Posts From Skanda Hazarika

Skanda Hazarika
Skanda Hazarika

DIY enthusiast (i.e. salvager of old PC parts). An avid user of Android since the Eclair days, Skanda also likes to follow the recent development trends in the world of single-board computing.

This app lets you tweak hidden settings and use custom themes in Gboard

This app lets you tweak hidden settings and use custom themes in Gboard

September 18, 2021
Google’s Gboard is among the most popular keyboard apps for Android, and it been updated quite a lot over the years. Recently, the app gained the ability to use the colors generated by Android 12's “monet” theme engine to dynamically change the appearance of its UI elements. Despite this added customizability, power users may still...
Windows 11 Update Tracker: Download and Install the latest Windows 11 update

Windows 11 Update Tracker: Download and Install the latest Windows 11 update

September 16, 2021
The wait is finally over — Windows 11 is here as Microsoft has officially kicked off the Insider Preview program for the next generation of Windows. The company is also rolling out several updates on top of the base Windows 11 build in preparation for an eventual rollout via the stable channel. This article will...
Energy Ring adds a battery bar to your Galaxy Z Flip 3, Z Fold 3, or Pixel 5a

Energy Ring adds a battery bar to your Galaxy Z Flip 3, Z Fold 3, or Pixel 5a

September 16, 2021
As manufacturers have tried to push the limits of bezel-less design, we're now seeing the gradual rise of under-display cameras. Until that becomes mainstream, the hole-punch camera cutout will remain the most popular design choice among smartphone makers. However, the reaction to these display holes has been rather polarizing — some people want to hide...
Download: ASUS ZenFone 8 gets its second Android 12 Beta update

Download: ASUS ZenFone 8 gets its second Android 12 Beta update

September 14, 2021
Back in May, ASUS released the first Android 12 beta build for the ZenFone 8, allowing developers and enthusiasts to try out the new software and help weed out critical bugs. The Taiwanese OEM is now following up with the second installment that fixes many of the bugs and issues reported by the early adopters. ASUS...
Revive your OnePlus Nord 2, Nord CE, or Nord N200 back to factory firmware with these unbrick packages

Revive your OnePlus Nord 2, Nord CE, or Nord N200 back to factory firmware with these unbrick packages

September 14, 2021
OnePlus smartphones are currently some of the best phones to get if you want to tinker with the software. However, tinkering with the software is not without its risks, and it can lead to you soft bricking your phone. This is the reason why OEMs have low-level flashing tools for devices they sell, so that...
Universal SafetyNet Fix gets updated with support for Android 12 and many OEM skins

Universal SafetyNet Fix gets updated with support for Android 12 and many OEM skins

September 13, 2021
It took a long time for the Android aftermarket development scene to find a somewhat universal method to bypass the hardware-backed SafetyNet attestation techniques, but after an immense amount of work, XDA Senior Member kdrag0n accomplished the feat in January. Thankfully, it took significantly less time to make the fix compatible with Android 12. The developer...
Have an old JioFi and Jio STB sitting around? Here’s how to unlock these devices to get more use out of them

Have an old JioFi and Jio STB sitting around? Here’s how to unlock these devices to get more use out of them

September 11, 2021
Carrier-subsidized devices sound like a great deal on paper. If you're planning to stick with the carrier anyway, it's often a no-brainer to jump onto a new device that they offer. But one of the bigger inconveniences that power users have always faced with carrier-subsidized devices is that there is always some or the other...
How to install Android 12 Beta on Google Pixel and other Android devices

How to install Android 12 Beta on Google Pixel and other Android devices

September 8, 2021
It’s that time of year again! Android 12, i.e. the next major release of Android is now available as public beta. This won’t give you the full Android 12 experience as it's still very much a work-in-progress, but for lucky owners of the Google Pixel 3, Pixel 3 XL, Pixel 3a, Pixel 3a XL, Pixel...
How to download Android 12 Beta for Google Pixel and other Android devices

How to download Android 12 Beta for Google Pixel and other Android devices

September 8, 2021
The wait is finally over — Android 12 is here as Google has officially kicked off the Android 12 Beta program following the Developer Preview initiative. If you’re the lucky owner of a Google Pixel 5a, Pixel 5, Pixel 4a 5G, Pixel 4a, Pixel 4, Pixel 4 XL, Pixel 3a, Pixel 3a XL, Pixel 3,...
The Google Pixel 5a gets its first custom ROM

The Google Pixel 5a gets its first custom ROM

September 7, 2021
The Pixel 5a is Google's latest mid-range smartphone. It has a 6.34-inch full-HD+ screen, Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G SoC, 4,680mAh battery, and the usual honest-to-Google Android to boot. The kernel sources were released a few days ago, and we knew aftermarket development for this particular device would be coming soon. And now, here we go: An...
Google Pixel 5a factory images and kernel source code are now available

Google Pixel 5a factory images and kernel source code are now available

August 26, 2021
Google finally took the wraps off the Pixel 5a last week, but the Mountain View giant slacked off a bit and did not give us direct download links for OTAs and factory images right after the launch. If you have already managed to score one for yourself, we have good news for you, as Google...
How to update your Samsung Galaxy smartphone and install official firmware

How to update your Samsung Galaxy smartphone and install official firmware

August 25, 2021
Samsung Galaxy smartphones are among the best Android smartphones in the market. When it comes to the software update front, the Korean OEM is doing a pretty decent job as well, keeping its average consumers on new and recent security patches through regular updates. However, one thing that’s not always easy to come by on...