Google Nexus 4 - 4.4, LTE, and encryption

[someguy01234]

I should backup my current stock firmware using adb before rooting and flashing, correct?

Ideally you should back up before rooting or flashing anything. However, once you rooted, depending on what you did, maybe other system files has been changed already so potentially OTA update could fail for what you have now (again, it depends).

Usually you use custom recovery to backup the phone's image. Download this TWRP recovery to your computer. Go in fastboot mode (bootloader menu). You can either flash it permanently to the phone, or simply boot into it, so when the phone reboot its gone and reverted back to stock recovery:
fastboot flash recovery twrp.img
(or) fastboot boot twrp.img

When you backup with TWRP recovery, it let you select which partition to backup. Just back "recovery" "boot" and "system". You don't have to backup "data" and "cache" which contain all your apps and settings.

Later when you want to apply OTA updates, restore all these paritions (without /data to not overwrite your current user settings) so your phone goes back to stock. However, custom recovery do not backup the "radio" partition which the LTE package will replace. The stock radio come with the Google factory stock image, use (fastboot flash radio radio.img). The OTA will not even update unless its the latest radio version, stock or not.

But really, since the LTE package only modify the build.prop and radio, if you don't make any other changes, you can simply backup and restore your original build.prop (located in /system folder). Then reflash the stock radio. This should be enough to make OTA update successful.

Also you can successfully flash the "OTA update zip" using (latest version of) TWRP recovery if everything else on your phone is stock, so you don't neccessarily need to have stock recovery. However, if you run the update from within Android the default way, the update may not work with custom recovery (not 100% sure).

And can I also make a separate backup file for the rooted LTE once I flash it so that I don't have to re-root and re-flash should I want OTA update?

No, that doesn't make sense, if it's rooted or LTE patched it won't be able to apply OTA updates. It's very easy, just keep your back up of "stock Android". Then restore it to do the future OTA update. After that, reflash the SuperSU zip package and the LTE zip package.

(Just a shameless plug, but you can use my custom recovery flashable packages to flash all the phone's parition back to stock: http://forums.androidcentral.com/ne...n4-stock-kot49h-4-4-2-kitkat.html#post3289711)

 

[2ndrunnr]

I see! Luckily, I did backup before rooting and flashing. Thank you for the info. I've flashed the LTE package. 4G connection shows at top right, but for one reason or another, webpages won't load while tethering or wi-fi hot spotting. System Preferences>Networks shows a connection, but no dice. Also, device loses 4G if I turn it off then back on. Maybe I'm missing something.

 

[djclogan]

On a second note, just check the sticky threads from this section, it's pretty straight forward: Nexus 4 Rooting, ROMs, & Hacks - Android Forums at AndroidCentral.com
Follow instructions from : "Nexus 4 - Factory Image Restore" first, then follow: "Nexus 4 - Unlock & Root"
After that, just boot into TWRP recovery and flash these zip packages: [REF] Mako hybrid modem collection V2 - xda-developers
After flashing, factory reset your phone, otherwise the 4g mode won't be set as deafult and won't stick reverting to 3g mode on every reboot.

This is what did it for me. I already knew how to flash the hybrid radio and unlock/root, but the links you provided to edit the build.prop file is what helped. For some reason, when I did this manually, the phone just bricked and got stuck on the boot screen and I had to do this http://forums.androidcentral.com/ne...3923-guide-nexus-4-factory-image-restore.html. Anyway, 4G shows up in my preferred network type, finally! I just edited the APN's that were in there afterwards to match the setting for the Bright Spot network (which is T-Mobile). Can't wait to get into an area to test it (I'm a few miles north of the LTE coverage here). AFTER the factory reset is when you see the 4G show up in your settings, but DON"T CHANGE IT or you'll have to do this all over again. Thanks again for the resources and information, everyone who has worked on this. Also, after the reset, I still have root somehow. Probably because TWRP prevents you from losing it during a factory reset is my guess.

 

[misterno123]

I have been using LTE on my N4 for long time now but the other day I think I pressed a button which I am not suppoed to. And now LTE is not working

no internet when I choose LTE but there is internet on 3g

Can someone help me? or direct me to a website for me to fix this issue?