Hard Reset Galaxy S6 (SM-G920) or S6 Edge (SM-G925)

Hi all were back again with a few quick reset tips for some of the newer handsets starting with the S6.  

To Reset the Galaxy S6 or the Galaxy S6 Edge you need to do the following to get to the recovery menu. 

With the phone off Hold the following Volume Up + Home Button + Power button, Keep holding as it powers on and you will be presented with the Recovery menu options when you see these release the buttons. You can now use the Volume buttons to move around the menu and the power button will let you select the option. To preform the reset select "wipe data/factory reset", you will be present with a confirmation screen again use the volume keys to navigate to  "Yes -- delete all user data" and the phone will then start to reset once this is complete you can select the "reboot system now" job done.

If you still have access to the phones menu you can of course navigate the settings menu and select the "Backup and Reset" option and in here you will find the "Reset device" option once you have tapped this it will prompt you to "Erase everything" once tapped the phone will start to wipe and reboot.

How to get Flappy Bird and Play it

It seems everyone is still talking about flappy bird but I'm not here to add more fuel to the already crazy fire, I'm just here to provide a few ways to check it out in case you missed it the first time around.

There is an online version here http://www.flappybird.com/play/  and for you Android people who know how to install apps without the Play store through Unknown Sources search Google for "flappy bird apk" there is 3m+ hits on it! I'm not going to direct link or explain in this post as most hits are providing full tutorials. Keep on Flappin Nguyễn Hà Đôn! Image from wikipedia. 

Oh Hey Happy 2014 I know I'm only 2 months late, I've been busy 

Bittorrent and uTorrent on Android

Did you know you can download torrent files on the go straight to your phone? This is a really handy tool to have installed on your Android device.

You can search for a torrent with your phones web browser like you would normally on your computer, download it to the phone then load it in to your torrent client that you installed. It will start to download in the background while you do more important things. Your going to need a bigger SD card as with all downloading memory is key so make sure you check file sizes before you start. Your not going to fit 15gb on your HTC Wildfire internal memory!

All you need to get going is one of these great clients available in the Play Store. uTorrent or Bittorrent. Install either of these then search your normal sources for legal torrent files and start downloading.

All files will be stored in a preset directory in your phone and once you connect your phone to your PC you can search for your downloaded files and you can copy them to your desktop, simple as that.

The clients are very straight forward to use and installing them is a breeze, just keep and eye on your memory, battery and if your trying this on mobile data keep a close eye on your data usage as this will eat through any data cap quickly if you start downloading a lot of information.

Hard Reset I9190 Galaxy S4 Mini

To Reset the Samsung I9190 Galaxy S4 Mini, Start with the phone off hit and hold  Volume Up key, Home key and the Power on key. When the Phone powers on keep holding the buttons and you should be presented with the Factory Reset Menu. You can now let go!

In the Reset menu use the Volume keys to highlight Wipe Data/Factory reset and then the power button to select it, Confirm again by selecting Yes Delete all data. Now sit back and wait a few seconds.

When it has completed you will be presented with the Reset menu again and your done, Select reboot to restart the phone.

Hard Reset I9500 Galaxy S4

To Hard Reset the Galaxy S4 do the following.

With the Phone off Hit and Hold the Home key, Volume Up Key and then hold down the Power Key, the Phone should then Vibrate to say its powering on. At that point you can release the Power Key but remain holding the Home and Volume keys. You should then be presented with the Android reset menu. Black screen with blue writing.

Use the Volume keys to move up and down the menu and use the Power button to select your option.

If you want to do a reset with the phone on the same can be achieved with the settings menu. Go to the following option:
Settings-Accounts Tab - Backup and Reset - Factory data reset.  

Phone flashes white when trying to make a Call

If your Android Phone is flashing white then returning to the keypad when you are trying to make a call? This is most likely due to the Application Default Setting on the phone having been set to another application such as Viber.

To stop this and revert the phone back to its original state you need to do the following.

Go to Settings>Applications (Manage Applications is another step in some versions of android) and select the Viber application from the list (It can be another Dialer Application that you have downloaded)

When you are in the Chosen Applications settings you should see Clear Defaults, about half way down. Select this and proceed with the on screen prompts.

Once this is done try to make the call again, before it will let you complete the call it will ask you which application you would like to use. Select your phones default Dialer this will be the one with Dialer Icon you are used to tapping. Make sure you check the "Make Default" Box before continuing.

Turn Mobile Data off on your Smartphone

Are you getting charged daily for something on your phone and your not sure why? Chances are your running a smart phone without a data plan. Bad idea! Carriers love this as it really is money for nothing.

If you see a set of of arrow symbols beside your phones coverage bars with a g or h beside them or anything that looks like its flicking every few seconds this is your indication that the phone is chewing up data and you can get charged for it, even if you think your not using it the device will wander off and check for updates, check mails etc.

So if your one of the few people still running a smart phone and can't be bothered paying for all that "internet stuff" case you only use it on wifi and why would you want the internet when your on the go... turn off your mobile data. you'd really be surprised how often this comes up.

NB: Multimedia Messages will no longer work correctly with this off, You will get a message from your carrier telling you you have a MMS to view and to go to their MMS Portal to view.

iPhone:
To Turn off Mobile Data on the iPhone go to the following and toggle the switch to off.
Settings - General - Cellular and set Cellular Data to Off. You might as well turn off 3G as well, it will improve your battery. (Could improve your coverage also.) iOS7 will make this more accessible.

Android:
The newer versions of Android usually have a On/Off switch in their "Notification Center" (That thing you get when you flick the top of your screen down, you know the one that shows your latest text,mail downloads...)

There is also a chance that if you hold the Power button to bring up the Power Menu that you have the option to turn Mobile data off there. If however this still is not an option then you will have to dig in to the Setting menu.

Generally if you go to the following menu you will find it.

Settings - Wireless & Networks - Mobile Networks and Uncheck Use Packet Data.

Some of the newer handsets have this stored else where but usually its very obvious to seem being marked as Mobile Data on/off, if however you have another location please leave it in the comments.

You can also check out the Play Store for Mobile data widgets that will let you switch it on and off quickly by putting the setting on your Android home screen so check Play for that.

As a side note if you want to be extra sure your mobile data is off you can delete what is called the APNs from your handset. I'm not going to go in to that method with this post as it dose mean you will have to reset those settings if you ever want to turn it back on and may mean going back to your carrier! but if you really want to go down that road head to your favorite search engine and search "Delete APN from *Your Phone Here*"

Pair Smartphone or iPhone with Bluetooth

Driving on your phone is a big problem, in most countries it's Illegal and to be honest it really is a very stupid idea. Penalty points and fines so if you've got a car Kit your Phone should be Paired up and working with it. If not, Why not?

Now I'm not going to go through every pairing process just give a general over view.

Every Bluetooth kit be it Built-in Car, Car Radio, Removable Standalone or Earpiece will have the correct method to pair off your phone to the Kit included in the Pairing section but here's and overview.

In General all Kits pair off by holding the Power button down on the device until you get a beep, a sequence of flashing lights or constant light. Once it is in Pairing mode you then go to the Bluetooth connection options of your Phone, search for your new Device, select and let the phone Pair off to it.

If it asks for a Pass-code or Password it is usually "0000" or "1234", unless you've got an especially complex kit like BMW,Mercedes, Audi etc. these will either generate their own code and display it to you or have it preset in the car manual. If this isn't available you may have to return to your dealer to retrieve the code. This is however a rare occurrence.

Once the kit is paired off make sure you have the phone set to automatically connect to it or you will have to manually select the kit every time you turn on the Car.

I have seen a lot off issues, mainly with Android phones that even though they have automatic connection on it still will not pair off. The best way to get automatic connection to work is to have your phone's Bluetooth switched on before you start up the car or turn on the kit, This means the signal sent by the kit will be picked up straight away by your phone and it will connect. If you don't do it this way you will find having to hit and hold the call button on the kit to get it to resend the signal then having to go into the Bluetooth menu on the phone to select your device. This is a real Pain!

Finally if you are still having issues connecting make sure you have the latest software for your phone installed older versions of software have been known to cause issues with built in kits, disconnecting, dropping calls and no audio to mention a few.

Power saving options can cause issues with some kits also so if you are still having issues turn your power saving off.

Also if your Bluetooth Device has a "No Sniff Mode" set this to off this may resolve your issues.

Comments and ideas welcome.

Hard Reset Vodafone Smart 3

To Hard Reset the Vodafone Smart 3 you need have the phone off. At the same time hold Volume Up and the Power button to power up the phone.

When it turns on you can release the power button but keep holding the Volume Up you should then get the below screen. Use the Volume keys to select "wipe data/factory reset" and then use the power key to start the process.

Once it is done the Phone should restart with the Android start screen.

If the phone is responsive you can achive the same results with the Menu. The reset option is in

Settings - Back up & Reset - Factory reset.

Android Emulators

Added New Page with list of available Console and Computer Emulators on the Play store.

http://irishmobilenet.blogspot.ie/p/emulation.html

Of course I can't link Games but search for roms in your favourite search engine and you'll be good to go!

Galaxy S4 Developer Options

To switch on Developer options for the Galaxy S4 do the following.

Go to Settings, Hit the More tab, Select About device.

Once in there Double Tap Build Number, it will then give you a count down every time you Double tap it until it finally says "No Need, you are already a developer" and your done.

Drop back in to the More tab in settings and you will now see Developer Options.

Galaxy S4 has arrived

Well the new version of the worlds most popular smart phone has launched and it looks about the same as ever! Check Samsung's new site http://www.samsung.com/global/microsite/galaxys4/ Think I'm going to wait for the HTC One its more of a move away from the usual plastic body form of old, but as ever I'm sure this thing is going to take off like the rest. No word on pricing yet from the networks but I'll bang up a comparison when I get them.

Forgotten your Pattern Lock for Android?

If you've forgotten the pattern to unlock your Android phone, it happens! Can't remember the login information to your Google account or the Kids have screwed you again by trying to make your phone more secure because you know it needs to be so secure no one can get in to it ever again!

The easiest way to get back in is to factory reset your phone! I know you didn't want to hear it but there it is. The good news I guess is that the vast majority of your information should be stored on your Sim and external storage ie. Your memory Card.

To Factory Reset the phone without access to the menu its a simple case of using the phones hardware buttons, that is say the volume, selection keys or power key.

For most phones this is to hold Volume Up the Home key and Power Key with the phone off and when it starts up you will be greeted with the factory reset menu, then use the volume keys to Navigate to wipe/factory reset and use the Home key to select. give it a second it should say complete on the screen then navigate to reboot/restart and when its back on you should have the phone setup wizard waiting for you to add your settings like it was a brand new phone.

We have a collection here but drop a comment and we'll come back to you with the correct key combination. Alternately you can search for "*your phone make* hard reset" on Google and it will bring up the most likely options!

I know We've covered this before but I just wanted to make a more direct approach to a single problem 

5 Easy Ways to Customize your Android Phone

There are tons of ways to customize the look, feel and sound of your Android phone and I can see this will be an on going topic for us but for the moment We're going to talk about 5 simple ways you can customize your phone to get you started so your not stuck with the boring usual wallpapers ringtones and icons. 

• Zedge: Zedge is a really handy App you can grab from the Play store and it has loads of free Wallpapers,Ringtones and Notification Sounds that you can download free it even makes it a breeze to set these as your default. ZEDGE 

• Change your Lock Screen: After changing your home screen wallpaper you should hit your lock screen with a fresh coat of wallpaper,On most phones you can enter the Settings menu and in Screen settings select change lock screen to select a new image from your Gallery it may look for you to crop or centre the image, set it as you like and confirm, job done!

• Add a Face to that Name: Grab some Photos of Friends and Family and add them to their contact information on your phone, Usually all you have to do is open your contacts and select the contact you want to add the photo to edit the contact then hit the default picture to select your own.
  
• Widgets: Widgets are a great way to quickly get to information and settings, Try the widget category in the Play store and check out what's on the top list, everything from Calender widgets to WiFi is there and it is something in there that will make your life easier and your phone look cooler. In general when your on your home screen hit the Phones Menu Key and then tap Add to select from your installed and pre installed widgets.
  
• Live Wallpapers: Another great way to freshen up your phone is with Live wallpapers these are animated back drops to your home screen and will make it feel alive, Again load into the Play store and hit the Live Wallpaper Category to search through them. Bare in mind this can be an extra drain on your battery life and also on the phones resources so if you notice poor battery or slower performance after install this maybe the cause.

As with all Applications coming from the Play store check the reviews and ratings to make sure its worth while installing, there is some great content in there so don't let some badly made applications ruin your phones experience.

Reset an Android Phone

If you find your Android Handset is running slow, maybe you've forgotten the pattern to Unlock your handset or it could be a dodgy launcher install, there are loads of things that could go wrong and mean you just can't get into the Settings menu to hit Restore Factory Settings! this might just work for you.

When you power on your Android handset you can hold down a combination of the buttons on your phone that will bring you into a restore menu so you can restore the phones factory settings in a matter of seconds. Bare in mind you will lose data on the phones memory and just pull the memory and sim card just in case.

In most cases this is either the Volume up or down key the home button and power on, and then using the volume keys to select your choice and the home button to confirm it.

We have a separate page dedicated to the Combinations that you need to hold down so check what you need to hold down when booting up the phone. This page will be updated frequently to include new handsets but if there is one were missing drop it in the comments and we will add it to the list. We will also add more in-depth guides on some of the more popular handsets so this is really just our starting point.