Well, I just got my phone yesterday and before I start adding a apps that I like. Would it be better to root now? I know the phone just came out, so are the rooting methods we have good quality roots? because I don't want to mess up my phone since I already had it for 2 days. . I know im just over thinking but just would like some feedback from xda. Also is there anyway getting rid of all the bloatware this phone has? or do I have to wait for a custom rom?
note: I'm with AT&T
thanks alot xda
Hey whats up? You might want to play with your new GS3 for a bit to see what you like and dislike about the phone. That way, when you are ready to flash a custom ROM, you know what style of ROM that you like. For instance, the Galaxy S3 uses the TouchWiz interface. Some ROM's are based on TouchWiz and some are striped down like AOKP or CyanogenMod. Hopefully you know what I'm talking about, otherwise you shouldn't think about rooting or flashing ROM's until you do some research. Make sure you know what rooting is before you jump in. To answer your question, you can remove bloatware after you root your phone with Titanium Backup. (purchase the pro version) You do not need a custom ROM to remove bloatware. By having root access, you open up your phone to a whole new world! After you gain root access, your next step is flashing custom ROM's. My advice, do a lot of reading here on XDA and learn. Also, YouTube has some great videos on rooting and flashing ROM;s. (check out galaxyS3root.com) Make sure that anything you flash/mod, specifically says it is for your phone. Make/Model/Carrier etc. If you have any questions about this stuff, PM me. I like to help.
dave2metz said:
Hey whats up? You might want to play with your new GS3 for a bit to see what you like and dislike about the phone. That way, when you are ready to flash a custom ROM, you know what style of ROM that you like. For instance, the Galaxy S3 uses the TouchWiz interface. Some ROM's are based on TouchWiz and some are striped down like AOKP or CyanogenMod. Hopefully you know what I'm talking about, otherwise you shouldn't think about rooting or flashing ROM's until you do some research. Make sure you know what rooting is before you jump in. To answer your question, you can remove bloatware after you root your phone with Titanium Backup. (purchase the pro version) You do not need a custom ROM to remove bloatware. By having root access, you open up your phone to a whole new world! After you gain root access, your next step is flashing custom ROM's. My advice, do a lot of reading here on XDA and learn. Also, YouTube has some great videos on rooting and flashing ROM;s. (check out galaxyS3root.com) Make sure that anything you flash/mod, specifically says it is for your phone. Make/Model/Carrier etc. If you have any questions about this stuff, PM me. I like to help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
wow thanks for such an awesome reply. I actually just rooted my phone 2mins ago and installed CWR. Right now, im not interested getting a new rom until like you said did my research. However, I didnt know Titanium Backup can get rid of all the bloatware. THANKS!!!
rayoubi said:
wow thanks for such an awesome reply. I actually just rooted my phone 2mins ago and installed CWR. Right now, im not interested getting a new rom until like you said did my research. However, I didnt know Titanium Backup can get rid of all the bloatware. THANKS!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Also be sure if you should manually remove any bloat you do not remove anything you are not sure 100% about. there are many components that are bloat but linked directly to Touchwiz....if parts are removed upon reboot or a factory rest your phone may not be able to fully boot and you will be busting out ODIN.
After rooting and having CWM installed, first thing you should do is do a nandroid backup. If you ever screw up removing stuff from your phone, you can just restore it. I have a backup of my phone rooted before removing bloat and another after I have all the bloat removed.
rayoubi said:
wow thanks for such an awesome reply. I actually just rooted my phone 2mins ago and installed CWR. Right now, im not interested getting a new rom until like you said did my research. However, I didnt know Titanium Backup can get rid of all the bloatware. THANKS!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yup finally rooted myself after having the phone for nearly two weeks. I'm patiently waiting until Blazer ROM 1.3 is available for download so I don't need to worry about what bloatware is ok/not ok to remove. :victory:
After rooting your phone is anyone having problems with system update alerts that keep coming up ?
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda app-developers app
Related
Hi Team recently grabbed one of these as an upgrade from my old Huawei phone that i smashed.
Some questions i was keen to know...(before the fone arrives)
If it comes with 2.2.1 will i have to downgrade to install a custom rom? or can most custom roms work with 2.2.1, i searched for some info but no dice sorry
I will most prob use Z4 to root (if it supports 2.2.1) else ill use SuperOneClick??
ROM CHOICE...
Seems where pretty spoilt here, my old fone had maybe 4 custom roms, i dont know where to start here!
Megatron seems to be what ive read most people running, im looking for a slight speed increase, bloatware removal, and optimized battery life, am i looking at the right rom for my needs?
Anyone who can spit me off some answers... Thank You
Viva
Z4root will do the job quite nicely .. you should take a look @ devoid rom definitely .
Sent from my LG-P500 using XDA Premium App
Vivasanti said:
If it comes with 2.2.1 will i have to downgrade to install a custom rom?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For now, yes. Android 2.2.1 is still unrootable. Without root you can't install custom recovery and without custom recovery you can't install custom ROMs.
I will most prob use Z4 to root (if it supports 2.2.1) else ill use SuperOneClick??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes. But z4root should work.
ROM CHOICE...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Void or devoid. Void still has some google apps. I find most of them to be useful, not bloatware. Devoid is completely stripped of everything that is not absolutely necessary for the phone to function. I haven't used devoid.
Void has control over CPU overclock and hardware acceleration, and you can disable them if you need more battery life.
Don't worry; you'll learn how to do a nandroid backup using the custom recovery and you will be able to test any ROM. If you're unhappy with it, restore the backup to your previous one.
z4root works great on 2.2. As far as I know there are no rooting techniques that work for 2.2.1 so if you phone comes with that version, you will have to downgrade before rooting. Then after rooting, install the custom recovery and start flashing ROMs.
I think that void is the best general-use ROM out there, although I've now started with devoid and built up the things that I needed and I like having just what I need and nothing else.
Agree with the previous poster that using nandroid backups it is possible to have multiple ROMs stored on your SD card that you can switch back and forth between. It's a pretty amazing feeling to be able to triple boot three (or more!) different versions of an operating system on one device.
My best ROM+kernel combo is : Void without any modules installed ( the google apps you want you can just get them from market ) + Der-Cavemen's kernel . I do not use a2sd thus I did not make an ext partition and everything works perfectly . Actually I just couldn't ask for more.... well I could be asking for the 2.3.3 update
Thanks for the replies guys, means alot!
Ok Void sounds great as long as its got some over clocking options, also i was worried about losing the LG turn by turn navigation app that comes with the phone, is this easily installed again or is this left intact in this rom being talked about??
As far as downgrading ill have to wait for the phone to arrive to check what its running , if i have to this will be the most part im worried about as ive never done that before and ill have to find some 2.2 firmware for New Zealand which is where im from, can someone point me to a simplistic guide?
Thanks once again team !
Viva
When I install void rom will I have only english language, or my national (polish)?
OK reading about void has scared me, not used to installing roms that complicated!
might just go for something a tad easier?
Ubuntdroid is one of my faves
Sent from my LG-P509 using XDA Premium App
Vivasanti said:
OK reading about void has scared me, not used to installing roms that complicated!
might just go for something a tad easier?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
its not really complicated at all, just flash like any other normal rom, and create some folders with some reboots in between.thats all.
Layio said:
When I install void rom will I have only english language, or my national (polish)?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You will have all languages available in Android, Polish included
Vivasanti said:
OK reading about void has scared me, not used to installing roms that complicated!
might just go for something a tad easier?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Installing void looks so complicated because it includes all the steps starting with downgrade, installing custom recovery and so on. Those are steps which you have to take anyway, no matter what custom ROM you settle for. So don't be scared, just read everything really careful before applying and you're gonna be fine.
[This stays between the two of us : void was the first (and only) custom ROM I have ever flashed, one week after I got my phone. I never had an Android phone before and I didn't know anything about all this stuff, yet everything worked perfect. Think positive!]
Thanks man, after reading through the Void instructions im def gona give it a whirl, ive installed quite a few roms before but never had to do the folder thing, not even sure if i have to downgrade yet till my fone arrives which will hopefully be tomoro?
Heres hoping its 2.2 and not 2.2.1,
thanks for all the help guys
I've used the stock rom for some time, and it worked sweet, so if you're not so sure about custom roms, just root and get the custom recovery on your stock rom, make a nand bkp, than start playing. Android os is a pretty neat os, but still complex, you'll probably wanna do some readin' on how it works before start messing around with it. You should pay attention in getting the right drivers for your pc (that could be complicated as the LG drivers for adb are pretty unstable on windows), and get into some adb working, it will allow you to do pretty EVERYTHING with your phone.
If you're afraid to loose the warranty, you should know this: the service knows you messed up with the os by seeing your custom recovery installed (of course the custom roms too, but it's logic that you'll get that one out once you decide to take the phone to service). So best/easy thing to do when you take your device to service using the warranty is to upgrade it to 2.2.2 via LG Updater (you downgraded to install custom roms, remember?). This will erase the bootloader and recovery to the stock ones, and guys from service will never know you messed that up.
Fell free to ask anything else, i'll think of more advices and write them.
Thanks for the advice, this is my 2nd android phone, ive installed alot of custom roms, i also have the Android SDK kit on my comp here ive pushed a few boot animations via ADB im pretty sure ill be fine
just never had to downgrade a firmware before as my old huawei fone was stuck on 2.1 and that was it
ccdreadcc said:
its not really complicated at all, just flash like any other normal rom, and create some folders with some reboots in between.thats all.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Beware though, I lost everything when installing it, photos, contacts, the lot.
I'm sure there's a way of saving them but I can't work it out.
It's the one thing putting me off trying other ROMs
Err well i hope i dont lose my contacts there saved to the sim!
ive never had this happen.
Who told u will lose sim contacts.?¿
ccdreadcc said:
Who told u will lose sim contacts.?¿
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd said I lost all my contacts, I wasn't clear as to where they were stored, presumably not on the SIM
Vivasanti said:
Err well i hope i dont lose my contacts there saved to the sim!
ive never had this happen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can backup your contacts on PC before attempting the custom ROM flash. There are various ways of doing that: using LG PCSuite, using MyPhoneExplorer, using the export functions in Contacts etc. But if your contacts are stored in the SIM card, you won't lose them.
I rooted my T-Bolt using the Mac method described on Android Central Forums. I've been running the stock ROM and Kernel. I'm only going to do one custom install of a ROM and Kernel. I really hate having to keep up with the latest and greatest. Having to wipe every time and re-install everything.
I'd like recommendations on what ROM and Kernel to install and how to do it. I am tech savvy but have not been keeping up with what's going on in the Android rooting world. I am starting a new career next week and would like to get my T-Bolt set up now and forget about it.
I originally rooted my D1 so I could wireless tether but service was horrible. If I can still take advantage of wireless tether without any repercussions from VZW I'll stay rooted and do that. The only benefit I'm getting right now being rooted is Set CPU to help with my battery life.
So, I'd appreciate any help you guys can give me on this.
Thanks!
look here....
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1027706
Still have no clue nor the time.
Can I let the OTA update over root and just not worry about it anymore?
P7M8 said:
Still have no clue nor the time.
Can I let the OTA update over root and just not worry about it anymore?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do not OTA over root! It is all over the forums and will mess up your phone if you do that.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=13606062&postcount=2557
To install the update while rooted, follow that link. He also installing BAMF remix 1.6.3 which is the ROM that I am running. It is also my first ROM, and I picked it because it is a stable ROM, and I have yet to get a reboot after 4 days of using it.
The guys in that forum are really good about answering questions, but most of my noob questions were answered already. Don't forget that you can search inside a thread--that one is over 300 pages long.
Sorry, I forgot the Kernal: I am using this one: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1021404 It is also really stable and also sports a really good battery life, while keeping the phone snappy. Amazing work!
Do you have Titanium Backup and ROM manager? I believe that ROM manager also install ClockWork Mod Recovery, which you are going to need.
I would get the paid version of Titanium, and do a batch backup of your apps and system data so you don't lose all of your app data when you install the new radio and ROM.
Hi,
I just rooted my S3 JB 4.1.2 (XXELKC) so what is next?
Any recommendation to make use of all the benefits of Rooting
You can Install Adfree, Go Backup or Titanium backup and make a full backup of your data, First go to Recovery (CWM) make a full system backup.
After that you may wish to try some Custom roms, CrDroid or Wanamlite or Foxhound they are very good ROMS.
If you do not know what for are you rooting your phone - do not do it.
Most likely, your base benefit will be:-
- loss of stability due to overclocking;
- loss of functionality due to app freezing in TB;
- worse case scenario: phone brick.
sorry mate but your post looks like:
I just have removed all the fuses in my house, and I replaced it with rigid cable, so what should I do next?
If you do not know what for are you rooting your phone - do not do it.
As the man says root does nothing .
You root for a reason and not if you have no reason .
You would be far better off reading the basics in the stickies before trying to do what you know nothing about and risking a bricked phone .
jje
First Phone I rooted was the the t-mobile G1. I had no idea what I was doing at the time... We all have to start somewhere...
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda app-developers app
You can install apps like adaway or such as stated above. I just want to tell you one thing. Naturally you will be curious to use custom ROMs like Ultima (it's really cool) or such. But before trying each different ROM have a Full Wipe.
May take a look at this thread:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1911726
ad blocking can be done without rooting https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.adblockplus.android&hl=en
habibalby said:
Hi,
I just rooted my S3 JB 4.1.2 (XXELKC) so what is next?
Any recommendation to make use of all the benefits of Rooting
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Use Google my friend. Lots of bennies but I agree with JJE. Best to know why and what for.. before doing anything
Also please in the future ask Questions in the Q&A section.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2
Thank you all for your replies. My main reason to root to try different apps that require rooting. I don't think anyone when started rooting his/her device knows everything and what to do without referring to some help from forums of reading somewhere.
habibalby said:
Thank you all for your replies. My main reason to root to try different apps that require rooting. I don't think anyone when started rooting his/her device knows everything and what to do without referring to some help from forums of reading somewhere.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, but... actually I was acting contrary to that. I rooted my SGS two years ago first time to freeze/uninstall bloatware and to ban some apps from net usage, or to limit its net usage to WiFi only (by the use of Titanium Backup and DroidWall, respectively).
Unfortunately, DroidWall needs the root all time while running, otherwise, I'd unroot device as soon as I finished cleaning.
spamtrash said:
Sorry, but... actually I was acting contrary to that. I rooted my SGS two years ago first time to freeze/uninstall bloatware and to ban some apps from net usage, or to limit its net usage to WiFi only (by the use of Titanium Backup and DroidWall, respectively).
Unfortunately, DroidWall needs the root all time while running, otherwise, I'd unroot device as soon as I finished cleaning.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I first rooted my LG GT540 so that I could flash a CM7 port, best choice I ever made.
Now I use it for Titanium, root explorers, adfree, getRIL , fasterGPS, multi window control and to obsessively flash roms mainly.
Hello,
I'm really confused should I root my phone or not, I want to have apps like titanium backup, juice defender, screen cast etc. But on the other side I don't want to lose my warranty. So I created some questions that you can answer me to help me decide.
Why should I root?
Is it worth it for some apps?
Is rooting safer than installing a custom rom?
Is it hard to do?
Should I install a custom rom ?
Is there any way getting back your warranty?
Should I root it because I have the phone only a week?
Any good guides?
What to do if I brick my phone?
Will I still have all apps?
What are the pro's and con's?
Any more information I need please post.
Hit the Thanks button!
I think you can simplify the questions by asking yourself whether you think you are someone who likes to tinker with their phone and get under the hood a little, or whether you are generally happy with how it's working now and merely curious what all the fuss is about?
You may conclude from either question that rooting is worth a try. It's probably a good idea to have at least a good reason to (such as wanting to install a root-only app like AdAway or having a custom recovery like TeamWin or ClockWork Mod for backups and such, or for installing one of the cool ROMs we have available in these forums).
I was apprehensive the first time I rooted, but now I can't imagine running my phone without it. Especially thanks to the custom ROMs we have here and the many mods and apps that require root/busybox/init.d etc to run. That said, I wouldn't advise rooting to someone else unless they were comfortable with the notion that they might not be covered under warranty anymore, and would have to rely on their own and this community to deal with any problems they might encounter. You can get your phone back to stock ROM and unrooted, with a locked bootloader but I believe it will still indicate at the bootloader that you 'relocked' it, so your provider can tell that it was tampered with and may decide that that's a good enough reason not to honor your warranty. Proceed at your own risk.
As far as the details, no it's not very difficult to root your phone. You need to be marginally competent at running some software on your PC and follow the tutorials available here. There's this tool which makes things very easy, and there's also nloooo's tutorial here if you want to do it more manually which is helpful in learning some of the basics of using adb commands and getting your PC to talk to your phone, etc.
If you follow the instructions in the tutorials you shouldn't brick your phone. You just need to be mindful of what you are doing and don't do silly things like pull the USB cable while it's sending files to your phone. Even then, there's usually ways to recover from those situations. It's hard to actually brick the phone.
Backup your phone, often!
Hope that goes someways towards answering your questions. Good luck!
Reason to root for me:
Adaway - to remove ads temporarily
Sixaxis - to play games with ps3 controller
BetterBatteryStats - to check what prevents deep sleep such as alarms etc
Titanium backup - to backup my stuff just incase something happening to my phone
That's it. If you don't need this I don't think you need to root at all.
Sent from my HTC Desire X using xda app-developers app
@ dxarch
Why should I root? Ans: Please google. You will get ample number of example why you have to root your phone.
Is it worth it for some apps? Ans: Yes. Most of the apps which benefits need root access.
Is rooting safer than installing a custom rom? Ans: You can not install custom rom without having Root access.
Is it hard to do? Ans: Depends on your knowledge. If you follow the processes mentioned in this forum, should not be an issue.
Should I install a custom rom ? Ans: Again your choice. I will prefer to go for Custom ROMs.
Is there any way getting back your warranty? Ans: No, I do not think so.
Should I root it because I have the phone only a week? Ans: That does not matter. I rooted my phone once I came back with my phone from showroom.
Any good guides? Ans: It is available in the forum. Please search.
What to do if I brick my phone? Ans: First you should not face any issues following the guide here. If still bricked then your bad. I have not bricked till days, where I am having very less knowledge in android. Take always backup before doing something unknown.
Will I still have all apps? Ans: Rooting does not delete any apps. You will get the power to delete bloatware and install so many apps those need root.
What are the pro's and con's? Ans: Please refer answer 1.
Any more information I need please post. Ans: Please check this forum. Everything is there..
Hit the Thanks button! Ans: Sorry I can not becoz I am helping you so I should get thanks from you. :laugh:
Best of luck..Gain some knowledge before going ahead with root that will give you more confidence.
KSKHH said:
@ dxarch
Hit the Thanks button! Ans: Sorry I can not becoz I am helping you so I should get thanks from you. :laugh:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The "Hit the Thanks button!" is actually my taptalk signature but no problem...
dxarch said:
The "Hit the Thanks button!" is actually my taptalk signature but no problem...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No problem buddy...
One last word..if you having ample money to buy a new phone in case you bricked the present one..then go and play with your phone..Else stay away from root if you are happy with whatever is there...
KSKHH said:
No problem buddy...
One last word..if you having ample money to buy a new phone in case you bricked the present one..then go and play with your phone..Else stay away from root if you are happy with whatever is there...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly, I rooted every phone I had except this one. I don't have money for a new one and I'm completely satisfied of the function and look (changed everything what I can without root) so it's only up to you if you want a new Rom or root based apps..
Sent from my HTC Desire X using xda premium
KSKHH said:
No problem buddy...
One last word..if you having ample money to buy a new phone in case you bricked the present one..then go and play with your phone..Else stay away from root if you are happy with whatever is there...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What!? I didn't know if i brick it i can't use it anymore. As far as I know you can use a recover.img or RUU... but I'm just a n00b
dxarch said:
What!? I didn't know if i brick it i can't use it anymore. As far as I know you can use a recover.img or RUU... but I'm just a n00b
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Depends on how you bricked it. And if you can flash a recovery.img or RUU, it's not a real brick.
But about the rooting:
I've rooted every device I owned + lots of other devices. It's surely worth it. ROMs make the device so much smoother, and when using atis112's kernel, you'll get the most out of your device. It also removes bloatware, and allows full theming. I don't see any problem with it, except the OTA's. But that's not that hard, you can flash the stock recovery/RUU, and you'll get them back.
In my experience, there's a really small chance of bricking your phone.It's a safe method.
new to rooting
dxarch said:
Hello,
I'm really confused should I root my phone or not, I want to have apps like titanium backup, juice defender, screen cast etc. But on the other side I don't want to lose my warranty. So I created some questions that you can answer me to help me decide.
Why should I root?
Is it worth it for some apps?
Is rooting safer than installing a custom rom?
Is it hard to do?
Should I install a custom rom ?
Is there any way getting back your warranty?
Should I root it because I have the phone only a week?
Any good guides?
What to do if I brick my phone?
Will I still have all apps?
What are the pro's and con's?
Any more information I need please post.
Hit the Thanks button!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I own Desire X.
May be i am very late in replying but i ll try to answer some of ur questions.
I am new to rooting scene so in case of any wrong information, please correct me.
I will share my experience.
I rooted the phone coz i wanted access to limit my startup items. In addition, rooted phone can give u access to ur device completely.
Tutorial made by nloooo is awesome, otherwise its better you follow the tutorial specifically made by the developer of the product.
TWRP recovery is cool and serves the purpose.
I tried Elegencia ROM and now i am using mySENSE-dx_RC3.0. I really hate all the bloatware in my phone which is te main reason for installing ROM.
Going back to custom ROM is easy (i think), for that u need to have a full backup of ur system in TWRP.
Going to ctock ROM is a bit difficult using RUU as stock ROM in RUU need compatible CID of your phone.
Both these ROMs i mentioned above are are awesome and u can choose any one depending on ur needs. Advantages of Elegencia are that you can choose which software to install through aroma installer while installing ROM. Its light, flawless and cool.
Why i chose mySENSE-dx_RC3.0 is that i really loved Full Sense as compared ti sense lite in stock as well as Elegencia ROM.
Hey folks.
The S4 is my first smartphone. Ever. I rooted it a few weeks ago and have been playing with different tools and utilities. I love the extra control it gives me.
Been using Smartlauncher Pro as my launcher as well, but it doesn't give me the customization I want. I dig the UI though, it's minimalist just the way I like.
I've been keeping my eye out for ROM's I can try out, and I think I want to try Cynogen for the S4. However, I am terrified of destroying my investment. I've read horror stories of flashes gone wrong... I don't want to permanently brick my device.
Is there anyone here who can hold my hand while I install my ROM? I seriously have no idea what I'm doing, instructions or no.
...I sound so pathetic right now.
Thanks folks.
shaddz said:
Hey folks.
The S4 is my first smartphone. Ever. I rooted it a few weeks ago and have been playing with different tools and utilities. I love the extra control it gives me.
Been using Smartlauncher Pro as my launcher as well, but it doesn't give me the customization I want. I dig the UI though, it's minimalist just the way I like.
I've been keeping my eye out for ROM's I can try out, and I think I want to try Cynogen for the S4. However, I am terrified of destroying my investment. I've read horror stories of flashes gone wrong... I don't want to permanently brick my device.
Is there anyone here who can hold my hand while I install my ROM? I seriously have no idea what I'm doing, instructions or no.
...I sound so pathetic right now.
Thanks folks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you have a custom recovery installed like TWRP or CWM? If you do all you need to do is download the rom (I put them on ext sd)....and gapps if your flashing cyanogen, boot into recovery, make a backup (I put this on my ext sd card too), wipe, flash rom, flash gapps and reboot.
shaddz said:
Hey folks.
The S4 is my first smartphone. Ever. I rooted it a few weeks ago and have been playing with different tools and utilities. I love the extra control it gives me.
Been using Smartlauncher Pro as my launcher as well, but it doesn't give me the customization I want. I dig the UI though, it's minimalist just the way I like.
I've been keeping my eye out for ROM's I can try out, and I think I want to try Cynogen for the S4. However, I am terrified of destroying my investment. I've read horror stories of flashes gone wrong... I don't want to permanently brick my device.
Is there anyone here who can hold my hand while I install my ROM? I seriously have no idea what I'm doing, instructions or no.
...I sound so pathetic right now.
Thanks folks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi!
The first thing you need to find out is what build number you have. This will tell you if you are able to root and install recovery in order to put a new rom on the phone. Do NOT update your phone by the over the air update that is currently available! To find your build number go to settings: the more tab: about phone, then scroll down. If you have JDQ39.I545VRUAME7 then you are in the same boat as many of us and accidently did the upgrade which at this moment has no way to root. If you haven't done the upgrade than you need to find one of the many threads on here that will walk you through the process.
Hope this helps some, there are others on here that can give you a much more detailed walkthrough of how to root if you are on the correct older build.
The best advice I can give is to read the entire original post (OP) for the ROM you like, and as much of the thread as you can. 9 times out of 10 when someone has a problem with the ROM it's been discussed, and is often listed in the OP. Usually there are step by step instructions on installing the ROM. I believe there's a general ROM flashing guide in this forum somewhere as well.
Good luck and have fun :good:
Questions and help issues go in Q&A and Help section
Thread moved
FNM
shaddz said:
Hey folks.
The S4 is my first smartphone. Ever. I rooted it a few weeks ago and have been playing with different tools and utilities. I love the extra control it gives me.
Been using Smartlauncher Pro as my launcher as well, but it doesn't give me the customization I want. I dig the UI though, it's minimalist just the way I like.
I've been keeping my eye out for ROM's I can try out, and I think I want to try Cynogen for the S4. However, I am terrified of destroying my investment. I've read horror stories of flashes gone wrong... I don't want to permanently brick my device.
Is there anyone here who can hold my hand while I install my ROM? I seriously have no idea what I'm doing, instructions or no.
...I sound so pathetic right now.
Thanks folks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You need to start reading, period.
srphoenix said:
Hi!
The first thing you need to find out is what build number you have. This will tell you if you are able to root and install recovery in order to put a new rom on the phone. Do NOT update your phone by the over the air update that is currently available! To find your build number go to settings: the more tab: about phone, then scroll down. If you have JDQ39.I545VRUAME7 then you are in the same boat as many of us and accidently did the upgrade which at this moment has no way to root. If you haven't done the upgrade than you need to find one of the many threads on here that will walk you through the process.
Hope this helps some, there are others on here that can give you a much more detailed walkthrough of how to root if you are on the correct older build.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
JDQ39.I545VRUAMDK is the version I have. I froze the updater using Titanium a couple weeks ago... And my phone is already rooted.
shaddz said:
JDQ39.I545VRUAMDK is the version I have. I froze the updater using Titanium a couple weeks ago... And my phone is already rooted.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's good! You haven't been updated which means you can still flash ROMs. Are you familiar with both types of ROMs, TouchWiz and AOSP? CyanogenMod is an AOSP ROM, which will be completely different from what you're running right now, TouchWiz. You're rooted, but have you installed a custom recovery? You need one to flash ROM's, either TWRP or CWM. You can also make a nandroid backup in recovery, and if anything goes wrong, you can go back to exactly how you are now. Definitely read the OP of the ROM thread multiple times and follow the flashing instructions correctly.
thesoldier said:
That's good! You haven't been updated which means you can still flash ROMs. Are you familiar with both types of ROMs, TouchWiz and AOSP? CyanogenMod is an AOSP ROM, which will be completely different from what you're running right now, TouchWiz. You're rooted, but have you installed a custom recovery? You need one to flash ROM's, either TWRP or CWM. You can also make a nandroid backup in recovery, and if anything goes wrong, you can go back to exactly how you are now. Definitely read the OP of the ROM thread multiple times and follow the flashing instructions correctly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Okay, I just made a full phone backup using GooManager/TWRP.
Now for the next step...
shaddz said:
Okay, I just made a full phone backup using GooManager/TWRP.
Now for the next step...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If anything goes wrong with the flash in the next step, go to restore and you'll be back to how you are now.
Did you download the ROM to your phone along with Gapps? For AOSP Roms you need a separate gapps package, which is Google apps.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk 4 Beta
thesoldier said:
If anything goes wrong with the flash in the next step, go to restore and you'll be back to how you are now.
Did you download the ROM to your phone along with Gapps? For AOSP Roms you need a separate gapps package, which is Google apps.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk 4 Beta
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just started the download for gapps package using Goomanager.
I checked out the Cyanogenmod site, apparently there's no stable versions for the VZW GS4?
Oh wells, flash anyway! That's what I do!
Worst case scenario, you have to use Odin to get back to stock. I used to keep a nandroid on my PC for just in case scenarios as well. One time on my GNex I flashed something really bad and had to adb pull everything off my phone, wipe the whole thing, and start over.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk 4 Beta
jova33 said:
Oh wells, flash anyway! That's what I do!
Worst case scenario, you have to use Odin to get back to stock. I used to keep a nandroid on my PC for just in case scenarios as well. One time on my GNex I flashed something really bad and had to adb pull everything off my phone, wipe the whole thing, and start over.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk 4 Beta
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Downloading the most recent nightly.
What do I do to get it on here?
shaddz said:
Downloading the most recent nightly.
What do I do to get it on here?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah you'll have to download a nightly, I don't think there are any stable versions out yet. Are you downloading it directly on your phone? Or on your PC?
Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk 4 Beta
Thread cleaned of useless comments.
Thread is also closed - as XDA, even though full of helpful and nice people, is not a direct support site.
Users are expected to do some reading before they post and blatantly ask for hand holding. And, as you have seen, other users have a tendency to not be so nice and make trolling comments because of that.
This is a development site and is about development - so, please, study up first, then post questions based from what you have learned.