Related
I wanted to share two things with you guys here in Tablet z forum:
1- First of all, @zxz0O0 has developed a code based on the CVE-2015-1805 vulnerability that gives temporary root access to a select range of devices (including Tablet Z4). Let me try to explain in my words what that means. A full blown root gives permanent read/write access to /system and /data partitions. On an unrooted Tablet Z4 you only have read access to /system and no access to /data. With this root, you will be able to have a temporary terminal or adb session that gives you read access to /system and read/write access to /data. Why not write access to /system? Because Sony runs a service called RIC on Xperia devices that makes it impossible to mount /system as writable. In the past this would be patched by modifying the system partition. But in the recent Kernels sony has implemented a mechanism (dm-verity) which checks /system and if it is modified the device does not boot. So even if this (or any other) root method gave you the ability to write in /system you could not use it because your device would not restart the next time you turn it off. The solution would be to patch the kernel which requires an unlocked bootloader. IF you unlock your bootloader you lose your TA partition permanently which includes some of the Xperia features and licenses that have to do with image processing and some DRM. So a lot of us do not want to unlock the bootloader.
Then what good is this new root method? Since it gives you read access to the system partitions you can use this method to back up your TA partition. The idea is that if you ever unlock your bootloader you may be able to use this TA back up to return the system to its original state if you ever decide to relock it. Another benefit is that tools like Titanium back up which require access to the /data partition can now function (in a limited sense) although someone has to work out the details of that.
To download the pack that allows backup and restore of the TA partition go to http://forum.xda-developers.com/crossdevice-dev/sony/iovyroot-temp-root-tool-t3349597
After you create the backup, you can unlock the bootloader, and use your TA backup and the procedure outlined here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/xperia-z5/development/root-automatic-repack-stock-kernel-dm-t3301605 to create a csutom kernel that uses all the good stuff in the TA backup and emulates an environment where your tablet behaves like one with an unlocked bootloader. The camera denoising algorithm and all other Sony proprietary software which would be disabled after unlocking the bootloader should work.
If you want to return the tablet to its unlocked condition you will need this TA backup. Some explanation about retrieving the TA partition from this backup, if you unlock the bootloader and decide to relock it, is given here http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=66142823&postcount=16 and methods to do so are outlined at: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=66158970&postcount=68
Note that to use this root you need to downgrade to lollipop (preferably version 28.0.A.8.260)
I have explained procedures to use the above tools here http://forum.xda-developers.com/z4-tablet/general/guide-safe-bootloader-unlock-restore-t3362391 at length.
2- Now, here is the use I have found for this temporary root: I was always bothered by the fact that not only I could not (easily) get the 17 hour advertised on-screen use out of my tablet, the standby power consumption was always too much. Whereas I could optimize my other (rooted) devices to only drain 1-2% a day in standby, tablet Z4 seems to settle for nothing less that 5-10% a day in standby. This is what you can do to get excellent standby power from your tablet:
A) Say goodbye to your google apps (with the exception of Chrome and Maps) and other marginally advantageous apps. They wake your device up all the time when it is supposed be sleeping and endlessly chat with google servers even if you turn all the communications off in the google settings. So disable all of the apps listed in the attached pictures , plus lifelog,via settings. Don't complain about not being able to use the gmail or youtube apps. Other great replacements exist. Leave "Google App" active if you use the voice search or voice typing feature. Also uninstall the pre-loaded apps that you aren't using like facebook (which is cancer for any phone), Lifelog, Privilege, spotify, etc.
B) In settings under wifi open the advance menu turn off both "network notification" and "scanning always available", and change "keep wifi on" to "only when plugged in"
C) Under "power management" in settings, activate stamina mode and extended standby (no need to activate extended usage).
D) Finally (and here is where the temp root becomes useful) extract the file "iovyroot" from the file in the above link and put it in your adb directory. Open a command terminal and type:
Code:
adb push root\iovyroot /data/local/tmp/iovyroot
adb shell chmod 777 /data/local/tmp/iovyroot
adb shell
This gives you an android terminal shell. Continue with the following:
Code:
/data/local/tmp/iovyroot
pm disable com.sonyericsson.idd.agent
pm disable com.sonymobile.entrance
pm disable com.sonyericsson.updatecenter
pm disable com.sonymobile.anondata
pm disable com.dsi.ant.server
pm disable com.sonymobile.gmailreaderservice
pm disable com.sonymobile.googleanalyticsproxy
pm disable com.sonymobile.mx.android
pm disable com.sonymobile.enterprise.service
pm disable com.sonymobile.synchub
pm disable com.sonymobile.phoneusage
That is it. You just disabled the update service and a bunch of other things and extended your standby battery life. These settings will survive a reboot.
Let me know how it works out for you. If you find other creative uses for this temp root share here.
This is the BEST and probably the most right to the real point post ive ever readed in this particular forum since I joined....
Forgive me if I say I have had lost the faith on sony's z4t development here... It's a real pleasure to know there's still ppl working on what I think should be the right development direction on gettin' control of our loved devices, instead of breaking them and throw a lot of expensive features to the flush.
Thanks again mate to share it.
Interesting, if I downgrade do I also lose my Marshmallow data and settings (i.e. is it the same as factory reset?)
BTW Finally this tablet becomes viable, almost a year after its release...
Stevethegreat said:
Interesting, if I downgrade do I also lose my Marshmallow data and settings (i.e. is it the same as factory reset?)
BTW Finally this tablet becomes viable, almost a year after its release...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you want to have a stable system you will need to overwrite the user data which means you will lose your apps and settings and possibly (depending on how you flash) your internal storage so make a back up.
In general application data of Android firmware are not downward compatible with older versions.
Hmm, but if you can also temp root then you can backup everything using TitaniumBackup anyway before unlocking.
So if I understand this right, if you can back up TA we can infact unlock the bootloader now with no loss of DRM ?
So can now actually get full root based on that ?
najoor said:
If you want to have a stable system you will need to overwrite the user data which means you will lose your apps and settings and possibly (depending on how you flash) your internal storage so make a back up.
In general application data of Android firmware are not downward compatible with older versions.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I will only downgrade to get a TA Backup, so stability is not an issue to me (after the TA Backup, I'll go back to MM and probably unlock it).
My only issue would be if downgrading would actually harm my data and/or my capacity to get the TA backup properly (if I'm not wipe first I mean).
Stevethegreat said:
I will only downgrade to get a TA Backup, so stability is not an issue to me (after the TA Backup, I'll go back to MM and probably unlock it).
My only issue would be if downgrading would actually harm my data and/or my capacity to get the TA backup properly (if I'm not wipe first I mean).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't think it will affect the TA back up process by it may harm you application data (not your sdcard data). The reason is that on every reboot android cleans up the) /data partition as much as it can (for example if it sees that an app has been uninstall but it has left some data behind). I'm doing so lollipop may corrupt some of your marshmallow data,
Why don't you take a backup of your data before a downgrade and the restore them later? The tablet itself has a utility to do it and I hear Helium is a tool that backs up your app data without the need for root.
najoor said:
I don't think it will affect the TA back up process by it may harm you application data (not your sdcard data). The reason is that on every reboot android cleans up the) /data partition as much as it can (for example if it sees that an app has been uninstall but it has left some data behind). I'm doing so lollipop may corrupt some of your marshmallow data,
Why don't you take a backup of your data before a downgrade and the restore them later? The tablet itself has a utility to do it and I hear Helium is a tool that backs up your app data without the need for root.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mostly to save time as I have too much data. I though to do it like this
Downgrade to Lollipop -> Use the Exploit -> TA Backup -> Upgrade back to Marshmallow.
In principle everything should have had worked as by the end of it I would be back to Marshmallow (I would not linger into Lollipop). But now that you're telling me that lollipop may corrupt my data permanently I have second thoughts.
I thought, that my data would not work well on Lollipop, but that wouldn't matter to me; but now you're telling me that they won't work when I'll back in Marshmallow too, which is a totally different beast. Am I understanding you correctly?
Does everyone need to downgrade tho?
Once we have the TA partition available to restore, once its made available online surely everyone else can just restore the same one?
Or is the key unique?
Kinda assuming here that all the stuff that needs the TA partition will work with an unlocked bootloader, or does it have to be locked to be usable again?
Edit: Can we restore TA partition after unlocking bootloader?
Yes but this will also relock the bootloader.
Bugger
Ultimately never rooted my device for fear of losing something (that I will never use anyway!)
DRM Keys are unique, in fact that's the whole point of TA backups.
Also there's a talk (on the other thread) of a tool that would merge your particular keys with a particular custom kernel.
That way you'd keep all Sony Exclusive features, but also be able to make use of root apps. It would be great if such a tool becomes usable with AndroPlus Kernel...
Nice, had all but given up hope of being able to unlock my Z4 so that sounds promising!
I am looking for a high-end tablet and it seemed the Z4 Tablet was the best one for me over the Pixel C and even the iPad Air 2..though I did consider the budget Nvidia Shield K1 also.
The next thing I did was see if the bootloader could be unlocked and custom ROMs installed as I really hate the Sony UI that I have experienced with my sisters M2, and I never stick to the stock ROM in any of my phones. I just love knowing and doing customising!!
..Unfortunately, it seems like I will be stuck with it so I may have to look for another brand now
D0MINO said:
I am looking for a high-end tablet and it seemed the Z4 Tablet was the best one for me over the Pixel C and even the iPad Air 2..though I did consider the budget Nvidia Shield K1 also.
The next thing I did was see if the bootloader could be unlocked and custom ROMs installed as I really hate the Sony UI that I have experienced with my sisters M2, and I never stick to the stock ROM in any of my phones. I just love knowing and doing customising!!
..Unfortunately, it seems like I will be stuck with it so I may have to look for another brand now
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know how you got that impression, since the whole point of the OP and the links I posted with it is that you will not be stuck with the stock firmware.
So to summarize the points mentioned in the OP:
As of today, the following is possible with a tablet Z4:
1- The TA partition can be backed up.
2- The booloader can be unlocked.
3- The unlocking is reversible with the help of the backed up TA pertition
4- When the bootloader is unlocked a custom kernel can be flashed (currently one is posted in the Z4 forum courtesy of @AndroPlus).
5- When the bootloader is unlocked the stick Kernel can be patched to retrieve the Xperia proprietary facilities that are lost to the unlocking process (courtesy of @tobias.waldvogel).
6- When the bootloader is unlocked /system can be fully modified. That means flashing completely custom ROMs.
So you can either make your own modification to the system, or wait for someone to make a ROM. In light of the above possibilities it is only a matter of time before customs ROMs start to pop up.
By the way, to the extent that the stock firmware is customizable without unlocking the bootloader, it is actually a good ROM and you can change a lot of things from the general appearance to the default launcher.
PS: Tablet Z4 is my second Sony tablet and the third Sony mobile device and I have about 10 of this kind of devices at any given time. The other android devices are miles behind in terms of elegance and manufacturing quality. There is just something about a Sony device that is unique and unmatched.
Can anyone confirm how to re-lock the bootloader once unlocked?
I would say:
1. Flash a stock firmware (the lollipop version that you used to backup the TA partition).
2. Use the iovyroot temp root batch tarestore to restore your TA partition.
3. Reboot and that's it: you are back to unlocked bootloader unrooted original drm included stock firmware.
Anyone already tried?
Thank you.
I unlocked the bootloader and rooted the device SGP771.
Bevor that, i backed up the TA.
Then i flashed the androplus kernel.
Everything works great.
But you cannot modify androplus kernel with that tool. That means DRM restore is only possible on stock rom.
When you restore TA to stock rom, your bootloader will be in a lockes status again and there is no more root. Too bad
odicamillo said:
Can anyone confirm how to re-lock the bootloader once unlocked?
I would say:
1. Flash a stock firmware (the lollipop version that you used to backup the TA partition).
2. Use the iovyroot temp root batch tarestore to restore your TA partition.
3. Reboot and that's it: you are back to unlocked bootloader unrooted original drm included stock firmware.
Anyone already tried?
Thank you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can ta be restored on any fw like marshmallow or can it only be restored on the fw that you backed it up from?
This looks very promising, thanks OP.
Has anyone else managed to get it to work as described?
Thanks in advance
najoor said:
I don't know how you got that impression, since the whole point of the OP and the links I posted with it is that you will not be stuck with the stock firmware.
So to summarize the points mentioned in the OP:
As of today, the following is possible with a tablet Z4:
1- The TA partition can be backed up.
2- The booloader can be unlocked.
3- The unlocking is reversible with the help of the backed up TA pertition
4- When the bootloader is unlocked a custom kernel can be flashed (currently one is posted in the Z4 forum courtesy of @AndroPlus).
5- When the bootloader is unlocked the stick Kernel can be patched to retrieve the Xperia proprietary facilities that are lost to the unlocking process (courtesy of @tobias.waldvogel).
6- When the bootloader is unlocked /system can be fully modified. That means flashing completely custom ROMs.
So you can either make your own modification to the system, or wait for someone to make a ROM. In light of the above possibilities it is only a matter of time before customs ROMs start to pop up.
By the way, to the extent that the stock firmware is customizable without unlocking the bootloader, it is actually a good ROM and you can change a lot of things from the general appearance to the default launcher.
PS: Tablet Z4 is my second Sony tablet and the third Sony mobile device and I have about 10 of this kind of devices at any given time. The other android devices are miles behind in terms of elegance and manufacturing quality. There is just something about a Sony device that is unique and unmatched.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dear najoor,
are you telling us that, now, we can unlock a z4 tablet which has the "rooting status: Bootloader unlock allowed: NO" , in the service info/configuration area ?!?
if it is the case, i would be delighted to know how to proceed step by step, as i would love to install a lineage rooted custom rom on it (it is the SGP771 one,with phone capability)!!!
thank you
kind regards from France
retikulatus said:
Dear najoor,
are you telling us that, now, we can unlock a z4 tablet which has the "rooting status: Bootloader unlock allowed: NO" , in the service info/configuration area ?!?
if it is the case, i would be delighted to know how to proceed step by step, as i would love to install a lineage rooted custom rom on it (it is the SGP771 one,with phone capability)!!!
thank you
kind regards from France
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunately if that is the case you cannot unlock the bootloader.
I am just curious, why does yours look like that? Do you have myXperia or some other find-my-phone service activated on your phone?
najoor said:
Unfortunately if that is the case you cannot unlock the bootloader.
I am just curious, why does yours look like that? Do you have myXperia or some other find-my-phone service activated on your phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the fast reply even if you ruined my hopes
no, i don't think i have myXperia , i checked on my apps and find nothing.
Since i had display issues with my tab s (sm-t800), i tried the z4 tablet for its LCD screen instead of the super amoled of samsung...
My bootloader was already locked when i purchased it, i updated it thinking it will change that but unfortunatly that did nothing.
It wasn't a new one though, perhaps the previews owner messed up with it and got its bootloader locked :/
Because it is some kind of lotery to have a bootloader unlockable with sony, i will wait patiently until samsumg release its 16:9/10 tab s4: imho, the tab s3 actual 4:3 format is a nonsense....
Thank you again
Kind regards from France
*I know this must have been answered before, I am sorry for playing the newbie, but I couldn't find this anywhere.
I need to know exactly what is at stake for rooting my device, what would I lose access to, and what not.
I've read somewhere that you lose DRM or something like that, is that meaning I will not be able to watch Netflix download and go, or Google Play Music, etc? what does it means?
LionLorena said:
*I know this must have been answered before, I am sorry for playing the newbie, but I couldn't find this anywhere.
I need to know exactly what is at stake for rooting my device, what would I lose access to, and what not.
I've read somewhere that you lose DRM or something like that, is that meaning I will not be able to watch Netflix download and go, or Google Play Music, etc? what does it means?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You will lose your warranty because you have to unlock your bootloader but if anything goes wrong you can always relock your bootloader and take your phone to a service center and claim your warranty they don't even check it in most cases other than that everything works fine
Sent from my Moto G4 Plus using Tapatalk
prajwal2001 said:
You will lose your warranty because you have to unlock your bootloader but if anything goes wrong you can always relock your bootloader and take your phone to a service center and claim your warranty they don't even check it in most cases other than that everything works fine
Sent from my Moto G4 Plus using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And apart from that, do I lose anything else?
Some guy said I would lose access to that extra anti theft security from Google that works kinda like iCloud, is it true?
LionLorena said:
And apart from that, do I lose anything else?
Some guy said I would lose access to that extra anti theft security from Google that works kinda like iCloud, is it true?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nothing else only warranty
Sent from my Moto G4 Plus using Tapatalk
LionLorena said:
And apart from that, do I lose anything else?
Some guy said I would lose access to that extra anti theft security from Google that works kinda like iCloud, is it true?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Provided you're still on the stock ROM, I don't think rooting affects your anti-theft protection (I recall it's called Factory Reset Protection?). Even if you've enabled OEM unlocking in Developer Options, someone resetting your phone would still need your Google credentials to use the device. Also, if you're logged into your device at the time, you could still locate and wipe your phone via Android Device Manager.
Of course, with an unlocked bootloader and custom recovery (as is generally required to root), someone could still flash a custom ROM and bypass those protections and, also, could in theory still access your data. (but only if they have physical access to your device)
As for DRM, I'm not sure but some apps have been/are now detecting the presence of root and will refuse to work (Snapchat, Pokemon Go, some banking apps come to mind) or for other devices, Android Pay and other security dependent features may not work. I recall magisk, a root manager, does have the ability to mask root from those apps, as well as pass SafetyNet, which is Google's security/anti-tamper detection. Your experience may vary. However, some apps require root access to function properly (e.g. kernel managers, battery monitors) just as to how they function, it's entirely up to you if you see yourself using those rooted apps on a regular enough basis. The root managers available (e.g. SuperSU, magisk) are supported and work well, just ensure you're using the latest versions, and if you're on stock Nougat, to flash a custom kernel prior to rooting (since the stock kernel won't permit modifications, if I recall).
Overall, in my view, you're trading security and warranty (as mentioned by prajwal2001) for convenience/flexibility by rooting - the flexibility alone to flash what you wish is what interested me in rooting my device, if anyone else has any other comments, feel free to add.
echo92 said:
Provided you're still on the stock ROM, rooting shouldn't disable your anti-theft protection (which I recall is Factory Reset Protection). Even if you've enabled OEM unlocking in Developer Options, someone resetting your phone would still need your Google credentials to use the device. Of course, with an unlocked bootloader and custom recovery (as is generally required to root), someone could still flash a custom ROM and bypass those protections and, also, could in theory still access your data. (but only if they have physical access to your device)
As for DRM, I'm not sure but some apps have been/are now detecting the presence of root and will refuse to work (Snapchat, Pokemon Go, some banking apps come to mind) or for other devices, Android Pay and other security dependent features may not work. I recall magisk, a root manager, does have the ability to mask root from those apps, as well as pass SafetyNet, which is Google's security/anti-tamper detection. Your experience may vary. However, some apps require root access to function properly (e.g. kernel managers, battery monitors) just as to how they function, it's entirely up to you if you see yourself using those rooted apps on a regular enough basis. The root managers available (e.g. SuperSU, magisk) are supported and work well, just ensure you're using the latest versions, and if you're on stock Nougat, to flash a custom kernel prior to rooting (since the stock kernel won't permit modifications, if I recall).
Overall, in my view, you're trading security and warranty (as mentioned by prajwal2001) for convenience/flexibility by rooting - the flexibility alone to flash what you wish is what interested me in rooting my device, if anyone else has any other comments, feel free to add.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hm I see.
That's a pretty big downside
I guess I will pass root for now, I was only wanting to do to use the ADB via USB OTG and boot disk creator.
Thanks everyone for all the information!
LionLorena said:
Hm I see.
That's a pretty big downside
I guess I will pass root for now, I was only wanting to do to use the ADB via USB OTG and boot disk creator.
Thanks everyone for all the information!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's fair enough - there's nothing stopping you from rooting your device, then performing what you need, before unrooting your device. (Just curious, does what you want to do require root, or are there other non-root methods?)
However, this will still involve you voiding your warranty (via unlocking your bootloader), and may also involve re-flashing your stock firmware to remove the custom recovery (and relock your bootloader, if you wish, though this won't recover your warranty, sadly). Honestly though, it's your device, up to you what you wish to do
echo92 said:
That's fair enough - there's nothing stopping you from rooting your device, then performing what you need, before unrooting your device. (Just curious, does what you want to do require root, or are there other non-root methods?)
However, this will still involve you voiding your warranty (via unlocking your bootloader), and may also involve re-flashing your stock firmware to remove the custom recovery (and relock your bootloader, if you wish, though this won't recover your warranty, sadly). Honestly though, it's your device, up to you what you wish to do
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah the warranty is not on top of my mind right now, my concern are the other issues it may cause, such apps not working, and security issues.
Like, I had a Sony Xperia Play back some years and past a week I root it, and past 2 weeks it was on Cyanogenmod.
I had Bricked that device countless times and had somehow fixed, I had also replaced several internal components as well, but back then there were no DRM stuff and all, so the rooting part is not what I fear, is just this new wave of side effects regarding it.
LionLorena said:
Yeah the warranty is not on top of my mind right now, my concern are the other issues it may cause, such apps not working, and security issues.
Like, I had a Sony Xperia Play back some years and past a week I root it, and past 2 weeks it was on Cyanogenmod.
I had Bricked that device countless times and had somehow fixed, I had also replaced several internal components as well, but back then there were no DRM stuff and all, so the rooting part is not what I fear, is just this new wave of side effects regarding it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is no DRM to lose on Motorola devices. On Sony devices, what you said is applicable. As for apps that refuse to work with root access, you can simply switch to Magisk, and enabled hiding root access from all apps.
zeomal said:
There is no DRM to lose on Motorola devices. On Sony devices, what you said is applicable. As for apps that refuse to work with root access, you can simply switch to Magisk, and enabled hiding root access from all apps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's motivating.
And I've found a topic that says I don't even need to flash the custom recovery, I can simply hot boot it and do my stuff and keep the stock recovery.
LionLorena said:
That's motivating.
And I've found a topic that says I don't even need to flash the custom recovery, I can simply hot boot it and do my stuff and keep the stock recovery.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There's no real point of not changing the stock recovery, unless you are planning to stick with a rooted stock ROM. If you keep the stock recovery, you'll be able to enable OTA stock updates.
From a security standpoint, if your device is lost, it becomes much easier for an attacker to breach your system and much harder for you to protect it. However, according to most security principles, once your device is lost from you, it's no longer your device, anyway.
zeomal said:
There's no real point of not changing the stock recovery, unless you are planning to stick with a rooted stock ROM. If you keep the stock recovery, you'll be able to enable OTA stock updates.
From a security standpoint, if your device is lost, it becomes much easier for an attacker to breach your system and much harder for you to protect it. However, according to most security principles, once your device is lost from you, it's no longer your device, anyway.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The OTA updates are one of the reasons, yes.
And yes, from that point of view you are right.
I'm currently using some tracking solutions such as Cerberus, and disabling some features while the phone screen is locked, such as quick settings, and power off menu.
Also the extra layer of security imposed by Google version of iCloud, passes me some sense of safety.
The main thing that bothers me related to custom recovery is that the attacker can replace my software entirely.
While with stock I can have some time to recover the device using the tactics. Enabled.
And root could potentially aid me in that, I could add Cerberus to /system and etc.
You lose security. Every person with knowledge can access to your phone through TWRP, use the File Manager to erase files.key (this erases your gesture or PIN of lock screen) and can see all your info. If you unlock bootloader, every person can flash TWRP and do this steps.
alaindupus said:
You lose security. Every person with knowledge can access to your phone through TWRP, use the File Manager to erase files.key (this erases your gesture or PIN of lock screen) and can see all your info. If you unlock bootloader, every person can flash TWRP and do this steps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thats why i'm thinking 3 times before doing it.
-Preface: I have never rooted an Android phone before. I really want to but I have questions/concerns that I want to address before I do so. My daily driver and the phone I want to root is a OnePlus 5 running Android 7.1.1 Nougat.
-I want to root my phone to learn how to root and gain the experience from it (one of the reasons I built my own PC, besides just having an amazing gaming PC), delete all the garbage apps that I can't uninstall or can only disable, I want access to the very useful apps only accessible with root access of a phone, etc.
-Is it safe to root an Android phone?
-How do I root my phone?
-Should I be installing any antivirus/anti-malware software to plug security problems that comes with rooting an Android device? (I currently have Malwarebytes Pro; I was grandfathered in so I don't need to pay for it.)
-Here are some apps that I plan on using with my rooted phone (these either require rooting or significantly benefit from it): Oxygen Updater, Greenify, Sixaxis Controller, SuperSU, Titanium Backup, system app remover, Flashfire, Keepass2 USB Keyboard Plugin, Flashify, Lucky Patcher, Adaway, Game hacker app (Freedom APK?)
-Are there any other apps that you can suggest that I use with a rooted Android phone?
-Will OTA updates still work? I would absolutely hate having to re-root every single time OnePlus releases an update. (I think Oxygen Updater and Flashfire might be able to solve this problem.)
-I'm not sure if all of my concerns/questions that I have are laid out here but I would love all feedback, responses, and additional concerns you may raise with rooting. Thanks so much!
This looks like the page I might be looking for as to how to root the OnePlus 5: https://forum.xda-developers.com/oneplus-5/how-to/oneplus-5-unlock-bootloader-flash-twrp-t3624877. Not sure what any of the terminology means at the moment, but when/if I'm ready to root, this seems like the place to do it.
Ah safe as houses these days xD, just make sure your on the latest OOS firmware and follow that guide you've linked. You learn from your mistakes and just remember you've got a team of people willing to help you out with any issues if you do mess up
blackcell1 said:
Ah safe as houses these days xD, just make sure your on the latest OOS firmware and follow that guide you've linked. You learn from your mistakes and just remember you've got a team of people willing to help you out with any issues if you do mess up
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Does rooting completely wipe the phone of all its data? If so, how do I ensure it's all backed up in case something goes wrong? All my important things (my files: images, videos, etc.) are uploaded to cloud services (Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive), so I won't lose any of that stuff, but I absolutely (1) cannot brick my phone, and (2) I don't want to have to, in case something goes wrong, reinstall all my apps, sign into them again, change the settings to the way I like, etc.
FamilyGuy0395 said:
Does rooting completely wipe the phone of all its data? If so, how do I ensure it's all backed up in case something goes wrong? All my important things (my files: images, videos, etc.) are uploaded to cloud services (Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive), so I won't lose any of that stuff, but I absolutely (1) cannot brick my phone, and (2) I don't want to have to, in case something goes wrong, reinstall all my apps, sign into them again, change the settings to the way I like, etc.
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The root process itself does not wipe anything. But you have to unlock your bootloader first, and this will inevitably wipe everything on your phone including internal storage.
So any apps you have installed so far (and their settings) will be lost unless that app has some export settings feature. Nothing you can do about it now.
All the steps necessary for unlocking and rooting can be found at the link you posted. I followed the same guide and I'm good to go and had no problems.
Rooted or unrooted, an antivirus is optional and it's up to you if you want one. I personally don't use one.
Pwnycorn said:
The root process itself does not wipe anything. But you have to unlock your bootloader first, and this will inevitably wipe everything on your phone including internal storage.
So any apps you have installed so far (and their settings) will be lost unless that app has some export settings feature. Nothing you can do about it now.
All the steps necessary for unlocking and rooting can be found at the link you posted. I followed the same guide and I'm good to go and had no problems.
Rooted or unrooted, an antivirus is optional and it's up to you if you want one. I personally don't use one.
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What is SafetyNet? Does it have anything to do with Google Play apps passing some sort of security test in order for them to function/open? How do I not lose access to some apps (like Android Pay is one of them that I have heard) that fail this SafetyNet test?
FamilyGuy0395 said:
What is SafetyNet? Does it have anything to do with Google Play apps passing some sort of security test in order for them to function/open? How do I not lose access to some apps (like Android Pay is one of them that I have heard) that fail this SafetyNet test?
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Yes, that's it. Pokémon GO and Mario Run are other two examples.
You can bypass it with Magisk, but it's never forever as SafetyNet gets updated and then you have to wait for Magisk to get updated. It's a never-ending cat and mouse game.
Ugh, that's an unbelievable pain in the ass... I don't get why people who root their phones have all these extra burdens. I want to root my phone really badly but with all these hurdles I honestly am not sure if it's worth it.
Are there any other apps I haven't mentioned or any other root benefits any of you guys can mention to persuade me in the direction of rooting?
FamilyGuy0395 said:
Ugh, that's an unbelievable pain in the ass... I don't get why people who root their phones have all these extra burdens. I want to root my phone really badly but with all these hurdles I honestly am not sure if it's worth it.
Are there any other apps I haven't mentioned or any other root benefits any of you guys can mention to persuade me in the direction of rooting?
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Simply being able to delete applications that I don't want got me into rooting. I cannot persuade, but if the SafetyNet thing is something that is going to hold you back because you use those applications then it's up to you. I know people that have rooted phones and manage with Magisk as a workaround, but yes it's a cat and mouse deal in the end. The ability to flash custom kernels and customize the UI (through substratum or custom ROM) is also a plus! ?
I think you should root only if you have time to learn about android OS, rooting your phone will grants you the full access for everything and you'll have full control in it... Then there are some apps or mods that requires rooted phone (substratum for theming is AMAZING) but here it's up to you... The question is, what you want to do with your phone? If you like/want to have complete control over it and a lot of feature then install a custom rom
God damnit I'd love to root but the more research I do into SafetyNet rooting just seems not even worth it if I have to keep losing access to apps I use...
The reasons I want to root basically boil down to me wanting to trash garbage apps I don't use and can't uninstall and to install cool apps that require root access.
SafetyNet is not important in my opinion.. I've used Android rooted with supersu (no SafetyNet) for years and I've never miss anything..
Is that app list I have above include useful apps, in your opinion? Are any of them redundant? Any other ones I shouldn't miss out on?
A few banking apps use safetynet. If it's vitallyimportant youhave a banking app working, keep in mind you can still access through internet, then this can be a deal breaker...
I think you're going to find most people here are pro root as this is a developers forum - so saying, it opens up a world of ease with which to do things that aren't available to most people and allows you to do things they can't, nerd cool factor high...
FamilyGuy0395 said:
God damnit I'd love to root but the more research I do into SafetyNet rooting just seems not even worth it if I have to keep losing access to apps I use...
The reasons I want to root basically boil down to me wanting to trash garbage apps I don't use and can't uninstall and to install cool apps that require root access.
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Click to collapse
just youtube the process
FamilyGuy0395 said:
God damnit I'd love to root but the more research I do into SafetyNet rooting just seems not even worth it if I have to keep losing access to apps I use...
The reasons I want to root basically boil down to me wanting to trash garbage apps I don't use and can't uninstall and to install cool apps that require root access.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In the past I used to always root but to me it's not worth it anymore. To me AP is incredibly convenient. Not willing to play cat and mouse with it. This phone doesn't really have bloat and tethering works flawlessly for
me. Tethering and AP are two of the most important features for me.
I wish to root my phone(XT1686) but intend to keep the stock ROM(no bootloader unlock).
Is there any advantage in doing so? And will OTA updates be affected?
yourSAS said:
I wish to root my phone(XT1686) but intend to keep the stock ROM(no bootloader unlock).
Is there any advantage in doing so? And will OTA updates be affected?
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It is not possible to root without unlocking the bootloader on this device...
If you don't have a specific reason to root, don't do it.
And once rooted, you cannot accept any OTA... most likely case if you do it will just fail, worst possible case it bricks (which can happen but is extremely rare).
To answer the question in your title, about the advantages of rooting...
Rooting gives you near full access to your device, and thus the ability to customize it beyond the options provided to you via the default interface. Also, some apps provide additional features on rooted phones. For example, some security programs recommend rooting your device so that it can more forcefully integrate itself with the device to protect against malware, hacking, etc. I tend to install a security package that works better on a rooted device, as well as make use of features that tend to only work on a rooted device, such as folder mounting from the internal SD card to the external one. Also, allows me to access system files that are unavailable otherwise, allowing me to customize certain sounds (or copy them at least).
If you decide you want to root your device, make sure you understand the steps to take BEFORE trying it. That means when you come across a guide on how to do it, make sure you get all the files that will be required and reading through the instructions step by step. If any of the steps sound like it will leave you lost on what to do, then DO NOT do any of it. Also, make sure you read the comments for the guide as well, looking for any mention of issues encountered and consider if you might encounter those issues as well. For example, if it causes issues for devices that use a particular carrier and you use that same carrier, you might want to leave well enough alone. Compare your phone version numbers with what others report having issues with (kernel, baseband, build, etc). Anything that someone has an issue with where their phone somehow matches up with yours in some way, take that as a sign to investigate deeper, so as to avoid having any issues yourself.
For the most part, unless you have a need or desire for a feature/function that requires rooting your device, don't mess with it. I'm not kidding, as one mistake can leave you without a working phone and without any options for returning/replacing it.
Thanks for the replies & warnings.
I'm not a noob so I know the risks of rooting. So maybe I should have rephrased it-
What are the advantages of rooting Moto G5 plus specifically?
Say like in terms of mods and other stuff? Also, is it possible to unroot once rooted- I mean to ask if it's possible to revert the state to factory mode with bootloader locked and stock ROM so that device will be eligible for OTA updates again?
yourSAS said:
Thanks for the replies & warnings.
I'm not a noob so I know the risks of rooting. So maybe I should have rephrased it-
What are the advantages of rooting Moto G5 plus specifically?
Say like in terms of mods and other stuff? Also, is it possible to unroot once rooted- I mean to ask if it's possible to revert the state to factory mode with bootloader locked and stock ROM so that device will be eligible for OTA updates again?
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Click to collapse
Bootloader lock is not relevant to OTA's. You might be able to relock, but the fact it was once unlocked cannot be hidden, it will always be very clear that it was unlocked.
Unrooting is easy, the issue arises undoing what you did with root, undoing them all depends what you changed.
I don't know of any reasons specific to this device to root.
acejavelin said:
Bootloader lock is not relevant to OTA's. You might be able to relock, but the fact it was once unlocked cannot be hidden, it will always be very clear that it was unlocked.
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If the OEM knows I've unlocked bootloader, why will it push OTAs to my phone even though I've locked bootloader on my end? So isn't bootloader lock status relevant for OTA?
yourSAS said:
If the OEM knows I've unlocked bootloader, why will it push OTAs to my phone even though I've locked bootloader on my end? So isn't bootloader lock status relevant for OTA?
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No, the status of your bootloader is not relevant... Moto will notify you of an available update and happily attempt to apply it regardless if your bootloader is locked or not.
What matters is if the boot or system partitions is changed, if there is ANY change to those, among other things like if the radio version or recovery versions don't match or the partition table is changed, the update will fail. If you flash any custom recovery it will fail as well.
On this subject I mention a slight con which is that some banking or financial apps might complain to you if they detect root. I have maybe 10 different bank and credit apps installed and all work flawlessly except 1. The Huntington Bank app wont allow me to use fingerprint login but otherwise the app is fully functional like mobile deposits. Just wanted to mention to be aware.
Hello I'm looking for help to gain root permission on my G6+.
I recently realized that if I loss my phone without the GPS turned ON then I can´t track it (that's why google's "find my device" is useless).
So I found an app called Cerberus that can enable my GPS remotely, but for that I need root access.
Can get that access without twrp and flashing new images? I mean in an easier/safer way?
Thanks!
Matuteee said:
Hello I'm looking for help to gain root permission on my G6+.
I recently realized that if I loss my phone without the GPS turned ON then I can´t track it (that's why google's "find my device" is useless).
So I found an app called Cerberus that can enable my GPS remotely, but for that I need root access.
Can get that access without twrp and flashing new images? I mean in an easier/safer way?
Thanks!
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Click to collapse
You have to first unlock the bootloader, then you can Boot TWRP and flash magisk, but are you asking can you root the device remotely?
---------- Post added at 08:02 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:56 PM ----------
Gleanfast said:
You have to first unlock the bootloader, then you can Boot TWRP and flash magisk, but are you asking can you root the device remotely?
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Click to collapse
Rooting an A/B device can be a little tricky, especially if you have an encrypted ROM. There are good guides for rooting previous ROMs but this last update requires several extra steps.
Gleanfast said:
You have to first unlock the bootloader, then you can Boot TWRP and flash magisk, but are you asking can you root the device remotely?
No, what i'm looking for is to gain root permissions in an easy way to instal an app that can remotely turn on my GPS to find it in case I lost it
Rooting an A/B device can be a little tricky, especially if you have an encrypted ROM. There are good guides for rooting previous ROMs but this last update requires several extra steps.
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That's why I'm trying to avoid rooting as seen on posted guides. I'm fine with my ROM I just need to fix that finding my device issue.