[SIZE=+3]Frequently Asked Questions[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+2]AT&T, Canadian Bell, Rogers, Telus, Virgin Samsung Galaxy S 4 [/SIZE]
[SIZE=+1]This a short list of frequently asked questions in this device forum and the answers often given as a response. It should serve as a starting point for gathering knowledge and finding solutions to many common problems. Please only post in this thread with feedback on how to improve this document. Do not post "Thank you" type responses. If you have additional questions or require more help, try to find an existing thread or create your own. Do not use this as a general help thread.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+1]Q1: what are most of the common words and phrases I will hear around XDA and what do they mean? Things like 'Kernel' and 'Clock Speed' and 'Governors'.[/SIZE]
See this thread for a very good explanations
[SIZE=+1]Q2: What is the difference between the S4 Development Forum and the S4 Original Development Forum?[/SIZE]
The regular development forum is for ROMs based on Samsung's Touchwiz version of Android
The original development forum is for AOSP or other based non Touchwiz ROMs, recoveries, and such
[SIZE=+1]Q3: What is the difference between the S4 Development Forum and the S4 Original Development Forum & Samsung Galaxy S 4 Unified Development ?[/SIZE]
The regular development forumThe regular development forum is for ROMs based on Samsung's Touchwiz version of Android
The original development forum is for AOSP or other based non Touchwiz ROMs, recoveries, and such
The Samsung Galaxy S 4 Unified Development forum is for unified AOSP type ROMs, kernels and mods., suitable for multiple S4 versions
[SIZE=+1]Q4: What are download mode and recovery and how can I enter them?[/SIZE]
Make sure your phone is unplugged and powered off.
Download Mode: Hold Volume down, home, and power until you see the green dude.
Recovery: Hold Volume up, home, and power for about 5 seconds then release all buttons. This might take a couple of tries.
[SIZE=+1]Q5: What is ADB (Android Debug Bridge) and what is it for?[/SIZE]
There is much to learn, please view everything in the threads OP, here is a very good guide [GUIDE] ADB Workshop and Guide for everyone
[SIZE=+1]Q6: What is Odin & where can I find it?[/SIZE]
Odin is a program that lets you flash things to a Samsung mobile device from a PC. It's an invaluable part of modding Samsung devices.
You can find download links for the software there as well as a few other things.
[HOWTO][TAR][OUDHS] THE ODIN THREAD :: Return to stock, fix soft brick
[SIZE=+1]Q7: How do I root my device?[/SIZE]
AT&T/I337 MDL:
[ROOT[RECOVERY] Loki + TWRP + Motochopper CASUAL-R527b release:27May13
AT&T with MF3:
[RECOVERY LOCKED] Safestrap Recovery v3.71/v3.72 [2014-04-02 KK Beta]
AT&T with MK2:
[RECOVERY LOCKED] Safestrap Recovery v3.71/v3.72 [2014-04-02 KK Beta]
AT&T with NB1:
[RECOVERY LOCKED] Safestrap Recovery v3.71/v3.72 [2014-04-02 KK Beta]
AT&T with NC1:
[RECOVERY LOCKED] Safestrap Recovery v3.71/v3.72 [2014-04-02 KK Beta]
AT&T with NI1:
[RECOVERY LOCKED] Safestrap Recovery v3.71/v3.72 [2014-04-02 KK Beta]
Canadian/I337M Users:
[TOOL](OneClick)UPDATED 7-8-13 CANADIAN I337m ROOT & RECOVERY
I337 & I337M Users: [Video Guide] How To Root Galaxy S4 I337 / I337m Easy & User Friendly
[SIZE=+1]Q8: What are my choices on a custom recovery?[/SIZE]
AT&T ~ MDB, MDL
TWRP 2.8.0.1 touch recovery [2014-09-12] -[RECOVERY][jflteatt] TWRP 2.8.0.1 touch recovery [2014-06-05]
Jeboo Custom recovery - Jeboo Recovery v2.2
[CWM Advanced Edition] PhilZ Touch - PhilZ recovery has been updated to cover all s4 variants
OUDHS Touch CWM-based Recovery 1.0.3.5 by Shabbypenguin for your AT&T Samsung Galaxy S 4 - [RECOVERY]SGH-I337 OUDHS Recovery - now with smart auto-loki
If you have any of the following from AT&T ~ MF3, MK2, NB1, NC1 OR NL1 the above custom recoveries will not work, since the bootloaders are locked you can only use the recovery that comes with SAFESTRAP
[SIZE=+1]Q9: I am on MK2 & or NB1 and I think I have bricked my device what can I do?[/SIZE]
MK2 users:
★ MK2 ★ FULL ODIN TAR FILES ★ MK2 ★ | ★ UNBRICKED ★ Feb.06.2014 ★"
NB1 Users:
★ NB1 ★ UNBRICKED ★ METHOD ★ NB1 ★ | ★ ATT ★ 4.4 KITKAT ★ UPDATE ★ Feb.27.2014 ★
[SIZE=+1]Q10: Can I downgrade after the OTA update from MK2 to NB1?[/SIZE]
Follow the link to find out more: ★NB1►UNBRICKED★DOWNGRADE★METHOD◄ MK2★ | ★AT&T★KITKAT★UPDATE★ | ★Mar.04.2014★ |
[SIZE=+1]Q11: I have seen Loki Doki patch mentioned throughout the threads what is it?[/SIZE]
refers to the exploit that allows us to run custom recoveries as well as custom roms. You only need to have a loki'd rom if you have a model with a locked bootloader (AT&T). Thankfully, you can install a custom recovery that will auto-Loki any rom you flash so that you can install almost any rom built for our model phone (see below). I strongly recommend flashing an auto loki recovery if you have a phone with locked bootloader.Here is the link for Loki Doki:
*If you are on MF3 or any of the others than MDL "Loki Doki" will not work for you.
[SIZE=+1]Q12: Am I required to backup my ROM before flashing anything else?[/SIZE]
No you're not, but it is definitely a good idea because if you don't do a backup and then something goes wrong, it means that you'll lose all your apps, data etc. It just saves a lot of hassle.
[SIZE=+1]Q13: How to enable "developer options" on my device?[/SIZE]
Goto->Setting->About Phone->Click 7 times on Build number
After this you will see a pop up message saying that you are now developer.
[SIZE=+1]Q14: How do I unroot & return my device to stock?[/SIZE]
Here is a very good guide to return your phone back to stock condition
Here is a link for unrooting and returning your S4 to stock
As with any procedure please read the instructions several times before attempting.
[SIZE=+1]Q15: How to get a logcat if I'm asked for it?[/SIZE]
Here is a link for learning how to make a Logcat [UNIVERSAL][LOGCAT]How to get & read a logcat/ Troubleshoot your own issues!
[SIZE=+1]Q16: What does MD5 checksum mean??[/SIZE]
MD5 digests have been widely used in the software world to provide some assurance that a transferred file has arrived intact. For example, file servers often provide a pre-computed MD5 (known as Md5sum) checksum for the files, so that a user can compare the checksum of the downloaded file to it. A simple HOW TO is located Here
[SIZE=+1]Q17: Can I flash other carriers roms on my device?[/SIZE]
Here is a very good guide on this topic [GUIDE][ROMS]RUN OTHER CARRIER ROMs on AT&T/TMO/Canadian S4 devices. Here's how!
[SIZE=+1]Q18: What is the best ROM/kernel/modem??[/SIZE]
Honestly, there is no "best". It's all based on personal choice. For example; I may like heavily customizing my ROMs whereas you may like it to look at basic as possible. The best thing you can do is to just test out different ROMs/kernels/modems and see which you prefer.
[SIZE=+1]Q19: I have an AT&T S4 & what are my choices for modems?[/SIZE]
Here is a very good thread to seek any answers about modems you may have I337 ATT MODEMS NB1 FMLD MK2 MJ9 MJ6 MF3 MDL MDB ModemS
[SIZE=+1]Q20: I have AT&T what is the Access Point Name (APN) I need?[/SIZE]
Name: ATT Phone (Some my have PTA in place of Phone)
APN: phone
Proxy: Not set
Port : Not set
User name: Not set
Password: Not set
Server: Not set
MMSC: http://mmsc.mobile.att.net
MMS proxy: proxy.mobile.att.net
MMS port: 80
MCC: 310
MNC: 410
Authentication type: None
APN type: default,mms,supl,hipri
APN protocol: IPv4
APN roaming protocol: IPv4
Enable/disable APN: APN enabled
Bearer: Unspecified
[SIZE=+1]Q21: How do I restore a Nandroid Backup?[/SIZE]
Enter recovery mode again and look for the ‘backup and restore’. Select restore and everything should go back to normal in a few minutes.
If you choose the ‘Advanced Restore’ option, you can select which component of the backup to restore – like the boot, system, data or cache.
Reboot system. Your system is now restored and is exactly same as the time when the backup was made.
[SIZE=+1]Q22: How come my 16GB phone says I have only 5GB available even though I just flashed a fresh ROM?[/SIZE]
First off, you never had 16GB free. That's the total memory on the device. That includes the space for the ROM, recovery, bootloader, system files, data, and then what's left over is your user partition which is about 11GB for you to put photos and music on.
[SIZE=+1]Q23: I still have some questions.Where can I post them ?.[/SIZE]
Questions can still be posted in the Stupid Questions Thread - No question too stupid!
*
Forum Rules | New Users Guide | XDA Tour | Report Posts
This FAQ is part of a Recognized Contributor Group Initiative. Please look for a similar FAQ thread when visiting another device forum.
A special thanks to everyone who contributed to the production of this FAQ
For AT&T for any questions and more information about modems see:
I337 ATT MODEMS NB1 FMLD MK2 MJ9 MJ6 MF3 MDL MDB Modems
Do not post "Thank you" type responses. If you have additional questions or require more help, try to find an existing thread or create your own. Do not use this as a general help thread. More Frequently Asked Questions and their answers are welcome here and I will add them to the OP.
Great post, thank you! Can never read/learn enough!
Regarding TWRP, some ppl, myself included, often experienced the recovery boot process hanging at the 'teamwin' splash screen with v2.6 ... better to link to v2.5.0.2 instead to prevent reposts of "can't boot into twrp" or similar?
Hey guys,my phone started with the amdl baseband a update was trying to push threw in the middle of the night it downloaded I think ...but I didnt insall it found my phone in recovery asking to install so pushed no and rebooted but noticed base band changed to amdb I froze the att update in tb.. am I now screwed with this
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using xda app-developers app
Has anyone tried using terminal emulator to manually push CWM on the MF3
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using xda premium
What about a section for MF3/MK2 faq's?
such as... Can i root MF3/MK2 - Will i still have root if I update MF3 to MK2? - Is there an MK2 tar/zip I can download to update manually?
these are just a small number of question i see posted in which the person replying gets upset and points the OP to the "4.3 update coming november" thread. Which, oh by the way, is 51 pages of replies... To me it doesnt make any more sense to tell someone to learn to search/etc and then direct them to a 51 page mess of replies.
Just my two sense.
Does the Canadian MK6 build has anything like MF3?
I mean, do I need to use any special recovery or latest CWM or TWRP will still do the trick? Anyone tried changing the recovery starting from stock 4.3 (MK6) canadian build?
re: recovery
Bleedos said:
Does the Canadian MK6 build has anything like MF3?
I mean, do I need to use any special recovery or latest CWM or TWRP will still do the trick? Anyone tried changing the recovery starting from stock 4.3 (MK6) canadian build?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
CWM or TWRP will both work just fine.............
No special recovery needed.
Good luck!
I was searching and am having some trouble finding my answer. From my previous S3, and Note 2, the threads were stickied for US modem downloads. Did I miss the thread that contains the US modems?
ViciousMo said:
I was searching and am having some trouble finding my answer. From my previous S3, and Note 2, the threads were stickied for US modem downloads. Did I miss the thread that contains the US modems?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I believe the General section is were the modems/radios are located
Sent from my ATT S4 MF3 using Tapatalk
Help with backing up and roms
I'm currently running goldeneye 16.2 and I would like to update to the most current version to hopefully fix the data drops issue.
I also purchased the paid version of titanium backup I am not running any other add-ons or mods on my phone.
Would someone please mind explaining exactly how and what I need to backup and restore on my phone in order to not have any issues with the install yet still try to preserve as much of my settings and files as possible.
Thank you very much, I really appreciate your help.
Rextober said:
I'm currently running goldeneye 16.2 and I would like to update to the most current version to hopefully fix the data drops issue.
I also purchased the paid version of titanium backup I am not running any other add-ons or mods on my phone.
Would someone please mind explaining exactly how and what I need to backup and restore on my phone in order to not have any issues with the install yet still try to preserve as much of my settings and files as possible.
Thank you very much, I really appreciate your help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I user super backup for call logs and SMS/MMS and then slect backup data to xml to backup wifi stuff. Then backup you apps. I just wouldn't suggest restoring adds+data just apps.
You could so a dirty flash and wipe cache/davlik adn then flash the rom since its basically the same rom. If not then you would need to wipe system, factory reset, and wipe cache and davlik.
Thread cleaned
Reminder, this is not a Q&A nor ask any questions thread
This is a FAQ. If you notice a FAQ that is not listed here please PM the OP to add
Thank you for your cooperation
Friendly Neighborhood Senior Moderator
Link to thread was added to Post #2
For AT&T users see this thread for any and all information concerning modems
I337 ATT MODEMS NB1 FMLD MK2 MJ9 MJ6 MF3 MDL MDB Modems
Now I see this as a frequent question I hope new members take the time to read this post.
AT&T i337 running Jelly Bean build MK2 , kitkat 4.4.2 Builds NB1 and NC1; can't flash custom recoveries or custom roms since the boot loader is locked. The only option to flash alternative TW roms is to use safestrap. Builds NC1 and NB1 will need to downgrade to 4.3 Mk2 to root.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Can we add to Q10 that the Loki locked bootloader bypass doesn't work for MF3 or higher? I've tried it myself and read it in other places as well.
oops
I am goddamn confused and need some help...
How do i know if I have MDL, MK2. MF3??
I have an AT&T SGH-I337
4.4.2 stock rom
I was trying to install TWRP via terminal emulator and now im stuck in download mode!!
Help!
EDIT:
I was able to boot somehow into android, i guess I am just unable to boot to recovery now... how can I fix this? I don't know if I've screwed up the stock recovery...
What I wanted to do is install the GPE rom (rooted) is there no way to do this from 4.4.2 ??
Deleted
Hello,
I have a DE note 3, and I was wondering if any of the great devs or other nice members here could provide me with ano original MJ3 system dump that I can use to either flash from twrp or an Odin version .tar file. I would also love to get an original MJ3 modem .tar file to flash from Odin. Beanstown used to have one on his kernel and modem collection post, but that file seems to have been replaced with the MJE modem. I have MJ7 right now, but just want to flash back to MJ3 to try something out.
Since the bootloader is unlocked, I know kernels can be flashed as well. There used to be a link in Beanstown's post that pointed to where compatible T-Mobile (or at&t?) kernels could be found that could be flashed to the dev edition, but I can't seem to find that link either. Could someone also kindly point me to where I could find kernels compatible with the dev edition Verizon note 3?
I really need the .tar/zip files for MJ3 system and modem, the link to the kernels is just a plus.
Thanks to anyone kind enough that could give me the stock files for the dev edition, since a complete restore .tar doesn't exist yet.
fortunately the only one available right now is the MJE build beans put together.
there is nothing else unfortunately.
Go to the T-Mobile Note 3 section, then to Original Android Development. You will find kernels there.
newuser134 said:
Hello,
I have a DE note 3, and I was wondering if any of the great devs or other nice members here could provide me with ano original MJ3 system dump that I can use to either flash from twrp or an Odin version .tar file. I would also love to get an original MJ3 modem .tar file to flash from Odin. Beanstown used to have one on his kernel and modem collection post, but that file seems to have been replaced with the MJE modem. I have MJ7 right now, but just want to flash back to MJ3 to try something out.
Since the bootloader is unlocked, I know kernels can be flashed as well. There used to be a link in Beanstown's post that pointed to where compatible T-Mobile (or at&t?) kernels could be found that could be flashed to the dev edition, but I can't seem to find that link either. Could someone also kindly point me to where I could find kernels compatible with the dev edition Verizon note 3?
I really need the .tar/zip files for MJ3 system and modem, the link to the kernels is just a plus.
Thanks to anyone kind enough that could give me the stock files for the dev edition, since a complete restore .tar doesn't exist yet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I posted the MJ3 Stock dev kernel Odin tar.md5 here
Hello. I am attempting to flash new BL and Modems using Odin 3.10.6 on a Windows 7 partition on a Macbook Pro mid-2012 OS 10.10. My phone is a T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy S4, Baseband number M919UVUAMDL. My current build number on my phone is Omega v7.0 - XXUBMF8. I'm trying to upgrade to Omega v42 - XXUHOF2.
My problem:
Odin recognizes my phone fine but fails the flash very quickly. The fail message Odin gives is "FAIL! (auth)" right after "NAND Write Start!!" and my phone displays the message "Secure Check Fail: aboot". This happens no matter what USB cable I use.
The files I'm trying to flash are:
BL_I9505XXUHOF2_user_low_ship_MULTI_CERT.tar
GSM_Modem_I9505XXUHOF2_and_LTE_Modem_I9505XXUHOF2.tar
Any help?
You can't flash an I9505 bootloader or modem on a T-Mobile S4. You can only use a T-Mobile bootloader and modem. So search the T-Mobile S4 forums for the most current bootloader and modem, and flash them through Odin.
Thank you for the help. I am now quite confused and need more help, if it can be spared.
I understand now that I can only use SGH-M919 bootloaders and modems but I can use Omega ROMs, too. I tried my best to find current, and any, bootloaders and modems on the SGH-M919 forum without success. I'm not an idiot but I'm also not experienced with navigating this forum. Can anyone offer more specific direction to SGH-M919 bootloaders and modems?
Some other questions I now have:
- Do I need Lollipop BL/modem in order to flash a Lollipop-based custom ROM or can I use any generation BL/modem?
- Will all Lollipop-based custom ROMs require me to flash new BL/modems? Can I just find a ROM that doesn't require new ones?
If it seems like I'm confused or ignorant of more issues than I've addressed, it probably because I am. Any and all help and education is greatly appreciated. Thanks.
There is a link to the T-Mobile S4 forums in my previous post. Make a thread in their Q&A section and ask where the bootloaders and modems are. If I recall however, the T-Mobile S4 never went past 4.4.4, though I hope I'm wrong. Regardless, while these ROMs all recommend the latest Android 5.x bootloaders and modems, they should still work with whatever you do have available. Performance may however be affected.
So I have a Note 3 (t-mobile) running cm 12.1, everything seems great except that i cannot find how to update the baseband/modem/whatever to the current version.
All i want is a twrp flashable N900TUVUFOL1 modem but I can only find the complete stock rom, which I do not want.
I want to try the newer modem file because I am having reception problems in areas that my girlfriend is not!
Help!
I suggest you post in your phones forum.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/note-3-tmobile
I don't know of any link for a TWRP-flashable modem but the latest stock ROM is here: http://www.sammobile.com/firmwares/database/SM-N900T/
This can be a sign Search on sammobile.com
hi, im new here. I have a question regarding my galaxy s4 i9505 which is already stated in the title. Im currently using Optimized Cm13 by JDC team which runs in my very old bootloader I9505ZHU and modem. Though i dont have any problems with it, i would still like to update to later version of bootloader like i9505XX that is where the custom rom is based. So is it possible?
Yes.
There is a guide and links to modem files in the S4 General Section.
The guide is by the user Bon_Bon. It's pretty detailed. Though I'm not sure if the modems and bootloaders listed there are the most recent, but they certainly aren't that old either.
Also, you may find that going to the last pages of that thread, users have posted the latest modem/bootloader combo. If not, there's another - older - modem thread that may have them.
Another way to get the latest bootloader and modem on the phone is pretty simple: use TWRP to backup your exiting ROM, flash the latest stock ROM from sammobile.com with Odin, flash TWRP with Odin, and restore backup from TWRP.