic

Anyone else have two phones that they swap their similar through.

I like having a weekend phone and a woek phone. But my issue is I sometimes need my messages from my work phone. But can't access them.

Is there any kind of cloud service/app that auto syncs my messages/texts? So that every time my sim is inserted I can auto download messages from my last phone?
Thanks

By: dd On 13:40

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Best Android Phones 2014? topic

Which is the best Android smartphone to buy? Now that the HTC, Samsung, Sony and LG have outed their best wares, we pick out the top Android mobiles of 2014 to attract attention.

The "big four" high-end Android smartphones - the HTC One M8, the Samsung Galaxy S5, the Sony Xperia Z3 and the LG G3 - are now all here and have recently been joined by a plethora of other great handsets of all shapes and sizes, from the mini Sony Xperia Z3 Compact to the maxi Samsung Galaxy Note 4.

So, if you're ready to see which we've picked out as the best, follow the links below. Alternatively, read on to find out a bit more about Android.
Best Big Android Phone | Samsung Galaxy Note 4
Best Google Experience Phone | Nexus 5
Best Small Android Phone | Sony Xperia Z3 Compact
Best Cheap Android Phone | Moto G 2014 Edition
Best Android Phone for Battery Life | Sony Xperia Z3
Best Android Phone for Watching Video | LG G3
Best Big Brand Alternative | OnePlus One
Best Android Phone Camera | Samsung Galaxy S5
Best Android Phone Overall | HTC One M8
Best Android Phone for Selfies | HTC Desire EYE
The main benefit of choosing an Android phone is, of course, choice. Choice of manufacturers, prices, shapes, sizes and more.
As such, our list of the Best Android Phones includes some cheaper models like the Moto G, smaller models like the Sony Xperia Z3 Compact and even bigger ones like the One Plus One.

If you are happy to spend big on a monthly contract or buy a high-end Android smartphone outright, then you've plenty of options and you‘ll get the hardware that pushes the operating system to its limits. Think lightning-fast quad-core processors, huge HD touchscreens and the kind of cameras that'll allow you to finally ditch the compact. Some of these handsets are even waterproof now.

At the other end of the spectrum, you can save yourself several hundred pounds and still get a great Android phone - one that is often a more pocket-friendly size, has all the core features you'll need and still runs nice and quick. Crucially though, it will let you play games, watch YouTube videos, check Facebook, browse the web and access the full wealth of apps available on the Google Play store. If getting the absolute cheapest phone you can is your main priority then also check out our pick of the Best Cheap Mobile Phones.

By: dd On 22:36

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US Celluars Contracts With Locked Phones, Bad or Good? topic

Hello, so i need to see some answers, and also know what is the best for any consumer who will be buying a phone anytime soon

So, i am not living in the states, but i will soon and i will upgrade my phone as well...

And some of my friends mentioned me having a contract.. and i am wondering whether it is a good idea or not.. and there are many ways to see it and i even have some concerns about some stuff that i am not sure of, and it will be discussed in these parts:

1-How much do we have to pay extra in a month if we ever got a locked phone? is it much more than an unlocked contract?
2-If so, which do you think is the best for a contract?
3-If you are going to have a contract, would you have it for one year or two years? why?
4-Are there any pros of having a locked phone? do you have a guarantee for it or a warranty? would you be able to give them back your locked phone and get a discount for your upgrade or anything closer in that matter?
5-Does having a locked phone means that it is somehow different than the unlocked one? example: would i be able to install the same rom on both of them or i need to have a specific rom for the locked phone?
6-is there anyway that you can buy a phone unlocked, but you would have to pay for it in months?
7-Would rooting a locked device voids warranty, or somehow is breaking a rule in the contract?
8-Do i need to wait for the carrier update for the locked phone? or would i be able to install an international update and get it stock? if i could, would that ever damage the contract?

and anymore information would be really helpful.. would really love to see what the community here are interested in and what they usually avoid doing.. :)

an off-topic question: Do you think i should wait for the new phones to come? i am really interested on having a HTC M8 right now, but seems like the new "hima" is going to be released soon, any thoughts of what i should do? Thank you :D

By: dd On 17:19

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[Q] MTK phones download mode topic

how to get into download mode in china based smartphones can anyone help me

By: dd On 09:16

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Hacked....my phones are all rooted & busybox... topic

I'm in desperate need of help and this forum was recommended. Im a nurse, not a techie so bare with me. Going on almost 1 yr of every device, every acct...my whole life hacked. Its a very long story but somehow all my devices end up rooted with Busy Box installed. I never even knew what either meant. So, the 1st time Verizon thought i did it by mistake. 6 phones later...Im a genius, a special kind of stupid...or someone clearly hates me and is determined to make me lose my mind. HELP!!!!

Sent from my N800 using XDA Free mobile app

By: dd On 01:59

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[PORT][RECOVERY] Carliv Touch Recovery v3.0 [Kitkat] for porting to MTK phones topic

If you don't have experience in MTK phones, stay away, use your phone as it came from store, and just start reading and learning. Don't jump to do things you don't understand. These resources are for experienced users. I'm tired of hundred PM's with "Help I bricked my phone" because I flashed a wrong recovery or "I did something stupid".

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DISCLAIMER:
Rooting your phone and using custom Recoveries and ROMS have risks and may result in bricking your device, and has nothing to do with Google or the device manufacturers. In case of any mishap I am not responsible if you brick/ruin your phone in any way.
Basic computer skills are required and minimal knowledges about phones and phones utilities too.
Make sure that whatever you do, you are doing it at your own responsibility.

---

It is a CWM based recovery and is compatible with it. In this version I used Napstar-xda's full touch module as base. The navigation it is posible by touching the menu item. In long display menu (as choose zip from sdcard) for scroll page down Swipe Right and for scroll page up Swipe Left. For Go Back also Swipe Left.
If the Swipe doesn't work (usually if your phone is multitouch but has only 2 points of touch), use bottom virtual navigation keys or volume buttons Down for Scroll down, Up for Scroll up, and the back button for Go Back.

Version 3.0 first release (11-dec-2014):
- based on cwm (cwm 6.0.5.1) and added improvements on top.
- bottom virtual navigation keys, to compensate the non-function of swipe in some phones
- a "nvram backup/restore" menu: the nvram partition will be backed up in clockworkmod/backup/.nvram/nvram-xxxxx folder as nvram.img. This will help if you lose IMEI and other communication features. It will work only if you have the nvram partition defined in recovery.fstab. If the nvram partition is damaged (as in flashing an oversized recovery) this will not help you, and you need SPFlashTools to reflash with format your phone official firmware, and after that flash this recovery, boot in recovery and restore nvram.
- a new advanced backup/restore menu
- separate power and wipe menu
- aroma file manager integration
- new GUI images, very light (the difference between non-touch modded cwm and this one is only 14 Kb, for 720x1280 resolution)
- some other.

For port follow my new guide from here.
In kitkat recovery, the lunfile isn't used anymore. Sdcards are voldmanaged, and it is used fstab version 2.
There are 15 images for 15 resolutions. Choose the one that match exactly your phone resolution. If your phone has the resolution 720x1280, then take an image with "720x1280" in name. There are few landscape versions for tablets with landscape format, so don't confuse "720x1280" with "1280x720".

Regular MTK phones:
Download your resolution from HERE.

MTK phones with "custpack" partition (Alcatel or TCL):
Download your resolution from HERE.

MTK phones with UBIFS file system:
Download your resolution from HERE.

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IMPORTANT:
These are compiled recoveries for porting purposes only. DON'T take any of them and flash it in your phone as it is. It won't work, they include a dummy kernel. You need to port it to your device as I show in my guide, to make it work. Use them only if you have a kitkat kernel for your phone

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CREDITS:
- Napstar-xda - for touch module;
- Philz-cwm6 - for get partition size method;
- xiaolu - for the new fonts;
- C3C0 - for initial mtk tweack hint - Unused now;
- Koush and all CWM team for the recovery;
- bgcngm for unpack/repack utils;
- sk8erwitskil for aromafm menu

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RULES for posting your ports!
If you manage to port this to your device, add proper credits in your thread, post or article.
If you want that to be posted in a list with working devices, then post here a link to the thread or the post on xda (only on xda). Why not a free hosting link, like google drive, dev-host, mega-coz or other? Because if in the future you will port a new version, you have to replace it in that thread or post and the link from list remain the same.

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My github source.

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ATTENTION:
There is a possibility that the touch feature to not work in all phones. It was tested in many phones, and in some of them it doesn't work. There isn't a switch, a toggle or other method to make it to work, it depends on your phone touchscreen capability from recovery. If this doesn't work in your phone, I'm sorry, it happens, and my advice is to try something else.

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Few clarifications:

• I provided all necessary infos to help you to port it to your devices.


• So, don't ask me anymore to port or to compile some recovery for your phone.


• If you can't follow all these clear steps (with images) to do it by yourself, then maybe you are on the wrong forum.


• It is ment to be ported to all MTK devices, but this doesn't mean it will work in all.


• In some devices with a cheap screen display (usually those with anly one or two points of touch) there is a big chance to not work, or to work only partial.


• If the recovery has the screen flipped, you need to use the non-touch version, and to compile it by yourself from source, or to ask a developer from your device to do it, with BOARD_HAS_FLIPPED_SCREEN true flag in device BoardConfig.


• The main purpose for this recovery was to keep it under 6Mb, to fit in that small recovery partition that was used in these MTK phones.


• If your phone's kernel is bigger than 4.3Mb and the recovery size is 6Mb, don't botter to try it. It won't work, because it will exceede those 6Mb.

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By: dd On 11:42

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Phones clock based things won't update? topic

Hello, I am having a rather odd problem. It seems like anything that uses time on my phone, won't update.

Whenever I check my lock screen (Pattern), the lock screen clock shows the last time I unlocked my phone, and only updates to this time I unlocked. (7:10 when it is really 8 for example. Then next time 8;01 when it really is 8:30 and so on.)

Also, it seems my widgets using time also do no update. My clock still says 7:00. (HD widgets)

Any ideas why this may happen? Multiple searches on Google did not help. Thank you in advance.

By: dd On 05:15

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