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I apologize if there is already a thread like this, but the search wasnt working.. I know what i can do with my phone once it is rooted, I am just interested in what happens tot he actual phone. I could be wrong, but once i root it isnt it always possible to tell that i rooted it even if i unroot it so therefor all warantees are voided? sorry if im being unclear, i cant think of another way to explain it haha.
The K-Zoo Kid said:
I apologize if there is already a thread like this, but the search wasnt working.. I know what i can do with my phone once it is rooted, I am just interested in what happens tot he actual phone. I could be wrong, but once i root it isnt it always possible to tell that i rooted it even if i unroot it so therefor all warantees are voided? sorry if im being unclear, i cant think of another way to explain it haha.
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The language on the "warranty void" screen says that unlocking the bootloader "may" void your warranty. On the Nexus One, HTC usually honored the warranty if the issue was with anything hardware related and could not have been the result of software tampering. Granted, that's them and this is Samsung.
Further, unless there is something hidden in the system files that counts the number of times you unlock the bootloader, you can always relock it prior to sending it in for repair with fastboot oem lock.
unremarked said:
The language on the "warranty void" screen says that unlocking the bootloader "may" void your warranty. On the Nexus One, HTC usually honored the warranty if the issue was with anything hardware related and could not have been the result of software tampering. Granted, that's them and this is Samsung.
Further, unless there is something hidden in the system files that counts the number of times you unlock the bootloader, you can always relock it prior to sending it in for repair with fastboot oem lock.
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So there is a way to kind of undo the root without them knowing? THanks a lot btw. I figured it was something like this.
The K-Zoo Kid said:
So there is a way to kind of undo the root without them knowing? THanks a lot btw. I figured it was something like this.
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unlocking the bootloader and rooting are two different things
jblade1000 said:
unlocking the bootloader and rooting are two different things
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Ahh i have no idea what unlocking the bootloader does then.
The K-Zoo Kid said:
Ahh i have no idea what unlocking the bootloader does then.
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In a nutshell, unlocking the bootloader means you will be allowed to flash non-Google/custom files to the system partition and more or less enables superuser access(aka root). Once thats done, then you "root" the device, push the Superuser.apk which will enable the rooted apps. Please check out the rooted section of my stickied FAQ for more detail on how to do this if you decide to. There are two great threads I link to.
Once you lock the bootloader, you lose access to the system partition and superuser I believe which effectively unroots it.
unremarked said:
In a nutshell, unlocking the bootloader means you will be allowed to flash non-Google/custom files to the system partition and more or less enables superuser access(aka root). Once thats done, then you "root" the device, push the Superuser.apk which will enable the rooted apps. Please check out the rooted section of my stickied FAQ for more detail on how to do this if you decide to. There are two great threads I link to.
Once you lock the bootloader, you lose access to the system partition and superuser I believe which effectively unroots it.
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So basically if you want to do any sort of mods, flash roms, etc. you need to unlock the bootload and root. Thanks a lot for explaining that. I think i understand it now, but just to clarify, if i unlock the bootloader and root will i be able to get the phone back to stock without samsung knowing that i rooted/unlock the bootloader?
The K-Zoo Kid said:
So basically if you want to do any sort of mods, flash roms, etc. you need to unlock the bootload and root. Thanks a lot for explaining that. I think i understand it now, but just to clarify, if i unlock the bootloader and root will i be able to get the phone back to stock without samsung knowing that i rooted/unlock the bootloader?
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Yes, to mod/flash roms you need to unlock the bootloader. It's possible that sometime down the road someone may develop a method of gaining root access on the phone without touching it, but it's unlikely given the fact that we can both unlock and lock the bootloader very easily.
Right now, the answer is... more or less. If you make a NAND backup in Clockwork Recovery/Rom manager of your stock ROM, you can restore back to that, fastboot flash the closest thing we have currently to the stock recovery(check development section for this), then relock the bootloader. This will give the phone all appearances of being stock. Unless Samsung has something deep in the system files tracking the number of times you've unlocked/locked(which I doubt, since I'm sure such a system would have been found by now), you should be good to go.
Most people who have returned the phone to Best Buy have noted that they don't even power on the device or check to see if the bootloader is unlocked or if there's a custom recovery on there. But your mileage may vary.
Interesting stuff. I was under the impression that once clockworkmod is flashed there is no way to remove it at this time.
Reading this thread I'm guessing and hoping this is not the case?
I had clockworkmod installed but used rom manager to flash the 2.3.1 update and i've now got the stock bootloader back. I guess the ota update does the same? It would seem that getting back to stock is pretty easy.
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App
xspyda said:
Interesting stuff. I was under the impression that once clockworkmod is flashed there is no way to remove it at this time.
Reading this thread I'm guessing and hoping this is not the case?
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My apologies, I posted that before I came to the same understanding regarding the stock recovery.
Like the poster above me mentioned there is a NAND backup of stock 2.3.1 you could restore to which has the stock recovery.
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App
Thanks for the clarification. I'll do some more reading in the dev section
Thanks a lot, this really helped me out a lot. I will proceed to rooting
So, just want to make sure I have this straight... You unlock the bootloader, load custom recovery, SU, and now phone is rooted. If you lock the bootloader, you lose root?
For me, I'm not big on custom roms since I just don't have time to keep things up to date or participate in the bug process, but I do like to maintain backups with Titanium (my primary reason for rooting). So by locking the bootloader down I will not be able to use Titanium. Furthermore, unlocking the bootloader wipes the device. So is there a reason one would not want to keep the bootloader unlocked? Have I completely misunderstood the system?
I apologize if my search did not reveal an existing topic regarding this question.
What are the exact security risks of leaving the bootloader unlocked?
Is there a good reason to re-lock it or a good reason to leave it unlocked?
And what probably had been asked/answered before: will /data and /sdcard get wiped if I re-lock or unlock a second time.
Thanks.
Sent from my Nexus S using Tapatalk
mmas0n said:
I apologize if my search did not reveal an existing topic regarding this question.
What are the exact security risks of leaving the bootloader unlocked?
Is there a good reason to re-lock it or a good reason to leave it unlocked?
And what probably had been asked/answered before: will /data and /sdcard get wiped if I re-lock or unlock a second time.
Thanks.
Sent from my Nexus S using Tapatalk
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1) None unless you decide to do something dumb like flash something not made for this phone. Even then, you can always NAND restore back.
2) Re-lock for warranty claim. Unlock for flashing stuff.
3) Yes, every single time you unlock. Lock, no. Unlock, yes.
There is a security risk to leaving the bootloader unlocked, or more correctly, you lose a security feature that being locked provides, if only by accident.
If the reason an oem unlock wipes the phone, including the sdcard contents is, as some have claimed in other threads here, to prevent a thief from flashing something onto your phone that will give them access to your data, then by leaving the phone unlocked, you've lost that safety guard.
That said, I don't re-lock mine, and this is the first phone I know of that lets you re-lock the bootloader once unlocked. Even the Nexus One couldn't do that. I'll admit I am only familiar with 5 different Android devices, and there are a lot out there, so I may be quite wrong about re-locking the bootloader on other phones.
I was hoping I could get a definitive answer on this coz I have been seeing different opinions on this matter. When I unlock my bootloader, is it ok or recomended to keep it unlocked or should I lock it again after doing the purpose of unlocking it?
Of course the downside of locking it again is that if I have to unlock it again then it will erase again all my apps, data and files. But others say when you leave it unlocked then it would be at risk of malware and stuff (not really sure about this if its true)
Could you advice if I should leave it open? Or is there also a downside to this? I am at a stage of trying different ROMS coz I have just recently unlocked and rooted my phone for the first time and have no experience yet in modding my N4.
If there are any pros and cons that I should know about, kindly list it both for unlocked state and locked state bootloader. What are the limitations if I locked again my bootloader. They say I could not make fastboot commands with it locked. Are there other things I should know about?
Thanks in advance!
Just leave it.
Any cons if i leave it unlocked?
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda premium
nope.
unlock and forget it.
the only instance where you would need to re-lock is if you had to RMA it.
namurt said:
nope.
unlock and forget it.
the only instance where you would need to re-lock is if you had to RMA it.
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Oh ok. So the guy who told me that leaving it unlocked will make my phone from to malwares and things like that was wrong? Thanks for correcting this.
So, if i were to unlock again, this means i have to factory reset and delete again all my apps, data and settings? So unlucky of me to believe that guy which led me to locking it again when i was supposed to enjoy already being unlocked without worrying about it being left unlocked!
I have twrp and titanium backup. Could i use this to save the time and effort of restoring everything back the way it was after i unlock my bootloader again? Which is the better backup to use? Via twrp or titanium?
Appreciate the inputs.
Thanks!
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda premium
any other opinions?
I use bootunlocker to lock/unlock mine, you won't loose any data. I also have trickster mod which has that capability too. Both are on play store, trickster may cost you though as I have paid version.
sent from my N7 :smokin:
Good Afternoon All,
Do you think it may be possible that we can get root access without unlocking the bootloader - I'm a little reluctant to unlock the bootloader because of the QFuse blowing.
The QFuse does not blow when you unlock or relock the bootloader. Many reviews and Android news sites spouted that nonsense without having tried it. There are many screenshots of Google CSRs saying that they don't know what the QFuse is for, but unlocking the bootloader/rooting/alterring software is fine as long as it's not so bricked you can't reflash stock images before sending it in to them.
Link to a thread discussing this issue.
Scyntherei said:
The QFuse does not blow when you unlock or relock the bootloader. Many reviews and Android news sites spouted that nonsense without having tried it. There are many screenshots of Google CSRs saying that they don't know what the QFuse is for, but unlocking the bootloader/rooting/alterring software is fine as long as it's not so bricked you can't reflash stock images before sending it in to them.
Link to a thread discussing this issue.
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Click to collapse
+1 the QFuse status didn't change when unlocking the bootloader. The media exaggerated about the qfuse and nothing has happened. Everything about the phone still works properly.
Thanks very much, I wasn't aware of this, I should read more. Awesome news.
But to answer the first question.
Very few people put in effort to root a phone with an unlocked bootloader, not matter what fuses are blown.
A phone with an unlocked bootloader has root by default.
Swatto86 said:
Good Afternoon All,
Do you think it may be possible that we can get root access without unlocking the bootloader - I'm a little reluctant to unlock the bootloader because of the QFuse blowing.
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last i read you have to flash a kernel in order to root the phone therefore you need to unlock the bootloader to do so, i would like to just root myself but i don't know if you can.
No answer?
I would like to get Root on my Nexus 6p but currently do not want to invest the time for full bootloader unlock/fresh install.
So... I will ask again, is it possible to get Root access on Nexus 6P with stock kernel and leaving bootloader in factory locked state? If yes... are there any guides to do this?
Why people are afraid to unlock the bootloader? Nexus devices don't lose the warranty when you unlock it, you can also lock it again.
Enviado desde mi Nexus 7 mediante Tapatalk
PetrichorXFi said:
No answer?
I would like to get Root on my Nexus 6p but currently do not want to invest the time for full bootloader unlock/fresh install.
So... I will ask again, is it possible to get Root access on Nexus 6P with stock kernel and leaving bootloader in factory locked state? If yes... are there any guides to do this?
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Click to collapse
No
PetrichorXFi said:
No answer?
I would like to get Root on my Nexus 6p but currently do not want to invest the time for full bootloader unlock/fresh install.
So... I will ask again, is it possible to get Root access on Nexus 6P with stock kernel and leaving bootloader in factory locked state? If yes... are there any guides to do this?
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Click to collapse
The answer is no.
To do what you want, someone would need to develop and exploit.
There is no motivation to do that when all one has to do is unlock the bootloader.
On phones where a bootloader unlock exists, root methods require unlocking the bootloader.
This is to install a custom recovery so yiou can flash SU.
Unlocked bootloader = root, no matter what.
You will need to invest the time and backup your device.
@TS, did you read the unlock/root guide in general section? It clearly states you need an unlocked bootloader + custom recovery to root your device..
Sent from my Nexus 5X using XDA-Developers mobile app
I think this should be possible now with Quadrooter vulnerabilities?
sushah23 said:
I think this should be possible now with Quadrooter vulnerabilities?
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DOA.
But nobody is going to put in time and effort.
What is the point? Unlock the bootloader and flash. It does not void the warranty.
There is even a defined method to get the monthly security update.
With the exploit, it will only work until the next OTA patches it.
I was hoping to root without unlocking the boot loader also. I am definitely not willing to do this since I believe that is what wrecked my previous 6P. It was fine until I used Nexus Root toolkit. I unlocked the boot loader, installed TWRP and rooted then minutes after this the phone locked up, rebooted and was stuck in a permanent boot loop. I couldn't get into recovery or even install any recovery. That phone is currently at the Huawei repair center in Texas and they are sending me a new device. They believe the internal ROM failed and I have suspicions of everything I did with the Toolkit did this. I am afraid to try it on my current 6P that I got from a friend. I have no root now and the phone is massively stable. 400+ hours uptime with no reboot and no slowdowns. But if I were able to root with no unlocking of the boot loader or installing any custom recovery I probably would do it. I hate that I am scared to do all that again with this other phone haha. Sorry for sounding paranoid but ****, see where am I coming from?
LiquidAlloy said:
I was hoping to root without unlocking the boot loader also. I am definitely not willing to do this since I believe that is what wrecked my previous 6P. It was fine until I used Nexus Root toolkit. I unlocked the boot loader, installed TWRP and rooted then minutes after this the phone locked up, rebooted and was stuck in a permanent boot loop. I couldn't get into recovery or even install any recovery. That phone is currently at the Huawei repair center in Texas and they are sending me a new device. They believe the internal ROM failed and I have suspicions of everything I did with the Toolkit did this. I am afraid to try it on my current 6P that I got from a friend. I have no root now and the phone is massively stable. 400+ hours uptime with no reboot and no slowdowns. But if I were able to root with no unlocking of the boot loader or installing any custom recovery I probably would do it. I hate that I am scared to do all that again with this other phone haha. Sorry for sounding paranoid but ****, see where am I coming from?
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Click to collapse
As good as toolkits are, put in the extra time and avoid using them because you are never in full control of what is being done to your device. Take a little extra time and learn adb and fastboot. It's actually really simple and you can get so much done without the need for using a toolkit.
Jammol said:
As good as toolkits are, put in the extra time and avoid using them because you are never in full control of what is being done to your device. Take a little extra time and learn adb and fastboot. It's actually really simple and you can get so much done without the need for using a toolkit.
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I have tried that only a few times. I understand what you're saying. I guess convenience can be more destructive. :/
LiquidAlloy said:
I have tried that only a few times. I understand what you're saying. I guess convenience can be more destructive. :/
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In all honesty it's not even more convenient. Once you've used the command line you'll never go back to a toolkit. It's actually easier, much faster and you have way more control over what you do.
PetrichorXFi said:
No answer?
I would like to get Root on my Nexus 6p but currently do not want to invest the time for full bootloader unlock/fresh install.
So... I will ask again, is it possible to get Root access on Nexus 6P with stock kernel and leaving bootloader in factory locked state? If yes... are there any guides to do this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Use Helium app for individual apps backup. Worked great to backup a few apps/data when I changed from one Nexus 6P to another. Might be a bit buggy to get working to get the backup, but after that everything is fine.
you can do it with KINGROOT
I can't remember if relocking the bootloader wipes the device or not. I know unlocking it does, but I want to relocking for android pay and don't want to be shocked if it wipes the data.
318sugarhill said:
I can't remember if relocking the bootloader wipes the device or not. I know unlocking it does, but I want to relocking for android pay and don't want to be shocked if it wipes the data.
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It shouldn't wipe your data, but I think you would want a stock recovery if you do lock it.
Fe Mike said:
It shouldn't wipe your data, but I think you would want a stock recovery if you do lock it.
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Everything is stock, I just unlocked it to flash factory images. I'm not rooted or anything on this device. Just want to use Android pay again. With the Android beta program, u never know what things might not work so I keep it unlocked to be able to roll back to whatever I liked best. But darn android pay and bootloader anymore.....
Fe Mike said:
It shouldn't wipe your data, but I think you would want a stock recovery if you do lock it.
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Click to collapse
I actually went to relocking it today, and it gives me a warning that it WILL wipe the device upon relocking the bootloader. I'm leaving it alone as I just got my pixel and unlocked that. I'll relocking it when I'm ready to sell this.
318sugarhill said:
I actually went to relocking it today, and it gives me a warning that it WILL wipe the device upon relocking the bootloader. I'm leaving it alone as I just got my pixel and unlocked that. I'll relocking it when I'm ready to sell this.
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Really? I was under the impression it didn't, that's bad info on my part. Sorry, Thank you