Welcome to the Xoom FAQ


XoomBlueEye

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  • How can I see the latest Xoom tips from Motorola?
    Motorola provides a Xoom app that has many videos available inside it. You can download here.

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  • Why is my Xoom not connecting on USB do I need drivers or something?
    Well if you are on Windows then "yes... kind of" the drivers you need are included in the Windows Media Player version 10 and 11 so if you are running an older version of Windows be sure and update your player. The Xoom uses MTP to connect so it is not natively supported by Mac or Linux. If you have a Mac you will need to download this file from the Android site and run that to connect to your Xoom. On Linux you may want to try this.

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  • How do I kill an application on my Xoom (Honeycomb)?
    Settings > Applications > Manage Applications Then find the application and select 'Force Stop".

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  • How do I see more than 5 apps running?
    For now. Turn the Xoom to portrait mode. I am sure it will scroll in the near future.

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  • I broke my Xoom what's it going to cost to fix?
    Here's the price list for out of warranty repair:
    Repair Only - $149
    Lens Only Replacement (the glass screen is broken but otherwise it works fine) - $199
    Physical Damage (for example, glass and LCD are broken) - $369
    Battery Only Replacement - $99.

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  • How do I make the Xoom vibrate?
    You can not make the Xoom vibrate as it does not have any vibrate hardware in it.

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  • Why does the Market always make a shortcut to the new application I just downloaded?
    Because it is defaulted to. To change that, open the Market > My Apps > Settings menu. Remove the checkmark from "Add shortcuts for new apps."

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  • What is the the Wallpaper resolution?
    Motorola Xoom wallpaper resolution is 1920 x 1408. However you will get some oddities once in a while. I tend to opt on the large side of things. If you are looking for some good HD wallpapers try out this site.

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  • Can I put my own movies and DVD rips on the Xoom there easily?
    Yes you can easily rip DVD's and put them on your Xoom for easy viewing. I show you a free way and a cheap way on this page. A friend of mine with a BluRay reader on his PC also did a write up on the various rippers available for Windows.

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  • What Anti Virus do I need to run on my Xoom?
    For those of you who are feeling a bit "concerned" due to recent viruses and malware in the Android market do you really think you need to run a full blown virus app? Some do. I don't. Why? I know what every single program on my tablet does, what permissions it has, and where it came from. I do not run AV software on my Macs and I am certainly not going to start running it on my phones or tablet unless it is 100% necessary. Right now, in my opinion - is it not (and this is 20 years of IT talking). In the "old days" you would have to go to the Market, read what the permissions the app was going to ask for, read the reviews, make sure it had be downloaded a few hundred times, etc. Well, this process just a whole bunch easier!
    PI_adweb
    Privacy Inspector is the only app that can fully lookout for apps that steal your private information and may be harmful to your device. It is unlike any other app in that it can actually scan through other apps code to find privacy issues. No other app can do this on Android! This is what sets Privacy Inspector apart from other apps that claim protection.

    He is also woking on the Privacy Blocker that will, after scanning for potential violations, can actually fix the problems that are in the application(s). After fixing you can install the secure app directly on your device without having to worry about it.

    Just FYI: This is a VERY NEW application and it will occasionally FC (force close) but the developer is actively working on fixing the issues and only $2 for early adopters.

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  • My Xoom is locked up?
    Hold the Volume Up + Volume Down + Power to reboot your Xoom

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  • How to adjust the volume without using the small rocker buttons?
    If you just touch one of the buttons it will show the volume slider on screen. You can then alter the volume using the on screen slider.

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  • Can I make the GPS “tag” my location in all my photos?
    Yes. Open the Camera app, touch the Wrench looking icon in the Settings. Change "Store Location" to "On." Remember if you post your photos online everyone will know where the photos were taken also.

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  • How can I read my books offline?
    Go to the Market > Settings (Top right Corner) > This will bring up a menu that will let you "pin" the book you want available offline.

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  • Why is the Xoom flashing a white light at me?
    You received a notification when the screen was off.

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  • How do I read and create those weird looking QR bar codes?
    A QR code (short for Quick Response) is a specific matrix barcode (or two-dimensional code), readable by dedicated QR barcode readers and camera devices.
    You can create them with a barcode generator app or on a QR code generator website. XoomFAQ_QRcodeURL

    To read them you need an app like Barcode Scanner. Most all of them are free and can even read standard barcodes like you will find on most all products.

    BarCodeScannerOutput

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  • What is the Privacy LED do on the WiFi Xoom?
    The Xoom privacy LED (on the WiFi version only) is for the front facing camera telling you it is active. They call it a "privacy light" so you don't do something silly while your camera is on.

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  • Why can I only attach pictures in e-mail?
    For reasons we will never know, the Xoom does not come with a built-in file browser so there is no way to select a file other than a photo or picture with the gallery! Simple solution. Download a file browser app. I like ES File Explorer but any one will do. Back to Top
  • How did you make that text homescreen?
    All the active text widgets that is displayed by the screenshot (at the top of the page) was created using a tool called Minimalistic Text.

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  • What are the specs of the Xoom?
    Click to see a larger view
    xoom-spec-white

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  • - HACKING
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  • What does root mean and how do I do it?
    "Root" means you have full access to your device like Administrator on a Windows Box, Admin on a Mac, or "root" on a Linux box. Since the Android OS is basically Unix

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  • - CHARGING
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  • Why is the charging LED not working when I charge the tablet?
    The LED only illuminates when the Xoom is powered off and you are charging it.

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  • Why is my Xoom not charging with the supplied USB cable when plugged in my computer?
    The Xoom has 2 batteries and a USB charger or USB cable cannot push enough amps to charge the batteries.

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  • What is the size of the battery? How long will it last?
    The Xoom has (2) 3250 mAH batteries, and "depending" it lasts from 8-10 hours with video running constantly.

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  • I only see a white charging light where are the other colors?
    I am not sure if the book is wrong or it is a shortcoming in the software but for now you will only see a while light and only when the Xoom is powered OFF. At 100% it will go to Green

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  • - NETWORKING
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  • How do I disable 3G/4G service?
    Settings > Wireless & Networks > Mobile network settings > Data. You can also use a widget to go in to Airplane mode then flip back on the WiFI.

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  • Can I use my Xoom as a WiFi hotspot?
    Yes, you will be able to just not not right now. But you can easily tether it via Bluetooth.

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  • How do I connect my Xoom to an Ad Hoc network?
    At the current time you can't. This is a limitation of the Android OS not of the Xoom tablet. There may be an upgrade int he future. Back to Top
  • Can I use my Xoom as a remote access client to my PC?
    Yes a few programs are known to work well with the Xoom. One is PhoneMyPC and the other is Wise Pocket Cloud although I am sure there are others.

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  • My Xoom is acting funny (disconnects, intermittent) on my Wireless network. What is the deal?
    I have had not issues but the ones I have seen involve old routers or routers given to them by their cable provider. If you are in the market buy a newer Netgear, Cisco, Linksys, wireless router. Even Apple routers work fine.

    Some have also reported that Switching the Wireless and Networks > WiFi Disconnect policy to NEVER also helps in some circumstances.

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  • Is there a way to transfer my files over BlueTooth or FTP?
    Yes. You can do it a multitude of ways but the easiest way I have found is to use the ES File Explorer. Just pair your Xoom to the other device OR set up the other device for FTP and connect.

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  • Can I tether my Xoom via bluetooth and use the internet service on my Droid based phone?
    Yes, just turn on bluetooth on both devices and let them "Discover" each other. Once "Paired" the Xoom will use the phones internet via the carriers wireless.

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  • - HDMI
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  • What do I need to hook up my Xoom to my TV via the HDMI port?
    Micro HDMI to HDMI Cable

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  • Why am I missing part of the screen when I am in HDMI mirror mode?
    When using HDMI, the bottom 80 pixels of the display where the navigation keys and notification menu are displayed is not projected on the external display. This is done by design and is not a defect with either the device or the external display.

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  • - BROWSER
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  • Can I surf the web as a Desktop browser instead of an Android device?
    Yes, just open up your browser and in the address bar type about:debug (nothing noticeable will happen) Then go to your browser Settings > Debug and set your UA sting to 'Desktop'

    UAstring

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  • How do I see my browsers History?
    Press and hold the back button on the Xoom (not the browser back arrow, but the one on the lower left of your Xoom screen) to bring up your browser history.

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  • My built in Honeycomb browser on my Xoom is SLOW. How can I speed it up?
    Open up your browser and in the address bar type about:debug (nothing noticeable will happen)
    Go to your Browser Settings > Debug and turn OFF (uncheck) '
    Enable OpenGL Rendering

    BrowserDebug1

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  • Why don't I see Flash sites?
    The only Flash supported browser is the built in browser and you must have the Adobe Flash player loaded on your device.

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  • How do I bring up address bar in the browser without scrolling to top of page?
    Click on the tab of the browser page you're currently on, and the address bar will appear.

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  • How do I ger quick controls on my Browser?
    Open the browser > Menu (upper right hand corner) > Settings > Labs > check the box next to Quick Controls.
    BrowserControls2
    Your browser will automatically restart and you will NOT see the controls at the the top
    To access them, simply slide your finger or thumb from the black border onto the screen area. A half-moon of controls will appear under your finger and you can slide to a control and select it

    BrowserControls1

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