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This guide will show you how to turn an old phone into on really great iPod/iPod Touch replacement.
It will strip the phone out, enhance the audio and extend the battery life.
It will breath new life into the phone that was just upgraded.
I have done two of these so far, with lots of trial and error just to get to this point. My current one is now my main music player for the gym and my car.
They end up sounding amazing.
[Note: this guide is a moderately advanced user, I say that because to do this your phone
must be unlocked and rooted - you can find a guide on how to do that for almost any
phone, you just won't find that information here.]
This is my first thread here (so go easy on me). I did a search and never found any fully flushed out “how to” guide for something like this
(plus I didn't agree with some of their choices).
Ok, here we go….
Badass Android Music Player (BAMP)
(It’s just a working title - I am open to any suggestions)
Q: What is it?
A: Modifying a phone you no longer use and turning it into a audio and video
player with good battery life (even on a phone with crappy normal battery life will work a lot better).
Q: Why?
A: A replacement phone makes a great iPod type player. I have an iPod and iPod Touch
and currently I prefer my BAMP to both of them hands down because it sounds better!
Q: What is the benefit?
A: It sounds awesome (beats my iThings hands down for audio). Even in my Camery (not known
for it's audio) I use the line in am blown away at how good the speakers really are. I can get my rear view mirror shaking from the bass.
Also, It re purposes a device that is NOT end of life.
What you need:
1. a unlocked/rooted phone with Android 4.x or higher
2. a non-stock recovery (TWRP, CW, ...)
3. Android 4.x (that's a must)
What you don't need:
1. a custom ROM (I would suggest one but, the choice is yours). I am running CleanROM Pro 4.5 but I prefer CM but, none of this matters
for this project. Anything you need we will add and anything you don't will be removed or disabled.
2. a SIM card (your phone will complain at first but we will fix that).
Feedback? / Help? / Ideas? / Suggestions? / Criticisms? - all are welcome but, don't jump in too quick, let me finish the guide first
Yes, this is very much just an idea/work in progress. There are places where I use apps that you have to pay for and suggestions for
replacement apps that don't cost or alternatives are welcome.
Also, while this is the second phone I have done, I have in no way thought of all the things that could improve this setup. I think the battery
life could be extended even further.
I definitely need help with other manufacturers: I have only converted two phones so far, both HTC, so I am fairly good and what I can
remove, freeze, disable on a Verizon HTC phone. It would be a great help to get a list of what can be done for other manufacturers.
Even point out if I missed a process that is not needed for our purposes.
That’s what this guide is going to be a step by step guide how I did my phone and with a little luck and participation I can improve the process,
support other manufacturers and one day automate as much of this as I can.
This is just the intro - please give me a few days to post all the notes and screenshots before jumping it.
Next Post: Making sure your phone is prepared!
Remember: You need a phone already unlocked/rooted and custom recovery flashed to be able to begin.
New Info: I did find out that if you don't "check in" after a certain amount of times certain apps like Titanium and PowerAmp will complain. All I did is turn on my wifi - connect -- I let them both update (I didnt see the harm) and I've been good since then.
Prep Work
Prep Work!
OK lets get started. I'm assuming you have your unlocked/rooted phone with custom recovery ready to go?
Lets double check everything before we strip your phone...
If for some reason you didn't install a custom ROM then you need to install/flash a superuser program. I like SuperSU
but on older phones superuser seems to work ok.
You need to install a utility that can "freeze" apps:
- I use and own Titanium Backup root Pro (this app costs $) - There are other apps that are free that can "freeze" (I just haven't tried them) ---> Ultimate Backup ---> App Quarantine ROOT/FREEZE ---> System Tuner *all of those listed are on the Play Store - if you have an opinion on any of them please feel free to post that*
First, make sure your phone is in developer mode. Each phone, ROM is a bit different but if you don't see this in your settings
then you should stop right here and Google how to turn on developer mode. Once you are in developer mode you need to turn on USB Debugging.
Second install the recovery manager software on your phone. I usually match up TWRP with TWRP and CWM with CWM but I think CWM handles
most other recovery programs now.
If you went with CM or Paranoid or some other ROM then most of the above is already done for you (except the "freezing" app).
OK so you have:
1. installed a "freezing" app
2. installed a recovery manager app
3. made sure your phone was in developer mode
4. made sure you have USB Debugging on
5. made sure you have superuser (whichever app you choose working)
If all that is done then we create a backup rigth now using recovery!
BACKUP CURRENT ROM in whatever recover you have installed.
We need a baseline recovery because I promise you that you will get into an endless "Phone Not Responding" loop sometime during this process.
The goal here is to disable and/or remove a LOT OF APPS and FEATURES and you will get into and error loop if you freeze the wrong thing.
It happens that's why we backup and backup often in the beginning.
Next Post: Disabling, removing, uninstalling and freezing!
-dOpiate
Delay - Just a bit...but I'm good now.
I wasn't able to post images because I was a new member and the next 4 or 5 parts are confusing without images as examples.
The board OP was kind enough to lift this image restriction so now I can continue the posts tomorrow.
I got some great testing results testing today (trapped in my house today by the blizzard) - I ran BAMP at full volume for 40 minutes and captured the battery stats. I got better results that expected (proof to be posted soon).
-dOpiate
Disabling, removing, uninstalling and freezing!
Disabling, removing, uninstalling and freezing!
Ok now that your phone is backed up (you created a backup of the current ROM)
it's time to start removing all the unnecessary parts of the phone.
The first thing to do is remove all the bloatware or apps not related to processing
music. There is a lot of personal preference here because we are going to leave WiFi
working so if you want to keep Skype on the phone or GoogleDrive then you should.
They will continue to work but unnecessary programs that you can easily uninstall
you should start removing.
You get the picture, anything in your apps list that you can easily uninstall.
Not everything will allow you to uninstall it. Sometimes the only option you have
is to remove updates. Don't worry we will get this stuff later.
A lot of the software directly related to your provider or phone manufacturer will
not allow you to uninstall it. This is when we start freezing applications and
processes.
You should also go through your settings and start turning off all the parts not needed for
a music player. Though after you are done freezing most of these things won't work anyway.
At this point you should put your phone into "Airplane" mode and then re-enable/disable Wifi
as needed.
I will screenshot my settings (in an update to this post) later today - I brought the wrong
phone to work so I can't get those images right now.
Here is a list of the processes that I froze on my HTC Rezound AFTER having uninstalled
everything I could. Keep in mind your list will be different and there will be a time when you
freeze something and it puts your phone into an error loop - I would freeze a screen full of
stuff then create a backup, then continue on.
My Frozen List (Using Titanium Backup Pro - root)
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
These processes can also safely be frozen:
Just to jump ahead a bit I want to show you where we are headed. These are
screenshots of my BAMP phone after blasting music on the highest volume for 40+ minutes.
For anyone who doesnt know, an HTC Rezound is NOT know for good battery life! Plus,
we are going to improve on the sound
Time to build the media player
Lets build that Music Player now!
I will be listing the apps I use and I will list alternatives that I have seen.
I have tried some and some I haven't tried.
We basically (if all went well) have a blank slate here. We have an Android
device that has been modified and changed to have 1 main purpose.
Play music, loud!
1- Install a DSP
2- Install a Music/Media player
3- tweak the final install with a few other apps
First I would install Beats. There are a lot of other DSP Managers's out there now but
honestly I like Beats and since the management of it is getting better and
better and the Audio Player I use plays nice with it I got with Beats.
I must confess that I used this...
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1816719
to install beats and I can't uninstall it. Plus it's no longer supported.
I recommend getting your Beats from RockAudioMod (or RD Music Mod) ... it's still evolving but it's really good.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1525226
You also don't need Beats you just need a DSP Manager. The one from CM is also really good.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=jsf.cmprojects.cyanogenmodappinstaller
I did try this application and could not get it to work but I am only running Android
4.0.3 - it says it runs on Android 3.0 and up but that was not my experience.
Apps you could grab from the [Root] CM App Installer that would be useful are:
- Apollo music player (you could use this as you main music device if you wanted)
- DSP Manager (you are going to need a DSP Manager and if you can't or don't want Beats
then you can grab this one).
- CM File Manager (perfectly fine for moving songs, deleting old ROM's and files)
There are also standalone installs for Apollo and CM DSP Manager, to find them all you have to do is
search for them. Plus there are DSP's in the PlayStore that I never tried so you have a ton of options.
We are dealing with all personal preference here now. As my DSP manager and music player I use
Poweramp Full Version. I purchased it with my first phone and I think it does a great job.
It fully integrates with the Beats installs and it has a built in DSP Manager.
While that's what I use I wanted to make sure this "how to guide" had a fully implemented free
version.
So take your phone, in Airplane Mode, and pick the DSP you want to use.
Install that DSP then select the media player you want to use. Apollo is good but
there are also a ton of free ones on the PlayStore.
Additionally you want to set your screen timeout to something reasonable so you don't waste
any battery on the screen.
Pre-KitKat there was a great app called VolumeControl+ that would lock your volume buttons so
while you were jogging it didn't screw up the sound. I am still using it on my 4.0.3 and I
just wrote the developer since I have had no luck using it on 4.4.2. If I can't get anywhere I will
need to find a new app to lock the buttons on the phone.
Now just load some music and enjoy!
Total Cost: 0.00
Both phones I have done like this sound great and have really long battery life. It's only purpose is
to play music. I turn on the WiFi every once in a while to do updates or grab songs from GDrvie.
There is no standard setup or quick and easy .zip to flash or .apk to install. Hopefully in the
future there will be.
I'm open to any ideas or suggestions to make this setup better.
I would definitely like to make a list of other processes that can safely be frozen (manufacturer specific or not).
Here is just a quick example of my layout.
Hopefully it's helpful for those looking to do something with an old replaced phone.
No Interest?
I found out a few more things but I don't see anyone interested in this thread.
If not, no big deal, it was good for me - instructions or a guide if I have to make another one.
For the moment I'll just let the thread die.
Any questions you can always PM me.
No bumps - besides this one :laugh:
Thank you for posting this. It gives me a better understanding of what I intend to do with my 3 1/2 year old Captivate.
I saw it for the first time today, mostly because this is probably the first time I have searched outside of my device forums.
Wasn't sure where the post should go....
dawgdoc said:
Thank you for posting this. It gives me a better understanding of what I intend to do with my 3 1/2 year old Captivate.
I saw it for the first time today, mostly because this is probably the first time I have searched outside of my device forums.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea it's a very non-specific device modification, so I wasn't sure where it fit in the forums.
I use my HTC Rezound audio player constantly, from the gym to work to/from the drive home. I love it, it sounds great and it makes crappy speakers (like in my Camry) sound so much better than an iPod using the line in or the CD player. I have iPods and I don't care what EQ you setup in them, they never sound as good as this.
Only when I forget to turn off the WiFi do I even remotely have a low battery at the end of day(s).
I think I had some minor tweaks that I wrote down at home, I'll add them if I can find my notes or remember what it was.
Just because a phone is a year or two old doesn't make it worthless. Sure you can probably eBay it for 50.00 or around there but I'm getting so much use out of it and not draining a drop of battery from my primary phone.
I don't have to have my Galaxy Nexus sitting in the car charger just to hear some music. I haven't ever used the car charger on the BAMP Rezound.
Rezound was probably the worst phone I ever purchased and now, honestly, it's more useful than it was as a phone!
First of all, thank you very much for this guide. I have one question. Did you freeze Google play? Because it is a battery eater but it is needed to check that you actually purchased poweramp. The thing with the volume buttons is that im just the opposite, I need to be able to skip songs by pressing physical buttons due to I usually use it while skating and it a pain in the ass to take out my mobile in the meantime.
Enviado desde mi Desire Z mediante Tapatalk
Tested your question
meadillas11 said:
First of all, thank you very much for this guide. I have one question. Did you freeze Google play? Because it is a battery eater but it is needed to check that you actually purchased poweramp. The thing with the volume buttons is that im just the opposite, I need to be able to skip songs by pressing physical buttons due to I usually use it while skating and it a pain in the ass to take out my mobile in the meantime.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi luckily I read your question before my commute to work today so I can tell you what I found out.
Real quick question first, can you confirm you are using your phone with WiFi off? I never saw any Google Play services activity unless I had WiFi on and WiFi searching is a huge battery killer. I only get less than a day if I keep WiFi on.
As to the question about PowerAmp: I do not not believe it works that way, When you purchase it (from the PlayStore) you have to download two things the program and the "pro" key. After those are installed it never checks the Play Store (that I am aware of). If you are getting an error I would ask them about it. I am fairly certain about this because I use it 99% of the time with WiFi disabled (and there is no data plan at all on this phone). If it worked as you mentioned then no one could use it airplane mode.
I did read that there is some problem if you purchase the key directly from their site and then get the program from the PlayStore. Maybe that's it? But, I only turn on my WiFi to check for updates when I'm recharging, no other time, and I never have an issue.
As to Google Play services... before my ride to work I froze it
and everything was fine. It is still frozen and I was able to upload that image via "share to gdrive" using WiFi. Also, I was able to go to the Play Store and check for updates without an issue. Based on my very limited testing it seems safe to "freeze" - I don't plan on unfreezing it until I see a problem.
With the volume program that's really just based on how you use it. I use playlists in PowerAmp and just keep the phone in my pocket at the gym. If I didn't use the volume program then my volume would go up and down and tracks would change as it bounces around. If you use a clip and/or don't have that problem then you can skip using a program to lock your volume. I also don't change tracks with the buttons so for me it works but for you it seems best to not use it.
Thanks for the question, if after a week or so I have no issues I will amend my other post about what to freeze and add Google Play Services.
Google Play Services
Not all processes under Google Play services are started by the Google Play Store. Some are messaging and location services started by apps such as Google Search, Maps, and Hangouts. I'm pretty sure I've also had the location services started by non-Google apps.
Therefore, you can probably freeze some, especially the location services, without having any effect on the Play Store.
agreed
dawgdoc said:
Not all processes under Google Play services are started by the Google Play Store. Some are messaging and location services started by apps such as Google Search, Maps, and Hangouts. I'm pretty sure I've also had the location services started by non-Google apps.
Therefore, you can probably freeze some, especially the location services, without having any effect on the Play Store.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think you are correct.
I reset my battery monitor this morning and will look after I get a few days of stats to see what else runs and takes up battery that is basically useless in a music player.
Since I posted the original screen shots of what I had frozen I added Maps, the HTC Location Service and just this morning Google Play services. I forgot about the first two until your post.
These are the three processes I have frozen since in my original screenshots:
I would like to freeze anything Google that doesn't break the Play Store and GDrive. Not everyone would care about GDrive but I like the convenience of it. If you don't use it, it could probably be frozen too.
I'm usually the cause of any battery problems now if I forget to switch off WiFi or use the screen too much while creating new playlists .. screen timeout is a big deal if you are trying to squeeze every minute out of your battery.
just freeze everything it moves like Solid Snake would do
Enviado desde mi Desire Z mediante Tapatalk
I'm not sure I understand what you mean?
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda app-developers app
Thanks
Thanks dOpiate for sharing this. I have been using CM on my old SGS I9000 to serve as a music player (just keeping the airplane mode on all the time), but this goes even further. I'll have to try that!
I'm surprised there aren't more people coming to this thread, with the number of people who have an old Android phone and don't know what to do with it.
Keep up the good work!
fabecoool said:
Thanks dOpiate for sharing this. I have been using CM on my old SGS I9000 to serve as a music player (just keeping the airplane mode on all the time), but this goes even further. I'll have to try that!
I'm surprised there aren't more people coming to this thread, with the number of people who have an old Android phone and don't know what to do with it.
Keep up the good work!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks I appreciate the feedback.
I think because this thread isn't device specific that it doesn't get that much traffic. And like you, I don't know what people are doing with all the old android devices they have. Just because it's not your phone anymore doesn't mean they are useless. They are very powerful computers that can be used for lots of things.
I actually used my 1st phone, the HTC Incredible 1, to replace my alarm clock. It was perfect, my alarm clock broke - I had the HTC Incredible in a drawer doing nothing so I set it up on my night stand as an alarm clock and I saved myself some $ and found a way to reuse the device.
As for the BAMP phone - I use it all the time - gym, car, work, data center, collocation, lol you get the point.
Soon I am going to have to part with my Galaxy Nexus as my primary phone but I can't wait to see how far I can take it as a media player only.
With the HTC Rezound I was stuck with what was an essentially cleaned up Verizon OTA update mod but the Nexus is CM 11 latest nightly! So much less bloat/trash to start with. I'll be doing a lot of trial and error on that one and will update this thread when/if I discover something new.
Thanks again and I hope this thread was helpful to you. If you learn anything new let me know and I'll add it here.
-dOpiate
Hi and thanks for the tutorial.
Why ia android 4+ mandatory ? This kind of things can be done with gingerbread…
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Xiaomi mi2s with Tapatalk
tmz83 said:
Hi and thanks for the tutorial.
Why ia android 4+ mandatory ? This kind of things can be done with gingerbread…
--
Xiaomi mi2s with Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I stated that specifically for my guide. The apps/settings I suggest don't all run on 3.x, that's the only reason.
I'm sure you could do the same things in gb but if your going by my guide (which will get an update very soon) you would need 4.x
The "idea" would certainly work in gingerbread.
I still use the HTC Rezound I created while writing this guide every day in my car and it still works great. Haven't noticed any battery life deterioration at all.
I did learn that every once in a while I have to enable WiFi or some of the apps no longer think they are licensed (Titanium, PowerAmp) -- but you need to make sure the Play Store isn't set to auto-update. Once it's working - don't let Google update any apps unless you want them updated otherwise you will end up with new Google apps you don't need/want.
I will make this guide more "current" very soon as I have another phone to do and I hope to use CM 4.4.4 as my base.
Ok, thanks again!
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Xiaomi mi2s with Tapatalk
hey, is this thread still alive? i need some help in turning my Sony Ericsson Live With Walkman into a real music player with camera and video available as extra features..
now i succeed to throw away all the unwanted apps like maps, messaging or phone call..
one question, how to remove all quickpanel in CM11? i need it to stay clean or just disable the notification dropdown. ( no use if your device is a music player )
if it impossible to do so, do you have any recommendation about using third party notification center like iOS iNoty or else which eat a little amount of RAM?
So after extensive research and and ahhing I've finally committed and purchased an A2 Lite.
the ummming and ahhing now is if I should root or not?
I've rooted my phones since my first HTC Desire (the original one) so that I've got the "raw" Android experience with none of the horrible skins or bloatware.
Given the A2 Lite is Android One is it worth rooting? I don't add any really fancy add ons like exposed and I think the main thing I'll miss is using adaway to remove all those horrible advertisements.
Is it worth just unlocking the bootloader (this should still "bypass" most non-rooted checking apps shouldn't it?) when I first get it so that if I do decide to root later I don't lose everything ?
I assume there's been other people in the same situation.
Ideas, thoughts, comments collective gurus?
unlocking the bootloader wipes all data
so for me
its better to unlock the bootloader first because i love having the option to root etc. without losing my data
if i want to sell it or have it repaired just re-lock the bootloader by flashing the stock rom.
its all comes down to your personal preference
im waiting for good custom ROM before i root the phone. until then i can recommend blokada addblocker. no root needed and very effective.
limbot said:
So after extensive research and and ahhing I've finally committed and purchased an A2 Lite.
the ummming and ahhing now is if I should root or not?
I've rooted my phones since my first HTC Desire (the original one) so that I've got the "raw" Android experience with none of the horrible skins or bloatware.
Given the A2 Lite is Android One is it worth rooting? I don't add any really fancy add ons like exposed and I think the main thing I'll miss is using adaway to remove all those horrible advertisements.
Is it worth just unlocking the bootloader (this should still "bypass" most non-rooted checking apps shouldn't it?) when I first get it so that if I do decide to root later I don't lose everything ?
I assume there's been other people in the same situation.
Ideas, thoughts, comments collective gurus?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've been there like two weeks ago I decided on rooting to install gcam,greenify and YouTube vanced.
You can also install energized adblock.(it's the best)
Why not root I don't really care about updating I want stable performance....
Viper4Android is enough reason to root the phone. I couldn't live without the superb sound enhancement of it.
thorin0815 said:
Viper4Android is enough reason to root the phone. I couldn't live without the superb sound enhancement of it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same here bro.
V4A + kernel config.
Is it possible to brick A2 Lite while rooting/installing custom rom whatever and not recover from it?
My last 2 phones were Nexus, so basically they were 100% safe. If by some kind of software mistake you bricked them, you could always clean flash factory image and that's it, no way you could render it unusable.
I don't have experience with rooting/custom roms/kernels/recovery outside Nexus phones, so my question is: can you ruin A2 Lite by bricking it and not being able to recover?
And also, is official factory image for A2 Lite (Android One version) available somewhere online (official site, like we have for nexus/pixel phones)?
Thanks for replies folks.
After reading through all the posts in this forum and the "issues" with OTA's etc, I've decided to leave this as a virgin device when I receive it, ( out for delivery with courier...waiting...waiting..), not even going to unlock the bootloader.
I've removed adaway and loaded blockada on my current Find 7a and it's working a treat. Root reason number 1 - tick.
The other root app I remembered I use is LMT (small hands), and Simple Pie is doing the job really well. Root reason number 2 - tick
App backup from Titanium to Mybackup - Root reason number 3 - tick
Will wait and see how the AOSP development goes and if I find anything I really need root for and cross that bridge when I get to it.
Onwards and upwards. Will officially be a member of the A2 Lite crew soon...... (looking out the window every few minutes )
Hey there
My girlfriend bought a Mi a2 Lite today and before setting it up, I would like to work out a few things:
- I want her to have a working gcam on it, because I read that the low-light performance of the stock cam was really bad.
--> Apart from that I don't see any reason to root the phone. So: Is there a stable non-root-version of gcam? or would you still advice me to root?
Thanks for your replys
G
georgs_town said:
Hey there
My girlfriend bought a Mi a2 Lite today and before setting it up, I would like to work out a few things:
- I want her to have a working gcam on it, because I read that the low-light performance of the stock cam was really bad.
--> Apart from that I don't see any reason to root the phone. So: Is there a stable non-root-version of gcam? or would you still advice me to root?
Thanks for your replys
G
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In the end a pig with lipstick stays a pig. IMO enabling GCAM isn't worth the hassle, especially not if you go with stock rom due to focus problems with Android Pie. GCAM might be a tiny little bit better compared to the stock camera app, but its main advantages only shine if you use different tweaked settings for all your different needs. There is no install,forget and have superb pictures GCAM version!
You can temporary root the phone to enable the needed camera API for GCAM. GCAM itself doesn't need root at all. Just check the guides section!
Edit: You might try Open Camera from the Play Store, it has lots of options even without Camera2 API.
Hi there, thanks for your advice! After posting here I quickly read into how to root. It turned out to be really easy, so I just went ahead (mainly for youtube vanced and adaway). Then I did this cam2api thing and tried out a few Gcams. You're right, stuff doesn't work: the interface and all worked fine, but the photos wouldn't be saved to the phone... I know that the image quality wouldn't drastically improve, but I guess night sight (terribly pictures with the stock cam in low light...) and motion photos are very cool features. But it seems that there are no really working versions available for pie...
georgs_town said:
Hi there, thanks for your advice! After posting here I quickly read into how to root. It turned out to be really easy, so I just went ahead (mainly for youtube vanced and adaway).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you're still rooted, you should check out Viper4Android (Magisk module) for great sound improvements.
Beware of taking OTA updates while rooted (or for example adaway without systemless hosts). Your system partitions need to be untouched, else your update fails or your device might become even soft bricked.
thorin0815 said:
If you're still rooted, you should check out Viper4Android (Magisk module) for great sound improvements.
Beware of taking OTA updates while rooted (or for example adaway without systemless hosts). Your system partitions need to be untouched, else your update fails or your device might become even soft bricked.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, I switched off automatic updates. As for Viper4Android, I've tried that on my Pixel 3, didn't really impress me. However, the sound on the Pixel 3 is already great. If you have specific settings/profiles for Mi a2, that would be very nice
cheers
I'm using the following headphone (ear-buds) settings, they sound pretty good with Rock/Metal stuff.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/moto-g4-plus/themes/headphone-viper4android-headphones-t3582217
I root my phone is for Greenify, Battery Charge Limit App.
If you want to root, take note that time and effort is required to install OTA update.
Sometime I think the time and effort spent is not worth the benefit.
And you might not able to use some banking app or ewallet even with Magisk Hide.
I'm really quite disappointed with the gcam ports. I've tested the most famous ones and they are all very unreliable and the features I was looking for don't work (motion photos, hdr, selfie-cam).
Are they more stable on android 8? --> is there hope for a stable and reliable version?
georgs_town said:
I'm really quite disappointed with the gcam ports. I've tested the most famous ones and they are all very unreliable and the features I was looking for don't work (motion photos, hdr, selfie-cam).
Are they more stable on android 8? --> is there hope for a stable and reliable version?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
IMO the camera sensors of our phone are just crap, even 3 years older budget phones like the Moto G4 do far better pictures.
*Update/Edit* I've been informed that this radio mod is still possible to do (as of December 2022) however you will now most likely need root privileges for Shortcut Master to access the necessary hidden menus. /Oops Edit pt2. Props to @aospray & @br0adband for revealing this new hurdle & bringing it to my attention.
Greetings all. I am sharing this brief little How-to Guide for anyone that wants to expand the functionality of LG's FM tuner to include the ability to Record directly from the FM radio. You will have the option to record only songs using the apps hidden "Record Music Only" option, or you can record a stations full broadcast including commercials and on air talk.
First a quick side note:
*Since different variants of the V30 include the LG FM radio App while others include NextRadio and so on, for the sake of brevity I am going to assume anyone reading this already has LG's FM radio app on their phone and it is functioning. Depending on your Variant, ROM, and a couple other factors, this may not be the case for you, but maybe you are reading this and now you want this expanded functionality so you will need to download and install the FM radio app if it is not preinstalled on your device.
If you you need to add the FM radio app to your device, you can check out this thread by @rustypie below with some different dl links and a flashable zip made by @syndre or do some searching on the forum as well as on apk sites and I am sure you will find the right method and APK for your variant. (I am using the regular download of the newest version of the app that I dl'd from apkmirror)
https://forum.xda-developers.com/lg-v30/themes/lg-fm-radio-app-download-verizon-v30-t3689294
What you need:
- LG V30 (any variant, or any phone that can run the LG FM radio app)
- LG's FM Radio Application installed on your device ( I am using 7.10.8 on my device, but I had this working on the older versions of 7.0.16 and 4.70.9, so it should work regardless of which one of the apps work on your specific variant/device)
https://www.apkmirror.com/apk/lgelectronics/lg-fm-radio/
- Shortcut Master (Paid or Lite version)
https://www.apkmirror.com/?post_type=app_release&searchtype=apk&s=shortcut+master
I am including pictures to make this easier for people, so please check them out to aid you in getting this accomplished.
Step 1 - Open Shortcut Master and use the menu at the top right to do a search. After you click search, make sure your select "all apps" from the drop down menu so that it searches your whole phone. Search for "FM Radio".
You should see similar results to those in my attached picture. You are looking for the entry with subtext of "com.lge.fmradio.recordactivity". Click on this and press launch.
*You may want to click "favorites" or "homescreen" to make this easier to access in the future. The app will not retain this preference after use and will always revert back to the version without recording functionality, so having a link in shortcut master or on your homescreen makes it easier to get back to .
Step 2 - Pressing launch in Shortcut Master should have opened your FM radio app. You will now see two things that were not there before. One is a record button on the main screen of the app, and the other is in the recording settings menu in the menu of FM app. If you want to record exactly what you would hear on the radio, simply press the record button and let it record. If you want to record only music and not the commercials and djs, go into that new recording settings menu and enable "record music only".
That's it, You are now able to record all you would like until you close the app. Next time you open the app it will revert back to the old UI, so you will have to repeat the steps if you want to record again later.
Enjoy
Reserved
Also, I just realized I posted this in Theme apps and Mods, and it should probably be in Guides, News and Discussions section. I dont think i can move the whole thing, so if a Mod would like to move it to the other section, please feel free.
Great find!
JonnyTrulove said:
Reserved
Also, I just realized I posted this in Theme apps and Mods, and it should probably be in Guides, News and Discussions section. I dont think i can move the whole thing, so if a Mod would like to move it to the other section, please feel free.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In the future, when you need to have a post moved to a different subforum, report your post using the report button, and the moderators for the LG forums will be able to take care of it for you. I've reported it for you this time (these aren't my forums).
mattgyver said:
In the future, when you need to have a post moved to a different subforum, report your post using the report button, and the moderators for the LG forums will be able to take care of it for you. I've reported it for you this time (these aren't my forums).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Interesting. Never thought to "report" my own thread. About a year ago, I created a guide on the US998 Hidden Menu which I accidentally started in the Q&A section instead of the Guide section. Still bugs me when I run across it.
EDIT: OK, just reported my thread.
2019 me : Who uses FM radio recording today?
edit
2022 me : still an useful feature
Biswarup801bk17 said:
Who uses FM radio recording today?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same who may use FM radio.
It's free, doesn't use mobile data plan. In emergencies when WiFi and cell phone outages may occur, FM radio can still be there.
Hi, wow, great find. Sometimes I am listening and I will hear something that I want to download but I know I will forget it by the time I get home.
The "record only music" feature is a bit limited though although clever.
If music is already playing it just says waiting for music so you have to wait for that track to finish, then it has to recognise talking (somehow) before it will record.
If you do not check and miss the "waiting for music" message and the track just started then you wont get it recorded.
Even so, click to record is really useful for me.
@Biswarup801bk17: why would you want to know that? tut, tut...
Biswarup801bk17 said:
Who uses FM radio recording today?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Quick and easy way to make your own ring tone, notification sound, etc.
@JonnyTrulove,
You probably already know this, but you made XDA News.
https://www.xda-developers.com/record-audio-lg-fm-radio-app/
ChazzMatt said:
@JonnyTrulove,
You probably already know this, but you made XDA News.
https://www.xda-developers.com/record-audio-lg-fm-radio-app/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I didn't, that's pretty cool, thanks for the heads up!
gazzacbr said:
Hi, wow, great find. Sometimes I am listening and I will hear something that I want to download but I know I will forget it by the time I get home.
The "record only music" feature is a bit limited though although clever.
If music is already playing it just says waiting for music so you have to wait for that track to finish, then it has to recognise talking (somehow) before it will record.
If you do not check and miss the "waiting for music" message and the track just started then you wont get it recorded.
Even so, click to record is really useful for me.
@Biswarup801bk17: why would you want to know that? tut, tut...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just Curious
This is neat, just to play around with. The one thing I can't figure out, though, is why does only THAT shortcut app show the recordActivity? I've tried at least 10 so far, including Nova Launcher's built-in activity launcher, and all of them only show FM Radio's introActivity. What strange magic makes his work?! the lite version's limitation is not being able to save that activity as a homescreen shortcut.
mattgyver said:
This is neat, just to play around with. The one thing I can't figure out, though, is why does only THAT shortcut app show the recordActivity? I've tried at least 10 so far, including Nova Launcher's built-in activity launcher, and all of them only show FM Radio's introActivity. What strange magic makes his work?! the lite version's limitation is not being able to save that activity as a homescreen shortcut.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Because Shortcut Master will access even hidden menu shortcuts. Stuff you're not supposed to see.
Fantastic, it works with with my LG V10 from Tmo!!!
It can finally record!
Would it work with other brands like HTC too?
mattgyver said:
This is neat, just to play around with. The one thing I can't figure out, though, is why does only THAT shortcut app show the recordActivity? I've tried at least 10 so far, including Nova Launcher's built-in activity launcher, and all of them only show FM Radio's introActivity. What strange magic makes his work?! the lite version's limitation is not being able to save that activity as a homescreen shortcut.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Shortcut Master is definitely one of my favorite apps. That said, you can seriously mess your phone up though. Like really badly. Just a warning. And not like the usual just in case kind of warning, but a legit guarantee that if you go poking around enough you almost definitely will screw something up that you may need a restore or full redo to fix.
I had considered starting a Shortcut Master thread, and half heartedly did a while back, but I called it something like LGV30 tweaks and mods discussion. I didn't follow up with a shortcut Master section just out of fear a hundred people would ruin their phone but maybe I'll start one now if there is interest, since the Pandora's box is already kind of opened with it being part of most of the V30 guides I've done.
There is a surprising amount of stuff that only this app seems to get to. The paid version is well worth the buck ot two just for convenience sake and I'd normally say buy it to support further dev, but I think the developer is retired as I haven't seen an update or anything new in a while other than him taking the lite version off the play store last year, but still worth supporting his previous efforts.
Shortcut Master is great for accessing the hidden system menus such as your APN presets and all of the sections of the phone that are blocked off of the specific build your on.
Some of my faves are:
The hidden section of the systems built in Call recording screen.
-For anyone that modified their LGIncallUI to allow recording, this setting will let you track specific numbers or tell it to record all calls.
The extra hidden menu items that Sprint trys to get rid of.
(You'll notice in the pics there is the Hidden menu, and the carrier hidden menu. The Carrier one has access to a bunch of stuff removed.)
Your built in Bluetooth settings page that LG for some reason doesn't allow you to access.
AT&T's video call settings (these don't actually VCs work on Sprint)
And quick access to the Radio Info section
I'm attaching a couple pics for anyone that may be interested in some of what I just mentioned.
But one more time, you are all seriously warned! Know that you will mess your phone up just aimlessly clicking around.
I legitimately ruin my phone at least once a week and have to do a full reflash or restore. I am actually past due for one now, as I've managed to screw up something and now my settings force close when I try and enter developer options. So again, you are WARNED!
Have fun.
mustasusi said:
Fantastic, it works with with my LG V10 from Tmo!!!
It can finally record!
Would it work with other brands like HTC too?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It should work with any device that can already run the Radio app since it's all built into the app, and is just hidden. So if you were able to get the apk to install and work on your HTC I don't see why it would not.
If you have issues you may be able to use "XML a road to vendor apps" module ( I think that's what it's called) on your HTC to get it to install the LG Radio app. Just a guess though.
Biswarup801bk17 said:
Who uses FM radio recording today?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Most phones meant for market outside the US have FM . This feature was removed or turned off by US carriers to enable users to use data to maximize their profit. As a preference it is a feature I put into consideration when purchasing a smart phone except if I have no option despite the fact that I have unlimited data. I just refuse to accept that I have to use data to listen to FM stations around me. I do not consider a phone as an upgrade when a carrier or or a manufacturer remove basic functions from the phone.
---------- Post added at 09:56 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:54 PM ----------
ChazzMatt said:
Same who may use FM radio.
It's free, doesn't use mobile data plan. In emergencies when WiFi and cell phone outages may occur, FM radio can still be there.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
WELL SAID !! :good::good:
Has anyone had this not work because it appears to require root? I realize that there's no mention of requiring root at all in this thread, so I decided to give this a shot on my V30 just now. installed the latest LG FM Radio app (7.10.8), installed Shortcut Master (paid, forgot I even bought it in the past, go figure), and followed the instructions as written but of course - and my V30 is not rooted at the present time - it's telling me it requires root to even start the FM Radio app with the shortcut (using Launch).
The FM Radio app works fine, but whenever Shortcut Master calls it I get the following so if anyone has any tips to get it functional I'd appreciate it, thanks.
ps
I did a complete clean install of US99820h on my V30 earlier today and for some strange reason now when it's in Hi-Fi DAC mode (I have ~50 Ohm headphones) I've apparently lost the single-step volume control, dammit - now it's jumping 5 steps each time, 35, 40, 45, etc, instead of 30, 31, 32, and so on. Funny how a clean install can sometimes break so many things, eh?
Later Edit:
The reason I'm having issues with the single-step volume is because I'm using Button Mapper so I can skip audio tracks using the volume buttons; it's overriding the defaults of the volume controls for the most part. It has some advanced options to disable the functionality when the volume panel is showing onscreen (meaning I get the single-step control again but the first tap skips 5% regardless), and with the screen off it doesn't provide any single-step control whatsoever, kinda crappy but that's how it goes. I wish phone makers would just include the option to skip tracks with long presses by default, make it an option you can enable. BLEH.
Final Edit:
I decided to do a clean everything last night, started totally fresh, from scratch, and do everything one step at a time, got it all working just fine and with Magisk 19.2 installed I was able to get the recording aspects working too with the LG FM Radio app so, I'm good to go.
From your last edit, you are rooted now? Was that the solution?
Hi everyone!
I'm having some issue with my 3M Worktunes Connect headphones which I'm using whole day long at work.
The soundquality is pretty poor on my Radio App which I'm listening while working (I'm a Belgian living in Finland so it's the only way).
When I listen to Spotify, I have access to the equaliser and I can fine-tune the sound pretty good but in my radio app I can't get access to it.
I've tried all the available options from the Google Play store but none of them work. At the installation it always says there is already an equaliser installed (Sound FX if I remember correctly).
Does anyone have a solution to this?
I'm not rooted and I'm actually not looking forward to do so.. I bought the Android One phone so I could just sit back and enjoy a clean, smooth running Android without having to stress ?
Thanks in advance!
Okay, maybe my question was not clear or the solution is so simple that nobody feels like sharing it with me ?
I'll survive with crappy sounds I guess...
Thanks anyway for taking the time to read through my problem description.
Greetings, Sam
You could try this app call Neutralizer. It works system-wide.
Just a side note, for the best sound you'll have to take a minute or two to setup it up properly to make full use of it.
Unfortunately I'm unable to add the play store link here.
Hope it works out for you.
madfade35 said:
You could try this app call Neutralizer. It works system-wide.
Just a side note, for the best sound you'll have to take a minute or two to setup it up properly to make full use of it.
Unfortunately I'm unable to add the play store link here.
Hope it works out for you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the suggestion!
I'll give it a try!
Greetings!
Sadly enough it's not working either, just like any other third party equaliser on my Nokia 8.1
Thanks for the effort!
I'm using Poweramp. Works great, but it's not system wide
When playing a song in Spotify and tapping on the 3 dots in the upper right corner, the screen dims a little bit and Spotify freezes. No probs like this with Mi Mix 2s and Redmi Note 4. Erased app data, uninstalled, re-installed - no changes.
Any ideas?
Same problem for me
Same here. Seems like this problem has been around for a while.
https://community.spotify.com/t5/On...ng-on-three-dot-menu-in/idi-p/4811695/page/13
polfrank said:
Same here. Seems like this problem has been around for a while.
https://community.spotify.com/t5/On...ng-on-three-dot-menu-in/idi-p/4811695/page/13
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks! That's now for almost 2 months and they do nothing - great! I love the superb support within a premium account...
Any ideas/workarounds how to add a song to a playlist?
uwdus said:
Thanks! That's now for almost 2 months and they do nothing - great! I love the superb support within a premium account...
Any ideas/workarounds how to add a song to a playlist?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have installed the Spotify desktop app on Windows 10 and I am doing all the management from there!
By the way, I have the Chinese rom (for now). Does it happen on the global rom also?
polfrank said:
I have installed the Spotify desktop app on Windows 10 and I am doing all the management from there!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I was afraid of this being the only chance for managing playlists....
polfrank said:
By the way, I have the Chinese rom (for now). Does it happen on the global rom also?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I'm using the global rom
Just to let you know. I signed up for a Spotify Beta account, hoping the bug is fixed in the beta - but no...same problem
Hello,
Theres a workaround, tap the song/album you want, then go to the playlist and select "add song", then swipe right until you get the recently played pannel and add song/album to playlist....
MalG
Confirm I had the same problem with my unit, that is until I returned it due to the touchscreen issue mentioned in another thread.
Same issue, already posted on Spotify's forums and they didn't even acknowledged it.
Lots of people complaining yet the can't or refuse to do something about it...
Damn, just got the phone yesterday and I am having the same issue and was hoping someone may have found a solution. I wonder if it's to do with the new processor in this phone? I saw someone in a Spotify support forum (not an R8NPro user) saying they turned on OpenGL Rendering (although not sure how or where?) and that fixed it for them. Spotify presents one of my main use cases for the phone so this sucks. Anyone tried using an older version of the app?
On a related note (no pun intended!), I have always rooted my phones just so I could use Viper4Audio to eek out a better sound. I am using Bluetooth as my primary connection. Has anyone done any side by sides in terms of audio quality? If I don;t have to root then I won't as I think I read of some possible issues at present with this phone?
Thanks for any help!
Just got a new system update on my RN8Pro. Has anyone tried the current version of Spotify after this update to see if it works? I am using a very old version of the app which is working (albeit less featured) so am loathe to have to download all my playlists again to try it
Works for me now with MIUI 11. But I'm also using Spotify Beta and there was an update too. So I'm not sure why it's working again. Please try out folks
Works fine for me. Miui 11 and latest Spotify stable release.
Same problem for me
Miui 11 update fix many issues, like the Spotify bug !