Database Users

Root Or Not?

Should I root and void my warranty? Anybody have experience getting a Unlocked phone repaired?

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I havent heard of a single person being rejected because of their bootloader being unlocked as of yet. Also swetland did say they are working with HTC to remove the warranty void.

I rooted my g1 and had a blast. But I found myself flashing roms constantly. You can never settle and there's always a new rom just around the corner. It was fun for several months but I got burned out finally and it was a relief when I got a mytouch. I kept it stock and was really happy with it. I don't plan on rooting the nexus. I think android is an awesome system the way it is, and I enjoy waiting for ota's now. I can tether, get MT apps. For me rooting just doesn't add a lot to my personal experience. This phone flies even without properly utilizing its ram. Although after all of the heartbreak from anticipating countless sense ui Roms on the g1 that were never completely usable I admit Im curious about sense on the nexus. But android 2.1 is the best ui on a mobile device in my opinion. We'll see if that changes with iPhone 4g. Incidentally, I love the competition between the IPhone and android. The consumers are the real winners!

+1 I'm keeping it stock & enjoying this great ui for now! What tether r u using...pdanet?

I am keeping the stock rom too....
At least it is not sluggish like all previous htc phones stock rom
don't intend to root it unless i got really bored of the stock rom.
Initially wanted to root to tether, now i am relying on Pdanet...
Does anyone knows if rooting will allow faster tether?

I'm using pdanet and loving it. Couldn't have possibly been any easier to set up

PDANet is very cool & easy to use! Only issue is after 14 days, you can't access https sites (only if you buy their app)!

galaxys said:
PDANet is very cool & easy to use! Only issue is after 14 days, you can't access https sites (only if you buy their app)!
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Wow my friend mentioned something like that but i didnt believe him. If its under $15 I guess I'm buying it.

DMaverick50 said:
Wow my friend mentioned something like that but i didnt believe him. If its under $15 I guess I'm buying it.
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2X that...Purchase full version ($29). Still worth it if u do a lot of teathering & don't want to root yet.

Now that's all nice and dandy keeping it stock - for those who can. But what about those of us who have to root the damn thing?..
I ordered an N1, and I would have gladly kept it stock, at least initially, to keep the warranty. However, since google are lazy or just plain don't give a damn, there are no hebrew fonts installed by default; so in order to read SMS's being sent to me, not to mention hebrew webpages, I must root the phone right from the start. Now it is simply unfair that I'll void my warranty just to get my language showing... So if indeed the warranty void would be removed, it would just make my year

jay_zhead said:
Now that's all nice and dandy keeping it stock - for those who can. But what about those of us who have to root the damn thing?..
I ordered an N1, and I would have gladly kept it stock, at least initially, to keep the warranty. However, since google are lazy or just plain don't give a damn, there are no hebrew fonts installed by default; so in order to read SMS's being sent to me, not to mention hebrew webpages, I must root the phone right from the start. Now it is simply unfair that I'll void my warranty just to get my language showing... So if indeed the warranty void would be removed, it would just make my year
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Click to collapse
That's a bummer. With my g1 I could just unroot whenever I needed to send it in for warranty replacement. Is that not possible with the nexus?

DMaverick50 said:
That's a bummer. With my g1 I could just unroot whenever I needed to send it in for warranty replacement. Is that not possible with the nexus?
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Click to collapse
not yet. the current root method is a manufacturer provided entry that also automatically invalidates the warranty (barring absolutely non-questionable hardware defects, like dust under the screen or dead pixels or something)

Actually, its perfectly possible to unroot the device and restore the software to stock.
However, in order to root in the first place, you have to Unlock the Bootloader and THAT is the sticking point, as its a one way, once only thing that cannot be reversed. It leaves a little unlocked padlock on your boot screen that also cannot be changed.
Dayz xx

Its also worth weighing up how long your warranty lasts for before rooting in the EU its 2 years (see link below) which is a fairly long warranty. So I suppose until we can relock the bootloader, unlocking depends on how much you value your warranty.
http://www.google.com/support/android/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=166519

[Q] Any real benefit in rooting your xoom???

Hey guys I'm just wondering if there is a real benefit to rooting at this point. I'm really pro rooting your devices but I want to see a real benefit to it too.
Am I missing something but as of now I cant really find a real motive to Root my xoom considering also that I will have to do a factory reset and revert to unrooted unlock stock for the LTE upgrade.
Can anyone that has rooted his Xoom give me their feedback on their experience and benefits they found by rooting?
And yes, I know the 1.5 GHz overclock but is that enough?...
Thanks.

Of course, you can play Donkey Kong on it

yankele said:
Hey guys I'm just wondering if there is a real benefit to rooting at this point. I'm really pro rooting your devices but I want to see a real benefit to it too.
Am I missing something but as of now I cant really find a real motive to Root my xoom considering also that I will have to do a factory reset and revert to unrooted unlock stock for the LTE upgrade.
Can anyone that has rooted his Xoom give me their feedback on their experience and benefits they found by rooting?
And yes, I know the 1.5 GHz overclock but is that enough?...
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Motorola has said you do NOT need to unroot your device if you want the 4G upgrade. They said they will still install the modem and try to install the software needed. If the software doesn't work, they will still ship it back to you, but now you have to figure out how get the software to work.
In all likelihood, if you're just rooting so you can install some basic apps. You won't have an issue, but if for some reason you're flashing to different roms, then yes you would have to take a little time to either revert back to stock, or get it back and figure out how to install the modem software yourself.

if your asking this question then must not have done enough research or you shouldnt even bother attempting to root

I have done a lot of research and every day go to xoom android development to keep up to date with whats happening but I wanted to ask people who rooted already what are their experience with it.
As of now there is no custom ROM but there is a kernel and a few boot screens but and the overcloking but I from the outside IDK what are people experiencing on a rooted xoom that makes a lot of difference from my non rooted one.
And I may not have a lot of posts in the forums but even tho I'm no expert I'm not a complete stranger to rooting.

If you are so talented in rooting, you should already be aware of the benefits. If what you see in the development section isn't enough to satisfy you then simply don't do it.
Rooting opens doors to custom system-level themes, custom ROMs, root required apps, custom kernels, and so forth. Obviously you know this much and half of it isn't available on the Xoom at the time. It may just not be worth it.

Eclair~ said:
If you are so talented in rooting, you should already be aware of the benefits. If what you see in the development section isn't enough to satisfy you then simply don't do it.
Rooting opens doors to custom system-level themes, custom ROMs, root required apps, custom kernels, and so forth. Obviously you know this much and half of it isn't available on the Xoom at the time. It may just not be worth it.
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Click to collapse
^^^ Exactly what i was trying to imply well put ^^^

Eclair~ said:
If you are so talented in rooting, you should already be aware of the benefits. If what you see in the development section isn't enough to satisfy you then simply don't do it.
Rooting opens doors to custom system-level themes, custom ROMs, root required apps, custom kernels, and so forth. Obviously you know this much and half of it isn't available on the Xoom at the time. It may just not be worth it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
He didn't say that he was a pro "at" rooting devices, rather he was pro rooting devices (ie. He's generally in support of the idea).
Sent from my Xoom using XDA Premium App

I'm no rooting expert, or anything close to that title.
Thanks for your response, and yes, I agree with you about the fact that many of the features that we enjoyed in our phones being rooted are still not working for HC.
That's why I was asking if there is anything that I will like and that I'm missing at this point being that I enjoy other devs work but I'm not able to develop on my own.
Anyways I think maybe rooting may not be for me at this point, but I'm really looking forward for something worth rooting my $800 toy!
Thanks

gigglebox said:
He didn't say that he was a pro "at" rooting devices, rather he was pro rooting devices (ie. He's generally in support of the idea).
Sent from my Xoom using XDA Premium App
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That is correct, I missed that part in my previous response.
Thank you!

I finally rooted my evo to freely tether my xoom! But no, I havent seen a compelling reason to root the xoom yet, with so many expected critical software updates coming in the future (4g, flash, sd card) I'll personally wait a bit until at least the sd card update is pushed (fingers crossed)

hi_its_ryan said:
But no, I havent seen a compelling reason to root the xoom yet, with so many expected critical software updates coming in the future (4g, flash, sd card) I'll personally wait a bit until at least the sd card update is pushed (fingers crossed)
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This is my exact feelings. I'm waiting for the Xoom to become the device it's supposed to be before I get too into tinkering with it. Eventually I will go the rooting route, but not quite yet.

That is what I needed to hear, from normal people like me that had rooted already.
I guess if would have a data plan with vzw it would make more sense to root now but since I don't, and there is not a custom rom and I'll have to revert to stock if I want the software update when I send my xoom for the LTE upgrade, I'm not gonna be rooting yet all tho I'm dying to root, or maybe I'll root just for the fun of it because anyways I flash a new rom almost every week or twice a week so the reverting to stock may not be any harder to do.
I'll see....
Thanks for your feedback guys!
Sent from my HTC EVO running MYN's WARM Z using the XDA app.

hi_its_ryan said:
I finally rooted my evo to freely tether my xoom! But no, I havent seen a compelling reason to root the xoom yet, with so many expected critical software updates coming in the future (4g, flash, sd card) I'll personally wait a bit until at least the sd card update is pushed (fingers crossed)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're still able to get those updates even while being rooted. You won't however, once you choose to install a custom rom on it... made possible by rooting.

Can someone just help the Guy/Girl?
come on now. It seems like everyother thread has someone saying "If you know so much blah blah" We all know he doesn't know, which is the point of his thread. To Learn.
You don't need to come in here and try to insult him/her and tell em that if they don't know they don't need to bother rooting, etc.
If you have rooted, What have you done with your device that would make a knowledgeable end user want to root? Thats all he wants to know.
I wish I could help, but this Xoom is my first android device.
I am looking forward to rooting for my first time, and playing with everything, but personally I am just going to wait till after the LTE upgrade just to save myself a headache.
Maybe someone could help me with this question. Since after rooting/flashing ROMs might cause Moto's software for the 4g Radio to work improperly, does that mean if I wait till after the LTE upgrade, rooting/flashing might cause the Radio to not work?
Or is it somehow, once the software is on there, changing the ROMs and Permissions won't affect the Radio?

yankele said:
That is what I needed to hear, from normal people like me that had rooted already.
I guess if would have a data plan with vzw it would make more sense to root now but since I don't, and there is not a custom rom and I'll have to revert to stock if I want the software update when I send my xoom for the LTE upgrade, I'm not gonna be rooting yet all tho I'm dying to root, or maybe I'll root just for the fun of it because anyways I flash a new rom almost every week or twice a week so the reverting to stock may not be any harder to do.
I'll see....
Thanks for your feedback guys!
Sent from my HTC EVO running MYN's WARM Z using the XDA app.
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Click to collapse
Did you not read the third post of this thread? It doesn't matter if you root the device or not, You'll get the 4G update. However if you're running a custom rom, they might not be able to install the software for the modem, in which case, you need to do it yourself. If you keep the stock rom and stay rooted, I doubt you would have any problems.

The third post in no way answers his question. Nor do the posts to "research." Don't be a ****, either answer the question or ignore it. The question is a reasonable one and posted in general.
In my opinion right now there is not a need to root right now unless:
-you want to deploy a custom Tom
-you want to overclock
-you want to customize the default rom. .. I.e. remove default applications such as the games, replace system files for turning purposes, etc...
-you want to run an application that requires root.
Until you have a desire or need that requires root there is no need to root the device. If you do root though Motorola seems (as stated in post 3) willing to upgrade the device at a minimum. So fear of ineligibility for the upgrade should not be a deterrent to upgrading.
Sent from my Xoom using XDA App

JayBeezy802 said:
Did you not read the third post of this thread? It doesn't matter if you root the device or not, You'll get the 4G update. However if you're running a custom rom, they might not be able to install the software for the modem, in which case, you need to do it yourself. If you keep the stock rom and stay rooted, I doubt you would have any problems.
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I did read it but if you read my post I'm acknowledging that my device will get the LTE upgrade no matter what, but I don't want to take the risk to not be able to get the software upgrade just because they see my xoom is unlocked and rooted.
If you read the Motorola moderator in that forum he says more or less that if you are rooted pretty much don't get the software... and you know they could use any kind of excuses to not do it.
But still I might root just for the fun of it and going back to stock just to ne safe and not have to look for the freacking thing myself.
Sent from my HTC EVO running MYN's WARM Z using the XDA app.

yankele said:
Hey guys I'm just wondering if there is a real benefit to rooting at this point. I'm really pro rooting your devices but I want to see a real benefit to it too.
Am I missing something but as of now I cant really find a real motive to Root my xoom considering also that I will have to do a factory reset and revert to unrooted unlock stock for the LTE upgrade.
Can anyone that has rooted his Xoom give me their feedback on their experience and benefits they found by rooting?
And yes, I know the 1.5 GHz overclock but is that enough?...
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My main motive is nothing more than having the capability of defying the machine/syztem

I rooted and OC'd with both BidDogs and Koush's kernels.
I had reboot issues with both (not complaining here). Had it OC'd for about 4 days, tried BD update this morning and still did the reboot thing (sometimes several times an hour). MOST peoples OC seems to be wokring well.
Other then that, while rooted I didn't really do much other then poke around as su in the file system.
This morning i flashed back using the SFB file. I will try to root it again and OC if my xoom remains solid for the next day...maybe i did one of the steps wrong somewhere.
So to finally answer your question, I had a awsome time rooting/OC'ing and learned quite a bit doing so!

[Q] If i unlock then relock, can Moto tell that i unlocked?

I know this has been asked before but i just want to be sure, i just got the xoom and i want to know if i can send it in for repairs. I just want to kno if its like the ipod's/phones where there is a physical feature that is broken, so i can relock and my warranty will be valid.

Moto doesn't care.

K thanks
Sent from my HTC Thunderbolt running Das BAMF v1.6.1 remix.

Elysian893 said:
Moto doesn't care.
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Wait, what makes you say that? Do you know something we don't know? As far as I've heard, they've been very specific to say that they will not support devices that have been hacked.

slack04 said:
As far as I've heard, they've been very specific to say that they will not support devices that have been hacked.
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... yet they sold us a Google-Experience device with an unlocked bootloader.
You can't break anything seriously with software, which means any potential problems we'd have are either physical, user-abuse, or hardware defects. If you send it in and they determine that the problem is SW, they'll probably just wipe it back to stock and send it to you.

Fact does remain, however, that when you unlock that device you have to acknowledge you are voiding your warranty if you proceed. I'd like to think they would be reasonable - but at the same time, you have agreed to kiss off your warranty when you unlock.

That is why I am hesitant to unlock, on all of my Android Phones I have rooted because I know there is no hardware function that can tell it has been "Hacked" like on the iPhone. The Xoom I am unsure about because nobody has a definitive answer yet. My Eris broke 3 times while rooted and I unrooted each time and sent it in for a exchange. I just want the above situation to be equivilent to when/if (Hopefully not) my xoom has a hardware failure.

Jiv3turk3y89 said:
That is why I am hesitant to unlock, on all of my Android Phones I have rooted because I know there is no hardware function that can tell it has been "Hacked" like on the iPhone. The Xoom I am unsure about because nobody has a definitive answer yet. My Eris broke 3 times while rooted and I unrooted each time and sent it in for a exchange. I just want the above situation to be equivilent to when/if (Hopefully not) my xoom has a hardware failure.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Moto has released their newest UPDATE for the xoom, on their website they included instructions and software to "RE-LOCK"/"UNROOT" your device before doing update. they dont care as long as you "relock"before sending the device to them to fix or reflash stock after you BUNKED a mod or etc...i dont recommend doing a theme flash, i did a few of them and had to go back to stock after every theme i tried, they did nothing but force close and i almost wasnt able to get back into CWM because the device wasnt recognized in adb...unlocking and rooting does nothing bad to your XOOM, best thing going for it, at least til there are some ROMS that couldnt get here any sooner...just a heads up

LNKNPRKFN said:
Moto has released their newest UPDATE for the xoom, on their website they included instructions and software to "RE-LOCK"/"UNROOT" your device before doing update. they dont care as long as you "relock"before sending the device to them to fix or reflash stock after you BUNKED a mod or etc...i dont recommend doing a theme flash, i did a few of them and had to go back to stock after every theme i tried, they did nothing but force close and i almost wasnt able to get back into CWM because the device wasnt recognized in adb...unlocking and rooting does nothing bad to your XOOM, best thing going for it, at least til there are some ROMS that couldnt get here any sooner...just a heads up
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Thanks everyone! I think im going to unlock it when I get the chance, the SD card slot is a BIG thing that I could use, also I want it overclocked just a lil (1.25 Ghz per core) so it doesn't lag much on the home screen. Also im not going to be flashing roms and stuff mainly kernels. This device is going to be used as a family computer so i can't mess with it as much as I can with my Phone . Anyways thanks guys!

thinking of getting a G3 just got a few questions for experienced G3ers

i like the specs of the phone wondering a few things..
how easy is root and recovery install?
are there any solid custom kitkat roms?
how much risk is involved with root/recovery? (are there chances of a full brick)
does the phone perform as well as the specs suggest?

KronicSkillz said:
i like the specs of the phone wondering a few things..
how easy is root and recovery install?
are there any solid custom kitkat roms?
how much risk is involved with root/recovery? (are there chances of a full brick)
does the phone perform as well as the specs suggest?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The phone is all its cracked up to be and root is simple. Unless you go t-mobile then you'll have to wait for recovery and roms like most of us. Locked bootloader issues for now. But I've had quite a few phones and this so far is sweet. Hope this helps.

Mahapederdon said:
The phone is all its cracked up to be and root is simple. Unless you go t-mobile then you'll have to wait for recovery and roms like most of us. Locked bootloader issues for now. But I've had quite a few phones and this so far is sweet. Hope this helps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Does rooting void warranty on the g3 seeing how we can't unlock bootloader anyway?
Edit: Possible to get back to stock without showing you've rooted?

I havnt done it but from what I've read it's pretty easy to go completely stock.

There's at least one thread with the same question. Take a look there

So far there is no way to install custom recovery or roms since the bootloaded is locked :/
The phone for me anyways performs quite well (16gig/2gigRAM), a little slower than my nexus5 but I expected that since it was stock android vs LG's skin. Also the phone seems a little laggy on games like Clash of Clans vs my friends Xperia Z2, but only slightly, nothing that bothers me.
Everyday use is snappy

shadehh said:
Does rooting void warranty on the g3 seeing how we can't unlock bootloader anyway?
Edit: Possible to get back to stock without showing you've rooted?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
going back to stock is very easy.

Just look in the development thread, that should give you an idea as to the dev progress.

thanks for the comments i understand all of this was just looking for some opinions, i've already looked at the dev thread but you never know if there is one person out there with a unique and valid opinion on a phone.

If you're going to buy a G3 go for the 32gb, 1gb more ram (3gb). I never have slowdowns. As for rooting, using purple drake its far easier than any other phone I've rooted.
Sent from my LG-D852 using XDA Premium HD app

Should I go ahead and go through the bootloader/rooting processes?

I've wanted to grill out some of the problems with the A7 that's came with it, but after realizing I've never done this before, I've also noticed there's no actual ROM out yet
Should I just wait until the ROM comes and maybe some full guides?

Rigby J said:
I've wanted to grill out some of the problems with the A7 that's came with it, but after realizing I've never done this before, I've also noticed there's no actual ROM out yet
Should I just wait until the ROM comes and maybe some full guides?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Welcome to the A7 Family,
which problems are you running into right now? if you have no need for Root. i'll just say hold on till some development start to kick.......
P.S. not every problem can be fix having root access

DrakenFX said:
Welcome to the A7 Family,
which problems are you running into right now? if you have no need for Root. i'll just say hold on till some development start to kick.......
P.S. not every problem can be fix having root access
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Really just cosmetic things like the notification bell, maybe switching up the emojis, small things. I always wanted to try a different ROM on this phone, so I guess it isn't anything that needs to be done right now.

Rigby J said:
Really just cosmetic things like the notification bell, maybe switching up the emojis, small things. I always wanted to try a different ROM on this phone, so I guess it isn't anything that needs to be done right now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
just unlocked my bootloader and rooted. Wonderful being able to use my root apps again. Chnaged my emoji using emoji switcher which i really wanted to do. Hate the stock android emoji.. debloated a little, and now about to change the system to my favorite font. I say go for it. If you do, let me know. I can send some pointers

considering there is absolutely no rom support yet I would hold off, wait out your 30 day return period and if there are roms after that and you want to void your warranty then do it then. Also I'm sure people are working on getting the bootloader unlocked without contacting ZTE so there is another reason to wait.

pwnerman said:
...Also I'm sure people are working on getting the bootloader unlocked without contacting ZTE so there is another reason to wait.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Already done: http://forum.xda-developers.com/axon-7/how-to/bootloader-unlock-t3437778

osmosizzz said:
just unlocked my bootloader and rooted. Wonderful being able to use my root apps again. Chnaged my emoji using emoji switcher which i really wanted to do. Hate the stock android emoji.. debloated a little, and now about to change the system to my favorite font. I say go for it. If you do, let me know. I can send some pointers
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you, I'll message you when I do.
pwnerman said:
considering there is absolutely no rom support yet I would hold off, wait out your 30 day return period and if there are roms after that and you want to void your warranty then do it then. Also I'm sure people are working on getting the bootloader unlocked without contacting ZTE so there is another reason to wait.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I see, I see

Rigby J said:
Thank you, I'll message you when I do.
I see, I see
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you want to wait until the 30 day period is over, you can go ahead. im keeping the phone for a while so ive just gone ahead and rooted. there is a method to unlock the bootloader without contacting ZTE. I did it that way. its fairly easy.

Rigby J said:
I've wanted to grill out some of the problems with the A7 that's came with it, but after realizing I've never done this before, I've also noticed there's no actual ROM out yet
Should I just wait until the ROM comes and maybe some full guides?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is a fairly simple way to Unlock your boot loader right now, it seems to work for most people. Its possible they may figure out a way to block this in future updates (I am not an expert). If you are with in your retail return window I would recommend trying the method because if you manage to really mess something up, you can at least return it.
Just take your time.
The instructions are for multiple versions and slightly out of order. Make sure everything is working before you begin.
If you plan to go through ZTE and in theory void your warranty, then by all means wait until you really need it.
Good luck.

osmosizzz said:
If you want to wait until the 30 day period is over, you can go ahead. im keeping the phone for a while so ive just gone ahead and rooted. there is a method to unlock the bootloader without contacting ZTE. I did it that way. its fairly easy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How is this done?

Rigby J said:
How is this done?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://forum.xda-developers.com/axon-7/how-to/bootloader-unlock-t3437778

xtermmin said:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/axon-7/how-to/bootloader-unlock-t3437778
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Click to collapse
thanks

I just got my A7. Coming from OPO with a sultan rom running xposed. I want to root but honestly I am not super smart developer. I am good following direction and figuring things out. I honestly love Sulan rom and would love it on A& but I doubt he does a rom for it as he mostly is busy with school and sticks with OPO or OP3.
I am debating on rooting as I mostly just want xposed for its youtube app adblocker and in app blocking apps.
I would suggest waiting til roms are developed and little more mature. Which if judging by the speed of root being available I would say could be as soon as few months or less.
Big respect for the developers and who keep the community and advancements going. Thanks all!

Does anyone know a way to disable the notification bell with root? Thanks

mmamedov said:
Does anyone know a way to disable the notification bell with root? Thanks
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Click to collapse
I don't think you can disable the bell and keep the lockscreen exactly as it is.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/axon-7/themes/skipping-notification-bell-root-t3441787