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Hi everybody,
I just moved from an iphone 3g (which i had jailbroken) to an incredible thanks to at&t contract finally finishing. Hv rooted the inc on my mac using the unrevoked method. Everything works fine (still have stock eclair 2.1 and sense running). Hv installed a bunch of apps from the market but hv not sideloaded anything yet or uninstalled anything (htc sense etc etc) yet. I would really appreciate some guidance from the community on the following since i am very new to the platform as a whole.
1. I dont want to lose the ability to update to the official froyo release (whenever it happens) so will I have to unroot (if thats even possible) to get the froyo update? If yes, whats the correct way so that I can bookmark that.
2. I want to be able to use the tethering without paying 20$ extra per month to VZ (in fact would probably use USB tethering to my macbook more often than wifi tethering/hotspot, but obviously I would like both! ). How should i do that? Obviously the stock app will just alert verizon, right? Is there another app that will work now that i hv rooted? Any special instructions to follow?
3. Would like to optimize the capability of the device by removing crapware and useless stuff which comes with the phone. Hv not yet even figured out what each app does yet. I will use my inc primarily for entertainment - games, social networking, browsing, streaming music, videos, google voice, true VoIP (not official VZ skype), GPS navigation, tethering (when no wifi) but will be OTA syncing my office exchange email account, contacts, calendar as well to make this a backup phone to my official bberry. Any suggestions on which apps to remove? Also how should I remove them without bricking the phone. Is there a cleaner method?
4. I actually like Sense even though it seems it uses up some memory - any way i can remove the useless parts of Sense (since I wont be using USB sync and I am sure some other stuff in sense is just bloatware) without losing the other features that look great - to be honest the phone looks too plain without sense (nexus 1 looked really naked). I would like to retain the look and feel of the sense ui.
5. How do I get swype on this? I played with it when i was shopping for android phones on the captivate (which unfortunately was on at&t) and I am amazed at how great that was! I badly badly badly badly need that!!
6. Any standard add-ons, apps which you would recommend for my intended usage?
7. Now that I am rooted which post-root apps should i install to make the inc more useful? Any obvious ones which you would recommend?
8. The people sense widget is just too much, anything a bit saner which is like a launchpad but without the screen wastage?
9. In jailbroken iphones, you could install lockinfo which was a spectacular agglomeration of all things (missed calls, voice mails waiting, email msg list, twitter feed, facebook feed, weather, calendar, tasks, sms msgs) in 1 simple scrollable screen. Anything similar in Sense/HTC widgets/App store? Just one glance would tell me everything.
Sorry, since I am new I decided to ask all questions in 1 shot. Obviously dont expect to have all questions answered by 1 person but if the devs/users can point me in the right direction, with links and some comments, I will greatly appreciate it.
Thanks and hoping to be a contributor to the android community sometime soon as I was in the iphone community until i just could not take at&t anymore.
1.yes you need to unroot to recieve otas
2.there is an app incthe market called wifi tether that is free.
3.look in the theme/app sectiom. there is a skinned version there.
4. adb in recovery os the only way to remove crapware
7-8 . there are not many apps for root users lile there was with cydia.
also, there are many widets avaliable in the android market. there is lots of good apps in the market. explore.
if you have any other questions feel free to pm me amy time.
jdkoreclipse said:
1.yes you need to unroot to recieve otas
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, if you are running the stock rom ou will recieve OTAs. The OTA doesn't magically detect "this phone is rooted."
rpearl said:
No, if you are running the stock rom ou will recieve OTAs. The OTA doesn't magically detect "this phone is rooted."
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
doesnt somethong change the ctacerts and otacerts?
Sent from my Incredible using XDA App
No. it's also not suggested and is reported to have negative side effects.
One important thing, Install Rom Manager from the market.
With this app you can do a backup of the Rom (stock sense and rooted) you're running now and install others to try, if you don't like them just restore the one you had before and done, you can as many back up as you want.
Also check in the theme section and you'll find lots of themes to make your phone look and work beautiful, this also allows you to get to recovery without having to turnoff your phone and install anything you want from the sd card.
Also, if you don't like some of the crap ware that Sense has, there's a post for removing the apps you don't want on Sense and it tell you which ones are safe to remove.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=710009
Hope this helps a little.
Some apps for us the rooted...shootme or drocap to take pictures of your screens, titanium backup, wifi tether, etc.
Appreciate the help everybody! Only thing I am still seeking an answer for is swype on my inc if anybody can guide me.
Thanks
khanam said:
Appreciate the help everybody! Only thing I am still seeking an answer for is swype on my inc if anybody can guide me.
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Here you go. I use the red skinned Swype, looks great and works great.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=701198
Thanks! Just realized one more thing. I cant seem to be able to use skype over wifi only. Is this verizon's way of using up my minutes one way or another?
I thinking about buying an application but wanted to know where the program is stored.
If I were to upgrade or change my android build would the application follow? Does the market place keep track of my purchases and lets me download it again or do I need to place it in a particular folder?
Thanks.
you would need a back up program but if u purchase a paid app from market you will find it in your downloads area
gattaca714 said:
I thinking about buying an application but wanted to know where the program is stored.
If I were to upgrade or change my android build would the application follow? Does the market place keep track of my purchases and lets me download it again or do I need to place it in a particular folder?
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The way the android market handles this, is when you purchase an app, it links it to your google account indefinitely.
The reason for this, is for when you upgrade your device firmware, lose your phone, and purchase a new android device on any network (sprint, verizon, t-mobile, at&t, yada yada) you may get all of your paid apps back on your new device, or new firmware.
So, as long as you use the same google account to log in to your device (I don't know why you wouldn't because you can store all your contacts in the cloud on your gmail account), you will be able to get your previously paid android apps at no additional cost.
Have fun, and enjoy those paid apps out there. There are some good ones.
_-cooper-_
Paid apps don't appear when switching build
I'm actually a bit concerned about this.
I've been using mdeejay's Revolution for a few weeks, and decided to take the plunge an purchase the apps I use the most.
A couple of days ago, I installed desire_cs in parallel for experimenting. I dual boot between these two with no problem.
However, after associating the same account with Market in desire_cs, I do *not* see my paid apps.
I've tried various tricks (restore the Market data with Ti-backup, clear Market data, dial '*#*#CHECKIN#*#*', copy the fingerprint in build.prop, just wait online). My Downloads list remains empty, and Market behaves as if I need to purchase the apps again. Google Checkout (on the web) clearly shows that my purchases are valid.
Booting back to the MDJ build, everything looks dandy.
I tried restoring a backup of a paid app from the MDJ build into the desire_cs build. This works OK, but Market still does not flag the app as purchased.
This makes me hesitate to purchase any more apps - though I know Ti-backup will probably be able to preserve my MDJ setup for me, I will need to manually check for updates to the paid apps, and will probably need to aquire them from shady corners of the net.
Is this a fluke or one-time-thing with the build(s) I've tried, or will it happen with all builds? Can anyone say that purchases in general transfer fine between builds? (I assume the latter is the case, otherwise I'd have seen more complaints in these forums.)
Thanks for your time!
ugumba said:
I'm actually a bit concerned about this.
I've been using mdeejay's Revolution for a few weeks, and decided to take the plunge an purchase the apps I use the most.
A couple of days ago, I installed desire_cs in parallel for experimenting. I dual boot between these two with no problem.
However, after associating the same account with Market in desire_cs, I do *not* see my paid apps.
I've tried various tricks (restore the Market data with Ti-backup, clear Market data, dial '*#*#CHECKIN#*#*', copy the fingerprint in build.prop, just wait online). My Downloads list remains empty, and Market behaves as if I need to purchase the apps again. Google Checkout (on the web) clearly shows that my purchases are valid.
Booting back to the MDJ build, everything looks dandy.
I tried restoring a backup of a paid app from the MDJ build into the desire_cs build. This works OK, but Market still does not flag the app as purchased.
This makes me hesitate to purchase any more apps - though I know Ti-backup will probably be able to preserve my MDJ setup for me, I will need to manually check for updates to the paid apps, and will probably need to aquire them from shady corners of the net.
Is this a fluke or one-time-thing with the build(s) I've tried, or will it happen with all builds? Can anyone say that purchases in general transfer fine between builds? (I assume the latter is the case, otherwise I'd have seen more complaints in these forums.)
Thanks for your time!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Gotta be some kind of a fluke, I have restored/updated apps countless times from build to build using the Downloads section of the Market. They have always showed up for me, I still have paid apps from my Tilt2 days that I d/l and update from the market.
Only thing I can think of for your case is maybe a difference in Market region between your two builds. Maybe if you use Market Enabler to change your Market region in your new build?
But before going on an app buying spree, I would install a new build or two, and experiment. Who knows, it's possible you may just have really bad luck or Google hates you
Strange...it has to be a fluke. I've bought many apps and I'm a builoholic...always changing (monster ADD) and the APPs are always waiting in downloads. The exception to this is the full version of launcher pro which I bought in app and paid for through paypal...
I'm with huggs in guessing its a region issue. Try Market Enabler and let us know what happens...kinda interested in the outcome.
You should be able to re-activate them with the google purchase transaction number (like I did with CoPilot)... after purchasing an app you should have received an invoice stating what your google checkout number was...
I have never had trouble installing purchased apps in different builds after upgrading. Both on my Desire and HD2 I can find all my purchased apps, regardless of on which device or ROM the app was bought.
After a bit of work, I finally got my phone working the way I want. I basically tried to get the phone as clean as possible and removed the Motorola bloat.
- Phone no longer reboots itself.. at all.
- 20+ hours of battery is the norm, despite a good amount of use
- Very stable and responsive
Please note: I have the extended battery and use Launcher Pro. Freezing certain apps will stop the Motorola widgets, home screen, and apps from working properly.
1. Flashed the TBH SBF on to phone
2. Formatted SD card
3. Wiped the cache and partition
4. Rooted phone with z4 root
5. Installed Titanium Backup and froze apps
Apps frozen:
3G Mobile Hotspot 2.2.1
Amazon MP3
Backup Assistant 1.0
Backup Assistant 2.2.1
Battery Manager 1.1
City ID 1.0.30
com.motorola.photowidget 2.2.1
Files 2.2.1
Global Unplug 1.0
Help Center 2.2.1
InPocket 2.2.1
MediaShare 1.0.0
Messages 2.2.1
Messaging 2.2.1
News 2.2.1
NFS Shift 1.0
Print to Retail 1.0
Quick Contact 2.2.1
Skype mobile 1.0.0.2
Social Messaging 2.2.1
Social Messaging Service 2.2.1
Social Networking 2.2.1
Social Sharing 2.2.1
Social Status 2.2.1
Sticky Note 2.2.1
Sync Service 1.5.7
Task Manager 1.0
Toggle Widgets 2.2.1
Universal Inbox 2.2.1
Voice Commands
Voicemail 1.1
VZ Navigator
Weather 2.2.1
Yahoo Contacts 2.2.1
I really hate the fact this was all necessary. The original Droid was a great device, because it did not contain any bloatware. I've learned my lesson and will only buy Android devices without it, such as the Nexus series of phones. At least in the meantime, I can use a properly functioning device again.
Thanks a lot for your post mate, it is really helpful.
Were you able to update your phone to the latest version? Did you have any issues updating ?
Thanks.
Even though I haven't had too many problems so far, I went in and froze everything on your list. I have gotten an occasional auto-reboot, so maybe this will help.
Can you explain what this is?
1. Flashed the TBH SBF on to phone
Thanks!
@elmemyself: Yes, the phone updated just fine.
@MrWilliams2: If your phone is rebooting by itself, try switching it back to Global if you currently have it set to CDMA. I never changed it to CDMA since wiping everything and I haven't had a single reboot in almost a week now.
TBH is Team Black Hat.. they are the ones that first released a valid SBF. The SBF is basically an image that will restore your phone back to it's factory settings. All of your current programs and settings will still be intact after you install the SBF because those reside in the cache and partition. You can choose to "wipe" them by booting your phone into Recovery Mode. I went this route to get my phone as clean as possible and so far it's paying off.
To get into Recovery Mode, turn off your phone. Hold 'R' and 'M' keys and turn on the phone. After the '!' comes up, press '@'. Follow the directions on screen.
One last note.. after you format SD card and wipe cache / partition, your phone is essentially factory reset. I highly recommend you turn Wifi on, if it isn't already. After entering my Google account settings, it automatically downloaded my Wifi settings and connected to my router. It then proceeded to download every app I had on my phone previously. If you aren't connected via WiFi, it will take a lot longer for your phone to re-download all those apps.
Good luck!
Thanks for this great information!
I've been holding off rooting my Pro (after using my rooted OG Droid for the past year), but will be rooting soon with the help of the info you've provided...
Sent from my DROID PRO using XDA App
A few questions
MANY thanks eus107709 for your wonderful guide! I'm sure MANY of us appreciate it and will be following it.
I have a few questions:
1) Why do we have to use the SBF at all? Why not just 'factory reset' the phone using the android/menu/settings option?
2) If we use the SBF, I hear we have to re-activate phone with Verizon. Is this true? I'm in the UK and don't have a verizon account (phone is unlocked). Will I be able to bypass activation?
3) How can I clear the micro-sd card of all my settings to start fresh? Will that also wipe any pictures and music I have on it?
4) By using this method, how (or will I) be able to upgrade the OS with future OS upgrades from Motorola and/or Verizon?
5) not directly related - as we know the phone is radio locked to verizon and unable to use with AT&T / T-Mobile in America. Is it possible to get it radio unlocked to use other bands? The reason I ask is: will I get better 'signal' / reception if I do this? I work in Central London often, where signal is top in the country, but often my 'H' radio bar only shows 2 out of 4. I expect it to be 4 being in London, or at the very least 3, but it never goes above 2 really. Could this be related to the 'locked radio'? I've seen this but can't find much info/feedback yet: see twitter and 'droidbandunlock'
Sorry for all the long-winded questions. Thanks in advance eus107709
I'll try to answer to the best of my knowledge, but I'm afraid I'm not qualified to comment on them all.
1) Why do we have to use the SBF at all? Why not just 'factory reset' the phone using the android/menu/settings option?
Many of us have rooted our phones and removed stock applications that we believe hinder the performance of the device. This prevents us from applying the system update provided by Motorola. I think, but am not positive, that "factory resetting" the phone via the menu options merely clears the cache but doesn't restore the removed apps.
2) If we use the SBF, I hear we have to re-activate phone with Verizon. Is this true? I'm in the UK and don't have a verizon account (phone is unlocked). Will I be able to bypass activation?
If you bought your phone in the United States, through Verizon, I'm pretty sure you need to call them to SIM unlock your phone to be used on a different carrier. They are generally willing to comply with your request if you're a customer in good standing or if you've purchased the phone at full retail value. I believe you generally only have to do this once, but maybe someone more experienced at this can confirm.
3) How can I clear the micro-sd card of all my settings to start fresh? Will that also wipe any pictures and music I have on it?
You can clear the micro-SD card by going to Settings -> SD Card -> Unmount SD card (takes a few seconds) -> Format SD Card.
The applications store program data and settings in the SD card which I like to clear when starting fresh. Uninstalled software often leaves residual data that will continue living on unless you manually delete them. It likely will never affect you, but I know this in the back of my mind and it bugs the hell out of me. I also worry about configuration files leftover from previous installations that will affect my newly installed ones (of the same program). The likelyhood of that being a problem is also very small, but ya never know and I like reducing the chances of things going wrong.
4) By using this method, how (or will I) be able to upgrade the OS with future OS upgrades from Motorola and/or Verizon?
Yes. The TBH SBF is a copy of the software on your phone as it was from Motorola. Rooting your phone by this method is not permanent and can be undone. Freezing the apps is also temporary and can be undone by "unfreezing". Bottom line: You aren't making any permanent changes to your phone. The SBF is a safety net, so even if we made drastic changes to our phone, we can install the SBF to start clean again. I'm more than willing to install new ROMs for our phone as they come out, but as of right now it's not an absolute necessity.
5) not directly related - as we know the phone is radio locked to verizon and unable to use with AT&T / T-Mobile in America. Is it possible to get it radio unlocked to use other bands? The reason I ask is: will I get better 'signal' / reception if I do this? I work in Central London often, where signal is top in the country, but often my 'H' radio bar only shows 2 out of 4. I expect it to be 4 being in London, or at the very least 3, but it never goes above 2 really. Could this be related to the 'locked radio'? I've seen this but can't find much info/feedback yet: see twitter and 'droidbandunlock'
I'm fairly certain "unlocking the radio" will not improve your reception in the UK, but I don't really know enough about how they are blocking US carriers.
Hope things are a little bit more clear!
need to z4 root
i need to z4 root
please take a link fo me
Thanks very much for your response my friend!
I appreciate your help on all things regardless of your background and experience.
Activating vs unlocking - phone is factory and/or verizon unlocked and that is permanent. Activating is different from unlocking where we register our phone with verizon. I thought I saw someone say using sbf requires re-activation, and that they were able to bypass it somehow.
I will probably backup my pics and music etc on my PC before formatting the sd card.
Btw, do you notice the battery life increase after freezing all the unnecessary software?
Please also share any other experiences you've had since cleaning up your phone.
Thanks again my friend.
Sent from my DROID PRO using XDA App
You're welcome, I'm glad to help!
Updating the SBF or factory resetting your phone will surely require activation, but that is easily done. Most of the time, your phone will automatically prompt you to activate which is denoted by a "ACTIVATE NOW" button. Otherwise, just dial *228. It usually doesn't take more than 10 seconds and is completely automated.
My battery life was never horrendous, BUT it wasn't consistent. There were times when my battery would seemingly drain leaving me with only 9-10 hours of usage. Please keep in mind that no matter what you remove, battery life will still not be amazing. It's a smartphone after-all, and if you're like me who is constantly making use of it, you're not going to go 2 days without a recharge.
There is a very good chance that if you've never used the Droid 1, Nexus, or G1 you may not consider it "useless software". Personally, I like using Android the way Google designed it. When I switch Android phones, I don't want to be switching between "Blur" (motorola), "Sense" (HTC), and whatever Samsung calls their UI overlay and apps.
Right now, it's the closest I can get the phone to the way Google intended. In terms of functionality, you will not notice anything much different. I highly recommend using either Launcher Pro or ADW Launcher. IMO, both are better than the Motorola home screen launcher and even Google's default.
I hope that in between the time you're tweaking the phone you get to actually enjoy it, because it is still a great experience
nice....curious tho
Thx for the post man. helped me to utilize titanium and decide on some things to freeze. now I have to go back in and choose some things to quit backing up lol. im currently looking up everything you have frozen to actually see what purpose it serves before I freeze it though. a question Im surprised hasn't been asked of ya. I wanted to ask ya about launcher pro though. what are the benefits? is it just more efficient or..? thanks again man
Just want to say thanks again!
And that launcher pro is not only brilliant to use, but also saved me loads of battery life!
It seems that motoblur uses a lot of battery with widgets etc.
With launcher pro my phone's extended battery shows 80% after 7 hours, whereas without it, and 7 hours later otherwise (using phone in same way!) I would have 60 or 70% left.
Highly recommend.
I will also use titanuim. Isnt it better to remove apps rather than freeze them?
Cheers!
Sent from my DROID PRO using XDA App
@budwiser0240
While most people use Titanium Backup for backup, I really only use it for freezing. As for "Backup Assistant", it's something that Motorola concocted and I refuse to use it. Google already automatically backs up what I need.
As for Launcher Pro or ADW, I feel it's runs more smoothly than the Motorola or Google homescreens. There are many things you can configure in LP and ADW, but I won't go into them here.. there's enough threads about them. To keep it simple, just use the default settings for now.
@hanybanoub
The biggest drain on your battery is probably those social networking widgets that come with the phone. The Motorola widgets and programs all seem to be poorly written software. If you want to use social networking widgets, maybe you can use the official ones from the Market.
Freezing the apps allows you to quickly unfreeze them if you need to. Motorola updates often requires those apps be present. Also, if you break the functionality of the phone by freezing/removing them, it's easier to fix. With the SBF available, it's not that big of a deal either way. You can always restore them.
Complete newbie to android
I am a complete newbie to the android system so if I could get some clarification . I've got my phone configured the way I like it with LauncherPro. I have not rooted yet but I am interested in using TitaniumBackup to freeze useless apps, especially cityID. A few questions then:
1. Does freezing all these apps effectively mean getting rid of MotoBlur? I am under the impression that MotoBlur runs in the background and LauncherPro simply runs over it?
2. Can I use z4root version 1.3.0? Will the unroot option work if I need to unroot or will I have to flash the TBH SBF to unroot?
3. Do I need to wipe anything prior to rooting and using Titanium backup or can I just do those two steps if I haven't rooted before?
4. Optional Question What sort of advantage do would a custom ROM give a phone like the Droid Pro versus rooting and freezing useless apps?
Thanks
@LeoBloom
1. MotoBlur runs deep.. you're only getting rid of some of it. Components of the original Android code aren't even included in the software, so you're still running Blur. When you run LauncherPro, the Motorola homescreen will not be running. The phone/contacts module, the gallery, the camera.. it's all Moto. Not all of it is terrible I suppose.. seems like many of the components are built off Android code, just modified (maybe someone can confirm this).
2. You should be able to unroot with 1.3.. never tried, but I do get the unroot button.
3. You don't have to wipe for either of those.
4. It depends on the custom ROM and the objective of the "chef". Some modders aim for Battery Life, some for speed, and some try to bring the phone back to being close to AOSP. Android Operating System Project is the source code that all Android phones are based off of, but unfortunately manufacturers like to deviate away from it by adding their own garbage.
Thanks
Thanks for the replies eus!
I have one more question regarding "nandroid" backups. From what I understand, if I mess something up, I don't have to flash the TBH SBF if I have a nandroid backup. I could instead use it to revert my phone to the way I had it before I started experimenting.
Are there any specific instructions beyond what is listed here:
androidforums DOT com/droid-pro-all-things-root/233471-droid-pro-bootstrap-clockwork-mod.html
(New users restriction, cannot post links)
Does anyone else have experience with this and can add something?
Sometimes I wish I had gotten a Droid X solely because of the number of guides already written for it... :S
Thx for the reply. definitely gonna check out launcher pro soon
eus107709 said:
@budwiser0240
While most people use Titanium Backup for backup, I really only use it for freezing. As for "Backup Assistant", it's something that Motorola concocted and I refuse to use it. Google already automatically backs up what I need.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Backup Assistant is a verizon feature. It's available on all new verizon smartphones and is backed up your verizon account online.
Thanks for the list. I froze almost all the same things as you after installing the latest OTA update. seems to be working great.
I didn't freeze:
Social Messaging 2.2.1
Social Mess Serv 2.2.1
Social Net 2.2.1
Social Share 2.2.1
Social Status 2.2.1
I want to freeze most of these, but I really want to keep the linking between facebook, linkedin and my contacts. Anyone know which ones I can safely remove? I don't care about ANY of the other functionality associated with these. Plan to use the facebook app from marketplace. This app however doesn't link into your motorola contact like it does in ASOP
Unfortunately, the Facebook app will never be able to sync with your contacts because our phone uses Motorola's contact manager instead of the Android Source Code Project one (as you've mentioned). Perhaps you can look into installing the AOSP contact manager on the Droid Pro. I'm not sure if it's possible though, but it might be worth looking into.
I have no intention of ever running the "social" apps ever again, so can't help you there!
I've rooted all my devices since the days of the OG Droid. Up until a year or two ago, root and custom roms were a must have for a lot of useful features, but the dependency on root features has definitely gone down as stock android has advanced.
With the Moto X being mostly stock, and a little harder to root (especially with every OTA) I've been thinking about just going stock and keeping it unrooted when it arrives today.
As of now I use root mainly for just backing up and syncing app data between my phone and tablet (since a lot of apps don't implement google's cloud sync). It appears that Helium works with the Moto X, though that's definitely not as seamless or quick of a process. I also use Greenify but apparently that doesn't need root anymore.
Has anyone else gone down this path? I feel like I might end up missing a lot of things I can't even think of right now.
I just got my MotoMaker yesterday, and I was basically in the same boat. I was initially going to just unlock the bootloader, install TWRP, and install SuperUser, but the Moto site was rejecting my device key. I usually will immediately root a device and install Titanium Backup to install my standard set of apps. I gave up waiting for Moto to update their db and started installing apps without unlocking. Most apps I use don't really store much beyond some basic settings locally, so I just re-downloaded everything I wanted from the Play Store and logged into everything again. The few apps that had locally saved data that I wanted to transfer (games, mostly) I ended up using adb on my computer to backup individually, then used adb to push the apps to the new phone. This worked for most things... some apps don't let you back them up. My biggest concern was Google Authenticator, which I use for a number of websites. For that, I had to cheat. Since my existing phone was already rooted, I used adb to pull the stored secrets database off the phone (which you can't do without root). I found this awesome tool which lets you generate QR codes directly from a Google Authenticator db file, and used that to add the secrets to a freshly installed copy of Authenticator.
In the end, the Moto site finally let me get an unlock code, though I think I've decided to skip that, at least for the time being. Unlocking the device wipes it, and I've got things installed and configured the way I want. I don't see myself wanting to push any non-stock roms to this (I really like the Moto additions). I still want root (mostly for backups, though it does make tweaking the device a bit easier), but I can live without it for now.
detonation said:
I've rooted all my devices since the days of the OG Droid. Up until a year or two ago, root and custom roms were a must have for a lot of useful features, but the dependency on root features has definitely gone down as stock android has advanced.
With the Moto X being mostly stock, and a little harder to root (especially with every OTA) I've been thinking about just going stock and keeping it unrooted when it arrives today.
As of now I use root mainly for just backing up and syncing app data between my phone and tablet (since a lot of apps don't implement google's cloud sync). It appears that Helium works with the Moto X, though that's definitely not as seamless or quick of a process. I also use Greenify but apparently that doesn't need root anymore.
Has anyone else gone down this path? I feel like I might end up missing a lot of things I can't even think of right now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am the same as you. Traditionally, I always rooted but for the X I've just felt no need. (I was worried about receiving future updates, mostly).
I wrote a guide on backing up and restoring app data to the Moto X without root.
Helium works well for backing up your old devices, but it seems to have trouble for many on restoring the data. That's where my guide comes in, helping lay out the adb commands to finish up.
I will add, though, that after the Lenovo/Moto X announcement, it seems likely that I will root this in the future in case Lenovo drops the ball with delivering future OS updates.
Thanks, forgot about using adb for backup/restore
First Andoid I haven't felt the need to root, it's just so stable and smooth. The only reason I can imagine rooting it would be to install Adaway. Didn't realize how many ads there are until now :laugh:
I have rooted all my previous phones up until the X. I'm still able to enjoy it without the root access.
Usually rooting was necessary to debloat the phone and tune it to a stock like Android experience. Haven't really needed it with the X obviously.
The only thing that bothers me I guess is I didn't realize some of the apps I use had ads....lol
I just want adblocking again.
I was in the same boat before. Flash flash flash... That's all I ever did. Of course it was due to HTC and Samsung. Then with my n4 I went custom kernel and a few mods. The only thing I truly miss root for is ad block but that I can live with out
Sent from my XT1053 using Tapatalk
This is my fifth android phone and the first I didn't root. Finally saw no need to as like you say android has come along way, especially with being able to disable and hide apps you don't want. I have used Helium for backup, it needs to be connected to a PC for the first use and then every time the phone is rebooted, a little bit of a hassle. I also have used mybackup pro since 2010 and it never needed root but doesn't have the option to back up to box or dropbox only their own cloud storage.
Same thing for me. Decided first phone not needing root. Tethering even works out of the box! (XT 1053 on AT&T).
The only catch I had with helium was that I wasn't able to restore google authenticator data. So I manually used an SQL lite tool to extract the keys and just re-enter in a new install of google authenticator.
I refuse to limit myself so I got a developers edition. Being one if the first in America with 4.4.2 and being able to fix the exchange email issues beforehand etc are reasons I made sure I had root as an option. However this and my Nexus5 are the first phones that don't have Cyanogen Mod and so far I don't see a need or have a desire to run a different OS.
MotoX GSM Developer Edition, Bootloader Unlocked, Rooted, Stock 4.4.2 Great Britain on T-Mobile !
You're a better man than I if you can pull it off
Galaxy S4 was my first bootloader-locked phone, and I couldn't stand it. I'm on Moto X Dev version now.
I got my Moto X (at&t version) a couple weeks ago and like you I've always rooted. This time the experience was great out of the box, I just reinstalled everything fresh. I hate seeing tons of folders on my "sdcard" so now I feel like its clean and there is no legacy garbage brought over from my old phone. The only thing I am missing over my old phone (HTC One X) is being able to tether for free.
Also, the Motorola Migrate app is actually pretty good at bring your pics, texts and call logs over to your Moto X.
compulov said:
found this awesome tool which lets you generate QR codes directly from a Google Authenticator db file, and used that to add the secrets to a freshly installed copy of Authenticator.
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Can you share a link to this? I need this also!
msk said:
I got my Moto X (at&t version) a couple weeks ago and like you I've always rooted. This time the experience was great out of the box, I just reinstalled everything fresh. I hate seeing tons of folders on my "sdcard" so now I feel like its clean and there is no legacy garbage brought over from my old phone. The only thing I am missing over my old phone (HTC One X) is being able to tether for free.
Also, the Motorola Migrate app is actually pretty good at bring your pics, texts and call logs over to your Moto X.
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Click to collapse
That's exactly how I felt... I wanted to start clean. I have all my photos uploaded to Google+ via auto backup and I occasionally import them all into Lightroom on my laptop, so that was a non-issue. As for SMS, I've been using SMS Backup+ for a few years now to automatically backup my SMS and call history to my Gmail account. It also makes it easy to search my SMS history if I'm looking for an old message.
Can you share a link to this? I need this also!
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The tool I used can be found here: https://github.com/ikonst/authenticator-import
It's basically an html page and some javascripts that you run locally in your browser (no web server needed). I actually want to run this again and save the QR codes either into Lastpasss or an encrypted file or something, just so I have easy access to them in the future.
I can do lots of things without needing root now thanks to third party apps. There are still essential reasons I need root. Ads blocking and apps permission management mainly and have more to do with security and anti-malware, I purchase my apps so it's not about depriving devs. App Ops will no longer work with Android 4.4.2 without root, I think it's a major mistake by Google. Also Cerberus needs root to exist through factory reset.
But so far I haven't root my Moto X due to warranty, but will eventually. I think the Moto X is very usable without needing root and KitKat with ART performance really help with that.
Just a question about the bootloader on the MotoX. If I unlock it, can I relock it and unlock it later without needing to use the unlock code or run into any trouble?
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I was in the same boat for about a day. I couldn't help myself and had to get the Xposed Framework up and running. I need Gravity Box and Xprivacy.
Sent from my XT1053 using xda app-developers app
overthatscreen said:
I was in the same boat for about a day. I couldn't help myself and had to get the Xposed Framework up and running. I need Gravity Box and Xprivacy.
Sent from my XT1053 using xda app-developers app
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+1
I am probably going to root but only because I often use tethering. I used to do all the custom roms and such, but those are more of a PITA than they're worth the majority of the time.
deanrobbins said:
I am probably going to root but only because I often use tethering. I used to do all the custom roms and such, but those are more of a PITA than they're worth the majority of the time.
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I rooted because I needed to get that stupid at&t logo off the top of the screen and gravity box was + and greenify.
MOTO X Slapped
I just purchased the Amazon Moto G4 edition for my son who is 8yrs old, and I understand he's a little young for a phone. However, a few of his buddies have phones and I thought it was a great way to help him read and type better through texting. I'm also not planning on paying for Cell service but rather use Wifi for SMS and Calls through hangout. And maybe get him freedom pop for in an emergency.
Now, with that said I created a gmail account that I control (my password, my recovery email/phone #, etc.) and then used this to setup the Play store. I set up all the restrictions in the play store to what I believe is appropriate and of course I locked it by setting up my own PIN code so he couldn't change them.
I also setup his own google voice number and tied it to google hangouts/dialer but I can also monitor what he is doing on my phone periodically if I wanted. I'm not interested in him using Snapchat, WhatsApp, or any other kind of social network.
I've also setup OpenDNS on the wifi account he uses at home. So I think I have things pretty much locked down with the exception of installing from Unknown sources. And although he probably isn't computer savvy enough yet, at some point he will be.
So, with that said is there anyway I can build a rom that disables installing from Unknown Sources? Also, any other recommendations and tips from others are welcome.
Thanks.
He can get rid of everything you did if he could factory reset
seth.dean02 said:
He can get rid of everything you did if he could factory reset
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Of course he could, but he's 8! He's probably not savvy enough to circumvent my efforts yet and when he is I'll change my approach.
pabdaddy1995 said:
Of course he could, but he's 8! He's probably not savvy enough to circumvent my efforts yet and when he is I'll change my approach.
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Try one of the apps that allows you to lock apps. One is Applock and you may be able to lock down settings. That would prevent him from changing anything. You've probably thought of it already but some type of tracking app is a necessary safety measure for a child's phone. LOL, when he becomes a teenager you'll need the tracking for many more reasons.