Hey S4 owners who still have the MDK bootloader, what ROMs are currently considered the best for our aging devices? I'm still on an old build of the GPE ROM (5.0.1 base).
I'm looking for something that's stable (ie. no issues with 4G/3G/1x, sms/mms, calling, WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, compass, wifi hotspot, cameras, video recording, video playback, no random reboots, not buggy, etc, etc, etc)
I'm also looking for a ROM that runs Xposed flawlessly, and don't conflict with the following modules (listed in order of importance): Snapprefs, GravityBox, Xinsta, One Tap Video Download, YouTube AdAway, and a couple mock location modules.
I don't know if I'll be able to get by with a ROM that uses systemless root either. I think I use a few apps that require the ability to manipulate the system folder, but I'm not entirely sure. I know I use a couple that need to be made system apps...
Beyond that, I just need something that'll be able to handle a lot of apps (I'm kinda a power user) without lagging like crazy and preferably without destroying my battery.
Anyone have any pointers? What ROMs should look at?
Related
Do I really NEED a custom rom for the following.
I want to nuke all bloatware (short of moto blur I am actually interested in using that)
Make my phone look like something from these Custom Themes
Watch Movies on Netflix and Hulu
Potentially use a tethering app.
Playing angry birds until oblivion.
I guess my main worry is breaking my device and not being able to recover it from its damaged state.
The best way to properly get rid of bloatware (imo) is to install a custom ROM -- plus there are performance tweaks that the devs tend to include. Spend some time reading up the threads in the dev forum before you make you're decision though, because once you start there's no way of going back.
ertDeath said:
Do I really NEED a custom rom for the following.
I want to nuke all bloatware (short of moto blur I am actually interested in using that)
Make my phone look like something from these Custom Themes
Watch Movies on Netflix and Hulu
Potentially use a tethering app.
Playing angry birds until oblivion.
I guess my main worry is breaking my device and not being able to recover it from its damaged state.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, but you will need to make modifications to your phone.
Most of it you will just need root access (and root applications like Titanium backup to freeze some bloat, root explorer to modify/delete files, sqlite to modify db files, etc.
Netflix works standard, hulu requires some mods
tethering apps just mainly need root or the tethering apn mod
never played angry birds so can't help you there..
the only thing that's more complex is the custom themes - you can change around the launcher (launcher pro, go launcher) and use their themes, and make other widget modifications yourself.
BUT alot of atrix ported custom themes you see in our theme/app forum require a deodexed rom. Most custom roms are deodexed, stock is not but there are ways to deodex it without installing a custom rom.
mysticdrew said:
No, but you will need to make modifications to your phone.
Most of it you will just need root access (and root applications like Titanium backup to freeze some bloat, root explorer to modify/delete files, sqlite to modify db files, etc.
Netflix works standard, hulu requires some mods
tethering apps just mainly need root or the tethering apn mod
never played angry birds so can't help you there..
the only thing that's more complex is the custom themes - you can change around the launcher (launcher pro, go launcher) and use their themes, and make other widget modifications yourself.
BUT alot of atrix ported custom themes you see in our theme/app forum require a deodexed rom. Most custom roms are deodexed, stock is not but there are ways to deodex it without installing a custom rom.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Netflix is the one with issues....Hulu works perfect and works without being rooted.
rusreid said:
Netflix is the one with issues....Hulu works perfect and works without being rooted.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, netflix works perfectly stock for GB. It only need a mod back in froyo, but even that has changed and now is supported fine. hulu plus is all good but hulu.com requires a mod to play it's videos.
ertDeath said:
Do I really NEED a custom rom for the following.
I want to nuke all bloatware (short of moto blur I am actually interested in using that)
Make my phone look like something from these Custom Themes
Watch Movies on Netflix and Hulu
Potentially use a tethering app.
Playing angry birds until oblivion.
I guess my main worry is breaking my device and not being able to recover it from its damaged state.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's nice to see women interested in Custom ROMS.
Its hard to individually freeze components without possibly breaking things, you might not find out you've broken something until later. Check the freezing thread its hilarious 'oh I froze yahoo now when I try to add a contact it force closes' etc.
IMO just go custom, say alien, as that has the bloat package (i.e. restore motoblur functinoality). They've done all the hard yards for you.
I was wondering what would be better to flash onto my phone: CM12 or Stock LG Lollipop?
Thanks!
MutatedGamer said:
I was wondering what would be better to flash onto my phone: CM12 or Stock LG Lollipop?
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd say it depends on what you value. For me, I'm about to flash stock again because I need NFC and I'm tired of fumbling with other stock features that are incompatible with CM12 (remote, camera). I wish I could do without the 170 or so sprint apps, but oh well. Only thing missing from stock zv8 is tweakbox
tunaofthedirt said:
I'd say it depends on what you value. For me, I'm about to flash stock again because I need NFC and I'm tired of fumbling with other stock features that are incompatible with CM12 (remote, camera). I wish I could do without the 170 or so sprint apps, but oh well. Only thing missing from stock zv8 is tweakbox
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I decided to try both. CM12 had a couple of issues that I couldn't get around. I went with rooted stock Lollipop eventually. I just wish I could get the stock Lollipop lockscreen that they use in CM12.
Okay, hear me out. I've tried out both. I always end up flashing some kind of AOSP rom because I love the stock feeling of pure android. You don't really get that full pure android experience on stock. With that said, whenever I flash AOSP roms such as CM12, I always find myself returning to stock within days of usage because I just can't get over the fact that stock lollipop ZV8 is so much more impressive, in terms of camera quality and snappiness, NFC, etc. I feel more stable and secure on stock. Of course I am running stock ZV8 pre-rooted and I have most unessential bloatwear uninstalled. Also, with CM12, you don't get the sprint Visual Voicemail app and it makes listening to voicemail weird (of course you can dial your number or sideload app but its not the same).
TLDR: I find myself returning from CM12 to Stock everytime because Stock so much better (Camera quality is better, use of NFC, no bluetooth issues, etc.)
IamFlynn said:
Okay, hear me out. I've tried out both. I always end up flashing some kind of AOSP rom because I love the stock feeling of pure android. You don't really get that full pure android experience on stock. With that said, whenever I flash AOSP roms such as CM12, I always find myself returning to stock within days of usage because I just can't get over the fact that stock lollipop ZV8 is so much more impressive, in terms of camera quality and snappiness, NFC, etc. I feel more stable and secure on stock. Of course I am running stock ZV8 pre-rooted and I have most unessential bloatwear uninstalled. Also, with CM12, you don't get the sprint Visual Voicemail app and it makes listening to voicemail weird (of course you can dial your number or sideload app but its not the same).
TLDR: I find myself returning from CM12 to Stock everytime because Stock so much better (Camera quality is better, use of NFC, no bluetooth issues, etc.)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for this. I was debating giving CM12 another shot and restoring my set up stock if I didn't like it but you saved me some time/trouble.
How do I uninstall the bloatware, and what exactly did you uninstall?
MutatedGamer said:
Thanks for this. I was debating giving CM12 another shot and restoring my set up stock if I didn't like it but you saved me some time/trouble.
How do I uninstall the bloatware, and what exactly did you uninstall?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Alright!! Uninstalling bloatware is incredibly easy to do. You can use any file explorer that has root capabilities to access system files and edit/modify them. Personally, I use rootexplorer but keep in mind it is not free. You can use alternatives such as "System app remover" (not sure if that works but i googled it for you) which is free.
After you have installed a system file explorer, you can go into the very root of your phone storage and go find a folder called "system" and go into it and you'll find another folder called "app" and once you're there, you will find a bunch of APK's or folders that hold the stock-installed applications on your phone. Basically, from this point on, you can pretty much pick and uninstall whatever apps you don't like.
I have removed most google applications such as Maps, keyboard, Lg G3 keyboard and calender, youtube, music, smart notice, weather, live wallpapers, etc., but its really up to what you want to keep and not keep. Also, you don't want to uninstall anything if you do not know what it is (example: you find an app called "alsdfnasire.apk", if you do not know what it does, its best to not remove it because it might result in a bootloop).
I don't have a list of what I uninstalled but if you really really want a list, I can reinstall stock and write down everything I delete for you, just let me know!! <3
Also, I really recommend trying out CM12, you might fall in love with it. You don't want to limit yourself to just stock. Its so easy to go back to your current rom as long as you backup with twrp recovery. Just a suggestion <3 <3 <3.
My apologies if this is the wrong spot, this seems like the best fit since it is not specific to any one Custom ROM...
My latest phone came with a feature to ding once the battery was charged 100%. I must have removed it's APK when I was debloating because I cannot find the stock option anymore.
I managed to get it back, via GravityBox, but now I want to have the same feature on my older device. It has a custom ROM on it, CarbonROM, that I am not afraid of building and flashing a different (yet still highly-customizable) ROM in it's place if need be.
Without blindly building and flashing ROM's looking for this feature (and Google search only turns up apps that I have tried and didn't like[1]), are there any custom ROM's that have this feature?
Many thanks for your input.
[1] One rang constantly, which I don't want. I am just looking for a simple ding (points go to having the feature being able to select the sound used). The other had ads (and no paid version), was bloaty, and the toast function (which I don't need) crashed. I could use GravityBox over there as well, but you are not supposed to use it on a custom ROM anyway (not that it has stopped me from running it on OptimusUI for my main device ). I should add that having an app, sort of ruins it for me because it's something so simple that it just takes up one more spot on the app drawer.
I have a uhappy up580 mtk6580 5.1 phone, been using a self ported RRemix 5.1.1 for ages as there are no better, newer ROMs available but miss the FM radio, GPS and full camera support from stock.
For some reason the stock ROM has terrible wifi, it can take 30 seconds to open a link or to update my facebook feed or similar, it isnt app specific as all apps work fine on self ported customs ROMs .
Obviously this seems weird as I assumed if anything, there would be problems on the custom roms, all the hardware is the same and I assumed all drivers and settings would be fine as I ported the roms FROM my stock rom.
Can anyone offer any sort of solution to this issue? Be it a 'wifi fixer' app or script, or something I need to add or takeaway from stock/to stock?
I'm currently using custom rom backup when I'm more likely to be inside, dont need a perfect camera, GPS or radio and then restore the stock ROM if I'm going to be outside more, which isnt ideal.
Any help appreciated
Also, if anyone knows the correct files to get FROM my stock rom to the custom rom to get GPS/location working, that would be great too.
And also the files to get the camera to auto-focus, works as a camera but no focus at all.
After a bit of trial and error, It seems that a freshly flashed stock rom DOES have the same wifi speed as a custom rom but over the course of a day the wifi internet starts going really slow, to almost unusable. This happens in opera mini, lightning, FBlite and even the play store.
Almost as if the internet is being 'clogged up' with 'stuff'
Is there such a thing as an INTERNET CACHE CLEANER or something that may help? Or ANYTHING that I can do or try?
Even after a lot of searching, i'm not sure about all the apps that don't work with root. I want to know if there is anything important. I've looked at some lists, but i haven't seen any new ones.
I personally don't really care about banking apps too much, i can survive off of the website version, but some things that are app only like snapchat, i'd like to keep.
I understand that there are bypasses for different root detection methods, how good is the safteynet bypasses right now?
I'm getting the oneplus 5, and considering whether to root on it or not, my main reason would be greenify, and adblocking, I get that you can do good adblocking without root now, i'm guessing the root solutions are still better. I probably won't be installing custom roms atleast soon, maybe later. I'll obviously get a bunch of tweaks if i get root, but those are just a bonus to me, (Also anyone know anything that can kinda auto adjust your volume?). Oneplus is pretty open so i'd be pretty happy without root,
I just want to know whether the apps i'll lose is worth it.