Develop Bugs

[Q] Reasons to root?

Hey guys, this had been posted in other forums, but I wanted some specific answers from play users.
I've been wanting to root my play for a while in order to freeze apps/control the cpu for improved battery life, and now that there is that great guide from typikal, it finally seems do able.
My question its, beyond freezing/deleting bloatware, what do you guys do with your rooted phones? What features do some of the more popular roms offer? I really like stock android, would that be a mistake to root and just run a vanilla 2.3.3 rom?
Thanks for all the responses and information, I think I'm getting a handle on this android stuff finally.

My only reason for Rooting was because the memory sucks and I needed to move my games to the SD card. I don’t pirate and I don't just install anything do to the high malware rates.

I only do it so I can get rid of all the useless pre-installed crap that comes on the phone
I hate having stuff I don't use
And so I can use quick reboot apps

Thanks for the replies. What can you guys tell me about the more popular roms, like Cyanogen? What extra features would this rom bring to the table that I would presumably want?
And, is it even possible to flash to a stock 2.3.3 rom on the R800x?

I haven't tried the ROMs yet. I'm waiting for them to be more complete.

Rooting means to have complete control about how your OS works (note: OS, not device). It is something that we as users should demand to have toggled/toggleable by default, at least if we have bought the phone without carrier subsidies. After all, we have root access over the personal computers we buy, and we buy them without subsidies either. Smartphones are personal computers with phone capabilities, so they should not be any different in that aspect.
Extra features usually allowed by rooting, plus customised ROMs are moving all apps to SD, overclocking, wifi tethering, system-wide backups (that is, to safely back up all your phone's data) and so on. Note that you need to unlock your bootloaders as well, for custom ROMs to be installed.
Note that you don't need root to pirate anything.

I agree with logseman that we should have full access without worrying about warranties.
But on the other have there are a lot of noobs that will screw everything up. lol
Although screwing things up is how we learn in the first place.
Edit: Something as simple as taking a screen shot or disabling the auto brightness should not require root access. (Root access is basically the Administrator account in Linux.)

We screw up our PC's in a daily basis and noone will close the software. The reason why people have no control over their device is that the one giving the subsidy (the carrier) is the real end customer of the phone.

Top 10 reasons to root?

Hi Folks - I'm trying to find the top 10 reasons why phones are rooted. I want to change the way Android is distributed, software is managed and patches are applied. Please list all your reasons that you think are important

There is only one reason to me. Because I own my device and I want the ultimate root control over it. However, I and probably most other people on this site are not representative of the normal population of phone owners that absolutely do not need root access since for them it would be dangerous.

So far, I only have two, but they are important enough to me. I like having free wireless tethering without paying my carrier anymore. Also, I like the ability to backup my apps and other data to my SD card in case I must wipe my phone or transfer it to another phone. Its a shame there is still no official method to do this on Android phones, whereas Apple can do it with their iPhones and iTunes.

Rooting gives me the power to tweak my phone however which way I want and it may also give me access to features found only other phones like S-Voice for example.
The other major reason is performance. I really care about performance and is willing to squeeze out every ounce of performance the hardware is capable of. Of course, a balance of performance plus great battery life is crucial. Rooting allows me ultimate control of my phone.

stevep2007 said:
Hi Folks - I'm trying to find the top 10 reasons why phones are rooted. I want to change the way Android is distributed, software is managed and patches are applied. Please list all your reasons that you think are important
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Some of my main reasons (in no particular order) are:
Custom ROMs (although I'm not sure how it works on phones outside of the HD2 )
Ad blockers
Backup/restore abilities (i.e. Titanium Backup)
SetCPU
Market Enabler
A2SD/Link2SD
CF3D
ICS Launchers which can add widgets from the app drawer
Ability to uninstall system apps/bloatware
Generally having full control over my phone and what I do with it

Some of my reasons are
* Custom Roms
* Custom Kernels
* Mods - such as 15 bar toggle e.t.c
* Learn how to theme and cook roms

Excellent extended functionality -- That's what smartphones are for -- FUNCTIONALITY
Titanium Backup, and all the other root apps XD
Breakaway from bloated stock roms -- we WANT SPEED in the custom roms
Updates to the latest OS version -- enjoy the best of Android
That's why I rooted

Only one reason for me: Freedom!

customization
control
superior speed/battery life
less clutter
less intrusive (phoning home)
titanium backup
easy flashing of custom recovery
that said a good oh *bleep* button in case I mess up my phone.

I rooted to install custom ROMS and hopefully get better battery life by getting rid of bloatware. So far much faster, but I'm yet to see battery improvements. Changing kernals is really fun tho.

.for me allways about improving battery life and improving performance with after market mods that the manufacturers don't see as important ie, by debloating and removing all unwanted apps, updating radio firmware to improve cell phone reception, improving kernel optimization and tweaks running new launchers and widgets make to work faster on new os and software versions.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

ROOT ? Own your phone

Destroy bloatware! Free up precious internal memory! Overclock that sucker! Tether my laptop! Plus its excellent to do stuff correctly and NOT brick your phone!

if you have to ask question like that, you shouldn't root your device... but for me, the reason why to root is to gain ultimate control over my device, because it is MY device

For me its just a way not to use google account. I think its unacceptable that they would require personal info and collect such on their costumers. Especially since I payed for a SE product and would like atleast to have a File Manager Installed or be able to use calendar WITHOUT sincing it to some random server. Its just that I red the Terms Of Agreement and I don`t agree some times.
Not that it changes anything in the end....

The ladies appreciate it..?

I just want to full control my device..
and I think it is save because we can reset our phone if it is crashed.. :laugh:

Ad free, titanium Backup, droid Wall, div. Roms, backlight notifications

Now with Verizon including work teather with shared everything why root.... I unrooted mine because of that.....
Sent from my ADR6400L using xda premium

If you don't know what you do its safe not to root your phone. If you delete system files you phone will not start. I have my phone rooted because i am the boss. Not my phone.

[Q] Android OS and wlan battery usage on FH13

Running unrooted stock FH13 I'm getting a high percentage of my battery being used up by Android OS when the phone is idling. From what I've gathered this seems to be a pretty common problem with the two official ICS builds, but I'm wondering if anyone has any solutions that doesn't involve reverting to GB or rooting my device. Better Battery Stats typically tells me that the culprit is a wlan kernal wake lock, and sometimes is deleted wake lock (which if I understand correctly could be the same culprit as the wlan_wake lock). So it would seem that Wi-Fi is what's killing me, but I've not had any better battery life when I run 3g all day either. I did a factory reset after upgrading to FF18, but I didn't do it again after upgrading to FH13. Any suggestions?
Also, does anyone know if FI03 has the same issue?

This is xda, why are you here if you don't want to root your device?
Honestly if you root it and get rid of the stock apps and bloat that runs in the background you will get better battery life. The first thing I do on official ics is delete the Sprint and Samsung apps like Sprint zone, media hub, social hub, and extra widgets like accuweather and dual clock.
There are guides everywhere for battery life improvement. Also turn off wifi when your not using it.

someguyatx said:
This is xda, why are you here if you don't want to root your device?
Honestly if you root it and get rid of the stock apps and bloat that runs in the background you will get better battery life. The first thing I do on official ics is delete the Sprint and Samsung apps like Sprint zone, media hub, social hub, and extra widgets like accuweather and dual clock.
There are guides everywhere for battery life improvement. Also turn off wifi when your not using it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I appreciate the advice. I knew about that option already though. The reason I don't want to root is because aside from this one issue I'm fine with the stock experience, and I honestly just don't have the time to try different builds and tweak things enough to get the most out of a rooted experience. As far as why I'm on xda, there are plenty of unrooted leaks on this forum too so I can't be the only one who doesn't want to root for whatever reason. For general battery improvement, I've looked and I haven't found anything useful aside from either disabling some apps from starting up or accessing the internet at certain times, which would require rooting, or turning off data/wi-fi (which in my opinion defeats many of the purposes of my phone).
I am well aware that turning certain things off or removing certain apps, even those that would require rooting, would help my battery, but my point is that I didn't do any of those things on GB and my battery life was still perfectly fine. My current understanding of the situation is that this is just what the official FH13 ICS rom on the E4GT does and there's nothing I can do about it. I'm hoping I'm wrong and that someone might have some advice, but if that's really the case feel free to confirm my suspicion as well.

Only thing that comes to mind is - after you reset, did you go right back and install all your apps before testing for battery drain?
Did you try turning off auto sync?
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Xparent SkyBlue Tapatalk 2

MoHoGalore said:
Only thing that comes to mind is - after you reset, did you go right back and install all your apps before testing for battery drain?
Did you try turning off auto sync?
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Xparent SkyBlue Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I did just reinstall all of them immediately. I know that it would have been better to put them back on slowly in order to pinpoint an app that may be causing a problem, but that would have taken a lot of time and I didn't think it'd be worth it. Also, right now better battery stats doesn't show any of my apps holding a wake lock for long and I thought it would show up there if it was one of my installed apps causing the problem. Is that not how it works? Because I'm considering factory resetting again when I get the chance, so if it still could be one of my installed apps I might give the gradual app installation a try if I do it.
No I did not turn off auto-sync because being notified automatically about e-mails and such is one of the main reasons I use this phone. I know that it uses more battery when it's on, but I consider it a necessity. However, now that you mention it, I never really did try turning it off just to see how much of a difference it makes. That could be useful diagnostically so I'll probably give that a shot.
Also, on the auto sync note, is there a way for me to change the time interval that the google services wait to check for new notifications? Because I can't find it anywhere and I could have sworn that was an option in GB.

awhitey2291 said:
Yes, I did just reinstall all of them immediately. I know that it would have been better to put them back on slowly in order to pinpoint an app that may be causing a problem, but that would have taken a lot of time and I didn't think it'd be worth it. Also, right now better battery stats doesn't show any of my apps holding a wake lock for long and I thought it would show up there if it was one of my installed apps causing the problem. Is that not how it works? Because I'm considering factory resetting again when I get the chance, so if it still could be one of my installed apps I might give the gradual app installation a try if I do it.
No I did not turn off auto-sync because being notified automatically about e-mails and such is one of the main reasons I use this phone. I know that it uses more battery when it's on, but I consider it a necessity. However, now that you mention it, I never really did try turning it off just to see how much of a difference it makes. That could be useful diagnostically so I'll probably give that a shot.
Also, on the auto sync note, is there a way for me to change the time interval that the google services wait to check for new notifications? Because I can't find it anywhere and I could have sworn that was an option in GB.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Disclaimer: None of the following is meant to be rude -
You're asking for a shotgun approach to a specific issue.
You do realize that the majority of people that your asking love to take things apart to find out what's wrong, right? Its kinds like taking the screwdriver away and asking someone to fix it.
That being said:
Autosync: App dependent. Check each app. If you have outlook, unfortunately its also on the server side for push notifications. If you have outlook, talk to the admin and ask if they left push at the standard default. You can find those settings through technet. I posted on this issue so you should be able to find it in search.
Each app install: Without a logcat at a minimum, or a verbose battery monitor app, that's a needle in a haystack. Either
A: go the "one at a time" method
B: Research each app for same issue
C: You can find similar posts on this issue since its such a popular one and try the various suggestions.
Either way, you're going to spend the same amount of time, or more, hunting this down.
Ooor, since you don't want to root:
You can flash ek02 and let the OTA process take you to el29 and try the no root method of ignoring future updates or hit the ignore button several times a day.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Xparent SkyBlue Tapatalk 2

awhitey2291 said:
I appreciate the advice. I knew about that option already though. The reason I don't want to root is because aside from this one issue I'm fine with the stock experience, and I honestly just don't have the time to try different builds and tweak things enough to get the most out of a rooted experience. As far as why I'm on xda, there are plenty of unrooted leaks on this forum too so I can't be the only one who doesn't want to root for whatever reason. For general battery improvement, I've looked and I haven't found anything useful aside from either disabling some apps from starting up or accessing the internet at certain times, which would require rooting, or turning off data/wi-fi (which in my opinion defeats many of the purposes of my phone).
I am well aware that turning certain things off or removing certain apps, even those that would require rooting, would help my battery, but my point is that I didn't do any of those things on GB and my battery life was still perfectly fine. My current understanding of the situation is that this is just what the official FH13 ICS rom on the E4GT does and there's nothing I can do about it. I'm hoping I'm wrong and that someone might have some advice, but if that's really the case feel free to confirm my suspicion as well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can be stock rooted on the current over the air build if you are happy with touchwiz ics. When I use touchwiz based roms stock rooted is the way I go. You don't need to worry about tweaks or custom kernels if you want to keep it simple. We all started stock rooted, its a little scary at first but its really the way to go if you want the most from your phone. Its one of those things that you kick yourself for not doing sooner when its finally done.
I have been able to surpass my battery life on EL29 GB with various ics roms for months with similar customization done. Bone stock though I think you are right GB is a little better. A new official ICS update should be released soon FI27 though and they only get better. Give it a try stock and really consider rooting. We will help if you need it.
FYI this is a normal days battery for me. I'm currently running an AOSP rom with stock battery
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9 Reasons To Root Your Droid

www.digitaltrends.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/android-root-unlock.jpg
To root or not to root? That is
the question. Rooting your
Android device definitely
pushes you up a level or two in
your geekdom. It requires a
certain level of commitment, at
least a little savvy, and even a
modicum of risk. So, why
would you want to bother?
We've got nine good reasons
for ya.
What Is Rooting?
We talk about rooting plenty
around here, but here's the
high-level look for the few
remaining uninitiated. Rooting
means gaining root access to
your device. When you take
your phone out of the box,
while there are plenty of
settings you can tweak, you can
only alter what the
manufacturer allows you to. By
gaining root access you can
modify the device's software
on the very deepest level. It
takes a bit of hacking (some
devices more than others), it
voids your warranty, and
there's a small chance that you
could completely break your
phone forever. But you know
what? It's still totally worth it
for all the goodies you get
access to.
1. Apps Aplenty
If you've spent much time in
Google Play, you know you're
not exactly hard-up for good
apps. But why settle for good
when you can have great . Once
you're rooted not only can you
get more apps, but the apps
you have access to can get way
down deeper into your phone's
brains. In some cases you'll be
able to do things that carriers,
manufacturers, and/or Google
may not want you to do. Some
will allow you to do things of
questionable legality. For
example, Network Spoofer uses
your device to set up a fake
wireless network. When your
houseguests sign in, you can
make ever image they see
inverted, or all of the text
fuzzy. It's a harmless prank,
but of course it could (but
shouldn't!) also be used for
stealing passwords and other
nefarious things.
Where do you find all these
root-only gems? Amazingly
enough, many of them are still
in the Google Play app store.
Google's much more relaxed
about rooting than Apple is
about jailbreaking. Some apps,
like Tasker , work for factory-
shipped devices as well, but get
expanded superpowers when
you root.
2. The Latest OS
Updates
This may be
the most common complaint
among Android users, less than
half of whom have made it as
far as Ice Cream Sandwich .
Between the Google, the
carriers, and the hardware
manufacturers, there are a
whole lot of shenanigans
behind closed doors that
determines when (or if) your
phone gets an upgrade. Who
has the patience?
Android's developer
community, on the other hand,
is a hardcore bunch. They're
often able to get the new OS
onto a phone months before
the carrier releases the update,
often along with a few bonus
features. Once you're rooted,
you just have to find the OS
version you want (optimized
for your specific device), and
it's generally extremely easy to
install the latest and greatest.
3. Ditching the Skin
Android enthusiasts rightly
hate the software skins that
hardware manufacturers use to
brand their devices. They're
often bulky, ugly, unwieldy, or
just downright not as clean and
functional as stock Android.
They're also a big reason those
OS updates take so long. You're
almost always better off
without.
So root! Once you do, you can
download and install any
number of custom-built ROMs
(different versions of the
Android firmware). Some of
them are highly customized
and tweaked to add features,
and others are basically just
stock Android. Cleaning off an
ugly skin can be like a breath
of fresh air.
4. Bloat Banishment
Android phones are plagued
not only with OEM skins, but
with a fistful of superflous
apps that you don't want and
will never use. Generally,
they're just things to get you
more entrenched in the
carrier's ecosystem. The best
part? You can't remove them.
In Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean)
devices, you can disable those
apps so you don't see them,
but they're still there, taking
up space. Once you've rooted
your phone, you can use
Titanium Backup to delete
them once and forever. Just be
careful you don't accidentally
delete something that your
phone actually needs, or you'll
be sorry.
5. Speed/Battery
Life Boosts
Phone starting to get laggy? Or
maybe you're having trouble
making it through the day on a
single charge? Rooting allows
you to install customized
kernels (the software that
enables the OS to talk to the
hardware, basically) that are
optimized differently. Some are
made for low-power
consumption, and some are
built for speed. You can also
use an app like Set CPU, which
enables you to overclock or
underclock your phone's
processor, and set rules for
usage.
For example, you can set your
processors to go into overdrive
when you're playing a
graphically intensive game, but
have them draw the bare
minimum power when the
screen is off.
6. Extreme
Customization
Android is already the most
customizable mobile OS out
there, which is one of its big
draws, but if you root your
phone you can really go nuts. If
you want a total change, you
can download custom ROMs
that look nothing like Android
at all. Want your device to
navigable entirely by gestures?
No problem, just install GMD
Gesture Control (see video).
Prefer a sliding keyboard when
you're in portait mode, but a
tapping, predictive keyboard
when you're in landscape.
Keyboard Manager will
automatically switch between
your keyboards of choice
whenever you rotate your
phone. You can also add
features like widgets in your
notification bar, or can change
the way certain features look
or behave, like the lock screen,
or notification bar . The sky's
the limit.
7. Infinite Features
Beyond just customizing your
phone's existing features,
rooting helps you pile on all
kinds of wonderful new
weirdness. You'll love it.
Want to hook up your
PlayStation controller to your
phone for better gaming? You
can . Want to set rules for
callers to decide who can and
can't call you when? Why not .
Maybe your carrier has blocked
certain apps, or an app isn't
available for the country you
live in? There are Market
Enabler apps that trick your
phone (and Google) into
thinking it's on another carrier
or in a far off land. Nervous
about connecting to the public
Wi-Fi? Wifi Protector will keep
you safe from all kinds of ARP,
DOS, and MITM attacks. Or, you
could put the new Android 4.2
camera on your non-Jellybean
phone . Accidentally deleted
something you wish you
hadn't? Undelete might just
save your bacon. The
possibilities are virtually
limitless.
8. A Free Wi-Fi
Hotspot
You probably know that your
phone can function as a Wi-Fi
hotspot, allowing you to get
your laptop (or tablet, or
whatever) online wherever
your phone has a data
connection The catch? Most
wireless carriers charge you
$10 a month or more for that
privilege, on top of your
regular data plan. With a
rooted Android device,
however, you can simply
download Wireless Tether (yep,
right from the Android
Market), create your own
mobile, encrypted Wi-Fi
network, and your carrier will
be none the wiser.
If you do tether multiple
devices to your liberated phone,
just make sure you don't go
over your monthly cap. Data
goes down a lot faster on a
laptop.
9. Better Backup
There are apps out there that
kiiiiinnnnda back up your
phone, but generally it's pretty
surface level stuff (contacts,
pictures, music, etc.). Once
rooted you can go way, way
deeper. Grab an app called
Titanium Backup. Not only can
it back up all of your apps, but
it can back up all of the
information stored in those
apps. So if you've been doing
great in Temple Run but you
want to wipe your phone and
start fresh, you can use
Titanium to back up and then
restore the game, and you'll be
right where you left off. It's a
nice security blanket if you're
going to be messing around
deep in your phone's brain.
In spite of all these benefits,
only you know whether rooting
is right for you. For some
people it's just not worth the
time and effort. For others, it's
a godsend that allows them to
use their phones in a better
way and for a longer time. If
you decide to take the plunge,
read up and make sure you
follow instructions carefully.
After that, go hog wild. It's
your phone, after all.
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Want to make sure before I buy this phone....

Hi All!
So I'm just about to get this phone after a loooong time with my HTC One m7.
I'm not a massive fan of google as a company and their tracking so for my HTC I did the following:
Rooted, installed cyanogen
Installed minimal gapps package
Installed Greenify to hibernate apps I don't use often
Used Privacy guard to limit permissions for apps
I also disabled google play and all sorts of other things.
Now I'm not expecting to install cyanogen on the 5t but what about all the other stuff? Are there better solutions 4 years later?
Ideally I'd like to get the 5t setup similarly to how I had the HTC.
I'd welcome any thoughts from those who know
Thanks!

SGSII_LEDnotify said:
Now I'm not expecting to install cyanogen on the 5t but what about all the other stuff? Are there better solutions 4 years later?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Because Cyanogen is gone. What was left of it became Lineage OS which is a continuation of Cyanogen, and it has Privacy Guard. Lineage OS for the 5t is currently in beta, but should be working soon.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/oneplus-5t/development/rom-lineageos-15-0-t3721193

Also, with battery optimization built into Android now, you probably don't need Greenify.
With Lineage (or any other custom ROM), you can forego Google apps or do a minimal install. Check out your options here: http://opengapps.org/

the Doctor said:
Also, with battery optimization built into Android now, you probably don't need Greenify.
With Lineage (or any other custom ROM), you can forego Google apps or do a minimal install. Check out your options here: http://opengapps.org/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, so it sounds like it'll be a similar procedure then.
I'm hot on the trail, I found this page detailing how to remove google from a phone:
https://android.gadgethacks.com/how...-google-from-your-android-experience-0162547/
I didn't realize I could essentially get away with not even installing play store and the article shows some replacement apps for the stock things I use most like calendar, calculator, mail etc.
So I need Lineage if I want privacy guard, however I do see the way android handles permissions has changed:
https://www.howtogeek.com/230683/how-to-manage-app-permissions-on-android-6.0/
Just trying to form a plan of action really, for example on my paid apps (swype and nova launcher) can I simply copy across the apks?

I guess more pertinent questions would be:
Do I need Lineage in order to completely remove google from the phone?
Are there equivalents to privacy guard or are the controls in the stock rom enough?
Will Lineage use the OP features like slider control and camera app?
The stock rom seems pretty snappy and optimised for the device, can I get the benefits of Lineage whilst sticking with the original OS?

SGSII_LEDnotify said:
Just trying to form a plan of action really, for example on my paid apps (swype and nova launcher) can I simply copy across the apks?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Paid apps may depend on Google services for verification.

the Doctor said:
Because Cyanogen is gone. What was left of it became Lineage OS which is a continuation of Cyanogen, and it has Privacy Guard. Lineage OS for the 5t is currently in beta, but should be working soon.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/oneplus-5t/development/rom-lineageos-15-0-t3721193
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I didn't think Lineage 15 had Privacy manager in it yet? It is in Lineage 14.1.
As for the OP, as the 5T arrives, you can unlock it, root it, and remove what you don't want. You can disable (or remove) the Google apps, and the OnePlus services, as well as block them from Cell / Wifi connectivity if you wish. You have some of the privacy features that are built into the stock android, but not as fine as the privacy manager that was included in Lineage.
This is why I had hoped Lineage 14.1 would be worked on, it's also the only way we will get an official release right now (Especially with the similarities to the 5 which already has an official release). Unless Lineage 15.1 is close to release? Either way 15.1 is still missing several features from 14.1.

Thanks for this.
i've learnt a bit more since last posting about blobs and shims etc.
What I'm seeing is that there are tradeoffs for ROMs in terms of functionality and features, particularly in relation to the camera.
So like you said, rooting isn't an issue and then I can use titanium to remove google from the phone and replace with alternative apps. This would also give me the chance to access the playstore and copy over my paid apps. I'm not sure how 'completely' I can remove google this way, I assume completely, if there's no account on the phone and no apps then that's it isn't it?
So that looks like plan A for now, although that way I lose the Privacy Guard features I really like.
Plan B would be to go with Lineage to get PG but then I lose the OP camera app. I don't know if you get face unlock, slider control and other handset specific functions with this ROM.
I really like the 'per-permission' approach to Privacy Guard but you seem to lose a lot in the tradeoff.
Thanks again for the input.

SGSII_LEDnotify said:
What I'm seeing is that there are tradeoffs for ROMs in terms of functionality and features, particularly in relation to the camera.
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Click to collapse
There are, but it's getting there. You have to remember it's a new device. The 5T is first device I've bought that did not have official CM / Lineage support (or at least a fully working version) already out at my time of purchase. The only reason I bought it is because I know there will be a version at some point. I bought two 5Ts one for my wife, and one for myself. Mine sat in the box for a few weeks unopened as I really didn't think I would like it without Lineage.
So the Camera, quite frankly Snap in Lineage stinks on all devices. It takes pictures, and functions as a camera, but not a good one. On my Nexus 5X, I have to use a modded Google Camera, on my Wife's and son's old Honor 5X we use Open Camera. Even on the 5T you'll see in some situations some people are getting better pictures out of the modded Google Camera. Even on the OOS, I've been playing around with the Google Camera, and prefer it's pictures in some situations as well. They are still working out some bugs with it, however again a new device, they will get these bugs worked out. We are all still essentially "early adopters".
As for the privacy manager it's gone a little down hill in Lineage. See this Reddit Thread: Link Here.
I posted actual screenshots of the differences here. I posted these in a couple different threads here on XDA, but it didn't go anywhere.
As for what you can do in OOS, it's actually fairly similar to what's now available in Lineage. This is from the 5T in the latest 7.1.1 update:
{
"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"
}
Same thing, so I blocked Dolphin from being able to Change system settings:
All those pages are available for system apps as well. So if you want to block Play Services, or the Play store from the Internet you can. First thing I did was remove a lot of the Google apps from the phone, as well as the OnePlus stuff. Most of this stuff, I removed with TitaniumBackup, and I just removed it entirely rather than freezing it.
As for FaceUnlock / Slider control, that stuff I'm sure will get figured out. However, we're still just to close to launch, there will be stuff that won't work. Heck we don't even have a selection of brand name cases to choose from and people are wanting fully functional custom roms... Give it time, it will be sorted out.

Again, all valuable info, thanks.
So eventually everything will be sorted out? Is that a reasonable expectation or will there always be things that are 'compromises'?
I see that OP has no intention of releasing the camera 'blob'. I also saw the chinese ROM comes without gapps, maybe that's available somewhere with a language pack?
It's a world I only briefly dipped my toe into when I first did my HTC to get cyanogen so I don't keep up on all the latest news and developments so any and all advice is greatly appreciated. Bit worrying to see the lack of maintenance on PG in Lineage though, that's a red flag for me, basically PG is the only thing keeping it in the mix. From the videos I've seen custom ROMs are slower than stock too.

SGSII_LEDnotify said:
So eventually everything will be sorted out? Is that a reasonable expectation or will there always be things that are 'compromises'?
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Click to collapse
I think everything will be sorted out. It will take some time. It's still way too close to release date to expect things to be fully ironed out, but things are already moving at a good clip honestly.
SGSII_LEDnotify said:
I see that OP has no intention of releasing the camera 'blob'.
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Click to collapse
This is correct. Unless some mods the camera to work some how in a custom ROM you are out of luck. They already have Google camera partially working, taking better pictures in some instances with OOS and custom ROMs. Yes it still has some issues, like needing a separate app for front and rear cameras. Again it's still early we'll have to give it time. I don't see the OP camera coming to custom ROMs, I see a "third party solution" of some sort being a solution here.
SGSII_LEDnotify said:
I also saw the chinese ROM comes without gapps, maybe that's available somewhere with a language pack?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know... You can pretty much remove what you want from OOS as well as block what you want from connecting to data / wifi this would make me happy enough until Lineage gets up and running. Once Lineage is released, as with all their builds, it will be without Gapps.
SGSII_LEDnotify said:
It's a world I only briefly dipped my toe into when I first did my HTC to get cyanogen so I don't keep up on all the latest news and developments so any and all advice is greatly appreciated. Bit worrying to see the lack of maintenance on PG in Lineage though, that's a red flag for me, basically PG is the only thing keeping it in the mix.
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Click to collapse
I agree. To me one of the biggest reasons to run Lineage is the privacy guard. I'm hoping they have just been shifting time and energy to get Lineage 15 ready.
SGSII_LEDnotify said:
From the videos I've seen custom ROMs are slower than stock too.
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Click to collapse
I would disagree with this. Custom roms for me have always been faster and had better battery life. Admittedly I typically run custom kernels as well and spend time tweaking things which can impact battery life. I also tend to strip unnecessary things out of the OS as well. It's just like a PC, if you have a bunch of stuff starting up at bootup and running in the background your performance will be slower. I guess everyone's mileage will vary though.

Thanks, like you said, I guess it's still early days but hopefully we'll get some really comprehensive ROMs with good workarounds (like the googlecam app). I appreciate this is a lot of hard work with a lot of trial and error for the devs.
Looks like rooting and 'optimizing' the stock software is plan A for now. I'll investigate replacements for PG, if there are any.
I'm the same, I always tear a windows install apart, disabling services and optimizing the rest of the OS as needed. I was surprised to see the ROMs performing slower than stock (in terms of opening apps at least) but those were the videos I saw. I expect with time everything will fall in to place and patience is the key for now.
I guess I'm just excited to finally get a new phone after 4 and half years
OhioYJ said:
I think everything will be sorted out. It will take some time. It's still way too close to release date to expect things to be fully ironed out, but things are already moving at a good clip honestly.
This is correct. Unless some mods the camera to work some how in a custom ROM you are out of luck. They already have Google camera partially working, taking better pictures in some instances with OOS and custom ROMs. Yes it still has some issues, like needing a separate app for front and rear cameras. Again it's still early we'll have to give it time. I don't see the OP camera coming to custom ROMs, I see a "third party solution" of some sort being a solution here.
I don't know... You can pretty much remove what you want from OOS as well as block what you want from connecting to data / wifi this would make me happy enough until Lineage gets up and running. Once Lineage is released, as with all their builds, it will be without Gapps.
I agree. To me one of the biggest reasons to run Lineage is the privacy guard. I'm hoping they have just been shifting time and energy to get Lineage 15 ready.
I would disagree with this. Custom roms for me have always been faster and had better battery life. Admittedly I typically run custom kernels as well and spend time tweaking things which can impact battery life. I also tend to strip unnecessary things out of the OS as well. It's just like a PC, if you have a bunch of stuff starting up at bootup and running in the background your performance will be slower. I guess everyone's mileage will vary though.
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Click to collapse

Btw, I'd be interested in a heads up on the BIB. Again, it's not a world I'm familiar with so if you could point me towards some knowledge it would be appreciated
OhioYJ said:
I would disagree with this. Custom roms for me have always been faster and had better battery life. Admittedly I typically run custom kernels as well and spend time tweaking things which can impact battery life. I also tend to strip unnecessary things out of the OS as well. It's just like a PC, if you have a bunch of stuff starting up at bootup and running in the background your performance will be slower. I guess everyone's mileage will vary though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

SGSII_LEDnotify said:
Btw, I'd be interested in a heads up on the BIB. Again, it's not a world I'm familiar with so if you could point me towards some knowledge it would be appreciated
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
On most of my current devices I've been using the ElementalX kernel and the EX Kernel Manager. It's what I'm using on my 5T as well, although I'm still tweaking the settings.
This is what I used on my Nexus 5X, Irrelevant for the 5T, but sort of will give you an idea of what I changed, and things I tested?
I know so far on all my devices, including my Nexus 5X (which supported fast charging, OEM charger was a 3 amp charger) my battery always lasted longer on each charge being slow charged (0.35 - 0.5 amp) so this is generally what I charge all my devices at. I haven't even used my "dash charger" yet. Although I guess I should try it for a few cycles and see if the same does apply to this device.