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Please help me root

codezer0

codezer0

Android Expert
I need to get to root, and/or having Magisk installed on this phone, but I can't seem to find anything that works. there is a one-click root that was floating around, but that just fails. And the manual method also just returns a failed attempt every time. And it seems like XDA doesn't even try to cover the version of phone I do have, since they have literally pre-rooted system images for everything but this model.

Please, help me out here. This is rather important for me since I've got to make due with this until I could get something a little more modding friendly. Even now as far as I get is putting the phone in download mode, it refusing to respond to any of the supplied commands, and it being stuck in download mode until I can get to the battery. I was hoping to find something here but again, no luck. And I don't have an XDA account to even try to ask around there.
 
Xda explicitly refuses to share or provide an image to work with for my model of g4 though. So what hope do I have with some shady site claiming to offer something?
 
codezer0 said:
Xda explicitly refuses to share or provide an image to work with for my model of g4 though. So what hope do I have with some shady site claiming to offer something?
Click to expand...

So what is the exact model of G4 you've got, and what exact version of firmware is it running? Because if we don't know, we can't really help. We only know what you tell us. :thumbsupdroid:

I've never known XDA refuse to share anything, after all it's a public board with many users, just like AF. Are you a signed in member of XDA? It's much more likely nobody has posted anything for the particular variant of the LG G4 you've got there. Maybe it's just unrootable, e.g. a certain carrier version device or latest LG firmware, or it's even possible that nobody has bothered trying.

So called "one-click" app only exploit roots usually don't work with Android 6.x or above. That was one of the premises of it, to increase device security against malicious and/or trojan apps.
 
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LG G4 US991, factory unlocked. They have the carrier locked system.img, but nothing for the unlocked one.

Of what few phones that meet my needs are even out in the market at this rate, this was basically the only one I could afford at this time. and good god, the ad hell is going to give me fits if I can't do something decisive about it.
 
codezer0 said:
LG G4 US991, factory unlocked. They have the carrier locked system.img, but nothing for the unlocked one.

Of what few phones that meet my needs are even out in the market at this rate, this was basically the only one I could afford at this time. and good god, the ad hell is going to give me fits if I can't do something decisive about it.
Click to expand...

In your OP you stated "there is a one-click root that was floating around, but that just fails. And the manual method also just returns a failed attempt every time." ...maybe LG updated their firmware and those methods are now invalid?

Acording to this...
https://www.gsmarena.com/lg_g4-6901.php
The US991 is a US Cellular variant that originally came with 5.1.1 Lollipop. Is that what it's still running, or has it been updated to 6.x Marshmallow or later?
 
I've never seen a G4 not running Android 6, at least. Mine came out of the box with Android 6 already.
 
Yeah, Magisk is the only way to also get the ad-blocked capable YouTube (a.k.a. YouTube Vanced) and still retain compatibility for the likes of Pokemon Go that would throw a fit on a rooted phone.

Based on those instructions, it looks like I'll need to pick up a new flash drive, too.
 
codezer0 said:
I've never seen a G4 not running Android 6, at least. Mine came out of the box with Android 6 already.
Click to expand...

Of course I was only looking at what GSM Arena stated... :thumbsupdroid:
Android 5.1.1 (Lollipop), 6.0 (Marshmallow), planned upgrade to 7.0 (Nougat)

So could be the rooting methods you originally tried was for 5.1.1 Lollipop devices, especially any "one-click" app only exploit roots.
 
El Presidente said:
If you just want rid of ads, try this - https://block-this.com/

Alternatively, this will allow you to extract a system image and root it yourself - https://forum.xda-developers.com/g4/general/lg-g4-100-root-success-directives-root-t3180586
Click to expand...
Okay, I still need a way to install Magisk, and trying to follow the instructions there, but when I get to the part where I should be dumping the existing backup of the system, I just get FAIL over and over, even if I type Enter when it should be in download mode.
 
It's not that anyone is withholding resources for your device, it's that it's a less common model and there's no bootloader unlock method for it. The developers are just regular users like everyone here. If no one has the device, they won't be developing for it.

That said, have you looked at the magisk thread?
https://forum.xda-developers.com/apps/magisk/official-magisk-v7-universal-systemless-t3473445

Maybe you can use the installation method that doesn't require a custom recovery? As long as you can pull a stock boot.img from your device and flash it to the device, it might be a possibility.
 
codezer0 said:
Okay, I still need a way to install Magisk, and trying to follow the instructions there, but when I get to the part where I should be dumping the existing backup of the system, I just get FAIL over and over, even if I type Enter when it should be in download mode.
Click to expand...

I don't know then, sorry. My G4 was an EU variant and had an unlockable bootloader so I rooted that way.

I hate to tell you now, but you picked the wrong device if you wanted to root and customize etc, the US G4s didn't really receive much developer support.
 
Brian706 said:
It's not that anyone is withholding resources for your device, it's that it's a less common model and there's no bootloader unlock method for it. The developers are just regular users like everyone here. If no one has the device, they won't be developing for it.

That said, have you looked at the magisk thread?
https://forum.xda-developers.com/apps/magisk/official-magisk-v7-universal-systemless-t3473445

Maybe you can use the installation method that doesn't require a custom recovery? As long as you can pull a stock boot.img from your device and flash it to the device, it might be a possibility.
Click to expand...
That's what I'm trying to do, but nobody wants to say how. the phone is rejecting all the possible commands listed on the earlier thread to back up the system. I just get FAIL with every command on the list.
 
And Of course i don't have the 300+ people are wanting to charge for a v20. And since nobody answered this question thr last time, I'll ask again.

Can i properly root and install twrp or similar on a us996 unlocked v20? Because specs wise, that's the only phone i can consider anymore.
 
That's the T-Mobile version. Which, will be isntantly useless if i ever have to switch carriers. Amazon is still demanding $400+ for the unlocked version, if they ever get it in stock. Newegg wants $500 for it and ebay wants 300+ for a used one, let alone a "new old stock" one.

I've never realized how burned out i was on carrier locked phones until i first got my 3g only note 3. It's distressing, and aggravating, that this is what i have to endure to have anything that could acceptably substitute that level of freedom. Or that xda won't even bother try to make what should have been a suitably versatile phone in this g4 just as capable.

These ads are so bad, i feel like they're physically inflicting pain upon me. And no dns redirection will worjk against the YouTube app, which is more like AdTube in stock form. The only effective treatment I've found to combat this behavior was with YouTube vanced, which requires Magisk to be in place. And now, i can't even start the process to root with magisk because i can't even do the nand backup of this phone, either.

Argh! :mad::thumbsdowndroid::spitoutdroid:
 
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