OTAs Keep Breaking - Moto X4 Questions & Answers

I've been trying like Hell to get OTA updates working on this phone. I finally found that downloading the earliest Oreo release from https://androidfilehost.com/?w=files&flid=229118 will get OTA updates finally working. Other ROMs I've downloaded won't give the the option to update or will continuously be unsuccessful. I'm not sure why these ROMs are different. I managed to get OTAs installed up to April, but I simply booted(not flashed) twrp and OTAs refused to install after that. So not only does unrooting or re-flashing the boot.img not fix OTAs, simply booting into a custom recovery will break them. Is this because the recovery and boot partitions are combined on this phone? Is their anyway to root and/or install a custom recovery on this phone without losing OTAs forever?

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[Q] Unlocked bootloader and rooted, future OTA updates?

I bought the T-Mobile version (on AT&T) and received it yesterday, based on the numerous threads that seemed to be the best option for me. I've been unlocking, rooting, and flashing the previous 3 Android phones and have yet to brick or "damage" any of them (knock on wood). Not too worried about voiding warranty since unfortunately they sold out of DE early on.
Originally, all I wanted to do was root. Though, I should have read more carefully before accepting the 4.4 OTA, chalk it up to "new phone" excitement. Seems like you needed to remain on 4.2.2. to root and THEN updating to 4.4. Decided to go ahead and unlock the bootloader and rooting the "traditional" method. Worked fine. Unlocked bootloader, flashed TWRP, and installed SuperSU. Profit. Thanks to the all the helpful people here.
I plan to stay on stock with the Moto X...for the first time ever with an Android device. Will I be able to accept future OTA updates? From what I've interpreted, I can't because I no longer have stock recovery, is that correct? If that is the case, what would I have to do to "keep up" with future official OTA updates?
Despite unlocking, rooting, and flashing previous phones - I've realized that this is far more complicated than I thought for a layman like myself.
It is still possible, and should remain so, that you can flash OTAs using CWM or TWRP recovery while rooted if you have not made any changes to system apps. I just updated my rooted, stock rom & kernel N7 with TWRP recovery to Kitkat 4.2.2. After updating successfully, I just restored TWRP with a fastboot flash of the twrp recovery image and used TWRP to flash SuperSU 1.8. to restore root. It all worked perfectly, but I had to unfreeze a couple of apps and uninstall the AOSP root browser app. After updating, I reinstalled the AOSP browser and all is well.
Groid said:
It is still possible, and should remain so, that you can flash OTAs using CWM or TWRP recovery while rooted if you have not made any changes to system apps. I just updated my rooted, stock rom & kernel N7 with TWRP recovery to Kitkat 4.2.2. After updating successfully, I just restored TWRP with a fastboot flash of the twrp recovery image and used TWRP to flash SuperSU 1.8. to restore root. It all worked perfectly, but I had to unfreeze a couple of apps and uninstall the AOSP root browser app. After updating, I reinstalled the AOSP browser and all is well.
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someone will have to provide the OTA zip file for us to flash throu twrp right? we wont be able to install the OTA right on the phone like normally.
claudiuslu2011 said:
someone will have to provide the OTA zip file for us to flash throu twrp right? we wont be able to install the OTA right on the phone like normally.
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You can't flash the ota with twrp recovery, it will bootloop, other have tried it and always goes south, unlike the previous person who had a nexus 7 , the moto x is a different beast. We do have access to the firmware which you can flash with rsdlite but it wipes the phone, wipes recovery and puts the phone back to original specs
Sent on my Moto X

[Q] Android L with custom recovery.

So, i have a motox (xt1058) with stock rom and twrp recovery. If i receive the lolipop via OTA, can i install it? or do i have to flash the original firmware?
Thanks in advance
You will have to flash stock recovery. Uninstall any xposed modules and unfreeze/restore any system apps.
PedroAlba said:
So, i have a motox (xt1058) with stock rom and twrp recovery. If i receive the lolipop via OTA, can i install it? or do i have to flash the original firmware?
Thanks in advance
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Click to collapse
This is asked every time an new OTA comes out, and we get many threads started covering it.
To date...
For the Motorola X 2013, the OTA's are incremental updates. You must be on a specific previous ROM, and "step up." To put it another way... to take the 4.4.2 OTA, your phone needs to be on 4.4. To take the 4.4 OTA, your phone needs to be on the 4.2.2 w/camera fix version. To take the 4.2.2 w/camera fix OTA, your phone needs to be on the initial shipping ROM version.
None of the OTA's will install if you have TWRP recovery on your phone. Instead you get stuck in a bootloop. (mfastboot erase cache will get you out of the bootloop). You need to have stock recovery on your phone. NOTE: I don't recall what happens when using Philz or CWM as recovery.
Each OTA so far has included a "Pre-Install Verification Check", a manifest of files and their checksum/hashes which the update compares against your phone. If expected files are missing, or the wrong hash, the OTA will fail to install. - So any removed or modified "bloat", system files, etc. need to be in place. Any apps like Xposed which change /system need to be disabled/removed. In some cases Freezing apps using Titanium Backup cause the OTA to fail, and the apps need to be unfrozen. However, some have not had to unfreeze. Using the phone's app manager to disable an app (Settings -> Apps -> open app listing -> DISABLE) does not have to be undone.
If you have version mismatch between GPT.BIN or Motoboot.img and the ROM on your phone, taking an OTA WILL brick the phone. - Grab the FULL SBF for the Stock Moto ROM which matches the bootloader version on your phone, or a newer SBF (i.e. if you have the bootloader version that corresponds to 4.4.2, grab the 4.4.2 SBF or 4.4.4 SBF), and flash it via mfastboot. You may need some extra steps to flash GPT.BIN and Motoboot.img.
If you've used hacks to root/disable write protection because you have a locked bootloader, you may lose root, and wont be able to re-root until a new exploit is found. Those hacks might also get in the way of the OTA's pre-install validation checks.
If you have unlocked your bootloader via mfastboot oem unlock UNIQUECODE or Sunshine, the bootloader will not re-lock.
There have been some posts (twitter and G+) about how Lollipop poses new security features which are a challenge to rooting, even with an unlocked bootloader. Since I don't know the technical ins and outs, all I can say is.. Even with an unlocked bootloader, I wont jump on Lollipop as soon as its available, until I know if I can still root my X.
(I have a little bit more detail posted here -> http://mark.cdmaforums.com/MotoX-OTA.html)
lowvolt1 said:
You will have to flash stock recovery. Uninstall any xposed modules and unfreeze/restore any system apps.
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For what it's worth, you don't need to uninstall the modules. Just use the Xposed Disabler zip in your SD card, then install the framework again once you've flashed /system and taken the update.
When I did updated to 4.4.4 I disabled the modules in the Xposed UI (not sure if that was necessary or not), but did not actually uninstall any of the APKs for the modules. When I reinstalled Xposed after updating, all I just turned all my modules back on and rebooted.
Call me paranoid, but whenever there is an update, I always flash back to 100% stock and then do the OTA update. Then, I'll re-root using philz recovery and restore my desktop with a backup of Nova. I'm always worried that taking an OTA update with and previous tinkering will lead to a gummed up phone.
That is just me, though.
mtpease said:
Call me paranoid, but whenever there is an update, I always flash back to 100% stock and then do the OTA update. Then, I'll re-root using philz recovery and restore my desktop with a backup of Nova. I'm always worried that taking an OTA update with and previous tinkering will lead to a gummed up phone.
That is just me, though.
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Click to collapse
Not really a bad practice either way, if you clear stuff out now and again. If you try to take an OTA with a modified /system partition, it usually just fails during the hash checks and never installs/modifies anything.
You started your thread title with a [q].... Perhaps the Q&A section would be the section to ask your question? ?

Does this update conflict / do I require this update?

Good day all,
got a new OTA rolled in for my Droid Turbo, though I already have a clean flash from MM on this device.
The following update rolled in which failed to install per TWRP recovery (ERROR 7)
What exactly is this update?
Has to be installed with stock MM recovery, OR flash the full stock firmware, twrp version, in twrp (3020) worked for me. Don't forget to wipe caches, data unnecessary.
Einsteindks said:
Has to be installed with stock MM recovery, OR flash the full stock firmware, twrp version, in twrp (3020) worked for me. Don't forget to wipe caches, data unnecessary.
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But I do not want to re-flash my firmware. Especially since this update is only 20+ mb it is not large enough for me to re-clean everything and restart it all. Stock recovery is the only solution?
Stock recovery only for tbe OTA. The OTA will likely fail if the ROM isn't pure stock. Flash the twrp version and wipe, and you'll only need to reload any ROM extras. Root with the beta SU after a simmered restart. It seems to like a settled ROM better. Update SU via PlayStore at restart.
M_w_B said:
But I do not want to re-flash my firmware. Especially since this update is only 20+ mb it is not large enough for me to re-clean everything and restart it all. Stock recovery is the only solution?
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If by re-clean you mean re-delete system apps that you don't want, that will be inevitable. The OTA will not install unless system is 100% stock, and the TWRP package will reflash everything to 100% stock. So either way, if you want this update, you'll be re-deleting some system apps.
However, if you're worried about losing userdata, don't. Neither the OTA nor the TWRP package will touch that.
As for your original question of "what is the update," it's just a security patch. It updates the android security patch level to January 2017, and it makes it so phones with locked bootloaders cannot be unlocked (but it will not re-lock and already unlocked bootloader).
TheSt33v said:
If by re-clean you mean re-delete system apps that you don't want, that will be inevitable. The OTA will not install unless system is 100% stock, and the TWRP package will reflash everything to 100% stock. So either way, if you want this update, you'll be re-deleting some system apps.
However, if you're worried about losing userdata, don't. Neither the OTA nor the TWRP package will touch that.
As for your original question of "what is the update," it's just a security patch. It updates the android security patch level to January 2017, and it makes it so phones with locked bootloaders cannot be unlocked (but it will not re-lock and already unlocked bootloader).
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Thank you for the info on the update. I will not do the effort for a patch like that.

How to un-root 3t?

I am on 4.1.6 and wanted to un-root my phone so I can get the OTA updates. My recovery is TWRP 3.1.1-x blu_spark v37. Can someone please link me to a thread that can help me out.
There is already a guide to unroot and revert oneplus 3t to stock by the_rooter. Go through.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/oneplus-3t/how-to/guide-return-youre-op3t-to-stock-lock-t3569383
You could use Osm0sis unSU from here https://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2239421&p=40409356
navpal93 said:
I am on 4.1.6 and wanted to un-root my phone so I can get the OTA updates. My recovery is TWRP 3.1.1-x blu_spark v37. Can someone please link me to a thread that can help me out.
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If you like being rooted (and want to stay that way) you don't need to jump through the hoops of returning to stock, or hiding root.
You can simply download the "full" update zip (not the OTA patch, you're looking for the zip that is >1 GB). Then flash in TWRP. Immediately root by your method of choice (SuperSU or Magisk) before rebooting. Which will not only give you root, but doing this before rebooting (after flashing the update) will prevent TWRP from being overwritten with stock recovery.
Super easy. You can do this any time there is an update. And probably get it here on XDA before you would ever get the update notification. The only added hitch is that you will need to update to a Oreo-compatible version TWRP (if the intent is to update to Oreo). Either TWRP 3.1.1-x blu_spark v8.54 (or later) or "official" TWRP 3.2. You are currently on blu_spark, which anyway is more device specific, and recommended.
You can download the full update OOS 5.0, and more details on how to flash, from here: https://forum.xda-developers.com/oneplus-3t/how-to/rom-oxygenos-3-5-4-mm-ota-update-t3519074
Even if rooted, you should still get the update notifications. It will automatically download the full update (instead of the patch) since you are rooted/TWRP. The only difference, is if you do it that way, it will reboot right after installing the update. You won't have a chance to root, and therefore TWRP will be overwritten with stock recovery. Not a big deal, as you can just fastboot flash TWRP again. But downloading the update and flashing "manually" as posted up above, just saves some steps (in cases other than going to Oreo - since you need to update TWRP in this case).
---------- Post added at 11:12 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:01 AM ----------
ersandeepkr said:
There is already a guide to unroot and revert oneplus 3t to stock by the_rooter. Go through.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/oneplus-3t/how-to/guide-return-youre-op3t-to-stock-lock-t3569383
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Only need to return to "full stock" in order to lock the bootloader. And the only reason to lock the bootloader, is if the user is selling the device, or just doesn't want an unlocked bootloader (or TWRP, root, etc.) anymore.
As I outlined above,: root, custom recovery, and unlocked bootloader are all okay (updates will still install) with some minor caveats.
redpoint73 said:
If you like being rooted (and want to stay that way) you don't need to jump through the hoops of returning to stock, or hiding root.
You can simply download the "full" update zip (not the OTA patch, you're looking for the zip that is >1 GB). Then flash in TWRP. Immediately root by your method of choice (SuperSU or Magisk) before rebooting. Which will not only give you root, but doing this before rebooting (after flashing the update) will prevent TWRP from being overwritten with stock recovery.
Super easy. You can do this any time there is an update. And probably get it here on XDA before you would ever get the update notification. The only added hitch is that you will need to update to a Oreo-compatible version TWRP (if the intent is to update to Oreo). Either TWRP 3.1.1-x blu_spark v8.54 (or later) or "official" TWRP 3.2. You are currently on blu_spark, which anyway is more device specific, and recommended.
You can download the full update OOS 5.0, and more details on how to flash, from here: https://forum.xda-developers.com/oneplus-3t/how-to/rom-oxygenos-3-5-4-mm-ota-update-t3519074
Even if rooted, you should still get the update notifications. It will automatically download the full update (instead of the patch) since you are rooted/TWRP. The only difference, is if you do it that way, it will reboot right after installing the update. You won't have a chance to root, and therefore TWRP will be overwritten with stock recovery. Not a big deal, as you can just fastboot flash TWRP again. But downloading the update and flashing "manually" as posted up above, just saves some steps (in cases other than going to Oreo - since you need to update TWRP in this case).
---------- Post added at 11:12 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:01 AM ----------
Only need to return to "full stock" in order to lock the bootloader. And the only reason to lock the bootloader, is if the user is selling the device, or just doesn't want an unlocked bootloader (or TWRP, root, etc.) anymore.
As I outlined above,: root, custom recovery, and unlocked bootloader are all okay (updates will still install) with some minor caveats.
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is this still possible to go from 7.1.1 to 9.0? read somewere it is not possible? other methods:
[GUIDE][MODDED FIRMWARE][9.0.6][OP3/T]The least annoying 9.0.x firmware​
but i am on 7.1.1, will this work with the above mentioned guide?
or should i unroot my phone again? but what oxygen version do i flash? 4.0 as mentioned above? will my data and apps be gone? i don't want to revert the phone completely to stock a it was new. Just want the lastest official oxygen version because my android auto won't work anymore.
can't find this on the forum
thanks!

Would updating OTA make rooting harder?

Got a 781u1 ...would updating ota make rooting potentially harder if a rom were to come out?
how about if I gain root THEN update? would it undo root?
first thing is to check is whether you can unlock your bootloader, up until now the subject of rooting is moot if you can't, unless you get it unlocked as a paid service.
I'm not sure if updates will come while rooted, they won't if you flash TWRP. assuming they did come the boot.img most likely would be flashed on a major update breaking root.
you'd just have to extract and patch the boot.img again from a downloaded copy of the update and then flash that via Odin.

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