New TB off of ebay. Is it rooted?

[gorgalis]

The Thunderbolt I bought off of ebay has finally been delivered and sitting at home waiting for me. I am new to Android, but by no means computer or smartphone illiterate. I know you are not supposed to install the new update on a rooted phone, but I am not sure how to tell if the phone I got is rooted. How can I tell? I would hate to brick my phone before I even get to use it.


Also, I plan on wiping it, but I hear there are 2 different ways to do this on Android. Which is the best way?


Thanks for anyone who can help.

 

[SoDev]

If you really want to see if it's rooted, the easiest way is to go download something like Shoot Me (root only app) from the market and see if it works. If it does, you are.

 

[m1armor]

Or look for the superuser app

Sent from my ADR6400L using Tapatalk

 

[major_works]

Or download a free app called Root Check.

 

[paintdrinkingpete]

The Thunderbolt I bought off of ebay has finally been delivered and sitting at home waiting for me. I am new to Android, but by no means computer or smartphone illiterate. I know you are not supposed to install the new update on a rooted phone, but I am not sure how to tell if the phone I got is rooted. How can I tell? I would hate to brick my phone before I even get to use it.


Also, I plan on wiping it, but I hear there are 2 different ways to do this on Android. Which is the best way?


Thanks for anyone who can help.

Question...if it isn't already rooted, do you plan on doing that? If not, then yeah, best to check first before installing any updates from VZW.

If you are planning on rooting anyway, I'm not sure I would bother with the Verizon update anyway. It seems a lot of folks have been having issues ever since installing it.

I'm rooted and running the DasBAMF 1.6.3 ROM with the newest radio, and my phone is working like a champ.

 

[Ed Witles]

... I'm rooted and running the DasBAMF 1.6.3 ROM with the newest radio, and my phone is working like a champ.

My HTC is just 3 weeks old and rooted via Auto Root Beta. What would I gain/lose by doing what you did?

And how would I?

Oh, and no VZW updates that I am aware of.

Thanks!

 

[paintdrinkingpete]

My HTC is just 3 weeks old and rooted via Auto Root Beta. What would I gain/lose by doing what you did?

And how would I?

Oh, and no VZW updates that I am aware of.

Thanks!

Tons of info in the Rooting, ROMs, and Hacks section...much more than I could get into on a single post.

Here is the post on the DasBAMF 1.6.3 ROM available.

First, I'd download ROM Manager, MyBackup and Titanium backup from the app market. (There are free versions, but you'll probably want to invest in the paid versions if you find you use them a lot).

Use Titanium to make backups of your app data, and MyBackup to backup your other settings data (this is how I do it), so you can restore that later.

ROM Manager is what is used to install new ROMs and backup your current ROM, so you can revert back to where you were if needed.

Again, you'll want to do some reading first to familiarize yourself with the process -- once you learn it, it's not tedious at all.

 

[gorgalis]

Question...if it isn't already rooted, do you plan on doing that? If not, then yeah, best to check first before installing any updates from VZW.

If you are planning on rooting anyway, I'm not sure I would bother with the Verizon update anyway. It seems a lot of folks have been having issues ever since installing it.

I'm rooted and running the DasBAMF 1.6.3 ROM with the newest radio, and my phone is working like a champ.

I do want to root, but I am not sure I am ready to do it yet. This is my first Android device so I want to see what its like to use it while it is locked down. Plus I am worried about bricking the device since I do not have a warranty and I plan to resell it on ebay when the Bionic is released.

I say that now, but I have heard great things about BAMF so I will probably give in by the weekend.

 

[paintdrinkingpete]

I do want to root, but I am not sure I am ready to do it yet. This is my first Android device so I want to see what its like to use it while it is locked down. Plus I am worried about bricking the device since I do not have a warranty and I plan to resell it on ebay when the Bionic is released.

I say that now, but I have heard great things about BAMF so I will probably give in by the weekend.

Still, I'm not so sure I'd be in a hurry to install the update, especially if the device is running fine for you.

The update primarily fixed issues with switching between 4G and 3G (I believe), some issues with GPS lock and some other items. If you don't have any radio or GPS issues, I'd probably just wait. To honest, I'm not even sure if Verizon is pushing the update anymore, since I read they are now replacing phones that have been damaged by it (multiple random reboots).

The auto-root procedure documented over in the Rooting, ROMs and Hacks section worked great for me, and I was an Android noob when I did it as well. Just be sure to read carefully and slowly and follow the instructions.