The HTC One M9 features a 5.0 inch 1080p HD display, 32GB of internal storage which can be expanded through microSD, a 20MP rear camera, a 4MP UltraPixel front camera, and an octa-core Snapdragon 810 processor with 3GB of RAM.

You've got your choice of gunmetal gray or two-tone silver/gold phones right now. There is also an all-gold unlocked phone, but it is currently not available for purchase. HTC says the phones will ship in 3-8 business days if you order now. There is also 0% interest financing available with a credit check, and the device will be eligible for the company's new Uh-Oh protection.



source - HTC

Generally phones sold by carriers are locked so they can't be used on a competitor's network. This way a carrier ensures that you stick with them for the duration of your contract. The practice is quite common among wireless carriers around the world, including those in the United States. Fortunately, after February 11, new rules were put into place, which makes it much easier to unlock a phone tied to a U.S. carrier.

Why should I unlock by device?

Generally it makes sense that a carrier locks your device to their network... They offer their handsets at subsidized rates and they want to make sure you don't jump ship as soon as a cheaper phone package comes around. However what happens when your contract with the carrier has ended, and you want the freedom to sell your device, or lets say you want to travel abroad and use a SIM in a foreign country.

Still it is important to remember that your phone doesn't immediately become usable on every global network just because it is unlocked. Compatibility depends on the frequencies and bands that a carrier provides their voice and data services, as well as on which frequencies and bands your phone can technically operate on.

How do I know if my phone is locked

Usually phones purchased at carrier stores are locked. Same goes for carrier-branded phones sold via retailers and online stores. Recently smartphones are being sold as "contract free" at quite reasonable prices, but they too are locked to specific U.S. networks.

When you purchase a device from a retailer, its important to check if you have the words "factory unlocked" attached to your purchase. If you don't know, you can still check by simply swapping your SIM card with one from another carrier - you can probably borrow one from a friend or relative. If your phone connects to a different network, then it is likely unlocked. You can also check our guide on how to find out if your iOS, or Android device is unlocked.

What do I need to unlock my phone?

Those who have travelled to a foreign country with a carrier-branded device, or tried to use their phone on a different operator in the US, would have realized that their devices were locked. While most carriers did honor unlock requests in the past, or sell their handsets unlocked (like Verizon, mostly), there was no universal policy on the practice in America. This is expected to change after February 11th.

The CTIA (which is basically the special interest group) is laying out a set of phone unlocking (that is, SIM/network unlocking) principles that AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, Sprint, and US Cellular will abide by in the wake of the congressional un-banning of phone unlocking.

You can read the full FCC guide on the CTIA's changes here, but here are the key features for reference.

What does the CTIA define as an "unlocked" device?

It appears that CTIA is referring to a full SIM unlocked device. Carriers like Sprint that historically had offered unlocking only for international travel (but still restricting domestic usage) now must fully unlock their devices for domestic use, as well. The exception is Sprint phones launched before February 11th - those devices can only be internationally unlocked, but will still have a domestic lock (eg, unable to be used on AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, or any other domestic network).

Where can I find individual carrier unlocking policies?

• Verizon
• AT&T
• Sprint
• T-Mobile
• US Cellular

Will I be able to immediately unlock my device on February 11?

Yes, but only if your phone is paid off or your contract term is completed - and your account is in good standing. If you're currently on an installment plan to pay off your phone (Next, JUMP, Edge, Easy Pay), your carrier is not obligated to unlock the phone until all installments are paid in full. If you bought your phone on a subsidized 2-year service agreement, the carrier doesn't have to unlock it until that 2-year period is up or you terminate the contract and pay an ETF. Oh, and even if you are eligible, carriers have 48 hours to complete the request.

How will I know when I can unlock my device?

The new policy requires carriers to provide you notice when the phone is eligible for unlocking, and do so in a "clear" way. Obviously carrier's won't be happy to provide anyone obvious notice that they're no longer obligated to be their customer anymore, so it will be interesting to see how this works out. The other catch is that if you're a prepaid subscriber, the carrier only has to let you know when the phone can be unlocked at the time of sale, no future notices are required.

Can I unlock my device before I am eligible?

While you can also try asking your carrier nicely, there are services on the web offering paid unlocking services for most GSM (T-Mobile, AT&T) carrier-branded smartphones. Costs range anywhere from $10 up to $50+ depending on the phone, carrier, and how quickly you want the device unlocked. Unlocking services for Verizon or Sprint devices are harder to find and generally more expensive.

Wont my device automatically unlock when it becomes eligible?

Only Sprint has gone so far as to say they will automatically unlock phones after the contract or installment plan is fulfilled (fine print: phone must have been sold after February 2015). All other providers require you to submit a request. Again, most Verizon devices are SIM unlocked out of the box, but the few that aren't will require contacting Verizon. AT&T, T-Mobile, and US Cellular all require "requests" for unlocking, but T-Mobile ships an app on its newer phones specifically to unlock the device that should work at the time it becomes eligible, so it's only a "request" in the technical sense.

Will I be charged for unlocking a device?

Only if you are not currently a customer of the carrier which you are petitioning to unlock a phone. Then, the carrier may charge a "reasonable" fee to unlock the device. Unfortunately we don't know how much they will charge for providing this service. The good news is that the new rules require the carriers unlock eligible phones (not a bad IMEI, payments fulfilled) regardless of whether you are or were their customer, they just can charge you for the privilege.

What if I am a prepaid customer?

All of the big four's prepaid brands are participating in this new policy. That means AT&T GoPhone, T-Mobile Prepaid, MetroPCS, Verizon Prepaid, Virgin Mobile, Boost Mobile, and Sprint Prepaid. However, the requirements for prepaid customers are different. Prepaid phones must be unlockable after 1 year from purchase (before that is fine, too), but carriers can add requirements that the phone has been used with a paid account during that time. The requirements need to be "reasonable," but that's about as clear as mud.

Which carrier has the best / most consumer-friendly unlocking policy?

Verizon, surprisingly. Almost all of Verizon's modern phones are sold SIM unlocked out of the box, and work with GSM carriers around the world, and even on AT&T and T-Mobile (though T-Mobile HSPA+ coverage may be poor).

Which carrier has the worst unlocking policy?

AT&T, unsurprisingly. AT&T requires consumers submit an online request to unlock a device, with their phone number, IMEI number, the account holder's first and last name, the last 4 of your SSN, your AT&T account password, email address, and - just to insult you a bit - a captcha.


If you have more questions, feel free to add them in the comment section below and we will update this article accordingly.



source - AndroidPolice

source - Sony

[NOTE] The following guide is applicable for the Motorola Moto E running Android 4.4 KitKat

[NOTE] While the following process should be easy to follow, we do not advise you to proceed unless you are well aware of the risks

[NOTE] Please backup your data (applications, contacts, images etc.) before you proceed with this guide

[DISCLAIMER] Your Moto E warranty maybe void if you follow this guide to unlock your bootloader. Please note that this website will not be responsible for any loss of data or device malfunction which may occur from incorrectly following this guide and that you are following at your own risk.

1) How to unlock the Moto E

You can unlock your Moto E bootloader by heading to Motorola's own support page. The Moto E is the first among such budget devices to receive an official unlock method by the manufacturer itself. If you face any issues, you can check out our guide on how to unlock the bootloader on the Moto X or Moto G for assistance.


2) How to root the Moto E

Once you have your device unlocked, it is time to flash the TWRP custom recovery and root your device with Super SU. Those who need help doing these steps can follow our step by step guide below

1. Download and extract mfastboot-v2 to your computer;
   -
2. Download the TWRP custom recovery for Moto E, rename the file to recovery-twrp.img, and place it in the folder where you extracted the mfastboot-v2;
   -
3. Download SuperSU and copy it to the base folder on your Moto E;
   -
4. Connect your Moto E to your computer, press Volume Down + Power for a few seconds;
   -
5. On your computer open a command prompt and navigate to the folder you extracted mfastboot-v2
• On the latest versions of Windows, you can open the folder, right click in an empty area and select 'Open a command window here'.
  -
6. Run the following commands in the command window
• fastboot boot recovery-twrp.img
• fastboot flash recovery recovery-twrp.img
  -
7. Wait a minute until the screen is blank, then press the power key and swipe on your display to restore touch function;
   -
8. Select Install from the options list and scroll down to the SuperSu file that you previously copied to your Moto E.
   -
9. Swipe to start the flashing process;
   -
10. Once the process is complete, select reboot;
    -
11. Once your device has booted on, head over to the main menu and see if the SuperSu icon is present. If it is you are rooted.

Unlocking your Android bootloader opening up your device to a world of custom ROMs, rooting, mods, and several other forms of Android hacks. This article helps those who are new to the hacking world understand the basics. It will explain the basics of the bootloader and you through the surprisingly easy process of unlocking the bootloader of Motorola device like the Moto X and Moto G.



The bootloader is the piece of code that’s executed before even the operating system loads. The function of the bootloader is basically to instruct the device how to load the OS. To do so, it has to communicate directly with the processor and motherboard (which are different for virtually every phone), so all in all, the bootloader is a very phone- and platform-specific piece of code.

Some manufacturers decide to lock the bootloader on their phones as a way to ensure that no one can change their custom Android user interfaces. Luckily, Motorola has gone the more developer-friendly way, and the company itself provides a bootloader unlock, making the whole process extremely easy.

Installing a custom ROM is one of the common reason for unlocking your bootloader, but an unlocked bootloader is also often required for getting root access to the system.

[NOTE] The following guide is applicable for the Motorola Moto X or the Motorola Moto G

[NOTE] While the following process should be easy to follow, we do not advise you to proceed unless you are well aware of the risks

[NOTE] Please backup your data (applications, contacts, images etc.) before you proceed with this guide

[DISCLAIMER] Your Moto X or Moto G warranty maybe void if you follow this guide to unlock your bootloader. Please note that this website will not be responsible for any loss of data or device malfunction which may occur from wrongly following this guide


Prerequisites

• Make sure your battery is fully charged
• Set USB debugging 'ON' on your device
• Download and install the Motorola USB drivers on your computer
• Download and install the Android SDK on your computer

Guide

1. Connect your phone to your computer via a USB cable. You have to enable USB debugging mode on your smartphone. You can do this by navigating to Settings > About Phone scroll to the bottom and tap Build number seven (7) times. You'll get a short pop-up in the lower area of your display saying that you're now a developer.
   -
   
   
   -
2. Go back to the Developer Options menu, make sure that 'USB debugging is selected by clicking the check mark next to it and clicking OK on the prompt
   -
   
   
   -
3. Go to the Command Prompt (Terminal) on your computer
   -
4. On your terminal you will have to navigate to the Android SDK folder
   Typically the SDK will be located in
   C:/Android SDK/adt-bundle-windows-x86_64-20131030/sdk/platform-tools/
   [NOTE] you have to find the exact path you have installed (extracted) the SDK on your computer and enter it in your command prompt with the CD command
   eg:  cd C:/android/sdk/platform-tools/
   -
5. Once you have navigated to the Android SDK folder you will have to enter the following command on your Command Prompt
   
   adb devices
   
   Press 'Enter' and you will see the following
   
   List of devices attached
   XXXXXXXXXX device
   
   The 'XXXXXXXXXX' is an alphanumeric code which will differ between devices.
   
   Next, type in
   
   adb reboot bootloader
   
   The device will now reboot into bootloader mode. You will have to wait for some time for the bootloader menu to appear
   -
   Next type in
   -
   fastboot oem get_unlock_data
   -
   You will get a string of code similar to what you see in the image below
   -
   
   
   -
   You will have to copy the entire sequence of code from the command prompt and paste it in sequence in an app like Notepad
   -
   For example if your code is the text shown in red
   -
   (bootloader) 3A95720615784488#5441383833304C
   (bootloader) 47325600585431303332000000#361D
   (bootloader) 7293361E178D7D591294131B57789CA
   (bootloader) 86EC4#C39412020F000000000000000
   (bootloader) 0000000
   OKAY [ 0.164s]
   finished. total time: 0.164s
   -
   and should be saved as
   -
   3A95720615784488#5441383833304C47325600585431303332000000#361D7293361E178D7D591294131B57789CA86EC4#C39412020F0000000000000000000000
   -
6. Go to Motorola.com and sign into your Motorola account. Now scroll down to step 6 on that page, paste in your code from above and click on the 'Can my device be unlocked?' button.
   -
7. If your device can be unlocked you will to told to scroll to the bottom of that page and have the unlock code to sent to your email.
   -
8. Copy the 20 character code your have received in your email, make sure your device is still connected to your computer and head back to the Command Prompt on your computer and type:
   -
   fastboot devices
   To check that your phone is listed, and next:
   
   fastboot oem unlock UNIQUE_KEY
   Where instead of 'UNIQUE_KEY' you type in your own 20-character key that Motorola sent you via email.
   -
9. If you have followed the instructions correctly your device should now reboot itself
   -
   
   
   -
10. You should now see the message shown above indicating that your bootloader is now unlocked

It didn’t take long for the developer community to release a rooting and unlocking guide for the Samsung Galaxy S4 on Verizon. But a couple of weeks ago, Verizon released a new software update (VRUAME7) for the Galaxy S4, which also ended up closing the exploit which was used and re-locking the device.

Now the XDA developer community have come up with a new method to root your Samsung Galaxy S4 running the VRUAME7 update.

[NOTE] We do not recommend rooting your device unless you are well aware of the risks that come with it. Please note that your device can malfunction or you could loose data if you do not understand what you are doing, so proceed at your own risk.

[NOTE] If you happed to brick your phone, or come across any other issues you can download the original stock ROM from here and flash it onto your device using the ODIN program.

[NOTE] This method to rooting your device belongs to its developers who you can credit by following the source link at the end of this page.

[NOTE] This is a ROOT ONLY method. There is currently no way to unlock the bootloader. This means you wont be able to install a custom kernel or get Google Wallet to work

[NOTE] You also need a microSD memory card that is formatted by your PC as exFAT, not FAT32.

• Download and Install Samsung Official USB Drivers.
• Download and Install Android Terminal Emulator on your device.
• Download the extract the Root Exploit package on your computer.

Prepare your microSD card

1. Insert a microSD into your device [REQUIRED]
   -
2. Make sure it is formatted as exFAT (not FAT32) [VERY IMPORTANT]
   -
3. If you have a 64GB microSD card you can use your phone to format it as exFAT by default directly from the Storage settings.
   -
4. If you have anything less than 64GB microSD card you may have to use the computer to format it manually as exFAT
   [NOTE] If your microSD card is not formatted as exFAT you will see "permission denied" errors when running the exploit.
   -
5. Once formatted, move all files and folders from the Root Exploit package directly onto the root of your microSD card (nowhere else)

Rooting your device

1. Open the Android Terminal Emulator app on your phone.
   -
2. Run the following 3 commands one after another (capital letters are important) cd /mnt/extSdCard
   ./pwn
   ./script.sh
   -
3. After running the second command you should have seen your $ change to a # meaning you have root access.
   -
4. The third command is required to make this root access permanent.
   -
5. After all 3 commands are done, close the Terminal app and check if SuperSU has any update in the Play Store.
   -
6. Open SuperSU app and let the binary update itself to the latest (if any updates are available).
   -
7. Once complete, just open a root application and verify that is able to access root properly.
   -
8. Reboot your device one time and confirm you still have root acess.
   -
9. If all is well you should now be fully rooted on the stock VRUAME7 build of your phone
   [NOTE] Make sure to avoid all future OTA's to prevent this root method from being patched.

If you have any issues following the guide, you can also use the video below for reference.




source – XDA

The Huawei Ascend W1 is known for being an affordable Windows Phone device, but it is now also known for being hackable. A talented developer has managed to unlock its bootloader and install a custom ROM onto the device, thus opening it up to a whole lot of potential.

The Ascend W1 features a 4.3 inch touch display, 4GB of internal storage which can be expanded through microSD, a 5 megapixel camera, a secondary camera for video calls and is powered by a 1.2GHz dual-core processor with 512MB of RAM.

Now with the device unlocked the developer has managed to save offline map data to the microSD card and added the ability to assign a static IP address when connected to Wi-Fi.



What more features do you expected to see hacked into Windows Phone 8? We honestly would love to see a Windows Phone 7 device hacked first, so we can have Android installed on it.


source - WPWorld

The Samsung Galaxy S4 for Verizon has been out for a week now and the folks at XDA have found a way to root and unlock the device. As one of the most popular smartphones in the market, its no surprise that the Galaxy S4 gets a little extra attention form the developer community.

If you are one of those users who like to have their device free and unlocked you can check out the step by step guide on how to root and unlocked your Samsung Galaxy S4 for Verizon below.

[NOTE] We do not recommend rooting your device unless you are well aware of the risks that come with it. Please note that your device can malfunction or you could loose data if you do not understand what you are doing, so proceed at your own risk.

[NOTE] If you happen to brick your phone, or come across any other issues you can download the original stock ROM from here and flash it onto your device using the ODIN program.

[NOTE] This method to rooting your device belongs to its developers who you can credit by following the source link at the end of this page.
This method works using a leaked pre-release kernel and root method provided by XDA members. However the root method has been updated with the latest SuperSU.

• Download and Install Samsung Official USB Drivers
• Download and extract ODIN v3.07
• Download the VRUAMD2 Prerelease Kernel
• Download the VRUAMDK Stock Kernel
• Download and extract the Motochopper Root Exploit Tool

Flashing VRUAMD2 Pre-release kernel to remove boot block

1. Boot your device into ODIN mode
   • Make sure your device is completely off
   • While holding the Volume Down key simultaneously press the Power button until you see a disclaimer on the screen
   • Then let go of both buttons and press Volume Up to accept the disclaimer
   • Once the green robot is visible on the screen this indicates that handset is in now ODIN/Download mode
     -
2. Flash the VRUAMD2 Prerelease Kernel using ODIN v3.07 ***in PDA section only***. You can check out our guide on how to flash your device using Odin here.
   -
3. Boot back to Android and verifying everything is still working and kernel has flashed successfully

Rooting your device

1. Go into Settings > More > About phone > tap "Build number" about 7 times until it unlocks Developer options.
   -
2. Verify in Developer options setting on your device that you have "USB debugging" checked.
   -
3. Verify in Developer options setting on your device that you have "Verify apps via USB" unchecked.
   -
4. Verify in Security setting on your device that you have "Unknown sources" checked.
   -
5. Verify in Security setting on your device that you have "Verify apps" unchecked.
   -
6. Connect your phone to your computer and open "Run.bat" file from the location you have extracted motochopper.
   -
7. You will see a message on the phone asking you to accept the new computer connection (select to always allow and select OK)
   -
8. After motochopper runs and your phone reboots on its own, check if SuperSU has any update in the Play Store.
   -
9. Open SuperSU app and let the binary update itself to the latest ***VERY IMPORTANT OR YOU WILL LOSE ROOT IN THE NEXT STEP***
   -
10. Once complete, just open a root application and verify that is able to access root properly.

Restoring VRUAMDK stock kernel

1. Boot phone into ODIN mode
   -
2. Flash the VRUAMDK Stock Kernel using ODIN v3.07 ***in PDA section only***. You can check out our guide on how to flash your device using Odin here.
   -
3. Boot back to Android and verifying everything is still working and kernel has flashed successfully.
   -
4. After your phone boots back to Android, you should now be fully rooted and on the fully original stock firmware as the device came

After you complete these steps your device will be rooted. You can also check out the following video for help with the rooting process



Unlock Bootloader & Install custom recovery

The next steps require you to unlock your bootloader and install custom recovery on your Galaxy S4. You will need to be comfortable using a command prompt to issue ADB commands. The ADB program is generally a part of the Android SDK but is located in your "motochopper-supersu" folder for your convenience.

• Download SCH-I545_CWM_LOKI_v1.1.zip and extract its contents

Place the two files "recovery.lok" and "loki_flash" on your phone in the "/data/local/temp" directory. You can do this using a program called Root Explorer.

With your Galaxy S4 connected to your PC, you'll need to open a Command Prompt and change to the directory (motochopper-supersu) where the "adb.exe" file is located, and type the following commands:

adb shell
su
chmod 755 /data/local/tmp/loki_flash
/data/local/tmp/loki_flash recovery /data/local/tmp/recovery.lok

If you are successful, you should see the following message

[+] Loki validation passed, flashing image.
2253+1 records in
2253+1 records out
9230848 bytes transferred in 0.656 secs (14071414 bytes/sec)
[+] Loki flashing complete!

Now you can turn off your device. Once you have switched it off, you can enter ClockWorkMod Recovery by pressing and holding the Volume UP & Power key at the same time. When you see small blue text in on the top of the screen that says Recovery, release the Power key and the Volume Up key. It will now boot into ClockWorkMod Recovery.
 
How to enable Google Wallet on your Galaxy S4
As you can imagine, Google Wallet will stop working on the rooted Galaxy S4.  You can get Google Wallet to work again by following these steps:

1. Download the latest version of Google Wallet (R96 v16) TouchWiz ONLY.
   -
2. Make sure you have no Google Wallet pre-installed (go to step 4), or if you do, reset data on it.
   -
3. Once you have reset the data, go to the Wallet app in your Application Manager.
   -
4. If you see "Uninstall Updates", select that button, but if you see "Disable" button leave it alone.
   -
5. Using Root Explorer and text editor, navigate to /system on the phone and change build.prop lines to correspond to this
   ro.product.model=Galaxy Nexus
   ro.product.name=yakju
   ro.product.device=maguro
   -
6. Keep an old version of build.prop as a backup.
   -
7. Copy the TouchWiz Wallet zip file for the mod to your phone /SD Card.
   -
8. Reboot into your recovery and flash the Google Wallet zip mod.
   -
9. Boot back into the OS and open Xposed Installer app (should be installed after flash).
   -
10. Select "Install/Update" and allow root access if it asks.
    -
11. Reboot your device.
    -
12. Download and install Paul's Xposed Wallet apk.
    -
13. Launch Xposed Installer app again and go to the "Modules" tab.
    -
14. Enable the module by checking the checkbox for it.
    -
15. Reboot your device again.
    -
16. Now open Google Wallet and setup everything as needed (PIN/Security/Cards, etc...).
    -
17. After it is all setup and working, change your modified build.prop back to the original below lines
    ro.product.model=SCH-I545
    ro.product.name=jfltevzw
    ro.product.device=jfltevzw
    -
18. Reboot your phone normally one last time and you will be all set

source – XDA (1| 2 | 3 | 4)

Carrier locked devices award users the ability to purchase new smartphones and extremely low subsidized prices. However these locked handsets may find themselves on eBay and to the hands of a new user who will be faced with the difficult task of unlocking the handset.

However now there is a new service which makes it extremely easy to check if you iPhone, Android or Windows Phone is unlocked. The entire process is done through a website and if you are an Android user there is even an app you can download through the Google Play Store.

So if you want to find out if your device is locked, you can use our guide on how to check if your iPhone or Android is Factory unlocked which follows:

[NOTE] This service works with various different devices and isnt restricted to only the iPhone or Android. You can use the service for check if a device on a different platform is locked to a carrier.

[NOTE] Please keep in mind that we do not recommend sharing your IMEI number. While your IMEI number is required to use this service, please note that you are proceeding at your own risk.

1. Head over to IMEI.info and enter your device IMEI number in the dialog box.
   [NOTE] You can check your device IMEI by entering *#06# on your phone dialer.
   -
   
   -
2. Once entered press the ‘Check’ button.
   -
   
   -
3. Next you will be taken to a new screen with your device information
   • Click SIMLOCK & WARRANTY and wait a new minutes.
     -
     
     -
4. Once the process is complete you will get info on which network the device belongs to and if it’s unlocked or not.
   -
   
   -

If you are an Android user you can opt to download the IMEI.info for Android app from the Google Play Store or by using the link which follows.
-

You get the same features available through the website with the convenience of a mobile application. The website also offers methods to unlock your handset.

Unlocking the bootloader on your Android device gives you the ability to perform various modifications on your device or gain root/super user access. However unlocking the bootloader also makes your device vulnerable to malicious attacks. Unlocking the bootloader is generally done using ADB commands and fastboot. However the disadvantage here is that your entire data and system partitions are wiped  and you will have to restore all of your apps and data back to your device.

Now there is a new tool which can be used with Nexus  which allows you to unlock the bootloader from within the Android environment. You can download the app directly on your Android device through the Google Play Store or by using the link which follows:


This allows you to make the modifications you need without having your entire data and system partitions getting wiped. By making a few changes to the /param partition, you can safely make the modifications on your device without the risk of damage.


In order to install the app your device must be a rooted Google Galaxy Nexus, Google Nexus 4 or Google Nexus 10. You will be able to unlock or relock your bootloader as many times as you want. Because this approach doesn’t open the miscellaneous partition or the allow code modifications your device will retain a certain measure of security against bootloader-level vulnerabilities.

Currently this app will not work with another popular Nexus device - the Google Nexus 7.

[NOTE] We do not recommend installing custom ROMs or rooting your device unless you are familiar with the consequences of making a mistake while you follow this guide. Improper use of this guide can result in loss of data or device malfunction, so please proceed at your own risk.

[NOTE] Please make a backup of your data before you proceed. The developer of the process has assured users that your data/apps/settings and internal storage partition will be kept in tact, but we feel it is always best to backup your data before proceeding with such guides.

• Download and install official Samsung USB drivers.
• Download  and extract ODIN 3.07
• Download SuperSU (Root)
• Download unlocked bootloader for the Galaxy S III for Verizon.
• Download SU + Unlocked bootloader.
• Download VRBLK3 Bootchain with ClockworkMod Touch Recovery 6.0.1.2
• Download VRBLK3 Bootchain with TWRP Recovery 2.3.1.0
• Download Stock VRBLK3 Factory Image with No Data Wipe

Step 01 - Flashing the Factory Image

1. Boot your device into ODIN mode. You can do this by:
   • Make sure your device is completely off
   • Key Combos: Volume Down + Home
   • While holding both of them simultaneously press the Power button until you see a disclaimer on the screen
   • Then press Volume Up and Power to accept the disclaimer
   • Once the green robot is visible on the screen this indicates that handset is in now ODIN/Download mode
     -
2. Flash the Stock VRBLK3 Factory Image with No Data Wipe on to your device using ODIN.
   -
3. Once you reboot you will be running Jelly Bean with all your apps data and storage content in tact

Step 02 - Flashing the Factory Image

1. You can use one of the following Recovery options you downloaded previously.
   • VRBLK3 Bootchain with ClockworkMod Touch Recovery 6.0.1.2
   • VRBLK3 Bootchain with TWRP Recovery 2.3.1.0
     -
2. Boot your device into ODIN mode (refer above)
   -
3. Flash the recovery image to your device using ODIN (HOW TO)
   -
4. Once your device reboots, you should be able to boot into your recovery of choice (HOW TO)

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Step 03 – How to Root and unlock bootloader

1. You can use either Super SU, unlocked bootloader or SU+Unlocked bootloader based on your requirement.
   -
2. Boot your device into recovery mode
   • Make sure your device is completely off
   • Press Volume Up + Home
   • While holding both of them simultaneously press the Power button
   • As soon as the phone vibrates, let go of the Power button but keep holding Volume Up + Home
   • When you see the "Samsung Galaxy S III" logo (not just the word "Samsung"), right after that, the next screen you should see is your recovery.
     -
3. Flash the download you choose from above using custom recovery.
   -
4. If you choose option 3 your ROM will be fully rooted with an unlocked bootloader allowing you to flash additional custom ROMs

  Now that you have install ClockworkMod Recovery, Rooted and unlocked the bootloader on your Galaxy S III you can also install the leaked K3 update on your device.


[SOURCE] All credit to the content of this guide belongs to the XDA Developers Forum and the individual developers responsible for the methods.

The HTC Droid DNA features a 5 inch full HD touch display, an 8 megapixel camera capable of 1080p HD video capture and is powered by a 1.5GHz quad-core processor with 2GB of RAM. We recently posted guides on how to root and unlock the bootloader on the Droid DNA. However for those who found those guides a new tool has been released which takes care of most (if not all) of your needs.

This All-in-One toolkit which is available for Windows (with Mac and Linux alternates on their way) allows you to root, install drives, flash custom recoveries and do much more.

The toolkit includes ClockworkMod Recovery and TWRP 2.3.3, but you can also flash other recoveries of your choice.

The toolkit requires your bootloader to be unlocked and if you own the Verizon model, you can do this using this guide courtesy of Justin Case. The guide shows you how to unlock your bootloader on the HTC Dev website, by modifying your device to appear unbranded.

1. Before you get started you will need to enable USB debugging on your device by heading over to Settings > Developer Options.
   -
2. Download the latest version of the All-In-One Toolkit.
   -
3. Install HTC Drivers before you connect your device to your computer.

Now you can take advantage of the many features that the toolkit has to offer. For more information or questions you can head over to the source link below.


source – XDA Developers

The HTC Droid DNA has already received a rooting guide, giving owners a chance to unlock the pure power this high end device has to offer. The handset features a 5 inch full HD touch display, an 8 megapixel camera capable of 1080p HD video capture and is powered by a 1.5GHz quad-core processor with 2GB of RAM.

Previously we shared a guide on how to root your Droid DNA, but it turns out you can no longer unlock the device bootloader through HTCDev.com. It looks like the manufacturer has removed the Droid DNA from the list of support devices by Verizon just before before retail availability.

Luckily the developer community has managed to find a work around using the same tool which was previously supported. So before you get starting on the rooting guide, you can unlock your HTC Droid DNA bootloader using the following guide:

[NOTE] The content of this guide is credited to the original publishers and we do not take any credit for its content. For more information you can follow the source link at the bottom of this guide.

[NOTE] Following this guide will result in modifying the normal operation of your device. We do not recommend doing so as you may void your device warranty

[DISCLAIMER] Improper use of this guide can result in loss of data or device malfunction which cannot be reversed. Do not proceed unless you are fully aware of the consequences and know that you are proceeding at your own risk.

Requirements

• Download backup.ab
• Download DNA_TeamAndIRC.zip
• Download and configure ADB for ICS or greater on your Windows or Linux computer

1. Extract the contents of DNA_TeamAndIRC.zip and place the runme.sh, CIDGen.apk and backup.ab in the same directory where ADB is installed.
   -
2. Launch command prompt (or terminal) and run the following command:
   adb install CIDGen.apk
   -
3. Launch CIDGen on your device, follow the instructions on the screen and verify the existance of CIDBLOCK.img in the root of your Droid DNA SD card / internal memory using the following command:
   adb shell ls -l /sdcard/CIDBLOCK.img
   -
4. If CIDBLOCK.img exists run the following commands in command prompt (or terminal)
   adb push runme.sh /data/local/tmp/
   adb shell chmod 755 /data/local/tmp/runme.sh
   adb shell /data/local/tmp/runme.sh
   If not try step 3 again, verify and continue with step 4
   -
5. Open a second command prompt (or terminal) and restore the modified backup using the following command
   adb restore backup.ab
   The first windows will enter into what seems like an infinite loop and produce several errors. Just leave them as they are for now, as there is no need for alarm.
   -
6. Once the modified backup has been restored to your device, stop the first command prompt by simply closing the window. (This should stop the run.me script).
   -
7. In the second command prompt window which you opened, run the following set of commands
   adb shell rm /data/data/com.htc.usage/files/exploit/*
   adb shell mv /data/DxDrm /data/DxDrm_org
   adb shell mkdir /data/DxDrm
   adb shell ln -s /dev/block/mmcblk0p5 /data/DxDrm/DxSecureDB
   adb reboot adb wait-for-device
   [NOTE] rebooting, disconnection from PC or switching off the device will result in your device being bricked.
   -
8. You will need to run the runme.sh script again, using the following command.
   adb shell /data/local/tmp/runme.sh
   You will see the endless loop once again.
   -
9. Now launch a new command prompt and restore the modified backup once again
   adb restore backup.ab
   -
10. Once it has been restored terminate the runme.sh exploit by closing the previous window and run these commands.
    adb shell mv /data/DxDrm /data/DxDrm_trash
    adb shell dd if=/sdcard/CIDBLOCK.img of=/dev/block/mmcblk0p5
    adb reboot

That’s it, once your device has rebooted, your Droid DNA carrier information will be changed and you will be able to unlock it once again through HTCDev.com

For more information visit the developer’s (Justin Case) post on Android Police by following the source link.



source – Android Police

The Google Nexus 4 by LG has been in the Google Play Store for just a short time, but the developer have been modding an altering the device for a couple of weeks now. Rooting gives the user several users advantages including backing up your device and installing custom ROMs and we recently posted guides on unlocking the bootloader and rooting your Nexus 4.

Now a new Toolkit has been released which allows you to backup your data, flash ROMs, root, unroot and much more on your device. Version 1.0.0 of the tool has been released and it is now available to download.

To get started Download the ToolKit and install it on your computer. The Google Nexus 4 Toolkit version 1.0.0 has the following features:

• Install correct adb/fastboot drivers automatically on Windows xp/vista/7/8 32bit+64bit
• Backup/Restore a single package or all apps, user data and Internal Storage
• Backup your /data/media (virtual SD Card) to your PC for a Full Safe backup of data
• Unlock/Re-Lock your Bootloader
• Root Stock Jelly Bean builds (upto 4.2.0 JOP40C)
• 1-Click For All to Unlock, Root, Rename the Restore File
• Perform a FULL NANDROID Backup of your system (Boot, Cache, Data, Recovery and System) via adb and save in Custom Recovery format on your PC which can be Restored via CWM Recovery
• Pull /data and /system folders, compress to a .tar file and save to your PC
• Dump selected Phone Partitions, compress to a .zip file with md5 and save to your PC
• Install BusyBox on your phone
• Extras, Tips and Tricks section available to all ToolKit Donators
• Auto Update ToolKit to latest pushed version at startup (donator feature)
• Program up to 10 Quickpic slots and run them very quickly (donator feature)
• Mods section to automatically perform certain tasks on your phone
• Download Google Stock Image directly to correct ToolKit folder for extracting and flashing (no need to move it manually anymore)
• Flash Google Stock Image to phone
• Rename the Recovery Restore File present on some Stock Roms
• Boot into CWM Touch Recovery without Flashing it
• Boot or Flash .img Files directly from your PC
• Install a single apk or multiple apk's to your phone
• Push Files from your PC to your phone
• Pull Files from your phone to your PC
• Dump selected LogCat buffers to your PC
• Dump BugReport to your PC
• Set Files Permissions on your phone
• Open new Command Prompt for manual input
• Reboot Phone to Fastboot Mode or Android from fastboot mode
• Reboot Phone to Fastboot Mode, Recovery, Android or Download Mode from adb mode

The only thing the device is unable to do at this point is to flash custom recovery. This is due to the fact that secured boot stops the Nexus 4 from booting a flashed recovery. However we expect to have flashing custom recovery as an option in future releases of this ToolKit.

For more information, questions or download mirrors, you can head over to the source link below.


source – XDA Developers

[DISCLAIMER] We do not recommend that you proceed unless you are fully aware of the risks of following this guide. We will not be responsible for any loss of data or device malfunction which may occur. Please proceed at your own risk.

[NOTE] Unlocking the bootloader will erase everything on your device. We suggest it is best to unlock your device before you proceed with installing your apps and settings onto your device. Have your data backed up before you proceed.

[NOTE] Before you proceed you will have to download fastboot for your specific computer operating system. You know also need to have knowledge of entering commands to your command prompt (terminal) and the USB cable supplied with your Nexus 4.

1. Switch off your device and reboot it into fastboot mode. You can do this by holding the Volume Down + Power buttons simultaneously.
   -
2. Connect your device to your computer, open your command prompt (terminal) and navigate to the folder containing the fastboot program.
   -
3. Type fastbook devices on terminal and you should see your device ID. This confirms that fastboot is setup properly.
   -
4. Next type fastbook oem unlock on terminal and follow the prompts on your device display. During this process the device will be lost during the process, so make sure you have your data backed up.

Once completed the device will reboot and it will be unlocked. If you want to reverse the process and lock your bootloader, follow the steps of the guide and enter fastbook oem lock as your last command.