How to root without unlocking and wiping data - Moto Z2 Play Questions & Answers

Hi, I would like to root my Moto Z2 Play but I don't want to unlock bootloader, because all of my data will be actually formatted and I don't really want to set up things again.
With that, I would like to ask if there is any option to root my phone straight from Android UI.
So I don't have to use any PC to root this phone.
Edit:
Actually with rooting come on place one important question.
This question is about: Is the phone able to receive updates released by manufacturer to moto Z2 play?
I'm asking because when I was rooting my Samsung phones on every single of them when they are rooted they are unable to receive updates by manufacturer so I literally had to plug the phone into my PC and Force updated it via Samsung provided program (Kies).
This was really painful so I am asking just before I will actually root it because I want the stock ROM and all of its official updates.
So I'll be really thankful with any answer on that question.

To root you must unlock the bootloader.
And you will receive OTA's, but if you install those, the phone will most probably brick. So, don't even try to install them.

As long as there is no vulnerability found in Android 8 that could actually be used to root, there is no other way than to open the bootloader which enforces a factory reset.
But if rooted properly with Magisk and as long as you only boot TWRP but never install it, OTAs should work. At least the only reason for bricking I know is when you try to upgrade after a downgrade since the updater seems to not check the bootloader. And with a downgrade to a version with an older bootloader something goes haywire which bricks the device on next update and you'll need a blankflash to fix that

Related

random noob questions...

OK,
1st Hi all and thanks for not bashing my lack of knowledge. I have done many searches and am now more confused than before.
I am comming from a droid X, I did the z4 root on it to get wifi tether working, it was on 2.2.1 I believe. Well it went very good, but I never got a push for an update. Got the new GN on verizon and tried to restore it back to stock, didn't work, so instead of selling it I gave it to my mom. Also, did this on a friends and he did get the update push and lost the root and superuser access.
This story is just so you know I am a complete noob. Other than following someones set by set on using Z4 I have really not done anything and have some questions on my new phone.
1. why would I want to unlock the bootloader?
2. after reading about the wifi hotspot by svtp do I need to root?
3. If i root and/or unlock the bootloader will this stop the updates from google (main reason I bought the phone)?
4. I am not into overclocking or modding but I want to be able to have wifi if I ever need it. That is the only thing I want.
Basically I am looking to unlock the wifi and still get all the google updates, is this possible? As of right now I think buying the svtp app is my best bet, I just don't want an unexpected bill showing up.
ok, still not rooted or unlocked. cannot get svtp to work wifi
Follow this guide --> http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1382163
re #1: you need to unlock the bootloader to do pretty much anything non standard with your phone.
Since unlocking the bootloader wipes all data on the phone it's a good idea to do it early. You can leave it otherwise stock while you think about it, you can even relock it if you need to return the phone for some reason.
Neither unlocking nor rooting the phone will stop you getting the OTAs, it's custom roms that will do that. However most OTAs will stop your root access because they reset the permissions on your su files.
hth
Clancy_s said:
Neither unlocking nor rooting the phone will stop you getting the OTAs, it's custom roms that will do that. However most OTAs will stop your root access because they reset the permissions on your su files.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just to add further to this... not only will custom ROMs stop you from getting OTA updates, having custom recovery (ClockworkMod) will prevent them from applying, even with the stock ROM. If using a stock ROM with custom recovery, you'll need to do the update manually. If you wait until you get the update notification, your phone should have downloaded the update to /cache. You can then use the custom recovery to apply the update. Alternatively, you can look on these forums for someone to post the URL to the OTA update zip file, download it, and flash it manually (this way you don't need to wait until your phone gets the update, you can download it and have it sooner).
In either case, you'll usually need to re-root, as stated. This is easier with a custom recovery, because you should just have to flash superuser immediately after flashing the update, before rebooting.
Until CM9 is stable, I'm running the stock ROM with ClockworkMod recovery. I can download the OTA updates manually and flash them with ClockworkMod then flash superuser and I'm good to go. Custom recovery makes it nice and easy to retain root, as well as the ability to do nandroid backups, etc.

Rooting D855/ Unlocking bootloader, without kingroot

Hi all, I'm new to android rooting, and have been consuming knowledge over the last few days like a large sponge.
I discovered that McAfee had set itself if with admin rights on my phone, and had been sending texts to international numbers without alerting me, took me a good while to find out where the extra charges from my carrier were coming from. Anyway, I cant delete it as its in the ROM, so i rooted the phone (on lollipop) and deleted it, along with some other bloatware that LG and my carrier decided I would want, and then updated the phone to marshmallow (I didn't actually realise marshmallow had been released, I don't keep in the android loop, and my phone always said the latest OS was installed - had to update it through LGs PC suite).
To my abject horror McAfee was back, I can only assume this was due to the update to marshmallow, and not because it somehow survived deletion somewhere on the phone. So now, i need to root the phone, and delete McAfee again, however I really dont want to use Kingroot to do it. Its very shifty, looking at various info on the web, what with it sending information to IPs in China and running services in the background. The other alternative, using Supersu's systemless root, requires the bootloader to be unlocked, but to unlock the bootloader, a root is required (please correct me if any of this information is incorrect, I am pretty new to the android side of things - ive only ever jailbroken iDevices before now). I think im right in saying I could unlock the boot loader if I could access fastboot, but the command 'adb reboot-bootloader' only reboots the phone, rather than booting into the bootloader.
Is there anything I can do to get around this ? Once its rooted and the bloatware deleted, Ill unroot it (I use banking apps and they wont run if the phone is rooted) so I dont want to flash any custom ROMS or anything - just get access to files on the root.

Root & Rom Advice from the Ground Up

I need some help and I've looked all over but the information is fragmented and there is too many unfamiliar acronyms used which make it incredibly difficult for some like myself to catch up. So for the benefit of others who may be new I wanted to get some additional guidance.
I got the Pixel XL Google Version
Objectives:
1. Root with the ability to hide root so other apps will work
2. Native Mobile Hotspot
3. The ability to easily receive android updates without having to reflash etc..
4. Stay close to stock if possible, but willing to explore other options as long as security is trusted, and has good
compatibility.
5. Security is a concern, I tried a rom in the past with a Galaxy S4 and swear it had a backdoor installed in the rom.
What do you guys recommend? And how do I go about doing it?
Thank you!
If security is truly a concern you will not unlock your bootloader and root your phone.
Otherwise it all depends on which version phone you have, Verizon or Google?
1. You need magisk root for that.
3. No updates when you are rooted
4.5. Never heard of any custom rom with a backdoor. That's absolutely bull****. More likely it was an app you installed.
Unlocked bootloader is a security issue, so better to stay on full stock.
Root is a big security issue so better stay on full stock.
Jokes aside the only security issue is your phone gets stolen or you install apps outside playstore.
If you stay encrypted and use a hard pattern with fingerprint you are fine and there is always the way to delete your phone when it gets stolen.
mikaole said:
1. You need magisk root for that.
3. No updates when you are rooted
4.5. Never heard of any custom rom with a backdoor. That's absolutely bull****. More likely it was an app you installed.
Unlocked bootloader is a security issue, so better to stay on full stock.
Root is a big security issue so better stay on full stock.
I have the Pixel XL - Google Version
Jokes aside the only security issue is your phone gets stolen or you install apps outside playstore.
If you stay encrypted and use a hard pattern with fingerprint you are fine and there is always the way to delete your phone when it gets stolen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My point about security really was that it's quite possible a ROM could have a backdoor. That a side..
Root is not a big security issue for me as long as the rom is trusted etc..
Shouldn't I be able to turn root off then be able to update and turn it back on again?
jadensmith said:
1. Root with the ability to hide root so other apps will work
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's possible to root to one slot with SuperSU while the other slot remains unrooted, and then the phone can be switched between slots with TWRP or fastboot commands. Kernels have been posted with safetynet patches, to hide that the bootloader is unlocked, but I'm not sure if any are available with the software version on my phone's current slot. As noted, Magisk can also hide root and that the bootloader is unlocked, so it's probably less hassle than trying to root and hide using SuperSU.
3. The ability to easily receive android updates without having to reflash etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
FlashFire can use the OTA to update and stay rooted with SuperSU. The past couple months I've used FlashFire to update my phone, and it seems quicker and easier than the sideloading and reinstalling process I had been using. I'm not aware of anything similar to FlashFire for Magisk users, so to me it seems like you would have to decide if 1 or 3 is more personally important.
jadensmith said:
Shouldn't I be able to turn root off then be able to update and turn it back on again?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
While reading I got the impression that I might be able to uninstall SuperSU and use the OTA update, but that didn't work with SuperSU the times I tried it, so I presume something SuperSU changed or something I did with root must have caused the update to fail. I haven't read the Magisk threads as much, yet I've seen that other SuperSU users also indicate that OTA updates no longer worked for them after rooting the phone.
alluringreality said:
It's possible to root to one slot with SuperSU while the other slot remains unrooted, and then the phone can be switched between slots with TWRP or fastboot commands. Kernels have been posted with safetynet patches, to hide that the bootloader is unlocked, but I'm not sure if any are available with the software version on my phone's current slot. As noted, Magisk can also hide root and that the bootloader is unlocked, so it's probably less hassle than trying to root and hide using SuperSU.
FlashFire can use the OTA to update and stay rooted with SuperSU. The past couple months I've used FlashFire to update my phone, and it seems quicker and easier than the sideloading and reinstalling process I had been using. I'm not aware of anything similar to FlashFire for Magisk users, so to me it seems like you would have to decide if 1 or 3 is more personally important.
That didn't work with SuperSU the times I tried it, so I presumed that something I did with root must have caused the update to fail to install.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow thanks for the great reply! It's so refreshing!
What do you mean by root one slot?
The phone has two "slots" for Android. The basic idea is that you have two copies of Android on the phone that share the same user data. On a stock phone it's intended to allow for less noticeable updates, and it also can allow the phone to fall back to the previous software version if something goes wrong with an update. On the May update my phone did automatically switch between slots, due to what is discussed in the second link below. The first link below gives some information and additional links to discussion about the slots on these phones.
http://www.androidpolice.com/2016/1...-partition-changes-and-new-fastboot-commands/
https://forum.xda-developers.com/an...signing-boot-images-android-verified-t3600606
Is it possible to keep stock or near stock and just have root with the ability to hide root, and hotspot?
That's all I really need. What would be the best way to to do this?

New Pixel 2 XL owner, questions concerning OTA updates, unlocked bootloader, etc.

Hi guys, I finally decided to replace my good old Galaxy S7 edge and I came to the conclusion that I wanted, after using Samsung, OnePlus and Sony phones for years, the most streamlined Android experience possible without having to deal with OEM bloat, delayed updates, etc. anymore.
Result: I made the most obvious choice and I got an unlocked white 128GB Pixel 2 XL from the Google Store directly (I can't wait to receive it!).
I have a few questions though...
1) Will unlocking the bootloader alone (without actually rooting the phone) cause OTA updates to fail?
2) It's now possible to root your phone with Magisk without installing a custom Recovery (TWRP). Once installed, Magisk allows you to temporarily restore the stock, unrooted "boot.img". Is it enough for OTA updates to install properly or will they fail as soon as Magisk has been installed, even if the stock boot.img has been restored?
3) Does the Pixel 2 have an "e-fuse" that will get triggered once the bootloader is unlocked that will cause features to not work properly anymore, like on Samsung phones?
4) Any other recommendations or things I should be aware of?
Thanks guys
Only other thing I would read up on is how to work around the whole dual slots "feature" that these Pixel phones have. The last couple times I've tried to update to the latest security update, I get a "your device is corrupt and cannot be trusted" message and the phone won't boot. I end up have to scramble to flash stock boot.img to both slots A and B, flash the factory image to both slots, and hold my breath as to whether or not it's going to work. I wish there was an idiot's guide to updating firmware for this phone. Everyone that posts on this subject has a different opinion on how to do it properly. Going form any given security update rooted with Magisk, how does one update to the next month's firmware, without temporarily bricking the phone or wiping data? I've been unlocking phones and flashing custom roms since before Android was even invented. So I'm no stranger to this stuff, but it has become quite a production to keep up to date with this stuff.
Phazonclash said:
Hi guys, I finally decided to replace my good old Galaxy S7 edge and I came to the conclusion that I wanted, after using Samsung, OnePlus and Sony phones for years, the most streamlined Android experience possible without having to deal with OEM bloat, delayed updates, etc. anymore.
Result: I made the most obvious choice and I got an unlocked white 128GB Pixel 2 XL from the Google Store directly (I can't wait to receive it!).
I have a few questions though...
1) Will unlocking the bootloader alone (without actually rooting the phone) cause OTA updates to fail?
2) It's now possible to root your phone with Magisk without installing a custom Recovery (TWRP). Once installed, Magisk allows you to temporarily restore the stock, unrooted "boot.img". Is it enough for OTA updates to install properly or will they fail as soon as Magisk has been installed, even if the stock boot.img has been restored?
3) Does the Pixel 2 have an "e-fuse" that will get triggered once the bootloader is unlocked that will cause features to not work properly anymore, like on Samsung phones?
3) Any other recommendations or things I should be aware of?
Thanks guys
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To answer your questions.....
1. No
2. Yes. But you'll have to unroot and completely uninstall magisk to take the OTA.
3. No
4. There are several guides to explain how to unlock the bootloader, install twrp, kernels, and root. Let me know if you'd like links, or you can search on your own if you'd like. Welcome to the P2XL. We hope you enjoy your stay ??

is my phone really rooted?

I used to be more active on these forums before I got my oneplus 5T and one of the biggest reasons was I wanted a clean fast OS without all the bloatware that many other manufacturers put on their phones. I tried a search but I did not find what I was looking for, so I apologize in advance if this is already covered in another thread.
Anyway, I picked up a 5T about a year ago while visiting family in Europe. (I'm the 2nd owner to the phone) I never bothered to install TWRP or anything else bcs the phone was running really well with stock. All OTA updates have been installing whenever they were released.
Now to my question. While trying to install workspace one app from playstore (my company requires it) the app won't install bcs it claims my phone is rooted. That is the only app that I have ever had any issues with.
I ran root check witch states "sorry! Root access is not properly installed on this device"
How do I unroot my phone if it's really rooted? Or lock the bootloader? maybe that's the same? TWRP is not installed, when I boot into recovery I get into oneplus stock recovery software.
Hi, unfortunately I can't tell you right off if your phone is rooted. If root checker is saying no, then maybe you aren't, but still check if you have magisk or some other root solution app installed. When you got it from someone, they also could have flashed ROMs etc and when they returned it to stock for resale, they night have missed something like relocking bootloader, even if they did re install stock recovery. If I were in your shoes though, I would reboot to bootloader and check if it's unlocked or not. If it is, it's a simple "fastboot oem lock" from terminal. If that's not the case or solution, I dunno what to say. One thing that I would do if I were desparate is to try to take a backup of all the music/pics/texts/whatever other essential bits of data. Then I would reinstall stock recovery, as well as the latest official (not beta) Oxygen OS from oneplus's page. You can find it under the support tab and then software upgrade, then choose the device. Not only that but maybe completely nuke it, as in format, wipe, etc. And lock the bootloader and also let it get encrypted and stuff.. in other words, restore to as stock as possible. Then once you are done you can test. If this fails and bricks, there's a unbrick guide somewhere here for our phone, and also the backup is there for you. If you successfully restore to stock and this does not work, then maybe it is just the app that has a problem with not super stock Android (OOS). I must warn you that this process is risky and I am in no way gonna be responsible for lost data, because I did say make a backup and also it is up to you to do this. I hope this helps a bit, and if you aren't super familiar with the process it may take a while, around an hour if you do not run into any hitches and your download speed is good enough.

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