First off, great forum, tons of awesome information.
I apologize in advance as I am sure these questions have been answered a million times but being new to a Rooted device, I'm looking for a little clarity and guidence.
I have the AT&T variant of the LG G3, awesome awesome device.
I rooted the device with Stump Root (doesn't get any simplier then that)
I then installed "Xposed Installer", "Titanium Backup", "SuperSu", and "G3 Tweak Box".
Questions,
Xposed
1) Seems pretty straight forward, is there anything as a newbie I should know, avoid, lookout for?
Titanium Back Up
1) Well, it all looks like chinese to me. First off, I have backed up all my apps, but when I check "Backup/Restore" I still see certain apps as "No Backup Yet". Why?
2) Also, how often should I backup the apps? Is once enough?
3) After backing up bloatware, is it then safe to remove and delete?
4) Schedules, should I be enabling either option?
5) Main Menu, whats the most important actions to take here?
SuperSu
1) Seems fairly straight forward, what are "logs" and do I need to pay attention to them?
2) Settings, is there any options I need to change, take advantage of? Anything I should avoid tampering with?
Misc Questions
1) When system updates come out, will this cause me to lose Root access, if so why and how do I avoid that?
2) Is there any prevenitive measures that I need to take to protect my device against any crashes, bricking, or any other general screw ups a newbie might cause with Root access?
3) Also, how do I not destroy my device while learning to take advantage of Root access?
4) In addition to what I have already installed, is there any other must have apps for the Rooted user?
I appreciate any & all help, thanks alot in advance!
I'll answer what I can, as best I can.
Vic098 said:
Xposed
1) Seems pretty straight forward, is there anything as a newbie I should know, avoid, lookout for?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Make sure you have BusyBox installed as well.
It's best to change one setting at a time. It's tedious, especially if you have to reboot after changes, but if something goes awry, it's much easier to track down the conflict or bug, especially if you're using multiple modules.
Titanium Back Up
1) Well, it all looks like chinese to me. First off, I have backed up all my apps, but when I check "Backup/Restore" I still see certain apps as "No Backup Yet". Why?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There's a definite learning curve with TB. I'm not sure why some apps might not back up. It could be because they're core components of the OS and are write protected.
2.) Also, how often should I backup the apps? Is once enough?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When talking about batch backups, "enough" is at your discretion. No harm in doing them periodically, especially if you install a bunch of new apps. Backing up individual apps is good to do before updating them, in case you decide you preferred the older version. Or a game you don't want lose progress in or revert to an old "save".
3) After backing up bloatware, is it then safe to remove and delete?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Depends on the bloat. Some apps by AT&T or LG might seem unnecessary or unwanted, but actually are necessary and can cause crashes or force closes ("unfortunately XXXXX process has stopped"). Always back them up first, and remove them one at a time. It's better to freeze them first, then delete after testing. Personally, I don't delete bloat, just freeze it.
4) Schedules, should I be enabling either option?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Both, if you want to schedule period backups rather than just doing them youself. Again, your discretion .
5) Main Menu, whats the most important actions to take here?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Batch actions and Preferences (where to store them) are all you really should be messing with now. At least until you learn more.
SuperSu
1) Seems fairly straight forward, what are "logs" and do I need to pay attention to them?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The logs keep track of what was granted SU access and when. Not really necessary.
2) Settings, is there any options I need to change, take advantage of? Anything I should avoid tampering with?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
PIN code is your choice. If you're the only one that ever uses your phone, it's not really necessary, but if if you let others use it frequently(for games, or to browse or log into Facebook), you might want to use a PIN so they don't simply hit "grant" whenever SuperSU requests rights. I use "prompt" as the default action, so I know what needs to access the system. For example, some apps that don't require root (like Clean Master) have additional functions if you are rooted, and this might not be clear in the description in Play. That way you know, and you won't accidentally screw something up. Also, malicious apps that have no business with root access can be identified and blocked.
Misc Questions
1) When system updates come out, will this cause me to lose Root access, if so why and how do I avoid that?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can sometimes (usually?) lose root access after an update, but it's usually possibly simply to re-root with the same method. If not, it's best to wait to do the update until others can confirm/deny. SuperSU has a "survival mode" that can try to keep root during an update, but again, it's best to wait for confirmation by others.
2) Is there any prevenitive measures that I need to take to protect my device against any crashes, bricking, or any other general screw ups a newbie might cause with Root access?
3) Also, how do I not destroy my device while learning to take advantage of Root access?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Read, ask, and learn. It's easy to grow confident and think you're more clever than you really are and really screw something up (I know from experience). If you look at the first couple pages of general Q&A/Help forums, you'll see lots of people who did stupid stuff and now have bootloops and crashes and bricks. Do lots of searches, here, on google, and youtube. You can often find guides for what you're wanting to do.
4) In addition to what I have already installed, is there any other must have apps for the Rooted user?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
AdAway or other ad blocker. Not only does it block ads in your browsers, it blocks Google ads in free apps. Apart from being cleaner and more convenient, since ads don't get loaded, pages load faster and you consume less data.
BetterBatteryStats gives you much more info on what's draining your battery than the stock Android function.
Some sort of root browser/explorer is essential. You can use it to completely delete folders/data that got left behind even after an app is deleted (which can sometimes cure Google Play Store errors), among other things.
I personally like ROM Toolbox Pro. It doesn't really do anything special, just packs a ton of utilities that you can get elsewhere into a single app.
SQLite editor is necessary to do some things, but you'd better make sure you know what you're doing before doing anything with it.
WiFi Tether Router might be able to bypass AT&T's tether app. Changing some settings with SQLite might be necessary. You'd have to research this for your device.
Those are the root apps I use, as well as Xposed and assorted modules to do theming or other functionality tweaks. Xposed is quite powerful, and you should familiarize yourself with what the multitude of different modules can do. The possibilities are seemingly endless, as developers come up with no mods every day to do new things that nobody else has done yet (or ported other mods to work with other devices).
I appreciate any & all help, thanks alot in advance!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good luck and have fun!
Planterz said:
I'll answer what I can, as best I can.
Make sure you have BusyBox installed as well.
It's best to change one setting at a time. It's tedious, especially if you have to reboot after changes, but if something goes awry, it's much easier to track down the conflict or bug, especially if you're using multiple modules.
There's a definite learning curve with TB. I'm not sure why some apps might not back up. It could be because they're core components of the OS and are write protected.
When talking about batch backups, "enough" is at your discretion. No harm in doing them periodically, especially if you install a bunch of new apps. Backing up individual apps is good to do before updating them, in case you decide you preferred the older version. Or a game you don't want lose progress in or revert to an old "save".
Depends on the bloat. Some apps by AT&T or LG might seem unnecessary or unwanted, but actually are necessary and can cause crashes or force closes ("unfortunately XXXXX process has stopped"). Always back them up first, and remove them one at a time. It's better to freeze them first, then delete after testing. Personally, I don't delete bloat, just freeze it.
Both, if you want to schedule period backups rather than just doing them youself. Again, your discretion .
Batch actions and Preferences (where to store them) are all you really should be messing with now. At least until you learn more.
The logs keep track of what was granted SU access and when. Not really necessary.
PIN code is your choice. If you're the only one that ever uses your phone, it's not really necessary, but if if you let others use it frequently(for games, or to browse or log into Facebook), you might want to use a PIN so they don't simply hit "grant" whenever SuperSU requests rights. I use "prompt" as the default action, so I know what needs to access the system. For example, some apps that don't require root (like Clean Master) have additional functions if you are rooted, and this might not be clear in the description in Play. That way you know, and you won't accidentally screw something up. Also, malicious apps that have no business with root access can be identified and blocked.
You can sometimes (usually?) lose root access after an update, but it's usually possibly simply to re-root with the same method. If not, it's best to wait to do the update until others can confirm/deny. SuperSU has a "survival mode" that can try to keep root during an update, but again, it's best to wait for confirmation by others.
Read, ask, and learn. It's easy to grow confident and think you're more clever than you really are and really screw something up (I know from experience). If you look at the first couple pages of general Q&A/Help forums, you'll see lots of people who did stupid stuff and now have bootloops and crashes and bricks. Do lots of searches, here, on google, and youtube. You can often find guides for what you're wanting to do.
AdAway or other ad blocker. Not only does it block ads in your browsers, it blocks Google ads in free apps. Apart from being cleaner and more convenient, since ads don't get loaded, pages load faster and you consume less data.
BetterBatteryStats gives you much more info on what's draining your battery than the stock Android function.
Some sort of root browser/explorer is essential. You can use it to completely delete folders/data that got left behind even after an app is deleted (which can sometimes cure Google Play Store errors), among other things.
I personally like ROM Toolbox Pro. It doesn't really do anything special, just packs a ton of utilities that you can get elsewhere into a single app.
SQLite editor is necessary to do some things, but you'd better make sure you know what you're doing before doing anything with it.
WiFi Tether Router might be able to bypass AT&T's tether app. Changing some settings with SQLite might be necessary. You'd have to research this for your device.
Those are the root apps I use, as well as Xposed and assorted modules to do theming or other functionality tweaks. Xposed is quite powerful, and you should familiarize yourself with what the multitude of different modules can do. The possibilities are seemingly endless, as developers come up with no mods every day to do new things that nobody else has done yet (or ported other mods to work with other devices).
Good luck and have fun!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the detailed response. Just a follow up, when googling AdAway, I see some long threads and what I think are different versions, is there a link, or a place that I can find the latest (and safe??) version to download?
Again, appreciate the feedback.
Vic098 said:
Thanks for the detailed response. Just a follow up, when googling AdAway, I see some long threads and what I think are different versions, is there a link, or a place that I can find the latest (and safe??) version to download?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://d-h.st/BZs
If you haven't done so already, you'll have to go into your settings and check the box to allow app installation from unknown sources. Then just go to that link on your device, download the .apk, then install. Go to a site with a heavy amount of ads like phonearena.com (Verizon ads up the wazoo) and see how long it takes to load. Then reboot, and load the app. It'll update sources, and it'll be good to go. Go back to that website and marvel at how quickly it loads without the ads.
Vic098 said:
Thanks for the detailed response. Just a follow up, when googling AdAway, I see some long threads and what I think are different versions, is there a link, or a place that I can find the latest (and safe??) version to download?
Again, appreciate the feedback.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is this a Xposed Module or some APK off the google market? Because if it's an Xposed Mod then links are direct.
Radigen said:
Is this a Xposed Module or some APK off the google market? Because if it's an Xposed Mod then links are direct.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Gotchya.
Planterz said:
If you haven't done so already, you'll have to go into your settings and check the box to allow app installation from unknown sources. Then just go to that link on your device, download the .apk, then install.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The link downloads a file called mobogenie. Is that correct?
Vic098 said:
The link downloads a file called mobogenie. Is that correct?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No. I don't know what that is, and I can't recreate whatever you did to get that. Whatever it is, don't install it.The file to download will match the name in the description. Make sure you're not clicking an ad (oh, the irony).
Try this link instead. https://f-droid.org/repository/browse/?fdid=org.adaway or try downloading on your computer to Dropbox or Drive or whatever cloud storage you use, or just download it to your computer, plug in your phone, copy it to your phone's storage, and run it from there.
Radigen said:
Is this a Xposed Module or some APK off the google market? Because if it's an Xposed Mod then links are direct.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Neither. It's not an Xposed module, just a regular app, but it's not available from the Google Play Store because they don't want you blocking your ads, so you have to side load it.
Planterz said:
No. I don't know what that is, and I can't recreate whatever you did to get that. Whatever it is, don't install it.The file to download will match the name in the description. Make sure you're not clicking an ad (oh, the irony).
Try this link instead. https://f-droid.org/repository/browse/?fdid=org.adaway or try downloading on your computer to Dropbox or Drive or whatever cloud storage you use, or just download it to your computer, plug in your phone, copy it to your phone's storage, and run it from there.
Neither. It's not an Xposed module, just a regular app, but it's not available from the Google Play Store because they don't want you blocking your ads, so you have to side load it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh alright, thanks then, good thing we're all developers here.
I have just bought a xperia z3 and I noticed that when I started the phone for the first time, the battery lasted for a good long time without having to recharge it.
But in a few days, it lasted noticeably less and I found out that it's because of the massive amount of Sony & Google bloatware working in the background although I never use them and I have no interest in or need of using them.
So,
May someone list all the Z3's Bloatware, their functions (description) and usefulness and which are RESTRICTED to be stopped or deleted?
http://bit.ly/1GpfzIY
Thanks
gregbradley said:
http://bit.ly/1GpfzIY
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, but I don't get it.
it opened a google search page with a search statement, that's it
I have already done that before, but everyone lists the app list without the description.
I don't want to delete an app without knowing what it's for,
So, what I am really looking for is the description of Z3's Bloatware, not just listing them.
louai rabia said:
Thanks, but I don't get it.
it opened a google search page with a search statement, that's it
I have already done that before, but everyone lists the app list without the description.
I don't want to delete an app without knowing what it's for,
So, what I am really looking for is the description of Z3's Bloatware, not just listing them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK, most of the package names are self explanatory. But you can have a look inside them for further details.
Also, if you use Titanium you can freeze the apps (Instead of uninstalling) and then if you have issues with things not working you can unfreeze them without having to do a full restore via recovery. However, it is advisable to have a recent backup in recovery in case you end up in bootloops after freezing something important
Thanks
gregbradley said:
OK, most of the package names are self explanatory. But you can have a look inside them for further details.
Also, if you use Titanium you can freeze the apps (Instead of uninstalling) and then if you have issues with things not working you can unfreeze them without having to do a full restore via recovery. However, it is advisable to have a recent backup in recovery in case you end up in bootloops after freezing something important
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well, not a bad advice but still not the one I am looking for.
Trial and Error method is too risky, plus, some app I may disable I will still not know what they were doing.
most of package names don't explain nothing to me, may be to someone else but not me.
Hello there!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvvejToiWrY
So I've recently heard that the Samsung Keyboard used in almost all Galaxy Sx phones runs with system rights, meaning we could use this to actually uninstall the shi..y bloatware preinstalled on our phones.
I'm not sure how this would affect Knox tho, if anyone's better informed about this please tell me here
I hope I'm posting this in the right forum here since it's kind of an Android Development request and not a general question. Depends on how you guys see that tho.
Anyways, just my idea here! Would be great if it doesn't trigger Knox and we could actually achieve something like this without rooting or modifying much on the system.
Thanks for reading!
EpicLPer said:
Hello there!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvvejToiWrY
So I've recently heard that the Samsung Keyboard used in almost all Galaxy Sx phones runs with system rights, meaning we could use this to actually uninstall the shi..y bloatware preinstalled on our phones.
I'm not sure how this would affect Knox tho, if anyone's better informed about this please tell me here
I hope I'm posting this in the right forum here since it's kind of an Android Development request and not a general question. Depends on how you guys see that tho.
Anyways, just my idea here! Would be great if it doesn't trigger Knox and we could actually achieve something like this without rooting or modifying much on the system.
Thanks for reading!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wrong section mate. Post it in Q And A. It is possible to exploit the vulnerability BUT you should understand what the vulnerability is in the first place. Pre installed Swiftkey keyboard can accept unencrypted updates. This means if the update is spoofed and malicious we may get access to all the permissions the keyboard has and hence retrieve call logs and other data. I don't think it'll have the permission to delete a preinstalled apks.
Siddheshpatil said:
Wrong section mate. Post it in Q And A. It is possible to exploit the vulnerability BUT you should understand what the vulnerability is in the first place. Pre installed Swiftkey keyboard can accept unencrypted updates. This means if the update is spoofed and malicious we may get access to all the permissions the keyboard has and hence retrieve call logs and other data. I don't think it'll have the permission to delete a preinstalled apks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
From what I've read the keyboard does run with system rights. And yes I know how the exploit and bug works, I'm just not a programer myself to test it.
Hi. I was carefully in ADB cutting bloatware this morning and while it looked fine, after restarting I'm getting a "still loading android" message on home screen. I can still access settings, and get to the play store and open apps that way, so it's no more than an inconvenience but...I'd like to have my full functionality back since clearly there's one thing I nuked that was a system needed file but didn't look like one.
I'm not comfortable rooting and maybe getting stuck with an $800 brick, so please keep suggestions limited to ADB modifications, yes I know they will still be in system partition but they will save on ram and battery usage at least. I'm planning to factory wipe to get my necessary files back, then would like a step by step what to kill from there.
I'm somewhat knowledgeable, know of Fdroid and sideloading APKs, and I know you don't need Google Play Services with that kind of knowledge.
Thanks in advance for your help!!
Instead of adb uninstalling you should have tried a package disabler... so if u disable something wrong you can still enable it. I m using package disabler pro and i have to say that my s8+ has reached somehow the perfection i needed. Very good battery life, very good performance.
Gogolakis said:
Instead of adb uninstalling you should have tried a package disabler... so if u disable something wrong you can still enable it. I m using package disabler pro and i have to say that my s8+ has reached somehow the perfection i needed. Very good battery life, very good performance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Isn't this a paid service? And requires root? I can keep this in mind if I need to wipe anyway at least, if it doesn't require root.
There's no way to find out which one caused the issue then, is there?
Don't know if this thread may be of some use to you.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s8/how-to/s8-debloat-bloatware-thread-t3669009/page4
spawnlives said:
Don't know if this thread may be of some use to you.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s8/how-to/s8-debloat-bloatware-thread-t3669009/page4
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, thank you, that is the one I saw that encouraged me to undertake this process.
3drinks said:
Yes, thank you, that is the one I saw that encouraged me to undertake this process.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't think there is a definitive debloat list as everyone uses there phone for different reasons.
Might be a case of trial and error. As for debloat apps there are a few on playstore and could be useful as a reference on what they might recommend to remove.
spawnlives said:
I don't think there is a definitive debloat list as everyone uses there phone for different reasons.
Might be a case of trial and error. As for debloat apps there are a few on playstore and could be useful as a reference on what they might recommend to remove.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My definition being "anything that is not a requirement to keep the system running normally and optimally." Ideally any extraneous apps would be FOSS if possible.
While browsing another thread here, I fixed my current issue. Apparently I deleted my launcher by mistake and when I installed an Oreo launcher from play store, the error on my home screen went away. Hooray for unexpected fixes.
And lol at me almost factory wiping because of this now (I'll laugh at this in a year I'm sure.)
3drinks said:
Isn't this a paid service? And requires root? I can keep this in mind if I need to wipe anyway at least, if it doesn't require root.
There's no way to find out which one caused the issue then, is there?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its like 3 dolars or something in google play. It doesn.t require root acces
All in all without root I freed up to 2k MB of ram and got the HD to 18/64 GB. I'm pretty proud of myself.