Related
Market filters:
When a user searches or browses in Android Market, the results are filtered, and some applications might not be visible. For example, if an application requires a trackball (as specified in the manifest file), then Android Market will not show the app on any device that does not have a trackball.
The manifest file and the device's hardware and features are only part of how applications are filtered — filtering also depends on the country and carrier, the presence or absence of a SIM card, and other factors.
Changes to the Android Market filters are independent of changes to the Android platform itself. This document will be updated periodically to reflect any changes that occur.
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Click to collapse
Does anyone have any idea what the market filters are checking against?
That's not really a good reason to do anything, let alone not using 2.2
dik23 said:
That's not really a good reason to do anything, let alone not using 2.2
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Click to collapse
Not being able to get apps? Did you read the link? Doubtful. Uh sure. Have fun with vanilla 2.2 and 0.0 apps.
I'm sorry, did you read your own link? If you had scrolled down, it shows several examples of what can be filtered. The filters are implemented by the application developer themselves, and if they don't, they still show up in the market.
Besides, filtering by the application has been in Android since 2.0. Any application that deems a device incapable of running it (for example, a lack of a light sensor) can stop itself from running.
some kind of filter (the ones I've heard of so far are incompatible screen resolution, unverified builds, and protected apps) is already being applied to 2.1 in the AOSP build. I couldnt see Yelp, the Android Community and TMZ apps for whatever reason
cashless said:
Not being able to get apps? Did you read the link? Doubtful. Uh sure. Have fun with vanilla 2.2 and 0.0 apps.
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Click to collapse
Oh yeah, how suspicious. French people couldn't possibly prefer apps in French and people with that new Dell pad thing probably still want SMS and contact apps.
Yeah
so you are saying not upgrade to 2.2 because marketplace will filter apps for our phone, but stick with 2.1 because it doesn't?
well genius, why don't you go and install http://www.appbrain.com/app/com.yelp.android on your phone and let us know how that 'no filtering' works out for you.
When I was running my Vougue we ran into this problem as well, its not a big deal at all. from what I remember it was checking about the build.prob and screen size that is setup in your startup. what I used to do was set my phone to my the specs for the G1, then install the apps after adjusting the density to fit everything on screen and then reboot using factory startup. it worked pretty well for most of the apps since many only blocked off whatever border the developer had.
heres the problem though but with the pace we are going it wont come up for a while, once we decide we have a rom stable enough to flash we lost the abilty to change the settings since WM is copletely gone and no haret was used. I switched over to the Touch Pro and we had the exact same problem which was solved in the EXACT way but we were not flashed still(TP2 still has a LOOOONG way to go sad to say), kept the touch pro 2 for only a few weeks before they replaced my Sprint Line TP with a Touch pro 2 due to all the TP1 problems and i'm still saddened by the slow progress. I am a developer myself and even an avid budsmoker and was still able to help out. now Refer has done a great job but from my understanding he is just doing most changes to the Android Filesystem, theirs a couple other guys working on the kernels which would be were all the hardware problems are going to be fixed from. no matter what build we use something in the kernel is either not right, or we dont have the driver in place for Android itself and since we have few Hardware level developers working on these things it seems to be low progress.
My friend broke her G1 and got the Slide to replace it, she doesn't like the texting application. I'm sure theres a way to get rid of that or just preferably install stock android on the thing. I don't yet have any experience with Android (I will be getting the Droid X in a week) so I would love a bit of hand holding here.
As far as I understand it would would involve rooting the device and then installing a rom of normal android? Is this correct?
I would love if someone could actually walk me through the process or any tips, keep me in mind that once I do this for her she needs to be able to just use it forever after that. I don't wanna flash her phone and it ends up crashing a week late or something.
So can I be pointed in the right directions?
You would have to Root the Phone to Remove Built in Apps. BUT, Since this IS Android you are not bound to use the Default Messaging App. You can download some very good and Feature Rich Messaging apps from the Market. 2 Free ones that come to mind are Handcent (which I used to use before I got my Slide) and ChompSMS. You just have to uncheck the Recieved Notification box in the HTC one and you should be ok from there.
Before going through the trouble of rooting, has she tried any of the available messaging apps from the market yet?
Sent from my T-Mobile myTouch 3G Slide using XDA App
Yea, per your suggestions I told her to just try installing another to see if she likes it.
So since most of the themes if not all, have wrong placement of images (specially the notification pull down window) I am wondering if indeed most of the users are NOT using applications like LCD Density.
To me, LCD Density is the first thing I install pretty much. It makes my phone just completely different so I wouldn't imagine myself without it.
Please comment.
I liked it too, but it's not compatible with a lot of games and some other apps... That's the reason I don't use it.
HaTeNL said:
I liked it too, but it's not compatible with a lot of games and some other apps... That's the reason I don't use it.
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+1
With a bit of tinkering you can make 240dpi look a lot like 200, and avoid headaches in the process.
Thing is, when changing the density the SGS doesnt look so good as for example hero with a changed density. On hero I go with 120DPI. Tried on SGS 200 and it looked bad and somethign wasnt even readable. (I have even now trouble with fonts on 240 sometimes they are thick sometimes thin in the same app)
Its strange but hero on 120DPI is better readable then SGS on 200 why is that so?
PAGOT said:
Thing is, when changing the density the SGS doesnt look so good as for example hero with a changed density. On hero I go with 120DPI. Tried on SGS 200 and it looked bad and somethign wasnt even readable. (I have even now trouble with fonts on 240 sometimes they are thick sometimes thin in the same app)
Its strange but hero on 120DPI is better readable then SGS on 200 why is that so?
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Really? That is very odd. I run 182 and the image is just insanely sharp and detailed. I wonder if user Eyes are also coming into play here... interesting to see the Poll that some many people have never heard about it!
Jumba said:
+1
With a bit of tinkering you can make 240dpi look a lot like 200, and avoid headaches in the process.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not sure what tinkering is that but I still run 182 (the minimum I can run without Contacts crashing) and everything looks so razor sharp and so much info fits on the screen that I cannot think about using my phone without it.
HaTeNL said:
I liked it too, but it's not compatible with a lot of games and some other apps... That's the reason I don't use it.
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Click to collapse
What games are those? So far only Pac Man has given me the issue and I have tons of games. You can always use the Temp change to go back to stock when needed.
shaolin95 said:
Really? That is very odd. I run 182 and the image is just insanely sharp and detailed. I wonder if user Eyes are also coming into play here... interesting to see the Poll that some many people have never heard about it! .
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Click to collapse
Image is pretty, but try to read something on opera mobile with a smaller font or even gmail (messages from google checkout)
PAGOT said:
Image is pretty, but try to read something on opera mobile with a smaller font or even gmail (messages from google checkout)
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As I mentioned, I use this all the time 24/7 and read all my email and use different browsers as well and love it. Might have to do with each users vision as well I suppose.
Well that might be so but we could rule that out? Since I told you I have a HTC hero on even lover DPI and its still better readable as the SGS . Maybe my SGS is bugged...
Dont get me wrong here, SGS is far more superior and literally not comparable to the Hero. Am just saying, maybe with mine is something wrong
PAGOT said:
Well that might be so but we could rule that out? Since I told you I have a HTC hero on even lover DPI and its still better readable as the SGS . Maybe my SGS is bugged...
Dont get me wrong here, SGS is far more superior and literally not comparable to the Hero. Am just saying, maybe with mine is something wrong
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Click to collapse
No prob I understand what you mean indeed.
I'm very happy with my screen, so won't screw around there unnecessarily...
Prasad007 said:
I'm very happy with my screen, so won't screw around there unnecessarily...
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Click to collapse
I was happy until I tried this plus is not like its going to crash and burn.
I went to all the trouble of rooting my phone and installing the free version , but after changing the numbers it didn't work so I decided that it wasn't worth the bother
Kethead said:
I went to all the trouble of rooting my phone and installing the free version , but after changing the numbers it didn't work so I decided that it wasn't worth the bother
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That sucks. Was that an old version or a recent one. I dont recall the first one I tried but they have all worked. On eclair I could do 160 but on Froyo anything under 182 crashes the contacts.
Thing is i have tried it many times at 200 but the stock apps that Samsung provides don't change to 200, so it's all too small when you open e.g the Phone app, the dialer is in the left hand corner and there is dead space on the right around it, same goes for other apps except contacts and calendar, but the top bar is messed up in those apps.
I'd use it but also GTG's touchwiz launcher doesn't work properly with it, only thing stopping me from using it is the problem with apps, if there is any way to make them scale to 200 i'd use it in a heartbeat
I use a different dialer as that is the only one that does not show correctly for me. It would be nice if everything worked though.
I know what it does, I do not use it at all
It causes too much screen / resolution problem with Apps that are not compatible
too much hassle to maintain
it's easier to not use it
AllGamer said:
I know what it does, I do not use it at all
It causes too much screen / resolution problem with Apps that are not compatible
too much hassle to maintain
it's easier to not use it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It just baffles me to read comments like this, my phone has about 305 apps/games (according to Titanium back up) so it is odd for me to read people saying this. Either I am very lucky that my apps are all fine or something else is wrong.
shaolin95 said:
It just baffles me to read comments like this, my phone has about 305 apps/games (according to Titanium back up) so it is odd for me to read people saying this. Either I am very lucky that my apps are all fine or something else is wrong.
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Click to collapse
I have issue with plenty of apps not sizing properly. It's just the nature of the beast when you change the density.
But to answer your OP, I don't use that program. I just change it manually in the build prop. That way it stays 140 or so when I do a full reboot.
oohaylima said:
I have issue with plenty of apps not sizing properly. It's just the nature of the beast when you change the density.
But to answer your OP, I don't use that program. I just change it manually in the build prop. That way it stays 140 or so when I do a full reboot.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I never tried changing it there, I guess the app is just a GUI for the same thing.
Can you name some of those apps if you have time cause I am really curious to check those.
So far games, only Pac Man and apps, the Dialer for which I am using a different one.
I think it's a waste to have a 4" screen and have it display as much as a 3" one would. I used it at 185 for a long time and never had many issues with non-Samsung apps.
Sometimes things scaled a bit weirdly, but they were perfectly functional and it was quite rare. Some of the Samsung applications (TouchWiz app drawer, calc, phone, memo, etc) just got smaller but I replaced those anyway. Other than that I never had issues.
Right now I'm using it at around 210 since the fonts got a little too small and for example the LP Twitter widget hard to read from a distance. Trying to find a balance.
Forgive me if this had been adked or explained before... the search function in the xda app is only gigving me results for custom roms... no matter what I search for... but that's besides the point.
Lately there has been a lot of apps in the market that have been saying that they are incompatible with my device, but the work on my wifes phone (original cliq not rooted) and my moms gtablet (vegantab7rc1), I'm running a cm7 nightly ( I forget which one it was around the 1st of september) I have changed my lcd density to 200... would that be the reason why?
And insight would help, thanks
Sent from my T-mobile G2 using XDA App
If the app can run on a Cliq, your phone will have no problem running it. I'm sure its something happening that the Market is identifying your device as a "Generic HTC phone" or something of the sort, and doesn't necessarily know the specs. I've flashed many many ROMs in my time and the Market identifies each one differently, I've just stopped paying attention.
The Market isn't stopping you from downloading the apps, is it?
The market prevent's us from downloading it.
martonikaj said:
If the app can run on a Cliq, your phone will have no problem running it. I'm sure its something happening that the Market is identifying your device as a "Generic HTC phone" or something of the sort, and doesn't necessarily know the specs. I've flashed many many ROMs in my time and the Market identifies each one differently, I've just stopped paying attention.
The Market isn't stopping you from downloading the apps, is it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah, if i side load it, it runs fine, the market isnt allowing me to download it, and according to my market settings... it identifies my phone as a tmobile g2... so maybe the market is broken...
Does your device by any chance have a different LCD density then the androids default 240? If so this is your problem. this happens with mine and my brothers G2, if the G2 has a different LCD density then 240 the new market, and only the new market (not the old one), will say some apps are incompatible. Try making sure you have the default lcd density set and reboot then retry downloading the app. The only way ive found to keep your custom lcd density AND be able to download any app is to revert back to the old android market.
I have the same issue. No change in lcd density. But any rom I use that is CM7 based has some issue with an app being incompatible. CM7 nightly said Facebook was not compatible. SuperCM7 says Evernote, MexDroid said Youtube.
I don't know what is wrong. I don't know if it has anything to do with the build.prop. I did change the prop to use Netflix. But I don't know if that is really an issue, since all roms seem to have this fixed and have there own build.props.
Over all, I am at a loss. Superwipe does nothing...factory reset did nothing. Any Rom that I've used has had some issues with compatiblity
Sent from my Htcclay's SuperCM7 G2 using XDA App
the following two parameters in build.prop are responsible for the market identification
ro.build.description
ro.build.fingerprint
i used the latest stock rom values and it works very well with MIUI
Can you post the stock values please so I don't have up download the ROM
Sent from my HTC Vision using XDA App
Hold on... I'm downloading the stock rom and will extact the build.prop. I want to know too because I keep having to install Market 2.3.3 everytime lol! Its pointless to describe the solution without the full answer... sheesh!
Here ya go! Let us know if it works okay It's straight from T-Mobile USA Gingerbread build so it should work fine...
ro.build.description=2.15.531.3 CL82286 release-keys
ro.build.fingerprint=tmobile/htc_vision/vision:2.3.4/GRJ22/82286:user/release-keys
I didn't post the values because I don't know them for the G2 stock rom
the (stock roms) market identification for G2 and DZ is different and I only know the DZ ones
Cid-Vox said:
I didn't post the values because I don't know them for the G2 stock rom
the (stock roms) market identification for G2 and DZ is different and I only know the DZ ones
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's cool... I didn't mind post them. No big deal... thanks for pointing out the problem!
I have been messing around with the LCD density settings on a few ICS ROMs for a little while now and after a lot of trial and error, I thought i'd share my experiences. I did some digging and I didn't see a formal write-up on this for our phones so I thought I'd give this a shot. (if anyone feels this has common knowledge and unnecessary, please just let me know and i will delete. also, I never tried this back on GB)
General Info for Beginners:
As you may already know, the standard resolution for our screens is 800 x 480 pixels. This is far below that of HD or even qHD screens. What this means in terms of real world use is that icons and text appear very large. Given our devices have a large 4.5 inch screen, it is arguable that this is not taking full advantage of all the extra screen real estate. While you cannot change the native resolution of a screen, you can do a simple build.prop tweak that can "trick" your phone into thinking that the resolution is much higher via a few simple programs.
How-To Change the Density Setting:
There are multiple programs out there for this purpose but I have found the best results with "ROM Toolbox". Feel free to buy the full version to support the dev but if all you are looking to do is change the density setting, the lite version will do just fine.
1. download and install "ROM Toolbox" from the Google Play Store
2. go to the "Performance" tab
3. click "build.prop tweaks"
4. change the "LCD Density" slider to whatever DPI you like
5. reboot
As mentioned, there are multiple programs out there but from my experience, DO NOT USE "LCD DENSITY MODDER" from the play store. This seems to soft-brick our phones as well as other GSII variants based on other reviews I've read and there does not seem to be a resolution at this time. This caused issues for me on TW-based and AOSP ROMS. It's a shame too, it seems perfect for this task, especially considering it can install a hacked Play Store (more on that later)
To see a more detailed thread on LCD Density Modder, go here (thanks kobridge!): http://forum.xda-developers.com/show....php?t=1570893
What Setting to Choose:
This is matter of personal opinion, but I personally like 190 dpi (stock setting is 240). Many people swear by using 160 dpi but personally the icons and text are too small for my poor eyesight. I suggest starting from about 200 or so and working your way down. Remember, the lower the number, the smaller your icons/text will appear but will also give you more screen real estate
You may also notice that text and icons appear less sharp when messing with these settings. Keep in mind that because you are not truly changing your screen resolution, the translation will not be perfect. Personally, given the natural sharpness of AMOLED screens, i think most people while not be bothered by this or even notice
Some users like elliwigy have reported FC issues when going below 190 DPI. If you want to go lower than this, I suggest you search for the thread that has a modded phone.apk that can help with this issue
Potential Issues and Workarounds:
You will inevitably run into some compatibility issues so here are few final thoughts
Which ROM to use?
TouchWiz-based Roms: All roms based on stock Samsung TW for the E4GT were written with only the native resolution in mind. This means that certain apps will not scale well with a higher resolution and two particular ones come to mind:
- The Phone Dialer: The dialer looks like small box that fills up only a portion of the screen. To resolve, use an aftermarket dialer app like "exDialer" from the play store (thanks tenazrael!)
- TW E-mail App: The TW e-mail app (not gmail) also doesn't scale well. Instead, delete and install the AOSP e-mail apk.
AOSP ROMs: CM9 and AOKP handle the conversion a bit better. You won't run into the dialer or e-mail issue like with TW ROMs but there are still some bugs.
- Certain pictures of contacts may show up as way too zoomed in, i.e. messaging notification pictures or the favorites tab (thanks locoboi187!)
- Other aspects of the OS may become hard to read when scaled down so much, i.e. lock screen add-on buttons (thanks phpracing!)
The Play Store Doesn't Show All Apps? - This is the biggest pain in the a$$ when you mess with the lcd density settings. There is a bug in the play store that prevents you from seeing certain apps when you change the settings away from default.
I have seen a few "hacked" versions of the vending.apk out there that makes the play store think you are always set to 240 but for some reason, this only works for a little while.
Here are the steps to get the market working again:
1. Change LCD Density back to stock (240)
2. Reboot to take effect
3. Clear the data for the Google Play Store AND Google Services Framework
4. Open the Play Store app and you should see everything again
5. Change LCD density back to whatever you like.
6. Reboot
I know this is a bit cumbersome but it's the best solution for now. I haven't quite nailed down what triggers the market to "break" but hopefully you won't have to do this fix too often. In opinion, this annoyance is worth it.
To see a more detailed thread on this topic, go here (thanks kobridge!): http://forum.xda-developers.com/show....php?t=1529227
Everything Looks Too "Stretched Out"? - Having an aftermarket launcher will help with this tremendously. I personally use Apex Launcher and there are some settings you can change to make the proportions look better
1. Homescreen Settings: Change the Vertical and Horizontal margins to medium or large
2. Dock Settings: Same as above.
You may also want to mess with different grid configurations now that you have extra room but i prefer to leave mine at the default 4 x 4
And that's it. I hope this will help you out so that you won't have to go through all the trial and error I did. I promise you, after you do this, it will be impossible for you to go back to the stock resolution (everything looks HUGE)
... and for those who care, here are some screen shots and the stock e-mail app
I've found 190-200 to be the sweet spot for me no matter which rom I use. It's nice, but isn't as nice as native 720p.
Tis a pity pentile was chosen for the GN over samoled+ makes it so one must choose between awesome colors or sweet, tight rez.
heroisnotdead said:
Tis a pity pentile was chosen for the GN over samoled+ makes it so one must choose between awesome colors or sweet, tight rez.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Amen
For those people who are interested - I am currently using LCD Resolution app from the Market store to keep my phone at 200. Anything less bothers me in some way or another.
In regards to the Dialer/Contacts being off center, I use an app called exDialer + exDialer ICS theme which scales perfectly. I then use an app called Holo Launcher which I believe beats Zeam, Go, and Launcher Pro hands down! This also scales perfectly. Finally, I am running the latest Blazer ROM on GB EL29.
The Market bug is very annoying, but I'm continually doing research on how to get past it.
tenazrael said:
For those people who are interested - I am currently using LCD Resolution app from the Market store to keep my phone at 200. Anything less bothers me in some way or another.
In regards to the Dialer/Contacts being off center, I use an app called exDialer + exDialer ICS theme which scales perfectly. I then use an app called Holo Launcher which I believe beats Zeam, Go, and Launcher Pro hands down! This also scales perfectly. Finally, I am running the latest Blazer ROM on GB EL29.
The Market bug is very annoying, but I'm continually doing research on how to get past it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for the dialer tip! I will update OP with this info. This is very useful knowledge. I started using AOSP roms to avoid annoying dialer bug so this may lead me to rethink what ROM i use and go back to TW based
At any lower dpi the messaging notification picture icon looks zoomed on CM9. I tried 160, 180, 195, 200
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium
im running cm9 a4 and this worked for me no problems. everything works the contacts and the dialer. not off center to me. i havent really messed around with the store yet but seemed good to me. the only thing i saw that was a little out of place and i dont think it is the tweak is the favorites icons. i use the favorites alot seeing as i only really call the same 6-7 people. does the contact/dialer app fix this?
phpracing said:
im running cm9 a4 and this worked for me no problems. everything works the contacts and the dialer. not off center to me. i havent really messed around with the store yet but seemed good to me. the only thing i saw that was a little out of place and i dont think it is the tweak is the favorites icons. i use the favorites alot seeing as i only really call the same 6-7 people. does the contact/dialer app fix this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i guarantee you that you'll see my problem listed above. Reproduceable.
Thanks for re-editing.
LCD Modder issue -
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1570893
Market download -
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1529227
elterible said:
... and for those who care, here are some screen shots and the stock e-mail app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is that a galaxy nexus or did you just change the dpi.
Also with the changes. The lock screen add on buttons (top, right, and left options) are very tiny. I didn't even notice them until I took a good look at it. Again don't think this is a problem, just a product of the modification.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium
My experience on any rom is phone fc's on any setting below 190 without modded phone.apk.. havent had any issues with market or anything when set to 190 in rom toolbox on any rom.. also if interested in native lcd changing support paranoid android is awesome! Not only does it have tablet mode it also has hybrid mode where you can change global density and even density per app while in hybrid mode
Sent from my SPH-D710 using XDA
thanks for the feedback everyone. again, i will update OP with the info
kobridge - thanks for the links to your posts. i didn't see these but will link in the OP for those who want more info.
Zero Night said:
Is that a galaxy nexus or did you just change the dpi.
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Click to collapse
just changed the DPI (don't own the GN, only E4GT). At the time of the screen shots, i was running CM9a5 with apex launcher set at 190 DPI
I didn't feel like reading the previous post but here's how to fix play store dpi issue. Steps 1 & 2 can be done in either order. Doesn't matter. Just be sure to change dpi before market updates
1) set your dpi
2) uninstall all data and updates to market.
3) reboot phone let play store update.
4) where did my dpi compatability issue go?
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium
Shoulon said:
I didn't feel like reading the previous post but here's how to fix play store dpi issue. Steps 1 & 2 can be done in either order. Doesn't matter. Just be sure to change dpi before market updates
1) set your dpi
2) uninstall all data and updates to market.
3) reboot phone let play store update.
4) where did my dpi compatability issue go?
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've tried both OP's solution and your solution, but neither is working, guess I'm one of the unlucky ones. It'll be a pain, but whenever I need to download something from the Play Store, I'll have to sit with 240 dpi for a bit, haha.
lucentflame said:
I've tried both OP's solution and your solution, but neither is working, guess I'm one of the unlucky ones. It'll be a pain, but whenever I need to download something from the Play Store, I'll have to sit with 240 dpi for a bit, haha.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What ROM you using?
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2
lucentflame said:
I've tried both OP's solution and your solution, but neither is working, guess I'm one of the unlucky ones. It'll be a pain, but whenever I need to download something from the Play Store, I'll have to sit with 240 dpi for a bit, haha.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's odd. I forgot to mention u gotta wipe Google frameworks also. But its how I fix my issue. It works on cm9 and blazer 4.1
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium
Shoulon said:
That's odd. I forgot to mention u gotta wipe Google frameworks also. But its how I fix my issue. It works on cm9 and blazer 4.1
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, the "trick" doesn't work for me either until i wipe google services framework.
On a side note, wipe the google services framework FIRST, then the play store. If you do the GSF last, you sometimes get a weird "server error" when you open up the play store