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Hey guys.
So, I just got my Magic and im frustrated that I cant dl apps from market that cost money. Sadly im living in scandinavia making it not possible for me to do so.
Now I've been reading about ROoting and trying to understand what it is and wich purpose it fullfiles.
I'd appriciate a link to a "General questions regarding rooting" or something similar so I can read up and maybe, just maybe root my device without bricking it.
I've searched but nothin, read the wiki about rooting but that just explained HOW to root and not which functions it brought with the device actually being rooted.
I'd appriciate some REAL infomation and not "lol nub go google" because I have and I havent found anything yet.
The help is appriciated and I will donate some money for those that make things clear to me
Swedish guide
gagg3 said:
Hey guys.
So, I just got my Magic and im frustrated that I cant dl apps from market that cost money. Sadly im living in scandinavia making it not possible for me to do so.
Now I've been reading about ROoting and trying to understand what it is and wich purpose it fullfiles.
I'd appriciate a link to a "General questions regarding rooting" or something similar so I can read up and maybe, just maybe root my device without bricking it.
I've searched but nothin, read the wiki about rooting but that just explained HOW to root and not which functions it brought with the device actually being rooted.
I'd appriciate some REAL infomation and not "lol nub go google" because I have and I havent found anything yet.
The help is appriciated and I will donate some money for those that make things clear to me
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Here i found a swedish guide, it's not finished tho and i've not tried this
http://www.swedroid.se/wiki/index.php?title=Så_här_rootar/flashar_du_din_Magic
robocik said:
Here i found a swedish guide, it's not finished tho and i've not tried this
http://www.swedroid.se/wiki/index.php?title=Så_här_rootar/flashar_du_din_Magic
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, as stated I dont need a "how to root your magic" I need explantion of the rooting status, why, what does it do, pro/cons? etc.
Thanks anyways
gagg3 said:
Thanks, as stated I dont need a "how to root your magic" I need explantion of the rooting status, why, what does it do, pro/cons? etc.
Thanks anyways
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ok, misunderstandig there...
This thing with root, i think that is like with my ubuntu linux, when you login as root or superuser, you, as it stays here "has all rights or permissions (to all files and programs) in all modes", so it has it's advantage but can be dangerous when you do something stupid.
i'm not sure if it's the same for android, but it is linux under the hood after all.
Hope it helped a little bit.
I'm sure there were a few threads early on in the Dream forum about why people should bother rooting - the benefits and such. Might be worth a specific search in there for threads like Why should I bother rooting or what are the benefits of having root? etc.
Here's how I understand it -
Seems to me Root was more important on the Dream, because it meant you could do stuff like putting a different ROM on with extras like Soft Keyboard and Latitude, and also move stuff like caches to SD Card, and more recently, move apps themselves to SD Card. This was damned near essential, due to the much smaller space on the handset for apps etc (In my experience it was about 75MB after a wipe - tiny) and the fact that the Market Cache wasn't easily clearable. Without Root, you couldn't alter those annoying things even if you had the knowhow, because you were "locked out" of changing the main ROM. So Root allowed you the freedom to modify stuff.
Other things you can do if you have root include ADB push stuff, so you can alter small parts of the system folder to suit you - like adding languages or keyboards or modified boot images etc. You can do Nandroid back ups of your whole system including installed apps, so that you can restore the apps after a wipe, or backup a ROM that works so that you can go back to it if you load one that doesn't work. Also you can install custom themes to make your fone look less generic. I believe there are ways to get tethering to work (Using the modem/internet access on the device/fone to link up via bluetooth with a laptop or netbook and surf as if you have a USB Dongle.
Some of the reasons I rooted my G1 are mute now or don't apply to the Magic
eg - More space on the magic for apps so I don't need to make more room by putting caches on SD or moving apps to SD
Cupcake update has soft keyboard anyway, and latitude
Also we now seem to be able to clear the caches for most apps via the Apps Manager, so stuff like Market and Browser doesn't grow with use and get out of hand.
Home app replacements are far more stable and are great for having different themes so no need to alter the main themes using root.
So, I haven't rooted my Ion/Magic as yet. If and when theres a really stable ROM without gliches I might go for it, but no real need for me as of yet so not gonna mess. I'm sure other folks can give you more reasons to either go for root, or leave it as it is.
Dayzee xx
Dayzee said:
I'm sure there were a few threads early on in the Dream forum about why people should bother rooting - the benefits and such. Might be worth a specific search in there for threads like Why should I bother rooting or what are the benefits of having root? etc.
Here's how I understand it -
Seems to me Root was more important on the Dream, because it meant you could do stuff like putting a different ROM on with extras like Soft Keyboard and Latitude, and also move stuff like caches to SD Card, and more recently, move apps themselves to SD Card. This was damned near essential, due to the much smaller space on the handset for apps etc (In my experience it was about 75MB after a wipe - tiny) and the fact that the Market Cache wasn't easily clearable. Without Root, you couldn't alter those annoying things even if you had the knowhow, because you were "locked out" of changing the main ROM. So Root allowed you the freedom to modify stuff.
Other things you can do if you have root include ADB push stuff, so you can alter small parts of the system folder to suit you - like adding languages or keyboards or modified boot images etc. You can do Nandroid back ups of your whole system including installed apps, so that you can restore the apps after a wipe, or backup a ROM that works so that you can go back to it if you load one that doesn't work. Also you can install custom themes to make your fone look less generic. I believe there are ways to get tethering to work (Using the modem/internet access on the device/fone to link up via bluetooth with a laptop or netbook and surf as if you have a USB Dongle.
Some of the reasons I rooted my G1 are mute now or don't apply to the Magic
eg - More space on the magic for apps so I don't need to make more room by putting caches on SD or moving apps to SD
Cupcake update has soft keyboard anyway, and latitude
Also we now seem to be able to clear the caches for most apps via the Apps Manager, so stuff like Market and Browser doesn't grow with use and get out of hand.
Home app replacements are far more stable and are great for having different themes so no need to alter the main themes using root.
So, I haven't rooted my Ion/Magic as yet. If and when theres a really stable ROM without gliches I might go for it, but no real need for me as of yet so not gonna mess. I'm sure other folks can give you more reasons to either go for root, or leave it as it is.
Dayzee xx
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
THANKS Alot dayzee, that cleared things up.
Much appriciated!!!
Could somebody please tell me what the advantages and disadvantages of rooting the flipside are, and MOST IMPORTANTLY, are there any risks??
Will I be able to take of all of these ATT apps?
Will I be able to move my apps from the phones memory to the SD card?
Can the phone be unrooted?
Will all of my apps still work?
What is the best route to root? I have the z4root.
I am much indebted to anyone who will answer these questions. Thanks.
z4root will work fine, it's nice an easy to use. Rooting won't give you an easy way to move apps to the sd card, but you can remove the AT&T (and other system) apps. You can either do it by hand, or with any number of apps on the market. I prefer titanium backup, personally. All of your existing apps will work, there's no change there.
The only real disadvantage is that you'll have the power to screw up your phone. You can potentially screw up bad enough that you'll need to reflash the stock .sbf file. Generally, this takes some real screwing around, but just thought I'd point it out.
Thank u for your thourough answer. What do you mean by screw it up. How could I do that and how do i avoid it. Are you saying by virtue of the fact that i'm rooting that i'll screw it up, or it's something that i may do afterwards that may do it? Thanks.
also, are there any other advantages to rooting other than taking off the apps?
The act of rooting itself shouldn't screw anything up, but having root means you could possibly do something later that would. Generally, you'd have to be messing with stuff you have no business messing with. With root, you can remount the system directory as read/write, and then end up deleting or modifying a file that won't let the phone boot, which means you'd need to reflash. Stay away from the command line if you don't know what you're doing, and don't grant root access to apps you don't trust, and you're reasonably safe.
Other than removing system apps, like the AT&T garbage, you can also backup and restore apps and their data, which is great for if you need to reflash, if you switch phones, etc. There's not a TON of stuff that requires root, but honestly, removing the AT&T junk is definitely a good reason to root, the phone feels much faster after scrapping a lot of the blur and AT&T stuff.
I'm assuming then that any android/att/Motorola updates will not be problem either? BTW, do you if and when Motorola will bupdating the flipside to 2.2? Thanks.
There shouldn't be any problem updating with an official update if/when we get one, but you'll need to re-root and remove the AT&T stuff again. There's no word on when we'll get 2.2, but I'd assume we'll get it at some point.
Ok. I just rooted! Yeah, it worked! But i cannot figue out how to delete the att bloatware. I go into the apps manager and click on one of the att apps, and there is still no option to uninstall; only to clear the cache. Also, I downloaded the titanium and I cannot figure out how to do it from there either. Plus, I still had to sideload the titanium which i tbought that i would not have to do once i rooted.
mordechai said:
Plus, I still had to sideload the titanium which i tbought that i would not have to do once i rooted.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You need to enable Unknown Sources before you can install non-Market apps
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=867637
This is also an example of how you can mess up your phone by having root access.
That is part of the problem that i do not have that option in two.one. that is why i had to sideload all of those programs. are you saying that i screwed up my phone. i tried clicking on the link but this googlw ad comes up and i cant get past it.
Ok, i got through to the link. But the guy seems pretty shaky as to whether you should follow his instructions. Is this legit or what?
Maybe one of you guys can help. I'm new to alot of this but my last droid x was rooted and it was great I used z4root worked perfectly. But now I have a new X and a z4root apk. On my laptop, now what? Last rooted X, I was fortunate enough to catch z4root on the market, like a day before they updated. HELP!!!!!
Sent from my DROIDX using XDA App
There are instructions in another post in this forum on how to enable Non-Market Apps, also known as Unknown Sources. With Titanium Backup, make sure that you grant it root permissions when it asks, and that it says something like this on the overview:
Root access: OK (BusyBox 1.17.2 from system)
HyperShell (FAST!): YES
Fast/Auto app install: Yes (using HyperShell)
SQLite: YES (SQLite 3.7.2 included)
Then just click on Backup/Restore at the top, and you'll get a list of all your apps. If you don't have backup/restore at the top, your sd card isn't mounted on the phone, unplug your usb cable and hit Menu > More > Reload application.
From Backup/Restore, you get a huge list of all the apps on your phone. Just scroll down to the AT&T stuff, tap them, and click uninstall in the top-right corner. If you're not sure if you want to uninstall something, because it might belong to something important, click Freeze instead. Freezing will stop the app from running, and stop it from showing up in your tray, but you can easily unfreeze it to restore it if it turns out it was important.
Here's the list of stuff I have frozen/uninstalled:
AdService 1.0
all of the "AT&T" apps
all of the "com.motorola" apps
Data Manager and Data Manager Service
Help Center
Home (I use ADWLauncher, don't remove this if you don't already have an alternative launcher installed)
MediaSync
Mobile Video
all of the "MotoBlur" apps
My Uploads
Phone Portal
Quick Contact
Social Messaging, Social Messaging Service, Social Networking, and Social Status
Sticky Note
Video Editor Lite
Vlingo Voice
Weather 2.1
WHERE
Work Contacts
Mobile Banking
Magic Smoke Wallpapers
Kodak Perfect Touch
AT&T Address Book
Quickoffice
YPmobile
As for enabling unknown sources, it's a bit of a pain, you'll need to be comfortable with a command line to do replace the files, and comfortable with a hex editor if you want to edit your own instead of reusing someone else's files. I managed to screw up my phone in the process and had to completely reflash and start over, it wasn't fun.
His instructions do work, but his .sh file doesn't work, you'll need to paste the commands one by one into your command prompt. I preferred to edit my own files, so I wouldn't have the same market ID, and that's just slightly more complex. I can help you through it either way though, just make a post over in that thread if you're having problems.
bubba90744 said:
Maybe one of you guys can help. I'm new to alot of this but my last droid x was rooted and it was great I used z4root worked perfectly. But now I have a new X and a z4root apk. On my laptop, now what? Last rooted X, I was fortunate enough to catch z4root on the market, like a day before they updated. HELP!!!!!
Sent from my DROIDX using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You just need to get z4root installed on your phone, it should be pretty straightforward. The Droid X shouldn't be blocking non-market apps, so just download it from your phone and run the .apk to install.
So do I hook my phone up to my laptop, and put the apk. on my sd?
Or download the apk. directly to my phone from the site?
Sent from my DROIDX using XDA App
I found the link, but the directions are too complicated for my novice understanding of technology. It looks like I am stuck. I don't want to try what he's saying and take any chances. Are there any other alternatives? Or do you have any other suggestions as to how to make the most of the space that I do have with the att bloatware, because I am constantly running out of room. It is a strange phenomenon that I don't understand, that when I turn on the phone it will have around 40mb to play with, and after a few hours it is down to 16 and then 10, and then before I know it, the phone is telling me that my memory is full. So then I reset and it's back to ~40 again. Do you have an explanation? Thanks.
I have switched jobs and ended up with a VM Samsung Intercept I am growing to like it but I hate the bloatware other then rooting it is there anyway to uninstall the junk I will never use and keep the other junk from running at start up every single time?
At a fresh boot I have 52 Megs after running advanced task killer and stopping the bloatware I have 62
Amazon MP3 Never used it never will use it it runs at start up every single time I reboot the phone and I have to go in and kill it (Makes me want to never use Amazon again)
MAPS I have turned off all location bases services but everytime I reboot the phone that dang maps loads again (I Hate it)
Market I use it to download apps and games but I don't need it running every single time I reboot
Voice Dailer never use it doubt I ever will
SSA (not sure what it is)
Hello,
I have the same problems as you do. Download an app called startup cleaner from the marketplace. There you can have it kill the apps you don't want at startup. It's the closest way to getting rid of them without rooting your phone.
Everyone asks this, it's not unique to one phone
These are system apps and are in a system directory that is write and delete protected. Think of root as admin on a computer it grants you special privileges like write and delete.
You lack the permissions necessary without root. As for the answer to you question I think you knew it when you posted and after this should most defiantly know the correct answer is often the most obvious.
When I was new to android I was worried too, but don't worry. Just find a "stock rom" and if you need to ever send the device in you will be able to flash the stock images on to the built in flash memory. It's like any writable memory you can always write over it with original information if you have source for the original info.
Hi I don't have a Samsung Intercept but I know that any rooted phone can remove bloatware using the app, Titanium Backup. You need to be rooted in order for app to work, and it is free.
Eric
Yeah you have to root your phone before you can remove system apps. I suggest anyone root there phone, you can make it like 100 times better. Go over to sdx-developers.com and look around in the intercept section for how to root your phone!
Sent from my SPH-M910 using Tapatalk
Very simple
Rooting this phone is quite simple - using only help and posts from xda I was able to root my intercept, remove the annoying bloatware (which really makes the system run great) and use my phone as a full infrastructure mode Wi-Fi hotspot for my android tablet.
Don't waste your time with startup cleaners and task killers - just head over to the dev section and read the guide and root your phone - then install Titanium Backup from the market - you can use it to remove factory installed apps but still keep a backup of them - you will need to restore them if VM ever pushes out another OTA update (which I doubt; I don't see us getting gingerbread on this device)
PM me if you need help rooting your Intercept. You need a data sync cable, a windows PC, and a little bit of time to get it going.
I recently rooted/installed CleanROM for my S4, but now I have some basic questions regarding what actually happened in the process and how I could improve it. (First smartphone, first Android).
1. Is flashing the exact equivalent of installing a kernel/ROM/app in a recovery like TeamWin that is zipped in an SD card? All I did was select my zipped file and install--the guide says to use GooManager but I never used it. Also, does updating TWRP, kernel, or ROM (same application/kernel/ROM, but newer version) require that you delete the old ZIP, copy over the new ZIP, then install it? Is there a cleaner method (I feel that since we have to wipe to prevent old files from interfering with new ROM that maybe parts of the old version of a ROM may be redundant or may interfere with the new ROM?
2. Is there a way I can save the phone settings when dealing with one ROM and transferring these settings to another ROM? I really don't want to spend 20 minutes to go through all the settings and change it to my liking every time I install a new ROM.
3. With TWRP I could backup the entire ROM and also be able to install that backup ROM if I don't like the new ROM installed? What does Titanium Backup offer in regards to this aside from backing up app data and the ability freeze/uninstall system apps?
4. Does Titanium Backup leave any residual files? I see other apps designed to uninstall system apps and Titanium Backup seems like an all-in-one jack of all trades.
5. I thought I wiped everything and to me, that sounds like reformatting the entire drive. I only wiped system, boot, and data though (good enough for ROMs, according to what I've read). I was surprised when I saw my videos that I had already backed up to my PC accessible on the phone. Should I just wipe literally everything (I assume it would be cleaner) like cache, preload, EFS, modem, recovery, etc.? Will wiping literally everything be like reformatting my phone (since my phone was not reformatted because my personal videos was still there when I installed my custom ROM? If I were to install completely different ROMs cleanly and wanted to keep my personal files, I would only need to wipe system, data, and boot?
4. Do I have to use CASUAL again to install an updated TWRP?
5. Does backing up a ROM also backup its root? I'm going to assume this is a dumb question and the answer is no. I'm also guessing I have to block OTA updates from AT&T to ensure I keep my root. How would I go about doing this? Also, would my phone be "safe" if I stick to my ROM (no updates or anything) for 4+ years? I'm asking this as an extreme case because I feel like I'm missing out on AT&T security updates that could protect my phone and also I don't think the developer my ROM (CleanROM) will do frequent updates).
6. I had problems with my computer not being able to recognize my phone and my SD card in the phone after I wiped everything and before I installed a ROM. I literally had to take the SD card from the phone and use an SD card reader to transfer my custom ROM/loki then put it back into the phone. Was I missing a driver?
7. What are some must-have apps a newly rooted user would want?
8. I read that you only need 1 EFS backup and you don't need to back it up every time you are going to install a custom ROM. Can I get a confirmation?
9. What does Goo Manager do and would I want it?
10. Is it essential that I keep up to date with news about my custom ROM/phone to ensure my phone is secured?
**Not Root/ROM related--Is swiping an app away from the Recent Apps List (long-press home button) the equivalent of killing an app? I use the Recent Apps List often but I don't want to go about swiping apps away if means it is killing it, since I read that killing apps are bad and actually drains battery life. Also, is there a mod that lets you access the Recent Apps List by long-pressing the menu one? I only see a mod that kills the app if you long-press it.
Also, any ROMs you guys can recommend me that is like CleanROM? It has to be TW-based because I use multi-windows. Basically, I want a stable, popular (popular ones tend to be more frequently updated, which is important because there are often bugs in custom ROMs), and optimized/debloated ROM (as debloated as possible, I rather use my own large list of apps than pre-installed ones). I was looking at GoldenEye but I'm not sure.
Thanks. I'm hoping for many responses as I have more questions to ask but not a lot of free time (I will check back on this thread every several hours until there are no more responses on the thread.
Hey there! Here is my take on at least some of your questions. I am not a super pro, but I will try not to give you any wrong info.
1. The zip files that are still out on your SD card are just the install files for whatever you are flashing. They won't be cleaned up automatically and you will need to delete them yourself if you want them gone. That being said I would recommend leaving the previous version's zip out there in case you need to back out of the new version.
2. If by phone settings you mean all of the settings in the various option menus baked into the ROM it is best to redo those when switching between ROMs. Many ROMs add and take away options and add whole new option sections so you will want to go through those and set things to your liking. Another option is to use a launcher like Nova Launcher that lets you back up its settings and restore them which is a big chunk of the things I change when going to a new ROM. Some people may have a different opinion on this one.
3. Yes if you make a backup in a recovery like TWRP and then restore from it it will be like you never flashed the other ROM. Titanium backup does what you say and also can backup individual Apps themselves and restore them.
4. Once you have a recovery installed you should not have to go through the hoops you went through to get it there to update it. Check the thread for the recovery for upgrade instructions.
5. Your SD card will not be wiped when you wipe system or data. There is also the internal "sdcard" that if I recall is not wiped when you do a standard wipe which will keep things like pics and videos between flashes.
6. So you were trying to access the phone storage/SD card while it was in recovery? I have never had much luck with that. I always just make sure I have all of the files I will need to install the new ROM moved over before I wipe it. That being said if you have the right driver it might be possible.
7. Titanium Backup, a file explorer that can leverage Root access like Root Explorer, maybe something like Greenify (I think it takes Root). Other than that check out the thread in the Apps/Themes subforum where people list their top 5 apps.
8. Pass (but I think what you heard/read is right)
9. Goo Manager can let you know if there is updated version of your ROM or what other ROMs are available for your device and download them. It can also be used to install a recovery. Personally I don't use it and just check ROM threads for updates if the ROM doesn't offer OTA updates.
10. I rarely see mention of security fixes/features in custom ROMs so I don't think you need to stay on top of threads for that reason. With that said, if security is crazy super important to you then a custom ROM might not be your best bet. Even though source code is available for most if not all of them that doesn't mean someone has gone through the code looking for security flaws (or even malicious code).
11. You can test this yourself. Go into the "Apps" section of the options and look at what Apps are running then swipe one away and check again. Personally I would go ahead and swipe away Apps as needed since that is a core Android feature. I haven't seen a mod for what you are asking.
12. The other two TW-based ROMs I have used are Goldeneye and Alpha. Both are good, but I am using Alpha now due to its higher degree of customization. Goldeneye hasn't been updated in a month or so, Alpha is being updated regularly at the moment.
---------- Post added at 08:15 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:09 PM ----------
Here is the link to the thread where people list out their top 5 apps!
Nice post, very good help...serious...
Incredibly helpful, thanks. I will post more questions if I have here, kind of busy at the moment.
Question:
What is the best way to detect whether a third-party app has a keylogger? I read from an article that it is incredibly easy for someone to put a keylogger on an app. Is Avast Mobile Security and Antivirus capable/overkill for this job? Also, I was worried that Avast may actually be bad because it would deteriorate (wear and tear on the SSD of the phone) through all the scannings? Or am I completely wrong? If I am wrong, I'm guessing it's because an antivirus only reads your files and therefore does not wear down a SSD (I'm not even sure if this is right).
mindstormer said:
Question:
What is the best way to detect whether a third-party app has a keylogger? I read from an article that it is incredibly easy for someone to put a keylogger on an app. Is Avast Mobile Security and Antivirus capable/overkill for this job? Also, I was worried that Avast may actually be bad because it would deteriorate (wear and tear on the SSD of the phone) through all the scannings? Or am I completely wrong? If I am wrong, I'm guessing it's because an antivirus only reads your files and therefore does not wear down a SSD (I'm not even sure if this is right).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can read a SSD all day long, that doesn't wear it out. Writing to a SSD will cause wear, not reading. I'm thinking that most antivirus apps can find that kind of stuff, but don't download from unknown sources or those you don't trust. Even Google Play has some shady stuff. I would recommend researching an app on Google if you have any doubts about it. I'm sure it can be done, but I really doubt any of your friends know how to reprogram one of your apps to have a keylogger, plus I wouldn't let them use my phone in the first place.
To answer your questions:
1. Antivirus doesn't wear anything out, it just puts load on your system.
2. Most antivirus apps should detect apps like the ones your talking about.
agent929 said:
You can read a SSD all day long, that doesn't wear it out. Writing to a SSD will cause wear, not reading. I'm thinking that most antivirus apps can find that kind of stuff, but don't download from unknown sources or those you don't trust. Even Google Play has some shady stuff. I would recommend researching an app on Google if you have any doubts about it. I'm sure it can be done, but I really doubt any of your friends know how to reprogram one of your apps to have a keylogger, plus I wouldn't let them use my phone in the first place.
To answer your questions:
1. Antivirus doesn't wear anything out, it just puts load on your system.
2. Most antivirus apps should detect apps like the ones your talking about.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the confirmation.
Another question for anyone:
Clean Master found the folder of an app that I installed on a precious ROM, so I not wipe the device cleanly. I though wiping system, boot, and data was enough--what was I missing, or should I have checked everything to be wiped on TeamWin Recovery?
Are you sure its not coming from your SD card?
Sent from miPhone using XDA Premium HD app
Hi,
My brother has been told by an associate, that he has hacked his phone and can track and hear everything he does and did it remotely.
Also said the App is undetectable.
His phone is a rooted Note 3 and his wife has a non rooted Galaxy S5.
Now, I have told him there is no way for for somebody to remotely install any app on your phone even if it is rooted, unless it is already compromised and or unless they have your Google account and password, which i am not 100% sure that would allow you to install anything either.
So my question is, if he flashes an original rom and creates a new Google account, can he feel safe that his phone can't have malicious apps installed with out his knowledge ?
I would assume a factory reset wouldn't be enough to get rid of an app installed as a system app ?
Is there any programs he could install to check for malicious apps.
I think my brother is just being overly paranoid and this guy is a ****
Help greatly appreciated.
Hopefully this is the right thread / board, if not please move to the correct thread please mods.
JaGuR said:
Hi,
My brother has been told by an associate, that he has hacked his phone and can track and hear everything he does and did it remotely.
Also said the App is undetectable.
His phone is a rooted Note 3 and his wife has a non rooted Galaxy S5.
Now, I have told him there is no way for for somebody to remotely install any app on your phone even if it is rooted, unless it is already compromised and or unless they have your Google account and password, which i am not 100% sure that would allow you to install anything either.
So my question is, if he flashes an original rom and creates a new Google account, can he feel safe that his phone can't have malicious apps installed with out his knowledge ?
I would assume a factory reset wouldn't be enough to get rid of an app installed as a system app ?
Is there any programs he could install to check for malicious apps.
I think my brother is just being overly paranoid and this guy is a ****
Help greatly appreciated.
Hopefully this is the right thread / board, if not please move to the correct thread please mods.
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Click to collapse
I would say, scan with an antivirus like avast and see what can come up, and to your question, if he flashes the stock rom, everything which has been installed as a system app will get removed, also if your phone is rooted , avast has a function which is called firewall, in that you can control the internet connectivity of all the user/system app. I use it to block internet access to systems which in my view do not need any connectivity to run. Its very easy to do also. ask him to change his goole password and also user 2 factor authentication on google.
Sounds like someone's been watching a bit too much Person of Interest...
Do such 'apps' exist? Yes. Are they publicly available? Hell no.
I dont think theres a software like that in public. Thats a lot of money to be earned "IF" ever and theres laws to break.
Just do a factory reset from recovery or a better solution is to upgrade your firmware to the newest build from samfirmware
Factory reset won't delete system apps.
The least you can do is flash stock ROM using Odin to fulfill your brother's OCD.
Thanks guys, will put my mind at rest and hopefully his.
JaGuR said:
1- if he flashes an original rom and creates a new Google account, can he feel safe that his phone can't have malicious apps installed with out his knowledge ?
2- I would assume a factory reset wouldn't be enough to get rid of an app installed as a system app ?
3- Is there any programs he could install to check for malicious apps.
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1- Yes. And no need to create a new account, just change the password of the current account.
2- Yes, in some (rare) cases.
3- I'm not sure. You can try some antivirus apps or security apps on the Play Store. But in general, you can check yourself by finding apps that have the following permissions: READ SMS + RECORD AUDIO + FULL INTERNET ACCESS... Try to eliminate well-known safe apps, plus some experiences and some helps from the other, you can identify these malicious apps.