Help with apps and if theyre necessary.

[pawprints86]

when i use my one widget i like from samsung, called "active applications", to clear out the ram, it says it has closed roughly 25 apps..... i only use maybe 4 on a regular basis... only have 6 of my own installed.

i recently (since i discovered i was rooted) downloaded app manager and used it to clear out all of AT&Ts obvious bloatware like "ashphalt 6" (since i used a rooted but stock ICS rom). but even with that its still such a high number. So, what the heck is running??

theres still a few apps i have to find out if i can delete like: at&t code scanner - may come in handy?, latitude, local, maps (ill probably never use, since i dont plan on ever using data - only wifi), media hub, memo, mini diary, navigation, play movies and tv (will youtube still work if i deleted this?), search (is that just the app for the google widget that i disabled right away?), talk, task, video player (does this allow you to play videos youve recorded on your own?), web (since i downloaded chrome, do i need web?)

Certain things since i dont know exactly what they do, i dont know if i can get rid of. Or, not sure if i can safely get rid of without messing anything up.

any help would be great!

 

[B. Diddy]

First, I would suggest not using a RAM cleaner. Killing tasks to clear out your RAM can be counterproductive, because Android will simply reopen a lot of those apps to fill RAM (because that's how it's supposed to work--read this).

Second, you can disable much of the bloatware that comes preinstalled--if you find that disabling an app causes problems, just reenable it.

I wouldn't disable Google Search, since it's integrated into a lot of Google services (like Google Now). And Google Maps is such a basic function, it would be surprising to me if you never needed it--but it's safe to disable if you want.

Not sure what "Web" is, but if it's the stock browser, then you can disable it if you use Chrome only.

 

[Vsweety]

(since i discovered i was rooted)

You discovered you were rooted?
How did that come about then? A magic wand?

 

[B. Diddy]

Probably got a used phone.

Posted via Android Central App.
Please excuse any typos or autocorrect derps.

 

[pawprints86]

You discovered you were rooted?
How did that come about then? A magic wand?

Bought a brand new but only used to sim unlock phone off of ebay. When i couldnt update the OS the legit way, and found out there was a super user app installed... i put 2 and 2 together. they probably rooted to unlock would be my guess. I could tell it was new though, by the packaging and the "texting and driving can wait" screen sticker still perfectly in place.

the battery life suggests the same.

 

[Rukbat]

You can install a Superuser app on an unrooted phone - the phone will still be unrooted. It's not the Superuser app that roots it, it's the su binary that does. The Superuser app is just a "should I allow su to give this app superuser status" interface to you.

BTW, all those apps that are running? That's how the phone works. There are a lot of apps that you never run - the phone or the OS run them. And I believe that Tasker needs Maps, so if you remove it (or even disable it), no Tasker-written app will run on your phone. And Maps is handy even if you'll never use data. If you want to know how long it'll take to get to a certain place, by car, bus, bike or on foot, set Maps to navigate to it by that mode and it'll tell you, based on current traffic conditions.

Oh, and battery life suggests nothing. A properly cared for Lithium battery will give you like-new performance for years. (My emergency phone is still using the original battery - and it's 11 years old. And they make better batteries now.) But you'll probably never get warranty service on a phone with a Superuser app installed.

 

[pawprints86]

But you'll probably never get warranty service on a phone with a Superuser app installed.

No need to worry about that, i didnt purchase a warranty. It was on ebay, listed as brand new with 99% positive feedback. It was pre-unlocked for sure, as advertised, since my koodo sim card worked in an at&t phone.

So, in that case, does installing clockworkmod root the phone? That was the only thing i had to do, and was already able to flash (via odin), before i then flashed a new (stock, but rooted) ROM onto it. so unless that is rooting, it came pre-rooted.

*but* samsung kies wouldnt recognize the 4.0.4 available for the phone, told me that 2.3.5 was the latest firmware when i knew darn well it wasnt. that also suggested a root. I wanted to go the legit way and mess with rooting down the road if i needed to. but it wouldnt let me.

When i booted the phone up with the power button and volume up button as instructed, that brought up the odin screen. that also suggests a root. unless thats preinstalled on every android phone.

But i cant imagine the person used the phone for any length of time with a "No texting and driving" screen protector on it..... I could tell it was on there from the factory. not a fuzzy or speck of dust behind it, like when i attempted putting it back on moments after i took it off just to see how it would look.

 

[Rukbat]

It was on ebay, listed as brand new with 99% positive feedback. It was pre-unlocked for sure, as advertised, since my koodo sim card worked in an at&t phone.

Then it's a used phone in 99% good condition. A new AT&T phone isn't unlocked. Being rooted also makes it used.

So, in that case, does installing clockworkmod root the phone?

No, you don't root the phone, you root the ROM. And CWM is a rooted ROM.

That was the only thing i had to do, and was already able to flash (via odin), before i then flashed a new (stock, but rooted) ROM onto it. so unless that is rooting, it came pre-rooted.

No, putting CWM on it made it a phone with a rooted ROM. The rooting is in the ROM, not "in the phone" (not that that phrase actually means anything - you can't root the phone any more than you can eat the sky.)

*but* samsung kies wouldnt recognize the 4.0.4 available for the phone, told me that 2.3.5 was the latest firmware when i knew darn well it wasnt.

Did you put in the model NUMBER? (I-something?) in Firmwares | SamMobile (which is where you look for ROMs)

When i booted the phone up with the power button and volume up button as instructed, that brought up the odin screen. that also suggests a root. unless thats preinstalled on every android phone.

It is on every Samsung. It only "suggests" that the phone was working.

But i cant imagine the person used the phone for any length of time with a "No texting and driving" screen protector on it..... I could tell it was on there from the factory. not a fuzzy or speck of dust behind it, like when i attempted putting it back on moments after i took it off just to see how it would look.

You;d be surprised. You know how a large carton (like for a TV) is stapled shut and taped with the manufacturer's tape? Dealers have those staplers AND rolls and rolls of the "manufacturer's" tape. Electrostatically cleaning the screen and dropping a "don't text" overlay on it (the dust is all in the electrostatic precipitator filter) is cheap child's play. Assuming it's a real "AT&T Samsung" phone, and not a Chinese clone. If you look around the web, you'll see some really nice Note 3s for about $250 new. They even say Samsung right where a real one does. But they're as real as a $3 bill. I'm not saying that yours is a clone - clones don't have bloatware on them - but it's probably been used a little if it came unlocked and rooted (or even just unlocked - AT&T doesn't sell them unlocked).

 

[pawprints86]

Then it's a used phone in 99% good condition. A new AT&T phone isn't unlocked. Being rooted also makes it used.
I knew it was used, but barely used. new enough for me

No, you don't root the phone, you root the ROM. And CWM is a rooted ROM.
I thought the ROM was what everyone calls the operating system? For example installing 4.0.4 like i did, that OS/zip file was called a ROM by many.

Did you put in the model NUMBER? (I-something?) in Firmwares | SamMobile (which is where you look for ROMs)
Sure did. it recognized the phone itself, i was even able to use kies to make a backup of my then current 2.3.5 operating system.

(my replies are in italics, it seemed the easiest way).

It has confused me since i started researching about custom/rooted phones why the operating systems that people make are called ROMs. ROM, in windows terms at least, means read-only memory. I suppose the operating system is read only, but why not just call it an operating system? it doesnt specifically matter to me, its just strange is all.

 

[pawprints86]

You can install a Superuser app on an unrooted phone - the phone will still be unrooted.

Just wanted to say that after having actually rooted my friends tablet for her - this is not true. i tried installing superuser before the root and it wont work, it needs root access to even install. at least it did on her tablet. Just letting you know, that was my experience anyway.

after rooting her tablet i definitely know that my phone came pre-rooted. i didnt know a root zip needed to be installed. on my phone i installed clockworkmod and i was good to go with custom ROMS (and superuser was already there). very different experiences.

But now i can say i know how to root and i didnt break my friends tablet so... its win-win!