Samsung Galaxy S IV Discussion and Owners Thread

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#973217 23-Jan-2014 21:43

jackfry:
timmmay:
jackfry: Just got an S4 and first time using Android. Any recommendations or suggestions on things I should do or change? Thanks!

Root it and add a custom ROM, gives you more flexibility. I think it's a bit tricky if your ROM is knox enabled.

Let us know what you want to do and we can give you some tips. I got my first smart phone 3-6 months ago, the S4, so I know where you're coming from.

I don't really know what I want, I guess easier or more efficient usability and definitely added flexibility. What is the most used ROM? Something that I won't have many problems with and will be relatively easy to upgrade when kit kat arrives.

Sorry if im not real specific, just don't know much about android.

DON'T root for now, read lots first.

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#973318 24-Jan-2014 08:06

jackfry: I don't really know what I want, I guess easier or more efficient usability and definitely added flexibility. What is the most used ROM? Something that I won't have many problems with and will be relatively easy to upgrade when kit kat arrives.

Sorry if im not real specific, just don't know much about android.

Post above is probably right, don't root now, only do it if you really need to. I use root to enable automation (see below) and to save battery. The most used ROM is stock, stick with that unless you need something another offers.

Here's my most used apps and random thoughts:
- Llama. I use this to change ring tones and ring volumes based on location, as well as turning the phone to airplane mode at night. You need root to do the airplane mode thing, and I made the app a device admin as well (in settings somewhere). Without root you can make the phone silent at night. It uses little battery as it works out location by cell tower, not GPS.
- Tasker is similar to Llama, but more powerful and much more complex. I don't actually use it at the moment, but it's worth reading about.
- K-9 mail. I like it better than the gmail or built in mail apps. It can work with any email account.
- BetterBatteryStats+ (free on xda-developers I think, side load it. Google side load).
- I turn location services off in settings because it makes my battery last longer. The latest version of google play services is meant to fix this bug but I haven't tried it.
- gReader pro app to read RSS.
- Keepass2Android Offline. Secure password store, master is on my PC and the data file lives on dropbox.
- Dropbox or Dropsync. Dropbox will upload photos, but not things like password files.
- SketchbookX. Draw with your finger.
- JuiceSSH
- DiskUsage
- WhatsApp (free text messaging)
- Convert Everything
- Media Monkey. Does wireless sync with my PC, ratings, etc. Wireless sync setup is or was tricky so read their forum.
- USB Mass Storage.
- Adaway (root required, free on xda developers). Kills all advertising, this is less distracting and saves battery.
- Cerberus, in case you lose your phone. Make it a device admin. With root you can do fancier things like hide it and make it a system app so it survives a hard reset.
- SMS Backup & Restore.
- AirDroid (maybe v2), so you can access your phone as a storage device from your PC over wireless.
- TeamViewer
- Terminal Emulator
- Root Browser (root required)
- Lux Auto Brightness. Much better than built in.

That's the main stuff that comes to mind.

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#974476 26-Jan-2014 09:04

I have a rooted s4 9505 that has a custom recovery but it does not have a backup option. It canflash updates thiugh.

Where can i donwload a custom recovery and flash it?

jeffnz

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#974480 26-Jan-2014 09:25

joker97: I have a rooted s4 9505 that has a custom recovery but it does not have a backup option. It canflash updates thiugh.

Where can i donwload a custom recovery and flash it?

doesn't sound like custom recovery then,

download here grab the thrid one the touch but .tar then use Odin and flash through PDA just make sure you don't have repartition ticked.

its a basic recovery but works fine for me

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#974490 26-Jan-2014 10:01

thanks a tonne ... now to decide what rom to flash :D

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#974502 26-Jan-2014 10:18

hmm failed backup ... must have selected that which referred to internal rather than external sd card ... now
"system storage low" ... and i can't find where the new space is taken up! diskusage not particularly helpful ...

does a failed backup get saved?

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#974503 26-Jan-2014 10:19

diskusage shows system data 1628mb ... what and where is that?

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#974510 26-Jan-2014 10:30

ok managed to free up just enough space to install rom manager and found the offending backup and deleted it ...

wow the bit where the galaxy's not very 16GB is split into 2 has totally confused BOTH diskusage AND the system storage (tbh diskusage probably uses the system's info hence both were confused)

was looking for the 1.6gb in the 9GB of storage bit but it was actually in the other bit!

this s4 is driving me mad ... an ala-vista FAIL for my liking

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#974514 26-Jan-2014 10:41

not sure if i'm liking this process tbh ...

jeffnz

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#974570 26-Jan-2014 12:29

joker97: not sure if i'm liking this process tbh ...

I had a lot hidden on internal, should have used an app to find but basically shifted all my pers stuff to 32gb ext and formatted internal storage so sweet now. The Samsung roms have so much junk there its amazing and one of the benefits of AOSP is tat it is half the size of Sammy rom.

It is a bit of mucking around until you get the hang of it so can empathize but once you understand its pretty easy flashing a new rom and then if you don't like it restoring backup to where you were.

Be careful of the Samsung Kitkat roms am it flashes the Knox bootloader so make sure you understand what happens there. I would suggest

Broodplanks AOSP kitkat as he bult from scratch using CM and has his own kernal and it works well, I've been on it for a while and whilst it doesn't have all the glitzy stuff Sammy has you can flash

You can then add Xposed framework and then choose your modules to change a huge array of things and its quite simple as you only use xposed app and download modules you want , gravity box and wanam kit are 2 I use that are very good.

By flashing an AOSP rom you get to see roms that differ from Sammy so may make your decsion as to what you settle with easier.

Just do backup to your ext Sd before hand and copy to PC if you want then downlaod the AOSP Rom, Gapps (which is google apps that aren't included.

Full wipe ( I would format internal SD as well to free up memory)
flash rom through recovery
flash Gapps
reboot and enjoy something differant.

I would strongly advise getting Titanium backup that saves all your apps so you can restore them after full wipe, can be a bit tedious downloading them all again.

also suggest getting an EFS backup app in case of accidents, I used Ktool but there are a variety available.

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#974581 26-Jan-2014 12:38

I have all the backups you suggested.

Now just looking for something to flash

I thought I had settled on omega v19 but apparently wifi doesn't work on the non Knox boatloader !

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#974583 26-Jan-2014 12:39

Ps I am flashing to take advantage of app ops permissions management nothing else

Easy reliable way to root is compulsory

Don't care about warranty

jeffnz

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#974585 26-Jan-2014 12:42

joker97: I have all the backups you suggested.

Now just looking for something to flash

I thought I had settled on omega v19 but apparently wifi doesn't work on the non Knox boatloader !

v19 is fine it uses old bootloader so flash away your wifi will work, the NA% kitkat sammy one is the one that you have to make some informed decisions on.

As I said if you want kitkat try aosp roms like the one I posted or CM 11, you can always go back

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#974586 26-Jan-2014 12:44

joker97: Ps I am flashing to take advantage of app ops permissions management nothing else

Easy reliable way to root is compulsory

Don't care about warranty

I thought you had root, use CFroot then flash custom recovery I posted and you are good to go just follow instructions, you'll have to do a full wipe so if you don't want to have to re-install all your apps use Titanium backup app.

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#974604 26-Jan-2014 13:14

My device is rooted. Flashed the cwm you posted.

I am referring to installing a stock telecom 4.3 and rooting it from there

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