Presenting.. the Next Best Thing to Root for the U.S. Samsung Galaxy S7 T-mobile edition (model SM-G930T that is)
As of 6/7/16, no root is publicly available. I purchased my S7 on 5/26/16 and decided to keep it despite the lack of root. This is my story.
INTRO
So the ol' Galaxy Note II up and died on me a couple weekends back, and I blew 40 bucks on a new battery before I realized it was gone gone gone. Queue new phone shopping, the hip glasses-toting dudes at T-mobile swayed me to an S7. I didn't want something as big as my last phone and forget using a bumper case with that curved-screen edge (an acquaintance of mine quotes: "The only thing that ****ing screen is good for is when I'm high as hell and want to read the clock without lifting my head". He dropped his and shattered it.), so I went with the plain ol' S7. Well, now I know why the salesguy got real quiet when the first thing I told him I would do was 'root the phone'. Being a programmer, I was pretty bummed and unhappy about owning a device that I am purposely locked out of Administrating.. but the return fee was $50, and I really liked what the S7 brought to the table.
Goes without saying, I was ready to pay for the rootable HTC-10 (my local store didn't even carry it, the salesman said they were 'test-marketing it' at a couple other stores across town) or the LG monstrosity (I haven't liked this company since the spying TV debacle, tho once upon a time they made good and cheap TVs), but I hated how much bigger the devices were and that svelte S7 really impressed me otherwise. Samsung really does make the 'iPhone of Androids'.
So, I decided to stick with the S7, and un-screw it pretty much as best as I could. And, because all I read was mostly a lot of 'is the root out yets', I thought it would be cool to share.
ABOUT THE S7
Not too terribly much has changed in the android linux filesystem since the last time I seriously delved into it. Got a vague idea where most of what is what, but I also recognize that the Path to Rooting is two: Utilizing a bootloader to actually flash the chip, or Piggybacking on some existing Administrative-privileged software in the otherwise 'closed' environment. Samsung shipped the U.S. T-mobile S7's (mine is SM-G930T) with a locked bootloader to make it nigh-impossible to root via flashing. Get to it, ya chip-hackers.
However, it is a universal law of the internet that someone out there will find an operable software workaround, and this is usually some 13-year-old kid from Finland, or at least it was in the case where I found drivers for a Voodoo 3 card during the advent of Windows XP. God bless the internet will provide, and in this case that gentle soul is none other than a man by the appropriate name of OSPolice.
PACKAGE DISABLER PRO - THE 99 CENT APP
play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ospolice.packagedisablerpro&hl=en
This little gem of an app I purchased for $0.99 off the play store. This is the key to enjoying the disabling features of Root access and the key to un-screwing the T-mobile Galaxy S7. What this app does is essentially co-opt the Administrative access that Samsung Knox (the 'security' software) uses and allows you to disable any and all packages on the phone. When you first activate it you will have to accept an agreement tied to Samsung Knox (don't worry, this in no way causes anything to 'phone home' as far as I can tell).
I would recommend the very first thing you do is go to the settings and add a password to the app, that way nobody else can get in, because this can seriously **** with your phone's software, if you disable the wrong package the phone will not boot up properly and you will need to reinstall. There is an option to Disable All Bloatware based on automatic picks from the application but this can screw up some phones and you will miss a lot of crap, so DO NOT AUTO-DISABLE.
There is also another important reason you should manually disable these. Clicking on a package from the main app brings up a screen where you have several options (the auto-google feature is quite helpful to researching various processes). There is also an important little button that says 'Clear Data', erasing the temporary package data. Due to info I found on another forum, which I am too lazy to dig up here and now, there is an important process to disabling with Package Disabler Pro:
THE DISABLING PROCESS
1. If the package is not enabled, enable it.
2. While the package IS ENABLED, click Clear Data.
3. DISABLE the package with the Disable button.
4. Click CLEAR DATA a second time.
5. On to the next one...
It appears there may be some data that is not erased when the package is disabled. In any case, this fixed all of the problems I had disabling earlier without using the Clear Data button. This is important to stop certain packages from utilizing an outside process to re-enable themselves.
Below I am listing all of the processes that I disabled. Your list might be different; before I did this I updated the phone's system software from T-mobile's servers (as of 5/25), and I don't plan to auto-update again until I root or have to reload everything.
Also, please keep in mind I turned off a few features with this method, you will have to ADJUST YOUR PACKAGES ACCORDINGLY or know what to re-enable from the below list. I turned off all wi-fi calling (don't like 'weird' internet connections), all NFC and payment such as the Samsung pay chip (nothing I want/need enabled right now). I kept Bluetooth connectivity on since I pair the phone with my car for and it's more or less an 'established' form of protocol, neverless if I didn't use it I would deactivate it as well. Security Over All is my philosophy.
THE SINGLE PROBLEM I HAVE HAD is being unable to 'browse' for a background when choosing a new one for the lock screen. I kept the lock screen with a stock dark blue and had already set my live wallpaper (play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.dkeesto.holographlw&hl=en if you are curious, Digital Hive by the unsurpassed Cypher Cove). So set your backgrounds before disabling all these, or try and figure out which disabled package screws this up, though I tried re-enabling anything with 'wallpaper' in it to no avail.
I also disabled a lot of the Google services, I check my gmail online, phone apps seem so hideously insecure to my mind, and I don't want to use any drive or cloud backup services AT ALL. Go with an all-encrypted service or backup your data yourself, and I don't trust any non-rooted backup apps. If you use the Gmail app or etc, simply don't disable it.
A LIST OF PACKAGES I DISABLED (remember to Clear Data, then Disable, then Clear Data a second time!):
AASAservice
Access cloud
AllShare FileShare Service
Amazon
ANT + DUT
ANT HAL Service
ANT Radio Service
ANT+ Plugins Service
AutoPreconfig
Basic Daydreams
BBCAgent
BeaconManager
Beaming Service
Briefing (**** you)
Calculator
Calendar
Camera test
Carmode Stub
ChocoEUKor
Color Adjustment
com.android.providers.partnerbookmarks
com.android.sharedstoragebackup
com.android.wallpapercropper
com.facebook.appmanager
com.facebook.system
com.samsung.android.app.watchmanagerstub
com.samsung.android.sm.devicesecurity
com.samsung.dcmservice
com.samsung.enhanceservice
com.samsung.faceservice
com.samsung.hs20provider
com.samsung.ipservice
com.samsung.storyservice
com.sec.android.app.minimode.res
com.sec.android.app.wfdbroker
com.sec.bcservice
com.tmobile.pr.adapt
Context Service
Control TV
CoolEUKor
Device Unlock
DeviceTest
Dictionary
EasyOneHand
EasySetup
Email
Enhanced features
eSE UCS Plugin
Facebook
Favorite Contacts
Filter Installer
Filter Manager
Filter Provider
Foundation
Galaxy Apps
Galaxy Essentials Widget
Gallery (I use an app called QuickPic, don't disable if you use the regular Gallery)
Game Launcher
Game Tools
GamepadService
GameService
Gear VR Service
Gear VR SetupWizardStub
Gear VR Shelf
Gmail (You might not want to disable, but for security's sake you should and use your browser)
Google App
Google Backup Transport
Google Calendar Sync
Google Contacts Sync
Google One Time Init
Google Partner Setup
Google Play Movies & TV
Good Play Music
Hancom Office Editor
Hangouts
Health Service (this auto-health reading stuff is kind of scary)
Help
Highlight video player
IMS Settings
ImsLogger+
IntelligenceService2
Interaction control
Internet (have a secondary browser in place, I initially used Chrome)
IPsec Service
Kies Application BnR
KNOX
KnoxAppsUpdateAgent
Live wallpaper picker
Lookout
Magnifier
Market Feedback Agent
MDMApp
Memo
Message service
Messages (I use an app called Textra, it is pleasant, don't disable if you use this for text messages)
MmsService (I have had no trouble sending/receiving MMS text with this disabled)
Mobile tracker
My Files
My interests
My Places
Nearby Service
Nfc Service
NSDSWebApp
Personal Data Management
Photo Editor
Photo Screensavers
Photos
Print Spooler (might be necessary for phone-to-printer if you're into that)
Private Mode Service
Quick connect
Remote Controls
RoseEUKor
S Finder
S Health
S Voice App
Safety assistance
Safety information
Samsung account
Samsung ApexService
Samsung Billing
Samsung Content Agent
Samsung Galaxy
Samsung Gear
Samsung keyboard (HAVE ANOTHER KEYBOARD INSTALLED [I use Hacker's Keyboard] OR DO NOT DISABLE THIS)
Samsung Location DSK
Samsung Milk Music
Samsung MirrorLink 1.1
Samsung Pay Stub
Samsung Payment Framework
Samsung Push Service
Samsung setup wizard
Samsung text-to-speech engine
Samsung+
SamsungDLPService
SapaMonitor
Screen Mirroring
Security policy updates
SecurityLogAgent
Settings Receiver
ShootingModeProvider
Simple Sharing
SLLibrary
Slow and fast-motion video player and editor
Smart Manager
Smart Manager Provider
SmartCallProvider
SmartcardManager
SmartcardService
SmartFaceService
SmartManager Clean DSK
SnsImageCache
Software update
Software Update
Sound detectors
Sound picker
T-Mobile
T-Mobil Name ID
T-Mobile TV
Theme store
Themes
TouchWiz easy home
TouchWiz home
Trim
Universal switch
UrgentFWUpdateNfc
UrgentFWUpdateTSP
Video collage
Video Editor Lite
Video Player (Stock, don't disable if you use, I use an app called VLC that plays damn near anything)
Virtual tour
Visual Voicemail
Visual Voicemail
Voice Assistant
Voice service
Voice wake-up
WallpaperCompression
Weather
Weather
Wi-Fi Direct
Wi-Fi Direct share
Wi-Fi Calling Settings
withTV
And that's it! Boy, wasn't that a lot of clicking clear data and all that junk! But it is worth it!
A FEW OTHER FEATURES I DON'T USE
Fingerprints.. never tested with this. I fail to see the usefulness of a fingerprint compared to a password in your head, and it's a whole lot easier to duplicate the former and scan someone's phone (call it the 'law gets in' password). So some of these might have disabled fingerprint functionality.
Voice-assistance.. again, the possibility of my phone recording me without me knowing is kind of scary. There's a lot of Samsung S-voice crap built in, I had this sort of thing on my last phone and never had the need for it.
Always-On Screen - It displays the time, had it on for a couple days and it worked just fine, but ultimately a battery eater, and the config options are real limited. I ended up turning this off.
The Samsung TouchWiz Launcher - As soon as I got all my packages disabled, I ditched this one. You can use anything you like, but personally I found a new home with NovaLauncher.
The Camera I tried to keep as whole as possible, I set it as the 'double-home-button-click-to-open', which was default behavior, and I really like it this way - double-click and you have a camera, and it works regardless of locked screen. They've really improved the camera software, I can double-click and start recording and that's just the way I like to use a phone. Now if there were only a way to compress, encrypt, and auto-transmit those movies immediately after recording...
DEVELOPER OPTIONS
Settings -> About device -> Click on 'Build Version' a bunch of times. If you're reading these forums you should probably know how to activate this.
Some cool settings, the only one I toggle is USB debugging.. for ease of file transfer on a PC thru USB cable, something which ALL modern phones suck ass at. It almost makes me want to program a simple universal file transfer software suite.
WHAT I WISH I STILL HAD
Encrypted Backup Solutions/State Backups: TitaniumBackup & Nandroid are the ****. Man do I miss having root access.
Customized Pull-down Notification Screen: I hate that first row of settings buttons. I will probably have to pony up the 5 bucks to NovaLauncher to see if they can make those go away.
One-touch Reboot app - Not getting this one until root Administrative access. I'll have to live without until then.
Otherwise, I have been pretty conveniently able to live without Root on this phone, and I hope this guide can make you happy, too!
SOME APP SUGGESTIONS - USEFUL
I've peppered the above with some apps I really like, here are some more:
Firefox - My favorite browser. I keep a copy of chrome for emergencies. 'Noscript' and 'Phony' are must-have extensions. Still looking for a good page-to-pdf extractor.
Orbot/Orfox - Best TOR/browser combo.
Rocket Player - FANTASTIC music app that I ponied up the money to unlock (mostly to play FLACs). Near-perfect, and a relief because Winamp **** the bed when it came to Android.
DuckDuckGo - I use this to replace the Google search bar widget. Doesn't work the same (click to open) but works quickly.
ZDBox - I use this exclusively for the 5x2 'control' widget on my home page. One-touch turnon/offs (or some options send you to the settings screen) for the following: WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, Mobile Network, Airplane Mode, TaskKiller, disable Screen Rotate, Brightness, Applock (you specify) and Flashlight (my default light, big screwy button but I'm used to it now).
ZDCal - From the makers of ZDBox, a free calendar that displays as a strip in the notification bar and also places a date at the top of the screen. Be careful, the first time I set it up I blindly clicked a couple pages and set up a period calendar that promptly notified me when I was beginning ovulation (I am a man).
SOME APP SUGGESTIONS - GAMES
Stellar Solitaire - The best Solitaire app ever. Tons of games, demos, beautiful for a phone screen.
Cliffy Run - A rager game my awesome friend made that is totally and amazingly simple and has some great graphics.
Neko Atsume - A stupid japanese cat simulator that I can't stop checking.
Source - A free 'pipes' puzzle game. I'm at 1 hr 2 mins on insane level. Great for killing time in the DMV.
SOME APP SUGGESTIONS - PROGRAMMER/NERD
OS Monitor - Process/Connection task-manager
JuiceSSH - My terminal app of choice.
Blowtorch Beta - My MUD app of choice. Told ya I nerd.
AndFTP - My FTP/SSHFTP app of choice.
AndroZip - My compression app, and, surprisingly, file manager of choice.
Fing - 1st of the 2 best wireless discovery apps ever.
Wifi Analyzer - 2nd of the 2 best wireless discovery apps ever.
Usemon - Resource Analyzer. Has a cool option for the notification screen, and measures both frequency and % use graphs when many progs do one or the other.
Cargo Decoder - If you want to read what exactly is in the tanker truck you are driving behind and how badly a spill will **** up your day.
Maverick - For all your GPS/compass/accelerometer needs.
FINALE
Please feel free to add anything to the above! I am pleased that I got my phone to do most of the things I wanted without a root. That being said, as soon as it is possible I will be jumping on that train. If you have any suggestions, please contribute! And thanks for reading!
Solid post man. I will be looking to clear data on my disabled apps. That is great advice. Thank you for this!
I can say i agree, mostly. I too miss root, but can manage without it. I really wish I still had full functionality of tasker. I had some kickass gps profiles and such that I can't use anymore. Do you know a workaround for that?
Sent from my SM-G935T using XDA-Developers mobile app
looking to get an s7, waiting on more info from this thread, can anyone else confirm
rkohliny said:
looking to get an s7, waiting on more info from this thread, can anyone else confirm
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What more info? How much more detail do you need?
Just completed this entire process...thank you so much! Have you been noticing faster speeds and better battery life as a result?
thank you!
Thank you. My phone is running better and faster and cooler. Thanks again
Sent from my SM-G930T using XDA-Developers mobile app
great post. im bummed as well regarding the locked bootloader that TMO has implemented. It's still a new enough phone that I'm trying to get the 'samsung experience' so personally disabled lookout and the TMO crapware. I will be saving this post for when I'm ready to go barebones (like I always eventually do) does anyone know of a good rootless ad block? Every time I launch a game and stare at a 30 second video for a different game it makes me miss adblocker terribly
I used this list as a base for safe to remove applications. Ridiculous that Samsung thinks it's this necessary to have this many applications installed.
I use the Theme Engine and a few Samsung apps (their browser with Crystal Adblock, works great and I also use Screen Mirroring/Quick Connect.) So I skipped disabling those, but got everything else. Thanks for the list. Looks like you spent a lot of time compiling it all together.
Seems to have definitely made the phone a lot snappier so thanks for this! However I can't seem to figure out which is affecting my wifi calling. It'll turn on on reboot but if it drops it won't come back on. Any ideas? Also I didn't turn off the lasy three ok his list.
Could you please share the XML file of PACKAGE DISABLER PRO? ....
PS Thank you for the great Post!
dantes5823 said:
Seems to have definitely made the phone a lot snappier so thanks for this! However I can't seem to figure out which is affecting my wifi calling. It'll turn on on reboot but if it drops it won't come back on. Any ideas? Also I didn't turn off the lasy three ok his list.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you ever find out why WIFI calling isn't working properly? Mine won't even start on a reboot!
Looks like Debloater will do the same thing as well.
Thanks for the list of apps that i can safely disable
Very nice write up..
1st: Excellent post, lots and LOTS of detail!
2nd: OMG, I hope I don't mess anything up!
Yikes!
Bambi
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S7 using XDA Labs
A few days ago I purchased my Withings (by Nokia) Steel HR, which is one of these new cool-looking smartwatches, with continuous heart monitor and 25 days battery life.
However, it comes in a quite closed environment (virtually no settings anywhere) and only works with the Withings app, which is quite poorly integrated.
I'm easily thinking of a ton of features to be added directly or indirectly, which brings me to the wish to use it with other apps and to mod its software. (A first thing would be to be able to change the frequency at which heart readings are taken, and to be able to export raw data to my phone which are not available at the moment)
Any aspiring (or experienced) dev out there with this smartwatch?
By the way, mods aside I honestly think that this watch is full of potential and its software will receive many updates in the future, so be sure to check it out if you're looking to buy a smartwatch in the near future (This is not an ad, but it would be great to build up an xda community around this! )
I'm getting this watch as well. Let's hope it will have development potential
Hi,
I have this watch as well. I have been trying to sniff the BLE protocol, to send my hr to apps like Runtastic, without success.
A quick note worth mentioning: this watch shows you three types of notifications (plus alarms): sms, calendar, and phone calls. While you can't "fake" sms and phone calls, you can create as many calendar events as you want.
In other words, do you want to see weather updates on your watch? put together something like a Tasker task or an IFTTT recipe that automatically creates a google calendar event with the information you want displayed as the title, and you're done. Combine it with Tasker to ignore/remove the notification on your smartphone and voila', any-notifications on our withings steel hr
cheers
Hi all,
it is some time I have NO.1 d6 smart watch for testing and I am facing problem I'm not able to resolve.
Because I am blind, first thing necessary to do for me was to install and activate Talkback, screen reader for Android. I have activated ADB with sighted assistance, so I was able to install Talkback to the device using trustable apk file.
After this my assistant tried to turn TB on in accessibility settings, it is a classic accessibility service. It was however impossible to do so, because checkbox was overlapped by Talkback's description.
I have downloaded TB's source code from Github, rewritten its description to one letter and installed newly compiled version.
It has freed the checkbox to activate service, because of short text, but it is still impossible to activate it, it makes no reaction after tapping.
I am wondering, does someone have similar problem with this watch? Can you please give me a tip how to solve it?
I found on the net, that some Lollipop devices had issues with activating accessibility services, but solutions differed much with concrete model, so I am not sure what to do in my case.
I have also thought about rooting watch and activate TB by editing Android's settings file, but I am unable to find any root guides for NO.1 d6.
Thank you all in advance
Best regards
Rastislav
Hi folks, I'm new MIUI8 SE user.
I've been using android for 6 years and I'm here - XDA - for 6 years
Since I got my first android phone which was Motorola XT910, I came here xda devs forum and search what can I do. I realized to install roms on android, custom roms. And after a few months I saw MIUI 4 is available for my Motorola XT910. I installed it and it looks great. I can costumize wahtever I want with MIUI4, and later it upgraded MIUI5 bla bla..
After a few years later I bought Xiaomi phone to use stock rom as MIUI. I bought Mi5 and later Mi6. Now I'm with Mi8SE (will continue )
So, I've been almost use all MIUı since 4th generation.
Now I just saw MIUI 11 China Beta released for our and mosth xiaomi phone. I wanted you to see, install this great rom to your phone too.
Here download link page.
How to install?
Just go to TWRP and wipe cache/data,
Format Factory Rest,
Install ROM,
Update Recovery.(if not, it will stuck in fastboot mode)
And That's It...
Keep in mind that this is Chinese build and thus do not come with Google Play Services or any Google apps pre-installed, though they are easy to sideload. The features may also be slightly different from what you expect from global builds as well, given that they’re focused towards the Chinese market. Lastly, the language options are likely limited to English and Chinese.
We hope EU rom will be available this week. And global beta will come soon.
Screenshoots
Changelog List
Attention – Empowering the productive
Comprehensive design optimized for fullscreen display devices
Removing visual clutter, improving touch controls, and refining the use of color allowed us to create the system where nothing stands between you and the content.
Beauty starts with text. Our fonts matured.
Now text looks gorgeous in all languages.
Now, font weight can be adjusted automatically depending on the text.
Ambient display
Ambient display now comes with gorgeous dynamic themes.
Essential information is displayed on your screen 24/7.
Personalize your device with a unique signature.
Keep your screen alive with our amazing special effects.
Sounds of nature
Wake up to the gentle sounds of nature with our new alarm ringtones.
Notification sounds won’t make you tired. Now, they keep changing dynamically, just like nature does.
Mi Share
Transfer files from phone to phone at breakneck speeds.
Mi Share works both on phones and computers.
Documents
Preview your documents before you open them.
Stay productive and efficient with our all-new Mi Doc Viewer.
Casting
MIUI allows you to cast videos, games, documents, and apps to more than 300 TV models directly from your phone.
MIUI’s casting functionality allows you to hide personal items to keep all sensitive things private.
Printing
Print photos and files directly from your phone without installing any additional apps
Trips
Plan your trips with MIUI: add your flight or train tickets, learn about the weather at your destination, get local mobile data, view the currency exchange rates, or contact your consulate abroad.
Ultra battery saver
Use this feature to challenge your device to a whole day on just 5% of the battery.
More features
Tasks. Manage and edit your tasks in the Notes app. Receive timely notifications and mark things done.
Kid space. Create a safe digital environment for your kids.
Family guard. Control connected devices to help your friends and family.
Screen time. View stats and manage your time more efficiently.
Emergency SOS. Rapidly press the Power button 5 times to send an SOS message to your emergency contacts.
Earthquake warnings. Stay safe and informed in case of an earthquake.
Quick replies. Reply to messages from any app.
Themes. Lots of free resources to make your device truly unique.
Mi Community. Get the latest news from Xiaomi, test new features, and participate in our events.
Autofill passwords. Store passwords on your device and use them whenever you need them.
Calendar. All your events in one place.
Mi AI 3.0. All-new. Much more powerful.
Security. Safeguard and optimize your device.
Game Turbo. Turn your device into an ultimate gaming console.
Reserved for future updates
Sweeet
it stuck mi unlocked display
I recently bought a Fossil gen5 Carlyle HR. (Technical data available upon request)
I bought it for the sole purpose of being able to use the DIESEL ON Watch Faces "Heads Up" face on the watch.
Here is the issue though:
It seems that DIESEL ON Watch Faces is a system app, install from the play store is not an option (neither is uninstall) only enable is an option.
After enabling I try to set the face to my current face.
I select the default "Heads up" style and apply it.
The face turns into a "DIESEL ON" logo and no face ever loads.
When I reboot thinking that might be the problem the system boots up with the DIESEL ON Watch Faces app in a disabled status.
I have tried clearing the data and cache for this app, but I always have the same results.
Does anyone have any clues or tips I can try?
thanks ahead of time for your time and effort in helping me solve this problem!
bump !
kirbyonwarpstar said:
I recently bought a Fossil gen5 Carlyle HR. (Technical data available upon request)
I bought it for the sole purpose of being able to use the DIESEL ON Watch Faces "Heads Up" face on the watch.
Here is the issue though:
It seems that DIESEL ON Watch Faces is a system app, install from the play store is not an option (neither is uninstall) only enable is an option.
After enabling I try to set the face to my current face.
I select the default "Heads up" style and apply it.
The face turns into a "DIESEL ON" logo and no face ever loads.
When I reboot thinking that might be the problem the system boots up with the DIESEL ON Watch Faces app in a disabled status.
I have tried clearing the data and cache for this app, but I always have the same results.
Does anyone have any clues or tips I can try?
thanks ahead of time for your time and effort in helping me solve this problem!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I will reply to you shortly with solution....
Please reply to thread and not in private message. I'd also like to get that information.
I too would like to know this. Please reply in the thread !
i ended up returning that watch (the battery life was terrible).
however have since gotten a samsung gear sport. although the carlyle and gear sport are on different OS, the same apps work on both.
I found a diesel ON copy in watchmaker premium called On HUD.
that is what i have been using.