I own an HTC INCREDIBLE and I've been told to "root" my phone to get rid of all the bloatware. What is rooting and how do I do it? A lot of my apps and all of my music and all photos are saved to my mem card. There are some HTC apps I would actually like to keep. Also, is there anyway I could get swipe on my phone?
Yep - you can root your phone to get rid of bloatware and allow you to do all sorts of other things, basically, rooting the phone allows you to be the administrator of your phone, whereas now you just have a user account on it ... As for how to root, that's been done a lot of different ways and is explained in a number of places - you should read several how-tos so you'll have an idea of what you're getting yourself into (and whether you want to bother)... The contents of your memory card should be safe, but you should back them up anyway, since memory cards do fail during normal use. Simply rooting won't automatically remove any of your apps, so your good there, but it will give you the ability to remove apps, or even break (or even "brick") your phone, so take it easy and don't take any steps 'till you understand what you're about to do.
Here are some resources you can check out :
Ok, actually I'm not allowed to be helpful by posting links since I'm a new member, but google these terms: root droid incredible Jonamerica - that'll get you started...
As for swype the legit way to get it is to sign up for their beta (it's available on their website which I can't link you to) and go from there.
Thanks so much. I'll check it out!
Just a few newbie tips for you.
I'm new to all of this also.....rooting and flashing.
1. Read a lot before you do anything. Its not hard but readup first!
2. Be patient......2 or 3 times while I have rooted or flashed I have thought that maybe my phone is dead. Sometimes there is no visible indication that the phone is actually doing what you want it to do. Let it sit there and do its thing. DO NOT PANIC and pull the battery!
3. Backup backup backup backup BACKUP!
Have fun.....I am
wildland said:
Yep - you can root your phone to get rid of bloatware and allow you to do all sorts of other things, basically, rooting the phone allows you to be the administrator of your phone, whereas now you just have a user account on it ... As for how to root, that's been done a lot of different ways and is explained in a number of places - you should read several how-tos so you'll have an idea of what you're getting yourself into (and whether you want to bother)... The contents of your memory card should be safe, but you should back them up anyway, since memory cards do fail during normal use. Simply rooting won't automatically remove any of your apps, so your good there, but it will give you the ability to remove apps, or even break (or even "brick") your phone, so take it easy and don't take any steps 'till you understand what you're about to do.
Here are some resources you can check out :
Ok, actually I'm not allowed to be helpful by posting links since I'm a new member, but google these terms: root droid incredible Jonamerica - that'll get you started...
As for swype the legit way to get it is to sign up for their beta (it's available on their website which I can't link you to) and go from there.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for this search link. Guide is very helpful, fills in alot of the blanks I've been having.
You're welcome.
There are numerous other guides and threads out there, so googling and reading is a good idea... I just researched it again since I rooted my wife's Inc. last night and since it has an SLCD screen I wanted to make sure that unrevoked had been updated to work with these screens - turns out it has and it worked fine. I actually had a scary moment when the phone wouldn't boot into recovery (five vibrations and a blank screen) but a google search and a battery pull saved me and so far so good since then - and I was able to uninstall verizon's backup assistant which was killing her battery every day.
Is that the only reason you rooted your wife's phone, was to remove some of the bloat? I might end up doing the same.
ramma2 said:
Is that the only reason you rooted your wife's phone, was to remove some of the bloat? I might end up doing the same.
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Click to collapse
Yeah, that was the main reason - when she upgraded from her dumbphone, we used Backup Assistant to transfer her numbers over, but lately it's been hanging during sync and killing her battery (and/or it may be syncing over the poor 1x data connection rather than available wifi - not sure about that but it sounds like something Verizon would do (it would both be a bit more secure, and use more data they could bill us for)). Since Verizon in all their wisdom made it so you can't uninstall that app or disassociate it from your account, I figured the I'd use force and just root the phone - worked too, now her battery's lasting all day, no problem.
I also would recommend rooting to anyone concerned about certain apps wanting internet permissions - DroidWall is a great app allowing you to prevent apps from accessing the internet (or you can block just wifi or just 3g for a specific app, potentially allowing you to better manage your data usage).
make sure to read alot about what ur getting into.. And remember to always backup before you do anything (incase of errors/problems) you can always boot back to stock...happy rootin!
Check this out: http://wiki.cyanogenmod.com/index.php?title=Barebones.
That guide is specific to Cyanogenmod, and it's a little outdated, but it's a good starting point to learn what applications are required for the phone to run, and which applications are simply "extra."
Over the past 2 weeks, I have tried to research the answers to my questions, but could barely find anything on this particular subject. So it's my first time posting to this forum, and my situation is a little embarrassing. I have had my htc evo for about 1 1/2 years, and I finally decided to root it 2 weeks ago. I've been with sprint for 6 years, and am on the unlimited data family plan, as well as the sprint hotspot feature on my phone, which I pay them 30 dollars additionally every month. I pretty much exclusively use my phone for all tasks and browsing and downloading etc, so I didn't get this feature for the "wireless tethering" , I actually got it so I could discontinue my home wireless internet through cox communications, so my phone is my only wifi source at home. I almost never use an actual pc!
I rooted my evo for 2 reasons mainly: 1) I am sort of an app addict, and I needed to free some space on my phone. I especially love using different keyboards ( which are often very large files). 2) I love customizing my home screens, but want to be able to use icons from icon packs such as crazy home's, with ADW launcher etc. I did a factory data reset on my phone before rooting, and I think I backed up all my apps to my laptop... but I wanted to start fresh anyway, so have not bothered to restore them from my pc to my phone.
Two days before I rooted my phone, Sprint temporarily disconnected my account do to Past due payment. I'm not going to get into the details, But I can't afford to pay off my balance until May. It is what it is, I'm not whining or complaining, times are a little tough for me financially and i just have to deal with not being able to make calls or text for a month. Lol, it's harder than I thought! It's pathetic how dependent my family has become on cell phones and texting for communication. We don't even have a land line. Just to give you a quick background, I didn't even know what sd card was, or a usb cable, before I got my htc evo. I'm not tech savvy at all, But when I first learned what this phone could do I was hooked. I have a laptop at home, But I never use it because a few keys on the keyboard are broken. As a matter of fact, The first time I actually plugged my phone into my pc, was when I rooted it!. I used the unrevoked 3 method, which was fairly straightforward. Because I have no data access right now, I was unable to update my profile etc. And of course, without data access I cannot take advantage of the free wireless tether.
My main question is, did I make a mistake in rooting my phone while not having network access? Right now, if I'm not in a wifi area I basically can't do much with my phone. I downloaded a few apps that allow free calling over a wireless connection, and facebook chat,etc... so I can communicate with my family as long as I'm in a wifi zone. But, I have been afraid to do anything else with my phone because I wanted to do a little research on this. I know some of you are probably thinking, why didn't she research it before she rooted? Lol, I would be saying the same thing! I didn't even think about it until I was done routing and it told me to update my profile. Since then I've been a little freaked. I'm hoping I didn't Make a bad choice. I just wanted to the able to access a few icon packs lol.
Is there anything I should know, or have done differently? Or does it make no difference at all? I guess basically what I'm getting at, is can I go ahead and reset my phone again and start flashing roms, just like I would if I had network access?
Again, please forgive me if I sound ignorant in this matter... because I am. Any advice will be much appreciated.
You can start flashing roms as normal. You didn't make a bad choice rooting without data access, because whether you do or don't doesn't make a different. i would say just make a back up of your apps in titanium backup, then backup your rom before flashing.
And you can pm me if you need any help.
Post neglected...double post.
I would say to reflash ur rom but it might not work try to go back to the sense rom if u have it backed up once u do that update everything under ur settings nd updates nd if it still don't work the only other thing I know u can do is unroot it and take it to.sprint so thay can look it
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA Premium App
Kriskat74 said:
Over the past 2 weeks, I have tried to research the answers to my questions, but could barely find anything on this particular subject. So it's my first time posting to this forum, and my situation is a little embarrassing. I have had my htc evo for about 1 1/2 years, and I finally decided to root it 2 weeks ago. I've been with sprint for 6 years, and am on the unlimited data family plan, as well as the sprint hotspot feature on my phone, which I pay them 30 dollars additionally every month. I pretty much exclusively use my phone for all tasks and browsing and downloading etc, so I didn't get this feature for the "wireless tethering" , I actually got it so I could discontinue my home wireless internet through cox communications, so my phone is my only wifi source at home. I almost never use an actual pc!
I rooted my evo for 2 reasons mainly: 1) I am sort of an app addict, and I needed to free some space on my phone. I especially love using different keyboards ( which are often very large files). 2) I love customizing my home screens, but want to be able to use icons from icon packs such as crazy home's, with ADW launcher etc. I did a factory data reset on my phone before rooting, and I think I backed up all my apps to my laptop... but I wanted to start fresh anyway, so have not bothered to restore them from my pc to my phone.
Two days before I rooted my phone, Sprint temporarily disconnected my account do to Past due payment. I'm not going to get into the details, But I can't afford to pay off my balance until May. It is what it is, I'm not whining or complaining, times are a little tough for me financially and i just have to deal with not being able to make calls or text for a month. Lol, it's harder than I thought! It's pathetic how dependent my family has become on cell phones and texting for communication. We don't even have a land line. Just to give you a quick background, I didn't even know what sd card was, or a usb cable, before I got my htc evo. I'm not tech savvy at all, But when I first learned what this phone could do I was hooked. I have a laptop at home, But I never use it because a few keys on the keyboard are broken. As a matter of fact, The first time I actually plugged my phone into my pc, was when I rooted it!. I used the unrevoked 3 method, which was fairly straightforward. Because I have no data access right now, I was unable to update my profile etc. And of course, without data access I cannot take advantage of the free wireless tether.
My main question is, did I make a mistake in rooting my phone while not having network access? Right now, if I'm not in a wifi area I basically can't do much with my phone. I downloaded a few apps that allow free calling over a wireless connection, and facebook chat,etc... so I can communicate with my family as long as I'm in a wifi zone. But, I have been afraid to do anything else with my phone because I wanted to do a little research on this. I know some of you are probably thinking, why didn't she research it before she rooted? Lol, I would be saying the same thing! I didn't even think about it until I was done routing and it told me to update my profile. Since then I've been a little freaked. I'm hoping I didn't Make a bad choice. I just wanted to the able to access a few icon packs lol.
Is there anything I should know, or have done differently? Or does it make no difference at all? I guess basically what I'm getting at, is can I go ahead and reset my phone again and start flashing roms, just like I would if I had network access?
Again, please forgive me if I sound ignorant in this matter... because I am. Any advice will be much appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not being able to update the profile won't make any difference at all, if you have no data connection to begin with. Once you're able to get things situated, and you need to get your phone activated again, you'll just need to make sure you're on a Sense rom before you activate it again. No worries, you can flash away all you want, with or without a data connection.
Also, how have you had your Evo for 1 1/2 years!? They were released June 4th last year!
Ha ha really? I feel like I've had this evo for years.. since the day I got it I've been like a kid in a candy store! Thanks for the reassurance everyone. Unfortunately, I've just encountered the problem with the SD card not being recognized by my phone or my PC. According to my research, I'm supposed to find this file on my SD card under android. secure and delete it? But my PC isn't recognizing my card, and my apps that are on SD are seen by my phone. I get a force close when attempting to unmount SD. My market apps won't install or uninstall.... ugh. Like an idiot,I never did a Nandroid backup. I really don't care about losing my app backups though,I just don't want to mess up my phone. All this information is overwhelming me... Nandroid this, titanium that, recovery boot, drivers, and on and on.... so much advice is outdated I don't know which to follow. I'm a dummy! That's why I need my smartphone to help me out lol.... how do I fix this?
Eek....I just saw a gigantic spider.... creepy..
in a nutshell, you can do anything with your phone, without data access, or service.
I rooted and flashed the ROM I did for my old Moment, after it had been turned off so I could sell it.
Now that you are rooted, I uses Titanium backup for all my apps/data. I only backup actually apps, not HTC stuff, etc, or anything that comes with the ROM you flash.
You can tell this becasue the apps are in white lettering in the Backup menu.
At least they are on mine, and I use all default settings.
rooted without data access
Thanks everyone...I fixed my problem with my sd card, turns out mine had gotten corrupted so I will deal with that later.I just put in my other card and Im back in business....lost all my personal info though. Thats the least of my worries. Someone said I can do anything on my phone without data service, but they must mean only when I am in Wifi zone right ? See, unfortunately, I dont live in a populated area. I have no wifi access at home and there are hardly any free wifi spots in town. At home, I can see that there are wifi networks around (linkys via cox communications), but they are locked. Oh, thats another question i had....why do people lock their wifi? I never did, and I have no problem letting others access mine when they need it. Should I? If so, why?I am so sorry if I sound clueless again, but Im learning a little more every day thanks to people like you!
So as far as communication, Im out of luck. A couple months ago,I had an issue connecting to the network while i was at home, but i just turned on my sprint hotspot and i had instant network access so i couldnt call or text, but i was able to get a hold of my daughter on facebook lol. How did my phone do that? I dont get it. I am going to a couple of those prepaid phones tomorrow so we can make calls in the meantime.
As far as navigation, any tips on how to find any apps that dont need network access that work well? I found a couple, but they seem so complicated to set up. And, I tried Nettalk for making calls over wifi but it only works sometimes. I read about apps that offer free sms and calls over wifi but I couldnt find one that was stable.
I cant wait to get my service restored..I didnt realize how much I depended on it. I still havent flashed any ROMS...Im a little nervous. I still dont totally understand what is different about my evo now tthat its rooted, but i plan to educate myself once I get full access to wifi again.
Any advice/tips is very much appreciated. Thanks again for this useful forum.
Greetings all!
I have searched around a bit but surprisingly I can't find anyone else that has had this problem.
I have two Mark 1 Motorola Droids (aka Milestone) on Verizon Wireless. My phone works okay, but it is the original version. One problem I have with it is that I can't over clock it as high as the other one.
So I want to switch to the other phone as primary. No problem, when I change the MEID on VZW site the new phone works, and my apps (that are still on the market) are downloaded. That is all fine and dandy, but I want all the data IN those apps to come too.
For instance, I have Handcent for text messages, on the new phone all the old texts are gone. I also use an app called Fuel Log to monitor all my fuel consumption on three cars. This data is gone. Also my call history is gone, and this list goes on. I was told by a dev before that they used the default android database but he didn't know how to move it. My thought is if I can find it, I can move it.
The other issue is that my old phone is rooted, with an almost stock ROM. So I can't just "Ghost" it to another phone and upgrade to Froyo. I want to use Froyo on the new phone first, then move the database over.
Anyone have any ideas?
Matt|ttaM
Doesn't anyone have any ideas or suggestions?
Matt|ttaM
Hey guys, I'm looking to see if anyone knows of what bloat is safe to remove or not
The list on my titanium back-up is super populated and I can see some that I want to freeze for sure but I'm worried if they're tied in to any system apps that could cause my phone to go out of whack.
Any input is greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
I can tell you that you need S-off before you do anything. TB used to be all you needed (I.e., root)...But now without S-off TB won't do anything to system apps.
Plus, I don't know if anyone has worked out this yet for TMO. I disabled Amazon, File Manager, Facebook for HTC, and Kid Zone...And my WiFi calling stopped working.
I'm pretty sure it was f*cking Kid Zone which did it... I've now successfully disabled Amazon and Facebook with no problems They disappear from your app drawer when you disabled them, so no point freezing them. If you disable them, you can then un-install them (if S-off), but again, no one has reported all the potential collateral problems by doing this, so I'd hold off.