Develop Bugs

[Q] Please help me get my marriage back on track ;)

Hi all.
Been an Android user for about as long as it's been out there and I have almost always rooted and installed custom ROM's on my devices. Last year I finally managed to convince the wife to upgrade to Android (enter the ARC S). She was delighted but the phone was always a bit slugish. When the ICS update came out I pressed her to upgrade because I thought she would benefit from the upgrade and the speeds might improve. So after a few months she finally gave in and about 2 weeks ago I did the upgrade. Aaaaaaannnndddddd that's when it all went to hell. Her phone is slow. Soooooo painfully slow that even an old HTC Desire loaded with a Sense 3.5 / 4 ROM is outperforming it by miles. She is mad. Soooooo very mad at me since then for having made her phone all that much worse. Reading up on it I know now that the upgrade was a bust and that Sony dropped the ball with this one.
So now I am looking to redeem myself. Usually I'd just root the phone, slap on some recovery software and flash away a couple of ROM's and choose from them. But this device seems to be not so straight forward. So I am turning to the community for help. What I am looking to do is install a custom ROM that is smooth and fast and will stay that way for as long as possible. Preferably one that is JB based and as easy to get on the device as possible. Now I know that when this question gets put out there people are often greeted with the "flash 'em and try" response, but my wife is reluctant to let me do anything else to her phone, let alone experiment with many a ROM. So I am asking for opinions. Any ROM as long as it's fast. The ROM that gets the most positive opinions wins and that is what I'll flash and hopefully save my marriage
Please keep in mind the phone is SIM locked and not rooted. It's basically an original ARC S with ICS on it. I have no recovery or rooting experience with this device, so it would be lovely if this could be done simply. I don't really want to over complicate things and risk gorking the thing even more.
Thanks in advance to all you members out there!

Hi.
You could just have Googled best rom arc s and read one of the numerous threads on the subject, and these threads are just another variation of best rom threads which are also now starting to build up. Root and and remove crap, few build.prop and init.d tweaks and you'll have a nippy Phone that works as it should, install a custom ROM then she isn't going to be happy when something doesn't work and you're constantly taking it of her to sort it out.

XperienceD said:
Hi.
You could just have Googled best rom arc s and read one of the numerous threads on the subject, and these threads are just another variation of best rom threads which are also now starting to build up. Root and and remove crap, few build.prop and init.d tweaks and you'll have a nippy Phone that works as it should, install a custom ROM then she isn't going to be happy when something doesn't work and you're constantly taking it of her to sort it out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did. And I actually considered (still am tbh) the Ultimate HD. But thought maybe there was something out there better and no frills. As for the root and decrap option, that's actually a pretty good idea. But won't the crap just load back? I mean, on most roms when I remove the bloatware it just loads up again via market. As for build.prop I don't know much. Could you just tip me a thread topic or what not and I will search. Or topics even.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

Pitbull_Raven said:
I did. And I actually considered (still am tbh) the Ultimate HD. But thought maybe there was something out there better and no frills. As for the root and decrap option, that's actually a pretty good idea. But won't the crap just load back? I mean, on most roms when I remove the bloatware it just loads up again via market. As for build.prop I don't know much. Could you just tip me a thread topic or what not and I will search. Or topics even.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Best thing is to try honestly (I wouldn't say ultimate hd is a bad choice )
And bloatware wouldn't load back once you've removed them so dont worry
Sent from Xperia Arc S

jman2131 said:
Best thing is to try honestly (I wouldn't say ultimate hd is a bad choice )
And bloatware wouldn't load back once you've removed them so dont worry
Sent from Xperia Arc S
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks. Will have to consider it.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD

Try Ultimate HD 2.0.3 / Xperia T ROM
Pitbull_Raven said:
Thanks. Will have to consider it.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have been using that ROM for around a week now and my phone is faster than ever.. The only issue seems to be in sending items via bluetooth (accept works smooth, but the option in send via is missing). But if your wife doesn't use that much bluetooth file sharing, then I'd recommend this ROM. Another good choice would be XPERIA T ROM for Arc S - Comparatively its a tad bit slower (not noticeable) but loads of more features (WalkMan has GraceNote, ClearAudio. Album has SenseMe etc.) Both are stable for daily use.

vish2407 said:
I have been using that ROM for around a week now and my phone is faster than ever.. The only issue seems to be in sending items via bluetooth (accept works smooth, but the option in send via is missing). But if your wife doesn't use that much bluetooth file sharing, then I'd recommend this ROM. Another good choice would be XPERIA T ROM for Arc S - Comparatively its a tad bit slower (not noticeable) but loads of more features (WalkMan has GraceNote, ClearAudio. Album has SenseMe etc.) Both are stable for daily use.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for the input. Bluetooth is not an issue. She rarely uses it at all. So yes, I'll keep it in mind. I'll have to decide till tomorrow morning seeing as how I am going to try to get it done over the weekend. To those of you that took the time to reply, my thanks!

Pitbull_Raven said:
Thank you for the input. Bluetooth is not an issue. She rarely uses it at all. So yes, I'll keep it in mind. I'll have to decide till tomorrow morning seeing as how I am going to try to get it done over the weekend. To those of you that took the time to reply, my thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So did you install one finally??
Sent from my LT18i using xda app-developers app

vish2407 said:
So did you install one finally??
Sent from my LT18i using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually, no. She forbade me
I'm guessing she's scared it'll just get worse or I'll mess it up even more. She won't even allow me to root it. At this point, I am hoping that some official fix comes along so that I can at least get her phone back to acceptable status. It's sooooooo slow. My old HTC Desire flies like a bat with a lit match stuck up it's butt compared to her Arc S right now. I mean, pulling up the phone dialer takes literally between 7 to 17 seconds to open just the dialer. And don't even dare to tap "contacts" because it can take you the best part of 30 seconds to see them appear.
SONY didn't just drop the ball with releasing this update; they bloody well stabbed it with a hunting knife to deflate it first so the ball would never bounce again... and then they dropped it.
Really, I am so sad for her every time I see her trying to do something on her phone. She used to love it. Now I see her turning away from it every chance she gets. It's really heartbreaking, and I am not trying to be funny. It really does pain me to see this happen.

Pitbull_Raven said:
Actually, no. She forbade me
I'm guessing she's scared it'll just get worse or I'll mess it up even more. She won't even allow me to root it. At this point, I am hoping that some official fix comes along so that I can at least get her phone back to acceptable status. It's sooooooo slow. My old HTC Desire flies like a bat with a lit match stuck up it's butt compared to her Arc S right now. I mean, pulling up the phone dialer takes literally between 7 to 17 seconds to open just the dialer. And don't even dare to tap "contacts" because it can take you the best part of 30 seconds to see them appear.
SONY didn't just drop the ball with releasing this update; they bloody well stabbed it with a hunting knife to deflate it first so the ball would never bounce again... and then they dropped it.
Really, I am so sad for her every time I see her trying to do something on her phone. She used to love it. Now I see her turning away from it every chance she gets. It's really heartbreaking, and I am not trying to be funny. It really does pain me to see this happen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, and atheistically Arc S is an awesome phone. And since its good under the hood as well, with a good custom FW, it really flies. My condolences to you my friend. However I have used Arc with stock FW as well, hence will suggest you some tips to enhance performance
1. Disable FaceBook Inside Xperia - It lags the system like hell
2. Remove the Timescape widget and live wallpapers if set.
3. Disable AutoSync if possible or keep it on for accounts other than FaceBook
4. Clear messages and call history a few days - I know it sounds strange - but it sure used to speed up my Arc.
5. Using tools like App Cache Cleaner and RAM Booster can help speed it up

vish2407 said:
Yes, and atheistically Arc S is an awesome phone. And since its good under the hood as well, with a good custom FW, it really flies. My condolences to you my friend. However I have used Arc with stock FW as well, hence will suggest you some tips to enhance performance
1. Disable FaceBook Inside Xperia - It lags the system like hell
2. Remove the Timescape widget and live wallpapers if set.
3. Disable AutoSync if possible or keep it on for accounts other than FaceBook
4. Clear messages and call history a few days - I know it sounds strange - but it sure used to speed up my Arc.
5. Using tools like App Cache Cleaner and RAM Booster can help speed it up
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for those tips. Will surely come in handy. How can I disable FB in the Arc? I know how to remove the account, but I think it's somehow integrated into the ROM, right? Is that what you meant?

Pitbull_Raven said:
Thanks for those tips. Will surely come in handy. How can I disable FB in the Arc? I know how to remove the account, but I think it's somehow integrated into the ROM, right? Is that what you meant?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
He didn't mean Facebook itself, but Facebook inside Xperia. It's that awesome feature that let's you do things you don't need to... seriously. I don't remember well where it is in settings, but it is there (I flashed a custom JB rom so I can't tell you where it is). I guess it was in "Xperia" but I'm not sure on that one. Autosync takes a huge amount of the guilt for making it slower, allow it only when you enable wifi, if possible. Check RAM usage, and look for apps that are not in use, and uninstall them.
If you really want it fast, then why not flashing a GB lightweighted Rom or even the debloated stock one? There are quite a few around here that you can flash. Just check the development section. It won't have a lot of features as ICS does, but as this phone was designed for GB, it will run in a decent way.
I used Ultimate HD for a while, and let me tell you, it was great. It offers very nice features. 5x4 apps drawer like in Xperia T (also Xperia T's boot animation); very nice design; on-screen buttons at choice; quick toggle panel (that is really handy); walkman app; new calendar app; the new album app that allows you to see the photos on map (if geotag was allowed when taken); included overclocking tool; and much more, being quite fast at the same time. I just switched to JB for the sake of feeling JB in my hand! But of course, if I see that it doesn't suit me well, I'm going back to ICS, back to UHD.
If you really want to make it faster, your best choice is to convince her to flash a custom ROM. Stock is well aesthetically designed, but as you said yourself, laggy as hell. Some of those custom ROMs are even able to be used with locked bootloader (although I would recommend to unlock the bootloader, check link at my signature from the android soul community). My suggestion: Read. She won't, you will. The chances of schrewing it up are lower if you inform yourself of the risks. I usually do this: I read the OP, and then I go to the last 5 pages, and read some repplies. It tells me whether people are having issues recently, or if there's a common issue.
Good luck convincing her :fingers-crossed:

HerrJuancho said:
He didn't mean Facebook itself, but Facebook inside Xperia. It's that awesome feature that let's you do things you don't need to... seriously. I don't remember well where it is in settings, but it is there (I flashed a custom JB rom so I can't tell you where it is). I guess it was in "Xperia" but I'm not sure on that one. Autosync takes a huge amount of the guilt for making it slower, allow it only when you enable wifi, if possible. Check RAM usage, and look for apps that are not in use, and uninstall them.
If you really want it fast, then why not flashing a GB lightweighted Rom or even the debloated stock one? There are quite a few around here that you can flash. Just check the development section. It won't have a lot of features as ICS does, but as this phone was designed for GB, it will run in a decent way.
I used Ultimate HD for a while, and let me tell you, it was great. It offers very nice features. 5x4 apps drawer like in Xperia T (also Xperia T's boot animation); very nice design; on-screen buttons at choice; quick toggle panel (that is really handy); walkman app; new calendar app; the new album app that allows you to see the photos on map (if geotag was allowed when taken); included overclocking tool; and much more, being quite fast at the same time. I just switched to JB for the sake of feeling JB in my hand! But of course, if I see that it doesn't suit me well, I'm going back to ICS, back to UHD.
If you really want to make it faster, your best choice is to convince her to flash a custom ROM. Stock is well aesthetically designed, but as you said yourself, laggy as hell. Some of those custom ROMs are even able to be used with locked bootloader (although I would recommend to unlock the bootloader, check link at my signature from the android soul community). My suggestion: Read. She won't, you will. The chances of schrewing it up are lower if you inform yourself of the risks. I usually do this: I read the OP, and then I go to the last 5 pages, and read some repplies. It tells me whether people are having issues recently, or if there's a common issue.
Good luck convincing her :fingers-crossed:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh wow, thanks for the info! This thread is actually becoming more helpful then I expected. You can bet I'll keep trying to convince her. Also I'll check the FB issue and see if I can get something sorted.

Pitbull_Raven said:
Oh wow, thanks for the info! This thread is actually becoming more helpful then I expected. You can bet I'll keep trying to convince her. Also I'll check the FB issue and see if I can get something sorted.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good luck on that one :highfive: And don't forget to click thanks on the posts that you found helpful

So good news! She finally had enough and can't stand the slowness anymore. I have the go ahead to do what I want to the device. So now everything is an option. So from what I gathered so far, first I must unlock bootloader. But this means formating the data partition, thus loosing everything.
Is it at all possible to root first so I can Titanium Backup the hell out of this phone first? LT18i running stock 4.0.4 and 4.1.B.0.587.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD

Pitbull_Raven said:
So good news! She finally had enough and can't stand the slowness anymore. I have the go ahead to do what I want to the device. So now everything is an option. So from what I gathered so far, first I must unlock bootloader. But this means formating the data partition, thus loosing everything.
Is it at all possible to root first so I can Titanium Backup the hell out of this phone first? LT18i running stock 4.0.4 and 4.1.B.0.587.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes. root it, backup your apps using titanium backup. (i recommend paid version) backup contacts and sms also. unlock your bootloader, flash custom kernel, (i recommend rush kernel), do full wipe (wipe absolutely everything except sd card of course since your backups are all there.) flash custom rom (preferably stock based roms since they are more stable. Try ultimate hd or jelly sandwich).
boot up for the first time, first boot usually slower. Complete First time setup, let it sit for awhile, like 5 minutes, install titanium, restore apps and contacts, make sure the apps are working. Some apps like line won't work after restoring with data from titanium and I had to clear it's app data first. set cpu governor to performance and add a bit of overclock (1.5 or 1.6). she won't know what these are anyway and she'd stop whining about lags. remember to set to overclock on boot. reboot phone and you're done.
I do this for my girl too. I'd still recommend ultimate hd 2.0.3. but you should mess around with the settings to see what it has to offer first. And also remember to search within their threads to find current unfixed bugs and their solutions.
Sent from my LT15i using xda app-developers app

jackkeylow said:
Yes. root it, backup your apps using titanium backup. (i recommend paid version) backup contacts and sms also. unlock your bootloader, flash custom kernel, (i recommend rush kernel), do full wipe (wipe absolutely everything except sd card of course since your backups are all there.) flash custom rom (preferably stock based roms since they are more stable. Try ultimate hd or jelly sandwich).
boot up for the first time, first boot usually slower. Complete First time setup, let it sit for awhile, like 5 minutes, install titanium, restore apps and contacts, make sure the apps are working. Some apps like line won't work after restoring with data from titanium and I had to clear it's app data first. set cpu governor to performance and add a bit of overclock (1.5 or 1.6). she won't know what these are anyway and she'd stop whining about lags. remember to set to overclock on boot. reboot phone and you're done.
I do this for my girl too. I'd still recommend ultimate hd 2.0.3. but you should mess around with the settings to see what it has to offer first. And also remember to search within their threads to find current unfixed bugs and their solutions.
Sent from my LT15i using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Very helpful. Thanks. I have TB paid version, so it shouldn't be a problem. Was just wondering how to root without unlocking boot first. I can see many a tutorial, but all seem to tell how to unlock bl first.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD

you don't need to unlock bl to root... and once you unlock bl you won't need to root because most custom roms and kernels come pre-rooted. use flashtool to root. download flashtool if you haven't already. It's like the all in one toolbox if you're just a user.
Sent from my LT15i using xda app-developers app

Will definitely look into it. Many thanks.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

[Q] Can I get a ROM that WORKS???

To anyone that knows of a ROM that is 100% functional INCLUDING S PEN!
The ROM I have now doesn't have a working radio so I can't even use my data plan to download anything (sometimes doesn't even wake back up when it goes to sleep). The home internet is constantly blinking in and out, making downloading large files tedious; so if you are positive you know a ROM that has everything functioning (as if it just shipped from the factory!) and de-bloated then please please, do tell!
I'd like this to be a one-shot download kind of thing rather than having to download a mess of things, once I get something that works again then I don't care how many ROMs you suggest.
PS: Are the Note II ROMs naturally huge??? I have seen some as high as 1GB

PorscheHusky said:
To anyone that knows of a ROM that is 100% functional INCLUDING S PEN!
The ROM I have now doesn't have a working radio so I can't even use my data plan to download anything (sometimes doesn't even wake back up when it goes to sleep). The home internet is constantly blinking in and out, making downloading large files tedious; so if you are positive you know a ROM that has everything functioning (as if it just shipped from the factory!) and de-bloated then please please, do tell!
I'd like this to be a one-shot download kind of thing rather than having to download a mess of things, once I get something that works again then I don't care how many ROMs you suggest.
PS: Are the Note II ROMs naturally huge??? I have seen some as high as 1GB
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you tried reading through the development section for comments as to what works and what doesn't for each ROM? There are loads that work. And yes, many are quite large.

Android Revolution by Mike1986 (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1925402) works flawlessly and is as you described. Near stock but completely debloated and optimized for better battery life and faster. Version 10.0 was just released yesterday with some updates.
If i ever need to use a Samsung ROM, i always use Android Revolution as i know it simply works.
Samsung ROMs are normally around 800 MB to 1 GB, completely normal.

apd said:
Have you tried reading through the development section for comments as to what works and what doesn't for each ROM? There are loads that work. And yes, many are quite large.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The lot I have found actually didn't have a log at all, so I assumed everything worked, like SpaceX2 I searched the entire thread for reported issues and didn't find anything so I went ahead to get it then run into this mess I'll try to look harder next time (if my internet plays nice)
Moonbloom said:
Android Revolution by Mike1986 (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1925402) works flawlessly and is as you described. Near stock but completely debloated and optimized for better battery life and faster. Version 10.0 was just released yesterday with some updates.
If i ever need to use a Samsung ROM, i always use Android Revolution as i know it simply works.
Samsung ROMs are normally around 800 MB to 1 GB, completely normal.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll give it a go then! and I just wanted to be sure they were supposed to be that large, the SII I had had ROMs around 300-500 avg so when I saw SpaceX2's 900-something and another at 1.4GB my eyes nearly popped out of my skull and jaw slapped a hole in the floor LOL
but just to be clear, the S-Pen functions are normal then? Reason I got this phone was to do my illustrations on the go (Sketchbook Pro and Photoshop stuff) and if I can't us it then it was a waste lol

PorscheHusky said:
The lot I have found actually didn't have a log at all, so I assumed everything worked, like SpaceX2 I searched the entire thread for reported issues and didn't find anything so I went ahead to get it then run into this mess I'll try to look harder next time (if my internet plays nice)
I'll give it a go then! and I just wanted to be sure they were supposed to be that large, the SII I had had ROMs around 300-500 avg so when I saw SpaceX2's 900-something and another at 1.4GB my eyes nearly popped out of my skull and jaw slapped a hole in the floor LOL
but just to be clear, the S-Pen functions are normal then? Reason I got this phone was to do my illustrations on the go (Sketchbook Pro and Photoshop stuff) and if I can't us it then it was a waste lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, all S-Pen functions are in the ROM.

Moonbloom said:
Yes, all S-Pen functions are in the ROM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Alright! Thanks for that bit! Headed over to try downloading now!
One last thing, might you know of any download managers I could get? Chrome doesn't have one and when the internet blinks I have to start all over again

Why not stick to stock? Custom roms are nice if you are looking for certain features, but they often come at the expense of being less compatible with certain apps and for the note specifically, you lose apps like s-note.
Sent from my iPad 4th gen using Tapatalk 2

A number of reasons really...
EP2008 said:
Why not stick to stock? Custom roms are nice if you are looking for certain features, but they often come at the expense of being less compatible with certain apps and for the note specifically, you lose apps like s-note.
Sent from my iPad 4th gen using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A number of reasons, really.
~While stock is wicked fast and no doubt stable, too many apps run in the background. I did a memorydump once and at any given time (after its sat idle for about 2min) there are usually 40-50 or more apps running in the background.
~Want to be able to continue using Google Wallet (started using it on my Nexus 7 and instantly fell in love). This Isis crap that the carriers are forcing us to use seems like the works of a halfwitt jacked up on drugs and their rollout methods are awful.
~Apparently the stock ROM with all the bloat/branding sucks up the onboard memory like it's going out of style. I don't even use most (if any) the carrier junk but I can't delete them. Thats where de-bloated and slimmed-down-to-essentials ROMs come in for me
~Ability to fully customize how I want MY phone to look and react rather than be just another carbon copy with the rest of the crowd. You wouldn't believe how many people, that have gotten a good look at my old SII w/ SBean AOKP, oooh & ahh over some visual features I could do that they couldn't, especially with battery readouts rather than guessing what percentage you're at with that vague battery bar.
That's just scratching the surface but come-ooooon! This is XDA, what are the majority of us here for anyway?
The Revolutions ROM mentioned above sounds promising and the fellow said all the stock things worked, including the phone's signature ability, the Wacom digitizer and S Pen. Without that working, thats like selling me a factory fresh Porsche but minus all the bits that make it go

Moonbloom said:
Android Revolution by Mike1986 (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1925402) works flawlessly and is as you described. Near stock but completely debloated and optimized for better battery life and faster. Version 10.0 was just released yesterday with some updates.
If i ever need to use a Samsung ROM, i always use Android Revolution as i know it simply works.
Samsung ROMs are normally around 800 MB to 1 GB, completely normal.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is it normal that the installation keeps freezing around the bit about efs backups?

Man i stupid threads like this.
"Waaa waaa my FREE rom doesnt work boo hoo...."
First off if I was a dev and saw this thread id be like "fu then enjoy your stock rom bish"
Its one thing if a rom is bricking your phone cuz the dev did no tests bit seriosly , your title really is unfair.
You shoukd read a luttle more about custom roms as this is the nature of "custom roms".
Why dont you make your own rom??
Oh dont know how?
Dont have the time?
EXACTLY
the roms are free and the devs work for free, so dont bash them when things dont go the wsy you want.
/rant
Much respect to all devs who put out ANY ROM.
Now diaf.

Need Help
Hi.....all....i just got this amazing phone last 2 weeks, and this is really good phone. And i just root it too.
I wanna change the custom ROM with Omega ROM, and change the Kernel too.
My question in here is : I can flash the custom ROM ?? Or i must unroot first ? And sorry, i really newbie about that, flashing or wht.
Thanks for advice
NB : I feel my baterry drain faster with the new firmware of that (

freakboy13 said:
Man i stupid threads like this.
"Waaa waaa my FREE rom doesnt work boo hoo...."
First off if I was a dev and saw this thread id be like "fu then enjoy your stock rom bish"
Its one thing if a rom is bricking your phone cuz the dev did no tests bit seriosly , your title really is unfair.
You shoukd read a luttle more about custom roms as this is the nature of "custom roms".
Why dont you make your own rom??
Oh dont know how?
Dont have the time?
EXACTLY
the roms are free and the devs work for free, so dont bash them when things dont go the wsy you want.
/rant
Much respect to all devs who put out ANY ROM.
Now diaf.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wake up on the wrong side of the bed elsewhere, chum. Maybe if youve read my above comment to the other bloke of why I want what I do then you might get a clue.
Asking for something that actually works as intended is not that much to ask for.

PorscheHusky said:
Is it normal that the installation keeps freezing around the bit about efs backups?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your signature reads "Galaxy Note II (T889)" and AFAIK Revolution HD and this whole section really is about the GT-N7100. Could you please clarify this point?

PorscheHusky said:
A number of reasons, really.
~While stock is wicked fast and no doubt stable, too many apps run in the background. I did a memorydump once and at any given time (after its sat idle for about 2min) there are usually 40-50 or more apps running in the background.
~Want to be able to continue using Google Wallet (started using it on my Nexus 7 and instantly fell in love). This Isis crap that the carriers are forcing us to use seems like the works of a halfwitt jacked up on drugs and their rollout methods are awful.
~Apparently the stock ROM with all the bloat/branding sucks up the onboard memory like it's going out of style. I don't even use most (if any) the carrier junk but I can't delete them. Thats where de-bloated and slimmed-down-to-essentials ROMs come in for me
~Ability to fully customize how I want MY phone to look and react rather than be just another carbon copy with the rest of the crowd. You wouldn't believe how many people, that have gotten a good look at my old SII w/ SBean AOKP, oooh & ahh over some visual features I could do that they couldn't, especially with battery readouts rather than guessing what percentage you're at with that vague battery bar.
That's just scratching the surface but come-ooooon! This is XDA, what are the majority of us here for anyway?
The Revolutions ROM mentioned above sounds promising and the fellow said all the stock things worked, including the phone's signature ability, the Wacom digitizer and S Pen. Without that working, thats like selling me a factory fresh Porsche but minus all the bits that make it go
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I hear you. I was into custom ROM's for many devices, but I found the problems with incompatibilities to be too much of a hassle to use on "daily driver" devices - especially my phone, which I use for business.
Now, I use Titanium to freeze bloatware and system apps that I don't want running. I use the Xposed framework mod to get unlimited multiwindow apps on my Note2 as well as add other features like per-app settings (dpi, full screen, resolution, etc.). I use a Nova Launcher instead of touchwiz, and several other tweaks on my stock firmware.
I found this to be the best option for ME, because the stability on my phone is perfect, battery life is great and I know that all apps will work properly.
Good luck on your quest to find the best rom - you'll likely have to try a bunch before settling down
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk 2

Androssama said:
Your signature reads "Galaxy Note II (T889)" and AFAIK Revolution HD and this whole section really is about the GT-N7100. Could you please clarify this point?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Forgive me if I am wrong but aren't they the same thing?

PorscheHusky said:
Forgive me if I am wrong but aren't they the same thing?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They're not, the T-Mobile Note II has a dedicated forum at http://forum.xda-developers.com/forumdisplay.php?f=1877
GSM Arena says : The device will have a model number SGH-T889 and will reportedly pack the same specs as the international Galaxy Note II (except for the LTE connectivity, of course). Feel free to check out our preview of the Note II for more details on the device.
The most common problem after crossflashing is losing signal. You have to flash a compatible ROM now, maybe even restore your efs partition.

<insert rageface X~infinity>
Androssama said:
They're not, the T-Mobile Note II has a dedicated forum at http://forum.xda-developers.com/forumdisplay.php?f=1877
GSM Arena says : The device will have a model number SGH-T889 and will reportedly pack the same specs as the international Galaxy Note II (except for the LTE connectivity, of course). Feel free to check out our preview of the Note II for more details on the device.
The most common problem after crossflashing is losing signal. You have to flash a compatible ROM now, maybe even restore your efs partition.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
FFFFFFFFFFFFffffffffffff!!!
Excuse me while I go sit in the corner of shame with this lovely cone shaped hat atop my noggin that reads 'jackass' on it >.<!
What you just said was both relieving and bothersome at the same time LOL. I'll give it a-go and THEN maybe I can finally get some sleep and rest easy knowing the thing should be working again!
I may just go back to Stock ROM for now and sit with it for a while until I dig deeper into Android; have been wanting to get away from Windows lately

EP2008 said:
I hear you. I was into custom ROM's for many devices, but I found the problems with incompatibilities to be too much of a hassle to use on "daily driver" devices - especially my phone, which I use for business.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm in the same boat as you. I would rather not mess with a custom ROM and the attendant incompatibilities on a daily driver device.
Now, I use Titanium to freeze bloatware and system apps that I don't want running. .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The version of Titanium that does not require root allows you to "freeze" bloatware? What exactly do you mean by that? In other words, what does "freeze" mean in this context specifically?
I use the Xposed framework mod to get unlimited multiwindow apps on my Note2 as well as add other features like per-app settings (dpi, full screen, resolution, etc.).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Xposed framework also doesn't require rooting the device? My Note2 just got updated (I'm with Rogers in Canada) with the multi-window feature and I would love to add a bunch of apps to this multi-window coolness. Can you please shed some more light on what I need to do here? Thanks
I use a Nova Launcher instead of touchwiz, and several other tweaks on my stock firmwareI found this to be the best option for ME, because the stability on my phone is perfect, battery life is great and I know that all apps will work properly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I love Nova Launcher. I use it as well. TIA

CayenneGTS said:
I'm in the same boat as you. I would rather not mess with a custom ROM and the attendant incompatibilities on a daily driver device.
The version of Titanium that does not require root allows you to "freeze" bloatware? What exactly do you mean by that? In other words, what does "freeze" mean in this context specifically?
The Xposed framework also doesn't require rooting the device? My Note2 just got updated (I'm with Rogers in Canada) with the multi-window feature and I would love to add a bunch of apps to this multi-window coolness. Can you please shed some more light on what I need to do here? Thanks
I love Nova Launcher. I use it as well. TIA
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Root is required of you want to get the most out of your device. If you want to "freeze" apps on an unrooted device, go to your application manager in your device settings, click on the system app you want to "freeze" and select disable. If you don't see the disable button, then click Uninstall updates first. Use this with caution as freezing or disabling important apps may cause problems.
Xposed requires root, but it doesn't mess up your system like some hardwire mods which replace system files can do.
Sent from my Galaxy Note 2 using Tapatalk 2

Cons of flashing custom roms?

What are the cons for flashing a custom rom?
For an example:
Does it mess with your phone if you flash a lot?
Those sort of questions!
ALSO, on my last phone, the HTC amaze, I used flash custom roms and over time it would just have an issue after issue. It kept rebooting randomly and it was just crazy.
Because of that problem, I actually moved to this phone! I'm afraid that the same problem will occur if I flash custom roms again... This phone was expensive compared to my previous phone and plus my mom would kill me if it starts having problems.
OR
Is it possible for me to stay with the stock rom and just install most of the mods from custom roms? If I could find them, but that'll be time consuming and I might mess up since I know nothing of developing and mods, just flashing
THANKS IN ADVANCE!
Sent from my SGH-M919 using xda app-developers app

re: root access
kevinrubio1 said:
What are the cons for flashing a custom rom?
For an example:
Does it mess with your phone if you flash a lot?
Those sort of questions!
ALSO, on my last phone, the HTC amaze, I used flash custom roms and over time it would just have an issue after issue. It kept rebooting randomly and it was just crazy.
Because of that problem, I actually moved to this phone! I'm afraid that the same problem will occur if I flash custom roms again... This phone was expensive compared to my previous phone and plus my mom would kill me if it starts having problems.
OR
Is it possible for me to stay with the stock rom and just install most of the mods from custom roms? If I could find them, but that'll be time consuming and I might mess up since I know nothing of developing and mods, just flashing
THANKS IN ADVANCE!
Sent from my SGH-M919 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Everything is a CON if you don't have root access. LOL
You will not be able to flash hardly any mods, themes or any other really
useful apps not even rom manager or titanium backup without root access.
Both of which are now a very basic app since they have become so useful.
Without ROOT your phone will be LOCKED and crippled into only being able
to use and install those apps at the playstore which do not require root.
99.9% of any mods, themes or anything else found in these custom roms will
not be possible to use, install or flash without having root access.
There is only one reason I can think of why some people don't want to root their phones and that is they are simply
satisfied with their phones and don't want to change anything in it, but those people don't really belong here in XDA.
Believe it or not but XDA was intended for those people who like to have endless possibilities, features, functions and
modifications so they can enjoy their phones to the fullest extent rather than simply having a $650 crippled stock phone.

Misterjunky said:
Everything is a CON if you don't have root access. LOL
You will not be able to flash hardly any mods, themes or any other really
useful apps not even rom manager or titanium backup without root access.
Both of which are now a very basic app since they have become so useful.
Without ROOT your phone will be LOCKED and crippled into only beiing able
to use and install those apps at the playstore which do not require root.
99.9% of any mods, themes or anything else found in these custom roms will
not be possible to use, install or flash without having root access.
There is only one reason I can think of why some people don't want to root their phones and that is they are simply
satisfied with their phones and don't want to change anything in it, but those people don't really belong here in XDA.
Believe it or not but XDA was intended for those people who like to have endless possibilities, features, functions and
modifications so they can enjoy their phones to the fullest extent rather than simply having a $650 crippled stock phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm already rooted, I was wondering about custom roms but thanks anyways
Sent from my SGH-M919 using xda app-developers app

sometimes things will bug out/not work. i flashed wicked v3 but i had problems connecting to 4g.

yukinose said:
sometimes things will bug out/not work. i flashed wicked v3 but i had problems connecting to 4g.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm worried about that, I was just about to flash wicked v3 too
Sent from my SGH-M919 using xda app-developers app

Make a nandroid backup of whatever rom ur using presently. If you don't like a certain rom you flashed, just restore ur backup.

norml said:
Make a nandroid backup of whatever rom ur using presently. If you don't like a certain rom you flashed, just restore ur backup.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
do i do a full wipe before i restore?

kevinrubio1 said:
do i do a full wipe before i restore?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I usually do dalvik, data, system, cache before and after I do dalvik and cache before I reboot. I'm still new to this ****, but from what I've read, I believe I'm correct.

kevinrubio1 said:
What are the cons for flashing a custom rom?
For an example:
Does it mess with your phone if you flash a lot?
Those sort of questions!
ALSO, on my last phone, the HTC amaze, I used flash custom roms and over time it would just have an issue after issue. It kept rebooting randomly and it was just crazy.
Because of that problem, I actually moved to this phone! I'm afraid that the same problem will occur if I flash custom roms again... This phone was expensive compared to my previous phone and plus my mom would kill me if it starts having problems.
OR
Is it possible for me to stay with the stock rom and just install most of the mods from custom roms? If I could find them, but that'll be time consuming and I might mess up since I know nothing of developing and mods, just flashing
THANKS IN ADVANCE!
Sent from my SGH-M919 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if want to use custom roms and install the mods, you have to have root access. if it's a warranty issue, even if you flash a custom rom without having root access, that's still voiding your warranty because i changes the samsung official to custom in download mode. so, you have to chose one side. no root, no mods, no custom roms, but having a warranty if something goes wrong, or root, mods, custom roms, but no warranty. you can always revert back to full stock without root for warranty issues, but it's not that easy if you aren't that familiar with phones and rooting. before triangle away, what i would do to go to full stock without root for warranty issues, was that i went to samsung kies. and i clicked on emergency firmware recovery, and i put my model number of phone (SGH-M919) then, my serial number of the phone, and then, i plugged the phone in, and booted into recovery, and i went back to full stock and could return it.

The only cons I've found so far is finding which ROM I want to use as a daily driver...

kevinrubio1 said:
do i do a full wipe before i restore?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
full wipe if you're flashing roms, you dont have to if you restore. it does it for you, and i've done restores without wiping anything without any immediate or long term hiccups

Only real cons of custom Roms is that in some circumstances there may be a couple things that aren't quite as stable as being stock would be, but a lot of those issues are taken care of if you do a full wipe before flashing a new rom. Just follow the OP instructions, and you're usually good to go. I've used Wicked V3 and Darthstalker S4 V3 with no issues at all. Just read through the threads, and you'll be able to get somewhat of a consensus on what is and isn't working properly in a Rom.

The biggest con of rooting and flashing custom roms is that everyone will see how super awesome your phone is and want to be just like you. People will form fan clubs to celebrate your greatness. Women will throw themselves at you becase rooted phones scream "Alpha male". You will have to do occasional autograph appearances and ribbon cutting ceremonies for various business and park openings as a result.
After a while all the added responcibility and living in the public spotlight might start to wear you down. That's the biggest con.
But due to your increased popularity you will get more phone calls and text messages. And every time you answer one you will do it on your rooted phone and you will be reminded of how much cooler you are than everyone else because of the nifty mod you flashed earlier that day:good:, and you will remember that it's all worth it.
Also you get to change the color of the clock and stuff. So that's super cool. :good:

Skipjacks said:
The biggest con of rooting and flashing custom roms is that everyone will see how super awesome your phone is and want to be just like you. People will form fan clubs to celebrate your greatness. Women will throw themselves at you becase rooted phones scream "Alpha male". You will have to do occasional autograph appearances and ribbon cutting ceremonies for various business and park openings as a result.
After a while all the added responcibility and living in the public spotlight might start to wear you down. That's the biggest con.
But due to your increased popularity you will get more phone calls and text messages. And every time you answer one you will do it on your rooted phone and you will be reminded of how much cooler you are than everyone else because of the nifty mod you flashed earlier that day:good:, and you will remember that it's all worth it.
Also you get to change the color of the clock and stuff. So that's super cool. :good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You just made my life lol
Sent from my SGH-M919 using xda app-developers app

Skipjacks said:
The biggest con of rooting and flashing custom roms is that everyone will see how super awesome your phone is and want to be just like you. People will form fan clubs to celebrate your greatness. Women will throw themselves at you becase rooted phones scream "Alpha male". You will have to do occasional autograph appearances and ribbon cutting ceremonies for various business and park openings as a result.
After a while all the added responcibility and living in the public spotlight might start to wear you down. That's the biggest con.
But due to your increased popularity you will get more phone calls and text messages. And every time you answer one you will do it on your rooted phone and you will be reminded of how much cooler you are than everyone else because of the nifty mod you flashed earlier that day:good:, and you will remember that it's all worth it.
Also you get to change the color of the clock and stuff. So that's super cool. :good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Holy crap, I need whatever app it is that YOU use.

As phones improve do you find yourself less tempted to root?

Back in the day, phones were much more restricted than they are nowadays. Now we have 2.3 ghz quad cores and excellent battery life and lots of features and all sorts of other great stuff.
As the phones get better are you less tempted to root your phone and install custom ROMs?
I know for me when I got my galaxy s3 I didn't root it for a few months. Then when I got my HTC one I was determined not to root it. It was excellent out of the box and I just didn't see a need for it. Untill I started having it not last all day so I rooted to be able to get better battery life. I won't have my note 3 for another week or so because employees aren't allowed to purchase our phones right away for some retarded reason. But just curious if I'm the only one feeling this way, that with phones becoming so much better, its slowly taking away the need for custom ROMs and such.

Personally I still have the need to root because not all phones are updated with official firmware to the latest android version, besides that I often experienced better battery life after rooting (disabling unwanted applications, removing bloatware, using greenify etc)

Yup. Lol idk if Imma root my note. But if I do, it would probably be just to change minor stuff like taking the clock out of the status bar or make it black when it's not transparent. Other than that, I see no reason to root this one as of yet.
Sent from my SM-N900T using xda app-developers app

There are really three reasons I root
1. Remove bloat.
2. Adblock hosts file
3. xposed framework.
I think xposed framework does more to eliminate the need for custom roms more than anything.

Same for me I root for 4 reasons:
1. Remove bloat.
2. Block ads.
3. Customize status bar.
4. Better battery life.
sent from my Note 3

With the Note 3, I have zero incentive to root. I've disabled the apps I don't care about, I have plenty of space for the ones I do, the phone looks and handles like a dream, and performance is blazing. I have zero complaints thus far. I liked Touchwiz with Gingerbread, hated it with ICS, and now I like it again on 4.1.2 and 4.3. Well done, Samsung.

I have always rooted my phone in the first hour of getting them. With the note 3, I have enjoyed the stock use for a 3 days now.
I'm sure it will change and as roms start to poor in but for now I'm ok.
Sent from my SM-N900T using xda app-developers app

Of course I still want root. There's so much you can't do without it.
1. Turn the DPI down - I bought a Note because it has a massive and detailed screen. I want to use that screen to fit more stuff on, not have giant letters that offer not much more area than a typical smartphone.
2. Ad blocking. Ads are annoying as can be, so block them system-wide with Ad Away.
3. App management - Delete those obnoxious bloatware apps, delete pointless carrier services, save space, and speed up the phone to its maximum potential
4. File management - Mount Samba shares (Windows file sharing) at defined mount points anywhere on the system, mount NTFS formatted SD card, copy things out of /data and make backups
5. Terminal/System Tools - Log in as root using 'su' and then have access to a privileged command line to run Linux commands. I use openvpn (tap bridging mode) to log into my home network over 4g and that can only be done through root.
6. Custom ROMs - The ultimate end-goal of warranty voiding, I hate TouchWiz and would rather run an AOSP-based ROM like CM or AOKP. These are pre-rooted, give me all of the above options, receive constant updates, are generally less bloated or resource-intensive, adjust to multiple DPI settings a lot better, and are community driven. Also CM has openvpn and NTFS support built in which works really well.
This is my criteria for buying the Note 3. As soon as I can do all of these, mostly the custom ROMs part, I will buy one and flash a ROM. Until then, I love the hardware but my CM10.2 Note i717 is still the winner since it runs software the Note 3 would not out of the box.

For some apps root is required and ASAP is the fastest, plus customization is key. And not great when using TW.
Sent from my SM-N900T using xda app-developers app

Root 4 Life
No matter how advanced our phones get I'll always want, and will DEMAND, full root/admin rights to my own device. My primary reasons, in order of importance are similar to the above commenters':
1) AdAway (for system-wide adblocking, from F-Droid.org's opensource repositories, now that it's banned from Play Store)
2) TitaniumBackup (/data/data access)
3) Xposed framework, and the Music2SD module specifically, so I can store all my Google Music on the EXTERNALSD card vs internal (without resorting to symlink or bindmount hacks that sometimes fail)
4) Ability to use GooManager app to easily install TWRP (without odin), to then make full ROM backups, and install CyanogenMod, etc.
5) read/write root access to all areas of my phone via ssh, terminal app, or gui file explorer app.
6) SixAxis support (for the PS3 game controller)
There's other reasons, but those are my top 6 off the top of my head. For most people, AdAway is the Numero Uno, as was actually why my Dad asked me to root his SGS4 while I was visiting him just a week ago.

Why buy a note and use an aosp ROM that doesn't support the spen functions? Or am I missing something and aosp can support s pen?
I used to love ad away.. But ads are what make these apps free... From an app developer point of view, ad blocking isn't all that cool.
I understand the bloat removal and using greenify. Those are the only 2 reasons id see myself using root for on this phone. And maybe also to boost audio. But probably won't.
DPI levels I also agree with. Who from Samsung thought it a good idea to have such a massive screen and only 4 columns for apps? Guy should be fired.
Sent from xda app

I used to root all my phones up to S4 which I did not. Got tired of the daily update flashing zip files. I still look at the development threads but, no interest to root. And now with the Knox thingy triggering the counter and triangle away not always working, will pass on rooting. Got to the point of just enjoying the phone and not trying to break what is not broken.
Now, if we get a Cyanogen app that will do all the rooting from beginning to end that is a possibility to root it.
Ian B

clninja said:
Why buy a note and use an aosp ROM that doesn't support the spen functions? Or am I missing something and aosp can support s pen?
Sent from xda app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
On the Note i717 (AT&T Note 1) the S-Pen has been supported since the beginning in CM/AOSP ROMs. You lose the software customizations relating to the S-Pen (gestures, scrap book, S-note/memo, hover-click to screenshot, etc) but the pen itself is still functional. With third-party drawing/note taking apps the S-Pen's button and pressure sensitivity features still work as well. I don't use the software features, just want the ability to draw diagrams and take handwritten notes on occasion, plus be able to use the S-Pen to hover as a mouse on web pages and to tap precisely on remote desktop. It does all of that just fine on CM. I really hope it is the same situation for the Note 3.

I root so I can use Titanium Backup which is faster than using helium and no need for a PC. Also so I can tether.
Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk 4

As for me, it all started with the Samsung Vibrant. I rooted every phone up to my Note 2. Now, since I own this BEAST of a phone Note 3, I want to wait until the devs figure out how to reset or bypass this new KNOX Samsung security flag.
This stupid KNOX thing worries me. Everywhere I read about it, it's none reversible, it's permanent. Why would Sammy need to know if we rooted our phones?

i doubt rooting will ever go away. two reasons!
1. individual customized taste
2. ciq removal

Reason to Root
I started rooting about 2 years ago when I got my Galaxy Nexus on Verizon. There were issues and updates but it seemed like nothing was ever coming when everyone else got them. I took a chance and rooted so I could install the ICS update that was to fix the issues a lot were having. after a couple of months and still having issues, I took into researching various custom roms and being a tweaker on the computer I thought it would be fun to try it on the phone. I became a regular flasher of sorts trying various roms and from time to time ask and offer help to the wonderful people on this site after seeing there were a lot of other people like me that liked to tinker with their technology. I am no master as a lot on here are but I try to offer suggestions if I have had a similar situation. I research for months when I knew my contract was about to run out and after many months of tinkering, I decided that the issue was with the network and not the phone. I recently purchased a new Note3 and thought I would try T-Mobile for a few days and see what would come of changing. So far I have been really impressed with the phone 'as is' and usually don't want to start tearing down right away (give time for the new to wear off at least) and just in case I decide to return if it doesn't work. I have read on CM that rooting is changing and there should be ways to get what we like in roms and features without the necessity/requirement for root. I would like the option to be able to dual boot so you can keep your stock rom as is and install a custom rom on the sd drive or in a VM environment like you can on a computer.

Like others have mentioned, ad removal is the main reason I always root. Can't stand them. Plus I love trying out new roms.
Sent from Flip's Note 3

Root is a must
It will always be a must to have complete control of phone for full backups of backs via Tbackup I refuse to constantly have to redo app's. Also to use our wonderful xposed modules that work awesome. Also allows my to flash and set permissons. Also allows to be rid of bloat and make full use of phone no need to be tied down. Plus if binary can never be reset then opps broke glass and use insurance if really so worried about the marker.

I've had my Note 3 for 3 days now and have not even thought of rooting it. It's exceptionally fast and I already disabled the boat I don't use. I'm fine where I am for now
Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk 4

To Root or Not To Root. THAT is the question.

Here is a delimma I haven't had since I first bought my G1 (before root was even discovered): Should I root this device?
I'm looking for genuine opinions here. I've owned a G1, MT4G, Galaxy S3, and now the Note 3 and out of all of them, the Note 3 is the only one where I actually have no intention of installing Stock Android (as I'd lose all the features that made me want the Note to begin with). On those older devices, I wanted to OC to speed up the devices or use them for tetheing. TouchWiz on the GS3 annoyed the hell out of me as it seemed unnecessary, it's at least justified on the Note. But now I don't need them for tethering and I don't need to overclock this device, despite the fact that I want to anyway and I don't intend on installing a Stock ROM. What incentives are there to rooting now?
Right now all I can think of is GMD. I'm looking for someone to re-inspire me to root again.

AGx-07_162 said:
Here is a delimma I haven't had since I first bought my G1 (before root was even discovered): Should I root this device?
I'm looking for genuine opinions here. I've owned a G1, MT4G, Galaxy S3, and now the Note 3 and out of all of them, the Note 3 is the only one where I actually have no intention of installing Stock Android (as I'd lose all the features that made me want the Note to begin with). On those older devices, I wanted to OC to speed up the devices or use them for tetheing. TouchWiz on the GS3 annoyed the hell out of me as it seemed unnecessary, it's at least justified on the Note. But now I don't need them for tethering and I don't need to overclock this device, despite the fact that I want to anyway and I don't intend on installing a Stock ROM. What incentives are there to rooting now?
Right now all I can think of is GMD. I'm looking for someone to re-inspire me to root again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
rooting is fine at this point. However, as twrp causes an all but irreparable error, you might want to wait for a reliable recovery before installing any modded roms.
Charlie

AGx-07_162 said:
Here is a delimma I haven't had since I first bought my G1 (before root was even discovered): Should I root this device?
I'm looking for genuine opinions here. I've owned a G1, MT4G, Galaxy S3, and now the Note 3 and out of all of them, the Note 3 is the only one where I actually have no intention of installing Stock Android (as I'd lose all the features that made me want the Note to begin with). On those older devices, I wanted to OC to speed up the devices or use them for tetheing. TouchWiz on the GS3 annoyed the hell out of me as it seemed unnecessary, it's at least justified on the Note. But now I don't need them for tethering and I don't need to overclock this device, despite the fact that I want to anyway and I don't intend on installing a Stock ROM. What incentives are there to rooting now?
Right now all I can think of is GMD. I'm looking for someone to re-inspire me to root again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The main reason I rooted last night was to install Ad Block, Titanium Backup to freeze some bloat and run Chainfire's region lock removal. I agree with you though, I bought the Note for the SPen features so an AOSP rom would take that away. There is 1 custom ROM already that retains TouchWiz and SPen features that I am debating on trying. I'm still on the fence of installing a custom rom since its very early into development for the device.

I would say rooting imho is mandatory. It doesn't matter how big he screen is Samsung always makes the stuff on it way to large for my use. I have to modify the DPI and use Xposed to remove many of the status bar icons or I would never be able to have enough room on the status bar and notification pull down. I also uninstall some of the bloat, enable call recording, use isis, and more. I don't run a custom rom I just run a DeOdexed stock rom and do everything I need manually for now.

I'm not going to "convince" anyone per say, but just keep following the forums until something forces you to root again. I for one missed Titanium Backup since it can backup everything, I've tried Helium, but for some reason it just wouldn't backup ES File Explorer and Beautiful Widgets on my S4. These are just normal apps and I don't know why it wouldn't work. Also, removing bloat and adding more apps for the Pen Window feature.
I'll be rooting once my 14 days are passed and start flashing again once the recovery's restore feature is working properly again. I don't root to overclock, I root so I can customize my phone even more and add features which wasn't added for stock. Also, I miss the auto GPS on/off by Secure Settings. It requires root and I can't use it just yet!

I still say root, there's a lot of things you can only do with root even on stock. You can block ads, adjust dpi, delete bloat, and manage files better. You can also use the command line for a lot more things when rooted. You can also install the xposed framework to get some of the unofficial ROM benefits on the stock ROM like per-app DPI, something very useful on a high resolution, big screen like Notes have.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using xda app-developers app

I am planning on rooting for the sole purpose of restoring my FF3 saved game. I lost a saved game once when my SGS3 bricked (SDS) and am just about where I was when I lost that one.

CalcProgrammer1 said:
I still say root, there's a lot of things you can only do with root even on stock. You can block ads, adjust dpi, delete bloat, and manage files better. You can also use the command line for a lot more things when rooted. You can also install the xposed framework to get some of the unofficial ROM benefits on the stock ROM like per-app DPI, something very useful on a high resolution, big screen like Notes have.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I rooted for the sole purpose of installing AdAway. The stock ROM is so awesome I really don't see me wanting a custom one. I love this beast.
Sent from a Galaxy Note 3 far, far away....

Root is definitely mandatory for me. I can install the custom font that I use, get rid of ads (which is 100% worth it for me), I can delete apps I don't want, not just freeze them, and customize the device how I want.

I root because I want to own my device.. it's mine I m it's administrator.. not my provider .. not Samsung. . ME..
With that said Samsung s stock roms are solid just like aosp is.. The true need for root has diminished a lot in last 12 months .. I root because I can.. I completely understand there is no real need for it but to deny warranty on those who root is plain wrong... just my 2 cents
Sent from my SM-N900W8 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

DAGr8 said:
I root because I want to own my device.. it's mine I m it's administrator.. not my provider .. not Samsung. . ME..
With that said Samsung s stock roms are solid just like aosp is.. The true need for root has diminished a lot in last 12 months .. I root because I can.. I completely understand there is no real need for it but to deny warranty on those who root is plain wrong... just my 2 cents
Sent from my SM-N900W8 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
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Agreed. I root to make it 100% mines! I also do it to under clock a step... Not much into OC'ing anymore. This will probably be the first ROM I stay close to stock with minus some of those extra mods and tweaks that separates my Note 3 from the average consumer...

Rooting can let you easily backup and restore application data.

I root to enable all apps in multi window. So i can watch mnf and candy crush
Sent from my SM-N900T using xda app-developers app

Rooting
I personally like the idea of rooting. I'm spending my own hard earned money on this mobile device and I should be able to do what the hell I want with it. I will also root to get rid of Carrier IQ and when I am tired of TouchWiz.

you should only root under the following conditions.
1. check your personality that you are not a person who rush things!
2. do 10 hour reading about rooting, how to root on your device, its benefits, and its drawback
3. after rooting, you should spend at least 1 hour reading about the rom/mod you want to install
4. optional. have a device warranty with cell provider. they will always change a soft brick phone with you telling them it just died.

HughesNet said:
I would say rooting imho is mandatory. It doesn't matter how big he screen is Samsung always makes the stuff on it way to large for my use. I have to modify the DPI and use Xposed to remove many of the status bar icons or I would never be able to have enough room on the status bar and notification pull down. I also uninstall some of the bloat, enable call recording, use isis, and more. I don't run a custom rom I just run a DeOdexed stock rom and do everything I need manually for now.
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You wouldn't happen to know if there is a deodexed stock rom out there for the SM-N900W8, would you?

c_est_la_vie said:
You wouldn't happen to know if there is a deodexed stock rom out there for the SM-N900W8, would you?
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Sorry but I don't know anything about that model.

When I got my note, I took it home, opened the box, insert battery, hit the three keys to download mode, plug phone into my pc and Odin root, reboot and bam first time using my note.