Want some ROM help! - AT&T, Rogers, Bell, Telus Samsung Galaxy S III

Hi!
I had just recently rooted my phone and wanted some help with a rom to get. I know there are many roms, but I am confused in which would be a good one for me.
I wanted a ROM that is/does:
- save my battery life
- very similar to touchwiz
- keeps most of the samsung apps such as music player, video player, ect.
- debloated completely
- has more customization options
This are some of the things on my wishlist. Some of you are very experienced in the flashing and knowing the ins and outs of the roms. So if you have some good advice, please share!
Thanks!

imcol said:
Hi!
I had just recently rooted my phone and wanted some help with a rom to get. I know there are many roms, but I am confused in which would be a good one for me.
I wanted a ROM that is/does:
- save my battery life
- very similar to touchwiz
- keeps most of the samsung apps such as music player, video player, ect.
- debloated completely
- has more customization options
This are some of the things on my wishlist. Some of you are very experienced in the flashing and knowing the ins and outs of the roms. So if you have some good advice, please share!
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
First of all welcome to the world of the rooted S3. On the Development page you'll see many many different roms and there are so many good options. There is also a great debloater tool. I'd take a look a enewman17's stock rom or even my rom as a good starter. There is a debloating tool in the Theme's and apps section that you simply flash in recovery immediately after installing the rom if you want FULL debloating. Enewman and I have done many tweaks while keeping the performance of the phone up and battery drain down.
I always suggest shopping around. I hold no bias as everyone has their own preferences. I would flash a few ROM's and run a new one every day if you want. You can always make a nandroid backup and come right back to the one you had before if you preferred it. Just my two cents! Happy flashing.

stratatak7 said:
First of all welcome to the world of the rooted S3. On the Development page you'll see many many different roms and there are so many good options. There is also a great debloater tool. I'd take a look a enewman17's stock rom or even my rom as a good starter. There is a debloating tool in the Theme's and apps section that you simply flash in recovery immediately after installing the rom if you want FULL debloating. Enewman and I have done many tweaks while keeping the performance of the phone up and battery drain down.
I always suggest shopping around. I hold no bias as everyone has their own preferences. I would flash a few ROM's and run a new one every day if you want. You can always make a nandroid backup and come right back to the one you had before if you preferred it. Just my two cents! Happy flashing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Firstly Thanks so Much for this reply. I did find some nice roms and might flash them. I am also going to explore your rom and see if it suits me But quick question. So if i had samsung stock 4.1.1, completely stock with root, and then I took a nandroid backup (in my experience these backups went by so quickly so i thought they didnt do a complete backup or something), if i flashed another rom, decided I didnt like it and then did the backup, would I go directly back to my samsung stock 4.1.1 with all my apps, app settings and have the root again?

imcol said:
Firstly Thanks so Much for this reply. I did find some nice roms and might flash them. I am also going to explore your rom and see if it suits me But quick question. So if i had samsung stock 4.1.1, completely stock with root, and then I took a nandroid backup (in my experience these backups went by so quickly so i thought they didnt do a complete backup or something), if i flashed another rom, decided I didnt like it and then did the backup, would I go directly back to my samsung stock 4.1.1 with all my apps, app settings and have the root again?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Replied to your pm
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using xda app-developers app

Related

[Q] Unrooting questions

If I were to un-root my Droid Incredible, would I loose all the data I have.
e.g, SMS messages, contacts, applications+data for them.
If so, is there an application to back this up for un-rooted droid users?
Also, I never made a backup of the stock before flashing a new ROM, is it still possible to un-root?
Lastly, when un-rooting via downgrading, can I re-upgrade to 2.2?
Any help will be greatly appreciated.
Bump...
Any help will be greatly appreciated.
MyBackup or Titanium Backup can do this i believe.
This is what you need to get back to stock - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=786436
I thought those apps only work when it's rooted though...
i'm not 100% sure, but you won't lose your contacts because those are synced with your google account.
Why do you want to go back to stock?
there's a way to save all your contacts, go to people, then hit the menu button and then press import/export. Export all your contacts to your sd card, and you can save your contacts that way. You won't be able to use titanium backup because it requires root and you're trying to unroot. Unrooting will ultimately bring you back to 100% stock, and you'll lose all your data and apps. If you want to unroot, just follow the directions i gave you in the last forum, and if you have questions ill answer them later.
To be frank, there's no true purpose to being unrooted just so you can make a backup. The only reason you would unroot is if you want to stay unrooted. There's a bunch of ROMs you can use so staying rooted would be more beneficial for you
The main reason I want to be un-rooted is because I miss having stock. :/
Meetii said:
The main reason I want to be un-rooted is because I miss having stock. :/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
what features are you missing? there's a lot more that you can do with an unrooted phone, faster speeds, better UI feel, more functionality, wireless tethering for free, but it's entirely your pick
Well I mean I like being rooted, but I can't seem to find a decent looking ROM that I like. The one I'm using now is http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=799679&highlight=droid+incredible+rom and that's the closest one to stock that I can find. I just prefered the stock look over the ROMs I've seen.
I'm about to flash the MIUI because it looks amazing, but do you have any suggestions for decent looking ROMs?
Meetii said:
Well I mean I like being rooted, but I can't seem to find a decent looking ROM that I like. The one I'm using now is http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=799679&highlight=droid+incredible+rom and that's the closest one to stock that I can find. I just prefered the stock look over the ROMs I've seen.
I'm about to flash the MIUI because it looks amazing, but do you have any suggestions for decent looking ROMs?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thats all about preference, some people like a stock looking rom, others like a highly tweaked rom.
skyraider 3.5 - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=764787
Check out that rom for a stock look but with many customization options so you can make it how you want basically.
Thanks, I'll revert to that if I don't like MIUI. Do I need to do anything special before flashing MIUI?
nope, everything needed for any rom you flash will be included with the rom and installed along with the rom when you flash it.
Alright, thanks a bunch. I also have two more questions.
What's the difference between a ROM and a theme?
And what's a kernel?
g00s3y said:
Thats all about preference, some people like a stock looking rom, others like a highly tweaked rom.
skyraider 3.5 - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=764787
Check out that rom for a stock look but with many customization options so you can make it how you want basically.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
it's exactly like how he puts it, it's all a matter of preference. What you like might not be what i like. There's a whole bunch of themes on top of the ROMS you use, so just take a while and go through each one until you find one that you really like. I prefer to the new sense roms and that's why i'm sticking with Uber Sense Rom. all a matter of what looks and feels good for you!
Meetii said:
Alright, thanks a bunch. I also have two more questions.
What's the difference between a ROM and a theme?
And what's a kernel?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A rom is basically the base of everything, the tweaks in software and all of that is your rom. So to put it into perspective, it's windows 7. And what you have with themes is the overlay that goes over that. If you prefer a black overlay, if you prefer your start menu somewhere else, everything can be changed according to how the developer feels like. Some developers primarily do ROMs, others do themes, rarely do any do both.
A kernel is harder to explain, if i had to think of a way to relate it to computers, it would be the equivalent of BIOS. It gives you tweaks in speed and battery life. With a properly done kernel, you're phone will have a LOT more battery life, and have faster speeds. Now, not all people's phones react the same way to kernels. What kernel works for me, might not work for you. The kernel i use might give me days of battery life, while when you use it, it might end up giving you hours of battery life. Everyone's phone reacts different, there's no universal kernel that works best for everyone.
Thanks guys, I really like the MIUI theme so I'm going to stick with it. I don't think I'm going to mess with kernels though. Being that I don't want to mess up my phone again.
if you find that you want to flash a kernel later, it's pretty simple. Download the file, then flash like you would a rom, pretty simple haha.
Slight issue...
On the MIUI ROM, I downloaded a theme with the application it came with for downloading theme. After doing so, I went to install it on said application and now it's stuck on the MIUI booting screen and it's been about 15 minutes. Should I unplug the battery...or what?
EDIT: Problem solved.

[Q] Best Customizations for Rooted Incredible with Stock Rom

I have an Incredible that I have rooted with unrevoked. I rooted it after I received the ota update with froyo and have done nothing else. I have yet to put a rom on since I really don't want to download and install all of my apps again and tweak my preferences. All that being said I want to do some things to customize my phone and have read about other ways to customize with roms, what things am I able to do? Here are some of the things I would love to be able to do to my phone:
Color Notification Icons - Is there a way? I tried one months ago and my phone crashed so I had to do a nandroid restore.
Change Lockscreen - Is there a way I can change the slider? Different color or something?
Blue Theme - I'd love to change all the places that are green to blue, such as when dialing or navigating around on the phone.
Is there anything else you guys have done to your Incredible that sets it apart? I really love to customize and tweak things to make it my own. Thanks for reading and helping out guys.
Android314 said:
<...>
Color Notification Icons - Is there a way? I tried one months ago and my phone crashed so I had to do a nandroid restore.
This is easiest to do using CM6/7 and applying a theme pack
Change Lockscreen - Is there a way I can change the slider? Different color or something
> Not many customizations have been made to the HTC lockscreen. You can find a few metamorphs for VANILLA lockscreens to make it look like the Droid 2 / R2D2
Blue Theme - I'd love to change all the places that are green to blue, such as when dialing or navigating around on the phone.
> I use the Galaxy S theme for CM6, this did a pretty good job of the blue theme
Is there anything else you guys have done to your Incredible that sets it apart? I really love to customize and tweak things to make it my own. Thanks for reading and helping out guys.
Minimalistic Text Widget & Launcher Pro are your friends
I also LOVE sonnysekhon's themes for CM7.
Good luck, have fun, nandroid, rinse, repeat
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Forgot, you aren't deodexed.... you really need a custom rom to be able to theme. If you want a stock sense you should look into virtuous... its pretty much stock, looks stock but is still custom. Then you can flash themes on it.....
A little off topic, but since I want to learn...
What exactly is deodexed? I remember moving *.odex files from system apps I didn't want after I rooted.
And that's a bummer, I'd hate to have to install all of my apps again after flashing to a new rom. I have looked at both Virtuous and Vanilla in the past but didn't want to deal with all of the extra work afterwards. I'm unsure what CM6/CM7 is, I'm about to google it.
Is there anything I am able to do besides what I've mentioned?
Try flashing virtuous without wiping data, just wipe caches. like I said before, that's pretty much a stock sense rom. You should be ok and not need to re set up your stuff. If not, restore nandroid.
___________________________________
Yup.... The ones yoe momma told ya about.... Bad Seed Customs!!
Android314 said:
A little off topic, but since I want to learn...
What exactly is deodexed? I remember moving *.odex files from system apps I didn't want after I rooted.
And that's a bummer, I'd hate to have to install all of my apps again after flashing to a new rom. I have looked at both Virtuous and Vanilla in the past but didn't want to deal with all of the extra work afterwards. I'm unsure what CM6/CM7 is, I'm about to google it.
Is there anything I am able to do besides what I've mentioned?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If your main concern about trying out ROM's is having to re-download all of your apps, I have an app for that
Titanium Backup
Super simple. It lets you back up the apps you downloaded. Here's what you do:
1. Download Titanium Backup from the market
2. Individually back up your apps using Ti - WARNING! DO NOT BACK UP SYSTEM DATA. Also don't back up Gmail/Maps/anything stock that's going to be in the new ROM. Titanium shows items in red that you shouldn't back up, so it shouldn't be too hard. Rule of thumb: if you downloaded it yourself, back it up, if not, stay away
3. Download your new ROM and put it on your SD card
4. Wipe
5. Flash new ROM - FYI CM7 stands for "CyanogenMod 7" which is a really popular AOSP ROM
6. Sign in with your Google account/Facebook/etc.
7. Download Titanium backup > Batch > Restore apps
You're going to have to click "Install" for every app you backed up if you've got the free version, the paid one does it for you.
You're also going to have to do your other tweaks (ringtones, autorotate, etc.) manually as Ti can't do that, but I think it's well worth the initial time investment to get a better/faster/more customizable ROM
TL;DR: Titanium Backup backs up your apps. If you want customization, you need a new ROM. If you want Sense, SkyRaider 3.5 or Incredibly Re-engineered 2.3.1 is best for customization (both have blue themes available), but Virtuous gives you the most "stock" feel. If you want AOSP, can't do much better than CyanogenMod7 for theming
EDIT: In response to your original post...
Colored Notifications are only going to work on a deodexed ROM (aka Virtuous/SkyRaider) - there is a rooted/deodexed stock ROM floating around that rmk40 posted (he also created Virtuous)
WidgetLocker is a paid app that can change your lockscreen - and here's a really popular app on modding the stock options it gives to your liking: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=825553
Cyanogenmod7 or CM7 is basically one of the most badass roms available, it's not only the newest of the cyanogenmod series but it's also built off of android 2.3 Gingerbread, so no having to wait for the actual legit GB release like everyone that's not rooted. If you want to see it in action look for it on youtube, otherwise to learn about it go to cyanogenmod.com or cyanogenmod.com/forums, everyone there is very helpful. I am running the RC1 of CM7, there is a few nightly builds after that so far but I'm just gonna stick with the first release canidate until RC2 hits.
I'd say the main reason I rooted was to try out different ROMs. I know you said you want to leave all your preferences and apps untouched, but I quickly got over that. I got all my contacts organized in GMail so that they sync every time I flash a new ROM. Each ROM has different preferences to play around with. For apps, I realized what I needed to do was just choose a few really important ones so I wouldn't have to spend all day setting up my apps for each new ROM.
I'd recommend doing a nandroid backup in recovery and trying out a few different ROMs. Try MIUI and Cyanogenmod 7, they're great. When your done you can restore your nandroid backup and get back to exactly where you are right now.
If you decide you want to stick with a new ROM, you can use Titanium Backup to restore your important app data, like someone else pointed out.
Once you're rooted there is a whole new world of opportunities...have fun!
Ok you guy's have got me very interested now. I think I want to move forward now! That cm7 looks great and I'd love to move to gingerbread. I was curious since this is the nightly beta release if I could later get the updates without flashing a rom again and restoring my apps. I had also heard I would have to flash more files like the radio after the install too. I'll have to read more on this.
Use Titanium Backup for all your apps and their data where you can put them all back on your new ROM.
You can do a full backup via Clock Works so if you don't like the new ROM or don't want to deal with any more of this new stuff then you can revert exactly to where you were before.
> For the lockscreen you can uninstall the lockscreen and then the default android one will be there.
To change the main look and feel you can try Launcher Pro from the market. It's pretty sweet. I use it with my custom ROM just because I love the cube transition and how you can hide a lot of the useless apps in the app drawer.
If you dont want to load a custom rom but would like to just theme there is a deodexed completely stock rom around here that will give you that option. All you need to do is flash in recovery and since you are going from a stock rom to another stock rom you do not need to wipe/clear anything so all of your apps and settings will remain intact.
you can consider just flashing skyraiders 3.5 and then not doing anything fancy. It's very close to stock with little improvements around so you might find that to be a good start.
Thanks for all of the comments and suggestions guys. For right now I think I am going to wait for a stable release of CM7 before I flash a rom. I really want Gingerbread but not an unstable release of it. I am looking at LauncherPro now and thinking of checking out ADW. I've watched some different videos on both, which do you guys think is better?
I also did one mod I'm happy about, I changed the market app to the themed "Black Market" with the different icon and appearance. I think I am going to look for some transparent apps next to do something different. I with there was more I could do with my stock rom, it sucks not being deodexed. Anything else worthwhile to look into?
Android314 said:
For right now I think I am going to wait for a stable release of CM7 before I flash a rom. I really want Gingerbread but not an unstable release of it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
CM7 is incredibly stable for only being at RC1....
I use it everyday now (Occasionally flashing something for fun) and I have NO problems with it.
If you flash CM7 RC1 you won't regret it. Just my two cents.
How long would anyone guess the final release will take? I think I am just going to keep an eye on it's progress and eventually switch. While it may be working well now I just feel uneasy about flashing that rom now, even though I can restore a backup. I'm having some fun now customizing my phone with Launcher Pro. I certainly like the customizable dock over the Sense dock. I'm trying to search for mods I can do with my non-deodexed rom but not too much luck. Thanks for the thoughts everyone!
I used to be like you so just as some insight from someone who remembers being where you are. Don't worry about cm7 rc1 or the newest nighlys, they're very stable. Although for a stock sense experience, one fun rom I've found to be fun and really have me flashing back and forth with cm7 is incredibly re engineered. With Chad's kernel its super fast, battery efficient and stable.
So ymmv but cm rc's are generally pretty stable. And incredibly re engineered is also a great choice
Sent from my ADR6300 using XDA App
ok i am a noob and just like the guy before i am rooted and using hydra oc kernal but stock rom froyo 2.2 and preaty much same reasons as the other guy for not flashing a rom yet. i think my main problem is just not quite sure of all the details yet. someone mentioned making a backup through clockwork i did that, chose the backup and restore option, but not sure what all this actualy backs up...everything? or just parts, and also little hazy on the kernel/rom workable combinations... how do you know which ones can be used together and which will brick or what ever may be the consiquencess, i only have had my phone little over a month, so i still working up my courage too. gained some today my wife's got same phone and had hers rooted with same kernel, and needed to return it cause having sms, and call issues. i was able to return hers to stock and s-on. so that really boosted my confidence, i know alot of it is just brute force reading to learn but i never was much on long reads, so i usualy read other peoples mastakes and not do that and try everything else in time... kinda of an ass-backwards way of doing it but does tend to cut down on the reading...lol so any tips you want to throw at me i am listening...
funny i just found that htc had a phone named Thoth, but i guess it was canceled or something...to bad liked the name...
well thank you all in advance!
Azag Thoth said:
ok i am a noob and just like the guy before i am rooted and using hydra oc kernal but stock rom froyo 2.2 and preaty much same reasons as the other guy for not flashing a rom yet. i think my main problem is just not quite sure of all the details yet. someone mentioned making a backup through clockwork i did that, chose the backup and restore option, but not sure what all this actualy backs up...everything? or just parts, and also little hazy on the kernel/rom workable combinations... how do you know which ones can be used together and which will brick or what ever may be the consiquencess, i only have had my phone little over a month, so i still working up my courage too. gained some today my wife's got same phone and had hers rooted with same kernel, and needed to return it cause having sms, and call issues. i was able to return hers to stock and s-on. so that really boosted my confidence, i know alot of it is just brute force reading to learn but i never was much on long reads, so i usualy read other peoples mastakes and not do that and try everything else in time... kinda of an ass-backwards way of doing it but does tend to cut down on the reading...lol so any tips you want to throw at me i am listening...
funny i just found that htc had a phone named Thoth, but i guess it was canceled or something...to bad liked the name...
well thank you all in advance!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Check out the rooting guide here http://dimedroid.blogspot.com, some great info on backup & restore procedures
Sent from my ADR6300 using XDA Premium App

[Q] Rooted my Dinc, now want to do more

Alright, so I rooted my Dinc yesterday, and there are several ROM's that I want to try out but am a little confused about a couple of things and the more I'm searching and reading, the more I'm getting confused. I'm probably over-analyzing it but I wanted to make sure before I venture on just to be safe. So if ya'll don't mind (as I'm sure these are total n00b questions that have been asked before):
1) My initial Nandroid backup - Does that backup the entire phone. So if I want to restore the phone to the original stock ROM and everything I can just restore the whole Nandroid backup and be good to go? My fear is flashing a new ROM, wanting to get the phone back to what it was stock, and not having a backup of it.
2) ROM's/Kernels. I thought a ROM included a Kernel to go with it, but I keep reading about people trying different kernels with certain ROM's. I'm really confused here so any info would help.
3) It is obvious that a lot of people have put in a LOT of hard work here. I just wanted to personally thank you all for the hard work and support, if it wasn't for what you guys have done and documented here, n00b's like me would be stuck with bloated handcuffed phones. So thanks a ton.
badogg said:
1) My initial Nandroid backup - Does that backup the entire phone. So if I want to restore the phone to the original stock ROM and everything I can just restore the whole Nandroid backup and be good to go? My fear is flashing a new ROM, wanting to get the phone back to what it was stock, and not having a backup of it.
2) ROM's/Kernels. I thought a ROM included a Kernel to go with it, but I keep reading about people trying different kernels with certain ROM's. I'm really confused here so any info would help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1). Yes, it does. If you were to restore it, it would be restored to the point you made the backup. That's why it is recommended before you flash anything, do a nandroid. It saves the headache of reflashing a ROM, or going back to a really old backup and losing anything you've done since then.
2). Yes, the developer will include the kernel with the ROM. People flash a custom kernel to overclock/underclock the CPU, better battery performance, among many other features. One thing to keep in mind: A Sense based ROM (HTC Sense) takes a Sense kernel, and an AOSP ROM (like CyanogenMod) requires an AOSP kernel. Don't flash an AOSP kernel on a Sense ROM (and vice versa), won't work and you'll need to restore your nandroid.
In the Development section, the developers are really good with explaining what it is they've produced, so you'll know what you're downloading, and if you are unsure, ask!
RMarkwald said:
1). Yes, it does. If you were to restore it, it would be restored to the point you made the backup. That's why it is recommended before you flash anything, do a nandroid. It saves the headache of reflashing a ROM, or going back to a really old backup and losing anything you've done since then.
2). Yes, the developer will include the kernel with the ROM. People flash a custom kernel to overclock/underclock the CPU, better battery performance, among many other features. One thing to keep in mind: A Sense based ROM (HTC Sense) takes a Sense kernel, and an AOSP ROM (like CyanogenMod) requires an AOSP kernel. Don't flash an AOSP kernel on a Sense ROM (and vice versa), won't work and you'll need to restore your nandroid.
In the Development section, the developers are really good with explaining what it is they've produced, so you'll know what you're downloading, and if you are unsure, ask!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Awesome. Thanks for the reply, and I do apologize for asking things that were probably asked a hundred times over, I try not to be *that* guy, but I was just getting all confused over it and needed a direct answer.
badogg said:
1) My initial Nandroid backup - Does that backup the entire phone. So if I want to restore the phone to the original stock ROM and everything I can just restore the whole Nandroid backup and be good to go? My fear is flashing a new ROM, wanting to get the phone back to what it was stock, and not having a backup of it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It backs up EVERYTHING. Literally.
It returns your phone to the EXACT state that it was in when you did the Nanadroid backup. Every single phone call, setting, data, EVERYTHING.
badogg said:
2) ROM's/Kernels. I thought a ROM included a Kernel to go with it, but I keep reading about people trying different kernels with certain ROM's. I'm really confused here so any info would help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Roms come with their own kernels. just like roms, some kernels offer different tweaks to improve battery life and/or improve performance.
badogg said:
3) It is obvious that a lot of people have put in a LOT of hard work here. I just wanted to personally thank you all for the hard work and support, if it wasn't for what you guys have done and documented here, n00b's like me would be stuck with bloated handcuffed phones. So thanks a ton.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i would also like to thank all the devs out there. while verizon is ending the life of the incredible, this community keeps it alive.
badogg said:
Awesome. Thanks for the reply, and I do apologize for asking things that were probably asked a hundred times over, I try not to be *that* guy, but I was just getting all confused over it and needed a direct answer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No problem!
O.M.G...
I loaded the CM7 nightly ROM and holy cow it has re-invigorated my Dinc. It is WAY snappier than it was before. Seems better on battery life so far.
LOVE the UI.
I am thinking of trying out other ROM's, but this CM7 ROM is seriously the shizz...
Thanks for this post, it clears up a few things for me as well.
Sent from my ADR6300 using......blah blah you get the idea.

[Q] A rooting question?

I'm a noob to the S3 development. It is configed for me a lot now. I dont want to have to reset my phone and have to do everything all over again. I have stock 4.1.2. All I want is to be able to have wifi tether and keep the stock rom. Will rooting it erase everything, and I will have to start back fresh, because when I had an HTC it did. Last question, when Sprint comes out with more stock roms as in updates, I know I would have to flash instead of doing them OTA which I know you can't do, will it restart/erase the phone when I flash those new stock roms on in the future?
mystical80 said:
I'm a noob to the S3 development. It is configed for me a lot now. I dont want to have to reset my phone and have to do everything all over again. I have stock 4.1.2. All I want is to be able to have wifi tether and keep the stock rom. Will rooting it erase everything, and I will have to start back fresh, because when I had an HTC it did. Last question, when Sprint comes out with more stock roms as in updates, I know I would have to flash instead of doing them OTA which I know you can't do, will it restart/erase the phone when I flash those new stock roms on in the future?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Let's tackle this question one piece at a time:
Rooting: "Getting Root" will not reset anything on your phone. You can go ahead and Root it and when you turn it back on most everything will be exactly the same as you had it before. You'll have a custom recovery (CWM or the recommended TWRP) and root access, but it won't format anything off your phone (apps, settings, etc.)
Wifi Tether: As far as I'm aware, you'll have to flash a custom ROM in order to get wifi tether working. I haven't flashed a TW ROM in a while (been sticking with AOSP 4.2.2 Roms for a bit), but I know that Freeza typically puts together a really nice ROM that is really close to stock. I don't think the one I linked has Wifi tether on it. There's also Kennyglass123, who put together The People's ROM (TPR), which I really liked and includes wifi tether. Also, with TPR, you can easily use Morphology to do all your customization.
The only thing about using custom ROMs is that the best procedure is to do a "full wipe" (factory reset, cache, dalvik) before flashing the ROM. The good news is that there are many programs available to help you get your programs/settings back up and running. I personally use Titanium Backup, but ROM Toolbox Pro also has this capability as well as a lot of other cool customization features. My only warning is that trying to restore system apps (the RED ones in Titanium Backup) can mess things up for your phone if you're switching between TW and AOSP or between versions of Android.
OTA Updates: Once you're rooted, you won't be able to flash OTA updates without going completely back to unrooted stock. The good news is that this process is relatively easy, just some Odin commands. The better news is that with the XDA community, you only have to wait a couple of days before they've come up with updated ROMs that include the OTA updates. Freeza is particularly speedy when it comes to that.
Last Note: I know flashing ROMs and "starting over" with your phone can be a daunting experience, but I've found that custom ROMs are the way to go. Nowadays, they're extremely stable, get amazing battery life, and include customizations that can really make the phone "your own." When I first got into flashing ROMs, I stayed really close to stock, but now I'm really enjoying AOSP ROMs such as Slim Bean, Liquid Smooth, and my current ROM, Carbon.
Hope I've answered your questions!
Thank You very much!!!
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda app-developers app
To add on to the above, theres the TreveMod Wifi tether app that you can use on any rom, its specifically modded to work with the Galaxy S3
And yes, like he said, it can be overwhelming, we've all been there...but once you get started, there are some really cool roms out there, you just gotta find what it is you look for and what features you want
But trust me, you picked an awesome device to get started with
Good luck!
Oh and one last thing, do NOT flash roms/mods made for the international versions, or for other carriers. Chances are that you will either bork some functionality or brick your phone
CNexus said:
To add on to the above, theres the TreveMod Wifi tether app that you can use on any rom, its specifically modded to work with the Galaxy S3
And yes, like he said, it can be overwhelming, we've all been there...but once you get started, there are some really cool roms out there, you just gotta find what it is you look for and what features you want
But trust me, you picked an awesome device to get started with
Good luck!
Oh and one last thing, do NOT flash roms/mods made for the international versions, or for other carriers. Chances are that you will either bork some functionality or brick your phone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Here is the link to TrevE's wifi app over in the Verizon SG3 Section. The late November version has been verified to be working on Sprint Stock (but rooted) MA6 roms. I haven't personally used it (don't have 4G in my area and the 3G is too slow to tether with), but others have and said that it works. It's also the app/mod that all the TW ROMs (with tethering baked in) are based off of.
Hope this helps!
-Topher

[Q] Questions about rooting/custom ROMS from a new user

Hi i have a t999 samsung s3 (not rooted). I am quite new to this whole rooting/development scene. I really want to try out 4.2.2.
Some questions i have are:
- After i root my phone and put a custom rom does it wipe my phone or does it leave all the data on (apps, personal settings and what not)? If yes, is there a way to backup everything and restore it after i have put on a custom rom so that everything i had is back to normal?
- Also which rom has good battery life? I have heard some roms are really good on the battery life compared to the stock version.
Thanks a lot for the help
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seifer699 said:
Hi i have a t999 samsung s3 (not rooted). I am quite new to this whole rooting/development scene. I really want to try out 4.2.2.
Some questions i have are:
- After i root my phone and put a custom rom does it wipe my phone or does it leave all the data on (apps, personal settings and what not)? If yes, is there a way to backup everything and restore it after i have put on a custom rom so that everything i had is back to normal?
- Also which rom has good battery life? I have heard some roms are really good on the battery life compared to the stock version.
Thanks a lot for the help
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
your data will be deleted. you can backup apps with AppMonster Free or Titanium Backup from Play Store.
a good and stable 4.2.2 rom is http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2176988
pluginre said:
your data will be deleted. you can backup apps with AppMonster Free or Titanium Backup from Play Store.
a good and stable 4.2.2 rom is http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2176988
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
^This^
To add to that, battery.... Depends... On several factors including, but not limited to ROM, kernal, use, temp, this that, your pretty neighbor who's running out side. So, your best bet is to and see what will work better for you.
However, since you're new to this, there's somethings I want to say before you start:
-Make sure you have a T-Mobile phone before rooting and flashing using methods and ROMs here.
-Beware of possible lost IMEI when flashing. It's completely random. Go ahead and make a backup of your IMEI: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1801997
- If you go from a 4.2 ROM back to a 4.1, you could randomly break your GPS. If that happens: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2211690
So just wanted to add a couple of things more concise.
Yes you will lose your data when you originally root your phone, however there are benefits to rooting and data in the long run. I highly recommend purchasing titanium backup pro. This will allow you to always have backups of your apps and data stored on the phone. It also allows for cloud storage so lets say your sd card and phone suddenly get fried, no worries once you get your new phone and root it install titanium from the play store and then restore your data from cloud storage.
As far as battery life goes this is dependent on what ROM you choose and what kernel. If you aren't familiar with kernels the less techie way to describe them is they kind of dictate what speeds your phone will run at (this is a very one sided description). Some kernels are designed to be overclocked, so what that means is your going to get faster speeds, the downside to that is faster speeds mean more heat generating of your processor because it needs more energy. More energy means more battery usage, which means a faster dying battery. Some kernels on the other hand are designed to actually be underclocked, which means longer battery. Then there are even kernels that underclock when the phone is asleep and know to overclock when its running a game or something. Long story short on battery, it really depends.
And as far as you rooting your phone, take the time to learn about the process first. Watch multiple you tube videos from different methods. At this point the phone has been out long enough everything is scripted basically so you just pick the right choice and your phone gets rooted, but it is still imperative you familiarize yourself with the process. Words such as adb, recovery, terminal emulator, odin, your going to want to know. Finally if you have any questions ask. Some people will be like www.google.com, but most of us all remember we were there once and needed help also.
I rooted my s3 last weekend. Quite easy, first time I ever rooted. Currently running Wicked 9.1 absolutely love it
Once rooted, download Rom manager and titanium backup. Titanium saves all your data when you flash new Roms
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda app-developers app
thank you all for the insight
i ended up rooting my t999. but when i go into recovery i still see stock recovery not clockworkmod. does anyone know why this happens?
also in titanium backup which backup do i need to do so everything will be exactly the same when i restore after i flash custom rom?
I had that issue.
Download ROM manager from the playstore. Then download clockworkmod from it. Then from the app go into clockworkmod.
Once there, if I'm not mistaken, reboot. It'll ask you something and hit yes. Basically what's happening is when you try to activate CWM the phone isn't letting it register but this option will override that and you'll be good to go.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda app-developers app
---------- Post added at 03:46 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:40 PM ----------
For titanium, I back up all user apps and data. When you flash a new rom, only recover apps you've downloaded. Select one by one just to make sure you don't download any system apps.
System apps with a custom rom can brick your device.
When you download a new rom, always read the opening posts for instructions and make sure it's a rom meant for your device.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda app-developers app
seifer699 said:
thank you all for the insight
i ended up rooting my t999. but when i go into recovery i still see stock recovery not clockworkmod. does anyone know why this happens?
also in titanium backup which backup do i need to do so everything will be exactly the same when i restore after i flash custom rom?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A couple of quick questions.
1. What rooting method did you use. I ask this because I would refrain from using CWM. CWM used to be the standard, in fact I have always used it until rooting my s3 last week. A lot of the developers are now using TWM recovery. I don't know the reasons behind it or if it will matter but it seems like twm may be more friendly with the s3. One huge benefit of twm recovery is that it is touch screen by default which is a lot easier to use. To get the touchscreen version of CWM you either have to pay for it, or no how to flash it manually usinig adb (this will probably be somewhat confusing for you but there are step by step instructions for it).
2. As far as titanium back up goes. Ill give you a quick run down of how it functions. For starters the basic and simplest way to make a backup is press the menu sofkey, batch options, then under backup just click on 'run' to the left of backup all user apps. From here the defualt is all apps will be selected. if you want all your apps backuped just hit the green check mark at the top right. If there is an app you don't want just uncheck it then hit the check mark in the top right.
As far as recovery of apps goes do the same thing (menu, batch options) but this time go down to restore and restore all aps with data (or missing apps with data depending which option you need).
Now for system apps, I do not recommend you using the batch operations for saving system apps. The truth is you never really want to restore system apps onto a new ROM. There are certain system apps that usually can be restored onto a different ROM or os version such as bluetooth pairings, your sms messages, and wifi passwords. Even restoring these can cause problems so what you want to do is restore them individually, restart the phone, and then make sure everything is working as it should be. Send me a private message if you want and Ill go into detail how to go about doing this.

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