Database Users

[Q] Rooting my Note3, what and how now?

Hey guys, just a quick question. Please please excuse me for I am definitely a noob, but I've done some research about rooting and what it offers yet I still don't know how to use it. It feels much like learning how to drive a stick... understanding in theory, but difficult in application until practice. My note 3 is rooted, but I still have no idea what and how much I can do from here. Not to mention, while I'm doing research and trying to educate myself, there are some names and terms I do not understand. Anyway, let me just write some of the questions I have in a list:
1) Cyanogenmod. Is it available for verizon note 3 running 4.3? I keep getting search results that there are while the cyanogenmod website itself doesn't offer it? I also got a Nexus 7 to try to expand my knowledge in this field, and it does have cyanogenmod installed. Now, to my understanding, it runs side by side with the Android OS while it basically strips the device's bloatware, giving you the pure, simple, raw experience of Android OS. If I were to install cyanogenmod to the note 3, how would it affect the camera functions and the s pen functions? The reason why I ask about the camera is because using my Nexus's camera and looking at some youtube videos of note 2's with cyanogenmod, it seems like it would actually be a downgrade from the note 3's stock camera. And as far as the S pen goes, I've realized that I would lose the action notes, s notes, and sketchbook for galaxy apps, wouldn't I? How could I go around that?
2) Flashing ROMS. What exactly does this do? All I can find is that it allows me to customize my phone, but I don't seem to understand to what extent.
3) Kernels. What are these?
Lol, so sorry for such basic questions. But I would really really appreciate your patience and information!

CyanogenMod is unofficially available for the Note 3. Not everything works. CyanogenMod is a ROM that changes the software on the phone. It's a more customized version of Android, and very close to "stock". If you use CyanogenMod however, you will lose your S-Pen and it's features, along with all of the other TouchWiz features of the phone (gestures, split screen, etc.). The S-pen will act as a basic mouse pointer. CyanogenMod is not pure AOSP, it's quite far from it. It's similar, but very different from a pure Google experience. It's really a beast of it's own in my opinion, and is now a stand alone company that will seek to profit off of the ROM (likely by coming standard on some devices). That's not to say it isn't good, I run it on most of my other devices but on the Note 3, without the S-Pen it's just a big phone.
ROM's are customized versions of Android typically created by a developer or group of developers. The features of each ROM will change. A 4.3 TouchWiz rom might remove all of the carrier bloat (applications not likely used, but run in the background and offer little no actual use to anyone). They'll also provide enhancements and tweaks that make life a little easier like a quick-access flashlight tied to your volume up button, or the ability to remove certain icons from the notification panel, a batter percentage indicator in the notification panel, removing the exchange security permissions, or just general speed improvements over the factory settings. There are many advantages to a ROM and once you use them you'll likely never go back to stock. The ROM features are typically listed in the ROM's topic.
There are many ROM's out there for many different devices, so make sure you only install one that is made for your phone. You'll also hear about AOSP ROM's, these are stock or close-to-stock versions of Android, typically found on Nexus devices. The way Google intended Android to be used.
Android uses a Linux Kernal. It's a customized version of Linux. It's the base operating system behind Android. Similar to ROM's, different kernals can offer different levels of customization, however they won't be as prevalent as a ROM since they deal more with the core of the operating system. The Kernal will manage the drivers for all the different components of the phone, like your radios (how you receive a phone signal), your sensors, camera, CPU, etc. Be especially careful when changing Kernals, it can drastically affect your phone, and possibly permanently.
I'll put in the caveat that this is my understanding, and may not be 100% accurate. People are welcome to correct my mistakes and misunderstandings I may have =)
I hope you find it helpful!

Thank you for your response and information!
Okay, so I guess Cyanogenmod for the Note 3 is not an option for me since I enjoy using my S pen (I mean, why else would I have gotten the phone in the first place haha)
Could you direct me to some useful ROMs or recommend me some? The thing is, I had the Motorola Droid as my first smartphone and never really got into rooting or anything, and when I got the iPhone 4s, that's when I started learning about jailbreaking and got pretty good at it too. Now that I'm back to Android and learning about root, I've realized just how.. simple and basic jailbreaking is compared to rooting. So, would these ROMs be similar to tweaks you can get from the Cydia store in, let's say, behavior of the phone?
I don't think I would want to mess with kernels for a long while either, not until I get more acquainted with rooting in general.

ch0i said:
Thank you for your response and information!
Okay, so I guess Cyanogenmod for the Note 3 is not an option for me since I enjoy using my S pen (I mean, why else would I have gotten the phone in the first place haha)
Could you direct me to some useful ROMs or recommend me some? The thing is, I had the Motorola Droid as my first smartphone and never really got into rooting or anything, and when I got the iPhone 4s, that's when I started learning about jailbreaking and got pretty good at it too. Now that I'm back to Android and learning about root, I've realized just how.. simple and basic jailbreaking is compared to rooting. So, would these ROMs be similar to tweaks you can get from the Cydia store in, let's say, behavior of the phone?
I don't think I would want to mess with kernels for a long while either, not until I get more acquainted with rooting in general.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well first thing you need is safestrap so you can actually flash a ROM link here
This allows you to create limited size slots to flash a ROM to without effecting the stock ROM. There is a way around the size limitation of the slots, but I wouldn't worry about that yet. Just get a feel for it first before you risk bricking.
As for a ROM, head on over to the android development section and pick one. They all have great descriptions of what they have and what they don't. Personally I run hyperdrive and it makes a great daily driver. Still has enough of the original Samsung stuff to look like a Note 3 but allows you to tweak it much further. There are plenty others, and that's the beauty of safestrap, flash to your heart a content until you find one you like.
Kernals aren't something to worry about yet because the boot loader is still locked, limiting our ability to flash a kernal or a custom recovery at that. Unless something has changed that is... Has it? Did it get unlocked while I was asleep.
I you ever get stuck, search then ask. You might also want to read about ODIN here. since you're already rooted some of this doesn't pertain to you, but is still a good read as ODIN will help you recover from some problems.
Hope that helped.

blksprk said:
Well first thing you need is safestrap so you can actually flash a ROM link here
This allows you to create limited size slots to flash a ROM to without effecting the stock ROM. There is a way around the size limitation of the slots, but I wouldn't worry about that yet. Just get a feel for it first before you risk bricking.
As for a ROM, head on over to the android development section and pick one. They all have great descriptions of what they have and what they don't. Personally I run hyperdrive and it makes a great daily driver. Still has enough of the original Samsung stuff to look like a Note 3 but allows you to tweak it much further. There are plenty others, and that's the beauty of safestrap, flash to your heart a content until you find one you like.
Kernals aren't something to worry about yet because the boot loader is still locked, limiting our ability to flash a kernal or a custom recovery at that. Unless something has changed that is... Has it? Did it get unlocked while I was asleep.
I you ever get stuck, search then ask. You might also want to read about ODIN here. since you're already rooted some of this doesn't pertain to you, but is still a good read as ODIN will help you recover from some problems.
Hope that helped.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It did! Thank you very much!

ch0i said:
It did! Thank you very much!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The only option with Safestrap and therefore on newer Verizon Note 3's is a ROM based on stock, so Cyanogenmod isn't an option at all.
I would consider Hyperdrive. Enhanced app windowing options, Xposed framework to get rid of earphone hearing damage warning and never ending reminder about how to clear default apps and tons of little customizations. Getting rid of boot sound is reason enough for me.
Other things on your checklist whether you get a custom ROM or not is Adaware, which you can download on xda to block ads. Need Titanium Backup to back up apps with data, something you can't do without root and very useful when switching ROMs or phones. Lots of other useful tools like Root Explorer on Google Play. If you stick with your stock ROM, do the mod to allow free tethering for Wi-Fi.
Since you like your S Pen, you need Pen Window Manager, available on Play to choose for yourself which apps can run in a pen window. That was one of the big reasons I wanted to root this phone.
By the way, once you find a ROM you like, it's best to nandroid back it up, backup the stock ROM for safety, then restore your custom ROM to the Safestrap stock slot. The ROM 1-4 slots have limited storage so not great long term solution if you have a lot of apps, etc.
Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk

Where to pre-order 820?

I want to pre-order the new S7 Edge but im from europe and I want the SD820 chip. Mostly because of it's easier to mod so developers will give more love to that.
Does anyone know where I can do this?

Makes no sense at all. If a phone ever cried out for non-stock to be avoided, it's this. You will lose all Samsung features like Edge and the camera features and quality will be s**t in comparison. If you're bothered about running AOSP or CM this isn't the phone for you regardless of what chip set it has in it.

Beefheart said:
Makes no sense at all. If a phone ever cried out for non-stock to be avoided, it's this. You will lose all Samsung features like Edge and the camera features and quality will be s**t in comparison. If you're bothered about running AOSP or CM this isn't the phone for you regardless of what chip set it has in it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not completely true. To be fair he just said modding. Not flashing Stock (AOSP) ROMs, Kernels, etc...
An "clean" TW ROM is always welcomed and usually the best of both worlds.

Except clean stock doesn't require an open source chip set. It's just as easy to debloat stock on Exynos as it is on Snapdragon.

Beefheart said:
Except clean stock doesn't require an open source chip set. It's just as easy to debloat stock on Exynos as it is on Snapdragon.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Eh... Got me there.

Beefheart said:
Makes no sense at all. If a phone ever cried out for non-stock to be avoided, it's this. You will lose all Samsung features like Edge and the camera features and quality will be s**t in comparison. If you're bothered about running AOSP or CM this isn't the phone for you regardless of what chip set it has in it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with you - for me I wouldn't spend a ton of money on a phone only to lose many of the special features - but at the end of the day, it's his call what he does with his phone - and if he prefers running a clean AOSP rom or even just modded touch wiz, it;s his call - regardless - it probably won't be easy for him to find an unlocked snapdragon model - at least not early on - maybe after it's been out for a while...

I believe the Verizon version would be the best one to get to support most of the spectrum around the world, but Verizon will lock that bootloader. I bought the T-Mobile version outright and will probably get mine unlocked a couple days after I get it(paid outright and meet requirements)
Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk

If anyone has an answer to the OP's question I am curious also

After the 810 I dont want a snapdragon ever again. Glad my country is getting the 8890.

At echoe they already said they will develop for thz exynos variant cuz most part of their theam is from europe so thats asewome! [emoji3]
Verstuurd vanaf mijn SM-N920C met Tapatalk

@Beefheart Just to clarify:
With regards to the S7 Edge, its best to leave it untouched with regards to custom roms & kernels otherwise "Edge" features will be lost ?

SlyUK said:
@Beefheart Just to clarify:
With regards to the S7 Edge, its best to leave it untouched with regards to custom roms & kernels otherwise "Edge" features will be lost ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes. The edge features, as far as I'm aware, require Samsung libraries, which are closed source and can't be used outside of stock Touchwiz roms. It's for the same reason S-Pen features in non-stock roms on the Note series of devices can't be used and require third party software (SPenCommand for example).

Beefheart said:
Yes. The edge features, as far as I'm aware, require Samsung libraries, which are closed source and can't be used outside of stock Touchwiz roms. It's for the same reason S-Pen features in non-stock roms on the Note series of devices can't be used and require third party software (SPenCommand for example).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Would that be the case also with a custom rom that was based on the Stock rom but was "debloated" ?

mocsab said:
I agree with you - for me I wouldn't spend a ton of money on a phone only to lose many of the special features - but at the end of the day, it's his call what he does with his phone - and if he prefers running a clean AOSP rom or even just modded touch wiz, it;s his call - regardless - it probably won't be easy for him to find an unlocked snapdragon model - at least not early on - maybe after it's been out for a while...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Of course it's his money and his choice, he can buy an S7 Edge and use it as a paperweight if he wishes to. But this is a forum for discussion, and I'm simply pointing out that, in my opinion with 6 years experience of using and modifying Android devices, it wouldn't make any sense to buy an S7 Edge if he wants to use non-stock roms. It defeats the object of paying the premium on a device like this in the first place.
---------- Post added at 12:45 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:42 PM ----------
SlyUK said:
Would that be the case also with a custom rom that was based on the Stock rom but was "debloated" ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just to clarify, for me a "custom rom" means non-stock. Perhaps not entirely accurate but that is how I've always viewed the phrase. But to answer your question, no. That would be a debloated and minimised stock rom, and any desired features of Samsung vanilla stock could be included as the required libraries are still intact.

Beefheart said:
Of course it's his money and his choice, he can buy an S7 Edge and use it as a paperweight if he wishes to. But this is a forum for discussion, and I'm simply pointing out that, in my opinion with 6 years experience of using and modifying Android devices, it wouldn't make any sense to buy an S7 Edge if he wants to use non-stock roms. It defeats the object of paying the premium on a device like this in the first place.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Of course you are right, but he is not alone - there are lots of people who do what he plans to do no matter what we think ..and despite the many advantages and tools that are built into one of these phones, a high end phone with the kind of quality that is built into an S7 or Note 5 or whatever - is still an amazing phone when it uses a different system - AOSP or whatever - so I don't fault yuo for making your point - but it is likely that in his and many other cases it falls on deaf ears

Beefheart said:
Of course it's his money and his choice, he can buy an S7 Edge and use it as a paperweight if he wishes to. But this is a forum for discussion, and I'm simply pointing out that, in my opinion with 6 years experience of using and modifying Android devices, it wouldn't make any sense to buy an S7 Edge if he wants to use non-stock roms. It defeats the object of paying the premium on a device like this in the first place.
---------- Post added at 12:45 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:42 PM ----------
Just to clarify, for me a "custom rom" means non-stock. Perhaps not entirely accurate but that is how I've always viewed the phrase. But to answer your question, no. That would be a debloated and minimised stock rom, and any desired features of Samsung vanilla stock could be included as the required libraries are still intact.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wasn't quite sure of the terminology to use for a slimmed down, debloated rom based on the official stock rom, so used the word custom to be on the safe side. Thanks for answering that, gives reassurance.

SlyUK said:
I wasn't quite sure of the terminology to use for a slimmed down, debloated rom based on the official stock rom, so used the word custom to be on the safe side. Thanks for answering that, gives reassurance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's worth noting that, to install such a rom, the knox flag would have to be tripped. On Samsung Marshmallow, the only way to avoid tripping knox when installing a new build is to use Odin, which can only be used to install vanilla stock. And to use tools like FlashFire to install a build, you need to be rooted, a process which in itself trips the knox flag so you may as well install TWRP or CWM and install via a zip in recovery.

im also one of a guy waiting for S7edge with S820 from outside of US so i felt the pain and confusion of the way Sammy doing. As one of a guy responded in Reddit chat is to start ordering UNLOCKED SIM Samsung S7 from ebay would be the easiest and fastest option...
Below is the one that I am watching closely. As it said Pre-order, I am a bit afraid of the RISK of ordering a phone that cost >1000$ without seeing actual unlocked & S820 phone as they mention.
[EDIT: can't put links due to lower posts count] googled this eBay item number:281944393668
Here is some other options
to Confirm: you might have to wait for unlocked version from Samsung to released in US since all the US carriers will delay the unlocked version so that mostly can able to attract customer by offering them insensitive to stay in their network.
to Confirm: As far as I knew, US is the ONLY country which S7 variant will come with S820. The rest will ONLY get Exynos version in it with Dual SIMs supported.
to Confirm: As far as I found online is that there is no unique model number which will be the UNLOCKED version of S7 is surfaced in Internet. All the model numbers of US variant are for tied with each US Carriers. So it is possible that US will never get unlocked version of S7 with S820.
to Confirm: some people said they can ask their US carrier to unlock their locked S7 after a period of time using.

ted_O_o said:
im also one of a guy waiting for S7edge with S820 from outside of US so i felt the pain and confusion of the way Sammy doing. As one of a guy responded in Reddit chat is to start ordering UNLOCKED SIM Samsung S7 from ebay would be the easiest and fastest option...
Below is the one that I am watching closely. As it said Pre-order, I am a bit afraid of the RISK of ordering a phone that cost >1000$ without seeing actual unlocked & S820 phone as they mention.
[EDIT: can't put links due to lower posts count] googled this eBay item number:281944393668
Here is some other options
to Confirm: you might have to wait for unlocked version from Samsung to released in US since all the US carriers will delay the unlocked version so that mostly can able to attract customer by offering them insensitive to stay in their network.
to Confirm: As far as I knew, US is the ONLY country which S7 variant will come with S820. The rest will ONLY get Exynos version in it with Dual SIMs supported.
to Confirm: As far as I found online is that there is no unique model number which will be the UNLOCKED version of S7 is surfaced in Internet. All the model numbers of US variant are for tied with each US Carriers. So it is possible that US will never get unlocked version of S7 with S820.
to Confirm: some people said they can ask their US carrier to unlock their locked S7 after a period of time using.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are referring to this one:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-UNLOCKE...393668?hash=item41a53207c4:g:NhIAAOSwFNZWzWSU

No was not really thinking about a new rom if disabling touchwiz is possible. I had my mind more into rooting and xposed.

Why is Development for the S7 edge I S7 dead?

Good Hello Everyone,
so I just got my S7 edge today aaand the first thing I do after getting home is obviously visit the S7 edge section on xda! but oh boy... what's this what I'm seeing! or should I say not seeing? basically no roms and not a single custom kernel!!! I'm deceased:crying:.
WHY? WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY??? :crying:
Development on the S6 was simply great. Switching to a Note 5 well not so great but had some gems. But now "upgrading" to a S7 edge and being faced with this tragedy? Oh man I hope this changes in the near future.

I wouldn't expect any change to the U.S. version. If rooting is really important to you, return the phone while you can.
I have to ask, though: Why didn't you look at XDA before deciding what phone to buy?

meyerweb said:
I wouldn't expect any change to the U.S. version. If rooting is really important to you, return the phone while you can.
I have to ask, though: Why didn't you look at XDA before deciding what phone to buy?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was wondering the same thing.....

Because 2016. Flagships dont really need any development now. The purpose of custom roms was better battery, faster speeds, less lag, etc. But today's flagships already have all of those things. There are no improvements you can make. I have stopped rooting/ROMing my phones since last year because i just dont feel the need anymore. You will probably get a few roms in the future anyway , but I dont think the community will be anywhere near as active as before in the development section.

I'm happy with this phone the way it is actually! So far not missing root for a month now. I shudder to think all the time I spent the past six years rooting, flashing, fixing, etc.
Besides that's what a Nexus is for!
Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

I wouldn't go that far as saying the development has stopped. There are coming custom Rom. Tho, not as many as before, I'll agree with that.
When it comes to custom kernel, you can have a look at this tread
Apparently Samsung priorities security because of Samsung pay.
When it comes to what @mahdibassam says, I disagree. A good example was the S6, who had major bugs from Samsung side. The the first to fix it was this community with the custom roms.
There is always room for improvements.

Neemac said:
I wouldn't go that far as saying the development has stopped. There are coming custom Rom. Tho, not as many as before, I'll agree with that.
When it comes to custom kernel, you can have a look at this tread
Apparently Samsung priorities security because of Samsung pay.
When it comes to what @mahdibassam says, I disagree. A good example was the S6, who had major bugs from Samsung side. The the first to fix it was this community with the custom roms.
There is always room for improvements.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, if a phone is buggy, then that warrants the need for a custom rom. E.g. the LG G4 was in dire need of improvement. But can you give me one area where the S7 edge is lacking and would need a custom rom to fix? I really cant think of any.

mahdibassam said:
Well, if a phone is buggy, then that warrants the need for a custom rom. E.g. the LG G4 was in dire need of improvement. But can you give me one area where the S7 edge is lacking and would need a custom rom to fix? I really cant think of any.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you're happy with the S7 as it is, then that's good. But for me, and many others, the phone ain't complete "mine" until root is there, and maybe some custom roms, where they are already debloated and deodexd.
It's all about custom preference
Especially the kernel part is important for me, as that's the real thing when it comes too set the phone free, and really get the use of all the power the phone holds.

chieco said:
Good Hello Everyone,
so I just got my S7 edge today aaand the first thing I do after getting home is obviously visit the S7 edge section on xda! but oh boy... what's this what I'm seeing! or should I say not seeing? basically no roms and not a single custom kernel!!! I'm deceased:crying:.
WHY? WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY??? :crying:
Development on the S6 was simply great. Switching to a Note 5 well not so great but had some gems. But now "upgrading" to a S7 edge and being faced with this tragedy? Oh man I hope this changes in the near future.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Development will begin, it is still a new phone. The software on S7 is less intrusive but I fully understand you would like a customized device experience and being a flagship device you assumed this one will be well supported by the developers(which it will, just a matter of time).

S7 edge exynos has some kicking roms. Loving it
Sent from my Pebble Time

Neemac said:
I wouldn't go that far as saying the development has stopped. There are coming custom Rom. Tho, not as many as before, I'll agree with that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not for the North American version with it's locked bootloader.

Is not been released more than a month. We already have root and a handful of Roms.
Not sure why you think development is dead. Just at the moment is not really required as the phones are smooth as it is.
Sent from my SM-G935F using XDA-Developers mobile app

mahdibassam said:
Because 2016. Flagships dont really need any development now. The purpose of custom roms was better battery, faster speeds, less lag, etc. But today's flagships already have all of those things. There are no improvements you can make. I have stopped rooting/ROMing my phones since last year because i just dont feel the need anymore. You will probably get a few roms in the future anyway , but I dont think the community will be anywhere near as active as before in the development section.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Seriously?
-Viper4Android
-Xposed (and therefore essential modules like Xprivacy, Xtouchwiz, MinMinGuard, YouTube AdAway and App Settings)
-Adblock (non-root ad blocking solutions are mediocre at best)
-AFWall+
-Titanium Backup
-Greenify (will work without root but hibernation of apps needs to be manual)
The list goes on. You can choose not to root, but you can't say improvements can't be made to stock by doing so. That will never be the case in my view.

mahdibassam said:
Because 2016. Flagships dont really need any development now. The purpose of custom roms was better battery, faster speeds, less lag, etc. But today's flagships already have all of those things. There are no improvements you can make. I have stopped rooting/ROMing my phones since last year because i just dont feel the need anymore. You will probably get a few roms in the future anyway , but I dont think the community will be anywhere near as active as before in the development section.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Of course there are improvements to make. There always is. Stock is never heavily debloated or as efficient as custom, as stock should be over stable.. So customer's don't complain about problems.
If the battery and speed are good stock, you can just make it even better custom. Like change alarms and wakelocks on thing you personally don't need. Debloat things running in the background, hibernate them, set cpu work queues, change network when screen of and so on.

Beefheart said:
Seriously?
-Viper4Android
-Xposed (and therefore essential modules like Xprivacy, Xtouchwiz, MinMinGuard, YouTube AdAway and App Settings)
-Adblock (non-root ad blocking solutions are mediocre at best)
-AFWall+
-Titanium Backup
-Greenify (will work without root but hibernation of apps needs to be manual)
The list goes on. You can choose not to root, but you can't say improvements can't be made to stock by doing so. That will never be the case in my view.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Faspaiso said:
Of course there are improvements to make. There always is. Stock is never heavily debloated or as efficient as custom, as stock should be over stable.. So customer's don't complain about problems.
If the battery and speed are good stock, you can just make it even better custom. Like change alarms and wakelocks on thing you personally don't need. Debloat things running in the background, hibernate them, set cpu work queues, change network when screen of and so on.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I totally get what you saying guys, I am just giving my own opinion, as you are. Each to their own i guess. I just dont see the need to put myself through the hassle of root and recovery and the manually flashing every update through recovery, and then a clean install with every new base and etc. The phone is just good enough as it is out of the box, FOR ME. I would love to have Greenify again, but frankly the battery life is just really good and I dont feel the need to go through the trouble to get it , and I have never used Xposed anyway.
But all in all, what puts me off from going the custom rom way these days is 1) The phone is just perfect as it is (again, for me) 2) I cant be bothered to flash every update through recovery and etc and do a clean flash with every new base and all the other stuff that comes with custom roms
But hey, this is the beauty of android isnt it, it caters to everyone, including me and you

chieco said:
Good Hello Everyone,
so I just got my S7 edge today aaand the first thing I do after getting home is obviously visit the S7 edge section on xda! but oh boy... what's this what I'm seeing! or should I say not seeing? basically no roms and not a single custom kernel!!! I'm deceased:crying:.
WHY? WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY??? :crying:
Development on the S6 was simply great. Switching to a Note 5 well not so great but had some gems. But now "upgrading" to a S7 edge and being faced with this tragedy? Oh man I hope this changes in the near future.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Because the stock firmware is good enough so no development is needed.
You already have great battery life, theme support, ad blocking support, many other customization options.

mahdibassam said:
I totally get what you saying guys, I am just giving my own opinion, as you are. Each to their own i guess. I just dont see the need to put myself through the hassle of root and recovery and the manually flashing every update through recovery, and then a clean install with every new base and etc. The phone is just good enough as it is out of the box, FOR ME. I would love to have Greenify again, but frankly the battery life is just really good and I dont feel the need to go through the trouble to get it , and I have never used Xposed anyway.
But all in all, what puts me off from going the custom rom way these days is 1) The phone is just perfect as it is (again, for me) 2) I cant be bothered to flash every update through recovery and etc and do a clean flash with every new base and all the other stuff that comes with custom roms
But hey, this is the beauty of android isnt it, it caters to everyone, including me and you
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That's great, and in a way I'm envious. But there are simply too many applications I can't do without that require root.
Cst79 said:
Because the stock firmware is good enough so no development is needed.
You already have great battery life, theme support, ad blocking support, many other customization options.
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Ad blocking on non-root is via VPN. It's ropey and unreliable at best. Certainly it doesn't hold a candle to what can be achieved with root and proper hosts editing. Also, Xprivacy for me is essential, I'd go so far as calling it my most important application. Combine it with a firewall like AFWall+ and, in terms of privacy, my phone is locked down. Non-root firewalls, like non-root ad blockers, work on VPN, and are again unreliable in comparison. Plus you can't protect against data leaks on boot. But I guess it comes down to what we want from our phones.

LOL. Does this question really need to be asked? If you look around in the forums you'll see that the dev community for this phone is almost non-existent because of its locked bootloader.

HesThatGuy said:
LOL. Does this question really need to be asked? If you look around in the forums you'll see that the dev community for this phone is almost non-existent because of its locked bootloader.
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"It" doesn't have a locked bootloader. The US Snapdragon variant does.

HesThatGuy said:
LOL. Does this question really need to be asked? If you look around in the forums you'll see that the dev community for this phone is almost non-existent because of its locked bootloader.
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Such confidence, 'LOL' ing people, yet you are wrong and spreading false information. The Exynos variant already has a few ROMS. The bootloader is unlocked. Only the Snapdragon is locked.
Sent from my SM-G935F using XDA-Developers mobile app

About to switch to the VZW S7 Edge, have some questions regarding firmwares

I'm about to purchase a S7 Edge so I've been poking around these forums trying to figure if I should/if I can modify it once I get it. I'm no stranger to rooting, unlocking, and installing custom ROMs on my previous phones but I'm trying to keep things relatively stock this time around. However, I will definitely want to root and potentially unlock the bootloader. After poking around here I have some questions:
1. I'm seeing different firmwares being talked about all over the place. What exactly are these firmwares? Are they OTA updates from Verizon? These aren't full ROMs or software updates, right?
2. I know Samsung has said that M is coming for the S7, but I also know that it's probably going to take forever for Samsung to get it out, and then it's going to take forever and a day for Verizon to approve/mangle it how they see fit. So I'm wondering if you guys think there will be a quicker upgrade path to N for those of us who are able to tinker with out phones like this. I'm talking Samsung N, not something like CM14. Though I'm not entirely opposed to a stock-based firmware, we'll see how much TouchWiz wares on me.
Thanks for any help!

1. There are only two types, the Verizon firmware and the U (for Unlocked) firmware. You should know what Verizon's always have in their software, but the Unlocked is the international variant that's much cleaner but also lacks features like Wi-Fi calling and visual voicemail.
2. The S7 and S7 Edge already comes with Marshmallow out of the box, if that's what you're asking? And TouchWiz isn't that bad especially how much they've cleaned it up for this year.

GigaSPX said:
1. There are only two types, the Verizon firmware and the U (for Unlocked) firmware. You should know what Verizon's always have in their software, but the Unlocked is the international variant that's much cleaner but also lacks features like Wi-Fi calling and visual voicemail.
2. The S7 and S7 Edge already comes with Marshmallow out of the box, if that's what you're asking? And TouchWiz isn't that bad especially how much they've cleaned it up for this year.
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Ok, thanks. And I actually meant Nougat, not Marshmallow.

Is the latest software still rootable?

Some questions about S8s, custom ROMs etc (thinking about moving from OP3T)

Hi,
I hope one of you kind people could help point me in the right direction for some advice on custom ROMs for (UK version of) the Galaxy S8, how they affect performance etc, and where I might start learning more...?
Current situation
I've had a OP3T since launch and have come to the conclusion that even though it's a great phone (IMO) it's just too big/heavy and I want something smaller.
Ideal solution
Buy a second-hand/cheap S8, wipe it, install a custom ROM that's as close to "stock" Android as possible (I'm really nit a fan of Samsung's software and I'll likely have better support/updates etc from a community supported ROM than Samsung themselves)
Questions/concerns
I'm quite confused by the potential differences between the UK model (Exynos) and the Snapdragon model and how that might affect my plans etc?
What would be a good ROM that would deliver a stock Android experience whilst also being as bug free as possible, still retain things like great camera performance, good battery/performance balance, all "main" functions supported (fingerprint, GPS, BT etc)?
Finally, what are your thoughts on my idea? Is it "wrong"? Should I be looking elsewhere? What am I not aware of etc?
Thanks in advance if you take the time to help - it'll be very much appreciated...

PugRallye said:
Hi,
I hope one of you kind people could help point me in the right direction for some advice on custom ROMs for (UK version of) the Galaxy S8, how they affect performance etc, and where I might start learning more...?
Current situation
I've had a OP3T since launch and have come to the conclusion that even though it's a great phone (IMO) it's just too big/heavy and I want something smaller.
Ideal solution
Buy a second-hand/cheap S8, wipe it, install a custom ROM that's as close to "stock" Android as possible (I'm really nit a fan of Samsung's software and I'll likely have better support/updates etc from a community supported ROM than Samsung themselves)
Questions/concerns
I'm quite confused by the potential differences between the UK model (Exynos) and the Snapdragon model and how that might affect my plans etc?
What would be a good ROM that would deliver a stock Android experience whilst also being as bug free as possible, still retain things like great camera performance, good battery/performance balance, all "main" functions supported (fingerprint, GPS, BT etc)?
Finally, what are your thoughts on my idea? Is it "wrong"? Should I be looking elsewhere? What am I not aware of etc?
Thanks in advance if you take the time to help - it'll be very much appreciated...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The main differences between the snapdragon (north america/america/china) and exynos(international) is that the snapdragon version has a locked bootloader (China has unlockable bootloader), so no magisk root, no proper custom roms and no custom kernels, in terms of performance the exynos is better in all aspects bar 1, the adreno gpuin snapdragon is a little better.
If you are looking for a clean android/lineageos based Rom il be honest with you, you maybe waiting a long time, currently only lineageos os Rom is in alpha, so a lot of stuff not working, but there are people working on it.
Most time are stock Samsung firmware based but optimised, you will find debloated version and there is a version where pretty much all Samsung apps are removed.
Also if you rely on Samsung pay once you root and install twrp and so on you will permanent trip Knox counter and it will void Samsung pay, you will however be able to use android pay

sofir786 said:
The main differences between the snapdragon (north america/america/china) and exynos(international) is that the snapdragon version has a locked bootloader (China has unlockable bootloader), so no magisk root, no proper custom roms and no custom kernels, in terms of performance the exynos is better in all aspects bar 1, the adreno gpuin snapdragon is a little better.
If you are looking for a clean android/lineageos based Rom il be honest with you, you maybe waiting a long time, currently only lineageos os Rom is in alpha, so a lot of stuff not working, but there are people working on it.
Most time are stock Samsung firmware based but optimised, you will find debloated version and there is a version where pretty much all Samsung apps are removed.
Also if you rely on Samsung pay once you root and install twrp and so on you will permanent trip Knox counter and it will void Samsung pay, you will however be able to use android pay
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Click to collapse
Thanks for the information...
I guess I could live with a debloated version of the Samsung ROM - I can get a lot of the stock Android "fee" from using a 3rd party launcher etc.
Ideally though I'd like to replace all the default apps with Google variants - clock, contacts etc, and remove the Samsung variants - is that something that's possibly in these debloated versions you mention?
I'm not interested in Samsung pay though - but out of interest, is this totally non-reversible? i.e. if I was to restore to a stock ROM, re-lock the bootloader etc, Samsung pay would still not work?

If you don't want the Samsung experience, skip the s8.
Yes launchers and whatnot, in the end the software is Samsung with no alternative ROM wise.
There are equally good and cheaper phones with better ROM support. The S8 is only an option if you want the best screen and camera or/and really love their approach to software.
I did come from the 3t too and in hindsight would take the 3t over the s8 any day.

domsch1988 said:
If you don't want the Samsung experience, skip the s8.
Yes launchers and whatnot, in the end the software is Samsung with no alternative ROM wise.
There are equally good and cheaper phones with better ROM support. The S8 is only an option if you want the best screen and camera or/and really love their approach to software.
I did come from the 3t too and in hindsight would take the 3t over the s8 any day.
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That's really interesting...
I'm just fed up with the size and weight of the 3T - and there are no other phones that really appeal (other than the S8) when it comes to size, features etc.
I'm still quite tempted by a second hand S8 (can be had for about £400, immaculate, second hand) - at that price I can't think of many alternatives...?

If you want Android stock experience forget about it. At this point there's just an LineageOS 14 alpha version. Someone said that there's people working on it. Might be. But since first release (October 2017) 6 months later there's no "public" progress. So my expectations are very low leaning towards none. But you can try an optimised touchwiz rom (there's plenty of them) or even those "Google edition" roms. Based on Touchwiz but with Samsung stock apps replaced by Google's counterparts (dialer, messenger and I think camera).