Database Users

How do you remove all the junk pre-loaded apps from Bell Samsung Galaxy?

I know this has been probably asked and answered many times but I'm new to xda community, if anybody can point me to a thread where it explains how to remove these useless apps like (bell pvr)

I use titanium backup. It is free in the Market. But be careful what apps you remove, I was told that certain apps require others to work.I just removed bell PVR and all the "social network" stuff.
When Titanium opens (Must be rooted) select backup/restore button at the top. Then scroll down to the apps you want to remove. Tap the icon then a list will appear, select uninstall.
And you are good
Enjoy your Galaxy!!

I am aware about the Titanium backup and want to remove some useless (for me) apps, but as the above poster mentioned I am not sure which ones are safe to be removed and more importantly, what do we do in case we remove an app that shouldn't have been removed... So if anyone has successfully uninstalled some of the stock apps could mention which ones?

Your best bet would be to backup the files you want to remove. You can do this in Titanium. Then after you remove the files you want to remove. After you reboot see if it works. If not then simply go back into titanium and restore the backup.

vylent said:
I know this has been probably asked and answered many times but I'm new to xda community, if anybody can point me to a thread where it explains how to remove these useless apps like (bell pvr)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you need to be rooted, and use Titan Backup (free)
everything in RED is preloaded
some are safe to remove, some are not
so make a backup before you remove anything

Guys, Where can I find this junk you deleted ...i need bell pvr app.
Anyone got a full backup of bell samsung vibrant ?

not me sorry, that is one of the very first thing i deleted, since i don't use Bell TV
actually i quit TV since like 7 years ago
as soon as i found out i can watch all my favorite TV shows anytime i wanted online/offline
i still have a TV somewhere, i just get the Free Over The Air, like the good old fashioned way, with the Rabbit Antennae

If u guys dont want to do it manually, might i suggest "systemapp remover" in market. It allows deletion of the apk followed by uninstalltion of the appropriate package name.

Titan Backup does that already, it backup and then uninstall
so if you screw-up by "accident" (removing things you shouldn't) you can restore from backup

Is there a nandroid backup or something we can extract the apk from.
Comeon guys, help me out here
thanks

mohitmoudgil said:
Is there a nandroid backup or something we can extract the apk from.
Comeon guys, help me out here
thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did u make a nandroid backup ? if so just unyaffs system.img
If not, then download the firmware ur currently using and proceed with this :
Link

Guys, I have t mobile vibrant. Else I would already have that apk.
If anyone can provide me a backup file then I can extract.

Here is the backup file that Titanium Backup created for the Bell PVR application. I hope this helps.
http://www.framedfiction.com/posts/ca.bell.android.BellRpvr-20100929-164710.tar.gz

I've read all over these forums about how you can use titanium backup to uninstall the bell apps that come with the phone. But whenever I launch Titanium all I see are the following:
Accounts
Application Widgets
Bluetooth Pairings
Country, Language, Time Zone
Wi-Fi Access Points
I've checked the filters and they're not on.
Is it broken?

Titanium Backup cannot restore all Apps to 2.3.4 ROMs

Hello everyone,
I am pretty sure this has been brought up by many others in various other sub-forums of XDA, but I have never had this issue prior to yesterday's update. let me break it down real quick.
So basically I had an Atrix that was flashed with the HKTW version of 2.3.4 GB. Prior to that, I had backed up all my apps from the Froyo Rom and used it to restore to Gingerbread and everything restored fine, every single app was reinstalled.
However, since that version of 2.3.4 has so many bugs, I decided to finally update to the official ATT version of it, using Ken's ROM. Again, prior to flashing I backed up the apps using Titanium backup and proceeded with the flashing.
After all is done, I went ahead to try restoring the apps, but less than half of them got restored. over a hundred of my apps (and the critical ones too) do not get restored. I ran the batch for restoring missing apps, but it just blitz through all the apps without prompting installation. Thus, those apps don't get installed at all in the phone.
Is there something i should be doing to get these other apps installed? I've never had an issue like this, and it's really giving me a hard time. I have even tried different roms of the 2.3.4 variant and nothing is making a difference.
Please, any help is appreciated.
p.s. I read someone in another forum mention he resolved a similar issue by using My Backup Pro. How can you use My Backup to restore TiBu files?

doing individual restores won't work?

dLo GSR said:
doing individual restores won't work?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How do I do so kind sir? I'm still not quite familiar with TiBu after all this time haha.
Also, in case this matters, the apps under the Restore Missing Apps Batch are all crossed out, and you can only select or deselect them. Funny part is, the apps that installed properly were also crossed out so it's all really weird now.

aquariuz23 said:
Hello everyone,
I am pretty sure this has been brought up by many others in various other sub-forums of XDA, but I have never had this issue prior to yesterday's update. let me break it down real quick.
So basically I had an Atrix that was flashed with the HKTW version of 2.3.4 GB. Prior to that, I had backed up all my apps from the Froyo Rom and used it to restore to Gingerbread and everything restored fine, every single app was reinstalled.
However, since that version of 2.3.4 has so many bugs, I decided to finally update to the official ATT version of it, using Ken's ROM. Again, prior to flashing I backed up the apps using Titanium backup and proceeded with the flashing.
After all is done, I went ahead to try restoring the apps, but less than half of them got restored. over a hundred of my apps (and the critical ones too) do not get restored. I ran the batch for restoring missing apps, but it just blitz through all the apps without prompting installation. Thus, those apps don't get installed at all in the phone.
Is there something i should be doing to get these other apps installed? I've never had an issue like this, and it's really giving me a hard time. I have even tried different roms of the 2.3.4 variant and nothing is making a difference.
Please, any help is appreciated.
p.s. I read someone in another forum mention he resolved a similar issue by using My Backup Pro. How can you use My Backup to restore TiBu files?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What are "the critical ones" are you talking about?

Seems like a lot of folks had problems when they restored apps after flashing to 2.3.4.
I just reloaded everything from the app store to avoid issues.

GerardAnthony said:
What are "the critical ones" are you talking about?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol! Tbh, I can't actually remember what are all the critical ones. I know my Root Explorer and My Backup Root did not install. Other things like the different apps for my widget are also missing.
I actually found out why I cant restore those Apps. They were missing the APKs from the TiBu backup folder. for example, my Engadget App only has 2 files, a tar file and properties file. I'm guessing those 2 are the data files?

That is weird. i haven't any problems restoring apps. I know there was some problems with an older version of Titanium Backup.

*Double post*

Yeah, i never had a problem before, but this time, most of my backups are missing the Apk files. Now I'm gonna have to revert further back and loose some apps. Hopefully I'm not losing too much. I can't remember how many apps I installed since my last backup.

aquariuz23 said:
Lol! Tbh, I can't actually remember what are all the critical ones. I know my Root Explorer and My Backup Root did not install. Other things like the different apps for my widget are also missing.
I actually found out why I cant restore those Apps. They were missing the APKs from the TiBu backup folder. for example, my Engadget App only has 2 files, a tar file and properties file. I'm guessing those 2 are the data files?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't think it's a TiBU 2.34 compatibility issue... must be something else going on as all my 2.3.4 restores have been fine and i have both of the examples you mentioned Root Explorer and My Backup Root...

I think its a 5.4.2A problem as I haven't been able to install some apps on any rom based of that build
Sent from my MB860 using XDA Premium App

It may have been that when you set up backups on HKTW 2.3.4 that you mistakenly hit the radio button for data only and it overwrote your app and data backups.
You aren't completely dead in the water... You can download the apps again and then restore the data you have.

[Q] Titanium Backup: why create new APKs of the same version when updating data?

So basically I needed an an APK for an older version of an app and it had already been overwritten. I allow 3 copies of backups with TiBu but my scheduled "redo backups for modified data" overwrites them quite often. I end up with 3 backups of the same app but they're all for the same version. The old version gets deleted because my scheduled "redo backups with modified data" detects new data and then does a new backup.
I wish it would only update the data and not the APK? What's the point of constantly updating the APK for an app when the version is still the same.
Yes, I want it to constantly update the data so I have the latest backup all the time, but it would be nice if it could do that and always save the last 2-3 APK versions as well...
Am I totally missing something here is it just the way it works for now? Thanks for any help!

jeffreii said:
So basically I needed an an APK for an older version of an app and it had already been overwritten. I allow 3 copies of backups with TiBu but my scheduled "redo backups for modified data" overwrites them quite often. I end up with 3 backups of the same app but they're all for the same version. The old version gets deleted because my scheduled "redo backups with modified data" detects new data and then does a new backup.
I wish it would only update the data and not the APK? What's the point of constantly updating the APK for an app when the version is still the same.
Yes, I want it to constantly update the data so I have the latest backup all the time, but it would be nice if it could do that and always save the last 2-3 APK versions as well...
Am I totally missing something here is it just the way it works for now? Thanks for any help!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is an option to update 'app only', 'app + data', 'data only'.
Do you have an old Nandroid with the older version of the app available? If so just go into your Nandroid backup and pull out that APK.

blyndfyre said:
There is an option to update 'app only', 'app + data', 'data only'.
Do you have an old Nandroid with the older version of the app available? If so just go into your Nandroid backup and pull out that APK.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi and thanks for the response!
Can you please tell me where you see that option? I've seen those options when restoring backups...it lets you pick what to restore...but I can't seem to find an option like that for backups...
Thanks again.

jeffreii said:
Hi and thanks for the response!
Can you please tell me where you see that option? I've seen those options when restoring backups...it lets you pick what to restore...but I can't seem to find an option like that for backups...
Thanks again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe I'm mistaken and the Titanium Backup Script will not allow that. Did you have the old APK in an old Nandroid backup?
You can try either of these apps from the Play Store. They both allow you to back up data only:
My Backup
DataSync

blyndfyre said:
Maybe I'm mistaken and the Titanium Backup Script will not allow that. Did you have the old APK in an old Nandroid backup?/... DataSync
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
-------------------- ------------------------ -----------------------
Good Recommendation! there often are older versions of the app in nandroid backups, and TIBU will allow restore from Nandroid backups. :angel:
1. Go to the Main Menu
2. Scroll down to the Special Backup/Restore Menu (5th topic down)
3. select "EXTRACT FROM NANDROID BACKUP"
4. you will get a listing of all your nandroid backups and you can chose the one you want to take the app from.
5. It will take a bit to analyze the Nandroid and present you with the files menu.
6. Choose the file(s) you need to restore and do it!
jeffreii: So basically I needed an an APK for an older version of an app and it had already been overwritten.
----------------------------------- ----------------------------- -----------------------
#1. Since you may have already "lost" the old version of the app because it has been updated, then to find an oilder version you could check some of the other app stores that frequently offer older versions of apps -some app stores have a listing of ALL versions of (some) apps! . . . so you can check them and see if you can find the older version --or even email the author of the app...:cyclops:
#2. Once you get your old app back, one option is to make a copy of the "good version" of that app from your apps directory and place it on your SD card or a data directory and keep overwriting the "new" app when the author publishes a new version.:good: :good:
#3. Also, once you get you app back (hopefully!) It sounds to me like you should turn off PLAY STORE AUTOMATIC UPDATING for this app. You do this once and then allow selective apps to auto update -but not allow global updating of apps. SO manually permit or don't permit updates depending upon the app (I do that with my Kindle Fire HD, since play wants to update the Amazon store -but that breaks the built in Kindle store, so I don't allow that app to update automatically).
Good Luck!

blyndfyre said:
Maybe I'm mistaken and the Titanium Backup Script will not allow that. Did you have the old APK in an old Nandroid backup?
You can try either of these apps from the Play Store. They both allow you to back up data only:
My Backup
DataSync
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can't find the old APK in my backups (TiBu and Nandroids). I've made another thread to ask for help finding it:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2380165
This thread I'd like to get help with TiBu though!
markbc01 said:
-------------------- ------------------------ -----------------------
Good Recommendation! there often are older versions of the app in nandroid backups, and TIBU will allow restore from Nandroid backups. :angel:
1. Go to the Main Menu
2. Scroll down to the Special Backup/Restore Menu (5th topic down)
3. select "EXTRACT FROM NANDROID BACKUP"
4. you will get a listing of all your nandroid backups and you can chose the one you want to take the app from.
5. It will take a bit to analyze the Nandroid and present you with the files menu.
6. Choose the file(s) you need to restore and do it!
jeffreii: So basically I needed an an APK for an older version of an app and it had already been overwritten.
----------------------------------- ----------------------------- -----------------------
#1. Since you may have already "lost" the old version of the app because it has been updated, then to find an oilder version you could check some of the other app stores that frequently offer older versions of apps -some app stores have a listing of ALL versions of (some) apps! . . . so you can check them and see if you can find the older version --or even email the author of the app...:cyclops:
#2. Once you get your old app back, one option is to make a copy of the "good version" of that app from your apps directory and place it on your SD card or a data directory and keep overwriting the "new" app when the author publishes a new version.:good: :good:
#3. Also, once you get you app back (hopefully!) It sounds to me like you should turn off PLAY STORE AUTOMATIC UPDATING for this app. You do this once and then allow selective apps to auto update -but not allow global updating of apps. SO manually permit or don't permit updates depending upon the app (I do that with my Kindle Fire HD, since play wants to update the Amazon store -but that breaks the built in Kindle store, so I don't allow that app to update automatically).
Good Luck!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I checked my old Nandroids/TiBu backups but could not find the APK - did that before making this thread. Trust me I have automatic updating off...I like to read change logs before accepting any updates.
My problem with TiBu is still unaddressed though...even if I allow TiBu to keep, say, 5 backups of each app...if I have a scheduled backup to "redo backups with modified data" and the data is modified in a certain app each time, once that runs 5 times I will have 5 backups of the same version APK along with 5 separate data points.
The 5 separate data points are exactly what you'd want...but if creating 5 APKs of the same version of the app ends up deleting the 6th backup which had the older APK version...what's the point of that? I'm left with 5 identical APKs and the older version, which I actually wanted, got to deleted because TiBu needed to backup the data.
Does that make sense?

markbc01 said:
... The 5 separate data points are exactly what you'd want...but if creating 5 APKs of the same version of the app ends up deleting the 6th backup which had the older APK version...what's the point of that? I'm left with 5 identical APKs and the older version, which I actually wanted, got to deleted because TiBu needed to backup the data. Does that make sense?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK, I think I get it. TIBU will backup all copies it sees but it is not "smart enough" to preserve versions per se. (I may be wrong -but that's what I see so far). The six copies you mention are time based vice version based, so it's good logic for what it does. It just does not save based on versions. . . Perhaps that is an option we should ask the developer for! I think the focus of the frequent multiple backups is primarily on data, so it's good , but maybe not enough!
I just checked my own backups. I have max backup history of 5 and those 5 backups are done one by one over a two week period (of course). So I have many copies of each app that are identical --except when changes occur. Most apps right now have 5 identical copies, but for 7Zipper, Handnote and Gmail,(for example) each of them has two versions. I won't lose the "older versions" of these apps for a week or so, but after that they will disappear if I want ot save those older versions, well, I would have to take one of the measures that I mentioned before (copying over to another directory etc.)
I was going to ask -since you turned off auto updates-- how the app got updated, but I have discovered that even when I do that there is the occassional app that updates anyway -because I inadvertently said yes to some prompt, or perhaps the author had some auto update feature that I could not block. . .
Sorry I can't give you a better solution. . .

markbc01 said:
OK, I think I get it. TIBU will backup all copies it sees but it is not "smart enough" to preserve versions per se. (I may be wrong -but that's what I see so far). The six copies you mention are time based vice version based, so it's good logic for what it does. It just does not save based on versions. . . Perhaps that is an option we should ask the developer for! I think the focus of the frequent multiple backups is primarily on data, so it's good , but maybe not enough!
I just checked my own backups. I have max backup history of 5 and those 5 backups are done one by one over a two week period (of course). So I have many copies of each app that are identical --except when changes occur. Most apps right now have 5 identical copies, but for 7Zipper, Handnote and Gmail,(for example) each of them has two versions. I won't lose the "older versions" of these apps for a week or so, but after that they will disappear if I want ot save those older versions, well, I would have to take one of the measures that I mentioned before (copying over to another directory etc.)
I was going to ask -since you turned off auto updates-- how the app got updated, but I have discovered that even when I do that there is the occassional app that updates anyway -because I inadvertently said yes to some prompt, or perhaps the author had some auto update feature that I could not block. . .
Sorry I can't give you a better solution. . .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It sounds like you get my point now! Basically, TiBu should be smart enough to backup data and app apks as separate items. When I say keep 3 copies, it should look at those separately...keep the 3 last APK versions and keep the 3 last data backups...not combine them and overwrite APK versions just because data got updated too.
What happened was I updated the app two weeks ago and everything was fine...I then switched to Goldeneye 4.0 ROM and the WatchESPN app wouldn't load anymore. I read other people in the Play Store had the same problem...so I am guessing that perhaps it's an international firmware issue...since it still works fine when I switch back to AT&T stock MDL. The second data is that some of those complaining in the Play Store reviews are saying "since the last update, it doesn't load"...so I'm thinking maybe the latest update broke something for international firmware versions...so if I can find the old version that might work...but no way to test it without getting the APK.

Ok, you are right about the apps vs. Data thing exactly for the reasons you mention!
(Btw, I almost decided to try golden eye this weekend, but Shostock2.1 is running so well that I'll just use my phone for a while)..
I did a very quick look at some alternate android app stores on my phone just now, but am surprised that I have not found the watch-espn app...
The only other thing might be if you kept a copy of your sd card on your computer, and that copy might have an old nandroid with the app... that worked for me - when I wanted to restore and use flex t9 and the company had moved on to a swype version I did not like as much...
Good luck (I'll continue to scan for old versions of watchespn when I get on a desktop..)
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using XDA Premium HD app

markbc01 said:
Ok, you are right about the apps vs. Data thing exactly for the reasons you mention!
(Btw, I almost decided to try golden eye this weekend, but Shostock2.1 is running so well that I'll just use my phone for a while)..
I did a very quick look at some alternate android app stores on my phone just now, but am surprised that I have not found the watch-espn app...
The only other thing might be if you kept a copy of your sd card on your computer, and that copy might have an old nandroid with the app... that worked for me - when I wanted to restore and use flex t9 and the company had moved on to a swype version I did not like as much...
Good luck (I'll continue to scan for old versions of watchespn when I get on a desktop..)
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using XDA Premium HD app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks! If I hadn't used all 8 of my thanks clicks for the day I'd give you one. First thing tomorrow though!
If you find any leads let me know in my WatchESPN request thread (linked above). It needs to be bumped anyways and I am not supposed to bump it until 24 hours! lol

I'm still surprised I can't find any other threads/discussion about this issue.
I'd really think that one of the priorities of the backup is to keep old apk versions in case you want to roll back...

bump!

So I realized today that TiBu doesn't actually keep multiple copies of the same APK - it is smart enough to know they're the same and save space by only keeping one, no matter how many data backups you have.
However, if you have multiple versions of the APK, it will keep both versions...until the data that was backed up at the same time as the old APK version gets deleted...then the old APK version will be deleted as well.
I sent a support email to the dev of TiBu asking this question...will post here if I get a response.

Thanks, I've used TIBU as long as I have had android phones and still didn't realize that version saving was missing -or that TIBU saves only one copy of each version. It's such s good app..I bet the author will reply and may add that extra functionality...
Sent from my KFTT using XDA Premium HD app

markbc01 said:
Thanks, I've used TIBU as long as I have had android phones and still didn't realize that version saving was missing -or that TIBU saves only one copy of each version. It's such s good app..I bet the author will reply and may add that extra functionality...
Sent from my KFTT using XDA Premium HD app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I hope so.
Almost 5 days since I emailed them and no response yet.

an idea is to make a special backup to google drive or box or drop box and save a backup there with the configuration you like and leave it there. . .sort of as a safe haven for when the devs update the apps in a way that doesn't do good things for your phone!
not a perfect solution, but at least it does push the app(s) somewhere out of the way in an automated manner. . .
:silly:

markbc01 said:
an idea is to make a special backup to google drive or box or drop box and save a backup there with the configuration you like and leave it there. . .sort of as a safe haven for when the devs update the apps in a way that doesn't do good things for your phone!
not a perfect solution, but at least it does push the app(s) somewhere out of the way in an automated manner. . .
:silly:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah but there's no "configuration I like". You never know when you're going to update an app and find out later that you want to roll back...

Any update to this Issue?
Could this have Something to do with this option?:
Batch Mode Settings:
Min age (days) For refresh,

Restoring apps with TiBu after updating to a 4.3 rom?

For some reason it doesn't seem to work. When I look at the play store reviews, they say that Titanium Backup doesn't work well restoring apps with 4.3. For me it just hangs at 0%. 4.3 has been out for a while, what have people been using?
Sent from my Nexus 7 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

andrewdroid said:
For some reason it doesn't seem to work. When I look at the play store reviews, they say that Titanium Backup doesn't work well restoring apps with 4.3. For me it just hangs at 0%. 4.3 has been out for a while, what have people been using?
Sent from my Nexus 7 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi, andrewdroid...
Yes, I've just been looking at the reviews you mention, and I must admit, I'm puzzled.
I've been running Jellybean 4.3 (recently updated to build JWR66Y) since the beginning of August, and I've had no problems with restoring apps from Titanium.
I recall, during the first few days of JB 4.3, there where issues with Titanium, and the recommended advice was to change the backup path (where you're backups are stored) as follows...
Go to... Titanium>>Menu>>Backup folder location...
...and navigate (using the back button) to /storage/emulated/legacy/TitaniumBackup ...and select 'Use the current folder'.
And at the time, this worked for me. But subsequent updates to Titanium fixed the problem, and my backup path is now the more technically correct /storage/emulated/0/TitaniumBackup.
Titanium will offer to move the files to the new location, but in the event, nothing actually gets moved, because the locations are actually identical... just different ways of specifying the same location.
So, you could try modifying your backup path location in Titanium settings as outlined above, using either of the two 'paths' I've given. I've just tried both, and in both instances, my backups restored flawlessly.
I've no idea if this will work for you, but I do know there was an issue back in the early part of August, and the 'legacy' path fixed it for me... maybe it might for you.
Hope this helps... and good luck.
Rgrds,
Ged.

Just completed my first root and flashed my tablet to cyanogenmod. I'd like to thank this community for making it so simple. It seemed like a lot of reading but every instruction had a purpose and i understood it more as the process went along. I had no problem throughout the process due to the very detailed instructions here on this forum.
However, I seem to have made one mistake. I used TiBu to backup my apps and data. However, i failed to make the update.zip folder as i didn't think about losing the app when i flashed to the new rom. When i check my device, there is a huge titanium backup folder.
Is there a way i can restore my apps and data from the tibu folder, or did i lose it all by not creating the update.zip folder?
Im afraid to just reinstall TiBu in case it overwrites the old folder.
This is the only problem I had with the whole process and appreciate any help or suggestions.

giusti825 said:
Just completed my first root and flashed my tablet to cyanogenmod. I'd like to thank this community for making it so simple. It seemed like a lot of reading but every instruction had a purpose and i understood it more as the process went along. I had no problem throughout the process due to the very detailed instructions here on this forum.
However, I seem to have made one mistake. I used TiBu to backup my apps and data. However, i failed to make the update.zip folder as i didn't think about losing the app when i flashed to the new rom. When i check my device, there is a huge titanium backup folder.
Is there a way i can restore my apps and data from the tibu folder, or did i lose it all by not creating the update.zip folder?
Im afraid to just reinstall TiBu in case it overwrites the old folder.
This is the only problem I had with the whole process and appreciate any help or suggestions.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Rename the huge titanium backup folder, install TiBu, delete new folder and rename huge titanium backup folder back to original name.

Samsung S4 I9505 no Whatsapp backup possible

Hi,
I can't perform a Whatsapp backup since January this year, regardless if Google Drive Backup is checked, if the Whatsapp app is stored in the local or on sd card memory, automatic backups are being cancelled, too.
After I hit "Backup", the Dialogue "Messages are being backed up" shows up, which closes after 10 sec without any error message.
I tried to contact the WA Support, but they insist that my S4 is rooted (which it isn't, maybe because of the custom ROM I use).
I have flashed my Samsung I9505 in January this year from CM 12.1 to CM 13. At the beginning, the phone ran smoothless except BT. After a while, WiFi stopped working as well. I tried to flash the CM 12.1 backup and radios without any success, just a new mainboard helped. I installed my CM 12.1 backup from January via TWRP from my old mainboard, which ran without any errors on it (after a fullwipe on the new one).
The phone works great, except the WA backup.
WA gets always updated to the current version, I have ~1,2 GB free internal memory, I tried to update to the latest CM 12.1 5.1.1 version from 12/26/2015, perform a backup via 4G, 3G, Wifi, with an without Google Backup checked, cleared the cache and wiped Dalvic Cache, there is no app deactivated.
I use Baseband I9505XXUHOD7 and Kernel: 3.4.107-cyanogenmod-gab9afd6clyde.

Running a custom ROM means you are rooted.
Now, I don't know why whatsapp wouldn't work on a rooted ROM, but if you want to backup you can use titanium backup.

GDReaper said:
Running a custom ROM means you are rooted.
Now, I don't know why whatsapp wouldn't work on a rooted ROM, but if you want to backup you can use titanium backup.
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There is no root, please check the screenshot below.
Since there is no root, I can't use Titanium Backup, however, it wouldn't be the most practicable way to backup your Whatsapp history every time with Titanium Backup.
Besides that, I don't think this would work if I would like to transfer my history to a new phone on which WA Backup should work as intended as I won't flash the ROM/install root and void the warranty.
WA backup worked perfect with the old logicboard before flashing CM 13.

m_pa said:
There is no root, please check the screenshot below.
Since there is no root, I can't use Titanium Backup, however, it wouldn't be the most practicable way to backup your Whatsapp history every time with Titanium Backup.
Besides that, I don't think this would work if I would like to transfer my history to a new phone on which WA Backup should work as intended as I won't flash the ROM/install root and void the warranty.
WA backup worked perfect with the old logicboard before flashing CM 13.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Root has to be activated from developer options.
That is definitely a whatsapp problem if it worked before.

GDReaper said:
Root has to be activated from developer options.
That is definitely a whatsapp problem if it worked before.
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Click to collapse
Well, I haven't even unlocked the developer options until now..
Any idea how to convince WA doing it's job? Anybody with this problem before?

if you really want a backup it makes more sense that you either activate root or flash superSU yourself rather than wait on whatsapp to change their code just for you. they've already told you effectively that they aren't going to do anything for you and don't have to.
backing up the app and data with TiBu and copying the whatsapp folder achieves everything you want and has worked flawlessly for me many many times.

Well guys, got a new phone but the problem persists when trying to restore my history on the new phone and really need your help.
Got root on the old phone and saved the com.whatsapp folder of it with the key file and databases. How can I encrypt the msgstore.db to msgstore.db.crypt8?
I have tried the app Whatcrypt, which creates a msgstore.db.crypt file, as large as msgstore.db, but Whatsapp on the new phone does not recognize it as a backup file.
When using whatcrypt.com and uploading the key and msgstore.db, it tells me "Encryption failed / Incorrect account?"
Also tried Omni-Crypt app. It creates msgstore.crypt, which Whatsapp ignores as well ("searching for Backups" with waiting triangle for hours)
I don't know any other way and I'm literally stuck now

when i mentioned copying the apps folder i was thinking of the one on the root of your internal storage, not the one in Android/data/...
you can paste that onto a new phone and restore the app and data with titanium.

3mel said:
when i mentioned copying the apps folder i was thinking of the one on the root of your internal storage, not the one in Android/data/...
you can paste that onto a new phone and restore the app and data with titanium.
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Click to collapse
Of course I can copy the Whatsapp folder on the root of the storage but this folder only contains the wa media files of my old phone since there are no msgstore.db.cryptX files created by Whatsapp.
For TiBa I would need to root the new phone which is a S7 Edge and I would like to avoid this until the warranty has expired. It is not as easy to do repairs by yourself as the S4..

fair enough, have you tried copying both folders over and installing from playstore ? or rather, install the app but don't open it, copy over both folders and then try and see what happens...