My Android squawks at me and it's torture!

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lbandrew

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#114316 15-Feb-2013 13:33

A couple of weeks after inserting a Movistar SIM card, my unlocked GSM Galaxy SII GT 19100 started squawking in an annoying, repetitive two tone (B flat-G?) that sounds like an alarm after it has been turned on for 20 or 30 minutes.

I had previously installed PREY, and it did detect a changed SIM card, which I set it to tolerate. This noise started at least a few days later. PREY does not have the device reported missing, so I don't think this is their alarm. But it certainly reduces usability because I can't hear anything when it goes off while I am talking to someone.

Going to Movistar is pointless because they really don't know what they are doing even with common popular brands here in Panama. Has anyone experienced this incredibly annoying squawk? If so, did you diagnose the problem?

This happens no matter the state of battery charge, no matter whether I am actually calling someone, and it can only be silenced by shutting the phone down. It hasn't happened while it is plugged in and charging.

Anyone have ANY IDEAS AT ALL??? I want to smash the thing when this happens! Thanks for any help.

Louise

Stu

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#763055 15-Feb-2013 13:49

Hi Louise and welcome to Geekzone.

If the only security app installed is PREY, have you tried uninstalling PREY to see if the problem goes away? You can always install it again later.

Keep calm, and carry on posting.

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freitasm

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#763058 15-Feb-2013 13:55

No Norton, ESET, Bitdefender or anything like this installed? If you go to the settings what apps at set as device administrator?

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lbandrew

5 posts

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#763084 15-Feb-2013 14:19

Yes, thanks, of course I should try this. Obviously I don't qualify as a geek, even a newby geek!

Meanwhile, I may have found a solution within PREY, which is that the settings I THOUGHT would only be activated upon a missing report, are actually always on unless turned off. So I'll try turning them off first before uninstalling. The instructions for PREY are atrociously worded. Hope the security is more reliable!

lbandrew

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#763087 15-Feb-2013 14:20

freitasm: No Norton, ESET, Bitdefender or anything like this installed? If you go to the settings what apps at set as device administrator?

No, nothing else installed. Device Administrator under Settings just says "Prey extra security". Should I disable that?

freitasm

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#763090 15-Feb-2013 14:22

No, that's fine. Only need to disable that if you plan to uninstall Prey.

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lbandrew

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#763315 16-Feb-2013 04:13

OK, real geeks...

The squawk persisted after I turned off the alarm actions which apparently continue to work even if the device is not reported stolen.

SO, I uninstalled Prey (which DID require disabling its administrative permissions), thanks for that tip because Prey's instructions are patently unclear!

Yet the noise continues. Someone even sent me recordings of the Prey alarms, and they really do sound like modern police sirens. This noise sounds like the Gestapo tones you used to hear in old movies, but faster and a bit more mechanical. At one point, they were even overlapping one another!

The only thing I have found that shuts them off temporarily is to click on the little WiFi signal (looks like a fan) icon at the top of the screen. If both red and green arrows are flashing, the green one goes away with the sound.

So, real geeks, what is the obvious solution that eludes me? Surely this is not a tone that Android would have selected to let me know when I have an incoming message???? Anyway, I don't see any new messages when this happens. Usually I get this cute little peep. However, Movistar is CONSTANTLY sending me messages soliciting more business. Maybe the poor Android is fed up and wants me to dump this SIM! Like a baby or a teenager, it doesn't know what else to do except act out...

Unfortunately, Movistar is the only one that works where I am in Panama.

Thanks,

Louise

Stu

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#763374 16-Feb-2013 11:38

If there's no other security software installed, then nothing else comes to mind. Have a good look at each app you've installed. If all else fails I guess a factory reset would be an option. Make sure all your contacts are saved to your gmail account, not saved on the phone itself. A factory reset won't (shouldn't) delete your photos/downloads.

Keep calm, and carry on posting.

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jeffnz

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#763401 16-Feb-2013 12:48

try another sim card and see if that works, maybe nothing to do with it but worth a try. Failing that as was said a reset should do the trick

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duduwaka

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#778852 12-Mar-2013 22:02

Does your phone have NFC?

I had a similar dilemma and then discovered the noise was my phones NFC finding a card with a chip in it in my wallet and making a recognition noise. And this can be solved by disabling NFC

lbandrew

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#781374 14-Mar-2013 06:33

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. Turns out it was notification of a new gmail. I never knowingly set such a notification, and I can't imagine that ANYONE would want a noise like that to go off at random intervals; but there you have it. Turning off notifications turned off the squawk.

Disrespective

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#781378 14-Mar-2013 07:25

Rather than turning off notifications (which will stop all notifications such as txt messages et al) you could just change the sound to silent or some other, less grating, noise in the phone's settings? You should be able to find this in the main menu, under sound, then default notification sound.