How can I turn my Old Phone Into iPod?

[AC Question]

I got a new phone and want to turn my old rooted Sprint Note 3 into a media player.

I won't be using it for anything except playback of audio (and maybe video).

I want it to run as fast and smooth as possible.

Please advise on the best way to do this, and:

- whether the phone be more efficient by installing a custom ROM or just restoring to factory settings in the normal way

- If I restore phone to factory settings in the normal way, will I lose root?

- In either case, what changes/settings will I need to adjust for minimal processes running and maximum cpu/ram available?

- What is your favorite audio player app for local playback (I will load the phone with mp3s and m4as)?

 

[Golfdriver97]

Welcome to the forums.
1. I would leave the phone on the current ROM it's on.
2. Depending on how you rooted, it most likely won't be lost with a reset.
3. I would just leave everything as is. Don't make any changes.
4. PowerAmp.

 

[pkcable]

Welcome to the forums.
1. I would leave the phone on the current ROM it's on.
2. Depending on how you rooted, it most likely won't be lost with a reset.
3. I would just leave everything as is. Don't make any changes.
4. PowerAmp.

This with a slight alteration. I would delete unused apps. The stuff you use on the phone, but you KNOW you won't be using on the "ipod" get rid of. Keep stuff you might want and could be useful like Netflix, Pandora and other media apps, but maybe you don't need GasBuddy or Clash of Clans, lol

 

[Golfdriver97]

This with a slight alteration. I would delete unused apps. The stuff you use on the phone, but you KNOW you won't be using on the "ipod" get rid of. Keep stuff you might want and could be useful like Netflix, Pandora and other media apps, but maybe you don't need GasBuddy or Clash of Clans, lol

Good point. OP, don't worry about system apps or anything like that. Just get rid of what you installed.

 

[Drano80fo]

Generally speaking, is there any way to turn off unnecessary programs from running (rooted or unrooted), as can be done in Windows (msconfig)?

 

[pkcable]

Generally speaking, is there any way to turn off unnecessary programs from running (rooted or unrooted), as can be done in Windows (msconfig)?

As I said you want to trim the fat by uninstalling programs you know you want need or use, BUT some system apps of course will need to stay. You CAN kill running programs, BUT they have a tendency to restart themselves, BUT there ARE apps that can help.....

http://forums.androidcentral.com/android-apps/21880-prevent-apps-automatically-starting.html

 

[Rukbat]

Drano80fo, even msconfig can't turn off system programs. (It may say it will - it won't, because Windows won't run with them turned off.)

Even Linux itself is tricky to run with some programs turned off - the system programs that Linux needs to be running have to be running - or all you get is a command line (or less).

A computer isn't something you can choose 1 from column A and one from column B and have it work - at least the basics have to be functioning properly for anything to work at all. (Don't worry about it - 3k of utilities in a 3GB RAM machine is only noticeable if the device you're using to "notice" it costs many times the price of the phone. And then, what you get is "yes, we lost 0.00001% of the functioning".) It's like tearing a leaf off one tree in the Amazon. Is there an effect? Sure. Can you ever hope to find it? Not in just one lifetime. If the machine is "screamingly slow", it's not that 3k utility that's doing it, it's the 2.5GB buffer you didn't notice. (Yes, it's only a buffer - but it's allocated to that program, and nothing else can use it.)