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Android newbie looking for more in-depth rooting gotchas and unlocked s6edge on AT&T.

Android newbie looking for more in-depth rooting gotchas and unlocked s6edge on AT&T.
Hi everyone, and thanks for all the great info here. Let's assume I have my "how to root" links bookmarked and ready to go, but like a good boyscout I want to understand the gotchas/subtleties before I cliff jump. I'm also within my 15 days to exchange my s6edge AT&T for an unlocked one at Best Buy, which I plan to do today... :highfive:
(I'm technically savy, but a real newb in the world of android versions, manufacturer changes, and carrier versions and conflicts...) :crying:
1) How do I do a full ROM-level backup before beginning my adventures in rooting? Titanium Backup is no good since I need root to use it. I'd like an iPhone-style backup that I can just restore should I brick my phone.
2) After I exchange my phone I'm going to immediately airplane-mode it to prevent autoupdates (my current phone already autoupdated to unrootable OF4)... once I root how do I effectively get-latest? I'd obviously like the latest security updates, and 5.1 if I can manage it, and to maintain root.
3) AT&T doesn't have 5.1.... but if I go unlocked then can I run 5.1 on AT&T? (I've been iPhone forever -- carriers messing with you is really foreign to me). On a related note, can AT&T send some update/profile-change OTA to my phone that will conflict with updates I'm doing locally? If so any tips to avoid this?
4) An unlocked phone will perform just as well on AT&T as an AT&t phone, right?
Thanks for any info, help, and/or pointing me to resources where I can find the info, in advance. I'm technically savy, but a real newb when it comes to the gotcha-ridden ground of android and carriers.
Thanks again.
- Jason

JasonS6Edge said:
Hi everyone, and thanks for all the great info here. Let's assume I have my "how to root" links bookmarked and ready to go, but like a good boyscout I want to understand the gotchas/subtleties before I cliff jump. I'm also within my 15 days to exchange my s6edge AT&T for an unlocked one at Best Buy, which I plan to do today... :highfive:
(I'm technically savy, but a real newb in the world of android versions, manufacturer changes, and carrier versions and conflicts...) :crying:
1) How do I do a full ROM-level backup before beginning my adventures in rooting? Titanium Backup is no good since I need root to use it. I'd like an iPhone-style backup that I can just restore should I brick my phone.
2) After I exchange my phone I'm going to immediately airplane-mode it to prevent autoupdates (my current phone already autoupdated to unrootable OF4)... once I root how do I effectively get-latest? I'd obviously like the latest security updates, and 5.1 if I can manage it, and to maintain root.
3) AT&T doesn't have 5.1.... but if I go unlocked then can I run 5.1 on AT&T? (I've been iPhone forever -- carriers messing with you is really foreign to me). On a related note, can AT&T send some update/profile-change OTA to my phone that will conflict with updates I'm doing locally? If so any tips to avoid this?
4) An unlocked phone will perform just as well on AT&T as an AT&t phone, right?
Thanks for any info, help, and/or pointing me to resources where I can find the info, in advance. I'm technically savy, but a real newb when it comes to the gotcha-ridden ground of android and carriers.
Thanks again.
- Jason
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's likely any replacement phone you get at this point will have OF4, or at least OF3 on it. It will likely be unrootable out of the box.
There is no current bootloader unlock for ATT branded devices - if you are lucky enough to get a rootable device, you can run a the two roms in the ATT section. You can run XtreStoLite v 1.5 from the regular S6 section, and maybe other 5.0.2 roms from there as well, I'm not aware of any others being tried.
In either case, we will not have 5.1.1 until after ATT releases it.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Tapatalk

Thanks for the info -- this is where I get confused. If it's a 925F, and I put my AT&T sim in it, it isn't an "AT&T branded device", right? So the bootloader shouldn't be all locked up by AT&T? I should be able to put any GSM sim in there and run on that network... so can't I just do what I want with the hardware at that point without AT&T controlling me?
dandrumheller said:
It's likely any replacement phone you get at this point will have OF4, or at least OF3 on it. It will likely be unrootable out of the box.
There is no current bootloader unlock for ATT branded devices - if you are lucky enough to get a rootable device, you can run a the two roms in the ATT section. You can run XtreStoLite v 1.5 from the regular S6 section, and maybe other 5.0.2 roms from there as well, I'm not aware of any others being tried.
In either case, we will not have 5.1.1 until after ATT releases it.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

How about a simpler version...
- Can I use the "download booster" function (that AT&T removed) if I have an unlocked 925F on AT&T? Can I use 5.1 on AT&T with a non-AT&T edge?
I'm trying to work out if AT&T controls all phones or just the AT&T branded phones (925A).
Thanks.

Oh, guess I misunderstood your situation. Since you have an F model, you should be able to do whatever you want in terms of root/rom, just follow the instructions over there. I think as long as your APN is set up correctly, you should be set. As long as its working now, worst case would be full factory reflash of what you're currently running. Just remember if you root in a way that trips Knox, it's tripped forever.
I think I've seen people posting that they had download booster enabled while on ATT, but I don't recall seeing any comments about whether or not it actually worked.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Tapatalk

AOF4 Root/Downgrade + swap phone for different phone?

I've asked around /r/GalaxyS6 about this but no one's really responded.
AOF4 sucks. There's a lot of bloatware even with Package Disabler. Plus, I hate having a unrooted phone.
Is there ANY way yet to be able to get root? Kernel, odin, anything?
If not, is there any way to downgrade?
I don't even care about tripping KNOX, it's not like I'm gonna use Samsung Pay or anything.
Also, if none of the above is possible, what can I do to swap this in for a different phone/which one should I get? I got it from AT&T, it's been under 30 days.
If you guys can help, thanks.

You have only 14 days to return your phone to at&t. So you might be out of luck already. There is no way to revert you are stuck. If you really want s6 get a g920f or g920i unlocked version so you can get timely updates and modified software. You'll have to pay up front to get one though. Only downside is at&t disables VOLTE for the international variants even though they are perfectly capable. Don't ask me why. If you aren't attached to the s6 I would highly suggest you get a Nexus 6P or even a 5x. Software is everything on these phones which is why.

Galaxy S5 AT&T 5.0 Lollipop Root (knox doesn't matter)

So, i've been reading through threads on this site as well as others. It seems all hope is lost when it comes to rooting my S5 with 5.0.....either if its KNOX or something else....is there a way to root if we aren't worried about tripping KNOX? and from what I have read we can't roll back to a previous version via Odin? Just checking to see if I need to give up and trade this phone for another one. Any leads or responses appreciated.

There is absolutely no way to root in any way, shape, or form once you're on 5.0 and there is very little chance there will ever be.

I sold mime and bought the tmobile s5. If you get a unlocked one you can put your at&t sim card in it and it can be rooted I did mine
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I537 using XDA Free mobile app

Root? This can't be possible?

I'm new so I can't post links but the first one is on a website called Android geeks and I found it after searching att s6 edge root. The other one is on a website called tech chomps. Hopefully they can be found...
Found some website claiming to have hacked kernels capable of root in my annual scouring of the web praying that I can regain control of my phone...should I have hope in this?
Just thought id share my finding here, for anyone passing by please exercise caution when browsing these sites, I know nothing about them and just found them. I am hoping someone on here can drop in about the legitimacy of these sites before I test them.

I haven't heard of those but am doubtful there is root unless it's for devices that are on old software. I just got an s6 edge thats on 6.0.1, no root.
If you want root, don't buy ATT devices. Most T-Mobile devices work on ATT network (with LTE and all), and have unlocked bootloaders allowing root. That is my understanding at least and my experience with the Note 4.

ThePublisher said:
I haven't heard of those but am doubtful there is root unless it's for devices that are on old software. I just got an s6 edge thats on 6.0.1, no root.
If you want root, don't buy ATT devices. Most T-Mobile devices work on ATT network (with LTE and all), and have unlocked bootloaders allowing root. That is my understanding at least and my experience with the Note 4.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Will a root ever be possible? I'm new to this and is there no chance that I will be able to root my 6.0.1 att s6 edge?

brushpicks said:
Will a root ever be possible? I'm new to this and is there no chance that I will be able to root my 6.0.1 att s6 edge?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To be honest, I don't know, but I would say odds are better that you wont get root than that you will.

Looking to Buy a Note8 W/Intentions of Rooting; Any Questions I Should Ask Sellers?

As the title says, I'm in the market for a new phone, and after years of using my HTC 10, it's starting to get old and decrepit. I loved how easy HTC made it easy to unlock the bootloader, and I see some of the newer flagship phones, especially w/my carrier(I'm on Sprint) make it tough to do so. I loved having a rooted phone and I'm seeing that the Note8 (US Version) can be rooted, but I'm assuming there's prerequisites that used phones might/might not have to do so. So I'm just wondering if there's any questions I should ask the sellers of a Note8 on Swappa or eBay to make sure that root is possible when I decide to buy one. I don't wanna wind up w/a LS997 situation, where I got the phone but it was too upgraded that the methods to root were patched up. Thanks for any help.

Note 8 US version is pretty much limited to Nougat and early Oreo builds, and i may be wrong about the latter. Only Boot loader v1 an v2 were able to get root, and v3 up to a point. Current bootloader version is v5 with Pie. Chances are you'll get a phone with v3 and up.
If you want a root friendly ecosystem, get the International variant.

PlutoDelic said:
Note 8 US version is pretty much limited to Nougat and early Oreo builds, and i may be wrong about the latter. Only Boot loader v1 an v2 were able to get root, and v3 up to a point. Current bootloader version is v5 with Pie. Chances are you'll get a phone with v3 and up.
If you want a root friendly ecosystem, get the International variant.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Gotcha. So I should ask a seller if the phone has a v1-3 Bootloader? That shouldn't be too hard an ask, so thanks for the assist there. Also, will International variants work w/Sprint, b/c that's the network I'm on? And are they also restricted to same v1-3 Bootloader environment to root?

Brian23MAC said:
Gotcha. So I should ask a seller if the phone has a v1-3 Bootloader? That shouldn't be too hard an ask, so thanks for the assist there. Also, will International variants work w/Sprint, b/c that's the network I'm on? And are they also restricted to same v1-3 Bootloader environment to root?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
International variant will have 4G support on Sprint, but 2G/3G wont work due to network differences (Sprint uses CDMA). It'll work with AT&T and TMo however. But somebody from the states should be able to answer this one in detail, i only know that Spint/Verizon phones dont work where i am, which is pretty much the same issue, but reversed.

Brian23MAC said:
Gotcha. So I should ask a seller if the phone has a v1-3 Bootloader? That shouldn't be too hard an ask, so thanks for the assist there. Also, will International variants work w/Sprint, b/c that's the network I'm on? And are they also restricted to same v1-3 Bootloader environment to root?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Finding a <v3 bootloader will be hard, and asking sellers about it will leave them puzzled. If you're going to root, as everyone says, get the Exynos version. As said by others, you're only limited to early Oreo and Nougat builds. Not worth it for such a good phone, honestly. But hey, don't let me stop you ^^