Database Info

(INTRODUCTION TO ROOTING) New to rooting/flashing ANY Android? See this guide!

ROOTING
Rooting is a very popular thing to do with your android phone these days. It allows you to do a number of things you wouldn't normally be able to do, such as use apps that require root permissions (wifi tethering, real backups, etc), flash custom/cooked ROM's, flash kernels, remove bloatware. and overclocking. Before you attempt rooting however, there are several things you should know first:
"Rooting" is, in vernacular terms, the Android OS equivalent of say, jailbreaking an iPhone.
To be exact, it means several things:
Name for an administrator on Android or any other Linux system.
The lowest level in a file system (for example: the root of your SD card would be the screen that comes up when you first open it, no other sub-folders.)
It also means having administrative powers over your phone.
It also voids your warranty if your phone company finds out.
So basically, by extension, rooting a phone means giving yourself rooting privileges. Think of it like this: Say you have an HTC Evo. Android is open-source, but you're only allowed to do on the phone what Sprint allows you to. Sprint wants to charge people $30 or $40 per month to do wifi tethering. A rooted phone could do wifi tethering for free, as you would be the administrator, and override the block.
PROS and CONS
1. Pros
Superuser permissions (full control over your phone, down to terminal commands).
Use root-requiring apps (wifi tether, backups, etc).
Over/underclocking
Ability to use a custom recovery.img (for flashing).
Flash custom ROMs and kernels
Flash other .zip files
Removing bloatware (apps that you don't want or need but can't normally delete)
Upgrading your firmware to later versions (such as phones that won't get the Froyo update)
2. Cons
Voided warranty
Possibility of bricking device
Possibility of damaging hardware
The cons are easy to avoid, as long as you do everything correctly and do your research first. As for your warranty, it's often just easier to say your phone was lost. If it's still covered by warranty, then you could be covered for it.
ROOTING METHOD
For how to root your phone, the internet is your best friend. However, if you are not comfortable, then look to see if you can get someone experienced to do it! All rooting will require you to put your phone in USB Debugging mode as well, which is turned on by going to Menu-->Settings-->Applications-->Check the USB Debugging box. My personal favorite resources are:
Software/apps:
Unrevoked
OneClick
SuperOneClick
z4root
Written Instructions:
Cyanogenmod Wiki
My Blog! (Still growing)
XDA Developers
Video Instructions:
Youtube
(See my youtube vids)
The Unlockr
For having someone do it for you: See craigslist. Someone may be offering the service or you can ask for it.
ALWAYS DO YOUR RESEARCH FIRST!
GROUND BASICS OF OPERATING A ROOTED PHONE:
A rooted phone acts the same as a non-rooted phone. The difference is usually under the hood.
You will need an application called "Superuser", downloadable from the app market. Most rooting methods install this automatically. It will have one of these two icons:
{
"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"
}
Any time something requires root permissions, it will ask for them. The first time around, you'll get a popup screen like this.
Just checkmark next to "remember" and you won't be prompted in the future.
Some popular apps that require superuser permissions:
Wifi Tethering - Self explanatory.
Titanium Backup - A powerful app for backing up your apps and data and restoring them (very useful if switching phones or if you wipe yours).
Autokiller - A powerful memory optimizer, helps with battery.
Overclock Widget - A widget that lets you overclock or underclock your processor. This requires a compatible kernel, which we'll get to in a second.
ROMs
ROM technically means "Read Only Memory", or your flash memory. In Android context though, it means porting a different firmware onto the phone. This is really where the magic of open-source comes into play:
ROMs usually come in ".zip" file format. DO NOT upzip them
ROMs are customized firmwares for your phone. "Customized" and "Cooked" are synonymous in Android context, and developers are the chefs. A ROM can be:
A minimalistic, fast firmware, and have certain features unlocked.
Upgrade your phone to 2.2 or 2.3 if you're stuck on an older firmware.
A completely new look and feel for people who don't like how their phone UI currently is (prevalent with many HTC Sense users).
An overclocking monster.
An undervolted battery saver.
Some combination of the above.
A quick way to brick your phone.
Bricking means your phone is an expensive paperweight, a "brick". Dead.
Notice the last bit about bricking. This is the biggest underlying risk in the rooting business. Many phones have corresponding software that will root the phone for you (Unrevoked, OneClick, SuperOneClick, z4root), but flashing is done manually, and someone who doesn't know what they're doing can brick their phone. Here is a basic guide to flashing:
Download a ROM
Good places to look are XDA or Cyanogenmod.
ROM Labels:
Vanilla - The stock ROM that comes standard on a phone.
CM - Cyanogenmod (or based on)
BACK UP YOUR INFORMATION.
This includes apps, contacts, texts (optional), and call logs (also optional).
You need to install a custom recovery, such as Amon Ra or Clockworkmod. They are both usually as easy to flash, and work generally the same.
Many softwares for rooting, such as Unrevoked, flash a new recovery image automatically.
If your method didn't, you can download an app called ROM Manager from the market. After installation, open it, and click "Flash Clockworkmod Recovery".
If the first two steps didn't work, then you'll have to research a way how.
Go to recovery mode, either from ROM Manager or manually.
Look up how to boot into recovery. For most phones, you'll navigate to it from the bootloader. which is started by turning on your phone while holding some combination of volume/camera buttons and the power button. Bootloader looks like this on most phones, though some vary (particularly Galaxy phones):
Your recovery will look like this:
Now there are a couple of important rules of thumb with flashing:
Always make a NANDROID backup. Navigate to it from the "nandroid" option in recovery. This is a little different than just backing up your contacts and pictures. It backs up your phone system as-is, like a sort of picture (metaphorically of course) of that moment. This gives you something stable to come restore to if something goes wrong.
When flashing a new ROM, if it's not just an update of the one you currently have, you SHOULD "wipe data/factory reset" and "wipe cache partition". Your information we backed up earlier is on your SD card, which remains untouched.
Now, ready to continue?
Select "install zip from sdcard", then "choose zip from sdcard".
Navigate to your ROM zip(s).
Select it, then scroll down to "YES".
LET IT FINISH. DO NOT TOUCH ANY BUTTONS.
Steps 1-4 of this section are what "FLASHING" means.
When it's done, repeat steps 1-4 of this section for any other zip files associated with it (themes, kernels, tweaks, etc)
When you're done, navigate back to the initial screen of your recovery mode using the "***go back***" options at the bottom of each list. From here, select "reboot phone now".
It will install any remaining packages now. Again, LET IT DO ITS WORK.
Your phone will reboot. If it locks up on boot, try reflashing, or if it just won't work, restore from a NAND backup.
There you have it. A new ROM is a big plus to many with androids. Those who are stuck with 2.1, or even 1.6 and 1.5 now can get a 2.2 ROM and upgrade their firmware, etc. You will no longer receive updates from your provider though, so it is your responsibility to keep your phone up to date by checking the developer's ROM updates, or if you like it as is and don't mind, just keep it like it is for all time.
KERNELS
Kernels are the lowest part of a system's software. It controls memory related things as well as processor things. It manages the communication between the hardware and the software, and caution should be exercised.
Kernels are flashed the same way ROMs are.
Many developers will recommend or develop a kernel to go along with their ROM.
Custom kernels are often needed to do overclocking, or undervolting (for battery optimization), etc.
Also downloaded from XDA and such.
Make sure you do your research and that it's compatible with your phone and/or ROM!
RADIOS, WIMAX, AND OTHERS
Often time you can flash updated versions of your phone's radio and wimax. Download and flash these like you would a ROM.

Thank you! Great guide, simple and clear

Thanks! Please continue commenting to keep this thread from getting buried.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App

Do i need a new kernel (patched) to create a custom recovery or i can use the original kernel with moded ramdisk?
Can you give same direction for create a custom recovery?
Thank you.
Sent from my Ideos S7 using Tapatalk

Just curious, but any reason you don't have the UniversalAndroot app on your list? I have used it for my old HTC (GSM) Hero, Moto Milestone and a Chinese Android tablet.

I just listed a few off the top of my head, I didn't mean to diss any software

awesome thread... thank you

Can you post a guide to getting usb debugging to work if it is not inside settings? I can't figure out how to do that.

pandafloski said:
ROOTING
Rooting is a very popular thing to do with your android phone these days. It allows you to do a number of things you wouldn't normally be able to do, such as use apps that require root permissions (wifi tethering, real backups, etc), flash custom/cooked ROM's, flash kernels, remove bloatware. and overclocking. Before you attempt rooting however, there are several things you should know first:
"Rooting" is, in vernacular terms, the Android OS equivalent of say, jailbreaking an iPhone.
To be exact, it means several things:
Name for an administrator on Android or any other Linux system.
The lowest level in a file system (for example: the root of your SD card would be the screen that comes up when you first open it, no other sub-folders.)
It also means having administrative powers over your phone.
It also voids your warranty if your phone company finds out.
So basically, by extension, rooting a phone means giving yourself rooting privileges. Think of it like this: Say you have an HTC Evo. Android is open-source, but you're only allowed to do on the phone what Sprint allows you to. Sprint wants to charge people $30 or $40 per month to do wifi tethering. A rooted phone could do wifi tethering for free, as you would be the administrator, and override the block.
PROS and CONS
1. Pros
Superuser permissions (full control over your phone, down to terminal commands).
Use root-requiring apps (wifi tether, backups, etc).
Over/underclocking
Ability to use a custom recovery.img (for flashing).
Flash custom ROMs and kernels
Flash other .zip files
Removing bloatware (apps that you don't want or need but can't normally delete)
Upgrading your firmware to later versions (such as phones that won't get the Froyo update)
2. Cons
Voided warranty
Possibility of bricking device
Possibility of damaging hardware
The cons are easy to avoid, as long as you do everything correctly and do your research first. As for your warranty, it's often just easier to say your phone was lost. If it's still covered by warranty, then you could be covered for it.
ROOTING METHOD
For how to root your phone, the internet is your best friend. However, if you are not comfortable, then look to see if you can get someone experienced to do it! All rooting will require you to put your phone in USB Debugging mode as well, which is turned on by going to Menu-->Settings-->Applications-->Check the USB Debugging box. My personal favorite resources are:
Software/apps:
Unrevoked
OneClick
SuperOneClick
z4root
Written Instructions:
Cyanogenmod Wiki
My Blog! (Still growing)
XDA Developers
Video Instructions:
Youtube
(See my youtube vids)
The Unlockr
For having someone do it for you: See craigslist. Someone may be offering the service or you can ask for it.
ALWAYS DO YOUR RESEARCH FIRST!
GROUND BASICS OF OPERATING A ROOTED PHONE:
A rooted phone acts the same as a non-rooted phone. The difference is usually under the hood.
You will need an application called "Superuser", downloadable from the app market. Most rooting methods install this automatically. It will have one of these two icons:
Any time something requires root permissions, it will ask for them. The first time around, you'll get a popup screen like this.
Just checkmark next to "remember" and you won't be prompted in the future.
Some popular apps that require superuser permissions:
Wifi Tethering - Self explanatory.
Titanium Backup - A powerful app for backing up your apps and data and restoring them (very useful if switching phones or if you wipe yours).
Autokiller - A powerful memory optimizer, helps with battery.
Overclock Widget - A widget that lets you overclock or underclock your processor. This requires a compatible kernel, which we'll get to in a second.
ROMs
ROM technically means "Read Only Memory", or your flash memory. In Android context though, it means porting a different firmware onto the phone. This is really where the magic of open-source comes into play:
ROMs usually come in ".zip" file format. DO NOT upzip them
ROMs are customized firmwares for your phone. "Customized" and "Cooked" are synonymous in Android context, and developers are the chefs. A ROM can be:
A minimalistic, fast firmware, and have certain features unlocked.
Upgrade your phone to 2.2 or 2.3 if you're stuck on an older firmware.
A completely new look and feel for people who don't like how their phone UI currently is (prevalent with many HTC Sense users).
An overclocking monster.
An undervolted battery saver.
Some combination of the above.
A quick way to brick your phone.
Bricking means your phone is an expensive paperweight, a "brick". Dead.
Notice the last bit about bricking. This is the biggest underlying risk in the rooting business. Many phones have corresponding software that will root the phone for you (Unrevoked, OneClick, SuperOneClick, z4root), but flashing is done manually, and someone who doesn't know what they're doing can brick their phone. Here is a basic guide to flashing:
Download a ROM
Good places to look are XDA or Cyanogenmod.
ROM Labels:
Vanilla - The stock ROM that comes standard on a phone.
CM - Cyanogenmod (or based on)
BACK UP YOUR INFORMATION.
This includes apps, contacts, texts (optional), and call logs (also optional).
You need to install a custom recovery, such as Amon Ra or Clockworkmod. They are both usually as easy to flash, and work generally the same.
Many softwares for rooting, such as Unrevoked, flash a new recovery image automatically.
If your method didn't, you can download an app called ROM Manager from the market. After installation, open it, and click "Flash Clockworkmod Recovery".
If the first two steps didn't work, then you'll have to research a way how.
Go to recovery mode, either from ROM Manager or manually.
Look up how to boot into recovery. For most phones, you'll navigate to it from the bootloader. which is started by turning on your phone while holding some combination of volume/camera buttons and the power button. Bootloader looks like this on most phones, though some vary (particularly Galaxy phones):
Your recovery will look like this:
Now there are a couple of important rules of thumb with flashing:
Always make a NANDROID backup. Navigate to it from the "nandroid" option in recovery. This is a little different than just backing up your contacts and pictures. It backs up your phone system as-is, like a sort of picture (metaphorically of course) of that moment. This gives you something stable to come restore to if something goes wrong.
When flashing a new ROM, if it's not just an update of the one you currently have, you SHOULD "wipe data/factory reset" and "wipe cache partition". Your information we backed up earlier is on your SD card, which remains untouched.
Now, ready to continue?
Select "install zip from sdcard", then "choose zip from sdcard".
Navigate to your ROM zip(s).
Select it, then scroll down to "YES".
LET IT FINISH. DO NOT TOUCH ANY BUTTONS.
Steps 1-4 of this section are what "FLASHING" means.
When it's done, repeat steps 1-4 of this section for any other zip files associated with it (themes, kernels, tweaks, etc)
When you're done, navigate back to the initial screen of your recovery mode using the "***go back***" options at the bottom of each list. From here, select "reboot phone now".
It will install any remaining packages now. Again, LET IT DO ITS WORK.
Your phone will reboot. If it locks up on boot, try reflashing, or if it just won't work, restore from a NAND backup.
There you have it. A new ROM is a big plus to many with androids. Those who are stuck with 2.1, or even 1.6 and 1.5 now can get a 2.2 ROM and upgrade their firmware, etc. You will no longer receive updates from your provider though, so it is your responsibility to keep your phone up to date by checking the developer's ROM updates, or if you like it as is and don't mind, just keep it like it is for all time.
KERNELS
Kernels are the lowest part of a system's software. It controls memory related things as well as processor things. It manages the communication between the hardware and the software, and caution should be exercised.
Kernels are flashed the same way ROMs are.
Many developers will recommend or develop a kernel to go along with their ROM.
Custom kernels are often needed to do overclocking, or undervolting (for battery optimization), etc.
Also downloaded from XDA and such.
Make sure you do your research and that it's compatible with your phone and/or ROM!
RADIOS, WIMAX, AND OTHERS
Often time you can flash updated versions of your phone's radio and wimax. Download and flash these like you would a ROM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have a Galaxy 3 phone and am completely new to rooting and based in Bangalore, India. Is there a one-click app for G3 which can root my phone automatically without much of my intervention and is it safe to use this app?

Informative thread, thanks.

I'm not sure there's a way to do that

I have noooo idea. I have no experience with that phone :/

Zinglife rooting is making me mad , pls help!
how to install adb drivers if no drivers are provided , superoneclick ,z4root all fail rooting my zinglife tablet..link to my thread in my signature

[Q] Backing up the phone before trying a ROM

Hi,
I'm moderately experienced with windows/linux system, but fairly new to the android OS. Specially when it comes to custom ROM.
I would like to give the custom ROM a try. But being a careful person, I would like a method to backup/restore the phone completely in case I mess things up. I've used imaging softwares like clonezilla on PCs. But when it comes to an android phones, I'm not completely sure how to go about getting the phone imaged so that I can restore it if anything goes wrong.
So far, this is as much as I know about Backup/Restore for an android device.
1. You need to root the device (already done)
2. You'll need some 3rd party application (something similar to clonezilla for android phones)
I have 2 questions:
1. I've seen some similar posts for different phones. But I'm not completely clear if all instructions are the same for all android phones. Or if there are some differences for each phone? If there are, what are they?
2. What 3rd party application could I use to get this done?
(I'm interested in working with free/open source application to get the job done.)
I have Samsung Infuse 4G (from Rogers) with Android 2.3.3.
Thanks

Your asking for quite a bit of info...basically you need to root, then install Clockworkmod recovery, then flash a rom of your choice. Try THIS link to get you started. THIS is also a good write up.
As far as backing up go, Clockworkmod (CWM) has a backup/restore option so you can back up your current setup and flash away.
If you want to restore things like apps to your new rom, try Titanium Backup from the market, your also gonna need Root Explorer to view/edit files and possibly Rom Manager for some installation methods. (both in the Market also)
EDIT: This write just popped up in the dev section: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1442177

GUIDE SGS4 GSM vs CDMA, Unlocking, Rooting,Info on XDA, Flashing,4 noobs & beginners

GUIDE SGS4 GSM vs CDMA, Unlocking, Rooting,Info on XDA, Flashing,4 noobs & beginners
First off: if you find this useful, please hit the THANKS button, instead of posting thank you in the comments
Over the course of the past three months (and more specifically, over the past week), I'd like to think I've gone from complete noob to proficient android ROM flasher/ phone dude. However, it took many, many hours of searching for info scattered across this site and others, so I figured I'd give compiling all I've learned a shot, into one comprehensive thread that really covers all the stuff you need to learn from the ground up.
Will do so in the next couple 10 posts, topics being:
*Step (-1): What type of network/ phone technology does your phone use?
*Step (0): is your phone networked locked?
*Step (0.5): DECIDING YOU WANT TO ROOT YOUR DEVICE!/ Put a custom operating system on that thaaaang
*Step1: figure out what your device is- specific phone and model
*Step2: figure out how to root (gain root access to) your device looking at XDA forums
*Step3: Follow instructions, root device
*Step4: backup all your apps and app data
*Step5: Install a custom recovery either ClockWorkRecovery (CWR) or Team Win Recovery Project (TWRP), and do a nandroid backup!
*Step6: Choose which ROM or multiple ROMS you want to try out, and download the zipfile to your phone's internal memory or
*Step7: Step 7: flash the ROM and restore your apps!
NOTE: YOU TWEEK YOUR PHONE/ FOLLOW MY ADVICE AT YOUR OWN RISK
I just learned this stuff myself, so I thought now would be a good time to explain it, while I can still remember what if feels like to have no idea what I'm doing haha.
Before I go further, there are similar intro threads to this...for example, this one does a decent job of explaining that by modding your phone, you may void the warranty (although there are ways to restore your device to a state such that you can't tell you ever modded, it, like triangle away, etc.) http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1118120
I posted this here because a couple of these steps use the Galaxy S4 i9500 as an example...so if you have that phone this thread should be particularly helpful.

Step(-1): What type of network/ phone technology does your phone use?
If you are OUTSIDE the USA, 99% chance the answer to this question is GSM, meaning your phone number is attached to a little plastic sim card that you can put into/ out of your phone...you should check anyways though to be sure.
If you are in the US, you may have a phone which uses CDMA, a technology that does not use Sim cards (true if your carrier is Verizon or Sprint). Phones that JUST use CDMA are sort of "Hardwired" to their networks, making it much more of a hassle to switch carriers; plus, basically everywhere else in the world uses GSM, so if you plan on traveling outside the USA, you probably won't be able to use your phone abroad. If you have a fancy new smart phone, it may have the hardware to use both CDMA and GSM networks, (for example, all Iphones models 4s and above), so check your phone specs.
In the US, the major carriers that use GSM are ATT and Tmobile. I prefer getting phones from these guys, because I know I'll be able to relatively easily use my phone anywhere in the world, and easily switch between cheap, prepaid, contract free plans (like straight talk or ultramobile), which rent out the networks of major carriers like ATT and Tmobile.

Step(0): is your phone networked locked?
ans: This is mostly a non-issue to folks outside the US, or if you don't plan on switching your carrier, but if you plan on travelling abroad or switching your carrier, and have a CDMA phone, you have a tough road ahead that I cannot advise you on . I would suggest checking out this site and buying a slightly used android gsm phone (att or tmobile branded) http://swappa.com/ .
However, if you have a GSM phone you got in the US, your phone may be configured so that putting sim cards from different carriers in it won't give you any service (aka "locked" or "network locked"). Check by taking a friend's Sim card using a different network than you and popping it into your phone; if you have service/ can make and receive calls, the phone is NOT locked. There are probably more sophisticated ways of checking if your phone is network locked, but above is probably the most straightforward.
There are some methods of unlocking your phone for free, but if you have a newer phone it may not work. Plenty of online sites that sell you unlock codes for between $7-$25, and send the code over email either instantly or a day at most after you buy it. Definitely worth it in my opinion; one site I've used a bunch is http://www.cellunlocker.net/
NOTE: if you have your phone on a contract, you are still obligated to pay your carrier throughout the time of your contract, else you pay some cancellation fee. So be aware of that.

Step 0.5 DECIDING YOU WANT TO ROOT YOUR DEVICE!/ Put a custom operating system (ROM)
SO, now let's say you've network unlocked your awesome GSM android smartphone, and you want to travel with it to another country, like for example, India. Because you unlocked it, you can buy a cheap local Sim card and use it in your phone, fully enjoying mobile 4g data (well, more like 3.5G, using HSPA+, not so much 4G LTE in India yet, but I digress). OR, you can use a $45 a month prepaid plan where you get unlimted everything and have no contract, instead of paying $80 a month or some garbage. AWESOME!
However, let's say you got a Tmobile phone and want to use the phone's capability of being a portable wifi hotspot, broadcasting the mobile data it's getting to your computer...turns out you can't do that in India (or on cheap prepaid plans in US, for that matter). I discovered that since I was using a Tmobile branded phone, the Tmobile "stock" operating system of the phone won't let you use the wifi hotspot unless you have Tmobile's special "hotspot plan"...it also hard codes a bunch of shi**y bloatware apps on your phone that suck. Some BULLS**T, eh?
Luckily, there are plenty of free and easy ways to "root" (gain root acccess) to your phone (and plenty of resources telling you how to do so!), and install custom android operating systems on your phone, which
1.) don't have any stupid bloatware apps
2.) let you use all the hardware features of your phone regardless of carrier
The result is a more powerful phone that runs faster, uses less battery life, and is generally just way more badass. Probably the best resource for how to do all of this is the xda-developers forums (http://forum.xda-developers.com/ ) Very vibrant community, and lots of people will help...just follow the rules though, explained tongue and cheeck in the following video ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmvCpR45LKA ). The main site for xda-developers is www.xda-developers.com, they also do cool vides and stuff on what's up with phone stuff. HOWEVER, if you are not careful you can mess up your phone, so that it's about as good as a paperweight (called "bricking" your phone). So just read all the instructions before you do stuff, yeah?
The following is more or less the beginning steps I did to root and install a custom ROM on a friend's Galaxy S4, which is an international model and so not network locked. The same general process could be applied to your phone as well, but again--this is only a general guide--your phone can (and probably will) have it's own exceptions to the general process. LOOK THEM UP!

Steps 1,2,3: find device model, research how to gain root, ROOT!
Step1: figure out what your device is- specific phone and model
ans: for example, my friend's phone I am setting up for him is the Samsung Galaxy S4 model i9500
**************************************************
Step2: figure out how to root (gain root access to) your device
ans: Off all the devices on xda forums (http://forum.xda-developers.com/index.php?tab=top), found my device ( http://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s4) , found the proper forum (http://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s4/help) , then searched in that specific forum to find the proper thread http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2419762 , see Q4
**************************************************
Step3: Follow instructions, root device
ans: Instructions are at http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2292615
NOTE: You must have the proper USB drivers installed, meaning either installing the sdk (software developer kit) from google and getting adb (android debugging bridge) set up (this is the best way to do it, really, especially if you want to mess around with phones more...tutorial on how to setup adb here http://androidcentral.us/2013/08/how-to-install-android-adb-and-fastboot-on-windows/ ) . If you can already transfer music and stuff from your computer, it may work without adb. Be sure your USB cable is not too beat up, and if possible, is the one that came with the device.
adb is very useful for communicating between pretty much any android phone and your computer. You can use it to push files on the computer through the terminal interface, even if the phone's file system doesn't show up for whatever reason on the computer when you connect it via USB ( more on that here http://log.amitshah.net/2012/05/using-adb-to-copy-files-to-from-your-android-device/ ), and a cool little program to send files from your computer to the device in a slightly more straightforward way, if you already have adb installed (http://www.xda-developers.com/android/push-files-to-your-device-with-quick-adb-pusher/)
Also, make sure you have USB debugging enabled. It should be in the Develpors options, which you may have to "activate" to see...see here http://gs4.wonderhowto.com/how-to/enable-hidden-developer-options-your-samsung-galaxy-s4-0146687/
If you are rooting a samsung device, you will probably have to use a program called ODIN. Other android devices allow you to do root through a method called flashboot. In general there are tons of ways to root devices, just make sure the one you are using has been tested and you follow the instructions exactly.
CONGRATS! you are rooted. That's half the battle. Rooting the phone will add a "Super User" app of some kind, which will basically controll which apps have access to the internal files of the phone (located on the "root" of the phone's flash drive). Some apps that are very useful for flashing custom ROMS (like ROM manager) and backing up your apps and their associated data (like Titanium backup) require root access, so you'll need to have rooted your phone first, and then when you open those apps for the first time, tap "allow" when it asks about granting root access.
some cool apps can only be downloaded if your phone has Root, like this gameboy emulator: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=eu.codlab.src.game&hl=en
and here are some good Root apps to have, apparently
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jX4ir9r84YA

Step4: backup all your apps and app data
When you do eventually install a custom ROM on onto your phone, it will start out with little to no apps. The best way to get up and running again as quick as possible is to back up all your apps and data with Titanium Backup (mentioned above), which requires root access. Here's a great video on How to use the free version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQWoWfTA88k ....the video makes a good point in that if you are backing up your apps for a new ROM you are about to flash, you should only backup the User apps. Backing up and restoring the system data as well might cause some problems in the new ROM
While you don't need to to buy the pro version, I would recommend it--7 bucks, but it allows you to restore all the apps you've backed up much faster by letting you back them up into a zip file that you'll later be able to flash on your phone. Very useful, more on that in a bit...video talking about that here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRR5FONGJUA

Step5: Install a custom recovery either ClockWorkRecovery (CWR) or Team Win Recovery
By "custom recovery", i mean a custom version of the boot/ recovery interface, which lets you do a lot more with your device besides just restore it to factory settings. These custom recoveries will let you do a full backup of your device (often called a "nandroid backup"--this should be the first thing you do after you root your device!), as well as flash custom phone operating systems (ROMS) onto your phone; useful if you want to fully use all the hardware features of your phone, and not have the bloatware apps from the manufacurers hard-coded into your phone.
It's worth noting here that it's VERY important to install the correct version of CWR or TWRP. Usually to download CWR for your device, you can just download an app called ROM manager (again, after you've rooted your phone), which will recognize your device and then install the proper CWR version on it.
NOTE: If you have a more esoteric model of phone (like I do--the Samsung Galaxy S3 T999L, an LTE version of the S3 that came out in 2013, a while after the initial S3 launch), you may have to flash a custom recovery of a similar and more popular phone model to flash some custom ROMS (in my case, I had to flash the the Galaxy S3 model T999 version of CWR). For weird esoteric cases like this, it may be worth it to buy a useful app, ROMToolbox pro, which will let you flash a custom recovery for a userdefined device onto your phone in the paid version (it's like $5). Most times you shouldn't have to worry about this stuff, but just make sure you read any instrutions on XDA forums carefully before doing stuff.
As mentioned before, before messing around with your phone anymore, do a nandroid backup--super easy and essential if you make a mistake installing the wrong ROM or Recovery. Doing a nandroid backup will create a .zip file that contains a full "image" of your phone--all your data, apps, settings, a snapshot of your phone exactly the way it was when you took it. In creating this backup you can save it to your phone's micro SD card, or the phones internal memory. Regardless, always a good idea to save a copy on your computer too when you are done.
For the Samsung galaxy S4 i9500, looks like TWRP is the recovery to flash: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2361122

Step6: Choose which ROM or multiple ROMS you want to try out, and dl zipfile to phone
Now comes the fun part. Do some research on what custom ROM you'll want to try out. Some basic principles about ROMS:
Roms based on the Stock OS: These ROMS are based on the manufacturer firmware/ OS that the phone shipped with. So for Samsung devices, for example, these types of ROMS are Touchwiz based (because "TouchWiz" is the name Samsung has given to it's proprietary software that is responsible for a lot of the bell and whistle tricks you see in Galaxy S4 commercials, for example) These Roms are usually about 700 MB in size, and may still have some of the samsung apps installed if you do like to use them.
AOSP or AOKP ROMS:
AOSP (Android Open Source Project) ROMS are those that ship with "vanilla" android, meaning they don't have any manufacturer bloatware--they come with more or less the bare bones apps required to run the system. These ROMS will be much smaller, around 100-150 MB in size. The most popular of these is CyanogenMod, which is often referred to as just CM (for example, CM11.0.1 stands for CyanogenMod version 11.0.1). The guy who made clockworkrecovery, Koush (a legendary android developer of sorts, it seems), now works for the CyanogenMod development team ( think)
AOKP is the name of another popular AOSP based ROM. AOKP stands for Android Open Kang Project, Kanging being some jargon for stealing code and messing with it or something. Apparently it was used as a joke and then stuck, in the same sense that their mascot being a unicorn stuck (which I think is awesome haha).
IMPORTANT POINT ABOUT AOSP ROMS:
If you flash an AOSP Rom, the google play store will NOT be installed by default. In order to fix that, you'll need to flash another zip file containing the play store app as well as other basic google apps (gapps for short) as soon as you flash the Rom itself. You can find the proper gapps zips that go with the proper AOSP roms here: http://goo.im/gapps
There are couple apps that will let you download the ROM files directly to your interal storage from the app itself, like Rom Manager. However, to make sure you have the most up to date version of the ROM, you should visit the ROM's website directly.
Custom ROMS will often have a most recent stable build, and a most recent "nightly" build. The nightly builds may have some new experimental features, but may be a little buggy.

Step 7: flash the ROM and restore your apps!
So here's a pretty good short video walking through how to flash a ROM, although uses a different recovery interface besides CWR or TWRP : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxTwGwtUBbk ....this does a good job of explaining the basic idea, however--
A.)you get the zip file of the ROM you want to flash on your internal or removable SD card
B.) reboot into recovery mode (often by holding down the volume down key and power button at the same time when your power is off, but you should look up what it is for your specific device)
C.) do a Wipe or Factory Reset. THis should not wipe the data on your SD card or phone's Internal SD card
D.) Wipe the Cache or the Dalvik Cache, whatever it is called (though on TWRP, the wipe feature does both a factory reset and cache wipe at once)
E.) install from SD card the zip file containing the ROM you are going to flash
F.) If the Rom is an AOSP based ROM, install the zip file containing the proper package of google apps
G.) reboot system
Again, the above are just general steps. If you want to see someone flashing a ROM with the recovery you are using (and I would recommend CWR or TWRP), just search for it on Youtube.
Now, if you plan on restoring your apps by flashing a Titanium Backup zip file, you first want to reboot into the new ROM, and skip the part when it asks you if you want to restore your phone using your google account (you can do that later). Then reboot into recovery and flash the Titanium backup zip file. got this info here: http://www.s3forums.com/forum/galax...backup-pros-update-zip-restore-your-apps.html
And that's about it! let me know if I got anything wrong. If you do have questions, I'll try my best to answer them, but again, I've just learned all this stuff as well, so I may not know.

[GUIDE] [NOOB] [ANDROID] Everything that You Want to Know ! !

This post is going to help you if you have done a fresh entry in the unending world of Android. Android being an open source operating system for mobile phones, offers limitless possibilities of optimization and customization as per your requirements. Brand new android device comes with stock ROM and locked bootloader but half the charm of an Android phone lies in the root-based apps, beautiful mods and patches, and custom ROMs. Let me first explain these terms:
BOOTLOADER:
Every Android phone has a bootloader that instructs the operating system kernel to boot normally. But you need to understand one thing here that as Android OS is an open source OS and is available on a variety of different hardware, every manufacturer has their own version of bootloader specific for the hardware present in it’s environment. In literal terms, bootloader is code that is executed before any Operating System starts to run. The concept of bootloaders is universal to virtually all Operating systems that inculcates operating systems on your PC, laptop, smartphones, and other such devices.
Why is Bootloader Locked??
A bootloader is usually locked on an Android device because although it’s an open source OS, still the manufacturers want you to stick to their Android OS version specifically designed for the device. In order to apply this concept, manufacturers lock the bootloader. With a locked bootloader on Android devices, it is virtually impossible to flash a Custom ROM and forced attempts void warranty as well as usually end up in bricks. Therefore, the first step is to always unlock the bootloader. A lot has been said about bootloaders being “locked” and even the developer-friendly Nexus devices shipped with a locked bootloader (Nexus devices and a couple tablets are easily unlocked with a single command).In fact, a lot bootloaders are locked and encrypted, meaning simple commands like “fastboot oem unlock”, won’t do a thing.
Why To Unlock Bootloader On Android Devices??
The explanation to this question is really simple. If you want root, you’d be wanting to flash Custom ROM post-root, and if you want to install a Custom ROM, you’d need to have your stock bootloader unlocked. In simple terms Unlocking the bootloader allows you to install custom Firmware on your Android phone.
Warning: Unlocking your phone’s bootloader voids its warranty. It also completely wipes (formats) your Android phone’s internal memory including applications, contacts, SMS and MMS messages etc.
ROOTING:
Half the charm of an Android phone lies in the root-based apps, beautiful mods and patches, and custom ROMs. If you have not rooted your phone yet, believe me you are not getting the most out of it. Rooting offers many advantages indeed but, at the same time it is also a little risky as it breaks into the wall of security build by the operating system.
According to a survey, 80% of Android phone users live happy with an unrooted device and the reasons for this are various- some people think of it as a sort of criminal activity, some are afraid of losing warranty, some are afraid of bricking their phone, while most people do not even know about the existence of a term like “rooting”.
ROOTING is one of the most loved and equally disdained terms in the world of Android. Android phone users can generally be divided into three sects on the basis of their opinion towards rooting stuff. First of all, there are those who are willing to unlock and root their phones as soon as they get it or update it with a stock firmware. Then there are larger class that are happy with keeping their phones in a state they bought it and keep miles away from rooting. Finally, there is a moderate group that keeps wondering- “To root or not to root!”
What is Rooting??
The term “root” comes from the Unix/Linux world and is used to describe a user who has “superuser” rights or permissions to all the files and programs in the software OS. Thus rooting is a kind of hacking procedure where you seek to obtain access to the hidden system files. It’s like seeing a tree with its roots that remain immersed in the earth. By rooting your Android phone, you can have capability to modify and change the internal files of your device which otherwise remain locked and hidden.
Why Not to Root Your Phone??
Rooting Voids the Warranty:
It may be that you skip all other harms associated with rooting, but one thing you cannot escape is that it will surely void the warranty of your phone as soon as you root it. Suppose you have rooted your device which is still under warranty period. One day it stops working suddenly or shows signs that demand repairing. In that case you will not be entitled to claim the warranty because it is void due to installing a modified kernel. However, there are methods that can uproot your device and you can reclaim the warranty.
Rooting Can Brick your Device:
Another solid reason for not attempting to root your device is the potential risk of “bricking” it. There are thousand of tech blog over the web that are full of rooting tutorial for almost every Android phone and tablet. I have known some people who, searching for a rooting tutorial for their device, stumbled upon a tutorial written by some raw-hand person and bricked or almost made it unusable. Moreover, in most cases it is the fault of the device owners, who being a raw-hand themselves, do not follow the procedure to the letter or carefully and turn their phone into a costly paper-weight.
Rooting Does not Let You Get Official Updates:
As soon as you root your Android phone, you will not be able to receive the Over-the-Air updates released by the manufacturer. It is another thing that you install the updates manually if you find the OTA update zip file.
Rooting might Threaten the Security:
Most of us store vital and private data such as passwords and credit card details on our smartphones and this has necessitated a greater need for security than ever before. According to a recent survey, one-third of Android apps contain a certain level of malware as they require our personal data to run. There are so many keyboard app apps, for instance, that store a database of everything you type on your Android phone- whether it be a common word or a password and login details. You are open to such risks even without rooting your Android device. The open nature of the Android OS is the reason why android users are more prone to these attacks.
Here are a few simple tips that might help you make your phone’s data more secure:
Install a Mobile Security/Antivirus App- The best ways to get started is to download and install a complete android Mobile Security App to protect your android smartphone or tablet. These security apps are specifically designed for mobile platform and offer browser protection and safety against potentially dangerous sites.
Granting Permissions to Apps Carefully- You should be a bit more aware when you are installing all those cool new apps and do read and grant permission to data that you are only comfortable sharing. If you are not happy with any of the “requests for permission”and feel it is information you rather not share, then discontinue using the app.
Avoid Installing Apps from Unknown Sources- While we do not say that you take a complete blanket approach towards apps from unknown sources and disallow them completely, if you want to install one, be absolutely sure that they are completely safe. Remember that no system or set of guidelines are ‘absolutely safe’, but reducing risks helps a great deal.
Advantages of Rooting:
Most Android enthusiasts or advanced users believe that it is impossible to make the most of and Android smartphone without rooting and installing a custom recovery on it. While keeping you Android device gives you a feeling of safety and insurance, rooting denotes to a state of freedom, adventure and wilderness. No doubt it involves risk, but it has big rewards too. Let’s consider them too. I see many people asking,”I have rooted my phone, now what?” Here are a few reasons why one should root one’s Android phone/tablet.
1. Truly own your device
2. Unlock hidden features and install incompatible apps
3. Boosts your phone speed and battery life
4. Uninstall pre-installed apps
5. Block ads in any app
6. Flash a custom Rom/Kernel
7. Enter into dark word of Android
8. Move all apps to SD card
9. Link SD card with internal memory
10. Choose Startup and background apps
11. Quick optimization and clean up
12. Get root explorer and terminal emulator
13. Fully customize your OS in your own way
14. Directly install apps to SD
15. Be able to use roundr, GMD, ROM toolbox
16. Get font installer and boot animations for better fonts
17. More internal storage
Rooting Opens a World of Possibilities:
There are many people who opt to root their device only to be able to install certain apps that need root privileges. Among these apps, there include some life-savers like Titanium Backup, Apps2SD, Root Explorer, Triangle Away, Juice Defender, ROM Manager, and so on. Thus on you rooted Android phone or tablet, you can backup your Apps and Games, move the apps to the external SD card, extend battery backup, unlock your SIM-locked phone and what not.
Ability to Install Custom ROM and Mods:
Another major, or probably the greatest, advantage of rooting your Android device is that it open the world of customization for you. Having in full control of your phone by rooting it, you can do what those with non-rooted device can only dream of. You may have heard of people installing custom ROMs on their devices. There are many great custom ROM’s available that can make your Android device look and perform drastically different.
Why a custom ROM is so important for many people has many reasons. You rooted phone with a good custom ROM installed on it can perform better, faster and smoother. There are many custom kernels that give you great battery-life. The stock Android ROM does not support theming, but there are great custom ROMs like the CyanogenMod and MIUI ROM that have great theming capabilities that add to the freshness of your phone.
The option of changing ROM does not let you get bored of the same look and feel of your Android device. Most Android phones see a single firmware upgrade from the manufacturer. If you buy an Android device with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, it will only see an upgrade to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. Thanks to our ROM developers who bring the highest version of Android OS to the lowest-priced phones. It is only the magic of custom ROMs that we see a Galaxy Ace or Optimus One user enjoying Jelly Bean.
Best Apps For Rooted Users:
I have been using mobile phone’s since the days when it used be bulky like a walkie and had an antenna on the top. Just go back a few years ago and compare the phones of the day to the smartphones that we own today, and you’ll realize that their evolution has been fantastic. I have also been lucky enough to experience all major platforms, from java-based devices down to Symbian, Android and the newer Windows Phone too. I first, first came to know about Android during the days when the smartphone world was ruled by Nokia-made Symbian devices. For many, Android was just a thing of curiosity then.
Having got bored of Symbian, it was much later that I decided to switch to Android and bought my first device the Galaxy S. the new OS was attractive but after a few months, I was still unable to figure out why it was so popular. The difference between my old and new OS’s seemed marginal. Having spent about 4 months with my first Android phone in its virgin state, I came to know about a new thing called “rooting” that sounded to me synonymous to “bricking” my phone.
Anyway, I finally took that bold step with bouncing heart and only after after that adventure, I was able to get a deeper peep into Android. I believe that anyone reading these lines would not deny that it is impossible to enjoy Android to its full without rooting it. Voiding one’s phone’s warranty might sound a good idea to all, but rooting pays for it pretty well. Now, I own Moto E and within a month of its purchase, I rooted it ! If you wish to enrich your experience with your phone or tablet, rooting is the only way to achieve the ultimate performance and customization whether it be getting speedy response, better battery, enhanced features, tweak system or make visual changes.
Today, we’ll see some really good, and also popular, apps that can help you get most out of your Android device. As the very title of the present article makes it evident, all these apps require root access to function. And therefore, you must have a rooted device before you can use them.
So, here begins our list of some of the best apps for rooted Android phones and tablet devices:
JuiceDefender Ultimate:
The bigger the screen, the better the fun, isn’t it? We all like a smartphone or tablet with a big screen that show everything with minutest detail and vivid colors. In most cases, OEM’s use battery according to the screen size of a device. Then why it is that the bigger the screen, the least the battery runs? You’ll hardly find a guy who is happy with the battery performance. In a situation where we cannot extend the capacity of the battery of our device, it’s wise to manage the battery power to get better performance out of it. Battery drain is the biggest concern of any smartphone user but if you have root, you can enjoy better performance using a 3rd-party power-save app. While you can find hundreds of battery-saver apps at the Play Store, there are just a few that really possess the magic wand. And among such apps, JuiceDefender Ultimate is probably the king of all. It is a mighty power manager app packed with advanced functions that controls, checks and manages all features and resources that devour the battery juice of your device. The app employs a bunch of effective measures to give you the best possible battery backup, and it does so by intelligently managing the channels that suck the battery most. It features highly customizable options to curb battery drain and get it up to your expectations.
Xposed Framework:
Root access on an Android device gives you the license to do almost anything and when it comes to personalization of your device, modifying the available features and adding new things to it, Xposed Framework is an ultimate tool. It is a custom framework that replaces the default framework of your devices and adds the ability to be modified via compatible modules. The presence on Xposed framework and its modules ensure that you get the power to control the visual elements on your device in your hands. You can customize things like the statusbar items, notification panels, extend reboot menu options, enable call recording, manage connectivity features, install third-party icon packs on stock launcher and thousands of such tasks very easily without having the knowledge of editing system apps and XML codes.
Tasker:
Extending our list of best apps for rooted devices, I’m now going to talk about an app that hardly requires any introduction if you not a novice with Android. Tasker for Android is a must have app if you are an advanced or power user, but it offers much even if you are new to it. It is a kind of personal genie that is capable of granting your daily mobile wishes. Tasker is a task control and automation tool that, if used wisely, can multiply your mobile experience many times. The app has lots of advanced features that let you
program your devices by adding tasks to make your device do things according to the rules defined by you. It lets you determine the behavior of apps and features as you might wish them to behave, whether it be to assign a task based on sensors, schedule app automation, control data and network connectivity and so on. It can do almost anything you can imagine. If you are a hardcore Android user, Tasker might prove a
dream app for you.
ROM ToolBox Pro:
ROM ToolBox Pro is a perfect example that shows the immense possibilities offered by root access on Android. As its very name proclaims, it is not just a tool for rooted Android devices, but a collection of various advanced useful tools with plethora of options for customizing the performance and user interface of your phone or tablet. Here is a list of the major tools that Root ToolBox Pro combines:
App manager
ROM management
DNS changer
Terminal Emulator
Task manager
Scripter
Root file browser
SD Booster
build.prop editor
CPU control
Kernel tweaks
Font installer
Theme manager
Theme chooser
Boot animation changer
Icon changer
Reboot manager, and lots more ! !
On expanding each of the listed tools, you’ll get more options related to specific tools.
Any app that has so much to give you at the price of one is definitely good !
Greenify:
While apps like JuiceDefender Ultimate and ROM ToolBox Pro aim at giving you better battery life and enhanced performance on your Android device respectively, Greenify targets both ends at the same time. Greenify lets you select apps that remain active and run as background processes even when they are not actively running. Now, such apps not only eat your phone’s ROM, making it slow and laggy, but also keep draining the precious battery juice continuously. If you are one who is fond of installing a lot of apps, Greenify can save you from being worried about performance and battery life. It lets you identify rogue apps and allows you put them in hibernation mode so that they do not keep eating CPU and RAM resources and leeching battery power. The app is pretty easy to use. Simply add the applications you want to hibernate when they move to the background, and let Greenify do its spell.
Titanium Backup:
Good battery life, awesome performance and cool customization— we have seen one or more apps for these things. Now let’s see another must have and one of the most rated apps for rooted Android devices. If you got root privileges on your device, Titanium Backup is a highly recommended app for you. You might find a number of backup apps at the Google Play Store, but none of them does the job so perfectly and nicely. The only negative thing about the app is it user interface that feels outdated, but when it comes to functionality, Titanium Backup surpasses them all.This best in class app can backup all apps (including system apps) and games on your apps with all app settings and data. You can backup apps individually, in groups or all at once. Also, before backing up or restoring the apps, you can choose whether to do the operation just with the apps, settings and data or a combination of all three. Besides, it also lets you schedule your backups. If you purchase the Pro key, you will also be able to use some premium features like—
Data migration (important for those who are fond of switching ROMs)
Dropbox sync and restore
Multiple backups per app support
Zero-tap batch restore
App freezer for keeping an app unchanged
Backup apps without closing any app
And more.
NoBloat:
As the name suggests, No Bloat allows you to remove all the bloat from your Android device. For rooted users, the app should come in handy to remove all the useless apps and bloat that carriers or OEMs ship in their phone right out of the box, and free up some resources that should improve performance and battery life,
No Bloat is pretty simple to use, and even has an handy option to backup the APKs before deleting them, in case things go wrong.
RoundR:
The only purpose of RoundR is to make the edges of your screen rounded, instead of flat, like in iOS. While this may seem like a very minor change, it somehow ends up making a very noticeable difference in day-to-day usage.
It is very tough to explain how rounded corners can affect the UI so much, but in the end it does. RoundR is one of those apps that you must try to know the difference. The app can be downloaded for free from the Play Store.
GMD Gesture Control:
GMD Gesture Control is particularly useful for Android tablet owners. Using this app, users can assign certain gestures to perform certain tasks. For example, you can setup a four finger swipe across the screen to automatically take you to the previous app you were using as in the iPad. You can easily emulate all the gestures that the iPad has using GMD Gesture Control.
Even Note and other Phablet owners can use GMD Gesture Control for navigation purposes. Instead of hitting the back button, they can assign a gesture which they can draw on the screen to imitate the back button.
Rom Manager:
Rom manager is one great app for all you enthusiasts who want to flash new ROMs and taste new versions of android in your smartphones.This app gives you a list of all the famous ROMs available for your device.You can also download them through this app and this also saves you a lot of time searching for it on the net.The pro version of this app is worth a try.
SoftKeyZ:
Bored out of the normal looks of your navigation buttons? Wanna add some colours to your screen? Go try this app.This app can personalize your navigation buttons(soft keys) into a lot many styles.It has 150+ themes to choose from.This is an awesome app for those who want your smartphone to be just like you want it to be...
Solid Explorer:
This is the best file manager out there.The basic idea of this explorer is just awesome.This app provides you two panels when positioned in the landscape view.You can simply copy-paste any file or move any file from one panel to the other without the fuzz of remembering the path of the locations separately.It also has additional features like FTP connection,etc... This is a must have app for all the android users.
NOTE:You also need to install solid explorer unlocker to use the complete features.
At the moment it has some glitches working in android kitkat.
Font Installer:
This app comes with hundreds of custom fonts ready for you to install. Use any custom fonts just by saving it into your device and install it from your device storage.
Link2SD:
It is one of the best app you should have after rooting your phone. This app links all the files and folders to your external SD card, hence virtually increasing internal memory.
RECOVERY:
Android devices come with Google’s recovery environment, which is often referred to as the “stock recovery.” You can boot to the recovery system by pressing device-specific buttons as your phone or tablet boots or by issuing an adb command that boots your device to recovery mode. The recovery menu provides options to help recover your device — for example, you can reset your device to its factory default state from here. The recovery mode can also be used to flash OTA update files. if you want to flash a new ROM to your device — or re-flash the factory default ROM file — you’ll need to boot to recovery mode first.
The stock recovery is a minimal, limited system. It’s designed to be ignored, and it can generally only flash OTA updates and ROMs provided by the device’s manufacturer, not third-party ROMs.
A custom recovery is a third-party recovery environment. Flashing this recovery environment onto your device replaces the default, stock recovery environment with a third-party, customized recovery environment. This is a bit like flashing a custom ROM like CyanogenMod — but, instead of replacing your device’s Android operating system, it replaces the recovery environment.
A custom recovery environment will do the same things as the stock Android recovery. However, it will also have additional features. Custom recoveries often have the ability to create and restore device backups. Custom recoveries allow you to install custom ROMs. ClockworkMod even offers a “ROM Manager” app that allows you to access many of these features from a running Android system — this app requires a custom recovery installed to function.
Popular Custom Recovery:
The Android Recovery which comes installed on any device has several issues, so that’s exactly why we finally consider that a custom recovery could be a much better choice as long as it find a way to reset your device when it may be impossible to boot into it.
Clockworkmod is available for quite a while and it has managed to win the title of the most popular stock recovery replacement thanks to all its features. But another player had also entered the game being known as TeamWin Recovery Project (or simply TWRP) and we bet that you are curious about it as well ! !
This fully touch-based custom recovery was initially dedicated exclusively to Nexus devices, but things have changed and now it is available for a variety of other smartphone and tablet models too, in form of official or thirdparty builds.
But which of these apps should you choose? CWM Recovery wins over TWRP Recovery or not? Here we have a detailed analysis of the most important aspects of these two custom recoveries which will help you taking the best decision:
The Graphic User Interface:
ClockworkMod’s interface is completely different if we compare it to the interface of
TWRP. This one comes with larger buttons that make it even easier than before to spot the feature that you are looking for and select it with a simple tap. And don’t forget about the soft buttons for Home and Back here, or about the option to turn the display off after a certain amount of time. But this doesn’t necessary have to mean that the interface of TWRP is necessarily much better, but simply with some differences that can offer us a more comfortable and faster experience.
Installing ZIPs:
This is one of the most used features in a recovery, but we must admit that we cannot actually compare CWM Recovery with TWRP Recovery at this chapter. They both work flawless when it comes to installing zip files, but some of you might consider that is easier to locate the zip file you want to install it in TWRP Recovery; and the built file manager is the one that makes the difference.
Backing Up option:
If you select the backup option in ClockworkMod, the backing up procedure starts immediately for all the partitions, while TWRP proves to be ideal as long as it allows you to backup only one partition. To be more specific, it presents you several options that you can choose from, giving you the possibility to control exactly which partition you want to backup or in which storage you want this backup to take place. So here, we can definitely say that TeamWin Recovery Project can successfully replace ClockworkMod.
Restoring Backups:
This time, when it comes to restoring backups, ClockworkMod recovery comes with an advanced restore option which lets you restore just one partition, while TWRP recovery gives you the possibility to select as many partitions as you might want. Even more, partitioning the SD card in ClockworkMod is by default set to ext3 file system and you have no chance to change it. TWRP instead lets you change it to ext4. So, TWRP seems once again to have won the battle, but we must tell you that besides the interface or the backing up and restoring backups options, it actually provides the same features as ClockworkMod. But ClockworkMod comes with one click installation (via Clockworkmod’s own ROM Manager app), while TWRP can be installed with some adb commands, so this aspect comes in favor of ClockworkMod recovery.
Check the next thread for more info
Review the Risks ! !
Customize your Android
Hit thanks, if helped :good:

TWRP Recovery – Explored and Explained !
Most of us here are very well aware of what TWRP is, especially people who flash ROMs every
now and then. Today, I’m here to explore this simple yet very unique recovery and explain in
detail the functionality of all of its features. I will also help you on how to flash a Custom
ROM/Kernel/Mod using TWRP. To get on with that, I need to let you know, what TWRP is ! !
What is TWRP?
TeamWin Recovery Project or in short; TWRP, initiated in 2011, is an Android Custom Recovery
with full touch UI. This Recovery brought in and created a new trend of Touch-based
recoveries. It adds customization support and enormous other amazing features to the AOSP
recovery code which makes it one of the best Android Custom Recoveries available till date.
The GUI is fully XML based, so you can modify each and every aspect of this
recovery according to your desires, provided that you have appropriate knowledge of XML and
Android.
Why choose TWRP over others?
TWRP was the first to bring in the concept of touch-based UI on recoveries,
which in turn defines its uniqueness. Since the early days, this recovery has evolved more than
any other recoveries available, bringing in huge changes in the code and UI. If you choose
TWRP, you’re assured to be updated regularly with more and more features accompanied by
stability.
Exploring the Main Menu:
As soon as you boot your Android into the latest build of TWRP, the following menu will serve
you, known as the main menu. The main menu consists of 8 tabs (Install, Wipe, Backup, Restore, Mount, Settings, Advanced &
Reboot), each having its own sub-tabs and functions. Let us now begin with the first tab on the
screen.
Install:
The Install tab is simple and make its role in flashing files (ROMs/Kernels/Mods). Another thing
that is unique here, is that you can add a queue of files and the same will be flashed in the
respective order.
Now, lets get to know how simply this works.
1. Press on the “Install” tab.
2. Browse and choose the file that you desire to flash.
3. Press on Add more zips if you desire to flash another zip(s).
4. Swipe the round button present on the bottom of the screen to initiate the flashing
process.
Wipe:
This tab serves the function of wiping the partitions on your device. Wipe-able partitions
include System, Data, Cache, Dalvik Cache, Internal Storage and USB-OTG (if any). Wiping the
partitions is necessary as a pre-flashing process and is different for Installing
ROMs/Kernels/Mods and updating them. So, before you set yourself for opening this menu,
make sure to know what you’re doing.
Here, I’m gonna mention some basic wiping steps for Installing ROMs/Kernels. Note that these
are universal for every ROM and Kernel, until and unless the developer himself states some
specific steps.
Wiping before Installing a Custom ROM:
1. Press on “Wipe” tab.
2. Press on “Advanced Wipe”.
3. Select the partitions: Dalvik Cache, System, Data & Cache.
4. Swipe the round button present on the bottom of the screen to initiate the wiping process.
Wiping before Installing a Custom Kernel:
1. Press on “Wipe” tab.
2. Press on “Advanced Wipe”.
3. Select the partitions: Dalvik Cache & Cache.
4. Swipe the round button present on the bottom of the screen to initiate the wiping process.
Backup:
The Backup tab holds a very important and useful function. Situations might arise when you
accidentally Install a wrong (corrupted/damaged) or may be un-desirable ROM/Kernel/Mod.
Post these situations, we find ourselves stuck. So, the Backup option gives us an helping hand to come out. This option is also well known as Nandroid Backup, but is now certainly referred
to as a common term; Backup.
TWRP offers some unique privileges in the Backup option too. A user can simply select the
partitions that he/she might want to backup viz Boot (Kernel & Ram-disk), Recovery (Present
Recovery), System (Firmware files), Data (User Apps and Information) & Cache (Dalvik Cache
and Cache).
To Backup your current ROM, simply follow these steps:
1. Press on “Backup” tab.
2. Select the partitions you want to backup (Usually, ROM backup includes System, Data,
Cache & Boot).
3. Swipe the round button present on the bottom of the screen to initiate the backup
process.
Apart from backing up, you can also Set Backup Name (set a specific name for your backup),
Enable compression and Skip md5 generation during backup.
Restore:
The Restore option in simple words, restores the Backup. A backup made with the Backup tab
is to be restored from this tab. This option also allows you to delete a previous backup and
even enable md5 verification. Restoring a backup is quite easy:
1. Press on “Restore” tab.
2. Press on the backup you want to restore.
3. Swipe the round button present on the bottom of the screen to initiate the restore process.
Mount:
It certainly is essential to mount partitions while flashing some specific files. Mount-able
partitions includes: System, Data, Cache, Internal Memory, SD-card and USB-OTG (if any). To mount a partition:
1. Press on “Mount” tab.
2. Select the partitions to mount.
Settings:
This tab holds all the settings related to the recovery subsystem. The following come under this tab:
1. zip file signature verification (Enable flashing only if the zip file is signed properly).
2. Use rm -rf instead of formatting (Option enables manual rm -rf command to wipe instead
of automatic formatting)
3. Skip md5 generation during backup (disables the generation of md5 sum during backup
process)
4. Enable md5 verification of backup files (enables restore of backup, only if md5 sum verifies)
5. Use military time (Use the time format followed by Military/Army)
6. Simulate actions for theme testing (enables modification of actions during theme testing)
7. Time Zone (Set time zone according to your country)
8. Screen (Enable/disable/set screen timeout)
9. Restore defaults (Restores all the settings to their default value)
Advanced:
It provides all the advance functions of the TWRP recovery. Advanced functions include:
1. Copy Log to SD (Transfers the error log generated to the SD card)
2. Fix permissions (Fixes the permissions of the System files to fix errors)
3. File Manager (In-built recovery file manager to manage files on Internal and External
memory)
4. Terminal Command (In-built terminal emulator to execute commands)
5. Reload Theme (Reloads the theme from TWRP/theme, necessary when applying a new
theme)
6. ADB sideload (Initiates sideload over ADB to flash zips)
Reboot:
This menu lists ways to reboot the device to various locations. You can reboot your device into
the following modes just with a simple gesture. You can perform the following actions within
the Reboot menu:
System (Boot your device normally into the OS)
Power Off (Powers down your device completely)
Recovery (Reboots into the recovery mode)
Bootloader (Reboots the device into bootloader/fastboot mode)
To reboot:
1. Press on “Reboot” tab.
2. Press on the desire button where you’re willing to boot.
3. Swipe the round button present on the bottom of the screen to initiate the rebooting
process.
That’s all about TWRP, that every user needs to know and understand.
Things to Do Before and After Installing a Custom ROM:
Become familiar with Recovery and its working
Ensure a decent battery level
Backup your current ROM using recovery(It will help you if in case you are stuck in bootloop in future or if you want to go back to Stock
Go to settings and do factory reset
Reboot to recovery and flash ROM zip and Gapps
Clear cache and dalvik/ART cache
Reboot
ROM: Although ROM in computers mean Read Only Memory (memory storage which once written, can’t be edited or deleted) but When it comes to smartphones and tablets, the term ROM is used to refer to the firmware stored in the internal memory of the device, rather than the internal memory itself. It can also refer to a file prepared for the purpose of replacing this firmware with another version of using a special method.
Thus, when you are told by someone to download a ROM, they are referring to the file that contains the firmware in a format ready to be installed to your phone to replace it’s existing firmware. Similarly, when asked what ROM is your phone running or when told by someone their phone is running a particular ROM, they are again talking about the particular variant of the firmware.
ROM Distinction:
Truly Stock ROMs / firmware:
This is the operating system in its default form, without any modifications made to it except for any device-specific support required to run it on the particular device. Truly stock firmware provides the standard user experience of the operating system without any cosmetic or functional changes made. These days, truly stock firmware is primarily found in cases where both the device and the operating system is built by the same company. Amongst modern mobile devices, examples of truly stock firmware can be found on Nexus and (new) Moto devices.
Manufacturer or Carrier branded Stock ROM / Firmware:
This type of firmware has had enhancements added over the default operating system by the device manufacturer or the mobile service carrier. This often includes interface enhancements, proprietary applications and in most cases, restrictions intended to limit the use of the device with a specific carrier or region. There are often further restrictions preventing installation of firmware not released by the carrier or manufacturer.
Custom ROM / firmware:
Almost all devices ship with either of the above two categories of firmware, though things don’t end there. Independent developers who like to customize their devices beyond the standard options provided often tend to release the fruits of their labor for the rest to enjoy, in form of custom ROMs. The more open the platform, the more independent development it attracts, a good example of which is the independent custom ROM development for Android.
Stock v/s Custom ROMs:
Stock firmware is the result of a lot of research and testing done by the operating system vendor, the device manufacturer and/or the mobile service carrier. Therefore, it carries several advantages:
It is usually quite stable upon release.
Almost all bugs are patched during the extensive beta testing before release.
It carries the official support by the firmware vendor, device manufacturer and the mobile service carrier.
Updates are pushed automatically to the device by the carrier.
Along with its advantages, stock firmware also carries its disadvantages and these include:
Updates aren’t frequent, as development is done mostly by corporations who have to follow a scheduled release cycle.
Updates are often released first in the United States, leaving the rest of the world waiting. (A world does happen to exist beyond the United States, we’ve confirmed it ourselves!)
Worse still, when manufacturers choose to no longer release official updates for their older devices in favor of newer ones, their users are essentially stuck with old versions of the operating system. This case is evident with many Android devices barely a year and a half old.
Advantages & Disadvantages of Custom ROMs
Custom ROMs are as good or as bad as the effort put into them by their developers. Key advantages of custom ROMs are:
First and foremost, choice! There are thousands of custom ROMs out there for a range of devices, each offering a diverse set of features not found in the stock ROM.
Update frequency – custom ROMs are often under active development and newer releases of the core operating system are incorporated in them way before updated official ROMs are released. This is particularly true in case of Android devices, where developers start porting newer versions of Android to several devices as soon as they are released.
Custom ROMs usually have all the extra restrictions removed, enabling users to sideload apps, tether their mobile data connection to their computer without paying extra for it, gain root access, use their device in any region etc. without any need for circumventing the protection themselves.
Performance enhancements and optimizations found in many custom ROMs can make them much faster than stock ROMs, enabling users to get the most out of their devices.
Overclocking options are built into some custom ROMs, further speeding up the devices.
Undervolting options found in some ROMs on the other hand result in improved battery life.
Old phones with little internal memory can benefit most from custom ROMs that allow them to use the external SD card memory for the apps exactly the way they would use the internal memory.
So with all these advantages, there should be no reason to stick with the stock ROM, right? Not necessarily! Like all things in life, custom ROMs come with their disadvantages as well:
Due to the lack of extensive testing prior to release, many custom ROMs can be buggy in the beginning and installing a ROM with missing or corrupt critical files can even brick your phone.
Several custom ROMs that are ports of ROMs from other phones can have missing functionality that hasn’t been made to work on your phone with the ROM yet.
Installing a custom ROM usually involves wiping your phone to factory settings, so you lose your data and start from scratch. Fortunately, Android’s built-in contact syncing along with apps offering message, call log and app backup/restore make this process easier, letting you retain your data.
The installation process itself can be cumbersome and may require you to root your phone and often circumvent its security features to allow for custom ROM installation in the first place.
Installing a custom ROM will in most cases void your phone’s warranty, though often the process is reversible, meaning you can turn your phone back to stock as long as it isn’t bricked.
Installing a ROM to your phone requires you to root it first in most cases. While rooting most phones is easy, some phones require a complicated procedure to be followed before you can install a ROM to it and often, such procedures involve a risk of bricking your device if things go wrong.
Making the Choice
Choosing between a stock ROM and a question ROM is really a matter of your requirements. If the stock ROM on your phone lets you do all that you ever want to do with your phone and doesn’t feel slow, there isn’t any need to go through the trouble of circumventing your phone’s security and installing a custom ROM to it.
However, if you want to take your phone beyond what it currently offers, don’t care much about the warranty and are ready to take the risk of whatever may happen if things go wrong to be able to customize it the way you want, a custom ROM is at times the only solution. Choose wisely!
Review the Risks ! !
Customize your Android
Check next for more
Hit thanks, if helped :good:

BootLoop:
“Bootloop” is a very familiar term for smartphone users whatever OS they use, but it is definitely more familiar to Android phone users. Android being an Open Source operating system, is open to third party modifications. If you have a basic or advanced knowledge of Linux coding, you can develop a custom ROM or a modify a system file of your Android phone. Such openness has opened vistas for our great developers to cook ROMs, mods and hacks. It has enriched our experience with our phones at one hand, and posed a few problems like bootloop or a bricked phone in rare cases.
Most of phone- freaks like me spend their days doing nothing but trying almost all custom ROMs and mods available out there to tell other what is good for them. In doing so we often face a bootloop but that is not to say that only the third- party ROMs and mods are responsible for the problem. In most cases, however, it is some incompatible file imposed from outside that hinders the system files to work normally, resulting in a bootloop.
Thus, bootloop is a situation where the Android smartphones refuses to boot normally. There’s something wrong with the Android device, which is preventing it from completing the boot cycle and is stuck between the boot animation and the unlock screen. Bootloop is mainly caused when system files interfere with each other, causing instability, and crashes at the boot sequence.
While getting a bootloop on an Android phone is not a serious concern for an advanced user, it is surely enough to make a newbie or a noob tremble a little. Very often an average user begin to wonder if his phone is bricked or dead. In the present article I shall try to share with you some solutions that might help you recover your Android device from a bootloop.
Precautions to Avoid and Prevent Data Loss:
Bootloop is definitely one of the most undesirable situations a smartphone user can get into. It is shocking enough to make a new or basic user believe that he/she has bricked the device. It is true that in most cases you can recover your device to normal state but if you take precautionary steps, you could avoid it. Prevention is always better than the cure!
However, precautions cannot guarantee that you device is bootloop- proof. Therefore, it is also necessary that you always keep your phone’s data backed up. Remember, if your device gets into a bootloop, there are 90% chances that you will loose all your data, apps, settings and files stored on the internal SD of your device.
Things to be taken care of:
Before installing any stock or custom ROM, do not forget to confirm that it is made for your device and, more important, the same model number.
Before installing any custom Kernel, mod, patch or ROM, do not forget to backup your ROM. Also backup your phone’s apps, games, contacts, messages or any important data to an external storage-memory card, USB storage or your computer.
Avoid installing apps from outside Play Store and only those that are compatible with your device.
If your device is not rooted, you can use the official PC Suite from your device manufacturer.
Possible Reasons of a Bootloop on Android Device:
The reasons for getting a bootloop on your Android device might be anything. If you wish to know the reason why your Android phone is stuck on the bootloop, you need not type your problem on the Google search box. Just calm yourself for a while and think what you did just before. It could be anything! Here are some major reasons why your Android device is caught in a bootloop.
After installing an official or custom ROM
Flashing a wrong ROM or Kernel
Running an incompatible app or game
Wrong Permissions fix for an app or file
Installing a custom mod or theme
Most often we face a bootloop just after flashing a stock or custom ROM over an old one. This might be a major factor behind the bootloop issue on your device. Suppose you have flashed a new version of firmware over the old version. Your old data still remains on the device and the new firmware will use the Dalvik Cache from the old ROM that might not be compatible with the new system files and it will result in a bootloop. It mostly happen just when your device tries to reboot after you have flashed a stock or custom ROM. If this is the case, here is the solution.
If your device is on stock firmware, that also means it does not have a custom recovery like TWRP/CWM installed in it. Then do these steps:
1. Pull out the the battery of your phone, wait for about 30 seconds and reinsert it to its place.
2. Boot your device into ASR(Android System Recovery) mode. The method involves a hardware key combination and varies from one phone to another. For Samsung phones, for example, the key combination is Volume Up+Home + Power keys. The tablets which generally have no Home button, you can enter the Recovery mode bypressing and holding the Volume Up + Power keys simultaneously.
3. In the Android System Recovery, scroll down to “wipe cache partition” option using the volume rockers and select it using the power key.
4. When you have wiped the data/factory, go back to the main menu and reboot the device by “reboot system now” option.
5. If the device is still stuck on Boot animation pull out the battery again and repeat the above steps. This time also “wipe data/factory reset ” and then reboot device.
The bootloop problem should be fixed now.
If you have a rooted device with CWM recovery installed in it,and your phone is caught into a bootloop after flashing a custom ROM or mod, do as follows:
1. Pull out the battery, reinsert it after 30 seconds and boot the device into CWM Recovery: Volume Up+ Home + Power keys simultaneously.
2. Go to “Advanced”
3. Choose “Wipe dalvik-cache”
4. Now go to “Mounts & Storage”
5. Choose “Wipe/cache”
6. Reboot your phone
The bootloop should be gone now. If it still persists, do this.
1. Boot the phone again into CWM Recovery
2. Now go to “Mounts & Storage”
3. Choose “Wipe/data”
4. Choose “Wipe/cache”
5. Then reboot your phone.
Now the phone should reboot normally. Next time when you install a ROM, follow the instructions prescribed by the developer. Be more attentive to the warnings before experimenting with any third party ROM or mod. Always ensure what you are about to install is meant for your device.
If the Above Methods Do Not Work!
In case you are not able to get your device come out of bootloop, your final option should be to install or restore a previously backed up ROM by putting the device in recovery mode, or to install the official firmware/factory image to your phone your tablet.
Xposed Framework and Modules
Customization and flexibility lie at the core of Android and it is this potential that draws more and more people to it, making it the most loved platforms for mobile devices. I see Android as an assertion of freedom against some other major operating systems like iOS and Windows Phone. At the same time, it must be admitted that this liberty comes tagged with a check and can be experienced by only those who are adventurous in nature. An Android device in its maiden state is just a little better than devices from its opponents, but once rooted, its leaves all others far behind.
I do not mean that customization is not possible altogether on an unrooted phone or tablet. You can install 3rd party launchers and icon packs and decorate your home screens with a variety of widgets. However, the range of such type of personalization is limited to a certain level. By rooting your Android device, you get the key to unlock the whole next level of customization. If you have root access on your device, you can flash custom ROMs and mods to achieve not only true customization, but also improve its performance significantly not possible otherwise.
What is a Custom Framework?
In case you have a rooted device but you do not wish to install custom ROMs or mods, or a custom recovery is not available for it, there is yet another way of tasting the custom flavors of Android. And this can be done by installing a custom framework on your phone or tablet. All such frameworks modify the system.bin file replacing the original codes with those of the custom framework. The hacked system core then starts allowing changes imposed via custom modules. The best part of this whole business is that you can customize your device with stock firmware.
If you are not new to Android, you must have heard about some custom frameworks for Android like JKay, Xposed, 3Minit, etc. Developed by XDA member rovo89 is most popular of all its peers because of its potential and compatibility with almost all Android devices with Android 4.0 or above that house an ARM processor within them and are rooted.
How to Install Xposed Framework:
Download the latest Xposed Installer app. “Installing a custom framework” might sound a little geeky and complicated task to most new users. On the contrary, Xposed Framework can be installed very easily like a simple APK. All you have to do is to download the Xposed Installer app and install it on your device. Then open the app, select FRAMEWORK and tap on the “Install/Update” button. The app will ask you to grant
root permission, do it and wait for a while till you get an on-screen confirmation that the framework has been installed on your phone.
Now you have a custom base framework that can change the way you use your device with the help of compatible modules. Xposed Framework will not add any functionality to your device that can be used individually. Just search for Xposed modules and then you will be able to customize your device in various ways. The module files for the framework come as simple APK files and can be installed normally.
How to Install Xposed Framework Modules:
As I already mentioned above, it is the modules that let you customize your device and therefore, you will have to find and download the desired modules and install them separately on your device. Fortunately, the developer has now added the option to download modules right from the app’s interface. Open Xposed Installer and tap on “Download” option. You will now see a long list of available Xposed modules that can be downloaded. Just select the module you like and hit the Download button.
Besides the modules available in the app, you can find more at forums like XDA and others. After installing the modules, do not forget to select them in Xposed Installer. Launch the app, tap on “Modules” and check the newly installed module.
MultiROM:
MultiROM is one-of-a-kind multi-boot mod for Nexus 7. It can boot any Android ROM as well as other systems like Ubuntu Touch, Plasma Active, Bohdi Linux or WebOS port.Besides booting from device's internal memory, MultiROM can boot from USB drive connected to the device via OTG cable. The main part of MultiROM is a boot manager, which appears every time your device starts and lets you choose ROM to boot. You can see how it looks on the left image below and in gallery. ROMs are installed and managed via modified TWRP recovery. You can use standard ZIP files to install secondary Android ROMs, daily prebuilt image files to install Ubuntu Touch and MultiROM even has its own installer system, which can be used to ship other Linux-based systems.
Features:
* Multiboot any number of Android ROMs
* Restore nandroid backup as secondary ROM
* Use for example Ubuntu Touch (will be there in future) or Desktop alongside with Android, without the need of device formatting.
Currently, it has been ported to many Android devices !
Brick:
The term "brick" usually refers to the stone, which means: "device can only be used as paper-weight". Taken literally, there's no way to "unbrick".
However, you also find terms like "hard-brick" and "soft-brick" used, which makes the term "brick" less absolute: A soft-brick is something you easily can recover from (count it as a "temporary paper-weight"), mostly by software-based solutions (e.g. re-flash your phone) -- while a "hard-brick" is rather meant in the way the original term points to.
Still, technically spoken, even a "hard-bricked" device could be "unbricked" -- but mostly this is more expensive then getting a new device.
As for the warranty declaration you quoted: For a normal user, it's almost impossible to (hard-) brick his device. Even when flashing a custom ROM, this can rarely happen, as there are many security-layers involved. Almost always you can boot your device into some fall-back mode where it is at least recognized by some "flashing software", so you could simply flash another/the original firmware back. Which means, the risk you are taking is to "soft-brick" your device. A "hard-brick" is quite unlikely with "normal operations" like rooting or flashing custom ROMs.
Brick is a much-hyped word that gets bandied about with-out understanding what it is.
There's two types of brick, hard and soft. Lets go through this to make the distinction clearer.
Hard this is where the handset will absolutely refuse to boot at the press of the power button. Diagnostics: Dead screen, no power. That is the symptom of a hard brick. Reason: This can happen by inadvertently pulling the cable when flashing a ROM or even an update via the handset's supporting software such as Samsung Kies, Sony's PC Companion Suite etc. That is the worst case, that is why in this scenario, always, make, sure that no cable gets pulled unless told so by the supporting software in question. The other way is this, flashing in that manner when the battery power is low. Hence for that reason, it is recommended to have at least 75% of battery power in place prior to doing the update in that fashion. Its known as hard-brick, and requires specialist cables and stripping the device down to the circuitary board to revive it via JTAG cables.
Soft - this can happen through a bad flashing of the ROM in which yields the following. Diagnostics: it has power when the power button is pressed, and/or, the screen comes on. Reason: It can be a user error on this part. For example, failing to clear/wipe the data/cache, can cause Android to go into a boot-loop because of the mis-matches with the Android's virtual machine and the apps installed, or more than likely, a corrupted dalvik cache. The other, is flashing a ROM that is not designated for the handset which can cause the kernel to go into a boot-loop. This is generally easier to fix, but hangs, that is known as a soft-brick.
Review the risks ! !
Customize your Android
Hit thanks, if helped :good:

prince.d.emperor said:
Review the Risks ! !
Customize your Android
Hit thanks, if helped :good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks
Android's been here for quite a while noobs are champs now. But still a nice guide ..
I hope people using various kinds of vendor devices HTC,samsung , xperia , motorola will find this useful.
I also know this thread will be visible to few and not when needed .

kapil.git said:
Thanks
Android's been here for quite a while noobs are champs now. But still a nice guide ..
I hope people using various kinds of vendor devices HTC,samsung , xperia , motorola will find this useful.
I also know this thread will be visible to few and not when needed .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Then what is needed to be done??

Thnx

Samsung Galaxy S2 LTE 9210i (Model SHV-E110S Korean)Rooting ROM and Kernel (lollipop)

DISCLAIMER: You will be flashing your phone at your own risk. You are solely responsible for anything you do to your phone, so make sure you are well informed and well prepared before deciding to flash or install anything on your device.
Here You Can Get Link to Latest Kernal and Android Lolipop 5.0.2 (CyanogenMod 12)
The purpose of this thread is to provide a 'reference site' for anything related to ROMs and kernels, be it original stock, modified stock or custom images for the Samsung Galaxy S II LTE smartphone(SHV-E110s Korean)
How to Root Samsung Galaxy S2 HD LTE SHV-E110S
Ever considered performing a rooting on your Galaxy S2 HD LTE SHV-E110S? If you haven’t, you should. It’s very beneficial for your smartphone. And we’ll soon tell you why we think that!
If the Samsung SHV-E110S hasn’t experienced root access before, you have a guide to help it do that. We are here to present the advantages and disadvantages of this procedure, as well as info on the rooting app we used.
The smartphone you have is one of the many devices SRSRoot is compatible with. This tool we’re mentioning now is the app we referred to earlier. This tool provides all the pros your phone needs to be improved.
From the get-go you should know that with root access, your handset will get custom ROMs. Apart from that, the device will have many root-only apps and new features. Its dual-core 1.5 GHz Scorpion CPU will perform better and your phone will receive customization tweaks. Superuser and admin permission will appear, as well. Then there are battery tweaks, too.
Android 2.3.6 Gingerbread is your smartphone’s operating system. The SRSRoot fully accepts it and doesn’t delete it. Powered by an SRS Server, this rooting app works with every available Build ID.The one we thought we’d use for your phone was this: GINGERBREAD.EL10.
The advantages of this method
You’re using a device whose other name is Galaxy S II HD LTE SHV-E120S. If the handset receives an upgrade, it will have its root access and system partition revoked and deleted, respectively. When root access gets on your smartphone, expect to have the warranty revoked. But don’t expect damaged internal / external SD cards or crucial content.
Various brands can experience the SRSRoot app.
The root access allows you to enjoy, apart from what’s already been said, another advantage. You can unroot the phone at any time.
Prerequisites
The Galaxy S2 LTE SHV-E110S has to pass through specific pre-requisites in order to receive the rooting app. Here they are:
How to Root Samsung Galaxy S2 HD LTE SHV-E110S
Ever considered performing a rooting on your Galaxy S2 HD LTE SHV-E110S? If you haven’t, you should. It’s very beneficial for your smartphone. And we’ll soon tell you why we think that!
If the Samsung SHV-E110S hasn’t experienced root access before, you have a guide to help it do that. We are here to present the advantages and disadvantages of this procedure, as well as info on the rooting app we used.
The smartphone you have is one of the many devices SRSRoot is compatible with. This tool we’re mentioning now is the app we referred to earlier. This tool provides all the pros your phone needs to be improved.
From the get-go you should know that with root access, your handset will get custom ROMs. Apart from that, the device will have many root-only apps and new features. Its dual-core 1.5 GHz Scorpion CPU will perform better and your phone will receive customization tweaks. Superuser and admin permission will appear, as well. Then there are battery tweaks, too.
Android 2.3.6 Gingerbread is your smartphone’s operating system. The SRSRoot fully accepts it and doesn’t delete it. Powered by an SRS Server, this rooting app works with every available Build ID.The one we thought we’d use for your phone was this: GINGERBREAD.EL10.galaxy-SHV-E110S
The advantages of this method
You’re using a device whose other name is Galaxy S II HD LTE SHV-E120S. If the handset receives an upgrade, it will have its root access and system partition revoked and deleted, respectively. When root access gets on your smartphone, expect to have the warranty revoked. But don’t expect damaged internal / external SD cards or crucial content.
Various brands can experience the SRSRoot app.
The root access allows you to enjoy, apart from what’s already been said, another advantage. You can unroot the phone at any time.
Prerequisites
The Galaxy S2 LTE SHV-E110S has to pass through specific pre-requisites in order to receive the rooting app. Here they are:
a standard backup should be performed;
a full NANDroid backup is something you should perform next;
your notebook must be running Windows;
the security software installed on the notebook have to be deactivated till you’re done with the rooting;
check and see if your smartphone’s in need of a charged battery;
in case the battery levels are very low, make sure you charge the Galaxy S2 SHV-E110S;
download, on your notebook, USB drivers for your smartphone;
enable the smartphone’s USB Debugging;
have the notebook’s security software deactivated.
Step by step instructions
Do this for the first step: download, on your laptop, this dedicated software. The place where this app is on this page.
Once you click on a download button located on it, the app will download itself on your laptop. After this is over, you’ll have to install the app on the laptop.
Open it on the same device, then do the following: tap Menu and Settings. Take a peek under the latter and there you’ll come across this option: Unknown Sources.
After you activate it, you should do this: turn on USB Debugging. If you activated it before now, you’d better move on.
The next step you need to perform: generate a connection between your handset and laptop. The connection has to be initiated with the phone’s personal USB cord. After you’ve used it, let the connection happen. This should take no longer than a couple of minutes.
In case the plugging needs a longer period of time, you can redo the steps up until this one. Should the connection have already been established, be sure to do this: activate Root Device (All Methods).
This is the part where the rooting begins. Give the rooting some time to be done. The time you’ll have to wait should be approximately 10-15 minutes.
Restart your phone if the rooting is done. If it isn’t, you can repeat our steps. After the smartphone has started once more, you are free to go to your Galaxy S2 HD LTE SHV-E110S and get a feel of the rooting goodies we previously told you about.
If you are done with this, decide if you want to keep the root access. In case you don’t want to, you have the SRSRoot app to use in order to get rid of the root access.
Reference :droidgator
Note:This Rooting is Not required in Latest Custom Roms as Super User is Already Added in it
Now Its Time To install Recovery into Your Device
If you are one of the users of the HD LTE variant of Samsung Galaxy S2 smartphone, then we have some good news for you. The developers over at XDA Forum have successfully ported the ClockworkMod Recovery to Galaxy S2 HD LTE phone and the following guide explains how you can install the same on your SGS2 HD LTE smartphone.
I. Before You Begin:
1. The custom recovery will replace the stock recovery on your phone. So, you won’t be able to boot into the stock recovery afterwards.
2. Make sure your phone is fully charged, so you won’t face any problem during the process.
II. Downloading Required Files:
1. Download the Odin Tool --- http://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s3/themes-apps/27-08-2013-odin-3-09-odin-1-85-versions-t2189539
Note Download Odin 1.85
2. Download the ClockworkMod Recovery Image .
http://forum.xda-developers.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=3104743&stc=1&d=1420732132
This Zip Contain a notepad in that there is link of recovery.
III. Installing ClockworkMod Recovery on Galaxy S2 HD LTE:
1. Download and place both the Odin as well as Recovery Image onto your Desktop,
2. Extract files from the Odin archive to your Desktop.
3. Double-click the Odin3_v1.85.exe file to launch the Odin Tool.
4. Turn OFF your smartphone using the Power key.
5. Reboot your phone into the Download Mode. To do so, press and hold Volume DOWN+Power keys together.
6. Press the Volume UP key to enter the download mode.
7. Connect your phone to your PC using the USB cable that came with it.
8. From the Odin Tool, select BOOTLOADER option and choose the Recovery Image you downloaded earlier.
9. Do NOT modify any other settings in the Odin, hit the Start button to commence the flashing process.
10. As soon as it has finished flashing recovery, your phone will reboot.
Great job ! You have successfully installed the ClockworkMod Recovery on your Galaxy S2 HD LTE smartphone. The custom ROMs are now a click away from your phone.
You can now root your phone using the ClockworkMod Recovery. Please see our guide on how to root Samsung Galaxy S2 HD LTE.
Reference:theunlockr
Now Its Time To install Custom Rom
This is an unofficial CyanogenMod 12 Lollipop ROM for our dear SHV-E110s. This is currently a work-in-progress, so you can expect to run into problems while using it.
You must perform a full wipe (wipe /data,/system,/cache,/dalvik cache) before installing this ROM for the first time. New updates can be flashed on top without wiping anything.
The first boot will take about 10 minutes.
DOWNLAOD LINKS : These link are not mine this is just a reference post and reposting you those links here in a text document as attachment please do not mirror :good:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=3104743&stc=1&d=1420732132
Screenshots:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=3104811&stc=1&d=1420734671
Instructions :
Download ROM
Download Gapps
Reboot into recovery
Select Wipe-SYSTEM,DATA,CACHE,DALVIK CACHE
Flash ROM
Flash Kernel
flash gapps
flash Super SU
wipe cache and dalvik cache
And Reboot
If ur stuck at boot or if ur having bootloops then wipe Dalvik cache and wipe cache!!!!
The first boot will take about 10+ minutes.
CREDITS: LIQUIDANDROID
Note: This is Just a refrence Link;Developer is LIQUIDANDROID TEAM

Will it work for Korean s2 shv m250k

just couriuos, where is the ROms file ??

I think there is no ROM in the link Given.