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October 14, 2012 By: Joseph Hindy
The last time we brought you news about TWRP, it was to announce that TWRP 2.2.2 had been released. It had fixed a lot of bugs from the initial release of TWRP 2.2 and added a few new features. Very recently, TWRP has been updated again to version 2.3.
There were a whole bunch of awesome improvements with TWRP 2.2 and a lot of unique and brand new features as well. TWRP 2.3 promises no less. The official change log includes:
Rebased onto AOSP Jelly Bean source code
Rewrote backup, restore, wipe, and mount code in C++ classes for easier maintenance going forward
NOTE: backups from prior versions of TWRP are still compatible with 2.3
ADB sideload functionality from AOSP is included in 2.3, see this link for more info
Re-wrote fix permissions entirely in C++ and runs in a few seconds instead of a few minutes (thanks to bigbiff)
Improvements to zip finding in OpenRecoveryScript (should be a lot fewer GooManager automation issues)
Faster boot times
Added charging indicator while in recovery (only updates once every 60 seconds)
Additionally, XDA Recognized Developer Dees_Troy has reported that there is now support for spaces in backup names. Before, if you added a space to the name of a backup, it would not restore. Now users can use whatever naming convention they want.
One of the biggest changes, though, is all of the TWRP being rewritten in C++ and its move to recovery API 3 instead of API 2. With the code rewrite, it will allow TWRP to update more quickly and with more stability. With the API 3 change, it means that some flashable zip files may stop working because the developer needs to update the update-binary. If you don’t want to wait for the developer, or the developer has ceased working on the project, you can find one to use on TWRP’s official website. To install the latest TWRP, you can use the Goomanager application. Simply open the application, hit menu, and install open recovery.
If you want to check out the latest TWRP recovery for your device, check one of the links below.
July 19, 2012 By: Joseph Hindy
Not too long ago, we brought you news that allowed HTC EVO 4G LTE users to customize their bootloaders. The process was pretty cool, allowing users to make their bootloader look however they want—including making it look unhacked. After the initial project was released, users clamored for this to be made available to more devices. The requests were heard and responded to. Now, the plugin has been made available to make the bootloader customizer for a number of HTC devices.
The process for a developer to port this is not hard. XDA Recognized Contributor regaw_leinad, who developed the application and plugin, takes a time out from the stags (yes, that’s really him) to explain how:
it’s basically all written, they just need to fill in the values for their hboot, and embed the hboot.img into the exe. I already have a placeholder for the hboot.img and android-info.txt so a drag and drop over them should keep it embedded.
Regaw_leinad is also creating the application for the supported devices, but wanted to release the plugin first so users had a chance to get it sooner. The current list of supported HTC devices include:
While the list is quite large, one must keep in mind that not all of these devices have S-Off, and users must have S-Off in order to actually use this application. To get started, visit the original thread.
July 12, 2012 By: Will Verduzco
Just about three months ago, we brought you news that the Team Win Recovery Project had received a massive update to version 2.1. April’s release largely heralded the start of a new age in recoveries—where one would no longer have to deal with cumbersome menus, instead interacting with a very user-friendly GUI.
It wasn’t simply about the GUI either. In addition to bringing an unrivaled level of UI polish, TWRP 2.1 offered users many advanced features such as update.zip queuing, a basic file manager, and dual storage support for Nandroid backups. Additionally, TWRP added support for the open source scripting engine OpenRecoveryScript, which works in conjunction with the previously covered GooManager.
How do you follow up something as revolutionary as TWRP 2.1? With TWRP 2.2, of course. That’s how! The new release builds on the previous offering by delivering many recovery “firsts.” For starters, this is the first recovery to feature on on-screen keyboard. Why would you want such a thing? How about naming and renaming Nandroid backups! TWRP 2.2 is also the only recovery to split extremely large backups, allowing users to backup and restore /data partitions larger than the 2 GB FAT32 file size limit.
In the words of XDA Recognized Developer Dees_Troy:
- On-screen keyboard in recovery! — supports long press, backspace repeat, and swipe left deletes everything left of the cursor
- Name new backups and rename existing backups
- Rename files and folders in the file manager
- Pseudo-terminal emulator
- Support decrypting an encrypted data partition on Galaxy Nexus (enter password using keyboard)
- Backup archive splitting — allows backup and restore of data partitions larger than 2GB
- Simplified XML layout support between resolutions
- Added dual storage selection radio buttons to zip install, backup, and restore pages
- Improved zip install compatibility
- Updated update-binary source code
- Numerous small bug fixes and improvements
Eager to get started? I know I am. Head to the links below to obtain the appropriate version for your device:
June 7, 2012 By: Joseph Hindy
Not too long ago, we brought you news of an all in one tool kit for a variety of devices that delivered permanent root, unlocked the bootloader, installed a custom recovery, and batched installed apk files. There was, however, one thing missing—S-Off. At the time of its release, S-Off was still a dream for many of these devices, but it has since become a reality. HTC Amaze 4G, Vivid, Rezound and MyTouch 4G Slide owners can now enjoy S-Off easily thanks to a new tool kit.
XDA Recognized Developer hasoon2000 has released another decent sized batch of tool kits for HTC devices with the sole purpose of obtaining S-Off easily on the aforementioned HTC devices. Of course, from there you can use the all-in-one tool kits for just about anything else. The tool kits are easy to use. Users simply open up the interface, and are given all the tools needed to make a successful hack. The features include:
- Links to a video and instructions to prepare you to S-Off your device
- HTC Drivers
- Command to flash an HBOOT of your choosing (Be sure you know what you are doing!)
- Command to flash a Recovery of your choosing
- Links
Of course, this is all based on the brilliance that is Juopunutbear, and all proper credit is given. Head over to the appropriate thread to get started:
May 30, 2012 By: Joseph Hindy
The biggest advantage that GSM devices have over CDMA devices is the ability to switch from one carrier to the next, relatively painlessly and without always needing to switch your phone. Making the phone capable of that jump is commonly referred to as SIM unlocking the device, meaning you remove the carrier lock on the device which in turn allows it to accept SIM cards from any other carrier that uses the same frequencies. Technical details aside, users of the HTC Holiday, HTC Raider and HTC Vivid can now get in on the carrier swapping goodness, as they can now be SIM unlocked.
XDA Recognized Contributor cruzin_cruzing has posted a method that was originally created by XDA Senior Member sieempi for three other similar HTC handsets. The method itself routes users to sieempi‘s website, where some information needs to be entered. From there, a modified Config.dat file is emailed to the user. Users then put that on the root of their SD cards. From there, it’s booting into the bootloader, selecting the SIMLOCK option and awaiting the proper output.
At the end of it all, users should have a fully and completely unlocked phone ready for use with any carrier on compatible bands. The whole process takes only a few minutes and is rather simple. You will, however, need a SIM card from another carrier to verify that it has indeed worked.
To get started, head over to the original thread.
May 23, 2012 By: FallenWriter
One of the most common questions here at XDA over the past several months has been, “When will my HTC device receive Ice Cream Sandwich?” Now, thanks to a tip from XDA Senior Member neoofoox we have our answer.
Although we previously mentioned the devices confirmed to get ICS from HTC’s blog back in March, it was only recently that HTC finally confirmed their timeline for this year’s releases. According to HTC:
What is the overall timeline of Android 4.0 updates?
The majority of devices will receive upgrades in June and July 2012 and we expect to finish upgrades in August 2012 for all announced devices.
When will my device get the Android 4.0 upgrade?
The target timeline for announced devices is below. Because of partner and network testing, and approval processes for device updates, it can take up to 45 days for all carriers and countries to get the update after a rollout has begun.
Device
Schedule
DROID Incredible 2 by HTC To be determined (by the end of August) HTC Amaze 4G May-June HTC Desire S June-July HTC Desire HD July-August HTC EVO 3D June-July HTC EVO 4G+ May-June HTC EVO Design 4G June-July HTC Incredible S June-July HTC Sensation March-June HTC Sensation 4G March-June HTC Sensation XE March-June HTC Sensation XL April-Jun HTC Rezound June-July HTC Rhyme June-July HTC Thunderbolt July-August HTC Velocity 4G March-June HTC Vivid March-June
Please note these dates are targets and may shift due to testing and approvals.
For a detailed look at when your specific device will be getting a taste of frosty Android goodness and several other questions answered, head on over the official page and salivate over your upcoming good fortune.
May 12, 2012 By: Joseph Hindy
For owners of many HTC device such as the HTC Amaze 4G, EVO 3D, MyTouch 4G Slide, Sensation, and the Vivid/Raider/Velocity, this has been a long time coming. A fully functional method to restore a device from a full brick is a pretty big deal. This then gives users more confidence when performing potentially risky tasks such as HBoot updates, ROM flashes, or turning S On.
XDA Senior Member dexter93, along with a host of other developers, has finally released this project after several months of beta testing and waiting. This is great news for many HTC users who have bricked devices under certain circumstances, and is much better news for users who unintentionally—or even intentionally—brick theirs in the future.
The method is pretty complicated and requires a number of things on the user side. The method also requires the use of a Linux-based computer and the most up to date RUU for your device. Finally, the most important thing, according to dexter93 is as folllows:
a device bricked by writing security flag 3 with an unsigned hboot, or caused by a damaged hboot via interrupted OTA update/RUU flash on a S-ON device
In other words, this will not work for all kinds of bricks. Rather it will only work for devices bricked by setting S On with an unsigned HBoot or if your HBoot was somehow damaged. While this unfortunately doesn’t help those who may have bricked their devices through other means, it will undoubtedly help many previously helpless users. It should be mentioned, though, that dexter93 and crew are looking to find way to fix other bricks as well.
For all of the information—and there’s quite a bit—as well as download links, screen shots, the full instructions, and discussion, head on over to the appropriate thread to get unbricked:
May 9, 2012 By: Joseph Hindy
Not long ago, we brought you a write up for a HTC Sensation camera mod that took the Sensation camera and improved it in almost every conceivable way. It was easy to install, easy to revert from if there were problems, and it just made using the camera a better experience for everyone. Well, there’s good news for HTC Vivid users. They can now install the same mod and make their cameras just as awesome.
XDA Senior Member zacgoesrawr has brought the camera app to the HTC Vivid in what looks to be a pretty complete port, which should bring all of the awesome without any problems. The mod comes in the same flashable update.zip format as the original. There are two available versions for users to choose from. One is for a specific ROM—namely the Inquisition ROM—and then a second should be compatible with all Sense 3.6 ROMs. For those who don’t remember, here’s a few of the key features of the mod itself:
Uncapped JPEG File size. Great photo quality.
Uncapped Video, recording 40MBPS.
Beta ISO 1250
Further increases in quality from before.
While smartphone cameras won’t replace a good Digital SLR, they’re “good enough” for most typical users who only need to take a quick snapshots. And since most of the time, lugging around a large camera is impractical, any modification to make your phone’s camera better benefits everyone.
For additional information, downloads and more, hit up the modification thread.
May 9, 2012 By: Joseph Hindy
Tool kits are often one of the most useful things a user will ever download. They usually let users efficiently perform a variety of tasks including acquiring root, installing a custom recovery, and flashing various development work ranging from ROMs to kernels. In other words, it lowers the entry cost for new users, and allows even the more experienced users to enjoy easy flashing.
Now, thanks to XDA Recognized Developer hasoon2000, there are a variety of tool kits for many HTC devices. Currently supported devices include the HTC myTouch 4G Slide, HTC One S, HTC One X, HTC Amaze 4G, HTC Rezound, and the HTC Vivid.
For some users, this tool kit is not exactly a new experience. This is the tool was recently used in the post-update root tutorial for the HTC Sensation. However, it’s worth mentioning all of the great things this tool does for devices. In the case of the One X, the features include:
- Get Token ID
- Unlock Bootloader (Must place Unlock_code.bin in the folder)
- Install Recoveries
Interim Custom CWM
DoomRecovery Custom CWM
CWM 5.8.0.9 (Touch)
Stock
-Flash Kernels provided
Stock
- Link to this thread (Android-Dev / XDA)
- Link to PM me if you need a phone unlocked (Android-Dev / XDA)
- Link to the One X Development thread (Android-Dev / XDA)
- Boot Into Recovery
- Boot into Bootloader
- Relock Bootloader (must be in fastboot)
- APK Batch Installer (Credits to hamsteyr)
- Donate to me (Hasoon2000) -> Donating to yours truly for putting time into this!
In terms of tool kits, this does pretty much everything you’d expect, plus a whole bunch of other stuff as well, such as linking back to the device’s respective XDA-Developers forum. Users looking to get in on the tool kit action should proceed to their appropriate thread:
May 9, 2012 By: pstevep
With Ice Cream Sandwich quickly spreading across Android devices like wildfire right now, new drivers for the Adreno 220 GPU found in the Qualcomm Snapdragon S3 have surfaced. These drivers can potentially lead to improved 2D UI rendering performance in ICS and, of course, increased benchmark scores.
XDA Senior Member gjcamp has produced recovery-flashable update.zip files that work across multiple devices with this hardware. Every phone running the Adreno 220 from the HTC Evo 3D to a couple variants of the Samsung Galaxy S2 may be able to benefit from these drivers, and there are currently seven different devices for which gjcamp has created threads. In his words:
…I have seen dramatically improved result on my Quadrant 3D scores with “Force 2D GPU rendering” UNCHECKED in the Setting->Develop Options Menu of this ICS Release. With this option checked I have seen improvements on both 2D and 3D. Although results are slightly degraded for 3D from post update the 2D results have doubled in value.
I can confirm this myself on my own Evo 3D that Quadrant scores were improved with these new drivers. Similarly, the 2D UI rendering does seem to be smoother, but this is always hard to measure objectively. As anyone who flashes bleeding edge tech to their phone knows, there could be side effects.
You can get started by visiting the threads in their respective sections listed below:
Even if your device isn’t explicitly, the drivers may potentially work on your device, provided that you’re running an Adreno 220 GPU and Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. However, if your phone’s not on the list, be extra careful and be sure to have a working backup to revert to.
April 23, 2012 By: egzthunder1
HTC’s locking of the bootloaders during last year was nothing short of a spectacular feat. It was really a battle of the titans, where the original line-up of Sensation-like devices came with a locked bootloader, which was later unlocked and S-OFFed, only to be updated to yet another revision of the HBOOT. But the second time around, it was locked to an almost unlockable state. Having heard many complaints from the user base (and us), HTC decided to offer the olive branch and simply gave up on locking the HBOOT. In fact, they themselves provided a way to unlock this and allow the flashing of custom code on the devices (of course, your warranty flew out the window if you did). Several giants came along such as Revolutionary, but now the next step in the evolution of S-OFF has arrived, and its name is Juopunutbear, and it has been delivered by XDA Forum Members Fuses and globatron.
Details on the unlock process are somewhat scarce (and quite frankly, that is indeed a good thing), but it seems to be that the devs found some sort of exploit common on most dev unlocked devices. The process seems to include what the devs have called a “wire trick”, which according to the pictures involves placing the device in download mode by touching a contact in the device’s board with one end of a wire (accessible without having to take it apart) and the other end of the wire to the device’s sd card slot metal casing. Everything else is done by the software, but your timing in doing everything must the right or else it will not work. Also, since the devices are somewhat different from each other, the devs have added a set of instructions, with video demonstrations, for each one of them.
The program has been extensively beta tested by a closed yet somewhat large group of people. However, as it is customary, the devs do state that the process is not perfect and that there is the likelihood that the devices could be bricked in the process. Having said that, proceed with extreme care and ensure that the device that you are going to S-OFF is in fact the one for which you are following instructions on.
The main unlock webpage can be found here. However, there are threads in each individual device section, such as this one for the Amaze 4G.
Want something published in the Portal? Contact any News Writer.
April 10, 2012 By: Will Verduzco
We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: touch-based recoveries are the future. Aside from giving end users easier access to device firmware modification, they add a much needed element of polish to the Android hacking experience. While some may say that these upgrade recoveries take away from the feelings of thrill and excitement, I argue that they offer a more efficient interface and enable some truly unique new features not available in the recoveries of yesteryear.
In a rather large update to what is arguably the most popular touch-based recovery around, XDA Recognized Developer Dees_Troy presents to us Team Win Recovery Project (TWRP, for short) version 2.1. Aside from simply bringing a friendly UI, TWRP 2.1 packs a healthy feature punch by offering zip queuing, a basic file manager, and dual storage support for backups.
TWRP supports scripting via a new scripting engine called OpenRecoveryScript for use with GooManager. With ORS, users can install multiple update.zip files from within Android, wipe cache & dalvik, and run a backup. Furthermore, in the name of openness, Team Win has submitted ORS as a commit to ClockworkMod.
In the words of the developer:
Team Win Recovery Project 2.0, or twrp2 for short, is a custom recovery built with ease of use and customization in mind. We started from the ground up by taking AOSP recovery and loading it with the standard recovery options, then added a lot of our own features. It’s a fully touch driven user interface – no more volume rocker or power buttons to mash. The GUI is also fully XML driven and completely theme-able. You can change just about every aspect of the look and feel.
New features for version 2 of the recovery software:
Zip queuing as seen in TWRP 1.1.x is back
Dual storage capable (backup, restore, and install zips from internal or external storage – you choose)
Slider control (swipe to confirm most actions aka swipe to wipe)
Lockscreen (with slider to unlock)
Basic file manager (copy, move, delete, and chmod any file)
Added support for devices with /data/media (most Honeycomb tablets, new ICS devices like Galaxy Nexus)
Displays sizes of each partition in the backup menu
Added listbox GUI element (currently used for listing time zones)
Updated stock XML layouts to be more consistent and easier to port to different resolutions
XML layout files are significantly smaller
Partitions available backup are more accurate for some devices
Removed unneeded error messages (/misc errors, unable to stat sd-ext, etc.)
Fixed a bug with blkid detection code
Fixed bug where a blank line was inserted between every line of text during zip installs
Fixed a bug during zip installs where an invalid zip would cause TWRP to get stuck in the zip install
Added setting for themers to toggle simulation mode to make theming easier
New devices added – Galaxy Nexus GSM & CDMA (preview only, manual install), Acer Iconia Tab A500, HTC Vivid, Motorola Defy
Added support for .jpg images in the theme engine
Changed images for stock tablet theme – makes tablet builds about 500KB smaller
Removed unneeded non-GUI images from GUI – makes all builds about 100KB smaller
If you’re itching to get started, please visit the development threads listed below. If instead you are looking to theme the recovery, visit their theming guide.
March 20, 2012 By: Ian Stacy
HTC has always had a good relationship with its users, by industry standards. They’ve made several game-changing decisions in the past year, including unlocking device bootloaders and confirming Ice Cream Sandwich support for a wide range of handsets, including some that were lower range than most competitors bothered to support. Now, continuing in an effort to improve that relationship, HTC is challenging the idea that the company is slow to deliver source code for its devs and fans!
HTC ‘s relationship with the community definitely grew tighter this past weekend when the company released the Ice Cream Sandwich Kernel Source for the HTC Sensation, the HTC Sensation XE and the HTC Vivid. Developers can now get their hands on the code necessary to truly compile functioning ROMs that fully utilize the device hardware. This is great news for all HTC fans, as the source for the rest of the ICS line will undoubtedly follow!
The heads-up was first spotted in our forums for the Sensation here thanks to XDA Senior Member erto90 and for the Vivid here thanks to Senior Member come at me bro. Developers, head on over to the HTCDev download page here to nab the new kernel sources. You can also follow HTCDev on Twitter if you’d like to thank them!
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