Verify Bootloader of Bought Refurbished Phone - General Questions and Answers

I was wondering whether there is a reliable way to verify the integrity of the bootloader? I bought a used phone on ebay and was thinking how i could verify its software? (Malware etc.)
I've read that many android versions come with verified boot, but I suppose by rooting the phone and unlocking the bootloader one could replace the software with one that does not use veryified boot nor is the official ROM.
My specific phone is an LG G8, LG has not released a way to unlock the bootloader but there are rumors that some people know how to do it and are reselling refurbished phones (https://forum.xda-developers.com/lg-g8/how-to/lg-g8-root-yesterday-t3960915/page5)
Thanks for any input.

Related

XT926 unlock exploit on XT925? (to unlock without losing warranty)

I have searched and came up with no results, can the xt926 BL unlock exploit be used in the xt925?
I ask because if I unlock my 925 with the official moto tool it will be blacklisted and i will lose warranty...
The only difference between both is the unlockable BL and the radios so it *should* work, right?
has anyone tried this?
Yes it should work, it is good for any of the Moto phones with the newer snapdragon chipset (Razr HD, Atrix HD and Razr M).
amedeh123 said:
I have searched and came up with no results, can the xt926 BL unlock exploit be used in the xt925?
I ask because if I unlock my 925 with the official moto tool it will be blacklisted and i will lose warranty...
The only difference between both is the unlockable BL and the radios so it *should* work, right?
has anyone tried this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You'll still might have a warranty problem if you send it in for a repair. You might not be blacklisted and you might flash a custom logo that doesn't have the bootloader unlocked screen, but that's a superficial and cosmetic fix.
amedeh123 said:
I have searched and came up with no results, can the xt926 BL unlock exploit be used in the xt925?
I ask because if I unlock my 925 with the official moto tool it will be blacklisted and i will lose warranty...
The only difference between both is the unlockable BL and the radios so it *should* work, right?
has anyone tried this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello, where can i find this exploit?
Thanks
PantsDownJedi said:
You'll still might have a warranty problem if you send it in for a repair. You might not be blacklisted and you might flash a custom logo that doesn't have the bootloader unlocked screen, but that's a superficial and cosmetic fix.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not really, over here the warranty is honored by certified 3rd party shops that in most cases repair our phones themselves (instead of the carrier dealing with it), mostly they only check for the warranty status via IMEI number before repairing it (thats from experience). This "cosmetic fix" is exactly what im looking for.
jluiscc25 said:
Hello, where can i find this exploit?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Google "motopocalypse"
coolloser said:
Yes it should work, it is good for any of the Moto phones with the newer snapdragon chipset (Razr HD, Atrix HD and Razr M).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
anyway, since my phone isn't insured, i wont be trying this...
ill either give it some time for possible defects to arise before using the official method OR for someone that actually tries it and posts here his results
amedeh123 said:
Not really, over here the warranty is honored by certified 3rd party shops that in most cases repair our phones themselves (instead of the carrier dealing with it), mostly they only check for the warranty status via IMEI number before repairing it (thats from experience). This "cosmetic fix" is exactly what im looking for.
Google "motopocalypse"
anyway, since my phone isn't insured, i wont be trying this...
ill either give it some time for possible defects to arise before using the official method OR for someone that actually tries it and posts here his results
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I unlocked the bootloader on my 926 on Verizon. I installed the replacement Moto boot image for the cosmetic effect. If you boot the phone into the Fastboot screen the menu does say the phone is unlocked. According to the creator of the unlock exploit, Dan Rosenberg, the unlock blows a fuse inside the CPU chip and the unlocking is permanent. Even Verizon can't re-lock it with a firmware update. Your warranty would be permanently voided. But as was said, if a third party shop is only looking for a covered IMEI you should be good.

Which T-Mobile 5g phones are best for rooting.

Hi guys, I am hoping I can get some help since I am needing to get a 5g phone on T-Mobile and root it to tether with. And since I am adding a line, I could take advantage of their half-off deals, but I need to know if there are any 5g phones on T-Mobile that will let me root it while it is technically still locked to their service. I know when I rooted a phone earlier this year it was just assumed that it needed to be carrier unlocked first, so it's hard to go look at individual phone forums and see if their unlock methods would work for me or not. Is it possible for any of their offerings to be rooted while still be locked to the carrier?
Thanks in advanced.
One of the phones T-Mobile sells with 5G is the OnePlus 8...
Nate Rules said:
Hi guys, I am hoping I can get some help since I am needing to get a 5g phone on T-Mobile and root it to tether with. And since I am adding a line, I could take advantage of their half-off deals, but I need to know if there are any 5g phones on T-Mobile that will let me root it while it is technically still locked to their service. I know when I rooted a phone earlier this year it was just assumed that it needed to be carrier unlocked first, so it's hard to go look at individual phone forums and see if their unlock methods would work for me or not. Is it possible for any of their offerings to be rooted while still be locked to the carrier?
Thanks in advanced.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
All that really matters is if the device has an unlocked bootloader or, at least, a bootloader that can, in fact, be unlocked using a known/proven method for that exact device.
Devices that have an unlocked/unlockable bootloader can easily root using the Magisk method and/or TWRP, but, not all devices have TWRP available to them. But, the Magisk method works for most devices, provided that they have an unlocked bootloader.
Yes, it can be locked to a carrier and still be rooted. When you see guides discussing unlocking a device in order to root the device, they are not referring to carrier unlocking the device in order to root, they are referring to unlocking the bootloader, which must be done in order to make modifications(such as rooting) to the system software.
Sent from my SM-S767VL using Tapatalk

Sprint LG V50 with Pie

I recently bought an LG V50 from an overstock warehouse. The phone is brand new and was in sealed box with all the retail contents. The problem is it is operating on Android Pie. The bootloader instruction for this phone requires Android 10. When I tried to flash it with the "engineering abl" to access the fastboot mode, the screen just stayed at LG logo.
So the question is how to get this phone to upgrade to Android 10. And hence do the bootloader unlock on the way to rooting it? I don't have a Sprint/T-Mobile account and plan to use it for music listening only. When I tried to activate it on T-Mobile site, the site tells me that the phone is incompatible and can't be activated.
So I am stuck with the Android Pie that is stopping me from unlocking the bootloader. Any insights?
Many thanks.
Solved it.
Mind sharing how you solved it for anyone coming by with the same problem?
I had to resort to Octopus LG to unlock the bootloader. From there things were easy to root the phone.

Whats the best US Galaxy S7 stock boot loader?

Need to pick up a few phones to play with. Since they all seem to have their own bootloaders (or do they?), should I go with Verizon, ATT, Sprint phone, or?
XDASikpupy said:
Need to pick up a few phones to play with. Since they all seem to have their own bootloaders (or do they?), should I go with Verizon, ATT, Sprint phone, or?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Virtually all models of devices from the major US carriers are going to have locked bootloader with no way to unlock them. I suggest getting the devices directly from the manufacturer or buying international non branded devices because the majority of them have unlocked bootloader or bootloader that can at least be unlocked.
If a US phone is "unlocked", does that mean the bootloader is unlocked or just unlocked for carrier use? I also hear phones directly from Samsung are locked also.
XDASikpupy said:
If a US phone is "unlocked", does that mean the bootloader is unlocked or just unlocked for carrier use? I also hear phones directly from Samsung are locked also.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When you buy a phone that says it is unlocked, yes, it is referring to the fact that it is SIM/carrier unlocked to be used on other carrier networks.
Unlocking bootloader is a very specific procedure in order to modify the device or add/remove pieces of system level software If you're looking to use custom recovery and custom ROMs, you will definitely need to make certain that it is a model that has the bootloader already unlocked or has a stock firmware version that has a bootloader that can successfully unlocked. Typically, the older the firmware version for a specific device model number is the safest bet, the later, newer updated firmware for that specific device model number tend to have locked bootloaders. And it gets worse as the devices get newer and more improved with security features and roadblocks.
A safe bet is a Non US Google Pxel device, they are all very well supported here. Regardless of the device in question, you don't ever want anything that Verizon has to offer, period. AT&T and Sprint are just as bad.
Droidriven - Thanks for the info, thats what I have been reading, and, what makes me wonder. If I can get unlocked phones with locked bootloaders, and I am not going to mess with he bootloader, is there one "locked" bootloader better than the other?

Buying - Which G7 to get/avoid?

In the past, I have purchased phones online and then found out I could not unlock the bootloader and root the phone. I'm considering getting a G7. Is there any specific model I should get? Is there any model I won't be able to unlock and root no matter what I do? I couldn't take another heartbreak.
Any of the following are fine -
XT1962-01
XT1962-04
XT1962-05
XT1962-06
However, keep in mind, that you may not be able to unlock the bootloaders of these models in some cases (i.e. certain carrier specific models can't be bootloader unlocked). Ergo, buy one that is already bootloader unlocked, or buy the factory retail model for your region.

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