I have a brand-new LG Optimus G Pro [E980] phone. When I purchased one from ATT, I had gotten a great deal on the other one and decided to keep it in-case anything ever happened to my other one. Well, I ended up giving it to my sister.
I decided to get on someone else's T-Mobile plan, for the cheaper payments. So, as of now, I have a cheap piece-of-**** T-Mobile phone that works horribly and is cracked beyond belief in which I use to text and/or call. Except, I want to use my LG E980.
I tried contacting ATT and getting the unlock code, as well as going into the store and trying to retrieve it. They said it must be done online. When I tried entering in all my information, it says IMEI is not recognized. Which is complete bull****. I even tried the IMEI of the other LG E980 I had given to my sister.
So, with all of that said, I would still like to use my T-Mobile sims card with this phone. I looked at my phones software information, which has never been updated or ANYTHING - because it has never had an ATT sims card inside it to connect to any servers.
I am currently running:
Model number: LG-E980
Android version: 4.1.2
Kernal version: 3.4.0
Software version: E98010k
I had a few questions, and would be ecstatic to hear all of your answers!
1) What is rooting, and what does it do?
2) Why would I want to root my phone?
3) Would it be safer and easier just to purchase a ~$5 unlock code from some website? If so, which one is best and cheapest?
4) How do I "backup" my phone? Like does it save all my apps, pages, settings, everything - like a restore on a computer?
5) If I did decide to root, is there a tutorial for beginners?
6) Which root would be the best recommended one?
7) Will I still be able to use all the features and functions if I root it and/or unlock it with an unlock code? [Internet, texting, SD card, etc.]
8) If I unlock is with an unlock code, will it reset the phone? (like a factory reset)
9) If I root it, will it reset the phone as well? (like a factory reset)
Thank you for all of your help!
hillmankt said:
I have a brand-new LG Optimus G Pro [E980] phone. When I purchased one from ATT, I had gotten a great deal on the other one and decided to keep it in-case anything ever happened to my other one. Well, I ended up giving it to my sister.
I decided to get on someone else's T-Mobile plan, for the cheaper payments. So, as of now, I have a cheap piece-of-**** T-Mobile phone that works horribly and is cracked beyond belief in which I use to text and/or call. Except, I want to use my LG E980.
I tried contacting ATT and getting the unlock code, as well as going into the store and trying to retrieve it. They said it must be done online. When I tried entering in all my information, it says IMEI is not recognized. Which is complete bull****. I even tried the IMEI of the other LG E980 I had given to my sister.
So, with all of that said, I would still like to use my T-Mobile sims card with this phone. I looked at my phones software information, which has never been updated or ANYTHING - because it has never had an ATT sims card inside it to connect to any servers.
I am currently running:
Model number: LG-E980
Android version: 4.1.2
Kernal version: 3.4.0
Software version: E98010k
I had a few questions, and would be ecstatic to hear all of your answers!
1) What is rooting, and what does it do?
2) Why would I want to root my phone?
3) Would it be safer and easier just to purchase a ~$5 unlock code from some website? If so, which one is best and cheapest?
4) How do I "backup" my phone? Like does it save all my apps, pages, settings, everything - like a restore on a computer?
5) If I did decide to root, is there a tutorial for beginners?
6) Which root would be the best recommended one?
7) Will I still be able to use all the features and functions if I root it and/or unlock it with an unlock code? [Internet, texting, SD card, etc.]
8) If I unlock is with an unlock code, will it reset the phone? (like a factory reset)
9) If I root it, will it reset the phone as well? (like a factory reset)
Thank you for all of your help!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rooting_%28Android_OS%29
2. just read that wiki link and you know the answer
3. didn't know cause i'm buying unlocked phone and not living in US
4. instal twrp or cwm and choose backup
5 and 6. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2460859 depend on OS
7. yes
8. same answer like number 3
9. nope
10. good luck
I have seen posts saying others have not been able to use their SD cards?
Also, I can not back up my phone UNLESS it is rooted - so that does me no good?
Next, what root would you all suggest?
Will this allow me to use my T-Mobile sims card in my ATT phone?
hillmankt said:
I have seen posts saying others have not been able to use their SD cards?
Also, I can not back up my phone UNLESS it is rooted - so that does me no good?
Next, what root would you all suggest?
Will this allow me to use my T-Mobile sims card in my ATT phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Rooting will not unlock your phone for use with T-Mobile. The main reasons for rooting are to enable install of a custom recovery for backup and install of custom roms plus certain specialized apps require root.
My best most straightforward advice. Unlock your phone first. I have no experience with unlock services but I'm sure there is feedback on them online via Google.
For the time being stay with the version of Jelly Bean stock that came with the phone. Updating to AT&T's stock Kit Kat brings some complications you don't want to deal with as a novice. Stock Jelly Bean works fine. I have tried several custom ROMs with this phone and all of them have had problems with voice and internet. YMMV.
After you have unlocked the phone download TowelRoot (Google it) and install it like a regular app (you must enable "unknown sources" in the security settings). Simplest way to root.
Download Freegee from Play Store and install TWRP recovery (you must still be on JB for this to work). If you are still on Jelly Bean you should have a choice as to whether or not to back up to an external card. If you have updated to Kit Kat you probably won't be able to use a custom recovery to back up to an external card. The advantage of a "nandroid" backup like the one made with TWRP is that it restores *everything* with one click: the system and all apps with their data. The disadvantage is that generally a nandroid restore is all or nothing and it takes time. To restore apps and data selectively use Titanium Backup (see below).
Now if you are really paranoid about back ups, relax. When you first sign on to your Google account check the option to back up and restore your data. If you didn't do it when you first signed in go into accounts and sync settings and check data. Google does a good job of backing up and restoring all the apps you downloaded from the Play Store but it does not restore settings the way a TWRP backup would.
Eventually you will probably want to buy Titanium Backup Pro if you are concerned about back ups. It does a very good job of backing up apps and data but it does not restore the system. You need root for TB.
All this said, if you really don't want to use AT&T your first priority should be unlocking the phone.
Go to freemyblackberry.com and select other models. LG codes are $2 Canadian. I used them for my wife's GPro. Worked great, quick service.
Just remeber, be sure to write down your unlocking code because each time you do a rom update or factory reset you loose your unlocking number. Many people get phone unlocking and the root mix up. Phone unlock, or the jail break, is to make your phone from accepting only one mobile provider's signal, to be able to pickup signal from any providers that support your phone. Root is basically giving you the super user privilege. Think of it like learning to ride a bicycle. When you first get your phone is like riding with the training wheels on, you're riding the bike, can't go fast but it's safer. Once you root the phone, now is like taking the training wheels off, you can go faster and do much more, but also expose you to much more danger. That's basicly what the root is, you're able to do much more to your phone but with many dangerous consequences, such as 'brick the phone'. If you never heard of that term use before, once you root, you probably will (or hope you never will). But root also allows you to remove all the apps that are just taking up space and slowing down your phone. I've being rooting my Android device since 2011, and rooting had gotten much easier. Now you don't even need to get into the bootloader (another one of those term you'll learn) to root. Like somebody already suggest, get an app call 'towelroot', install and run it, and you probably will get the root access on your phone. Once you get the root, the next thing is to get the recovery, so get an app call 'freegee'. Run it and you will get either cwm or twrp recovery, it doesn't really matter which, flip a coin if you can't decide. Now if you make it this far, you can start to think about what you want to do to your phone, get the custom rom? New themes? Possibilities are endless once your phone is rooted.
marvin02 said:
Go to freemyblackberry.com and select other models. LG codes are $2 Canadian. I used them for my wife's GPro. Worked great, quick service.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1 for this site, it is super fast and I've unlocked 8-9 G2's, E980's and E970's from here.
Related
So, I have been searching a bit on how to root the Nexus 7 2013. The process I have found seems pretty simple, even for me, as someone who never worked with a Nexus device before.
Unlock bootloader, flash recovery and flash the root.
But the first step, unlock bootloader, has a problem: it wipes all the user data (including SD Card data!!). As the tablet isn't mine (but I was asked to root it), I can't simply just clear all of its data and do the whole process. Thinking of that, I googled a bit on how to root without unlocking bootloader, but I have found nothing (all recent Sony phones, with a few tricks and the right tool, can do that) regarding the 2013 model.
I'm not sure if there is actually no way to do that or my search skills suddenly got horribe... So, the thing is: Is there a way to do that? Root without having to unlock bootloader (and, thus, wiping all data)? Or I have to unlock it?
EDIT: I found this Toolkit, but did a search and nothing regarding that in the 22 pages of the thread...
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2389107
Another few questions that I'm lost: I still haven't quite understood why I have to flash the stock ROM back after I do the whole process... So, why?
And, also, what do I lose unlocking bootloader? I mean, the tablet isn't mine (it's from my younger brother), so the easiest, the best, so keeping OTA updates for example are essential. Do I lose it? What else?
It sounds, for me, some silly questions, but I'm still confused... Seems like doing that kind of stuff is easier with my Sony phone. I don't know if it is due me being used to it, but Nexus is sounding to be WAY more hard than everyone keeps saying it is...
Thanks in advance...
Tell them what is going to happen if they want root. Backup as much of their data as you can, then unlock it. You should be able to get most data backed up one way or another.
At the moment you cannot unlock without wiping because the bootloader enforces that. There might be a way to get around that in the future, but not right now.
When you root, use SuperSU v1.55
http://download.chainfire.eu/346/SuperSU/UPDATE-SuperSU-v1.55.zip
Versions prior to that had an issue with preventing OTAs from completing.
1.60 may have some other issues with changes to OTA survival mode.
Not sure where you read you had to flash the stock rom, but it isn't necessary.
You don't really "lose" anything by unlocking it. Someone might bypass your lockscreen to get at your data, but there is a big inconvenience factor leaving it locked (because eventually you'll want it unlocked, at which point it become more painful to backup/restore your data), so you'll have to decide if it is worth the tradeoff.
The issues with stuff not working after unlocking don't have to do with the unlock itself. They have to do with folks rooting and then using their root power to install changes, which then start breaking things.
If you just install SuperSU 1.55 and don't install themes, APM mods, etc. etc. then everything should still work (except apps which specifically won't work, for security reasons, if they detect root)
@sfhub
Thanks for the answers. As I said, I have some Android knowledge, but still got confused with a new "kind" of device. Once again, thanks
I am creating this thread because I have not found another ZACT rooting/flashing thread yet and I am hopping that a dev will pop in and start working on this, or help walk me through what I can do to get the ball rolling. Check out my first thread, The future of phones is coming
I received 2 phones a few weeks ago now. I wasn't thinking and just jumped the gun and updated to 4.3 on one of them (the other is my fiances and have instructed her NOT to do the update). I am unable to cf-auto-root with the sprint s3 method, so no root. I read if I get the recovery.img from the phone I can post in on Chainfire's cf-auto-root page and he can make a cf-auto-root for the zact s3. I can not get a recovery.img to send in because it is my understanding that to adb pull the recovery I need root. cant get root because I dont have a recovery.img?
I spoke with zact team members a few times. I told them I was having issues with 4.3 and wanted to go back to 4.2.2. A few people were helpful at first. Unfortunately, they are so small, I seem to keep running into the same people, and then they stop trying to help. What I have learned is, they "have confirmed with there Team, that if you process the software downgrade, the Zact software will not work on your phone. This is based upon how our software interfaces with the firmware." SO, that being said we would need to find out what software they have installed and have it integrated into any roms made. Does that sound right?
They also WILL NOT share the MSL. Which is another reason I want root. I still plan on cloning the phone as a backup if I have issues with flashing. but without the msl, i cant change the qualcomm settings to connect to dfs/cdma to back clone it.
I am not a developer, I could use some direction. I feel ZACT will start growing once people realize how much you can save compared to a sprint plan. I have noticed that I get better service then a lot of the people I work with. I am on prl version 24017, which I have not seen before either.
devildogwillbur said:
I am creating this thread because I have not found another ZACT rooting/flashing thread yet and I am hopping that a dev will pop in and start working on this, or help walk me through what I can do to get the ball rolling. Check out my first thread, The future of phones is coming
I received 2 phones a few weeks ago now. I wasn't thinking and just jumped the gun and updated to 4.3 on one of them (the other is my fiances and have instructed her NOT to do the update). I am unable to cf-auto-root with the sprint s3 method, so no root. I read if I get the recovery.img from the phone I can post in on Chainfire's cf-auto-root page and he can make a cf-auto-root for the zact s3. I can not get a recovery.img to send in because it is my understanding that to adb pull the recovery I need root. cant get root because I dont have a recovery.img?
I spoke with zact team members a few times. I told them I was having issues with 4.3 and wanted to go back to 4.2.2. A few people were helpful at first. Unfortunately, they are so small, I seem to keep running into the same people, and then they stop trying to help. What I have learned is, they "have confirmed with there Team, that if you process the software downgrade, the Zact software will not work on your phone. This is based upon how our software interfaces with the firmware." SO, that being said we would need to find out what software they have installed and have it integrated into any roms made. Does that sound right?
They also WILL NOT share the MSL. Which is another reason I want root. I still plan on cloning the phone as a backup if I have issues with flashing. but without the msl, i cant change the qualcomm settings to connect to dfs/cdma to back clone it.
I am not a developer, I could use some direction. I feel ZACT will start growing once people realize how much you can save compared to a sprint plan. I have noticed that I get better service then a lot of the people I work with. I am on prl version 24017, which I have not seen before either.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
WARNING!! If you process that downgrade, you will trip KNOX security, then your phone will be bricked. Also, ESN cloning is illegal to talk about on XDA.
sent from my GS3
I will trip knox security? What exactly does Knox do, and what do you mean by that? I though Knox just makes it read 0x1 on the odin screen if you flash now? If thats what you mean, I already did that by flashing cf-auto-root. Its my understanding that the boot loader is the issue when downgrading. but on this site, they say that only at&t users should not try it, and technically this is a sprint phone I believe. Just with added software.
If I am wrong please let me know.
Also, I think you mean that it is not acceptable, not illegal. Illegal would imply I could get arrested for commenting about phone cloning on this site. And although cloning your personal phone for your own uses is not illegal, I will not mention it again on these forums. Thanks for the warnings.
sent from my GS3
Also, I guess I am not necessarily trying to downgrade, just trying to find out what needs to be done so that I can flash or ANYTHING to get away for 4.3 issues. Since the upgrade, my fiance sent me an mms and it has popped up in my messages 5 times, so it looks like she keeps sending it, but I am unable to open it because it wont download.
The more important issue is root. I want to be able to use my root apps to backup, re install my old backups from my last s3, and attempt to get my msl to try and fix the mms issue.
sent from my GS3
Today has been a productive day so far... using Skunk Ape1's root method "[Tutorial] Rooting the Sprint GalaxyS3 the Easy Way" I was able to get twrp recovery installed. (I wasn't able to do this before because prior the only method i knew was to go to goo.manager and that didn't recognize my device) SO, with twrp installed, i flashed the zip file from Skunk Ape1's root method. Following the instructions to the T everything seemed to work fine. After reboot, I had a knox message popped up, saying "SECURITY NOTICE: Unauthorized access to a secured area has..." I relive that root has been installed but knox is keeping locked up still. I am going to look for this mysterious "Knox remover script" that you will see in the first post on that page, then I will attempt root again.
I have officially given up on root currently. I have tried every root method I can find, my flash counter is somewhere around 13. I was able to use the knox removal script from here If anyone has suggestions for root, I am open to ideas. Thanks.
Finally did it
So, today i was just realizing the lack of space i had on my phone from downloading stuff and photos so i wanted to clean it up. I moved all the important stuff off, and though it would be a good time to factory reset and just have a clean new phone to start over again. ( I missed flashing and this was the closest thing I had) So, during the process of factory resting i wanted to clean everything so i click data, cach, internal external.. system.. yeah well bad idea. my phone rebooted and go stuck on the boot. So i restarted in recovery and reset again and this time is warned me that there was no OS installed... F*ck... Zact customer service wont give me the "custom software" that they installed so im screwed.
After hours of thinking and trying to do stupid odd ball things that i knew wouldnt work. I downloaded a sprint stock 4.3 tar file and odined to my phone. started up fine. works great. so... what zact said about flashing roms bricking this phone was BS.. the only custom thing i have seen was in the zact mobile app that came installed had some extra features used to send usage info and reboot stuff for zact troubleshooting. so with stock sprint rom, and zact mobile app im back to my phone working. AND with that, im going to move on to the rooting, and flashing of this piece of crap. Ill be back with more details later.
I have installed CyanogenMod with full root!!!
well first off, i had the CMinstaller set up but it did not recognize my device so after a while i decided to attempt to cf_auto_root, which seemed to work but failed root checker. I wanted to try another method. I had CMinstaller still up* I was attempting THIS method to root. I was using philz_touch_6.15.4-d2spr.tar.md5 that I flashed using Odin 3.07 (that I have had for a long time on my pc. so google that one)https://www.google.com/search?q=odin+3.07&oq=odin+3.07&aqs=chrome..69i57.3464j0j1&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8 After i installed Philz touch, i noticed CMinstaller noticed my phone and started downloading system files. I continued what i was doing with the root method and installed DE-SAMSUNGNIZER_KNOX_REMOVAL_SCRIPT_V1.0 and UPDATE-SuperSU-v1.93 just as CMinstaller finished its download, so i said what the hey, and clicked install. next thing i knew i was running cyanogenmod with full root!!! please someone else verify this and let me know if you get it going too.
Deleted
Stock 4.3 with root
so yeah, just for to check i flashed back to stock 4.3 (not sure who uploaded it but it works) It does have knox so be warned. I then followed the root method in my previous post and it worked fine. i have stock with root. If someone can try it without using that tar file, let me know. Cant really go back once you do it so i cant try the root method with the zact "custom software" myself. Let me know what you find out. Hope this helps someone.
Thanks
Thanks for posting your struggles and successes. With Zact shutting down I was curious about what I could do with my kids' S3s if I don't like the Sprint plan that they are rolling us into. I may be trying this in a couple weeks...
Zact to Ting
Barnsie said:
Thanks for posting your struggles and successes. With Zact shutting down I was curious about what I could do with my kids' S3s if I don't like the Sprint plan that they are rolling us into. I may be trying this in a couple weeks...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What I would do and have done for my fiance and myself, get on Zact.com live chat ask them to Deactivate your phones. and give them the DEC on the back of the phones. It takes about one min for it to complete per phone. Then go on over to Ting.com and start up a new account with them using your old zact phone. Ting also lists the MSL that i struggled so much trying to get. I would recommend flashing a stock rooted rom debloated, to get all that ZACT crap off your phones. and start out fresh.
Hi everyone. Happy New Year.
Today morning, I told my wife she can't unlock my phone, and so she tries unlocking the pattern many times, and then all of sudden the phone auto factory reset.
I have a unrooted verizon VS98535B LG G3 phone.
I managed to recover the sd card files through my pc, but i can't recover the one in the droid phone. Tried many software and they can't seem to detect the phone. I think it must be because there isn't a drive letter in the PC for it to read.
So, i have a couple of questions before i root.
1. What software should i use to root once to recover files and then unroot it?
2. The reason i would want it unroot is so that i could receive the OTA updates later on.
3. I would also want to sell my phone in the future.
4. What recover software works best for internal memory too?
Thanks!
AT
AmazingTrans said:
Hi everyone. Happy New Year.
Today morning, I told my wife she can't unlock my phone, and so she tries unlocking the pattern many times, and then all of sudden the phone auto factory reset.
I have a unrooted verizon VS98535B LG G3 phone.
I managed to recover the sd card files through my pc, but i can't recover the one in the droid phone. Tried many software and they can't seem to detect the phone. I think it must be because there isn't a drive letter in the PC for it to read.
So, i have a couple of questions before i root.
1. What software should i use to root once to recover files and then unroot it?
2. The reason i would want it unroot is so that i could receive the OTA updates later on.
3. I would also want to sell my phone in the future.
4. What recover software works best for internal memory too?
Thanks!
AT
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tried stump & towelroot, it did not work for me. Am going to try ioroot next. Cross finger.
It seems that ioroot cannot find matching phone model.
and when it goes into the stock recovery mode, there's a sleeping android with exclamation mark saying no command.
Tried LG One Click Root, and it got stuck at 90% with my phone showing 0%. Sigh.
IORoot Issues
VS 985 4G
VZW
VS98535B
lge/g3_vzw/g3:5.1.1/LMY47V/1525410464a1b:user/release-keys
along with current firmware version.
any ideas ?
My sister has pretty uncommon G4s variant known as H736. It comes preinstalled with Marshmallow.
She asked me to root it, so she could move apps to SD card. I never rooted any LG, but I tried.
First, I checked for bootloader unlock on LG website. If it would give me fastboot code, that would be 5 minutes of work. But it's unsupported... So I need to work with locked bootloader.
Second, I looked around XDA and found root method for H735 (https://forum.xda-developers.com/g4/general/lg-g4s-world-root-lg-devices-t3231759). Because it's almost identical with H736, I tried it. But it didn't work - I did read that it's only compatible with Android 5.1.1 and is broken after upgrade to 6. But H736 comes with 6 preinstalled so... I'm just afraid of installing software from one phone onto another.
Third thing I tried - low effort root (https://forum.xda-developers.com/g4...t-tmo-vzw-intl-variants-soon-root-lg-t3164765). After reflashing rooted system, phone was stuck on LG logo and red LED turned on. Nothing happened in few hours, so I reflashed original system.
I also tried flashing Magisk-patched boot, but it ended the same way.
So is there any way to root this phone? Maybe some exploit, or some way to workaround my issues with low effort root? I don't want to mess with King/Kingo thingies, cause it's known to steal things like IMEI...
I used to be more active on these forums before I got my oneplus 5T and one of the biggest reasons was I wanted a clean fast OS without all the bloatware that many other manufacturers put on their phones. I tried a search but I did not find what I was looking for, so I apologize in advance if this is already covered in another thread.
Anyway, I picked up a 5T about a year ago while visiting family in Europe. (I'm the 2nd owner to the phone) I never bothered to install TWRP or anything else bcs the phone was running really well with stock. All OTA updates have been installing whenever they were released.
Now to my question. While trying to install workspace one app from playstore (my company requires it) the app won't install bcs it claims my phone is rooted. That is the only app that I have ever had any issues with.
I ran root check witch states "sorry! Root access is not properly installed on this device"
How do I unroot my phone if it's really rooted? Or lock the bootloader? maybe that's the same? TWRP is not installed, when I boot into recovery I get into oneplus stock recovery software.
Hi, unfortunately I can't tell you right off if your phone is rooted. If root checker is saying no, then maybe you aren't, but still check if you have magisk or some other root solution app installed. When you got it from someone, they also could have flashed ROMs etc and when they returned it to stock for resale, they night have missed something like relocking bootloader, even if they did re install stock recovery. If I were in your shoes though, I would reboot to bootloader and check if it's unlocked or not. If it is, it's a simple "fastboot oem lock" from terminal. If that's not the case or solution, I dunno what to say. One thing that I would do if I were desparate is to try to take a backup of all the music/pics/texts/whatever other essential bits of data. Then I would reinstall stock recovery, as well as the latest official (not beta) Oxygen OS from oneplus's page. You can find it under the support tab and then software upgrade, then choose the device. Not only that but maybe completely nuke it, as in format, wipe, etc. And lock the bootloader and also let it get encrypted and stuff.. in other words, restore to as stock as possible. Then once you are done you can test. If this fails and bricks, there's a unbrick guide somewhere here for our phone, and also the backup is there for you. If you successfully restore to stock and this does not work, then maybe it is just the app that has a problem with not super stock Android (OOS). I must warn you that this process is risky and I am in no way gonna be responsible for lost data, because I did say make a backup and also it is up to you to do this. I hope this helps a bit, and if you aren't super familiar with the process it may take a while, around an hour if you do not run into any hitches and your download speed is good enough.