[itsmemalloy]

I love the Galaxy Note 2. It's a powerhouse, it feels slim despite it's giant dimensions and it does everything I need it to do without the slightest hiccup. I'm new to Android but not new to hacking and in my case for many, many years, Jailbreaking (iOS). So when I got my Galaxy S3, I rooted it and installed several custom ROMs and loved it. It actually sped up the phone and increased the functionality of the device.

Now with the Note 2 I decided to root it and give a few custom ROMs a try. Rooting was easy and installation of new ROMs was a breeze but I've noticed that I've begun to miss TouchWiz and some of the functionality that I've lost in the process, namely the S-pen features. I've been enjoying AOKP's JB 4.2.1 for a week or so now and I love the look of stock JB. But it's taking me more time to get to where I need to go within the OS than it did with touchwiz. Also, I never used the S-pen that much but it was very convenient when I needed to jot down a quick note or impress some onlooker. And it seems crazy to me that a device such as the Note 2 that was designed around the use of the S-pen, that other ROMs wouldn't include it in their system. You loose, what, a third, maybe half of the functionality of the device by losing the built in features of touchwiz?

This is why I'll be going back to TouchWiz. I love changing as much as I can about the phone to really tailor it to my needs and aesthetic wants, but sometimes it's just nice to not mess with it and use it how the manufacturer or developer intended it to be used.

Sent from my GT-N7105 using Tapatalk 2

[SumthinNew]

Appreciate your post about rooting the Note II and providing details around losing Touchwiz...S-pen functionality.
This is my first android device and haven't seen the need to root as it is performing to my liking as is.
If it ain't broke, don't fix it!!!

[Mike-Mike]

Appreciate your post about rooting the Note II and providing details around losing Touchwiz...S-pen functionality.
This is my first android device and haven't seen the need to root as it is performing to my liking as is.
If it ain't broke, don't fix it!!!

i'm in the same boat

[Mweuch]

So all Note 2 ROMS don't have the S-pen? Cuz I am about to root my phone once my computer arrived. Does custom ROMS faster than stock? Thanks!

[DroidXcon]

If you guys want Spen functionality and want custom rom i would suggest Cleanrom, it is smoother than stock has alot of customization and has stripped most of the bloatware out.

[Droid_Evo_8]

That or how bout this one:

This is a port of Tweaked for the T-Mobile Note 2. It was ported by taking the changes and merging them into the VZW firmware, not by just replacing a few files. I will continue to maintain this and update it with the T-Mobile version, and also with future VZW Updates. It is TouchWiz and based on the latest OTA, VRALL4. I'm also working with dwitherell on some changes, though he did most of the work. There is a laundry list of changes, so see the main thread for a full change list. I'll put some basic stuff here though.

Features

Deodexed
Debloated
Rooted
Busybox (compiled by me)
Hacked Mobile Hotspot to ignore provisioning (tether without the plan)
N7100 Boot and Shutdown animations/sounds
Change Clock Position and Display
Battery Icon/Number/Color/MIUI
Hide Status Bar Icons
TW Launcher with 4x5 grid
All Apps in Multi-Window
Toggles that will blow your mind
NFC with screen off, lockscreen, or standard
Lockscreen changes
Chrome Replaces Browser
Some changes to Mms
Camera Modified to ignore the battery
APN Editor
Removed Wifi Nag and Non-VZW SIM Message
Removed Backup Assistent
Will always display "Normal" for device status
Reboot Options

Copied from XDA

[DCounts]

If you guys want Spen functionality and want custom rom i would suggest Cleanrom, it is smoother than stock has alot of customization and has stripped most of the bloatware out.

I'm using Cleanrom right now. It's great! It's even better now that there is an AOSP theme for it. I've been using it for the past couple of days and it's awesome. I have stock functionality but it looks like AOSP .

[cmatthews]

I'm running CleanROM AT&T SE, and it doesn't lose any of the S-Pen functionality or remove Touchwhiz. It runs so much better than the stock ROM that there is absolutely no way I could go back. Battery life is greatly improved using it as well.
The CleanROM ACE version is also a great choice if you don't want to to lose S-Pen functionality or Touchwhiz. Both ROMs and the 23 toggle mod and ability to basically use any app with multiview.
I have tried them both and have never had a single issue with either and I recently rooted and flashed CleanROM AT&T SE to a phone for a buddy of mine and all he has talked about since then is how much of a difference it made battery life.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk 2

[TheOtherBill]

... the 23 toggle mod ... is how much of a difference it made battery life.

I'm not sure if this is the correct forum to ask, but I am interested in this. Can you explain these, or do you have a link that might?

Thanks!

[cmatthews]

I'm not sure if this is the correct forum to ask, but I am interested in this. Can you explain these, or do you have a link that might?

Thanks!

The 23 toggle mod allows a total of up to 23 toggles in the notification screen and allows them to be arranged in what ever order you'd like. Here's a link with more info:


As for the battery life, I easily get 2 full days out of one charge, sometimes more. Plus I usually have 7-9 hours of screen being on, never got the much when stock. I have no idea what all has been changed to improve it but its been great.
And screen shots of battery usage for today:



Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk 2

[Droid_Evo_8]

I'm not sure if this is the correct forum to ask, but I am interested in this. Can you explain these, or do you have a link that might?

Thanks!

I think he might be talking about this .

[UsedName]

+1 for CleanROM here!

The best custom ROM for all the best of stock ROM....... No need for going back to carrier's ROM.

[Bond32]

What's so wrong with the stock rom that made you want to change is what I ask...

Cleanrom is good, yes, but what it offers is nothing you can't install yourself with root access.

Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk 2

[Droid_Evo_8]

Just upgraded to Jelly Beans ROM v10 last night. Woot.

[aquafusiondane]

I wonder if anyone here know that you can disable the apps in the app manager list. I have a few tmobile apps that I never use and I went to their app page and click disable, no question asked. If disabled app causing problem, you just go back and enable it. That the beauty of ICS/JB, it allow you have control over what app can be running.

Sent from my T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy Note 2 on Tapatalk 2

[Droid_Evo_8]

I wonder if anyone here know that you can disable the apps in the app manager list. I have a few tmobile apps that I never use and I went to their app page and click disable, no question asked. If disabled app causing problem, you just go back and enable it. That the beauty of ICS/JB, it allow you have control over what app can be running.

Sent from my T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy Note 2 on Tapatalk 2

Best way that I can think of achieving that gain or access root. Then download either titanium backup or root freezer pro. Only "bloatware" that I have is Verizon's mobile hotspot app.

[itsmemalloy]

UPDATE: So...I installed CleanRom ATT SE 1.2 and, so far, I'm quite pleased. Here are some of the advantages I see using this ROM over stock.

1) Adding any app to the multi view window. This is huge for me. Countless times I'll be trying to schedule trips for events in my email or Facebook and now I can have any travel app open along side my calendar or email. YouTube and Big Oven, Facebook and Pandora, Press and reddit. Awesome.

2) It seems faster and better battery life. I'm only two days into the new rom so I can't say for sure but initial impressions seem to confirm this.

3) It's still, for the most part, stock, only better.

It's weird but my hacker habits have changed over the years. I've built my own computers, I've jailbroken every iteration of iPhone and rooted and hacked countless Android devices. But lately I'm becoming more and more a proponent of stock firmware. I like to see how the manufacturer intended their devices to be used. That being said, I hate bloatware, thus I still root everything the first day. As far as everything else goes, keep it stock or keep it close to stock.

CleanRom (any version) gives the best of stock and more. Very pleased so far.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk 2

[DroidXcon]

UPDATE: So...I installed CleanRom ATT SE 1.2 and, so far, I'm quite pleased. Here are some of the advantages I see using this ROM over stock.

1) Adding any app to the multi view window. This is huge for me. Countless times I'll be trying to schedule trips for events in my email or Facebook and now I can have any travel app open along side my calendar or email. YouTube and Big Oven, Facebook and Pandora, Press and reddit. Awesome.

2) It seems faster and better battery life. I'm only two days into the new rom so I can't say for sure but initial impressions seem to confirm this.

3) It's still, for the most part, stock, only better.

It's weird but my hacker habits have changed over the years. I've built my own computers, I've jailbroken every iteration of iPhone and rooted and hacked countless Android devices. But lately I'm becoming more and more a proponent of stock firmware. I like to see how the manufacturer intended their devices to be used. That being said, I hate bloatware, thus I still root everything the first day. As far as everything else goes, keep it stock or keep it close to stock.

CleanRom (any version) gives the best of stock and more. Very pleased so far.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk 2

I just think samsung is doing a better job with touchwiz. They just needed some tweaks that cleanrom does. People don't really give it a chance since it use to be horrible.

From my Galaxy Note 2 via Tapatalk

[itsmemalloy]

I just think samsung is doing a better job with touchwiz. They just needed some tweaks that cleanrom does. People don't really give it a chance since it use to be horrible.

From my Galaxy Note 2 via Tapatalk

I definitely agree!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk 2

[aquafusiondane]

Best way that I can think of achieving that gain or access root. Then download either titanium backup or root freezer pro. Only "bloatware" that I have is Verizon's mobile hotspot app.

You don't need root to disable the app. It already came with ICS. I'm still on non-rooted stock rom and already disabled some of tmobile app

Sent from my T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy Note 2 on Tapatalk 2

[Droid_Evo_8]

You don't need root to disable the app. It already came with ICS. I'm still on non-rooted stock rom and already disabled some of tmobile app

Sent from my T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy Note 2 on Tapatalk 2

Well, I'm on Beans Version 10 ROM now. So all the bloatware is gone except for the mobile hotspot.

[Derek Arguello]

I unlocked bootloader and was running cleanrom 3.5 on my note 2 for months but I hated that I lost allshare cast in the process and if you notice all of your templates that are meant to be used with the spen are gone you have the basics but most of the templates are removed also I ended up deciding to go back to stock and than after I did so I also recived the exynos exploit patch which we are suppose to be able to work around and still root and I was unable to so I went into odin to recovery my stock recovery and it failed and now im in between a halfway rooted back to stock slash the phone seems bricked does anyone know anyway to work around my issue .The only thing I can think of is that ota not only pathched up but will not let you go back to stock recovery vralljb ..Does any pro out there know what I can do otherwise im in the hole about $400 on this device I definitely feel all hope is lost and I have done my fairshare of rooting this is not new to me ive never bricked I get a message on my screen saying attempting to do a firmware upgrade please visit kies for support

[Derek Arguello]

and to c mathews I just came from stock and was getting about 9 on screen time and about 2 days stock and on cleanrom I was getting 5 hours on screen time and maybe a day and half of battery life so go figure and I have everything enabled the only thing I would change about stock is having all apps enabled in muti touch dont care for mobile hotspot much I use my internet here at the house how often do I really whip out my phone to use it as a mobile hotspot never this phone is great its a feaking computer anything I need to do on a computer I can do on this beast and with all of these kickass launchers you can get the look and feel of aosp or whatever floats your fanny ..I wonder if there is a way to enable all apps muti touch without rooting the phone ? Unless your just board easy and a flashaholic addict find one stable rom and stick with it or dont root and enjoy what you have if your new to rooting I would highly reccomend you get some help being this phone is a little more complex and there are several stages in order to root and unlock bootloader and than flash another rom

[DroidXcon]

I unlocked bootloader and was running cleanrom 3.5 on my note 2 for months but I hated that I lost allshare cast in the process and if you notice all of your templates that are meant to be used with the spen are gone you have the basics but most of the templates are removed also I ended up deciding to go back to stock and than after I did so I also recived the exynos exploit patch which we are suppose to be able to work around and still root and I was unable to so I went into odin to recovery my stock recovery and it failed and now im in between a halfway rooted back to stock slash the phone seems bricked does anyone know anyway to work around my issue .The only thing I can think of is that ota not only pathched up but will not let you go back to stock recovery vralljb ..Does any pro out there know what I can do otherwise im in the hole about $400 on this device I definitely feel all hope is lost and I have done my fairshare of rooting this is not new to me ive never bricked I get a message on my screen saying attempting to do a firmware upgrade please visit kies for support

You say it seems bricked. What are you seeing when you turn it on?

From my Galaxy Note 2 via Tapatalk

[Lastnv]

CleanRom here too. Best way to go.