Rooting S5 and Unlimited Data Hotspot

[greenghost]

I currently have an S3 and looking to upgrade to a S5. I have some questions though. I have Verizon, and I have unlimited data. For the upgrade I'm using what they call a "Buddy upgrade" so I'm not worried about losing my unlimited data. So the 2 things I want to know is 1)Is it possible to root the S5? If so how? 2) Since I have unlimited data, do apps like Foxfi allow me to hotspot my phone so I don't have to pay an additional hotspot fee through Verizon. Thanks!!

 

[AZgl1500]

The short answer is yes to both questions.

Just looked in during a night break from the blankets, nature call ya know.

gotta get back to the zzz's

 

[greenghost]

Thanks, when you get back on could you point me in the right direction as how to root the phone please? And does foxfi work or do I have to use another method to hotspot?Thanks! Also I looked it up and apparently "buddy upgrades" ended in August. Verizon somehow changed the policy so that upgrade loophole doesn't exist anymore. And starting in October they will start to throttle our 4G LTE of the top 5% of data users(which is apparently more than 4.7 GB of data in a month).

 

[Easyrider6]

I just upgraded from the S3 to the S5 last week. I also have the unlimited data plan. I bought the S5 off Craigslist for $375. Practically new and have had no issues. I had talked to the folks at the Verizon store and they recommended I meet the seller a Verizon store and have them verify the ESN.

I also use FoxFi and it was one of the first things I tested. It worked just as it did on the S3.

Sorry, I haven't rooted and don't plan to.

 

[acraftylady]

How do you get to do a buddy upgrade on Verizon and keep your unlimited data? I was under the impression if you did a phone upgrade you had to pick a new data plan meaning no more unlimited unless you bought your phone at full price or bought a used one to activate. Mary

 

[greenghost]

Buddy upgrades are when you're on a family plan of some sort and you use some one else's upgrade on your plan instead of your own. You only lose your unlimited data if you upgrade through your own phone number. It was a loophole in Verizon's policy and a ton of people would use it. However from what I read today Verizon closed that loophole August 25th. So the only way to get a new phone to my knowledge and keep your unlimited data is buy a phone outright through a store that sells Verizon phones or do what the earlier poster did and buy through craigslist, ebay, ect.

 

[jejb]

Over on XDA, it seems like everyone is using "towelroot" to root their S5's. I'm still in my first 14 days on my phone, and don't root them until the return period is over. So I have not tried it. But from what I've read, it seems straight forward and reliable. And does not trip the Knox bit.

 

[acraftylady]

That's what I thought. You can't use any kind of an upgrade to get a discount on a new phone and keep unlimited data so if the poster upgrades using a friends upgrade they are going to have to pick a data plan now. Mary

 

[AZgl1500]

That's what I thought. You can't use any kind of an upgrade to get a discount on a new phone and keep unlimited data so if the poster upgrades using a friends upgrade they are going to have to pick a data plan now. Mary

You are correct..... I took a lot of time to make that decision on loosing my unlimited data plan.

What made me turn loose of it was 5 phones on my account, needing to add two smartphones. I already had one smartphone and wanted to keep the unlimited data.

But, adding the 2 new smartphones with their own data plan was a lot more than I could afford.... the nice lady at tech support looked back at my history for 2 years and I had never been a high volume data user.

It finally came down to the only way I could afford more smart phones was to put all of us on the Family Share plan. So far, it has worked fine, we all take care of our P's and Q's and use WiFi at every opportunity. Have not busted the data limit yet and I've had the share plan for 13 months now.

 

[acraftylady]

I had a basic texting phone on Verizon for years. Then left for T-Mobile 1 1/2yrs ago to get my first smart phone because for $50 a month I was getting unlimited 4g data with no cap on it, unlimited talk and text and 3 gigs of mobile hotspot. My son is on our Verizon plan and he and husband just have basic texting phones but my husband was getting tired of paying separate for my phone so wanted me back on Verizon and said he would add data for me and I could get any phone I wanted so I did and we upgraded son to a smart phone. We each get 2 gigs of data that is separate but so far I haven't come close to using that so don't really miss the unlimited. A few times on T-Mobile I watched a streaming movie in the car on a trip but that was it.

It was so hard finding a phone for my son. He lives out of state now for grad school. He is 23 and is not your normal kid so to speak and doesn't like touch screen phones at all so we were lucky we found a best buy that had 2 lg stratosphere 2 phones in stock on mark down for $1 so we took one and he loves it. Personally I don't know why you would want such old technology and operating system when he could have had the S5 or LG G3 for only $99 but as long as he is happy. He can't even stand swipe. At 51 I myself love all this phone stuff. Mary

 

[AZgl1500]

It was so hard finding a phone for my son. He lives out of state now for grad school. He is 23 and is not your normal kid so to speak and doesn't like touch screen phones at all so we were lucky we found a best buy that had 2 lg stratosphere 2 phones in stock on mark down for $1 so we took one and he loves it. Personally I don't know why you would want such old technology and operating system when he could have had the S5 or LG G3 for only $99 but as long as he is happy. He can't even stand swipe. At 51 I myself love all this phone stuff. Mary

Yup, I'm an old fossil at 71 but have been a techno geek since 1958 and I guess it isn't going to change anytime soon.

I want the latest and greatest "within $$$ limits" and the S5 really talks to me.