ive had like 10 phones since the s8 and all feel like garbage cheap versions, shouldn't they be getting better?

The new samsung phones and pixels feels like my budget china umidigi phone from 2017

I don't know why these questions are consistently appearing on this sub.

iOS doesn't dominate in the US market. It just doesn't. It only hold a 55%-60% market share. That's not dominating.

All these posts are exhibiting the Begging The Question fallacy. A false premise is treated as true and then a query is made on that premise.

Don't know if it's Apple fanboys or people thinking their immediate circle is a representative sample; but, these posts are kinda fishy and definitely annoying.

https://gs.statcounter.com/os-market-share/mobile/united-states-of-america

Me and my boyfriend are a few timezones apart, and we both have abysmal sleep schedules, so we sometimes (quite frequently, to be honest) have to wake eachother up. But the only real way we can do that is "hey, is your alarm set? Is it *really* set? Ok good." Thing is, we still sometimes just sleep through those alarms anyway.

So I was wondering if there was a way to make it so we could set off alarms on eachother's phones. Some way to press a button and make his phone just start going apeshit. Preferably with some optional setting to make it so only the other person can turn off the alarm and control its volume. That way we can *really* make sure that the other person is awake when they need to be.

So I recently made the swap from iPhone to Android. Went from the 11 to the S25 Ultra.

I decided to give another try to android since my last one was like 2018 or something. I hated androids because of the slow freezing apps and terrible picture quality. I had a better experience on my iPod touch at the time with photography so went to iphone.

Fast forward now and I'm running into some of the same issues. However what i specifically want help with is my camera. I've tried to follow some tips n tricks online from other photo creators but my cam is still cheeks. I can't attach a photo but its doing this weird thing where the edges are blurry or at a weird focus? Just overall lower quality. I've tried tapping the focus anywhere else and it's still the same. Any suggestions?

Is there a good (free) app for this? My son is in his senior year and is having some attendance issues. We just want to be able to set up a geofence (area) around his school that when left (when he leaves the borders of the geofence) it quietly alerts one of us on our phones.

I would prefer it to be non-invasive, and I don't really need any of the other parental controls (I'm not going to start spying on his internet usage). Also, I don't want him to be alerted to the geofence (so I don't want it to mirror a notification on his phone that says "I have alerted your parents").

Thanks!

EDIT: I just thought of another possibility. GPS hogs a lot of battery... is there a way for me to get a notification if his phone goes over, say, 10mph? Then I'd know if he got in a car, which is good enough.

EDIT2: Please try to just answer the question. There are parental control apps out there, and all I wanted to know were your recommendations. I don't really need your parenting recommendations, and they're pretty much irrelevant.

EDIT3: I am extremely disappointed in this subreddit

I forgot my alternate gmail address. I believe it was linked to my main gmail for security. There were no emails sent between them and the alternate gmail address never interacted with any emails.

Please help me find the alternate gmail address that I cannot remember. Thanks

I’ve noticed on every Android phone I’ve owned.

Right after a reboot:

- Fingerprint unlock doesn’t work

- Face unlock doesn’t work

- The phone forces PIN/password first

Once I unlock it manually, biometrics start working normally again.

I assume this is security-related, but I’m curious about the exact reason to understand what’s happening behind the scenes.

Just got an s25 and I was surprised it had no SD card. My $175 oppo had an SD slot. Why are we paying more for lesser features. First they came for the removable battery, then the headphone jack, now the SD card?

Is it to sell some stupid cloud subscription? I could care less about "AI features". Instead of such gimmicks we could have had so many better features.

At this point how is samsung any better than apple. They killed all the features and iOS has a better UI anyway. I heard they are also removing the ability to download apks. So basically just plan to become an apple clone with a worser UI, the future looks so bleak

My mom has a Samsung A20e and it’s pretty lacking in space right now, so I suggested getting a micro SD card for it and wrote it down for her, but she lost the note before she went shopping and she doesn’t know what an SD card is or what it’s called without the note. When she got there the person she was asking for help about increasing storage on her phone (since she didn’t really know specifically what she was looking for) they just told her they could only increase storage for photos specifically and not for apps and what not, presumably with an SD card??? As far as I know that’s not how SD cards work?? Like, that employee was just lying to her, right? They were just trying to manipulate her into buying a new phone, right? Micro SD cards for this phone model don’t exclusively increase storage for pictures, right? Anyway, this situation was weird and specific, so I’m posting about it here.

Update: I had no idea SD cards for phones worked this way. I have upgraded the storage on several other devices before and none of them behaved like that. I also know almost nothing about android phones as I’m a chronic apple user. Thank you for the help!!

You can probably guess which kind of place names I'm referring to, but no matter what it only shows me the names the US government decides. Everyone else around here still has normal names. There doesn't seem to be a corresponding setting neither in Android nor in Google Maps.

I am a US citizen, but do not live there and am not physically there. I can't imagine how Google would know my citizenship status anyway. Anyone know why my phone/account is being singled out here when it comes to this stuff?

I'm going to come from an iPhone to Android. I want the smoothest running smartphone. I have been watching so many reviews of different smartphones for the last couple of days. Pixels, Galaxy, Oneplus, Honor, Motorola, etc. And every smartphone has been told at least once that it's slow at times. Are there any Android smartphones that run as smoothly as iPhones?

P. S. I don't care about watches, pads and other ecosystem staff. All I want is a smooth-running phone.

Thx for your answers.

Hello, I marked this as NSFW, I hope this is enough (and new account because I don't want the people I know to read this on my main account!). If not, where can I ask this question?

Anyway, as I said in the title, I need to block every possible p*rn content on my son's phone. I'm not forcing it on him, he wants this and asked for my help. As his parent, I have the duty to help him.

His phone is a Motorola moto g84.

What we would like is a software/something, (I'm really not a software guy myself...) that somehow controls everything he can search for on any browser, and block, without possibility to somehow access it, p*rn contents. For instance, he tried to always impose "safe search", but it's very easy to overcome it and it's not enough anymore. It goes without saying that he must not be able to turn this off, otherwise it would be useless!

With p*rn contents I mean videos, websites, and also the possibility to see p*rn pictures on the "images" section on google.

I saw that there are many possibilities, like parental control, third party apps (though we've tried one and it was bad at best...) etcetera, but I do not know if it will be a definitive solution to the problem.

Could you please help us ?

P.S He told me there are other ways to access p*rn, like Reddit and Telegram, but he has already used other apps to lock them behind a password, so browsers are the last thing to protect him from.

P.S2 many will say "this is not a solution" and I know it, indeed he'll start seeing a doctor for this. It's not a severe addiction, he uses it like once every week/two weeks and he has managed to stop for almost one year, but due to a very hard period he started again. He is annoyed by this thing and feels it is a weakness and I want to help him.

Thank you very much, and I apologise if the post is not ok for this community.

Hi everyone! I'd really appreciate some honest advice from people who have used both Samsung and iPhone, especially those who have switched from Android to iOS.

I've been using a Samsung Galaxy A70 for around 7 years, and before that, I also had an Android phone. So, I'm very used to Android and its interface. I'm not particularly loyal to any brand, but lately, I've been seriously considering switching to an iPhone.

WHY I'M INTERESTED IN AN IPHONE

I really like the camera, especially how vibrant the photos look and how good the low-light photography and videos seem to be. I like the overall design and premium feel, and I've always been curious about iOS. I'd like to experience using an iPhone at least once. I want a phone with a great camera, good battery life, and smooth performance that will last me around 3–6 years.

WHAT'S MAKING ME HESITATE

Navigation: I'm used to Android's navigation system, especially the back button and being able to switch between apps quickly. I'm not sure how comfortable I'll feel without a universal back button on iOS.

Ease of use: Android feels very natural to me, and I'm worried that iOS might feel less intuitive or more restrictive, at least initially.

Files and PDFs: I frequently download files, open PDFs, and share documents through different apps. I've heard that managing files and sharing them can be less straightforward on iOS.

Work-related use: I work in a hospital emergency department, so I use my phone frequently throughout my shifts. I need to be able to open the camera quickly, make calls, use the flashlight, switch between apps, and do everything with minimal hassle. Convenience and speed are very important to me.

Price: iPhones are expensive, and I don't want to spend that much money only to realize that I preferred my old Android experience.

Accessories: Having to purchase a charger or other accessories separately is another small downside.

The Apple ecosystem: I'm concerned that I might feel pushed toward buying other Apple products or that transferring files between devices could become inconvenient if I don't own a Mac.

Longevity: I want to keep my next phone for several years, so long-term software support, battery health, and overall durability are important to me.

I'm not afraid of learning a new interface. What worries me more is spending a lot of money on an iPhone and then regretting the switch because Samsung was simply more practical and convenient for my everyday use.

On the other hand, I don't want to dismiss the iPhone without trying it, especially because its camera is one of the main reasons I'm considering switching.

QUESTIONS FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE USED BOTH

Did you find iOS frustrating after years of Android, or did you adapt quickly? Is managing files, PDFs, and sharing documents genuinely more inconvenient on iPhone? How does the iPhone compare with a recent Samsung flagship in terms of camera quality, battery life, and everyday performance? If you use your phone heavily for work, which operating system do you find more practical? If you switched from Samsung to iPhone, would you make the same decision again? If you switched back, why?

Given my situation, would you recommend getting an iPhone or sticking with Samsung?

I'd especially appreciate honest opinions from people who have actually used both, rather than recommendations based solely on brand preference.

Thanks!

I was about to buy the Galaxy S23 but then I saw the huge discourse around Samsung's expanding batteries and what a safety hazard it is

I'm a person who sleeps next to their phone as it charges all night, so I'm primed for one of these things happening to me.

Currently using Samsung Galaxy S20 FE for the fourth year, looking to replace.

My intention is a good, quality phone that you can buy, trust and forget about. I'd have gotten an iPhone if not for how restrictive iOS is in comparison to android.

Any suggestions?

With Google screwing android by straight up killing side loading with requirement of verified authors. I think the next thing to kill privacy more is asking for id, profile picture and maybe blood sample to use the damn system this is ridiculous smartphones should be more "I can do whatever I want with it" not a privacy and freedom nightmare

I wish these changes aren't extreme but I know they are going to be worse than expected like this new storage system that destroyed file managers and media players.

What do you all think lets hear all opinions but tbh I don't trust google

I've always liked iOS for its cleanliness, stability, and the fact that most apps come to the App Store first. But I understand that Android has more customization. Doesn't that leave it open to more security flaws? I've gotta admit, the Galaxy S3 and the Nexus 7 look interesting. I might pick up the Nexus 7 sometimes.

Edit: I dont mean to start a flame war.

I regularly back up 50–100GB of files, so fast USB transfer speeds matter a lot to me.

The iPhone 16 Pro supports USB-C with up to 10Gbps transfer speeds. Meanwhile, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, one of the most premium Android flagships, only supports USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5Gbps)—half the speed.

This feels like a huge missed opportunity. USB-C can support 10Gbps (and even more), so why are Android manufacturers not taking full advantage of this in 2025, especially on $1000+ phones?

Is it a cost-saving move? Poor priorities? Or is there some technical/design limitation I’m missing?

Would love to hear from people with technical insight or similar frustrations.

I don't know if this is the right sub to ask for help on this, but here goes:

About a year ago, I replaced my child's Android phone since the one he's had is riddled with cracks on the screen. After a brief time, he said he didn't care about the cracks, he still preferred his old phone. Now, his "established" phone is set up under my Google family group and has an app that monitors all apps and messaging against a white list of approved contacts, etc. I took the "new" phone back.

Last night, I found the "new" android in the folds of his sheets. Although there is no SIM card, he has been using it with the wifi, etc. The device is locked with a password. He's pleading total ignorance. No matter what, I cannot access the device without his compliance. There was a Gmail address referenced in the notifications, and my thought was I could do a hard reset and then recover the data on the phone by logging into the Gmail account, but I can't recover the Gmail without logging into the device.

The notifications look as if he's been on social media, potentially even dating apps, which of course is exactly my worst fear (he's not allowed on any social media at all). A hard reset would delete all those messages etc. I reached out to Google and because he set up a standard Google alternate (as opposed to a child account), they cannot help me.

I am at a loss. What do I do?

EDIT:

My son is 10 years old. We talk about social media all the time. He's on YouTube and has online friends through various gaming systems. I spend a lot of time contextualizing it for him, but no way can I let him access the internet with no restrictions at this age.

Why do so many features not work? Google Assist is useless; I can't even send a text. Also, Chrome doesn't know what the "Clear browser history" button is supposed to do. Isn't this ABC stuff?

This, HERE

So the iPhone has had it for a while now, but to my knowledge Android does not.

If it does, please dear god someone tell me how.
If not, well my question is valid.

tl;dr I fucked up with Titanium Backup somehow. Reboot formatted SIM. Recovered apps thru phone-assigned gmail account. Recovered contacts thru yahoo. Somewhat solved. Final problem in last edit. Solved before anyone helped. Thanks for looking anyway.

Alright, so I rooted my LG Phoenix running on a 2.2.1 kernal. Added a few new toys (busybox, titanium reboot, quick boot, ad blocker, and a couple more that I can't remember). I then try to use Titanium to remove ATT Navigator (one of the many bloatwares that come with the phone).

Phone goes thru typical rebooting mode, I'm guessing to finalize the removal. BUT...

When the phone finally reboots... I lost everything (somewhat). The phone's setting have been reset, all of my DL-ed apps removed, and contacts gone.

I looked thru ThinkOffice to see if I still have some data. I found practically everything there. Any .docx files I had, all pics/music/vids, app data/stats, and so on. But I don't see the apps!

Went to MAnage Apps and I see nothing but default apps, and nothing on my SD (which is where I had the majority of the DL-ed apps to save local space).

And, worst of all.. my f$%^&*ing contacts are gone! Even when I try to import from SD or SIM (since they were all on my SIM), but there's nothing. I'm so screwed. I need my contacts most of all. Apps are recoverable thru extensive downloading, but why was everything removed, and can it be fixed?!?

I'm sure this is probably a n00b problem, but I'm lost. As the title suggests, the user who manages to recover all of my missing data (apps, contacts, settings) will get 12 months of Reddit Gold.

I'm a man of my word.

I linked up my gmail account to it, but that did diddly squat. Apps I used to have include: Lookout, AVG, yahoomail, BankofA, flashlight, backgammon, chess, checkers, reversi (from AI factory, which stats I still have saved in a file in the phone some how), Sun-something (f.lux look-a-like).

I hope this problem is fixable.

Do your magic, Reddit.

EDIT: P.S. Oh, after the "format," I had a SuperUser app installed, I'm guessing it showed the legitimacy of the root, which I didn't see when I rebooted the first 2 times. Although I could've missed it then anyway/

EDIT 2 I recovered my apps thru Market after signing into the gmail account I had set up specifically for the phone. As for the contacts, however...

Last Edit I recovered my apps, and contacts, for the most part, but can anyone tell me what went wrong? Sadly, no one will get gold for this solution.

I grew with Apple, so more than most I know why Apple and it's product are shit today. Or so I thought before getting a Galaxy S8 (Nougat) this winter.

First I was vomited on with tons of apps, packages and "services" I didn't ask for that installed and activated themselves, which from an iPhone, PC or Mac standpoint is not a problem since I should be able to control, uninstall or quit them.

That's until I saw that some of these packages were hidden, forcibly running even when stopped, but most importantly that it was recording through the mic (Sound Detectors and many apps) everything I was saying and doing under the excuse of detecting "doorbell" even when deactivated, and many more tons of packages. This means that some processes or even apps are forcing and violating some trade secrets, private or company informations, as well as research, amongst other exemple that do not even relate to personal life.

But what is beyond crazy, is how Android is actually forcing me to give out my informations (any sorts) to even use apps that don't need or that I don't want to use with these permissions, and even when deactivating some apps, or data usage or permissions, they're still tracking and stealing private and personal information...

How the fuck is that possible? I've wanted to switch to Android for year, and wanted the Galaxy S8 as soon as it's release, but how is it possible that Google and/or Samsung are literally assaulting my privacy, private (company) information and thus rights (at least any civilised country like in Europe) wether it's with or without my supposed "permission"? WTF, do I have a wrong/reconditioned model, am I using it wrong?

I use it strictly as a replacement for GTalk and it works fine. I dislike the attach button after using the wonderful attach feature in Messenger, but the app works perfectly fine. What's wrong with it to everyone else?

Disclaimer: I am weird, picky, and seem to have weird unexplainable issues that very little people seem to encounter. Every user will use their phone in different ways, but I would definitely be considered a "power user" (many apps installed, multiple Gmail accounts, high screen time, use in moist/physically abusive environments, ex) and always seem to find those obscure edge case issues. These mostly negative personal experiences have developed strong opinions towards certain brands or series that you may not agree with. But I have stopped following new innovations in smartphones ever since they became nonexistent, and need suggestions, some real world experiences, and some more recent information regarding what phones are available today to decide what I will try to use for the next couple of years.

I currently have a OnePlus 8t that I bought used about 2 years ago, which occasionally has been having heavy screen artifacting and freezing when subjected to light shocks (like daring to drop it on a table from 3 inches above). This is the 3rd OnePlus device I've had that developed hardware issues (the other two were 7ts that had the LCD stop functioning even though the glass was fine, one was dropped the other was not as far as I know I just woke up one morning and the display wouldnt turn on), so it's time for me to move on to something else. I do not have a lot of money to spend right now, looking to save some more before my 8t finally gives up but right now I have 400, maybe could stretch to 600. A used phone is something I am comfortable with, maybe a high end model from 1 or 2 years ago would fit. Me and my family have a long history with Samsung devices, and to summarize our experience has been pretty mixed. I am not a fan of One UI's slowness and quirks. That combined with the software-related battery life issues makes me wary of finding an s21 or s22, or any other modern Samsung model. I owned a pixel 2 awhile ago and liked it until I didn't, was fantastic until the later android updates came out and introduced a lot of bugs and then the battery started dying after 3 hours of screen on time, doesn't sound like the software or hardware quality has gotten better since. Not interested in OnePlus anymore, their software has been pretty decent but their hardware has not been very durable in my experience. So my question is, if not Samsung, Google, or OnePlus, what can I get that had a clean and reliable android experience with a large battery, good camera, and reasonable expectation for durability? I will admit I'm not easy on my phones and laptops, I work on cars to earn some income while in school and that's really tough on them, and I use my phone all the time to look up diagrams or information for those cars or other projects, and having a heavy or buggy android OS really slows me down and gets really annoying. Root capabilities are not very important to me anymore, unless a Custom ROM would be a major upgrade to the stock firmware.

Are there any options left with those requirements in mind, or have I become so picky I will never be happy with what I get. Pretty sure the latter is true, but maybe I can find something ill hate the least.