i have galaxy s4 i9505 and i want to know if i need to unlock the bootloader in order to instal custom rom(cyanogen).the phone is in stock condition(not rooted no roms or anything)ive checked the first 10 pages of google results and some guides say i if i dont unlock the bootloader i will brick the phone and some say i dont need to unlock it.i searched this forum aswell but i just end up with 100 tabs open and still cant find my answer.
The only thing you need to do is this. Install TWRP using Odin, then flash your ROM using TWRP. The only mention of locked bootloaders comes if you own an AT&T or Verizon Galaxy S4. Those two models have a locked bootloader that cannot be unlocked, and attempts to change the bootloader on those devices have led to soft bricks which can be resolved by flashing the correct bootloader in the BL slot in Odin.
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I'm getting this phone soon, never had a Samsung before. When rooting this, is there a bootloader to unlock? And does Odin unlock it during the root process?
Thanks
If you want an unlocked bootloader, you have to purchase the Developer Edition.
The retail edition has a locked bootloader. You need to use safestrap if you want to flash roms, you will not be able to flash custom kernels. Odin is used to restore your phone, not unlock it.
Yet another post... So, I have been trying to install TWRP and CWM but every time I boot into recovery with those installed I get: "System Software not Authorized" error. Is there anyway to bypass this? I think I Soft Bricked it, but I fixed it with Odin and a stock recovery file. I just want to get a custom recovery... Any help is appreciated.
Device: Samsung Galaxy S4 I337 (AT&T) (Rooted)
Can't install cwm or twrp on an s4 with a locked bootloader.
Hmm that is strange.
audit13 said:
Can't install cwm or twrp on an s4 with a locked bootloader.
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Click to collapse
How would I go about unlocking it? I remember before the s4 got the 5.0.1 update and I had cwm.
The att s4 bootloader can't be unlocked once it has been upgraded to a locked bootloader.
That sucks. Is there another phone that can unlock it's boot loader? I head something about asking the company to unlock it for you. Is that possible?
Quick little update:
I have found some options that might work. Option 1: Someone said that you could downgrade to 4.2.2 because that has an unlocked boot loader. Or option 2, which is go to Best Buy and tell the Samsung Support Center dude to unlock it for you. I really would rather go with option one, because what if the dude denies it. Unless, because I already got the locked one on my device, there is no way to downgrade it...
There is no way to downgrade the bootloader to 4.2.2 or to unlock the bootloader.
Right, well I installed Safestrap and updated to 5.0.1 with keep root method. Something I just realized is that we have a s2 laying around somewhere. I guess I can mess with that. And as for a new phone, I guess I will save up to buy a Nexus 6 from the Google site.
The phone's bootloader is probably locked. It has never been unlocked, and I believe model SM-G900M was sold with the bootloader locked. (I tried to check if the bootloader is indeed locked, but fastboot did not detect the phone.)
I understand that in this scenario there is currently no way to root an S5, right?
It appears that the only way to go is to perform an Android downgrade. I would have to use Odin to flash a stock 4.4 ROM (is this correct?), then I would be able to root the phone with towelroot, unlock the bootloader and install flashfire on my device. Does this sound like a doable approach?
Suggestions/advice very much appreciated.
Thanks!
Lately, I wanted to root my GS4 (it surely wasn't an AT&T one, bought it in Russia, there is no AT&T). So, motochopper fails, CF-Auto-Root fails, everything fails! I am stuck at 4.4.2 and there is no OTA upgrade. Download mode says "MODEL NUMBER: SGH-I337", but in the "About phone" menu it is clearly stated that model number is "GT-I9500" and build number is "KOT49H.I9500XXUFNB7". Even the baseband version starts with "I9500". All the hacks I am seeing on the Internet (such as Loki) for unlocking bootloader fail, saying that my phone model is not supported. Heimdall and Odin fail to flash anything and the red text appears in the download mode: "SECURE MAGICODE CHECK FAIL". What my model is and what do I DO? I want to root it and install some decent recovery and CWM ROM.
Please, ask any questions you like and help me)
The model number in download mode is the right one. Once the bootloader on the i337 is locked, it cannot be unlocked.
A locked bootloader means cwm and twrp cannot be installed.
audit13 said:
The model number in download mode is the right one. Once the bootloader on the i337 is locked, it cannot be unlocked.
A locked bootloader means cwm and twrp cannot be installed.
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Click to collapse
Why can't it be unlocked? I've seen so many guides and tools to do it. The problem is that they don't work and I don't even know my true build version to figure smth out. Why doesn't it even root like normal I337 should do? Also it doensn't upgrade to lollipop like normal I337 should.
The bootloader is locked on the i337, just like it is on other at&t phones, with no way to unlock it. An s4 bounty on XDA for finding an unlock method remains unclaimed: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2257620
The phone is an i337 and can only run stock i337 roms or customs based off a stock rom.
Safe strap is the only custom recovery available for a locked bootloader.
audit13 said:
The bootloader is locked on the i337, just like it is on other at&t phones, with no way to unlock it. An s4 bounty on XDA for finding an unlock method remains unclaimed: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2257620
The phone is an i337 and can only run stock i337 roms or customs based off a stock rom.
Safe strap is the only custom recovery available for a locked bootloader.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So, ok. We managed to confirm it is a SGH-I337. But what about Loki tool? It can install CWM recovery, but does not work on my device? Also, I ask one more time, how can I know what the real build number is? And how to root? All SGH-I337 should root with motochopper but mine doesn't. What can I do about this?
Cwm and twrp cannot work on the phone. I have never seen a post where someone has ever had it work with a locked bootloader.
I'm not sure but motochopper may not work with every bootloader and every rom. Reading through this forum, I don't think I remember seeing motochopper mentioned.
You'll have to confirm the bootloader and rom in the phone and search through the various rooting threads. I don't have access to the i337, only the i337m as I am in Canada.
I have sg4 activate unlocked att software that it's unlocked can I install custom recovery or do have to do the whole firmware downgrade thing I have no pc so I don't wanna brick it it's rooted but with king root I bricked a sg4 damb near killed the recovery by not knowing better but it was locked at gave me unlock code I think that's my boot loader but I'm not sure safestrap defetes my perpouse of stream lining wanna try a customer from for the first time any body walk me through a safe way to proceed can't brick this ****er please
If the bootloader is locked, you won't be able to install a twrp or Cwm and you can only use custom roms that are based on a stock ROM.