Customizability: Myth or Fact?

[CKR83]

Now that rooting is all but impossible, thanks to kitkat and the latest security patches from AT&T, just how customizable IS an S5?

There were many reasons why I wanted an Android, but once I got the S5 last week, I discovered that I could no longer do much with the phone.

From the simple things, like using 3rd part apps to access the SD card (which will _supposedly_ be addressed in 'L' -- which those of us on AT&T might never see), to even being able to change the lock screen, all the great things I can do with my Android tablet are now blocked.

Sure, I can change the basics of how the screens look using Nova prime. I can choose my calendar app, and it's still easier to put stuff onto the phone using a computer, but there are so many other things that I can't do any more than I could do them on an iPhone.

The S5 is slower than even my iPhone 5 was. It's slow to respond and because of how apps are handled, they're slow to open. The battery life is not quite as good either, even after turning off much of the bloatware that I can no longer remove from the phone. And I keep losing the wifi connection in my house -- a problem that I never had on the iPhone 3, 4 or 5 -- because the phone keeps dumping the password.

Simple things that I was looking forward to -- like a customizable lock screen -- are impossible now that the phone can't be rooted. I can't even change which weather app the phone uses to push the temp to the lock screen, which sucks because the app Google forces me to use sucks.

Supposedly, I can remove KNOX, but guess what? I can't. Samsung has information on their page on how to remove the program without rooting the phone, but those instructions no longer apply to the newer releases. The KNOX program itself is hidden and cannot be removed -- at least as far as I can tell.

Hell, I can't even use the Android smilies because, you guessed it, you need to root the phone to get rid of the 1990s ones that Samsung so thoughtfully provided.

So I ask you: what portions of this Android phone can be customized that cannot be customized on an iPhone? Because I'd really like to move into this phone. I really want to love it as much as I love my tablet (Also a Samsung, also on AT&T), but all I get are constant problems and SORRY, YOU CAN'T DO THAT.

 

[osvanberg]

Now that rooting is all but impossible, thanks to kitkat and the latest security patches from AT&T, just how customizable IS an S5?

There were many reasons why I wanted an Android, but once I got the S5 last week, I discovered that I could no longer do much with the phone.

From the simple things, like using 3rd part apps to access the SD card (which will _supposedly_ be addressed in 'L' -- which those of us on AT&T might never see), to even being able to change the lock screen, all the great things I can do with my Android tablet are now blocked.

Sure, I can change the basics of how the screens look using Nova prime. I can choose my calendar app, and it's still easier to put stuff onto the phone using a computer, but there are so many other things that I can't do any more than I could do them on an iPhone.

The S5 is slower than even my iPhone 5 was. It's slow to respond and because of how apps are handled, they're slow to open. The battery life is not quite as good either, even after turning off much of the bloatware that I can no longer remove from the phone. And I keep losing the wifi connection in my house -- a problem that I never had on the iPhone 3, 4 or 5 -- because the phone keeps dumping the password.

Simple things that I was looking forward to -- like a customizable lock screen -- are impossible now that the phone can't be rooted. I can't even change which weather app the phone uses to push the temp to the lock screen, which sucks because the app Google forces me to use sucks.

Supposedly, I can remove KNOX, but guess what? I can't. Samsung has information on their page on how to remove the program without rooting the phone, but those instructions no longer apply to the newer releases. The KNOX program itself is hidden and cannot be removed -- at least as far as I can tell.

Hell, I can't even use the Android smilies because, you guessed it, you need to root the phone to get rid of the 1990s ones that Samsung so thoughtfully provided.

So I ask you: what portions of this Android phone can be customized that cannot be customized on an iPhone? Because I'd really like to move into this phone. I really want to love it as much as I love my tablet (Also a Samsung, also on AT&T), but all I get are constant problems and SORRY, YOU CAN'T DO THAT.

You're lacking in knowledge unfortunately. Rooting is not impossible for you, just read up!

 

[CKR83]

You're lacking in knowledge unfortunately. Rooting is not impossible for you, just read up!

It is, actually. I've been reading on it. Been on XDA developers sites, on Galaxy5update site read Chainfire's info on G+. Did I miss something? Because with the latest updates on this phone, no one else seems to know how to root it. Telling someone to "Just Read Up!" isn't helpful.

 

[oditius]

Sick with the iPhone, you would be better off. I normally root my phones, but kind of happy with my S5 Active as it is, but would be a little happier with 4.4.3 (4) but it serves me well. I may switch to the M9 when it comes out, will just have to wait and see. You talk about everything you think sucks on androids, so instead of doing a little research first, you come here whining like a iphonemaniac, I have nothing against the iPhone 6, but just can't justify the cost right now, since I pay cash for my phones to stay away from contacts. Maybe if it drops on price, I might just buy one. But I won't cry about a phone I don't own. So your not happy with what you read, then don't buy it. Period. ..

Sent from my Samsung S5 Active (SM-G870A) using Tapatalk via AT&T

 

[Ramer84015]

You can root your phone. I'm not on AT&T, but a search of "xda s5 at&t" brought me here. You didn't specify what your model number is, so can't get more specific for you.

 

[CKR83]

You can root your phone. I'm not on AT&T, but a search of "xda s5 at&t" brought me here. You didn't specify what your model number is, so can't get more specific for you.

Thanks, for the link, but alas, I've kinda been there and done that. I was 'graced' with the latest rom and the latest 'security' updates from AT&T. Those have not been broken, so I can't root the thing. Hell, I can't even remove KNOX -- in spite of the fact that the Samsung page says I'm supposed to be able to.

 

[CKR83]

Sick with the iPhone, you would be better off. I normally root my phones, but kind of happy with my S5 Active as it is, but would be a little happier with 4.4.3 (4) but it serves me well. I may switch to the M9 when it comes out, will just have to wait and see. You talk about everything you think sucks on androids, so instead of doing a little research first, you come here whining like a iphonemaniac, I have nothing against the iPhone 6, but just can't justify the cost right now, since I pay cash for my phones to stay away from contacts. Maybe if it drops on price, I might just buy one. But I won't cry about a phone I don't own. So your not happy with what you read, then don't buy it. Period. ..

Sent from my Samsung S5 Active (SM-G870A) using Tapatalk via AT&T

Actually, I *DO* own the Samsung S5. And, speaking of research, you clearly didn't read what *I* wrote -- which was that I researched the Android OS before I bought an Android phone, that I had owned, used and loved an Android tablet for almost a year and that I'd hit every site I could find to figure out how to root the S5 that I now own so that I could get out of it what I expected to get out of it. I'm not a fanboy of either Apple or Android. I'm a fanboy of a working device.

You COULD have maybe suggested an answer to the last question I posed -- which essentially was how to make the most out of the device until I can root it, but it appears you didn't read that part.

Yes, I'm pissed. I'm pissed because I'm paying a lot of money for a crippled device. That's why I didn't buy an iPhone 6. But *I* didn't cripple the device. Google and AT&T did that. I'm just trying to find workarounds until someone smarter than me figures out how to root it.

I see all those devices you have listed in your sig. You've clearly been using Android longer than me. Do YOU have suggestions about how to modify things like the lock screen without rooting the S5?

 

[Ramer84015]

Delete

 

[Ramer84015]

Thanks, for the link, but alas, I've kinda been there and done that. I was 'graced' with the latest rom and the latest 'security' updates from AT&T. Those have not been broken, so I can't root the thing. Hell, I can't even remove KNOX -- in spite of the fact that the Samsung page says I'm supposed to be able to.

I'd keep an eye on those threads. It's always just a matter of time until one of the excellent developers out there find's a method that works.

 

[CKR83]

I'd keep an eye on those threads. It's always just a matter of time until one of the excellent developers out there find's a method that works.

Yeah, I've been kinda haunting the site in hopes that'll happen

 

[cydewaze]

So to come at this from another angle, what things exactly do you want to customize? A lot of things (like launchers and lock screens) don't require root.

 

[CKR83]

Got the launcher that I want -- Nova Prime. Love it.

I'd also like to remove KNOX, but I can't even find the icon on this phone, so I might not be able to do that.

And, of course, I'd love to be able to use the SD card as I can on my Samsung Galaxy Note 8 -- but that's a no-go until there's a root solution.

Also, it looks like even lock screen widgets are permanently disabled -- probably by AT&T. There's supposed to be a way to turn them on but that option has disappeared.

 

[cydewaze]

Yeah sorry, I don't have AT&T so I'm not much help. What does your SD card do on your Note that it won't do on your S5?

 

[CKR83]

The short answer: Everything.
I can read and write to the card with any app that will read and write data. KitKat removed that ability.

 

[oditius]

Yeah kit Kat removed the ability for an app to mess with another apps folder. Which doesn't hurt anything I use, I just got this phone a couple days ago. Will take me a while to get bored and decide to go and try to root it. But right now it does what I want it to do. I rather have a windows phone, but there are a couple apps I need that WP doesn't have have. And you are right, I have a bad habit of reading between the lines and not what was actually written. For that I apologize for. But your post seemed to me to be more of a whine then asking for help to do something. I am sure there is our will be a way to root the device no matter what att does. They got the M8 rooted, even though the devs that did so, charge $25 for the app.

Sent from my Samsung S5 Active (SM-G870A) using Tapatalk via AT&T

 

[CKR83]

Yeah kit Kat removed the ability for an app to mess with another apps folder. Which doesn't hurt anything I use, I just got this phone a couple days ago. Will take me a while to get bored and decide to go and try to root it. But right now it does what I want it to do. I rather have a windows phone, but there are a couple apps I need that WP doesn't have have. And you are right, I have a bad habit of reading between the lines and not what was actually written. For that I apologize for. But your post seemed to me to be more of a whine then asking for help to do something. I am sure there is our will be a way to root the device no matter what att does. They got the M8 rooted, even though the devs that did so, charge $25 for the app.

Sent from my Samsung S5 Active (SM-G870A) using Tapatalk via AT&T

You know, I think I am whining a bit -- although I'm more pissed than anything else. Didn't meant to take it out on you. It's just very frustrating to KNOW that this phone could be an awesome device if ONLY Google and AT&T weren't such ... well, you get the idea.

Eventually someone'll root the thing. I just need to keep the AT&T updates off it so that when it does get rooted, I can actually do it. That was one reason I was asking about 4.4.4 If there's no really good reason to update (not that I have that option yet), then I won't do it.

 

[prlundberg]

Yeah, I'd have to agree it is myth on today's Touchwiz. I was really annoyed that I couldn't change the color scheme. It's one of those basic things you just expect on any computing device with a color screen. You shouldn't have to root or install anything for such simple stuff!

 

[cydewaze]

Eventually someone'll root the thing. I just need to keep the AT&T updates off it so that when it does get rooted, I can actually do it. That was one reason I was asking about 4.4.4 If there's no really good reason to update (not that I have that option yet), then I won't do it.

And this is why I rooted out of the box.

 

[1Coopgt]

Holy crap on a cracker .

 

[CKR83]

And this is why I rooted out of the box.

I would have but my out of the box was just over a week ago, so it was already too late.