[How To] Change Your Carrier Name (Now with Scrolling)

[JerryScript]

Edit: If you are running one of the Froyo based roms, you can edit the build.prop file located in your system folder and achieve the same results easier:
ro.cdma.home.operator.alpha=Virgin Mobile
You can use more than the 17 charatcer limit of the eri.xml edit using this method, confirmed by mmarz
Thanks to mmarz for posting this in info!


Ever wanted to get rid of the Virgin Mobile on your lockscreen and notification dropdown?

The carrier name can be altered via the eri.xml file located in your framework-res.apk

Method one: Only allows 17 characters

1) Put the ROM.zip file you used to flash your current ROM on your computer

2) Right click and choose Open Archive (I suggest using 7-zip)

3) Navigate to /system/framework and drag the framework-res.apk file to your desktop

4) Right click the framework-res.apk file and select Open Archive (again, I suggest using 7-zip)

5) Navigate to /res/xml and drag the eri.xml file to your desktop

6) Open the eri.xml file with a hex editor like HxD

7) Press ctrl+f and type Virgin Mobile

8) Highlight the words Virgin Mobile (they appear selected, but highlight them with your mouse)

9) Type what you want, keep it to the same number of characters or less, then type spaces till the rest of Virgin Mobile is gone

10) Save and close the hex editor

11) Drag the eri.xml file back into the framework-res.apk, choose yes to copy, then close the window

12) In the opened ROM archive, navigate to /system/framework and drag your framework-res.apk file into it, then choose yes to copy, and close the window

13) Place the ROM.zip on your sdcard

14) Reboot into recovery, wipe cache, wipe dalvik cache, then install the ROM.zip file as normal

15) Reboot and you should see your customized carrier name on the lock screen and notification dropdown.

I modified these instructions from this post I found via google

Some posts I've read indicate you can use more characters, and that on some phones long messages scroll, I haven't tested it with more than 13 characters, the amount for Virgin Mobile
Edit: it appears 17 characters is the max, unless someone finds a way to add more.

Method two: Allows more characters, I have used 50 successfully, but more than 20 gives issues with some themes

1) Download apk_manager

2) Follow it's instructions to decompile your framework-res.apk (see above methods instructions for how to get the apk from your ROM's zip)

3) In apk_manager folder, in the projects folder, navigate to framework-res.apk/res/xml and edit eri.xml with a good text editor

4) Press cntrl+f in the text editor and search for Virgin Mobile

5) Change it to whatever you want, I have successfully used 50 characters, which makes a scrolling banner

6) Save and close the text editor, then navigate back up to the main apk_manager folder

7) In the apk_manager command window, follow instructions to recompile as a system apk

8) In the apk_manager folder, in the place-apk-for-modding-here folder, delete the original framework-res.apk

9) Rename the unsignedframework-res.apk file to framework-res.apk

10) Drag this new framework-res.apk folder to your ROM's open archive and choose yes to copy

11) Place the modified ROM zip file on your sdcard, reboot into recovery, flash it, and reboot.

This will scroll on the lockscreen, but not on the notification dropdown. On aospCM7, if you use compact carrier label, it will by layered over the notification title, with the normal non-comapct carrier name, it word wraps.
(I will probably edit these instructions, was in a hurry with method two)

 

[bigsupersquid]

I just love mod tips like this.
nice find and writeup.

 

[bcrest1]

Worked perfectly - would be a great link add in mmarz's reference guide sticky (Advanced Mods/Extras section).

 

[JerryScript]

Once you have done this mod, save the eri.xml file so you can use it on future ROMs you may install. No need to edit the new eri.xml file from a new ROM, unless you find it gives you issues, but it shoudn't.

 

[zedorda]

I can't seem to get this to work. I keep getting a Status 7 error install aborted when trying to flash. I am running AOSP.

 

[JerryScript]

Did you unzip the zip files and then rezip them? That may cause this issue, so be sure you are opening the zip and apk files as archives (not unzipping or extracting them), and be sure you are dragging the files in and out of them.

Toggling signature verification might work too.

Another method is to hook your phone to your computer, then use adb to push the framework-res.apk with the modified eri.xml file to your phone, then reboot.

 

[skullet11]

Thanks for the great mod. Your instructions were perfect.

Enjoying the customization option.

:-$

Skullet11

 

[bcrest1]

Re: [How To] Change Your Carrier Name

Once you have done this mod, save the eri.xml file so you can use it on future ROMs you may install. No need to edit the new eri.xml file from a new ROM, unless you find it gives you issues, but it shoudn't.

JS, I'm now testing Harmonia 1.3. It's not fond of my saved eri.xml (failed flash). Next tried to edit the original Harmonia eri.xml but search does not even find "Virgin Mobile". Perhaps it's been configured differently for this rom (?).

 

[keystonep1mz]

Re: [How To] Change Your Carrier Name

how do I enable signature verification? or bypass it?

 

[JerryScript]

Re: [How To] Change Your Carrier Name

Ask LeslieAnn, she can help with Harmonia

You can turn off signature verification

 

[JerryScript]

Re: [How To] Change Your Carrier Name

I updated the OP with info for those on Froyo based ROMs, you can edit the build.prop file located in your system folder and get the same results much easier:

ro.cdma.home.operator.alpha=Virgin Mobile

Thanks to mmarz for posting this in another thread!

 

[ajgates92]

Re: [How To] Change Your Carrier Name

how do I enable signature verification? or bypass it?

In Xionia it is in the option "Install .zip file on SD Card" Then is says toggle signature verification.

Thanks for the great tut! I did it very easily. Had a problem at first, wouldn't install AOSP at first, but I toggled signature verification and it worked like a charm! Thank you again!

 

[ajgates92]

Re: [How To] Change Your Carrier Name

Sorry for the double post, but I just tried to go beyond the 13 character limit, and all I could get it to say was Roaming Indicator Off. I don't have the greatest signal in my house, but I am in the same spot where I tried it before and it worked. Just a heads up. It could be however that I went into the next section in hxd . Anyways I will keep testing what the character limit is.


EDIT: After testing, it seems like 17 characters is the max. In HxD, you can type up to the "3" after Virgin Mobile (Including the three). After that on the V, it will just read, "Roaming Indicator Off". This is on AOSP CM7.

 

[JerryScript]

Re: [How To] Change Your Carrier Name

Thanks for testing the limits!

Now to come up with a good 17 character string, any ideas?

 

[mmarz]

Re: [How To] Change Your Carrier Name

EDIT: After testing, it seems like 17 characters is the max. In HxD, you can type up to the "3" after Virgin Mobile (Including the three). After that on the V, it will just read, "Roaming Indicator Off". This is on AOSP CM7.

That is what we call, buffer overflow.

 

[ajgates92]

Re: [How To] Change Your Carrier Name

That is what we call, buffer overflow.

Learn something new everyday...Thanks!

 

[JerryScript]

Re: [How To] Change Your Carrier Name

That is what we call, buffer overflow.

Curious if you can use a longer string on froyo via build.prop? Anyone try more than 17 characters in build.prop? If not, I'll try tomorrow and post my results, probably test on Harmonia since it's so minimal it's a quick ROM switch.

 

[ajgates92]

Re: [How To] Change Your Carrier Name

I would test, but I am dead tired, and I just got my AOSP how I like it lol. It's 4:37 AM here. Ugh. Goodnight haha. But definitely post the results later

 

[mmarz]

Re: [How To] Change Your Carrier Name

Curious if you can use a longer string on froyo via build.prop? Anyone try more than 17 characters in build.prop? If not, I'll try tomorrow and post my results, probably test on Harmonia since it's so minimal it's a quick ROM switch.

Yeah, you can do unlimited characters. It just does word wrap and takes up a larger space in the notification area. I tested 30 characters.

 

[JerryScript]

Re: [How To] Change Your Carrier Name

Yeah, you can do unlimited characters. It just does word wrap and takes up a larger space in the notification area. I tested 30 characters.

Thanks for testing, too bad it doesn't scroll like on some phones.