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just some questions about zenfone 4
1. is it easy to root z4?
2. like no problem in rooting my phone?
3. once i root my z4, is there a recommended bloatware list i can freeze?
4. is there other way to make the battery last longer?
5. and when will kitkat upgrade available to zenfone 4?
6. any unrooting guide here?
i just want to upgrade first my z4 before i root it.
THANKS anyone who will give me the answer
@yodaryll94
hi.
Here's "How to Root ASUS Zenfone 4" (I don't know in case device can be unrooted after rooted from method from the link).
1. is it easy to root z4?
-- Yes, In case you read(know what you are doing) and follow carefully. In short, not impossible.
2. like no problem in rooting my phone?
-- I don't think any dev take responsibility for any type of device damage after following his/her instructions. But mostly damages not happen. so always make sure by reading comments, possible that someone have replied success message.
3. once i root my z4, is there a recommended bloatware list i can freeze?
-- "Recommended", yep maybe in case someone have made list. but in simple, things you don't use and are not part of official firmware and by removing them it does not effect device OS. then it's fine to stop them or lock them from being loading in startup/boot or completely uninstalling them. there are apps to make this work easy. (i'm not recommending anything, just sharing for idea.)
4. is there other way to make the battery last longer?
-- Yes. there are threads on this platform.
5. and when will kitkat upgrade available to zenfone 4?
-- I don't know in case there will be Official upgrades or not. But maybe there are Custom ROMs on internet.
6. any unrooting guide here?
-- already answered. Other than last answer regarding this question, there are ways to unroot device with different tools type. but not sure about method of which i posted link above.
i just want to upgrade first my z4 before i root it.
-- I think there is option for upgrade/update in Phone setting "About phone" and in case upgrade/update is available then it will be Official.
Advice: Do not try anything on your device Until you know what you are doing. always make full Backup of your device before doing stuff like "Root/CWM(Custom Recovery/Custom ROM). don't take my answers as perfect, make more search, wait for more replies.... until you get enough information and are sure that you understood well, what you learned etc....
hope, answers helped you a little.
ajnabicancer said:
@yodaryll94
hi.
Here's "How to Root ASUS Zenfone 4" (I don't know in case device can be unrooted after rooted from method from the link).
1. is it easy to root z4?
-- Yes, In case you read(know what you are doing) and follow carefully. In short, not impossible.
2. like no problem in rooting my phone?
-- I don't think any dev take responsibility for any type of device damage after following his/her instructions. But mostly damages not happen. so always make sure by reading comments, possible that someone have replied success message.
3. once i root my z4, is there a recommended bloatware list i can freeze?
-- "Recommended", yep maybe in case someone have made list. but in simple, things you don't use and are not part of official firmware and by removing them it does not effect device OS. then it's fine to stop them or lock them from being loading in startup/boot or completely uninstalling them. there are apps to make this work easy. (i'm not recommending anything, just sharing for idea.)
4. is there other way to make the battery last longer?
-- Yes. there are threads on this platform.
5. and when will kitkat upgrade available to zenfone 4?
-- I don't know in case there will be Official upgrades or not. But maybe there are Custom ROMs on internet.
6. any unrooting guide here?
-- already answered. Other than last answer regarding this question, there are ways to unroot device with different tools type. but not sure about method of which i posted link above.
i just want to upgrade first my z4 before i root it.
-- I think there is option for upgrade/update in Phone setting "About phone" and in case upgrade/update is available then it will be Official.
Advice: Do not try anything on your device Until you know what you are doing. always make full Backup of your device before doing stuff like "Root/CWM(Custom Recovery/Custom ROM). don't take my answers as perfect, make more search, wait for more replies.... until you get enough information and are sure that you understood well, what you learned etc....
hope, answers helped you a little.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hi thanks for your reply, really appreciate it
uhm another question. can you give a list of things i cant/should not freeze? (like system ui) so if ever i try to freeze i can avoid them. thanks
yodaryll94 said:
hi thanks for your reply, really appreciate it
uhm another question. can you give a list of things i cant/should not freeze? (like system ui) so if ever i try to freeze i can avoid them. thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not an expert, but try searching forum/internet for it. there is a lot of information.
Here few links from this Forum.
LINK:- Disable Apps (Bloatware) to speed-up and stabilize!
LINK:- How to Remove Bloatware without Rooting
LINK:- [GUIDE] Disabling system/bloatware apps using temp root
ajnabicancer said:
I'm not an expert, but try searching forum/internet for it. there is a lot of information.
Here few links from this Forum.
LINK:- Disable Apps (Bloatware) to speed-up and stabilize!
LINK:- How to Remove Bloatware without Rooting
LINK:- [GUIDE] Disabling system/bloatware apps using temp root
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
alright! thanks a lot
i just follow the guide in rooting my zenfone but after the reboot, in my phone says system failed returned to original (....)
my phone is in latest version v4.4.2 kitkat help me please
i just follow the guide in rooting my zenfone but after the reboot, in my phone says system failed returned to original (....)
my phone is in latest version v4.4.2 kitkat help me please
Hi, long time lurker here. I want to start by saying how great and informative this site is. Anyway, my nexus 6 came in from the mail like 5 hours ago, did all the updates from 5.0 to 6.0 and it's now running Marshmallow mra58n. Question is should I root it immediately and if so, are there any guides I can follow? Much love to you all, I'm not exactly pro at this kind of things but I can follow instructions since I have competently rooted my past phones which were an HTC M7, M8 and a Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet.
Thank you.
Edit: Phone is also unlocked, I currently have no SIM card
start here..
http://forum.xda-developers.com/nexus-6/general/how-to-nexus-6-one-beginners-guide-t2948481
At the least unlock the bootloader right away. Doing so will completely wipe the phone so it's the first thing I do.
Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk
razortaz18 said:
At the least unlock the bootloader right away. Doing so will completely wipe the phone so it's the first thing I do.
Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've been looking at the Nexus Root Toolkit since I am kind of confused on how to proceed with anything at all, is that ill advised since I've read that there are problems with the USB cable disconnecting during reboot?
Also, thank you for the reply.
I used the NRT without issue. Just follow the guide step by step.
Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk
and, dont touch the usb cable while the phone is processing your commands!
j/k, never even heard of the USB cable "problem"
I just used the toolkit today to unlock and root my N6.
Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk
I rooted last night initially using manual method described in the first link provided, however after some driver issues ultimately used the 2.1.0 rootkit to uninstall and reinstall all drivers. That too alone saved me tons of time and either method is simple if you can follow instructions.
Totally recommend rooting and then experimenting with custom roms, its like getting a new phone everyone you install a new rom.
Have fun!
Kristine,
In answer specifically to your question "Should I...?" my answer is "No". It really depends on what you think you'll get from it - why do you want to do it? What specific benefits do you want?
The reason that I say "no" is that I've been rooted on all my several phones for years, and I've decided that for me the annoyance of having to manually flash ROMs outweighs the benefits - particularly now that Google are releasing frequent security updates. The moment you root your device the OTA (over the air) updates no longer work.
For me the major reason for rooting was to have a firewall. The other things (wakelock detection, double tap to wake, auto-hibernation...) were great but not showstoppers. Now that there is a non-root firewall (Netguard) I'm happy to leave my phone unrooted. I haven't had an OTA to apply yet, so if I have any problems then I might change my mind, but my advice would be to think hard about why you want root before you buy yourself into a world of tinkering...
razortaz18 said:
At the least unlock the bootloader right away. Doing so will completely wipe the phone so it's the first thing I do.
Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dammit, are you kidding me? I just downloaded and setup everything, figured I'd do all everything else tomorrow... Oh, well I can do it again I suppose.
Kristine-N said:
Question is should I root it immediately....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Because I don't want a white interface, rooting is necessary. Google forces to many things, like forced encryption, useless apps and a white interface (battery drain). When rooting was impossible I would not have bought a Nexus.
Short answer: No!
Long answer: Well, it's sill no, but you can or even should do a couple of things.
First if all, allow OEM Unlocking in development settings. There are gazillion how-tos to switch developer mode on, and tick that switch. Google has borked OTAs already, and if your phone doesn't boot, and the switch is off, then you're boned, you can send it for repair. But if you can unlock you bootloader, then you can flash a custom recovery and make your phone working again.
Second, if you do plan to root your phone in the near future, you should unlock the bootloader now, while it's still new, because it will erase everything (IMHO this would be sufficient as a security measure, the Enable OEM Unlocking is overkill).
As for the main question if you don't have any specific ideas what you want the root for, then don't root your phone. It's a clear and present security risk, and you're just one too many "Allow" taps from letting someone acquire your passwords, clone your IMEI, and download your personal stuff. My motto is, if you don't know what exactly root is, what it does, then you don't know how to prevent exploits that need it to run.
Also if you modify your phone in any way, and that includes rooting, you won't receive the monthly OTAs, and will have to flash it manually.
And finally, don't use toolkits on a Nexus. Spend another hour reading about the matter and you will find out typing adb and fastboot commands is a easy as clicking buttons on toolkits. There is nothing extra in them, they just download the images to flash, and "type" these commands for you.
Unlock bootloader and don't root it for now. After some time, if you feel like you're missing some features that you can obtain only with root, then go ahead. But for now I would strongly recommend to stay stock and see how it goes...
Hey guys,
So before I go ahead an attempt to unlock my bootloader and root my phone, just wanted to clear a couple of things up first.
This is my first Huawei device, previous one was a Sony, so I'm a little unfamiliar with a few things.
1. Is unlocking the bootloader required for root? If not, could someone point me in the direction of a guide to root only?
On the Sony, as long as I had a compatible firmware, I could root without unlocking the bootloader.
2. Will I lose any DRM Keys, proprietary features (Force Touch, Themes etc) through unlocking the bootloader and/or rooting? If so, can these be restored afterwards, while retaining root?
Again, with the Sony, unlocking the bootloader would result in losing DRM Keys related to visual enhancements, and were required to be backed up (via TABackup) prior to unlocking the bootloader. These could then be restored after root, and function as normal.
3. If you do lose features, and they can't be restored while keeping root. If I flash a stock ROM back on, losing root in the process, will these features also be restored?
Thanks
djyoshii said:
Hey guys,
So before I go ahead an attempt to unlock my bootloader and root my phone, just wanted to clear a couple of things up first.
This is my first Huawei device, previous one was a Sony, so I'm a little unfamiliar with a few things.
1. Is unlocking the bootloader required for root? If not, could someone point me in the direction of a guide to root only?
On the Sony, as long as I had a compatible firmware, I could root without unlocking the bootloader.
2. Will I lose any DRM Keys, proprietary features (Force Touch, Themes etc) through unlocking the bootloader and/or rooting? If so, can these be restored afterwards, while retaining root?
Again, with the Sony, unlocking the bootloader would result in losing DRM Keys related to visual enhancements, and were required to be backed up (via TABackup) prior to unlocking the bootloader. These could then be restored after root, and function as normal.
3. If you do lose features, and they can't be restored while keeping root. If I flash a stock ROM back on, losing root in the process, will these features also be restored?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1) I used the SRK Tool (http://forum.xda-developers.com/p9-plus/development/tool-srk-tool-huawei-bootloader-root-t3405999) and it showed step by step on rooting. Unlocking bootloader seems to be one of the steps before rooting. Maybe you can ask somboons about it.
2) For me, unlocking the bootloader basically resets my phone. And added a warning just before the phone bootup to android (from cold state or off state) that the bootloader has been unlocked and the phone is not trusted now. Just need to restore the apps and other data through the HiSuite backups after unlocking and rooting seems to be fine. Not sure about DRM keys, and others as didn't try those out before doing bootloader unlock. But I did lost my remote set up as it was not part of the HiSuite's data backup.
3) Do a backup with HiSuite should be able to help you. Just need to identify in the HiSuite that the apps and their data is being backed up.
prismfire said:
1) I used the SRK Tool (http://forum.xda-developers.com/p9-plus/development/tool-srk-tool-huawei-bootloader-root-t3405999) and it showed step by step on rooting. Unlocking bootloader seems to be one of the steps before rooting. Maybe you can ask somboons about it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks mate, I did have a look at that thread as well, and another (less detailed) post. Was just wanting to confirm if there was any other method without need for bootloader unlocking. Figure the less things to modify, the less chance of something going wrong, which has worked well for me so far.
prismfire said:
2) For me, unlocking the bootloader basically resets my phone. And added a warning just before the phone bootup to android (from cold state or off state) that the bootloader has been unlocked and the phone is not trusted now. Just need to restore the apps and other data through the HiSuite backups after unlocking and rooting seems to be fine. Not sure about DRM keys, and others as didn't try those out before doing bootloader unlock. But I did lost my remote set up as it was not part of the HiSuite's data backup.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Any way to remove that message while retaining root? Sounds similar to the 'yellow triangle' back when I had an S2, but that was able to be removed, is this the same?
Not too worried about backing up apps & data at the moment, I haven't fully set up my phone as I realised it would most likely be lost upon rooting. But thanks for the heads up!
prismfire said:
3) Do a backup with HiSuite should be able to help you. Just need to identify in the HiSuite that the apps and their data is being backed up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry I was more thinking along the lines of, if any P9+ exclusive features were to be lost during root, could they easily be restored simply by flashing a stock ROM again? Apps & app data seem to be easy enough to restore via HiSuite/Titanium etc
djyoshii said:
Thanks mate, I did have a look at that thread as well, and another (less detailed) post. Was just wanting to confirm if there was any other method without need for bootloader unlocking. Figure the less things to modify, the less chance of something going wrong, which has worked well for me so far.
Any way to remove that message while retaining root? Sounds similar to the 'yellow triangle' back when I had an S2, but that was able to be removed, is this the same?
Not too worried about backing up apps & data at the moment, I haven't fully set up my phone as I realised it would most likely be lost upon rooting. But thanks for the heads up!
Sorry I was more thinking along the lines of, if any P9+ exclusive features were to be lost during root, could they easily be restored simply by flashing a stock ROM again? Apps & app data seem to be easy enough to restore via HiSuite/Titanium etc
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The orange colored message i read from somewhere that it's Android security implementation standard or something. There's red message also which renders the whole phone can not boot in unless being reset.
In terms of the exclusive apps, not that I know of. Checked with my friend who kept her device as it is, without all the unlock and rooting, and compare with my device which went through and upgrade, unlock and a rooting process - no missing apps noticed.
Thanks guys
prismfire said:
The orange colored message i read from somewhere that it's Android security implementation standard or something. There's red message also which renders the whole phone can not boot in unless being reset.
In terms of the exclusive apps, not that I know of. Checked with my friend who kept her device as it is, without all the unlock and rooting, and compare with my device which went through and upgrade, unlock and a rooting process - no missing apps noticed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I read ur conversation and I have been wondering if it's safe so thank you. But I still have 1 question "if I change my oem can I still use my 2 sims"?
prismfire said:
The orange colored message i read from somewhere that it's Android security implementation standard or something. There's red message also which renders the whole phone can not boot in unless being reset.
In terms of the exclusive apps, not that I know of. Checked with my friend who kept her device as it is, without all the unlock and rooting, and compare with my device which went through and upgrade, unlock and a rooting process - no missing apps noticed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So i've successfully rooted the phone, and yeah I get that 'your device has been unlocked and isn't safe' message on boot. It's not too much of a bother, besides being unsightly, but I don't really reboot my phone too often anyway.
I haven't noticed anything missing either, a few minor bugs have started to appear, but that might have to do with Xposed (I would guess).
Thanks for the advice & help!
Abdo2 said:
I read ur conversation and I have been wondering if it's safe so thank you. But I still have 1 question "if I change my oem can I still use my 2 sims"?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dear Abdo2,
I'm not knowledgeable about the term oem here.
But if it is an issue of dual sim usage, I presume it's built into the ROM? What I know is all P9+ are hybrid dual sim, so it should be part of the ROM that you have.
I'm using VIE-L29C636B170. And it have the dual sim support in-built...although I've not used it yet.
See if anyone knowledgeable to your question passing by here can answer you. If not, maybe you can try the question & answer thread. Or post as another new thread if really no one got your question.
Regards.
---------- Post added at 02:39 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:29 PM ----------
djyoshii said:
So i've successfully rooted the phone, and yeah I get that 'your device has been unlocked and isn't safe' message on boot. It's not too much of a bother, besides being unsightly, but I don't really reboot my phone too often anyway.
I haven't noticed anything missing either, a few minor bugs have started to appear, but that might have to do with Xposed (I would guess).
Thanks for the advice & help!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dear djyoshii,
Good to know.
About the security message, one of it is mentioned here:
https://source.android.com/security/verifiedboot/verified-boot.html
For minor bugs, I'm not sure what you have. I've 3 games and 1 app that behaves not like when I used my previous phone (on Android 5.0). That's around 3-5% of all the apps that I used (meaning, majority works fine). Of those some of them related to Android 6.0 issue (actually the apps not updated for the Android version well). So, for me generally I would think it's marshmallow thing.
Regards.
Hi,
long time htc user (always totally unlocked) but looking to get a p9 plus for my wife (this is the important part).
can someone give me a simple answer...
if i only root the phone (for titanium backup mainly and maybe some cosmetic mods) will i be able to unroot it and return it under warranty?
phones here in Dubai are all unbranded so no problems there.
I have no need to unlock bootloader (yet )
gazzacbr said:
Hi,
long time htc user (always totally unlocked) but looking to get a p9 plus for my wife (this is the important part).
can someone give me a simple answer...
if i only root the phone (for titanium backup mainly and maybe some cosmetic mods) will i be able to unroot it and return it under warranty?
phones here in Dubai are all unbranded so no problems there.
I have no need to unlock bootloader (yet )
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dear gazzacbr,
From what I tried (been a while since I last did this), one will have to unlock the bootloader first before rooting. Apparently rooting is the last step of the whole process (if you are using the SRK tools). Now, to go back to the status of unrooted, I just use the superSU's total unroot option to unroot. And to go further back to bootloader, there is an option within SRK tool but my last attempt failed to relock the bootloader back. Didn't spend so much time to play around with the unlocking the bootloader after that. So, I just use as is - unlocked bootloader with no root.
One thing you need to note, for titanium backup, I end up just using their own desktop application called HiSuite. It does backup app and app data for you. Not system apps' data though. For theme customisation, MIUI do have a friendly Themer app that you can use to change the look. The corresponding theme files (*.hwt) are zipped, so you can always use 7zip to open and edit the assets inside to the one that you want.
Ok, thanks for the good info @prismfire. As long as it could be rooted sometime later then thats fine. Will pick up one this weekend.
Am going to be jealous though as I guess it's a step up from my 'old' M8
Sent from my HTC One_M8 dual sim using XDA-Developers mobile app
Hello everyone,
I have to say I am completely lost regarding the whole rooting process for the XZ1C. I usually manage to get where I want just by carefully reading the forums, but with this device, I feel overwhelmed by information. And I sometimes feel like what I am reading contradicts what I though I understood from previous reads...
I will try to sum up what I know so far.
First of all, I have a just-out-of-the-box Sony model G8441 with firmware 47.1.A.12.179 / Oreo 8.0.0 (never been connected to the outside world yet), and I want to properly root the device and install TWRP with no loss of feature.
What I think I understand:
To root, I first need to unlock the bootloader, which seems to be a trivial operation. However, this will break some functionalities due to DRM keys being erased. Once it is done, there is no way, ever, to get them back. There are however ways to "trick" DRM-related functionalities into believing DRM keys are still there.
Alternatively, there seems to be a way to backup the DRM keys prior to unlocking the BL, and this backup can somehow be reused and injected back into the unlocked device. If true, then this would certainly be a preferable method than the previous one, which would then be obsolete. However, it obviously doesn't look obsolete when I read the related topics, so I must be missing something...
Another thing I noted (but do not quite understand): There are ROMs for this device that "include" a DRM fix.
Last important thing I read: there is a paid "do-it-all" tool which takes my locked device and, with one click, makes it unlocked - rooted - DRM-fixed - TWRP-enabled. Now that sounds really good! Maybe too good?
As far as i know (but I learn new stuff every day on this topic) this DRM stuff is the main difficulty here. I understand that the rest of the process (root + TWRP) will be much simpler (although I'm old-school and completly missed all this magisk trend...!)
What I don't understand:
I read that some people downgrade to Oreo to be able to root properly, and at the same time, I read that Pie removed the restrictions on unlocked bootloader. So I still have no idea if I should connect and receive Sony updates, or avoid them.
Another thing I don't get, is how many ways do we have to root this thing? In the past, I was used to see, for a specific device, always one major and widly used rooting method. Here I fail to identify it...
What I think I will do:
1. Backup TA partition with j4nn's tool. This will probably imply flashing an older firmware right? Is there any link that could help me with this flashing process? (I only know Odin - did I mention old-school?) I saw this page for generic sony Z devices, but the thread is from 2013 and now closed. Is it still up-to-date or is there a newer thread?
2. Unlock bootloader and restore TA partition.
3. Wait for Sony updates? Or should I first hide unlock status?
3bis. Alternaltively to waiting for updates, maybe I can just flash the latest build? (47.2.A.8.24 if I am not mistaken)
4. Flash modpunk's TWRP.
5. Flash janjan's Boot.img to get root functionalities?
Alternaltively to all the above (except maybe step 1 that I will probably do in any case), buy the paid all-in-one tool (Xperifix), plug, click and wait... But will I really end up the same as with the manual way?
I saw a few other methods in the forums but it seems my brain is currently refusing to bring them back...
That's all I have right now. I would really appreciate if you guys could share some insight and tell me what you think about this, whether there are missing steps, useless steps, incorrectly ordered steps, silly steps, or if I'm just completely wrong about the whole thing.
Feel free also to correct me on the assumptions I made at the beginning.
Thank you very much for reading this repulsive piece of text.
SunJu22 said:
I would really appreciate if you guys could share some insight and tell me what you think about this
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
By the looks of it you have done a great deal of research on the project.
Yes, go down the route of backing up your TA partition first, but that is not a small step in itself, it's pretty complicated and if you get that working then the rest of the project will be a breeze.
You don't say what version of firmware you want to end up on. If you want to end up on Pie then forget the DRMfix . But if you're staying on Oreo and can't be bothered with lots of files & flashing, then this is the easy way out, I bought the paid version and can verify it works.
More recently I ended up janjan's kernel (Oreo build). Hidden root (Google Pay works), lots of performance tweaks, DRM completely working.
It's unlikely that anyone will bother making a DRM fix for Pie as the camera works and there are only a couple of other features that get disabled.
It sounds like you're not the sort of person who's only going to read the first couple of pages of a thread (or the last) flash the xxxxxx and then complain when it's broken.
The people on the forum here are very helpful and if you go into any of the threads you mentioned in your post with a question, you'll get a reply.
Good luck.
I agree, there is a lot of information out there and different methods of achieving what you want - very confusing if you have not been following the threads since the beginning.
In my opinion, the preferred method is j4nn's method outlined here: https://forum.xda-developers.com/xp...devonly-exploits-temp-root-to-backup-t3795510
Use that post as your main guide (the final step in that guide, #13, is how you will achieve root). You will use Newflasher to flash the various firmwares along the way (this is linked from j4nn's procedure in step #2). User munted made a very detailed pdf file that fills in some of the details on j4nn's procedure - see the following post and download the pdf attached: https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=78255334&postcount=382
Most of the other methods out there came before j4nn's work - they didn't include DRM backup/restore.
If you follow j4nn's procedure, you won't need to use the janjan kernel as you assumed - janjan method is different and does not overlap with j4nn.
SunJu22 said:
Feel free also to correct me on the assumptions I made at the beginning.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, I didn't point out that I was one of the early 'jumpers' who unlocked their bootloader without any backups, so I have been forced into always using fixes and all the information I have is based on having to fix your phone for it to work, but that's all changed now. I'm so out of date :-/
@camaro322hp is right, if you follow j4nn's method correctly you'll be rooted with no DRM loss. All of the other stuff is not required.
Thank you Digesteve and camaro322hp for your help.
From what I understand the XZ1C didn't get as much love as other devices, thus there was a long period of tinkering before a "do-it-all guide" could be considered "the" solution. That could explain all these different approaches that are proposed. Like you said camaro322hp it's rather difficult to jump on this train, and I can only guess how interesting this ride has been.
Anyway, I didn't see that the TA backup thread from j4nn also encompassed all the information I needed; I am glad to finally know that there is indeed a centralized "do-it-all guide" . To make it easier for XZ1C newcomers, I think j4nn should update his opening post to make this clearer.
Since I managed to grab the attention of 2 XZ1C power users, I would like to ask you: Did you keep stock? Did you try alternative ROMs? Do you like some of them? Do you prefer Oreo or Pie?
For information, the most up-to-date experience I have on a Android phone is my LG90 with CyanogenMod 11 (KitKat 4.4.4! Yes sir!). I heard that it's becoming less and less useful to flash a custom ROM due to major OS improvements, but I would still enjoy the simplest and lightest Android possible.
SunJu22 said:
Did you keep stock? Did you try alternative ROMs?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've always been on stock, the camera is an important part of what I want from my phone and although there's lots of alternative camera apps, there's no competition to the stock camera app. Then I theme it black with swift installer and just uninstall or freeze any apps I don't want with Titanium Backup. I have stuck with Oreo, everything works perfect and I remember seeing so many people jumping to 9 then wanting to go back to 8 because they didn't like it. Something about changing the way the drop down menu works, among other things, but having never installed it, I'm not the person to comment on if it's any good or not.
I have been watching the XZ1c thread and Lineage is gaining ground, it even has a stock camera now. I would have thought something like that with miniGapps is going to be pretty lightweight and very similar to your carbon rom of before. At the moment this is based on 8, but is working well. Depends how keen you are to move to Pie.
Thank you Digesteve.
One thing I still don't understand. Part of the process is to hide unlock status. If I do this, FOTA will be applied and I will automatically end up on Pie, right? Should I skip this step if I want Oreo?
EDIT: when you say "a stock camera", you mean the Sony camera?
@SunJu22 I've stuck with the Sony ROM. A rooted stock ROM meets all my needs, so I've never felt the need to experiment with custom ROMs. There are some custom options out there that people seem fairly happy with, so if that's your thing, I'd encourage it.
Without going into too much detail, I'm still on Oreo for the moment, for a variety of reasons, but I don't know of anything that would keep me from recommending Pie.
One thing you should note is that once you unlock, there is no going back. AFAIK there is no known or working method to relock the bootloader.
SunJu22 said:
FOTA will be applied and I will automatically end up on Pie, right? Should I skip this step if I want Oreo?
EDIT: when you say "a stock camera", you mean the Sony camera?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I'm not entirely sure why having your rooted phone try and update itself is an advantage, but something I'd recomend avoiding.
Stock camera is the Sony camera, yes.
Thank you everyone, I believe I now have enough information to jump into this with confidence. The adventure begins, and will be reported in this thread for future reference, in the hope that it will help others like me!
Well, I am a bit sad... I wanted to report my "adventure" here in detail, but I'm afraid I have nothing to say.
Indeed, following the procedure from j4nn with a printed copy of munted's awesome guide, I managed to do all I wanted on the first attempt.
I don't have anything to add to this guide, everyone wanting to root their XZ1C can do it just by reading the opening post from j4nn and the mentioned guide. It takes a bit of time but nothing complicated thanks to the clear and detailed explanations.
I now have a fully functional rooted XZ1C (including camera) on Pie with Magisk root and TWRP.
Thank you all again from pointing me to the right direction.
I however have a slight disappointment. I wanted to start with Oreo and make an Nandroid backup before moving to Pie, but I didn't find Oreo builds on Xperifirm. So I jumped straight to Pie.
In case I want to test Oreo, I read that a downgrade is more complicated than an upgrade, but apart from the fact that a factory reset is needed for downgrade, I couldn't find an explanation for this. Any idea?
Last but not least: I looked for the latest Oreo build version number but couldn't find it. Do you guys know what it is and where I can download it?
I guess this will be all for this thread after this. Although it is very convenient to have my own thread to ask questions rather than finding the relevant page for each one, I don't want to annoy you too much...
EDIT: Please ignore the last question. I found out last Oreo build is 47.1.A.16.20, and I found the files via the download link in the opening post of the Lineage thread.
SunJu22 said:
In case I want to test Oreo, I read that a downgrade is more complicated than an upgrade, but apart from the fact that a factory reset is needed for downgrade, I couldn't find an explanation for this. Any idea? Lineage thread.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is an easy solution to downgrade:
Newflasher
Hi, I've been thinking about rooting my XZ1c for a long time now. So, do I understand correctly that the ONLY disadvantage compared to non-rooted device is not possible to receive the OTA updates from Sony anymore?
mEREHAIGE said:
Hi, I've been thinking about rooting my XZ1c for a long time now. So, do I understand correctly that the ONLY disadvantage compared to non-rooted device is not possible to receive the OTA updates from Sony anymore?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, you can flash a kernel to hide the bootloader unlock flag, this will mean that you will receive OTA updates, although depending on how you're rooted an update will most likely break your phone, so not that useful.
*made a thread*
Thanks--rooted withOUT adventure too
Very happily rooted now. Just wanted to say a quick thanks and add a few notes:
1. j4nn's renoroot to enable TA key backup and restore is fantastic. My advice: use and donate
2. munted's guide is excellent. clear and thorough...a rare combination.
3. do expect that renoroot may need to be restarted a couple of times. it took me 3 or 4 attempts to get temp root to pull the TA keys, although it took only 1 effort to get root back to restore.
4. topjohnwu's magisk is, of course, a key component to all this. Thx and $s there too.
I did a few things slightly differently/additionally than SunJu22.
5. I am on T-Mobile US, so I opted to create a hybrid Pie FW to get wifi calling and VoLTE. There are a number of discussions on this. I did it by combining the vendor**.sin and system**.sin files from custom-CH FW with the other files from custom-US FW. Of course (a) use IDENTICAL release numbers only, e.g. 47.A.2.10.28 w/ 47.A.2.10.28 and (b) you still need to delete .TA and persist files from the hybrid before you flash it.
Note: I don't really care about these features, but I have *heard* that T-mobile won't allow BYOD on their band-12 sites if they don't have VoLTE. Don't know if it is true (or where it is true) but figured why not?
6. I decided (for now, at least) to leave boot and recovery stock. So, I am using fastboot to run TWRP or a rooted kernel. Thanks again to j4nn for the method.
Note: I don't plan on allowing FOTA upgrades---I just like passing all the security checks and being able to *see* if updates are available.
That's all. Fine work in development and guides has made life simple and happy for me
kirkzp said:
Very happily rooted now. Just wanted to say a quick thanks and add a few notes:
1. j4nn's renoroot to enable TA key backup and restore is fantastic. My advice: use and donate
2. munted's guide is excellent. clear and thorough...a rare combination.
3. do expect that renoroot may need to be restarted a couple of times. it took me 3 or 4 attempts to get temp root to pull the TA keys, although it took only 1 effort to get root back to restore.
4. topjohnwu's magisk is, of course, a key component to all this. Thx and $s there too.
I did a few things slightly differently/additionally than SunJu22.
5. I am on T-Mobile US, so I opted to create a hybrid Pie FW to get wifi calling and VoLTE. There are a number of discussions on this. I did it by combining the vendor**.sin and system**.sin files from custom-CH FW with the other files from custom-US FW. Of course (a) use IDENTICAL release numbers only, e.g. 47.A.2.10.28 w/ 47.A.2.10.28 and (b) you still need to delete .TA and persist files from the hybrid before you flash it.
Note: I don't really care about these features, but I have *heard* that T-mobile won't allow BYOD on their band-12 sites if they don't have VoLTE. Don't know if it is true (or where it is true) but figured why not?
6. I decided (for now, at least) to leave boot and recovery stock. So, I am using fastboot to run TWRP or a rooted kernel. Thanks again to j4nn for the method.
Note: I don't plan on allowing FOTA upgrades---I just like passing all the security checks and being able to *see* if updates are available.
That's all. Fine work in development and guides has made life simple and happy for me
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Now riddle me this cause I'm on Tmo USA as well and I did the hybrid work fine as well but heres the question, does googlepay and banking apps still work with a unlocked bootloader or did you flash a modified kernel to hide the unlocked status.
Sitting on the fence about unlocking mine so I can do a full nandroid before trying out some gsi pie roms infact this is the first phone I haven't unlocked or least put twrp on since my samsung sidekick 4g o.o
kernel with hide-unlock
T_Tank said:
Now riddle me this cause I'm on Tmo USA as well and I did the hybrid work fine as well but heres the question, does googlepay and banking apps still work with a unlocked bootloader or did you flash a modified kernel to hide the unlocked status.
Sitting on the fence about unlocking mine so I can do a full nandroid before trying out some gsi pie roms infact this is the first phone I haven't unlocked or least put twrp on since my samsung sidekick 4g o.o
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Full disclosure: I don't use Google pay or too many banking apps, so YMMV. But, I am using j4nn's kernel with unlock hidden. (See link in my note 6.) You can flash this, or you can leave in your stock kernel and merely fastboot to this. From what I have seen, it hides most - if not all -- indicators that the phone is rooted and the BL in unlocked.
Does somebody has :
G8441_1310-7123_47.1.A.16.20-R7B_Customized_CE1.ftf ?
Only backup i did not make, and its gone from XperiFirm.
Still have the feeling battery life was better in Oreo, and would be nice for experimenting.
Would be nice.
Thanks in advance.
Totally stock pixel 5. Tried to sideload 12, and due to crappy instructions on XDA, that failed to mention the need to do the OEM unlock step, I ended up with a ADB sideload flash that failed at 94% and resulted in a empty A partition and a phone that failed to boot, so it switched to the backup system partition.
I'm now booted on the B partition (Android 11).
How can I fix my phone, so it's got 2 good system partitions?
Enable OEM unlocking, unlock bootloader, then use the Android Flash Tool to flash 12 Beta 5. Wiping /data shouldn't be necessary; however, if this fails and you have to force flash all partitions, a /data wipe will be required.
I highly recommend you keep the bootloader unlocked while using beta firmware, because it makes it a LOT easier to downgrade back to production firmware.
If you intend to root, don't forget to disable dm-verity and vbmeta-verification.
Detailed instructions on using the Android Flash Tool
Tip: When you get to the step of selecting which build to flash to your device, click the pencil icon to change options. Make sure you leave Relock Bootloader unchecked,
V0latyle said:
Wiping /data shouldn't be necessary
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But unlocking the bootloader will wipe the phone.....
EDIT: I'm assuming there is a wipe data option with Android Flash Tool?
I don't know. I've never used it
xunholyx said:
But unlocking the bootloader will wipe the phone.....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Correct, but it's still necessary to install the beta (and downgrade)
xunholyx said:
EDIT: I'm assuming there is a wipe data option with Android Flash Tool?
I don't know. I've never used it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is indeed. It's actually quite comprehensive.
I don't want to unlock the bootloader. I just want to get a system partition back, I do t want root or any modifications,
Chr1stOnABike said:
I don't want to unlock the bootloader. I just want to get a system partition back, I do t want root or any modifications,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In that case, I believe the only option for you is to attempt to sideload the OTA via recovery.
Download the beta OTA here
Follow the instructions to apply the OTA here
If this does not work, you can try using the Android Flash Tool after enabling Developer Options and USB Debugging. You can choose not to wipe your device in the tool options. No guarantee this will work. Requires unlocked bootloader
I will say this: Running beta software on a locked bootloader is not only highly inadvisable, it's foolhardy. Beta software is EXPERIMENTAL, you use it AT YOUR OWN RISK, meaning it is YOUR responsibility to fix it if something goes wrong. Keeping your bootloader unlocked means your ability to fix it is limited, if not impossible.
V0latyle said:
In that case, I believe the only option for you is to attempt to sideload the OTA via recovery.
Download the beta OTA here
Follow the instructions to apply the OTA here
If this does not work, you can try using the Android Flash Tool after enabling Developer Options and USB Debugging. You can choose not to wipe your device in the tool options. No guarantee this will work.
I will say this: Running beta software on a locked bootloader is not only highly inadvisable, it's foolhardy. Beta software is EXPERIMENTAL, you use it AT YOUR OWN RISK, meaning it is YOUR responsibility to fix it if something goes wrong. Keeping your bootloader unlocked means your ability to fix it is limited, if not impossible.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Flash tool doesn't work, as it expects to go i to recovery, and it doesn't it comes up with the no system error.
So when android 12 releases in a couple of weeks, will it just flash it to the other partition, to retain 11? In other words,will this fix itself in the fullness of time.
Also, who is going to fix the crappy XDA blog post that was poorly checked that caused this mess. I can't be the only one (I know the flawed instructions have been copied by the usual churnalists 9to5google Android authority, Android police)
Chr1stOnABike said:
Flash tool doesn't work, as it expects to go i to recovery, and it doesn't it comes up with the no system error.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah. Well, you can fix this, but it will require unlocking the bootloader.
You can always relock it after you're done.
Chr1stOnABike said:
So when android 12 releases in a couple of weeks, will it just flash it to the other partition, to retain 11? In other words,will this fix itself in the fullness of time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't know. Given that you can't boot into recovery, you can't sideload the OTA to test this theory. I personally doubt it. You can either wait and see, or you can just bite the bullet and fix the issue.
Chr1stOnABike said:
Also, who is going to fix the crappy XDA blog post that was poorly checked that caused this mess. I can't be the only one (I know the flawed instructions have been copied by the usual churnalists 9to5google Android authority, Android police)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Link to the post? You may not be the only one, but the majority of folks (including myself, I was in the Marine Corps for 9 years so you can guess my mental acuity) have been able to use the instructions to our success.
Isn't unlocking and relocking bootloader detectable in soft fuses and an instant warranty void?
How to install Android 12 and 12L on Google Pixel and other Android devices
Google has just released Android 12L beta for the Pixel lineup. Here is how you can install Android 12 (or 12L) on your smartphone!
www.xda-developers.com
Someone in the comments also broke their phone by following the untested Instructions.
Chr1stOnABike said:
Isn't unlocking and relocking bootloader detectable in soft fuses and an instant warranty void?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not sure. But that raises a question for you: Why are you running beta firmware if you're worried about the warranty?
Chr1stOnABike said:
How to install Android 12 and 12L on Google Pixel and other Android devices
Google has just released Android 12L beta for the Pixel lineup. Here is how you can install Android 12 (or 12L) on your smartphone!
www.xda-developers.com
Someone in the comments also broke their phone by following the untested Instructions.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have updated my phone using both of these methods and can personally confirm the instructions are correct. The only difference I would point out is that I'm comfortable enough using adb and fastboot commands that I manually type them and don't use the batch file.
It is your responsibility to understand the instructions and follow them. You flash and modify your device at your own risk. If you do not fully understand the instructions, it is also your responsibility to either find the details you need, or ask for help.
This may seem rather condescending or apathetic, but the situation is this:
- You tried to run experimental beta firmware on your device despite your concerns for the warranty
- You did not ask questions before doing so, and if you did read any of the multiple threads on this issue, you would have been acutely aware of the recommendation to unlock your bootloader before you proceed
- You are now left with few options to fix your device because you decided to ignore experienced advice and do things your own way
As I stated previously, the responsibility for fixing things is yours and yours alone. If you were that concerned with your warranty, you should have kept your phone completely stock and avoided installing the beta.
I have one last recommendation for you:
Disenroll from the beta program and wait for the OTA to take you back to A11 public release. A data wipe will be required.
You have been told in detail what you can do to fix your device. What you do now is completely up to you.
V0latyle said:
I'm not sure. But that raises a question for you: Why are you running beta firmware if you're worried about the warranty?
I have updated my phone using both of these methods and can personally confirm the instructions are correct. .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The instructions only work if you have previously done the unmentioned OEM unlock step, which you must have done.
The fact you don't understand this, it limits your credibility. Just because something worked for you, doesn't make it correct.
It also sounds like you don't understand the difference between OEM unlock and a bootloader unlock.
Chr1stOnABike said:
The instructions only work if you have previously done the unmentioned OEM unlock step, which you must have done.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes - I unlocked and rooted my phone the day I got it, and I bought it full price direct from Google. Your point?
Chr1stOnABike said:
The fact you don't understand this, it limits your credibility. Just because something worked for you, doesn't make it correct.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, it's always worked for me. I've been trying to work with you here and give you options that do not require OEM Unlock or unlocking the bootloader. The reason I thought the Android Flash Tool might work is because it's literally a tool provided by Google, and though it uses ADB, I figured they might have some sort of security to allow recovery of locked phones.
What exactly is it you don't think I understand? As I've pointed out, you decided to install beta software on your device despite your concerns for warranty. As I ALSO pointed out, if warranty was that much of a concern for you, you should have stayed on stock public release firmware and not messed with anything at all.
I will admit that the guide you linked does not mention needing an unlocked bootloader. I think it's generally been assumed among us in the community that modifying your device requires an unlocked bootloader. I will talk to the mods and see if we can get a note added to the post. However, you seemed to miss the big warning that advises against using the beta on your daily driver.
Chr1stOnABike said:
It also sounds like you don't understand the difference between OEM unlock and a bootloader unlock.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Again, how so? If you're going to call me ignorant, you had better explain how.
OEM Unlock simply sets a flag: "unlock-ability" to 1. It's an on/off switch that corresponds to the 1 or 0 set for the "unlock-ability" flag. It has no other function.
When someone attempts to unlock the bootloader, the device checks that flag. If it's 0, the bootloader cannot be unlocked. If it's 1, it can.
Unlocking the bootloader disables security features that prevent you from flashing partitions on your phone, or booting images sent via ADB. The reason why this is important when running custom or experimental firmware is because it allows the user to reflash corrupted partitions (like in your case). It allows a lot more freedom over what you can do with your phone.
I've been doing this for years - more than 10 years in fact. I would be careful about making accusations like "you don't understand the difference" or "you don't know what you're talking about'" to someone who is trying to help you. I understand you're frustrated, but you're going to have to swallow your pride here and admit, at least to yourself, that you screwed up. It seems pretty clear to me that you either did not fully understand the risk of trying to modify your device with a locked bootloader (yes, installing the beta counts as a modification), or you ignored the risk and tried to do it anyway. Yet you come here and impugn my credibility? As they say, "check yourself before you wreck yourself". You screwed up and got yourself into this mess. You alone are to blame. No one has to help you, and believe me, I've been quite tempted to tell you to pound sand. The least you can do is show a little gratitude for someone who's trying to help, and respect for experience and knowledge far beyond your own.
I have one more option for you: Rescue mode.
Reboot your phone into bootloader (hold power + volume down, release power but keep holding volume down when screen turns off)
Use volume buttons to select rescue mode on the right side, then press power to select
Google Pixel Repair Tool
This probably won't work because the repair tool only works if the firmware on your phone is older or equivalent to the firmware the repair tool has.
Chr1stOnABike said:
The instructions only work if you have previously done the unmentioned OEM unlock step, which you must have done.
The fact you don't understand this, it limits your credibility. Just because something worked for you, doesn't make it correct.
It also sounds like you don't understand the difference between OEM unlock and a bootloader unlock.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I haven't had time to read much of this thread yet, but why insult the one person I see who's trying to help you?
I've seen this before and other users who may know what to do, usually just walk away as they don't want to help someone who may just insult them or are clearly unappreciative of the help given.
Everyone let's all keep it civilized.
If you have issue with a post, please hit report button and walk away.
Positive vibes, all.
--andybones
@Chr1stOnABike I am indeed trying to help you, as I understand your situation is frustrating. I also understand that it may be frustrating to be told to do what you didn't want to do in the first place, but the reason why I'm telling you to do it is because it'll be of the most help to you.
Losing your data sucks. I get it. But fortunately the Pixel 5 is great about backing everything up to your Google account. Just make sure your photos are backed up and you'll be fine. Setting it back up after a wipe is a pain in the ass, but again, I'm recommending the bootloader unlock because I believe it's your best chance at recovery.
As far as that goes, I'm still trying to be flexible and provide you with different options. Be aware that if these other options don't work, you have no other choice. I'm not saying that to be rude, that's just the reality of it.
And lastly, I would very much appreciate you making the distinction between thinking I'm wrong because you have evidence to the contrary, vs thinking I'm wrong simply because you don't like my recommendations. If you sincerely believe I'm incorrect and can demonstrate how, please feel free to do so.
My only objective here is to help people the best I can with the knowledge and experience I have.
For those who ever get stuck like I did. When I got stuck in a bootloop, I realized I could 'fastboot boot twrp.img' and was able to save my internal storage from being lost by backing up to PC with TWRP, then move it back onto internal after the factory reset. Did I lost app data in these cases, yes. But that's my own fault for not regularly backup app data up with something like Swift or AppDash.
@Chr1stOnABike just checking in to see if you were able to get your problem resolved?