[Q] To root, or not to root? - Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

I have a Samsung Galaxy Ace, and am seriously considering rooting it.
I've done a fair bit of research on it, and have found a few very detailed tutorials on going through the process.
I'm just wondering how common it is, it seems most people on Android forums have rooted their devices, and I haven't really come across anyone who has managed to stuff it up.
So, pros and cons?

why you should root it:
1. you can pretty much customize every part of your phone (software-wise obviously). while rooting does not do the actual customization, it opens you up to a variety of options (when rooted, you can flash roms and kernels that can significantly increase performance and/or battery life; not to mention all of the themes that you can apply, a good place to start would be here)
2. because you can (this may sound stupid but i believe this is true; i think android phones are meant to be rooted )
why you shouldn't root it:
1. you will lose the warranty that came with your phone
2. you can mess up your phone if you do not know what you are doing (when i say this, i am talking about messing with system files, not following the directions when you apply a modification; of course, this would not be a problem as long as you pay close attention to what you are doing)
in my opinion, i think you should

sweetnsour said:
...
because you can (this may sound stupid but i believe this is true; i think android phones are meant to be rooted )
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree, that's why I'm looking at doing it, I guess I just want to here from a few users first hand on their experiences with it before I go through with it...

root, root

I would recomend that you root your device. I did my first root to the phone I am using now and I am glad I did, I am able to remove a lot of the carrier bloatware that slows the phone down. Now it runs faster. As the other post said you void your warrenty when you root and if you do not follow instructions you can brick your phone. Anyhow take the plunge and root it you will be glad you did.
todd_10 said:
I have a Samsung Galaxy Ace, and am seriously considering rooting it.
I've done a fair bit of research on it, and have found a few very detailed tutorials on going through the process.
I'm just wondering how common it is, it seems most people on Android forums have rooted their devices, and I haven't really come across anyone who has managed to stuff it up.
So, pros and cons?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Without root is boring
With root is always somekind action
But of course is last desicion yours!!!
Regards!
Taavi
Sent from my MT15i using Tapatalk

todd_10 said:
I have a Samsung Galaxy Ace, and am seriously considering rooting it.
I've done a fair bit of research on it, and have found a few very detailed tutorials on going through the process.
I'm just wondering how common it is, it seems most people on Android forums have rooted their devices, and I haven't really come across anyone who has managed to stuff it up.
So, pros and cons?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know the feeling man, just upgraded to an android galaxy mini from my htc gene, that tough little bastard served me well for two years before it succumbed. Was thinking of rooting but you know how it is with new phone jitters, am not ready to start cutting into its software setup just yet. I'll take my time getting used to this platform before rooting. My reasons for rooting would mainly be to upgrade to gingerbread and delete the stock apps that came with the phone that I barely use like opera 5 -since I use opera 6- and also to be able to overclock the cpu to around 800mhz. Does anyone here think this could improve mkv playback for 480p videos? I can't figure out why mkv videos are such a pain to deal with. What is it about the container that makes it quite a challenge to android

any way to delete stock apps i don't use at all without the root? i own an xperia ray but there is nothing happening for this phone considering rooting.

Kyrius said:
any way to delete stock apps i don't use at all without the root? i own an xperia ray but there is nothing happening for this phone considering rooting.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Problably NO!
Sent from my MT15i using Tapatalk

Should I root Nexus S?

porcupineli said:
Should I root Nexus S?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its your free opinion
Regards!
Taavi
Sent from my MT15i using Tapatalk

its up to you
porcupineli said:
Should I root Nexus S?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1 UNLOCK many features of the phone - root
2 is the warranity over ? - root
3 want a new rom? - root
4 want to feel like having a new phone ? - root
5 nothing from the above ? - no root

vinylakos said:
1 UNLOCK many features of the phone - root
2 is the warranity over ? - root
3 want a new rom? - root
4 want to feel like having a new phone ? - root
5 nothing from the above ? - no root
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hehe. Love this. It's like taking a symptom survey provided by some pharmaceutical company. Pretty comprehensive and straightforward checklist, I'd say.
Sent from my HTC Sensation 4G using Tapatalk

I was in your place but after rooting my htc desire i just cant stop having fun with it

Seems everyone tends to lean towards rooting, I think I might spend a couple more weeks getting familiar with my phone, then go through with it

I have just bought my first android phone a week ago and I'm wondering if I should root or not. Based on everyone's thoughts I really think rooting is the best option specialy because my courrier modded the phones rom with a lot of bulls**t that I can't delete
But first I got some questions to ask:
1. If I install another rom on my phone will it remain rooted? Ex. After installing CM7 the phone will remain rooted? Also if I decide to go back to factory rom will it still remain rooted?
2. Is there any way to "unroot" it? In case I need to contact the warranty I could "unroot" and send it back?

Onipotente said:
I have just bought my first android phone a week ago and I'm wondering if I should root or not. Based on everyone's thoughts I really think rooting is the best option specialy because my courrier modded the phones rom with a lot of bulls**t that I can't delete
But first I got some questions to ask:
1. If I install another rom on my phone will it remain rooted? Ex. After installing CM7 the phone will remain rooted? Also if I decide to go back to factory rom will it still remain rooted?
2. Is there any way to "unroot" it? In case I need to contact the warranty I could "unroot" and send it back?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. Yes, yes, and yes.
2. Yes, but that procedure is more complicated. I'll defer the technical explanation to someone less noobish than I am.
Sent from my HTC Sensation 4G using Tapatalk

So, does anyone here know a good place to have a look at some of the better roms available?

todd_10 said:
So, does anyone here know a good place to have a look at some of the better roms available?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You kinda just have to look around, because everyone likes something different...plus you have to keep in mind that ROMs are specific to the phone. If you like a plain vanilla Android experience, Cyanogenmod (currently #7) is extremely popular. It's a little too bare-bones for my taste, but many people love it. If you have an HTC phone, like I do, and you like HTC Sense but hate how bloated it is, there are tons of custom roms out there based on Sense. Just be careful, again, that you download a ROM for your phone model. I have an HTC Sensation, and I use LeeDroid's Sensational ROM. Some others to check out might be InsertCoin and Revolution HD, but there are tons out there.
Happy flashing! Let us know what you end up trying and how you like it.
Sent from my HTC Sensation 4G using Tapatalk

ROOT. You will go through the process and if you read and follow every step correctly, you will ask yourself "thats it?" it really is the best thing you can do for your phone. If you want more battery life-- root. If you want simplicity-- root. If you want the latest version of Android (which really makes a difference in overall user experience)--root. Hell, if you want to have something that looks like an iPhone--root.
Go for it. Make sure to read and if you are comfortable with it do it and you will be glad you did.

Related

[Q] Why should I root?

Some months ago I rooted my Vibrant, and realized that was all I had done...rooted it. I had no idea where I was going after that point, so I unrooted and went about my day. I am taking a new approach, I would like some advice in rooting. Pros and cons (other than by rooting I have the chance of REALLY messing things up...i know that thanks.)
I would like to know what exactly rooting does for me, and if there are any articles anyone can point me to I would greatly appreciate the links.
ALSO I am dipping my toes into app development. the best way I could think to do so was with Google Labs App Inventor, but I think ive read that it limits you as far as developing and then sharing through the market, if someone could set me straight on that I would appreciate it, but this also goes in hand with rooting, I have read that alot of people who develop have rooted their phones.
I appreciate any help that you can give me.
Gore
Pro : Access to all the amazing ROMs this community has to offer.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
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Shortbus-Driver said:
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Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well, that was helpful...thanks. next?
First off if u didnt want to deal with something u could tinker with u could of gotten a iphone but u didnt? Androids are open source so u can tweak it the way u want it to be, leave it stock or u can add themes to ur stock froyo and make it look like u want it to. But if u want to go all the way and realy make the phone live up to its potential u can root it and do so many amazing things with it once its opened to the power of the Superuser. U can make ur phone run so much faster and once it runs that fast and smooth ull wonder how u lived with that dull slowness of ur phone before. And dont forget all the cool colors u can add to ur phone that dont come with just stock, ginger red theme, high voltage blue and so many more. And then theres the mods that u get with ur phone that the brilliant developers port from other phones. Theres just too many reasons to root and none not to. now u know...LOL
Let me count the ways...
You can install applications that need root:
* AdFree - block in-application ads
* Titanium Backup - backup/restore applications AND their data, and with the paid version you can also backup to your dropbox account
* Root Explorer: Lets you manage files that aren't in your user partition, including the files for the annoyingly loud T-Mobile jingle that plays on boot. Sometimes you do need to start up your phone discreetly, without letting everyone in a 50m radius know you're a T-Mobile customer.
You can also UNinstall applications that you don't need. Don't want T-Mobile TV cluttering your applications list? Gone. Don't want Slacker Radio? Byebye.
Also, you can flash ROMs (or just kernels) that are much faster than the stock, unoptimized Samsung one. There is a thing called the Voodoo lagfix that makes your storage access cached, so applications aren't held up by slow writes when they need fast reads. Some also come with kernels that support Voodoo Sound which makes the audio output sound much better by increasing the sampling rate on the DAC and tying the DAC to the clock to reduce jitter. Definitely a must whether you're an audiophile with $10k cans or just plugging the phone into a sound system.
Let's see, what else. With root, you can also add on wifi tethering without having to shell out more money to use T-mobile's version. You can also install Clockwork Recovery and use it to make a complete backup of your phone, so in case you break it and get another one, just root it, install clockwork recovery, and restore the image and you're back to your old configuration.
So yeah... hopefully at least some of this stuff interests you. If not... well, yeah there's really no point in rooting.
Root becuse your mom told you not to
Not to be rude but if you don't know why you should root then you shouldn't.
OP, if you want an answer to your question, read my Vibrant Guide (why root) and then the Noob root (detailed steps) guide if you need help doing it.
If you read anything on this forum...and still cant figure it out...then give up...you'll never understand
OP, rooting is for those who are not 100% satisfied with there phones. Samsung has given us an amazing device, but fell short in delivering in some areas. Rooting helps us add more functionality & personalization options. If you are happy with the phone and no issues using the way Samsung gave you the phone. Then I do not see a reason for you to root. But if you are like one of us, Then you need to get on the Root train and follow the wonderful guide maintained by "s15274n".
Statutory Warning: Rooting & flashing an android device is a serious addiction. Might lead to serious domestic and or job related issues.
Why shouldn't you?
Unless you want to become a flash junkie with an obsessive need to mod, update, enhance or customize; jonesin’ to flash something every few days, suffering from withdrawals if you ever have to ODIN back to stock due to error (has yet to happen to me, though), scrounging XDA daily for your next hit, do not concern yourself with something like AOSP. Simply turn away and do not look back.
rooting your hpone basically gives you Admin privalages.
You can install custom apps and ROMs with awesome features!
nomadrider123 said:
Not to be rude but if you don't know why you should root then you shouldn't.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
not to be rude but if you didn't have anything helpful to say then why say anything at all?
Thanks to most!
I thanked those who gave me some helpful advice. I do appreciate the insight. I guess i'll give this another crack.
By the By, with the exception of the handful of mildly entertaining comments, if you didnt have anything helpful to say, why say it? No one should discourage anybody from trying anything. Weighing my pros and cons was just a way to decide if its something I really wanted to mess with again.
SO again, thanks to all who did help, and thanks was given
^ I can't vouch for everyone, but the one you quoted I am confident didn't mean it negatively. Way too hard to decipher words on the Internet.
If you want additional features, you should root. If you are content, do not.
gorealmighty said:
not to be rude but if you didn't have anything helpful to say then why say anything at all?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thing was, nomad had a point. If you genuinely don't know why you should root--and a Vibrant, of all phones--you probably shouldn't. You mention the con of messing up the phone in your original post, and if you don't know the advantages of applying custom ROMs and kernels to the Vibrant, there's a decent chance you may well brick the device.
The Vibrant is a great phone, but tends to be so only after it's rooted and customized. Without the rooting and customization, there are problems with lag, gps, battery life, and myriad other functions.
By rooting and customizing, you're essentially updating the software in various ways that will help ameliorate those issues. My Vibrant was unusable to the point that I upgraded to a Nexus S. However, with the Nexus S, I got comfortable with rooting, unlocking bootloaders, adb, and flashing ROMs and kernels. It became rather routine.
It became routine enough, in fact, that I ended up going back to my Vibrant, because I was comfortable enough to experiment and attempt to make it better than it had been.
But if you don't know that you have to root to correct the lag, say, you may well be better off getting a more midrange Android phone that's more feature than super. You don't want to bork anything, after all.
Just do yourself a favor--understand that rooting and customizing are individual things, and that the forum is great for technical help but less so when you want to know things like which ROM is "best"; there's no such thing. If you root, play with the device, and play with the different ROMs. Give yourself a week where every day you use a different one so you can get a feel for which one's your favorite.
willentrekin said:
Thing was, nomad had a point. If you genuinely don't know why you should root--and a Vibrant, of all phones--you probably shouldn't. You mention the con of messing up the phone in your original post, and if you don't know the advantages of applying custom ROMs and kernels to the Vibrant, there's a decent chance you may well brick the device.
The Vibrant is a great phone, but tends to be so only after it's rooted and customized. Without the rooting and customization, there are problems with lag, gps, battery life, and myriad other functions.
By rooting and customizing, you're essentially updating the software in various ways that will help ameliorate those issues. My Vibrant was unusable to the point that I upgraded to a Nexus S. However, with the Nexus S, I got comfortable with rooting, unlocking bootloaders, adb, and flashing ROMs and kernels. It became rather routine.
It became routine enough, in fact, that I ended up going back to my Vibrant, because I was comfortable enough to experiment and attempt to make it better than it had been.
But if you don't know that you have to root to correct the lag, say, you may well be better off getting a more midrange Android phone that's more feature than super. You don't want to bork anything, after all.
Just do yourself a favor--understand that rooting and customizing are individual things, and that the forum is great for technical help but less so when you want to know things like which ROM is "best"; there's no such thing. If you root, play with the device, and play with the different ROMs. Give yourself a week where every day you use a different one so you can get a feel for which one's your favorite.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
with the initial quote in mind, I understand. But thank you just the same because this is in fact the kind of feedback I was looking for. DID get my phone rooted btw, now im just fighting with rom manager. I'm on my way though
gorealmighty said:
with the initial quote in mind, I understand. But thank you just the same because this is in fact the kind of feedback I was looking for. DID get my phone rooted btw, now im just fighting with rom manager. I'm on my way though
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well good luck with it. It's a totally fun, very empowering process. And XDA is the Android equivalent of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy; the users here are so knowledgeable and helpful, there's no reason to panic, ever. Pretty much everything you do to your phone will be mostly harmless.

[Q] roms/flash/root...?

ive read the thread in the general forum for noobs.
but i still dont quite understand all these things and what purpose they serve.
im SUPER new with all this stuff. so my apologies.
could someone help a brother out?
what is your question specifically?
just curious about what they are and do basically.
kevinallen4325 said:
ive read the thread in the general forum for noobs.
but i still dont quite understand all these things and what purpose they serve.
im SUPER new with all this stuff. so my apologies.
could someone help a brother out?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll try and help.
First you must ROOT your phone. This basically grants you access/permission to FIDDLE with a lot of things you can't normally. I use the word *fiddle* loosley, meaning you can install root tools (like overclock) custom Roms, change system settings, flash themes... the list goes on. It's kind of like the equivalent to "jailbreaking"
Rooting is the "first and foremost"... basically do this first. and all other things follow.
kevinallen4325 said:
just curious about what they are and do basically.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well the sticky in the main forum really is a good place to start, as all these terms are defined there:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1483113
As well as step-by-step instructions how to root. That should get you started!
ok so root first. got it. would any of this benefit my phone in anyway? or is it mainly just to put custom themes and such on?
kevinallen4325 said:
ok so root first. got it. would any of this benefit my phone in anyway? or is it mainly just to put custom themes and such on?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is much more than that. I wrote this out before, so I will copy it again:
People have problems when rooted because they are not careful or do not know what they are doing. Rooting gives you (to put in Windows terms) full Administrator rights to your phone. With this right comes responsibility, so you must be careful and do research. This is why rooting also voids the warranty. The phone is now open for the user to do whatever they want, and circumvent any restrictions put on the phone by the manufacturer (including those in place to prevent harm to the device). But like a computer with Admin rights, rooting allows you to install any application, any "OS theme", and tweak the hardware to do what YOU want with it, not what the manufacturer wants.
So please be sure to READ READ READ all you can before you start!!! You don't want a $600 phone coaster. Just browse the forums for a couple weeks and learn from the posts.
kevinallen4325 said:
ok so root first. got it. would any of this benefit my phone in anyway? or is it mainly just to put custom themes and such on?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It depends what you consider a benefit. Sure..theming can be a benefit, but rooting provides the gateway to address any negative or less than ideal aspects of a device. For instance, The Note has been perceived as being somewhat laggy. So rooting allows you to free up system resources by eliminating unneeded bloatware that you can't remove if you remain stock. Also the lagginess has been addressed by overclocking, modding and building kernels that do specific things and of course making custom roms. The Note is still very early in the developmental process, so many things to improve the user experience of the device will become available over the course of time....but it all starts with being rooted.
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Note LTE™
kevinallen4325 said:
ok so root first. got it. would any of this benefit my phone in anyway? or is it mainly just to put custom themes and such on?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Android isn't like iOS. I had an iPhone for four years before my Note and I know where you coming from. What the other guy was saying is that rooting can be viewed similar to jailbreaking, but it is kind of completely different. You don't need to be rooted to use themes (or most of the stuff on Cydia). Rooting allows you to back up apps, flash custom ROMs, etc. Otherwise, you most likely don't need root.
tbran said:
It depends what you consider a benefit. Sure..theming can be a benefit, but rooting provides the gateway to address any negative or less than ideal aspects of a device. For instance, The Note has been perceived as being somewhat laggy. So rooting allows you to free up system resources by eliminating unneeded bloatware that you can't remove if you remain stock. Also the lagginess has been addressed by overclocking, modding and building kernels that do specific things and of course making custom roms. The Note is still very early in the developmental process, so many things to improve the user experience of the device will become available over the course of time....but it all starts with being rooted.
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Note LTE™
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if i were to root it and do whatever else would that affect the notes ability to update itself when the time comes?
like if i were to put some custom rom or whatever on it and lets say ics came out (lulz) would it still be able to update to it, and would it basically remove everything i did to it
kevinallen4325 said:
if i were to root it and do whatever else would that affect the notes ability to update itself when the time comes?
like if i were to put some custom rom or whatever on it and lets say ics came out (lulz) would it still be able to update to it, and would it basically remove everything i did to it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Trust me, if you go the root and custom rom way, you will never install an official update. not because you can't, but because it will be leaked and debloated months before it is official.
i installed saurom. with and ics theme. i like it alot. but i cant get into setcpu or any program that requires root access. which is kind of an issue. no one else seems to be having that as an issue.
I rooted my Note a couple days ago and am still trying to figure out the benefits of doing so. I guess just spend time reading through this forum for the answers. That's what I am doing, but so far I see no benefit at all. The phone does all I want it to do so far. Maybe I am missing something.
Also, When i run quadrant, the scores are consistently lower after rooting the device then they were before. Not sure why though.
You are correct that the Note and newer phones may need no help. Not like two years ago. But, the big advantage to rooting even if you don't want to flash roms is Titanium Backup for app mgt and nandroids or full image backups--imho. The other like mentioned is earlier os releases. I have had ICS on my N1 for quite awhile and is still not on most new phones.
Ken
kevinallen4325 said:
i installed saurom. with and ics theme. i like it alot. but i cant get into setcpu or any program that requires root access. which is kind of an issue. no one else seems to be having that as an issue.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you are sure you are rooted, a dialog box with a little Android head wearing an eyepatch will pop up asking if you want to allow the application to have root access. You must allow it here.

New to Android

Hello everyone I am new to Android world as of today. I've been on iPhone for the past 2 years and honestly apple has nothing compared to Android. My galaxy note is like a handheld computer... like holy s**t I'm so overwhelmed right now. But as a noobie I do have a couple questions...
Is it worth rooting and flashing a custom ics ROM (what's the best ics ROM to date) when my service provider Telus is releasing ics by early July?
Also, is it possible for me to download the official ics via ota with a rooted phone? If so how do I do that. I've read threads that sometimes rooting disables ota download.
Thanks for looking and I apologize for being a dumba**.
Sent from my SGH-I717D using xda premium
Are you new to android? Then experience your android phone as it is without rooting just yet. As you experience your phone and read some threads you will get to know if rooting is for you or not. This also will allow you to see if your phone may have issues.
If you want the OTA Telus ICS then I suggest you don't root. I don't believe you would receive the OTA unless you were stock unrooted. So my suggestion would be to hang in there for a little time.
Welcome, and congratulations on seeing the light!
The ICS roms we have are awesome so far, with only a couple random bugs that don't keep them from being daily drivers. I definitely recommend rooting and romming if you take the time to read up on everything you can about it. It's a very simple process if you take your time, and definitely worth learning.
Also, if you feel like doing the official update get familiar with how to go back to stock. When you go back to stock, it renews your warranty and also your ability to receive official firmware updates.
Personally, I think that custom roms are better than official, and once your official is released, you will be able to get a rooted version on here within a day out two at most usually. The only time my Samsung phones have ever had stock software is the first and only the first day I have them, and also if I need to do a warranty exchange
Edit: not seeing a stock package for Telus, stop I would hold on for a bit or try to work with a developer to get them what they need to set up a stock Odin package for Telus users.
Second edit: actually it looks like there is a stock package for you. I can help more with some links later, but can't right now
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using Tapatalk 2
Welcome to the best phone world you can imagine and you made a wise choice to pick up the big boss aka the G note...youll love it stock or rooted and with customs roms on it....this community is the best and has some great devs also any rom you choose your gonna love their rom believe me....Ive been to here and went to the htc one x and to the international note and now im back to stay....those other phones couldnt compare to this one...the international note is brick heaven and the htc one x is just too damn small when your coming from a note lol....but if you love having your phone tweaked out like me then yes root and rom it out lol...but if all that doesnt matter than you can stay stock and still love the phone just as much....but once again wise choice on the phone and glad to have you here....
Please make yourself familiar with the phone first like everybody else suggested. I have gone through few android phones and I still have so much to learn especially when it comes to rooting and loading roms. With samsung, there's a flash counter if you care about warranty and what not even though there are ways to go around it. I have rooted mine but staying on the stock rom and waiting for the official ICS rom. GB rom is perfectly working fine for my needs.
Please read and read over and over everything before you go ahead and mess around with the rom.
mutantblack said:
Please make yourself familiar with the phone first like everybody else suggested. I have gone through few android phones and I still have so much to learn especially when it comes to rooting and loading roms. With samsung, there's a flash counter if you care about warranty and what not even though there are ways to go around it. I have rooted mine but staying on the stock rom and waiting for the official ICS rom. GB rom is perfectly working fine for my needs.
Please read and read over and over everything before you go ahead and mess around with the rom.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is a flash counter reset, so that's basically a null point. Plus, many people have had no problem returning or exchanging with it tripped.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using Tapatalk 2
Yes. I know there is. That's why I said there are ways to go around. I have rooted mine with the one roloracer posted and can use CWM to flash all different roms without even tripping the flash counter to begin with. One less step of needing to reset the counter.
I just want OP to be aware of it.
mutantblack said:
Yes. I know there is. That's why I said there are ways to go around. I have rooted mine with the one roloracer posted and can use CWM to flash all different roms without even tripping the flash counter to begin with. One less step of needing to reset the counter.
I just want OP to be aware of it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah, I forgot flashing from cwm doesn't up the counter. Good point.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using Tapatalk 2
Wow you guys have been really helpful thank you very much
Sent from my SGH-I717D using xda premium
No problem. Here's a good guide for you to read. Just read everything you can before doing anything and you'll soon be unleashing the beast they call the galaxy note.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1586223
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using Tapatalk 2
Welcome Android! The Note is my first Android phone. I also came from iPhone and don't regret the move at all. Note is the best overall phone experience I've had.
This is sort of on topic, is there a comparison thread of the different roms and what they have to offer vs. others? That kind of thread might be really helpful for new and seasoned pros.
cmunho said:
Welcome Android! The Note is my first Android phone. I also came from iPhone and don't regret the move at all. Note is the best overall phone experience I've had.
This is sort of on topic, is there a comparison thread of the different roms and what they have to offer vs. others? That kind of thread might be really helpful for new and seasoned pros.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
pretty much the only diff in roms are
CM9 & AOKP have all the bell & whistles ...such as tweaks and etc...
the others are stock based with addition add ons...either way you gonna love it...we have awesome devs in this community...as youll soon see....and glad to have you in the note community...
CM9 is Android at it's best.
Sent from my CM9‘d SGH-I717 using xda premium.
Coffinfeeder said:
CM9 is Android at it's best.
Sent from my CM9‘d SGH-I717 using xda premium.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree coffin but that im leaning toward aokp...love it lol....but both are amazing...
alewis2k12 said:
pretty much the only diff in roms are
CM9 & AOKP have all the bell & whistles ...such as tweaks and etc...
the others are stock based with addition add ons...either way you gonna love it...we have awesome devs in this community...as youll soon see....and glad to have you in the note community...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
just know that you will lose a lot of the S-pen and all Touchwiz capabilities if/when you go with any version of cm9, aokp, or aosp.
I'd stock with GB for a few weeks so you can get used to the menu interfaces and lingo surrounding Android. After that, game on!
Welcome to Android, friend.
Normally, when I first buy a phone, I like to play around with it stock for a few months before flashing the radio or switching roms etc. Just to get familiar with the phone. Since you're new to the whole Android platform, you should definitely get used to it first since there are endless possibilities you can play around with even with a stock rom.
An official ICS 4.0.3 has already been confirmed for release, why not wait for it? An official update will always be 100% safer and run a lot smoother.
This is what I recommend and I am going to be patiently waiting for the ICS 4.0 to officially be released. It's just a matter of time.
How many times have we seen a user new to android/note that root, flash, and ATTEMPT to reset the flash counter only to come to this board crying that their phone is bricked? (one or two a month?)
As others said, if you root/flash, when Ice Cream Sandwich becomes available from your carrier, you will not get it.
If you do root/flash, DON'T worry about the flash counter because if something goes wrong with reseting the flash counter, you might have a brick but most likely several hours of panic/frustration trying to get your phone working.
Jim Dead said:
How many times have we seen a user new to android/note that root, flash, and ATTEMPT to reset the flash counter only to come to this board crying that their phone is bricked? (one or two a month?)
As others said, if you root/flash, when Ice Cream Sandwich becomes available from your carrier, you will not get it.
If you do root/flash, DON'T worry about the flash counter because if something goes wrong with reseting the flash counter, you might have a brick but most likely several hours of panic/frustration trying to get your phone working.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its more so a new user to xda thing as I see it. Yes, its partially a new to android thing, but if they learned how to search and read and learn everything they can, all of the info is out there to safely do anything. I had one brick way back when with my captivate, and from that point on I made sure to read as much as possible before doing anything. New users think they will just have everything handed to them and it will work perfectly, which is where they run into problems because they don't know of all the common problems and mistakes due to taking the fast track instead of actually learning about the processes.
Bottom line is they need to not only search and read, but also absorb and understand the material that is available on this site.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using Tapatalk 2
welchertc said:
Its more so a new user to xda thing as I see it. Yes, its partially a new to android thing, but if they learned how to search and read and learn everything they can, all of the info is out there to safely do anything. I had one brick way back when with my captivate, and from that point on I made sure to read as much as possible before doing anything. New users think they will just have everything handed to them and it will work perfectly, which is where they run into problems because they don't know of all the common problems and mistakes due to taking the fast track instead of actually learning about the processes.
Bottom line is they need to not only search and read, but also absorb and understand the material that is available on this site.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Perfectly said!
The more a user reads and researches the less cluttering threads we have and the more they learn
Which the MAJORITY of people here don't do..
Sad.. truly sad but let them brick their devices as a consequence lol
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using Tapatalk 2
My advise would be to wait at least a month, do your research, stay on top of the forums, read all the important threads, etc. When I moved over from iPhone I waited about a month and even though it is soooo much easier to root an Android then jailbreaking an iPhone, its just means its that much more easier to make mistakes. Take your time, don't rush it Welcome to the dark side.

New here - Nexus 10 arriving Monday

Hi all - just signed up. I'm receiving my 10 Monday. I have an Infinity and wanted to give the Nexus 10 shot as it seems like a great tablet. I'm not likely to root either one. Is there anything you all suggest to get the most out of the Nexus 10? I'm fairly new to the tablet world although have owned an android phone for several years.
Thanks!
Welcome and congrats! Here is a link someone started that shares your question.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2023608
Sent from my Nexus 10 using Tapatalk HD
^ Great thread for starters but make sure and DO YOUR READING before you unlock and root your device -- or you will end up with a $400 makeshift frisbee disk. Unlocking your boot-loader/rooting is what makes android so much fun, I would recommend it
Derp: sounds you've rooted before, but I suppose the above statement still stands lol
TheEmpyre said:
^ Great thread for starters but make sure and DO YOUR READING before you unlock and root your device -- or you will end up with a $400 makeshift frisbee disk. Unlocking your boot-loader/rooting is what makes android so much fun, I would recommend it
Derp: sounds you've rooted before, but I suppose the above statement still stands lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did read that thread but as I said - I'm not likely to root...at least not right away.
stormricker said:
I did read that thread but as I said - I'm not likely to root...at least not right away.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sounds like quite a few people are unlocking / rooting and leaving the stock ROM which is likely what I will do. I like having the freedom that Root provides to install some apps etc.
Nexus 10 will be my first tablet also, so I'll be having quite a bit of fun for the first few weeks figuring out how exactly I will be using it
TheEmpyre said:
Sounds like quite a few people are unlocking / rooting and leaving the stock ROM which is likely what I will do. I like having the freedom that Root provides to install some apps etc.
Nexus 10 will be my first tablet also, so I'll be having quite a bit of fun for the first few weeks figuring out how exactly I will be using it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Still a little nervous about the rooting process....and its risks. What exactly are the benefits?
stormricker said:
Still a little nervous about the rooting process....and its risks. What exactly are the benefits?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
From what I've gathered, and from experience, I think the benefits of Root give the user a great deal more control of what goes on with his/her device -- that is, in part, what apps are accessing resources. For example, with my HTC One XL, I was able to install an app (which requires root access) that allows me to freeze apps while they are not in use -- launch them to unfreeze and use them when I need but when I'm not using, they aren't going to automatically run processes that drain my battery. I also installed a custom Kernel, and there is a root-required app that allows me to adjust my CPU frequencies and voltages to maximize battery life and performance.
I am relatively new to rooting devices, as I started in late October, but I can tell you that I have had a ton of fun doing it.
In any event, I really dont think rooting is that valuable to mainstream users if you ask me -- If you aren't looking into flashing custom ROMs or using special utilities/apps on your device then I wouldn't bother rooting/unlocking bootloader.
Since you asked risks I'll address that too: The risks are bricking (completely unusable) your device if you flash an incompatible ROM, but this is easily avoided by sticking only to flashing ROMs for the Nexus 10. You can also damage the components of your device if you overclock too much etc....Other risks are that ROMs are buggy sometimes despite the very hard work of the devs here (They are truly amazing here) but the bugs may take away from your experience potentially. There may be plenty of other risks but these are the ones I can think of so far.
I was completely unaware of root/unlock up until about 2 months ago and was completely new to the process. I was able to read great guides put together by the XDA community here that walked me through the process and I was successful in unlocking my One X and I now finally feel like I am getting the moneys worth out of my device that I payed good $$$ for.
stormricker said:
Still a little nervous about the rooting process....and its risks. What exactly are the benefits?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Rooting is quick and painless if you use the Nexus 10 Toolkit available in the development section! My Galaxy Nexus also has a toolkit from the same dev, makes things SO much easier/quicker.
The risks of rooting are almost non-existent. Really, if the procedure doesn't work for you, nothing changes & you just won't have root permissions. I've personally never had anything bad happen, but I'm sure there is someone out there who has tried some sketchy method to root...the methods here are far from that, just read up and follow the instructions.
Benefits are basically the freedom to remove system apps and make backups of any of your apps. There are also a ton of root apps that allow you to customize your device the way you like it. With root, you get full control and the freedom to tinker.
Nexus devices are absolutley meant for consumers who don't root or unlock, but what is great about them is if you want to do either of the latter..it is much easier to do.
Also, I suggest you try and personally compare your N10 and Infinity before you read any of the general comparison threads. lol
Oh and welcome to the vanilla side of Android! :good:
- Mac
xIC-MACIx said:
Rooting is quick and painless if you use the Nexus 10 Toolkit available in the development section! My Galaxy Nexus also has a toolkit from the same dev, makes things SO much easier/quicker.
The risks of rooting are almost non-existent. Really, if the procedure doesn't work for you, nothing changes & you just won't have root permissions. I've personally never had anything bad happen, but I'm sure there is someone out there who has tried some sketchy method to root...the methods here are far from that, just read up and follow the instructions.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Toolkits are a nice method for rooting for beginners, but (imo) it's better to learn how to flash (and do generally other stuff) without the need of a toolkit.
When I rooted my Nexus 10, I just unlocked the bootloader (manually with fastboot), restocked, installed custom recovery (TWRP; fastboot) and then flashed a SuperSU CWM-flashable package from recovery. I did a lot of messing around with flashing and stuff on my SGT7 and Nexus 7, so this wasn't really anything new or difficult at all. I started out with a toolkit on my Nexus 7, and found it very annoying after a while when trying to flash a custom recovery (generally took a while for the device to end up having to reboot and unlock, and if I already did unlock then I think the toolkit wouldn't continue on unless I selected another option, and then if drivers aren't installed properly (I switched between a few devices) then that can also cause the toolkit to mess up, drivers and adb would be outdated from the toolkit in-comparison to what Google offered, etc.).
Simply put, Toolkits might be nice in the beginning, but I wouldn't recommend relying on them forever If your only mission is to just root the device though, a toolkit can do that pretty painlessly.
espionage724 said:
Toolkits are a nice method for rooting for beginners, but (imo) it's better to learn how to flash (and do generally other stuff) without the need of a toolkit.
When I rooted my Nexus 10, I just unlocked the bootloader (manually with fastboot), restocked, installed custom recovery (TWRP; fastboot) and then flashed a SuperSU CWM-flashable package from recovery. I did a lot of messing around with flashing and stuff on my SGT7 and Nexus 7, so this wasn't really anything new or difficult at all. I started out with a toolkit on my Nexus 7, and found it very annoying after a while when trying to flash a custom recovery (generally took a while for the device to end up having to reboot and unlock, and if I already did unlock then I think the toolkit wouldn't continue on unless I selected another option, and then if drivers aren't installed properly (I switched between a few devices) then that can also cause the toolkit to mess up, drivers and adb would be outdated from the toolkit in-comparison to what Google offered, etc.).
Simply put, Toolkits might be nice in the beginning, but I wouldn't recommend relying on them forever If your only mission is to just root the device though, a toolkit can do that pretty painlessly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Absolutely agree with you on that one. My first Android device was a Infuse 4G. Every root and recovery procedure was absolutely manual. Not to mention most of the methods were hackjobs from the OG Galaxy S and required some extra coersing w/ Root Explorer and a terminal lol. Once I got my GNex, I could do anything I needed to do manually; I was actually rather shocked at how simple things were w/ a Nexus device.
Really though, I don't at all mind these toolkits, it might be important to learn what goes on behind the scripts, but lots of ppl here would have never attempted to tinker w/ android w/o some sort of script/batch automation. That said, i'm sure they cause quite a bit more traffic in the Q&A section when things to go wrong. lol
Thanks for all of the replies.
It should arrive today and I'll compare it with my Infinity first and then go from there.
Looking forward to know the N10
When I first received mine, I didnt think that I would recieve it till closer to the end of day, as stated with UPS. But it arrived at 10am! Hoping it happens the second time around for my replacement. Would love to have the whole day playing with it
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda app-developers app

[Q] Any reason NOT to get the new OTA update if staying stock?

Just got the OTA update popup. Have looked around and it seems like user impressions are generally pretty favorable so far.
Aside from the update breaking root access (I'm staying stock, so not a deal-breaker for me), has anyone found any fatal flaws (app incompatibility, data loss/corruption, etc.) that might be a reason to NOT install the update?
Right now, there is a work around the b loader to gain root. If u take the update, you winn not be able to root as u know.
That might not mean much to you right now. But let's say you see something like the expanded mini menu, and you want it. Well, you won't be able to root and install Xposed.apk after taking the ota until an exploit is discovered.
Leave the update to the rubes who are less then passionate about the freedom we have or ota.
Btw, apps to sd is any able to move the apk to sd but not the working app and it's data.
See below the pick of the expanded mini menu...
Sent from my SCH-I545 using xda app-developers app
MysticCobra said:
Just got the OTA update popup. Have looked around and it seems like user impressions are generally pretty favorable so far.
Aside from the update breaking root access (I'm staying stock, so not a deal-breaker for me), has anyone found any fatal flaws (app incompatibility, data loss/corruption, etc.) that might be a reason to NOT install the update?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd go for it if you don't care about root access. My wife installed it and it seems to be just fine... Maybe even a bit smoother than before but that's probably placebo
Sent from my SCH-I545 using Xparent BlueTapatalk 2
If you don't care about root then do it. I've heard it fixes a lot of the lag. That alone would make me do it.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk 2
Forgetfull said:
If you don't care about root then do it. I've heard it fixes a lot of the lag. That alone would make me do it.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lag reduction wasn't thst noticeable but the improvement is there. Smearing is gone which is good. Notification bar has a new affect I like. Few new icons. I like it but not enough to take the OTA on my AT&T S4. Still running MDL on that one.
...sent from my SCH-I545 ME7 Rooted using xda app-developers app
My wife took it on her S4 and is very happy - zero issues, phone is snappier.
Delakit said:
Lag reduction wasn't thst noticeable but the improvement is there. Smearing is gone which is good. Notification bar has a new affect I like. Few new icons. I like it but not enough to take the OTA on my AT&T S4. Still running MDL on that one.
...sent from my SCH-I545 ME7 Rooted using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As much as I do want to see these improvements, I'm not willing to lose the ability to root and flash new roms. Here is to hoping a workaround is found soon.
Many thanks for all the responses. I did root my last phone and enjoyed the freedoms that brought. Would like to eventually root this phone, and I'm hoping that when I'm ready to do it there'll be a solution available for me, but if not it won't be the end of the world.
What I didn't want to do was the worst of both worlds: Apply the OTA and hate it, AND not be able to root.
Sounds like I won't end up in that spot, so I'll give it a shot.
MysticCobra said:
Many thanks for all the responses. I did root my last phone and enjoyed the freedoms that brought. Would like to eventually root this phone, and I'm hoping that when I'm ready to do it there'll be a solution available for me, but if not it won't be the end of the world.
What I didn't want to do was the worst of both worlds: Apply the OTA and hate it, AND not be able to root.
Sounds like I won't end up in that spot, so I'll give it a shot.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why devalue your phone for some stupid update?
Sent from my SCH-I545 using xda app-developers app
Most people figure out by around the second grade that different people place different values on different things. One example of this is that there are about a zillion versions of Android and a zillion different versions of Android phones to use them on.
Right now, what I value is a stock S4. You value the phone differently. We can both have what we want. Isn't that nice?
You learned something today. Hooray!
MysticCobra said:
Most people figure out by around the second grade that different people place different values on different things. One example of this is that there are about a zillion versions of Android and a zillion different versions of Android phones to use them on.
Right now, what I value is a stock S4. You value the phone differently. We can both have what we want. Isn't that nice?
You learned something today. Hooray!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think its hilarious that people come to XDA to talk about a stock android device.... If you want a stock android device on Verizon, Verizon has a website dedicated to the S4 its various updates... The fact that your here asking root developers if you should go stock is frankly ridiculous. I'm sorry if you don't like the answers your being given but if you don't want or need ROOT, why are you here?
s0m3f00l said:
I think its hilarious that people come to XDA to talk about a stock android device.... If you want a stock android device on Verizon, Verizon has a website dedicated to the S4 its various updates... The fact that your here asking root developers if you should go stock is frankly ridiculous. I'm sorry if you don't like the answers your being given but if you don't want or need ROOT, why are you here?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am here because there are very knowledgable people here who push their devices to the limit. Many of these people also have friends or spouses with the same hardware but still in a stock configuration, and thus are in tune with the quirks in the stock software. Indeed, I got two helpful responses, so that alone justifies my asking the question here. Besides, there are plenty of questions on this general Q&A forum that have nothing to do with android development. "What case are you using?" "What extended battery is best?" Etc.
I rooted my last device and ran a variety of custom roms on it for almost two years. There were pros and cons to that experience. I expect that one day, if rooting my S4 is an option, I will want to do that, but I'm not ready to do it yet.
Is that really such a bizarre and alien situation that no one could possibly comprehend it? What is there about it that deserves derision or insult?
MysticCobra said:
Most people figure out by around the second grade that different people place different values on different things. One example of this is that there are about a zillion versions of Android and a zillion different versions of Android phones to use them on.
Right now, what I value is a stock S4. You value the phone differently. We can both have what we want. Isn't that nice?
You learned something today. Hooray!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
MysticCobra said:
I am here because there are very knowledgable people here who push their devices to the limit. Many of these people also have friends or spouses with the same hardware but still in a stock configuration, and thus are in tune with the quirks in the stock software. Indeed, I got two helpful responses, so that alone justifies my asking the question here. Besides, there are plenty of questions on this general Q&A forum that have nothing to do with android development. "What case are you using?" "What extended battery is best?" Etc.
I rooted my last device and ran a variety of custom roms on it for almost two years. There were pros and cons to that experience. I expect that one day, if rooting my S4 is an option, I will want to do that, but I'm not ready to do it yet.
Is that really such a bizarre and alien situation that no one could possibly comprehend it? What is there about it that deserves derision or insult?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's not bizarre or alien. Just an odd place to ask the question. The fact remains, you are on one of the websites that pioneered root access and spawned countless custom ROM's, Mods and Apps. You come to this website to discuss how you don't need root and are going stock and have no need of root & then you don't like the answers that the very same people who value root and push the limit of their phones give. If it were any other "development website" or chat channel you would be banned as a troll and no one would waste anymore time than they already have.

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