I am New user. Please tell me why should I root my phone? What are the risks ?

I am New user. Please tell me why should I root my phone? What are the risks ? - Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Sent from my MT11i using xda app-developers app

The main reason why I rooted my phone was to have more control and access to features that the original ROM didn't contain. Overclocking is another reason.
The risks of bricking your device are very low if you just read, search and learn.
Sent from my wonderful HTC Sensation

Rooting your phone allows you to truly make the phone "yours". I first rooted my phone so that I could use it as a wifi hotspot for free. With a rooted phone, you can improve battery life, overclock or underclock your phone, remove stock apps that you don't need or use, and you have access to various apps that improve the overall performance/stability of the phone.
The biggest advantage is to be able to flash roms.The advantages i stated before are great but can take a while to find all of the ones you want and set it up just right. Thats where custom roms come in, you can search for the perfect rom that suits you best that will already include battery/performance/stability improvements. Also most roms come with optional apps or zips that you have the choice to put into your rom, and if you still find some you don't like then you can simply delete them with an app like Root Explorer. For ex: When you were choosing a phone you may like something on an HTC device that is not on a samsung device, but you like the samsung device more overall, well that is the advantage of rooting. All android phones can do the same things (given that they have similar hardware) you just have to find the rom that contains everything you like.
The disadvantages are of course bricking your phone but as the other poster stated, there is a very small chance of this happening as long as you follow the directions that the developer has posted. Even if you did manage to brick your device, there are a number of postings and videos out there that will walk you through the necessary steps of unbricking your phone.

My main reason was to delete the HTC default software (HTC Peep, HTC Mail... sense in general), which was really laggy. If you root your phone, you will lose your phone warranty, so maybe you want to wait until the warranty expires.
Once rooted if you want you can flash a custom rom, like CyanogenMod, which is fast and very customizable. And even if you want, you can make a completely custom rom, deleting the things you don't want in CyanogenMod and putting others by your own preferences.
And as jamarious and evilmastr said, you can brick your phone, but it is very rare if you follow steps carefully.
Good luck.

Having a different User Interface with various roms makes for a fresh new experience.
Some example screenshots can be seen here.

Related

[Q] Rooting help

so Im new to this and ive seen videos of how to root the at&t samsung galaxy note
and i want to know is it even possible to root/flash a phone that is still locked?
and what are advatages/disadvantages of rooting a locked phone?
help please
thanks

A locked phone is just a phone that is tied to one carrier.
A rooted phone is a phone where the user (you) has enabled root access to the phone, which provides you with (nearly) ultimate control of the phone. It typically voids your warranty, although there are many ROMs and root methods that will not trigger the flash counter (which shows your carrier that you've tampered with the device). It can be risky, since you are able to damage your phone, the worst case scenario being a "bricked" phone, which means the device will no longer turn on, rendering it fairly useless. The benefits include:
access to grant permissions to certain apps (which lets you do some pretty cool stuff, like making a backup of all your apps so you don't have to download them individually every time you reset your phone, or the ability to uninstall carrier bloatware)
the ability to flash custom roms!
do you need any others? you can FLASH CUSTOM ROMS dammit!!
Without getting too technical, custom ROMs are third party pieces of software that alter, and hopefully upgrade, your current (Stock) rom. This means you can get updates to your phone long before your carrier releases the OTA updates, and you can get customized versions which look and feel better and allow you to do awesome things like overclock your cpu for faster speeds (which improves overall perfomance), or undervolt it for increased battery life...or a little bit of both. A lot of the time you don't even need to do this yourself, because these awesome developers will set all that up for you.
So just to recap, you are taking a risk every time you root your phone or flash a custom rom, however, the guides make it very difficult for you to hard-brick your phone (soft bricking can be frustrating, but is far from the death of your phone), and there are safety measures you can put in place, like nandroid backups (only once youre rooted! ). Also, most phones have a guide for getting back to stock in case all hell breaks loose on your phone.
I am by no means an expert at this, but I have flashed a few hundred roms, and rooted at least 30 different devices (phones and tablets), and I have yet to hard brick a device. I believe the rewards far outweigh the risks, although to each his own.

Root, custom roms. Questions from an Android noob.

I feels good to be on a phone platform that isn't stagnant. After owning an LG S-Class phone and a Bada phone, having Android feels like Christmas has come early. However I am left majorly confused as to my options on various things.
I have tried to read and understand the benefits of rooting my phone. I've only found one negative in that Google Play movies won't work. Other than that it seems like a great thing to do. However after reading and trying to understand everything, I was left more confused than ever before. So far I've found 4 different methods to root a phone. Which method does one go for? Then there's the super user access, busybox, yellow triangle, again it's confusing.
I would like to root my phone to achieve the following:
- Be able to shutoff various services and things to get better battery life.
- Get access to all of the cool rooted apps out there, like the ones from Chainfire etc.
- Play some of the Tegra games.
- And I'm sure other things I havn't yet discovered or am aware of.
I would like to also know what are the options for being able to install copied paid apps etc. On the iPhone it was easy once you jailbroke a phone, but on Android I'm again confused on this part. I know there is an option to be able to install apps from an untrusted source, but it seems there has to be more to this than that.
Then the thing that confuses me the most is the huge amount of custom roms. Then you have kernels thrown in as well. I've gone into information overload trying to get up to speed with everything and this part seems too large a scope to get my head around it so quickly. I don't have any problem with my stock ICS really, but then I don't know what I'm missing on the custom side of things.
I'm sure I sound like a complete noob. That's ok, I am when it comes to Android. For my previous phones I was flashing custom roms, and doing all kinds of things. Maybe it's not all as confusing as I think, but right now I'm having a hard time getting a good picture on things when it comes to my new Galaxy S2 phone.
I would greatly appreciate someone being able to help me with some of these questions rather than telling me to gtfo or use the search function. I've tried, but now after overloading on stuff, I've taken a step back. I've been trying to find a website, page or post that might answer my questions in a way that I can get my head around it all. In the end I choose an Android phone because of the customizations, and for the community that is doing great things. I'd like to join the party :good:

Superuser access, busybox, and yellow triangle are not root methods. Superuser is what you get when you root the phone, and it allows root apps to get superuser access to do certain root things, if you grant the app those permissions. Busybox is some sort of utility (I don't know much about it, actually. Shrugs) that you can only get on Android once its rooted. Required for titanium backup and some other root programs. I think it was originally on linux. The yellow triangle is a Samsung only thing, basically it counts how many times you have flashed custom firmware and kernels onto your phone. The app triangle away resets the counter so you can claim a warranty if the phone breaks without the triangle giving you away. You can choose your root method, some are one click and others are the traditional method.
Installing the .apk of a paid app? That's a no-no. To answer your question, you can install a non market app without root and there isn't really another side of that. (Maybe you're talking about license verification?)
Custom ROMs are firmware (you know that, since you said you've done it before. The advantages are usually a later version of Android that your manufacturer stopped on, a stock non skinned Android experience (your S2 has touchwiz), and tweaks/other features to make it faster/cooler. For example, ParanoidAndroid allows you to switch between tablet and phone modes easily, and the entire cyanogenmod series has a built in theme engine as well as many options in the CM settings.
Custom kernels (or just kernels) manage the CPU and GPU. Different kernels allow overclock/underclock better battery saver and performance settings, and simply CPU management.
Sent from my LG-C800 using xda premium

gagdude said:
Superuser access, busybox, and yellow triangle are not root methods. Superuser is what you get when you root the phone, and it allows root apps to get superuser access to do certain root things, if you grant the app those permissions. Busybox is some sort of utility (I don't know much about it, actually. Shrugs) that you can only get on Android once its rooted. Required for titanium backup and some other root programs. I think it was originally on linux. The yellow triangle is a Samsung only thing, basically it counts how many times you have flashed custom firmware and kernels onto your phone. The app triangle away resets the counter so you can claim a warranty if the phone breaks without the triangle giving you away. You can choose your root method, some are one click and others are the traditional method.
Installing the .apk of a paid app? That's a no-no. To answer your question, you can install a non market app without root and there isn't really another side of that. (Maybe you're talking about license verification?)
Custom ROMs are firmware (you know that, since you said you've done it before. The advantages are usually a later version of Android that your manufacturer stopped on, a stock non skinned Android experience (your S2 has touchwiz), and tweaks/other features to make it faster/cooler. For example, ParanoidAndroid allows you to switch between tablet and phone modes easily, and the entire cyanogenmod series has a built in theme engine as well as many options in the CM settings.
Custom kernels (or just kernels) manage the CPU and GPU. Different kernels allow overclock/underclock better battery saver and performance settings, and simply CPU management.
Sent from my LG-C800 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the reply gagdude.
The custom roms thing is indeed confusing lol. You have files for modems, kernels, and it goes on. How does one even know if they need a new modem file I wonder. I imagine people probably flash their phones on a daily basis. What to speak of choosing a new kernel.
At any rate, being that this is my first android phone, and my second Samsung one, I'm quite happy with the Touchwiz interface as it's familiar.
I understand more now what a kernel does, unless I'm mixing in some things I've seen that look like a completely different UI. I might look at that at some point, but for now my stock ICS 4.0.3 on the S2 seems quite ok. So really it's now just choosing a method of rooting it.
As for installing the .apk of a paid app, yes that was what I was referring to. It was possible on jailbroken iphones installing .ipas, but I don't know if it is on Android. When you say a no-no, are you referring to it can't be done, or that it can, but it's a topic that cannot be discussed here?

KrazyKong said:
Thanks for the reply gagdude.
The custom roms thing is indeed confusing lol. You have files for modems, kernels, and it goes on. How does one even know if they need a new modem file I wonder. I imagine people probably flash their phones on a daily basis. What to speak of choosing a new kernel.
At any rate, being that this is my first android phone, and my second Samsung one, I'm quite happy with the Touchwiz interface as it's familiar.
I understand more now what a kernel does, unless I'm mixing in some things I've seen that look like a completely different UI. I might look at that at some point, but for now my stock ICS 4.0.3 on the S2 seems quite ok. So really it's now just choosing a method of rooting it.
As for installing the .apk of a paid app, yes that was what I was referring to. It was possible on jailbroken iphones installing .ipas, but I don't know if it is on Android. When you say a no-no, are you referring to it can't be done, or that it can, but it's a topic that cannot be discussed here?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No prob.
Some people do flash quite often, yes, but I don't believe they completely change everything. Usually they flash a different ROM because hey - ROMs are the fun part. Each one is unique and its fun to play around.
Touchwiz is a pretty nice interface IMO but its personal opinion, some people hate it. Either way, your choice on that. I do believe some skins are big resource and RAM hogs, especially Sense (despite it looking very nice) and the old Motoblur. That's when flashing a vanilla Android ROM really helps.
The S2 should be getting a JB upgrade in the next few months, so if you plan on staying stock and taking the OTA, make sure to only freeze bloatware (not uninstall) and do NOT install a custom recovery. Rooting these days are pretty easy, its just that some old timers dislike one click root methods because you don't know what you're getting into and you don't fully understand what you're doing to your phone. Little secret: I've only rooted with one click root methods
Yes just like a jailbroken iPhone you can install the .apk however it is available without root.
When I say no - no I mean we can't discuss it on xda. It's against the rules
Sent from my DROID2 using xda premium

gagdude said:
No prob.
Some people do flash quite often, yes, but I don't believe they completely change everything. Usually they flash a different ROM because hey - ROMs are the fun part. Each one is unique and its fun to play around.
Touchwiz is a pretty nice interface IMO but its personal opinion, some people hate it. Either way, your choice on that. I do believe some skins are big resource and RAM hogs, especially Sense (despite it looking very nice) and the old Motoblur. That's when flashing a vanilla Android ROM really helps.
The S2 should be getting a JB upgrade in the next few months, so if you plan on staying stock and taking the OTA, make sure to only freeze bloatware (not uninstall) and do NOT install a custom recovery. Rooting these days are pretty easy, its just that some old timers dislike one click root methods because you don't know what you're getting into and you don't fully understand what you're doing to your phone. Little secret: I've only rooted with one click root methods
Yes just like a jailbroken iPhone you can install the .apk however it is available without root.
When I say no - no I mean we can't discuss it on xda. It's against the rules
Sent from my DROID2 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes I was aware the S2 would be, or should be getting JB in the next few months. I'm more than happy to wait for that. I have found one program that enables you to one click root the phone, but it's a bit misleading as you have to first flash a file using ODIN, thus it's not one click on that sense. What is the program you use for rooting may I ask?
Maybe I got lucky but my phone is unbranded and only contains 2 apps. Both can be uninstalled. As for freezing the bloatware, I'll have to read up more on what services and things I can freeze safely.

SuperOneClick is by far the most popular one click root solutions. It doesn't support all devices, however. If it doesn't work on your S2, that method you found (flash a file via ODIN first and I'm assuming the next step is a one click root?) seems pretty simple. As long as you don't mind doing a few extra steps, there are many methods for the SGS2 because of its popularity. Make sure the instructions to root are for your specific model, becaused there are many variants of it.
The reason why I said not to uninstall bloatware and only freeze is because when you update, you have to have all the apps the phone came with (if its uninstallable stock, then it should be fine), unroot, then update for it to work correctly. Having a custom recovery like Clockworkmod also causes problems when updating. You'll have to stick with the stock recovery.
Sent from my LG-C800 using xda premium

[Q] Best custom rom for S-On?

I am new to this, after switching from an iPhone.
And so far it has been sooo confusing.
I have learned that you cannot get ViperOne on AT&T without S-off because they haven't updated to 4.4.4
But the guide doesn't mention that? Luckily I asked on their IRC before I tried.
I am wondering if there are any good custom roms for 4.4.2 with S-On.
After learning about ViperOne and having no warning that it won't work on AT&T, I am skeptical if their are any that will work.
I am new to this. and I'm very surprised the official guide on Venomroms.com doesn't warn you that it doesn't work on AT&T without S-off.
Coming from using and iPhone for the last 3-4 years this seems ridiculous. So any help would be greatly appreciated.
Also is it HTC that makes it so hard to root , unlock, and customize? Or is it Android? I'm having a hard time understanding why everyone recommends android. I had no idea you had to pay money to load custom roms.
Edit - So I just read that you can't flash custom firmware without being S-Off. Guess that answers the question. This phone sucks. No wonder why iPhone 6 was still out of stock.

nigerlet said:
I am new to this, after switching from an iPhone.
And so far it has been sooo confusing.
I have learned that you cannot get ViperOne on AT&T without S-off because they haven't updated to 4.4.4
But the guide doesn't mention that? Luckily I asked on their IRC before I tried.
I am wondering if there are any good custom roms for 4.4.2 with S-On.
After learning about ViperOne and having no warning that it won't work on AT&T, I am skeptical if their are any that will work.
I am new to this. and I'm very surprised the official guide on Venomroms.com doesn't warn you that it doesn't work on AT&T without S-off.
Coming from using and iPhone for the last 3-4 years this seems ridiculous. So any help would be greatly appreciated.
Also is it HTC that makes it so hard to root , unlock, and customize? Or is it Android? I'm having a hard time understanding why everyone recommends android. I had no idea you had to pay money to load custom roms.
Edit - So I just read that you can't flash custom firmware without being S-Off. Guess that answers the question. This phone sucks. No wonder why iPhone 6 was still out of stock.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And what custom roms were you running on your iPhone?
edit: Must not feed troll...

1. A whole new world of apps
Android offers a wide range of apps for every situation, but when you want something that offers a somewhat ”more advanced” function you usually require root level permissions. Having root permission simply means to be an ”administrator” of your device, so you have control over deeper interactions with the system. This allows us to uninstall bloatware (pre-loaded apps), control firewalls, management systems and even enable gesture controls through multi-touch modifications. There are also apps that work fine without root, but whose full potential is only realized with root, such as antivirus apps, with their locking systems/remote access or CleanMaster, which lets you remove bloatware if you are rooted.
2. Customize like never before
Android devices are famous for their ability to change launcher, icon packs, live wallpapers, ringtones, keyboard sounds and much more. However, this customization is usually limited to superficial aesthetic changes. With root permissions you can modify the system files to your liking, including system sounds as well as the boot animation, which is what you see when you start your device up. The level of customization that is possible is near-limitless, but you can only start to see how deep the rabbit hole goes once you’ve taken the first step.
3. Performance beyond all limits
There are already many apps that can free up your RAM or speed up your phone, and However, with ”normal” methods it is not possible to overcome the limitations imposed by the hardware itself, but only to work within those predefined limits. Once again, root permission comes to the rescue, allowing you to modify the actual speed of the CPU via overclocking. To do this it is necessary to flash a custom kernel – the link connecting your hardware to software – that allows it, but the process is very simple, even more so using the app Kernel Manager.
4. No more problems with the battery
Smartphones continue to evolve, but the Achilles heel of the battery has not yet been resolved. Although the best phones can guarantee 24 hours of use (and beyond, thanks to power-saving features), many of us fail to get to the end of the evening. Solution? Buy yourself the LG G3, the new king of the battery! Or, if you’re not going to shell out that kind of money, or because you are simply loyal to your current smartphone, you can root and solve the problem yourself. With root you can access a number of functions that will allow you to choose how much power goes to the CPU, so setting a lower limit, called undervolting, can make significant savings in terms of power consumption. Again, you’ll need a different kernel to the one your phone came with.
5. Automate everything
Many of you already know the application Tasker, which allows us to automate virtually every aspect of our smartphones. For those not in the know, on the basis of an event (such as the insertion of the headphones, our specific location, a particular time of day etc) we can match an action to it (launch apps, send text messages, play a song) – all managed by this application. It also works without root permissions, but with them we will be able to access the complete list of possible interactions, such as activation of the internet, GPS, screen control, CPU speed, and much more.
6. Flash custom ROMs
This is the number one reason why the majority of Android users decide to get root permissions. In addition to radically (or subtly) customizing a smartphone, the major custom ROMs we like the most tend to outdo the stock ROM in terms of functionality, performance and fluidity; an example is OmniROM, who are working on a ROM for fully integrated voice commands, allowing you to control every function of your smartphone via voice commands. Another important feature is the ability to upgrade our old and manufacturer-abandoned smartphone with the latest versions of Android. Here’s our list of the most important custom ROM and root terms explained.
7. Block advertizing
While advertizing is, for many developers, their only source of income and the only thing that allows them to create otherwise free apps, it can also be a nuisance that you want to eliminate from your smartphone experience. If an app contains invasive advertising that not only consumes a large amount of data but that can also potentially trigger subscriptions without our consent, as we’ve seen repeatedly with WhatsApp, it’s a problem that can be dealt with if you have root. Apps like AdBlock Plus give you control over the advertizing contained in apps and browsers. The use of this application and of other similar ones is possible only for those with root level permissions.
8. Perform full backups
Every Android device has the ability to make a backup of applications and certain data, within the settings menu or through the use of management software like Samsung’s Kies. Even if you decide to use these options together with various cloud services, nothing can ultimately compete with the features offered by root permission backups. For example, it is only with root that you can use the legendary app Titanium Backup, with which you can make copies of the entire system image of your device and move it to your SD card or computer. You also have the the ability to automate the process at regular intervals.
9. Access features from other phones
One of the best features (or worst, from the point of view of programmers) of Android devices is the incredible variety of phones and tablets that use it, not to mention the individual manufacturer changes to the Android system. This allows us to always have a different device than everyone else, but it also means not always being able to enjoy the unique features reserved for a group of top of the range smartphones. As you’re probably starting to realize, root permissions also allow us to do this. In forums like XDA Developers there is a wealth of flashable zips available for all sorts of features, scripts and functions. In addition, we can enable limited functions from specific manufacturers, such as installing LG’s Knock On feature on non-LG devices, or using features such as tethering to share and connect phones via USB, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.
10. Become the master of your universe
This is actually one of the most convincing reasons to root your phone. You bought it, so it’s yours and you don’t want to be told what you can or cannot do with your own property. Android, by its very nature, is a free system born from the idea of creating an ecosystem of independent software and hardware that is open to everyone Getting root permission, in addition to the benefits listed above and many more that I could mention, will make you the ”real” owner of your smartphone, giving you complete control, albeit with some risks, of customizing basically anything you want to, exactly how you want it. And this is perhaps the best part of rooting your Android.
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk

rquinn19 said:
And what custom roms were you running on your iPhone?
edit: Must not feed troll...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Didn't need one. A jailbreak was enough. iOS is flawless. I made a mistake buying this ****. But hey the speakers are nice.

scoot0073 said:
1. A whole new world of apps
Android offers a wide range of apps for every situation, but when you want something that offers a somewhat ”more advanced” function you usually require root level permissions. Having root permission simply means to be an ”administrator” of your device, so you have control over deeper interactions with the system. This allows us to uninstall bloatware (pre-loaded apps), control firewalls, management systems and even enable gesture controls through multi-touch modifications. There are also apps that work fine without root, but whose full potential is only realized with root, such as antivirus apps, with their locking systems/remote access or CleanMaster, which lets you remove bloatware if you are rooted.
2. Customize like never before
Android devices are famous for their ability to change launcher, icon packs, live wallpapers, ringtones, keyboard sounds and much more. However, this customization is usually limited to superficial aesthetic changes. With root permissions you can modify the system files to your liking, including system sounds as well as the boot animation, which is what you see when you start your device up. The level of customization that is possible is near-limitless, but you can only start to see how deep the rabbit hole goes once you’ve taken the first step.
3. Performance beyond all limits
There are already many apps that can free up your RAM or speed up your phone, and However, with ”normal” methods it is not possible to overcome the limitations imposed by the hardware itself, but only to work within those predefined limits. Once again, root permission comes to the rescue, allowing you to modify the actual speed of the CPU via overclocking. To do this it is necessary to flash a custom kernel – the link connecting your hardware to software – that allows it, but the process is very simple, even more so using the app Kernel Manager.
4. No more problems with the battery
Smartphones continue to evolve, but the Achilles heel of the battery has not yet been resolved. Although the best phones can guarantee 24 hours of use (and beyond, thanks to power-saving features), many of us fail to get to the end of the evening. Solution? Buy yourself the LG G3, the new king of the battery! Or, if you’re not going to shell out that kind of money, or because you are simply loyal to your current smartphone, you can root and solve the problem yourself. With root you can access a number of functions that will allow you to choose how much power goes to the CPU, so setting a lower limit, called undervolting, can make significant savings in terms of power consumption. Again, you’ll need a different kernel to the one your phone came with.
5. Automate everything
Many of you already know the application Tasker, which allows us to automate virtually every aspect of our smartphones. For those not in the know, on the basis of an event (such as the insertion of the headphones, our specific location, a particular time of day etc) we can match an action to it (launch apps, send text messages, play a song) – all managed by this application. It also works without root permissions, but with them we will be able to access the complete list of possible interactions, such as activation of the internet, GPS, screen control, CPU speed, and much more.
6. Flash custom ROMs
This is the number one reason why the majority of Android users decide to get root permissions. In addition to radically (or subtly) customizing a smartphone, the major custom ROMs we like the most tend to outdo the stock ROM in terms of functionality, performance and fluidity; an example is OmniROM, who are working on a ROM for fully integrated voice commands, allowing you to control every function of your smartphone via voice commands. Another important feature is the ability to upgrade our old and manufacturer-abandoned smartphone with the latest versions of Android. Here’s our list of the most important custom ROM and root terms explained.
7. Block advertizing
While advertizing is, for many developers, their only source of income and the only thing that allows them to create otherwise free apps, it can also be a nuisance that you want to eliminate from your smartphone experience. If an app contains invasive advertising that not only consumes a large amount of data but that can also potentially trigger subscriptions without our consent, as we’ve seen repeatedly with WhatsApp, it’s a problem that can be dealt with if you have root. Apps like AdBlock Plus give you control over the advertizing contained in apps and browsers. The use of this application and of other similar ones is possible only for those with root level permissions.
8. Perform full backups
Every Android device has the ability to make a backup of applications and certain data, within the settings menu or through the use of management software like Samsung’s Kies. Even if you decide to use these options together with various cloud services, nothing can ultimately compete with the features offered by root permission backups. For example, it is only with root that you can use the legendary app Titanium Backup, with which you can make copies of the entire system image of your device and move it to your SD card or computer. You also have the the ability to automate the process at regular intervals.
9. Access features from other phones
One of the best features (or worst, from the point of view of programmers) of Android devices is the incredible variety of phones and tablets that use it, not to mention the individual manufacturer changes to the Android system. This allows us to always have a different device than everyone else, but it also means not always being able to enjoy the unique features reserved for a group of top of the range smartphones. As you’re probably starting to realize, root permissions also allow us to do this. In forums like XDA Developers there is a wealth of flashable zips available for all sorts of features, scripts and functions. In addition, we can enable limited functions from specific manufacturers, such as installing LG’s Knock On feature on non-LG devices, or using features such as tethering to share and connect phones via USB, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.
10. Become the master of your universe
This is actually one of the most convincing reasons to root your phone. You bought it, so it’s yours and you don’t want to be told what you can or cannot do with your own property. Android, by its very nature, is a free system born from the idea of creating an ecosystem of independent software and hardware that is open to everyone Getting root permission, in addition to the benefits listed above and many more that I could mention, will make you the ”real” owner of your smartphone, giving you complete control, albeit with some risks, of customizing basically anything you want to, exactly how you want it. And this is perhaps the best part of rooting your Android.
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the android advertisement. Doesn't help with anything though. This OS is garbage. HTC also seemed to make it worse. But my phone is made out of aluminum which is pretty cool.

Stop complaining about the phone and just pay for sunshine s-off.
The issue is not your phone, but lack of research before buying.
---------- Post added at 09:52 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:49 AM ----------
If you want a 4.4.2 ROM, there are still some good ones. But you haven't stated why you even need or want a custom ROM at all, so its impossible to recommend anything until you do so.

You created a thread to ask for help ,but at same time you wanna bash something that you know nothing about. People on here are more than welcome to help you but by being negative is not going to help.
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk

redpoint73 said:
Stop complaining about the phone and just pay for sunshine s-off.
The issue is not your phone, but lack of research before buying.
---------- Post added at 09:52 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:49 AM ----------
If you want a 4.4.2 ROM, there are still some good ones. But you haven't stated why you even need or want a custom ROM at all, so its impossible to recommend anything until you do so.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok pretty much the only reason is the crazy ass battery drain. This phone is less than a month old and 100% can't last a day with light use. Seriously the battery % drops by the minute when I'm simply browsing the web. That's the only reason. Everything else seems like a bonus. But why should I have to spend $25 to have a decent battery?
Edit : I did read online that AT&T has a battery drain issue and that's why they are holding back updates. I did re-calibrate the battery didn't work. Factory resetting the phone also didn't work. After that I went to AT&T and the dude told me it's typical for HTC devices to drain that fast and tried to sell me a galaxy. I don't mean to be offensive, I'm just very disappointed and now I'm stuck with this phone for over a year.

nigerlet said:
Ok pretty much the only reason is the crazy ass battery drain. This phone is less than a month old and 100% can't last a day with light use. Seriously the battery % drops by the minutes when I'm simply browsing the web. That's the only reason. Everything else seems like a bonus. But why should I have to spend $25 to have a decent battery?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Battery life is a complicated issue on any device, no matter what OS.
A few basic battery saving tips:
1) Turn off "auto" brightness and turn down the screen to the lowest brightness you find palatable (50% works for me).
2) Turn off GPS when not in use
3) Turn off sync for services you don't use
You should also check the signal strength (dBm) under Settings>About>Network>Signal Strength, and post what you see there.
Its also possible that AT&T bloat is killing the battery (some folks have had the issue) but it may not be a silver bullet.
It might just be a matter of using an app like Watchdog Task Manager to see what is eating the battery, and freezing or removing that app (if its not a critical one).
Alternately, I found that GoldenEye was a nice cleaned up "stockish" ROM back in olden times when I was on 4.4.2. I found it to run well on AT&T, and is "international" based so therefore devoid of any AT&T meddling:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2705640

redpoint73 said:
Battery life is a complicated issue on any device, no matter what OS.
Its possible that AT&T bloat is killing the battery (some folks have had the issue) but it may not be a silver bullet.
It might just be a matter of using an app like Watchdog Task Manager to see what is eating the battery, and freezing or removing that app (if its not a critical one).
Alternately, I found that GoldenEye was a nice cleaned up "stockish" ROM back in olden times when I was on 4.4.2. I found it to run well on AT&T, and is "international" based so therefore devoid of any AT&T meddling:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2705640
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I guess I'll just pay the $25. I want the best if I'm getting a custom rom. And like I said in the edit post above I am stuck with this phone for over a year. Thanks for the help, sorry for being salty.

nigerlet said:
I guess I'll just pay the $25. I want the best if I'm getting a custom rom. And like I said in the edit post above I am stuck with this phone for over a year. Thanks for the help, sorry for being salty.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've reconfigured my previous post to include some basic power saving tips. It occurred to me that if Android is new to you, battery life may be something rather simple, like screen brightness.
Check it out, and see if it helps.

I had typed up a message but you guys ninja'd me coming back to decency and handling things, so forget I was ever here.
As to the battery thing, I recommend flashing an AOSP ROM with nano or pico gapps. I've always gotten much better battery life using AOSP over Sense.

I never experienced the battery drain issue as a lot of others did.but then again 2 days after purchasing my At&T M8 I went to Sunshine and played the 25 to s-off. But coming from a iPhone/IOS after many years of use to another different manufacturer and OS I could totally understand your frustrations. I have never owned a IOS device always had and stayed with Android but I'd be in the exactly same boat as you if I did switch. Just be patient and read and ask questions , and welcome to the forum's
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk

nigerlet said:
I am new to this, after switching from an iPhone.
And so far it has been sooo confusing.
I have learned that you cannot get ViperOne on AT&T without S-off because they haven't updated to 4.4.4
But the guide doesn't mention that? Luckily I asked on their IRC before I tried.
I am wondering if there are any good custom roms for 4.4.2 with S-On.
After learning about ViperOne and having no warning that it won't work on AT&T, I am skeptical if their are any that will work.
I am new to this. and I'm very surprised the official guide on Venomroms.com doesn't warn you that it doesn't work on AT&T without S-off.
Coming from using and iPhone for the last 3-4 years this seems ridiculous. So any help would be greatly appreciated.
Also is it HTC that makes it so hard to root , unlock, and customize? Or is it Android? I'm having a hard time understanding why everyone recommends android. I had no idea you had to pay money to load custom roms.
Edit - So I just read that you can't flash custom firmware without being S-Off. Guess that answers the question. This phone sucks. No wonder why iPhone 6 was still out of stock.
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Uhm, you dont have to be 4.4.4 to run the Viper rom nor do you have to be S-OFF. Just go to their site and download 2.5.0 which is the build that will run on AT&T's current 4.4.2. Once AT&T pushes the 4.4.4 update flash the 4.4.4 RUU then go back and flash Viper 3.2.1.

Dude, my M8 can go 2 days EASY. Simply the best phone that has been released yet.

I'm curious as well... I was running cm12 on my m7 but recently had to get a m8.. now im running into all sorts of issues. all i want is a stable sense/ lollipop rom. I want to stay s-on... htcdev's team frowns on s-off. HELP?!?

bford152 said:
I'm curious as well... I was running cm12 on my m7 but recently had to get a m8.. now im running into all sorts of issues. all i want is a stable sense/ lollipop rom.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The ROMs are plenty stable. If you have issues, its likely due to firmware that is not compatible with the ROM.
bford152 said:
I want to stay s-on... htcdev's team frowns on s-off.
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Click to collapse
What does that even mean? If you want full flexibility to mod the phone as you like, s-off the phone.

What I'm trying to ask, without s-off'ing the device, what custom roms based on lollipop on ATT software ver 4.4.2?

I think you want the Dev edition lollipop RUU. You will need to change CID and can be s-on. You will loose AT&T visual voicemail functionality (but might be able to add that back in with a mod) and no at&t specific apps will come with RUU, but the Dev edition is same code base as at&t version and will work on at&t device.

tommy_riley said:
I think you want the Dev edition lollipop RUU. You will need to change CID and can be s-on. You will loose AT&T visual voicemail functionality (but might be able to add that back in with a mod) and no at&t specific apps will come with RUU, but the Dev edition is same code base as at&t version and will work on at&t device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't you have to be s-off to change cid?

Notes for choosing to root their phone!

In this thread im going to show u some important notes for new people on rooting or some people who have no experience on rooting their devices! Here's some PROS and CONS!
Cons:
1. Rooting makes u have more functionality yet drains mostly the battery. It is because of XPOSED Modules, Tweaks and other flashed things on youre phone, it also somehow slows down the phone's performance. Except for the flashed zip that helps your performance and batter enhanced.
2. Root voids warranty, just any other warning: IT VOIDS WARRANTIES. Somehow except for flashing STOCK, it will regain ur phone's warranty (except for other devices).
3. Rooting triggers unability of updating ur phone to latest stock firmware except for doing the kies method.
4. It probably causes u too brick you phone that can completely kill the phone not because of the hardware but the software.
Pros:
1. Root takes u to monetization too! Which is a good thing if you're an business guy who doesnt want to go see the sun and just wants to love also their ol friend named Linux
2. Blocks and remove bloatware's which is also a good thing on performance and batter enhancement.
3. Hours of learning and teaching on the forums. This is like my life right now, everyday I look onto youre problems and replies answers which can be a failure or success.
4. Its damn legal! Theres nothing gonna stop you from rooting but dont go into Watch Dogs style where he has a custom OS which can hack into Goverment and techs.
5. Tons of apps that can be helpful on your performance, battery enhancement, device modification, monetization and ANY OTHER COOL STUFF!

Question Best ROMs and/or tweaks for A52 5G?

Hello all! I recently got a refurbished A52 5G (SM-A526B/DS) and have successfully gone through the process of unlocking the bootloader and flashing AOSP 13 GSI to the phone, with the help of various helpful guides on this forum. For the moment I am satisfied with this but there is definite room for improvement that I would like to explore.
First I'd like to just mention that I'm not really a phone guy; I have one because I need to have one and my primary concern is a simple, stable and nonsense-free experience, which is why I always flash custom ROMs to my phones to get away from the crapware that these things are always loaded with. However, I am very much out of the loop because this is only the fourth smartphone I've owned in probably over a decade, and the second one in over 5 years.
AOSP 13 GSI definitely does the trick in gutting out all the Samsung crap and leaving me with a nice clean system, but it has some minor issues that I'd be delighted if I could solve. The main ones are as follows:
I would like to be able to unlock my phone with my fingerprint. With a freshly flashed AOSP 13 GSI, this is unavailable.
The torch/flashlight toggle does not work, but the flash does work if I enable it in the camera app.
NFC for contactless payment would be a nice-to-have (but I can live without it).
I have primarily used LineageOS on my phones for as long as I can remember, so that is on my radar and I would like to try it at some point, but I am very much open to looking into other custom ROMs, especially if they can sort out the things listed above. I don't really know where to start so I'd be grateful for some help and advice in coming up with a shortlist, or if it's possible to fix these problems by making modifications to the AOSP 13 GSI then that is something I'd be happy to explore too. Even if I have to go back to the stock OS and can completely gut it from Samsung's garbage I'd be happy to look into that too.
Thanks in advance!

Interesting, I'd recommend you to just go back to android's stock rom instead for your A52 since it has the things it primarily needs, use ADB Appcontrol to get rid off all the bloat and even more if you decide to dive deeper into it. If you'd need debloat recommendations I'm here to help i out
While custom rom's can be nice and that it can also be the biggest pain in the ass.

WooBLOATERRRR said:
Interesting, I'd recommend you to just go back to android's stock rom instead for your A52 since it has the things it primarily needs, use ADB Appcontrol to get rid off all the bloat and even more if you decide to dive deeper into it. If you'd need debloat recommendations I'm here to help i out
While custom rom's can be nice and that it can also be the biggest pain in the ass.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the reply! I'm aware I might have gone for the nuclear option too quickly by flashing a custom ROM on to the phone but what can I say, it's been my go-to process for years and I'd be lying if I said it isn't a lot of fun!
Debloating the stock ROM is definitely an option but I have to say, the experience I had just simply turning the phone on for the first time and getting it set up and updated was nothing short of a nightmare. It was determined to install social media apps without my permission between updates and that just made me all the more eager to get away from it.
If you have a link to a guide for debloating the stock ROM I'd love to take a look at it!

You can take a look at the discountinued thread of the one ui debloat thread made my hamid
[DISCONTINUED] Samsung Galaxy One UI - Optimization Guide
THIS IS A SUGGESTED CONFIGURATION FOR SAMSUNG DEVICES OUT OF SUPPORT/CLOSED I - RECOMMENDED SETTINGS To Start With - Factory Reset before starting optimisations - Factory Reset after every Major update (One UI/Android) - Remove SIM before first...
forum.xda-developers.com
Otherwise make sure to get adb appcontrol downloaded

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