Database Users

Rooting Nexus 7 any point to?

I looked around but did not really see any great point in rooting the nexus 7, it gets latest updates from google as it is. Is there any point to root like beter battery and stuff, if so what are best roms to install on it?.
Thanks

seanoneill92 said:
I looked around but did not really see any great point in rooting the nexus 7, it gets latest updates from google as it is. Is there any point to root like beter battery and stuff, if so what are best roms to install on it?.
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I recommend smoothrom, it's my favorite. I've been using it for months and it gets much better battery life than stock.

There are only two possibles with this question:
1) You like/love your Nexus 7 just the way it is and you're very happy with the performance and knowing it will get some official updates before most any other devices do (just like it did yesterday with 4.2.2 and it being only one of 4 devices to get it this early)
or...
2) You like/love your Nexus 7 just the way it is but you're interested in seeing just what it's really capable of because "pure stock" is never going to really show of what the Nexus 7 can do in terms of performance and even battery life.
If you're firmly situated in the type of person where #1 is absolute and true, then stick with what you've got. If you're the type of person where #2 is more akin to your interests, then obviously rooting is the way to go because it basically opens up those possibilities that "pure stock" simply can't offer.
As for what those opportunities are, well, that's why XDA- Developers exists: this forum has (according to the latest stats):
Threads: 1,724,770, Posts: 35,783,153, Members: 4,897,464, Active Members: 488,400
Suffice to say this place didn't get this popular with people running "pure stock."
And just for the record: rooting does NOT mean you must install a custom ROM or anything like it - rooting gives you the opportunity (along with unlocking the bootloader, obviously) of running custom kernels which can and do add a lot of goodies in terms of performance and battery life while still remaining with the stock ROM overall. Custom ROMs are just another bonus on top of unlocking bootloaders and rooting devices - they're not the end-all-be-all, however.
A lot of people don't quite get that so I figured I'd point it out...

If your running 4.2.2 rooting is impossible js
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app

Class_of_punk26 said:
If your running 4.2.2 rooting is impossible js
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No its not.

Just because you can't root and can't use Google search like the rest of us doesn't mean its impossible. It took me about 20 minutes to do it when I got it and I had no idea what I was doing. It's all because this wonderful thing we call Google search.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app

Thanks everyone for the replies but i decided i wont bother rooting for now since its get new updates,when that stops ile root it

My Nexus 7 was rooted successfully and I have the latest version 4.2.2
Nothing is impossible ^_^
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD

I have a highly modded GNex phone and have been an active member of the Android Dev community for quite a while now. I love how I have configured my GNex and I wouldn't have it any other way.
With my N7, I just adore this thing totally stock, non-rooted, all locked-up. Not only can a stock N7 function beautifully IMO, I find that spending 0% of my time futzing with ROM selection, kernal selection, and endless tweaking allows me to dedicate 100% of my time to just enjoying and using the thing.
So, I Iike living in both worlds, on different devices, for different reasons. If you enjoy your N7 just the way it is, go grab it and enjoy it some more. That's just what I am doing. No need to question it!

That's kind of what I did as well, except the complete opposite of you. I've unlocked and rooted both my Gnex and N7, but my Gnex is stock. I left it that way so I can get the official updates, which I'm always curious about. The N7 is more like a testing tool, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Is Rooting Worth it Yet?

Im still running stock 4.2.2 from Rogers on my D803 but the fact that Im basically 3 versions back on a brand new phone has been crawling under my skin since the day I bought it (4 days ago)
I was wondering if its worth it yet to root tho? I do really love the features this phone was built with, like the quick remote especially, since I already have it all programed for all my TV's and Cogeco boxes in my home.
Im basically wanting to know what we lose going to the custom roms made by guys like Heustonn, or if everything is more or less functional?
Word on the street is LG will have the official Kit Kat by March, so should I just tough it out, or should I just go for it?
I also have TONNES of experience with flashing. Ive been rooting since my old HTC Hero, and I also had the Nexus S and the Galaxy Nexus, so its not a confidence thing, its just more a feature thing since Ive found some of the LG stuff to be really cool so far!
Thanks

KitKat isn't due out for the G2 until some time in the 1st quarter of next year, so why not try out some different ROMs while you're waiting? You can always flash the original firmware if you want / need to go back to stock, which will remove the root status and reinstall the stock recovery.

4.2.2 has more features then 4.4 lol
Sent from my LG-D803 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

You won't lose any features rooting..
Sent from my LG-D800

AndrewWalker613 said:
I was wondering if its worth it yet to root tho? I do really love the features this phone was built with, like the quick remote especially, since I already have it all programed for all my TV's and Cogeco boxes in my home.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
QuickRemote has been ported to all AOSP roms. You can find it in the themes and apps section.

AndrewWalker613 said:
Im still running stock 4.2.2 from Rogers on my D803 but the fact that Im basically 3 versions back on a brand new phone has been crawling under my skin since the day I bought it (4 days ago)
I was wondering if its worth it yet to root tho? I do really love the features this phone was built with, like the quick remote especially, since I already have it all programed for all my TV's and Cogeco boxes in my home.
Im basically wanting to know what we lose going to the custom roms made by guys like Heustonn, or if everything is more or less functional?
Word on the street is LG will have the official Kit Kat by March, so should I just tough it out, or should I just go for it?
I also have TONNES of experience with flashing. Ive been rooting since my old HTC Hero, and I also had the Nexus S and the Galaxy Nexus, so its not a confidence thing, its just more a feature thing since Ive found some of the LG stuff to be really cool so far!
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can get QuickRemote and LG Camera for AOSP based 4.4 roms, and if you don't like LG's skin I would definitely recommend trying out one of the many awesome custom roms here!

2nd day I rooted and flashed to gummy 4.4. Love it. Kit Kat is slick

[Q] Which Nexus 4 as a toy/tool (not phone)

I am retired and have taken to modifying phones as one of my hobbies.
I have a Samsung S3 I535 which I no longer use as a cell phone, but it was OTA'd to KitKat 4.4.3. Because of this update the bootloader is locked and I don't want to try and put custom ROMs on it.
I am considering selling my S3 and buying a used Nexus 4. It will not be activated or used as a telephone but I will install custom ROMs and use it for GPS, movies, and a few games.
Are there any specific Nexus 4 models to stay away from?...or conversely are there any specific variations that are better than the others?

chinook9 said:
I am retired and have taken to modifying phones as one of my hobbies.
I have a Samsung S3 I535 which I no longer use as a cell phone, but it was OTA'd to KitKat 4.4.3. Because of this update the bootloader is locked and I don't want to try and put custom ROMs on it.
I am considering selling my S3 and buying a used Nexus 4. It will not be activated or used as a telephone but I will install custom ROMs and use it for GPS, movies, and a few games.
Are there any specific Nexus 4 models to stay away from?...or conversely are there any specific variations that are better than the others?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
These are Nexus's, they are built for customization and things like that. There's really no difference or added challenge between devices, because they're all built to be modified.
The only difference between random devices bought online is the CPU, they can be marked as different "tiers" which only really applies to undervolting your device. Personally, I've never found that it actually changes anything... but everyone's different. To figure this out is not easy, and requires the phone to be rooted and have a terminal app installed (with root privileges).
So moral of my comment, is that they're really all the same and can all be modded easily. Also, as a Nexus, modding will be easier than your S3 no matter what.

Prophet968 said:
These are Nexus's, they are built for customization and things like that. There's really no difference or added challenge between devices, because they're all built to be modified.
The only difference between random devices bought online is the CPU, they can be marked as different "tiers" which only really applies to undervolting your device. Personally, I've never found that it actually changes anything... but everyone's different. To figure this out is not easy, and requires the phone to be rooted and have a terminal app installed (with root privileges).
So moral of my comment, is that they're really all the same and can all be modded easily. Also, as a Nexus, modding will be easier than your S3 no matter what.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for the response.
On the Samsung S3 the update to 4.3 locked the bootloader. Are there any modding problem with Nexus 4 that have 4.3 or 4.4 installed?

chinook9 said:
Thank you for the response.
On the Samsung S3 the update to 4.3 locked the bootloader. Are there any modding problem with Nexus 4 that have 4.3 or 4.4 installed?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
no, these aren't Samsung devices. The bootloader will never be locked by firmware. Technically the bootloader is locked but the simple fastboot command
fastboot oem unlock
will unlock the bootloader
You'll never have a problem flashing any n4 rom and you can easily downgrade firmware if you want too.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using XDA Free mobile app

jd1639 said:
no, these aren't Samsung devices. The bootloader will never be locked by firmware. Technically the bootloader is locked but the simple fastboot command
fastboot oem unlock
will unlock the bootloader
You'll never have a problem flashing any n4 rom and you can easily downgrade firmware if you want too.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well folks a little potentially useful information for any reader who may be in the situation I was in when I started this thread.
I bought a used Nexus 4 and quickly learned that it does not have some features I assumed it did, in fact I assumed all phones had these features. That is, the Nexus 4 does not have an SDHC card slot and it does not work with OTG cables unless you do a "workaround." I can live with these but I doubt I would have purchased this phone if I had known.
On second thought, I will check around and see if there is another phone that meets my needs better at a reasonable price. 16GB is just not much space for a selection of movies, quite a few maps on 2 or 3 GPSs, some music, a few custom ROMs and a backup or two.

chinook9 said:
Well folks a little potentially useful information for any reader who may be in the situation I was in when I started this thread.
I bought a used Nexus 4 and quickly learned that it does not have some features I assumed it did, in fact I assumed all phones had these features. That is, the Nexus 4 does not have an SDHC card slot and it does not work with OTG cables unless you do a "workaround." I can live with these but I doubt I would have purchased this phone if I had known.
On second thought, I will check around and see if there is another phone that meets my needs better at a reasonable price. 16GB is just not much space for a selection of movies, quite a few maps on 2 or 3 GPSs, some music, a few custom ROMs and a backup or two.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
there are plenty , depends on your budget actually ,you can buy a xperia z used, for almost same price and plenty of custom roms support for it as well

[Q] problem with battery since 4.4.3, and root help

Intro to my problem:
hey there,
i bought my nexus 4 about barely half year ago, it had the android 4.4.2, and there was no problem at all, after it there was an update to 4.4.3 OTA update, so i updated it and since that update, my battery on my nexus 4 is getting fast drained than it was befor.. ( now it barely survive 4 hours of facebook , whatsapp, youtube with screen on auto...when with my 4.4.2 it lasted for 1 and half day! ( a bit facebook , a bit whatsapp, and youtube).. now i tried to ota update to 4.4.4. but it doesnt make the situation any better.
so now i want to root my nexus 4, and get the best 4.4.2 rom out there to the nexus 4
What i seek to know:
1.so my first question: what is the best method to root my nexus 4? i heard about downloading "towelroot" thing, and then from the market "bootlocker unlock for nexus devices". ( i dont have any previous knowledge on rooting or into android things. im kinda new in it)
but, i also saw on youtube that some guy rooted he's nexus 4 throught a computer and it looks much more complicated.
so wich method is the best? and if i could get a guide, that would be nice
and also, whats the best 4.4.2 rom for nexus 4? i want one with alot of customization options.
thanks alot people! hope you could help me in my situation.

help? somone? i want to know how to root my nexus 4 the best way.

Questions regarding the Note 4

Hello XDA!
I'm about to purchase a note 4 tomorrow from Wind mobile here in Canada. I would have preferred the nexus 6 but its just not available with wind as of yet.
So my questions regarding the note 4 are:
1) The Note 4 variant would be SM-N910W8, will it allow rooting?
2) Does Samsung allow unlocking the bootloader to install custom roms or is just a root sufficient to do that.
3) I've heard of something called knox, and how it will trigger once you root the note 4. Will this have any adverse effects on app functionality such as tap2pay etc..? I know the warranty will be void, but if something goes wrong with the device its a 50/50 chance of getting it repaired replaced.
4) My reason of preference for the N6 was stock android, is there a ROM currently that is AOSP based?
5) Is there a specific thread i can go to find roms for my variant?
5) Is there a way to return back to a virgin note 4 (unrooted, stock ROM)? And even when that is done, will knox still reflect the trigger as 0x1?
6) Lastly, i havent been much of a fan of samsung because i felt they were pushing out "cheap phones" And i must admit, ever since they came with the metal band with their alpha and note 4. Ive taken a great liking to them. So my question (I do only expect general replies) , How are you guys/girls liking your note 4 so far?
Thanks in advanced!
(P.S sorry if some of the questions are stupid, i researched and dug around as much as i can but couldnt find definitive answers)

Rooting restriction is carrier based. Some carriers lock down from rooting, others dont.
Knox is a one way trip. Once tripped it stays that way. It is effectively a fuse.
Had my N4 for two weeks and am loving it. Came from a rooted S4. Not really missing root that much. Wish I could still turn GPS on and off with Tasker and wish I had better access to the SD card. Not big deals though. There is another thread here about non-rooted solutions to many things people want root for.
Might become more an issue in a couple years if Samsung/Verizon fails to do timely updates.
Best advice to new N4 users is learn to use the S Pen. It is what makes the N4 stand out.
Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

1. No it doesnt allow rooting. get a 910U - so far it seems the least hassle.
2. no rooting.
3. yes once you try to root your warranty is void. for all purposes assume you will never get root. then again, you dont need root. in fact having no root and knox is much better. you can have a dual personality phone which works very well.
4. irrelevant. if you get the note 4 expect to run factory.
5. no. you cant have root.
6. you need a full case to hold it. its a thin glass panel. ive got an iblason armorbox for it. also would recommend buying the wireless back and wireless chargers. cables are too much of a hassle on this phone.

My recommendation would be little biased towards Samsung given my last four phones were all galaxy. I never had to root Note 3 but I rooted Note 4 in few days of owning it. Google must have thought let's give some punch to Samsung by disabling write access to external SD giving excuse of security as Samsung is the only high end phone manufacturer that still has it. And one of the most used function that was very important to me was copying files off network share to SD which no longer worked. Only for this I rooted.
I buy Note series not for amoled or big screen or good battery life or running AOSPs. I buy for SPen. I snap, print screen, doodle and write catchy text and share, adds that special touch. And that Microsoft One Note supported inking in android, I am loving it even more.
Note 4

Thanks for the input guys, much appreciated!
While it seems most of you use the note 4 for its main purpose of being a multitasking phone. I on the other end just need the good camera, screen and battery. Everything else is gimmicks (for me atleast). However, this opinion of mine could be due to the fact that ive never owned a note before.
I did see some guides of being able to root the SM-N910W8 with CF auto root, as well as a way of bringing devices back to stock as i can see form this thread:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/note-4/general/ref-stock-firmware-kernel-modem-recovery-t2920452
Now, is that really the case or is there somehting im not seeing?

you can NEVER bring it back to stock. the efuse blows once you root. Do NOT root a note 4 until youre familiar enough with knox to make the choice

By stock i dont mean resetting the knox fuse. I mean, if I am on a cusotm rom, i can bring it back to stock for warranty purposes (which I know after the knox fuse is blown, is a hit and miss)
So my question still stands, will I be able to root my phone based on the thread i mentioned above and be able to return it to stock afterwards, or is there something im not seeing there.

qwertyman007 said:
Hello XDA!
I'm about to purchase a note 4 tomorrow from Wind mobile here in Canada. I would have preferred the nexus 6 but its just not available with wind as of yet.
So my questions regarding the note 4 are:
1) The Note 4 variant would be SM-N910W8, will it allow rooting?
2) Does Samsung allow unlocking the bootloader to install custom roms or is just a root sufficient to do that.
3) I've heard of something called knox, and how it will trigger once you root the note 4. Will this have any adverse effects on app functionality such as tap2pay etc..? I know the warranty will be void, but if something goes wrong with the device its a 50/50 chance of getting it repaired replaced.
4) My reason of preference for the N6 was stock android, is there a ROM currently that is AOSP based?
5) Is there a specific thread i can go to find roms for my variant?
5) Is there a way to return back to a virgin note 4 (unrooted, stock ROM)? And even when that is done, will knox still reflect the trigger as 0x1?
6) Lastly, i havent been much of a fan of samsung because i felt they were pushing out "cheap phones" And i must admit, ever since they came with the metal band with their alpha and note 4. Ive taken a great liking to them. So my question (I do only expect general replies) , How are you guys/girls liking your note 4 so far?
Thanks in advanced!
(P.S sorry if some of the questions are stupid, i researched and dug around as much as i can but couldnt find definitive answers)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have a Note 4 with Bell so to answer your questions:
1) Yes. This is true for all Canadian carriers AFAIK.
2,4) Should be sufficient with just a root. I haven't been around for a week so I haven't caught up on new developments yet. I didn't see much in the way of AOSP last I looked.
3) This I can't answer but I know for example there is an XPosed module that will allow applications like GOOD to continue to work even with KNOX tripped/removed.
5) The W8 is similar to the 910T. I'm actually running DynamicKat with the KTNote4 Kernel. When you install DK part of the install script checks if your phone is a 910T or a 910W8 and installs the correct kernel. I had an issue with my initial flash of it bootlooping but I used the Stockish kernel from twistedumbrella that I had flashed when I still running stock rooted and backed up the boot image so I restored that boot image and it booted, then I flashed KTNote4 myself. Check here http://forum.xda-developers.com/note-4-tmobile/development and here http://forum.xda-developers.com/note-4-tmobile/orig-development for roms/kernels.
6) Yes you can just flash a stock rom (should be floating around somewhere) but Knox will still be tripped.
7) Overall I'm absolutely loving it. I came from an S3 that I was running CM11 on with KT's kernel (seriously, his kernels are amazing!) and I liked it for a really long time but it started to get really sluggish and it just can't handle multitasking the way I'd like it. I do still notice slow downs, and the phone does still get pretty hot sometimes, but that's the price you pay for multi-tasking. KTs kernel certainly isn't perfected (granted I'm on a build from 2 weeks ago) and sometimes it will randomly reboot and bootloop at the splash screen but once I clear cache it boots right up. Usually only does this once it's been pretty hot for a while. I love the multitasking windows, that's exactly what I want. The one thing that threw me off the most was the DPI. It's a big phone, I don't need everything on it to be gigantic. So I did end up using the XPosed module App Settings to scale the DPI down to 480 from 640. There are a couple quirks when doing that, like the task switcher is smaller (since it was designed for 640 DPI) and there are a couple apps that you have to set back to 640 as well like the camera but you can always fix those as you find them.
I'm a firm believer that Android is a dev's playground. I could not use this phone happily without root. In fact, I rooted it the same night I got it within a couple hours. I bought the phone outright since I would have had to change my plan if I wanted to early upgrade and my plan is too good to do that. Happy modding!

Just use Autoinput. Can trigger GPS.
Sent from my SM-N910F using XDA Free mobile app