Hi, I'm new here and not 100% sure how to phrase what I'm asking, so I will just put it out:
I purchased the Razer Phone 2 which is carrier unlocked but it was originally through AT&T. I would have gotten the Factory unlocked but it was an additional $140 USD for that. I figured I would just pay $40 dollars to have it Rooted and then I could switch the bootloader back to the Razer bootloader that is on the factory unlocked version as well as remove any AT&T bloatware and still save $100 USD. But Oh No! I guess I should have checked with the Root Service I use generally, because they cannot service the Razer Phone 2. I am certainly not a Root expert. I have had my phone rooted a few times, but only through a service and for a specific task which I do and then revert it to unrooted status (for fear of damaging vital systems by mistake).
Is anyone aware of a service that can remotely or by way of walking me through it either A) Root Phone, change bootloader image/animation back to Razer Stock (or even Verizon Stock would be okay since I am a Verizon customer), remove bloatware from device, unroot device; OR (and I just learned this was a thing from this forum so I have even less of an idea how this is accomplished but) B) reflash the device with the unbranded factory unlocked firmware for the Razer Phone 2 so it is as if it was the Factory Unlocked model all along.
Any help in this would be greatly appreciated.
You could read here https://developer.razer.com/razer-p...13.502949616.1587252038-1681338338.1587252038 which will help you unlock your bootloader in order to flash the generic system ROM and rebrand your phone.
Peace
Related
Does Permanent unlock mean permanent? Or is it something you can lose with a firmware update, factory reset, or user modification?
How does the device unlock? Is it unlocked by hardware like a knox trip? Is it from the carrier? Could it ever be re-locked?
Basically I bought my S6 from T-Mobile with the full intention of cancelling the service once I fully payed it off. $860 later, I made my final payment a week ago. I put in an ATT sim card, tried unlocking, nothing happened. Put my T-mo sim back in, did unlocking just to try it again, and it says my device is permanently unlocked.
I just want to know how permanent is permanent, and is it safe to cancel my service with T-Mo, and could the phone ever be re-locked by means of factory reset or by any change in the software?
Also my T-mo account balance is -$60, I don't fully know what that means, but it appears that they owe me $60. If I cancel, is a negative amount refunded?
It's supposed to be permanent. But T-Mo's custom device unlock is bugged. I permanently unlocked mine a few days ago and switched back to AT&T. Last night I started getting an invalid sim inserted message with my AT&T sim in it! So much for permanent unlock!!!
All I could think of doing to make sure it's permanent this time around is to Odin back to the stock MetroPCS rom so I could use their radio and unlock it the old fashioned way. Works fine with AT&T now. I just have to stick with the MetroPCS radio, or it will become locked again!
Question
guyd said:
It's supposed to be permanent. But T-Mo's custom device unlock is bugged. I permanently unlocked mine a few days ago and switched back to AT&T. Last night I started getting an invalid sim inserted message with my AT&T sim in it! So much for permanent unlock!!!
All I could think of doing to make sure it's permanent this time around is to Odin back to the stock MetroPCS rom so I could use their radio and unlock it the old fashioned way. Works fine with AT&T now. I just have to stick with the MetroPCS radio, or it will become locked again!
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I've been away from android for a short time and now back on T-Mobile S6. I bought it outright from T-Mobile and haven't even had it three days yet but service is terrible. Is there a guide for exactly how to use the PCS firmware and then get root and twrp? How and where did you get the unlock code also? You said I need to stay on PCS? What if I flashed a T-Mobile custom rom off xda development site? Thanks, I'm just a little rusty and don't want to mess up my new phone. LOL.
brojoe11 said:
I've been away from android for a short time and now back on T-Mobile S6. I bought it outright from T-Mobile and haven't even had it three days yet but service is terrible. Is there a guide for exactly how to use the PCS firmware and then get root and twrp? How and where did you get the unlock code also? You said I need to stay on PCS? What if I flashed a T-Mobile custom rom off xda development site? Thanks, I'm just a little rusty and don't want to mess up my new phone. LOL.
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There is a guide somewhere. I read it a couple of weeks back, so I knew what to do to Odin flash the Metro rom and use the regular sim unlock method. You can flash any compatible rom with your device. You just can't flash the T-Mobile radio, or you'll loose the SIM Unlock! The radio firmware is never part of a custom rom, so no need to worry there.
I bought the unlock code from androidsimunlock.com and told them it was a MetroPCS Galaxy S6. Worked perfectly.
Thanks. I'll do some more searching.
So the unlock is in software only?
I recently got an XT1900-1 on EBay and tried to unlock the bootloader on the way to rooting the phone. The Motorola site told me that the bootloader could not be unlocked. The phone is carrier unlocked. I thought that maybe since I was attempting to unlock a still-unactivated phone that *could* later be activated on AT&T or Verizon, I might have better luck if I inserted a Sprint SIM (since I'm on Sprint). Is that right, or is there another reason? Though the phone is not marked as an Amazon phone and Alexa is not in the app drawer, Alexa does show up in the list of hidden apps on the phone. Is this enough to make it an Amazon phone? I sure thought I had the retail version.
So if I'm being refused a bootloader-unlock code because of Amazon, would I have better luck with a new Moto X4? They're available on EBay in the Android One variant with Nougat instead of Pie. If I got one of those phones, could I root it and keep it from upgrading to Pie? I see that Android One updates still seem to be coming. The latest update my current XT1900-1 has is from January 2020.
I also have the XT1900-1 version and mine was completely unlockable. One issue with Moto X4's unlocking is that once you unlock it, there is no way to make it as clean as it was, meaning the phone will trip some value and it's just not possible to revert it back to the locked bootloader with everything stock. You can flash the stock ROM and relock the bootloader but the integrity check will fail and you will get Play Store not certified error, which renders Google Pay (NFC) and some apps useless/un-installable. Now, if you want to root the phone, you're gonna have to keep the BL unlocked of course, so even if you didn't prevent it from updating to Pie, you can always flash Nougat back on the phone, granted you have the stock images. If the Moto's website told you that your phone is not unlockable, then there is no way for you to unlock the phone If you get an unlockable version (non-Amazon), you can get the code and unlock the device to do whatever you want with it. Once you get it, you can enable Developer settings and disable Automatic system updates from there to avoid installing newer versions. Cheers!
Pixel 5 from "Google Emploee". Locked for AT&T and bootloader is unlocked?
I bought a pixel 5 from google emploee, who is saying he got it from google.
It has a sticker on the back with barcode and some numbers and a date of 6/26
Problems are:
1. It is locked for AT&T and does not want to unlock via AT&T website (https://www.att.com/deviceunlock/). I got a message from ATT that it is unlocked, but still does not like T-Mobile sim. Any suggestions?
2. It is saying the bootloader is unlocked. Will I have problems with google pay? Can I undo this?
3. How to check this is an actual Pixel 5, not a prototype or something? It says "model Pixel 5" in "About phone"..
worry said:
I bought a pixel 5 from google emploee, who is saying he got it from google.
It has a sticker on the back with barcode and some numbers and a date of 6/26
Problems are:
1. It is locked for AT&T and does not want to unlock via AT&T website (https://www.att.com/deviceunlock/). I got a message from ATT that it is unlocked, but still does not like T-Mobile sim. Any suggestions?
2. It is saying the bootloader is unlocked. Will I have problems with google pay? Can I undo this?
3. How to check this is an actual Pixel 5, not a prototype or something? It says "model Pixel 5" in "About phone"..
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I can't speak as to the origin of your phone, buy it from someone else, and you're buying someone else's problems.
Unlocked bootloader and carrier unlocked are two distinctly different things.
Carrier unlocked means that you can use the carrier of your choice. Unlocked bootloader lets you flash images to you phone, from entire monthly security updates to a custom kernel, root, and do other fun things. Google Pay will not work with an unlocked bootloader unless you root the phone and hide that from Google using root-based trickery. (Standard Google Firmware)
The fact that your bootloader is unlocked means that it probably is NOT from AT&T. Why you seem to be carrier locked is a mystery to me, but I will tell you something, AT&T is probably the most evil carrier to deal with. My phone was purchased directly from Google, my first act was to unlock the bootloader, root it, then get the phone up and running with T-Mobile. If you don't want to root your phone, have no need for it, whatever, yes, it is possible to relock the bootloader. Be aware that this will wipe your phone clean, and you'll be starting fresh.
Look in the forums or:
https://developers.google.com/android/images
Google has very comprehensive instructions on how to lock/unlock your bootloader, flash factory images, take OTA's etc..
Be aware that if you aren't sure what you are doing, flashing a factory image can also wipe your phone, and you'll be back to square one if you don't backup your stuff.
There are tons of tutorials on this site on this subject, just poke around...
bleez99 said:
I can't speak as to the origin of your phone, buy it from someone else, and you're buying someone else's problems.
Unlocked bootloader and carrier unlocked are two distinctly different things.
Carrier unlocked means that you can use the carrier of your choice. Unlocked bootloader lets you flash images to you phone, from entire monthly security updates to a custom kernel, root, and do other fun things. Google Pay will not work with an unlocked bootloader unless you root the phone and hide that from Google using root-based trickery. (Standard Google Firmware)
The fact that your bootloader is unlocked means that it probably is NOT from AT&T. Why you seem to be carrier locked is a mystery to me, but I will tell you something, AT&T is probably the most evil carrier to deal with. My phone was purchased directly from Google, my first act was to unlock the bootloader, root it, then get the phone up and running with T-Mobile. If you don't want to root your phone, have no need for it, whatever, yes, it is possible to relock the bootloader. Be aware that this will wipe your phone clean, and you'll be starting fresh.
Look in the forums or:
https://developers.google.com/android/images
Google has very comprehensive instructions on how to lock/unlock your bootloader, flash factory images, take OTA's etc..
Be aware that if you aren't sure what you are doing, flashing a factory image can also wipe your phone, and you'll be back to square one if you don't backup your stuff.
There are tons of tutorials on this site on this subject, just poke around...
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Thanks.
Weird part is that If I go to system-> updates I see an update from ATT:
"ATT Redfin RD1A.2008..."
So this is not a "pure" google pixel? It has an ATT image? Can I install the genuine pixel 5 image?
You sort of do. If your bootloader is unlocked, and you get yourself decoupled from AT&T, you can grab the latest firmware directly from Google and flast it. There is no difference between the AT&T "model" and the generic Google version in the hardware. I don't know what's AT&T is up to these days but the AT&T versions at least older phones, used to lock down their bootloader and make it impossible to unlock. But if yours is already unlocked you sho6be able to put on Google's firmware and possibly escape from AT&T.
bleez99 said:
You sort of do. If your bootloader is unlocked, and you get yourself decoupled from AT&T, you can grab the latest firmware directly from Google and flast it. There is no difference between the AT&T "model" and the generic Google version in the hardware. I don't know what's AT&T is up to these days but the AT&T versions at least older phones, used to lock down their bootloader and make it impossible to unlock. But if yours is already unlocked you sho6be able to put on Google's firmware and possibly escape from AT&T.
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And what about AT&T lock? Once I have official image, the sim lock would be gone? Or do I need just to flash a modem?
it will be a day or two after we place the order in a few hours from now. (thursday june 17th 2021).
01 do i need to flash the newer U1 firmware with the v2 bootloader first then do bl unlock and root for custom roms?
02 since we will be in a 2 year contract maybe i should just keep tmobile original firmware and just bl unlock and root that firmware?
03 what is the best way to do it since i know we will be with tmobile for 2 more years?
04 samsung pay wont work and what else?
05 knox will be tripped forever?
en11gma said:
it will be a day or two after we place the order in a few hours from now. (thursday june 17th 2021).
01 do i need to flash the newer U1 firmware with the v2 bootloader first then do bl unlock and root for custom roms?
02 since we will be in a 2 year contract maybe i should just keep tmobile original firmware and just bl unlock and root that firmware?
03 what is the best way to do it since i know we will be with tmobile for 2 more years?
04 samsung pay wont work and what else?
05 knox will be tripped forever?
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Click to collapse
I'm not sure about your local network provider policies so can't say about points 1 to 3. Points no 4 and 5 however are quite simple to answer:
04 samsung pay wont work and what else? Most banking apps, payment gateway apps, some streaming services and a large number of services requiring some kind of authentication or DRM will stop working if they detect that your phone is rooted. Most of these can be bypassed even when rooted using Magisk hide. But Magisk development in the future is uncertain right now, so don't put all your eggs in that basket. Some of these apps may work now, but lose functionality later, unless you unroot.
Samsung Pay is gone forever once you root. As well as Samsung Pass. No way to get these back again as far as I know.
You also won't get OTA updates anymore and will have to flash newer firmwares manually.
Warranty is gone too, unless your country has special laws against this. Recently a forum member posted his experience where Samsung wouldn't even perform a paid repair for a screen replacement. Their reason was apparently because he had rooted his phone and voided his warranty. Think about that - they wouldn't even repair his phone, or sell him the parts, even if he was willing to pay! I'm not going to get into whether that's justified - but it is what it is. Be warned.
If you're willing to take the risk and Samsung Pay etc doesn't mean much to you, and features that rooting bring mean way, wayyyyy more to you, even at the risk of losing warranty, proceed with rooting after careful consideration.
05 knox will be tripped forever? Yes. Once you root, this will be irreversibly, permanently, irrevocably, unrecoverably, soul-stone permanently - be tripped forever. Nothing short of a motherboard replacement will get that flag up again.
is there a proper way about doing it when we receive the phones?
i mean will the phones try and auto update when i insert the sim card and power phone on therefore stopping the phone from being bl unlocked and rooter on stock firmware?
do i need to stop this from happening?
en11gma said:
is there a proper way about doing it when we receive the phones?
i mean will the phones try and auto update when i insert the sim card and power phone on therefore stopping the phone from being bl unlocked and rooter on stock firmware?
do i need to stop this from happening?
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There's a paid service for unlocking bootloaders on certain US Snapdragon devices. If you update to the March Security Patch or later the bootloader can't be unlocked. You can turn off the Auto Update function. There are a number of features you'll lose. Warranty (Knox will be tripped), Samsung Pay and Pass. You will also lose Secure Folder and Samsung Health however they may be able to get restored. All data is lost as well as any option to update the device and expect the bootloader to remain unlocked. You can review the details here.
[Android][UNSAMLOCK] Bootloader Unlock for Samsung US/Canada Devices
This thread is @svetius approved Important notice: Do not update to April 2023 security update (XXXXXXXXXXWCX) or later. Examples: G998USQS6EWCA, N986USQU4HWD1. Samsung has patched the bootloader unlock again on those updates. NOTE: The OneUI...
forum.xda-developers.com
if this is T-Mobile US (or any US snapdragon version including unlocked, network free) you'll only be able to unlock your bootloader via the above mentioned type of method which isn't cheap as I understand it.
Personally I would need to see a custom rom with a whole lot of functionalities I would use before I opted for this method. If rooting your device is a priority it would seem to make more sense to aquire a Snapdragon or Exynos variant with an unlocked bootloader. The reason for buying a US Branded device, besides a generous trade in allowance are carrier features. If you root a carrier device you'll lose a number of these advantages.
varcor said:
Personally I would need to see a custom rom with a whole lot of functionalities I would use before I opted for this method. If rooting your device is a priority it would seem to make more sense to aquire a Snapdragon or Exynos variant with an unlocked bootloader. The reason for buying a US Branded device, besides a generous trade in allowance are carrier features. If you root a carrier device you'll lose a number of these advantages.
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i thought if i bl unlock and root a stock firmware it just allows me to use twrp to make full backups so i can restore later and the root is for like hotspot stuff.
i know root disable samsung pay and something else but i thought all the carrier stuff still worked correctly
en11gma said:
i thought if i bl unlock and root a stock firmware it just allows me to use twrp to make full backups so i can restore later and the root is for like hotspot stuff.
i know root disable samsung pay and something else but i thought all the carrier stuff still worked correctly
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You should inquire about call features with the developer before you decide. IMHO you're sacrificing a lot of features for a hotspot.
So, I've seen some posts concerning this and, at this point, I'm ready to purchase and replace the motherboard.
My daughter recently acquired a used Moto X4 (running Android 9 "pie") from a friend and she wants it de-Googled. I can get the unlock data to unlock the bootloader but Motorola says that the phone is unlockable - that would be because the phone had been purchased from Amazon (software variant / channel = "amz"). I think that if the ROM and bootloader could be replaced with stock (which, apparently could be done if the phone were on a lower Android version), I'd be in business but everywhere I've looked says that this is impossible - Motorola must do an amazing job of locking down their phones!
Since I'm just about ready to purchase a new motherboard ($60+ at cellspare), any "dangerous" suggestions are welcome since she refuses to use the phone as-is - can't say that I blame her.
You could try to flash the phone with the stock ROM of the google FI variant, but whether or not that works would be anybodys guess as I don't believe the IMEI would be changed. If you are planning to get a new device anyway, it couldn't hurt to try it and see before you buy another phone. I have the google Fi variant, and I know for a fact that the bootloader can be unlocked on it.
Kilogrm said:
You could try to flash the phone with the stock ROM of the google FI variant, but whether or not that works would be anybodys guess as I don't believe the IMEI would be changed. If you are planning to get a new device anyway, it couldn't hurt to try it and see before you buy another phone. I have the google Fi variant, and I know for a fact that the bootloader can be unlocked on it.
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I have tried loading different ROMs onto a locked Motorola phone in the past - the bootloader will not permit itself to be overwritten without being unlocked. As I understand it, there's a hidden partition where a copy of the bootloader resides and, with the locked bit set, any attempt to overwrite the boot partition will trigger a check against the hidden partition and will prevent the overwrite.