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This is my 3rd Nexus and this time, I'm going to try to keep this as close to Google's vision as possible. So if I'm not going to use a custom ROM, do you see any other reason to bother unlocking the phone and rooting it?
freicook said:
This is my 3rd Nexus and this time, I'm going to try to keep this as close to Google's vision as possible. So if I'm not going to use a custom ROM, do you see any other reason to bother unlocking the phone and rooting it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you dont want to alter the stock rom in any way or flash custom roms or kernels then there is no need to unlock the bootloader.
If you dont want to perform any actions that need root permission i.e. adfree to block popup ads in apps, permissions to disable certain apps permissions, setcpu to adjust profiles or titaniumbackup to make backups of your installed apps and settings then you really dont need to root your phone.
If you want to do any of those things then yes its worth it. Unlocking the bootloader and rooting your phone wont harm anything and wont affect your stock rom but they WILL give you more options in the future if you change your mind. If you get all your phone set up and then decide you want to unlock the bootloader then the process will wipe your phone and you will lose everything you have installed so its better to do it now than later
Mark.
Firstly, how in hell did you manage to already get through two Gnex's? Secondly, yes, unlocking the boot loader and rooting is still useful even if you don't want to put a custom ROM on it. You can use root tools and uninstall system apps, change the dpi, install new kernels and over clock/underclock etc etc
If you unlock the bootloader you can always manually download OTA updates from Google's server and apply them yourself instead of waiting for the update to arrive.
Sorry, I meant this is my 3rd Nexus phone. Nexus One, Nexus S, and now Galaxy Nexus.
Thank you for your replies. I think I'll just unlock it...because, why not?
the only reason i can think of is to have the carrier ic spyware removed, it's been pretty big lately.
kms108 said:
the only reason i can think of is to have the carrier ic spyware removed, it's been pretty big lately.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
and its also been said that carrierIQ isnt on nexus phones FWIW
Is there a way to UNroot and LOCK the phone in case of warranty?
Flashindude said:
Is there a way to UNroot and LOCK the phone in case of warranty?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1366806
fdm1 said:
and its also been said that carrierIQ isnt on nexus phones FWIW
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
where did it say that.
kms
The CarrierIQ thing is supposedly something that carriers put on themselves, not Google. If that's the case, the Nexus line of phones in the past wasn't attributed to any carriers. Looks like Verizon might actually be branding theirs, since rumors are their name will now be on the backplate.
And of course, since we're in a developer forum, it's only appropriate to echo Cyanogen and his saying that they never have and never will include the CarrierIQ statistics on their ROMs.
kms108 said:
where did it say that.
kms
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1372643&highlight=spy
but I don't know if it's true. I have just found out what carrierIQ is.
I'm not going against anyone from this forum, as i could be wrong, but i still dont believe all the BS that the companies says about not having the ciq in it's phone, also this links do say nexus phone, but does not state which one, and to my recall, the latest version galaxy nexus, the rom although vanilla google, the rom has been developed with samsung, google did not 100% made the rom, and the latest update through OTA was produced by samsung.
but you can correct me if you do think i'm wrong, as many member in this forum do have many years experiences in programming and development of roms.
I don't believe that any of the "true" Nexus devices have had this on it...otherwise myself and many others likely would have found it much earlier and we would not be wondering this now. With that being said I wouldn't count out the Nexus S(Sprint version) and the Galaxy Nexus(Verizon version) from the list of carrier IQ devices. Only time will tell as I'm not planning on ever owning either of those devices.
Justin
There was a Statement issued by Verizon That none of their phones Used Carrier IQ.. Something We Don't need to worry about on the SGN... Anyways Google handles Updates...
There's no debate: CIQ is NOT on this or any Nexus phone. AOSP is open source. It would be plainly obvious in the source code.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App
Deleted...
Ok so my new Nexus is coming tomorrow I sold my AT&T note to get it. This is my first time getting a unlocked phone. Anything I shouldn't do upon setting it up. Or things I should do. I've been reading a so far in here for the last few days. Just wanna make sure everything goes smooth
Put your SIM card in. Put the Battery in.
Root & unlock bootloader right away. That way you don't waste all that time setting up your phone just to have to redo it.
Sent from my Verizon 4G LTE Galaxy Nexus.
martonikaj said:
Put your SIM card in. Put the Battery in.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Seriously, it's that simple.
Actually, if I may add a couple:
~Make sure it's free of defects - I don't want to worry you but it's something you want to address quickly for something not officially available in the U.S.
~Since you're on AT&T, set up your data usage limits.
Ok cool. Just wanted to make sure, illmprob root and such right away as mentioned. So I guess I have to call AT&T and tell them I'm using a "android" data plan correct? Being I used a spare iPhone 4 I had laying around while waiting for my nexus to Come in.
Vcolassi said:
Ok cool. Just wanted to make sure, illmprob root and such right away as mentioned. So I guess I have to call AT&T and tell them I'm using a "android" data plan correct? Being I used a spare iPhone 4 I had laying around while waiting for my nexus to Come in.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you're using an iPhone 4 the data plan should work fine (but some ppl are saying you can get a nice CS rep to put you on a "4G" data plan to get better speeds).
Also, you'll need a SIM adapter if you're gonna stick with the iPhone's Micro SIM.
I can prob just go in and ask them to give me a sim for my galaxy note. I got a sim before I believe with just giving them my number.
luftrofl said:
Seriously, it's that simple.
Actually, if I may add a couple:
~Make sure it's free of defects - I don't want to worry you but it's something you want to address quickly for something not officially available in the U.S.
~Since you're on AT&T, set up your data usage limits.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I would check for defects first to make sure you don't waste time doing anything else.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
Unlock, but don't root until you know what you want/need root for.
root is the same as the admin account on a windows machine. it does not introduce changes or risks just because it's there. there are a million reasons to do it, though. obvious reasons like safety and choice. it would be unthinkable for a laptop to be delivered without admin account, but here they shrunk the casing to an minimum, it's still a computer, but now it's oooohhhh, oooonlllyyyy if u knowwww whut ure doingggg. come on man, really. root on android is way more easy, transparent and intuitive to use than on a windows pc so what's the big deal.
molesarecoming said:
root is the same as the admin account on a windows machine. it does not introduce changes or risks just because it's there. there are a million reasons to do it, though. obvious reasons like safety and choice. it would be unthinkable for a laptop to be delivered without admin account, but here they shrunk the casing to an minimum, it's still a computer, but now it's oooohhhh, oooonlllyyyy if u knowwww whut ure doingggg. come on man, really. root on android is way more easy, transparent and intuitive to use than on a windows pc so what's the big deal.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are, in fact, wrong.
Android becomes a lot more vulnerable if you have SU/root installed. Just as it enables you to have root access on the system, it enables potential malware to have the same level of access and there are exploits in the wild utilizing this.
Android OS is also designed in a way that you don't need root access for almost anything the average user would possibly want to do with the device.
If you ever dig around the *#*#4636#*#* menu don't change or press anything next to SMSC otherwise you'll screw up your SMS's
Zengster6474 said:
If you ever dig around the *#*#4636#*#* menu don't change or press anything next to SMSC otherwise you'll screw up your SMS's
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i did that lol
and i had to use my old old dumb phone (se s500i) to set up smsc again, it is one thing dumb phone is smarter than a smart phone
another way is to translate the smsc number in a website which is troublesome
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk
Valynor said:
You are, in fact, wrong.
Android becomes a lot more vulnerable if you have SU/root installed. Just as it enables you to have root access on the system, it enables potential malware to have the same level of access and there are exploits in the wild utilizing this.
Android OS is also designed in a way that you don't need root access for almost anything the average user would possibly want to do with the device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As you probably already know there Roms like CM9 that protect against this. And more development teams are implementing the same safeguards.
Also rooting gives you the ability of adding apps like Cerberus and Avast to the system folder, making them very hard to remove.
Since he is a member of XDA, and asking about which pitfalls to avoid, you could assume he has ambitions to tinker and customize. So its not a question of if he should root, its a question of when.
But you know what they say when you assume..
Sent from my Verizon 4G LTE Galaxy Nexus.
Do: Everything.
Don't: Not do everything.
Simple.
Sent from the future.
Valynor said:
You are, in fact, wrong.
Android becomes a lot more vulnerable if you have SU/root installed. Just as it enables you to have root access on the system, it enables potential malware to have the same level of access and there are exploits in the wild utilizing this.
Android OS is also designed in a way that you don't need root access for almost anything the average user would possibly want to do with the device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
say what? what kind of root did you install on your phone man. root changes nothing, an app can do the same stuff it could before and not an iota more. if it wants to it has to explicitly apply for that right and you have to give your allowance. Android is designed to be open, you either use that possibility or you don't but you don't run around freaking people out that root on Linux is something evil or abnormal which is it not, it's a plain normal admin account and nothing more and Android profits from it in the same way every other os in the whole wide world profits.
ps. that stuff about the "average user" is pure bs. average users do not complain about root on win7 or osx, why would they complain on android where it's even easier to operate. customizations aside, you're living dangerous, one bad crash and your phone is ****ed, a bit of bad luck and it gets stolen and you'll not see it again. both becomes virtually impossible with root since you have real backups and real security suites.
Unlocking the boot loader and rooting an android phone definitely opens it up to exploits, if you don't know that I wouldn't Root
Saying that, only way to run a smooth Nexus is to run Codename Android 1.6.0 with standard launcher and franco kernel. I've tried them all and this is the ONLY way to get nexus running smooth with limited lag.
Let's return to the topic:
You probably should unlock your bootloader immediately BECAUSE bootloader unlock wipes the phone. If you encounter a situation later on that requires an unlocked bootloader, you would loose all your data during the unlock process. I'd advise you to do it immediately before you set up your phone.
Rooting is different. Once your bootloader is unlocked, you can root your phone at any time without loosing anything. If you don't require a root right now, don't bother with it. Should you require it later, rooting is very easy and doesn't affect your data/settings IF (VERY BIG IF) your bootloader is unlocked.
I don't understand the concern about having root. Any app that attempts to gain root access is blocked and a pop up from super user asks if you want to grant access to said app.
Anyway I root but stay stock, because root is about having admin rights to do things, not necessarily flashing roms etc. Example I wanted to make my bar transparent, so u could do that when rooted even though I was on stock rom.
Anyway just pop in your sim is all you have to do. You don't have to change any data plans or have to even tell ATT anything.
Vcolassi said:
Ok so my new Nexus is coming tomorrow I sold my AT&T note to get it. This is my first time getting a unlocked phone. Anything I shouldn't do upon setting it up. Or things I should do. I've been reading a so far in here for the last few days. Just wanna make sure everything goes smooth
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why did you sell your note? i am planning to buy new phone im confused between note and nexus... hope u can help coz u used them both... my first choice was nexus...
The note 3 is a great piece of hardware but it was a nightmare for devs I hope they backtrack on that with this one. Not getting my hopes up though.
powdered_donuts said:
The note 3 is a great piece of hardware but it was a nightmare for devs I hope they backtrack on that with this one. Not getting my hopes up though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Probably...Maybe...Absolutely and most Definitely LOCKED.
powdered_donuts said:
The note 3 is a great piece of hardware but it was a nightmare for devs I hope they backtrack on that with this one. Not getting my hopes up though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Of course it will be locked down!!! Us consumers never really OWN our phone that WE purchase!!! So tired of AT&T and others. I sure hope Geohot can bring us some towelroot
chrispyutec said:
Of course it will be locked down!!! Us consumers never really OWN our phone that WE purchase!!! So tired of AT&T and others. I sure hope Geohot can bring us some towelroot
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Root took a long time for the note 3 but in the end the real fight was and still is the bootloaders. No custom kernels means even with root all you get is basically a bunch of differently themed semi customized stock Roms to play with
powdered_donuts said:
Root took a long time for the note 3 but in the end the real fight was and still is the bootloaders. No custom kernels means even with root all you get is basically a bunch of differently themed semi customized stock Roms to play with
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's right. I gave up my AT&T note 3 for T-Mobile S5 just for the unlocked bootloader. Although I really would like to see the bootloader unlocked, I can kinda live without unlocked bootloader if I have at least root. I will no longer buy a phone if I can't at least get root. I always wait until root has been achieved before making any purchase. Gotta love HTC for not locking down, but I just don't like their phones that much.
99.999% sure the ATT version will have a locked bootloader. This means it will always be a cat and mouse game with root.
My advice is to wait and not pre-order anything yet. Let the dust settle and see which device will work for you and have root available.
1. You have to ask yourself how long do you normally keep phones? Can you afford to wait 6 months or more (or never if you accidentally take an update) for root on an ATT device you are going to have for 1-2 years?
2. The Tmobile version will most likely have an unlocked bootloader which means you never have to worry about root. It will also most likely work on ATT like the GS5 and the Note3 before it and it will have updates long after Tmobile and Samsung stop supporting it.
If you have Tmobile in your area and you want root it really is the best way to go and cheaper. Why not give them a try? The next best is a Tmobile device on ATT, and third, well.... forget about root.
I have the same very question.
Being on ATT, will the Note 4 be able to be Rooted, and even more important, allow Custom Recovery for ROM's ? If not, NO WAY I can get the Note 4. And Safestrap is not an option, that's a handicapped and gimped wannabe recovery.
Nice thing with HTC, they openly and officially allow their One M8 to have the bootloader unlocked directly through HTC's own website. I did just that with my ATT carrier One M8, and converted it to a GPE. Would like to see Samsung allow that too.
Without a doubt it will be locked.
Ikr! I had T-Mobile but we moved a few years back to an area where they don't have service really at all. I wish I could let them pay my termination fees and bring my four lines there I would save money too. Oh well..
powdered_donuts said:
Ikr! I had T-Mobile but we moved a few years back to an area where they don't have service really at all. I wish I could let them pay my termination fees and bring my four lines there I would save money too. Oh well..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Get the Tmobile device instead and use it on ATT. Don't be pulled in by the ATT Next hype\propaganda either. You still pay full price for the device. Why not get one that you actually own.
mircury said:
Get the Tmobile device instead and use it on ATT. Don't be pulled in by the ATT Next hype\propaganda either. You still pay full price for the device. Why not get one that you actually own.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah I know I'm not falling for the next plan and all that crap not interested in adding more to my monthly bill. I thought about getting the T-Mobile version but I'm starting to just lean towards getting a nexus from google when the new one comes out. Hate to leave Samsung behind but I'm feeling like the time has come to move on
mircury said:
99.999% sure the ATT version will have a locked bootloader. This means it will always be a cat and mouse game with root.
My advice is to wait and not pre-order anything yet. Let the dust settle and see which device will work for you and have root available.
1. You have to ask yourself how long do you normally keep phones? Can you afford to wait 6 months or more (or never if you accidentally take an update) for root on an ATT device you are going to have for 1-2 years?
2. The Tmobile version will most likely have an unlocked bootloader which means you never have to worry about root. It will also most likely work on ATT like the GS5 and the Note3 before it and it will have updates long after Tmobile and Samsung stop supporting it.
If you have Tmobile in your area and you want root it really is the best way to go and cheaper. Why not give them a try? The next best is a Tmobile device on ATT, and third, well.... forget about root.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not a good idea. If you want the phone, go get it now. I remember very well that after someone root the HTC phone with s-off, they make it not rootable with it being s-off. It took many months and ransom money for hacker to find it get rid of the s-off.
chong67 said:
Not a good idea. If you want the phone, go get it now. I remember very well that after someone root the HTC phone with s-off, they make it not rootable with it being s-off. It took many months and ransom money for hacker to find it get rid of the s-off.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Very, very bad advise. You are basically advising people to buy and hope that an exploit will be found, and it's a bad gamble at most. Have you gotten any recent Samsung phones? We aren't talking HTC here. Look at the Note 3, Galaxy S4 and S5 history. I'm not saying you shouldn't buy the phone. I'm saying you should not pre-order it or get it on day one. With the Tmobile note 3 it took a week and a half after release to confirm that it had an unlocked bootloader. At that point a custom recovery was ODIN flashable and root was forever available. It was even faster to confirm that the ATT version was locked down and as of today the bootloader has NEVER been cracked! No CM or AOSP! Only stock kernels are usable. The same with the ATT S5. The bootloader is still locked down. Root has been obtained through an exploit that has since been patched. So if you take an update you are screwed. A bootloader exploit for the latest samsung devices has not been found for the ATT S4, S5, and Note 3 for 1.5 years now.
I have a huge info thread over in the ATT Note 3 section if you want to read it.
My point is, wait for confirmation that a particular device is bootloader unlocked before you put down $750 on a device.
mircury said:
Very, very bad advise. You are basically advising people to buy and hope, and it's a bad gamble at most. Have you gotten any recent Samsung phones? We aren't talking HTC here. Look at the Note 3, Galaxy S4 and S5 history. I'm not saying you shouldn't buy the phone. I'm saying you should not pre-order it or get it on day one. With the Tmobile note 3 it took a week and a half after release to confirm that it had an unlocked bootloader. At that point a custom recovery was ODIN flashable and root was forever available. It was even faster to confirm that the ATT version was locked down and as of today the bootloader has NEVER been cracked! No CM or AOSP! Only stock kernels are usable. The same with the ATT S5. The bootloader is still locked down. Root has been obtained through an exploit that has since been patched. So if you take an update you are screwed. A bootloader exploit for the latest samsung devices has not been found for the ATT S4, S5, and Note 3 for 1.5 years now.
I have a huge info thread over in the ATT Note 3 section if you want to read it.
My point is, wait for confirmation that a particular device is bootloader unlocked before you put down $750 on a device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
better advice! But you can certainly blindly guarantee that at&t is locked down.
Am I wanting Root for wrong reasons?
I have been rooting and installing custom ROMS for a few years now. All Samsung phones.
I'm growing tired of custom ROMS. While some are very solid, I have not tried any at all that don't have one problem or another. So, I'm hoping I can be satisfied with just rooting and maybe even staying on TW. I'll be trying to analyze the features I'd lose from Nova if I stay on TW, vs the TW features of the Note 4 I'd lose by going to Nova.
But my main question is do I really NEED root? I'm thinking I want it in order to do true backups (with more concern about data than backing up apps). I am of the impression that data backups may not be possible w/o root. True? Or, depending on App? I know that TIBU seems to want root...I've never tried to use TIBU w/o root.
Also, I use other apps that seem to work better with root, ie. Lightflow, TIBU, Tasker (a must), ES File Explorer, Gravity Box, Notification Shortcuts, Utter, Widget Locker, and others I suppose.
Seems to me I NEED root. Am I misinformed?
Maybe the T-Mobile version of the Note 4 is what I should look for.
ewingr said:
Also, I use other apps that seem to work better with root, ie. Lightflow, TIBU, Tasker (a must), ES File Explorer, Gravity Box, Notification Shortcuts, Utter, Widget Locker, and others I suppose.
Maybe the T-Mobile version of the Note 4 is what I should look for.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't forget adaway, my number 1 use for root, and ya you should be looking at the tmo note. That's coming from someone who did it on the 3rd gen note.
mircury said:
..., and ya you should be looking at the tmo note. That's coming from someone who did it on the 3rd gen note.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll probably look into that. I typically take advantage of subsidy, but may be worth going with TMO. If the Note 4 had 4GB mem, that would make it easier to make the extra spend. I was hoping for a phone that I may be happy with for longer than 2 years. (Of course the root issue may be the driving factor for purchasing the TMO version, irrespective of other considerations).
ewingr said:
I have been rooting and installing custom ROMS for a few years now. All Samsung phones.
I'm growing tired of custom ROMS. While some are very solid, I have not tried any at all that don't have one problem or another. So, I'm hoping I can be satisfied with just rooting and maybe even staying on TW. I'll be trying to analyze the features I'd lose from Nova if I stay on TW, vs the TW features of the Note 4 I'd lose by going to Nova.
But my main question is do I really NEED root? I'm thinking I want it in order to do true backups (with more concern about data than backing up apps). I am of the impression that data backups may not be possible w/o root. True? Or, depending on App? I know that TIBU seems to want root...I've never tried to use TIBU w/o root.
Also, I use other apps that seem to work better with root, ie. Lightflow, TIBU, Tasker (a must), ES File Explorer, Gravity Box, Notification Shortcuts, Utter, Widget Locker, and others I suppose.
Seems to me I NEED root. Am I misinformed?
Maybe the T-Mobile version of the Note 4 is what I should look for.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Totally agree with you on all points. Except not sure we "have to root". The Note 4 will be able to handle all "Bloatware" and still fly. Koush's Helium does a good job backing up apps/data. No Nandroid, but if you are not rooting and running the risk of soft bricking and needing to restore a Nandroid, they won't be needed. The cloud for Google will always be there to restore those accounts. The rest you can backup to your sdcard and pc. Not sure I need theming like Xposed offers. As, I am liking the stock look of the S5 which I am running on my S4.
That all being said I would probably get a TMO one on ATT if LTE runs fine and root/flash roms since it is in the blood at this point--
Off topic...
rugmankc said:
..Koush's Helium does a good job backing up apps/data...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Glad you posted this. I had not heard of Helium. I'll have to check it out.
One thing I like to be able to do is backup and restore just data. I'll have to see if that can be done. It's interesting that it doesn't require root, when everything else does.
....
Just went to Play Store, and leaves me a bit confuse. The instructions are a bit confusing, as 1a says "Root user? You're done", then goes on to say to install on the PC, which implies to me if non-rooted, you must do backups to PC.
I'll go and read the Wiki.
[Update]
A few things that are discouraging, from the WIKI, re: Helium:
If you're using a non-root device, you MUST connect to a PC via the USB port of your device to enable ADB backup permissions.
In problematic applications, ALL Google Apps are listed
...you are using a non-root device, you need to enable Helium at every reboot of the device. This is a PITA
You made a backup to a removable SD card. Again, not advisable as mounting then re-mounting a physical card between devices is problematic for backups. Use PC Download, a cloud destination or device-to-device sync.
Those are just the issues I'm not sure I'd want to mess with. So, hoping to ultimately achieve ROOT.
ewingr said:
Glad you posted this. I had not heard of Helium. I'll have to check it out.
One thing I like to be able to do is backup and restore just data. I'll have to see if that can be done. It's interesting that it doesn't require root, when everything else does.
....
Just went to Play Store, and leaves me a bit confuse. The instructions are a bit confusing, as 1a says "Root user? You're done", then goes on to say to install on the PC, which implies to me if non-rooted, you must do backups to PC.
I'll go and read the Wiki.
[Update]
A few things that are discouraging, from the WIKI, re: Helium:
If you're using a non-root device, you MUST connect to a PC via the USB port of your device to enable ADB backup permissions.
In problematic applications, ALL Google Apps are listed
...you are using a non-root device, you need to enable Helium at every reboot of the device. This is a PITA
You made a backup to a removable SD card. Again, not advisable as mounting then re-mounting a physical card between devices is problematic for backups. Use PC Download, a cloud destination or device-to-device sync.
Those are just the issues I'm not sure I'd want to mess with. So, hoping to ultimately achieve ROOT.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can try MyBackUp Pro from Play Store--Have used it for years. Assuming it updates for Note 4--sure it will. You can email them--
Hey guys, is rooting really worth it on this phone. I mean just look at all the threads of this issue and that issue after somebody roots. I mean for me the phone is awesome as it is with exception to it's poor SPARK speeds. But that can't be fixed by rooting. I have yet to see any real gain posted by anyone other than removal of Sprint bloatware which is much less than any other carrier. So really is the gain worth the hardship and potential issues this phone seems to have after rooting?
All I see is this phone has X issue and then next line is always the same I rooted or I installed Y ROM. It seems to me that Samsung has done something to make this phone unreliable/unstable once the Factory integrity has been compromised either through rooting or ROM replacement. I did root mine using CF auto root before seeing all these issue posted. I can say now after rooting that I as well am seeing little bugs with touch screen response, as well as other little bugs it did not have before rooting. So this just strengthens my hunch about Samsung somehow making this device less stable once it is compromised.
I don't think I am going to fool with it any further. I don't want to become one of the many help I rooted and my phone won't boot post popping up around here lately.
You dont have to install ROMs to better your device, you can root stock odexed and it will be fine.
It unlocks more capabilities the phone cant do when its pure stock, such as Freezing wake locking apps that drain battery, or enabling etc mods that make the device better under certain circumstances.
You will run into issues whether rooted or not.
Is it worth it? Depends on user opinions. Does it have more problems than usual, Sure from time to time.
The peoples reviews of custom roms are there for a reason. There are things that are fixable and others that cant be fixed or modified upon.
Its more about exploring the full capabilities your device can do when it is rooted.
How far this device has come is massively huge because of the help brought from the community and devs.
You will typically find best performance and reliability with stock android with very few modifications. I use to flash a lot of roms/kernels on my Epic 4G and 4G touch and wouldn't call either of them reliable. I stay with mostly stock roms with my GS4, just Knox removed and everything is real stable.
Solarenemy68 said:
Hey guys, is rooting really worth it on this phone. I mean just look at all the threads of this issue and that issue after somebody roots. I mean for me the phone is awesome as it is with exception to it's poor SPARK speeds. But that can't be fixed by rooting. I have yet to see any real gain posted by anyone other than removal of Sprint bloatware which is much less than any other carrier. So really is the gain worth the hardship and potential issues this phone seems to have after rooting?
All I see is this phone has X issue and then next line is always the same I rooted or I installed Y ROM. It seems to me that Samsung has done something to make this phone unreliable/unstable once the Factory integrity has been compromised either through rooting or ROM replacement. I did root mine using CF auto root before seeing all these issue posted. I can say now after rooting that I as well am seeing little bugs with touch screen response, as well as other little bugs it did not have before rooting. So this just strengthens my hunch about Samsung somehow making this device less stable once it is compromised.
I don't think I am going to fool with it any further. I don't want to become one of the many help I rooted and my phone won't boot post popping up around here lately.
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I have both rooted and unrooted, stock roms and custom roms on a few devices at home. Does JUST ROOTING cause any additional problems? No. Its essentially like installing any other apk. Where majority of the bugs and problems come in is user error and custom roms. Don't get those confused as they typically are. Most "I rooted any my phone isn't booting" posts are from people that do things improperly. Or sometimes things just don't stick and you have to try again. CF Autoroot didn't work the very first time I flashed it on my wifes device (last night) after I had used it more times than I can count on my own since 1 week after device launch. I flashed it again, worked great. She didn't like stock, so I flashed my own custom rom on her device.
Custom Roms come with their own bugs if they aren't just simply stripped stock. Want less chances of bugs? Use the completely debloated and no-knoxed ones. They just make things simple by removing both carrier bloat and added items (can also be buggy themselves). Also keep in mind that the software shipped isn't always bug free . We saw some big changes to the actual code from NIE to NK2, we aren't 100% sure why they changed things in some places but I'm not an expert there at all. Ever wonder why Tmobile or verizon may have a feature thats actually turn off or locked on our device? It could be buggy for a specific carrier and the carrier just decided they wouldn't include it for their customers.
Samsung perposely sabatoging our devices because they are rooted...... eh they did have nexus devices at one point in time. So I'm going to give them the benefit of the doubt and say this isn't the case. You may have just experienced bad results. I don't go a device without rooting, if not only to remove carrier bloat. MY last 3 devices I did not even let sprint reps boot before I took it home and rooted (literal first boot is rooted stock) I have been to the sprint techs LESS than when I had stock devices. This also allows certain users to fix their own problems themselves, and not leave device issues in the hands of carrier techs who by default will generally do a software reset and send you out the door.
Pros vs cons of rooting? Completely down to each specific user.
Yes rooting is absolutely worth it. For hotspot tethering, and Xposed. But you do need to add a fix to Xposed if you do decide to install it on this device.
Sent from my SM-N910P using XDA Free mobile app
beezar said:
Yes rooting is absolutely worth it. For hotspot tethering, and Xposed. But you do need to add a fix to Xposed if you do decide to install it on this device.
Sent from my SM-N910P using XDA Free mobile app
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If you have hotspot tethering included in your plan like I do why would you need to root to have it? Unless you are trying to get it for free?
Solarenemy68 said:
If you have hotspot tethering included in your plan like I do why would you need to root to have it? Unless you are trying to get it for free?
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reguardless if you pay for it or not, it limits the amount of devices you can connect/tether to. Who's to say I only want to tether 4-5 devices? What If I'm traveling and have 6 devices?
If you don't like rooting, this certainly isn't the place to try and shun it. If you are looking to be convinced to root again? Still the wrong place. You root because you want to, or you want to do something that you can't without root. Plain and simple. Rooting is essentially controlling your own device while you OWN IT. Not owning a device someone else has complete control over.
millerboy3 said:
reguardless if you pay for it or not, it limits the amount of devices you can connect/tether to. Who's to say I only want to tether 4-5 devices? What If I'm traveling and have 6 devices?
If you don't like rooting, this certainly isn't the place to try and shun it. If you are looking to be convinced to root again? Still the wrong place. You root because you want to, or you want to do something that you can't without root. Plain and simple. Rooting is essentially controlling your own device while you OWN IT. Not owning a device someone else has complete control over.
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I root everything I own that can be rooted. My question has about the N4 as it seems like I said it has more issues after a root then it did before and that seems fishy. The way Sprint and Samsung are handling the poor data speeds is already a screw job when they are both aware it is a real problem. Add to that the more mods you do to the phone the more unstable it gets that just seems shady. I was not asking to root or not to root so much as I was asking is THIS device worth the trouble?
Solarenemy68 said:
I root everything I own that can be rooted. My question has about the N4 as it seems like I said it has more issues after a root then it did before and that seems fishy. The way Sprint and Samsung are handling the poor data speeds is already a screw job when they are both aware it is a real problem. Add to that the more mods you do to the phone the more unstable it gets that just seems shady. I was not asking to root or not to root so much as I was asking is THIS device worth the trouble?
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Seems you aren't running the right rom. I haven't had any major instabilities.
It's not the rooting that causes the problems, its what they do after they root.
Sent from my SM-N910P using Tapatalk
Solarenemy68 said:
I root everything I own that can be rooted. My question has about the N4 as it seems like I said it has more issues after a root then it did before and that seems fishy. The way Sprint and Samsung are handling the poor data speeds is already a screw job when they are both aware it is a real problem. Add to that the more mods you do to the phone the more unstable it gets that just seems shady. I was not asking to root or not to root so much as I was asking is THIS device worth the trouble?
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As we all have said before, its user opinionated and what they do regarding with root in general.
I go with rooting because of extra battery saving features such as Greenify + Xposed, Underclocking GPU and CPU. To top that off, force lower dpi resolution and tablet mode on specific apps to see more on the screen. Modifying files such as build.prop and user key controls for enhanced performance, and like everyone, changing Sounds and boot anims, moving apps from user to system to help with stability etc.
If its unstable doing certain things well thats the bummer downside to the Apps or devices capabilities. But as long as you can get more out of the device ( which you can! ) with all the freedom of not being locked to user specific controls. It makes it better!
Thats how i feel.
I mean you can root the device and just install twrp and just keep it like that just until something catches your eye. I personally say if you rooted your previous devices. You should root the note 4. I am rooted and I am just plain stock cause I almost bricked my device. So I am going to wait until 5.0 gets to our phones before I flash anymore roms but until then I'm going to be completely stock.
Root your phone immediately.
Root your phone immediately. My god, what are you thinking going around unrooted?
Oh, you want details?
Open the hidden stuff if you want details.
Just kidding. I too suffered from doubts and waited several months before popping my phones warranty cherry.
Root is nice, even on the Note 4. But:
If you don't need root for anything special and you are perfectly happy with stock without root, DON'T ROOT!
If you need superuser authority (titanium backup?), if you want to disable Exchange Security so you can have work email but still use the fingerprint scanner, or you just like having better/different looks than stock in some way not achievable without root, ROOT.
That advice is general and applies to all phones. If you don't need/want it, why ask?
I can vouch that rooting the Note 4, installing custom Recovery and operating the custom ROMs is the similar to any other Samsung phone of recent vintage both in manner and difficultly (e.g. S3, S4, S5). (not the same though so do your research)
I have nothing against any ROM but, from personal experience, the ROMs from Pongoface and co work extremely well and look really nice. Make sure to wipe data and let them have 10 minutes or so to settle after first boot.
Those are:
[PORT] BoBCaTROM
and
[Port] Sprint Xnote (The time to settle was important on this one for me. Else, I got forced closes, not sure
Everything is stable on my phone after rooting and a LOT of Xposed mods. It just makes my phone much better.
If you have rooted all your other phones, then really why are you asking this question? You already know the benefits and risks of rooting so there is no need for us to tell you what to do.
Sent from my SM-N910P using XDA Free mobile app
Solarenemy68 said:
I root everything I own that can be rooted. My question has about the N4 as it seems like I said it has more issues after a root then it did before and that seems fishy. The way Sprint and Samsung are handling the poor data speeds is already a screw job when they are both aware it is a real problem. Add to that the more mods you do to the phone the more unstable it gets that just seems shady. I was not asking to root or not to root so much as I was asking is THIS device worth the trouble?
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False. False. False. What's shady is the lack of knowledge on behalf of a user which these issues are caused by. There is no "shady" business going on that would cause instability issues upon rooting your device. Instead of a carrier or Samsung playing shenanigans with it's customers by introducing bugs and instability issues if a user roots their device, it would be more logical for Sprint and Samsung to simply lock down the bootloader and take measures to prevent root in the first place... such as all the Verizon and AT&T customers who are still crying about not having root. If you want to believe otherwise that's up to you.
As already mentioned by millerboy3, rooting doesn't cause the instability issues you or anybody else might be having. The more mods you do the more unstable the rom??? That's just plain and simple ignorance my friend. Yes it could be true that a rom might be "buggy" but if a rom is well planned and time taken to ensure everything is right, then there will not be stability issues. There are roms out there with tons of mods that are 10 times more stable and faster than the stock rom. I happen to have a rom that fits that criteria along with a few other people. With that said, I do agree with you on the fact that the Note 4 is perfectly awesome straight out of the box without the need to root it. This is the first phone I've owned that I really don't feel the need to change anything because everything works great stock. There are a few mods that I find are well worth the effort and definitely worth rooting the phone for.
tx_dbs_tx said:
False. False. False. What's shady is the lack of knowledge on behalf of a user which these issues are caused by. There is no "shady" business going on that would cause instability issues upon rooting your device. Instead of a carrier or Samsung playing shenanigans with it's customers by introducing bugs and instability issues if a user roots their device, it would be more logical for Sprint and Samsung to simply lock down the bootloader and take measures to prevent root in the first place... such as all the Verizon and AT&T customers who are still crying about not having root. If you want to believe otherwise that's up to you.
As already mentioned by millerboy3, rooting doesn't cause the instability issues you or anybody else might be having. The more mods you do the more unstable the rom??? That's just plain and simple ignorance my friend. Yes it could be true that a rom might be "buggy" but if a rom is well planned and time taken to ensure everything is right, then there will not be stability issues. There are roms out there with tons of mods that are 10 times more stable and faster than the stock rom. I happen to have a rom that fits that criteria along with a few other people. With that said, I do agree with you on the fact that the Note 4 is perfectly awesome straight out of the box without the need to root it. This is the first phone I've owned that I really don't feel the need to change anything because everything works great stock. There are a few mods that I find are well worth the effort and definitely worth rooting the phone for.
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He said it much better than I.
i'll also throw a vote in for rooting. i've come to consider AdAway & Xposed as must-haves, which both require root.
The N4 was the first phone I considered not rooting, it was that good straight away. However, then I remembered why I rooted, besides custom ROM's, and it was 2 (now 3) main reasons.
1- AdFree: After seeing ads all over a bunch of my favorite apps, I remembered I didn't have AdFree installed, which requires root. This is my biggest quality of use reason, if you've ever went to tap something in an app only to have a ninja ad come out of nowhere right as your finger hit the screen and redirect you to a website or the app store, you know what I mean.
2- TWRP + Titanium Backup - The ability to backup ALL my apps and settings to a separate SD card was huge, plus all the other features of TB.
3 - Lastly, I found Xposed: I'd never used before, but now, I couldn't imagine not having it. It's allowed me to tweak things that irritated me, like color schemes on the contacts and dialer screens, without the worry of installing custom ROM's or RW editing mods.
Just my feedback, your requirements may differ.
Sent from my SM-N910P using XDA Free mobile app
Newbie, who wants to have better use of ExtsdCard
I am looking into rooting, for the first time. After an update to my, prior, S4, I couldn't edit my ebooks, about 700, delete photos, several thousand, or remove duplicates, on my extsdcard. I just got a new Note 4, and a 128G extsdcard. If there is anyway to restore my control of the sdcard that I paid for, other than rooting, please tell me. Otherwise, Android and Samsung are forcing me to root. Am I wrong??
Thank you very much,
Randy "Pugmeister"
Pugmeister said:
I am looking into rooting, for the first time. After an update to my, prior, S4, I couldn't edit my ebooks, about 700, delete photos, several thousand, or remove duplicates, on my extsdcard. I just got a new Note 4, and a 128G extsdcard. If there is anyway to restore my control of the sdcard that I paid for, other than rooting, please tell me. Otherwise, Android and Samsung are forcing me to root. Am I wrong??
Thank you very much,
Randy "Pugmeister"
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I'm a little fuzzy on what your saying. Are you saying that you can't edit or delete the contents of your external SD card in the note 4? If so, that's not a problem root could solve, as you should have full control over everything on the external card. Rooting would allow you access to edit the main android system files on the internal storage.
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I've recently rooted my phone and now I am questioning why I did it. The first phone I rooted was my Nexus One and I've been a member of this site since the release of the Galaxy S2 so I am no novice. It used to be a necessity to root for the increased control it gave, but now all I seem to be doing is finding solutions to get back functionality that I've lost through tripping Knox. Please, can anyone give me a reason or list the advantages of rooting the current generation of phones because I'm struggling to justify keeping the bootloader unlocked and not going back to stock?
No. I wouldn't... for you though the cat's already out of the bag.
If running on Pie I definitely wouldn't update to 10 or worse 11.
mckeowngoo said:
I've recently rooted my phone and now I am questioning why I did it. The first phone I rooted was my Nexus One and I've been a member of this site since the release of the Galaxy S2 so I am no novice. It used to be a necessity to root for the increased control it gave, but now all I seem to be doing is finding solutions to get back functionality that I've lost through tripping Knox. Please, can anyone give me a reason or list the advantages of rooting the current generation of phones because I'm struggling to justify keeping the bootloader unlocked and not going back to stock?
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Like you, I've been rooting since my HTC-Hero way back in the early days of Android. It was necessary for better kernels, better battery life, better RAM and CPU management, better file systems (Early days of ARM and EXT4) and of course those cool themes and apps that only work with Root (Titanium Backup, Gosh I miss you!!). Not to mention what was my favorite, MIUI!
The last phone I rooted was the Nexus 6. It was a powerhouse! I still have it in a drawer full of old devices in my desk and miss it! Someone once told me when checking out my N6, "Your phone is like a muscle car!"
I miss rooting and I hate that carriers have locked the Bootloaders down. Android was founded on and was expanded by the Amateur Development community. Look up Cyanogen for details!.
I just bought my daughter this device outright - first, one I've ever bought that wasn't through my carrier and I'll be doing the same with the Pixel 6 for myself later this year which means I can finally go back to rooting and hopefully back to what earned me the RC title, but I also wonder, do I really NEED to root these??
My daughter isn't a power user. She's probably happy with whatever native settings and Samsung themes she can find on her own. My Pixel 4 XL has been great as is. so I applaud your question because I also wonder if rooting is still necessary or is it just a way to feel rebellious and outside the fray?
I also own a Pixel 4, bought to scratch an itch when I wanted to try out GrapheneOS.
I think I will go back to stock, which is sad as I enjoyed the process of modifying the phones software. If there was a net gain or increased functionality to keep the phone rooted, I would but unfortunately there isn't a compelling reason to keep the bootloader unlocked.
Am I wrong? Is the scene, at least for Samsung phones, dead and this forum obsolete?
Root is a must for me. Just being able to debloat. Either way I bought a unlock token
I understand the debloat of carriers useless apps, but since I found that ADB can basicly remove the programs I don't need root for that. But I still like root for change hosts files and such.