How to Root Nexus 4 [Windows/Mac OSX/Linux/Ubuntu]

For those of you who want to root your Nexus 4 Android smartphone, here’s a step-by-step tutorial showing you how to root a Nexus 4 on Windows, Linux/Ubuntu, or Mac OSX computer.

This works for all Android versions including Android 4.2.1 and 4.2.2.

This rooting guide will allow you to also backup and restore your apps/settings.

Before we begin, please BACK UP EVERYTHING on your internal storage of Nexus 4 to your hard disk (you can do this by connecting it to your computer via USB cable or use AirDroid app).

This zip package contains everything you need including drivers for Windows and rooting files for all Windows, Mac, and Linux. Please download and unzip.

Download Nexus4Root.zip

Step 1.
Go to Settings->About Phone on your Nexus 4.

Step 2.
Hit the “Build Number” couple times until your phone says, “You are now a developer”. Hit the back button.

Step 3.
You will now see extra menu called “Developer options”, hit it.

Step 4.
Make sure Developer options is ON and USB debugging is also checked then connect a micro-USB cable from your Nexus 4 to your computer.

Step 5.
For Windows, you will need to install drivers. If you have Linux/Ubuntu or Mac OSX, skip to Step 7.

Step 6.
Open Device Manager on your computer and update the Nexus 4 with exclamation mark with drivers provided in Nexus4Root.zip.

If you see something like “Android ADB Interface” you are ready for the next step.

Step 7.
Open a command prompt (or terminal for Linux/Ubuntu or Mac) and type:

For Windows:
cd Downloads
cd Nexus4Root
adb backup -apk -all -f backup.ab

For Linux/Ubuntu:
sudo -i
cd /home/UserName/Downloads/Nexus4Root
chmod 755 *
./adb-linux backup -apk -all -f backup.ab

For Mac OSX:
cd Downloads
cd Nexus4Root
chmod 755 *
./adb-mac backup -apk -all -f backup.ab

Step 8.
Go to your phone and you should see a Pop-up window asking you if you want to backup your data, hit “Back up my data”. This will backup all of your settings, apps, app data, wifi passwords, etc…etc… It will NOT BACKUP contents of your internal storage such as your personal videos/photos (you should have done that before following this guide!!!).

Step 9.
Once backup is done, go ahead and turn your Nexus 4 power off. Then hold down the Volume Down and Power buttons together for about 5 seconds.

Step 10.
Once in bootloader menu, connect a micro-USB cable from your Nexus 4 to your computer.

Step 11.
Open up Device Manager again, if you don’t see “Android ADB Interface” you will have to install drivers again. Repeat Step 5 to install drivers. For Ubuntu/Linux or Mac OSX, skip to Step 12, no drivers required!

Step 12.
Next go back to command prompt/terminal and type:

For Windows:
adb oem unlock

For Linux/Ubuntu:
./adb-linux oem unlock

For Mac OSX:
./adb-mac oem unlock

Step 13.
Go to your Nexus 4, hit the Volume Up button to select “Yes” and hit the Power button. Then hit the Power button again to re-boot your phone

Step 14.
Once re-booted, your Nexus 4 will be like the day you got it, everything wiped and starting from scratch. Go ahead and sign in.

Step 15.
Connect your Nexus 4 to your computer and copy the file CWM-SuperSU-v0.99.zip to anywhere on your Nexus 4.

If you have trouble on Mac OSX connecting to your Nexus 4, download and install Android File Transfer.
Also, if you have more trouble, you can download this file with your Nexus 4′s browser at DownloadAndroidROM.com. (It will be saved in your Downloads folder btw.)

Step 16.
Re-boot into the bootloader like you did in Step 9 and connect a micro-USB cable from your Nexus 4 to your computer.

Step 17.
Go back to your command prompt/terminal and type:

For Windows:
fastboot flash recovery recovery-clockwork-touch-6.0.2.3-mako.img

For Linux/Ubuntu:
./fastboot-linux flash recovery recovery-clockwork-touch-6.0.2.3-mako.img

For Mac/OSX:
./fastboot-mac flash recovery recovery-clockwork-touch-6.0.2.3-mako.img

Step 18.
Go back to your Nexus 4, choose “Recovery mode” using Volume buttons and hit the Power button.

Step 19.
Once in ClockworkMod(CWM) Recovery, choose “install zip from sdcard”.

Step 20.
Next, choose “choose zip from sdcard”.

Step 21.
Choose “0/”.

Step 22.
Choose “CWM-SuperSU-v0.99.zip” and hit “Yes”. This is the actual rooting file, which included su binaries and SuperSU app, giving your phone root. This is the only part of this tutorial that actually roots your Nexus 4. We only did all the other steps to unlock the bootloader and install CWM Recovery which allows us to install this file on our phone.

Step 23.
Choose “Reboot” from the main menu, if you see the following screen, make sure to choose “Yes – Disable recovery flash”. This is so you will have permanent CWM recovery as stock Android operating system overwrites it on re-boot if you don’t say yes here.

Step 24.
Once rebooted you should find an extra app in the app drawer called “SuperSU”. Congratulations! You’ve successfully rooted your Nexus 4! You can download rooted apps like Titanium Backup app (which I highly recommend you to run once) and verify you have full root.

Step 25.
Now, let’s try to restore some of your settings, apps, and app data. If you did make a backup of your internal storage before you started rooting, go ahead and copy all your files back into Nexus 4 internal storage.

Next, go back to command prompt/terminal and type:

For Windows:
adb restore backup.ab

For Linux/Ubuntu:
./adb-linux restore backup.ab

For Mac OSX:
./adb-mac restore backup.ab

Once that’s done, you should find your Nexus 4 fully restore with all of your settings, apps, app data, and your photos/videos plus rooted phone. Congrats!

Read More

How to Root Sony Xperia Z on both Locked and Unlocked Bootloaders.

Sony Xperia Z is the latest and by far the most promising Android Smart Phone by Sony. Rooting in Android is an act of accessing root user permissions which can be useful to install Apps that need root access and boost up the performance of your Android device.

Note that rooting may void your device warranty, So Try this at your own risk.

The following rooting method applicables for both unlocked and locked bootloaders. Refer this XDA thread to unlock and re-lock the bootloader of Sony Xperia Z.

Pre-Requisites


1. This rooting method is for Sony Xperia Z which comes with Jelly Bean Android version (10.1.D.0.317, 10.1.D.0.322, 10.1.A.1.350).You can check Android version by visiting Settings >> About the Phone

2. You need to install ABD drivers on your Windows PC. Get the drivers from here.

3. Windows 8 users follow this guide to change the settings before installing the drivers mentioned above.

4. Download this rooting tool kit (1.9Mb)



Rooting


follow the steps :


1. You need to increase screen timeout to 10 mins : Settings >> Display >> Sleep >> 10 mins
2. Enable USB Debugging mode : Settings >> Developer options >> Enable and Settings >> Developer    options >> USB Debugging (check the option)
3. Enable install from “unknown sources” option : Settings >> Security >> Unknown source (check the option)
4. Save the rooting tool kit (.zip file) mentioned above in C drive (C:\) and Extract it there itself.
5. Quit applications like PC Suite, PC Companion, Flashtool, etc. as they will interfere with the rooting process.
6. Now Connect your phone to PC and run “runme.bat” file from the extracted folder (step 4)
7. Wait for few seconds till you get the option “press the button to restore the data in your phone”
8. Now do not down your Phone screen, it will start an App automatically and Select Restore data.
9. You will see the message “if Restoring data is complete” in command prompt
10. Now open your phone and dial this number *#*#7378423#*#*
11. Select the option “Service tests” in your phone operation
12. Now select the option “Display”. Now the screen will turn white and few commands will be executed automatically.
13. Now press the power button to turn off screen, wait for few seconds and press it again (repeat it a few times) and keep observing the command prompt for outputs
14. Finally you will see the messages like “transfer files to your phone part2“, “installing busybox,su,Superuser,etc…” & finally “Cleaning up“
15. Now your phone will automatically restart.

Read More

How to root the Samsung Galaxy S4 ...

Rooting your device is basically like gaining administrative rights on a PC. You're able to install custom firmware, remove unwanted bloatware applications and generally get a little more hands on with the core functionality of the phone. For seasoned Android veterans, rooting is practically the first thing they do when they take a new phone out of its packaging, but if you're a novice, then you might want to exercise a little caution.

As with any process which involves tampering with your phone's firmware, rooting your device can have negative as well as positive consequences. Although it's unlikely, you could end up with a bricked and unresponsive handset -- so consider yourself warned. You'll also void your warranty.

Another thing to note is that this guide relates to the GT-i9505 with the Snapdragon 600 chipset, and not the octo-core variant. This process will also not work with S4 handsets which have the a software baseband ending in MDM. You can find out your baseband reference by going to Settings > More > About Phone.

And finally, this guide assumes you're using Windows 7 on your PC.

With that out of the way, let's get on with the rooting, shall we?


1. Back up your phone


Although this process won't wipe any data from your phone, it's always prudent to make sure you've backed up any precious data before proceeding. CNET UK cannot be held responsible for any damage or data loss you may suffer as a result of following this guide.

2. Download Motochopper


This is the application which performs the rooting process. Although it's been developed for Motorola devices -- hence the title -- it works on certain Qualcomm-based phones, too. You can Download it from here. Once you've done that, extract the files.

3: Switch on USB debugging


To perform this step, you'll need to activate your S4's developer menu if you haven't done so already. Navigate to Settings > More > About Phone. Scroll down to Build Number and tap it seven times. This will enable the Developer Options menu, which you can find in the More area of the Setting menu. Navigate there and then tick the USB Debugging box. Next, plug your phone into your PC using your standard micro-USB cable. You'll have to wait for Windows to install the necessary drivers.

4: Fire up Motochopper


Locate the Motochopper files you extracted earlier and double click the 'Run' executable. You'll see a screen like the one below:

5: Follow the on-screen prompts


Press enter to root your device. Your Galaxy S4 should pop a notification message up -- simply tap 'OK' to proceed with the rooting process. If you don't see a message, just double check that you've got the latest Samsung drivers and that USB debugging is definitely switched on.

Once the process is complete, you'll see a screen like the one below. Press enter, and your freshly-rooted Galaxy S4 will reboot. Open up your app drawer and you'll notice that the all-important Superuser application has been installed. Welcome to the world of rooted Android!

Read More

Easiest Way to Root Samsung Android Phones Without a PC

Just today, I decided to restore my Samsung Galaxy SII to factory settings and start all over. Lots of things went wrong with the phone and I thought wiping the thing should be the perfect solution. I did and lost root access. I initially rooted the phone by flashing a rooted stock firmware with ODIN. I decided to try another method out and by far, it’s the simplest way to root most Samsung Android phones with unlocked bootloader. According to the developer, this method works on not just Samsung Galaxy S2 but lots o other phones as well. As a matter of fact, even if it’s not gonna work for you, there’s no harm in trying it out.

I rooted my Samsung Galaxy SII with it and personally tried it on another Samsung Galaxy SIII (both Jellybean). There’s no hassles and even if you’ve never rooted an Android device before, you should be able to do this. Like I said, it may only work if your bootloader is not locked.

It is also tested on these devices:

Samsung Galaxy S2 Epic 4G Touch – SPH-D710
Samsung Galaxy S2 AT&T SGH-I777
Samsung Galaxy S2 GT-I9100
Samsung Galaxy S3 GT-I9300
Samsung Galaxy S3 LTE GT-I9305
Samsung Galaxy Note GT-N7000
Samsung Galaxy Note 2 GT-N7100
Samsung Galaxy Note 2 LTE GT-N7105
AT&T Galaxy Note 2 SGH-I317
Verizon Galaxy Note 2 SCH-I605
T-Mobile Galaxy Note 2 T-889
Samsung Galaxy Camera EK-GC100
Samsung Galaxy Tab Plus GT-P6210
Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 GT-N8000, GT-N8010, GT-N8013, GT-N8020
iBerry Auxus CoreX2 3G and CoreX4 3G

If your device isn’t listed, you can still give it a shot anyway but I won’t be held responsible if your device gets bricked. Its mostly compatible with Exynos Samsung devices. It’s also tested working on this Omap devices:
Archos 101 Gen8
Coolpad Quattro 4G

Steps to root your device with this once click installer

1. Download Rooting-kit-for-samsungFramaroot from google

2. Unzip the content and copy to your device

3. Install the .apk file

4. After installation, open the app and then select the exploit method you want to use. Sam worked great on my Samsung Galaxy SII

5. If successful, you will likely see this message:

I do not guarantee this will work on every device apart from the ones listed above but all the same, you can give it a shot. If it doesn’t work, you may check out these alternatives:

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