Database Develop

Risks of Rooting?

Ok so, I bought this awesome device and Im waiting for it to be delivered. I know that rooting has awesome features and great things, but Im wondering if someone has experienced any kind of issue after rooting... I read somewhere here in the forum, that the Wifi on someone's tablet stopped working and he had to return it.. Sadly, I can't be returning stuff since I live out of the states and is not that easy... Hope someone can tell me ^^ Would love to have 3 or 4 answers for me to take my decision. Thanks in advance.
Jailuis

jailuis said:
Ok so, I bought this awesome device and Im waiting for it to be delivered. I know that rooting has awesome features and great things, but Im wondering if someone has experienced any kind of issue after rooting... I read somewhere here in the forum, that the Wifi on someone's tablet stopped working and he had to return it.. Sadly, I can't be returning stuff since I live out of the states and is not that easy... Hope someone can tell me ^^ Would love to have 3 or 4 answers for me to take my decision. Thanks in advance.
Jailuis
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you follow instructions to a complete letter and make sure it's the correct rooting instructions for your version number, then all should be well but I do have to say that it's always done at your own risk. There's no way around that.
I have not read anyone else with rooting problems on here for the KFHD. The guy with the wifi post which I've read most likely got a dud. Mine was rooted and ran fine for me. I returned mine for other reasons.
Just be careful on what you do to your device. If you do something you shouldn't with your "extra privileges", it can be easy to brick your device. Especially when it's so young in development stages right now.

I received my fire a week ago. I intended to root it like I have all other android devices I own.
I have kept it stock and probably will for awhile. I just did not feel the need to root. I side loaded GMail and most other Google apps I wanted. I side loaded adw launcher and dolphin browser. So I feel no real reason to root since a few people have had problems.
Now when the boot loader gets unlocked and there is custom Roms now that is a different story.
Sent from my KFTT using Tapatalk 2

I rooted yesterday. Got go ex as default launcher, play store, dolphin, etc. No problems yet. Seems faster, if anything.

There aren't many risks with it other then the average (brick). Which can occur with any device. Just make sure you follow the steps correctly step by step, and make sure your adb drivers are installed correctly.

Pirub said:
I rooted yesterday. Got go ex as default launcher, play store, dolphin, etc. No problems yet. Seems faster, if anything.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
About the only reason I'd root is for the play store
Sent from my Galaxy S3

You risk having a better running tablet
Sent from my EVO using xda premium

My devices are all rooted, for my Bionic, it's so that I can use AdFree, Titanium Backup and to run AirBubble, which let's AirPlay devices see the phone and ply music to it remotely (or to whatever speakers it's plugged in to! ) It doesn't have to be used for illegal stuff, it just unlocks your phone's administrator privileges so that those that know specific use cases which require lower level code can go ahead and run. If you can already do everything you want with your phone, you don't need to root it.

GeekSpeak411 said:
My devices are all rooted, for my Bionic, it's so that I can use AdFree, Titanium Backup and to run AirBubble, which let's AirPlay devices see the phone and ply music to it remotely (or to whatever speakers it's plugged in to! ) It doesn't have to be used for illegal stuff, it just unlocks your phone's administrator privileges so that those that know specific use cases which require lower level code can go ahead and run. If you can already do everything you want with your phone, you don't need to root it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Rooting is good for getting rid of bloatware too.

With rooting there is always a risk that you are going to screw something up. The easiest way to ensure that doesnt happen is to not root the device. But if you are going to anyway just don't do something you don't fully understand unless you are willing to take the risks.
For example if you do not know how to use adb then don't try at this time, play around with it on something else. If you still want root and don't know adb then use the automated root tool. All the hard stuff is done for you and there is no chance of inputting something wrong and causing problems. To avoid any conflicts with apps or settings reset the device to factory. Just one more step to take human error out of the equation.
After the device is rooted is when people tend to cause problems for themselves. IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS/DOES DON'T TOUCH IT!!! If you are messing around inside a file manager any folder outside the sdcard folder has the potential to cause problems so- IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS/DOES DON'T TOUCH IT!!!(unless you can afford the risk)
When making changes, research what you are trying to do extensively and don't rely on one source. What worked for one person will not always work for another, to many variables.
All in all just aire on the side of caution.

Thanks for all responses ^^ I've had other android devices and I had rooted them, but Im afraid with this one since I read about the wifi not working anymore... But thanks to all of you I might give it a shot. One last thing, I have 2 KFHD, do I have to install Adb for both?
Sent from my KFTT using xda premium

jailuis said:
Thanks for all responses ^^ I've had other android devices and I had rooted them, but Im afraid with this one since I read about the wifi not working anymore... But thanks to all of you I might give it a shot. One last thing, I have 2 KFHD, do I have to install Adb for both?
Sent from my KFTT using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I used the auto root tool without issues. I would think once you install adb on your Pc it should work for both. I had to also install the android sdk tool.
Sent from my KFTT using Tapatalk 2

no risk.just go ahead.toot it.lol

onemeila said:
With rooting there is always a risk that you are going to screw something up. The easiest way to ensure that doesnt happen is to not root the device. But if you are going to anyway just don't do something you don't fully understand unless you are willing to take the risks.
For example if you do not know how to use adb then don't try at this time, play around with it on something else. If you still want root and don't know adb then use the automated root tool. All the hard stuff is done for you and there is no chance of inputting something wrong and causing problems. To avoid any conflicts with apps or settings reset the device to factory. Just one more step to take human error out of the equation.
After the device is rooted is when people tend to cause problems for themselves. IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS/DOES DON'T TOUCH IT!!! If you are messing around inside a file manager any folder outside the sdcard folder has the potential to cause problems so- IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS/DOES DON'T TOUCH IT!!!(unless you can afford the risk)
When making changes, research what you are trying to do extensively and don't rely on one source. What worked for one person will not always work for another, to many variables.
All in all just aire on the side of caution.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks.

Sprint.com Activation Warning!/Factory Data Reset!

Didn't see this anywhere, so I thought I would try and hopefully save at least one person some time/frustration. I, like many people on this site own multiple devices and swap my Sprint service back and forth between them. I normally do this through Sprint.com. I just got my GS4 and spent hours testing what launcher would be the fastest with this SOC, and setting everything up exactly the way I wanted it.(I always keep things stock for the return period so I had no real way of making a backup) After I got everything the way I wanted, I activated this beauty...but upon doing this, I didn't see the fine print that the profile update triggers a factory data wipe.. **POOF** and all my app/prefs/etc. were gone. Needless to say, I was LIVID. I waited until I was calmed down to call customer care. The rep I spoke to advised that they changed it to require a factory data wipe when switching service online and you need to call customer care to attempt a manual IMEI/DEC/HEX swap.

glassjosh said:
Didn't see this anywhere, so I thought I would try and hopefully save at least one person some time/frustration. I, like many people on this site own multiple devices and swap my Sprint service back and forth between them. I normally do this through Sprint.com. I just got my GS4 and spent hours testing what launcher would be the fastest with this SOC, and setting everything up exactly the way I wanted it.(I always keep things stock for the return period so I had no real way of making a backup) After I got everything the way I wanted, I activated this beauty...but upon doing this, I didn't see the fine print that the profile update triggers a factory data wipe.. **POOF** and all my app/prefs/etc. were gone. Needless to say, I was LIVID. I waited until I was calmed down to call customer care. The rep I spoke to advised that they changed it to require a factory data wipe when switching service online and you need to call customer care to attempt a manual IMEI/DEC/HEX swap.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
TiBu is your friend

rawintellect said:
TiBu is your friend
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Word.
Sent from my SPH-L720 using xda app-developers app

glassjosh said:
Didn't see this anywhere, so I thought I would try and hopefully save at least one person some time/frustration. I, like many people on this site own multiple devices and swap my Sprint service back and forth between them. I normally do this through Sprint.com. I just got my GS4 and spent hours testing what launcher would be the fastest with this SOC, and setting everything up exactly the way I wanted it.(I always keep things stock for the return period so I had no real way of making a backup) After I got everything the way I wanted, I activated this beauty...but upon doing this, I didn't see the fine print that the profile update triggers a factory data wipe.. **POOF** and all my app/prefs/etc. were gone. Needless to say, I was LIVID. I waited until I was calmed down to call customer care. The rep I spoke to advised that they changed it to require a factory data wipe when switching service online and you need to call customer care to attempt a manual IMEI/DEC/HEX swap.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Had you already activated the device at least once before you attempted the online activation that resulted in the factory reset?

So I can confirm that this is indeed the desired behavior of chameleon. Whenever activation info is changed through HFA, then the device is now supposed to hard reset.
While this is certainly inconvenient if you didn't know it would happen (as us here in the store didn't know this was going to be the behavior going forward either), the reasoning behind it is sound: chameleon is put in place so that identical models of phones that are different sprint channels (sprint post paid, prepaid, boost, etc.) can run the same firmware; chameleon handles the bloatware payload for each channel. In other words, sprint no longer has to have different software packages for the same phone just because one gets sprint zone etc. and the other gets boost stuff etc.
Now, hopefully we get to a point to where chameleon is smart enough to recognize the current payload and decide whether a hard reset is necessary, but...baby steps I suppose.
EDIT: also, profile updates on their own don't require a reset. It's part of the whole HFA process that does it.
Sent from my SPH-L720 using xda premium

Nope, it was a new device I wanted to set up and play with on wifi before activating it. Now I just have to call CC and have them swap the devices manually.

rawintellect said:
TiBu is your friend
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's only your friend if you're rooted, I always keep stock FW for the return period of a device since you never know. I have always had mixed experiences with restoring app data as well.

glassjosh said:
It's only your friend if you're rooted, I always keep stock FW for the return period of a device since you never know. I have always had mixed experiences with restoring app data as well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've never had ONE bad experience with TiBu. Ever. If you know what you're doing it's fine. And why wouldn't you root? You can always unroot at any given time. And yes the counter can be reset.

The debate for rooting belongs elsewhere, I'm well aware you can reset counters, unroot, however, it's not worth the time when the risk of returning is high IMHO. You don't have to know what you're doing in TiBu, that's the beauty, but you still have a better chance of stability when using new app data, and it only takes 1 bad experience with some things..

glassjosh said:
The debate for rooting belongs elsewhere, I'm well aware you can reset counters, unroot, however, it's not worth the time when the risk of returning is high IMHO. You don't have to know what you're doing in TiBu, that's the beauty, but you still have a better chance of stability when using new app data, and it only takes 1 bad experience with some things..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LOL! You're not going to change my mind. I'm not going to change yours. I know from my own personal experience of MANY years of tinkering with android devices that you DO have to know what you're doing in TiBu or you're screwed. If you backup the wrong thing (say a system app from a different release of android) and restore it to an entirely new system you've just borked your device and are on a one way trip to bootloop city, population: YOU. And you'll have a full restore in your future.
As for "debating" on rooting? I'm not. Why even come on to XDA if you won't root? If you want stock apps stick to Google Play and sprint community forums. But don't come on to XDA and tell me or anyone else that rooting your phone is inferior to not rooting it. It just isn't. Period.
Stability is only as good as the person that coded it. That INCLUDES stock OEM ROMS or updates. I can count on two hands updates from manufacturers that have gone terribly wrong and been fixed by the devs in the XDA community LONG before they were fixed by the manufacturer. So your point about "new app data" is wrong as well.
And finally the "risk" isn't high. At all. Stop scaring folks. If your phone boots into the bootloader it's recoverable. Period. Even if it DOESN'T boot into the bootloader you can still recover it. I've had 8 HARD bricks. All of them recovered. Some even required EMMC_RECOVER to rewrite the bootloader. Don't know what that is? I'm not suprised. Let me google that for you. The WORST EVER required JTAG (again let me google that for you) to fix. But it WAS fixed.
I'm all done with this back and forth and I'll just place you on ignore and hope people see that you really have no clue what you're talking about.
Enjoy.

rawintellect said:
LOL! You're not going to change my mind. I'm not going to change yours. I know from my own personal experience of MANY years of tinkering with android devices that you DO have to know what you're doing in TiBu or you're screwed. If you backup the wrong thing (say a system app from a different release of android) and restore it to an entirely new system you've just borked your device and are on a one way trip to bootloop city, population: YOU. And you'll have a full restore in your future.
As for "debating" on rooting? I'm not. Why even come on to XDA if you won't root? If you want stock apps stick to Google Play and sprint community forums. But don't come on to XDA and tell me or anyone else that rooting your phone is inferior to not rooting it. It just isn't. Period.
Stability is only as good as the person that coded it. That INCLUDES stock OEM ROMS or updates. I can count on two hands updates from manufacturers that have gone terribly wrong and been fixed by the devs in the XDA community LONG before they were fixed by the manufacturer. So your point about "new app data" is wrong as well.
And finally the "risk" isn't high. At all. Stop scaring folks. If your phone boots into the bootloader it's recoverable. Period. Even if it DOESN'T boot into the bootloader you can still recover it. I've had 8 HARD bricks. All of them recovered. Some even required EMMC_RECOVER to rewrite the bootloader. Don't know what that is? I'm not suprised. Let me google that for you. The WORST EVER required JTAG (again let me google that for you) to fix. But it WAS fixed.
I'm all done with this back and forth and I'll just place you on ignore and hope people see that you really have no clue what you're talking about.
Enjoy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not trying to change anyone's mind, only warn others to possibly help someone out; which is the whole purpose of this site. I certainly don't have time to troll anyone's posts. Before you get more butt-hurt, read what I said. I know from my "MANY YEARS" of android tinkering and development, that you only need time to read, not to truly know what you're doing. Apparently we have different ideas of what that means. Never did I state that rooting was inferior, that's absurd. And how would you know the risk of me returning the phone in the return period? You obviously don't read or comprehend well. As stated before, I'm well familiar with the process for tweaking android devices, especially Samsung since I have 6 of them. I'm so super impressed with your vast knowledge though..

Wow. That escalated quickly for no reason. You ignores someone for having an opinion about not rooting a phone in the first seven days of owning it. I'm sure there are plenty of people on here that don't root in that first week, that includes me as one of them.
Sent from my SPH-L720 using xda premium

rawintellect said:
LOL! You're not going to change my mind. I'm not going to change yours. I know from my own personal experience of MANY years of tinkering with android devices that you DO have to know what you're doing in TiBu or you're screwed. If you backup the wrong thing (say a system app from a different release of android) and restore it to an entirely new system you've just borked your device and are on a one way trip to bootloop city, population: YOU. And you'll have a full restore in your future.
As for "debating" on rooting? I'm not. Why even come on to XDA if you won't root? If you want stock apps stick to Google Play and sprint community forums. But don't come on to XDA and tell me or anyone else that rooting your phone is inferior to not rooting it. It just isn't. Period.
Stability is only as good as the person that coded it. That INCLUDES stock OEM ROMS or updates. I can count on two hands updates from manufacturers that have gone terribly wrong and been fixed by the devs in the XDA community LONG before they were fixed by the manufacturer. So your point about "new app data" is wrong as well.
And finally the "risk" isn't high. At all. Stop scaring folks. If your phone boots into the bootloader it's recoverable. Period. Even if it DOESN'T boot into the bootloader you can still recover it. I've had 8 HARD bricks. All of them recovered. Some even required EMMC_RECOVER to rewrite the bootloader. Don't know what that is? I'm not suprised. Let me google that for you. The WORST EVER required JTAG (again let me google that for you) to fix. But it WAS fixed.
I'm all done with this back and forth and I'll just place you on ignore and hope people see that you really have no clue what you're talking about.
Enjoy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Please don't feed the trolls...
Sent from my SPH-L900 using xda app-developers app

[Q] Bought a seemingly rooted phone on Swappa and I'm concerned...

OK, I'm going to start by saying I know pretty much nothing about rooting and I may come across as a paranoid conspiracy nut, but here goes.
I recently bought a Note 3 on Swappa. In the description, the seller said that he had removed all of the AT&T Bloatware, but the phone was not rooted. He also stated that a system reset would restore the AT&T apps. Well, the first thing I did was a system restore, but the AT&T apps were still gone. Not that I care about the apps really, but it seemed weird.
Today, I downloaded the "Root Checker" app on the Play Store and it told me that my phone was, in fact, rooted. I also downloaded SuperU and it verified that as well. I've also gotten Titanium Backup (Root) and it shows I'm rooted.
I posted a message on my sale page at Swappa mentioning this, but the seller is adamantly denying that the phone is rooted. He says they use their "own process" to remove the bloatware.
My question in all of this is is this: Is this something I should be concerned about? The seller seems less than honest about the phone being rooted. He is a "trusted seller" which is one reason I bought from him, but I'm super paranoid that there might be something on my phone that I'm unaware of. (a keylogging app, etc...) Is there any way to tell this? How do I go about truly returning my phone back to its original state? I system reset didn't unroot it.
Any advice from people out there much more knowledgeable than me about this?
EDIT: well, I took andygev35's advice and restored back to factory. However, I enjoyed playing around with the things that being rooted allowed, so I re-did it. A huge waste of time? Maybe, but at least I have some peace of mind over the whole thing now. Thanks to everyone!

If you're worried about anything unsavory that may be hidden on your phone, you could always restore back to factory condition using the guide and files in this thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2838117
Sent from my AT&T Galaxy Note 3 using Tapatalk®

andygev35 said:
If you're worried about anything unsavory that may be hidden on your phone, you could always restore back to factory condition using the guide and files in this thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2838117
Sent from my AT&T Galaxy Note 3 using Tapatalk®
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, and holy crap - just glancing at that it looks like a total pain in the ass. This is why I never bothered to root in the first place. Do you think I'm being too paranoid? Or is is worth doing all this?

It's actually quite simple. I know it may look overwhelming at first glance, but there's really nothing to it. Basically the easiest method is to use the all-in-one file. Just download that, put your phone in download mode, plug it into your computer, run the Odin program, place the all-in-one file in the AP slot in Odin and click start.
Sent from my AT&T Galaxy Note 3 using Tapatalk®

andygev35 said:
It's actually quite simple. I know it may look overwhelming at first glance, but there's really nothing to it. Basically the easiest method is to use the all-in-one file. Just download that, put your phone in download mode, plug it into your computer, run the Odin program, place the all-in-one file in the AP slot in Odin and click start.
Sent from my AT&T Galaxy Note 3 using Tapatalk®
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK. I may do this when I get home. Thanks.

Honestly though I do feel you're probably worrying over nothing.. But I'd go back to stock so you can obtain updates if you desire
Sent from my XT907 using XDA Free mobile app

mrkhigh said:
Honestly though I do feel you're probably worrying over nothing.. But I'd go back to stock so you can obtain updates if you desire
Sent from my XT907 using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree it's probably nothing to worry about, but if he's anything like me, any doubt I have will always be there somewhere in the back of my mind nagging at me [emoji15]. Restoring wipes out any of that doubt.
Sent from my AT&T Galaxy Note 3 using Tapatalk®

Don't Worry, Be Happy
Why wouldn't anyone want access to the root files in THEIR phone ???
You have root access to your PC or Mac, why would anyone want a provider to lock down their phone making things inaccessible.
You're not renting the phone, it's Yours (always try and have root access if possible).
google up moborobo and download it, its free and gives u full access to your phone, please download it and check it out -
You will love all the stuff you can do with a rooted N3 -

andygev35 said:
I agree it's probably nothing to worry about, but if he's anything like me, any doubt I have will always be there somewhere in the back of my mind nagging at me [emoji15]. Restoring wipes out any of that doubt.
Sent from my AT&T Galaxy Note 3 using Tapatalk®
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I guess what bugs me the most is that the seller INSISTS that it wasn't rooted, when it clearly is. Its a "methinks he doth protest too much" situation. If he just owned up to it, I'd be less paranoid. If he can't be honest about the obvious, it makes me worry about the less obvious.
I've learned a little, and I'm kind of digging some of the options available now that I know its rooted. Considering spending this Saturday to restoring it back to "normal" and then maybe re-rooting it to have some of the things that I now realize I kind of want. I'm kind of worried I'm going to funk it up though... Jailbreaking seemed to be a much easier process, and harder to screw up.

Since we now have nc2 Odin files you are relatively safe in doing a restore.
Sent from my XT907 using XDA Free mobile app

ThePorter said:
I guess what bugs me the most is that the seller INSISTS that it wasn't rooted, when it clearly is. Its a "methinks he doth protest too much" situation. If he just owned up to it, I'd be less paranoid. If he can't be honest about the obvious, it makes me worry about the less obvious.
I've learned a little, and I'm kind of digging some of the options available now that I know its rooted. Considering spending this Saturday to restoring it back to "normal" and then maybe re-rooting it to have some of the things that I now realize I kind of want. I'm kind of worried I'm going to funk it up though... Jailbreaking seemed to be a much easier process, and harder to screw up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I too am a former Jailbreaker and am so glad I jumped the fence out of Apple's walled garden. I do have to say, at least Apple readily provides the latest firmware for their devices. I can't understand why AT&T won't let Sammy publish our Odin files. As @mrkhigh stated, we DO now have the Odin files (probably gained in some nefarious manner by a sympathizing Best Buy employee), so now you can safely let the experimenting begin without worry.
Sent from my AT&T Galaxy Note 3 using Tapatalk®

I'm curious to find out if it is actually a clone... The HDC Galaxy Note 3 is a damn good clone of the real thing and it ships rooted. They are pretty cheap and can fool almost anyone... If it is a clone, he might have been selling it to make more than he spent and didn't know it's rooted.
If it's not, it is possible that he either bought it from someone else and didn't know that it is rooted, or it is a stolen device.
I would call AT&T and give them the IMEI number to check that. Do not mention root or anything like that, just ask them to check it to see if it's flagged.

graydiggy said:
I'm curious to find out if it is actually a clone... The HDC Galaxy Note 3 is a damn good clone of the real thing and it ships rooted. They are pretty cheap and can fool almost anyone... If it is a clone, he might have been selling it to make more than he spent and didn't know it's rooted.
If it's not, it is possible that he either bought it from someone else and didn't know that it is rooted, or it is a stolen device.
I would call AT&T and give them the IMEI number to check that. Do not mention root or anything like that, just ask them to check it to see if it's flagged.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Pretty sure it's a real AT&T - I took it to the store and had them check the IMHO when I had it activated. I finally just uprooted and flashed the 4.4.2 stock on it (I'm learning the terminology here so hope that's right) from the first post.
The guy is a trusted seller and has sold tons of phones in Swappa. He advertises on all the Samsung at&t phones that he removes the bloatware but does NOT root the phone. But, it was.
In the end, I'm happy with the phone. Seller was less than honest about his process and hopefully he didn't steal all my bank info, haha, but the phone works great.

You have to root to remove all bloatware...
---------- Post added at 10:32 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:32 AM ----------
Good to know though. *cheers*

Yeah, I asked him about that and he said they "have their own process to remove bloatware" that does not require root".
Like I said, he was a little squirrely about it.

ThePorter said:
Yeah, I asked him about that and he said they "have their own process to remove bloatware" that does not require root".
Like I said, he was a little squirrely about it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Im sure its probably because he sells a lot of devices and didn't realize the one he sold had root.
Then when he talked to u he realized that u r uneducated about the subject so he thought he would bs u.
Of course one would have to have root access to remove root files.
I still don't understand why ur making such a big fuss?
If u don't feel like u lucked out, (like the rest of us do) just send the flipping thing back!
Did you download free moborobo?

Before he downloads that app... Excuse me... Complete PC suite.
Why do you think he needs it? I haven't seen anything on XDA about it, other than from you. And most everything I find on google/YouTube is Arabic, Chinese and Japanese.
It seems you are trying to advert it to new users that are unknowing and willing to take advice from most anyone.
I can give 2 things right now that are the same thing and one of them does not require a full PC suite.
Oh... And they are well known on XDA to be safe to use.

graydiggy said:
Before he downloads that app... Excuse me... Complete PC suite.
Why do you think he needs it? I haven't seen anything on XDA about it, other than from you. And most everything I find on google/YouTube is Arabic, Chinese and Japanese.
It seems you are trying to advert it to new users that are unknowing and willing to take advice from most anyone.
I can give 2 things right now that are the same thing and one of them does not require a full PC suite.
Oh... And they are well known on XDA to be safe to use.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, you're right. I looked at it but it seems to be completely unnecessary.

Just a general reminder, use of unknown applications can be dangerous. Please use caution in downloading, using or recommending anything you don't know to be safe.

Stryke_the_Orc said:
Just a general reminder, use of unknown applications can be dangerous. Please use caution in downloading, using or recommending anything you don't know to be safe.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Excuse me but this is not an unknown app, it has been around for years and works wonderfully !!!
I have been using it since I got my N3 at thanksgiving and it works great, installs downloaded apk files in a snap, allows you easy navigation to your entire phone.Doesn't spam you. It just works great. I'm only recommending it because I have USED it for 9 months, (and you guys can't even google it?)
Since when do mods and forum gurus recommend staying away from something they have never used it, or even spent 10 secs researching ????
https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=moborobo+review
I was only trying to help OP out. it is a great and FREE app for rooted devices, sorry for wasting ur time OP -
(ps - I found the software while trying to transfer my contacts and sms messages from my 4s to N3, which worked perfectly and easily, (after trying other stuff). It was after that I discovered how nice it manages everything)

Info overload : Please help me turn an SV98LN OS 5.4.0.0 into a NEXUS flavoured unit

Hi all, appreciate best practice is always to read posted guides but I'm getting kinda old and too many threads are only relevant at particular points in time when the 5th Gen Fire was newer. So basically I'm lost in conflicting info on the guides and need some direction.
Starting point is i) I've got 'basic' experience of rooting and flashing roms, so my PC has got ADB drivers etc. ii) I have a stock OS 5.4.0.0 5th Gen Fire which is my elderly mothers and the intention is to get the crap OS removed and make it a simple Nexus 7'like device.
Can somebody please give me some step-by-step advice. I'm at the point where the device is developer enabled and ABD enabled. But the guides I've seen are all based on old OS's so I fear the whatever I try next will just brick the unit.
Thx in advance

As of now, 5.3.2.1 - 5.4.0.0 can not be rooted, much less have the bootloader unlocked to install a custom ROM.

aww bummer
OK second question : How should I treat the term "As of now"? Do you think there is any likelihood of a 5.4.0.0 root solution happening soon? i.e. weeks or months?
If its not gonna be a while, then I might just install the non-root google-play stuff and just shift the bloaty stuff out of sight if I can.

ebod said:
aww bummer
OK second question : How should I treat the term "As of now"? Do you think there is any likelihood of a 5.4.0.0 root solution happening soon? i.e. weeks or months?
If its not gonna be a while, then I might just install the non-root google-play stuff and just shift the bloaty stuff out of sight if I can.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
EDIT: The usual warning: I am not responsible for any damage done to your device. If using ANY of these guides, you're doing so at your own risk.
That's about your only option at the moment. You can use the guide here, which will install the appropriate google services needed. You can then use this guide to manually 'uninstall' system/Amazon applications (you aren't really uninstalling them, just disabling them). Or use the automatic tool here, which will uninstall a significant number of the Amazon 'bloatware' and install the Google services and a few other Google related apps.
I CANNOT STRESS THIS NOTE ENOUGH: Whether you uninstall apps manually or automatically, please be aware you have to replace the Amazon apps BEFORE you uninstall them. For example, if you want to use contacts, you should install the necessary Google Contact APKs, open 'Contacts' then uninstall Amazon contacts. DO NOT UNINSTALL the Amazon Contact Storage APK or no contact applications will function properly, if at all. There is a guide here where you can install Google Contacts and get a fun little surprise as a result of doing so.
A factory reset will bring back all system apps you uninstall whether you uninstall them manually or automatically. So if anything stops working or you uninstall something that broke something else, factory resetting will fix the tablet, but you'll have to start over.
If you want to use a custom launcher like Nova Launcher, you can read this post which will describe how to do so. In this post I explain how to disable Fire Launcher without breaking the home button. Please read the WHOLE post, including the very bottom where there's a link that describes a 'fix' for the recent apps button (square button) which has a fit when you uninstall Fire Launcher (even on rooted devices). Just tap on 'hide Fire Launcher BEFORE' at the bottom which will take you to a page where you can activate widgets. Read the very bottom and it will tell you how to 'fix' the recent apps button. When you swipe closed apps using the recent apps button, swiping the last one will kick you to the lock screen or black you out for a moment. The fix is kinda cheesy, but it is a fix. I use it on my HD 8.
In this post I describe what Amazon apps I did NOT uninstall. Note this list of apps will differ slightly from the ones installed on the HD 7, but not by very much. This list MIGHT allow you to use Gmail (which doesn't work on any tablet model) and a few other apps.
Very soon, I plan to make a thread with a detailed tutorial on how to do all of this, so it's in one single spot for everyone to find.

Jake1702_ said:
As of now, 5.3.2.1 - 5.4.0.0 can not be rooted, much less have the bootloader unlocked to install a custom ROM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For awareness/clarity: root and SuperSU (no other root manager) are the only prerequisites for installing a custom ROM on this device via FlashFire. The bootloader does not need to be unlocked.

Davey126 said:
For awareness/clarity: root and SuperSU (no other root manager) are the only prerequisites for installing a custom ROM on this device via FlashFire. The bootloader does not need to be unlocked.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks Davey, yeah I'm not ultimately looking for a rooted device, I just want a clean Nexus'like rom with no bloated crap on it. As a plan-B I will follow the other guide notes that DragonFire kindly provided. But primarily if you are still staying I can get Flashfire to install a custom Nexus rom, then please can you guide me to the appropriate instructions to make Flashfire come to life.
I have Flashfire installed...but it just warns there are no permissions etc.
Thanks

ebod said:
Thanks Davey, yeah I'm not ultimately looking for a rooted device, I just want a clean Nexus'like rom with no bloated crap on it. As a plan-B I will follow the other guide notes that DragonFire kindly provided. But primarily if you are still staying I can get Flashfire to install a custom Nexus rom, then please can you guide me to the appropriate instructions to make Flashfire come to life.
I have Flashfire installed...but it just warns there are no permissions etc.
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A custom ROM (ie: Nexus) can not be installed on this device without root. I do not foresee that happening anytime soon with the so you're stuck with FireOS for a bit. It's not a bad skin once you get used to it.
@DragonFire1024 provided a nice summary of the available tweaks and associated caveats. I suggest going slow; start with the Google Play Store and some light visual customizations. Save the all-or-nothing 'debloat script' until have have a better idea of what to keep.
Most importantly, enjoy your new device and don't fret over what could have been.

This list MIGHT allow you to use Gmail (which doesn't work on any tablet model) and a few other apps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ummm... Gmail works fine on my Fire.
Davey126 said:
For awareness/clarity: root and SuperSU (no other root manager) are the only prerequisites for installing a custom ROM on this device via FlashFire. The bootloader does not need to be unlocked.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did not know that. If that's the case, as soon as root is obtainable I'm installing the Fire Nexus ROM.

Jake1702_ said:
Ummm... Gmail works fine on my Fire.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're lucky then. Many users have had issues with Gmail either force closing or not working at all. Hope the rest was somewhat helpful.
---------- Post added at 05:48 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:47 PM ----------
Jake1702_ said:
Ummm... Gmail works fine on my Fire.
I did not know that. If that's the case, as soon as root is obtainable I'm installing the Fire Nexus ROM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
*IF* it becomes available. I've had my tablets almost a year, maybe a months or so under one. That's how long I've been waiting. Some have been waiting longer.

Jake1702_ said:
Ummm... Gmail works fine on my Fire.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Initially and for many months after the Gmail app worked fine on 5th-7th gen devices with Google Play Services/Store installed. The app started crashing on launch following a silent update (lasted about 2 months) then started working again a few weeks ago.

Davey126 said:
Jake1702_ said:
Ummm... Gmail works fine on my Fire.
Initially (and for many months after) the Gmail app worked fine on 5th-7th gen devices with Google Play Services/Store installed. The app started crashing on launch following a silent update (lasted about 2 months) then started working again a few weeks ago.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I read somewhere where quite a few people had put a bug report in or something to that effect. A few days later there was an update to Gmail. That's about the time I installed it and it worked perfectly for me. I'm willing to bet Google did something that that made it possible to use again. Did Amazon do something to block is from using it? In my opinion, not likely. But what caused it? Not a clue. There is some speculation it had to do to with a permission, but that's only speculation. This is something we'll likely never get the answer to.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Jake1702_ said:
... as soon as root is obtainable I'm installing the Fire Nexus ROM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't get your hopes up. There's a reason securing root on Amazon and other manufacturer devices has become more difficult over the past 12-18 months. While I appreciate the euphemistic optimism shown by some the tightened security and legacy code cleanup initiated by Google is actually a good thing for the general Android user community. Of course, XDAers hate it (spare me the sermon on someone controlling *your* device) but they don't represent the much larger community that Amazon and other market driven companies are targeting. Business/capatolism 101.

Davey126 said:
Initially and for many months after the Gmail app worked fine on 5th-7th gen devices with Google Play Services/Store installed. The app started crashing on launch following a silent update (lasted about 2 months) then started working again a few weeks ago.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Might just have been the perfect period of time during when I had mine sitting and not being used. Guess I'm just lucky.
Davey126 said:
Don't get your hopes up. There's a reason securing root on Amazon and other manufacturer devices has become more difficult over the past 12-18 months. While I appreciate the euphemistic optimism shown by some the tightened security and legacy code cleanup initiated by Google is actually a good thing for the general Android user community. Of course, XDAers hate it (spare me the sermon on someone controlling *your* device) but they don't represent the much larger community that Amazon and other market driven companies are targeting. Business/capatolism 101.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is definitely possible, just not enough people spending time on this device, they are all focused on more popular brands/devices.

Jake1702_ said:
Might just have been the perfect period of time during when I had mine sitting and not being used. Guess I'm just lucky.
It is definitely possible, just not enough people spending time on this device, they are all focused on more popular brands/devices.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This I will actually agree with. But to be honest, I really thought we'd have a good chance after Prime Day. I really thought we'd have gotten it then, but I still have hopes.
That being said, the tricks and hacks we've discovered over the last few months are pretty amazing. The method of 'uninstalling' I mentioned a few posts ago, was never intended nor expected to work on these tablets. It had sat on XDA for a couple days before I literally said out loud: "oh what the hell. I can't break anything." So gave it a shot and was incredibly surprised to see it really did disable Amazon Video.
With the tricks and hacks I also mentioned a few posts back, really does go a long way in terms of a custom ROM. Aside from the technical aspects and apps, in my opinion it's pretty much a custom systemless ROM. Though some may disagree with me very much.
Feel free to ask any question you like. We'll do our best to help.

DragonFire1024 said:
This I will actually agree with. But to be honest, I really thought we'd have a good chance after Prime Day. I really thought we'd have gotten it then, but I still have hopes.
That being said, the tricks and hacks we've discovered over the last few months are pretty amazing. The method of 'uninstalling' I mentioned a few posts ago, was never intended nor expected to work on these tablets. It had sat on XDA for a couple days before I literally said out loud: "oh what the hell. I can't break anything." So gave it a shot and was incredibly surprised to see it really did disable Amazon Video.
With the tricks and hacks I also mentioned a few posts back, really does go a long way in terms of a custom ROM. Aside from the technical aspects and apps, in my opinion it's pretty much a custom systemless ROM. Though some may disagree with me very much.
Feel free to ask any question you like. We'll do our best to help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Funny how for months now this device still hasn't been rooted, yet a few days after the release of the Samsung Galaxy S8, it was already rooted. Simply, those devices have much more people willing to take time to find exploits for, whereas the Fire does not. It's a shame really.
Sent from my KFFOWI using Tapatalk

Jake1702_ said:
Funny how for months now this device still hasn't been rooted, yet a few days after the release of the Samsung Galaxy S8, it was already rooted. Simply, those devices have much more people willing to take time to find exploits for, whereas the Fire does not. It's a shame really.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There just may not be any at the moment. Amazon has done a lot to this OS, so much so, I've seen posts where users don't even consider it an Android base anymore. Depending on what you read, I've seen other sites where some say its too butchered.
Also keep in mind when an exploit is found, some have been around for a very long time. So one may exist, but no one has either found it yet so no method exists or as you say, may not care enough to take the time to make a method. Every Android device is different. The OS is customized and programed to a manufacturers liking who also add their own customization, then is passed off to a service provider who further customizes it. In that period exploits are patched or simply don't work because what's exploited in certain devices, may not exist in other devices. The list and possibilities really could go on.

DragonFire1024 said:
There just may not be any at the moment. Amazon has done a lot to this OS, so much so, I've seen posts where users don't even consider it an Android base anymore. Depending on what you read, I've seen other sites where some say its too butchered.
Also keep in mind when an exploit is found, some have been around for a very long time. So one may exist, but no one has either found it yet so no method exists or as you say, may not care enough to take the time to make a method. Every Android device is different. The OS is customized and programed to a manufacturers liking who also add their own customization, then is passed off to a service provider who further customizes it. In that period exploits are patched or simply don't work because what's exploited in certain devices, may not exist in other devices. The list and possibilities really could go on.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wonder if it would be possible "break" the bootloader, so-to-speak, to a point where it "works" but is flawed, allowing the installation of a custom ROM.

Jake1702_ said:
I wonder if it would be possible "break" the bootloader, so-to-speak, to a point where it "works" but is flawed, allowing the installation of a custom ROM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not likely. I have a list of things to try on my head. Some simple, some outrageous. Truth is this HD 8 has been through hell. I've reset it more times than I can count. I've nearly disected it and to be honest I'm absolutely amazed I haven't broken it yet. So I'm giving her a break from that right now.
With that said, I have an HD 7 that's rooted. I have an idea to try some things using it, that could work on non rooted 7 and up tablets, that would be totally systemless that could open up the possibilities to some things. I've been disecting the HD 7 for some ideas and plan to do some testing very soon. I'm the type that will immediately look at all settings and functions and then look through every file, folder and directory I'm able to, so we can do what many of us have already achieved. Keep an eye on me

DragonFire1024 said:
Not likely. I have a list of things to try on my head. Some simple, some outrageous. Truth is this HD 8 has been through hell. I've reset it more times than I can count. I've nearly disected it and to be honest I'm absolutely amazed I haven't broken it yet. So I'm giving her a break from that right now.
With that said, I have an HD 7 that's rooted. I have an idea to try some things using it, that could work on non rooted 7 and up tablets, that would be totally systemless that could open up the possibilities to some things. I've been disecting the HD 7 for some ideas and plan to do some testing very soon. I'm the type that will immediately look at all settings and functions and then look through every file, folder and directory I'm able to, so we can do what many of us have already achieved. Keep an eye on me
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If someone were to go so deep to a point where they took it apart, maybe it would be possible to modify the bootloader by setting up a custom one.
Sent from my KFFOWI using Tapatalk

Root or Not Root that's the question

Hi together,
I am wondering which benefits I can expect from rooting my device.
One thing that comes to my mind is having an option to use face unlock for older unlock APIs.
What do you guys think?

Tirade incoming...
I'm probably in the minority, but I won't buy a phone I cannot root. The idea that the phone that I paid $1000 for up front is under the control of other companies seems wrong to me. I have full control over my computers... my ISP doesn't tell me what I can run on it and can't force me to use their DNS; Microsoft doesn't tell me that I'm breaking a EULA by running admin programs; my bank's website doesn't refuse to load because I'm running a lot of browser extensions that can modify the page. Google says they respect that people want control over their phones but they also say they respect app creator's wanting to run on an unmodified device. I throw those companies to the wind and don't look back. If only Google would stop blocking access to things and requiring us to use root to gain them back. They give and take features almost constantly and it often feels like a losing battle.
Ideology aside, there are so many small things that can be done through rooting. The next best alternative is either awkward or non-existent. I could name them off, but each thing on their own is easily dismissable is about preference. But if I had to use a phone that had none of my modifications/tweaks, I would be fairly unhappy. I don't think you'll understand the difference until you're actually changing your phone significantly as a whole then have to consider going back. A lot of things you won't know you even wanted until you find that they're possible... and a lot of things you'll look at and not even care about, despite them being popular to other people. That's what rooting is to me. Choices and options... in a world where Apple and even Google think that less is more.
I think if you're willing to experiment and put a significant amount of time in doing so, you should dive in and find out what you like. But if you're on the ropes about it, then you might not get into it.

jljtgr said:
Tirade incoming...
I'm probably in the minority, but I won't buy a phone I cannot root. The idea that the phone that I paid $1000 for up front is under the control of other companies seems wrong to me. I have full control over my computers... my ISP doesn't tell me what I can run on it and can't force me to use their DNS; Microsoft doesn't tell me that I'm breaking a EULA by running admin programs; my bank's website doesn't refuse to load because I'm running a lot of browser extensions that can modify the page. Google says they respect that people want control over their phones but they also say they respect app creator's wanting to run on an unmodified device. I throw those companies to the wind and don't look back. If only Google would stop blocking access to things and requiring us to use root to gain them back. They give and take features almost constantly and it often feels like a losing battle.
Ideology aside, there are so many small things that can be done through rooting. The next best alternative is either awkward or non-existent. I could name them off, but each thing on their own is easily dismissable is about preference. But if I had to use a phone that had none of my modifications/tweaks, I would be fairly unhappy. I don't think you'll understand the difference until you're actually changing your phone significantly as a whole then have to consider going back. A lot of things you won't know you even wanted until you find that they're possible... and a lot of things you'll look at and not even care about, despite them being popular to other people. That's what rooting is to me. Choices and options... in a world where Apple and even Google think that less is more.
I think if you're willing to experiment and put a significant amount of time in doing so, you should dive in and find out what you like. But if you're on the ropes about it, then you might not get into it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To make that clear. I rooted every android phone I owned up to now. There has been always a thing that bothered me about the stock ROM.
But this time I feel like everything is working out of the box. (Except face unlock for ing, which sux)
I get your point and you are totally right. But I'm not sure if I want to change so much and having to update on my own and other things is to much work for me.

SeppGoPro said:
To make that clear. I rooted every android phone I owned up to now. There has been always a thing that bothered me about the stock ROM.
But this time I feel like everything is working out of the box. (Except face unlock for ing, which sux)
I get your point and you are totally right. But I'm not sure if I want to change so much and having to update on my own and other things is to much work for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I hear you. Rooting used to be fun and easy but it's more work than I want to deal with at this point.
Sent from my Pixel 4 XL using XDA Labs

It takes me longer the download the stock image to do updates with than it takes me to re-root the phone after the update. I wonder why it seems like a lot of work to you.
PS. My broadband ISP is slow....

jljtgr said:
It takes me longer the download the stock image to do updates with than it takes me to re-root the phone after the update. I wonder why it seems like a lot of work to you.
PS. My broadband ISP is slow....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It takes more time, which you actively have to spend. It's not like ow there is an update. Ok install done.
You have to go through all steps. You have to e.g. change settings in build.prop again. Flash kernel or what ever.
One example with rooted and problems with apps I'm always unsure if it's due to root or due to the rom. Stuff like this.

I don't have to do either of those things. My build.prop changes are systemlessly handled by a Magisk module that just works as soon as I'm rooted again. YMMV.
I've spent more time writing in this thread than my monthly process takes. If you don't have that time, then fine. You've answered your own question?

I've rooted all my devices except the pixel ones. There's absolutely no need for me to root a pixel device, everything is working as I want out of the box. That's one reason that development for the pixel 4/xl is nearly non existent.

ROOT! #1 reason Fingerface for fingerprint only APIs, other than that I agree the Pixel phones don't need any modifications. I hope the Pixel 5 will bring back the FP, face unlock sucks with a mask!

dave5777 said:
ROOT! #1 reason Fingerface for fingerprint only APIs, other than that I agree the Pixel phones don't need any modifications. I hope the Pixel 5 will bring back the FP, face unlock sucks with a mask!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes this would be the only reason for me.

first reason finger face
second reason motion sense..
now on android beta 2.5 not rooted

Why choose android if you are going to use a limited system?
If i could live without root i would just go iPhone way

fuarkgl3 said:
Why choose android if you are going to use a limited system?
If i could live without root i would just go iPhone way
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cause the limited system will do what most people need it to do

dave5777 said:
ROOT! #1 reason Fingerface for fingerprint only APIs, other than that I agree the Pixel phones don't need any modifications. I hope the Pixel 5 will bring back the FP, face unlock sucks with a mask!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Pull it down for half a sec.

Mackay53 said:
Cause the limited system will do what most people need it to do
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Again. If you are going to use a limited system why choose android over iOS?
I don't understand your reply

fuarkgl3 said:
Again. If you are going to use a limited system why choose android over iOS?
I don't understand your reply
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Because many people like what Android has to offer over iOS, simple. Rooting isn't as useful as what it used to be

Does google pay work currently root? Magisk hide?
Or is that out of the question now...

xtravbx said:
Does google pay work currently root? Magisk hide?
Or is that out of the question now...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
From what I've been reading it's going to be hard to get Google Pay to work with root. I only use root to bring back the 2 button gesture using a Magisk module. I don't know if it's worth it anymore.

xtravbx said:
Does google pay work currently root? Magisk hide?
Or is that out of the question now...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Google pay works right now for me and I'm rooted running 11 beta 2.5.

fr0st420 said:
From what I've been reading it's going to be hard to get Google Pay to work with root. I only use root to bring back the 2 button gesture using a Magisk module. I don't know if it's worth it anymore.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I want to root so I can run ProtonVPN (or any VPN really) alongside Adguard. You can't run them side x side without root....
Admittedly a little sick of the whole big brother thing, so wouldn't mind obscuring my traffic a bit.