[Q] Rookie Question - SCH-i545 Owner (Rooting & Roms) - Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4

Howdy all - so I've spent about a week on these forums - and the interwebs in general - trying to make sense of the rooting / rom scene. I've played with smart phones for quite awhile - including an HTC Incredible & Galaxy S2 for a short period (my only previous exposure to Android) - but never rooted or put custom ROM's on them. I've mostly been an iPhone user - and was always jailbroken.
Much to my disappointment, after picking up my Verizon Galaxy S4 (I traded someone from my iPhone 5) - I discovered all the bloatware - among other things - and want to put a custom rom on it.
I do have 4.3 on MJ7. My understanding is the previous owner of this device had the phone for about 2 week.
So - what are my options? I am a bit confused with all the different concepts & terms.
I understand MJ7 is pretty locked - but have been paying attention to the vRoot method.
If I WERE to use it - and root my phone - what would be my next step?
Do I then have to install a recovery loader or is that still not an option?
My "goal" is to have a leaner more efficient OS running so that things move faster and battery drain is kept to a minimum.
If I understand things - if I do root - I would need to use a 4.3 ROM, correct? Or no? Could I use a 4.2 ROM?
I still don't understand where "safestrap" and whether a ROM has TouchWiz fits into things.
I've read about this Knox 0x1 stuff too - but I'm not worried about warranty issues - that's the only real concern, right?
I know once I'm rooted - I can run things like nandroid backup - right? Among other things?
But my big issue is - I want a stable custom ROM that doesn't have all the bloatware & that works well.
Can I do this now - if I used the vRoot method (I know some are still iffy about it & I understand those concerns)?
I apologize to those of you who "know" this stuff. I really have been searching and reading up - but I have to be honest - my head is spinning with "what is what".
I understand the "potential" of Android over iOS - and appreciate/respect the complexities that come with it - but I am disappointed that things seem to be even more "locked down" and unreliable this far into the game for Android (I dumped my HTC Incredible & S2 because of far inferior performance, battery & reliability issues compared to iOS). I'm sure much of the blame lies with Verizon and/or Samsung as opposed to the actual OS, but, it is what it is.
Not looking to debate my experience or opinion; just looking for a little more guidance for a few things I'm struggling to comprehend.
I just want to have something that works- and works well.
I've been in & out of these forums over the years for different things and know it's a great resource. Thanks ahead of time for anyone that chooses to take the time to point me in the right direction(s).

skny said:
Howdy all - so I've spent about a week on these forums - and the interwebs in general - trying to make sense of the rooting / rom scene. I've played with smart phones for quite awhile - had an HTC Incredible & Galaxy S2 for a short period - but never rooted or put custom ROM's on them. I've mostly been an iPhone user - and was always jailbroken.
Much to my disappointment, after picking up my Verizon Galaxy S4 (I traded someone from my iPhone 5) - I discovered all the bloatware - among other things - and want to put a custom rom on it.
I do have 4.3 on MJ7. My understanding is the previous owner of this device had the phone for about 2 week.
So - what are my options? I am a bit confused with all the different concepts & terms.
I understand MJ7 is pretty locked - but have been paying attention to the vRoot method.
If I WERE to use it - and root my phone - what would be my next step?
Do I then have to install a recovery loader or is that still not an option?
My "goal" is to have a leaner more efficient OS running so that things move faster and battery drain is kept to a minimum.
If I understand things - if I do root - I would need to use a 4.3 ROM, correct? Or no? Could I use a 4.2 ROM?
I still don't understand where "safestrap" and whether a ROM has TouchWiz fits into things.
I've read about this Knox 0x1 stuff too - but I'm not worried about warranty issues - that's the only real concern, right?
I know once I'm rooted - I can run things like nandroid backup - right? Among other things?
But my big issue is - I want a stable custom ROM that doesn't have all the bloatware & that works well.
Can I do this now - if I used the vRoot method (I know some are still iffy about it & I understand those concerns)?
I apologize to those of you who "know" this stuff. I really have been searching and reading up - but I have to be honest - my head is spinning with "what is what".
I understand the "potential" of Android over iOS - and appreciate/respect the complexities that come with it - but I am disappointed that things seem to be even more "locked down" and unreliable this far into the game for Android (I dumped my HTC Incredible & S2 because of far inferior performance, battery & reliability issues compared to iOS). I'm sure much of the blame lies with Verizon and/or Samsung as opposed to the actual OS, but, it is what it is.
Not looking to debate my experience or opinion; just looking for a little more guidance for a few things I'm struggling to comprehend.
I just want to have something that works- and works well.
I've been in & out of these forums over the years for different things and know it's a great resource. Thanks ahead of time for anyone that chooses to take the time to point me in the right direction(s).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As of now your ONLY option for MJ7 is root via VRoot.(Make sure you read the ENTIRE VRoot thread) That's it. No custom recovery, no ROMs, no Safestrap.

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
................................
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.

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

Kyocera Brigadier - Button combo to reboot-bootloader?!

We bought a ton of Kyocera Brigadiers for my work, as we needed something rugged and durable, and there really isn't anything on the market that's stronger than these things.
But, of course, being a VZW device that gets no love, the UI is god-awful-ugly and there's so much bloat looking at the thing feels like watching a Richard Simmons video.
So, of course, I began working to root/debloat/customize the device, or at the very least, make our process of setting these up as corporate shared devices a whole lot more streamlined.
This process did not have it's issues, and resultingly, I've softbricked two of these babies.
Now, of course, we have a working TWRP we can use to do some stuff (fix borked system partition). Plus, I've got a dump of the stock recovery, as well as a backup of the debloated system image we're now using. This stuff is invaluable in fixing the two phones I've killed...but totally useless until I can use the buttons to force the phone into bootloader so I can get around.
Which brings me to my base query - does anybody know the magic keypresses required to kick these things into bootloader mode? It *has* to exist, as I can get into it via adb reboot bootloader. Kyocera support won't talk, and Verizon support is just stupid.
Also - mods - why doesn't this device have it's own section? It has kernel source, root, and a custom recovery. I know the russians are just gaga about these things - perhaps if XDA had a dedicated section, it would see more development than it currently has. I know if there is a section, I will personally offer up the dumps I've made thus far, and probably a custom ROM at some point in time.
I know I for one would love a look at the working rooted product. Did you use the kingroot method, and did you follow up with the SU switchover?
Looking for a similar fix, have you had any luck?
Have you had any luck with this, i've gotten to the bootloader but i have nothing to go from from there. If you have any suggestions i would sure love to hear them

Need suggestions/help to root/rom/etc

Hello, I got my V10 a few weeks ago and I'm looking to unlock this phone's full potential.
I am technically inclined, but no super genious. I'm intelligent in the artistic way, not the math way. Can't seem to structure my thoughts for long enough to accomplish a whole lot. I'm good at understanding the basic fundamentals and idea behind things, just can't hang on to all the details that long.
The last phone I had rooted was the Samsung Galaxy precident. It has been a while, and a lot of things have changed.
TMI here maybe, but hopefully this will give you an idea of my technical skill lev and make it easier for you to help me
So what I'm hoping to accomplish for my v10 today is firstly to remove all the bloatware and unnecessary stock apps.
2nd is to unlock any hidden features and tweak/fix existing features.
3nd is to optimize performance and battery life
4th is to customize the interface and user experience.
Generally I have found that rooting has been quite handy on my previous phones.
I would like to (if possible) avoid voiding my warranty, or at least make it hard to detect that I voided it.
Stability is important since this phone is my daily driver.
And most importantly I would like the process to be as low-risk as possible.
So as of right now my phone is bone-stock except for a Launcher.
If anybody could kindly point me in the right direction to get me started, I would greatly appreciate it.
twistdshade said:
Hello, I got my V10 a few weeks ago and I'm looking to unlock this phone's full potential.
I am technically inclined, but no super genious. I'm intelligent in the artistic way, not the math way. Can't seem to structure my thoughts for long enough to accomplish a whole lot. I'm good at understanding the basic fundamentals and idea behind things, just can't hang on to all the details that long.
The last phone I had rooted was the Samsung Galaxy precident. It has been a while, and a lot of things have changed.
TMI here maybe, but hopefully this will give you an idea of my technical skill lev and make it easier for you to help me
So what I'm hoping to accomplish for my v10 today is firstly to remove all the bloatware and unnecessary stock apps.
2nd is to unlock any hidden features and tweak/fix existing features.
3nd is to optimize performance and battery life
4th is to customize the interface and user experience.
Generally I have found that rooting has been quite handy on my previous phones.
I would like to (if possible) avoid voiding my warranty, or at least make it hard to detect that I voided it.
Stability is important since this phone is my daily driver.
And most importantly I would like the process to be as low-risk as possible.
So as of right now my phone is bone-stock except for a Launcher.
If anybody could kindly point me in the right direction to get me started, I would greatly appreciate it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Start with this... Tmo won't void you for root as long as you flash back to stock, but this is a how to root instruction that, if any easier, would be a color by number... After that siraltus rom, or GreezePop are both debloated, and a great start. Read thru the threads in tmobile LG V10, everything you could possibly need is in these threads.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=3274699
[Guide] How to Root LG v10 - Easy [1 Jan 2016]
Common sense isn't all that common
twistdshade said:
Hello, I got my V10 a few weeks ago and I'm looking to unlock this phone's full potential.
I am technically inclined, but no super genious. I'm intelligent in the artistic way, not the math way. Can't seem to structure my thoughts for long enough to accomplish a whole lot. I'm good at understanding the basic fundamentals and idea behind things, just can't hang on to all the details that long.
The last phone I had rooted was the Samsung Galaxy precident. It has been a while, and a lot of things have changed.
TMI here maybe, but hopefully this will give you an idea of my technical skill lev and make it easier for you to help me
So what I'm hoping to accomplish for my v10 today is firstly to remove all the bloatware and unnecessary stock apps.
2nd is to unlock any hidden features and tweak/fix existing features.
3nd is to optimize performance and battery life
4th is to customize the interface and user experience.
Generally I have found that rooting has been quite handy on my previous phones.
I would like to (if possible) avoid voiding my warranty, or at least make it hard to detect that I voided it.
Stability is important since this phone is my daily driver.
And most importantly I would like the process to be as low-risk as possible.
So as of right now my phone is bone-stock except for a Launcher.
If anybody could kindly point me in the right direction to get me started, I would greatly appreciate it.
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Read, read, then read again . Everything here is pretty basic comprehension. I'm no genius so sometimes I will read through a thread twice and watch a video before I begin . Makes things a lot easier when you understand what you are doing and why you are doing it . Good luck
TIP : Not mentioned in the instructions ..
When you download and install the drivers plug your phone into the computer and wait for the drivers to apply to the phone . Then you will see on your phone a notice asking to allow USB debugging press yes . then run your unlock .
I think that is why some people have problems with a failed bootloader unlock due to the phone not being recognized. I got it first try no problems. Good luck
Finally got around to setting up my laptop and getting into this. (it aint easy being a truck driver)
I got it rooted and SU installed.

Where to start?

I've purchased 3 androids I'm the past several years, and I feel the reason I dislike them is because I can't ever get them running stock Android. This of course is my first goal, but the barrier to entry just seems ridiculous. Of course I've tried googling, for many many hours, and probably longer than that cumulatively. However, the phones I have aren't too popular (currently on a Samsung Galaxy Express 3, still have a 2015 Moro G somewhere), and I think their root/custom ROM guides aren't too prevalent.
I would like to understand what I'm trying to accomplish though, just so I have a better shot googling the information. From what I understand, I need to root the phone and then install a custom recovery, at which point I need to use a custom ROM built for that specific phone and.. I've never really got close to that so I don't know much beyond that. Feel free to correct me on what I have do far, but please use links to text as my internet doesn't work too well with AT&T's prepaid unlimited plan.
I assure you I have tried finding guides for this, but they are either high overviews that aren't specific or video-only. Thanks for any direction, I'd really like to make my phone usable. The Samsung keyboard is atrocious, not to mention the bloat
Sorry to bump, but still lost as ever. I did find an interesting quirk and thought it could get some more minds interested though. This is essentially a Galaxy S2, could I use the same tools as that for the Galaxy J1?

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