downgrade security level? - Verizon Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge Questions & Answers

I have been searching on here for quite a while and don't find anything related to downgrading the security patches. Is this possible? Where would I go to find it? I have a Verizon S7 Edge. I don't know which Security version is on it yet, but, trying the Real Term method of sending a call to the device is impossible as I have watched several people trying to remove FRP with that method so I thought I would try that to see which security level I am on. I have an AT&T S7 edge that is on June 1 2016 Security and the Real Term method of sending a call works on that one. So, have there been even more security level patches since June 2016, or are there more reasons I can't use Real Term to access the device?
Yes I am a complete noob!!!

Downgrade Security????
It seems like I am always posting in the wrong place. I rarely ever get any replies.
No need for anyone to reply to this, I have figured it out.
My next question is for HARDWARE. I need motherboard diagnosis and rework.
Anyone????

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OTA or not OTA?, That is the question.

Hi, I just signed up to ask this question, but have been lurking for a fair while whilst contemplating rooting my Hero for 2.1, but it appears the day has come where I will get it officially (I know that many of you will see this as madness, seeing as the official update will quite probably destroy my chances of rooting, but I've survived this long and loved using my phone without, so I'm not too bothered.)
Introduction out of the way, I've read a lot about the update coming OTA, but there appears to be no function on my phone for any "check for software updates" or anything similar that I assume would be there were OTA enabled. I have a Non-Branded UK Hero with build number 2.73.405.5 and was wondering if anyone could shed some light on this confusing confusing situation. Sorry if this has been asked before as well, but I couldn't find it in the forum anywhere.
Thanks in advance for your replies
Apparently a message will pop up on your phone screen asking you accept the update and then it will download to your phone over the air so make sure you have a data plan or you will be charged for the data downloading to your phone by your phone company !
I'm at home all day today so can use my Wi-Fi, so getting charged isn't a problem. Is it safe for me to assume that the OTA option will pop up for me when it rolls out to the UK and everything will be hunky dory then or are there drastic actions to be taken ASAP to allow me to update without a hitch?

how to bypass flyme os pattern lock on meizu m2 note

i've read similar problems with other users who sought help from the meizu-flyme websites but they won't respond with anything better than a canny reply that they will be looking into it. it's been months since this problem popped up and its amazing that nobody finds anything that specifically addresses this particular product. someone suggested that it is the manufacturer that can provide a valid and lasting solution to this by providing the source code of the os. but even so, i am just a curious cat daring to get killed or be delivered by its boldness. i just can't believe that it is so difficult to gain access to my m2 note again even as it keeps me from doing so and still receive phone calls from it and let me listen to my music with it. No modifications were made to it except perhaps getting root access but I am not sure if debugging was activated before i was shut out from getting in due to this flyme lockscreen pattern that id completely forgotten! i did try the new security flaw that's just been discovered wherein you try to put in a very long string when making an emergency call with it. But when i get to the next step in using the camera, it just won't show the notification shade where i can proceed with what is expected to be done to crash or hang the unit! there is a factory mode that i can boot into but i find no suggestions on what i can do from there. in fact i can even upgrade it successfully (i can watch it go through the process) and it would later inform me that it was successfully done but still the pattern lock would still be there! before it locked me out i managed to link it to my wifi so it is actually online but i don't know how good that is if it could solve my problem at all.

Recurrent lag after 7.0 update, two different phones

Hello folks, new to the forum here. My wife and I both recently got Galaxy S7s from Sams, and our carrier is AT&T. For whatever reason, the push updates never happen on my phone, so I am still in 6.0.1, but my wife's has gotten 7.0 pushed to hers. Problem is that after a while (perhaps a couple of days), her phone starts to develop a persistent lag, where she can't really do anything at all, like typing or changing apps, so severe is the lag. The phone was basically useless at that point, so she would have to restart the phone to restore its normal function. But the lag would always return, and she would need restart multiple times per day.
Talking to Samsung and AT&T proved fruitless at getting any troubleshooting done other than factory resetting the phone. That of course fixed the problem, but as soon as the 7.0 push update happened, the lag came back. We eventually got AT&T to send us a new phone on warranty. But just recently her phone got 7.0 pushed and sure enough the lag is back. Clearly the problem is software related, as my phone is still 6.0.1 and runs perfectly.
I am pretty uninitiated in the Android world, and so I was hoping you folks might be able to help us restore her phone, as I am certain we will get no useful help through the "official" channels. We aren't looking to root or anything, but if there is troubleshooting or a guide we could walk through, we would sure appreciate the help.
Thanks!
I had the same problem when my S7 did the update from 6.0.1 to Android 7. I asked AT&T to change the phone and they did. When the new phone did the update the lag problems started again. I downgrade to stock 6.0.1 and disable the update service with Package Disabler. Now I keep on android 6.0.1 (which I like more than the Nougat) and I do not have lag problems.
You could try to flash the Nougat update manually. It's not exactly simple, but a fair amount of reading up on it should prepare you. Obviously you'll lose all personal data, and there's even a chance it might still be laggy for you. There is a guide on how to do this on droidviews.com that helped me tremendously. Make sure that if you try this, you plug in the phone only after it is in download mode and only after Odin is open. Plus you'll need the drivers and to make sure the phone is in USB Debugging mode via developer options, as well as turn on OEM unlock before you try this. Good luck!

What circumstances exactly are activating FRP?

At first, I'd like to thank all participants and developers for making this forum possible! I am still absolutely excited about the stuff which is offered and discussed here.
Having said this, I hope I don't get flamed for the following silly question:
I am confused about the FRP on Samsung phones in general and especially the Galaxy S5 (G900F) and would be grateful if somebody could explain what circumstances exactly activate the FRP. I have read many threads, especially on this forum, about how to circumvent the FRP on the Galaxy S5 (after accidentally having flashed and not knowing the Samsung account credentials). But I haven't found a thread which explains exactly when FRP gets activated.
Currently, I do not have a problem with FRP. But I really want to avoid that I have such a problem one day. For certain reasons, I just have bought two brand new Galaxy S5 (G990F, DBT version without branding / lock), one for my wife and one for me.
I did flash LineageOS 14.1 (current version as per the time of writing this) on both phones. I did not create a Google or Samsung account yet, so FRP can't be active yet (as far as I have understood).
One of my understanding problems is that some forum threads / tutorials / posts state that FRP gets activated if there is a Google account, and that others state that it must be a Samsung account. Again, others state that it must be Google / Samsung account together with an active fingerprint or unlock pattern (if this is the right term - I am not a native English speaker). This is very worrying, hence the questions:
- Under LineageOS 14.1 on the G900F, can FRP get active at all?
- If yes, what are the exact circumstances / combinations of conditions which activate it?
- Finally, is there a way to disable it in the first place, i.e. before a Google / Samsung account is created, or before any of the condition combinations which could activate it occurs? In other words, is it possible to globally disable it so that it can't be enabled any more? I would have no problem with rooting, if that would be necessary to achieve that goal. My wife is fantastic, but I won't guarantee that she does not create a Google or Samsung account, does disable the FRP after doing so, or does write down the credentials after doing so
Thank you very much for any explanations ...
Galaxy S5 does not use FRP, it uses Reactivation Lock.
The first refers to Google account, the second - to Samsung account.
RL does not activate by itself, only if you turn it on in the settings.
Some used phones are sold with a kind of RL "bypass" and RL may be activated if you reflash such phone.
But RL can be completely turned off on S5 in a relatively easy way that's why I don's see a cause for concern.
P.S. Are you a virus?
@bbsc Thank you very much for taking the time!
You state that I can turn off RL easily. Do I need a stock ROM to do so? In LineageOS 14.1, I did not find the respective setting, probably because LineageOS does not know about Samsung oddities. Did I miss something?
P.S. No, I am not a virus. Al least, I hope so. Actually, I don't know exactly what I am, and, if anything, how many of them or how much of it.
Joking apart: I am always using random strings as my user name (if it is this why you asked ).
D9yHyi8Fe3mo1YgM said:
At first, I'd like to thank all participants and developers for making this forum possible! I am still absolutely excited about the stuff which is offered and discussed here.....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Solely for elaborating what @bbsc has also correctly stated, Here's just a little/brief definition of both...
~ Google FRP (Factory Reset Protection): This is intended for those who may have had (unfortunately) their device lost or stolen and the FRP is there to prevent others from activating your device if they had reset the device to factory settings without the true owners permission. Only someone with your Google account information can use/activate the device.
~ Samsung Reactivation Lock: This is also intended for those who may have had (unfortunately) their device lost or stolen and this security option is tasked to prevent others from activating your device. Once the owner decides to activate this option, this feature will demand the individual to enter the Samsung account credentials for the true owner (the one who had activated this option) after the device was factory reset.
There's more to it but, I believe that this covers the basics of them both as well as the differences between the two.
I hope that I had explained this okay via text...
Good Luck!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I DO NOT provide support via PM unless asked/requested by myself. PLEASE keep it in the threads where everyone can share.
D9yHyi8Fe3mo1YgM said:
You state that I can turn off RL easily. Do I need a stock ROM to do so?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't state YOU can turn it off easily.
I state it CAN be turned off relatively easily. You may want to have a look at my thread about RL on SM-G900V (locked bootloader). It's not you case, but yours is easier.
You can try, of course.
First, look if it really is turned ON. It's clearly seen on the display in Odin (download) mode.
It it's ON and you do know the credentials then just flash any stock firmware and you will be asked these credentials when following Samsung Startup Wizard.
If it's ON and you do NOT know the credentials then flash an early 4.4.2 firmware, bypass Samsung Startup Wizard with one of the known tricks and login to ANY Samsung Account. You will be able to turn RL OFF after this.
P.S. Thank you for the explanation about random char string .
@Ibuprophen Thanks for the explanation ...
BTW, you have LOS installed and this means a custom recovery installed too.
RL blocks custom recovery flashing, so your phone should have RL turned OFF.
bbsc said:
I don't state YOU can turn it off easily.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I see. Then we had a misunderstanding. I have assumed that you were relating to some way to disable RL *before* it has been triggered since this is what I had been interested in, i.e. some setting in the OS like: "In the future, prevent all users from activating RL".
But I have now understood that you were relating to how to repair the phone when the RL already is active. When doing my homework (i.e. before asking here), I already had read several threads about that ... it does not seem to be complicated. Fortunately, I don't need to do this.
Coming back to my "problem": Thank you very much for the tip that the status is visible in the download mode. On my phones, it clearly states that it is not active. I had expected that because otherwise I would have had problems with installing TWRP and LineageOS.
But there are still questions left:
Just to be sure: I have understood the difference between FRP and RL, but I am not sure if the situation with the stock ROM is the same as with LineageOS. Could somebody please clarify?
In other words, if I use nothing else than LineageOS in the future, can I be sure that nor RL nor FRP will trigger one day given the fact that RL is currently not active?
In other words again, I have understood that the phone does not use FRP with the stock ROM. But LineageOS is more Google than Samsung, hence I am worried if FRP possibly could be triggered from within LineageOS. Could that be possible?

reasonable s7 firmware options now?

I had most recently used this thread for a rooted U firmware on my sprint s7 (non edge). It worked pretty well for some time, minus not having good v-mail options on U but that's the way it is. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
My phone has become increasingly buggy lately (loosing data connection randomly, or bluetooth becoming deactivated, either requiring the twofinger reboot salute to get them functioning again).
Looked around and can't really seem to definitavely find anything more up to date with root. So wondering if there are any relatively newer firmwares that are root capable (don't care if its P or U at this point just that they have some of the latest security updates) to flash to my phone if i'm going to do it anyways to just refresh it (and my prl) with the thread i mentioned above.
I'm just trying to make this thing functionally last at least till the pixel3's come out so I can decide what to move on to.
Also, what happened to ymndlz? I had been on one of his rooted firmwares prior to this and he seems to have deleted himself from xda?

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