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Unlocked/rooted my phone but new to custom ROMs, have some questions

Hey guys, I recently bought an HTC One V to replace my old Android phone. Last weekend I unlocked the bootloader and rooted it so I could enable wifi tethering, now I’m thinking about trying on some new ROMs but since I never flashed to one before on any phone I had some general questions about what I can/can’t do and what to expect along the way.
1. It’s important for me to make sure I have a backup of the stock ROM I’m currently on in case none of the custom ones suit me or don’t work as well. Last weekend when I flashed TWRP to recovery and believe I made a backup of stock before rooting, I know I was following a tutorial and they said it was optional but I should do it just in case for the same reasons I listed above. Is this considered doing a “Nandroid backup”, and with these backups is the ROM and all installed apps backed up as well, so when flashing back to it it restores the ROM and whatever was installed at the time so apps don’t need to be re-downloaded?
2. When on a custom ROM and wanting to revert back to stock is the procedure the same as going to a custom? I thought I saw something about having to relock the bootloader if wanting to go back to stock.
3. When looking around for custom ROMS to try out do I need to make sure that it’s compatible specifically with my phone model or generally speaking do all custom Android-based ROMs work on any Android OS phone or tablet?
4. Are there some ROMS built around doing a specific task? Like for me I want to concentrate on making sure my phone’s mobile hotspot runs as smoothly as possible for tethering and having a functional bluetooth profile is important as well. Without asking “What ROM is best” can someone recommend a ROM that best fits my criteria that I should try out?
5. Will I need to re-root my phone whenever I flash to a new ROM? And when doing a Nandroid backup while rooted is the root access backed up as well?
6. Is there an app available that keeps track of the ROMs I download and allows for flashing to them easily?
7. Does GApps need to be flashed to the phone after going to a new custom ROM everytime, or do some ROMs include the GApps in them already?
Any other tips, tricks, or explanation on something you don’t think I’m “getting” would be great. Thanks a bunch for any help.

brokenvisage said:
Hey guys, I recently bought an HTC One V to replace my old Android phone. Last weekend I unlocked the bootloader and rooted it so I could enable wifi tethering, now I’m thinking about trying on some new ROMs but since I never flashed to one before on any phone I had some general questions about what I can/can’t do and what to expect along the way.
1. It’s important for me to make sure I have a backup of the stock ROM I’m currently on in case none of the custom ones suit me or don’t work as well. Last weekend when I flashed TWRP to recovery and believe I made a backup of stock before rooting, I know I was following a tutorial and they said it was optional but I should do it just in case for the same reasons I listed above. Is this considered doing a “Nandroid backup”, and with these backups is the ROM and all installed apps backed up as well, so when flashing back to it it restores the ROM and whatever was installed at the time so apps don’t need to be re-downloaded?
2. When on a custom ROM and wanting to revert back to stock is the procedure the same as going to a custom? I thought I saw something about having to relock the bootloader if wanting to go back to stock.
3. When looking around for custom ROMS to try out do I need to make sure that it’s compatible specifically with my phone model or generally speaking do all custom Android-based ROMs work on any Android OS phone or tablet?
4. Are there some ROMS built around doing a specific task? Like for me I want to concentrate on making sure my phone’s mobile hotspot runs as smoothly as possible for tethering and having a functional bluetooth profile is important as well. Without asking “What ROM is best” can someone recommend a ROM that best fits my criteria that I should try out?
5. Will I need to re-root my phone whenever I flash to a new ROM? And when doing a Nandroid backup while rooted is the root access backed up as well?
6. Is there an app available that keeps track of the ROMs I download and allows for flashing to them easily?
7. Does GApps need to be flashed to the phone after going to a new custom ROM everytime, or do some ROMs include the GApps in them already?
Any other tips, tricks, or explanation on something you don’t think I’m “getting” would be great. Thanks a bunch for any help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, I have only had motorola with android, but maybe i can help you with some of your questions
3) No, each custom rom is made for a specific model, so you have to search the roms that are made for your phone/tablet, flashing a wrong rom may be an easy way for killing your device
5) Most roms are pre-rooted, at least all of the roms i used on my motorolas were pre-rooted, i guess that with htc things must be simillar.
6) It depends, some roms (like cyanogenmod) does not include GApps, so you have to flash them after you install the rom, others have GApps included, so you must see if the rom you're installing has GApps included.
Well, hope this may help
:good:

Great questions...still a noob but learning fast. These are some of the questions I was wondering about myself. (If I ever find a way to root my phone) Good luck and I will bm this page for future use.

Thanks guys, bump to try and get the other ones answered.

1) Use Titanium Backup for the apps' backup .
2) You should flash the stock rom of that phone and then relock the bootloader.
6) I don't know any app to do this, but it can exist, idk.

Difference between rooting and CyanogenMod?

Hello guys I'm a total n00b when it comes to rooting and such and I have a question, that most of you guys will probably find dumb but I'm seriously confused.
I ordered the Zenfone 2 with 4gb ram & 64 gigs of storage and I plan on rooting it once it arrives.
What is the difference between rooting your phone and installing a custom rom such as cyanogenMod?
What are the benefits to both and the main difference?
Is one easier to do and is less risky or what?
Please explain in a way I can understand, thank you!!

Rooting the phone means you can modify the system files. It's useful because you can add or remove features of the stock rom on your phone (theme manager, ad blocker, and almost anything you may need)
Cyanogenmod is a rom based on AOSP (Android Open Source Project, by Google), it's rooted, and comes with a lot of features that are not in AOSP.
For the moment, there is no Cyanogenmod rom for our beloved Zenfone 2, and maybe it will never happen. But only time can say.

Baylee Ray said:
Hello guys I'm a total n00b when it comes to rooting and such and I have a question, that most of you guys will probably find dumb but I'm seriously confused.
I ordered the Zenfone 2 with 4gb ram & 64 gigs of storage and I plan on rooting it once it arrives.
What is the difference between rooting your phone and installing a custom rom such as cyanogenMod?
What are the benefits to both and the main difference?
Is one easier to do and is less risky or what?
Please explain in a way I can understand, thank you!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well.
Rooting mean to gain Super User (SU) to your phone, it mean that you are the master of the device and you can overwrite anything because you are the hierarchy top. ( this is also why device tend to be bricked by noobs because rights(permission) given to change anything.
Top mod of android currently are cyan and MIUI
Cyanogen is a custom rom which build on top of the default Android. it come with root and you can basically manage any part of the phone, it remove many bloatware and just clean and open android OS that look like a default Android.
MIUI is another custom rom, similar as cyanogen but it's appearance look like Iphone and behave similar as Iphone. ( they are the Iphone wannabes) its also clean.
well, don't root because you just want to, root because you need function that require you to. mostly without root, you can do many stuff such as installing unsigned apk. unlike iphone, which must root to install unsigned apps.

sooty84 said:
well.
Rooting mean to gain Super User (SU) to your phone, it mean that you are the master of the device and you can overwrite anything because you are the hierarchy top. ( this is also why device tend to be bricked by noobs because rights(permission) given to change anything.
Top mod of android currently are cyan and MIUI
Cyanogen is a custom rom which build on top of the default Android. it come with root and you can basically manage any part of the phone, it remove many bloatware and just clean and open android OS that look like a default Android.
MIUI is another custom rom, similar as cyanogen but it's appearance look like Iphone and behave similar as Iphone. ( they are the Iphone wannabes) its also clean.
well, don't root because you just want to, root because you need function that require you to. mostly without root, you can do many stuff such as installing unsigned apk. unlike iphone, which must root to install unsigned apps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So if I download a custom rom such as Cyanogenmod is it easier to update software? Or do I still have to unroot to update OTA and then reroot?

Baylee Ray said:
So if I download a custom rom such as Cyanogenmod is it easier to update software? Or do I still have to unroot to update OTA and then reroot?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A custom ROM such as cyanogenmod would replace the Stock firmware, so you would not apply ota updates. Instead, the updates would come from the ROM maker.
Sent from my ASUS_Z00AD using XDA Free mobile app

cmendonc2 said:
A custom ROM such as cyanogenmod would replace the Stock firmware, so you would not apply ota updates. Instead, the updates would come from the ROM maker.
Sent from my ASUS_Z00AD using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you so much! Makes complete sense!

Simply put
rooting allows you to change system files. CyanogenMod is a bunch of files that need root so they can be applied..
But since CyanogenMod is not out for Zenfone 2. I would not root it yet. Rooting can cause ASUS updates to fail.

Baylee Ray said:
So if I download a custom rom such as Cyanogenmod is it easier to update software? Or do I still have to unroot to update OTA and then reroot?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
when you apply custom rom to your phone ( be it Cyan or MIUI), they become your "phone manufacturer"
why i say that is because they will release the software update to your device instead of Asus for instance if you gotten zenfone 2.
with that said, most of the time, custom rom is better then official rom however, if the custom rom group stopped patching and your phone might still have some bugs.... you are on neck held by these groups. while it is the same for Asus but they are a company which they are being held legal for updating any flaws to your phone till end of life of the product.
there are good and bad, if you want to come into the scene, then make sure you are always up to date with what is and what not.
this make you strong in modding your phone and knowing what is going on too. and also... if you aspire to be a system engineer, this is 1 first step too. handphone is a miniature eco-system of how network works, while you start modding and deal with unix command, that is what system engineer does.

mogrith said:
Simply put
rooting allows you to change system files. CyanogenMod is a bunch of files that need root so they can be applied..
But since CyanogenMod is not out for Zenfone 2. I would not root it yet. Rooting can cause ASUS updates to fail.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I guess it's not for the faint of heart. But as long as you restore the /system back to stock by flashing pre-root, unrooting, and uninstalling xposed, then you won't go wrong.

mogrith said:
Simply put
rooting allows you to change system files. CyanogenMod is a bunch of files that need root so they can be applied..
But since CyanogenMod is not out for Zenfone 2. I would not root it yet. Rooting can cause ASUS updates to fail.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Installation of CyanogenMod don't need root, they need unlocked bootloader and recovery that's all.. Root is needed only for editing system files

Root the phone

I am really sick and tired of all of the bloatware that htc and t-mobile adds to the phone.
I want to remove this useless apps and i found out that i need root access for this, i googled and found a lot of information on how to root htc m8 however the information is old, and i want to know if this will work on the latest tmobile version of software (6.0 android).
If nothing changed and i need to use all in one tool, should i change the recovery or can i use the stock recovery.
Finally if i will use the custom recovery i might install a custom rom, most probably lineage os. Will the dual camera work on this rom, or i need to install a seance ui custom rom for the camera to work.
thank you

October 2016 I took the plunge and rooted my M8. I am using Insert Coin Enhanced ROM and it is great. Very snappy performance, battery life is way longer than before and WiFi calling works, too.
Now, I was nervous and waited a long time, reading as much as I could before doing it. Even found a legit YouTube video from a guy named sakitech that gave a step-by-step for Mac users (which is me).
Rooting has been good, ICE ROMs has updated several times since then, even for the M8.
Good luck!
Levan9 said:
I am really sick and tired of all of the bloatware that htc and t-mobile adds to the phone.
I want to remove this useless apps and i found out that i need root access for this, i googled and found a lot of information on how to root htc m8 however the information is old, and i want to know if this will work on the latest tmobile version of software (6.0 android).
If nothing changed and i need to use all in one tool, should i change the recovery or can i use the stock recovery.
Finally if i will use the custom recovery i might install a custom rom, most probably lineage os. Will the dual camera work on this rom, or i need to install a seance ui custom rom for the camera to work.
thank you
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Thank you for the reply, few questions if you don't mind.
Did you enable s-off, how if yes ?
Or does insert coin rom works with s-on

why NOT root?

given all of the cool options that open up with root, im wondering why NOT do it??
i mean other than no Android Pay, and having to manually flash rather than ota on phone, is there any real downside?

byproxy said:
given all of the cool options that open up with root, im wondering why NOT do it??
i mean other than no Android Pay, and having to manually flash rather than ota on phone, is there any real downside?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can use Android Pay with Magisk I believe. Magisk passes saftey net checks.

byproxy said:
given all of the cool options that open up with root, im wondering why NOT do it??
i mean other than no Android Pay, and having to manually flash rather than ota on phone, is there any real downside?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Those downsides are enough for some, but the biggest PITA is if you didn't unlock your bootloader then you have to factory wipe when you unlock.

Tb0n3 said:
Those downsides are enough for some, but the biggest PITA is if you didn't unlock your bootloader then you have to factory wipe when you unlock.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well google backsup your app, mms, sms etc and the way you have your phone set up. Easy to restore and takes 30 mins depending on your connection.... I say go for it!

byproxy said:
given all of the cool options that open up with root, im wondering why NOT do it??
i mean other than no Android Pay, and having to manually flash rather than ota on phone, is there any real downside?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
for some it is android pay
but for others
they don't need it anymore
stock rom nowadays give us most of the options that we needed to root for back in the day
i used the pixel 2 without root for 1 week (before it came out )
and the only thing i need it for was adaway and custom kernels
i used non-root adblocker and it's actually worked fine
so if i am stuck with a phone with no root i can live with it

I always root, but the big downsides are around OTAs and needing to jump through hoops from time to time to update.
Finally it's a security issue, particularly a unlocked bootloader, it's super easy to erase pin or pattern locks from twrp. Also malware in a root app could be devastating to any info you access via phone.

byproxy said:
given all of the cool options that open up with root, im wondering why NOT do it??
i mean other than no Android Pay, and having to manually flash rather than ota on phone, is there any real downside?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Because some security flaws that come along and some malicious apps expose the fact that you have root to be more effective.

If a good and stable rom like Pure Nexus that passes safety net works flawlessly on the Pixel XL 2 then that would probably be enough for me not to root. That would provide enough features and excitement to the already great experience that stock android now provides. Right now, i enjoy root in order to apply adaway and delete system apps if i so choose. Also nice to be able to use different color profiles. I am one of those that loves to be able to use Android Pay while rooted.

elreydenj said:
If a good and stable rom like Pure Nexus that passes safety net works flawlessly on the Pixel XL 2 then that would probably be enough for me not to root. That would provide enough features and excitement to the already great experience that stock android now provides. Right now, i enjoy root in order to apply adaway and delete system apps if i so choose. Also nice to be able to use different color profiles. I am one of those that loves to be able to use Android Pay while rooted.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm just here praying they're working on Resurrection Remix.
I was on PureNexus and decided what the hell and tried RR and it has everything PureNexus has and more.

DevanteWeary said:
I'm just here praying they're working on Resurrection Remix.
I was on PureNexus and decided what the hell and tried RR and it has everything PureNexus has and more.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ill keep that in mind. Did RR pass safety net out of the box on the pixel XL?

elreydenj said:
Ill keep that in mind. Did RR pass safety net out of the box on the pixel XL?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't remember. Sorry. :/

I used to be an avid rooter and custom rom user. For me, I'm contempt with the stock factory images. May give PureNexus a shot if it comes around.
Besides, I had an incident with Chase Bank once where I was having trouble getting text alerts. After an hour on the phone with support, they noticed and mentioned I had a "tampered" device. Not that my problem had anything to do with my device being tampered with (rooted), and not that I had any modifications which could cause harm to my banking information, but in the long shot case something did ever happen with your money, I'm sure the banks would have no problem pointing their fingers at your phone.
So if a company like Chase scans to see if your device is rooted, I'm sure most app developers do without telling you.
If someone wants to chime in, not exactly sure how apps see it if you have a rom like Resurrection Remix, or PureNexus, and actually dont root it. I wonder if the apps still consider the device tampered with if there is no root access

byproxy said:
given all of the cool options that open up with root, im wondering why NOT do it??
i mean other than no Android Pay, and having to manually flash rather than ota on phone, is there any real downside?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can MOST definitely have Android pay with Root in Pixel. That is the beauty of dual partition setup. Have one partition rooted and other non-rooted, with both sharing the same data partition.
I had done this for the past year on the OG Pixel XL. The only time I would need non-root would be for Android pay - I would just boot to the other slot. Use Android pay and then reboot to the previously active slot after finished.
As for Custom ROM - I'm hoping against hope. Hard to imagine life without the features of PN or RR. However, it is not encouraging given that there is no a single OREO based Custom ROM yet for the OG Pixel XL. Who knows how many developers actually end up getting the Pixel 2 XL - which is more expensive. That is the only reason I'm still waiting with bated breath until my return period for Pixel 2 XL expires. Luckily, the One Plus 5t launches on Nov 16th and the reviews would be out soon. I know OP5 has RR custom ROM which is a big deal..

abogrhen said:
for some it is android pay
but for others
they don't need it anymore
stock rom nowadays give us most of the options that we needed to root for back in the day
i used the pixel 2 without root for 1 week (before it came out )
and the only thing i need it for was adaway and custom kernels
i used non-root adblocker and it's actually worked fine
so if i am stuck with a phone with no root i can live with it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes to all this. I haven't rooted since my Galaxy S5. I was perfectly fine with my Nexus 5X stock and do use Android Pay often enough to want to remain unrooted. I actually used to root and install stock-like ROMs so now that I've been getting Google phones, I have no need.
Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

Can someone explain magisk and its relation to the m9 and android in general?

I know there is plenty of info out there. I have read about it and watched some videos.
I wanted to hear what magisk is and what people think of it from the m9 users and modders out there. I imagine it will work slightly different on most phones. especially when were modding them.
I recently updated my phone to android 7. Im using leedroid.
I noticed all the new roms use magisk and systemless root to pass androids new safety checks so i figured id try it out.
Which involved updating my firmware so i cant go back.
What im noticing is most of the things i actually used root for are not working anymore. mostly the adblockers.
When i download the magisk modules they either dont show up or just do not do anything (unified hosts).
Im not sure if this is just my phone or if we are just not caught up with the new work arounds for android.
Can we still use supersu and have all the old mods like xposed working? or are we stuck with this half a root thing?
Just some questions. But mainly just want to start a discussion about it.

Although I've never used magisk I understand it to be another supersu.
I found rooting phones is a waste of time and effort. I was like you and rooted for adblocking but then I found adguard which made root useless for me. I unrooted and updated to 7.0 and have never looked back.
People will argue that root is for custom roms etc but what they don't seem to realise is stock roms are always best, fastest and most reliable. Custom roms use improvised methods to get the hardware working.
The only reason left to root is to cheat games and that makes the games boring after 5 minutes so what's the point anymore..