Debloated S21 vs S20 with custom ROM - Samsung Galaxy S21 Questions

Hey folks!
So I found out a couple days ago that the S20 can have its bootloader unlocked, and there's a version of Lineage for it. Which is super exciting! I got a bit turned off when I saw how expensive the unlock was.
This got me to wondering, which would be better? I know you can adb in and disable/uninstall apps to help reduce Samsung's stock bloatware, which is my biggest issue with their devices. How would this performance be, vs going through the effort of unlocking and reflashing, say, an S20 note with Lineage or another ROM?
Edit: This is assuming bootload unlock works on Verizon phones to begin with, which I'd assume?

SwingBlade said:
Hey folks!
So I found out a couple days ago that the S20 can have its bootloader unlocked, and there's a version of Lineage for it. Which is super exciting! I got a bit turned off when I saw how expensive the unlock was.
This got me to wondering, which would be better? I know you can adb in and disable/uninstall apps to help reduce Samsung's stock bloatware, which is my biggest issue with their devices. How would this performance be, vs going through the effort of unlocking and reflashing, say, an S20 note with Lineage or another ROM?
Edit: This is assuming bootload unlock works on Verizon phones to begin with, which I'd assume?
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Click to collapse
Pretty much guaranteed Verizon doesn't let you unlock their bootloader. Have you ever tried lineage on a phone that's not close to stock? Typically you lose a lot of features, a lot of things are broken, it's slower, and battery and camera are worse. Honestly OneUI 3.1 is light years ahead of stock Android (lineage is essentially just vanilla Android these days). Maybe there's a way to do this, but as someone who's had over 50 different phones and have bootloader unlocked and flashed roms on almost all of them, I can assure you the juice is not worth the squeeze. Sorry!

xxBrun0xx said:
Pretty much guaranteed Verizon doesn't let you unlock their bootloader. Have you ever tried lineage on a phone that's not close to stock? Typically you lose a lot of features, a lot of things are broken, it's slower, and battery and camera are worse. Honestly OneUI 3.1 is light years ahead of stock Android (lineage is essentially just vanilla Android these days). Maybe there's a way to do this, but as someone who's had over 50 different phones and have bootloader unlocked and flashed roms on almost all of them, I can assure you the juice is not worth the squeeze. Sorry!
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Click to collapse
Stock is pretty much what I generally go for, I like to build up instead of work backwards. And the bootloader unlock was in consideration of using that rather expensive unlock service, which I assume works for all model phones?
I ended up going with the S21 Ultra in the end, though. I figured debloating should serve my purposes since I'm not nearly the 'power-user' I used to be.
Thank you for your reply! It is reassuring that I'm probably gonna get what I want out of it.

Related

Just bought a 6P (Europe). Anything particular I should know?

So my LG G4 finally decided to exhale its last breath. I had a blast with it and learned all the basics about flashing custom ROMs; I unlocked the bootloader, flashed TWRP and installed various CM based ROMs and I had to solve some bootloops too.
Eventually I grew tired of having to install custom ROMs in order to experience the "pure Android experience": first of all I voided the warranty and secondly I lost the full camera's functionality.
That's why I decided to buy a Nexus 6P (Pixel phones are too expensive, I don't like the Moto Z's design and the OP3 is out of stock).
Is there anything I should know about my new 6P?
Will 7.1 be on its way soon (out of developer preview)?
Let's say I'll decide to try out CM14.1, will that void the warranty? Are there risks of bootloops caused by software flashing? Are there ways to return to stock and to relock the bootloader? Does unlocking the bootloader void the warranty?
Thanks guys, take care!
Welcome to the 6P forum dude, I'll try to answer all your questions
1-We should get 7.1 like a week or two after it's out (I mean the OTA) and the factory images *should* be available the same day of the release. Or at least that was how it worked until now, we'll have to wait and see what happens now that the Pixel phones are out.
2-If you flash a custom ROM, yes it will void your warranty, but you can always flash a factory image and then relock the bootloader and have your phone 100% stock, and I'm not sure if this makes you recover your warranty but I'd say yes it does. I would wait for other people's posts to be sure about this though.
3-Yes, there is risk of bootloops if you flash the wrong stuff or if you don't follow each ROM/KERNEL/Whateveryoureflashing.zip instructions. But as long as you flash stable roms I don't think you'll have any problem, and in case of you having a bootloop, just flash another rom or a Google factory image, as easy as that.
As long as you return your unit with full stock (complete stock rom, locked bootloader), your warranty is still valid. And due to European law, they cannot deny fixing the phone even if it has been tampered with. (but as i said, return it with full stock)
ShooterLight said:
Welcome to the 6P forum dude, I'll try to answer all your questions
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Click to collapse
Mgrev said:
As long as you return your unit with full stock (complete stock rom, locked bootloader)
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Click to collapse
Thanks very much for your answers!
Yesterday I've been doing some research here on the forums and on the Android Developers' website in order to avoid questions that have been answered in other threads already!
Everything about the 6P seems easier compared to the G4 (let alone the fact that there's no way to relock the bootloader on it - voiding the warranty for good).
The last doubt I have is this one: let's say I flash a custom recovery (TWRP for example) and then I decide to return to stock with a factory image... Will I be able to "get rid" of the custom recovery or will I have to do additional stuff to overwrite it with the stock recovery?
Thanks again and sorry if my last question has been answered elsewhere already.
The factory image includes the stock recovery so no problem there either. When you flash a factory image it resets everything to stock except for the bootloader, which will keep unlocked, but can be easily locked back through ADB.
P.S: Unlocking/Locking the bootloader wipes all data on the device (That includes internal memory) so if you plan to unlock it consider doing it before installing your apps and setting everything up if you haven't already. And also, flashing a factory image will wipe everything too, so keep that in mind.
ShooterLight said:
The factory image includes the stock recovery so no problem there either. When you flash a factory image it resets everything to stock except for the bootloader, which will keep unlocked, but can be easily locked back through ADB.
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Click to collapse
Thanks again for your assistance!
At this point I can't wait for the device to arrive at my doorstep, I'm kinda impatient XD.
I have one last question if I may... I was wondering about encryption. Does the phone come encrypted out of the box? Does installing CyanogenMod (13 or 14.1) mean that the phone will be encrypted after the installation itself? Does decryption involve flashing a custom kernel or can it be achieved simply by flashing a factory image?
Thanks, have a nice evening. I won't ask for more, I promise XD.
corrx said:
Thanks again for your assistance!
At this point I can't wait for the device to arrive at my doorstep, I'm kinda impatient XD.
I have one last question if I may... I was wondering about encryption. Does the phone come encrypted out of the box? Does installing CyanogenMod (13 or 14.1) mean that the phone will be encrypted after the installation itself? Does decryption involve flashing a custom kernel or can it be achieved simply by flashing a factory image?
Thanks, have a nice evening. I won't ask for more, I promise XD.
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Click to collapse
The phone is stock encrypted. If you want it to not be you have to flash a non enforcing kernel and do a full wipe of data and storage. I'm sure there's plenty of guides on this. Encryption has little impact on the phone from what I've seen. And I've ran unencrypted most of the time I've had it and just recently went to encryption because I couldn't find a non encrypting when I installed the 7.1.1 beta. Factory images do force encrypt so I would flash the non encrypt before booting. I don't know if cyanogen encrypts or not, I haven't messed with it, I just run custom stock.
corrx said:
Is there anything I should know about my new 6P?
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Click to collapse
only one, the best phone there is and will be i guess?
i have had used Samsung phones before (s2 which was one of my favourite, and i often used aosp/cm based roms on it because pure android feel is the best) and i had the s5/note4 both were exynos which had ****ty support for CM , later on i went to get a snapdragon based s5 just for CM!
but then i decided to give a pure android phone a go, thats when i bought a Nexus 6 (but unfortunately it came with a banding in the display ,but i still used it without problems for 9months) and then i got myself the Nexus 6P and i can say this is easily the best phone i have used.
i look at other phones, i take them from the hands of my family members e.g the S7 Edge / Iphone 7+ when i used them for a bit compared to the 6p they are so meh.
i am so used to pure android phones now, plus you get a ton of roms to choose from and there are very good custom kernels and we are getting 7.x nougat.
you chose the right phone !!!!
one thing i would like to ask you, how long did the Lg G4 last you ?
Bluemgt06 said:
The phone is stock encrypted.
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Click to collapse
Thank you very much. Well that was the last thing I had to know .
leondestiny said:
one thing i would like to ask you, how long did the Lg G4 last you ?
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Click to collapse
The G4 lasted me about a year. Now I'm stuck in a bootloop caused by a hardware issue and sadly my warranty is voided. But you know what, I'm kinda happy my G4 died... I've always had iPhones (say what you want about iOS and Apple, but excellent build quality on the hardware side), then I bought a Galaxy S6 (outstanding hardware and build quality, but ****ty TouchWiz) and sold it to buy the G4. The G4 satisfied me because I could flash CyanogenMod and so I was able to experience a smooth and clean UX, but its plastic construction always disappointed me (I am so used to metal and glass...). So, yeah, I decided to go for the 6P to have a "premium" build quality and to experience Android "as it was meant to be experienced".
I could've bought a Moto Z or a Pixel but both were too expensive for my pockets.
Take care!
I was in the same boat. I still had a Note 3 and was waiting for the Note 7, but we all know how that turned out. Then I was baffled by the price of the Pixel and still wanted a phone without bloatware for once, so I bought the 6p and it's not dissappointing so far.
I tried running stock first, but after 3 minutes I was already fed up with all the advertising being thrown towards me, so I went looking for root and a nice Rom.
I ended up with the PureNexus Rom and EX kernel. systemless supersu with suhide and rootswitch (don't even know if suhide is still doing anything), but I'm passing Safetynet checks, so all looks well so far.
Any special reason you want to go for CM? I have been doubting, but since most ROM's are stock based, I didn't see the need to go to CM, but I'm easily convinced by other people's good experiences to give it a try
corrx said:
Thank you very much. Well that was the last thing I had to know .
The G4 lasted me about a year. Now I'm stuck in a bootloop caused by a hardware issue and sadly my warranty is voided. But you know what, I'm kinda happy my G4 died... I've always had iPhones (say what you want about iOS and Apple, but excellent build quality on the hardware side), then I bought a Galaxy S6 (outstanding hardware and build quality, but ****ty TouchWiz) and sold it to buy the G4. The G4 satisfied me because I could flash CyanogenMod and so I was able to experience a smooth and clean UX, but its plastic construction always disappointed me (I am so used to metal and glass...). So, yeah, I decided to go for the 6P to have a "premium" build quality and to experience Android "as it was meant to be experienced".
I could've bought a Moto Z or a Pixel but both were too expensive for my pockets.
Take care!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To help you out with your g4. Try to warm it up in some way. I repair phones and we had a boot looping g4 that booted after we heated to maybe 180°F it managed to boot and we were able to keep it on long enough to recover the data from it.
Blindfold_NL said:
Any special reason you want to go for CM? I have been doubting, but since most ROM's are stock based, I didn't see the need to go to CM, but I'm easily convinced by other people's good experiences to give it a try
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well the only reason I wanna go for CM is that I've been a CM user for the last 14 months on my LG G4. I've tried various AOSP based ROMs but I felt like CyanogenMod was the more stable and cohesive. I'm sure other ROMs have more 'hardcore user-friendly' features but I don't need them... So I guess I'm fine with a simpler and more stream-lined ROM.
Also: what's the best solution to avoid ads on the 6P? I used to install AdAway on my LG G4. Are there better options?
Bluemgt06 said:
To help you out with your g4. Try to warm it up in some way. I repair phones and we had a boot looping g4 that booted after we heated to maybe 180°F it managed to boot and we were able to keep it on long enough to recover the data from it.
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Click to collapse
I'll try to do that as I've seen in some videos... The thing is I don't have any data on it (luckily). Also I've read it's not a permanent solution!
corrx said:
Well the only reason I wanna go for CM is that I've been a CM user for the last 14 months on my LG G4. I've tried various AOSP based ROMs but I felt like CyanogenMod was the more stable and cohesive. I'm sure other ROMs have more 'hardcore user-friendly' features but I don't need them... So I guess I'm fine with a simpler and more stream-lined ROM.
Also: what's the best solution to avoid ads on the 6P? I used to install AdAway on my LG G4. Are there better options?
I'll try to do that as I've seen in some videos... The thing is I don't have any data on it (luckily). Also I've read it's not a permanent solution!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah. It is only a temporary solution.
corrx said:
Well the only reason I wanna go for CM is that I've been a CM user for the last 14 months on my LG G4. I've tried various AOSP based ROMs but I felt like CyanogenMod was the more stable and cohesive. I'm sure other ROMs have more 'hardcore user-friendly' features but I don't need them... So I guess I'm fine with a simpler and more stream-lined ROM.
Also: what's the best solution to avoid ads on the 6P? I used to install AdAway on my LG G4. Are there better options?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, understandable reason. I have to say Purenexus so far is very stable with some useful options, so you might want to give that one a try as well.
For me Xposed has the best anti ad apps, so until that's released for Nougat, I'm also using Adaway and it's doing fine. Xposed has addons to also eliminate ads in Youtube and other apps, so this will work until then.
Have fun with your phone!
New 6p user here! 6p is a good phone, that's no doubt,
see you around mate!
I had a G4, I was so happy when I finally got rid of that thing. I went from a Nexus 4 and 5 then for some stupid reason bought a G4. Now I've got a N6P and am loving it. Easily getting 6+ hours of screen on time with Nitrogen OS + Kronic kernel.
Blindfold_NL said:
Yeah, understandable reason. I have to say Purenexus so far is very stable with some useful options, so you might want to give that one a try as well.
For me Xposed has the best anti ad apps, so until that's released for Nougat, I'm also using Adaway and it's doing fine. Xposed has addons to also eliminate ads in Youtube and other apps, so this will work until then.
Have fun with your phone!
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Click to collapse
I see, thanks! I guess I'll use AdAway too until better options arise for Android N then.
Jason123420 said:
I had a G4, I was so happy when I finally got rid of that thing. I went from a Nexus 4 and 5 then for some stupid reason bought a G4. Now I've got a N6P and am loving it. Easily getting 6+ hours of screen on time with Nitrogen OS + Kronic kernel.
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6 hours? That's really nice! I'll give the ROM and kernel a try then, since the phone will arrive on monday (what a painful wait).
corrx said:
6 hours? That's really nice! I'll give the ROM and kernel a try then, since the phone will arrive on monday (what a painful wait).
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Click to collapse
Yeah that is a long wait lol
Make an EFS back up using twrp recovery, save a copy of the backup file on your phone and on your desktop computer/cloud storage. You most likely not gonna need it afterwards but you'll regret not backing it up when you do.
Sent from my Nexus 6P

Thinking of getting a g5

Hey All,
I'm currently using the g2 and it finally broke on me and I've been thinking about getting the g5 (t mobile version) off swappa. But I'm trying to get a sense of how development is working.
I've been trying to read through some of the threads here, but there don't seen to be a lot of guides. It seems like tmobile (h830) and the h850 only have roms available. When I looked, it seemed as simple as getting twrp running. But when I looked into that, I couldn't find a thread about h830 twrp. I found something about unlocking the bootloader, but that also seemed to be only possible if I happened to get a phone that hasn't been updated.
I guess I'm asking, if I pick up a g5 and it's been fully upgraded, is it possible to downgrade, unlock the bootloader, and flash twrp? Or do I need to try to find a specific version of the g5. Are there any guides that I seem to have missed that go through this process?
Hi
I am a G5 H850 owner and on Nougat 7. I have unlocked bootloader and TWRP and root. All done while on Nougat. Hope this helps.
Sent from my LG-H850 using Tapatalk
Don't man... I have an G5. And it has a lot issues with basic stuff like GPS. Go for an Oneplus if needed. I have already listed my G5 on sale. Just my 50 cents of advice
i’m using a G5 (H850) since a few month without any problem. No screen ghosting / no GPS trouble! Nougat is running well ( without root or unlocked BB!) so far. But it seems to be a little bit difficult to get a 100% error free unit. Until now, it looks like, i have one of it. I pray ,that it will stay.
Why not get the h850 it's LTE works everywhere afaik
Oniska said:
Don't man... I have an G5. And it has a lot issues with basic stuff like GPS. Go for an Oneplus if needed. I have already listed my G5 on sale. Just my 50 cents of advice
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah I kind of want a oneplus, but I also need to buy two phones right now. One for me and my gf. Trying to keep it under $500 for both and a used one plus is still pretty expensive in comparison to a used G5.
rpsweb said:
Why not get the h850 it's LTE works everywhere afaik
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Click to collapse
Can't find any on swappa right now. There are a few listend on ebay but it also says like h850 tmobile which doesn't seem right.
non-toxic said:
i’m using a G5 (H850) since a few month without any problem. No screen ghosting / no GPS trouble! Nougat is running well ( without root or unlocked BB!) so far. But it seems to be a little bit difficult to get a 100% error free unit. Until now, it looks like, i have one of it. I pray ,that it will stay.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nice, now I'm a little more hesitant picking one up though. Didn't know there were so many problems with it...
bug-list in short form:
* GPS problems because the pins for contacting the antenna are sometimes a little bit slack
* Screen sometimes will have a little ghosting (like AMOLED ) But less than Samsung S7 will have!
* Battery should have 2.800mah but this could be different +/- 15%
* the battery compartment cover includes the microfon too! Sometimes this cover has bad contact
* it is difficult to get a tempered glass screen-protector for it because the screen is bent
* Nougat update sometimes seems to be buggy
see here for more informations -> http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/lg-g5-problems/
but as i wrote, my phone is error free until now.
see point 1.) of my signature!
phillytemptation said:
Hey All,
I'm currently using the g2 and it finally broke on me and I've been thinking about getting the g5 (t mobile version) off swappa. But I'm trying to get a sense of how development is working.
I've been trying to read through some of the threads here, but there don't seen to be a lot of guides. It seems like tmobile (h830) and the h850 only have roms available. When I looked, it seemed as simple as getting twrp running. But when I looked into that, I couldn't find a thread about h830 twrp. I found something about unlocking the bootloader, but that also seemed to be only possible if I happened to get a phone that hasn't been updated.
I guess I'm asking, if I pick up a g5 and it's been fully upgraded, is it possible to downgrade, unlock the bootloader, and flash twrp? Or do I need to try to find a specific version of the g5. Are there any guides that I seem to have missed that go through this process?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As far as your question goes, yes you can get a t-mobile h830 (g5) on any version of software and you will be okay. If it's still on MM, you can use the modified tot flashing method or dirty cow. If it's on Android N, you will need to use dirty cow and if it's above 20A, you have to downgrade to 20A. Look in the T-mobile section for the guides on how to unlock your bootloader and get twrp and root (which voice you need to view will depend on what version of software your phone has on it). As far as development, there's one stock based rom (fulmics) and a couple non stock ROMs (LOS, RR, DU and one or two more) for our phone. As far as the issues with the phone that other people have posted about, it really just depends on the phone you get. Me and my gf both have g5s and neither of us have any issues, but many others have had problems. Anyways, if you get the t mobile version you can unlock your bootloader, get twrp, root and custom ROMs if you want. Hopefully this helps.
For me lg g5 its working great no bugs on gps not anything [emoji3]
jeffsga88 said:
As far as your question goes, yes you can get a t-mobile h830 (g5) on any version of software and you will be okay. If it's still on MM, you can use the modified tot flashing method or dirty cow. If it's on Android N, you will need to use dirty cow and if it's above 20A, you have to downgrade to 20A. Look in the T-mobile section for the guides on how to unlock your bootloader and get twrp and root (which voice you need to view will depend on what version of software your phone has on it). As far as development, there's one stock based rom (fulmics) and a couple non stock ROMs (LOS, RR, DU and one or two more) for our phone. As far as the issues with the phone that other people have posted about, it really just depends on the phone you get. Me and my gf both have g5s and neither of us have any issues, but many others have had problems. Anyways, if you get the t mobile version you can unlock your bootloader, get twrp, root and custom ROMs if you want. Hopefully this helps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the info! I was reading on some of the non-stock roms that camera quality isn't as good as fulmics, but I didn't know how much of a difference that was. Do you have any experience with that?
phillytemptation said:
Thanks for the info! I was reading on some of the non-stock roms that camera quality isn't as good as fulmics, but I didn't know how much of a difference that was. Do you have any experience with that?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As far as camera quality, any room other than true stock will have some quality issues or issues of not having all of the features that stock camera has. Even on fulmics ROM camera has issues with manual mode I believe. But thats just how custom ROMs go. As far as quality difference between stock and quality on custom ROMs, it's not that much. You will notice a difference if you compare pictures from stock to ones from custom ROMs, although quality on custom ROMs it's fine to me. Again though, you can always dual boot stock and custom ROMs to have the best of both worlds
Can't find any on swappa right now. There are a few listend on ebay but it also says like h850 tmobile which doesn't seem right.
That just means it locked to T-mobile you can get it unlocked for free I think
http://phandroid.com/2016/07/07/how-to-sim-unlock-the-lg-g5/
Do not get it on T-Mobile whatever you do. If you do get the device at all, get either the International version or the H850 model. The bootloader can be unlocked on these, therefore opening up the possibilities.
Don't get wrong, the phone has a lot of great selling points; just keep you're options open or you'll regret it later.
Hope this helps.
Nadeem A.M said:
Do not get it on T-Mobile whatever you do. If you do get the device at all, get either the International version or the H850 model. The bootloader can be unlocked on these, therefore opening up the possibilities.
Don't get wrong, the phone has a lot of great selling points; just keep you're options open or you'll regret it later.
Hope this helps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I got tmobile version. Unlocked bootloader and all. So why do you say that?
Sent from my LGE LG-H830 using XDA Labs
I must be confused with another device. My apologies for the inconvenience. Want some power user tips? PM me.
I was thinking of starting a YT series called LG G5 Revived. I don't think this phone is that great, but I do think its underrated. Yes or no?
Nadeem A.M said:
I must be confused with another device. My apologies for the inconvenience. Want some power user tips? PM me.
I was thinking of starting a YT series called LG G5 Revived. I don't think this phone is that great, but I do think its underrated. Yes or no?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you get lucky with the version with no issues it's not that bad. The specs are pretty good for this phone, just the build quality not so much. This phone can be bought for $300 and some change.
Honestly go compare this to the new LG 6 and galaxy S8. Pay almost triple with tax for a slight upgrade spec wise? Nah I am cool.
Sent from my LGE LG-H830 using XDA Labs
With a black carbon fibre skin it looks sexy asf.
Nadeem A.M said:
With a black carbon fibre skin it looks sexy asf.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Link?
Hey all, I'm curious what you all think about how the LG G5 might compare to a new budget phone like the Moto G5
I just picked up a used G5 on Wednesday for $230.oo. I love it so far. Have no idea what GPS issue they are referring to Because mine is great.

convince me to root my S9+?

So usually the first thing I do with all of my phones, is install a custom ROM ( and root obviously ). The newer the phones get the less reasons I find to void warranty and root it. Can someone give me a few good reasons to root my S9 plus, or tell me the reasons as to why you did it.
Thanks, Andrew.
Necessity to root, install ROMs has become less compared to earlier days with latest smartphones. But I flashed a custom ROM ( Resurrection Remix using TWRP) on the G-965F recently to stay away from samsung services and to get out of midrocre batterytime of the stock Firmware. Performance is out of the world and batterytime is solidly extended with it. Camera portrait mode doesn't work with Google hdr+ camera yet and that's a trade off should work in future.
Sobertooth said:
Necessity to root, install ROMs has become less compared to earlier days with latest smartphones. But I flashed a custom ROM ( Resurrection Remix using TWRP) on the G-965F recently to stay away from samsung services and to get out of midrocre batterytime of the stock Firmware. Performance is out of the world and batterytime is solidly extended with it. Camera portrait mode doesn't work with Google hdr+ camera yet and that's a trade off should work in future.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's the reasons I like also, I've always had loads better battery.
I bummed up, and let my phone reboot after OEM unlock, and now its disappeared for 7 more days again
I rooted all my phones for years, haven't felt the need on the S9+. Package Disabler Pro did everything I needed, and battery life is great (I did a 13 hours shift yesterday with lots of Facebook, photos, video recording, all on intermittent signal on both mobile and wifi, and battery went from 98% at 7am to 58% by 7.30pm.
I really don't know how you'd get much better life, other than a Mate 10 Pro, but they have their own issues...
HellDiverUK said:
I rooted all my phones for years, haven't felt the need on the S9+. Package Disabler Pro did everything I needed, and battery life is great (I did a 13 hours shift yesterday with lots of Facebook, photos, video recording, all on intermittent signal on both mobile and wifi, and battery went from 98% at 7am to 58% by 7.30pm.
I really don't know how you'd get much better life, other than a Mate 10 Pro, but they have their own issues...
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Click to collapse
I have noticed that battery life seems to be a hit and miss for people, some get really good, some get really bad.
Mine is mediocre, I feel like it could be better but it's not the worst in the world.
aussiesausage said:
That's the reasons I like also, I've always had loads better battery.
I bummed up, and let my phone reboot after OEM unlock, and now its disappeared for 7 more days again
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Be careful next time mate.
Sobertooth said:
Be careful next time mate.
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Click to collapse
Yeah I tried to the first time, ah well these things happen haha.
rooting is a little more than just battery life, things like titanium backup still needs root, and if one decides to remove 'bloatware' (i.e. apps that one don't use) be it that they are sometimes nuisance with all the auto updates unwanted notifications, root is still needed
I rooted my galaxy s9 plus for various reasons. First to greatly enhance the audio by viper4android, and with dolby atmos also on at the same time it completely redefines the sound coming from it. Another reason for me was to use L speed, i have to say it actually makes a difference in performance and battery but not that much. And the third reason is to use substratum, i just love it.
So after all of this you think I am trying to convince you to root, but I don't actually recommend rooting this device specifically. Why? I really don't see the need of rooting it. It has everything that I wanted, but because of my childish brain I couldn't control myself so I went ahead and root it. After all, don't root it.
Debloating stuff which improves battery and performance, and a lot of other tweaks. As for me I use it with my ps4 controller using an app requiring me to root. Now I have my own retro console
This is my first phone I have used that includes NFC payment. So I have started to really enjoy the Samsung Pay feature. Are there anyways of still using this after rooting the phone?
Also can someone give a list of things to disable with 'Service Disabler'? I think Package Disabler Pro has been removed from the play store so I can't get it anymore
After having had a lot of Phones where I felt the need to root them, I can agree on what some others said before me, and that is that the S9+ is the first Phone I haven't felt the need for rooting it. It has basically everything I want that root could give me before, the only thing I am yet wanting is Viper4Android and TitaniumBackup, but there is Samsung Cloud for backup (it even works for gamesaves), and then the built in Equalizer is really good compared to any other from other OEM's. There are however downsides from rooting it, like not being able to use Samsung Pay for example, or Google Pay, or (if you're a fan of it, I dislike the game but whatever) Pokémon GO. Basically any app that uses SafetyNet will stop working (Magisk isn't 100% safe either and can fail). As Samsung gives me the option to theme my Phone to dark like I used to do with Root, and overclock it for Games using the GameTuner, and other things I did with root, I see no reason to really root my S9+ for now, maybe when it reaches it's EOL but currently it is better not to root it.
for me s9 plus need to be rooted, it depends what you use the root for
rom, kernal, games, backup, full control of your system
my head into stuff like this
for normal user i doubt it they even know what root can do
i rooted all my phones before the s9 plus this one waiting for it to be rooted
Sobertooth said:
Necessity to root, install ROMs has become less compared to earlier days with latest smartphones. But I flashed a custom ROM ( Resurrection Remix using TWRP) on the G-965F recently to stay away from samsung services and to get out of midrocre batterytime of the stock Firmware. Performance is out of the world and batterytime is solidly extended with it. Camera portrait mode doesn't work with Google hdr+ camera yet and that's a trade off should work in future.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
is it possible to install ressurection remix without root. or. to be clear. have banking apps, netflix and everything working? with the mi mix 2. this never was an issue when i installed a custom rom (xiaomi.eu rom)
MadSilence said:
is it possible to install ressurection remix without root. or. to be clear. have banking apps, netflix and everything working? with the mi mix 2. this never was an issue when i installed a custom rom (xiaomi.eu rom)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ironically, you need to have magisk to get those apps to work. If you have magisk, you can change your device fingerprint using a modue called magisk hide props.
Will This Interfere With My Cell Phone Plan
The only reason I am hesitant to root my Galaxy S9 , is that I'm not sure of all of the negative impacts of rooting. here is my question. If I root my phone will i get to keep my cell phone plan? and will i be able to trade in my phone in the future?
I've had a lot of phones, all of them was rooted, even my S7, but the S9+ is my first that I haven't felt the need to root or anything else.
It's just a great phone.
skalembeatz9090 said:
The only reason I am hesitant to root my Galaxy S9 , is that I'm not sure of all of the negative impacts of rooting. here is my question. If I root my phone will i get to keep my cell phone plan? and will i be able to trade in my phone in the future?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You will keep your cell phone plan as that's based on the Sim card. And trade in depends on region I think. But factory reset with original recovery and everything should mean you can trade in unless your telecom company doesn't like it

P20 Lite Custom Roms/ Root

Just throwing this out there, I recently picked up a P20 Lite here in Canada through a carrier deal, admittedly it is a downgrade from my last phone regardless not the point of my post. I have never owned a phone that I didn't unlock the bootloader, root and install a custom ROM, until now (I'm too cheap even for the $5-$10 it costs to unlock.
Here's my question. With the state of custom roms for this phone is it really worth it? I have the 9.1 update, remove all the bloatware through ADB, install a decent launcher, happy with the camera and battery life. I do miss the familiarity of Lineage/Cy but can live with it. Am I missing anything earth shattering, again it goes against my core not to hack, but also to pay ?.
Saint613 said:
Just throwing this out there, I recently picked up a P20 Lite here in Canada through a carrier deal, admittedly it is a downgrade from my last phone regardless not the point of my post. I have never owned a phone that I didn't unlock the bootloader, root and install a custom ROM, until now (I'm too cheap even for the $5-$10 it costs to unlock.
Here's my question. With the state of custom roms for this phone is it really worth it? I have the 9.1 update, remove all the bloatware through ADB, install a decent launcher, happy with the camera and battery life. I do miss the familiarity of Lineage/Cy but can live with it. Am I missing anything earth shattering, again it goes against my core not to hack, but also to pay ?.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is that a question?
asmOne said:
Is that a question?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, is there a stable custom ROM that brings something to the table that I'm not seeing? Again, I'm familiar with the stability of official Lineage builds on OnePlus devices but am new to anything for the Huawei phones.
Saint613 said:
Yes, is there a stable custom ROM that brings something to the table that I'm not seeing? Again, I'm familiar with the stability of official Lineage builds on OnePlus devices but am new to anything for the Huawei phones.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Official p already OTA and You better stick to stock because this is not a flagship device and looks like moderators are already give up.

Should I change MIUI for a custom ROM?

Hey there, how are u doing?
I just got my Poco X3 NFC (was using Mi A3), and I kinda feel like pure android is really better to use in general than MIUI (at least for me). Wondering if it's better to change it now, since I don't have much on phone (less than 1 week) or just keep MIUI because 12.5 is about to get there.
Was checking the forum and found a lot of ROMs, but I don't really get if's not "the same" as MIUI, since it's an Android ROM with modifications based on... something they wanted to change. Most popular ROMs seem to be ArrowOS, Ressurection-Remix, and others non official ROMs (LineageOS have Android 11 already). I have NO IDEA what I should be looking in general, no idea what is Selinux, permissive, don't flash with some softwares, etc. Not sure if it affects how I will use it commonly tbh.
I mean, I usually use my phone to access social media, use a lot of spotify/youtube, and I probably will need to root to have a good Linux machine running there for my studies (actually using UserLand), that's why I'm wondering about ROMs. Battery is really important since I run a virtual machine imo.
So, what do u think? Should I change MIUI with another custom ROM or just keep it because XIAOMI upgrades it frequently? Would you recommend some ROM in specific? As I said, just want good battery life and QoL using my apps and Bluetooth connection (phones and smartwatch 24/7).
Never used custom ROMs tbh, but would give a shot. Always loved community based stuff
On Xiaomi you can always flash stock and relock bootloader if you need to unlike Samsung (thanks Knox /s)
ArrowOS is my recommendation. Well made ROM. You can also flash F1xy kernel if you want more fluidity with still good battery life.
Only thing is you don't have the features of stock MIUI camera and flashing ANX Camera on ArrowOS didn't worked for me. If you want that, you can use crDroid which has it built-in.
Flash it. It offers better performance, good battery life + it's nice & clean. You can notice it simply by doing basic tasks. Less frames are dropped.
For OTA, do dirty flash of ROM, but I prefer clean flash as it makes sure that there are no bugs related to dirty flashing + I'm starting clean. I do clean flash every time I notice that Device side changelog is changed. I'm using ArrowOS which has updates almost every day. crDroid updates often too. Like once in 7 day, but it's not the fixed schedule. NitrogenOS updates every 15 days-1 month.
NitrogenOS was my ROM before, it was good, but ArrowOS is just better. ArrowOS & basically other ROMs are based on newest sources while NitrogenOS is the only ROM right now that is still based on 12.0.3 firmware. ArrowOS has Enforcing seLinux unlike Nitrogen etc. These small things is what makes ArrowOS better ROM than others. Only crDroid can "fight" with it imo.
mGrilo said:
Hey there, how are u doing?
I just got my Poco X3 NFC (was using Mi A3), and I kinda feel like pure android is really better to use in general than MIUI (at least for me). Wondering if it's better to change it now, since I don't have much on phone (less than 1 week) or just keep MIUI because 12.5 is about to get there.
Was checking the forum and found a lot of ROMs, but I don't really get if's not "the same" as MIUI, since it's an Android ROM with modifications based on... something they wanted to change. Most popular ROMs seem to be ArrowOS, Ressurection-Remix, and others non official ROMs (LineageOS have Android 11 already). I have NO IDEA what I should be looking in general, no idea what is Selinux, permissive, don't flash with some softwares, etc. Not sure if it affects how I will use it commonly tbh.
I mean, I usually use my phone to access social media, use a lot of spotify/youtube, and I probably will need to root to have a good Linux machine running there for my studies (actually using UserLand), that's why I'm wondering about ROMs. Battery is really important since I run a virtual machine imo.
So, what do u think? Should I change MIUI with another custom ROM or just keep it because XIAOMI upgrades it frequently? Would you recommend some ROM in specific? As I said, just want good battery life and QoL using my apps and Bluetooth connection (phones and smartwatch 24/7).
Never used custom ROMs tbh, but would give a shot. Always loved community based stuff
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I´ve had the phone for around 3 weeks now and it´s the first phone in years that I haven´t unlocked and installed custom Roms.
The reason is that my bank detects unlocked bootloader and I cannot use Google Pay which I use on a daily basis.
After debloating the phone and setting up the relevant apps so they don´t get shut down by the aggresive MIUI battery savings I am really satisfied. I also have a smartwatch connected 24/7 and I get around 8-9 hours SOT. Just normal usage, no gaming.
I also installed the MI Control Center from Play Store to customize the control center which is quite cool giving a bit of a customized look.
The only thing I am not to keen about is the fact that the Android security has not been updated since november 2020.
So far I am sticking with stock and looking forward to see what Miui 12.5 will be like.
geminis3 said:
On Xiaomi you can always flash stock and relock bootloader if you need to unlike Samsung (thanks Knox /s)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So, it's like "try it, if u don't like it, just get MIUI back", right? Cool!
SkaboXD said:
ArrowOS is my recommendation. Well made ROM. You can also flash F1xy kernel if you want more fluidity with still good battery life.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OTA is the android updater? I'm kinda wants to update like I do with MIUI. Options > Updates > Update > Restart and Done
I don't use much cameras, just on my job tbh. As I said, just want a good battery to use my Linux on background (I already do it all day basically, I would say), and free ads (disabled all of them on MIUI, I think). Like, for example, installed Vanced YT on my Mi A3 in 5 minutes, while I reinstalled 3 times on POCO X3 and still can't log-on.
badadam said:
I´ve had the phone for around 3 weeks now and it´s the first phone in years that I haven´t unlocked and installed custom Roms.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not sure if my bank do that... hope it doesn't. Yes, lot of apps are useless and uninstalled already.
I only "game" idle games, which means like 30 mins/day.
Still wondering if I should or not try a ROM. Probably will on weekend since I won't use it.
Oh, and BTW, my night mode is kinda buggy in a few apps, had to disable it on android and use in-app features. Not sure if it's MIUI problem, but never happened on my Mi A3.
badadam said:
The reason is that my bank detects unlocked bootloader and I cannot use Google Pay which I use on a daily basis.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've been using magisk hide for banking apps, I still get some random issues with some apps like not being able to register the fingerprint but overall I can use them all, the only app that really gives me any trouble is the sprint drive app.
My phone is arriving today. Do I really need to wait for unlocking the bootloader?
badadam said:
The reason is that my bank detects unlocked bootloader and I cannot use Google Pay which I use on a daily basis.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
With ArrowOS you can use bank apps and google play...
These are enforcing builds. Safety net checks pass out of the box! No need to flash magisk modules, which might in turn break the integrity!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
zpower said:
With ArrowOS you can use bank apps and google play...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Like I wrote my bank in Denmark detects unlocked bootloaders. So there is no way I can use my bank apps as long as the bootloader is unlocked .
I had problems using ArrowOS on my Redmi Note 8T and called the help service in my bank. When I told him my phone model the helpdesk guy asked me right away if I had unlocked my bootloader which I "admitted" I did. Turns out that the guy knew eveything about custom Roms, unlocked bootloaders and rooted phones. He told me that most banks in Denmark put safety first and do anything to lock out devices with unlocked bootloaders even if Safetny passes without problems.
So I haven´t even tried unlocking the bootloader on my X3 NFC as I use my bank apps and Google Pay everyday.
And I am actually quite satsfied with stock MIUI after debloating and twirking. Looking forward to see how 12.5 will improve the phone.
badadam said:
Like I wrote my bank in Denmark detects unlocked bootloaders. So there is no way I can use my bank apps as long as the bootloader is unlocked .
I had problems using ArrowOS on my Redmi Note 8T and called the help service in my bank. When I told him my phone model the helpdesk guy asked me right away if I had unlocked my bootloader which I "admitted" I did. Turns out that the guy knew eveything about custom Roms, unlocked bootloaders and rooted phones. He told me that most banks in Denmark put safety first and do anything to lock out devices with unlocked bootloaders even if Safetny passes without problems.
So I haven´t even tried unlocking the bootloader on my X3 NFC as I use my bank apps and Google Pay everyday.
And I am actually quite satsfied with stock MIUI after debloating and twirking. Looking forward to see how 12.5 will improve the phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow, what a story. Thanks for sharing.
mGrilo said:
Hey there, how are u doing?
I just got my Poco X3 NFC (was using Mi A3), and I kinda feel like pure android is really better to use in general than MIUI (at least for me). Wondering if it's better to change it now, since I don't have much on phone (less than 1 week) or just keep MIUI because 12.5 is about to get there.
Was checking the forum and found a lot of ROMs, but I don't really get if's not "the same" as MIUI, since it's an Android ROM with modifications based on... something they wanted to change. Most popular ROMs seem to be ArrowOS, Ressurection-Remix, and others non official ROMs (LineageOS have Android 11 already). I have NO IDEA what I should be looking in general, no idea what is Selinux, permissive, don't flash with some softwares, etc. Not sure if it affects how I will use it commonly tbh.
I mean, I usually use my phone to access social media, use a lot of spotify/youtube, and I probably will need to root to have a good Linux machine running there for my studies (actually using UserLand), that's why I'm wondering about ROMs. Battery is really important since I run a virtual machine imo.
So, what do u think? Should I change MIUI with another custom ROM or just keep it because XIAOMI upgrades it frequently? Would you recommend some ROM in specific? As I said, just want good battery life and QoL using my apps and Bluetooth connection (phones and smartwatch 24/7).
Never used custom ROMs tbh, but would give a shot. Always loved community based stuff
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The most sensible answer is if you must ask, you don't need it. You'll likely get over your head, screw up your phone, whine and cry for help, when no one can cuz you're not even sure what, how, when or where you went wrong and don't remember exactly what you did, you'll end up regretting the whole thing, wish you never came to this site in the first place cuz now you gotta $250 paperweight, with no way to get another one. Now your parents are super mad and pretending you don't exist, you've resorted to eating only peanut butter n jelly sandwiches for every meal.. All this cuz you wanted a custom rom... yup
Talysdaddy said:
The most sensible answer is if you must ask, you don't need it. You'll likely get over your head, screw up your phone, whine and cry for help, when no one can cuz you're not even sure what, how, when or where you went wrong and don't remember exactly what you did, you'll end up regretting the whole thing, wish you never came to this site in the first place cuz now you gotta $250 paperweight, with no way to get another one. Now your parents are super mad and pretending you don't exist, you've resorted to eating only peanut butter n jelly sandwiches for every meal.. All this cuz you wanted a custom rom... yup
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Eh, not really. Wasn't everyone like this in the beginning? He'll learn with time if he's new, How about not scaring him?
Woolworm11 said:
My phone is arriving today. Do I really need to wait for unlocking the bootloader?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, Xiaomi implemented a 168 hour wait time for unlocking bootloader in all new devices.
badadam said:
Like I wrote my bank in Denmark detects unlocked bootloaders. So there is no way I can use my bank apps as long as the bootloader is unlocked .
I had problems using ArrowOS on my Redmi Note 8T and called the help service in my bank. When I told him my phone model the helpdesk guy asked me right away if I had unlocked my bootloader which I "admitted" I did. Turns out that the guy knew eveything about custom Roms, unlocked bootloaders and rooted phones. He told me that most banks in Denmark put safety first and do anything to lock out devices with unlocked bootloaders even if Safetny passes without problems.
So I haven´t even tried unlocking the bootloader on my X3 NFC as I use my bank apps and Google Pay everyday.
And I am actually quite satsfied with stock MIUI after debloating and twirking. Looking forward to see how 12.5 will improve the phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A couple of years ago or a bit more, I had a problem with a bank app here in Italy. It was possible to install it, it opened but was never able to login to my account with a "generic error". After calling the helpdesk, they did a check and informed me that the app didn't work for ROOTED PHONES...
One week after this call, my new account in another bank was active and fully operative so I moved all my money to the new bank.
If anyone would react in this way, this kind of abuses by banks will end very soon...
Communos said:
Eh, not really. Wasn't everyone like this in the beginning? He'll learn with time if he's new, How about not scaring him?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, I wasn't like this in the beginning, like my first sentence says, if you have to ask, it probably isn't for you cuz it demonstrates a few lacking qualities that surely would make this difficult. No offense to OP but I'm being realistic, speaking of going back to the OPs question, he asks whether he should rock a custom rom or not. How can anyone realistically answer that for him? The only one that has that definite answer is the person asking it. No one here knows his skills, amount of knowledge, patience level, whether he can follow instructions or a tutorial well enough, whether he enjoys or tolerates reading, disposable cash, if he funks up a daily driver, can it be replaced, ect.... these are all key in learning and practicing installing roms. Going back to what I said originally if you must ask, meaning that you can't determine this for yourself, it's highly likely there's other things you can't do for yourself. Everyone here knows 99.9009% of this is done independently, reading these threads and trying things out. Plus 99.9999% of answers to questions pertaining to modding our devices are in these threads, yet so many fail to search instead go straight to the questions forum, create a new thread asking same question answered 5x already. So if someone comes here asking a question only they truly have answers to, are they likely to miracoulsly be independent suddenly or someone frequently needing assistance unable to perform tasks themselves? Once again back to my original post, "they've demonstrated this kind of work ethic already."
Yea I know my answer wasn't something some want to hear but I call it as I see it.

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