Hi all,
is there any advantages of having a unlocked bootloader over a locked.
Ive had my samsung s4 9505 since launch and i have never upgraded the bootloader. Ive only ever upgraded the gsm modem.
as development has come a long way since launch is there any benefits of having a unlocked bootloader ?
Many thanks
On a galaxy phone you don't have locked/unlocked bootloaders
minidude2012 said:
On a galaxy phone you don't have locked/unlocked bootloaders
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I wish that were true. My bootloader got locked by the 4.3 update, which came through as i was setting up my phone when i first brought it.
Didn't find out about it till i accessed the forums later the same day.
anoniemouse said:
I wish that were true. My bootloader got locked by the 4.3 update, which came through as i was setting up my phone when i first brought it.
Didn't find out about it till i accessed the forums later the same day.
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I don't know then as I've had a galaxy s4 since first came out and the galaxy s4 has never had a locked bootloader
The I9500 and I9505 shouldn't have a locked bootloader. Galaxy S4 devices for AT&T and Verizon in the United States however DO lock their bootloaders. Locking, or more accurately, encrypting the bootloader, makes it extremely difficult if not nearly impossible to load custom ROMs. Which is why you don't want one if you can help it.
In the Q&A forum there is a thread where a forum member describes purchasing what was supposed to be an I9505 off eBay. Through some detective work it was discovered that his device was a Frankenstein, in that it had the IMEI of an I9505 but the motherboard and the other components were from an AT&T SGH-I337. Thus, his "I9505" had a locked bootloader. At last report he was going to contact the seller about this. I thought about offering him a straight up swap, since he needed an I9505 and I could use his phone here in the US and get LTE, but the fact the IMEI is not what originally came with the hardware has me pausing.
If you have an I9505 and a locked bootloader, your phone may have been "refurbished" in this manner by a third party. It might be a good idea to check your phone and see what you have.
Related
I have always found the best methods for customizing previous phones on XDA. I hope the developers can easily overcome any bs Verizon puts up to stop root, tether, roms!
Keep up the great work
Thus far, all domestic (US) carrier versions of the S5 have locked bootloader, knox, etc. So challenges here may not be related directly to vzw, although historical bias obviously isn't unwarranted.
tdrussell said:
Thus far, all domestic (US) carrier versions of the S5 have locked bootloader, knox, etc. So challenges here may not be related directly to vzw, although historical bias obviously isn't unwarranted.
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This appears to not be accurate at the moment, it's looking like the 900t, T-Mobile, had shipped with an unlocked bootloader
el7145 said:
This appears to not be accurate at the moment, it's looking like the 900t, T-Mobile, had shipped with an unlocked bootloader
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Unlocked, or unlockable?
From anandtech:
"With the Galaxy S5, KNOX has finally come full circle, as all US carrier variants are shipping with a locked bootloader. "
tdrussell said:
Unlocked, or unlockable?
From anandtech:
"With the Galaxy S5, KNOX has finally come full circle, as all US carrier variants are shipping with a locked bootloader. "
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unlocked...feel free to check out the chainfires auto root thread, he states "if his program works on the 900t then the bootloader is unlocked"
multiple people have successfully rooted their 900t using chainfires program
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2713950
EDIT: honestly at this point the only proof we have is trusting chainfire, and his determination that if you can flash his auto root then you have an unlocked bootloader...for some people thats proof enough and for others it is not (which i completely understand)
Has samsung announced that they will unlock the bootloader? was the s4 with locked bootloader also?
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think Verizon may be the only one with a locked bootloader.
I actually don't know... if it's only verizon then that's cool.. i am going to buy the unlocked carrier version.
edit: seeing no custom rom, I thought the bootloader was locked
Yea, I'm pretty sure it's just the Verizon model. Every other model has plenty of roms.
yeahman45 said:
Has samsung announced that they will unlock the bootloader? was the s4 with locked bootloader also?
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The bootloader is already unlocked. On my phone and most other S5's as well. You are apparently making some assumption about some particular S5 variant. A minority of carriers do lock bootloaders, but you didn't even tell us what model of S5 you have or are referring to. You should give some context so that we know what you are talking about.
edit: I see that you implied in a follow up post that you meant Verizon. The bootloader on a Verizon S5 is locked at the behest of Verizon, not Samsung. Samsung doesn't lock the bootloader for TMobile, Bell, Rogers, Telus or hundreds of other carriers. Pretty much just Verizon and ATT and a few sundry CDMA carriers that are that restrictive.
There are tons of custom ROMs for carriers that are more reasonable. You can use Safestrap to emulate a limited number of ROMs on Verizon but it's your choice of carrier that is hampering you here.
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ok thx guys I am getting the unlocked/carrier free version .. so should not be a problem thx
The S4 is still a decent phone in 2016 with it's amoled display, pretty good battery life, and decent performance. But it's a shame that AT&T/Samsung offer nothing for unlocking the bootloader. The last time that I searched, the only option for an SGH-I337 OK2 build was to install Safestrap and a Touchwiz rom. Has anything changed? I tend to use apps from FDroid, and I would really like to run a debloated rom such as Cyanogenmod on this thing (no Samsung/Touchwiz, AT&T, Google). What are the best options today?
fitzly said:
The S4 is still a decent phone in 2016 with it's amoled display, pretty good battery life, and decent performance. But it's a shame that AT&T/Samsung offer nothing for unlocking the bootloader. The last time that I searched, the only option for an SGH-I337 OK2 build was to install Safestrap and a Touchwiz rom. Has anything changed? I tend to use apps from FDroid, and I would really like to run a debloated rom such as Cyanogenmod on this thing (no Samsung/Touchwiz, AT&T, Google). What are the best options today?
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Click to collapse
None so far for the locked bootloader, unless you have 2013 bootloader like ADB, MDL.
AT&T intentionally lock the bootloader as such they will not offer any tools or ways to unlock the bootloader. Not just S4 all the AT&T phones has locked bootloader.
With the locked bootloader your option to flash custom rom is via either safestrap ro flashfire.
Regardless of what custom rom you use, you have to flash the AT&T kernel in the end, in order your phone to work.
There might be some AOSP roms flashable with safestrap in Android development section.
sway8966 said:
None so far for the locked bootloader, unless you have 2013 bootloader like ADB, MDL.
AT&T intentionally lock the bootloader as such they will not offer any tools or ways to unlock the bootloader. Not just S4 all the AT&T phones has locked bootloader.
With the locked bootloader your option to flash custom rom is via either safestrap ro flashfire.
Regardless of what custom rom you use, you have to flash the AT&T kernel in the end, in order your phone to work.
There might be some AOSP roms flashable with safestrap in Android development section.
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It sounds like it is time to either abandon ship on AT&T, Samsung, or both.
Any recommendations on carriers and devices in the U.S.?
I really like Samsung's amoled displays, and 5.5" is getting too big for portability / everyday use. My HTC One LCD display gives me eyestrain after much use. And it seems to be a problem finding a ~5" amoled device that is both AT&T compatible and allows for unlocking the bootloader.
Ideally, I would like a device that has ~5" amoled display, sd slot, good battery life, removable battery, and can run custom roms on a carrier who doesn't try to be a dictator on what I can run on my own devices.
fitzly said:
It sounds like it is time to either abandon ship on AT&T, Samsung, or both.
Any recommendations on carriers and devices in the U.S.?
I really like Samsung's amoled displays, and 5.5" is getting too big for portability / everyday use. My HTC One LCD display gives me eyestrain after much use. And it seems to be a problem finding a ~5" amoled device that is both AT&T compatible and allows for unlocking the bootloader.
Ideally, I would like a device that has ~5" amoled display, sd slot, good battery life, removable battery, and can run custom roms on a carrier who doesn't try to be a dictator on what I can run on my own devices.
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I think all the samsung phones made for america has locked bootloader. You can check on this forum for which phone can be rooted and which are not.
The other way around should be using the international phones. However, on AT&T network, only the phone make for AT&T can get the LTE signal. I tried with the Asus Zenfone 2. The only way I can get LTE signal in Asus Zenfone 2 is on T-mobile network.
I like the idea of removable battery but in order to make the phone thinner, they all have to go with the I-phone route, non-removable battery.
sway8966 said:
None so far for the locked bootloader, unless you have 2013 bootloader like ADB, MDL.
AT&T intentionally lock the bootloader as such they will not offer any tools or ways to unlock the bootloader. Not just S4 all the AT&T phones has locked bootloader.
With the locked bootloader your option to flash custom rom is via either safestrap ro flashfire.
Regardless of what custom rom you use, you have to flash the AT&T kernel in the end, in order your phone to work.
There might be some AOSP roms flashable with safestrap in Android development section.
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Click to collapse
There is a new Android AOSP 7.0 Nougat ROM for Galaxy S4 AT&T, but I don't think I would be able to install it because my bootloader is UCUGOK2?
Link: http://www.cyanogenmods.org/forums/topic/update-galaxy-s4-att-nougat-7-0-aosp-rom/
cookiecorn said:
There is a new Android AOSP 7.0 Nougat ROM for Galaxy S4 AT&T, but I don't think I would be able to install it because my bootloader is UCUGOK2?
Link: http://www.cyanogenmods.org/forums/topic/update-galaxy-s4-att-nougat-7-0-aosp-rom/
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Yes they clearly stated that your bootloader has to be exploitable (MDB/MDL). If not that bootloader you can not install custom recovery. Those rom need custom recovery to install on the phone.
sway8966 said:
Yes they clearly stated that your bootloader has to be exploitable (MDB/MDL). If not that bootloader you can not install custom recovery. Those rom need custom recovery to install on the phone.
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Thanks Sway.
Is it possible to unlock bootloader UCUGOK2 and change it to UCUAMDB or UCUAMDL?
If so, do you have a link guide?
Thanks again.
There is no way to flash an unlocked bootloader over a locked bootloader or to unlock a locked bootloader at this time.
cookiecorn said:
Thanks Sway.
Is it possible to unlock bootloader UCUGOK2 and change it to UCUAMDB or UCUAMDL?
If so, do you have a link guide?
Thanks again.
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For the ATT-S4 , the answer is no. There is a JTAG service to unbrick the bricked bootloader but there is no posting saying that re-write the bootloader to MDB/MDL.
So far, only the verizon S4 has a way to unlock the bootloader.
fitzly said:
The S4 is still a decent phone in 2016 with it's amoled display, pretty good battery life, and decent performance. But it's a shame that AT&T/Samsung offer nothing for unlocking the bootloader. The last time that I searched, the only option for an SGH-I337 OK2 build was to install Safestrap and a Touchwiz rom. Has anything changed? I tend to use apps from FDroid, and I would really like to run a debloated rom such as Cyanogenmod on this thing (no Samsung/Touchwiz, AT&T, Google). What are the best options today?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not possible to run anything other than tw. There are great tw Roms that are debloated making them very light and fast especially when paired up with a custom kernel and the correct settings. Just a got an old s4 from a friend and I decided to revive it from its misery. Now it's snappy and decent battery life.
sway8966 said:
I think all the samsung phones made for america has locked bootloader. You can check on this forum for which phone can be rooted and which are not.
The other way around should be using the international phones. However, on AT&T network, only the phone make for AT&T can get the LTE signal. I tried with the Asus Zenfone 2. The only way I can get LTE signal in Asus Zenfone 2 is on T-mobile network.
I like the idea of removable battery but in order to make the phone thinner, they all have to go with the I-phone route, non-removable battery.
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Not all Samsung phones have locked bootloaders in the U.S. Just Verizon and AT&T, unless t-mobile and sprint jumped on the locked bootloader band wagon.
how do you verify if the BL is Locked? Because I managed to root and change modem to mdb and rom to mk2 from much higher version, sim unlocked my att i337, so i just want to check before I load a new rooted rom, from safstrap
Boot into download and confirm that the model # is sgh-i337. Do you see anything about Knox?
You could also boot into the ROM, install the Samsung Info App, and look at the bootloader version.
audit13 said:
Boot into download and confirm that the model # is sgh-i337. Do you see anything about Knox?
You could also boot into the ROM, install the Samsung Info App, and look at the bootloader version.
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I'm in the same unfortunate boat as OP. I downgraded from 5.0.1 / OK2 to 4.4.2 / NB1 and rooted in hopes of installing custom ROMs but now I run into what looks like locked bootloader. When in download mode my details are:
KNOX KERNEL LOCK: 0x0
KNOX WARRANTY VOID: 0x1
what can i get out of this info?
The bootloader is definitely locked and cannot be onlocked. You can use safestrap to flash custom ROMs that are based off a stock TW ROM. You can also root the phone and debloat.
I was really salty about the bootloader being locked when I upgraded from my S3 which I had CM13 rom. Last few months I've been using Thor rom, absolutely solid and I got the Grace UX look on it. I'd recommend it or Lollirom.
ChewyFurrr said:
I'm in the same unfortunate boat as OP. I downgraded from 5.0.1 / OK2 to 4.4.2 / NB1 and rooted in hopes of installing custom ROMs but now I run into what looks like locked bootloader. When in download mode my details are:
KNOX KERNEL LOCK: 0x0
KNOX WARRANTY VOID: 0x1
what can i get out of this info?
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Click to collapse
Maybe this other thread can point you in the right direction. I tried the Xposed framework portion however, but that part wouldn't work with my AT&T Galaxy S4.
Thread: [GUIDE] AT&T Samsung Galaxy S4 SGH-I337 Lollipop 5.0.1 OK2 Root Xposed Etc.
Keeping my eyes open for other options. Good luck.:good:
Here's the round up as far as AT&T Samsung flagship locked bootloader phones go:
Galaxy S - factory unlocked bootloader
Galaxy S2 - factory unlocked bootloader
Galaxy S3 - factory unlocked bootloader
Galaxy S4 - factory locked bootloader - exploit bypass (loki doki) available if on MDB or MDL firmware.
Galaxy S5 - factory locked bootloader
Galaxy S6 and variants (S6 edge) - factory locked bootloader
Galaxy S7, S7+, and S7 edge - factory locked bootloader
Galaxy S8 and S8+ - factory locked bootloader
The only AT&T phones I know of that can be unlocked bootloader wise are HTC devices as HTC offers a developer program which will unlock it for you. I am not sure about LG, Google, or Motorola devices branded by AT&T.
Hello to the XDA Community, I recently made this account and would like to get some help from the great people here.
I own a Verizon Samsung Galaxy S7 G930V. I, unfortunately, found out the hard way that it could not be unlocked because Samsung decided to lock down the bootloader on it (something that they were a bit more lenient with on the Galaxy S8, I think?). Either way, I was reading this XDA article (https://www.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s7-bootloader-lock-explained-you-might-not-get-aosp-after-all/) about the bootloader, and it basically says that, despite the OEM Unlock option being available under Developer Options, nothing that doesn't have some sort of official signature can be flashed to the device, so it's basically pointless.
But, then I saw that LineageOS dropped official builds for the Galaxy S7. My only question, therefore, is: why would Lineage OS drop custom ROMS for a phone that cannot have anything flashed to it? Am I missing something? Not sure what I'm missing. Just to clear things up again: I have the Verizon Galaxy S7 G930V (Snapdragon). I am also using a T-Mobile SIM in the phone, not sure if that matters or not, however.
So, what I assume is that somehow people were able to get past the bootloader and that is the reason that LineageOS released official builds of their ROM. If that's the case, is there a method/tutorial for, first, unlocking the bootloader and rooting the Verizon G930V, and then installing the custom ROM successfully? Also, I see that LineageOS does not have a build for the G930V specifically, so would it brick my phone if I installed the build for the G930S, for example?
Thank you guys! Bare with me if I completely missed something please!
charania007 said:
Hello to the XDA Community, I recently made this account and would like to get some help from the great people here.
I own a Verizon Samsung Galaxy S7 G930V. I, unfortunately, found out the hard way that it could not be unlocked because Samsung decided to lock down the bootloader on it (something that they were a bit more lenient with on the Galaxy S8, I think?). Either way, I was reading this XDA article (https://www.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s7-bootloader-lock-explained-you-might-not-get-aosp-after-all/) about the bootloader, and it basically says that, despite the OEM Unlock option being available under Developer Options, nothing that doesn't have some sort of official signature can be flashed to the device, so it's basically pointless.
But, then I saw that LineageOS dropped official builds for the Galaxy S7. My only question, therefore, is: why would Lineage OS drop custom ROMS for a phone that cannot have anything flashed to it? Am I missing something? Not sure what I'm missing. Just to clear things up again: I have the Verizon Galaxy S7 G930V (Snapdragon). I am also using a T-Mobile SIM in the phone, not sure if that matters or not, however.
So, what I assume is that somehow people were able to get past the bootloader and that is the reason that LineageOS released official builds of their ROM. If that's the case, is there a method/tutorial for, first, unlocking the bootloader and rooting the Verizon G930V, and then installing the custom ROM successfully? Also, I see that LineageOS does not have a build for the G930V specifically, so would it brick my phone if I installed the build for the G930S, for example?
Thank you guys! Bare with me if I completely missed something please!
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There are numerous variants of the GS7 and GS7E that have a bootloader that can be unlocked. The Verizon version is not one of them. There is no way currently (and likely ever) to unlock the bootloader on the Verizon version of this phone. This is the case with almost every Verizon phone. People are finding this out the hard way with the new Google Pixel 2's...all versions other than the Verizon one you can unlock the bootloader. It's a Verizon thing and it won't change. You'll need to buy an unlocked phone capable of running on Verizon's network bands if you want this kind of stuff on Big Red.
It's been so long since I last rooted my phones, maybe 6 or 7 years now... I don't even know where to start. Is TWRP still the go-to method for rooting these Android devices?
I couldn't find anything specifically for the T-Mobile variants, dunno if that's been done yet.
Thanks,
Nick
Your bootloader is locked and cannot be unlocked. No root or TWRP available.
StoneyJSG said:
Your bootloader is locked and cannot be unlocked. No root or TWRP available.
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Thanks
No problem!
Is this device always going to have a locked bootloader? Flashing an unlocked firmware wouldn't change anything? Im new to samsung and have been out of the rom game a long time.
PunkUnity said:
Is this device always going to have a locked bootloader? Flashing an unlocked firmware wouldn't change anything? Im new to samsung and have been out of the rom game a long time.
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These devices will always be locked down. The last U.S. Samsung phone to get root was the S9, the S10 line are locked up tight. Flashing unlocked firmware just makes your phone carrier free so you can use it with any carrier, it doesn't unlock the bootloader.
What phones are best for modding these days then? Just came from a Pixel 4 XL and it had a locked bootloader plus tons of hardware issues that ended in me getting this phone
I would say a One Plus phone is probably the most versatile as far as modding goes these days. You could also get an exynos S10 variant which can be rooted and custom recovery installed.