How to enable sideloading on rooted AT&T phones

[ls377]

How to enable sideloading on rooted AT&T phones

You know this part. I'm not responsible for anything you do to your phone.

Yeah, I know 95% of you are either not rooted, on a custom ROM, or are just fine using the Sideload Wonder Machine. But I refuse to leave the other 5% out in the cold. If you don't want to install a custom ROM, you can use this on any rooted phone.

What you'll need:
Root
Root Explorer (about $4 on the market).

[NOTE]

One thing you may want to mention is that the sqdb lite database functionality of root explorer costs a little more than just root explorer by itself (~$3 more, I think). Totally worth it, IMHO, but potential users of your guide should be made aware of that, methinks.

I had already purchased SQLite editor when I wrote this, so I did not run into this issue. Consider yourself informed.[/NOTE]

If you have Clockwork recovery, make a backup, just to be safe. If you don't have it, don't worry about it.

1. Open up your Root Explorer and get Superuser permission.

2. Go down to and select /data.
[note]Look at the top of the screen, and make sure it says mounted as r/w. If it doesn't, hit the button to make it mount as r/w.[/note]

3. Inside the /data partition, navigate through the following folders (Yes, there is a data folder inside of /data).
data>com.android.providers.settings>databases

4. Inside, you will find settings.db. Tap it once.

5. Select "secure".]

6. Look for the "Install_non_market_apps" line. The 3rd column should read "0". Long press and select "edit field". Change it to "1".

8. When it saves, Reboot.

Now to test: download an app. I'll even attach one for you (aren't I nice). Put it on your SD card, and try to install it. If it worked, then you successfully enabled sideloading.

Wait, why does this work? I thought AT&T took it out?

AT&T took the lazy way out. Rather than completely taking out the sideloading functionality (which I think is impossible), or putting something in that would block it, they just removed the option from the setting menu. The rest of the OS just thinks you haven't enabled it yet (which is why you get the enable unknown sources message when you try to install something).

All this does is go around the menu, and manually change the setting. Pretty cool, huh? And now you can tell all your friends you've officially hacked your phone (be it some pretty low-level hacking).

Thanks to fluffyarmada for part of this method, and Jerry for his help.

 

[ls377]

Reserved

 

[ibejack96]

I have a Captivate running Froyo, and when I navigate to /data>data>com.android.providers.settings, there is no databases folder. All I see is lib folder, which is empty. Please help!!
Thanks

 

[ls377]

I have a Captivate running Froyo, and when I navigate to /data>data>com.android.providers.settings, there is no databases folder. All I see is lib folder, which is empty. Please help!!
Thanks

Interesting...I'll look into that. It should be there.

Sent from my SGH-I897 using Tapatalk

 

[twstrickland]

I'm in the same boat. I have been trying for weeks to root this darn thing and nothing has worked! Let us know if you figure out where that file disappeared to. Thanks!

 

[twstrickland]

I think I found the settings.db file, but I click on it and nothing happens. It is in the /dbdata/databases folder then com.android.providers.settings. Any ideas?

 

[ls377]

Hmm...that's odd. I'll look into it. To be honest, I completely forgot about that lol. I'll work on it this weekend when I have time to Odin back.

 

[kevinkaplan12]

Phone will not root

having the same issue with my ATT LG Pheonix. I can't root it for the life of me, HELP!!

 

[xbluesx]

I have a Captivate running Froyo, and when I navigate to /data>data>com.android.providers.settings, there is no databases folder. All I see is lib folder, which is empty. Please help!!
Thanks

Im having the same problem. Any solutions?

 

[n2alltheworld]

Is377,

Before I came across your thread, I did try this method by changing the value to 1, but after reboot my phone went into a never ending boot cycle. It was only after doing a hard reset and the phone flashed the original ROM my phone worked again, but I lost all apps that I installed.


My Phone is the LG Thrive

 

[ls377]

Sorry everyone, I keep meaning to look into these issues, and then forgetting .

If you find the file, try long pressing it and see if it comes up with anything. Also make sure you've bought SQLite (from what I understand, it only works in Root Explorer if you've bought it separately. No way for me to test it though). If it's there, and you have root and /system r/w, there's no reason it shouldn't work.

If you can't find it, look around the database folders. I don't have the time/patience to go through the rigmarole of flashing back to stock right now to check it out for myself, but I'll try to when I get the time.

I'm beginning to think sideloading is blocked somewhere else in the OS on some devices, such as the Cappy. Aria users are getting the option to enable sideloading after the update, which goes along with my theory that it's just part of the settings.apk, but Cappy owners never see the option, it's just turned on, which makes me think they updated something completely different. Makes no sense to me, because the devices were less than a month apart.

 

[ls377]

Is377,

Before I came across your thread, I did try this method by changing the value to 1, but after reboot my phone went into a never ending boot cycle. It was only after doing a hard reset and the phone flashed the original ROM my phone worked again, but I lost all apps that I installed.


My Phone is the LG Thrive

Did you copy the file anywhere? Make sure none of the permissions change after you do it, ran into that problem myself. If you copy it, edit, and move it back, it changes the permissions and bootloops the phone. If you edit it in place, it shouldn't do that.

 

[othellomor]

This thread is very helpful..new to all of this thanks Smitty

 

[othellomor]

If this doesn't work how can I get back to factory settings?

 

[othellomor]

Have been trying to find info on tethering as well..anyone know anything about that ?..Thanks

 

[damonssmith]

I have a Captivate running Froyo, and when I navigate to /data>data>com.android.providers.settings, there is no databases folder. All I see is lib folder, which is empty. Please help!!
Thanks

I'm running into the same problem as these guys, i can't seem to find a database folder for the life of me

 

[tsijames]

hey fellas I figured out how to install third party apps flawlessly on the samsung captivate

 

[tsijames]

root is required
if you have a rooted phone download and install superuser then download and install sql ite editor after installation grant superuser permission 2 sqlight editor then open sqlight editor application will load databases goto database settings storage then select settings.db then select secure then look for install third party apps then long press on install third party apps select edit record in the value it will show a 0 change that to a 1 then click on save go to home screen then reboot phone done!!! this will not show up under your settings applications menu but it will allow you to install third party app just install. apk file you have an boom you're done

 

[tsijames]

I will try and submit pictures as soon as I figure out how from my phone

 

[tsijames]

attachment link isnt working right now but i do have the pics