Android developers can restrict their apps to certain devices, countries and minimum Android version. However, there are ways to work around these restrictions by allowing you to install apps marked “not compatible with your device”.
Of course, we do these techniques at our own peril and risk.
Why are the apps incompatible?
Android developers can restrict their applications in various ways:
- Some apps marked as only compatible with certain phones or pills. However, they may work fine on unsupported devices.
- Other applications are only allowed for installation in some countries.
- All programs have a minimum Android version... For instance, google browser Chrome requires Android 4.0 or higher.
But some apps may actually be incompatible with your device, while other apps will easily run on your device.
Please note that you will not see incompatible apps when you search on Google on your Android smartphone or tablet. They just won't show up in search results. You will see incompatible applications when you search the site Google play.
Installation
To perform this hack, you need to get Super User or Root rights. After you have done that, you must install "> ES Files Explorer from Google Play.
Editing Build.prop
Build.prop the file contains several lines (bits of text) that define the device model. If you change this file, Google Play and other applications will think that you are using a different device than you actually are. Be very careful when editing this file. If you edit other items it can lead to serious problems.
First, run ES File explorer ... Open the settings and enable "Allow access to root folder"
Go to in system folder on your device and find the build.prop file.
Create a copy of build.prop elsewhere to avoid excesses.
Click on build.prop, select open with ES editor
Have a look at ro.product.model and ro.product.manufacturer. In our case, it is them that need to be changed.
Change these lines for example if you want your phone to become a Galaxy S3
- ro.product.model = Galaxy S3
- ro.product.manufacturer = Samsung
After making these changes, press the menu button and select Save.
Another way
The available application allows you to substitute another device without editing the build.prop file. It's much easier, faster and safer. (However, keep in mind that this method also requires root rights.). All instructions on the site
Final steps
Reboot your system. Then go to Google Play, and install any applications that are compatible only with Samsung Galaxy S3.
Often, developers tag certain apps on Google Play Store as incompatible with some devices due to unstable work applications on this model. However, there is always a chance that the application will still work on your device.
For owners of rooted Androids, there is an easy way to trick the Play Store by presenting their device as a different model, which is listed for specific application in the list of supported. This method eliminates the hassle of pre-pumping. apk file from the market itself.
So we have rooted Android. Downloading from Play Store any file manager which allows you to access system files and will also allow you to edit them. We used ES File Explorer. After installing the application, go to its settings. It is necessary to enable the ability to access the root directory, as well as set the ability to write to files located in this directory.
Now go to the "system" folder and find the "build.prop" file there. Before any manipulations of this kind, it is better, of course, to save yourself, and in in this case at least make a copy of the "build.prop" file somewhere on the memory card.
Open the "build.prop" file with ES Explorer's built-in editor as a text file.
Google Play identifies the device by the data recorded in the lines “ro.product.model” and “ro.product.manufacturer”. All that remains is to change the values of these parameters. In this case, we are replacing the old Wildfire with Incredible. After that, press the "Menu" button and save the changes.
It remains to clean up the data in the google app Play Store. To do this, go to the application manager, find the Play Store there and clear the cache and data. After that, you need to reboot the device.
This method will not allow you to bypass situations when the application is incompatible due to version differences. operating system, or because of the country of residence.
If you need to change the IMEI on your phone, this article will give complete and correct information about what an IMEI code is, why it is needed and how to change it yourself.
What is IMEI
You may have already come across this concept, and then you are aware that IMEI is used to identify your phone. But everything is not as simple as it seems at first glance. IMEI is an abbreviation for English name It stands for "International Mobile Equipment Identity". This set of numbers is unique to everyone telephone device. This number used in phones, tablets, as well as in some In addition to simple identification, it is used in order to block the device from accessing the network cellular... The frequency of smartphone theft is high all over the world, and Phone IMEI became necessary measure security.
What is this code really for?
If your cellular telephone was stolen, you can notify your service provider. It blocks the machine's access to its network. By the code, the police can identify the stolen device, because the missing phones are registered in the database. The owner should treat his gadget responsibly and keep the pre-recorded code in a safe place in case it cannot be viewed on the phone. The identifier has nothing to do with the SIM card - if the phone is stolen even after a factory reset and replacement SIM card IMEI the phone remains the same. When buying a hand-held phone using this identifier it is easy to tell if the inside of the device is clean. You can also use it to block your phone through your mobile operator. Among other things, in the interests of the investigation, the device can be tapped.
How to check
There is a standard command to test this code. Most phones display IMEI when typing * # 06 #. For an ordinary check on the street or for a personal check, this is enough. Of course, there are other ways to find out the IMEI code, they are not the same for different manufacturers... On the iOS platform you need to go to "Settings", section "General", "About phone". On an Android device, go to Settings, About Phone. If we are talking about Sony phone or Sony ericsson- you need to press the command Right, Left Left, Left on the keyboard. On devices such as Blackberry or new sony Ericsson, you need to find the "Status" section in the options menu.
How to change IMEI on Android
First you need to log in engineering menu... It is hidden, but it shows up when typing special teams, individual for each model. After entering the menu, the sequence of actions is as follows: go to the Connectivity -> CDS section. Information, expand the Radio Information tab and click on the Phone 1 line. The active IMEI will be written in the first field. To replace it, write EGMR = 1.7, "New identifier", and required code indicate in brackets. Finally, you need to confirm the performed actions by pressing SEND and restart the phone.
In addition to this method, you can replace IMEI using a special software... A number of utilities such as Mobile uncle, Xposed IMEI Changer, let you change IMEI without much difficulty.
For example, let's take a look at the order of actions in the Xposed IMEI Changer application. After launch, go to the "Modules" tab, mark the IMEI Changer module and reboot the device. After that, open the program again, enter in the field for the new identifier the numbers you want and restart your phone.
Before using the described methods, it is worth carefully checking whether it is suitable this way your phone model.
How to change IMEI on iPhone
Simple and safe way change the IMEI code on the gadget from Apple does not exist. Unfortunately or fortunately, these numbers are sewn into microcircuits, and change them in some way simple manipulations impossible. However, there are certainly hacking techniques and methods. They are mainly used by cybercriminals to implement stolen equipment. You can only change IMEI together with motherboard phone. But then it will be a completely different device, retaining only the body from the previous one.
Carefully!
Changing the IMEI code is a criminal offense. It is worth knowing for those who are trying to commit this procedure on someone else's phone. Detailed information given in the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, Articles 272-273. It should also be remembered that changing the identifier can lead to a complete malfunction of the phone and in any case will void its warranty. Changing IMEI on your own is a very dangerous and unpredictable action. Do not start any manipulation of the phone without being sure of a positive result.
Often, developers mark certain applications in the Google Play Store as incompatible with some devices due to the unstable operation of the application on this model. However, there is always a chance that the application will still work on your device.
For owners of rooted Androids, there is an easy way to trick the Play Store by presenting their device as a different model, which is listed for a particular application in the list of supported ones. This method eliminates the hassle of first downloading the apk file from the market itself.
So we have rooted Android. We download from the Play Store any file manager that allows you to access system files and also allows you to edit them. We used ES File Explorer. After installing the application, go to its settings. It is necessary to enable the ability to access the root directory, as well as set the ability to write to files located in this directory.
Now go to the "system" folder and find the "build.prop" file there. Before any manipulations of this kind, it is better, of course, to save yourself, and in this case at least make a copy of the "build.prop" file somewhere on a memory card.
Open the "build.prop" file with ES Explorer's built-in editor as a text file.
Google Play identifies the device by the data recorded in the lines “ro.product.model” and “ro.product.manufacturer”. All that remains is to change the values of these parameters. In this case, we are replacing the old Wildfire with Incredible. After that, press the "Menu" button and save the changes.
It remains to clean up the data in the Google Play Store application itself. To do this, go to the application manager, find the Play Store there and clear the cache and data. After that, you need to reboot the device.
This method will not allow you to get around situations when the application is incompatible due to the difference in operating system versions, or because of the country of residence.
There are many tempting reasons to upgrade your phone right now. But what will you do with your old phone?
Well, you could turn it into a dedicated media player, or perhaps recycle it. But why not try to sell it?
Selling an old Android phone may turn out to be in a simple way make some money. But before giving it away, it is advisable to make sure that you have made a backup important information and removed any trace of your personal data. So let's go through this process.
The first step is to perform a backup. There are several one-step solutions for this. Installing an app like My Backup Pro or Titanium Backup Pro (great for rooted phones) will work great for automatic collection data and storage backup in the cloud (cloud services), where it can be synchronized with your new Android phone. This will happen to your contacts, call log, text messages, playlists, photos, videos, settings, browser bookmarks and other information.
But to be doubly sure that you made a backup in safe place, here are a few simple options manual backup.
For contacts, the most accessible and reliable storage location is Google Contacts. This is the service that's built into Gmail and Android.
To sync everything, open your contacts on your phone, press the menu key, and tap "Google Merge". After you do this, select "Yes", and all your contacts will be uploaded to the Google account associated with your phone. Then, to make sure that your contacts have moved to the cloud completely, find your computer and enter Contacts.Google.com with his account Google Everything should be there, and if you see some duplicate contacts, you can fix it.
For your media, simplest method backup is to connect your phone to your computer and transfer all content to a folder. Especially if you are dealing with several gigabytes of photos, music and videos. It will be much faster than backing up to the cloud.
It should be as easy as connecting your phone to your computer using USB cable purchased with the phone. On a PC, the smartphone should appear as USB storage device. Mac users you need to install a small Google app called Android File Transfer to get the same result.
All phone photos and videos must be located in the DCIM folder. You can just copy this folder to your computer, or why not copy the entire contents of your phone to a backup folder just in case.
Now that you're almost ready to kiss your phone goodbye, make sure you remove any memory or SIM cards from your phone. As a safety precaution, first turn off your phone, then remove the cards. The memory card is usually located either on the side of the phone or behind the battery compartment next to the SIM card.
Some phones may not have a memory card slot or will have a built-in memory card, so if you can't find anything, don't worry. The same may be true for SIM cards in older Android phones. CDMA standard... If so, the phone will not have a SIM card, be sure to contact your operator and make sure the phone is unlinked from your account before giving it to someone else (Only relevant for CDMA phones).
Finally, you can erase your phone memory full dump settings. Download it, go to settings and then search for " Backup"and" Reset ". Some Android devices will have this item in" Security "or" Storage ", so look carefully if you don't find it right away.
Once you have entered this menu, press the button to reset to factory settings. This will return the phone to its original state and delete all data on the device. Remember that this is not deleting your account, it is simply deleting your tracks from your phone. You really don't want to next person who will receive this phone, had access to your personal accounts and information? If you are sure of this, click "Reset device".
The phone will now reformat itself and reboot. When it turns on again, you should see start screen The Android that was there when you first turned on your phone.
Once you've said your last goodbyes, turn off the phone one last time. Check again that the SIM and memory cards have been removed. Wipe your phone with a dry cloth. Collect cables and Charger that came with the phone in the kit. And if preserved original box, it can help add to your online resale value.
