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My Nexus 6 has finally shipped! It should be here Friday!
This is my first Nexus and I have never rooted, unlocked, flashed, etc. any of my previous phones.
I have been doing a lot of research and have been considering running CM12.
My question is, should I run my Nexus 6 with stock android for a few weeks and then try CM12? Or should I just root, unlock, and flash CM12 as soon as I get it?
I know that if I wait then I will need to back up all my data because it will factory data reset but I am not worried about that... I understand it is easier to do it right out of the box because you don't have to worry about loosing anything but I can just back my info/apps up so that isn't a big deal.
Also, would you guys suggest something over CM12? Right now I am planning on using CM12 and just getting it setup how I like it then leaving it. I don't plan on always flashing and making changes but I might get sucked into it lol
Thanks everyone!
Has CM moved to 5. 1 yet?
What version android came your phone?
Depending on those two answers you have to ask yourself if you want to downgrade your phone. At least version wise
Sent from my Google N6 on VZ
DebianDog said:
Has CM moved to 5. 1 yet?
What version android came your phone?
Depending on those two answers you have to ask yourself if you want to downgrade your phone. At least version wise
Sent from my Google N6 on VZ
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good point! I don't know if CM is on 5.1 yet. I just assumed it was but I will look into it. This is all new to me so thanks for pointing that out, didn't even think about that!
I won't know what version is on the phone until Friday. But even if it is on 5.0 I am sure it will notify me that 5.1 is ready to download as soon as I boot up the phone.
On my other phones I usually got rid of the stock and was on a custom ROM a pretty quick. I have tried a few ROMs on this phone as well. in my experience if you want to be on 5 .1 currently the best way to go is stock with debloating . Or use one of the clean/vanilla ROMs. Of course I did not test them all there are so many out there. Good luck with your new toy.
I will try CM after its been out a few weeks on 5 .1
Sent from my Google N6 on VZ
I'd recommend updating to 5.1 if it doesn't ship with 5.1. Then, I'd run stock for at least a few days to get a baseline for comparison. I think this is useful especially for bugs. That way you can get an idea of the issues that exist in stock 5.1 before using a custom ROM.
DebianDog said:
On my other phones I usually got rid of the stock and was on a custom ROM a pretty quick. I have tried a few ROMs on this phone as well. in my experience if you want to be on 5 .1 currently the best way to go is stock with debloating . Or use one of the clean/vanilla ROMs. Of course I did not test them all there are so many out there. Good luck with your new toy.
I will try CM after its been out a few weeks on 5 .1
Sent from my Google N6 on VZ
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Okay, thanks for the info!
Since I ordered my phone directly from Google, do I need to debloat? Or is that just for carrier versions?
mlin said:
I'd recommend updating to 5.1 if it doesn't ship with 5.1. Then, I'd run stock for at least a few days to get a baseline for comparison. I think this is useful especially for bugs. That way you can get an idea of the issues that exist in stock 5.1 before using a custom ROM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Another great point! I knew you guys were the people to ask! lol
What about rooting and unlocking? Would you suggest waiting on that as well? Is there really any reason to unlock and root if I won't be running CM? I was going to root so that I could decrypte but it sounds like the lag from encryption is fixed in 5.1.
Well I would guess you WILL want to unlock and root because who does want to be able to run a root level ad blocker? Who wants to wait on OTA for an update? Not me.
I got mine from Google, as well, and heres what I did:
Played with the phone in stock form for like an hour saw it was still on 5.01 even after updating
Decided this is not for me. I wanted my root apps and I wanted to copy all the stuff off my old phone with Titanium backup to the Nexus
Looked on the interwebs for the easiest way to get root
Found a tool from my old buddy WugFresh (I knew him in the Droid X days)
Prepared myself for a giant PITA night. Download, drivers, and programs, reading various sites, etc, etc, etc
Was freaking SHOCKED that the tool did ALL THIS for me. I mean I literally plugged in my phone and it collected and set up everything. (It also has a console if you feel the need to type in adb commands)
Was unlocked, upgraded, rooted with a custom recovery with all my apps copied over in less than an hour
Sent Wuggy some $$$ and a thank-you note
You only need to decrypt, IMO, if you are running high end games that demand that level of performance. I have not seen any lag myself. Again this is my own personal experience. Your results may vary. 5.1 has optimized out many of the issues I heard about in 5.01 or so I have been told.
CFrance said:
Another great point! I knew you guys were the people to ask! lol
What about rooting and unlocking? Would you suggest waiting on that as well? Is there really any reason to unlock and root if I won't be running CM? I was going to root so that I could decrypte but it sounds like the lag from encryption is fixed in 5.1.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I unlocked and rooted right away, mainly for the ability to use Titanium Backup to setup my phone and in the event that I installed a custom ROM. Outside of TB, I haven't really needed or used root, but it sure is nice to have. I played with a few custom ROMs before 5.1 came out but mostly felt that I preferred the stock experience. I downloaded the MCR modpack found here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=58019266&postcount=1 but have yet to install it. If/when I do, root will become more of a requirement for my uses.
I came from a Verizon Note 4 which could not be rooted. I got used to not playing with my phone and just using the stock experience. Its nice that the stock experience on the N6 is so fantastic and stable. It makes it easy to just use the phone without worry of fixing, modding, and adding features, though I still enjoy those aspects too which is why I'll likely use MultiROM next time I decide to install something custom.
Dude are you somehow tied up with this Tool Kit? You`re promoting it on so many threads i`am starting to get the impression you`re not quite objective about it There is no harm in using toolkits by xperienced users and i`am sure its well build, but for newbies its very dangerous because they`re lost if something should go wrong.
gee2012 said:
Dude are you somehow tied up with this Tool Kit? You`re promoting it on so many threads i`am starting to get the impression you`re not quite objective about it There is no harm in using toolkits by xperienced users and i`am sure its well build, but for newbies its very dangerous because they`re lost if something should go wrong.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Which is exactly why I'm promoting it it is almost bulletproof. what's the alternative loading all the different tools and drivers they need and following some instructions found on the internet.
And as I explained in my post you can just download the tool to make sure you have all the drivers and connections. use it to get the proper files you need and then run the command line like a power user if you want to feel better about yourself.
Sent from my Google N6 on VZ
DebianDog said:
Which is exactly why I'm promoting it it is almost bulletproof. what's the alternative loading all the different tools and drivers they need and following some instructions found on the internet.
And as I explained in my post you can just download the tool to make sure you have all the drivers and connections. use it to get the proper files you need and then run the command line like a power user if you want to feel better about yourself.
Sent from my Google N6 on VZ
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I will never use/promote a Toolkit even if it seems very good for the reason i posted earlier. Flashing manualy in fastboot doesn`t take more time and makes users more aware about their phone and knowledge of it and gives you control over whats happening Just my 2 cents.
My two cents. I don't think you've dealt with enough newbies. on another forum it was me and a group of others that would help people get their phones out of boot loops and soft bricks. I have literally helped hundreds of people get their phone back.
even if you look here on XDA you'll see people trying to flash the wrong files download files that are not even for their phone, are following a dated instruction or don't really understand how directories work.
Sent from my Google N6 on VZ
DebianDog said:
Well I would guess you WILL want to unlock and root because who does want to be able to run a root level ad blocker? Who wants to wait on OTA for an update? Not me.
I got mine from Google, as well, and heres what I did:
Played with the phone in stock form for like an hour saw it was still on 5.01 even after updating
Decided this is not for me. I wanted my root apps and I wanted to copy all the stuff off my old phone with Titanium backup to the Nexus
Looked on the interwebs for the easiest way to get root
Found a tool from my old buddy WugFresh (I knew him in the Droid X days)
Prepared myself for a giant PITA night. Download, drivers, and programs, reading various sites, etc, etc, etc
Was freaking SHOCKED that the tool did ALL THIS for me. I mean I literally plugged in my phone and it collected and set up everything. (It also has a console if you feel the need to type in adb commands)
Was unlocked, upgraded, rooted with a custom recovery with all my apps copied over in less than an hour
Sent Wuggy some $$$ and a thank-you note
You only need to decrypt, IMO, if you are running high end games that demand that level of performance. I have not seen any lag myself. Again this is my own personal experience. Your results may vary. 5.1 has optimized out many of the issues I heard about in 5.01 or so I have been told.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the info! I actually had just downloaded this program over the weekend and was planning on using it once I do decide to root... which I am thinking will be as soon as I get the phone. lol other than that I think I am going to run it on stock for a while at first and wait until CM is on 5.1 for a while....
mlin said:
I unlocked and rooted right away, mainly for the ability to use Titanium Backup to setup my phone and in the event that I installed a custom ROM. Outside of TB, I haven't really needed or used root, but it sure is nice to have. I played with a few custom ROMs before 5.1 came out but mostly felt that I preferred the stock experience. I downloaded the MCR modpack found here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=58019266&postcount=1 but have yet to install it. If/when I do, root will become more of a requirement for my uses.
I came from a Verizon Note 4 which could not be rooted. I got used to not playing with my phone and just using the stock experience. Its nice that the stock experience on the N6 is so fantastic and stable. It makes it easy to just use the phone without worry of fixing, modding, and adding features, though I still enjoy those aspects too which is why I'll likely use MultiROM next time I decide to install something custom.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks! I am planning on rooting and unlocking right away for TB and maybe a couple other little things like lightflow just for fun. Being the nerd that I am, I have a feeling that once I start playing with the whole rooting, unlocking, and flashing stuff I am going to really enjoy it.
gee2012 said:
I will never use/promote a Toolkit even if it seems very good for the reason i posted earlier. Flashing manualy in fastboot doesn`t take more time and makes users more aware about their phone and knowledge of it and gives you control over whats happening Just my 2 cents.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the reply! I see what you are saying, I had already come across Wug's toolkit over the weekend and was planning on using that because it seemed so simple.
However, seeing how I still have two and a half days until my phone will be here, maybe I will look into the manual way a little more to decide which route I want to go.... Any suggestions on where to start? Threads, videos, etc?
Thanks!
Boot into download mode, Unlock bootloader, reboot, boot back into download mode, fastboot twrp recovery, boot into recovery, reboot via recovery and install su when prompted. When you boot into android you will be prompted to update su. You now are rooted. Only other thing I would think about when you first get your device is if you want forced encryption. You will be required to wipe SD data if you decide to go with non forced encryption.
I loved cm on my previous touchwiz devices because I like stock/asop style. I find cm has bugs in early os update releases. I would only install cm if i took advantage of themes which I don't.
CFrance said:
Any suggestions on where to start? Threads, videos, etc?
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can waste a lot of time while you're waiting for your phone in this thread http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2992769
ROM Reviews (5.1) + Nexus 6 Hacking: NRT · Apps · Utilities [3.22.15]
Sent from my Google N6 on VZ
I have an ATT S5 (SM-G900A), completely stock, unrooted, updated to the latest 5.0 OTA update. My requirements for my phone are that it be able to pass Airwatch checks and that it be able to be encrypted (Personal device used at work). Some background first:
Last time I tried to play around with rooting, other mods, and whatnot was on my ATT S3 (I think I747?) and I discovered that an unspecified combination of rooting, installing a custom loader (CWM in my case) and installing a custom mod (Cyanogenmod at the time) made my phone unable to encrypt. At the time I was not required to use Airwatch, but encryption was required for my phone to connect to work, so I gave up on the whole lot.
I have now discovered that ATT, in their infinite wisdom, has replaced the S Voice drive mode with their own "ATT Drive Mode", and it's been verified they went so far as to remove the related APKs from the phone entirely. For those unaware, S Voice Drive mode is an feature of S Voice that (when turned on) reads out all callers and text messages, and then verbally prompts you for actions; reply, answer, ignore, etc. It allows fully hands free functionality. ATT Drive Mode, on the other hand, automatically kicks in whenever speeds of 20 MPH are detected (even if you're a passenger), rejects all calls and texts excluding a user-defined 5 person list, and essentially makes your phone useless anytime you're in a car. The goal is to "reduce texting and distracted driving", but as I'm on-call as part of my job and need to at least be aware of texts that come in within 10 minutes of receipt, it actually makes my drive much more dangerous. ATT Drive mode is a good idea for teens, perhaps, but i'm not a teen.
This brings me to my question: What are my options?
--Does rooting break my ability to encrypt? I know airwatch will flag, but I'm thinking there's a possibility of being able to root, put a custom loader on my phone, and then restore stock with that custom loader, whereupon I can try to install the drive mode APK...which leads me to my next question:
--Does having a custom loader (like safestrap or CWM or whatever is in use nowadays) break my ability to encrypt?
--Does anyone know of a way to install the S Voice drive mode in the G900A? I tried searching, but the only references involved being rooted, or ended with something vague like "download a stock rom and find the apk using root explorer" as the solution (which is vague to me because I don't know which stock rom to use, what apk to look for, and last time I used root explorer on my s3, it needed root...)
Honestly, the ideal solution would be something like the stock rom from the international version that would run on my ATT version...but I don't know if such a thing exists or is possible. I don't mind Samsung's cruft, but I do dislike ATT's lobotomizing of my phone to push their own little product that treats me like a kid. I know that I am less safe as a driver without the S Voice drive mode than I was with it.
I take it I have no options? And that no one knows how rooting affects encryption?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using XDA Free mobile app
sheaiden said:
I take it I have no options? And that no one knows how rooting affects encryption?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I will make it easy for you. Since you took the 5.0 OTA update rooting is not possible anymore. Also there is no way to downgrade to KitKat which was rootable. Sorry. Not much you can do until someone finds a way to root 5.0. If you find the S Voice Drive app, you can side load it and see if it works.
Waiting4MyAndroid said:
I will make it easy for you. Since you took the 5.0 OTA update rooting is not possible anymore. Also there is no way to downgrade to KitKat which was rootable. Sorry. Not much you can do until someone finds a way to root 5.0. If you find the S Voice Drive app, you can side load it and see if it works.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually, while I greatly appreciate the fact that you took the time to reply (seriously! at least you took the time!), this is neither easy nor related to the questions I asked. If you look at my post, I'm not asking "how can I root", I'm asking three rather different questions:
--Does rooting break my ability to encrypt? I know airwatch will flag, but I'm thinking there's a possibility of being able to root, put a custom loader on my phone, and then restore stock with that custom loader, whereupon I can try to install the drive mode APK...which leads me to my next question:
--Does having a custom loader (like safestrap or CWM or whatever is in use nowadays) break my ability to encrypt?
--Does anyone know of a way to install the S Voice drive mode in the G900A? I tried searching, but the only references involved being rooted, or ended with something vague like "download a stock rom and find the apk using root explorer" as the solution (which is vague to me because I don't know which stock rom to use, what apk to look for, and last time I used root explorer on my s3, it needed root...)
In fact, I am unable to remain rooted (Airwatch; it's part of the post title), and the whole point and thrust of my question lies in the fact that I am looking to find out what affects encryption and what options I have as far as getting S Voice Drive mode on my phone while staying Airwatch compliant (not rooted). In addition, "if you can find the s voice drive app" is part of the problem too, as evidenced by the third question I asked above; I don't know where to find said app.
Does anyone know anything regarding what I was actually asking?
Everything that you want to do requires ROOT! Safstrap needs root, CWM will brick you phone since the bootloader is locked. Again, there is no way as of now to root the S5 with 5.0 att OTA.
Here is the link to download the GS4 S Voice app. You can try and side load it,
https://www.dropbox.com/s/oe7i2g81iuhjv38/S-Voice_Android_phone_J.apk?dl=0
Waiting4MyAndroid said:
Everything that you want to do requires ROOT! Safstrap needs root, CWM will brick you phone since the bootloader is locked. Again, there is no way as of now to root the S5 with 5.0 att OTA.
Here is the link to download the GS4 S Voice app. You can try and side load it,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Awesome, I'll start with that sideloading, and test it out. Thanks! As far as the rest, I suppose that does clarify some things (that I admittedly already knew), so I do appreciate it, but it still does leave the answers to the other questions. I can infer, of course, that the answer to whether having a custom bootloader on the Galaxy S5 breaks encryption will be dependent on whether root breaks the encryption, since as you pointed out custom bootloaders need root to install, but the fantasy I entertained for a little while was rooting when there's a method (hope springs eternal, so I'm hoping it will eventually be possible), installing a custom bootloader so I can do things like backups and sideload, getting the proper apk's installed for the drive app, and then unrooting it so I can connect it via airwatch to my work's network. Perhaps I should have marked this as a solidly theoretical question, since as you said, there currently exists no root. I just want to know, with the unique way that Samsung implemented Knox and the encryption on the S5, what will break encryption and what won't?
Of course, there is a side question brought up by all this...how possible is it to load another firmware on my phone? as in, use Odin to put the tmobile image on my phone. That is likely a bad example, since I'm fairly certain there are actual hardware differences between the ATT and the tmobile models, but the concept still stands. At what level are the hardware configurations different between phone companies?
sheaiden said:
Awesome, I'll start with that sideloading, and test it out. Thanks! As far as the rest, I suppose that does clarify some things (that I admittedly already knew), so I do appreciate it, but it still does leave the answers to the other questions. I can infer, of course, that the answer to whether having a custom bootloader on the Galaxy S5 breaks encryption will be dependent on whether root breaks the encryption, since as you pointed out custom bootloaders need root to install, but the fantasy I entertained for a little while was rooting when there's a method (hope springs eternal, so I'm hoping it will eventually be possible), installing a custom bootloader so I can do things like backups and sideload, getting the proper apk's installed for the drive app, and then unrooting it so I can connect it via airwatch to my work's network. Perhaps I should have marked this as a solidly theoretical question, since as you said, there currently exists no root. I just want to know, with the unique way that Samsung implemented Knox and the encryption on the S5, what will break encryption and what won't?
Of course, there is a side question brought up by all this...how possible is it to load another firmware on my phone? as in, use Odin to put the tmobile image on my phone. That is likely a bad example, since I'm fairly certain there are actual hardware differences between the ATT and the tmobile models, but the concept still stands. At what level are the hardware configurations different between phone companies?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You will not be able to change your bootloader period... At this point the locked bootloader is unbreakable. That leads to your next question about tmobile and that's a no as well due to the locked down bootloader.
Even with root you won't be able to do anything you've suggested due to the locked bootloader.
OPOfreak said:
You will not be able to change your bootloader period... At this point the locked bootloader is unbreakable. That leads to your next question about tmobile and that's a no as well due to the locked down bootloader.
Even with root you won't be able to do anything you've suggested due to the locked bootloader.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Interesting. I had been under the impression that I had seen people referring to installing clockworkmod or some similar thing on an S5, but I think I may be getting caught up in terminology; those are recoveries, aren't they? not bootloaders? Or perhaps people were posting about the other S5s with unlocked bootloaders. 15 different versions of S5, and I get stuck with the most apple-like of all the carriers....(in the sense of "you take what we give you and don't play with it!")
So, assuming I don't manage to get it installed via the link Waiting4MyAndroid was kind enough to post, I think that rules out anything other than the method of:
--wait for a root method to be established for the new OTA
--root, install the drive apk
--unroot, so I can encrypt and pass airwatch
Does anyone know if the old method of rooting broke encryption? and whether encryption was able to be performed after unrooting again?
Edit: Attempted to Sideload. Sadly, it is telling me "App not installed" (other sideloads do work; it's not the unknown sources setting). I'm thinking either the apk is marked for s4, and it's not compatible, or it's trying to overwrite files from the established svoice system, and that's not allowed. I suppose if someone has the drive apks from a tmobile S5 image or some such thing (same model, different carrier), then I could try again, but unfortunately this apk doesn't work. Thanks for the attempt, Waiting4MyAndroid!
#1-"com.tmobile.pr.adapt (10001) has been granted superuser permissions for an interactive shell" pops up on my screen every 30 seconds on the bottom of my screen in a grey box.
#2- i also noticed that i can accept and recieve calls but i can not hear, nor can the other person hear me. if i use hangouts video call, skype, etc it works fine.
#3-i also tried to get rom manager to make a recovery and it says it needs to get CWD recovery to install a new software, the first thing we need to do is install a up to date version, we will begin that process now... etc.. then it says to get started you must first sset up a custom recovery, it gives two options a samsung galaxy s3 on metro pcs or a samsung previal 2 on boost mobile, or device not listed, when i click that it says "SM-G920T does not have an officially supported CWDR yet. Have you installed a CWD based recovery manually?" so im not sure what to do from there, or if i even need that. i have been a iphone user since day one went to android after reading up a lot on it, although rooting is quite different than jailbreaking it seems, i am incredibly excited to get started if i can get past these little problems and get started and figure everything out. ANY advice, or anwsers to these problems would be Greatly appreciated! thanks!
Also i went to dev options in settings and noticed the "OEM unlocking- allow the bootloader to be unlocker" was turned off, i dont know if this is necessary to root if i did something wrong by not turning it on or what, or if it may fix any problems above if i turn it on now. thanks!
I have a samsung Galaxy S6 (SM_G920T) . i Rooted and did not trip Knox, Although i did just remember that my fingerprint sensor is not working either.
Thank you guys so much this si a incredible forum i have spent hours and hours reading and researching before making this post i appreciate it so much!
#1 Freeze that ****. Use some root tool to freeze that T-mobile apk, seems u gave it root permissions at some point. I believe there are a lot of apps that you will want to do the same.
#2 ? No idea. Stock rom/kernel?
#3 What is this I don't even. Don't do that. Go to TWRP's official web, get your zeroflte (SM-GT920T) twrp and flash it via ODIN, or else get the recovery.img and use flashify. All that assuming you want a custom recovery.
You will need to unlock the bootloader if you are on 5.1.1. I believe locked will prevent changes or wiping anything on the OS partitions, even recovery (can someone confirm?)
I believe jailbraking and rooting should be pretty much similar, if not the same, as both target to grant the user root access to do whatever he pleases on the OS.
Welcome to android btw.
How did you root? Sounds like you used the modified sboot which causes no sounds in calls and nonfunctional fingerprint scanner. If so, flash back to stock and use a different rooting method. The rest, pretty much what the above poster stated
Root
I rooted using the version that I found the only one that works it seemed like, went to Odin put my phone In download mode and then put the boot loader download in BL and the. Put a something unikernel.sbin I believe, whatever the guide said also then it was done. I thought you couldn't use the twrp or custom recovery etc on tmobile one yet but I just read a thing about xtrestolite odex pure v2 which says it's for 5.1.1 and my model of phone but in the guide it says to root using CF auto root and a link there to it but the link doesn't have my phone on the list that the guide that clearly is my phone says to use I don't know if I'm missing something but I want to use it I understand most of it but I don't know if I need to unropt first and re root then use Odin and flash twrp that's supported on my phone then use that to recover the rom. Etc. The kernel that says is used in the guide is the same one I downloaded so do I need to remove it all then let it do that or?
Sorry if this didn't make sense I'm halfway there between confused and understood I have spent the last 10 hours reading and trying to figure this out though lol. Thanks guys!
Also
Sorry for adding more but also how do I flash back to stock? Search for the download to the stock image of my phone? Also I could only find one way of rooting everything else said it wasn't working yet or am I missing a big portion of something here?
Just flash the 5.1.1 firmware to return to stock. To root, flash unikernel with Odin. The other method you used was to not trip knox, but as you experienced has side effects. I had to Odin back to 5.1.1 myself. Can't have those issues
thanks!
so how do i flash back to 5.1.1? find the ling to completely stock 5.1.1 and flash through odin in the same spot and same way i flashed the kernel to root? also.. i rooted with " s6_UniKernel_v2-0003-ODIN.tar" is that not the one you were talking about?
CjetOKC said:
so how do i flash back to 5.1.1? find the ling to completely stock 5.1.1 and flash through odin in the same spot and same way i flashed the kernel to root? also.. i rooted with " s6_UniKernel_v2-0003-ODIN.tar" is that not the one you were talking about?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, flashing to 5.1.1 works exactly like that. You need to get the version for your model (very important on this one) and then simply place that file in the AP field of ODIN while the device is in recovery mode. It is normal for ODIN to freeze for 2 minutes while verifying. Make sure to use a MD5 checker tool on the firmware before flashing.
Rooting has historically required more technical savvy and balls than jailbreaking, but PingPong made rooting the S6 brain-dead simple. CF-Auto root is still pretty painless, but you must make sure you have the right zip for your device.
Anyhoo, the quickest & easiest way to restore phone calls & fingerprint scan is to use Odin to get back to bone stock.
Next, use PingPong to root. After rooting, "com.tmobile.pr.adapt" will ask for root access. That is T-Mobile's "phone home" app and sends info about your device (probably including root status). Deny it root access and make sure you check "Remember my choice", and it won't bother you again. You will not lose any functionality by denying it root, so terminate that crap.
Don't bother with rom manager. CWM is archaic. If you want a custom recovery, use TWRP. You can install TWRP either using Odin or TWRP Manager app (it's free).
Good luck and have fun with your S6
CjetOKC said:
Sorry for adding more but also how do I flash back to stock? Search for the download to the stock image of my phone? Also I could only find one way of rooting everything else said it wasn't working yet or am I missing a big portion of something here?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you still rooted? If so, and if you are experiencing the call audio issue, go flash AOU's kernel. He has made a kernel for the tmo s6. that should eliminate your call audio issue. The finger print scanner is the only issue with flashing his kernel. Also, I rooted with the modded sboot, his TWRP and kernel, and I didn't trip knox
http://forum.xda-developers.com/tmo...recovery-twrp2-8-6-0-g925t-5-1-1-of6-t3143002
So I've been out of the Android Phone loop for a while and was just wondering if there were any general tips or things to know about the Z3C? Any essential apps or features?
I've not updated to Marshmallow yet (running 5.1.1) and I don't really feel the need to, If I'm not mistaken it makes the root process a bit more fiddly, though the non-removable notification is somewhat annoying. Can it be turned off?
Quick question on root too, which I assume can only be achieved through unlocking the bootloader. Will it void my warranty with Sony? Given the issues with cracked screens and phones not really being waterproof, I'm not sure if it's actually worth doing.
I've got the Phone through Vodafone, is there anyway to remove the SIM lock myself?
I've been through the Stickies and whilst they contain useful information that'll surely come in handy later, the FAQ section is pretty limited, so I figured I'd ask here
Thanks in advance
UndisputedGuy said:
So I've been out of the Android Phone loop for a while and was just wondering if there were any general tips or things to know about the Z3C? Any essential apps or features?
I've not updated to Marshmallow yet (running 5.1.1) and I don't really feel the need to, If I'm not mistaken it makes the root process a bit more fiddly, though the non-removable notification is somewhat annoying. Can it be turned off?
Quick question on root too, which I assume can only be achieved through unlocking the bootloader. Will it void my warranty with Sony? Given the issues with cracked screens and phones not really being waterproof, I'm not sure if it's actually worth doing.
I've got the Phone through Vodafone, is there anyway to remove the SIM lock myself?
I've been through the Stickies and whilst they contain useful information that'll surely come in handy later, the FAQ section is pretty limited, so I figured I'd ask here
Thanks in advance
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You don't need to unlock the bootloader to be able to root your phone. A good place to start is the thread on how to back up your TA partition and rooting (don't be tempted by Kingroot)
Unless you want a custom CM rom I wouldn't bother trying to unlock your bootloader, it disables features on the phone, starting with breaking the camera.
This thread about going from a rooted phone back to stock is interesting. I'd say you don't need to root your phone, but it gets a lot more interesting when you do.
The top app for if you get root is Titanium Backup, it lets you control individual apps, 'freezing' them so they stop working, but not actually uninstalling them. Great for getting rid of all the bloatware that comes with phone providers (like Sim Lock), or even manufacturers. It also lets you back up an app and all the associated data that goes with it, so if you wipe you phone to change the rom, you can put all the apps back and the state they were in at the touch of a button. There's lots of other cool root apps, but TA is my favourite.
As long as you stick to stock then you can't go wrong, don't be afraid to play, there's plenty of people on the thread here to give you a hand.
SLIM 5 is a good stock 5.1.1 rom with lots of cool tweeks and doesn't mean you have to unlock your bootloader.
Edit: Rooting your phone doesn't void your warranty. But if you face any problems with your phone that means it's going back to the service centre, just put a stock build back on (no root) and do a factory reset. That way they cannot complain about the software config. They will do a factory reset anyway, before they send it back, along with an update to the latest rom. So be prepared and take everything off your phone beforehand.
Man, that's pretty much all the information I need in one post. Thanks a bunch man, I'll read through the links in some more detail.
I did see that Rooting guide earlier, but given how it mentioned using Flashtool and DRM Keys, I thought it'd surely void my warranty so didn't have a proper look.
SLIM also seems like a good shout, though I'm assuming I'd lose access to Sony's OTA updates if I were to flash it and there doesn't seem to be a Marshmallow version yet. Actually, that said, would I even have access to OTA updates if I stay stock but rooted?
Thanks again
UndisputedGuy said:
Man, that's pretty much all the information I need in one post. Thanks a bunch man, I'll read through the links in some more detail.
I did see that Rooting guide earlier, but given how it mentioned using Flashtool and DRM Keys, I thought it'd surely void my warranty so didn't have a proper look.
SLIM also seems like a good shout, though I'm assuming I'd lose access to Sony's OTA updates if I were to flash it and there doesn't seem to be a Marshmallow version yet. Actually, that said, would I even have access to OTA updates if I stay stock but rooted?
Thanks again
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Marshmallow has only been out a few weeks, so it's still full of bugs and problems at the moment. I would stick to 5.1.1. for at least another month, or until 6.1 reaches the Z3c.
No, if you install a custom rom then you wont get Sony OTA updates, but most rom developers base their builds on the latest firmware releases anyway, usually adopting a new release within one or two weeks.
Slim 5 is possibly the best stock Lollipop build there is and there will be no more updates for Lollopop now. There is a Slim MM build, but even though Wajk has been working his magic, it still has several bugs that need to be ironed out. If you are going down the MM route, don't be tempted by Concept or Beta, that need you to unlock your bootloader to root. Stick with a pre-rooted stock or a customised stock with root built in.
Appreciate the assistance, going to go ahead and root now and then perhaps try out SLIM 5. Some of the MEGA links seemed to be down so I just grabbed a Global FTF, couldn't seem to find an unbranded UK one.
I shouldn't have updated immediately once I got the phone
UndisputedGuy said:
Appreciate the assistance, going to go ahead and root now and then perhaps try out SLIM 5. Some of the MEGA links seemed to be down so I just grabbed a Global FTF, couldn't seem to find an unbranded UK one.
I shouldn't have updated immediately once I got the phone
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Click to collapse
For the purposes of downgrading so you can root, it really doesn't matter which build you choose.
Didgesteve said:
For the purposes of downgrading so you can root, it really doesn't matter which build you choose.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just a quick question, at Step 26 could I just use SLIM 5? Seems much more convenient if that's the case.
Oh, and using OTA updates is going to lose me my root now, right?
UndisputedGuy said:
Just a quick question, at Step 26 could I just use SLIM 5? Seems much more convenient if that's the case.
Oh, and using OTA updates is going to lose me my root now, right?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, once you have recovery you can download Slim onto your phone and flash that. Don't forget to update SuperSU from the playstore.
No, you wont get any OTA updates with a custom stock, but Slim is up to date with the most recent Lollipop build.
Sony PC Companion will not update your phone either once you have a custom rom on. If you flash stock and then connect it, it will push MM onto it. But you will loose root and there's no easy way to get it working.
Stick with 5.1.1. for another month, wait for 6.1 to come out, and then possibly a couple of weeks after that Wajik will have made an incredible MM rom to flash, that will be as up to date as they come, then just flash that in exactly the same way.
Edit: Once you start to follow a developers thread, they announce updates to roms almost as quick as the Sony release, so don't worry that it will get out of date, just make sure to subscribe to the thread where your rom comes from. Slim 5 for example releases an OTA update, to move from 4.9 to 5, it's a lot smaller than the entire rom and only has updates, but flashes the same way.
Can only thank you again, successfully rooted and got recovery. Not sure how much I'm really fond of SLIM, just had a very brief mess around but something felt a bit off about the Launcher and the icons even after messing with the settings. It was only very brief though, perhaps there's more useful stuff there.
Might go simply stock/rooted but given there isn't a simple .zip for it it's a bit long winded
Thanks for all your help here, this is pretty much the ideal state I wanted my phone to be in upon receiving it, had no idea unlocking the bootloader wouldn't be necessary. Guys like you help make this site in my opinion, I half just expected a couple of snide answers telling me to just read the forum
Think I will be moving back to stock, just a question on the front though
Am I going to have to build my own pre rooted image (steps 27-32) each time there's an OTA update and I want rooted stock?
Sorry, hopefully that's the last thing from me
Sent from my D5803 using XDA-Developers mobile app
UndisputedGuy said:
Think I will be moving back to stock, just a question on the front though
Am I going to have to build my own pre rooted image (steps 27-32) each time there's an OTA update and I want rooted stock?
Sorry, hopefully that's the last thing from me
Sent from my D5803 using XDA-Developers mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are several 'stock' options, that are flashable zips
Pre-Rooted Firmwares-Recovery-SuperSU, although you need to click on 'older files'
Or another stock thread here
But by now you should be able to start finding these threads on your own
Yeah, I've time to have a proper look through now so will do that. I saw the thread earlier, but didn't seem to notice a pre rooted .zip for the latest 5.1.1 firmware in the OP. There was one in the comments though, thanks once again
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
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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?
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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.