How to fix error 495 in Google Play Store on Android smartphones and tablets

How to fix error 495 in Google Play Store on Android smartphones and tablets

The Error 495 is a Google Play Store error common among Android devices running older operating systems like Android 4.4 KitKat, 4.3 JellyBean and 5.0 Lollipop etc. This is the format of the error: "Facebook" could not be downloaded due to an error. (495). YouTube, Whatsapp and Viber are among the apps that are mostly affected by this error. The most effective fix for Google Play Store error 495 are mentioned below. There are several methods but each will take only few minutes and they’re very easy to follow:

How to Fix Google Play Store Error 495 during Android app download/install

Method 1: Clear Google Play Store cache and data

1. Go to settings >> Apps >> All
2. Scroll down and select “Google Play Store”
3. Tap "Clear data”
4. Repeat above steps to clear data for “Google Service Framework”

Method 2: Reset app preferences

This method will reset your app settings to default. It won’t delete app data.

1. Go to Settings >> Apps (application manager)
2. Tap the menu key or the three dotted settings icon
3. Select “Reset app preferences”

Method 3: Check Background data settings

Make sure your background date is unrestricted. Many users who have turned this setting on to avoid data charges and that can later cause error 495 while updating or downloading apps in Google Play.

1. Go to Settings >> Data usage
2. Tap menu key or the three dotted menu icon on the screen
3. Tap “Allow background data”
4. Now you should be able to download/update app in Google Play

Method 4: Check Access location

1. From your App drawer select “Google Settings”
2. Go to Location and turn everything on.
3. If that didn’t solve the error continue to steps below
4. Install VPN app like Hideman VPN
5. Now open the VPN app and reset your location to a different one (example- UK)
6. Now you should be able to download apps from Google Play

Method 5: Uninstall Google Play Store updates

This method has also worked for many users. Here you will reset Google Play Store app to the stock or older version. The Play Store app will update automatically later online.

1. Go to Settings >> Apps >> All
2. Select “Google Play Store”
3. Tap “Uninstall Updates” >> OK
4. Launch Google Play and you should no longer get the error.

The last thing you can try is delete your Google account from settings and then add it back. Refer to this post: How to fix RPC-S:7:AEC error in Google Play Store.
 That has also solved error 495 for many android users. Do you have another fix for this issue? Drop a comment.

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Does Wallpaper Affect Battery Life of Smartphones and Tablets

Does Wallpaper Affect Battery Life of Smartphones and Tablets

This has been long debated among smartphone users. While there’s no doubt that live wallpapers eat up more power, many believe that the use of bright and colorful (static) wallpapers can also decrease battery life faster. This is actually true but this phenomenon only affects certain type of displays because different manufacturers use different kind of display technology.

How wallpapers affect battery life in smartphones and tablets

LG G2 LCD VS Samsung Galaxy S4 LED VS HTC One LCD screen

 LCD VS AMOLED

Two of the most popular display technologies used today are LCD and AMOLED. LCD or Liquid Crystal Displays are the most widely used screens on Android smartphones or tablets. Nexus 5 and Xperia Z use this type of display. LCDs have actual crystals which are illuminated by the lights underneath them or backlit. So in this case even you have all black wallpaper, the backlit is still on to illuminating the dark surface. This means your LCD screen is lit up almost all the times and it uses lots of power to do so.

AMOLED or Active Matrix Organic Light Emitting Diode is also a popular display techonology used in Smartphones, Tablets and TVs. There are also OLED displays which are different because they don’t use active matrix. Most of the Samsung smartphones like Galaxy S4, S5, Note 4 use AMOLED. The latest Moto X and Nexus 6 also use this display tech. AMOLEDs are less power hungry than LCDs because AMOLEDs are lit up pixel by pixel unlike LCDS, where all the pixels are illumined all the time. So if you have dark wallpaper in AMOLED display, those dark areas actually don’t lit up and become true black. You can do further research to study about the underlying tech of AMOLED involving electroluminescence.

 How do you save battery life via wallpaper 

Dark Theme for Android

If you have an LCD display then the choice of wallpaper won’t affect your device’s battery life. Fortunately, devices with LCDs come with larger batteries, power efficient processor or some battery saving software features. Now, if you have an AMOLED display, you can do the following to save your battery life:

• Use a all-black or darker wallpaper and themes. AMOLED displays with dark wallpaper/theme can reportedly save over 8% of battery life at full brightness. Source: XDA  
• Use nightmode: Many e-reader apps come with nightmodes which turn background into black and text into white so that it’s easier to read at night. This function also saves battery life when used on AMOLED screens. 
• Dark Screen filters: There are screen filter apps which add darker shades to your android screen.
• Dark Themes: Some ROMS and android launchers also support dark themes where all the icons, texts and backgrounds are turned into black or monochrome. 

If you have an OLED or AMOLED display and you want better battery life, give the above tips a try and share your experience with us.

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How to edit Build prop file on android devices Phones Tablets

How to edit Build prop file on android devices Phones Tablets

Androids geeks or someone in android development field know about the importance of “build.prop” file. By tweaking the Build.prop file, located in the system folder in root directory, users can change the factory set values of various handset/tablet hardware to increase internet speed, boost system performance, install incompatible apps, increase LCD density and more. So how do you edit the build.prop file? First thing you need to do is root your Android phone or tablet whose build.prop you want to edit. Since you are interested in editing this file I assume you already have root access.

This tutorial will show you how to edit LCD density in your build.prop file using a free app called “spare parts”. Tweaking LCD density will make texts and images clearer. You can tweak other settings too and you don’t really have to use an app. You can simply edit the build.prop file via text editors on file explorers like Root Explorer or ES File Explorer and then simply add the (tweak) commands at the end of the build.prop file, and click save.

The easy method to tweak LCD settings is by installing an app. First  Download Spare Parts in your Android device.

How to edit Build.prop on Android using File Explorers

Method 1: Root Explorer text editor

Download Root Explorer if you haven’t already.

1. Open Root Explorer which should be granted the superuser access
2. Browse to and open “System” folder (in main directory)
3. Select "Mount R/W" at the top. Now "r/o" at the left of the button will become "r/w".
4. Inside the System folder, long press “build.prop” and from the pop up select “open in text editor”.
5. Scroll down and you will find a line “ro.sf.lcd_density=240”. Change it to a value of your preference. Example, any one of the following values: 187,180,167, 200,220
6. Select the menu button on your device and press “save changes”. Now the build.prop is edited and root explorer will also make a backup of your original file.
7. Now Open Spareparts app and uncheck “Compatibility mode”
8. Restart your phone or tablet

Method 2.Using ES File Explorer text editor:

Download the latest version of ES File Explorer

1. Open Es File Explorer which should be granted the superuser access
2. Go to "settings" >> Scroll down and check "Root Explorer"
3. Select "yes" for the experimental feature. Now in the Superuser pop up select “allow it” and check “remember”.
4. Check "Mount File System". Go back.
5. Browse to “System” folder (tap on the top most tab and select “device”)
6. Inside the System folder, select “build.prop” and from the bottom left select “More” and select “Open As Text” and then select “ES Note Editor”
7. Scroll down and you will find a line “ro.sf.lcd_density=240”. Change it to a value of your preference. Example, any one of the following values: 187,180,167, 200,220
8. Select the menu button on your device and press “save changes”. Now the build.prop is edited and root explorer will also make a backup of your original file.
9. Now Open Spareparts app and uncheck “Compatibility mode”
10. Restart your phone or tablet
If you damaged your build.prop and cannot get into Android read. Type these commands in command prompt:
• adb pull /system/build.prop
• edit the build.prop file
• save the file
• adb shell mount –o remount rw /system
• adb reboot

If you still couldn’t manually edit build.prop file you can use apps that allow you to edit build properties. Here are a couple of build prop editor apps you can download & give a try:

• Build Prop Editor
• Build.prop Editor

Build.Prop Tweak Commands

Here are some more command lines that you can use to tweak Build.prop. Simply type the below lines as required to the bottom of your build.prop file using Root Explorer or Es Explorer Text Editor. Make sure to make backup of your original file.

Data Tweaks
ro.ril.hsxpa=3
ro.ril.gprsclass=12
ro.ril.hep=1
ro.ril.enable.dtm=1
ro.ril.hsdpa.category=28
ro.ril.enable.a53=1
ro.ril.enable.3g.prefix=1
ro.ril.htcmaskw1.bitmask=4294967295
ro.ril.htcmaskw1=14449
ro.ril.hsupa.category=9


Powersave Tweaks
ro.ril.disable.power.collapse=1
pm.sleep_mode=1--------NEW
wifi.supplicant_scan_interval=150


UI Tweaks
windowsmgr.max_events_per_sec=150
debug.sf.hw=1
video.accelerate.hw=1------NEW

Media Tweaks
ro.media.enc.jpeg.quality=100
ro.media.dec.jpeg.memcap=8000000
ro.media.enc.hprof.vid.bps=8000000-----NEW

media.stagefright.enable-player=true
media.stagefright.enable-meta=true
media.stagefright.enable-scan=true
media.stagefright.enable-http=true

Boot Tweaks
debug.sf.nobootanimation=1
persist.sys.shutdown.mode=hibernate----NEW
^^Makes phone boot rapidly fast.

System Tweaks
ro.ext4fs=1

Change the Dalvik VM heap size
dalvik.vm.heapsize=64m

Enable hard key lights to stay on while screen is on 
ro.mot.buttonlight.timeout=0


Disable usb debugging pop up
persist.adb.notify=0

To give your phone an HD effect, look for this line in  your build.prop and change 240 to these:
ro.sf.lcd_density=X (225 or 230)

To enable menu button to unlock the phone
ro.config.hw_menu_unlockscreen=true

To stop phone from waking up when pressing volume key
ro.config.hwfeature_wakeupkey=0

To make the phone ring faster when dialing out
ro.telephony.call_ring.delay=800

Source: XDA developers

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