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[Q] Custom KK quick-settings / tiles without root?

Just got my N5 yesterday and I love pretty much everything about it. One tiny thing I miss coming from CM 10.2 on my old phone, is the ability to customize the "tiles" in the notification curtain. You know, when you do a 2-finger pulldown and it shows tiles to toggle wifi, airplane mode, bluetooth, etc... what do you call that anyway? Is there an "official" name for it?
Anyway, a few of my old favorites are missing, and there's no way I can find to change what's there. I'd especially like a "torch" (flashlight) toggle -- I used to use that all the time. I know there are some apps that can install a toggle bar at the top of the notification curtain in older Android versions, but it seems silly to have 2 separate groups of toggles, one on each "side" of the curtain, just because the one that's already there can't be customized, and I don't know how well those play with KitKat anyway.

Ghengis042 said:
Just got my N5 yesterday and I love pretty much everything about it. One tiny thing I miss coming from CM 10.2 on my old phone, is the ability to customize the "tiles" in the notification curtain. You know, when you do a 2-finger pulldown and it shows tiles to toggle wifi, airplane mode, bluetooth, etc... what do you call that anyway? Is there an "official" name for it?
Anyway, a few of my old favorites are missing, and there's no way I can find to change what's there. I'd especially like a "torch" (flashlight) toggle -- I used to use that all the time. I know there are some apps that can install a toggle bar at the top of the notification curtain in older Android versions, but it seems silly to have 2 separate groups of toggles, one on each "side" of the curtain, just because the one that's already there can't be customized, and I don't know how well those play with KitKat anyway.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You'd need root. Why can't you root?
root + Xposed Framework + GravityBox Xposed module

rootSU said:
You'd need root. Why can't you root?
root + Xposed Framework + GravityBox Xposed module
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just spent a few hours setting up the phone, and it would be nice not to have to do all that over again when I unlock the bootloader (and thus lose all my data...). I guess it's only one evening's setup time, so not *such* a big deal, but the other thing is that I want to keep stock firmware / OTA updates if at all possible.
As fro Xposed, I have some concerns:
* I switched to ART just after getting the phone, because I read it improves battery life (Xposed has no plans to support ART in the near future)
* I've heard that it can have stability issues -- the reason I want OTA / stock is so I can spend as little time futzing with the phone as possible and just *use* it
* Xposed opens up some security issues, IMHO
I think if it comes down to root + xposed or just using a "plain" widget, I'll probably go with the widget.

Ghengis042 said:
* I switched to ART just after getting the phone, because I read it improves battery life (Xposed has no plans to support ART in the near future)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Correct. For me, the experimental ART feature is not worth losing Xposed for.
Ghengis042 said:
* I've heard that it can have stability issues -- the reason I want OTA / stock is so I can spend as little time futzing with the phone as possible and just *use* it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No stability issues here
Ghengis042 said:
* Xposed opens up some security issues, IMHO
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Based on what information?

You didn't address the setup-time issue -- that's one of the big ones for me. I usually have at least 40 apps installed (and yes, I actually use them!) and reconfiguring them is time consuming. I *could* futz with Titanium Backup or similar to automate some of that re-setup process, but I'd rather just avoid it in the first place if possible.
rootSU said:
No stability issues here
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good to hear, at some point I might still investigate -- it's going to come down to how much customization / tweaking I really *need*.
rootSU said:
(Security issues...) Based on what information?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I guess it's about as "dangerous" as rooting -- basically, Xposed gives modules carte blanche to do absolutely anything on your phone, and since the modules aren't distributed through a controlled / centralized store (like Google Play) and as far as I can tell aren't (always) open-source, I don't have any way to be sure they're not doing something malicious. Of course there's a bunch of other attack vectors, but installing a framework that touches every corner of the device, that then runs scripts / mods that I downloaded from some forum somewhere (no offense, guys!) on a phone that holds sensitive personal data... it just worries me a bit, y'know?

rootSU said:
You'd need root. Why can't you root?
root + Xposed Framework + GravityBox Xposed module
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What he said.

Ghengis042 said:
You didn't address the setup-time issue -- that's one of the big ones for me. I usually have at least 40 apps installed (and yes, I actually use them!) and reconfiguring them is time consuming. I *could* futz with Titanium Backup or similar to automate some of that re-setup process, but I'd rather just avoid it in the first place if possible.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I didn't think it needed addressing? Yes you'll lose everything as we all did. You can backup with Helium to an extent. Maybe even it backs up everything. I have 300+ apps
Ghengis042 said:
I guess it's about as "dangerous" as rooting -- basically, Xposed gives modules carte blanche to do absolutely anything on your phone, and since the modules aren't distributed through a controlled / centralized store (like Google Play) and as far as I can tell aren't (always) open-source, I don't have any way to be sure they're not doing something malicious. Of course there's a bunch of other attack vectors, but installing a framework that touches every corner of the device, that then runs scripts / mods that I downloaded from some forum somewhere (no offense, guys!) on a phone that holds sensitive personal data... it just worries me a bit, y'know?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Xposed modules are still apk's and list permissions as you install them. The same sense applies as installing any apk. Read the permissions, consider the source and either install it or not. The framework doesn't touch every corner of the device. It runs everything in isolation (which is the whole point of it) but yeah that's not really relevant.
All the xposed apps are distributed via XDA, google Play or teh Xposed repo http://repo.xposed.info/module-overview - if something malicious was going on, the module wouldn't exist.
Anyway I'm not here to convince you to install it. There aren't any apps that do it though.

Hi,
Maybe not all will be functional without root but take a look at this app: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.j4velin.notificationToggle or https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.painless.pc.
Try these apps to see what you can/can't do with the quick settings without root.
But like it has been said, rooting your device is the best way to have (almost) all what you want.

viking37 said:
Hi,
Maybe not all will be functional without root but take a look at this app: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.j4velin.notificationToggle or https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.painless.pc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you know if installing a settings bar on the curtain like this will interfere with... what's the term? Extended notifications? Some apps (Pocket Casts is the first that comes to mind) will show media controls (play/pause/skip) in the notification tray, but only if they're the first entry in the list -- if anything comes above them, you can't use the controls. Is that a problem with these apps?

Re,
I'm sorry but I don't know (not tested and I'm rooted)... The best is to test by yourself and see. I just provide you a link to try to help...

Ghengis042 said:
...so I can spend as little time futzing with the phone as possible and just *use* it...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well that doesn't sound like much fun at all.

Ghengis042 said:
You didn't address the setup-time issue -- that's one of the big ones for me. I usually have at least 40 apps installed (and yes, I actually use them!) and reconfiguring them is time consuming. I *could* futz with Titanium Backup or similar to automate some of that re-setup process, but I'd rather just avoid it in the first place if possible.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, TB Backup's fail when I backup 400+ apps and want to restore them altogether. Who would click Next and Install for 400+ times!!! For your point, ADB backup's are slow they really help for Unrooted devices and Guaranteeing safe apk+app-data for sure...

General Custom Rom?????

Hello
whats about custom recovery and custom rom like Pocophone F1--------------- for Z Flip 3 .....release?????
Regards

Zipfelino said:
Hello
whats about custom recovery and custom rom like Pocophone F1--------------- for Z Flip 3 .....release?????
Regards
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not sure about a custom recovery, but Samsung has posted the required files to build the source if you want to make a custom ROM.

twistedumbrella said:
Not sure about a custom recovery, but Samsung has posted the required files to build the source if you want to make a custom ROM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
TThat,s not polite. If he were a developer he wouldn't ask for one. Zipfelino didnt offend any body. He and me and thousands other members may have the same question. But the brave one had the guts to ask and found a rude answer

luisnica98 said:
TThat,s not polite. If he were a developer he wouldn't ask for one. Zipfelino didnt offend any body. He and me and thousands other members may have the same question. But the brave one had the guts to ask and found a rude answer
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I suggest you read it again in a casual tone, not the one you used to troll me.
By the way, not every developer fills out the form for a title. It's pretty ignorant to assume someone isn't one because they asked if anyone else had released anything.

Hm... maybe to second the initial request as I understand it, even if it is too early at the moment since the device is merely two months in the market and from what little I understand building e.g. LOS for a new device is a lot of hard work: I am also looking forward (edit: which IMHO includes actively supporting the developer) to see someone more capable of this kind of voodoo than me release a custom ROM for this device before official support will be over
This thing here is the first Android mobile since the Sony XZ1 Compact that I deem "officially trouser pocket compatible" and with a price tag that might become okay for the average user

If you have a USA variant (snapdragon) then I'd suggest not getting your hopes up. Thanks to Verizon (even if they aren't your carrier) the US versions of Samsung phones since the note 8 (I think) haven't been able to be rooted.

d0x360 said:
If you have a USA variant (snapdragon) then I'd suggest not getting your hopes up. Thanks to Verizon (even if they aren't your carrier) the US versions of Samsung phones since the note 8 (I think) haven't been able to be rooted.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I learned this as well when I browsed through the Z Flip 3 section. Even if I don't know the details why it is like that, I think it's really weird that they managed to achieve such crap at all.
Thankfully I live in Germany and have the european version. I would not have bought this phone if I would have found any clue that you might be unable to unlock the bootloader. Been inside the golden cage with the bitten apple, got away, don't want to turn back

FFW said:
Yes, I learned this as well when I browsed through the Z Flip 3 section. Even if I don't know the details why it is like that, I think it's really weird that they managed to achieve such crap at all.
Thankfully I live in Germany and have the european version. I would not have bought this phone if I would have found any clue that you might be unable to unlock the bootloader. Been inside the golden cage with the bitten apple, got away, don't want to turn back
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Turning back sucks lol. I always had rooted phones. It started with the HTC G1 the first android phone. I stuck with Google phones (Nexus 1 through the Pixel XL) or HTC phones like the HTC One M8.
Then I got a note 9 and soon after found out there was no root method for the snapdragon version. Then for some stupid reason I did it again and bought the note 10+...and again with the z Flip3 lol.
Next time I'm making sure I can root before I buy. Thankfully I can use Adguard (website version not store version) and package disabler to block ads, analytics etc at a system level, plus it can act as a firewall.
Then I'll use package disabler to truly disable the bloat and spyware. I wish I could just uninstall it but this is better than nothing.
One thing I really miss is custom roms and Kernel's. I'd love to be able to get rid of Samsung's horrible battery management system. It kills apps that it shouldn't including the alarm clock. Plus Samsung's apps are all pretty much terrible...sigh

d0x360 said:
Turning back sucks lol. I always had rooted phones. It started with the HTC G1 the first android phone. I stuck with Google phones (Nexus 1 through the Pixel XL) or HTC phones like the HTC One M8.
Then I got a note 9 and soon after found out there was no root method for the snapdragon version. Then for some stupid reason I did it again and bought the note 10+...and again with the z Flip3 lol.
Next time I'm making sure I can root before I buy. Thankfully I can use Adguard (website version not store version) and package disabler to block ads, analytics etc at a system level, plus it can act as a firewall.
Then I'll use package disabler to truly disable the bloat and spyware. I wish I could just uninstall it but this is better than nothing.
One thing I really miss is custom roms and Kernel's. I'd love to be able to get rid of Samsung's horrible battery management system. It kills apps that it shouldn't including the alarm clock. Plus Samsung's apps are all pretty much terrible...sigh
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Whoa. My first Android was the Xperia XZ1 Compact since I finally decided to kick Apple out now when the first informations about iOS 11 got available. That one served me well, rooted and running Lineage from day one (and still does, big thanks @Flamefire), but the battery has degraded noticeably and Sony obviously built that phone starting with the battery as component no.1 which makes replacing it a royal PITA, which is why I searched for a new pocket compatible daily driver. So here I am...
I see your phone is more or less in the state mine is currently. I had it rooted initially but reset it and decided to try out NetGuard and ADB AppControl and see how far that gets me while keeping the OTA update alive as long as there is no custom ROM available.
Edit: with that nifty guide from @doggydog2 rooting might become more interesting again however, even without a custom ROM. Will need to dig through that one on of the next weekends...

FFW said:
Whoa. My first Android was the Xperia XZ1 Compact since I finally decided to kick Apple out now when the first informations about iOS 11 got available. That one served me well, rooted and running Lineage from day one (and still does, big thanks @Flamefire), but the battery has degraded noticeably and Sony obviously built that phone starting with the battery as component no.1 which makes replacing it a royal PITA.
which is why I searched for a new pocket compatible daily driver, so here I am...
I see your phone is more or less in the state mine is currently. I had it rooted initially but reset it and decided to try out NetGuard and ADB AppControl and see how far that gets me while keeping the OTA update alive as long as there is no custom ROM available.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm gonna check out adb appcontrol and see if it has any extra features over package disabler. I used to have an app like package disabler that would let me go into an apps services and receivers. Then I could disable specific parts of apps. It was fantastic but I can't remember it's name lol.
I have tried netguard and it's not bad but I definitely like Adguard better. It's better designed, works better, has more features etc... But it's not free. I think I paid $35 for 3 lifetime phone licenses during a sale. I also use Adguard on Windows now instead of adblocking extensions. I didn't pay for that one though, I signed up for a beta key, got one and then I just renew it every year.

d0x360 said:
I'm gonna check out adb appcontrol and see if it has any extra features over package disabler. I used to have an app like package disabler that would let me go into an apps services and receivers. Then I could disable specific parts of apps. It was fantastic but I can't remember it's name lol.
I have tried netguard and it's not bad but I definitely like Adguard better. It's better designed, works better, has more features etc... But it's not free. I think I paid $35 for 3 lifetime phone licenses during a sale. I also use Adguard on Windows now instead of adblocking extensions. I didn't pay for that one though, I signed up for a beta key, got one and then I just renew it every year.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No problem with "not free". I usually donate to the developers of my software unless they say they don't want (yes, this happens as well) - either by buying the enhanced version or by simply sending a donation every now and then, such as for every new released patch level of LOS or so.
ADB Appcontrol is quite nice since it is a PC program and also backs up any software you decide to remove.
AFAIK, Adguard is a DNS-based ad blocker comparable to Pi-Hole while Netguard is a firewall as e.g. AfWall+ (or mimicks that behaviour as much as possible as you can without root)? This would mean the logic behind the program would be different, such as being able to track and set what to block differently for each program.
I will take anotrher look at it though

FFW said:
No problem with "not free". I usually donate to the developers of my software unless they say they don't want (yes, this happens as well) - either by buying the enhanced version or by simply sending a donation every now and then, such as for every new released patch level of LOS or so.
ADB Appcontrol is quite nice since it is a PC program and also backs up any software you decide to remove.
AFAIK, Adguard is a DNS-based ad blocker comparable to Pi-Hole while Netguard is a firewall as e.g. AfWall+ (or mimicks that behaviour as much as possible as you can without root)? This would mean the logic behind the program would be different, such as being able to track and set what to block differently for each program.
I will take anotrher look at it though
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Adguard does have DNS blocking options but it's so much more than that. I'm not sure if there is a free trial period but if there is definitely check it out, I think you will find it really nice. Also anytime you find any kind of issue whether it's a missed overlay on a website or a gap where the ad was you can report it through the app and it's usually fixed in a couple hours. Their response time is insane.
The adblocking options are extensive. It includes all the same filters in ublock origin and then some. You can also disable filters you don't want, make custom filters for literally anything. For example I made a filter that would remove search results for just polygon.com from Google. It also supports custom scripts like the greasemonkey extension.
The firewall aspect is like a genuine firewall. You can fully block an app from net access or set it so it can only use wifi or cell signal or both. There is also a log of every connection (incoming/outgoing) that tells you what app or service is trying to do something and what it's trying to connect to. You can click on an entry in the log and automatically block or whitelist it.
You can even block Google analytics and telemetry for Android itself which is fantastic because they collect tons of info..
In just the last 30 days Adguard has saved me 11.79 gigs of data, blocked 362,763 ads, 17,092 trackers and 2 threats. That's from Android, apps and browsers.
i know I sound like a salesman lol but I genuinely love this app and it has so many options and features that it can do pretty much everything a fully loaded (with necessary extensions) desktop browser can do.
They also have a free vpn that works with the app if you want another layer of privacy and protection.

d0x360 said:
Adguard does have DNS blocking options but it's so much more than that. I'm not sure if there is a free trial period but if there is definitely check it out, I think you will find it really nice. Also anytime you find any kind of issue whether it's a missed overlay on a website or a gap where the ad was you can report it through the app and it's usually fixed in a couple hours. Their response time is insane.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the detailed answer
d0x360 said:
The adblocking options are extensive. It includes all the same filters in ublock origin and then some. You can also disable filters you don't want, make custom filters for literally anything. For example I made a filter that would remove search results for just polygon.com from Google. It also supports custom scripts like the greasemonkey extension.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hm... Lets compare.... I use my compiled Pi-Hole list (which includes the AdBlock lists and some others btw) for NetGuard as well, so this is covered for me, even if not as comfortable when it comes to whitelisting for just one given domain (never needed that option until now though, but something to keep in mind)
d0x360 said:
The firewall aspect is like a genuine firewall. You can fully block an app from net access or set it so it can only use wifi or cell signal or both. There is also a log of every connection (incoming/outgoing) that tells you what app or service is trying to do something and what it's trying to connect to. You can click on an entry in the log and automatically block or whitelist it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That seems pretty standard for an ad blocker. The question is: can I selectively block or allow a given connection (i.e. URL or IP address) for one single app as I can do with Netguard?
d0x360 said:
You can even block Google analytics and telemetry for Android itself which is fantastic because they collect tons of info..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I translate this to "can block system apps". That's the case for Netguard as well.
d0x360 said:
In just the last 30 days Adguard has saved me 11.79 gigs of data, blocked 362,763 ads, 17,092 trackers and 2 threats. That's from Android, apps and browsers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think that saved amount of data is more than I use at home and mobile in total in the same time
But yes, I use Pi-Hole at home and for any mobile device that uses my VPN, and its shows an awful lot of connections being blocked, so the basic savings should be the same. Additionally, each browser has its own uBlock Origin instance and some other plugins e.g. to block Youtube ads. Using a computer that does not have this is outright painful.
d0x360 said:
i know I sound like a salesman lol but I genuinely love this app and it has so many options and features that it can do pretty much everything a fully loaded (with necessary extensions) desktop browser can do.
They also have a free vpn that works with the app if you want another layer of privacy and protection.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That might explain why you get such fast response times in case of issues
Something else, apart from the question above: Can Adguard apply all its filters and then use my private WireGuard VPN Server (not some 3rd party VPN service!) on Android as its only way out into the internet? That is the one obvious downside of not having root at the moment - since Android allows only one VPN being active and Netguard does not interface the WireGuard App, I can only use either my VPN or NetGuard, not both at once as I could with AfWall+ and WireGuard.

Just to add my bucket - I will buy this phone as soon as bootloader unlock, root and custom roms are confirmed (an a working gcam mod). I simply can't imagine using the phone without the benefits of it. I really hope this phone gets support.

eVen123 said:
Just to add my bucket - I will buy this phone as soon as bootloader unlock, root and custom roms are confirmed (an a working gcam mod). I simply can't imagine using the phone without the benefits of it. I really hope this phone gets support.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The first two are done as long as you buy the european SM-F711B and not that crippled US version (model no. SM-F711U if I am not mistaken). That leaves a ROM (and the GCam mod you mentioned, but I have to admit I have no clue what that one is about). Let's see what the future brings.
Oh, one more thing: I hereby confirm I would happily contribute significantly to a donation for a developer who in turn wants to take the task of creating and maintaining a custom ROM for this phone that supports the outer display and the flip open/close phone function (maybe LOS or Havoc?) but needs money to buy the phone.

Is it worth rooting

I wanted to root my Nord, but I started to wonder is it worth it? What benefits I can aquire by rooting my phone? It has a lot of space anyway (I own 12/256 variant) so I don't care about additional space I can aquire by debloating.
Also I'm pretty happy with Oxygen OS, so I don't care about other ROMs, which can be bugged even more than OOS.
I was thinking about degoogling, but can we do a real degoogling, or it's just some kind of placebo, because they're everywhere
Other thing I was thinking was a proper call recording, can we do that with root access?
What's more there are some issues from banking apps etc.
Any other benefits? What do you guys think?

Well, that's up to you
Perhaps this similar thread helps:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/rooting-worth-it-or-hassle.4364757/
Personally, I'd say yes.
And as for google: Better to be touched inappropriately in one spot once then gang-raped for years and left to die on the harbor's bottom, eh?
Sounds harsh? Well, a googly friend did request his data some time ago - unzipped it was some 30GB and, among other things, contained his location ever since 2013 and just that meant roughly 2 location fixes every minute...
But, please, don't believe me, check their data on you for yourself:
https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/3024190?hl=en

But can you really get rid Google from your phone? It's I was thinking about some time ago. Except flashig a LineageOS rom-like...

Alas, not really... but it does make a huge difference to not have your device bound by an account.
(BTW, Aurora is a nice replacement for the playstore!)
Even LineageOS has some hardwired G-crap... after all, android is google's child. For example, every single time you log on to your wifi, android tries to verify internet.
Still, I do prefer to minimize such bad behavior than to give up entirely.

I still prefer to root for using
- AdAway
- AFWall+
- Titanium Backup
- Clocksync
- Automate lots of things with Tasker
Even without a proper TWRP available so far the root process is not that much of a hassle if you read the instructions properly and as long as you know how to unpack the boot.img from a full OTA.

Ramihyn said:
I still prefer to root for using
- AdAway
- AFWall+
- Titanium Backup
- Clocksync
- Automate lots of things with Tasker
Even without a proper TWRP available so far the root process is not that much of a hassle if you read the instructions properly and as long as you know how to unpack the boot.img from a full OTA.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For the first and second I use AdGuard. I find it way more better than Adaway in terms of blocking ads, trackers etc. Also, you can firewall apps with it too.
To be honest it's only TB and its mighty backup/restore/root/debloat abilities makes me still considering rooting my device.
I have a patched boot.img ready to flash since about two weeks. I'm sure I can manage this, but still not sure if I really want/need to.

AdAway and AFWall+ have the huge advantage compared to Adguard (Blokada would be another alternative) that they do not consume the VPN "slot" and thus almost no battery at all.
I am using my phone regularly to dial home using my own OpenVPN server (e.g. to access my music on my NAS instead of using Spotify and co.), so I cannot use VPN based ad-removal services.

wonsky21 said:
I wanted to root my Nord, but I started to wonder is it worth it? What benefits I can aquire by rooting my phone? It has a lot of space anyway (I own 12/256 variant) so I don't care about additional space I can aquire by debloating.
Also I'm pretty happy with Oxygen OS, so I don't care about other ROMs, which can be bugged even more than OOS.
I was thinking about degoogling, but can we do a real degoogling, or it's just some kind of placebo, because they're everywhere
Other thing I was thinking was a proper call recording, can we do that with root access?
What's more there are some issues from banking apps etc.
Any other benefits? What do you guys think?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Degoogle....
I tried /e/Os and hope half of their marketing is true.
3/4 banking apps are running (because banks are less evil than google).
The only disappointment is not to get 48mp frontcam (like (all?) custom roms for nord).

Do you use a rooted device as your daily driver?

I use my rooted phone as my daily driver and I was wondering if anyone else did as well.

Never.
That's what the nth phone is for.

NEVER

Always and without any exception.

Oswald Boelcke said:
Always and without any exception.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Me too, it makes the device way better. You have more options, customization, better performance in some cases. You can control everything, you can increase battery service life with AccA.

its must because most phone are filled with trash but the price is still high

Guan Yu said:
its must because most phone are filled with trash but the price is still high
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
True, I removed like 40-50 bloatware apps from my phone. It made it so much faster and battery life increased.

ATBG said:
True, I removed like 40-50 bloatware apps from my phone. It made it so much faster and battery life increased.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In the thread topic you used "Do you use a rooted device as your daily driver?"
Using root to remove bloodware, and using a rooted device, are two different things.
In the first case, the action is a one-time one, after which root can be removed, as long as one knows how to do it effectively without leaving a backdoor.
In the second case, root remains for a long time.
1. For many models, root is not possible at all.
2. In many cases, root is not needed to disable bloodware.
3. In many cases, some of the blootware can simply be uninstalled.

ze7zez said:
In the thread topic you used "Do you use a rooted device as your daily driver?"
Using root to remove bloodware, and using a rooted device, are two different things.
In the first case, the action is a one-time one, after which root can be removed, as long as one knows how to do it effectively without leaving a backdoor.
In the second case, root remains for a long time.
1. For many models, root is not possible at all.
2. In many cases, root is not needed to disable bloodware.
3. In many cases, some of the blootware can simply be uninstalled.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Root removes it easier, I been daily driving my rooted phone for 2 months now, I use root for a lot of things. I daily drive a rooted phone to do these things:
I rooted because I don't want Google telling me what to do, how to use, what not to do on my phone. I bought my phone, so I should be able to do what I want. I rooted so I can customize, tweak, add features, ad-blocking, lots more.
Here are the apps and modules I use on my rooted phone to make it look nice and have longer battery life, better security.
I have FontManager module to change fonts.
I use Debloater module to systemlessly debloat and De-Google my phone.
I use AccA module to increase my battery lifespan with AccA.
I use Kernel Auditor to underclock my CPU for better battery life. I set the governor to powersave.
I use AFWall+ to have a Linux firewall for better security.
I use substratum to change my theme and accent color. My theme is Liv Dark.
I can add new features and functionality that wasn't there before.
I use AdAway to block ads system-wide, I also use AdAway to block malicious ads and ViPER4Android to make my speakers louder.
I use Permission Ruler to turn off app permissions when screen is off to improve battery life.
I use Termux to have the terminal on Android to make it more Linux-like.
Lots more stuff.
I use Energized module to block malware, lots more.
I use Tasker to do user-defined actions.
I use EdXposed Manager to have more control and customization.
My favorite module for EdXposed is GravityBox.
My rooted phone is my daily driver and it runs really great, fast with 8-9 hours of battery life.

ze7zez said:
In the thread topic you used "Do you use a rooted device as your daily driver?"
Using root to remove bloodware, and using a rooted device, are two different things.
In the first case, the action is a one-time one, after which root can be removed, as long as one knows how to do it effectively without leaving a backdoor.
In the second case, root remains for a long time.
1. For many models, root is not possible at all.
2. In many cases, root is not needed to disable bloodware.
3. In many cases, some of the blootware can simply be uninstalled.
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it isnt easy like you said . On some phone you cant disable app with adb . Even with rooted device , for some app you cant disable it completely without magisk cuz its re-enabled on next reboot

Guan Yu said:
it isnt easy like you said . On some phone you cant disable app with adb . Even with rooted device , for some app you cant disable it completely without magisk cuz its re-enabled on next reboot
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You are right, that has happened to me when I didn't root. I unrooted one time and all the apps came back, which is why I root. I root to keep bloatware away. Even with ADB and non-root, the app is still in the system. You only removed it from the user.

I have seen videos of people saying rooting isn't worth it in 2022.
I was wondering if anyone thought the same.
Does anyone root in 2022?

I don't do it.
If, then only temporarily.

if you dont trust google or any manufacturer, yes it is still worth it. i dont root it because i dont mind sharing my data with those companies

Fytdyh said:
if you dont trust google or any manufacturer, yes it is still worth it. i dont root it because i dont mind sharing my data with those companies
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I don't trust Google with my data and info, why would you want to share that?

xXx yYy said:
I don't do it.
If, then only temporarily.
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Why don't you do it? You want Google looking at all of your data, controlling what you can and can not do?

i just figured out today....root acces aren't powerfull anymore as in the past
since A 10 system partition is read only...so u can't change something on it....like new bootannimation or termal config to manage the hot snapdragon 888

DanielMode said:
i just figured out today....root acces aren't powerfull anymore as in the past
since A 10 system partition is read only...so u can't change something on it....like new bootannimation or termal config to manage the hot snapdragon 888
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You can change the boot animation, I did.

on what device.?
on Sony Xperia it's not possible anymore.

DanielMode said:
on what device.?
on Sony Xperia it's not possible anymore.
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Use Boot Animations For Superusers. Then use this too:
Boot-Animations for Android 10.​It should work for 11 too.

Question Any real reason to use roms over stock?

Most people seem fairly happy with the stock pixel user experience, after all a main reason we purchase pixels is because of it's software.
in your experience, is there any benefit to any of the currently available custom roms that would increase performance and battery? I mean something bigger than just customisability and tinkering

I've been debating this too. I haven't rooted a device in 4 years. No real reason to anymore. I'm on the fence because I'm hoping for a true blackout theme and better animation transitions on a custom rom. Haven't pulled the trigger yet.

Performance, efficiency, and control over fast more than what Google chooses to provide.

ctfrommn said:
Performance, efficiency, and control over fast more than what Google chooses to provide.
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What roms are you referring to?

It has been scientifically proven that running custom kernels and/or roms helps to minimize E.D.
Mainly battery life. I have to charge my phone once every 1-1.5 weeks or so, vs every or every other day like most people.
*Keeping the screen brightness only as bright as you need it (i.e. not ecessively set or maxxed out--I keep mine around 1/4 maybe touch more, on the brightness slider.

smokejumper76 said:
I have to charge my phone once every 1-1.5 weeks or so
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Bruh, do you even use your phone at all? What ROM makes such a huge difference for your use to extend your battery life from 1 day to over 7 days?

fix-this! said:
What roms are you referring to?
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Literally any?
GrapheneOS gets rid of all Google Services, thus (and overall) it's a lot more privacy-focused.
Performance isn't a huge issue on Pixel devices (imo), because the ROM they come with isn't super bloated, but you can always just use LineageOS, or any other barebones ROM if you don't need any fancy features, only sleek (slick?) performance.
I have always been a fan of ResurrectionRemix/crDroid, which are filled with TONS of features. Sure, depending on who you are, you might not care for most/some of them (double tapping on statusbar to lock the screen, changing the animation of quick settings tiles when you tap on them, blinking the flashlight when you receive a call, and many, many other small things).
Nowadays, even ROMs like this aren't hogging up your performance or ruin your battery life.
Besides flashing custom ROMs, rooting is still useful for me.
Yeah, getting SafetyNet to pass can be a bit of a hassle, but in exchange I get to use ACC to prolong my battery's health, I can get rid of the navbar pill, and I can use an lsposed module to disable secure flag in my transportation app, so I can take a screenshot of my ticket (should the inspector come when there's no cellular connection (and the app doesn't properly cache the ticket, because of great programming )).
None of these are deal-breakers, but as long as there's still an option for doing these, I wouldn't want to miss out.

Radjah2001 said:
in your experience, is there any benefit to any of the currently available custom roms that would increase performance and battery? I mean something bigger than just customisability and tinkering
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Battery life and performance is pretty good as is. The stock rom on Pixels isn't super bloated, so it's not like it has much of an effect on battery or the performance of your phone. With the stock kernel I lost about 0.6% of battery every hour overnight, with MVK kernel that number got reduced to about 0.4%. Does it make a difference? Not at all.
I guess you could root and use a kernel manager to downclock the CPU to gain some extra SoT, but that's about it. If you're not much of a tinkerer, and content with your current setup, there's no real reason to switch to something else.

Lada333 said:
Bruh, do you even use your phone at all? What ROM makes such a huge difference for your use to extend your battery life from 1 day to over 7 days?
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Not really. I have no friends. <s>
I'll use it outside/on road but even then, phone conversations and internet browsing is not very much. Here and there, etc. Mostly texts or instant msgs.But calls here and there. I have it set to charge max 75% and will recharge when it gets to around 20%. Running LineageOS w/ the kernel it comes with it. Nothing fancy. I don't use any social media app (or social media or that matter), so I don't have to worry about that stuff draining the battery. WiFI and/or VPN will so I tend to keep them turned off until I need them. If I used phone more regularly, I could see myself having to recharge it maybe every 3-4 days maybe, I dunno.

Battery life can actually be worse on custom ROMs that do not have Google Play Services. When an app uses Play Svcs to handle push notifications, things like notification pushes get are managed and batched together by Play Services. If a phone does not have Play Svcs, apps that use cloud notifications may have to register their own persistent polling services which can chew up battery. And then you have to disable battery optimization for that app so it doesn't get dozed.
I've at least heard anecdotal evidence that battery life suffers on GrapheneOS because of this. Say, if you have an email client and messaging apps that require a persistent polling service to look for new messages.
Nowadays when I look up reasons to use ROMs or root, I get annoyed when articles list modules or features that serve to fix the issues that the act of making these changes cause (eg- hide root from other apps, force apps to doze, magisk bootloop saver, etc). I mean now you're spending the time managing the problem you've created for yourself. It's silly. Unless there are practical reasons to customize, I see no compelling reason to do so.

jawz101 said:
Battery life can actually be worse on custom ROMs that do not have Google Play Services. When an app uses Play Svcs to handle push notifications, things like notification pushes get are managed and batched together by Play Services. If a phone does not have Play Svcs, apps that use cloud notifications may have to register their own persistent polling services which can chew up battery. And then you have to disable battery optimization for that app so it doesn't get dozed.
I've at least heard anecdotal evidence that battery life suffers on GrapheneOS because of this. Say, if you have an email client and messaging apps that require a persistent polling service to look for new messages.
Nowadays when I look up reasons to use ROMs or root, I get annoyed when articles list modules or features that serve to fix the issues that the act of making these changes cause (eg- hide root from other apps, force apps to doze, magisk bootloop saver, etc). I mean now you're spending the time managing the problem you've created for yourself. It's silly. Unless there are practical reasons to customize, I see no compelling reason to do so.
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Very well said. I've been thinking the same. Google does there optimizations pretty well and they have given even more options to even tinker with a lil more effecient as per your need. There's no need to go out of the way replace the whole rom. even if you do you should have a very good reason and it should have some very noticable difference that can be seen to any one... Though i always have a soft corner for the modding community. Because of their push oems are stepping up their game.

Interesting. I do have Gapps installed and regarding polling the servers, while I myself haven't had battery drain, I can definitely attest to custom roms possibly messing with polling. On my old M8 (which also had Lineage), if the phone was on standby for a long time, I would not get ANY text or IMs unless I turned on the screen, THEN I'd get a bunch of messages. Or even if the phone was on, I would have to send a text message to myself and then I'd get a bunch back from people. So, yes at least on that phone there was serious polling issues I opened myself up with.
Currently I am on the newer phone(s), which I don't experience those issues, but you are absolutely right about them.

smokejumper76 said:
if the phone was on standby for a long time, I would not get ANY text or IMs unless I turned on the screen, THEN I'd get a bunch of messages.
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I've also experienced that issue on my 3T running.. any custom ROM, basically. I think it's mostly fixed on newer ROMs though. YMMV.

Radjah2001 said:
Most people seem fairly happy with the stock pixel user experience, after all a main reason we purchase pixels is because of it's software.
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Speak for yourself. I bought pixel for the HARDWARE, and specifically the fact that it isn't crippled (locked) and is properly supported in AOSP. The factory prebuilt software is utter trash with one purpose and one purpose ONLY: To track everything you do.
In order to safely use the hardware, it is NECESSARY to wipe the spyware from it. Either build AOSP from source yourself, or use a security focused distribution like GrapheneOS.

Lada333 said:
Besides flashing custom ROMs, rooting is still useful for me.
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Add possibly Viper4Android on A13 some day and its perfect.
Safetynet / play integrity & hide root is pretty easy on stock, but did you have success on custom Roms?
My banking app doesnt even rely on Safetynet / play integrity and checks for root itself, but shamiko takes care of that, but I suspect it would detect a custom Rom and refuse to work.
An entire Rom would probably much harder to hide than just root.

G5-User7080 said:
Add possibly Viper4Android
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Never really saw the need/use for v4a.
G5-User7080 said:
Safetynet / play integrity & hide root is pretty easy on stock, but did you have success on custom Roms?
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Sure. Never had issues. Besides adding my banking apps to the DenyList, I also had to hide the Magisk app. What I've found is that some apps may look for the Magisk app being installed on your device (you don't even necessarily need to be rooted, just have Magisk installed).

Love the warped perspective a few posts up. Reminder to all on the risks of oxygen deprivation at birth

Lada333 said:
Never really saw the need/use for v4a.
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I really hope someone finds out how to make it work on A13 soon, luckily my music app has an eq so its not like it sounds bad, but what I mostly miss is replay gain ig, when I'm outside music with a wider dynamic range is a bit of a problem, the quieter parts just drown in the outside noise.
Sure. Never had issues. Besides adding my banking apps to the DenyList, I also had to hide the Magisk app. What I've found is that some apps may look for the Magisk app being installed on your device (you don't even necessarily need to be rooted, just have Magisk installed).
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yes, mine do, hideMyApplist takes care of that, for some reason when I hide magisk App, it gets picket up by AppListDetector (well not by my banking app at least).
I kinda wanna try a custom ROM but flashing an entire new ROM is a lot scarier than just rooting stock, like some apps might not be working cause they rely on google services etc, maybe when I buy a new phone in a few years and this one doesnt get updates anymore I could try that.

DB126 said:
Love the warped perspective a few posts up. Reminder to all on the risks of oxygen deprivation at birth
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With all the scandals involving big tech all the time, do you really wonder why people distrust google & co?
In the end it's probably never as bad as you fear and never as good as you hope.
A13 has some nice privacy protecting features built in, like Android System Intelligence all happens on device, then again, gboard, google app, etc don't, ig u get a little bit of everything.
You can never be completely private, and for that reason some of my friends say "Well then it doesn't matter anyway, just know everything about me idc" and some others be like "ill just stop using all their services alltogether"
In the end everyone can do what they want cant they?

G5-User7080 said:
like some apps might not be working cause they rely on google services etc
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um, so?
Even if the ROM of your choice doesn't come with GApps preinstalled, you can always just sideload MindTheGapps.