Database Users

Went back to unrooted.

I originally rooted to install google wallet. but I had so many problems with actually installing it that I just gave up and unrooted my phone. I tried out a few roms but until they get to 4.2 android (jelly beans/jedi) I think I'm going to take a breather from ROM bugs.

Right in time to stop me from rooting,I was hesitant all along after bricking my Note One by constantly playing with Custom Roms and Kernels,thats over six months ago,but looks like It has started itching me to repeat the process once again with my Note II, although,so far, I havent felt the need tbviously will pass on it for the time beeing.

And the point of this... Maybe I'll tell everyone I've turned the s note pop-up when removing the s-pen off. You know because I don't use it.

EmptyArea said:
And the point of this... Maybe I'll tell everyone I've turned the s note pop-up when removing the s-pen off. You know because I don't use it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Will never go back to unrooted..its just feels like stuck in a cage..and well replied the above user!..If you know what you are doing..rooting opens up unlimited possibilities!

Not sure how anyone has issues rooting with the fantastic tools available....I suggest you go download Samsung_Galaxy_Note2_ToolKit and use that. Seriously it doesn't get easier than that. I bought my Note 2 and within the first few hours I was rooted, just for the sake of being rooted.

If you choose custom roms with respected developers, you can rely on them. If thousands use the rom, possible bugs will be posted on its forum, and the rom will be updated. There are often bugs in official roms but you have to wait months for the fix there! Custom roms open a new world for you.

If you choose the right ROM, you won't have any problems. And several of them don't have any problems. If you want to be sure that it's as stable as possible, choose a Samsung based ROM and stock kernel. But more complex ROMs are mostly completely stable. I am on ESA NOTE with the abyss kernel and I don't have any problems at all. But I have tried others like Omega and ARHD with the same results.

It was more or less having problems getting google wallet to work. I do know a lot about rooting I've been doing it since the moto droid. I just could not get wallet to work consistently. And the rom bugs alot of times developers know about them but they take away a few things I like or the usefulness is gone because there is a slight issue due to porting. To say that there is a rom out there that doesn't have at least one major issue after its made would be to bury your head in the sand. I've tried a lot of the major more popular rooms and granted some features were really cool other things made me get rid of it.
Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk 2

Root is not only to play with rom. I'm on stock rom, and rooted it in order to use Titanium Backup, AdWay and Android Firewall. The note II is my first Android phone for wich i dont feel the need to use a custom rom.

I always root, even if If I say on the stock ROM. Never had any issues.
If your device became unstable its down to the app or ROM you are trying to use not the fact that you have the ability to grant select apps root access

Rooting your device means allowing the administrative access to your device, not to install some damn ROMs. I'll always be on Stock ROM and will always be rooted.
OP's statement is moot.
'Swyped' from my GT-N7100

I use root for certain apps not for custom roms. Always stock for me
Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk 2

The only reason why I unrooted my phone and stopped using custom roms is that I hate losing my apps data (for example, games progress) every time I try or upgrade to a new custom rom. Titanium backup is nice but it doesn't work perfectly like how iphone backup works....
Sent from my GT-N7100 using xda app-developers app

Rooting does not equate installing custom roms. I'm running stock 4.1.1 and rooted. The advantages are endless, freezing and backing up apps, using network apps such as dsploit, assigning endless amount of specific led colors for certain notifications/apps; the list is endless.

I've taken a break from custom roms since Sammy did an amazing job with stock, but I'll always be rooted. There's just too much to lose without root.
- ad blocking
- directory bind
- titanium backup
- freezing system apps
- spen gesture control app
- mobile Odin
- file managers with root access
Take away any one of those root-enabled feature and I would be really sad.
Sent from my iPad 4th gen using Tapatalk 2

[Q] Looking for advice on S4 ROM

Hi all,
I once more turn to XDA gurus for some advice and also questions. Let me start with saying that I have very basic experience with android phones: my main phone is an iPhone but I love to play with Android devices to fill in the iOS blanks. I own a Samsung Infuse (with a custom ROM but very unstable) and briefly had an HTC One but returned it.
Anyway, I bought an AT&T S4; it's unlocked and works great. However I'm in Canada on Rogers and couldn't care less about the bloatware installed on it. Here come the questions:
- Does anyone know of a way to install the stock Rogers ROM on this phone (more like where to get it)?
- Alternately, would you recommend to install another ROM?
Here's the thing: a week after I bought mine, Google announced the Google editions; would have known I would have waited to get that.
- Would it be recommendable to flash the Google ROM on my phone?
- Would there be a way to install some of the Samsung SPKs on such a ROM (I could never seem to do it on my Infuse)?
I know how to flash a ROM, and it's well documented in the Forums. I'm more after opinions; my experience with flashing ROMs on my Infuse has been spotty at best. Seems like no matter what I did, the phone would become unusably unstable after a while. This scares me because it seems like the Infuse is one of the most modded phones out there... The S4 is very impressive and I don't want to hinder it's performance in any way.
If none of this is doable/recommendable, then I might sell this one and pay the extra $100 and get the Google edition.
I appreciate any input!
Thanks

Well, I know it's not polite to bump your own post, but I would really appreciate some feedback.
And actually I'll add a bit more to it: let's say I either try the Google ROM or decide to buy a Google Edition, there are some pretty cool apps included with the Samsung version (such as multi window and air gestures). Is it possible to have those available on the Google Edition/ROM?
Thanks and sorry again for my lack of knowledge in the area...

technosinner said:
Well, I know it's not polite to bump your own post, but I would really appreciate some feedback.
And actually I'll add a bit more to it: let's say I either try the Google ROM or decide to buy a Google Edition, there are some pretty cool apps included with the Samsung version (such as multi window and air gestures). Is it possible to have those available on the Google Edition/ROM?
Thanks and sorry again for my lack of knowledge in the area...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Consensus with the GE ROMs for the S4 are that they're WAY too stripped down in comparison to other AOSP options (of which GE is NOT, it's actually TW disguised as AOSP). I, personally, would avoid using GE and instead opt for something like AOKP if you want that same feel. I just flashed FoxHound and really like the hybrid aspect of it in the fact that you keep all the gimmicky TW features (the hover and voice stuff as well as multi-window), the menu structures are similar, but it brings all the bonuses that having an AOSP ROM does. There are some extra steps involved which @Axman has taken his time to explain (you have to manually input your APN), but the end result is worth it.
Good luck and read around.
Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

well spoken my friend. Thanks

Thank you very much for the clarification. I was actually in the process of reading Axman's posts. To be honest I'm totally overwhelmed. I didn't imagine it to be so complicated; I'm really torn between ROM and keeping stock because of the TW cool stuff... I will keep reading around as all good n00b should.
Thanks!

technosinner said:
Thank you very much for the clarification. I was actually in the process of reading Axman's posts. To be honest I'm totally overwhelmed. I didn't imagine it to be so complicated; I'm really torn between ROM and keeping stock because of the TW cool stuff... I will keep reading around as all good n00b should.
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's much less complicated than it seems, but you do need to follow the steps as outlined or you could end up with anything from a borked flash to a bricked phone depending on what you're trying to do. I recommend playing with a i337m ROM that is TW-based for your first, just to get the hang of things as it'll provide the least steep learning curve. Go for these steps at first:
1. Enable Developer Options (go to Settings/About/tap on build until it says they're enabled)
2. Run one click root/recovery from Adam Outler
3. Transfer and flash ROM of your choice
Just know that people flash for different reasons ranging from wanting less bloat to more battery life to a morbid case of flashaholism (such as myself and @TheAxman). There's nothing saying you have to go balls to the wall here and you may find yourself completely happy with the stock ROM and a better kernel. Just read up and it'll make perfect sense.
Last word of advice: have Odin and the stock ROM on hand so you can flash back to stock if necessary. Some ROMs don't play well when flashed on top of others, even if you do a full wipe.
Sent from my SGH-I337 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

I was actually in the exact same situation as you.
However, I decided to flash a TW based ROM to keep all the cool Samsung features.
I'd recommend any of the Stock Based ones here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2312444
Just do your research and look for the features you need.

Thanks a lot guys! I'll be doing some reading but at least I know where to look.
One last thing: I keep seeing this loki thing around. Since I'm on an att version I got that I need it, but what exactly is it and where can I get it? I see a lot of references to it, but I can't seem to find a download link or a tutorial on it...
Thanks again!
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using xda premium

Don' t take the loki thing and run with it..if you are rooted and have recovery installed, flash the rom of choice and use a att kernel that already has been loki'ed.
Simple. That way you will never go wrong.
The Ax says this is my method of choice. Could care less about loki.

I recommend cm10.1 . It is aosp based, tins of features, fast, and just nice to use. I use it on my att sgs4 right now. It is nightly release but it is VERY STABLE. Ge is just tw with an aosp fanboy shirt on .lol.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using xda app-developers app

[Q] New to Android and Rooting (S4 Sprint)

Hi everyone, im new here although i have passed through these threads constantly. I decided to switch from Apple to Android. I had my iphone Jailbroken so its really normal for me to want the same with my samsung S4. However, im curious about the reality of rooting. What is rooting really? Why is there so many roms to choose from? What is the best Rom really? When i do rooting will i eliminate my data, If so is there a way to retrieve it without contacting my phone provider (Sprint)? This are question im most curious about, i apologies if they have been answered already. For sake of time, i'd like best if you responded me with an answer or something closes to it rather than an unnecessary remark. I appreciate everyones time and help, i wish you all a great Thank YOU

AndreeU17 said:
Hi everyone, im new here although i have passed through these threads constantly. I decided to switch from Apple to Android. I had my iphone Jailbroken so its really normal for me to want the same with my samsung S4. However, im curious about the reality of rooting. What is rooting really? Why is there so many roms to choose from? What is the best Rom really? When i do rooting will i eliminate my data, If so is there a way to retrieve it without contacting my phone provider (Sprint)? This are question im most curious about, i apologies if they have been answered already. For sake of time, i'd like best if you responded me with an answer or something closes to it rather than an unnecessary remark. I appreciate everyones time and help, i wish you all a great Thank YOU
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Rooting in itself is granting you full access to your phone - sort of like running administrator mode on a PC - and being able to change anything you want.
There actually aren't that many roms out for the Sprint S4 at the moment comparatively to others since it's still a pretty new device. But every rom brings something different to your device - different modifications, different things removed or kept from stock, unique features, Themes, and more. Every rom is different as people look and want different things, you should look through each and see what each offers and see what intices you the most.
What do you mean data? If you mean data reception, no. If you mean like apps and contacts, contacts and that stuff is restored when you log into your Google account. But you usually wipe all your apps when installing a new rom but you can make a backup of your apps using an app called titanium backup which you can restore when you reinstall the app after putting on a new rom (there are similar apps for sms restoring and call log restoring). But you don't need to worry about dealing with Sprint with any of that. Rooting is much more of an open experience than anything you'd get from jailbreaking an iPhone and dealing with apple.
And lastly, there are basically two types of overarching roms you will find here. Roms that are based of Touchwiz, which is the Samsung version of the android operating system (which includes all the Samsung specific features like air view and smart scroll etc as well as its general interface) - it's basically an overlay of Android with Samsungs touch.
And there are AOSP based roms (Android Open Source Project) which are roms based on stock Android without any phone manufacturers touch - for example Samsung has TouchWiz and HTC has Sense. It's what you'd find on pure Google phones like the Nexus.
Sent from my SPH-L720 using xda app-developers app

inlineboy said:
Rooting in itself is granting you full access to your phone - sort of like running administrator mode on a PC - and being able to change anything you want.
There actually aren't that many roms out for the Sprint S4 at the moment comparatively to others since it's still a pretty new device. But every rom brings something different to your device - different modifications, different things removed or kept from stock, unique features, Themes, and more. Every rom is different as people look and want different things, you should look through each and see what each offers and see what intices you the most.
What do you mean data? If you mean data reception, no. If you mean like apps and contacts, contacts and that stuff is restored when you log into your Google account. But you usually wipe all your apps when installing a new rom but you can make a backup of your apps using an app called titanium backup which you can restore when you reinstall the app after putting on a new rom (there are similar apps for sms restoring and call log restoring). But you don't need to worry about dealing with Sprint with any of that. Rooting is much more of an open experience than anything you'd get from jailbreaking an iPhone and dealing with apple.
And lastly, there are basically two types of overarching roms you will find here. Roms that are based of Touchwiz, which is the Samsung version of the android operating system (which includes all the Samsung specific features like air view and smart scroll etc as well as its general interface) - it's basically an overlay of Android with Samsungs touch.
And there are AOSP based roms (Android Open Source Project) which are roms based on stock Android without any phone manufacturers touch - for example Samsung has TouchWiz and HTC has Sense. It's what you'd find on pure Google phones like the Nexus.
Sent from my SPH-L720 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Understand it so much better I appreciate the effort in writing all this for me . So the only thing that I should pay attention in is to simply find which rom does what and what I need plus create a backup for all my stuff if not saved through googlw. I completetly understand but now I want your opinion. What rom are you runing on your phone?

AndreeU17 said:
Understand it so much better I appreciate the effort in writing all this for me . So the only thing that I should pay attention in is to simply find which rom does what and what I need plus create a backup for all my stuff if not saved through googlw. I completetly understand but now I want your opinion. What rom are you runing on your phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not a problem! Well that's what you should pay attention to when picking a rom. The actual process of preparing a rom is a little more complicated then that. You basically first need to root your phone (I recommend looking up Qbking77 on YouTube, he makes excellent video walk throughs), flash a custom recovery (you can read more up on this elsewhere since me explaining it won't do it justice, but it's basically a mode you put your phone it where you can make backups and restore roms with your setup as well as flash (basically install) new roms, and then putting on a new rom.
I recommend a Touchwiz rom definitely if your starting out. Three I would recommend for you are FreeGS4 which is basically the stock rom + a lot of handy modifications + the ability to delete the bloatware Samsung doesn't let you normally delete. ForceRom is essentially the same but with all the bloatware already removed. And lastly The Blue Kuban is the stock rom with removed bloat, lots of great modifications, the ability to pick install additional mods from within the rom, and is themed to be completely blue.
I would do FreeGS4 first as I know for sure there is also a video walk through on instslling it.
Sent from my SPH-L720 using xda app-developers app

AndreeU17 said:
Hi everyone, im new here although i have passed through these threads constantly. I decided to switch from Apple to Android. I had my iphone Jailbroken so its really normal for me to want the same with my samsung S4. However, im curious about the reality of rooting. What is rooting really? Why is there so many roms to choose from? What is the best Rom really? When i do rooting will i eliminate my data, If so is there a way to retrieve it without contacting my phone provider (Sprint)? This are question im most curious about, i apologies if they have been answered already. For sake of time, i'd like best if you responded me with an answer or something closes to it rather than an unnecessary remark. I appreciate everyones time and help, i wish you all a great Thank YOU
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Google is your friend!!

[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

[Q] Why people root there devices this days

So My question is as simple as that:
Why you rooted your phone ?
I`m an Linux administrator so I know what root account mean back in the days i rooted my phone because my android version was 2.1 and it wasn`t the most supported android version so I needed root in order to change the rom to 2.3 however I find CM really ugly and I know Samsung software is not the best possible but for me it works great.
So why you rooted your phone ? Is there a special reason why you want to skip OTA updates, To wait on Custom Rom developers to finally make your camera work as on the stock rom and your 3G to actually work ? Is CM rom really worth all the efforts in order to root your device ?
So why you rooted your phone ?

bnight said:
So My question is as simple as that:
Why you rooted your phone ?
I`m an Linux administrator so I know what root account mean back in the days i rooted my phone because my android version was 2.1 and it wasn`t the most supported android version so I needed root in order to change the rom to 2.3 however I find CM really ugly and I know Samsung software is not the best possible but for me it works great.
So why you rooted your phone ? Is there a special reason why you want to skip OTA updates, To wait on Custom Rom developers to finally make your camera work as on the stock rom and your 3G to actually work ? Is CM rom really worth all the efforts in order to root your device ?
So why you rooted your phone ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. To be freedom
2. To remove all craps that we don't want and have a complete backup/restore solution
3. To tweak the phone, make it work faster and smoother
4. Add more features that is only done by rooting devices such as Adblocks (both web & apps), underclock...
4. To use CM/AOSP sources that have much longer support than Samsung (Think about 18 months later, Will SamSung still support your devices like Apple or Microsoft?)

bnight said:
So My question is as simple as that:
So why you rooted your phone ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Simple answer is I want to control my phone, I don't want it to be controlled by my service provide.
I get my S5 in two weeks and it will be rooted, the o2 rom replace with a generic BTU rom (not bothered about knox), all previous phones I have had have been rooted, current S3, previous S2 and xperia X10.
There is more freedom, ability to customise it your way, replace ugly stock theme with your own theme, unlock features that are locked by Samsung or the service provider, removing unnecessary bloat ware.
Added functionality in root apps such as Titanium Backup, Root Explorer and improve battery life.
Root gives you freedom to do as you like with your device.

I use root for the following: ad blocking, removing camera sounds, Titanium backup, EFS backup (in some rare cases even with stock updates EFS problems arose), move apps to external SD card, mod some UI stuff (like the S Find/Quick Connect bar) and some less important stuff. So, that is a pretty extensive list if you ask me

greenify ..

Ad blocker. And most of the time u can run a newer version of android then what the phone came with.
sent from my thumbs

jaymccoubrey said:
Ad blocker. And most of the time u can run a newer version of android then what the phone came with.
sent from my thumbs
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes but not all the functions of your phone work that way.
Ad blocker sounds like a good idea for your data plan however I have 1 GB of data per month and unlimited after that but with lower speed and my actual data usage is like 200-300 MB per month with ads so this is not something that I really need and the apps that I use needs this ads in order to support them self.
About backup when my S4 mini LCD screen goes black I still had the ability to move my data via usb cable and Kies so when I take my S5 I spend probably 30 minutes to download back my backup from the S4 Mini and the only thing that I needed was to install my applications because of the newer android version of the S5.
However I do think that a lot of stuff is not working as it should be on custom roms.

The question should be: Why root a NEW Phone? As phones get older, manufacturer support ceases, one roots the phone to install new custom firmware.

xposed framework.
And with this new root method I don't have to worry about tripping KNOX and losing warranty.

bnight said:
To wait on Custom Rom developers to finally make your camera work as on the stock rom and your 3G to actually work ? Is CM rom really worth all the efforts in order to root your device ?
So why you rooted your phone ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why oh why do people always just talk about cm based rom's. I root my device to provide custom rom's comparable to cm in terms of customisation whilst keeping everything Samsung based working.
Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

Goldie said:
Why oh why do people always just talk about cm based rom's.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Because this is the most mainstream custom rom available.
As I say when I buy my phone I spend some time with his UI if I don`t like it I don`t buy the phone.

X-Note team rooted the galaxy s5 to have floating windows and note 3 features, multi dpi and a unique look
here the screenshots eh eh http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2724138
Inviato dal mio SM-G900F utilizzando Tapatalk

bnight said:
Yes but not all the functions of your phone work that way.
Ad blocker sounds like a good idea for your data plan however I have 1 GB of data per month and unlimited after that but with lower speed and my actual data usage is like 200-300 MB per month with ads so this is not something that I really need and the apps that I use needs this ads in order to support them self.
About backup when my S4 mini LCD screen goes black I still had the ability to move my data via usb cable and Kies so when I take my S5 I spend probably 30 minutes to download back my backup from the S4 Mini and the only thing that I needed was to install my applications because of the newer android version of the S5.
However I do think that a lot of stuff is not working as it should be on custom roms.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are custom roms with everything working, to say otherwise with no experience is untrue.
Sent from my SM-G900F using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

bnight said:
Because this is the most mainstream custom rom available.
As I say when I buy my phone I spend some time with his UI if I don`t like it I don`t buy the phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's my point. Maybe I should rephrase. Custom rom's aren't all source built.
As you say you spend a lot of time with its UI. This is why we made you able to change every aspect of that should you desire rather than just one or two preset themes.
All whilst keeping the Sammy S5 stuff and adding some extra cool stuff like hardware key mapping etc...
You should try it... It will give you the freedom to style your UI how you like whilst still keeping touchwiz and without breaking the stuff you mention. You don't even have to install xposed
Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

OP has a valid point - these days top tier smartphones are rather well-designed and tested.
I had to exchange 2 Samsung Galaxy Note 3's due to hardware failure. If I have rooted than I would have incurred a major loss due to void warranty. Now I am using an S5 and have no longer have the intention to root.
Having the privilege to exchange/take back your device is critical due to the hundreds of components in your device that could potentially malfunction.

bnight said:
So My question is as simple as that:
Why you rooted your phone ?
I`m an Linux administrator so I know what root account mean back in the days i rooted my phone because my android version was 2.1 and it wasn`t the most supported android version so I needed root in order to change the rom to 2.3 however I find CM really ugly and I know Samsung software is not the best possible but for me it works great.
So why you rooted your phone ? Is there a special reason why you want to skip OTA updates, To wait on Custom Rom developers to finally make your camera work as on the stock rom and your 3G to actually work ? Is CM rom really worth all the efforts in order to root your device ?
So why you rooted your phone ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To be honest, I'm a little surprised by this question considering you are a Linux admin. You should know full well the benefits root provides in terms of being able to do anything you need to configure the OS to suit your needs.
I was perfectly happy with the S5 without root, however I am very happy to now have it. It allows me to do simple, yet helpful things such as unlock the tethering features for unlimited users, changing soft key configurations, enabling writing to the SD card by 3rd party apps, and eliminating annoying pop ups such as the headphone volume notification. Among many many more things. Bottom line, as others have stated, it lets you use your phone as you please. Simply a better experience.
ROMs aren't even part of the equation when we are talking specifically about root.

mediumsteak said:
OP has a valid point - these days top tier smartphones are rather well-designed and tested.
I had to exchange 2 Samsung Galaxy Note 3's due to hardware failure. If I have rooted than I would have incurred a major loss due to void warranty. Now I am using an S5 and have no longer have the intention to root.
Having the privilege to exchange/take back your device is critical due to the hundreds of components in your device that could potentially malfunction.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your paying for insurance yes, no reason why the phone couldn't have been lost or stolen. Fixing your voiding warranty issue
Sent from my SM-G900T using XDA Free mobile app

Goldie said:
Why oh why do people always just talk about cm based rom's. I root my device to provide custom rom's comparable to cm in terms of customisation whilst keeping everything Samsung based working.
Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Because they are the most popular type of ROM

1. To restore/backup apps and their saved data when changing new phone or after factory reset. So I dont need to play the games from zero again. I use titanium backup
2. To allow/disallow which app can access internet. I use android firewall.
3. To block annoying adds from app. I use Addaway
4. To see battery statistic, checking which app causing battery drain, wakelock, wakeup. I use betterbatterystats or wakelock detector
5. To modify some xml system parameter or modify theme/look. Example: cannot write to external sd card just modify the xml.
6. Too change minimum cpu frequency or other features.
Maybe there is more. Root is very important to me.
Sent from GT-I9500

dragon135 said:
1. To restore/backup apps and their saved data when changing new phone or after factory reset. So I dont need to play the games from zero again. I use titanium backup
2. To allow/disallow which app can access internet. I use android firewall.
3. To block annoying adds from app. I use Addaway
4. To see battery statistic, checking which app causing battery drain, wakelock, wakeup. I use betterbatterystats or wakelock detector
5. To modify some xml system parameter or modify theme/look. Example: cannot write to external sd card just modify the xml.
6. Too change minimum cpu frequency or other features.
Maybe there is more. Root is very important to me.
Sent from GT-I9500
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For your first point did you try to use KIES for taking backup of your phone or there was a new application in the S5 called smartswitch which I didn`t used just because i migrated from S4 Mini and used my KIES backup.
Blocking adds is good idea if you are on a limited data plan (I`m not) but this brings the other question for what exactly people use more then 1GB of mobile data ?
For me the battery life of the S5 is really good lately I put a software that drain my battery as hell but I usually keep the number of apps to minimum and even with all functions like network access and stuff turned on battery easy last a day or two so no issue there.
Changing some of the system bhaviour like writing to SD Card is actually important as for example my file manager is not working as it should be now but besides that don`t really see the reason to root your device.
I have tethering as a function on my phone but I doubt I will use it ever for more then 2-3 devices at a time and I think the current limitation is 8 devices.