Database Develop

Nonroot vs Root

Hey guys, im stuck on deciding whether i should root my note 4 or not. What's really bugging me is that i will trip knox and will it devalue the phone?
Any benefits of rooting it right now? vs nonroot
i've seen some threads of rooting problems with some apps and such and im not sure if i should wait or not. Im coming from a rooted s4 and i kinda miss being rooted. Come on guys post what you think here!

Belongs in the Q&A section

bipoler said:
Belongs in the Q&A section
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're right im sorry guys
Any possbility of a mod moving it?

marcustdu said:
Hey guys, im stuck on deciding whether i should root my note 4 or not. What's really bugging me is that i will trip knox and will it devalue the phone?
Any benefits of rooting it right now? vs nonroot
i've seen some threads of rooting problems with some apps and such and im not sure if i should wait or not. Im coming from a rooted s4 and i kinda miss being rooted. Come on guys post what you think here!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Root if something you want needs it, otherwise there's not any need. Do you need tomatoes? I dunno.

marcustdu said:
Hey guys, im stuck on deciding whether i should root my note 4 or not. What's really bugging me is that i will trip knox and will it devalue the phone?
Any benefits of rooting it right now? vs nonroot
i've seen some threads of rooting problems with some apps and such and im not sure if i should wait or not. Im coming from a rooted s4 and i kinda miss being rooted. Come on guys post what you think here!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As stated above, root if you have the NEED to root. For me, I got plenty. Smoothness, debloating, batterylife, awesome rooted apps out there (I know..only three reasons.) For others, they need a specific app they need to run on their phones and it will need root.
If non of these are an issue to you, do not root. If you cannot think of a reason to root without having the benefit of root vs non root listed out to you, I will advice you do not root because that tells me you actually do not have the need to root. Make sense?
As far as knox is concern...I will say only trip if if you have no need to send it straight to Samsung while your phone is still functioning. I say this because they will send it right back to you. Now if your phone is fried, how will they check exactly if knox is tripped? The carriers do not care, tmobile do not care. Most of the workers think nova is a rooted app. Thats how much they know about root.
You go to a carrier, simply do not give them a reason to think you are rooted. People like to take a phone with custom roms and custom kernels on there...thats not smart. They boot your phone, a message at the top most left of the phone will tell them you are rooted. Always go to the store with stock ^.^
Hope that helps!

I have the Note 4. I root it about 2 weeks later after I got it. My reason: get ride of all the bloat junk that I dont need; now I can write to my SD card; unlimited hotspot; lean machine and good battery life. Its good to have su access.

mgbotoe said:
As stated above, root if you have the NEED to root. For me, I got plenty. Smoothness, debloating, batterylife, awesome rooted apps out there (I know..only three reasons.) For others, they need a specific app they need to run on their phones and it will need root.
If non of these are an issue to you, do not root. If you cannot think of a reason to root without having the benefit of root vs non root listed out to you, I will advice you do not root because that tells me you actually do not have the need to root. Make sense?
As far as knox is concern...I will say only trip if if you have no need to send it straight to Samsung while your phone is still functioning. I say this because they will send it right back to you. Now if your phone is fried, how will they check exactly if knox is tripped? The carriers do not care, tmobile do not care. Most of the workers think nova is a rooted app. Thats how much they know about root.
You go to a carrier, simply do not give them a reason to think you are rooted. People like to take a phone with custom roms and custom kernels on there...thats not smart. They boot your phone, a message at the top most left of the phone will tell them you are rooted. Always go to the store with stock ^.^
Hope that helps!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for your input, yes I do have things such as you listed for rooting! Merry Christmas!
chong67 said:
I have the Note 4. I root it about 2 weeks later after I got it. My reason: get ride of all the bloat junk that I dont need; now I can write to my SD card; unlimited hotspot; lean machine and good battery life. Its good to have su access.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the response! I think I know what I'm doing now [emoji14]
Merry Christmas!

Im in the same boat, sorta. Ive always rooted. Everything i had, even the old windows phones. This is the longest ive lasted non rooted. Im getting the itch. My question, if i root, flash twrp, does it erase my data? Not a big deal really, but im on level 110 on ea sports king of the course. Would suck to start over.
Sent from my SM-N910T using XDA Free mobile app

donnyp1 said:
Im in the same boat, sorta. Ive always rooted. Everything i had, even the old windows phones. This is the longest ive lasted non rooted. Im getting the itch. My question, if i root, flash twrp, does it erase my data? Not a big deal really, but im on level 110 on ea sports king of the course. Would suck to start over.
Sent from my SM-N910T using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Neither rooting nor flashing a recovery will wipe your data. Some phones ship with the unlockable bootloaders and the unlocking process wipes the data (for example, on Google Nexus devices). But the bootloaders on T-Mobile Samsung phones are unlocked by default, so flash away

chenxiaolong said:
Neither rooting nor flashing a recovery will wipe your data. Some phones ship with the unlockable bootloaders and the unlocking process wipes the data (for example, on Google Nexus devices). But the bootloaders on T-Mobile Samsung phones are unlocked by default, so flash away
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks dude, im on tmobile. Root then backup!
Sent from my SM-N910T using XDA Free mobile app

Its done. I voided it!
Sent from my SM-N910T using XDA Free mobile app

Rooted is the way to go! Only reason I haven't rooted yet is because I'm waiting for Android 5.0 to drop next month hopefully ! Then I will gladly root. Phone is much better when it is under your control.
ROLL THAT SHT, LIGHT THAT SHT. SMOKKKKE THAT SHT

Those of you who rooted the Note 4, can you confirm if root disables:
Private mode - Possible fix (old fix)
S-Health (maybe only if using Xposed) - Possible fix?
Screen Mirroring (wireless) - Possible fix?
Recording calls (?)
I would want to root mainly to gain access to the external SD card, possibility to enable/disable flight mode using profiles and wouldn't mind about OTA ora Knox 0x01.
But it's annoying to lose those functions for me.

Updated previous post with some links to possible fixes.

virtualdj said:
Those of you who rooted the Note 4, can you confirm if root disables:
Private mode - Possible fix?
S-Health (maybe only if using Xposed) - Possible fix?
Screen Mirroring (wireless) - Possible fix?
Recording calls (?)
I would want to root mainly to gain access to the external SD card, possibility to enable/disable flight mode using profiles and wouldn't mind about OTA ora Knox 0x01.
But it's annoying to lose those functions for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I rooted but on a custom ROM and I have zero issues with private mode or S-health. I guess the issue is when you're only rooted on stock ROM. But apparently there's walkarounds for those issues.

shook187 said:
I rooted but on a custom ROM and I have zero issues with private mode or S-health.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, but actually I was interested on (possible) issues on stock ROM and, most importantly, if the walkarounds really work.

Random reboots after flashing Root Debloated

My wife and I both have H811 G4s. I've gone through and rooted both of our phones with Low Effort, flashed twrp, debloated, updated to 10n debloated. Everything has been great until last week. My wifes phone started randomly rebooting. It's actually random. I can't find anything consistent. I removed apps with updates, factory reset and it would reboot during the setup wizard. Yesterday I did a full return to stock 10n, and it behaved all day.
Today I try to root with the 10n debloat , and now it's rebooting again. I have a hard time thinking it's bad hardware as the full stock works fine, and with it not rebooting on stock how would I prove it for the replacement?
What else can I check or do to fix this, and why is it only happening to one of the phones?

Bad download.
Sent from my LG-H811 using Tapatalk

MicroMod777 said:
Bad download.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good idea, but I've used the same file on multiple phones without issue. It's only the one device having problems. Also the md5 matches, just double checked.
As I work my way backwards I'm pretty sure this it turning into failed hardware. I've had it reboot a few times on stock during the setup wizard. But it's nowhere as frequent as the rooted roms.

Nexus 6 shows 4,000% battery life after root?

I got my Nexus 6P for Christmas, and I decided to root my Motorola Nexus 6 from last year. I've been waiting to do this for a few months, and was excited to finally enable several of the options I couldn't otherwise enable (such as double tap to wake and auto rotate on the lock screen and Google Now launcher). About an hour ago I got around to rooting and done so with little issues. It's been a little under an hour since I rooted, and I just now noticed that the battery life is being displayed as having over 4,000% charge. I rooted following the steps in a YouTube video by DroidModderX and the device is running perfectly fine. The device hasn't died yet, and I'll be interested to see when it will die. The battery life seems to fluctuate between 4,001% and 4,204% (Those two figures being the highest and lowest figures respectively). Rebooting does not fix this error.
I know it's not a massive problem, but I'd like to know what's causing this issue and how to resolve it. I haven't flashed any custom OS's on my phone, I'm still running stock Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow with the latest December security patches. The device is carrier unlocked also. How can I fix this?
Thanks,
Eamonn.

sonic2kk said:
It's been a little under an hour since I rooted, and I just now noticed that the battery life is being displayed as having over 4,000% charge. being the highest and lowest figures respectively). Rebooting does not fix this error.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You need to use updated root files. The battery issue arises when you're on 6.0.1 but aren't using the right file version. Easily fixed not to worry, just re-root with updated files and it will resolve with no lasting harm.

sansnil said:
You need to use updated root files. The battery issue arises when you're on 6.0.1 but aren't using the right file version. Easily fixed not to worry, just re-root with updated files and it will resolve with no lasting harm.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah, thank goodness. I'll re-root tomorrow and post back if I have any problems. Thanks!

Thanks, that fixed the issue. I re-rooted and everything is working fine. I flashed the ElementalX kernel. However on boot I now get a warning with a red triangle saying "Your device is corrupt. It cannot be trusted and may not work properly". This warning goes away, and the phone proceeds to boot up successfully. Everything on the device works perfectly fine with no issues. I am successfully rooted running Android Marshmallow 6.0.1, but this screen scares me somewhat. I rooted my Galaxy SII and I have a yellow triangle on boot but only on the Samsung splash screen. Is this something new in Android M or something unique to Nexus devices? I researched this a bit and found one post on Reddit that said this happened in the M previews, and that it was nothing to be concerned about. Is there a way to remove this screen, or is it just like the yellow triangle on the SII? Should I even be concerned with this, or is it something to just dismiss? Is my device at risk any more than normal when rooting, and have I done something wrong? I'm a bit of a newbie at the rooting stuff, but I intend to use my Nexus 6 and SII to learn more about it (and my 6P way into the future, once I get a new phone).
Thanks in advance.

Why did you need root for the Google now launcher?

mikeprius said:
Why did you need root for the Google now launcher?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What do you mean? I can run the Google Now launcher perfectly fine. Root works fine as well. The problem isn't with the Google Now launcher but with the warning on boot. I didn't need to root, I chose to. Am I misunderstanding?

Your original post made it seem like you need root for double tap to wake and Google now launcher.

sonic2kk said:
Thanks, that fixed the issue. I re-rooted and everything is working fine. I flashed the ElementalX kernel. However on boot I now get a warning with a red triangle saying "Your device is corrupt. It cannot be trusted and may not work properly". This warning goes away, and the phone proceeds to boot up successfully. Everything on the device works perfectly fine with no issues. I am successfully rooted running Android Marshmallow 6.0.1, but this screen scares me somewhat. I rooted my Galaxy SII and I have a yellow triangle on boot but only on the Samsung splash screen. Is this something new in Android M or something unique to Nexus devices? I researched this a bit and found one post on Reddit that said this happened in the M previews, and that it was nothing to be concerned about. Is there a way to remove this screen, or is it just like the yellow triangle on the SII? Should I even be concerned with this, or is it something to just dismiss? Is my device at risk any more than normal when rooting, and have I done something wrong? I'm a bit of a newbie at the rooting stuff, but I intend to use my Nexus 6 and SII to learn more about it (and my 6P way into the future, once I get a new phone).
Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
https://www.androidfilehost.com/?fid=24269982087021512 gives you 6.0.1 bootstack for Nexus 6 (shamu). Flash this in TWRP. This should fix your corrupted boot splash screen. It's new in Android M when you've installed custom kernel and/or roms. It does not hurt anything except Android Pay is unlikely to work once rooted.
EDIT: I forgot to included mmb29k, non-encrypt boot.img made by GerardF: https://www.androidfilehost.com/?fid=24340319927534323 (flash this also after you flash the bootstack).

HueyT said:
(removed url) gives you 6.0.1 bootstack for Nexus 6 (shamu). Flash this in TWRP. This should fix your corrupted boot splash screen. It's new in Android M when you've installed custom kernel and/or roms. It does not hurt anything except Android Pay is unlikely to work once rooted.
EDIT: I forgot to included mmb29k, non-encrypt boot.img made by GerardF: (removed url) (flash this also after you flash the bootstack).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Worked perfect. That got rid of the corrupt message. One last question: (This is the last one, I swear! ) Are you saying that Android Pay won't work at all after rooting or that it wouldn't have worked if that screen had have appeared on boot? I hope to use the service if and when it comes to the UK.
mikeprius said:
Your original post made it seem like you need root for double tap to wake and Google now launcher.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah, sorry for the confusion my friend ?

I would have kept it at 4,000% - that's like 2 weeks of battery life with no charge...

orangekid said:
I would have kept it at 4,000% - that's like 2 weeks of battery life with no charge...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haha if it wasn't a display error I might have (Though it would have only been like 3 days on the Nexus 6 )

Stupid question but where do I get updated files. I followed the method on root junky for the Nexus 6

Dalek Caan said:
Stupid question but where do I get updated files. I followed the method on root junky for the Nexus 6
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, I don't remember where I got the updated files now. I do remember sticking to looking on XDA and not just searching randomly online, maybe you could try searching the forums?

is it possible to root with chainfire root files. I did a clean install of the January security update, then flashed the latest boot.img from chainfire then flashed SuperSU 2.66.zip through TWRP, but im still getting this. I received this same issue with the last patch. Im at the point where it isnt worth rooting. Any help would be appreciated.

Fix Wakelock without root (my usb flex is broken!)

Hi
I have an 920i Note 5. My usb is broken so I can't connect to the pc. I noticed that my phone never goes deep sleep. Always cpu sets in 400mhz. So, I tried to deactivate Google Account Sync, and some packages using the Package Disabler. The problem is that I cant fix it. Tried to clear cache, format data, etc. But the deep sleep never fixes. It uses more battery when it is with the screen turned off, that in the inverse way.
Somebody can give me any hint?
Thanks!

takato23 said:
Hi
I have an 920i Note 5. My usb is broken so I can't connect to the pc. I noticed that my phone never goes deep sleep. Always cpu sets in 400mhz. So, I tried to deactivate Google Account Sync, and some packages using the Package Disabler. The problem is that I cant fix it. Tried to clear cache, format data, etc. But the deep sleep never fixes. It uses more battery when it is with the screen turned off, that in the inverse way.
Somebody can give me any hint?
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you rooted your device or Running stock from beginning? If your device is rooted already i.e to flash custom roms or kernels etc and now you have reverted back to stock thats why facing deep sleep issue theb here is solution by dr.ketan
**Your device must be rooted to use this deep sleep fix patch comes as .apk, it will not work on stock firmware without root as it needs supersu root access**
https://forum.xda-developers.com/note5/general/how-to-root-note-5-t3205073/page15

DroidHackeR said:
Have you rooted your device or Running stock from beginning? If your device is rooted already i.e to flash custom roms or kernels etc and now you have reverted back to stock thats why facing deep sleep issue theb here is solution by dr.ketan
**Your device must be rooted to use this deep sleep fix patch comes as .apk, it will not work on stock firmware without root as it needs supersu root access**
https://forum.xda-developers.com/note5/general/how-to-root-note-5-t3205073/page15
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tought that the fact that has been rooted could be a problem. MY brother has rooted the phone, and then back to stock ROM (now is on official). The problem is that I cant root again, because I can't use Odin...

takato23 said:
I tought that the fact that has been rooted could be a problem. MY brother has rooted the phone, and then back to stock ROM (now is on official). The problem is that I cant root again, because I can't use Odin...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You have to root your device again and apply deep sleep fix if you want to overcome that issue..And original usb of Samsung is not that much expensive i.e you can't afford it..If your phone's usb port is broken then it might be costly..By the way once you rooted ypur device, knox get tripped and you will face huge battery drain after reverting back to stock..So the solution i have provided already..Refer suggested thread and you will come to know everything regarding rooting,deep slip..

DroidHackeR said:
You have to root your device again and apply deep sleep fix if you want to overcome that issue..And original usb of Samsung is not that much expensive i.e you can't afford it..If your phone's usb port is broken then it might be costly..By the way once you rooted ypur device, knox get tripped and you will face huge battery drain after reverting back to stock..So the solution i have provided already..Refer suggested thread and you will come to know everything regarding rooting,deep slip..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Right, that's the problem. My USB port is broken. I have already bought the spare part, but it will take one month or more to arrive. So, now I have my note with no possible connection to PC so I can use Odin, to root and get the deep sleep issue fixed. There's no way to root without using Odin? Just my phone and Wi-Fi adb or something?

takato23 said:
Right, that's the problem. My USB port is broken. I have already bought the spare part, but it will take one month or more to arrive. So, now I have my note with no possible connection to PC so I can use Odin, to root and get the deep sleep issue fixed. There's no way to root without using Odin? Just my phone and Wi-Fi adb or something?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I didn't find any one click root method i.e. rooting without pc using apk like kingroot or kingoroot or one click root apk..But it depends on which version your running, if 5.0.1 then you might get rooted with apk and if 6.0.1 i don't think one click root is available..But still you can google it 'how to root Samsung galaxy note 5 running marshmallow without using pc'

DroidHackeR said:
You have to root your device again and apply deep sleep fix if you want to overcome that issue..And original usb of Samsung is not that much expensive i.e you can't afford it..If your phone's usb port is broken then it might be costly..By the way once you rooted ypur device, knox get tripped and you will face huge battery drain after reverting back to stock..So the solution i have provided already..Refer suggested thread and you will come to know everything regarding rooting,deep slip..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
DroidHackeR said:
I didn't find any one click root method i.e. rooting without pc using apk like kingroot or kingoroot or one click root apk..But it depends on which version your running, if 5.0.1 then you might get rooted with apk and if 6.0.1 i don't think one click root is available..But still you can google it 'how to root Samsung galaxy note 5 running marshmallow without using pc'
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I've tried that, but didn't work. I suppose I have to wait for the spare part and fix mypport.

takato23 said:
Yeah, I've tried that, but didn't work. I suppose I have to wait for the spare part and fix mypport.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes waiting is preferred rather than doing anything that will end up having dead piece of metal and glass...

Bought used. Security concerns?

I had been looking for a new phone for awhile. Settled on a Note 9 because I wanted to try using the S Pen for work and dislike the Note 10 design. However, they are still sold at full price where I live, so I bought one secondhand. Everything seems generally fine with it, minus some freezing or weird reactions when it charges for awhile or restarts. But I have been skeptical of throwing passwords (personal and for work) on it to this point. Thats because I read an article about potential root level or firmware level spyware that remains after a reset.
I did a reset AND even took it to an official service center to flash new firmware (but they said they cannot do it there, but they did some kind of more advanced reset?). I checked my Knox counter in the Download menu and it reads 0x00000, maybe more or less zeros. Samsung pass, pay, health, and secure folder all seem to work (I can register for them, use the bio sensor). That all sounds like it has not been tampered with in any way, correct?
Thanks for the help.

IqD said:
I had been looking for a new phone for awhile. Settled on a Note 9 because I wanted to try using the S Pen for work and dislike the Note 10 design. However, they are still sold at full price where I live, so I bought one secondhand. Everything seems generally fine with it, minus some freezing or weird reactions when it charges for awhile or restarts. But I have been skeptical of throwing passwords (personal and for work) on it to this point. Thats because I read an article about potential root level or firmware level spyware that remains after a reset.
I did a reset AND even took it to an official service center to flash new firmware (but they said they cannot do it there, but they did some kind of more advanced reset?). I checked my Knox counter in the Download menu and it reads 0x00000, maybe more or less zeros. Samsung pass, pay, health, and secure folder all seem to work (I can register for them, use the bio sensor). That all sounds like it has not been tampered with in any way, correct?
Thanks for the help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What's the model number?

Sm-n960n. Korean exynos model, 512gb.

IqD said:
Sm-n960n. Korean exynos model, 512gb.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you are worried about remaining spyware of files, download the latest rom from sammobile and then flash with odin.
Just simply search how to use sammobile or how to use odin if you need help. Hundreds of years have posted how good and answered those questions already

I used to flip phones up until a couple years ago. I've bought and sold hundreds, maybe thousands of used phones, most of which had my accounts on them at one point and time. I think as long as the phone is running official firmware, isn't bootloader unlocked/rooted, and you've reset it, it should be fine. Of course you run the risk that someone has hacked it, installed spyware at the system level, and somehow overwritten the status to show as official such that the spyware persists even after a reset, but that's highly unlikely.
Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

Bober_is_a_troll said:
If you are worried about remaining spyware of files, download the latest rom from sammobile and then flash with odin.
Just simply search how to use sammobile or how to use odin if you need help. Hundreds of years have posted how good and answered those questions already
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the idea. I considered this but would like to avoid just because sammobile is unofficial, so it would still leave me slightly apprehensive even if everyone is using it.
Everything I read seems to suggest that the phone was never rooted if all of the Samsung apps work and the Download KNOX counter is 0x0. Just wanting to confirm by someone more knowledgeable about this.
joshw0000 said:
I used to flip phones up until a couple years ago. I've bought and sold hundreds, maybe thousands of used phones, most of which had my accounts on them at one point and time. I think as long as the phone is running official firmware, isn't bootloader unlocked/rooted, and you've reset it, it should be fine. Of course you run the risk that someone has hacked it, installed spyware at the system level, and somehow overwritten the status to show as official such that the spyware persists even after a reset, but that's highly unlikely.
Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks. I don't think it has ever been unlocked or rooted, but is there a guaranteed way to know?

IqD said:
Thanks for the idea. I considered this but would like to avoid just because sammobile is unofficial, so it would still leave me slightly apprehensive even if everyone is using it.
Everything I read seems to suggest that the phone was never rooted if all of the Samsung apps work and the Download KNOX counter is 0x0. Just wanting to confirm by someone more knowledgeable about this.
Thanks. I don't think it has ever been unlocked or rooted, but is there a guaranteed way to know?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Go to settings > about phone > status and it should say "official". That would tell you if the phones operating system has been modified (rooted). As far as checking for bootloader unlock, I'm not sure on Samsung's but on a Google Pixel once the bootloader is unlocked it'll show an unlocked lock on the bootscreen every time that you reboot the phone. North American snapdragon variants of Note 9's do not have an unlockable bootloader so if your phone is a carrier branded phone, the bootloader can't be unlocked. You can Google your model # to figure out which one you have.
You can also check that all functions work properly. Typically apps like Samsung Pay won't work if the phone is rooted. There are ways around that where you can trick the phone into thinking it's not rooted to get those apps to work so, again, that's not a full proof way to check. For example, I'm using an AT&T variant that's been sim unlocked and flashed with Verizon firmware and it works 100% like a Verizon phone.
I'd say, reboot the phone. If you don't see an unlocked icon it's probably not unlocked. Go into settings and take note of your model #
Then go online and research about Odin and flashing official firmware via your computer. Download the latest official firmware for your phone, flash it using Odin, and then you'll know that there's no spyware on your phone. That would essentially be the equivalent of wiping a computer and reinstalling Windows.
Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

joshw0000 said:
Go to settings > about phone > status and it should say "official". That would tell you if the phones operating system has been modified (rooted). As far as checking for bootloader unlock, I'm not sure on Samsung's but on a Google Pixel once the bootloader is unlocked it'll show an unlocked lock on the bootscreen every time that you reboot the phone. North American snapdragon variants of Note 9's do not have an unlockable bootloader so if your phone is a carrier branded phone, the bootloader can't be unlocked. You can Google your model # to figure out which one you have.
You can also check that all functions work properly. Typically apps like Samsung Pay won't work if the phone is rooted. There are ways around that where you can trick the phone into thinking it's not rooted to get those apps to work so, again, that's not a full proof way to check. For example, I'm using an AT&T variant that's been sim unlocked and flashed with Verizon firmware and it works 100% like a Verizon phone.
I'd say, reboot the phone. If you don't see an unlocked icon it's probably not unlocked. Go into settings and take note of your model #
Then go online and research about Odin and flashing official firmware via your computer. Download the latest official firmware for your phone, flash it using Odin, and then you'll know that there's no spyware on your phone. That would essentially be the equivalent of wiping a computer and reinstalling Windows.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah.. i whouldint fall for that system/status official crap. as you can see in the screenshot i posted from my rooted n960n.
the only real way is to check if knox is tripped is in DL mode( turn phone off. hold bixby and vol down button while inserting a usb cable hooked to a computer.).
also flashing a stock firmware on an FRP locked phone wont do **** if someone has had their accounts logged in/registered on it and have not reset it correctly.
surprised you dont know this.

IqD said:
Sm-n960n. Korean exynos model, 512gb.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
FYI - This phone does have an unlockable bootloader.
I'd recommend using Bobby's advice and flash the latest firmware with Odin. If the phone is not already on the latest update, you could flash one firmware less than current and then let the phone download and install an OTA to the current version. You'll know that its official if the phone successfully downloads and installs the OTA.
Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk
---------- Post added at 07:35 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:31 PM ----------
bober10113 said:
yeah.. i whouldint fall for that system/status official crap. as you can see in the screenshot i posted from my rooted n960n.
the only real way is to check if knox is tripped is in DL mode( turn phone off. hold bixby and vol down button while inserting a usb cable hooked to a computer.).
also flashing a stock firmware on an FRP locked phone wont do **** if someone has had their accounts logged in/registered on it and have not reset it correctly.
surprised you dont know this.
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Not sure why you're trying to call me out when I clearly said there are ways for it show official if it's rooted. Also, no one said anything about FRP. If the phone was FRP locked they wouldn't be able to use it at all... Unless you know how to remove an FRP lock, which I do. At that point the phone would work/be a normal phone.
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joshw0000 said:
FYI - This phone does have an unlockable bootloader.
I'd recommend using Bobby's advice and flash the latest firmware with Odin. If the phone is not already on the latest update, you could flash one firmware less than current and then let the phone download and install an OTA to the current version. You'll know that its official if the phone successfully downloads and installs the OTA.
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---------- Post added at 07:35 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:31 PM ----------
Not sure why you're trying to call me out when I clearly said there are ways for it show official if it's rooted. Also, no one said anything about FRP. If the phone was FRP locked they wouldn't be able to use it at all... Unless you know how to remove an FRP lock, which I do. At that point the phone would work/be a normal phone.
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point taken on the FRP lock but the real point I was making is that the system status is bogus:
joshw0000 said:
Go to settings > about phone > status and it should say "official". That would tell you if the phones operating system has been modified (rooted).
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bober10113 said:
point taken on the FRP lock but the real point I was making is that the system status is bogus:
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You obviously didn't read the entire comment:
"There are ways around that where you can trick the phone into thinking it's not rooted to get those apps to work so, again, that's not a full proof way to check."
Or this comment:
" I used to flip phones up until a couple years ago. I've bought and sold hundreds, maybe thousands of used phones, most of which had my accounts on them at one point and time. I think as long as the phone is running official firmware, isn't bootloader unlocked/rooted, and you've reset it, it should be fine. Of course you run the risk that someone has hacked it, installed spyware at the system level, and somehow overwritten the status to show as official such that the spyware persists even after a reset, but that's highly unlikely."
There are a lot of ways to check. I pointed out some of the simpler ways. None of which are truly bullet proof. Hell, back in the day we could reset knox counters so if someone is going to the extreme to install some spyware and they're smart enough to install anything that would persist a factory reset, even checking knox isn't a full proof method.
And your screenshot really doesn't tell me anything. It's possible to have an unlocked bootloader AND official firmware at the same time. The operating system and bootloader are two different things. It's only when you modify the system that you have to hack the status to make it say official.
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joshw0000 said:
You obviously didn't read the entire comment:
"There are ways around that where you can trick the phone into thinking it's not rooted to get those apps to work so, again, that's not a full proof way to check."
There are a lot of ways to check. I pointed out some of the simpler ways. None of which are truly bullet proof. Hell, back in the day we could reset knox counters so if someone is going to the extreme to install some spyware and they're smart enough to install anything that would persist a factory reset, even checking knox isn't a full proof method.
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fine but i mean, why ask a user to validate the state of their device via the worst possible method of them all?
he even already posted in OP that he went to DL mode to check the knox fuse status so would supersede by far the need to check via software/status.
edit
and the photo of my device status was just a way to show how i know device actual status and bootlaoder state aren't linked. especialy when rooted devices can spoof software status but none cane spoof fuse state in DL mode. so not sure why you are trying to convince me of something i just proved. u can say u agree next time.

bober10113 said:
fine but i mean, why ask a user to validate the state of their device via the worst possible method of them all?
he even already posted in OP that he went to DL mode to check the knox fuse status so would supersede by far the need to check via software/status.
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No actually he didn't. He never said he went to DL mode, he just said the knox counter says 0x0. That can be checked via apps from the phone. If the phone was rooted, it could be manipulated to show 0x0 when it's really not.
You're focusing on one sentence dude. Get your panties out of a wod and read the whole comment.
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joshw0000 said:
No actually he didn't. He never said he went to DL mode, he just said the knox counter says 0x0. That can be checked via apps from the phone. If the phone was rooted, it could be manipulated to show 0x0 when it's really not.
You're focusing on one sentence dude. Get your panties out of a wod and read the whole comment.
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lol. but i did read he went to download menu which i think we can interpret it as download mode. but hey i might wrong. can you show me anywhere in the OS where download menu is?
IqD said:
I checked my Knox counter in the Download menu and it reads 0x00000, maybe more or less zeros.
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bober10113 said:
lol. but i did read he went to download menu which i think we can interpret it as download mode. but hey i might wrong. can you show me anywhere in the OS where download menu is?
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What a troll.
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joshw0000 said:
What a troll.
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that's the spirit!

bober10113 said:
lol. but i did read he went to download menu which i think we can interpret it as download mode. but hey i might wrong. can you show me anywhere in the OS where download menu is?
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joshw0000 said:
No actually he didn't. He never said he went to DL mode, he just said the knox counter says 0x0. That can be checked via apps from the phone. If the phone was rooted, it could be manipulated to show 0x0 when it's really not.
You're focusing on one sentence dude. Get your panties out of a wod and read the whole comment.
Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk
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Sorry for the confusion. I was referring to the Download mode by hitting the mentioned buttons on restart. The KNOX reads 0x0000. Also, it says OEM Lock: On. Then you are both saying the phone is safe?
Also, when I first got it, it did find an update OTA and installed it.

IqD said:
Sorry for the confusion. I was referring to the Download mode by hitting the mentioned buttons on restart. The KNOX reads 0x0000. Also, it says OEM Lock: On. Then you are both saying the phone is safe?
Also, when I first got it, it did find an update OTA and installed it.
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no confusion on my part. i read and understood you correctly the 1st time around.
at first glance your device looks ok but...
additionally, there are ways to check if the device is off a lease with a ESN check. meaning if someone sold you a device still on contract. some sell contractual phones and after a period of time they will get blacklisted since the contract is never payed off fully. so device would appear to work fine and one day they just stop getting a signal and esn/imei get blacklisted.
side note:
surprised that this was not brought up earlier in the conversation as a factor to watch out for by some "experianced in the field flipping devices" user instead of stating the obvious like device status and the unreliable means to check it. especialy since, said user stated buying and selling hundred and even thousands of phones...!? ESN state would be no. 1 in the check list if things to watch out for.
anyways back to the current case, there are ESN/IMEI check services in the web to see status of device: stolen, still on contract...etc. i cannot provide any suggestion to these services unfortunately. this is something you need to check yourself or ask around.
good luck

IqD said:
I had been looking for a new phone for awhile. Settled on a Note 9 because I wanted to try using the S Pen for work and dislike the Note 10 design. However, they are still sold at full price where I live, so I bought one secondhand. Everything seems generally fine with it, minus some freezing or weird reactions when it charges for awhile or restarts. But I have been skeptical of throwing passwords (personal and for work) on it to this point. Thats because I read an article about potential root level or firmware level spyware that remains after a reset.
I did a reset AND even took it to an official service center to flash new firmware (but they said they cannot do it there, but they did some kind of more advanced reset?). I checked my Knox counter in the Download menu and it reads 0x00000, maybe more or less zeros. Samsung pass, pay, health, and secure folder all seem to work (I can register for them, use the bio sensor). That all sounds like it has not been tampered with in any way, correct?
Thanks for the help.
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Reading this thread I've come to the conclusion that you should sell your rootable and boot unlockable device and buy a locked down USA model.
Thank me later. Least you'll be able to sleep well now.
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IqD said:
Sorry for the confusion. I was referring to the Download mode by hitting the mentioned buttons on restart. The KNOX reads 0x0000. Also, it says OEM Lock: On. Then you are both saying the phone is safe?
Also, when I first got it, it did find an update OTA and installed it.
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Click to collapse
It's about as safe, in terms of spyware, as you'll ever get from a used phone. I would assume you checked the ESN before buying it but if not, run a check with swappa.com/esn and checkesnfree.com to make sure it's clean. Screenshot the results and save them. Depending on your carrier you can likely run a check on their website and/or call support and ask them as well. As with any unlocked phone, know that you may not get all of the features that a carrier branded phone would have (i.e. I couldn't get WiFi calling working on a Korean S10 on Verizon).
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