Database Users

[Q] Just order my Z2 Tablet, need your advice

Hi all, just off the phone from Vodafone and purchased the Sony Z2 Tablet
Comes this Monday.
Just wondering if you guys can give my advise of personal use to weather I have just purchased the best tablet on the market.
I have looked at a few reviews and heard not much bad about this device. I was also wondering if anyone knows if 4.4.4 KitKat will be available in the future for this device.
I am also waiting on the Sony Xperia Z3 mobile coming out to upgrade, best specs i've seen available for a mobile (I know the note4 is pretty awesome specs, but not a big Samsung fan and the screen size is too big for my liking, 5.2 in' is my maximum)
Thanks in advance for your advice guys

Just quickly saw this tablet at local store and it looked pretty nice.
Without any knowledge whether 4.4.4. is coming to z2, i would say that you wont even miss it.
In my opinion 4.4.3 and 4.4.4 brings mostly security updates and not end user updates. But maybe someone can bring some more light into it.
But i think you made a good choice with Z2
---------- Post added at 09:25 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:20 PM ----------
To addition you are already able to upgrade 4.4.4 through custom roms but that is another story

I have been using it almost every day since June, and I couldn't be happier. It works flawlessly, it is powerful, fast and smooth, it has no noticeable bugs, it is easily rooteable and customizable if you want. I don't miss anything in it. I am so glad I got the 32gb model...
Android 4.4.4 is coming, it has been already certified, I would bet in a couple of weeks it will be amongst us, first for the phone, and later for the tablet, but i don't care, as current fw works so well.
Enviado desde mi SGP512 mediante Tapatalk

Android 4.4.4 is been rolled out now for old models, apparently it will take a little longer for the z2 as Sony wants to add new features present in the new z3 to the z2 tablet
I have had a lot of phones and tablets in the past but this is my favourite, Sony's UI is great nearly stock but with handy features and looks nice. Its the first tablet where I didn't feel the need to install a custom ROM, plus the battery life is great and apparently may be better in the next update

Oh come on...nearly stock?!
Just because it's not as bloated as Touchwiz doesn't mean it's stock.
Sony also added a lot of bloatware that no one needs and that can not be deinstalled, just deactivated.
Xposed is also a must have for me.

Vaetheran2107 said:
Oh come on...nearly stock?!
Just because it's not as bloated as Touchwiz doesn't mean it's stock.
Sony also added a lot of bloatware that no one needs and that can not be deinstalled, just deactivated.
Xposed is also a must have for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ya true I do use Nova launcher so I'm probably biased, I actually don't like the Sony launcher, can't change the margins, cant change font, or icon size and it looks a bit like a cartoonist

Also nova, but I meant all of Sony's apps

Vaetheran2107 said:
Oh come on...nearly stock?!
Just because it's not as bloated as Touchwiz doesn't mean it's stock.
Sony also added a lot of bloatware that no one needs and that can not be deinstalled, just deactivated.
Xposed is also a must have for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Er... you can simply root this device and 1. remove the bloatware (via Titanium Backup or a similar app) and 2. install Xposed.
Where is the problem???

Ofc there is some bloatware in this rom.
It is kind of stupid to blame Sony or any other brand for that.
Compared to the mainstream, we at XDA are a real small group of experienceed users,
who don't need that bloat.
But for the mainstream it has to be as easy as possible. So they install all possible needed sony-apps. And to be honest, Sony has to be stupid to stop doing this, cause it's an easy way to support their services and extra hardware like the ps4 or some tvs.
The ordinary user may loose interest upon the first two steps to use a Sony service.
1. Searching and finding the correct app
2. Installing and configure this app.
The working-out-of-the-box-feeling is most important for the mainstream I guess.
And to be honest... Sonys stock rom works perfectly for me and I don't care about the bloat.
Thinking back to my galaxy tab 2 and the laggy "performance" it had with stock... I love Sony
But to get the mainquestion answered.... You made a great deal. The z2 is an awesome tablet and at the moment I don't wanna switch to an other.
But maybe u have to wait a little for a new firmware to get the touchscreen issues fixed.
Or (what I have done) you use flashtool to get the things working with an user-provided stock rom.
Sent from my SGP511 using XDA Premium HD app

Oh, come on!, bloatware in Android is something of the past. Since 4.1, if i remember well, anybody can disable unwanted system apps, which at all effects is just like deleting them. As these apps are stored in system partition you won't recover free space by disabling them, and if you uninstall them via Titanium Backup, in a rooted device, the freed up space on system partition is useless for installing apps from the store anyway.
Also, as far as i know Sony doesn't include any app which takes too much resources from the system, just their Music/video/games shops, smart connect, some nice image editors, OfficeSuite, Xperia Link, TrackID, Sony Select (the only one i have disabled)... Not a deal breaker to me, they are useful apps, not like Samsung is doing bloating their devices with 2 GB worth of useless apps, constantly poping up with ads.
Oh, and i like Sony's stock launcher more than Google's launcher, i think they are near, buy sony's one looks better and more modern. I never liked the look of pure Android (GB, JB and KK).

You cannot disable all apps unless rooted and even if you disable them, some of them still run in the background and use resources.

SANGER_A2 said:
You cannot disable all apps unless rooted and even if you disable them, some of them still run in the background and use resources.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For example?
Enviado desde mi SGP512 mediante Tapatalk

Phone

SANGER_A2 said:
Phone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, I've got to give my 2 cents here because I think this last post may be the very beginning of a possibly long and unnecessary discussion.
If and only IF you have one of the WiFi-only models and if and only IF those models include the Phone app it can be called bloatware (I don't own one of those models to know if they have the Phone/SMS Messaging/Contacts apps, mine is a 4G one).
But if you own a 4G Z2 Tablet, be that a SGP521, 541 or 551, then you should know that these tablets are phone-capable tablets, i.e. you can actually make phone calls over the standard mobile network, just like a smartphone, and that is meant as a feature, not bloatware.
You can call a bloatware any other apk in Sony's firmware that is not meant to be used as a system feature and there are indeed many of those in Sony's stock ROMs. To name a few that are in the app drawer, you have OfficeSuite, Xperia Link, TrackID, Sony Select, like @RoberM mentioned, just like you have a few of Google's own bloatware, such as Play Games, Play Music, Play Movies, Google+ and Hangout, to name a few. You can even say that AR Effect, Infoeye, Face Unlock and so many others are bloatware. All of these apps have some sort of functionality but they are in no way essential for any of the tablet's features (unlike Phone). Hell, with the exception of Xperia Link, I personally delete each and every one of the apps mentioned in this paragraph with TB (it is actually one the very first things I do after rooting my device).
If you go deeper inside the system you'll also find some bloatware that are not accessible on the app drawer (in other words, you'll have to go deep with Titanium Backup or search for them in Settings -> Applications or delete them directly on system/app or /priv-app folders). To name a few, you have the Wikipedia/lyrics/karaoke extensions (don't really know which app needs them, but I've always deleted them), you have com.android.providers.partnerbookmarks and partnerbookmarks.res.overlay (which add that useless Sony folder on Chrome's Favorites tab) and so on.
The fact of the matter is that all of these apps I've just called bloatware can be disabled without any problem to the OS. But the Phone apk on a phone-capable device is not (the same goes to Contacts or SMS).
And I have to agree with both RoberM and @schurgatzi when they say that 1- arguing about bloatware is a thing of the past when we can easily disable them; 2- mainstream users don't really care or want to care about this things, so for them it is better to have the app and not need it than to need the app and not have (apps they don't need are just put in a folder labeled "useless crap" and left in the last tab of the app drawer); and 3 (and probably most important one)- we on XDA cannot, under any circumstance, think of ourselves as mainstream users - the very fact that we are here having a simple discussion over what is bloatware and what is not, or the simple fact that we spent a few minutes of our time searching on how to get rid of these bloatwares is proof that we are not mainstream users. Mainstream users (and this counts for every-single-body I know) simply don't care about these things (and I honestly think this is the main reason why iPhones are so damn popular and they'll continue to be in the future).
I'm not kidding. The look on my friends' face (some of which I know for more than 10 years) when one of them couldn't remember his WiFi password and I found it by opening the wpa_supplicant.conf file on the data/misc/wifi folder was absolutely priceless (the geek inside of me rejoiced for a while).

SANGER_A2 said:
Phone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you calling "Phone app" bloatware in a calling capable device?, or are you saying that you can disable "Phone app" in settings menu but it still uses resources?. Anyway... Good for you!:good:

RoberM said:
Are you calling "Phone app" bloatware in a calling capable device?, or are you saying that you can disable "Phone app" in settings menu but it still uses resources?. Anyway... Good for you!:good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Both. For me.
I don't know why you're being such a d!ck about this. I offered some helpful, constructive information into this thread as a further explanation why some people (including me) may want to root. If you don't want to root your device, I won't attack you about it. Most users here will not have the LTE version of this tablet and will have no need for the phone module that runs (even if you root and disable it) all the time. If there is a feature that is installed on a device that I will never use: it is bloatware to me, even if it isn't bloatware to everyone. I have my own method of removing about half of the stock apps on this device because I personally don't use them.
---------- Post added at 07:00 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:46 PM ----------
Tiu Fiu said:
Ok, I've got to give my 2 cents here because I think this last post may be the very beginning of a possibly long and unnecessary discussion.
...
I'm not kidding. The look on my friends' face (some of which I know for more than 10 years) when one of them couldn't remember his WiFi password and I found it by opening the wpa_supplicant.conf file on the data/misc/wifi folder was absolutely priceless (the geek inside of me rejoiced for a while).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunately, I didn't notice this post until I posted my rant. But I agree that it's not worth getting into a flamewar about bloatware!
But the reason I'm not replying is because WOW! I can't believe that file isn't encrypted! Considering that android is basically Linux (which I have a lot of experience of and always assumed it was totally secure) I always assumed that all OS's would encrypt this and hide it away from the user. It lead me on quite an interesting search to see how Linux and Windows hide/secure them. Basically, they don't! It's scary to see how easy it is for anyone with a bootdisk and physical access to a device can gain access to your wifi network.
Thanks for leading me to learn something new today! :good: (I know that sounded kinda sarcastic, but it honestly wasn't).

SANGER_A2 said:
Unfortunately, I didn't notice this post until I posted my rant. But I agree that it's not worth getting into a flamewar about bloatware!
But the reason I'm not replying is because WOW! I can't believe that file isn't encrypted! Considering that android is basically Linux (which I have a lot of experience of and always assumed it was totally secure) I always assumed that all OS's would encrypt this and hide it away from the user. It lead me on quite an interesting search to see how Linux and Windows hide/secure them. Basically, they don't! It's scary to see how easy it is for anyone with a bootdisk and physical access to a device can gain access to your wifi network.
Thanks for leading me to learn something new today! :good: (I know that sounded kinda sarcastic, but it honestly wasn't).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hehehehehe the very same thing I thought the first time I learned that. One would normally think this kind of data would be secure somehow (encrypted to say the least) due to its sensitive status. And this is not Android, Windows or Linux's, it's all of them... They basically don't protect WiFi passwords at all. And I'm glad I could share some knowledge today

Tiu Fiu said:
Hehehehehe the very same thing I thought the first time I learned that. One would normally think this kind of data would be secure somehow (encrypted to say the least) due to its sensitive status. And this is not Android, Windows or Linux's, it's all of them... They basically don't protect WiFi passwords at all. And I'm glad I could share some knowledge today
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LOL. Although, I work at a school where we have a Windows domain and all the laptops run Windows 7 and they've been set using active directory policy so you can't view the password just by clicking the "show password" button, even for me as a domain admin I can't do it. I'm gonna try one of the wifi key viewer apps tomorrow and see if the file/registry entry is encrypted or not.

First time owner of an Android device, have a couple of questions

I've been an iPhone user for years but I've always wanted to move on to Android because of how much more freedom it provides compared to IOS. Jailbreaking was somewhat simple to do but Apple would be quick to patch that out and they are just so restrictive, on top of having weak hardware it was enough for me to want to move on. I've owned my Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge for a week now and I'm still getting used to this new OS and so far I'm finding the edge screen to be annoying because the way I hold the phone my skin would touch the edge and it would just make the side bar continuously pull out. Anyways I'm looking to get the most out of my new phone.
1. Is there any way for me to prevent my phone from auto updating? yesterday it said there was an update available and I didnt want to immediately rush into updating on the chance I would be missing out on rooting my device but then a couple of hours later my phone would light up and it would update all my applications as well as the firmware without my consent. As wonderful as that sounds I would prefer to make that choice myself so I dont accidentally update past a firmware where its possible to root. Even after updating is it possible to rollback at all or no? My device is now on 6.0.1 so I hope I'm not too screwed.
2. I have some preinstalled apps I am positive I will never use in my life such as Uber (I drive my own car) and Facebook (I dont have Facebook and dont plan on it anytime soon). I saw options to disable it but I would prefer if it was outright deleted so is it possible? I would like to save on the space that it takes up no matter how minuscule that may be especially on apps that are just dead weight.
My phone is Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge and my service provider is AT&T.

I'm exactly in the same boat as you, having just moved to Samsung/Android after using iphones since it's first release. It feels so great to have the freedom that comes with the S7 Edge.
I too found the edge screen to be annoying, but as soon as I bought my case ( OtterBox Commuter) that issue you describe quickly dissapeared, I beleive any case will deliver the same result, as you'd been griping the actual case and not the edge screen .
There is a way to disable your play store updates through the play store settings.
As far as firmware updates you can control these in the Settings - About options. However I don't beleive that Android updates are there to plug any capabilities of rooting Android, from my understanding as long as the baseband is unlocked, and that will depend on which version of the Edge you have then it will remain rootable regardless of any software updates pushed. However someone with more android experience is probably best to confirm this.
I'm suprised that your device came pre-installed with Uber and Facebook, I had to install them through play store and likewise am able to uninstall them. There is an app called package disabler in the app store but as the name suggests it only disables them which you say you have the option to anyway. I beleive a root will be able to fix that.
Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

first time android user
To be very honest i did hands on many android smartphone but my love to windows phone always increase respectively
. Do you really think a hard core windows lover its gonna be easy to sift at android .

On the T-Mobile version you can hit postpone when it pops up and then schedule it.

Thank you ih8un for your response. I guess I'll wait until rooting becomes available in order to delete these preinstalled apps.
Can anyone confirm if firmware updates can patch out rooting? If yes how do I disable or prevent firmware updating? I cant seem to find that option anywhere in the settings.

*You have got snapdragon version which have locked bootloader so unless samsung and at&t push out official update that unlock it, it is unlikely your device will get rooted at least not normal method.
1.It is possible but unlikely that new update can make root impossible(assume that your s7 get bootloader unlocked and root by flashing supersu) but if your device get root in special way by using exploits(like jailbreaking ios) update will patch up exploit and disable rooting.
2.Uninstall preinstall app will recover no space for user since system partition has fixed size and separate from data partition.
(Preinstall apps is in system partition. User apps and data is in data partition)
Also once your device is rooted it will list your software as custom and disable ota update.
Sent from my SM-A9000 using Tapatalk

@RemixDeluxe couple things.
Package DisablerPro even though they don't uninstall the apps such as Uber it does disable and they won't show up in your folder nor update.
To stop automatic app update go to Playstore settings and check the do not auto update box.
As far as firmware update I took the update so no biggie
Since the bootloader on the G935A ATT is locked down tight I seriously doubt there'll be a root exploit but if someone does find one if you root you won't have to worry about auto updates because the device won't be able to take the OTA.
I use a thin Speck case and Case Mate makes a good case as well and they will eliminate the incidental screen touches.
I've had the Galaxy S series of devices since the S2 and I've got to say in my humble opinion of course you won't find a finer device.
Yes I've owned several other android devices as well.
I've bought the international S7 Edge and that device is fully rootable so if you can come up with the money it's an idea to consider.
Even the Tmobile S7 Edge bootloader is locked down now so that's out of the question.
I hope I've answered some of your questions.
Feel free to hit me up if you have more.
"And on that bombshell!"
Sent from my Smokin G935A

NonXtreme said:
*You have got snapdragon version which have locked bootloader so unless samsung and at&t push out official update that unlock it, it is unlikely your device will get rooted at least not normal method.
1.It is possible but unlikely that new update can make root impossible(assume that your s7 get bootloader unlocked and root by flashing supersu) but if your device get root in special way by using exploits(like jailbreaking ios) update will patch up exploit and disable rooting.
2.Uninstall preinstall app will recover no space for user since system partition has fixed size and separate from data partition.
(Preinstall apps is in system partition. User apps and data is in data partition)
Also once your device is rooted it will list your software as custom and disable ota update.
Sent from my SM-A9000 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm confused by your post, I thought rooting the phone was the equivalent to jailbreaking on IOS as in it makes the device open source but by no means is it official by the developers of the OS.
So are you saying I can only disable updates once my phone is rooted? I mean how would I stop it in the first place so I can get root to begin with? sounds like a catch 22.

s7freak said:
@RemixDeluxe couple things.
Package DisablerPro even though they don't uninstall the apps such as Uber it does disable and they won't show up in your folder nor update.
To stop automatic app update go to Playstore settings and check the do not auto update box.
As far as firmware update I took the update so no biggie
Since the bootloader on the G935A ATT is locked down tight I seriously doubt there'll be a root exploit but if someone does find one if you root you won't have to worry about auto updates because the device won't be able to take the OTA.
I use a thin Speck case and Case Mate makes a good case as well and they will eliminate the incidental screen touches.
I've had the Galaxy S series of devices since the S2 and I've got to say in my humble opinion of course you won't find a finer device.
Yes I've owned several other android devices as well.
I've bought the international S7 Edge and that device is fully rootable so if you can come up with the money it's an idea to consider.
Even the Tmobile S7 Edge bootloader is locked down now so that's out of the question.
I hope I've answered some of your questions.
Feel free to hit me up if you have more.
"And on that bombshell!"
Sent from my Smokin G935A
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I dont care about applications updating since that doesnt affect the OS in terms of exploits but for firmware updates I want to be able to not update because I imagine Samsung or AT&T (whoever it concerns) would not want their customers to root their devices and have open souce access they arent suppose to have. Maybe I'm too used to Apple stomping out jailbreak and I should ease up with Android updates, this is all new to me so forgive my lack of understanding.

RemixDeluxe said:
I dont care about applications updating since that doesnt affect the OS in terms of exploits but for firmware updates I want to be able to not update because I imagine Samsung or AT&T (whoever it concerns) would not want their customers to root their devices and have open souce access they arent suppose to have. Maybe I'm too used to Apple stomping out jailbreak and I should ease up with Android updates, this is all new to me so forgive my lack of understanding.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Honestly I doubt very seriously if there will be root for the ATT, Verizon, TMO s7 edge. Just like the s6 edge or Note5. There was root for a very short period for the s6 edge but the exploit was patched very quickly. It seems devs aren't even trying to find root for ATT devices since the bootloaders are so tightly locked.
As far as updates to the OS since root isn't available there's no worry about exploits being patched.
It sucks tremendously but the major carriers are more concerned with security than anything else.
Tomorrow my ATT s7 edge is going back to the corporate store and from now on I'll be buying the international versions outright.
I've been lucky since I've had a couple other devices that I was able to sell on Swappa to offset the cost.
"And on that bombshell!"
Sent from my Smokin G935A

I really wanted to root my device, its half the fun of owning a new device and this really bums me out I may possible never get to experience that.
So am I completely screwed out of rooting or do you think there will be some workarounds in the foreseeable future?
Thanks for keeping me informed.

RemixDeluxe said:
I really wanted to root my device, its half the fun of owning a new device and this really bums me out I may possible never get to experience that.
So am I completely screwed out of rooting or do you think there will be some workarounds in the foreseeable future?
Thanks for keeping me informed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Never underestimate the xda community even if it looks grim now I'm keeping a positive outlook that us variants will eventually have root. But maybe that's just wishful thinking. But there are plenty of modifications and customization options available to us without the need of root.

I have a couple of requests in regards to some applications if anyone would be generous enough to suggest anything.
1. Are there any applications to get free inapp purchases without root?
2. Anyway to stop ads in apps or while viewing youtube videos? I've tried a few adblockers but they dont seem to do much if anything at all.
3. I used this app on my iPhone called Mewseek which allowed you to download music on the fly and listen to it instantly. Is there any equivalent of that on Android?

CopperheadOS

Has anyone else seen this yet? It's a supposed secure OS for nexus devices. https://copperhead.co/android/downloads If anyone checks it out, let us know how it goes.

Wow I never seen this.:laugh:

Looks interesting, Im gonna check it further. Probably a AOSP based with some patches, fdroid, and some anti-gapps apps?

Most definitely curious as to how this runs....they want you to relock the bootloader though...????????????

Runs really nice. But there is no open source support for my android wear watch which I need.

No thank you. I would rather trust google and NSA, instead of some no name offshore company.
Sent from my Nexus 6P using XDA Labs

suhridkhan said:
No thank you. I would rather trust google and NSA, instead of some no name offshore company.
Sent from my Nexus 6P using XDA Labs
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Toronto is off-shore?

Lol
Sent from my Nexus 6P using XDA-Developers mobile app

Locking the bootloader is good for your security.
Sent from a 128th Legion Stormtrooper 6P

toronto is offshore? do you think they live in igloos still aswell?
also this is just aosp with google signatures,
i tested for fun, boot animation is crap,
some lag going n settings,
no playstore access, no gapps at all from what i saw,
secure unsure, i dont know enough to rip apart the source and see if any holes from the company,

I was intrigued by Copperhead since reading about the Unaphone, another Google free operating system. Unlike Unaphone, whom's developers were providing it only for their proprietary hardware, when I saw CopperheadOS I knew I was going to try it for sure!
Previously running Resurrection, my phone already had an unlocked bootloader. Even if it hadn't, flashing Copperhead using the developer's instructions is very easy.
First impressions were good. The phone was noticeably more responsive, lacking google services normally running, and stable since the OS itself is based on stock which was considerably more stable than other roms I've tried. All the features you would expect from 6.0.1 are present and working. What is not preset however is the Google Play store or services! I didn't appreciate the implications of not having google services before actually trying to use a phone without them. Although it is possible to sideload gapps, one would rather negate the point of this ROM.
Poking around the settings the first thing I noticed were granular security settings with detailed descriptions. There is also a nice security versus performance slider for the layman. The idea of preventing exploits using the techniques in this rom is my main reason for using it.
After an evening of use, the vast majority of closed-source-paid apps I was able to replace with open-source alternatives. There are a few exceptions I am still trying to figure out, but overall, I think if you are willing to cut the google-cloud-services cord its worth a try. If you really must, most apk's for closed apps can be found and installed but these decisions should probably be weighed carefully.
I never realized my reliance on google and closed apps until I tried to use an OS that doesn't rely on them. Trying this rom is a good exercise in living off the google grid; or at the least driving the use of google services back into the browser.
At the end of the day this rom has its place for the privacy and security minded enthusiast, but for the average user, sticking to something with google services is probably more realistic.

longview41 said:
Toronto is off-shore?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
pacman photog said:
toronto is offshore? do you think they live in igloos still aswell?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The 'offshore' part was simply a figure of speech.
What I mean is that if you don't trust google with your data, you have more reason not to trust an unknown company.
At least google is transparent about my data, and gives me control of how much I want to share with them. https://myactivity.google.com/myactivity

Installed it yesterday on a Nexus 5x and so far it runs great. It indeed seems really security orientated with no default root or GApps. Didn't try to activate xposed (which I hope will work) or related stuff yet but so far I intend to keep it.

Copperhead is trusted. They will be working with Guardian Project and Fdroid to build a complete system. Read this post for more info: https://copperhead.co/blog/2016/03/29/crowdfunding-partnership-announced
mg.degroot said:
Installed it yesterday on a Nexus 5x and so far it runs great. It indeed seems really security orientated with no default root or GApps. Didn't try to activate xposed (which I hope will work) or related stuff yet but so far I intend to keep it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Please let us know if you're able to root, install xposed and still relock the bootloader.

mg.degroot said:
Installed it yesterday on a Nexus 5x and so far it runs great. It indeed seems really security orientated with no default root or GApps. Didn't try to activate xposed (which I hope will work) or related stuff yet but so far I intend to keep it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Could you please share some screenshots... Would like to try the OS... But would like to see how it is ...
Also do you see the sRGB mode in developer options... Without it the colors on the Nexus 6P are inaccurate at best...

Stop asking about features or customisation options, this rom has none. Its about security, not features

kbBT4A5e said:
I was intrigued by Copperhead since reading about ...
After an evening of use, the vast majority of closed-source-paid apps I was able to replace with open-source alternatives. There are a few exceptions I am still trying to figure out, but overall, I think if you are willing to cut the google-cloud-services cord its worth a try. If you really must, most apk's for closed apps can be found and installed but these decisions should probably be weighed carefully.
I never realized my reliance on google and closed apps until I tried to use an OS that doesn't rely on them. Trying this rom is a good exercise in living off the google grid; or at the least driving the use of google services back into the browser.
At the end of the day this rom has its place for the privacy and security minded enthusiast, but for the average user, sticking to something with google services is probably more realistic.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for sharing your experience. So we have decide if security is really more important than our investment and dependency in the Google ecosystem. I depend on G too much. My email is like my passport or online identification. I dont sideload unknown or unverified apps, dont visit links i dont know about, etc. Yes, i can still be remotely exploited, but i am not a gov official or some sort of millionaire with top secret info on my phone, as most of us. You saved me couple of hours of my day

A little update since I've been running this for about 2 weeks. I sideloaded gapps and the phone has been running fine, but found out today while trying to install the latest OTA update from copperhead it fails to install due to inconsistencies detected in the system partition since I installed gapps; from a security standpoint this feature is great. Unfortunately I can't function without gapps. In order to get the latest security updates, which is probably more important than the security features cooked into copperhead, I must: reflash the device with the latest full image, install twrp, sideload gapps, restore the copperhead recovery, then reinstall all my apps.
This being the case to get OTA updates, unless you can really commit to opensource with no gapps its not really worth the hassle.
Using it for an extended period I did notice the device was a bit slow even on medium security settings. Originally I had it maxed right out, but it wasn't usable. On medium it was a small price to pay for security but its hard to quantify the value.
I think its time to return to an AOSP rom for me.

I'm running it currently runs great but I can't figure out how to fix the dreaded APN issues :\ Tried almost every fix on XDA haven't gotten Any dev help either :\ other than the lack of data its a great ROM. Apparently I'm not alone judging by the other post on XDA about this. Apparently this is a known issue with no real fix. Sucks since its the only reason I got this phone

Hi guys add me also 09945673600

Mi Unlocking Tool - Severe threat Trojan Symmi virus detected

I obtained unlocking permissions for my Redmi Note 3 recently from the official source. So, I downloaded the unlocking tool from there (it's official, I'm a 100% sure).
Now, after the download completed, I made it go through a virus scan by Quick Heal Total Security ver 17.00, fully activated license and latest updated virus database. The results showed a threat detected. It was a Trojan Symmi virus. There are no search results anywhere regarding this problem and I have scanned it multiple times and after multiple downloads from the official source. After a bit of research, I found out that Trojan Symmi is a severely dangerous threat as it opens up a backdoor in the infected system, leaking out personal information and other important details.
After all this, I tried alternate sources including a few threads on this forum, but I ended up with the exact same results. Sadly, I cannot add images/links as being a new user, I'm not permitted to do so. Though, I am really surprised that the official site of Mi would make me download such a dangerous file onto my system. Presently, the file is still in compressed form. I'll extract it only when I receive a concrete and credible response on the matter, hence I need your help. Please clarify whether it is a real threat or an error made by the anti-virus (I doubt that, yet it's still possible).
Waiting for a response.

ihave a old folder with all unlock data. You can scan this if you want to check older files would be interresting.
Zip File on Google Drive: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1nsMBiMJbuol7Y6iuYAmmnGhAVkZpik3r

Having MIUI on your phone is a severe threat in my opinion.
There'll be a day where you won't have enough money to buy premium antivirus.
Your financial info is leaked, bank accounts are hacked that'll put your family in an awkward position.
Your Girlfriend will leave you.
Your Best friends will leave you & switch to Oneplus or Pixel devices cuz they hate '****UI, as well as you '
All your data will be redirected to Chinese servers.
So it's your choice, do you want the future to be that way?
I've been using Custom ROMs for 1.5 years & the device is secure.
The devs for our device here are awesome, unlike the ****UI devs who roll out themes for kids, useless browser updates & Android based on marshmallow wtf??
Like I always say ' ****UI icing on top of Poop doesn't make it a better UI '

Try unofficial method instead. I don't trust xiaomi at all. Never used their tool.

I Trust nobody of these Big Concern.
Google No Apple Defenetly NO but i Like his MacOS and everything else.
Everybody know what Snowden was saying....
I let them do what they want. Then everything is in this world is Information to manipulate people of that they buy what the big one want that we buy.
And i never Talk to any Intelligence like Siri/ Sahra/ Byxbi or what they are named.

VaibhavKumar07 said:
Having MIUI on your phone is a severe threat in my opinion.
There'll be a day where you won't have enough money to buy premium antivirus.
Your financial info is leaked, bank accounts are hacked that'll put your family in an awkward position.
Your Girlfriend will leave you.
Your Best friends will leave you & switch to Oneplus or Pixel devices cuz they hate '****UI, as well as you '
All your data will be redirected to Chinese servers.
So it's your choice, do you want the future to be that way?
I've been using Custom ROMs for 1.5 years & the device is secure.
The devs for our device here are awesome, unlike the ****UI devs who roll out themes for kids, useless browser updates & Android based on marshmallow wtf??
Like I always say ' ****UI icing on top of Poop doesn't make it a better UI '
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know man!! That's exactly why I'm unlocking my phone, to eventually switch to Lineage OS. MIUI is a poorly performing operating system indeed!!

Alright!! This one's clean. Thanks a lot man!!

shreyansbhardwaj said:
Alright!! This one's clean. Thanks a lot man!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What is Clean?

Maximaro said:
What is Clean?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I mean, the version of the unlocking tool you provided the link for, is virus free and hence I can use it. So, thank you.

Why is the Samsung ecosystem such garbage?!?!

Mini-rant
OK, so I have to rant (just briefly) about the whole state of Samsung phones at the moment. Basically, we spend gobs of money on expensive devices and get locked down pre-loaded junk in return. Oh, they are physically impressive, have good specs, and are aesthetically nice gadgets. But would you spend $1600 bucks on a new laptop that came with software you couldn’t remove and could only be upgraded for the next 4 years?!?!
I have wanted to experiment with LineageOS for years. I bought a used Samsung S8+ in 2018 and quickly found out that LineageOS was a no go because Samsung locks the bootloaders on all US and Canadian models. So, that was never going to happen unless some guru found a hack.
Now, five years later, I went out of my way to find a Global/European S10+ (an SM-G975F) specifically so that I could install LineageOS. Now, I managed to do that easily enough. But now I am stuck with a phone that has poor reception and slow LTE speeds because it is missing LTE bands used in Canada (i.e. the SM-G975F uses different bands than the SM-G975W).
So here we are… making tradeoffs again.
And while I like fiddling with things like this, I have to wonder... why are we here in the first place? I just want a phone that doesn’t come preloaded with junk that I don’t want. I don’t want Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, TikTok or even Office 365 pre-installed and non-removable. It is like moving into a new house and finding out that the builder picked out furniture for the living room and, while you can push it off to the side and cover it with a blanket, you can never actually remove it. Why is the builder picking out furniture for me in the first place?
Some will say they like the furniture the builder picked. Most will say they don’t hate it or that they found a way to cover it up sufficiently that they don’t really notice it anymore. That isn’t really the point though, is it?
LineageOS on the other hand comes with nothing that it shouldn’t. Oh, and you can have LineageOS if you like (if you stand on your head and find a way to order a phone from another market) but then you have crummy reception forever. Oh, and when you are done you are a 2nd class citizen who can't use the NFC chip on his/her phone to pay for things because you were a "bad person" who found a way to remove the builder's sofa from your living room.
Oh, there are tricks… download this tool or that… but some don’t work anymore because of update XYZ…
Why can’t I just turn on the LTE bands I need??!?! Like, seriously, why not?!?!
Or better yet, why doesn’t my phone do it for me when it sees the Bell SIM card?!?!
Whose phone is this anyway?!?!
The state of Samsung phones in North America is garbage. Full stop. Pure garbage. No, I am not being too harsh.
1) All phones should come with basic firmware that makes the phone work and nothing else. The phone should not be used as an on-ramp into whichever ecosystem is paying the manufacturer more. OEM apps (i.e. Samung Calculator, Samsung DeX, etc.) are fine but no 3rd party junk like Facebook and Instagram. That is what the store is for.
2) All bootloaders should be unlockable and re-lockable once custom firmware is loaded if that firmware is itself signed. No "tripping Knox" or this nonsense.
3) All radio/LTE/carrier settings should be accessible and customizable with easily selectable presets for major carriers worldwide.
Anything else is a closed ecosystem that doesn't respect your basic property rights.
OK, done ranting... Maybe someone from Samsung will notice and maybe it will make a difference.
Best regards,
The Fish

I run two stock N10+'s, a N975U and a N975U1.
Running on Android 9* and 10 respectively. Neither have had their firmware upgraded. I use Package Disabler to block about 70-80 apks and settings are heavily optimized. Both run fast, stable and fullfill their mission with almost no issues and little maintenance. Excellent SOT and standby time.
Both are compatible with AT&T and as such there are no reception issues. You check and verify this before you purchase. Slam the sim card in and they're good to go. Once optimized and running well, don't upgrade firmware or update apps and it will run fine for years. Don't do the above and you will need to find work arounds... if they exist.
Current load on this N10+ will be 3yo this June. No malware during that time. Still looks, feels and runs like new. Only repair has been a battery. After a steep learning curve I'm very pleased with these devices. They are still a joy to use. However I can't say the same for the proceeding Samsung flagships and will never own one of them for a litany of reasons*.
Samsung phones with/in this SOC/generation can run well in capable hands, stock, if used as described.
*has last Android 9 firmware update
**lol, don't get me started

blackhawk said:
Neither have had their firmware upgraded. I use Package Disabler to block about 70-80 apks and settings are heavily optimized. Both run fast, stable and fullfill their mission with almost no issues and little maintenance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This kind of proves my point. I am not saying there isn't a way to get your Samsung phone running the way you want it. I am saying that the hoops we have to jump through and the tradeoffs we have to make are unacceptable.
Why do you have to use Package Disabler to block about 70-80 apks?!?! Why should you have to block *any* APKs at all?
Why do you have to stick with old, outdated firmware? Why do you have to make this tradeoff? Why do we have to have a hostile relationship with Samsung?
Why can't we have a nice phone, no bloatware, no junk, no apps we don't want. Get updates for a reasonable amount of time (i.e. till the hardware no longer supports it)?
blackhawk said:
Both are compatible with AT&T and as such there are no reception issues. You check and verify this before you purchase. Slam the sim card in and they're good to go.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sure. And I knew ahead of time when I purchased the Global S10+ (the SM-G975F) that it didn't support all the same LTE bands as the Canadian model (the SM-G975W). But again, I had to make tradeoffs because I wanted to run LineageOS. Again, why do we have to choose between two crummy options?!?! Where are the good options?!?
I am daring to imagine a world where this is better. Really, we used to have phones locked to service providers and 5-year contracts. Those were the bad old days. But these days right now (with the bloatware, etc.) are also not great. It reminds me of the Windows XP era of PCs where you would buy a new PC and be prompted to sign up for 100 different services upon initial bootup. Only difference then was you could re-install the operating system on your PC and free yourself from the OEM bloatware. But now, with phones, they make even that impossible with locked bootloaders.
Basically, if I could unlock the bootloader of a Canadian SM-G975W that would be ideal. Any why isn't it like that anyway?!?! Isn't that the way it should be to begin with?
Locked bootloaders with no option to unlock should be illegal.
The Fish

thefish123 said:
This kind of proves my point. I am not saying there isn't a way to get your Samsung phone running the way you want it. I am saying that the hoops we have to jump through and the tradeoffs we have to make are unacceptable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm a pragmatist, I use what works.
thefish123 said:
Why do you have to use Package Disabler to block about 70-80 apks?!?! Why should you have to block *any* APKs at all?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's only blocking what I consider bloatware. 10 or 15 of those apks are apps I installed but chose to kept disabled 99% of the time.
thefish123 said:
Why do you have to stick with old, outdated firmware? Why do you have to make this tradeoff? Why do we have to have a hostile relationship with Samsung?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's your choice to upgrade and there's no reason to upgrade if the firmware is fulfilling its mission if you're running Android 9 or higher. If you lack wherewithal you pay a price...
thefish123 said:
Why can't we have a nice phone, no bloatware, no junk, no apps we don't want. Get updates for a reasonable amount of time (i.e. till the hardware no longer supports it)?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Updates and upgrades aren't needed on an optimized device that's running well. New phones with the newest firmware are running like crap in case you didn't notice. Very little speed increase in most routine activities and horrible SOT on most.
thefish123 said:
Sure. And I knew ahead of time when I purchased the Global S10+ (the SM-G975F) that it didn't support all the same LTE bands as the Canadian model (the SM-G975W). But again, I had to make tradeoffs because I wanted to run LineageOS. Again, why do we have to choose between two crummy options?!?! Where are the good options?!?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well you knew there be connectivity issues and that should have flagged it. Custom roms have custom problems with a limited user/support base.
thefish123 said:
I am daring to imagine a world where this is better. Really, we used to have phones locked to service providers and 5-year contracts. Those were the bad old days. But these days right now (with the bloatware, etc.) are also not great. It reminds me of the Windows XP era of PCs where you would buy a new PC and be prompted to sign up for 100 different services upon initial bootup. Only difference then was you could re-install the operating system on your PC and free yourself from the OEM bloatware. But now, with phones, they make even that impossible with locked bootloaders.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's not that bad if you shop smart. I bought out my AT&T N10+ at 2 years. It's almost identical to my carrier unlocked variant. I want the boot loader locked for security. No way I'm touching the firmware as these are premium flagships that run extremely well as is. I have very little to gain and lots to lose... including time.
thefish123 said:
Basically, if I could unlock the bootloader of a Canadian SM-G975W that would be ideal. Any why isn't it like that anyway?!?! Isn't that the way it should be to begin with?
Locked bootloaders with no option to unlock should be illegal.
The Fish
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You buy Samsung flagships for the premium hardware and then work within the framework that's available and what works best for you. You can root the Exynos variants but their hardware is almost always inferior to the Snaps. Consequences.
At this point both Samsung and Android newest products are so out of line that they are unusable to me. I don't care what they do, screw them. I'm in a holding pattern for 3+ more years happily using my N10+'s... I don't care. All my issues are worked out because I threw time at them to do so and I'm very satisfied with the outcome.
In 3+ years I will reevaluate the situation and decide what to do. Right now as things stand I don't reccomend any new Samsung's or anything Android version above Android 10. Unfortunately I have no easy solutions for you other than what I did. Even that isn't simple fix but it's a zero risk fix. I refuse to risk damaging these N10+'s by mucking with their firmware unless its needed for repair.

blackhawk said:
Well you knew there be connectivity issues and that should have flagged it. Custom roms have custom problems with a limited user/support base.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The reason I purchased this specific model was so that I could run a custom ROM. But the connectivity issues are not caused by the custom rom. They are caused by the fact that I am using a phone designed for a different market where different LTE bands are used.
And yes, I knew that ahead of time. And I am not regretting that. But you are missing the point. The radio in my phone is perfectly capable of using the LTE bands that my carrier uses. So why shouldn't there be a straightforward way to enable them?
What if I used to live in Europe and moved to Canada? Should I be forced to buy a new phone just because Samsung doesn't let me change LTE bands? Or if I travel between Europe and Canada on business then I just have to suffer with crummy reception?
My point is one of ownership, property rights.

thefish123 said:
The reason I purchased this specific model was so that I could run a custom ROM. But the connectivity issues are not caused by the custom rom. They are caused by the fact that I am using a phone designed for a different market where different LTE bands are used.
And yes, I knew that ahead of time. And I am not regretting that. But you are missing the point. The radio in my phone is perfectly capable of using the LTE bands that my carrier uses. So why shouldn't there be a straightforward way to enable them?
What if I used to live in Europe and moved to Canada? Should I be forced to buy a new phone just because Samsung doesn't let me change LTE bands? Or if I travel between Europe and Canada on business then I just have to suffer with crummy reception?
My point is one of ownership, property rights.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Connectivity is paramount. Regardless of what your user rights should be, you need to work within the limits of the options available. The square peg round hole thing...
You may be able to enable those bands and that's probably where you should be directing your energy. I purposely try to avoid having to do that as much as possible and never had to. You dove down the rabbit hole, hopefully it's not too deep. Try looking at the hidden phone user settings first... I guess.

blackhawk said:
Connectivity is paramount. Regardless of what your user rights should be, you need to work within the limits of the options available. The square peg round hole thing...
You may be able to enable those bands and that's probably where you should be directing your energy. I purposely try to avoid having to do that as much as possible and never had to. You dove down the rabbit hole, hopefully it's not too deep. Try looking at the hidden phone user settings first... I guess.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I agree. Being a phone is the most important thing that a phone does. And I am directing my energies in that direction as well. But in the process, it occures to me that a messed-up antagonistic anti-customer ecosystem this whole thing is. We would *never* accept this from a computer company, a car manufacturer, or a home builder. Yet, for some reason, we accept it from phone makers like Samsung and that we need to work within these [artificially imposed] limits.
Anyway, yes, there used to be a hidden phone menu (why hidden?) that would have let me enable the bands that I need. But Samsung removed it sometime last year with an update. Again, why?!?!
I'll keep looking. I'm sure I will figure out something in time inspite of Samsung, not because of them.
The Fish

What OS version are you on?
The band selections are probably still there although means of access may have changed.
My knowledge in this area is very limited. The sim card always configured it perfectly for me.
Best to check with your carrier to be sure that phone model is on their white list.
You could try seeing if someone help you from your carrier tech support...sometimes you get lucky if you try enough.

blackhawk said:
What OS version are you on?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am running LineageOS 19.1.
blackhawk said:
The band selections are probably still there although means of access may have changed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The band selection app is categorically *not* there anymore because it A) it was part of the Samsung firmware and B) even if I was on Samsung firmware it wouldn't be there anymore either because Samsung removed it.
There used to be a tool you could download that would allow you to access the "hidden" band selection app. But it stopped working because Samsung removed the hidden app altogeather. Like I said in my original post on this thread "Oh, there are tricks… download this tool or that… but some don’t work anymore because of update XYZ…"
My point is that the whole nonsense of disabled bands and locked bootloaders is infuriating. I is like buying a computer that can only access the internet at full speed in Europe and if you fly to Canada and use it there you get penalized with 1/2 speed. Oh, and even through you could change it with the flip of a switch that switch is buried, disabled, hidden behind locked doors.
The Google Pixel 7 Pro has all the bands turned on (i.e. there is one phone for the whole world) and the boot loader is unlocked. Just saying...
At some point I will probably prevail in getting the bands I need turned on. And then I will likely be very happy with this phone for the next 5+ years. But none of that changes the fact that this anti-consumer predatory behavior on the part of Samsung is unacceptable.
The Fish