[GUIDE] Mod Skype 4.x to call invisible contacts - Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

GUIDE IS ON POST #2
Hi folks!
In Skype 4.x it is impossible to call invisible contacts, and I was hoping you would lend me a hand to change things around!
Here's what I got so far:
I assume that the app is checking if the contact is available, if not it returns an error message
The displayed error message is "No answer"
In \res\values\strings.xml the string "No answer" has 2 matches:
Code:
<string name="message_call_duration_no_answer">no answer</string>
and
<string name="message_call_failed_no_answer">No answer</string>
I assume we're looking for the latter
Apart from public.xml and many localized string.xml the string "message_call_failed_no_answer" can only be found in two R$string.smali (in \smali\com\skype\raider and \smali\com\skype\android\app) wich I assume being identical for our purposes
Code:
.class public final Lcom/skype/android/app/R$string;
.super Ljava/lang/Object;
.source "R.java"
# annotations
.annotation system Ldalvik/annotation/EnclosingClass;
value = Lcom/skype/android/app/R;
.end annotation
Code:
.class public final Lcom/skype/raider/R$string;
.super Ljava/lang/Object;
.source "R.java"
# annotations
.annotation system Ldalvik/annotation/EnclosingClass;
value = Lcom/skype/raider/R;
.end annotation
From this line on the files are identical
In both the files the string "message_call_failed_no_answer" has only 1 match:
Code:
.field public static final message_call_failed_no_answer:I = 0x7f070261
If we look for the string "0x7f070261", we find it in 4 files: public.xml, the two almost identical R$string.smali, and smali\com\skype\android\app\calling\PreCallActivity.smali
In PreCallActivity.smali the string "0x7f070261" has only 1 match:
Code:
.method private endCallWithReason(Lcom/skype/SkyLib$LEAVE_REASON;)V
[blablabla]
.line 642
:pswitch_6
const v0, 0x7f070261
invoke-virtual {p0, v0}, Lcom/skype/android/app/calling/PreCallActivity;->getString(I)Ljava/lang/String;
move-result-object v0
invoke-direct {p0, v0}, Lcom/skype/android/app/calling/PreCallActivity;->endCallWithMessage(Ljava/lang/String;)V
goto :goto_0
...but... my coding skills are equal to ZERO, so I have no clue how to proceed from here
I tried to look into Skype 3.2 but PreCallActivity.smali doesn't exist: nor in smali\com\skype\android\app (infact in smali\com\skype\android\ there is no app subdir to be found at all...), nor anywhere else.
A little help please?
Thank you for your time
f:fingers-crossed:
Edit: Now that I think of it, I will try to just delete from .line 642 to goto_0 and recompile... I'm not so hopeful but hey! :fingers-crossed:
Edit: I Recompiled the apk deleting only
Code:
invoke-virtual {p0, v0}, Lcom/skype/android/app/calling/PreCallActivity;->getString(I)Ljava/lang/String;
move-result-object v0
invoke-direct {p0, v0}, Lcom/skype/android/app/calling/PreCallActivity;->endCallWithMessage(Ljava/lang/String;)V
, copied META-INF folder and AndroidManifest.xml over from the original apk to the newly compiled one, checked zipalignment zipaligned it, signed it and... GREAT SUCCESS! I've managed to insall and use the app... now I'll wait for my invisible friends to "show up"

---

GUIDE
Alrighty Folks!
Well... IT WORKS
So, to sum it up, if you want to do it yourself:
Decompile the Skype apk
Open \smali\com\skype\android\app\PreCallActivity.smali in Notepad++ (or your editor of choice)
Find 0x7f070261
Edit the file to look something like this
HTML:
const v0, 0x7f070261
#
# invoke-virtual {p0, v0}, Lcom/skype/android/app/calling/PreCallActivity;->getString(I)Ljava/lang/String;
#
# move-result-object v0
#
# invoke-direct {p0, v0}, Lcom/skype/android/app/calling/PreCallActivity;->endCallWithMessage(Ljava/lang/String;)V
#
goto :goto_0
(I commented the pesky lines but I guess deleting them would be ok too)
Recompile
Open your new apk and copy META-INF folder and manifest.xml from the original apk
Sign the new apk
Zipalign the signed apk
Install as a regular apk
CREDITS:
KUDOS TO @ibanez7 FOR HIS EXCELLENT GUIDE ABOUT DECOMPILING/RECOMPILING APKs :good::good::good: (Recommended if you have doubts about any of the above steps)
KUDOS TO @Flextrick FOR HIS AWESOME ANDROID MULTITOOL :good::good::good:
Make sure you thank them if you found this guide useful
Enjoy
f