Can I use a TWRP backup to fix another phone?

[AC Question]

Let me start over and explain, a little background might help you understand what I am trying to do.

I have 4 S3 SPH-L710's / Software version L710VPUDNJ2 / Hardware version L710.14 / Android 4.4.2 / Baseband version L710VPUDNJ2 / Kernel version 3.4.0-2851177/ Build number 2.02.11.0701 ((and here is where one of them is different,, one of the S3's has a Build number 2.01.11.0505)), all from FreedomPop and all bought at the same time.

The 3 with the Build number 2.02.11.0701 have working Bluetooth on them, but the one with the Build number 2.02.11.0701 does not have Bluetooth working, since that is the only difference I have found and I have done multiple factory resets I wanted to update that one phone to the matching build of the other three to see if that fixes it.

Can I use the ROM/OS from one of the working S3's by backing it up with TWRP and then using it to flash the non working S3?

 

[Denny P2]

The build number is in a way just a software version. As long as they have same device ID same hardware version and same baseband you should be TECHNICALLY be able to flash a backup from the other devices you have.
Pay big attention to the word in red. By doing this you could potentially soft brick your phone.

 

[DigitalDad]

***[SOLVED]***
Thank you for your reply, I read it this morning AFTER I went ahead and tried to do it last night. But here is what I did and it worked.

• Bad phone = phone I want to flash/fix - - - - Good phone = phone I want take backup from
• On Samsung Galaxy S3 you boot to TWRP by holding volume up + center home button then press and hold power button too untill you see some blue words at the top left of the screen, then release all three buttons.
• Folder paths will be the same on your SD card but folder names will be different, see the note at the bottom about file names and folder paths.

What I did is run a backup on the bad phone in TWRP to the ext SD card in case anything went wrong. After it finished I turned the phone off and removed that SD card, then I turned the phone back on and ran a factory reset on the bad phone, when it finished and was at the first screen where you chose your language I turned the phone off. Then I inserted the SD card in my PC and found a folder with the file path TWRP>BACKUPS>551f9321>2016-03-03--18-28-10_2.01.11.0505 so I copied it to a folder on my PC and then deleted the last folder, the one that has a date for the name that had the backup files in it. Leaving the empty folders on the SD card TWRP>BACKUPS>551f9321

On the good phone I ran a backup in TWRP to the ext SD card, after it finished I turned off the phone removed the SD card and inserted the SD card in my PC, on the SD card I found folders with a file path like this TWRP>BACKUPS>9817290e>2013-12-31--18-55-59_2.02.11.0701, so I copied that to my PC(so I could return that phone back to its original state when this was all done) then deleted the dated folder off the SD card, leaving the empty folders TWRP>BACKUPS>9817290e on the SD card. With the SD card OUT of the phone I ran a factory reset on the good phone, when it finished and was at the first screen where you chose your language I turned the phone off. I booted in to TRWP and ran a backup to the ext SD card, when it finished I turned off the phone and removed the SD card and inserted it in to my PC, I copied the the dated folder TWRP>BACKUPS>9817290e>2013-12-31--18-55-59_2.02.11.0701 , to my PC and deleted it off the SD card, Then I took the original backup I made for this phone and returned it to the SD card so I could use it to restore the good phone in TWRP.

Back to the bad phone: I inserted the SD card in to my PC and copied the second backup I made from the GOOD (the backup I made AFTER the factory reset) phone to the folder file path TWRP>BACKUPS>551f9321>2013-12-31--18-55-59_2.02.11.0701 (this is the newer build number I am hoping fixes the Bluetooth issue on my phone) then I put the SD card back in to the bad phone and booted in to TWRP and ran a restore from the ext SD card, when it finished I was at the language selection screen!! I went thru the setup and let all my apps update from Google Play Store - entered my accounts in settings - and after all the updating I restarted my phone and tested Bluetooth.......................IT WORKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And I checked the Build number in Settings>More>About device>Build number shows 2.02.11.0701 = SUCCESS !!

Hardest parts:

1. Keeping track of which SD card is which(I used the phone cases I took off of each phone to hold the respective SD cards while not in use to keep them separated, I also noted the brand name of each just in case)

2. Keeping the backups organised - there will be a total of three backups, a backup of each phone and the backup made after the factory reset you use to flash the bad phone.

A word about file names and paths:
The first time I tried this I copied the entire folder path from the good phones backup to the bad phones backup, AND it didn't work. Problem is that the folder path has a unique number for each phone in it EXAMPLE -> TWRP(this folder name will be the same on all phones)>BACKUPS(this folder name will be the same on all phones)>9817290e(this folders name is UNIQUE for each phone)>2013-12-31--18-55-59_2.02.11.0701(this is the dated folder that contains the backup)

 

[9xbberries]

Can you send or post the ROM Build number 2.02.11.0701?
It would be great to fix my phone this way, I have the old build.
thanks in advance