Android phone / app for senior or child - Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Alright, here is the deal, I'm planning to upgrade my mom's phone, thinking about Nokia 2.2.
I want to severely restrict phone's ability to do things. Phone should be essentially frozen in time. She breaks any electronics in ways that boggles my mind. And unfortunately I don't have physical access to her devices.
I'll install set of apps that she can use. Set up phone properly with her google account. But beyond that, she shouldn't be able to:
1. move icons around.
2. Change anything related to the phone appearance, language, keyboard etc.
3. use most of the settings. She'll change screen brightness / volume at most.
4. install / remove any software.
Other than that, updates should work (both android and apps)
Ideally I should be able to access her screen remotely.
Looking for apps that can do that. I can custom rom flash/root/whatever the phone, so both google play solution and more hacky ways are accepted.

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WidgetLocker question

Hello,
I've seen a couple of threads regarding WL on here and also through general Google search, but I'm still not able to do what I want with this, nor to determine if it's possible.
I'm using the rooted version of the latest NC system, so I believe I have Froyo, but I'm not sure about the Android names. Anyway, I want to have a lock screen where I have access to a couple of frequently-used, non-threatening applications, and then require entry of the lock code to get general access to the normal launcher (I'm using Launcher Pro). For example, I go to a lot of foreign language conversation groups. I'd like to be able to access the off-line dictionary directly from the start up screen without entering a code, but - obviously - keep contacts, etc behind the security screen.
So ... I installed WidgetLocker and put some of those apps on the screen, but - despite having fiddled with the settings for hours - I can't get it to not ask for the security code for my apps (like offline dictionary) on the WidgetLocker screen. The ONE exception to this is Owner Info. That one app will launch from the WidgetLocker screen and display my personal info without requesting a security code. But I can't get that to work for the others where I want that (like offline dictionary, but also a radio station and some other selected apps).
Can anyone help me to either:
a) Tell me which settings I need to do this?
or
b) Let me know that this isn't possible?
Thanks much.

[Q] clone one to many - Atrix 2

Hi guys, I’m new to the forum and fairly new to Android devices in general. I’ve googled a good bit before posting, and searched this forum for some keywords, but haven’t come up with a solution to what I need to do.
I have what seems like a fairly simple need: Set up an android device the way I want it, and then clone this image to multiple other devices.
I work with an organization that conducts a lot of epidemiology surveillance in foreign countries. The surveys are done on android based devices with a collection of off-the-shelf apps, plus one we had custom built for our purpose. Data is sent to us via whatever mobile networks happen to be available in the country being surveyed (we buy our phones unlocked, and get the SIM cards in-country).
As we continue to expand, installing all those apps and getting all of the settings just right becomes a very tedious, repetitive task, when you consider doing 100+ phones a month. .
Ideally I would like to stick with the factory rom, just add/remove some apps and configure settings. The cloning process needs to be fairly straight-forward, and not require a bunch of apps to be installed on the target phones first, because that kind of defeats the purpose.
For the time being, we’re using Motorola Atrix and Atrix 2. We also have some XT720s but we’re phasing those out.
Not sure if this is relevant, but below is roughly what provisioning currently looks like:
1. We receive a batch of phones, say 100 at a time
2. First, do a factory reset, and go through the initial setup
3. Remove as many of the factory installed apps as possible
4. Set up WiFi
5. Log into Google Play account and install the 6 apps we actually use
6. Make LauncherPro the default desktop, set it to only use 1 dock and 1 desktop, set a plain boring background, hide all except the app drawer icon, and have and icon for our app, and an airplane mode widget on the desktop.
7. Finally, enter the server connection settings in our survey app (this part we’ve gotten to a point where all we do is drop a config file to the SD Card, and it picks up the settings for this particular app)
8. Turn off the phone, and do it all again on the other 99 devices…
Any thoughts on how to automate this?

[Q] What is the best way to go about disabling most of Android's functions?

Hello,
I have a couple of Galaxy S3's that I want to mess with. I'm going to write my own messaging app to use on the phones.
Here's the thing though: I want to make it impossible to make phone calls or use regular text messaging. I want to make it so that it can't be re-enabled in any way via Settings or anything like that.
In other words, ideally, I want to have the android phone with no apps except for mine. (and no option to use anything else) Think of it as a specialized tool designed only for one thing.
What is the best way to go about this? Do I need to root the device and install Ubuntu Mobile or something? How difficult would it be to modify the Android system itself?
I'm an experienced developer but I'm completely new to the mobile space so I'm looking to learn about how to do this the best / easiest way.
Thanks!

best option to customize device in "kiosk mode"

Hello community!
My situation is as follow: I'm going to deliver phones to small business with an application pre-installed. I want the device to have only that application and no other (no play store, chrome or anything) so the phone is not used for other reason. Another nice-to-have would be that the app auto starts with the phone (in a kiosk mode).
This is very important aspect since we have tested that if the phone has other apps it is used as a personal phone and was a big loose for me. I'm thinking on a cheap phone (ie Samsung Grand Prime or something like that).
What is the best option I have to do this?
Is it feasible that I create my own Android version?
Note: I'm a developer (mobile, java) but with no experience in modifying phones.
Thank you very much!!

Secure compromised device

Hi everyone! This is my first post, but I have used the search tool already without success. I am just a user, not developer and quite noob regarding mobiles and security.
Situation
1. I've got hacked, total control (photos, emails, camera, contacts, whatsapp, screen etc) of my unrooted android phone (xiaomi redmi note 7).
It was a targetted attack, no manual app installed, no unsafe 3rd party apps allowed. Attackers only had my gmail account (linked to android) and telephone number. I know them personally, and they leaked personal information to people at work (who enjoy it between them but won't help me at all).
No high consumption of battery/data. Just leeching information, launching some apps eventually, and few interactions with the screen minimizing etc.
2. I Installed antimalware (e.g malwarebytes), antivirus (avg, esset etc). No positive results. I also installed "Noroot firewall" to control programs accessing internet, nothing strange.
3. I've changed emails(new), SIM + Telephone. Got hacked again. I suspect my own wifi was compromised.
Additionally, added 2 step verification to emails, changed passwords, encrypted the device etc. I have found no IP from them in the emails log, nor alert from gmail. Only once a session from Linux device (not mine). I believe they have accessed through the device.
4. I want to restore the device somehow and avoid getting hacked again.
One of the problems I face is taht that now I'm not in the same circle of people from which I gathered most of the info on the leaked information, so I can't get to know if the actions I am taking got rid of the hack, besides some punctual actions they may do (launch app etc). So I have to act quite paranoid and do the most secure action.
Question
1. Any idea on how they managed to do that? how can I prevent it or prove it? a reset would get rid of any proof, but I kinda prefer it if it is once and for all.
2. A hard reset only formats one partition (user data), so if there is a trojan located in /system it would be pointless. With an unrooted device I can only get rid of /cache and /data.
Should I install another ROM?(my phone has always been unrooted) which one? (restoring the stack ROM would probably be pointless if the vulnerability is due to android...
3. Is there any other measure I could take?
I'd appreciate any help.
Thank you!

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