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Hi folks,
I'm thinking of picking up the galaxy s, the samsung vibrant from t-mobile to use on my carrier.
i had a few questions and hope you fellas can help me out.
1st, what would be involved in unlocking it? Would I have any problems getting it unlocked?
Also i'm a total noob to android but i've been reading up. What exactly is "rooting"? will rooting allow me to put a stock 2.2 on it? is that even possible and is it recomended on this phone?
and lastly from people who have been using this phone, do you recommend getting it?
thanks
oh snap! i posted this in the wrong board. it should have been in the "Galaxy S I9000 General"
sorry mods.
Rooting allows you to get access to parts of the phone you otherwise wouldn't have access to. Compare it to having administrator rights on windows, you can access more files, do more stuff. Programs can perform more actions when your phone is rooted.
Putting 2.2 on it is completely seperate from that and at this moment is not possible. However, Samsung already stated that the first 2.2 update will be somewhere in august (not for euro/usa regions though) so perhaps withing the month after that it will also be available for other regions. Samsung has officially announced that it WILL be updated though, so no need to worry about that.
Without the 2.2 update it's already pretty damn fast though (with some tweaks its faster then the Nexus one WITH 2.2) so I would certainly already recommend it.
This is my first android phone (after symbian, windows mobile and more) and it's really easy to get used to and works just great. The screen is beautiful (good colors, vibrant although reading text on it is a less great experience) and it's very fast. Also feels light, in a good way, great screen, etc. I can totally recommend it.
ps. No idea what the status on unlocking is, mine was unlocked already so never looked into it.
you might want to make sure the frequency bands of the one you acquire will work on the carrier you want to use it on
if not, it may not work at all, or may not give you 3G data svc
personally i didnt think any phones are locked down anymore, at least not in the UK?
you should buy the phone, its the best ive owned, not saying its the best on the market but id like to hear of an arguement for why it isnt.
rooting was done on this device even before release, and with already 300k sales in south korea alone it looks like its going to have some great support and updates in the future
Having never had a Samsung device before, I might be turning to the S6 Edge once it's released to replace my ageing Nexus 5 but I have a few questions that can put me off and was wondering if you guys can clarify them for me.
1) Does the 'international' version come with a locked or unlocked bootloader (i.e. if I were to buy it off of Amazon UK). If locked, how easy is it to unlock the bootloader on previous Samsung phones? This probably also voids warranty unlike the Nexus and HTC right?
2) How easy has it been to root Samsung phones in the past?
3) What does having an Exynos processor mean (in terms of modding)? Will that make it harder to root? harder to unlock bootloader? Not being able to Install Stock Vanilla Android ROM?
4) Finally, I've played around with a couple of friend's Samsungs (Note 3,4, S5,S4) and I absolutely hate TouchWiz.. It just looks ugly. How easy is it to get rid of it all together, including sounds, menus, etc. (either by installing Stock Android ROM) or by removing these components from TouchWiz ROM?
5) To sum up. Ideally I'd like to have Vanilla Android Lollipop with an unlocked bootloader and root, and customize as I like; do you think this would be possible? What would the tradeoffs?
I hope my questions are clear! If they aren't please let me know to clarify them further.
ombadboy said:
Having never had a Samsung device before, I might be turning to the S6 Edge once it's released to replace my ageing Nexus 5 but I have a few questions that can put me off and was wondering if you guys can clarify them for me.
1) Does the 'international' version come with a locked or unlocked bootloader (i.e. if I were to buy it off of Amazon UK). If locked, how easy is it to unlock the bootloader on previous Samsung phones? This probably also voids warranty unlike the Nexus and HTC right?
2) How easy has it been to root Samsung phones in the past?
3) What does having an Exynos processor mean (in terms of modding)? Will that make it harder to root? harder to unlock bootloader? Not being able to Install Stock Vanilla Android ROM?
4) Finally, I've played around with a couple of friend's Samsungs (Note 3,4, S5,S4) and I absolutely hate TouchWiz.. It just looks ugly. How easy is it to get rid of it all together, including sounds, menus, etc. (either by installing Stock Android ROM) or by removing these components from TouchWiz ROM?
5) To sum up. Ideally I'd like to have Vanilla Android Lollipop with an unlocked bootloader and root, and customize as I like; do you think this would be possible? What would the tradeoffs?
I hope my questions are clear! If they aren't please let me know to clarify them further.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. We don't really know yet. As far as I know all previous international models of the Galaxy S phones had unlocked bootloaders.
2. With my S2 and S4 it has been really easy to root. I don't expect real problems here.
3. Here's where it gets tricky. Exynos processors made it harder to create AOSP roms due to the closed-source nature of the kernel. I expect there to be no change there.
4. Well, custom roms may be able to help here. They may be able to tweak the UI, remove bloatware or even change the whole UI. Perhaps a stable AOSP port will be created, it's too early to tell yet.
5. If you want an AOSP rom, I'm not sure if the S6 is what you're looking for. A Nexus device would be ideal or you can look at the HTC One M9. If you can live with a Touchwiz based rom, you shouldn't have any problems here.
This is just my view on this all. There may be others who can shed some light on it.
From what I understood, rooting your Samsung allows you to remove quite alot of the TouchWiz bloat. Is it possible to also get rid of the UI they stick ontop of Stock Android or is that baked in?
ombadboy said:
From what I understood, rooting your Samsung allows you to remove quite alot of the TouchWiz bloat. Is it possible to also get rid of the UI they stick ontop of Stock Android or is that baked in?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, there is a difference between Touchwiz and the pre-installed applications. Touchwiz is the whole look&feel with the modified applications. This means a modded email client, dialer, contacts app, settings, launcher, power menu, etc.
While you can remove some applications while rooted (for example the Samsung Store), you can't modify the looks like the power menu, settings, top bar with the clock, etc.. This is baked into the rom itself.
Regarding the email, dialer, launcher and contacts apps, you can download and use third-party apps for that. This will make it look at lot better, but it won't fix everything.
I guess now that Xposed has been released for Lollipop ART as soon as Rovo manages to fix it for Samsung ROMs, that will also allow changing the UI on the TouchWiz ROM substantially right?
well, i hate samsung when will get modify the handset
if someone will succeed root samsung device, it must be can't claim on samsung service centre
well, i just have old exynos from S4/S5, we don't know yet S6 comes with exynos 14nm
hope developers will make it later
Samsung added themes to the s6
Samsung added themes in the s6 so you can change the look and feel of the device.
ww.androidcentral.com/galaxy-s6-themes-let-you-take-control-touchwiz
Rooting Galaxy S6
Hey all,
I am new to posting on XDA. I've seen similar post throughout XDA but nothing that really answers my questions. I recently purchased the S6 and I'd like to root it. I don't want to install custom ROMs all I want is root access for mods that might require that. I have the international variant SM-G920F.
I don't really care about being able to pay using my phone.
1) Most posts claim that I won't be able to update over the air (OTA), is that true? If so is there any luck that this will change in the near future?
2) What root method do you suggest? In terms of ease of use.
3) Mods. What mods do you suggest?
Thank you,
Need to SIM unlock a Galaxy S6
I purchased my phone (Samsung Galaxy S6) from Best Buy to be used with AT&T. This was after 2 AT&T employees and a Best Buy employee told me that getting the unlock code is very easy and straightforward. I have been to the web site to request unlock codes twice. Both times failed. After that I called and they told me, effectively, that my phone is too new. Due to this they require 6 months of paid service before they will consider unlocking it. I am due to leave the country in 4 months. I need to get this phone unlocked... Can anyone tell me how to proceed?
P.S. I am a computer programmer with a lot of experience. I already have the phone in developer mode with the ADB activated. I have the android developers toolkit installed and ready to go. I mention this just so anyone responding will have some idea of the technical level they can use when replying.
AbsaLootly said:
I purchased my phone (Samsung Galaxy S6) from Best Buy to be used with AT&T. This was after 2 AT&T employees and a Best Buy employee told me that getting the unlock code is very easy and straightforward. I have been to the web site to request unlock codes twice. Both times failed. After that I called and they told me, effectively, that my phone is too new. Due to this they require 6 months of paid service before they will consider unlocking it. I am due to leave the country in 4 months. I need to get this phone unlocked... Can anyone tell me how to proceed?
P.S. I am a computer programmer with a lot of experience. I already have the phone in developer mode with the ADB activated. I have the android developers toolkit installed and ready to go. I mention this just so anyone responding will have some idea of the technical level they can use when replying.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What you will get, eventually, from ATT is a carrier unlock code that will allow you to use foreign carrier sim cards for service. This is not a bootloader unlock.
AbsaLootly said:
I purchased my phone (Samsung Galaxy S6) from Best Buy to be used with AT&T. This was after 2 AT&T employees and a Best Buy employee told me that getting the unlock code is very easy and straightforward. I have been to the web site to request unlock codes twice. Both times failed. After that I called and they told me, effectively, that my phone is too new. Due to this they require 6 months of paid service before they will consider unlocking it. I am due to leave the country in 4 months. I need to get this phone unlocked... Can anyone tell me how to proceed?
P.S. I am a computer programmer with a lot of experience. I already have the phone in developer mode with the ADB activated. I have the android developers toolkit installed and ready to go. I mention this just so anyone responding will have some idea of the technical level they can use when replying.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. This is a SIM Unlock, not a bootloader unlock. This will let you use your phone with other supported carriers, not unlock your bootloader.
2. If this is your intention, however, AT&T will only unlock the phone if you've completed your contract obligations with the line your phone is tied to. If you're under contract, you can't get it fully unlocked. However, if you tell them you need it internationally unlocked, they should be able to give you a different unlock code to get that to work. Try giving CS a ring and explain you need it unlocked for abroad, not for the US.
I have been trying the official routes to do the unlock
dandrumheller said:
What you will get, eventually, from ATT is a carrier unlock code that will allow you to use foreign carrier sim cards for service. This is not a bootloader unlock.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have tried the official routes (web site and phone) and been denied. They basically told me that while I own the phone, and owe them no money of any kind, the phone is too new. They are demanding 6 months of paid service to release the phone that I already own!
Unlock 5 minute 4K recording (Docomo Galaxy S6)
Just bought me the shiny new S6 and love everything about it except one thing; the 5 minute limit to 4K recording. Are there any apps that will let me record for longer durations, or is there a mod out there I need to use?
Thanks in advance.
Japan Jay said:
Just bought me the shiny new S6 and love everything about it except one thing; the 5 minute limit to 4K recording. Are there any apps that will let me record for longer durations, or is there a mod out there I need to use?
Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Any chance that you could download the QCN files from your phone so that I could use it in mine? That would really be awesome for me.
I have a Note 4, international.......not working good in Japan.
But because for so long the bootloader seemed unlockable, and because when they finally did get it unlocked, it was with a device that was almost 200$, there was a complete lack of development on this particular device once it was given the 4.4.2 upgrade. Over the course of a year, I have found many things about the tablet that I have been unable to find out on my own to get into.
I found that the tab 3 lte was actually designed as a really big phone, but the dialer, phone and dialer storage were blocked by AT&T, so even with a sim chip, the tablet just will not function as a phone without getting a VOIP app, and I really shouldnt have to considering that I have a perfectly good phablet capable of actual phone calls. I dont know how to use terminal emulator very well, or if the language changes drastically between versions of Android.
I was also wondering if it was actually possible to unlock the bootloader from Terminal emulator now that I have full root.
Is there a way of finding out if my current stock rom is one of those that have the SO- attached to the system folders so that I cant write anything to the system folders without reverting to out of the box system restore. And lastly, I was wondering if there was ever any custom recovery that was made for this device that would be usable now, considering that when the device came out it was on Jellybean, not kitkat. If anyone could help me I would be greatly appreciative. I know it sounds like a lot of work for a tablet , but I am not exactly overflowing with money to go and buy a new one. This was a gift and I just want to try to avoid bricking it when I just now finally got the damned things rooted.
TrustInSin said:
But because for so long the bootloader seemed unlockable, and because when they finally did get it unlocked, it was with a device that was almost 200$, there was a complete lack of development on this particular device once it was given the 4.4.2 upgrade. Over the course of a year, I have found many things about the tablet that I have been unable to find out on my own to get into.
I found that the tab 3 lte was actually designed as a really big phone, but the dialer, phone and dialer storage were blocked by AT&T, so even with a sim chip, the tablet just will not function as a phone without getting a VOIP app, and I really shouldnt have to considering that I have a perfectly good phablet capable of actual phone calls. I dont know how to use terminal emulator very well, or if the language changes drastically between versions of Android.
I was also wondering if it was actually possible to unlock the bootloader from Terminal emulator now that I have full root.
Is there a way of finding out if my current stock rom is one of those that have the SO- attached to the system folders so that I cant write anything to the system folders without reverting to out of the box system restore. And lastly, I was wondering if there was ever any custom recovery that was made for this device that would be usable now, considering that when the device came out it was on Jellybean, not kitkat. If anyone could help me I would be greatly appreciative. I know it sounds like a lot of work for a tablet , but I am not exactly overflowing with money to go and buy a new one. This was a gift and I just want to try to avoid bricking it when I just now finally got the damned things rooted.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi, thanks for using XDA Assist!
Please post here for further assistance:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-tab-3/help
Your device experts are located there.
Good luck!
Thread closed.
Hey there remaining Verizon S3 users!
Coming from my favorite device the T959V this has been quite a trip. This device's bootloader is seemingly impossible to unlock on the 4.4.2 NE1 firmware.
I've got a slightly modified Superlite rom rolling with SafeStrap already strapped. And it is great to say the least. Added some initd and utilities. Evie launcher is pretty nice btw- recommend a try :good:
However. I still really want this thing to be unlocked. The T959V has multiple working Fro, GB, ICS, JB, KK, L, M, AND Nougat ROMS. Totally different devices yes but-- even the newer S4-S6 have cracked loaders now.
There has to be a special way to change this things firmware.
Right now I have 2 ideas to throw out to the wind-
1- Would be that there could be a way to trick the device into thinking it is receiving a new update. Maybe somehow with CSC or something. Also I saw a file named authorized.xml and was reading through to find traces of knox. Would unauthorizing knox strings somehow render it useless?
2- I was reading a suggested post about AVB boots and how they can be resigned on devices such as the Google Pixel and allows the newer patches to still install. Including what was described as a forced re-sign method.
--- Could we somehow resign the bootloader on our device so as to gain control of it? Has anybody tried anything like this since around 2015?
I'll gladly talk about all of this more whenever I feel like popping on- and atm I have no web besides this service. :silly: so no DOS updates and no shiny linux for now.
Gladly tell me that it is "impossible" but I'm not asking that. I'm trying to add some ideas to possibly do the impossible.
Edit: This seems to be an interesting lead on emmc cracking this device. It's probably why people in other threads were in search of a "dev" edition.
http://forum.gsmhosting.com/vbb/f777/unlock-samsung-devices-bootloader-emmc-backdoor-2142981/
graycow9 said:
Hey there remaining Verizon S3 users!
Coming from my favorite device the T959V this has been quite a trip. This device's bootloader is seemingly impossible to unlock on the 4.4.2 NE1 firmware.
I've got a slightly modified Superlite rom rolling with SafeStrap already strapped. And it is great to say the least. Added some initd and utilities. Evie launcher is pretty nice btw- recommend a try :good:
However. I still really want this thing to be unlocked. The T959V has multiple working Fro, GB, ICS, JB, KK, L, M, AND Nougat ROMS. Totally different devices yes but-- even the newer S4-S6 have cracked loaders now.
There has to be a special way to change this things firmware.
Right now I have 2 ideas to throw out to the wind-
1- Would be that there could be a way to trick the device into thinking it is receiving a new update. Maybe somehow with CSC or something. Also I saw a file named authorized.xml and was reading through to find traces of knox. Would unauthorizing knox strings somehow render it useless?
2- I was reading a suggested post about AVB boots and how they can be resigned on devices such as the Google Pixel and allows the newer patches to still install. Including what was described as a forced re-sign method.
--- Could we somehow resign the bootloader on our device so as to gain control of it? Has anybody tried anything like this since around 2015?
I'll gladly talk about all of this more whenever I feel like popping on- and atm I have no web besides this service. :silly: so no DOS updates and no shiny linux for now.
Gladly tell me that it is "impossible" but I'm not asking that. I'm trying to add some ideas to possibly do the impossible.
Edit: This seems to be an interesting lead on emmc cracking this device. It's probably why people in other threads were in search of a "dev" edition.
http://forum.gsmhosting.com/vbb/f777/unlock-samsung-devices-bootloader-emmc-backdoor-2142981/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've been around this and many many other forums for years now. If there was an unlock method it would of been found years ago. Devs have long moved on from the old S3. I still have my S3 lying around, bootloader unlocked but I really haven't messed around with it for quite a long time now
And yes the dev edition would of been nice had someone actually had one, it would of of course made it easier to crack the bootloader option maybe. I don't know much about the ins and outs of the device but I know many are permanently locked and will probably never be unlocked.
As far as certain other Samsung devices being unlocked those are far and few between. VZW got smart and started just locking them from the start. This is a huge reason why I left Verizon. The S3 was my last device on big red. I since have had a Nexus 5 and 6 and now a oneplus 3t. I really don't like locked devices and the ability to unlock them and customize them just intrigues me to no end. Good luck however in finding something that may work, but I highly doubt it will ever be cracked
Sent from my OnePlus 3T
Ya I expected your negatude Shapes. Already seen that you have been searching but it isn't just some application you run. It's an unknown exploit that I'm sure exists. There are exploits right now that can be considered viral potentially exploiting my device as we speak. Maybe not granted my semi-precautious take on things.
Quadrooter and dirty cow could be used to exploit the S3 and gain access to a quoted "all" physical memory. So I find it hard to believe that things can't work in our favor.
Being open minded here. After all, this is technically hacking your own device. Which--
Got me thinking the other day, becausr I was setting up my laptop proper- could we run a nix distro and poke through the bootloader's parameters via exploitation tools? Referencing Kali or it's elder BTrack. But I think it is possible and I just haven't gotten around this loop mounting issue.
To be clear, running a distro ON the device. My flat is already running square.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using XDA-Developers Legacy app
Also a purposely separate post- I'm building a ROM for this locked firmware and the goal is to have some specific updated apps and yet trim it nicely so as to save space and RAM it's mostly stock style-wise but it'd be cool to re-theme it. I haven't gotten things deodexed yet- being I haven't gotten my apktools working proper yet.
Is there anybody left to be interested in this? I haven't posted anything I've made before- usually just keep them lying around for emergency flashes.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using XDA-Developers Legacy app
graycow9 said:
Ya I expected your negatude Shapes. Already seen that you have been searching but it isn't just some application you run. It's an unknown exploit that I'm sure exists. There are exploits right now that can be considered viral potentially exploiting my device as we speak. Maybe not granted my semi-precautious take on things.
Quadrooter and dirty cow could be used to exploit the S3 and gain access to a quoted "all" physical memory. So I find it hard to believe that things can't work in our favor.
Being open minded here. After all, this is technically hacking your own device. Which--
Got me thinking the other day, becausr I was setting up my laptop proper- could we run a nix distro and poke through the bootloader's parameters via exploitation tools? Referencing Kali or it's elder BTrack. But I think it is possible and I just haven't gotten around this loop mounting issue.
To be clear, running a distro ON the device. My flat is already running square.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't think shapes was trying to act negative at all, just stating the obvious. Nobody is going to try to unlock the Verizon S3, it's pretty much a dead end.
The unlock method used on the S5 will most likely work on this phone, but we need a developer CID to rewrite to the emmc as the series chip used on the S3 likely has the same vulnerability. This is what happened on the S5.
If you read some of the other posts (sounds like you have), we looked for an S3 developer edition but had no luck in tracking one down. For one, it's an incredibly old device. Secondly, you'd have to be semi retarded to purchase one as the original unlock method was around before the developer edition was released.
So yes, if you can find a developer S3 this will likely be an unlock method. It tricks the S3 into thinking it's a developer phone and unlocks the bootloader if the method to write it works the same as in the S5.
As for your questions,
1. I think you're underestimating the amount of security that goes into the bootloader itself. If you want to learn a lot about Android security in general, in the Android security discussion section located under general forums, there's tons of info regarding how complex this all is. But basically, in order to send an update patch, it needs to be signed (you can't just fake the signature) and it must agree with the current bootloader. The way the bootloader is written, it simply won't allow a reversion back to earlier versions or it'll abort the boot.
An easier way to think of this is understanding that the changes made are preinstalled before the actual boot. There's no way for us to change this through normal methods as the emmc has to be written to directly. There is no way to do this from download or recovery mode. Wouldn't matter if you flashed it or used and update package, they are essentially the same thing.
So the only way to actually change the bootloader is to write to the emmc directly through use of the JTAG port. This changes the code of the entire bootloader before the boot and the phone will boot up with any version of the S3 bootloader you write.
2. I think I kind of answered that?
Hope it's clear.
BadUsername said:
I don't think shapes was trying to act negative at all, just stating the obvious. Nobody is going to try to unlock the Verizon S3, it's pretty much a dead end.
The unlock method used on the S5 will most likely work on this phone, but we need a developer CID to rewrite to the emmc as the series chip used on the S3 likely has the same vulnerability. This is what happened on the S5.
If you read some of the other posts (sounds like you have), we looked for an S3 developer edition but had no luck in tracking one down. For one, it's an incredibly old device. Secondly, you'd have to be semi retarded to purchase one as the original unlock method was around before the developer edition was released.
So yes, if you can find a developer S3 this will likely be an unlock method. It tricks the S3 into thinking it's a developer phone and unlocks the bootloader if the method to write it works the same as in the S5.
As for your questions,
1. I think you're underestimating the amount of security that goes into the bootloader itself. If you want to learn a lot about Android security in general, in the Android security discussion section located under general forums, there's tons of info regarding how complex this all is. But basically, in order to send an update patch, it needs to be signed (you can't just fake the signature) and it must agree with the current bootloader. The way the bootloader is written, it simply won't allow a reversion back to earlier versions or it'll abort the boot.
An easier way to think of this is understanding that the changes made are preinstalled before the actual boot. There's no way for us to change this through normal methods as the emmc has to be written to directly. There is no way to do this from download or recovery mode. Wouldn't matter if you flashed it or used and update package, they are essentially the same thing.
So the only way to actually change the bootloader is to write to the emmc directly through use of the JTAG port. This changes the code of the entire bootloader before the boot and the phone will boot up with any version of the S3 bootloader you write.
2. I think I kind of answered that?
Hope it's clear.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Truthfully after being around the forums for as long as I have I'm really surprised there is any interest in unlocking this device at this point in time. There are just so many other options and unlocked vzw s3s are not that hard to come by.
And I wasn't being negative it's about being realistic. Thanks for sticking up for me brother
Sent from my OnePlus 3T
Are there any updates to this by any chance, I am interested :C
any hope?
Hi all,
I have tried searching, but am a bit overwhelmed since I am new to this world. All I really want to do is take my new Sprint Galaxy S8 (bought from someone off craigslist, confirmed it is ready to be activated all clean etc.) and get plain vanilla android on it as if it were a Pixel/Nexus. It does not have to be an Oreo pre-release or anything, just whatever the most current stable build is for, ideally with OTA updates if possible?
So I need basic instructions for rooting it, along with access to whatever the best/simplest ROM is that fits my above description, and how to load that up safely with minimal maintenance (I am not sure if it updates regularly like stock does). Apologies if this is super basic and asked all the time...
I was planning to activate it with sprint after I get it all set up with the root, rom, and my own data... Would this be a problem? Sprint store rep said it should be fine though they are not technically supposed to say that of course, but is it better to activate it first then root/rom it? I'd prefer not to activate it until it is all set up with everything for me if I can
Thank you for any help!!!