In my previous article I covered how to access SQLite databases on Android. Here we’ll look at how to explore those databases to gather more information. Among Android’s databases, some contain sensitive information: lockscreen.db Browser sessions, browser history, cached images, and more. You can also explore databases of installed apps to read or modify their stored values. For example, some people use apps like GameGuardian to change game scores. With direct SQLite access you can do the same — and more — without any third-party tool (root access required). ...

Let’s have a small look at Android’s internal structure. Android has a layered architecture. The Android library includes components like: Surfaces Manager SSL SQLite …and more. Android stores application data in SQLite databases. These run through the DVM (Dalvik Virtual Machine), and essential app data is kept in SQLite format. NOTE: This isn’t about exploiting SQL databases — it’s just a tutorial on how to access them. I’ll cover exploiting SQLite databases in a separate article. ...

Apktool is a utility for decompiling and recompiling Android APKs. It extracts DEX (Dalvik Executable) bytecode into smali — a human-readable representation of the DEX format. To view .dex and smali files, I use the 920 Text Editor. It’s my personal favourite. Prerequisite: Root access is required. Step 1: Download Apktool from: https://code.google.com/archive/p/apktool/downloads This is a zip file. Extract it to the root of your default storage — not inside a subdirectory. ...

A friend asked me to fix an issue on his phone: he couldn’t connect to the Play Store or Gmail, and kept seeing “Connection problem, try again later.” After some investigation, here’s what I found. Common causes: Google Play Services has been removed or disabled. Google Play Services is outdated — try updating it. If you’re using a system cleaner app, make sure Google Play Services is whitelisted — some cleaners kill it in the background.

Warning: Rooting your Android device removes built-in security protections and disables OTA updates from the manufacturer. Do this at your own risk. Requirements: Battery above 10% Good internet connection Patience ;-) Download the KingoRoot app (not KingRoot — these are different apps): https://www.kingoapp.com Enable internet, open the app, and tap Root Now. You may see a popup saying “There is no root files available for your device.” Ignore it and tap Continue Anyway. ...

PHP is a server-side scripting language, meaning it typically needs a web server to run. It’s also platform-independent — you can run PHP on Android, Linux, or Windows. Prerequisite: Minimum 50 MB of free space on internal storage. For this demo, I’m using the Palapa Web Server app for Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.alfanla.android.pws Install and open the app. Tap the install button to download dependencies. Once everything’s installed, tap Start All Services. Some information will appear on screen: ...

Watching the same boot animation every time gets old. In this tutorial I’ll show you how to change it. Let’s begin. Note: Modifying system files can potentially harm your device. Navigate carefully. Prerequisites: Rooted device Root Browser or ES File Explorer A replacement bootanimation.zip (Optional) Custom images if you want to create your own animation Replacing an existing boot animation: Open your file browser and grant root permission. In ES File Explorer, enable Root Explorer from the left panel. ...

This article is for Galaxy Tab P1000 (p1) users. Let’s look at how to flash an Omni-based Android Marshmallow custom ROM on the Samsung Galaxy GT-P1000 without a PC. The Omni ROM is built for users who love customizing their device. Galaxy Tab GT-P1000 Specifications: Display: 7.0", 600×1024, 480p Camera: 3MP RAM: 512MB Chipset: Hummingbird Battery: 4000mAh Li-Ion Prerequisites: Stock ROM based on Android 2.3.3 or 2.3.6 OMNI ROM 6.0.1 (Marshmallow) zip file: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4x3lF8C1wBOUER6bmhLRUduMVU/view?usp=sharing&pageId=100757480345882926005 ...

In this tutorial, we’re going to play with some traditional Linux commands on Android. We’re using Terminal Emulator, available free on Google Play. If your device has root access, you can also install BusyBox to unlock more advanced utilities. Anyway — the commands below don’t require BusyBox. They’re built-in. Download Terminal Emulator Enable your data connection for better results with network commands. 1. iftop iftop shows real-time bandwidth usage on a network interface — who is sending and receiving, and how much. ...

C++ is a powerful, widely-used language, but compilation isn’t very portable — on Windows, Turbo C++ and Borland C++ are common choices. If you like to keep your programming environment in your pocket, this tutorial is for you. All you need is an Android device. We can compile, execute, and debug C++ programs using AnDosBox on Android — a port of the classic DosBox emulator. It runs on Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) and up. ...