www.digitaltrends.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/android-root-unlock.jpg
To root or not to root? That is
the question. Rooting your
Android device definitely
pushes you up a level or two in
your geekdom. It requires a
certain level of commitment, at
least a little savvy, and even a
modicum of risk. So, why
would you want to bother?
We've got nine good reasons
for ya.
What Is Rooting?
We talk about rooting plenty
around here, but here's the
high-level look for the few
remaining uninitiated. Rooting
means gaining root access to
your device. When you take
your phone out of the box,
while there are plenty of
settings you can tweak, you can
only alter what the
manufacturer allows you to. By
gaining root access you can
modify the device's software
on the very deepest level. It
takes a bit of hacking (some
devices more than others), it
voids your warranty, and
there's a small chance that you
could completely break your
phone forever. But you know
what? It's still totally worth it
for all the goodies you get
access to.
1. Apps Aplenty
If you've spent much time in
Google Play, you know you're
not exactly hard-up for good
apps. But why settle for good
when you can have great . Once
you're rooted not only can you
get more apps, but the apps
you have access to can get way
down deeper into your phone's
brains. In some cases you'll be
able to do things that carriers,
manufacturers, and/or Google
may not want you to do. Some
will allow you to do things of
questionable legality. For
example, Network Spoofer uses
your device to set up a fake
wireless network. When your
houseguests sign in, you can
make ever image they see
inverted, or all of the text
fuzzy. It's a harmless prank,
but of course it could (but
shouldn't!) also be used for
stealing passwords and other
nefarious things.
Where do you find all these
root-only gems? Amazingly
enough, many of them are still
in the Google Play app store.
Google's much more relaxed
about rooting than Apple is
about jailbreaking. Some apps,
like Tasker , work for factory-
shipped devices as well, but get
expanded superpowers when
you root.
2. The Latest OS
Updates
This may be
the most common complaint
among Android users, less than
half of whom have made it as
far as Ice Cream Sandwich .
Between the Google, the
carriers, and the hardware
manufacturers, there are a
whole lot of shenanigans
behind closed doors that
determines when (or if) your
phone gets an upgrade. Who
has the patience?
Android's developer
community, on the other hand,
is a hardcore bunch. They're
often able to get the new OS
onto a phone months before
the carrier releases the update,
often along with a few bonus
features. Once you're rooted,
you just have to find the OS
version you want (optimized
for your specific device), and
it's generally extremely easy to
install the latest and greatest.
3. Ditching the Skin
Android enthusiasts rightly
hate the software skins that
hardware manufacturers use to
brand their devices. They're
often bulky, ugly, unwieldy, or
just downright not as clean and
functional as stock Android.
They're also a big reason those
OS updates take so long. You're
almost always better off
without.
So root! Once you do, you can
download and install any
number of custom-built ROMs
(different versions of the
Android firmware). Some of
them are highly customized
and tweaked to add features,
and others are basically just
stock Android. Cleaning off an
ugly skin can be like a breath
of fresh air.
4. Bloat Banishment
Android phones are plagued
not only with OEM skins, but
with a fistful of superflous
apps that you don't want and
will never use. Generally,
they're just things to get you
more entrenched in the
carrier's ecosystem. The best
part? You can't remove them.
In Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean)
devices, you can disable those
apps so you don't see them,
but they're still there, taking
up space. Once you've rooted
your phone, you can use
Titanium Backup to delete
them once and forever. Just be
careful you don't accidentally
delete something that your
phone actually needs, or you'll
be sorry.
5. Speed/Battery
Life Boosts
Phone starting to get laggy? Or
maybe you're having trouble
making it through the day on a
single charge? Rooting allows
you to install customized
kernels (the software that
enables the OS to talk to the
hardware, basically) that are
optimized differently. Some are
made for low-power
consumption, and some are
built for speed. You can also
use an app like Set CPU, which
enables you to overclock or
underclock your phone's
processor, and set rules for
usage.
For example, you can set your
processors to go into overdrive
when you're playing a
graphically intensive game, but
have them draw the bare
minimum power when the
screen is off.
6. Extreme
Customization
Android is already the most
customizable mobile OS out
there, which is one of its big
draws, but if you root your
phone you can really go nuts. If
you want a total change, you
can download custom ROMs
that look nothing like Android
at all. Want your device to
navigable entirely by gestures?
No problem, just install GMD
Gesture Control (see video).
Prefer a sliding keyboard when
you're in portait mode, but a
tapping, predictive keyboard
when you're in landscape.
Keyboard Manager will
automatically switch between
your keyboards of choice
whenever you rotate your
phone. You can also add
features like widgets in your
notification bar, or can change
the way certain features look
or behave, like the lock screen,
or notification bar . The sky's
the limit.
7. Infinite Features
Beyond just customizing your
phone's existing features,
rooting helps you pile on all
kinds of wonderful new
weirdness. You'll love it.
Want to hook up your
PlayStation controller to your
phone for better gaming? You
can . Want to set rules for
callers to decide who can and
can't call you when? Why not .
Maybe your carrier has blocked
certain apps, or an app isn't
available for the country you
live in? There are Market
Enabler apps that trick your
phone (and Google) into
thinking it's on another carrier
or in a far off land. Nervous
about connecting to the public
Wi-Fi? Wifi Protector will keep
you safe from all kinds of ARP,
DOS, and MITM attacks. Or, you
could put the new Android 4.2
camera on your non-Jellybean
phone . Accidentally deleted
something you wish you
hadn't? Undelete might just
save your bacon. The
possibilities are virtually
limitless.
8. A Free Wi-Fi
Hotspot
You probably know that your
phone can function as a Wi-Fi
hotspot, allowing you to get
your laptop (or tablet, or
whatever) online wherever
your phone has a data
connection The catch? Most
wireless carriers charge you
$10 a month or more for that
privilege, on top of your
regular data plan. With a
rooted Android device,
however, you can simply
download Wireless Tether (yep,
right from the Android
Market), create your own
mobile, encrypted Wi-Fi
network, and your carrier will
be none the wiser.
If you do tether multiple
devices to your liberated phone,
just make sure you don't go
over your monthly cap. Data
goes down a lot faster on a
laptop.
9. Better Backup
There are apps out there that
kiiiiinnnnda back up your
phone, but generally it's pretty
surface level stuff (contacts,
pictures, music, etc.). Once
rooted you can go way, way
deeper. Grab an app called
Titanium Backup. Not only can
it back up all of your apps, but
it can back up all of the
information stored in those
apps. So if you've been doing
great in Temple Run but you
want to wipe your phone and
start fresh, you can use
Titanium to back up and then
restore the game, and you'll be
right where you left off. It's a
nice security blanket if you're
going to be messing around
deep in your phone's brain.
In spite of all these benefits,
only you know whether rooting
is right for you. For some
people it's just not worth the
time and effort. For others, it's
a godsend that allows them to
use their phones in a better
way and for a longer time. If
you decide to take the plunge,
read up and make sure you
follow instructions carefully.
After that, go hog wild. It's
your phone, after all.
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Related
There are many brilliant Sense ROMs that have one HUGE drawback:
when you get an incoming call and the phone is in your pocket/backpack, the screen turns on (while in pocket). Then when you pull it out, you either accidentally hang up or maybe answer the call. Or maybe the phone will start doing all sorts of things while in pocket/backpack.
A solution by the androidforums user copas2 that works PERFECT:
Proximity Service:
http://code.google.com/p/proximitytoolextension/downloads/list
Download, install and check the "Service running" checkbox so all the checkboxes are checked. -That's it. In the notification bar you will see when the service is on, the icon will turn red.
This tool does a lot more stuff (regarding the proximity problems), for example when using Bluetooth headset etc etc...
On the download list, there's also a flashable zip to disable power button wake. Also VERY convenient, but you must have trackpad to wake or some other similar thing in order to wake the phone. I use it because when I put the phone in the pocket, I sometimes accidentally turn it on...
Before I HAD to switch to a different rom (MIUI XJ) in order not to have such annoying problems that many (fastest) sense roms have (Coolexe, AnDroid....), now I can use them again!
Hope this helps others! And a BIG thanks to copas2 for this!!!
Original thread:
http://androidforums.com/htc-desire/94942-use-proximity-sensor-disable-screen-while-pocket-3.html
So stupid htc overlooked this when they already have pocket mode for ringing.
Sent from my HTC Desire using Tapatalk 2
erklat said:
So stupid htc overlooked this when they already have pocket mode for ringing.
Sent from my HTC Desire using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, it's a bug that forces you to change rom. So freaking annoying.
Thanks god for copas2.
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erklat said:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I do, just a different theme, otherwise same rom...
Bump.
Wow, I didn't know about this thread, I've just spotted it, thanks
I uploaded a "newer" version which doesn't have the claimed problems anymore.
Now if you choose that the ongoing notification should be disabled (meaning that no icon will be shown in the notification bar), there won't be any but you have to count with Android's handling of services. If there's no ongoing notification (so called "foreground service"), the service can be kicked out by Android when getting very low on RAM.
You can always download new versions here, althought I doubt that there will be any more. But you know: never say "never"
copas2 said:
Wow, I didn't know about this thread, I've just spotted it, thanks
I uploaded a "newer" version which doesn't have the claimed problems anymore.
Now if you choose that the ongoing notification should be disabled (meaning that no icon will be shown in the notification bar), there won't be any but you have to count with Android's handling of services. If there's no ongoing notification (so called "foreground service"), the service can be kicked out by Android when getting very low on RAM.
You can always download new versions here, althought I doubt that there will be any more. But you know: never say "never"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, copas2. And know, without your excellent software, I (and probably many more) would not want to use any sense roms (the screen turning on in pocekt is just unbearable).
Thanks again, you've really made a great contribution!!!
sudkcoce said:
Thanks, copas2. And know, without your excellent software, I (and probably many more) would not want to use any sense roms (the screen turning on in pocekt is just unbearable).
Thanks again, you've really made a great contribution!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, just because of that you could also use a Sense 3.x ROM (just as I do).
The most annoying part is when you're on headset and get an event or make/receive a call and the device stays on or even unlocked in your pocket after that. If it's faced towards your leg, it receives unwanted touches and is able to dismiss an event, a call or even initiate one.
copas2 said:
Well, just because of that you could also use a Sense 3.x ROM (just as I do).
The most annoying part is when you're on headset and get an event or make/receive a call and the device stays on or even unlocked in your pocket after that. If it's faced towards your leg, it receives unwanted touches and is able to dismiss an event, a call or even initiate one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly. I'm just not a big fan of Sense 3.x ROMs, becaouse I find them laggy and not very good in multitasking. My ROM has Sense 1.9 and I find it perfect for the Desire... But, I have also had sense 3.x ROMs before and they were great, I just wanted more speed and better multitasking, which I use a lot.
sudkcoce said:
Exactly. I'm just not a big fan of Sense 3.x ROMs, becaouse I find them laggy and not very good in multitasking. My ROM has Sense 1.9 and I find it perfect for the Desire... But, I have also had sense 3.x ROMs before and they were great, I just wanted more speed and better multitasking, which I use a lot.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know what you mean. The truth is that a 1.9 Sense has much more free RAM than a 3.x, this is why your apps you're using can always remain in memory which makes the device more usable. I'm suffering that, it's true. What I'd really-really like to have is a 1.9 or 2.1 ODEXED ROM on a data++ partition structure. I was willing to do that (you can manage it by making symlinks for less recently used Sense bloatware packages to point them towards the SD-card) but I won't do it because I'm switching the ONE S. I don't own a ONE S yet but I don't really like it already. It has a low resolution facing camera, AMOLED display (unusable in direct sunlight) and a brick-like size. Battery is irreplaceable, no SD-card (16G data partition size only) and the stand-by button is unreachable it should've been placed to the middle because now you'd need one more finger between your thumb and your ponting finger. Albeit of all these drawbacks I need that big screen, the dual core. I think I'm gonna get used to it. The proximity extension will constantly be used of course.
copas2 said:
I know what you mean. The truth is that a 1.9 Sense has much more free RAM than a 3.x, this is why your apps you're using can always remain in memory which makes the device more usable. I'm suffering that, it's true. What I'd really-really like to have is a 1.9 or 2.1 ODEXED ROM on a data++ partition structure. I was willing to do that (you can manage it by making symlinks for less recently used Sense bloatware packages to point them towards the SD-card) but I won't do it because I'm switching the ONE S. I don't own a ONE S yet but I don't really like it already. It has a low resolution facing camera, AMOLED display (unusable in direct sunlight) and a brick-like size. Battery is irreplaceable, no SD-card (16G data partition size only) and the stand-by button is unreachable it should've been placed to the middle because now you'd need one more finger between your thumb and your ponting finger. Albeit of all these drawbacks I need that big screen, the dual core. I think I'm gonna get used to it. The proximity extension will constantly be used of course.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If I had to buy a new phone right now, it would most certainly be the same one: ONE S! The X is way too big for me and the S looks better imho. But, since my Desire still works, I really have no real need to upgrade just yet. Plus, I have all these accessories, without which, the new phone would really be lacking in function:
1) Desktop dock with external battery charger + one spare battery
I have it beside my bed. At night, my desire functions as a night clock and I have a charged spare battery available all the time!
2) The original HTC Desire car dock
The best car dock I have ever seen in person.
See what I mean? The next phone sould really be a BIG upgrade to make me want to switch...
Honestly I hate that the Desire has so low amount of RAM and disk (NAND) space. And because one core is definitely not enough, it's time to move. Well, not really but ICS will never run on Desire. I know that the devs/modders are trying. But they don't produce a stable ROM - these are good for playing around but you can never expect them to be constantly working. I own my Desire for more than 2 years and I also tried some ROMs
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=hu.copas.android.ProximityService
copas2 said:
Honestly I hate that the Desire has so low amount of RAM and disk (NAND) space. And because one core is definitely not enough, it's time to move. Well, not really but ICS will never run on Desire. I know that the devs/modders are trying. But they don't produce a stable ROM - these are good for playing around but you can never expect them to be constantly working. I own my Desire for more than 2 years and I also tried some ROMs
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do let me know how you like the one s...
Running unrooted stock FH13 I'm getting a high percentage of my battery being used up by Android OS when the phone is idling. From what I've gathered this seems to be a pretty common problem with the two official ICS builds, but I'm wondering if anyone has any solutions that doesn't involve reverting to GB or rooting my device. Better Battery Stats typically tells me that the culprit is a wlan kernal wake lock, and sometimes is deleted wake lock (which if I understand correctly could be the same culprit as the wlan_wake lock). So it would seem that Wi-Fi is what's killing me, but I've not had any better battery life when I run 3g all day either. I did a factory reset after upgrading to FF18, but I didn't do it again after upgrading to FH13. Any suggestions?
Also, does anyone know if FI03 has the same issue?
This is xda, why are you here if you don't want to root your device?
Honestly if you root it and get rid of the stock apps and bloat that runs in the background you will get better battery life. The first thing I do on official ics is delete the Sprint and Samsung apps like Sprint zone, media hub, social hub, and extra widgets like accuweather and dual clock.
There are guides everywhere for battery life improvement. Also turn off wifi when your not using it.
someguyatx said:
This is xda, why are you here if you don't want to root your device?
Honestly if you root it and get rid of the stock apps and bloat that runs in the background you will get better battery life. The first thing I do on official ics is delete the Sprint and Samsung apps like Sprint zone, media hub, social hub, and extra widgets like accuweather and dual clock.
There are guides everywhere for battery life improvement. Also turn off wifi when your not using it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I appreciate the advice. I knew about that option already though. The reason I don't want to root is because aside from this one issue I'm fine with the stock experience, and I honestly just don't have the time to try different builds and tweak things enough to get the most out of a rooted experience. As far as why I'm on xda, there are plenty of unrooted leaks on this forum too so I can't be the only one who doesn't want to root for whatever reason. For general battery improvement, I've looked and I haven't found anything useful aside from either disabling some apps from starting up or accessing the internet at certain times, which would require rooting, or turning off data/wi-fi (which in my opinion defeats many of the purposes of my phone).
I am well aware that turning certain things off or removing certain apps, even those that would require rooting, would help my battery, but my point is that I didn't do any of those things on GB and my battery life was still perfectly fine. My current understanding of the situation is that this is just what the official FH13 ICS rom on the E4GT does and there's nothing I can do about it. I'm hoping I'm wrong and that someone might have some advice, but if that's really the case feel free to confirm my suspicion as well.
Only thing that comes to mind is - after you reset, did you go right back and install all your apps before testing for battery drain?
Did you try turning off auto sync?
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Xparent SkyBlue Tapatalk 2
MoHoGalore said:
Only thing that comes to mind is - after you reset, did you go right back and install all your apps before testing for battery drain?
Did you try turning off auto sync?
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Xparent SkyBlue Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I did just reinstall all of them immediately. I know that it would have been better to put them back on slowly in order to pinpoint an app that may be causing a problem, but that would have taken a lot of time and I didn't think it'd be worth it. Also, right now better battery stats doesn't show any of my apps holding a wake lock for long and I thought it would show up there if it was one of my installed apps causing the problem. Is that not how it works? Because I'm considering factory resetting again when I get the chance, so if it still could be one of my installed apps I might give the gradual app installation a try if I do it.
No I did not turn off auto-sync because being notified automatically about e-mails and such is one of the main reasons I use this phone. I know that it uses more battery when it's on, but I consider it a necessity. However, now that you mention it, I never really did try turning it off just to see how much of a difference it makes. That could be useful diagnostically so I'll probably give that a shot.
Also, on the auto sync note, is there a way for me to change the time interval that the google services wait to check for new notifications? Because I can't find it anywhere and I could have sworn that was an option in GB.
awhitey2291 said:
Yes, I did just reinstall all of them immediately. I know that it would have been better to put them back on slowly in order to pinpoint an app that may be causing a problem, but that would have taken a lot of time and I didn't think it'd be worth it. Also, right now better battery stats doesn't show any of my apps holding a wake lock for long and I thought it would show up there if it was one of my installed apps causing the problem. Is that not how it works? Because I'm considering factory resetting again when I get the chance, so if it still could be one of my installed apps I might give the gradual app installation a try if I do it.
No I did not turn off auto-sync because being notified automatically about e-mails and such is one of the main reasons I use this phone. I know that it uses more battery when it's on, but I consider it a necessity. However, now that you mention it, I never really did try turning it off just to see how much of a difference it makes. That could be useful diagnostically so I'll probably give that a shot.
Also, on the auto sync note, is there a way for me to change the time interval that the google services wait to check for new notifications? Because I can't find it anywhere and I could have sworn that was an option in GB.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Disclaimer: None of the following is meant to be rude -
You're asking for a shotgun approach to a specific issue.
You do realize that the majority of people that your asking love to take things apart to find out what's wrong, right? Its kinds like taking the screwdriver away and asking someone to fix it.
That being said:
Autosync: App dependent. Check each app. If you have outlook, unfortunately its also on the server side for push notifications. If you have outlook, talk to the admin and ask if they left push at the standard default. You can find those settings through technet. I posted on this issue so you should be able to find it in search.
Each app install: Without a logcat at a minimum, or a verbose battery monitor app, that's a needle in a haystack. Either
A: go the "one at a time" method
B: Research each app for same issue
C: You can find similar posts on this issue since its such a popular one and try the various suggestions.
Either way, you're going to spend the same amount of time, or more, hunting this down.
Ooor, since you don't want to root:
You can flash ek02 and let the OTA process take you to el29 and try the no root method of ignoring future updates or hit the ignore button several times a day.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Xparent SkyBlue Tapatalk 2
awhitey2291 said:
I appreciate the advice. I knew about that option already though. The reason I don't want to root is because aside from this one issue I'm fine with the stock experience, and I honestly just don't have the time to try different builds and tweak things enough to get the most out of a rooted experience. As far as why I'm on xda, there are plenty of unrooted leaks on this forum too so I can't be the only one who doesn't want to root for whatever reason. For general battery improvement, I've looked and I haven't found anything useful aside from either disabling some apps from starting up or accessing the internet at certain times, which would require rooting, or turning off data/wi-fi (which in my opinion defeats many of the purposes of my phone).
I am well aware that turning certain things off or removing certain apps, even those that would require rooting, would help my battery, but my point is that I didn't do any of those things on GB and my battery life was still perfectly fine. My current understanding of the situation is that this is just what the official FH13 ICS rom on the E4GT does and there's nothing I can do about it. I'm hoping I'm wrong and that someone might have some advice, but if that's really the case feel free to confirm my suspicion as well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can be stock rooted on the current over the air build if you are happy with touchwiz ics. When I use touchwiz based roms stock rooted is the way I go. You don't need to worry about tweaks or custom kernels if you want to keep it simple. We all started stock rooted, its a little scary at first but its really the way to go if you want the most from your phone. Its one of those things that you kick yourself for not doing sooner when its finally done.
I have been able to surpass my battery life on EL29 GB with various ics roms for months with similar customization done. Bone stock though I think you are right GB is a little better. A new official ICS update should be released soon FI27 though and they only get better. Give it a try stock and really consider rooting. We will help if you need it.
FYI this is a normal days battery for me. I'm currently running an AOSP rom with stock battery
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Ok, I've retired my Gnex after a lot of love. It's currently running PA 3.99. It just couldn't complete with the days and days of battery life of some of the newer models. I'm thinking of putting a barebones build on it, but that seems to be counterintuitive to everything android. Every rom in existence has every feature known to man enabled, and they are all bloated.
Does anyone know of any rom maker that would be interested in taking the PA source, disabling 99.9% of the bloat, and making me a "Wifi streaming / mp3 playing / 4 or 5 days of battery life monster. I'll affectionatly call it "Gym Rom"
I assume that something like 4.2.2 with AK would be a good start, as AK seemed to be the best battery life.
Being that this is going to be a wifi only device, what is the best way to disable LTE/3g? I know it can be done in settings, but is there a rom way to do this?
Other things I'd really love to see rolled into "Gym Rom" -- Nova launcher, MapMyRun, Myfitnesspal, Zombies Run, and Apollo.
last but not least, gapps, but really only the absolute basics -- Play store, so the apps can be installed if needed.
Thoughts?
Uhh... Take a pure AOSP ROM, install AK and your desired apps, and go Airplane Mode? What's the point of having the devs do everything for ya when DIY is a few clicks away?
And to have Play Store you need to sign into Google, which then requires several other apps in the gapps package.
Sent from Samsung Captivate Glide @ CM10.1.2
AndyYan said:
Uhh... Take a pure AOSP ROM, install AK and your desired apps, and go Airplane Mode? What's the point of having the devs do everything for ya when DIY is a few clicks away?
And to have Play Store you need to sign into Google, which then requires several other apps in the gapps package.
Sent from Samsung Captivate Glide @ CM10.1.2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can think of like 6 stock roms out there, that's just off the top of my head. Anyway, don't expect to get 4 days out off a charge on this device. Rom or kernel won't get ya there. Screen is the biggest battery killer, and the hardware has probably half the efficiency of the latest and greatest. S800 pro is double the cores and double the frequency, and uses less battery than this.
You could probably get a days worth of music listening, if the play list is long enough so you don't have to turn the screen on to change tunes
If right now it's a media center only, you'll get more battery life without the radio usage. Please try to test it without the simcard and post your results with an AOSP rom.
Gnex is hardly a media center with its 16gb storage an no sd card slot unless you plan on streaming everything on it.
You want best for WiFi, mp3 playing an good battery life, you should try stock as it has the best battery life compared to any custom rom out there, good luck getting 5 days without charging use out of a gnex even while only just using WiFi an music on it, not even possible with the standard gnex battery.
dude, what you really need is a table like the new nexus 7. Buy the wifi version. Mine lasts about 7,5-8 hours of SOT and about 4-5 days till battery goes to 0%. And that with watching videos, movies, playing music. What you want can be done but no point since gnex is actually a phone and not a media center or a wifi tablet. If you root your nexus 7 tablet and delete some system apps you may get more battery than what I said earlier
I'm just going to wipe and install http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2471380 as it seems to fit my needs the most, then install some root file explorer, and delete the stuff I dont need. I'll try to remember to post back in a few weeks with a battery life update.
Plus, if you want a media center you'll need an extended battery; I'd go for the 2000 one
BTW: What I mentioned on earlier posts was because I'm using my Atrix as a media center and the battery usage reduction after I've not been using the modem on the phone, seem to had a good effect on battery life (I'll try checking on the Gnex, but I'm waiting my 2000MaH batt to come.
I have a 32gb with 2100mAh battery on mine and modded mine to do Qi Charging.
With the radios disabled, I would think you would get quite a few extra hours on it. If you are wanting to convert it into an "iPod Touch" then do just that. PA is fun but I found the best battery using AOKP. I might even attempt to flash MIUI and use it, MIUI has the best Music app IMO. Even the 16gb version is PLENTY of space for tons of MP3s. I have an 8gb iPod Nano and I barely have 4gb on it. It ain't like you can't update the music occasionally. And use Pandora (which is what I mostly do these days).
I would download some sort of Music Player lockscreen (solid black theme) since our AMOLED screens only use power of ON pixels. I would keep the entire theme as black as possible to reduce the screen power consumption. Basically everything would be black and white except the Cover Art.
Also what ever happened to the CM mod that would turn the whole screen into all one shade of 1 color (like green night vision)?
Since you are disabling most of the connections, I would also get a battery saver app that will stop background processes like Google Play and stuff from attempting to fetch updates when on WiFi. I would turn off any type of syncing I could. I would make everything manual, that way you aren't working out, listening to music, and hearing notification tones.
Then I would grab some card games like Uno, Chess, Checkers, Solitare, Word Search, etc for Offline quick plays. Just simple stuff.
Maybe a news agitator that is easy on the pictures or no pictures, just text feeds/articles with a black/white theme so you can manually sync at home before you leave or when you want, and have some good reading on the go.
There are lots of ways to really keep the battery low and use the phone as a media device.
You could also use it in your car with one of those BT Car Computer readers and Torque app. Along with GPS.
Use it as a "Gameboy" by downloading a bunch of emulators on it and either using the onscreen controls or a BT Controller like a Moga.
I literally just did this last week to my retired GNEX. I just put on the newest CyanogenMOD ROM and have in airplane mode with WIFI on, if I tether. Since I don't get WIFI in my gym, and mainly use WIFI when I'm browsing through social media and/or websites while I'm sitting in the sauna, I throw my SG4 into tethering mode and leave in my bag outside of sauna. I used to bring my phone into sauna but i fear the heat is too much.
As far as music, I just load MP3's onto the device like I would with an actual MP3 player. I found this being the easiest way to get music all the time and it saves battery. I've used it at the gym for about a week "5 days" around 2 hours each time, so you figure 10 hours of play back so far. Though I've left my phone on for a total of 1 full day. Sometimes I forget to turn off when I'm down. I haven't charged it yet, I only plugged in to computer right now to take screen shot and transfer.
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I'm looking forward to doing this as well as soon as I get my next phone. I think the Galaxy Nexus can still be a useful phone, even if it is a bit old. Bluetooth can't be used while in airplane mode though, right? Can't one just turn off network radios instead so that bluetooth still works? Would love to be able to use the phone as a media player in the car, connected via bluetooth.
mhtrang said:
Bluetooth can't be used while in airplane mode though, right?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wrong, I just verified myself. So yes you can use Airplane Mode and have fun with WiFi/Bluetooth. Satisfied, no?
Sent from Samsung Galaxy Nexus @ CM10.2
AndyYan said:
Wrong, I just verified myself. So yes you can use Airplane Mode and have fun with WiFi/Bluetooth. Satisfied, no?
Sent from Samsung Galaxy Nexus @ CM10.2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks so much man! I guess I've never had reason to try since I've only put it on airplane mode when I'm on a plane or out of the country.
Build a 4.0.4 AOSP rom yourself and use airplane mode? Maybe a custom kernel and some tweaks (governor tweaking etc.), but than your at the limit of battery efficient. Just don't use a google account or turn all the sync off.
Hi All!
So I'm just about to get this phone after a loooong time with my HTC One m7.
I'm not a massive fan of google as a company and their tracking so for my HTC I did the following:
Rooted, installed cyanogen
Installed minimal gapps package
Installed Greenify to hibernate apps I don't use often
Used Privacy guard to limit permissions for apps
I also disabled google play and all sorts of other things.
Now I'm not expecting to install cyanogen on the 5t but what about all the other stuff? Are there better solutions 4 years later?
Ideally I'd like to get the 5t setup similarly to how I had the HTC.
I'd welcome any thoughts from those who know
Thanks!
SGSII_LEDnotify said:
Now I'm not expecting to install cyanogen on the 5t but what about all the other stuff? Are there better solutions 4 years later?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Because Cyanogen is gone. What was left of it became Lineage OS which is a continuation of Cyanogen, and it has Privacy Guard. Lineage OS for the 5t is currently in beta, but should be working soon.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/oneplus-5t/development/rom-lineageos-15-0-t3721193
Also, with battery optimization built into Android now, you probably don't need Greenify.
With Lineage (or any other custom ROM), you can forego Google apps or do a minimal install. Check out your options here: http://opengapps.org/
the Doctor said:
Also, with battery optimization built into Android now, you probably don't need Greenify.
With Lineage (or any other custom ROM), you can forego Google apps or do a minimal install. Check out your options here: http://opengapps.org/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, so it sounds like it'll be a similar procedure then.
I'm hot on the trail, I found this page detailing how to remove google from a phone:
https://android.gadgethacks.com/how...-google-from-your-android-experience-0162547/
I didn't realize I could essentially get away with not even installing play store and the article shows some replacement apps for the stock things I use most like calendar, calculator, mail etc.
So I need Lineage if I want privacy guard, however I do see the way android handles permissions has changed:
https://www.howtogeek.com/230683/how-to-manage-app-permissions-on-android-6.0/
Just trying to form a plan of action really, for example on my paid apps (swype and nova launcher) can I simply copy across the apks?
I guess more pertinent questions would be:
Do I need Lineage in order to completely remove google from the phone?
Are there equivalents to privacy guard or are the controls in the stock rom enough?
Will Lineage use the OP features like slider control and camera app?
The stock rom seems pretty snappy and optimised for the device, can I get the benefits of Lineage whilst sticking with the original OS?
SGSII_LEDnotify said:
Just trying to form a plan of action really, for example on my paid apps (swype and nova launcher) can I simply copy across the apks?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Paid apps may depend on Google services for verification.
the Doctor said:
Because Cyanogen is gone. What was left of it became Lineage OS which is a continuation of Cyanogen, and it has Privacy Guard. Lineage OS for the 5t is currently in beta, but should be working soon.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/oneplus-5t/development/rom-lineageos-15-0-t3721193
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I didn't think Lineage 15 had Privacy manager in it yet? It is in Lineage 14.1.
As for the OP, as the 5T arrives, you can unlock it, root it, and remove what you don't want. You can disable (or remove) the Google apps, and the OnePlus services, as well as block them from Cell / Wifi connectivity if you wish. You have some of the privacy features that are built into the stock android, but not as fine as the privacy manager that was included in Lineage.
This is why I had hoped Lineage 14.1 would be worked on, it's also the only way we will get an official release right now (Especially with the similarities to the 5 which already has an official release). Unless Lineage 15.1 is close to release? Either way 15.1 is still missing several features from 14.1.
Thanks for this.
i've learnt a bit more since last posting about blobs and shims etc.
What I'm seeing is that there are tradeoffs for ROMs in terms of functionality and features, particularly in relation to the camera.
So like you said, rooting isn't an issue and then I can use titanium to remove google from the phone and replace with alternative apps. This would also give me the chance to access the playstore and copy over my paid apps. I'm not sure how 'completely' I can remove google this way, I assume completely, if there's no account on the phone and no apps then that's it isn't it?
So that looks like plan A for now, although that way I lose the Privacy Guard features I really like.
Plan B would be to go with Lineage to get PG but then I lose the OP camera app. I don't know if you get face unlock, slider control and other handset specific functions with this ROM.
I really like the 'per-permission' approach to Privacy Guard but you seem to lose a lot in the tradeoff.
Thanks again for the input.
SGSII_LEDnotify said:
What I'm seeing is that there are tradeoffs for ROMs in terms of functionality and features, particularly in relation to the camera.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are, but it's getting there. You have to remember it's a new device. The 5T is first device I've bought that did not have official CM / Lineage support (or at least a fully working version) already out at my time of purchase. The only reason I bought it is because I know there will be a version at some point. I bought two 5Ts one for my wife, and one for myself. Mine sat in the box for a few weeks unopened as I really didn't think I would like it without Lineage.
So the Camera, quite frankly Snap in Lineage stinks on all devices. It takes pictures, and functions as a camera, but not a good one. On my Nexus 5X, I have to use a modded Google Camera, on my Wife's and son's old Honor 5X we use Open Camera. Even on the 5T you'll see in some situations some people are getting better pictures out of the modded Google Camera. Even on the OOS, I've been playing around with the Google Camera, and prefer it's pictures in some situations as well. They are still working out some bugs with it, however again a new device, they will get these bugs worked out. We are all still essentially "early adopters".
As for the privacy manager it's gone a little down hill in Lineage. See this Reddit Thread: Link Here.
I posted actual screenshots of the differences here. I posted these in a couple different threads here on XDA, but it didn't go anywhere.
As for what you can do in OOS, it's actually fairly similar to what's now available in Lineage. This is from the 5T in the latest 7.1.1 update:
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Same thing, so I blocked Dolphin from being able to Change system settings:
All those pages are available for system apps as well. So if you want to block Play Services, or the Play store from the Internet you can. First thing I did was remove a lot of the Google apps from the phone, as well as the OnePlus stuff. Most of this stuff, I removed with TitaniumBackup, and I just removed it entirely rather than freezing it.
As for FaceUnlock / Slider control, that stuff I'm sure will get figured out. However, we're still just to close to launch, there will be stuff that won't work. Heck we don't even have a selection of brand name cases to choose from and people are wanting fully functional custom roms... Give it time, it will be sorted out.
Again, all valuable info, thanks.
So eventually everything will be sorted out? Is that a reasonable expectation or will there always be things that are 'compromises'?
I see that OP has no intention of releasing the camera 'blob'. I also saw the chinese ROM comes without gapps, maybe that's available somewhere with a language pack?
It's a world I only briefly dipped my toe into when I first did my HTC to get cyanogen so I don't keep up on all the latest news and developments so any and all advice is greatly appreciated. Bit worrying to see the lack of maintenance on PG in Lineage though, that's a red flag for me, basically PG is the only thing keeping it in the mix. From the videos I've seen custom ROMs are slower than stock too.
SGSII_LEDnotify said:
So eventually everything will be sorted out? Is that a reasonable expectation or will there always be things that are 'compromises'?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think everything will be sorted out. It will take some time. It's still way too close to release date to expect things to be fully ironed out, but things are already moving at a good clip honestly.
SGSII_LEDnotify said:
I see that OP has no intention of releasing the camera 'blob'.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is correct. Unless some mods the camera to work some how in a custom ROM you are out of luck. They already have Google camera partially working, taking better pictures in some instances with OOS and custom ROMs. Yes it still has some issues, like needing a separate app for front and rear cameras. Again it's still early we'll have to give it time. I don't see the OP camera coming to custom ROMs, I see a "third party solution" of some sort being a solution here.
SGSII_LEDnotify said:
I also saw the chinese ROM comes without gapps, maybe that's available somewhere with a language pack?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know... You can pretty much remove what you want from OOS as well as block what you want from connecting to data / wifi this would make me happy enough until Lineage gets up and running. Once Lineage is released, as with all their builds, it will be without Gapps.
SGSII_LEDnotify said:
It's a world I only briefly dipped my toe into when I first did my HTC to get cyanogen so I don't keep up on all the latest news and developments so any and all advice is greatly appreciated. Bit worrying to see the lack of maintenance on PG in Lineage though, that's a red flag for me, basically PG is the only thing keeping it in the mix.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree. To me one of the biggest reasons to run Lineage is the privacy guard. I'm hoping they have just been shifting time and energy to get Lineage 15 ready.
SGSII_LEDnotify said:
From the videos I've seen custom ROMs are slower than stock too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would disagree with this. Custom roms for me have always been faster and had better battery life. Admittedly I typically run custom kernels as well and spend time tweaking things which can impact battery life. I also tend to strip unnecessary things out of the OS as well. It's just like a PC, if you have a bunch of stuff starting up at bootup and running in the background your performance will be slower. I guess everyone's mileage will vary though.
Thanks, like you said, I guess it's still early days but hopefully we'll get some really comprehensive ROMs with good workarounds (like the googlecam app). I appreciate this is a lot of hard work with a lot of trial and error for the devs.
Looks like rooting and 'optimizing' the stock software is plan A for now. I'll investigate replacements for PG, if there are any.
I'm the same, I always tear a windows install apart, disabling services and optimizing the rest of the OS as needed. I was surprised to see the ROMs performing slower than stock (in terms of opening apps at least) but those were the videos I saw. I expect with time everything will fall in to place and patience is the key for now.
I guess I'm just excited to finally get a new phone after 4 and half years
OhioYJ said:
I think everything will be sorted out. It will take some time. It's still way too close to release date to expect things to be fully ironed out, but things are already moving at a good clip honestly.
This is correct. Unless some mods the camera to work some how in a custom ROM you are out of luck. They already have Google camera partially working, taking better pictures in some instances with OOS and custom ROMs. Yes it still has some issues, like needing a separate app for front and rear cameras. Again it's still early we'll have to give it time. I don't see the OP camera coming to custom ROMs, I see a "third party solution" of some sort being a solution here.
I don't know... You can pretty much remove what you want from OOS as well as block what you want from connecting to data / wifi this would make me happy enough until Lineage gets up and running. Once Lineage is released, as with all their builds, it will be without Gapps.
I agree. To me one of the biggest reasons to run Lineage is the privacy guard. I'm hoping they have just been shifting time and energy to get Lineage 15 ready.
I would disagree with this. Custom roms for me have always been faster and had better battery life. Admittedly I typically run custom kernels as well and spend time tweaking things which can impact battery life. I also tend to strip unnecessary things out of the OS as well. It's just like a PC, if you have a bunch of stuff starting up at bootup and running in the background your performance will be slower. I guess everyone's mileage will vary though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Btw, I'd be interested in a heads up on the BIB. Again, it's not a world I'm familiar with so if you could point me towards some knowledge it would be appreciated
OhioYJ said:
I would disagree with this. Custom roms for me have always been faster and had better battery life. Admittedly I typically run custom kernels as well and spend time tweaking things which can impact battery life. I also tend to strip unnecessary things out of the OS as well. It's just like a PC, if you have a bunch of stuff starting up at bootup and running in the background your performance will be slower. I guess everyone's mileage will vary though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
SGSII_LEDnotify said:
Btw, I'd be interested in a heads up on the BIB. Again, it's not a world I'm familiar with so if you could point me towards some knowledge it would be appreciated
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
On most of my current devices I've been using the ElementalX kernel and the EX Kernel Manager. It's what I'm using on my 5T as well, although I'm still tweaking the settings.
This is what I used on my Nexus 5X, Irrelevant for the 5T, but sort of will give you an idea of what I changed, and things I tested?
I know so far on all my devices, including my Nexus 5X (which supported fast charging, OEM charger was a 3 amp charger) my battery always lasted longer on each charge being slow charged (0.35 - 0.5 amp) so this is generally what I charge all my devices at. I haven't even used my "dash charger" yet. Although I guess I should try it for a few cycles and see if the same does apply to this device.
Last device I ever rooted was the op6, I loved rooting the phones to have overall controll,
But is it worth it these days? And If I wore to root I know there's a module you can install to keep gpay and things but what about otas and things, and then re rooting? Is it a hassle just to get that extra bit of functionality? Or is there new great things on magisk manager I don't no about?
Sorry, this p6 pro is my first ever pixel device,
It's abs awesome, besides the FPS lol.
Depends what you do with root. It's essential for me for adblock, titanium backup and device clock synchronization. So for me worth it
Nergal di Cuthah said:
Depends what you do with root. It's essential for me for adblock, titanium backup and device clock synchronization. So for me worth it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
for me titanium backup went to trash so had to use a new solution when i was rooted. So swapped to
[APP][ROOT][5.0+][1st Nov 2020] Migrate - custom ROM migration tool
Jumping from one custom ROM to another can be a challenging task. So I decided to make an app to simplify the process. Introducing Migrate! Migrate-GPE (v4.0) is on Google Play It was temporarily suspended. Read more here...
forum.xda-developers.com
and adblock been working perfectly fine non root via vpn
so until i development kicks in properly im happy where i am
kevinireland11 said:
Is it a hassle just to get that extra bit of functionality?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are gpay and those "secure" apps worth the hassle of lacking that extra bit of functionality?
Srsly, if some app tells me it won't work because my phone is rooted or just won't start because I use an up-to-date LineageOS 18 aka Android 11 instead of a years old Android 6 from the manufacturer, then something is very wrong.
Slainte
PS:
Izy said:
and adblock been working perfectly fine non root via vpn
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope, on 1 of my 3 devices it was causing serious problems: Any app would **** up and do funny things (not starting was the least annoying). The catch was that it was working for some hours after a fresh boot. Once deleted, everything was running smoothly again.
Izy said:
for me titanium backup went to trash so had to use a new solution when i was rooted. So swapped to
[APP][ROOT][5.0+][1st Nov 2020] Migrate - custom ROM migration tool
Jumping from one custom ROM to another can be a challenging task. So I decided to make an app to simplify the process. Introducing Migrate! Migrate-GPE (v4.0) is on Google Play It was temporarily suspended. Read more here...
forum.xda-developers.com
and adblock been working perfectly fine non root via vpn
so until i development kicks in properly im happy where i am
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Adblock chews far more battery then passive ad blocking, like Adaway (root).
Swift backup is the best backup solution bar none.
Viper alone makes rooting worth it.
Being able to modify deep system or root files is essential as it allows you to fix things that Google should have fixed.
When you $1,000 phone, And you don't root it, You're buying/using a phone at like 70 to 80% of its true potential.
Burt Squirtz said:
Adblock chews far more battery then passive ad blocking, like Adaway (root).
Swift backup is the best backup solution bar none.
Viper alone makes rooting worth it.
Being able to modify deep system or root files is essential as it allows you to fix things that Google should have fixed.
When you $1,000 phone, And you don't root it, You're buying/using a phone at like 70 to 80% of its true potential.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
im using adaway vpn and battery drain has been fine
swiftbackup is better now but at the time is had a ton of issues
viper is good yes but only hits true potential with proper profiling for your specific headphones
"Being able to modify deep system or root files is essential as it allows you to fix things that Google should have fixed."
yes but what have you actually fixed deep sytem or root so far, literally theres been nothing done in system so far other than theming atm
When you $1,000 phone, And you don't root it, You're buying/using a phone at like 70 to 80% of its true potential.
we have like 3 PoC kernels and an AOSP rom theres literally none of the true potential unlocked give it literally a a good couple of months when we have actual dedicated roms and kernels developed.
phones been out 3 weeks and you think we are limiting the phones potential by not rooting
also thats a lie potential from from rom/kernel not root just root is required for most custom roms
i've been using custom roms since eclair, the transition to ICS and hardware acceleration was a gamechanger.
before that i was literally using a phone on maemo linux
also playing the google pay game with rooted devices is good fun
From 2010 to now, I have never regretted rooting. After using the horrible software on the Samsung Galaxy Note 10+, I'm glad to be back in Pixel and rooting land again.
roirraW edor ehT said:
From 2010 to now, I have never regretted rooting. After using the horrible software on the Samsung Galaxy Note 10+, I'm glad to be back in Pixel and rooting land again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah if it wasn't for the fact this rom is pretty much debloated as it is and with 12gb of ram and a new cpu
i would consider rooting
but as it is the phones really snappy and reliable, any ui customizations that were similar to goodlock and notistar i have done with fabric overlay
also android 12 is pretty new for everyone including devs so id rather have stability down the line.
give it a good solid few months and we should have some great roms/kernels sorted out
Root vs non-root is totally subjective like battery life.
If a person likes to tinker with cpu, gpu, rootable apps, or mods, or just have the option to do these should they choose to, then yes, root is worth the trouble.
If a person doesn't use root-required apps, or tinker with system settings, or doesn't care about over/under clocking, custom kernel setting, or doesn't have the patience and/or ability to follow root instructions, then it's probably not for that person.
As with anything, update the factory image and re-root a few times, it becomes easier, quicker, and less "scary" for those worried about bricking a $1000 device.
Izy said:
yeah if it wasn't for the fact this rom is pretty much debloated as it is and with 12gb of ram and a new cpu
i would consider rooting
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Debloated? I (still) disabled (hide) 87 APKs on the phone ... but you're absolutely right, there is not much on there that you would call bloatware, just stuff that I simply don't use ... and out of these 87, there are obviously also overlay APKs
pag I already unlocked and put the kernel
Kirisakura And this is the best for me battery and in performance and I put Android 12 kdrag0n
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If you want to adblock without root, then use a private dns server that will do it for you.. doesn'r cause battery drain and the adverts are blocked before they ever get downloaded.
I use nextdns for that,, but there are others
Depends on just how much tinkering you like doing. Easier ad blocking and hotspotting are my main uses, and the process seemed easy enough for me. But if the worry about breaking apps and having to sit by a computer for every update seems annoying, maybe you can skip it.
Take a look through the rooting guides and see if your needs are worth following those steps monthly.
This is quite handy for blocking ads to without installing anything at all, I no it doesn't block ads built into apps but it blocks all and any ads on the web like on Chrome and all other browsers,
And thanks for feedback guys!
I've been rooting and flashing since the OG Droid. I've always said I would never buy a phone I couldn't unlock and root, but Android has evolved to the point where I no longer feel the need. I'm enjoying the fact that everything works and to upgrade all I have to do is tap the install button.
For my usage, root is an XDA life style! Cheers
I've answered this quite a few times. I've been rooting since the Eris days. But the P6P is the now second phone I haven't rooted. I have 3 main reasons for rooting and I've found a way around each one, so I just don't care any more.
1. Backups. I was a TiBu user for years. Recently switched to Swift and both were perfect for what I needed. But now the built-in Google backup gives me everything I need. I made a list of all of my apps that I backed up and as of ~4 months ago, all of them are backed up naturally by Google
2. Custon kernels (big one). You don't need to be rooted to flash a custom kernel. I can flash one of the current kernels as long as they're not a flashable zip. Or I can use @tbalden 's CleanSlate. I've used my own kernels in the past but I haven't been able to get a working img currently.
3. Ad-blocking. I have a pi4 running pihole and wireguard. Furthermore, my pi4 is a client of Mullvad. So, I have dns level ad blocking, secure connection to my home network and obfuscation all on the go. This bypasses the limit of 2 vpns being active because vpn based ad blocking sucks.
I absolutely unlock the bootloader because I want to be in charge of the updates. Never trusted OTA's and absolutely want the ability to recover pretty much no matter what.
It really depends on what you are looking for to get from rooting. I use it to enhance sound with ViperFX, block all ads in apps with AdAway, control permissions of specific apps with Permission Manager X, and System apps remover. Having a rooted device also helps me to use apps like Button Remapper and Hex theme installer without having to use adb or sketchy workarounds. As far as I know you can root your device and keep OTA updates, but don't take my word for it. Although a little hassle can give certain modules that require you to reflash them after such update. Can't really tell you which ones though as it is quite rare.
Overall I'd recommend you to not root your device just yet. You can block ads with private DNS servers or VPNs, which don't require root. It is less effective but good enough.