I've rooted my Verizon GNex and been having a wonderful time - still on stock, although I was able to install Google Wallet using lukegb's wonderful guide.
The next thing I want to do is remove the verizon files that came with the phone. My two questions are how do I do this, and which apps are safe to remove.
On the first question, I've already downloaded Root Explorer and I can edit the /system/app folder. One guide I read says to just delete the .apk files (and I'm assuming .odex files) and you're done. Is there a "cleaner" way to do this (i.e., a way that checks for dependencies and tries to avoid weird errors in the future)?
The two most obvious apps I need to get rid of VZWBackupAssistant and MyVerizon. I found the apk's for those, but I also noticed "VZWAPNLib.apk", "VZWAPNService.apk" and "VerizonSSO.apk". I understand from searching a bit that the SSO file is used to authorize apps from the "Verizon" section of the market - is this correct? Do you think its safe to remove if I don't intend to download Verizon specific apps? The APN files would seem to relate to connecting to Verizon APNs - so I assume I need these? Is there a more "vanillia" way of connecting to the Verizon network?
Thanks for your help!
I would just remove MyVerizon and Backup Assistant.. would stray away from touching the others..
Also, instead of deleting them, just change them from .apk to .bak incase you for whatever reason need them in the future, you can just revert them back to .apk.
i second the renaming: at least with the VZW galaxy tab, the OTA updates would fail partway through when vzw bloatware wasn't found by the update- if you rename and if the OTA updates work the same way with this device, and the update fails (and assuming you want the update), you can rename back the pre-installed stuff. At least on the tab, I had to reflash back to stock to get my updates working, then restore everything until i learned my lesson.
For the love of god, don't delete them if you don't even know why they're in there. Just go to Manage Apps, and disable VZ Backup Assistant and My Verizon (if you don't use it), and you're done. I can guarantee you don't want to remove the APN related files. This is a phone on the VERIZON network; there are GOING to be Verizon related files.
Related
hi.im new so please go easy
anyway my question is what the difference between debranded and rooted.i had stock o2 desire and put new rom on it and made the goldcard thing but aint sure if im rooted or what??i cant seem to get the ota update and aint sure what rom to upgrade for the new ota update(if there is one)also my camera goes split screen sometimes(kinda purple and pink)with 2 images sometimes.any help would be greatly appreciated.thanks H
First how did you put a new rom on it? If you made the goldcard and ran a .exe file on your computer you are debranded Explanation to follow:
Debranding: as the word says, this is about removing a certain branding(could be orange or in you case o2 software stuff) In order to do this we flash a stock(non rooted) rom directly from HTC without all the branding. This is normally only possible on unbranded phones, as branded ones should only be able to run a rom from whatever carrier branded it. Here we use the goldcard in order to make the phone accept original software from HTC and not only from the carrier. So the only difference made is, that we get rid of all the carrier stuff and only have original HTC firmware.
Rooting: this is very different, and as the name suggests, this is something we do to gain root access(full system access without limits from the software) to the system. This is done by placing a su-binary in /system/bin and the superuser.apk in /system/app, because then we can grant su-access to apps using the binary.
The actual root process is the hard part, because on stock phones, we cant place those files, so we must use some sort of security hole. On desire we use a hole, which lets us replace the recovery, and then we can use a custom recovery to place the su-files and get root.
thanks morten
would you have info on an easy to do root option for a dummy
i cant get the new update as my phone crashes everytime i try to install it,
plus i would like to get the full benefits of my handset and get some cool themes and stuff.if i root it does it affect the downloading of apps and stuff??many thanks H
Use this link http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=788044. I did it last night and it works perfectly.
However, I now have a question. My phone is successfully rooted and I would like to set it up so that all apps run off the SD. I know this can be done, I have seen reference to apps2SD but I can´t work out what I need to do. Also, I presume I will lose everything on the SD at the moment?
I don't doubt there is some info here but i just cannot find it.
I downgraded to 2.3.2 and ran Gingerbreak to get rid of some bloat. All is fine but whenever i do an OTA update it goes through the whole process of finding and downloading the update, resets phone etc. All looks well but when it reboots after the four blue dots on the boot screen thing, it says software update failed. Has happened three times now.
Is there something i need to switch off etc? I dont really mind losing root with a PC update as long as dont get fifa, sims back etc.
Any ideas?
I think that the OTA update will fail if you have removed some bloatware... have you tried to restore everything you've removed before doing the update?
If I remember correct, after you run Gingerbreak, the first thing you should do is OTA update, THEN can you start remove bloatware. That's how I did anyway, and it worked.
1. After initiating Gingerbreak, DO NOT REMOVE BLOATWARE YET.
2. OTA first before removing unnecessary apps as the update will detect any tampering within the system/app directory and fail the update process.
3. When you update via PC Companion or Update Service, you lose root and at the same time you get all the bloatware back.
4. Update using OTA ONLY if you want to keep root after using Gingerbreak.
5. Next time, browse through threads, it will save you the trouble and the forums the clutter.
Thanks for the reply but it was not obvious about 'not removing bloatware'. I found threads with plenty of descriptions of the process; hell, I even used one to do it. But in none of them could I see a warning of removing the bloatware; in a few this was the tutorial for getting rid of the bloat.
As 2.3.4 is not available OTA does this mean I am basically stuffed? I only want to Root to get rid of Fifa, Sims etc. If I do the OTA to 2.3.3 (latest offered in the UK via OTA) then remove the Bloat, I am going to be unable to OTA to 2.3.4.
Is there any way of getting rid if these rubbish Sony apps without unlocking and still be able to update OTA when 2.3.4 comes out?
You could always redo the whole process of applying .184_UK => Gingerbreak => OTA to 2.3.4 then remove bloatware again.
...or use Titanium Backup to remove the bloatware, saving a backup of everything you remove and restoring it once you'd like to OTA update the next time. I haven't tried this but I suppose that would work too.
here's my opinion on your situation buddy.. for now, use gingerbreak to root then OTA to 2.3.3 xLoud. don't remove bloatware yet while we wait for 2.3.4. i didn't remove yet any bloatware from my phone because i'm waiting too since i rooted mine through gingerbreak.. why be bothered with bloatware? there has been a test somewhere showing no/little difference between stock and bloatware-removed Xperia PLAYs in terms of performance.. besides, android manages its ram very well unlike windows. android actually performs better if its RAM is nearly full. it's called pooling.
but if you're too bothered with the bloatware, you can always use titanium backup to freeze unwanted apps so you can unfreeze them when ota becomes available, saving you the trouble of repeating the whole process again.
as i said i havent removed bloatware yet because im waiting for 2.3.4 via ota, but believe me i've seen/experienced no significant decrease in overall performance. be patient buddy, it will serve you well.
PS: i don't trust that much the backup capabilities of TB.. i recommend you have a copy of all your apps under system/app and take note of what apps you remove so you can just manually bring them back via Root Explorer or so then set the permissions to rw-r--r--. i feel more confident when i do things manually.
Cheers guys. Now on 2.3.3 with root..I guess I will have to wait for the 2.3.4 OTA and mess with backups before removing the bloatware.
Your assistance, as always, has been invaluable. Thanks so much...
I've currently got my bloatware frozen, but I've also integrated updates into the system rom for updates to Maps, YouTube, etc.. will I likely have issues for OTA updating to 2.3.4? Not sure if it checks system app versions..
Hi all
I've successfully rooted my last 3 phones, so I'm not a total noob, but I'm hardly a technophile.
I really, really don't want to trip KNOX and void my warranty. With that in mind:
My Sprint phone currently has software v. G920PVPU3BOL1. Sprint is nagging me to upgrade to Marshmallow "G920PVPS3CPD2/G920PSPT3CPD2/G920PVPS3CPD2" (yes, the first # is the same as the third)
Of those existing threads which advise downloading ODIN to root Marshmallow, I did not see mention of whether KNOX would be tripped.
So, with this all in mind, what is the safest way to root/unlock bootloader/install custom rom without tripping KNOX? Is the rooting process the only part that has the potential to trip the KNOX security?
Really just want to clean out the bloatware and activate a hotspot with a nice shiny, lean custom rom. (I'm up for suggestions here as well).
Thanks!
schleima said:
Hi all
I've successfully rooted my last 3 phones, so I'm not a total noob, but I'm hardly a technophile.
I really, really don't want to trip KNOX and void my warranty. With that in mind:
My Sprint phone currently has software v. G920PVPU3BOL1. Sprint is nagging me to upgrade to Marshmallow "G920PVPS3CPD2/G920PSPT3CPD2/G920PVPS3CPD2" (yes, the first # is the same as the third)
Of those existing threads which advise downloading ODIN to root Marshmallow, I did not see mention of whether KNOX would be tripped.
So, with this all in mind, what is the safest way to root/unlock bootloader/install custom rom without tripping KNOX? Is the rooting process the only part that has the potential to trip the KNOX security?
Really just want to clean out the bloatware and activate a hotspot with a nice shiny, lean custom rom. (I'm up for suggestions here as well).
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, upgrading to MM is the smartest thing you can do as ROMs, and kernels will be released for that firmware. Flashing anything non-samsung will trip knox no questions asked as that's just how samsung's software is written. If you wish to root, check my THREAD ON ROOTING. I've personally done two warranty claims my device (via Sprint) with no issues of voided warranty due to knox tripping.
X2 on knox tripped and still went to sprint and got a replacement no questions asked i reset it to stock before going in to sprint.
1619415 said:
Well, upgrading to MM is the smartest thing you can do as ROMs, and kernels will be released for that firmware. Flashing anything non-samsung will trip knox no questions asked as that's just how samsung's software is written. If you wish to root, check my THREAD ON ROOTING. I've personally done two warranty claims my device (via Sprint) with no issues of voided warranty due to knox tripping.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks very much for this. I downloaded the OTA marshmallow update and followed your root instructions. I'm now rooted successfully (Knox was tripped, but I'm realizing that was unavoidable except for the Ping Pong root pre-5.1.1 update)
OK, so now I'm rooted with Marshmallow and the custom TWRP recovery, and am looking around for a custom rom to give me accesas to my hotspot. I've done quite a lot of searching, and I'm not finding any.
I was about to flash Tyrannus Rom, until I realized it was for 920F. (I'm unsure if flashing that will brick me- though I did do a full nandroid backup, of course). I'm not finding any custom roms that claim to be compatible with 920P (Sprint). I'd be most grateful for any suggestions. I just want a lean, debloated rom- ideally with ad blocker and hotspot. I got spoiled with Dirty Unicorns on the Nexus 5... would love something comparable, but there doesn't seem to be much to pick from.
Thanks!
EDIT: Just saw your reference for another poster to check out this thread about enabling hotspot on rooted phones. Just did it, and it works great.
(Still would love any recommendations for a nice de-bloated, ad blocking custom rom.)
schleima said:
(Still would love any recommendations for a nice de-bloated, ad blocking custom rom.)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://forum.xda-developers.com/sprint-galaxy-s6/development/rom-t3356220
The "LDB" version is "Lightly De-Bloated." If you are like me, there are things that you will still want to remove; use Titanium Back Up for that.
I always install AdAway myself; can't recall if that is built in or not.
Enjoy and thank the devs.
koop1955 said:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/sprint-galaxy-s6/development/rom-t3356220
The "LDB" version is "Lightly De-Bloated." If you are like me, there are things that you will still want to remove; use Titanium Back Up for that.
I always install AdAway myself; can't recall if that is built in or not.
Enjoy and thank the devs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks very much for this. Checking it out right now.
Here's a dumb question. I bought Titanium Backup Pro a couple of years ago and for the life of me I couldn't figure out why it was preferable to a TWRP recovery backup. I see you mention its ability to remove embedded bloatware, and that's certainly useful. But in terms of the backup, does it do things a nandroid/recovery backup cannot? Why use Titanium when TWRP is so easy with a one swipe operation?
schleima said:
Why use Titanium when TWRP is so easy with a one swipe operation?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Okay, so I have all my apps installed. But a new version of the phone's OS comes out. Either an OTA that I need to install via ODIN or even a new ROM if I just want to be sure. Before install, I go into TiBU and run a batch operation to back up all user apps and data. Then I update my OS, re-load TiBU and have it restore all the apps. But keep the new OS. If I used a TWRP backup, it would take me back to the old OS.
Unlike TWRP, which backs up both apps and OS as a single file, TiBU is just restoring the apps.
koop1955 said:
Okay, so I have all my apps installed. But a new version of the phone's OS comes out. Either an OTA that I need to install via ODIN or even a new ROM if I just want to be sure. Before install, I go into TiBU and run a batch operation to back up all user apps and data. Then I update my OS, re-load TiBU and have it restore all the apps. But keep the new OS. If I used a TWRP backup, it would take me back to the old OS.
Unlike TWRP, which backs up both apps and OS as a single file, TiBU is just restoring the apps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can see how that would be useful if we're talking about downloaded play store apps/games/etc.
But, it seems like TiBU lists (in the backup/restore tab) loads of cryptic system files like "HwModuleTest 6.0.1" and "FIDO UAF Client 15.0.77". How do I know which to select for backup and which ones not to? Or do you just select everything and go nuts?
Or by "batch operation", are you saying you simply use the "schedule" tab to back everything up every time? I take it the way to do this would be to do a one-time "backup new user+system apps & newer versions" and then do a regular scheduled backup for "redo backups for modified data"? I take it these backup files will overwrite themselves so we're not filling our precious 32gb of space with multiple copies of the same files?
Also, how do you know which bloatware you can uninstall without crashing the OS?
Thanks again! I've been wondering these questions for years. Glad I'm finally asking them!
EDIT: Google answers all.
http://trendblog.net/make-backups-android-apps-titanium-backup/
1) Don't delete too much. TiBU also offers the option to freeze, not uninstall, which is a nice safety measure.
2) I go to Menu -> Batch actions -> Backup all user apps. I set my my maximum number of backups to 1 and let it back up periodically.
For Recovery there is also an option to create an Update.zip file (that you can flash in TWRP) with user apps and data.
Can I suggest that you start with this: http://www.androidauthority.com/how-to-use-titanium-backup-286338/
I am big on the whole "Give a Man a Fish, and You Feed Him for a Day. Teach a Man To Fish, and You Feed Him for a Lifetime" philosophy.
schleima said:
I can see how that would be useful if we're talking about downloaded play store apps/games/etc.
But, it seems like TiBU lists (in the backup/restore tab) loads of cryptic system files like "HwModuleTest 6.0.1" and "FIDO UAF Client 15.0.77". How do I know which to select for backup and which ones not to? Or do you just select everything and go nuts?
Or by "batch operation", are you saying you simply use the "schedule" tab to back everything up every time? I take it the way to do this would be to do a one-time "backup new user+system apps & newer versions" and then do a regular scheduled backup for "redo backups for modified data"? I take it these backup files will overwrite themselves so we're not filling our precious 32gb of space with multiple copies of the same files?
Also, how do you know which bloatware you can uninstall without crashing the OS?
Thanks again! I've been wondering these questions for years. Glad I'm finally asking them!
EDIT: Google answers all.
http://trendblog.net/make-backups-android-apps-titanium-backup/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I also use Tibu I also do this its not that complicated actually select apps and backup or restore hit then check mark to run. If u create the update.zip it just installes the app not data(unless im missing something) ive used Tibu for years #1 app bloatware melter.
I successfully rooted by following Tripper511's guide.. and now I have a few questions on what my next steps should be.
After rooting; I factory reset the device though the settings menu and haven't touched it since. I've heard about doing a TWRP backup in case something screws up in the future. Which boxes/categories should I check off in TWRP. Should I backup before or after removing the the pre-installed bloatware?
I've read in the past that some phones have gotten funky when removing carrier bloat, has anyone heard of that happening with this model? If not; are there any Verizon apps that I should leave installed as a Canadian user and on a different network?
After factory resetting; would all leftover files from KingoRoot be removed or are there leftovers. If there are leftovers; what would be the best way to delete them and would flashing a custom ROM erase them?
I'm interested in trying some ROM's since I don't like the lag from touchwiz. Is there any way to try MM ROM's with no data connection (I read that a data connection is needed to unlock the 6.0 bootloader)?
Failing that, I'm looking at Jasmine ROM since it's close to stock but optimized for speed. Was there ever a BPA1 version or did development stop at BOK3 for 5.1.1.?
Hi everyone. First time posting, so bear with me. Curious as the the effects of unrooting my Nexus 5x. If I root the device to remove bloatware and then undo it, do the apps I uninstalled come back?
To be clear, I have neither rooted nor unrooted my phone and am looking for a way to remove some pre-installed apps.
Thanks!
What bloatware are you talking about on the Nexus 5X?
Do bear in mind that removing anything from the system partition will prevent you from receiving any future OTAs, and you'll need to repeat the procedures each time you manually upgrade your system.
nowster said:
What bloatware are you talking about on the Nexus 5X?
Do bear in mind that removing anything from the system partition will prevent you from receiving any future OTAs, and you'll need to repeat the procedures each time you manually upgrade your system.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Okay, very helpful. I just figured that was the easiest way to describe pre-installed apps. Not really bad, just stock apps for which I have preferred replacements (like chrome and youtube) So, you're saying that removing those does me no good if I intend to unroot. Thanks!