Choppy UI on Nougat stock - Moto Z Play Questions & Answers

Hey, guyz, got a MZP a few days back, was tired of flashing new builds every other few days, was hoping to get the stock vanilla goodness of pure android.
Coming from AOSP based rom from Xiaomi redmi note 3 is a severe disappointment in terms of smoothness.
Nitrogen rom on RMN3 Snapdragon was extremely smooth and snappy, stayed so even after hundreds of apps installed.
Now, firefox and chrome scroll is laggy and choppy. ( comparing to RMN3 on NItrogen)
if there are some notifications, pulling the curtain with quick access icons is choppy like hell.
Snap650 vs 625 doesnt hold much of a difference...
Didn't`t we get "project butter" a few years back on android ?
I am on latest Nougat, still waiting for a amazon to deliver a type-x cable (bough phone used - seller did not include the cable,so can`t root and see kernel settings.
However a lot of ppl have no idea what root is, so their $350 device performs worse then a $150 Chinese phone ? So they have no other options jut to tolerate.
I hope custom kernels&roms will resolve it, but in the meantime, is it supposed to be so on stock ?
Pretty far away from spotless to say the least.

it seems that forcing GPU to render and re-enabling animation (.5)has made it a little more tolerable...

karmacoma7 said:
it seems that forcing GPU to render and re-enabling animation (.5)has made it a little more tolerable...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But will drain more battery!
---------- Post added at 09:39 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:37 AM ----------
I'm not facing any lag while scrolling in chrome browser.

Do a factory reset. Usually solves those problems after updating.

Related

[Q] Do you think that Project Butter in JB will make the phone feel more snappy?

A problem I always had with the Xperia S is that the whole thing feels extremely choppy and clunky. I have extremely low tolerance for choppyness, and this phone has always felt really clunky for me, it's hard to pretend the choppyness isn't there. There is nothing that makes me feel good about a device than silky smoothness, and even though the phone is still very fast and reactive, the slow framerate and microstutters are extremely noticeable, especially if you ever used a smooth device before (such as my good old Xperia Ray on gingerbread which was smooth like an iPhone, and when I upgraded it to ICS I couldn't stand it anymore because it became horrendously stuttery).
I was wondering, since Project Butter promises fully accelerated UI and elimination of the persistent lag that all android phones have, do you think this will finally resolve the slugginess of this phone's stock rom?
Is PB an OS features that all phones running JB have, or do the developers (in this case Sony's) have to implement it on their own?
Also, regarding the current stock ICS, there is nothing that helped with the constant lag and choppyness in the UI, the only thing that DOES make a difference is enabling "force GPU rendering", it's found under "developer options" and disabled by default. Once you enable it, scrolling lists (such as the settings menu) will become silky smooth (you have to go back to home and then back to settings menu to notice the difference). With this disabled, scrolling every list menu is embarassingly choppy. It doesn't cause any battery drain so I recommend everyone to enable it if you haven't already.
I seriously hope JB will resolve the constant choppyness of this phone's UI.
MarkMRL said:
A problem I always had with the Xperia S is that the whole thing feels extremely choppy and clunky. I have extremely low tolerance for choppyness, and this phone has always felt really clunky for me, it's hard to pretend the choppyness isn't there. There is nothing that makes me feel good about a device than silky smoothness, and even though the phone is still very fast and reactive, the slow framerate and microstutters are extremely noticeable, especially if you ever used a smooth device before (such as my good old Xperia Ray on gingerbread which was smooth like an iPhone, and when I upgraded it to ICS I couldn't stand it anymore because it became horrendously stuttery).
I was wondering, since Project Butter promises fully accelerated UI and elimination of the persistent lag that all android phones have, do you think this will finally resolve the slugginess of this phone's stock rom?
Is PB an OS features that all phones running JB have, or do the developers (in this case Sony's) have to implement it on their own?
Also, regarding the current stock ICS, there is nothing that helped with the constant lag and choppyness in the UI, the only thing that DOES make a difference is enabling "force GPU rendering", it's found under "developer options" and disabled by default. Once you enable it, scrolling lists (such as the settings menu) will become silky smooth (you have to go back to home and then back to settings menu to notice the difference). With this disabled, scrolling every list menu is embarassingly choppy. It doesn't cause any battery drain so I recommend everyone to enable it if you haven't already.
I seriously hope JB will resolve the constant choppyness of this phone's UI.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you're really curious you could flash the test version DoomlorD posted. There's also this video on Youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNLODO3YOnA
Looks like it is more fluent, as was expected, but ofcourse that's a nearly empty firmware. Some 3rd party apps can make your phone a lot slower, even when they're supposedly not running. A clean installation of ICS is also quite fluent compared to the lags I've had caused by some apps before I removed or restricted them.
Redstarr1 said:
If you're really curious you could flash the test version DoomlorD posted. There's also this video on Youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNLODO3YOnA
Looks like it is more fluent, as was expected, but ofcourse that's a nearly empty firmware. Some 3rd party apps can make your phone a lot slower, even when they're supposedly not running. A clean installation of ICS is also quite fluent compared to the lags I've had caused by some apps before I removed or restricted them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can't flash it because I'm not unlocking my BL. Also, which apps do you think are the most resource hungry? I already disabled facebook and all social network related stuff, most services like sony select, etc. No difference at all.
My Xperia S and my Nexus 4 feel as smooth as each other using go launcher and obviously one has project butter and one doesn't
A simple solution would be to set a background process limit to 3 or less (developer options-resets on reboot so take care of that)
Also decrease the transition and animation from 1 to .5(dev options again)
If u are rooted(which am expecting u are)
Use romtoolbox or any utility capable of profiling ur cpu...set two profiles..screen off->governer-ondemand-low frequency(will save battery)
And one as screen on->governer-performance-max frequency(reduce ur lag)
If u have too many apps..use greenify or some app with same functionality
These basic settings have kept my ion lagfree all the while
Sent from my Xperia ion
Hit a thanks when someone helps
for what it's worth, i just came to the xperia S from the original galaxy S. i was running JB on that, which has nowhere near the specs of the xperia S, and JB was smooth as silk there, so it does seem to make a noticeable difference. moreso on 4.2 than 4.1, however.
unfortunately i've been hit with the bootloader unlock = no , so the wait for jb again begins..
MarkMRL said:
I can't flash it because I'm not unlocking my BL. Also, which apps do you think are the most resource hungry? I already disabled facebook and all social network related stuff, most services like sony select, etc. No difference at all.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's why I posted the link to the Youtube video so you could get a glimpse that way .
I'd also disable Google+ and Google Talk if you're not using those. And some apps that you installed yourself from the Play Store can make your phone sluggish as well. I used Greenify to force my games and some apps to hibernate (Angry Birds, Dropbox, Google Drive etc), saved over 100mb in available memory. That has made my phone a lot less laggy. I usually don't encourage using app killers but Greenify is doing a good job with no errors for the past 3 days.
absolutely yes
jb leaked is the smoothest thing i have ever seen

Hype, Forget, Stay...

...when it should be something like Hype, Compare, Choose.
I'm just posting this because it's crazy how we become kind of addicts to the cutting edge versions of Android, no matter how it really works on our device, it is just awesome because it works, on our beloved 3 years old nexus.
I'm the kind of guy who really search for smoothness, all around the system. I just can't stand a frame drop. It's kind of creepy. No, seriously, I look for details, and there's some things in KitKat I don't like. But all that said, and as I once read, if your eyes see at 15 fps it's not my fault lol. So, here they are:
- Notifications panel / Quick settings animation. Yes, guess what, the frame drop here is aweful. It stutters like hell. Just do it, expand the status bar and hit the tile many times, that's not smooth at all.
- RAM usage. They can say KK is optimized and bla bla, but real thing is that there's less free RAM than JB. It's a fact. You can go all the way of how Android manage memory and stuff, well, I rather more free RAM.
- Home button responsiveness. It just lags. Test it, open an app, something heavy e.g. Facebook app, and press home button. Now do the same but use back button. Give it a few tries if you didn't notice the difference at the first time.
- High battery drain.
There are some other things but you get the point. I felt less responsiveness in general, when multitasking, etc. So I decided to go back to Android 4.3.1 JB, CM 10.2.1 in my particular case. Oh yes, this feels awesome. Notifications panel / Quick settings animation is fully smooth, I've more free ram, Home button reaction is fast again, multitasking is great. I also realized that I missed the Vanilla ui. This is definitely where I'm staying.
So my conclusion is, you can follow the hype but don't stay just with the new things, make your own judgement, compare and choose what's your most suitable rom/android version out there
NOTES:
- I've been watching a lot of YouTube videos looking for this issues I've mentioned, so I discard problems with my Maguro in particular.
- I'm comparing both Android versions with the same apps (around 140 total apps), so there's no factory reset placebo effect.
- They're all present on different roms i.e CM, PA, and some others, so its KK related I guess.
- A particular thing about CM 10.2.1 is that it cames with a modified phase beam live wallpaper that slows down the launcher/system, don't get wrong this first bad impression , try another live wallpaper and you'll see how smooth is it. It runs great, using live or static wallpapers. What I did was delete the phasebeam.apk and push the stock 4.3 phasebeam.apk, that works good :good:.
- Hey! There's some good KK themes for old Theme Chooser if you want the KK look.
Anyway, here's another reason to not to ask what's the best rom for my GN.
This is just my personal opinion.
Hope you've enjoyed the post, and go try yourself!
Kustaa said:
...when it should be something like Hype, Compare, Choose.
I'm just posting this because it's crazy how we become kind of addicts to the cutting edge versions of Android, no matter how it really works on our device, it is just awesome because it works, on our beloved 3 years old nexus.
I'm the kind of guy who really search for smoothness, all around the system. I just can't stand a frame drop. It's kind of creepy. No, seriously, I look for details, and there's some things in KitKat I don't like. But all that said, and as I once read, if your eyes see at 15 fps it's not my fault lol. So, here they are:
- Notifications panel / Quick settings animation. Yes, guess what, the frame drop here is aweful. It stutters like hell. Just do it, expand the status bar and hit the tile many times, that's not smooth at all.
- RAM usage. They can say KK is optimized and bla bla, but real thing is that there's less free RAM than JB. It's a fact. You can go all the way of how Android manage memory and stuff, well, I rather more free RAM.
- Home button responsiveness. It just lags. Test it, open an app, something heavy e.g. Facebook app, and press home button. Now do the same but use back button. Give it a few tries if you didn't notice the difference at the first time.
- High battery drain.
There are some other things but you get the point. I felt less responsiveness in general, when multitasking, etc. So I decided to go back to Android 4.3.1 JB, CM 10.2.1 in my particular case. Oh yes, this feels awesome. Notifications panel / Quick settings animation is fully smooth, I've more free ram, Home button reaction is fast again, multitasking is great. I also realized that I missed the Vanilla ui. This is definitely where I'm staying.
So my conclusion is, you can follow the hype but don't stay just with the new things, make your own judgement, compare and choose what's your most suitable rom/android version out there
NOTES:
- I've been watching a lot of YouTube videos looking for this issues I've mentioned, so I discard problems with my Maguro in particular.
- I'm comparing both Android versions with the same apps (around 140 total apps), so there's no factory reset placebo effect.
- They're all present on different roms i.e CM, PA, and some others, so its KK related I guess.
- A particular thing about CM 10.2.1 is that it cames with a modified phase beam live wallpaper that slows down the launcher/system, don't get wrong this first bad impression , try another live wallpaper and you'll see how smooth is it. It runs great, using live or static wallpapers. What I did was delete the phasebeam.apk and push the stock 4.3 phasebeam.apk, that works good :good:.
- Hey! There's some good KK themes for old Theme Chooser if you want the KK look.
Anyway, here's another reason to not to ask what's the best rom for my GN.
This is just my personal opinion.
Hope you've enjoyed the post, and go try yourself!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with the problems you mentioned and i do want speed, stability and smoothness.
I noticed those things when i first upgraded to KK.
To overcome those challenges, i tried all the roms (CM Remix, Cm11, PA, Omni, Omni FML, geyers, AOKP, etc..) with stock kernels and then with DIRTY V and Fancy.
More ram is available with dirty v, fancy and stock PA kernel.
Afterall, i choose my personal set up which is smooth and stable for my device. i am satisfied with it now.
With Android you always have a choice of tweaking, upgrading or downgrading from JB > KK. so choose whats best for you :good:
Even I've been thinking of try CM 10 for a while but I just can't leave KitKat. For me, latest Android version is important but this lag makes me feel bad. So I try to manage the performance using better kernel and not using apps like Facebook but it isn't enough. There is still lag in some or the other screen.
I bought Galaxy Nexus in last 9 months only so I couldn't use Android 4.3 roms much and thus I don't have much info about them. What do you think, should I give it a try? Also, which rom would you recommend?
Thanks.
hemantv said:
Even I've been thinking of try CM 10 for a while but I just can't leave KitKat. For me, latest Android version is important but this lag makes me feel bad. So I try to manage the performance using better kernel and not using apps like Facebook but it isn't enough. There is still lag in some or the other screen.
I bought Galaxy Nexus in last 9 months only so I couldn't use Android 4.3 roms much and thus I don't have much info about them. What do you think, should I give it a try? Also, which rom would you recommend?
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As I said, you'll have to try my friend
If you want my opinion, CM 10.2.1 Stable is awesome. Rock solid. You should make a nandroid backup of your current rom and go try some 4.3 stuff! In worst scenario you'll be restoring the nandroid and that's it!
hemantv said:
Even I've been thinking of try CM 10 for a while but I just can't leave KitKat. For me, latest Android version is important but this lag makes me feel bad. So I try to manage the performance using better kernel and not using apps like Facebook but it isn't enough. There is still lag in some or the other screen.
I bought Galaxy Nexus in last 9 months only so I couldn't use Android 4.3 roms much and thus I don't have much info about them. What do you think, should I give it a try? Also, which rom would you recommend?
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
try the paranoid 3.99 based on 4.3
I remember it was really smooth
Kustaa said:
As I said, you'll have to try my friend
If you want my opinion, CM 10.2.1 Stable is awesome. Rock solid. You should make a nandroid backup of your current rom and go try some 4.3 stuff! In worst scenario you'll be restoring the nandroid and that's it!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with you on everything you said. I think I even went back to CM 10.X (not sure the exact one), but it was much better than anything I had before. I am on PA 4.44 and my data loses connection often and not sure why. The version of CM though, I would put it on airplane mode and my battery would still be drained the next day when other versions I didn't have that issue. That's one reason I went to another ROM, but it appears I am just going through ROMS like crazy trying to find the one I like most. To me...battery life is the most important.
decisions.
when i stopped using google framework with all those apps you dont have to use...
i found my battery lasting much longer
setting my kernel to lazy...while turning up voltage and over hertz. gives it enough speed...with enough "crash"
to stay up for 3 to 4 days, just sitting there
and 1 to 2 while in normal use.
and using up my data....well no one is going to get much up time like that

Tab S 10.5 lag

I've had the Tab S 10.5 for about a month now and the lag while using everyday apps is driving me crazy. My top three offenders are:
1. Chrome
2. Play Newsstand
3. Play Store
I've done the following to help improve things:
- Changed launcher to Nova.
- Disabled bloatware (everything I can without rooting).
- Installed Chrome Samsung support library.
3D heavy games seem to run fine. My last tablet was a HP touchpad running CM11 so I am used to dealing with a few quirks. I stepped up to the Tab S to get away from some of that though. I know Android is infamous for scroll stutter, but it seems to me that a flagship tablet should easily beat out a bootleg touchpad.
Is this on par? Also, does anyone else's tab s get really hot around the touch screen near the Samsung logo? Maybe the Nexus 9 is worth another look. :silly:
Thanks for your comments.
Edit: I've read similar posts on lag. It seems like the argument boils down to: 1. Personal perception or 2. A mysterious "bad batch" of hardware.
i did the same steps,my tab is full of apps and games but i have 0 lag and the browsing is also fcking smooth. In the settings i also turned of features like dual window.
Are you sure you turned off fully power saving mode? About heating,if i play a game like gta or hearthstone i can also feel a warm area under samsung logo but is not hot and pretty common if you play games.
edith and use chrome beta instead of the standard chrome
Chrome lags on the tab s. Happens to most people. To fix over heating i installed a custom kernel that would optimise and prevent heating. Some big games do lag aswell.
thomasovics said:
i did the same steps,my tab is full of apps and games but i have 0 lag and the browsing is also fcking smooth. In the settings i also turned of features like dual window.
Are you sure you turned off fully power saving mode? About heating,if i play a game like gta or hearthstone i can also feel a warm area under samsung logo but is not hot and pretty common if you play games.
edith and use chrome beta instead of the standard chrome
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am already using chrome beta. The stock broswer is smoother.
can you upload a video to see the lag we are talking about?
I want to buy this tablet, and Ive read many posts about lag... but actually, is it very annoying? is there any video to see it?
Latiosman said:
can you upload a video to see the lag we are talking about?
I want to buy this tablet, and Ive read many posts about lag... but actually, is it very annoying? is there any video to see it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Only on certain apps. Chrome and a few others. On some games it just lags on loading screen but not during gameplay. Watch a veiw reviews on youtube. Theres some videos talking about the lag. Touchwiz launcher also has lag but can be fixed.
Latiosman said:
can you upload a video to see the lag we are talking about?
I want to buy this tablet, and Ive read many posts about lag... but actually, is it very annoying? is there any video to see it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think it depends on your perception of lag and what apps you mainly use. In my case, Chrome and Newsstand are always up so I see the lag constantly. I wish I had a Nexus 9 side by side for comparison. If I get a chance I'll take a video, but it might be hard to see. I played with a demo model at Best Buy and it seemed faster than mine as well.
I came from a iPad mini 2 (last year's model) to this tablet. As smooth as my iPad was I have to say I have very little if any lag on mine. It's runs beautifully for me. I'm OCD, any bit of lag would drive me up the wall. I really don't notice hardly anything. I'm still running bone stock everything minus using Nova launcher. Don't even feel like I need to root or flash anything. Although I'm going to once there is a root released for my model. Maybe I'm just lucky I don't know. Have had zero issues.
I'm used to an overloaded gs3 so this looks ultra smooth to me [emoji3]
It lags more with multiple user logged in, always reboot of you don't need the additional user
Ripx88 said:
I came from a iPad mini 2 (last year's model) to this tablet. As smooth as my iPad was I have to say I have very little if any lag on mine. It's runs beautifully for me. I'm OCD, any bit of lag would drive me up the wall. I really don't notice hardly anything. I'm still running bone stock everything minus using Nova launcher. Don't even feel like I need to root or flash anything. Although I'm going to once there is a root released for my model. Maybe I'm just lucky I don't know. Have had zero issues.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For example, this thread's website lags a great deal in chrome beta when scrolling. Other sites aren't too bad. Newsstand is the worst though. Are you using the stock broswer?
This site does lag a little when scrolling. That I do have to admit. For whatever reason it doesn't really bother me however. I've never noticed any scroll stutter on stock android so I attribute it to touchwiz. This thing debloated or running a custom rom probably flys. I imagine any scroll stutter would be gone at that point.
I use the stock browser. I was never a fan of chrome. I know that on touchwiz your going to get the best performance from the stock browser unless there's a fix I'm unaware of which could be a possibility. Newsstand I actually haven't used so I can't speak for it. TouchWiz is just eating up so much ram. I'm like always at 1.5 to 2 gigs of ram with nothing running (other then the tons of unnecessary system apps I can't terminate) That is pretty ridiculous to me. Is touchwiz smooth as stock android? Definitely not. But I really have little to no lag other then scroll stutter on certain sites. I'm still going to root and debloat this thing when it's available for my model so I can truly experience the power of this tablet.
Lol, chrome sucks
It's about time Samsung optimised their flagship device. Had 3 since July and they all lag, stutter when scrolling and render pics poorly. Nova didnt fix the problems and changing some apps like using chrome beta marginally helped.
About time they fixed this via an update rather than just forget about the device and launch more/different models. Samsung will always fail unless it focuses on a core product set and spend the time making the hardware work properly with the software.
I was attacked when I first got my first device for stating lag. Whether an first time user or someone who doesn't want to root (glad I didn't after having 3 replacements), I shouldn't have to kill apps, install different roms and root.
Certain other OS fix problems like these quickly. Where's support from Samsung??
I have the note 4, their es8000 led TV, fridge freezer and various other bits so I'm not a Samsung hater by any means, just someone who expects upgrades to fix problems.
It's hard to determine how much lag is there until you run the same apps side by side with another tablet.
Over Xmas I got a chance to do just that. Ran S 10.5 side by side with my sister's nexus 7 2013. Both running kit kat (hers is 4.4.3 instead of 4.4.2).
Play Store and chrome both run smoother on hers, less jerking and stopping when scrolling. Tapatalk about same. She has Google now launcher, feels faster and smoother than nova launcher on mine. Overall, every thing just feels a little smoother and more fluid.
Granted, the nexus is 1920x1200 so it's pushing fewer pixels around, but the nexus is one year older and I paid $179 for it vs $379 for the S.
I think Samsung slapped on the OLED display and said heh, good enough. Which is true because I bought it
Custom Rom?
I made a rom that is all stock, just a few optimisations. Better performance, better batterylife and so on, here you go:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-tab-s/development/prerooted-stock-touchwiz-rom-t2973107
I'd use only stock browser, if it had a full screen option and some gestures, but nope.
My alternative browser is maxthon pioneer, it has everything but stutters a lot
I've had my S 10 since August....I don't like chrome, never have, but after reading all this I opened chrome and came to this forum and I see no issues at all. NONE, other than I don't like chrome
I'm stock not rooted or ROMed. I have Apex launcher installed since day one and disabled all the Samsung and google bloat I could disable.
I have no issues with this tablet other than posting on some forums is a little quirky but that's just the way things are. I normally use Dolphin with the Jetpack or Boat Browser for tablet.
I love this tablet! Sure beats the stuffing out of my Asus TF700T! What a total POC that is!
Joker87 said:
I'd use only stock browser, if it had a full screen option and some gestures, but nope.
My alternative browser is maxthon pioneer, it has everything but stutters a lot
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just throw in a wipe cache once every few days, and stock browser experience is very smooth, even with the second account logged on, with Facebook, dropbox, carousel and plenty other services in background
Don't worry about the Lag
This lag on Tab S is only temporarily, the Android 5.0 will get rid of 90% of the lag. I know this for fact because I have Note 3 with Touch-wiz it lags often, after installing Android 5.0 I have NOT ONCE run into lag after 1 month of using it.
As of now, the Tab S is supporting android 5.0 cm 12 which there should definitely be no lag but again its unofficial ROM as of now, there are still things they are working on. Samsung's android 5.0 will get rid significant amount of lag, because Android 5.0 have 60 fps animation smoothness, and efficient RAM usage.
I've also heard rumors Samsung is working to refreshing their Touchwiz Interface with slim amount of lag. So, the future is promising.
As of now, if you really can't stand the lag, Install the Android 5.0 ROM for Cm 12, there are afew things not working in their such as Camera, NFC or something else, but the usage should show NO LAG!!!
[email protected] said:
As of now, if you really can't stand the lag, Install the Android 5.0 ROM for Cm 12, there are afew things not working in their such as Camera, NFC or something else, but the usage should show NO LAG!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cyanogenmod for Galaxy tab S??

To ROM or not to ROM?

So I have noticed some recent slow down on my phone, very minor and non-specific. I also have noticed a bit higher battery drain as of late, which could possibly be due to having 181 apps on my phone...
Either way I was considering a Custom ROM and Kernel or just a custom Kernel. However I've done this with every other phone I've ever owned (Galaxy Nexus, GS3, MotoX, Nexus 6p, Pixel XL) and I was REALLY trying to just stay completely stock android for now...is the ROM world worth it or should I just delete some apps and factory reset the phone to start fresh? My experience with ROMs is that I was often attempting to update to fix some little bug or issue and it because addicting but not really beneficial to my phone experience.
GatorsUF said:
So I have noticed some recent slow down on my phone, very minor and non-specific. I also have noticed a bit higher battery drain as of late, which could possibly be due to having 181 apps on my phone...
Either way I was considering a Custom ROM and Kernel or just a custom Kernel. However I've done this with every other phone I've ever owned (Galaxy Nexus, GS3, MotoX, Nexus 6p, Pixel XL) and I was REALLY trying to just stay completely stock android for now...is the ROM world worth it or should I just delete some apps and factory reset the phone to start fresh? My experience with ROMs is that I was often attempting to update to fix some little bug or issue and it because addicting but not really beneficial to my phone experience.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
IMHO, the P2XL runs great on stock with a custom kernel and root. Custom roms, are just now starting to become available with some really good ones out there. However, in your case I think it's more of an app and memory thing causing your intermittent slow down. A custom rom isn't likely to have that great of an impact just to gain some extra tweaks, and since you'll probably still instal your 180 apps, you'll likely be back in the same boat. I'd try the kernel first, and go from there. ??
GatorsUF said:
So I have noticed some recent slow down on my phone, very minor and non-specific. I also have noticed a bit higher battery drain as of late, which could possibly be due to having 181 apps on my phone...
Either way I was considering a Custom ROM and Kernel or just a custom Kernel. However I've done this with every other phone I've ever owned (Galaxy Nexus, GS3, MotoX, Nexus 6p, Pixel XL) and I was REALLY trying to just stay completely stock android for now...is the ROM world worth it or should I just delete some apps and factory reset the phone to start fresh? My experience with ROMs is that I was often attempting to update to fix some little bug or issue and it because addicting but not really beneficial to my phone experience.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I used to have more than 100 apps earlier...but then I realized I wasn't using many of those apps..may be I was using them once in a month which can be accessed from browser as well.. So I uninstalled around 40 apps and its been two months and I never needed those apps on mobile..so you can rethink as well..Also I usually clear cache in TWRP once in every two weeks...and I restart the phone daily...
DU all the way
ram4ufriends said:
I used to have more than 100 apps earlier...but then I realized I wasn't using many of those apps..may be I was using them once in a month which can be accessed from browser as well.. So I uninstalled around 40 apps and its been two months and I never needed those apps on mobile..so you can rethink as well..Also I usually clear cache in TWRP once in every two weeks...and I restart the phone daily...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just deleted a bunch of the apps, down to 142. I just have a bunch of apps that I use very infrequently like (uber, chipotle, panera etc.), but they are super convenient and I hate having to download and figure out my sign in on those moments I do want to use them.
Is there a way make sure certain apps just sit completely dormant unless I open them up? No syncing, no data usage, no battery usage unless they are actually being used.
Reuben_skelz92 said:
DU all the way
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tried DU on my Nexus 6P I think it was, and found the devs to be way to arrogant and disrespectful. They make a decent product, but almost every day they were getting in fights with people whom were having little issues with their ROM.
GatorsUF said:
I tried DU on my Nexus 6P I think it was, and found the devs to be way to arrogant and disrespectful. They make a decent product, but almost every day they were getting in fights with people whom were having little issues with their ROM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's a positive development now
GatorsUF said:
I just deleted a bunch of the apps, down to 142. I just have a bunch of apps that I use very infrequently like (uber, chipotle, panera etc.), but they are super convenient and I hate having to download and figure out my sign in on those moments I do want to use them.
Is there a way make sure certain apps just sit completely dormant unless I open them up? No syncing, no data usage, no battery usage unless they are actually being used.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe disabling the apps/freezing them in Titanium Backup?
ROMs, especially on Pixel devices are really losing their "allure".. You can do most anything a custom ROM can do by just rooting.. A custom Kernel never hurts in most cases but that's as far as I go anymore. Custom ROMs had their place in the day when swapping out your phones OS with another was new and exciting when Android was in it's growing pains years.. Now a days though.. Ehh.. Stock is god damn solid..
Reuben_skelz92 said:
DU all the way
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Super useful and informative comment.
styckx said:
ROMs, especially on Pixel devices are really losing their "allure".. You can do most anything a custom ROM can do by just rooting.. A custom Kernel never hurts in most cases but that's as far as I go anymore. Custom ROMs had their place in the day when swapping out your phones OS with another was new and exciting when Android was in it's growing pains years.. Now a days though.. Ehh.. Stock is god damn solid..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have to agree with this. I've fought back my urge to flash custom ROMs simply because they don't seem to offer much of anything over stock these days. I did give Lineage a try a few weeks back but got frustrated because the image quality from the built in camera on that ROM was not as good as stock and at the time there was no way to use the stock camera APK. That has likely been fixed by now, but I still see no real drive into a custom ROM.
sn0warmy said:
Super useful and informative comment.
I have to agree with this. I've fought back my urge to flash custom ROMs simply because they don't seem to offer much of anything over stock these days. I did give Lineage a try a few weeks back but got frustrated because the image quality from the built in camera on that ROM was not as good as stock and at the time there was no way to use the stock camera APK. That has likely been fixed by now, but I still see no real drive into a custom ROM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To Rom or not to Rom? Yes...DU all the way
Want us to flash the ROMs for you ??
Reuben_skelz92 said:
Want us to flash the ROMs for you ??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
:laugh: What?
GatorsUF said:
I tried DU on my Nexus 6P I think it was, and found the devs to be way to arrogant and disrespectful. They make a decent product, but almost every day they were getting in fights with people whom were having little issues with their ROM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah I agree. But there Rom is awesome. I generally just don't report anything and let them get on with it. If there's a bug that annoys me I just wait for the next build and use something else. But yes some of the Devs are arrogant and can be jerks.
---------- Post added at 09:21 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:20 PM ----------
styckx said:
ROMs, especially on Pixel devices are really losing their "allure".. You can do most anything a custom ROM can do by just rooting.. A custom Kernel never hurts in most cases but that's as far as I go anymore. Custom ROMs had their place in the day when swapping out your phones OS with another was new and exciting when Android was in it's growing pains years.. Now a days though.. Ehh.. Stock is god damn solid..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Slightly disagree. There's some really useful and cool features on ROMs like DU you couldn't get on stock. I agree some ROMs are practically stock so no point
---------- Post added at 09:22 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:21 PM ----------
sn0warmy said:
:laugh: What?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't really know. Just ignore me :laugh:
Reuben_skelz92 said:
Slightly disagree. There's some really useful and cool features on ROMs like DU you couldn't get on stock. I agree some ROMs are practically stock so no point
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Like what? Feel free to link me to another post or thread discussing the features if you want. I'm genuinely curious to see the what the ROM offers. The only thing I've found so far is their Google+ page but nothing that lists the key features. And their official blog hasn't been updated since August, 2017.
If there is a solid ROM with additional useful features over stock, I'd be glad to give it a shot. Just haven't found any that fit the bill yet.
Ideally:
- Ability to use the stock Google camera APK
- No major stability issues with core features working (i.e. no issues making/receiving calls or texts and no reboots)
- No major decline in battery performance
One main reason I keep stock is because I love Android Pay and the fight was ongoing with Magisk. If I go stock w/ root will I have to fight with safety net to keep Android pay (now Google Pay as of today) working? Also is there any issue with root/custom kernels and Google Fi?
sn0warmy said:
Like what? Feel free to link me to another post or thread discussing the features if you want. I'm genuinely curious to see the what the ROM offers. The only thing I've found so far is their Google+ page but nothing that lists the key features. And their official blog hasn't been updated since August, 2017.
If there is a solid ROM with additional useful features over stock, I'd be glad to give it a shot. Just haven't found any that fit the bill yet.
Ideally:
- Ability to use the stock Google camera APK
- No major stability issues with core features working (i.e. no issues making/receiving calls or texts and no reboots)
- No major decline in battery performance
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
DU Def fits the deal. Believe me. Daily driver easily. I use it with flash kernel. Amazing performance and battery life. There's things like pulse. The ability to swipe left or right on the fingerprint to get rid of notifications. 4 rows in quick settings. Set the navbar size or add buttons. Quick reboot. Expanded desktop. Ability to set the theme white or dark.
---------- Post added at 11:27 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:25 PM ----------
Reuben_skelz92 said:
DU Def fits the deal. Believe me. Daily driver easily. I use it with flash kernel. Amazing performance and battery life. There's things like pulse. The ability to swipe left or right on the fingerprint to get rid of notifications. 4 rows in quick settings. Set the navbar size or add buttons. Quick reboot. Expanded desktop. Ability to set the theme white or dark.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It uses stock camera app. Haven't found one bug.
I BELIEVE the RC builds they don't really give chanelogz etc
But one they release weekly or stable builds you will get the feature lists and changelogs
Reuben_skelz92 said:
DU Def fits the deal. Believe me. Daily driver easily. I use it with flash kernel. Amazing performance and battery life. There's things like pulse. The ability to swipe left or right on the fingerprint to get rid of notifications. 4 rows in quick settings. Set the navbar size or add buttons. Quick reboot. Expanded desktop. Ability to set the theme white or dark.
---------- Post added at 11:27 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:25 PM ----------
It uses stock camera app. Haven't found one bug.
I BELIEVE the RC builds they don't really give chanelogz etc
But one they release weekly or stable builds you will get the feature lists and changelogs
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well dang. Looks like I need to give this thing a shot. Thanks!
ROM IT!!!
i also agree...DU!!!

Still usable?

I bought a 2nd hand (mint) white Nexus 7 2013 last year in March.
Soon after I had a bad flash it was soft bricked, I can get into recovery and get fastboot to work etc, but NRT won't work to restore it, so I put it in a drawer and forgot about it.
I got it out today and would like to get it working, it seems it is possible and I will give it a good go later on
My question is, I remember it being quite laggy on YouTube and in general. Is this still true? Or will it be perfectly okay on a custom rom/kernel?
I really only want it for YouTube and Netflix and maybe the odd web browsing session. No games or intensive apps!
Thanks
Update - Got it back up and running. On fully stock 6.0.1 now. Not quite sure what my best bet is for a custom rom. I ideally want reasonable performance when scrolling and the battery not to be completely awful.
Is there a go-to for this device for stable, reliable performance? It won't be used all the time, maybe an hour or so a day for watching YouTube or a Netflix show. Maybe scrolling through some news apps if I get bored. My smartphone is a Pixel 2XL, so I know the performance won't be anything like that, so it won't replace my phone for most of my tasks.
gman88667733 said:
Update - Got it back up and running. On fully stock 6.0.1 now. Not quite sure what my best bet is for a custom rom. I ideally want reasonable performance when scrolling and the battery not to be completely awful.
Is there a go-to for this device for stable, reliable performance? It won't be used all the time, maybe an hour or so a day for watching YouTube or a Netflix show. Maybe scrolling through some news apps if I get bored. My smartphone is a Pixel 2XL, so I know the performance won't be anything like that, so it won't replace my phone for most of my tasks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've been using Unlegacy Android plus ElementalX kernel since last November. See this post for my feedback and some pro tips
https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=80842805&postcount=542
The only drawback is that you'll need an older version of the Netflix app (just search for "Netflix" in the ROM thread) because Widevine L1 (which is a requirement for FullHD support in newer versions of Netflix) is only supported in the stock 6.0.1 ROM as well as custom ROMs based on 6.0.1. That older version of Netflix does not check Widevine level—BUT also does not support offline saving for later viewing.
If this is an issue for you, just stay on 6.0.1
PS If you decide to use ElementalX kernel, DO NOT UPDATE it past version 7.00!
Version 7.02 is for LineageOS only and will screw up GUI big time.
You can try this rom:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/nexus-7-2013/development/rom-t3569067
No battery drain. :good:
I was going to flash Pixel Experience ROM last night, but had some issues...
I flashed the latest TWRP via fastboot and it was successful and booted into TWRP fine, but then bootlooped when I restarted the system? I then booted back into TWRP, loaded up the ROM I chose and tried to flash that, which gave me Error 7 I believe and did not work. So I left it at that and will reflash stock 6.0.1 tonight and maybe try an older version of TWRP? Not sure why it bootlooped the first time.
Can I go straight to 9.0 from 6.0.1? Not sure why it wouldn't flash the Pixel Experience ROM.
Edit- I installed version 'twrp-3.3.1-0-flo.img 8.8M 2019-05-19 16:27:52 EDT'
The verson of the rom I installed was the pure experience 'plus' version on the download page. Maybe that was my mistake? I am going to try a Nougat rom tonight to see how that works first before committing to 9.0 +
I flashed aosp extended 7.1.2 but YouTube is still very slow.
Will this be the case for every rom and kernel?
I'm now on Pure Nexus 7.1.2 it seems very good really, much quicker than stock.
YouTube was still slow, so I just created a shortcut to the browser version which is much smoother.
Overall really enjoying having a small tablet again.
I'd buy one with up to date spec in a heartbeat
gman88667733 said:
I was going to flash Pixel Experience ROM last night, but had some issues...
I flashed the latest TWRP via fastboot and it was successful and booted into TWRP fine, but then bootlooped when I restarted the system? I then booted back into TWRP, loaded up the ROM I chose and tried to flash that, which gave me Error 7 I believe and did not work. So I left it at that and will reflash stock 6.0.1 tonight and maybe try an older version of TWRP? Not sure why it bootlooped the first time.
Can I go straight to 9.0 from 6.0.1? Not sure why it wouldn't flash the Pixel Experience ROM.
Edit- I installed version 'twrp-3.3.1-0-flo.img 8.8M 2019-05-19 16:27:52 EDT'
The verson of the rom I installed was the pure experience 'plus' version on the download page. Maybe that was my mistake? I am going to try a Nougat rom tonight to see how that works first before committing to 9.0 +
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you get error 7, you need repartition.
System partition is too small for this rom.
gman88667733 said:
I flashed aosp extended 7.1.2 but YouTube is still very slow.
Will this be the case for every rom and kernel?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunately, 720p60 will be slow anyway, but you can use NewPipe to watch 720p60/1080p60 videos in 1080p30. Check post #3 above for the link to my post with detailed feedback and tips.
Moreover, I do recommend Unlegacy Android plus ElementalX kernel. With a mild overclock (again, details are in my post mentioned above) the tablet becomes WAY smoother.
---------- Post added at 07:47 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:45 PM ----------
gman88667733 said:
I flashed aosp extended 7.1.2 but YouTube is still very slow.
Will this be the case for every rom and kernel?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
MarviXDA said:
You can try this rom:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/nexus-7-2013/development/rom-t3569067
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is there any kernel for this ROM that allows for both overclocking CPU/GPU and undervolting CPU?
I didn't mean the video playback was slow. The scrolling in the app was slow, very stuttery
gman88667733 said:
I didn't mean the video playback was slow. The scrolling in the app was slow, very stuttery
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well then you need a ROM/kernel combo that will make it possible to overclock the CPU.
I use YouTube Vanced/Newpipe and scrolling is okeyish there after a mild CPU/GPU overclock.
m00nlighter said:
Unfortunately, 720p60 will be slow anyway, but you can use NewPipe to watch 720p60/1080p60 videos in 1080p30. Check post #3 above for the link to my post with detailed feedback and tips.
Moreover, I do recommend Unlegacy Android plus ElementalX kernel. With a mild overclock (again, details are in my post mentioned above) the tablet becomes WAY smoother.
---------- Post added at 07:47 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:45 PM ----------
Is there any kernel for this ROM that allows for both overclocking CPU/GPU and undervolting CPU?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
while the battery holds a charge of 3 days, I see no reason to waste time on such searches. There will be a task - I will decide.
gman88667733 said:
Update - Got it back up and running. On fully stock 6.0.1 now. Not quite sure what my best bet is for a custom rom. I ideally want reasonable performance when scrolling and the battery not to be completely awful.
Is there a go-to for this device for stable, reliable performance? It won't be used all the time, maybe an hour or so a day for watching YouTube or a Netflix show. Maybe scrolling through some news apps if I get bored. My smartphone is a Pixel 2XL, so I know the performance won't be anything like that, so it won't replace my phone for most of my tasks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My Nexus 7 is on stock 6.0.1 with Elemental X kernel using all stock settings and it still runs like a champ I use it more than my s9 plus for watching YouTube and other streaming apps I would say the Nexus 7 is definitely still usable.
Tmzdroid said:
My Nexus 7 is on stock 6.0.1 with Elemental X kernel using all stock settings and it still runs like a champ I use it more than my s9 plus for watching YouTube and other streaming apps I would say the Nexus 7 is definitely still usable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Does yours lag when scrolling on YouTube? Even on Pure Nexus ROM mine will lag a lot when scrolling and takes forever to load my subscription page.
gman88667733 said:
Does yours lag when scrolling on YouTube? Even on Pure Nexus ROM mine will lag a lot when scrolling and takes forever to load my subscription page.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No there is no lag when scrolling on youtube.
Tmzdroid said:
No there is no lag when scrolling on youtube.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How bizarre...
So to confirm, you are on stock 6.0.1, the last update from Google and all you did was flash EX kernel on top of it?
Did YouTube lag when scrolling on fully stock? It lags for me no matter what I've tried so far
gman88667733 said:
How bizarre...
So to confirm, you are on stock 6.0.1, the last update from Google and all you did was flash EX kernel on top of it?
Did YouTube lag when scrolling on fully stock? It lags for me no matter what I've tried so far
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes it runs sweet as the only trouble I ever had with my Nexus was when the screen stopped autorotating and was acting up so I used the following fix using a strip of foam and it's been perfect ever since. I also applied some tape to the wider silver ribbon cable along the top edge of the battery as shown in the pictures.
It might be worth trying these fixes on your tablet.
Tmzdroid said:
Yes it runs sweet as the only trouble I ever had with my Nexus was when the screen stopped autorotating and was acting up so I used the following fix using a strip of foam and it's been perfect ever since. I also applied some tape to the wider silver ribbon cable along the top edge of the battery as shown in the pictures.
It might be worth trying these fixes on your tablet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And it runs quickly on the YouTube app? I find mine runs fine when opening YouTube on a web browser, but the app is the slowest app I have ever used on it.
Tmzdroid said:
My Nexus 7 is on stock 6.0.1 with Elemental X kernel using all stock settings and it still runs like a champ I use it more than my s9 plus for watching YouTube and other streaming apps I would say the Nexus 7 is definitely still usable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
With a mild overclock in ElementalX kernel (CPU to 1728 MHz and GPU to 450 MHz), the UI is way smoother than at stock frequencies.
However I switched to Unlegacy Android to enjoy more recent security updates as well as updated ElementalX kernel (it's 7.00 for Oreo ROMs).

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