I am a beginner to Android, and I am wondering if someone can introduce me to how to make my Galaxy S4 into a Google Play Edition with Lollipop. Can someone walk me through this?
Please help!
jashtiani said:
I am a beginner to Android, and I am wondering if someone can introduce me to how to make my Galaxy S4 into a Google Play Edition with Lollipop. Can someone walk me through this?
Please help!
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Likely this will not be possible for you.
Samsung and Verizon have kept the GS4 Bootloader locked and unless you have the "MDK" version of the bootloader there are no options to change your ROM to "Google Play Edition with Lollipop". Furthermore, depending on your current bootloader, you may not even be able to root your phone.
Go to the Baseband section under settings/more/about device and look for the baseband version. The last 3 letters/numbers are the ones you will see referred to in these posts. Up to NK4 was KitKat, OC1 is Lollipop.
If your last 3 are MDK you may be able to use an exploit called Loki which will allow you to root and change roms - (search MDK and Loki on these forums). Unfortunately if your last 3 are OC1 then you are on Lollipop and out of luck for root/custom roms at the moment.
Once you find those letters/numbers you will know your options. For Kitkat versions you can root with Towelroot and install the Safestrap app/recovery and use that to flash custom Kitkat Touchwiz Roms only. There are a few methods for upgrading to Lollipop from NK4 and retaining root but you must root the phone first before upgrading.
With very few exceptions, once you upgrade your bootloader/baseband version you cannot downgrade, so if you are already on OC1, the only option is to wait for a new root exploit to be found.
Hope this helps a little.
Try looking up "how to flash roms on galaxy s4" and I think there is a guide on xda
Sent from my GT-i9505(rooted) Android 4.4.2
Related
Ok...so I've been reading almost every post in here all day long...and I wanted to upgrade my Stock Android 4.1.2 phone to one of the cool roms on here. One rom (I can't remember which one)...said I needed MJ9 firmware...so I flashed it. Then I successfully rooted. I then tried to install a new recovery so I could flash the new shiny rom. As soon as I rebooted...got the Verizon Brick Message from hell. Ok...then I searched how to get rid of that. I found a post saying to flash back to stock MJ9 which gave me Android 4.3. Now that means I can't unlock my bootloader so I could root and install the roms...correct?
I guess my question is. Can I use ODIN to flash back to 4.1.2 and have a chance at an unlocked bootloader...or am I skrewed? I should just accept the OTA kitkat and be done with it?
I
Well if you flashed stock 4.3 you most likely locked up your boot loader and there is no known exploit to unlock that boot loader atm. I think there's still a way to root 4.3 but I'm not 100% sure how. Hopefully someone else can chime in on that.
Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk
@gallogj
Unfortunately, your bootloader is locked now, so trying to ODIN to 4.1.2 won't unlock it. There's not an easy way to unlock it now (search the threads and you'll see that Mobile Tech videos can downgrade for a price... and someone else reported that they used an "unbricker" method to downgrade... but others don't appear to have had as much success).
If you stay on 4.3 MJ9, you can still get root, run root apps/ Xposed, etc... And with 4.3 MJ9, you can also use Safestrap to run custom Touchwiz ROM's.
If you take the OTA to kit kat, there's not a root method currently for our Note 2's, so you'll be running pure stock.
It's totally up to you, but if you want root (at least for now), you'll want to stay with 4.3 MJ9.
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Edit: You can check out Safestrap at this link: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2704992
Here's a link to the saferoot method for 4.3 MJ9: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2565758
I545VRUFNK4 ..... can't find info which way to root?
Hi
My phone has downloaded lollipop (5.0) but I haven't installed it yet. I have seen it mess up some phones already. I have android 4.4.2 with baseband I545VRUFNK4 and kernel 3.4.0 build # KOT49H.I545VRUFNK4
Can I still use the safestrap that is designed to be used with NC5 Base?
I usually am able to find such information... but was unable
Thanks in advance for help.
So, you're on NK4 atm? I believe that was the mini update in between NC1 and OC1 (lolipop). This post tells you how to root NK1. If you plan to go to either of the lollipop builds (OC1 or OF1) use this post for OC1 and this post for OF1. don't use safestrap fro lolipop builds, they don't work with them. use flashfire in the posts.
Thanks for your help.
I could have sworn I searched for *NK4*
maybe I didn't have right settings... or maybe the search engine is lousy.
thanks again
Hi
Can anyone please let me know how to upgrade my Samsung i535 verizon to cyanogenmod 5.1 custom...phone is currently running official 4.4.2 kitkat.
Thanks
It's not possible. VZW S3 with 4.3 and above updates have locked bootloaders. This means you can not install a traditional custom recovery and it does not allow flashing custom kernels, which anything non Samsung based would need. Your only option would be the Safestrap recovery and custom rom based off of Touchwiz. You can not downgrade either to an earlier version of the software before the bootloader lock either, just in case you had that idea. VZW asks Samsung to muck it up like that.
hey i was wondering if i could change to twrp from safestap, i am using a verizon samsung galaxy s4 l545 that has been rooted and running custom roms since new. right now i am currently running the safestrap version of stangfire 5.0 v2. ive never taken a over the air update from verizon ive always updated from different methods listed on xda or listed by the developers for their roms. i would like to be able to use twrp to have acess to different roms other then the safestrap ones but im not sure what is the best way to install it or what version to install. any help would be appreciated
thanks
Unless you are one of the lucky ones to have the MDK bootloader you will not be able to use TWRP.
If you don't know, the easiest way to find out is to install Samsung Phone Info from the Play Store.
If you are not on the MDK bootloader you could very easily brick your phone trying to install a custom recovery.
sent from a Galaxy far far away.
I need a bit of help with this one.
I have a Samsung Galaxy S4 on Verizon, Android 4.4.2 Build VRUFNK4 (I believe this is an intermediate build between the stock VRUFNK1 and Lollipop).
What I'd like to do is root, backup the current build and then revert back if possible to VRUFNK1.
I'm new to rooting a phone so I could use a bit of help and links. I've read many of the posts and tips, but most specifically don't mention my build, which makes me a bit nervous.
Will towelroot work with this ?
Should I use TWRP or Titanium for backup ?
And.........can I find and revert back to the official build VRUFNK1 (4.4.2)
I simply want to get out of this strange build, remove bloatware........ and have some control over not being pestered over OTA updates from Verizon/Samsung.
Possibly, in the future, I'll play around with some custom ROM's.
Any help and opinions would be appreciated.
For what it's worth...................
After digging around on the net for a few days, I found the following. Now, I can't be sure if this works, so consider the implications. If someone else here on XDA can verify it then it might work.
If you have a Verizon Galaxy S4 with the 4.4.2 build of VRUFNK4 this was part one of two updates to Lollipop. Many people like me had been deferring the update and then somehow pushed the wrong button and "wham" got stuck with VRUFNK4., but they were able to stop further installation to Lollipop.
So for people stuck on VRUFNK4 it's pretty much the same as the previous VRUFNK1 except mine seems to eat battery power. AND, from what I know VRUFNK4 is not directly rootable( list below).
i545vrugOC1 5.0.1 Lollipop
i545vrufnk4 4.4.2 (intermediate update to prepare for Lollipop, part one)
i545vrufnk1 4.4.2 Kitkat
i545vrufng6 4.4.2 Kitkat
i545vrufnc5 4.4.2 Kitkat
So, you basically have three choices:
-- Leave it on VRUFNK4 (which is part one of a two part update to Lollipop) and live with the issues.
-- Allow the update all the way to Lollipop and live with Lollipop (and possibly root there)
-- Use the following procedure (yet to be confirmed by someone here at XDA and hopefully help with details)
1. Use Odin 3.09 to flash back to VRUFNC5 (KitKat 4.4.2)
2. If the flash is successful, root with TowelRoot
3. Once rooted on NC5 you should be able to flash whatever build you want, backup and recovery using
Titanium Backup, etc.
Anyone that wants to chime in here, it would be appreciated.
Just thinking.........
Could someone with experience in flashing explain to me why a person can't flash directly to a certain build, in this case,
Android 4.4.2 VRUFNK1 from a newer one (reverting to an earlier build) ??
from what i understand, you should be able to flash anything from NC5 and above via odin with NK4. the Bootloader was changed in lollipop builds OC1 and OF1 so that you can no longer downgrade to older builds from those.
Thanks bangdosa for the info. You seem to be familiar with all this stuff.
So, just to clarify, would it be true that if you're on NK4, you could flash using Odin to NC5 ? And hopefully root.
bangdosa said:
from what i understand, you should be able to flash anything from NC5 and above via odin with NK4. the Bootloader was changed in lollipop builds OC1 and OF1 so that you can no longer downgrade to older builds from those.
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