I came to N4 from the GS3, and while the N4 is a million times better, I miss a few features already.
I can live without multi app windows and cartoon colour menus, but I miss these features in particular:
Blocking mode (mutes certain sounds at night)
Quick toggles in notification bar - Yes N4 has a similar function through pressing the button, but I mean, the ribbon of toggles.
Pop-up play video to watch video over what ever else you are doing - I have one for youtube that works well but the app for floating videos was rubbish but surely this is an easy task for a quadcore phone so I'm hoping there is a way.
I'm currently unrooted and will remain unrooted until I really feel desperate for a root function, so non-root ways if possible, please, although Root solutions will be usefull if there aren't alternatives - I don't flash roms either (because I don't trust myself with the duty and dont have a cheap device to practice on first, if i ever do then i may become a rom flasher.)
Thanks for any help you give
dodgebizkit said:
I came to N4 from the GS3, and while the N4 is a million times better, I miss a few features already.
I can live without multi app windows and cartoon colour menus, but I miss these features in particular:
Blocking mode (mutes certain sounds at night)
Quick toggles in notification bar - Yes N4 has a similar function through pressing the button, but I mean, the ribbon of toggles.
Pop-up play video to watch video over what ever else you are doing - I have one for youtube that works well but the app for floating videos was rubbish but surely this is an easy task for a quadcore phone so I'm hoping there is a way.
I'm currently unrooted and will remain unrooted until I really feel desperate for a root function, so non-root ways if possible, please, although Root solutions will be usefull if there aren't alternatives - I don't flash roms either (because I don't trust myself with the duty and dont have a cheap device to practice on first, if i ever do then i may become a rom flasher.)
Thanks for any help you give
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Most roms already have quicktoggles or sometimes "power widgets" and a number of other similar functionality (slimbean for example has power widget, plus the notification shortcuts that would sit as a ribbon/strip over the notifications.)
Blocking mode, that's called Quiet Hours on a lot of roms, slimbean has it, CM10 has it, and so forth, likewise you can just make a profile switcher since it also has profiles, say you have 'gaming profile' if you want to mute various notifications or alerts.
So they're there, just mainly in custom roms (non-root probably won't give you what you want outside of just a lil power widget on the home screen).
http://slimroms.net/index.php/slim-bean-features
Well my S4 is running MF3, rooted and bloatware frozen... however sometimes it lags, even my S2 running Shostock 3.0.2 (based on 4.1.2) is way more snappier. So all you guys with MF3 what are you doing to make this crap MF3 worth the "S4 name" ?
Thanks.
I have been on a quest to see "lag" on S4 which I cannot say I have seen (or it is in places I am not paying attention to)
However I have been checking out some apps that state they make you device run like new or something towards those lines. maybe I can help you
#1 Get XPOSED FRAMEWORK from apps store (free) - this is like a gateway to some cooler fucntionality
#2 Get GREENIFY from apps store (free) - read instructions - do not greenify clocks or messaging apps or they wont work
--use common sense basically, I greenify all games, browsers....stuff that I start interaction with.
#3 Get WANAM XPOSED from apps store (free) - here you can adjust colors and a lot of functionality.
---one thing of interest is ENABLE BOOST MODE (enables benchmark boosting for CPU to achieve MAX power)
#4 Get Android Tuner (free/paid) - I paid for mine. However this app lets you tune every aspect of the OS, if you're a power linux guy you'll pick up on what it is doing.
---however this provides a feature called TRIM which keeps the drive/storage at top performance. Google "ssd trim" for details if you dont know what it is
Now I can use these apps *blindly* and force my phone to run slow, but if I disable them (back to stock settings) I seem to run just fine
A word of caution:
Throwing every "enhancement" feature from different 3rd party application on top of each other can have a negative effect.
*Ever run 2 decent antiviruses at the same time? They play tug-of-war with infected files and you lose performance
atari800 said:
I have been on a quest to see "lag" on S4 which I cannot say I have seen (or it is in places I am not paying attention to)
However I have been checking out some apps that state they make you device run like new or something towards those lines. maybe I can help you
#1 Get XPOSED FRAMEWORK from apps store (free) - this is like a gateway to some cooler fucntionality
#2 Get GREENIFY from apps store (free) - read instructions - do not greenify clocks or messaging apps or they wont work
--use common sense basically, I greenify all games, browsers....stuff that I start interaction with.
#3 Get WANAM XPOSED from apps store (free) - here you can adjust colors and a lot of functionality.
---one thing of interest is ENABLE BOOST MODE (enables benchmark boosting for CPU to achieve MAX power)
#4 Get Android Tuner (free/paid) - I paid for mine. However this app lets you tune every aspect of the OS, if you're a power linux guy you'll pick up on what it is doing.
---however this provides a feature called TRIM which keeps the drive/storage at top performance. Google "ssd trim" for details if you dont know what it is
Now I can use these apps *blindly* and force my phone to run slow, but if I disable them (back to stock settings) I seem to run just fine
A word of caution:
Throwing every "enhancement" feature from different 3rd party application on top of each other can have a negative effect.
*Ever run 2 decent antiviruses at the same time? They play tug-of-war with infected files and you lose performance
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for those recommendations.. they look awesome will try one at a time except the XPOSED FRAMEWORK.. until a flashable image of MF3 is rolling, I'm trying to avoid messing with framework...
But well this is lag is kinda weird.. for example after using the browser or any other app for a bit of time then when press home button it lags to show the default screen and when it does the whole "desktop" is been redrawed of course this not always happen, sometimes it's very fast.
Also sometimes scrolling between the windows is very fast but sometimes very slow. And this lag is present when using several launchers, apex pro, nova or touchwiz, and i don't have much widgets running.. exactly the same as my galaxy s2 which can handle all this light usage without a problem..
CyberManiaK said:
Thanks for those recommendations.. they look awesome will try one at a time except the XPOSED FRAMEWORK.. until a flashable image of MF3 is rolling, I'm trying to avoid messing with framework...
But well this is lag is kinda weird.. for example after using the browser or any other app for a bit of time then when press home button it lags to show the default screen and when it does the whole "desktop" is been redrawed of course this not always happen, sometimes it's very fast.
Also sometimes scrolling between the windows is very fast but sometimes very slow. And this lag is present when using several launchers, apex pro, nova or touchwiz, and i don't have much widgets running.. exactly the same as my galaxy s2 which can handle all this light usage without a problem..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Gee I dont experience any of those problems.
Scratch that - I do get desktop redrawn if I play a heavy game for a while. I do remember seeing it put back the weather and the icons. Nothing I would consider a showstopper nor can I make it happen on demand
I am using the default Samsung Touch Wizard and no other launcher
Good luck in your quest of the Lag Beast
ROUNDUP OF NON-ROOT MODS/APPS/SOLUTIONS
APPS
1. iFont
It uses the native Flipfont system present in the Note to change fonts. You can install any font from a very big list and if you buy the Donate version (which I highly recommend), you can make an installable apk for any font you want. I have already made and shared Roboto L fonts, Comic Sans and Comic Neue.
2. Adblock Plus
Works on WiFi and (if APN settings are edited) on mobile data, blocks apps on browsers and other apps. An excellent solution for ad-blocking on non-routed phones.
2b. An alternative solution that only works for browsing via WiFi networks is Adguard.
3. SMS Backup & Restore
A free app that can backup and restore your messages, no root required. Works flawlessly, I used to it to backup my SMS on my S4 and restore them to my Note 4.
4. Greenify
As mentioned in this thread, Greenify works without root as well. Automatic hibernation is even an option, albeit some issues with "talking calculator" have been mentioned.
5. My Backup
As mentioned here this app is a feature-rich backup solution for non-rooted phones.
6. SD Maid - System Cleaning Tool
This app attempts to make best possible use of its features without root present. It's a tool that cleans up unnecessary files from your phone that apps leave behind.
7. AutoStart - No root
As the name suggests, this app lets you select which applications you want to auto start after phone boot-up and it works on all phones/tablets without root permission. You can also choose one or multiple apps to auto-launch at boot with customisable delay values.
8. Busybox (No Root)
For advanced users who want to run busybox commands on their phones via the Android Terminal Emulator app.
9. Call Recorder
Call recording app that uses the Samsung standard API therefore does not require root access. It is a bit pricey but well worth the money for people who need that feature. There's a full-featured trial available from XDA so you can try before you buy.
9b. There is also a free alternative that has been reported to work well on the Note 4, AndroRec Free.
9c. Another great free alternative is Automatic Call Recorder, with the added bonus that it can record in better formats, like mp3 or wav, save on the SD card and the option for prompt to "Save or Delete" at the end of every call.
10. NoRoot Firewall
Firewall without root. Host name/domain name filtering, simple interface, fine-grained access control and no suspicious permissions on the app itself.
11. Better Wifi On/Off
A free, fully featured, ad-supported app that aims at giving you the control of the Wifi state, optimizing your battery life without losing on user experience. In theory, Wifi is less power hungry than 3G but some apps behave differently when Wifi is on (DropBox / Google+ uploads, Google Maps location caching) and the well known wlan_rx kernel wakelock is a symptom of wakeups caused by uncontrolled Wifi hotspots. The Wifi sleep policy is not working consistently and does not solve all the above problems, enter this app.
12. Helium - App Sync and Backup
Helium is the missing app sync and backup solution for Android and doe not require root. You can backup both your apps and their data to your SD card or cloud storage and sync them from your other Android devices. You need access to a computer for a brief USB connection and then you're good to go.
13. Desktop VisualizeR
Application that allows you to personalize your home screen by creating icons or widgets with your favorite photos or images, works on any launcher, even TW!
14. FREE screen recorder NO ROOT
Recordable is the easy way to create screen recordings without root. The free version adds a watermark on the recordings and limits frame rate to 8fps, but is otherwise fully functional. A Windows, Mac or Linux computer required to complete the installation (like with Helium Backup), but after this it's not needed to make screen recordings.
MODIFICATIONS
1. Full Screen Immersive Mode
Full screen immersive mode in any application or game, root is not required.
2.Enable AirView and AirGesture
2b. Instead of Nova Launcher, you can use the QuickShortcutMaker app to create any shortcut directly on the Touchwiz launcher.
3. MW-Pen App Enabler
This app that enables apps for multiwindow and/or pen window without rooted access. The only limitations are that it does not work for system apps and that enabled apps can not be updated. To update them, you need to uninstall the enabled app first, install the updated app and run it through the enabler app again.
4. Mont Blanc digital content
A guide on how to get the extra Mont blanc pens for the S Note and the two exclusive Mont Blanc wallpapers and unlock effect..
5. QuickClick
Start any action (flashlight, system toggles, media controls, etc) with a sequence of volume buttons clicks.
6. Spen Toolbox
A wonderful little app that extends the functionality of the S-Pen, by offering options for: turning the screen off when you attach the pen, changing the detach and attach sounds, creating a custom shortcut popup to appear on detach, and many more!
7. No root and want to modify your DPI? You can!
Thanks to PizzaSauce, we have a way to modify DPI without root. All you need is access to a Windows PC. Changes persist after reboot too.
If you don't want to install the whole Android SDK, you could use this tool to install ADB, which is all that is needed for this mod.
Hello all!
I recently got my Note 4 and it's by far the best device I've ever owned.
I started this thread because I decided not to root the phone -at least for now. Even though, I've been rooting and heavily modding all my phones in the past.
My reasons are:
1. Warranty.
I know that you can flash a stock firmware before handing it to service and that KNOX counter doesn't matter (I've had my Note 10.1 with a tripped counter repaired twice under warranty). However, I'd like for once to be able to just send my phone to service if need be, without the extra hassle of concealing the tweaking I've done.
2. S-Pen.
I know that rooting doesn't affect the S-Pen functionality, however, the use of the Pen makes custom ROMS such as AOSP and CM useless to me. I actually use the S-Pen heavily and it was one of the reasons I bought the phone. There are of course custom TW ROMS but to be honest, and with no intention to offend anyone, they are not my cup of tea.
3. Stability.
This one will seem weird to many, but it's my personal experience. This is the 4th Samsung device I own (SGS3, SGS4, Note 10.1, Note 4) and with the previous three I noticed that when I rooted and enthusiastically started "debloating", things started to turn unstable. And I have never, ever noticed any improvement in battery life. I know it sounds odd, but it is true to me. The Note 4 gives you the option to disable a lot of preinstalled apps anyway.
4. Lollipop.
I want to get the update that was meant for my region via OTA, no cables necessary. Plus I believe that all the annoyances I rectified with root (mainly theming, such as Tinted Statusbar) will be solved in Lollipop. Again, that's my opinion and personal taste.
Now do I miss root? Hell, yeah! Why?
1. ADS ADS ADS...
Ads everywhere! I have been paying for my apps and I am not using pirated software at all. And I gladly donate/pay for ads to be removed and premium features for apps I really love. However, there are apps that either don't offer an a ad-free option or they charge an insane amount for ad removal. I know developers need to make revenue, but there's nothing uglier than an ad banner. Seriously.
2. Tinted statusbar.
And generally Xposed.
3. Call recording.
I liked the native call recording function of the TW dialer, no app comes close from what I've seen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I hope this thread will be used to discuss unrooted phones and ways to mod your device without root.
Kindly keep in mind that this is not a thread to persuade anyone to root or not -please respect other people's decisions.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I decided not to root as well. I'm using the note 4 as my backup phone with the oneplus one as my DD. I don't want to root until an option to root without tripping knox is available. I'm very curious to know what options are avaailable to non rooted phones. Thanks for starting this thread. Great idea.
3. Call recording.
I liked the native call recording function of the TW dialer, no app comes close from what I've seen.
Try this app, by an actual XDA dev, it works great. Its very polished, very native looking/behaving app.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.skvalex.callrecorder
Tested and working great without root.
My reason not to root note4 is lollipop upgrade from ota too
I think this note4 is good enough for me except ads like you said
For me I need root to
- Change the very bad Arabic font
- Use proxy applications
- Be able to stop WifiKill which they use heavily over here
- Use Wanam Xposed mostly for Long press back button to kill App
- Freeze all the useless pre-installed apps I never use eating memory and battery, I need maximum memory for multitasking
- Stop auto startup of other un needed apps
well I guess these may not be important to you
deathshead said:
3. Call recording.
I liked the native call recording function of the TW dialer, no app comes close from what I've seen.
Try this app, by an actual XDA dev, it works great. Its very polished, very native looking/behaving app.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.skvalex.callrecorder
Tested and working great without root.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you, I'll have to try this!
khaeid said:
For me I need root to
- Change the very bad Arabic font
- Use proxy applications
- Be able to stop WifiKill which they use heavily over here
- Use Wanam Xposed mostly for Long press back button to kill App
- Freeze all the useless pre-installed apps I never use eating memory and battery, I need maximum memory for multitasking
- Stop auto startup of other un needed apps
well I guess these may not be important to you
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The font is something I also miss, Roboto has been vastly improved for Lollipop. So I'm waiting for the big update.
EDIT: I figured out a way to change font that doesn't require root, it uses the native Flipfont system present in the Note!
Using the iFont app you can install any font from a very big list and if you buy the Donate version, you can make an installable apk for any font you want! Marvellous!
Nice Thread... main thing i miss in the Adaway..other den that the phone is perfect for me...no lag ..good battery life ..
Teardrop45 said:
Nice Thread... main thing i miss in the Adaway..other den that the phone is perfect for me...no lag ..good battery life ..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is a way for non-rooted phones to block ads only on WiFi though on both WiFi and mobile data connections, using an app called Adblock Plus.
iR¡[email protected]!* from i9505 via Tapatalk 4
Hi guys,
It is my first post although I had been lurking for a while now. Interesting thread, I didn't root my Note 4 as well for all the reasons mentioned above. What I miss most is App Opps or XPrivacy. I find it hard to install all the applications I want to try because of the ridiculous amount of permissions required. Other than that I don't miss much. The phone is pretty awesome.
I was forced to root because I had app data on another device that couldn't be moved, even through ADB.
But, Xposed,Titanium Backup, Adaway , greenify and a few others make rooting well worth the risk (once you know your devices hardware is good ).
Sent from my SM-N910U
Not rooting mine too, my first ever android device to remain stock.
Sent from my SM-N910G using XDA Free mobile app
I would like to stay without root but i really miss viper... Is there any non root way stay get that type of sound improvement?
monkley said:
I would like to stay without root but i really miss viper... Is there any non root way stay get that type of sound improvement?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you tried installing Viper and see if it works? Because a quick Google search gave me these:
If you're using a Samsung device, you're lucky because you actually don't need root to install the Viper4Android! Only thing you need to do is to install the app as usual and change the sound effect in*settings > sound > music effect*to Viper4Android. Be sure you don't use the TouchWiz stock player because it may not work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
...And from the official XDA thread:
Setup your Device
For Samsung devices,
1. Try install V4A as user app instead of system app if the latter failed doesn't work.
2. Use Normal Mode and select V4A FX in Settings>Sound>Music Effects.
3. If don't work, use another player rather than Samsung stock Music.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
iR¡[email protected]!* from i9505 via Tapatalk 4
Jumping on the band wagon here too... I've had many android devices, all rooted; most recently an S4 running CM. The reason I bought the Note was for the stylus and note taking abilities. Very happy with the speed and stability so far in stock form although the battery life sucks. Dropbox was a major drainer so killed that. I need to selective disable some of the other stock apps but so far not really missing much requiring root other than titanium backup...
Sent from my SM-N910G using Tapatalk
sawy3r said:
Jumping on the band wagon here too... I've had many android devices, all rooted; most recently an S4 running CM. The reason I bought the Note was for the stylus and note taking abilities. Very happy with the speed and stability so far in stock form although the battery life sucks. Dropbox was a major drainer so killed that. I need to selective disable some of the other stock apps but so far not really missing much requiring root other than titanium backup...
Sent from my SM-N910G using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had an S4 running a GPE edition ROM too. I only miss aesthetic modifications, like Tinted Statusbar and other theming elements.
Titanium Backup is also high on my list, however, I found SMS Backup & Restore works perfectly for messages (see OP). That's something!
Thanks for this lovely thread. Getting Adblock without root feels like an early Christmas. Would like to add that "My Backup" backs up SMS and much more without root. It also now backs up to Dropbox which is lovely (at least the Pro version does).
ozaghloul said:
Thanks for this lovely thread. Getting Adblock without root feels like an early Christmas. Would like to add that "My Backup" backs up SMS and much more without root. It also now backs up to Dropbox which is lovely (at least the Pro version does).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I added your suggestion to the OP, thank you very much! :good:
Keep them coming!
Also, if anyone needs any specific installable font, post the .ttf file here and I'll make an apk.
Coming from rooted and heavy used Nexus. Really not missing anything in Notes Not planning to root.
Sent from my SM-N910C using Tapatalk
bat0nas said:
Coming from rooted and heavy used Nexus. Really not missing anything in Notes Not planning to root.
Sent from my SM-N910C using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sometimes heavily modding your phone can become too much and it's nice to let things be once in a while!
I added SD Maid and AutoStart - No root in the OP.
iridaki said:
Titanium Backup is also high on my list, however, I found SMS Backup & Restore works perfectly for messages (see OP). That's something!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the tip, I'll check it out! [emoji2]
Hi,
It has been a while since I have been able to play with custom ROMs as my previous phone was not well supported.
I have just now switched over to the Axon 7 and have just started setting it up as my daily driver. I Installed NucleaROM with LIGHT PATCH, Open GApps and ARISE Sound System. All seems to be working fine but I have one issue and I think it may be a feature from not just the Custom ROM of choice but the underlying source (ResurrectionROM/LineageOS).
When I first setup the phone, it had an option on the lock screen to customize how apps are closed (i believe the term was Smart Close) when the device is idle and the screen is off. I remember looking through it and having options for which apps are closed and which are to remain running.
Since then I have installed a collection of apps, one of which is the Garmin Connect which I need to run when the screen is off.
I am unable to find how to get to these options now. I have looked through the power options and cannot see it.
If anyone can help me, I would greatly appreciate it.
Thanks for your assistance.
As I have started to use the phone a little more I have noticed that this is having another effect.
It seems to be closing my keyboard app so every time I unlock it goes back to the stock keyboard and I need to select SwiftKey again.
I hope someone knows where these settings are.
I have found a workaround for now, but if anyone knows how to control the SmartBattery application, it would be greatly appreciated.
I believe this function is coming from the System App called Smart Battery. I have gone into Settings -> Apps then selected the menu to show system apps. From there I was able to locate the SmartBattery app and disable it.
This seems to be working for me as by Garmin Fitness tracker was losing BlueTooth to the phone before but not now with that app disabled.
I'm not entirely positive about this, as I've never heard of that app. At first, I thought you were talking about the screen lock cleaning feature from the power manager on stock. After your follow up post indicating you had actually found reference to the app on your system and a bit of Googling, I was able to find some reference to it. Nothing useful, I'm afraid.
Try using an app that can launch activities, like Nova Launcher or Tasker. Try to find the app in the list, and see if you can launch it by calling for one of its activities.
P.S., if you're running RR, if you have a look at the extended settings, there might be a way to set the nav keys long-press action to a custom activity. Remember to enable the app, otherwise it might not show up in any lists.
On the Zenpad I have the issue where the YouTube app is vastly over sharpened to the point it harms the visual experience. I can't find a way to turn this off, I have tried force stopping Splendid but it doesn't work. Anyone know of a fix? Ideally lineage os is what I need to get away from this Zenui (it's alright I guess but has weird things that can't be turned off, like this visual enhancement)
I think it's the "Tru2Life" Program, I think it is only removed thru root
Yes, it's the Tru2Life app, aka VisualMaster. The way it makes YT look is total BS. But it's not just YT. There's a database of about 15000 eek apps that it applies different display profiles to. These apps are mostly video, photo, games and other multimedia.
So you do need to have root to disable it. Or at least a custom recovery. The easiest method is probably to use a root-level app manager that can safely disable Tru2Life, which is a system app. Or you can manually edit the package manager config files yourself if you have the skills and don't want root.