I am wondering if my S7 can be rooted? - AT&T Samsung Galaxy S7 Questions & Answers

I have a Galaxy S7 (non edge) on AT&T. I enabled developer options. I notice in developer options, I have an option for OEM unlock. When I goggle what that option is for, it is to allow to unlock the bootloader. I found a command "fastboot oem unlock" I am trying to unlock the bootloader. But when running the command, I just get <waiting for device.> I am not 100% sure I am in the right mode to accept the command. If I type fastboot devices, I get nothing. I just found the command to do "adb reboot bootloader." It just reboots to the downloading screen. But typing fastboot devices still shows nothing. Any clue what I'm doing wrong here?

AT&T has a locked Bootloader and no root method as of now. It may never. Read around some and you can get more information about it.

I've read many articles say it has a locked bootloader and may never be unlocked. But, then I found this option for oem unlock and Googled it and figure if the option is there, there must be a way to unlock it

None of the carrier variants of the s7 and s7 edge will ever be rooted IMO. I've had the note edge, s6 edge+, and now S7 edge all on At&t none of them ever seen permanent root for as far as I know. I believe my last AT&T phone to get root was my G3

I am figuring out ways around the features I would like root for. It would be nice to have root, but I'll admit with root I tinker with my phone more and it would probably be better if I'm forced to not have it.

What is the oem unlock option for if it's not to unlock the bootloader?

dorlow said:
What is the oem unlock option for if it's not to unlock the bootloader?
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Click to collapse
It does absolutely nothing.
No troll. It really does nothing.

Is it possible to give a temporary root so that phone stays rooted until rebooted? I wouldn't mind rooting it after each reboot.

dorlow said:
Is it possible to give a temporary root so that phone stays rooted until rebooted? I wouldn't mind rooting it after each reboot.
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Click to collapse
No. At least not yet.

dorlow said:
I am figuring out ways around the features I would like root for. It would be nice to have root, but I'll admit with root I tinker with my phone more and it would probably be better if I'm forced to not have it.
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Click to collapse
I hate to agree to this, but I can totally relate

scott14719 said:
No. At least not yet.
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Click to collapse
I've never had an android that I didn't root since the HTC Eris back in the day. But frankly, I'm enjoying this S7 without root, I can theme, I can use Package Disabler Pro, All in one gestures, etc, etc,. So , I'm quite happy without root this time.

Probably won't get one if you have an AT&T model. Starting with my G4 and G5 however I've found that the custom ROM's aren't nearly as necessary for an excellent overall experience. I'm assuming when we get our S7E it will be about the same. Disable the bloat, add a preferred launcher and a patched google dailer and really they perform quite well. The only thing that's a big bummer is not being able to remove the bloatware. I just don't understand duplicate applications especially when those said applications are almost always inferior.

I'm not interested in custom ROMs. I tried a few Cynogenmod ROMs on my last phone and all of them were buggy. I am perfectly happy with the stock ROM on the S7. I am fully aware I can change launchers to many different ones without any root. There are a few root apps I wouldn't mind having. One, I don't pay for a lot of data. So, I had a toggle switch right on my home screen where I could enable/disable mobile data without going into menus to dig down to it. Without root, there is no way to do that. Second, I liked using Juice Defender to make my battery last much longer. There is the powersaving feature built into the stock rom, but I don't think it's as good as Juice Defender.
I guess the most major reason I rooted my last phone was because it only had 4 GB of internal memory so I used Link 2 SD to link all of my apps as well as a lot of system apps to the SD card which made the 4 GB almost doable. But with this phone having 30 GB internal, I am not having that problem and don't have a need to move stuff to SD card. Although if I end up adding one (because there is the hidden SD card slot), I might want root in the future to allow me to link to SD rather than moving so things work a little more smoothly.

AndroiderM said:
None of the carrier variants of the s7 and s7 edge will ever be rooted IMO. I've had the note edge, s6 edge+, and now S7 edge all on At&t none of them ever seen permanent root for as far as I know. I believe my last AT&T phone to get root was my G3
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wrong. I believe they eventually got root (but not unlocked bootloaders) for the GS5, GS6. The GS4 I *personally* know had root because I had root on that phone even with the update which fully locked down the bootloader. They even had safestrap for custom roms for that. Check the forums for previous AT&T samsung galaxys.
I feel bad for the T-Mobile people but we also have them on our side for this one, since EVERY US GS7 variant is locked down pretty tight. I think we can eventually at least get root. Itll be a struggle. Keep checkin the forums.
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Until then, you can use Helium for backing up apps & data (not everything though, and need a computer to enable it). One annoying app that I especially liked to backup was the Authenticator app. Luckily there is a workaround to enable authenticator on more than one device... (involves finding your secret key, and/or saving a screenshot of the barcodes for the setup).
Tether works fine without root (used to need root to enable this one)
The big one I miss is the adblocker thing and TiBu being able to remove bloatware, freeze apps, and backup and restore absolutely anything.

Does anyone know the status of someone finding a root method? is there some guy out there that knows how to do it on some really convoluted way or is that guy keep banging his head against the wall because every thing he tries is a dead end?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using XDA-Developers mobile app

andrewdroid said:
Wrong. I believe they eventually got root (but not unlocked bootloaders) for the GS5, GS6. The GS4 I *personally* know had root because I had root on that phone even with the update which fully locked down the bootloader. They even had safestrap for custom roms for that. Check the forums for previous AT&T samsung galaxys.
I feel bad for the T-Mobile people but we also have them on our side for this one, since EVERY US GS7 variant is locked down pretty tight. I think we can eventually at least get root. Itll be a struggle. Keep checkin the forums.
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Until then, you can use Helium for backing up apps & data (not everything though, and need a computer to enable it). One annoying app that I especially liked to backup was the Authenticator app. Luckily there is a workaround to enable authenticator on more than one device... (involves finding your secret key, and/or saving a screenshot of the barcodes for the setup).
Tether works fine without root (used to need root to enable this one)
The big one I miss is the adblocker thing and TiBu being able to remove bloatware, freeze apps, and backup and restore absolutely anything.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had a note 3. There was a root, for a time. Although, no bootloader unlock. One was bootstrapping method that, if I recall correctly, required one to have the original system intact while allowing the user to select the rooted image on boot. The other was to use a .exe from a company in China. The application also sent your IMEI to said company. Both options, not so good.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using XDA-Developers mobile app

I had root on my AT&T GS5. Was the bull**** bootstrap root without being able to flash kernels. But it still let me use many features I wanted

Just had an epiphany, and I'm sure I'm not the only person who's had it. After walking through Costco tonight and intending to walk out with a new S7 to replace my S4, I came out empty handed but with a different outlook. According to the cell phone rep, the major carriers no longer offer subsidized pricing for phones, which means you are paying full price for the phone over the life of the contract term. So you're paying almost $700 for an AT&T model of the S7, why not then just pay full price for the unlocked international version of the phone? The main reason to avoid unlocked phones in the past was because of the price difference, however the price difference is now gone.
Makes sense to me now that I like most people want a phone that can be rooted and free of bloat, have a new choice since the price is the same in the end.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using XDA-Developers mobile app

bobgodd said:
Just had an epiphany, and I'm sure I'm not the only person who's had it. After walking through Costco tonight and intending to walk out with a new S7 to replace my S4, I came out empty handed but with a different outlook. According to the cell phone rep, the major carriers no longer offer subsidized pricing for phones, which means you are paying full price for the phone over the life of the contract term. So you're paying almost $700 for an AT&T model of the S7, why not then just pay full price for the unlocked international version of the phone? The main reason to avoid unlocked phones in the past was because of the price difference, however the price difference is now gone.
Makes sense to me now that I like most people want a phone that can be rooted and free of bloat, have a new choice since the price is the same in the end.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using XDA-Developers mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The difference is that you can pay a small monthly payment with no interest through your carrier and you have to pay full price up front with the international version. That makes a massive difference for most people.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using XDA-Developers mobile app

be honest I had an s4 before this and rooted it easily. I just assumed that all galaxys were easily rooted. didn't think twice. was surprised to find the s7 locked. be honest, the phone does work about perfect without root. just a few things I miss... I miss having apps auto move to the SD card. I like linking them instead of moving them. I don't "debloat" it. every time I've tried that, I end up getting weird dependency errors and crashes. learned my lesson. would like Aesop to just have a fully "debloated" phone. but not on the top of my list. one annoyance is I try to save data so I like to easily flip mobile data on and off from the home screen. no way to do that without root. it's just a shortcut to the toggle rather than toggling it directly. none of it is super pressing, but things I would just like.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using XDA-Developers mobile app

Related

Why so worried about root on lilipop

Why is everyone so worried about root on lilipop as we havent gotten root on 4.4.4 yet lolipop looks terribe for one stay on kit kat and don't worry so much i dont see anything different in lilipop except astetic changes and new security
There is no android device yet(to my knowledge) that hasn't been rooted. I think they all will get rooted sooner or later. If there's no root it not android... My opinion
Sent from my SCH-I545 using XDA Free mobile app
The VZW Moto X 2014 has no known root method for 4.4.4
you need to read the post by chainfire then
I am worried about root on both KK and Lollipop. I came from a Hero, Evo, Evo 3D, S3, M8 and now I want the N4. I have rooted and applied custom roms on all of the phones so far to help maximize the phone. I know the N4 is a beast of a phone and shouldn't need much to maximize, but I would still like to have at least root access for my apps and maybe safestrap for flashing custom roms.
My thoughts are now is whether or not to get the N6 or the N4. N6 will be fully customizable, but I believe the N4 will be the better phone even without a unlocked bootloader. Not having an removable battery or SD card slot is a possible no go for me seeing the Lollipop with eat more room into the internal storage.
I am going to my local VZW store today to check it out with the wife.
doeboy711 said:
I am worried about root on both KK and Lollipop. I came from a Hero, Evo, Evo 3D, S3, M8 and now I want the N4. I have rooted and applied custom roms on all of the phones so far to help maximize the phone. I know the N4 is a beast of a phone and shouldn't need much to maximize, but I would still like to have at least root access for my apps and maybe safestrap for flashing custom roms.
My thoughts are now is whether or not to get the N6 or the N4. N6 will be fully customizable, but I believe the N4 will be the better phone even without a unlocked bootloader. Not having an removable battery or SD card slot is a possible no go for me seeing the Lollipop with eat more room into the internal storage.
I am going to my local VZW store today to check it out with the wife.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
have you seen my thread about developer edition note 4? best of both worlds
oneandroidnut said:
have you seen my thread about developer edition note 4? best of both worlds
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Click to collapse
yeah I saw it, I can't justify that cash right now for a D-N4. I am upgrading on the Edge plan and VZW is footing $25 a month for my phone and I will be just paying $5 a month or a total of $120 in 24 months for the N4. I have a 10gb plan and that's why they are footing the $25 a month.
doeboy711 said:
yeah I saw it, I can't justify that cash right now for a D-N4. I am upgrading on the Edge plan and VZW is footing $25 a month for my phone and I will be just paying $5 a month or a total of $120 in 24 months for the N4. I have a 10gb plan and that's why they are footing the $25 a month.
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Click to collapse
ahhh i understand. i buy everything off contract which has its positives and negatives lol
jolly_roger_hook said:
Why is everyone so worried about root on lilipop as we havent gotten root on 4.4.4 yet lolipop looks terribe for one stay on kit kat and don't worry so much i dont see anything different in lilipop except astetic changes and new security
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
WAAHHHH!!! except astetic changes. are you serious? what about ART? You know the whole new platform android will be running on. All I can say is CMON MAN!
Nooter said:
The VZW Moto X 2014 has no known root method for 4.4.4
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The phone is still fresh and the development foresight started vanishing after the announcement of the Nexus 6 and Droid Turbo. I bought one out of impulse and once I seen the XDA forum as a ghost town I returned it. Not getting sucked into another deadbeat investment.
Motorola encrypts their bootloaders though, but I don't think that means it can't be rooted.
Samsung has a huge following. The Note 4 has a huge following. There will be a root at some point.
Sent from my SM-N910V
counting on root to fix some so far minor problems I cannot solve.
TheMavic said:
Samsung has a huge following. The Note 4 has a huge following. There will be a root at some point.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's been half a year, and it's looking as unlikely as ever that there will be a root for the Verizon Note 4.
I am not so sure. There are still plenty of Devs working it out. Even though nothing has been found yet, they have taken out alot of possibilities. Plus this morning saw a post that I believe was specific for the RE N4 and a possible way for r/w access on /system directory. Waiting to hear word whether it works or not, but if it does, that is all I need. Me personally, I do not care much for custom ROM's, just need control on the device and when it tells me I am not allowed, it irks me.
Nooter said:
It's been half a year, and it's looking as unlikely as ever that there will be a root for the Verizon Note 4.
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Click to collapse
Well even if someone was making progress, I wouldn't expect to hear anything from them due to the bounty. It's a lot of money, and announcing it could give someone else an advantage - they could potentially search for forum posts or questions you may have asked to try and extrapolate your methods, look at your past techniques and area of expertise, or just plain try and hack you.
I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a *little*disappointed that we still don't have it, but Lollipop had been great so far (battery issues aside), so it isn't nearly as important to me as it once was. Since Lollipop now let's apps write to the external SD, the only things I really want are Titanium Backup and the ability to remove status bar icons (like that Verizon '4g LTE' icon that NEVER goes away, even with mobile data turn off...)
TackyCookie said:
Well even if someone was making progress, I wouldn't expect to hear anything from them due to the bounty. It's a lot of money, and announcing it could give someone else an advantage - they could potentially search for forum posts or questions you may have asked to try and extrapolate your methods, look at your past techniques and area of expertise, or just plain try and hack you.
I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a *little*disappointed that we still don't have it, but Lollipop had been great so far (battery issues aside), so it isn't nearly as important to me as it once was. Since Lollipop now let's apps write to the external SD, the only things I really want are Titanium Backup and the ability to remove status bar icons (like that Verizon '4g LTE' icon that NEVER goes away, even with mobile data turn off...)
Click to expand...
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http://forum.xda-developers.com/not...s-only/rd-rooting-n910a-n910v-models-t3042045
There's the thread I came across earlier. With that said, there are no specifics being posted outside of PM but there are plenty of updates as far as opportune routes they are going in.
Sucks. My bro hates lollipop as much as I did.I was hoping to help him roll back. Told him to ditch Verizon with me, but he didn't listen. Now he's stuck in a weak data plan with a locked down phone. Oh well.
Barkleyfan said:
Sucks. My bro hates lollipop as much as I did.I was hoping to help him roll back. Told him to ditch Verizon with me, but he didn't listen. Now he's stuck in a weak data plan with a locked down phone. Oh well.
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Not many people care if phone is locked"bootloader" honestly non-geeks
patt2k said:
Not many people care if phone is locked"bootloader" honestly non-geeks
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Click to collapse
I see it everywhere. People buy expensive smart phones just to text, make phone calls, take pictures, use social media, play games and a little casual web browsing. Then they still have the stock launcher with all the same icons and widgets that the phone came with and they go into the app drawer to search for any app they want to use. They have no clue about customization, settings or the file system. I think they just want other people to see that they have the best stuff.
stueycaster said:
I see it everywhere. People buy expensive smart phones just to text, make phone calls, take pictures, use social media, play games and a little casual web browsing. Then they still have the stock launcher with all the same icons and widgets that the phone came with and they go into the app drawer to search for any app they want to use. They have no clue about customization, settings or the file system. I think they just want other people to see that they have the best stuff.
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Click to collapse
yea since its not one of the best phones out even without root..
regardless, root adds to the value to some but not everyone.. many have never rooted a device and us that do is a VERY small piece of the customer base like 1% or less small.
Sent from my SM-G925V using XDA Free mobile app
elliwigy said:
yea since its not one of the best phones out even without root..
regardless, root adds to the value to some but not everyone.. many have never rooted a device and us that do is a VERY small piece of the customer base like 1% or less small.
Sent from my SM-G925V using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wonder what percentage of users are crazy enough to pay full price for a developer edition phone just so we can hopefully get some cool new rom. Then we still have to wait for root to come to the retail phones before development can take off. Oh well, at least I'm not having the issues the OTA caused everyone.
Sent from my SM-N910V DE
Remember: Read twice - Flash once

Warning about root

if you root this phone and trip knox fuse counter. you will NEVER EVER be able to use the great feature of MST through samsung pay.
My thoughts . since we have a non root hotspot and all bloatware (which isnt that much) can be disabled
the phone has so much customization incl uded i am not rooting the phone. the battery lasts 2 days easy with medium
use. no bugs at all i can find. what more can you ask for.
Remember Root no MST (mst is the ability to use the old card swipers at any location with the phone. it sends card you addeds magnetic strip info to the swiper )
UNLESS you can root without tripping the know counter. its unreversalble
carry on
First phone I've owned that I dont see myself rooting. I really like the Samsung Pay.
Yea I'm coming from the S6 and couldn't use it but enjoying Samsung Pay now
You don't have to worry about that. All US versions are locked down. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=3327399
After 8 generations of HTC phones, I decided to try Samsung this year as M10 rumors were they were ditching Boomsound my favorite feature of the M phones. I felt edge was far superior this year at least based on the rumors which getting this close to launch are usually spot on. I was well aware that I was going to have to decide to trip knox or not if I wanted root. While there is more customization and control with Android 6 it still doesn't compare to having everything wide open, especially if you are use to S-OFF.
Is the trade off worth it? Well I think so at least right now, this device is superior to pretty much anything out at the moment. I'm already missing Xposed, Titanium Backup & AdAway. The lock down on these devices is just getting so bad, while I understand they shouldn't come rooted out of the box but give us a choice. We may not even have the option of tripping Knox at this point. Part of the reason I stayed with Sprint for so long is they were more friendly with unlocking phones then big red but everything seems to be going the wrong direction.
Even if root is granted, it will just be patched and it's only going to get more secure and difficult each generation. I guess we just might have to start accepting that this is just how it is. Kinda sad, I'm just so use to having it even back in the Windows Mobile days I was running custom roms.
v8dreaming said:
You don't have to worry about that. All US versions are locked down. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=3327399
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No they are already rooted with custom kernels and roms deodexed and odexed
These boys dont.play
Yess of course
I'm fine removing Samsung Pay if I get the benefits of rooting.
Robalboa said:
Works on our phones http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=3335727
ROM stock firmware Samsung Galaxy S7 EDGE SM-G935P ROOT TWRP Drivers
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I thought the bootloader was locked on all the carriers this year?
Someone give it a shot and let us know ?
Sim-X said:
I thought the bootloader was locked on all the carriers this year?
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Click to collapse
It still has the unlock bootloader button in developer options just like the S6 had
Soooperstar said:
It still has the unlock bootloader button in developer options just like the S6 had
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Interesting, I'm not gonna go first I still haven't decided if I wanna trip knox or not if the bootloader is in fact able to be unlocked.
Robalboa said:
Works on our phones http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=3335727
ROM stock firmware Samsung Galaxy S7 EDGE SM-G935P ROOT TWRP Drivers
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This link only shows 935F -- not 935P. Am I missing something?
nastypup said:
This link only shows 935F -- not 935P. Am I missing something?
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Click to collapse
as stated above there a option to
unlock the bootloader in Dev options. im not sure all the details because i see no benefit to root right now but
they do have the phone rooted and they are modding kernels and system as wee speak. also custom recovery.
TWRP will inject root upon install and start up to reboot.
This is just a warning about root to anyone so they know the Deal with Samsung pay and MST
I do see it says 900f but theres numerous reports of it working on the 900P
you know these guys are flashaholics lol
Robalboa said:
as stated above there a option to
unlock the bootloader in Dev options. im not sure all the details because i see no benefit to root right now but
they do have the phone rooted and they are modding kernels and system as wee speak. also custom recovery.
TWRP will inject root upon install and start up to reboot.
This is just a warning about root to anyone so they know the Deal with Samsung pay and MST
I do see it says 900f but theres numerous reports of it working on the 900P
you know these guys are flashaholics lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the tip! I'm a huge fan of custom roms and the prospect of xposed so I'm very much looking forward to rooting. I'll wait a little though for a more concrete path and at least a rom to flash.
Robalboa said:
as stated above there a option to
unlock the bootloader in Dev options. im not sure all the details because i see no benefit to root right now but
they do have the phone rooted and they are modding kernels and system as wee speak. also custom recovery.
TWRP will inject root upon install and start up to reboot.
This is just a warning about root to anyone so they know the Deal with Samsung pay and MST
I do see it says 900f but theres numerous reports of it working on the 900P
you know these guys are flashaholics lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've never used Samsung Pay but I need a rooted phone to restore a ton of data. Stock ROM is adequate for me. I played with custom ROMs years ago and they were just a time suck. I was flashing them almost daily. The stock ROM is good as long as its rooted.
nastypup said:
I've never used Samsung Pay but I need a rooted phone to restore a ton of data. Stock ROM is adequate for me. I played with custom ROMs years ago and they were just a time suck. I was flashing them almost daily. The stock ROM is good as long as its rooted.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Samsung pay is the only way to use MST or use ur phone for old card swipers. But thats your call
Samsung pay is useless to me. And as far as I can tell that's the only benefit to not rooting. I've read there are other benefits but that's the only one I've seen posted, Other than warranty.
To me; rooting is more beneficial. Removing advertising is the biggest. Then a basic debloated rom is second. Adding apps that are not usable on non-rooted phone would be my third reason.
nickmus said:
Samsung pay is useless to me. And as far as I can tell that's the only benefit to not rooting. I've read there are other benefits but that's the only one I've seen posted, Other than warranty.
To me; rooting is more beneficial. Removing advertising is the biggest. Then a basic debloated rom is second. Adding apps that are not usable on non-rooted phone would be my third reason.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm kinda feeling the same way. Can't use Samsung Pay as a total replacement anyway and I just looked they don't even support Capital One cards at least yet anyway. That was one thing google did right back in the day with wallet, you could link any card. Still looks cool but ad block is one of the main reasons I root as well. I'm giving AdGaurd a shot (I use that on my desktop) and you can side load it to Android it creates a local VPN connection to the app to filter all traffic. Kinda annoying you always have a notification saying it's running also doesn't block youtube ads which Xposed worked awesome for that. I miss TI as well. Warranty void I feel so so about. S-OFF you could at least remove a tampered flag on an HTC although HTC would still have record of you doing a dev unlock token even if reset everything.

New Software Update

Just got a software update. I wonder what has changed or improved.
Sent from my SM-G935T using Tapatalk
Not sure. But bootloader is still locked with this, and experts are recommending to hold off on install if you plan on trying to root the device (in case a root exploit is found for the original software version). Remember, once you flash a new software, you cannot go back.
Seems to fix static over bluetooth, at least for me. Persisting with cabled headphones, though.
I noticed that it re-enables the things you have disabled with Package Disabler Pro.
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
How do you disable automatic updates ?
Sent from my SM-G935T using Tapatalk
I just did the update, TOOK FOREVER IT SEEMED....but I am very impatient. Afterwards, it seems that things are smoother and faster, but it could just be the placebo effect. I will be watching battery life today and see if it improves.
Dr. Fed said:
Not sure. But bootloader is still locked with this, and experts are recommending to hold off on install if you plan on trying to root the device (in case a root exploit is found for the original software version). Remember, once you flash a new software, you cannot go back.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lucky for my, I don't root or anything like that. I'm kind of ocd I like things to be the way they are supposed to be. I tried it once and hated it.
Sent from my SM-G935T using Tapatalk
Dr. Fed said:
Not sure. But bootloader is still locked with this, and experts are recommending to hold off on install if you plan on trying to root the device (in case a root exploit is found for the original software version). Remember, once you flash a new software, you cannot go back.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Although I do believe that Samsung should unlock the bootloader and let people make their own choice about their phone. They just need to make it very clear that if you modify your phone your warranty is voided and your on your own. Sad part is some people will go out there and start playing with stuff and not know what they are doing and then want to blame Samsung when the phone gets messed up.
Sent from my SM-G935T using Tapatalk
My next phone im not rooting
Sent from my SM-N920T using Tapatalk
Cyberguycpt said:
Although I do believe that Samsung should unlock the bootloader and let people make their own choice about their phone. They just need to make it very clear that if you modify your phone your warranty is voided and your on your own. Sad part is some people will go out there and start playing with stuff and not know what they are doing and then want to blame Samsung when the phone gets messed up.
Sent from my SM-G935T using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think they've made it abundantly clear that flashing unsigned firmware voids the warranty. And Samsung can then refurb the phone and resell it. The Knox flag effectively protects Samsung from any liability regarding this sort of thing. Making it impossible to "downgrade" to previous software versions, a practice Samsung started a few years ago, was a bad omen. The dawn of the Knox flag added to this downward spiral. Locking the bootloader is a level of control unprecedented for carriers like T Mobile and Sprint, and continues the evolution of Samsung's security deathgrip.
Popped up when I unlocked my phone this morning. It's installing now will play around with it .
nano303 said:
My next phone im not rooting
Sent from my SM-N920T using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
then you have nothing to worry about, it is a great phone.
---------- Post added at 09:41 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:38 AM ----------
I "chatted" with T Mobile support around 8:30 am today, they had no idea this update was live. Apparently their databases have not updated.
Probably a good idea to hold off on this for now. What if they find an exploit that lets us root but only for the previous version? This is becoming a lot like iPhone jailbreaking... that's why I switched to this S7 Edge lol. I should have read more about it first.
slayerh4x said:
Probably a good idea to hold off on this for now. What if they find an exploit that lets us root but only for the previous version? This is becoming a lot like iPhone jailbreaking... that's why I switched to this S7 Edge lol. I should have read more about it first.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Samsung devices on T Mobile have always had unlocked bootloaders (as long as I can remember anyhow), this was a huge surprise for everybody.
It's also not the March security update as its still flagged as Feb 1
Sent from my SM-G935T using Tapatalk
Just rebooted after installing the update. Got a pop-up saying:
"The operating system on your device has been modified in an unauthorized way. Try downloading software updates using Smart Switch on your computer or visit a customer service center"
I haven't modified anything. I haven't even disabled packages. There is obviously no root so I haven't done that either. Weird. Will try a factory restore.
Edit: This was happening after I attempted to check for updates after this mornings update installed. Checked for update again after a 2nd restart and message no longer comes up.
Dr. Fed said:
Samsung devices on T Mobile have always had unlocked bootloaders (as long as I can remember anyhow), this was a huge surprise for everybody.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah it does seem that way. It really sucks, rooting the phone was one of the big reasons I wanted to switch over. I hope someone is able to find an exploit that allows root. I had android a long time ago and ran Cyanogen mod, that thing was cool. It took the super slow stock LG G1 or whatever it was and made it really fast. I would pay for that on this phone, it has so much potential.
Dr. Fed said:
I think they've made it abundantly clear that flashing unsigned firmware voids the warranty. And Samsung can then refurb the phone and resell it. The Knox flag effectively protects Samsung from any liability regarding this sort of thing. Making it impossible to "downgrade" to previous software versions, a practice Samsung started a few years ago, was a bad omen. The dawn of the Knox flag added to this downward spiral. Locking the bootloader is a level of control unprecedented for carriers like T Mobile and Sprint, and continues the evolution of Samsung's security deathgrip.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The only issue I have with modding phones is that sometimes when buying used phones the seller doesn't tend to inform the buyer if something is wrong. I bought a phone a few years ago on At&t and realized later that it had Internet but could not make calls out. Apparently the last owner flashed something and messed it up. I ended up selling it for cheap, luckily it worked out for the buyer because the phone would not make calls on At&t but would on T-Mobile and he had T-Mobile.
There should be a bootloader unlocking tool that will let you forfeit all your claiming rights but also put you on a list by you imei number that can tell potential buyer your phone has been modified. While you may wont to modify it I wouldn't wont any of your problems. Worst of all is when you hear there is an update for your phone but you cant get it because your phone was modded with out your knowledge when purchasing.
Sent from my SM-G935T using Tapatalk
idtheftvictim said:
I just did the update, TOOK FOREVER IT SEEMED....but I am very impatient. Afterwards, it seems that things are smoother and faster, but it could just be the placebo effect. I will be watching battery life today and see if it improves.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I actually don't think its a placebo effect. Could be wrong. On restart, it was much quicker to get to a usable state. The micro stutters I was having seem to be gone. Things are opening quicker as well.
A welcomed update, I have installed on my phone and will see if it improves my battery life which has not been too good.

Rooting for a purpose, then unrooting

So, I've been at this Android thing for a very long time, and had unofficially retired from the XDA world when I bought a GS7 because I never thought rooting would even be possible. Well, now that I've rooted the phone and experimented with a custom ROM, I've come up with a question I don't know that I've ever had or read before.
I'm struggling with whether or not to stay in the rooted universe because I had come to take advantage of Samsung Pay quite often, and I didn't realize the battery difference would be what it is.
I want my phone rooted for two primary reasons, 1) to hack the provisioning so that I can use the native hotspot feature without needing a special app like FoxFi, and 2) to be able to remove all the crapware these phones come with.
So.. Theoretically here..... Shouldn't it be possible to root my phone, remove the crap, hack the provisioning, and then unroot the phone, revert back to the stock kernel, get my battery life back, and use Samsung Pay again? I never did load Samsung Pay on this phone since I've rooted it.
I saw psouza's unrooting guide but if I recall it was a destructive process..... I'd like to see if there's a way to root, set things up, then unroot and restore the phone to a state that maintains the hotspot hack and makes Samsung Pay happy.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/verizon-galaxy-s7/help/magisk-t3462583/post68962510
I had the same question. Apparently if you alter the system the stock boot image/kernal will not boot.
You will get a verity error.
bart77 said:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/verizon-galaxy-s7/help/magisk-t3462583/post68962510
I had the same question. Apparently if you alter the system the stock boot image/kernal will not boot.
You will get a verity error.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well poo....I wonder....since the S7 is still relatively new to hacking....I wonder if someone can figure out a workaround that would allow for tampering first, and a successful unrooting afterward. Or maybe this is a Android-wide problem...I've never really thought about this particular approach before....I've always just been always rooted, or never rooted.
I also have this hope that someone will figure out how to spoof whatever is necessary in order for Samsung Pay to still work.
I am using stang5.0liter's ROM and the only slight issue is the battery.......phone runs smoothly for me.....if Samsung Pay worked on this ROM I wouldn't even care about my initial question here.
spearoid said:
well poo....I wonder....since the S7 is still relatively new to hacking....I wonder if someone can figure out a workaround that would allow for tampering first, and a successful unrooting afterward. Or maybe this is a Android-wide problem...I've never really thought about this particular approach before....I've always just been always rooted, or never rooted.
I also have this hope that someone will figure out how to spoof whatever is necessary in order for Samsung Pay to still work.
I am using stang5.0liter's ROM and the only slight issue is the battery.......phone runs smoothly for me.....if Samsung Pay worked on this ROM I wouldn't even care about my initial question here.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It will not work. The original kernel for the device checks system verity. This is a part of locked boot loaders and android M+. If one bit of information is changed the original kernel will not boot. The reason we can root with the engineer kernel is it does not do this. Due to being in a "custom" status and non original kernel Samsung pay will not work nor will it ever work with this root method.
You have ruined my life with this response
So, why is the performance so bad on the engineering kernal?
spearoid said:
You have ruined my life with this response
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just the messenger lol. But honestly I can live without root. If I desperately needed root I wouldn't have bought a Samsung device as they are not the best for it. If you NEED root next time look more towards Nexus Phones, now Pixel and WAY over priced imo. Or research which phones have good root with an unlockable BL. For that I would stray from VZW branded devices and buy an unlocked version from the manufacturer that is compatible with VZW
bart77 said:
So, why is the performance so bad on the engineering kernal?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It was used for internal testing for Samsung. This was an early version of the first kernel they had for the S7, I believe and correct me if I am wrong anyone. It was fine tuned and then released but the engineering kernel was left in the dust.
Illogi.xbone said:
Just the messenger lol. But honestly I can live without root. If I desperately needed root I wouldn't have bought a Samsung device as they are not the best for it. If you NEED root next time look more towards Nexus Phones, now Pixel and WAY over priced imo. Or research which phones have good root with an unlockable BL. For that I would stray from VZW branded devices and buy an unlocked version from the manufacturer that is compatible with VZW
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't need to have root. I bought this phone fully expecting to never be able to root it again. After several months of non root usage, it was very nice to enjoy some of the luxuries of a rooted phone again. I'm still torn as to which direction to go. I use the hotspot feature daily, and it works much better now than in the unrooted world for me at least.
I just wanted to see if there was any hope for having the best of both worlds.
spearoid said:
I don't need to have root. I bought this phone fully expecting to never be able to root it again. After several months of non root usage, it was very nice to enjoy some of the luxuries of a rooted phone again. I'm still torn as to which direction to go. I use the hotspot feature daily, and it works much better now than in the unrooted world for me at least.
I just wanted to see if there was any hope for having the best of both worlds.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was too until the pokemon update lol then I decided no root.

Will Sprint LGG6 Ever Obtain Root or Unlocked Bootloader?

Will Sprint LGG6 Ever Obtain Root or Unlocked Bootloader?
Magic 8-ball says: Ask again later...
I hate these questions. They make me feel more doubtful, lol. Heck, if we knew that everybody would be buying one and waiting in anticipation.
Sent from my LG-LS993 using Tapatalk
The million dollar question. I hope it happens but this is the first phone stock I've had that doesn't annoy me. I actually barely notice at all but I love to flash so maybe one day
My phone runs great no issues so it's not a big thing to have it rooted in that aspect, however. I like to keep NANDROID backups in case something happens, and the ability to backup applications the way I want is very important to me. Just using apps to backup everything is one thing, but if something occurs on a system level, you are generally screwed unless you have ROOT to be able to tinker and fix it yourself. I was able to fix countless phones on my own when the stores would want to wipe to factory reset or give me a refurbished. Screw that mess, give me freedom. Besides, it's illegal for them to deny you insurance claims based on ROOT. They legally have to prove that you damaged the phone by modifying the software. Battled and won twice after threats of a lawsuit. I have that part of the consumer rights saved in multiple places, just need to remember where so I can post it.
It all depends on whether or not the bootloader is locked, dm-verity, restrictions, etc. I hope it's not something like the Galaxy S7 with its Qualcomm Secure Boot.
The bootloader isn't even accessible from any user accessable means from what I've encountered, I can't seem to get in, I have "Enable OEM unlock" in settings, but it just seems that fastboot has been entirely stripped from this device... Very weird.
source code for Sprint G6
enzeden said:
Will Sprint LGG6 Ever Obtain Root or Unlocked Bootloader?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
dont know if this could help. i wouldnt know what to look for..
opensource.lge.com/osSch/list?types=ALL&search=LS993
Is this fake?
https://www.getdroidtips.com/root-install-twrp-recovery-sprint-lg-g6/
Sent from my LG-LS993 using Tapatalk
hoonigan43 said:
Is this fake?
https://www.getdroidtips.com/root-install-twrp-recovery-sprint-lg-g6/
Sent from my LG-LS993 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yep
l33tlinuxh4x0r said:
yep
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Figured ?
Sent from my LG-LS993 using Tapatalk
I'm guessing no one is even working on root or bootloader unlock. Seriously, disappointing. I just want bloat gone.
MikeDroid said:
I'm guessing no one is even working on root or bootloader unlock. Seriously, disappointing. I just want bloat gone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why dont you look for a bootloader exploit or donate your phone to someone who can do it?
Mr nerd said:
Why dont you look for a bootloader exploit or donate your phone to someone who can do it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Because I like to go outside every now and then and I need a working phone. Don't care to go back to old Nexus.
MikeDroid said:
I'm guessing no one is even working on root or bootloader unlock. Seriously, disappointing. I just want bloat gone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can still anti bloat through android.. by disabling apps manually. But yeah I feel your pain.. I hate ads, I miss Xposed, I miss TWRP.. My note 5 i still keep around for that reason...
Truth is the LG G6 is a spectacular phone.. But the rooting community is getting smaller and smaller as android allows you to be more customizable and the average device life for people has gone from 2-3 years.. to every year now with leases and trade ins at carriers, and flagship phones coming out every 8-14 months.
WIth the G4 randomly dying, and the G5 having battery issues.. It took LG a while to get it right, and I love this phone more than the s8 and s8+ but LG jumped on the "apple/samsung" bandwagon by locking bootloaders... There are alot more people with Samsungs than LGs right now.. The reason behind all the companies going this route is because of Android Pay and proprietary security by phone manufacturers to push more sales through corporate and enterprise security..
At least LG is over time unlocking some variants ( albeit international) of the G6 its hopeful...
We used to have this luxury with HTC but they are still trying to stay afloat.
Those are just my observations... from working for an indirect dealer and rooting tons of phones for 9+ Years.
We just have to pray for an exploit- somewhere.. someone out there has turned it into an obsession... Lets just hope they emerge ....
chaosrecords said:
You can still anti bloat through android.. by disabling apps manually. But yeah I feel your pain.. I hate ads, I miss Xposed, I miss TWRP.. My note 5 i still keep around for that reason...
Truth is the LG G6 is a spectacular phone.. But the rooting community is getting smaller and smaller as android allows you to be more customizable and the average device life for people has gone from 2-3 years.. to every year now with leases and trade ins at carriers, and flagship phones coming out every 8-14 months.
WIth the G4 randomly dying, and the G5 having battery issues.. It took LG a while to get it right, and I love this phone more than the s8 and s8+ but LG jumped on the "apple/samsung" bandwagon by locking bootloaders... There are alot more people with Samsungs than LGs right now.. The reason behind all the companies going this route is because of Android Pay and proprietary security by phone manufacturers to push more sales through corporate and enterprise security..
At least LG is over time unlocking some variants ( albeit international) of the G6 its hopeful...
We used to have this luxury with HTC but they are still trying to stay afloat.
Those are just my observations... from working for an indirect dealer and rooting tons of phones for 9+ Years.
We just have to pray for an exploit- somewhere.. someone out there has turned it into an obsession... Lets just hope they emerge ....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ditto on all that. For ads, I've used the all in one opt out which has eliminated lots of ads. Bloat is irritating, having to reset Google Voice after every update. Xposed was awesome. And I want all the Sprint badging and boot animation gone. Even temp root would make me happy.
Just everybody remember. Do not update. Usually root is achieved on lowest firmwares only in the last few history of lg series
Someone just messaged me this: Maybe some jtag process could work, or test point at qcom mode, dumping boot.img and rooting with magisk

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