Related
I have rooted my phone, but am not doing any custom ROMS or anything. I notice that I have an OTA update, and figure that it may be in my best interest to install it, and it would stop nagging me then too. I know if i un-root, I will loose everything. I use Titanium backup. So if I do a full backup, un-root, install update(s), re-root, I can re-install Titanium (I have the paid version) and recover everything right where I left off correct?
I am assuming that you unlocked the bootloader even though you are just rooting. That is how I roll. If so it would be far easier to download the latest image for your phone and flash it. Just skip flashing the user partition. That will save your apps, data and settings.
It is a 10 minute process and far less prone to errors. TI backups are great but can create lots of little gremlins when you restore them.
And with root there are so many other things you could have changed that might cause the update to fail that it just isn't worth the effort.
Sent from my Nexus 6 using XDA Labs
TonikJDK said:
I am assuming that you unlocked the bootloader even though you are just rooting. That is how I roll. If so it would be far easier to download the latest image for your phone and flash it. Just skip flashing the user partition. That will save your apps, data and settings.
It is a 10 minute process and far less prone to errors. TI backups are great but can create lots of little gremlins when you restore them.
And with root there are so many other things you could have changed that might cause the update to fail that it just isn't worth the effort.
Sent from my Nexus 6 using XDA Labs
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Click to collapse
Awesome! Good to know. I know how to use the search function, but what should I search for to find how to do what you've recommended?
Thanks again
therealcrazy8 said:
Awesome! Good to know. I know how to use the search function, but what should I search for to find how to do what you've recommended?
Thanks again
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Googling "nexus factory images" will get you where you need to go. But also I'd like to add that on the SuperSU forums there are posts about using the SuperSU app's built in "full unroot" feature with systemless root allows usage of ota's. It works by just restoring a backup of your boot image that the SuperSU.zip takes before rooting with the new systemless root method. The caveat to this is that when you install the zip via TWRP you need to select the "Leave /system read-only" option upon first install and also not mount /system as R/W at any time during your usage of root.
The way I've personally been doing ota's lately is just taking a "system-image" backup in TWRP before modding anything that way when the ota rolls around I just restore the backup, apply the ota update the backup reflash twrp and root. Doesn't really save any time versus using a factory image but 10mb ota vs 2gb image is easier for me with crummy data limited internets
StykerB said:
...The way I've personally been doing ota's lately is just taking a "system-image" backup in TWRP before modding anything that way when the ota rolls around I just restore the backup, apply the ota update the backup reflash twrp and root. Doesn't really save any time versus using a factory image but 10mb ota vs 2gb image is easier for me with crummy data limited internets
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Interesting. As a rooted user though, why is flashing the entire (new) factory image an option, rather than just cherry-picking the files that you need (i.e boot.img, radio etc if altered)? I mean, I realize that you still have to download the whole image, but there are far fewer steps involved to getting a revised security update on your device than with resurrecting a stock Nandroid, applying the OTA, and then rooting again.
therealcrazy8 said:
Awesome! Good to know. I know how to use the search function, but what should I search for to find how to do what you've recommended?
Thanks again
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
At the top this sub forum is an FAQ that will get you going. Also in the development forum is a thread for Wugfresh NRT toolkit. It will do everything you need.
The option you are looking for in that is the 'no wipe' option to save your data.
But you should do it manually first, so you understand what is what if something goes wrong. And you should TI backup just in case.
If it bootloops or freaks out don't panic. It is fixable, as long as the bootloader is unlocked.
Sent from my Nexus 6 using XDA Labs
Not_A_Dev said:
Interesting. As a rooted user though, why is flashing the entire (new) factory image an option, rather than just cherry-picking the files that you need (i.e boot.img, radio etc if altered)? I mean, I realize that you still have to download the whole image, but there are far fewer steps involved to getting a revised security update on your device than with resurrecting a stock Nandroid, applying the OTA, and then rooting again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's only restoring the /system so data and apps remain but the main goal of mine is just saving data by not having to downloading a factory image. Regardless of how you do it you still have a PC in the mix at some point so I might as well save some of my data plan.
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"?
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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
Hi everyone,
Please forgive my ignorant post, it has been a very long time since I was here.
I've recently acquired an Xperia XZ1 Compact running Android 9 Pie 47.2.A.8.24. This phone has a stupid amount of bloatware and unnecessary apps that cannot be removed, so I was considering rooting it and then installing something like Titanium Backup, to remove all the rubbish.
After doing a bit of research, it seems rooting it can cause many problems, a big one being lack of or reduced camera functionality, among other things. This is a big issue and I don't want to dumb down the great specs of the phone. In the past I rooted phones with no consequences to functionality - it was only when custom ROMs were installed that problems started to occur.
So essentially my question is, how safe is it to root my XZ1C?
Cheers
Read this DRM backup/restore guide by j4nn: https://forum.xda-developers.com/xp...devonly-exploits-temp-root-to-backup-t3795510
Read at least the first post CAREFULLY.
So basically you need to downgrade to an old firmware, backup the drm keys with j4nn's tools, unlock bootloader, restore the keys, update back to a new firmware with newflasher and install magisk to root (either via TWPR or with j4nn's modified kernel, which is prerooted via magisk: https://forum.xda-developers.com/xp...oted-kernel-hiding-bootloader-unlock-t3898711 ).
It might seem a lot to do but if you read the instructions, it's not hard. Just remember to back up the drm keys before unlocking bootloader. When you have the keys (TA-partition) backed up, you can restore them even if you make some mistake, but unlocking without backing them up will get them lost forever.
vofferz said:
Read this DRM backup/restore guide by j4nn: https://forum.xda-developers.com/xp...devonly-exploits-temp-root-to-backup-t3795510
Read at least the first post CAREFULLY.
So basically you need to downgrade to an old firmware, backup the drm keys with j4nn's tools, unlock bootloader, restore the keys, update back to a new firmware with newflasher and install magisk to root (either via TWPR or with j4nn's modified kernel, which is prerooted via magisk: https://forum.xda-developers.com/xp...oted-kernel-hiding-bootloader-unlock-t3898711 ).
It might seem a lot to do but if you read the instructions, it's not hard. Just remember to back up the drm keys before unlocking bootloader. When you have the keys (TA-partition) backed up, you can restore them even if you make some mistake, but unlocking without backing them up will get them lost forever.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the helpful info, I'll give that post a read. I'm not great with 'technology', so if it's too complex I'll just have to put up with the bloatware.
Is the information in the post still valid given that it's almost a year out of date?
jjl5590 said:
Thanks for the helpful info, I'll give that post a read. I'm not great with 'technology', so if it's too complex I'll just have to put up with the bloatware.
Is the information in the post still valid given that it's almost a year out of date?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The first post has been updated to contain all the newest information. That's why I don't recommend reading the whole thread, unless you want a historical study about the development of the process.
If it's just the bloatware you want to get rid of and don't need root access, you might be better off with disabling the apps. Some of them can't be disabled from settings, but you can do it via ADB. https://www.xda-developers.com/uninstall-carrier-oem-bloatware-without-root-access/
vofferz said:
Read this DRM backup/restore guide by j4nn: https://forum.xda-developers.com/xp...devonly-exploits-temp-root-to-backup-t3795510
Read at least the first post CAREFULLY.
So basically you need to downgrade to an old firmware, backup the drm keys with j4nn's tools, unlock bootloader, restore the keys, update back to a new firmware with newflasher and install magisk to root (either via TWPR or with j4nn's modified kernel, which is prerooted via magisk: https://forum.xda-developers.com/xp...oted-kernel-hiding-bootloader-unlock-t3898711 ).
It might seem a lot to do but if you read the instructions, it's not hard. Just remember to back up the drm keys before unlocking bootloader. When you have the keys (TA-partition) backed up, you can restore them even if you make some mistake, but unlocking without backing them up will get them lost forever.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How to root android 9 xperia xz1 compact 2021
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.
Hi all, this forum has been great for providing answers, so ive got 1 last question before i do anything to my phone.
Obliviously installing a custom recovery like TWRP requires bootloader unlocking which wipes data. I want to perform a backup of my phone, a complete backup, system, apps the works so if anything is wrong i can restore the backup, no when i say backup i mean almost like a Nandroid backup you can perform with a custom recovery, is this possible?, or ate very least is there any 3rd party apps that will perform a backup of everything inc Apps and App data, so for instance, passwords etc are backed up as well for each app which saves a ton of time having to reinstall them and remember all the passwords. Nandroid backup were easy on previous phones because on some bootloader unlock wasnt required just to install TWRP. Can anyone help with this issue, id really like to have a full backup for peace of mind. Many thanks in advance.
Swift backup is the closest I have come across
gazza35 said:
Hi all, this forum has been great for providing answers, so ive got 1 last question before i do anything to my phone.
Obliviously installing a custom recovery like TWRP requires bootloader unlocking which wipes data. I want to perform a backup of my phone, a complete backup, system, apps the works so if anything is wrong i can restore the backup, no when i say backup i mean almost like a Nandroid backup you can perform with a custom recovery, is this possible?, or ate very least is there any 3rd party apps that will perform a backup of everything inc Apps and App data, so for instance, passwords etc are backed up as well for each app which saves a ton of time having to reinstall them and remember all the passwords. Nandroid backup were easy on previous phones because on some bootloader unlock wasnt required just to install TWRP. Can anyone help with this issue, id really like to have a full backup for peace of mind. Many thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunately with a lock bootloader, you can't really create a full backup of data of apps. You can only back the APK file and some data. Even if you somehow did, restoring backups is also a problem as some backups aren't compatible with a different rom. Nandroid backups aren't an option too as restoring those from a different rom will cause issue due to incompatibly (someone tried before and caused destroyed system).
What I did in my preparation before is backed up important files through drive or cloud storages. I also rely on password managers for log-ins. I also created a separate Google Account solely for storage for my backup too. If you have, I highly advise backing up using SD Cards. They're quite an essential especially for phone modding and backup restores. Also before unlocking, make sure to have a plan on what to do after, do you stay on MIUI or try some mods or custom roms etc... So that you can switch afterwards before restoring your backup.
Lastly, if anything goes wrong, you can always reflash the stock MIUI ROM using MiFlash.
BigChungus321 said:
Unfortunately with a lock bootloader, you can't really create a full backup of data of apps. You can only back the APK file and some data. Even if you somehow did, restoring backups is also a problem as some backups aren't compatible with a different rom. Nandroid backups aren't an option too as restoring those from a different rom will cause issue due to incompatibly (someone tried before and caused destroyed system).
What I did in my preparation before is backed up important files through drive or cloud storages. I also rely on password managers for log-ins. I also created a separate Google Account solely for storage for my backup too. If you have, I highly advise backing up using SD Cards. They're quite an essential especially for phone modding and backup restores. Also before unlocking, make sure to have a plan on what to do after, do you stay on MIUI or try some mods or custom roms etc... So that you can switch afterwards before restoring your backup.
Lastly, if anything goes wrong, you can always reflash the stock MIUI ROM using MiFlash.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for all that useful info. I do have a 128gb sd card in the phone as well as the inbuilt 128gb, so plenty storage. Im just so used to other phones where backups where simple of bl unlock wasnt required to flash twrp etc, i did try the phones inbuilt backup system to backup the apps, it seemed to backup some info but not the apps which is odd, google backup ive never used so im unsure. ill try and look for a password manager and see if i can find a way to backup passwords at least. From what ive read everything with this phone seems impossible without first unlocking the BL, i just wish i didnt have to wait 7 days or wipe the phone to do it lol. My main aim is to downgrade back to Android 11 stock Miui, im not convinced custom roms available for this device are at a daily driver stage yet, as for mods, i may end up rooting at some point and get magisk, i think most mods i used would be mainly aesthetic, like changing splash screens etc etc, simple stuff. Anyway i have drivers installed, i have Miflash unlock installed. i shall start getting my passwords and some apps saved off etc and go from there. As always, thankyou once again for the detailed reply, youve been great help
Found Wondershare MobileTrans. Thankfully it backs up most stuff inc apps, havent found any other way as yet. Thanks again.
gazza35 said:
Thanks for all that useful info. I do have a 128gb sd card in the phone as well as the inbuilt 128gb, so plenty storage. Im just so used to other phones where backups where simple of bl unlock wasnt required to flash twrp etc, i did try the phones inbuilt backup system to backup the apps, it seemed to backup some info but not the apps which is odd, google backup ive never used so im unsure. ill try and look for a password manager and see if i can find a way to backup passwords at least. From what ive read everything with this phone seems impossible without first unlocking the BL, i just wish i didnt have to wait 7 days or wipe the phone to do it lol. My main aim is to downgrade back to Android 11 stock Miui, im not convinced custom roms available for this device are at a daily driver stage yet, as for mods, i may end up rooting at some point and get magisk, i think most mods i used would be mainly aesthetic, like changing splash screens etc etc, simple stuff. Anyway i have drivers installed, i have Miflash unlock installed. i shall start getting my passwords and some apps saved off etc and go from there. As always, thankyou once again for the detailed reply, youve been great help
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Alright. Also some points that I would like to add, since like you said, you're staying at A11 Miui which for the most part is now forgotten (or at least have the minority using it), you'll have to use the official twrp instead of the newer unofficial ones due to compatibility and it's the only recovery in a11 which can decrypt the storage (newer ones can only decrypt a12-a13, not a11...weird). Also, this is just a suggestion but obviously unlocking bootloader results in failing integrity API test (formerly safety net) so you'll have to really root and spoof the device to pass integrity API test and use banking apps etc... Good luck though and yeah you can't skip that 7 day wait, it's a good time to backup and prepare.
BigChungus321 said:
Alright. Also some points that I would like to add, since like you said, you're staying at A11 Miui which for the most part is now forgotten (or at least have the minority using it), you'll have to use the official twrp instead of the newer unofficial ones due to compatibility and it's the only recovery in a11 which can decrypt the storage (newer ones can only decrypt a12-a13, not a11...weird). Also, this is just a suggestion but obviously unlocking bootloader results in failing integrity API test (formerly safety net) so you'll have to really root and spoof the device to pass integrity API test and use banking apps etc... Good luck though and yeah you can't skip that 7 day wait, it's a good time to backup and prepare.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, sounds like a lot of Work, Another question for you, if i stay on A12, 12.0.3.0 which worked amazing until it upgraded, will i have to do the whole same spoofing thing?, i did forget about my banking apps. And where can i find Disable Dmverity and will that sort out the banking apps, i know itll let me keep cust recovery, I see reference to it but i cant find it anywhere, is there like a certain website or something where people download their mods and stuff.
gazza35 said:
Ok, sounds like a lot of Work, Another question for you, if i stay on A12, 12.0.3.0 which worked amazing until it upgraded, will i have to do the whole same spoofing thing?, i did forget about my banking apps. And where can i find Disable Dmverity and will that sort out the banking apps, i know itll let me keep cust recovery, I see reference to it but i cant find it anywhere, is there like a certain website or something where people download their mods and stuff.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, unlocking your bootloader will cause you to fail integrity test so you'll have no choice but to root and spoof if you're going to use banking apps. I can help you with this process if you want.
You can get the DM Verity file I used here:
https://zackptg5.com/android.php , it also includes some of my favorite mods like JamesDSP. You'll probably get something like DisableDMverity_forceencrypt zip or something like that so be sure to rename the zip file only to "Disable_Dm-Verity" zip (it's one of those zips where it uses the name of the zip to select what it's patching, it is recommended to keep force encryption enabled as to avoid data theft when you lose your phone). You flash the disable dm verity right after TWRP so you can boot to your rom afterwards. And yes dmverity won't help you pass integrity API.
As for themes/mods and such, I mostly get them here from XDA, Telegram groups, or Github. Mostly telegram tbh. But be sure to check whether it's safe to use as some bundles their modules (or once the app gets root access) will cause damage to your phone.
BigChungus321 said:
Yes, unlocking your bootloader will cause you to fail integrity test so you'll have no choice but to root and spoof if you're going to use banking apps. I can help you with this process if you want.
You can get the DM Verity file I used here:
https://zackptg5.com/android.php , it also includes some of my favorite mods like JamesDSP. You'll probably get something like DisableDMverity_forceencrypt zip or something like that so be sure to rename the zip file only to "Disable_Dm-Verity" zip (it's one of those zips where it uses the name of the zip to select what it's patching, it is recommended to keep force encryption enabled as to avoid data theft when you lose your phone). You flash the disable dm verity right after TWRP so you can boot to your rom afterwards. And yes dmverity won't help you pass integrity API.
As for themes/mods and such, I mostly get them here from XDA, Telegram groups, or Github. Mostly telegram tbh. But be sure to check whether it's safe to use as some bundles their modules (or once the app gets root access) will cause damage to your phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thankyou i think i have everything i need, ive backed up My 3rd party apps, all my Passwords, calendar, contacts etc etc, so, im ready to move forward and just wait for phone to be unlocked now. Youve been a great help, thankyou very much indeed.
RAMBO29 said:
Swift backup is the closest I have come across
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But if the file get large size about 6-8 gb it was hard to transfer it to pd or sd card and something it shows error while transferring