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Thread: How do I take Control of my Android

  1. #1
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    How do I take Control of my Android

    I have a recently purchased Google Pixel 2 XL and all its current content was copied over from my old Samsung S4 - not quite the seamless process I was led to believe but I got most of the information across.

    All my contacts and photo folders copied across Ok and were working fine. Today Mr Android tells me I need to update the operating system to the absolute latest android version which was quickly done.

    But now Mr Android has decided it knows better than me and has completely deleted my Pic folder and created its own - based around its own ideas of subject matter - on of which is selfies - so any pic that has a human face in it has been moved to a selfie folder, not the previous folders of Me, Mum, Brothers, Friends etc. Oh I had 6 different car folders by model name - now all there is, isone folder it calls cars. Yes all the actual pics are still there listed in date order but the folder structure has been completely destroyed.

    Also it wants me to use the "cloud" - I have previously told it to **** off but it really wants me to use it which I have no intention of doing but it is still wanting me to sync and go to the cloud.

    Oh - why do I need a gmail address - I dont want one but had to create one for the old Samsung but I never used it and it was generally ignored - not any more - to create a contact in my contact list I have to attach it to a gmail address - sorry but I dont want it attached to a gmail address, I just want a contacts list.

    Why do I need a gmail address to use my phone - dont need it, dont want it but apparently the phone wants it.

    So how to I take control of my latest smart phone so it does what I want it to do and not what Mr Google Android wants it to do.

    Also, if I go back and create my photo folders again, will Mr Android take them away again with the next update.

    Garry
    Last edited by pop058; 11th July 2018 at 08:28 PM. Reason: Sp.
    REMLR 243

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  2. #2
    Tombie Guest
    What it wants is to be able to restore from a back up if your phone dies.

    Hence cloud How do I take Control of my Android

    Then the gmail account stores contacts

    Hence gmail

    It’s not a bad thing to do, don’t be stubborn as it has huge upsides...

  3. #3
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    Hi

    It's part of a fad with operating system and GUI designers - they know better than you how you should arrange your files :-) The best way is to keep your pics, they way you want them arranged, on your PC at home and say to Mr Android that he can't touch them. I find the same with bookmarks, have to keep the canonical set on my Linux machine at home. When I bookmark things on my Android they later get transferred to my home bookmarks file.

    A gmail address isn't too bad. It's actually useful.

    Mike
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  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by Tombie View Post
    What it wants is to be able to restore from a back up if your phone dies.

    Hence cloud How do I take Control of my Android
    So it can be hacked as has already happened - no thanks. I have my own backup arrangement that works fine. If people want to use the cloud that is fine - their choice but I also want to choose what I want not what Mr Android wants.

    Quote Originally Posted by Tombie View Post

    Then the gmail account stores contacts

    Hence gmail

    It’s not a bad thing to do, don’t be stubborn as it has huge upsides...
    But I dont need another email account - contacts just need to be in the phone, not attached to an email. Not being stubborn, I just want the phone to do what I want and require, not what Mt Android wants. Sorry but I dont see the upside but plenty of downsides.

    Was all fine until the last operating system update. Now beginning to understand why some people are reluctant to update their IT stuff - maybe why I am still on Win 7 on this laptop - works fine - better than the later Win 10+ system.
    REMLR 243

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    1976 Jaguar XJ12C
    1973 Haflinger AP700
    1971 Jaguar V12 E-Type Series 3 Roadster
    1957 Series 1 88"
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  5. #5
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    Search lineageOS and see if they have an operating system for your phone. You will need to "root" your phone (it means gain root access, not what you're thinking ) and follow their instructions. You could then try and restore from your S4 backup. I use magisk manager as a tool to access root privileges, and am running lineageOS14 (android 7 equivalent) on my S5. For a pixel 2 I assume that only the android 8 equivalent is available.

    There are also other custom ROMs that you can install that might suit you better than vanilla android. Have a look around and see what you prefer.

    Take note that you may not be able to restore your phone to factory fresh android. Make sure you do your own research and make your own call

    Also, regarding photos, I have mine stored in named folders on my SD card and phone. The pictures app that I have uses those folders in it's UI, and can move photos around the memory, keeping them organised . I'd recommend you use this method (many apps can do it, including most standard photo apps) as physically orders you pictures,and you can just transfer the SD card to a new phone. (Edit: pixel xl may not have an SD card slot! In that case create the folders on your phones memory and back them up as per usual.

    Best of luck

    Dan
    FINN - '72 88" S3 - 2.286 petrol - yet to go on it's first adventure
    SOLD - '08 D3 4.0 V6 - 265/65/R17 on X5 rims
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  6. #6
    Tombie Guest
    Garry,

    They also hack directly into Droid phones - more common than you think.

    So whilst you’re attached to any network of any type you’re already susceptible to attack.

    The droid platform has freedoms which create risk.

  7. #7
    Tombie Guest

    How do I take Control of my Android

    Another benefit I find - lost or damaged phone - I will never lose any data How do I take Control of my Android

    My cloud is regularly updated with new passwords of ridiculous complexity. If they want to hack it to see pics of my bike build, cars, holidays etc then good luck to them!

    Changing phones for me is as simple as turning the new one on and entering a user name and password; within minutes my apps, layout, settings, contacts etc all reload and off I go.. handy as I update annually.

  8. #8
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    what he said!

    and it gets away from any brand dependacy

    i move seamlessly between *droid and IOS units at will... and in a matter of minutes...
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  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by Tombie View Post
    Another benefit I find - lost or damaged phone - I will never lose any data How do I take Control of my Android

    My cloud is regularly updated with new passwords of ridiculous complexity. If they want to hack it to see pics of my bike build, cars, holidays etc then good luck to them!

    Changing phones for me is as simple as turning the new one on and entering a user name and password; within minutes my apps, layout, settings, contacts etc all reload and off I go.. handy as I update annually.
    What do you use to copy apps and layouts across?

    I'm looking to upgrade the OS and was planning to use titanium backup for apps, but never knew you could keep layouts and other settings between android versions.
    FINN - '72 88" S3 - 2.286 petrol - yet to go on it's first adventure
    SOLD - '08 D3 4.0 V6 - 265/65/R17 on X5 rims
    GONE '96 D1 300Tdi - 2" lift, 32" tyres, HD rear axles, lockers :(

  10. #10
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    Can anyone recommend a basic android photo management app? I am after something simple that when you take a pic it goes to a camera folder, has a download type folder for pics that are downloaded or bluetoothed and an ability to create folders as i see fit not what android thinks I want - eg when i take a pic of say a car android will often send the pic to a folder it thinks it should go to. Likewise - screen shots currently can end up in the camera folder or the screenshots folder but if taken via voice command can end up anywhere and sometimes cannot be found - I assume they go to the cloud even though I have them turned off.

    To be clear - this is a post asking for a recommendation on a simple photo managment app - not issues with how to make the standard android pic management system work.

    Thanks

    Garry
    REMLR 243

    2007 Range Rover Sport TDV6
    1977 FC 101
    1976 Jaguar XJ12C
    1973 Haflinger AP700
    1971 Jaguar V12 E-Type Series 3 Roadster
    1957 Series 1 88"
    1957 Series 1 88" Station Wagon

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