latest
The Lenovo Smart Display can run regular Android apps, once you unlock the bootloader
You can now unlock the bootloader of your Lenovo Smart Display to bypass AVB, install a debug firmware, and run regular Android apps.
Google's efforts to get Android Things, a heavily stripped-down, Android-based operating system for Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices, off the ground have never been very successful. That said, there’s one thing it was very good at: Powering up Google Assistant-backed smart speakers and displays. From the modding perspective, though, those devices are vastly inferior to regular Android smartphones and tablets. But this is XDA, and we try not to discriminate.
How to get Samsung's One UI 5 emojis on any rooted Android device
Get the new emojis from Samsung's upcoming One UI 5 update based on Android 13 on any rooted Android device using this Magisk module.
One of the biggest reasons Android enthusiasts keep coming to the XDA forums is to find new ways to theme their phone. Luckily, for devices which aren’t heavily locked down, you can go ahead and make widespread modifications, including those that are originated from a different OEM Android skin altogether. XDA Senior Member RKBD felt the same way and wanted to spice up the emoji experience. Thanks to his work, you can now start using emojis from Samsung's Android 13-based One UI 5 on any device if you have root access.
Magisk v25.2 marks the beginning of the project's Rust-ification
The latest version of Magisk stable release (v25.2) comes with a plethora of bug fixes for MagiskInit and a Rust-powered logging interface.
Back in 2021, we saw the first baby steps toward the adoption of the memory-managed Rust programming language into the Android codebase. John Wu, aka XDA Senior Recognized Developer topjohnwu, has apparently been thinking along the same lines for the Magisk Project. As per Wu, the experimentation had already begun after releasing the v25.0 build of Magisk via stable channel. Now, topjohnwu has rolled out a new stable build of Magisk in the form of v25.2, with the whole logging infrastructure transitioned to Rust.
How to unlock the bootloader of the Nothing Phone 1 and root it with Magisk
Want to root your brand new Nothing Phone 1? Here's how to unlock the bootloader, flash a modified boot image, and install Magisk!
Upon the release of a new smartphone, a mission that many Android enthusiasts undertake is to unlock the bootloader and root the device. After this, typically comes a deluge of development in the form of custom ROMs, kernels, and other mods and tweaks. It can be said that the life of a device here at XDA doesn’t truly begin until the shackle (read "locked bootloader") has been thoroughly destroyed. For the Nothing Phone 1 community, that journey can start right now!
Pixel Experience 12 Hands-On: This is what you get with the official builds
We spent some time with both the vanilla and Plus variants of the Pixel Experience custom ROM to experience all the new features and changes.
For many smartphone enthusiasts, the software on the Google Pixel devices is the epitome of the vanilla Android experience. Compared to a barebone AOSP build, it has a number of innovative features that are hard to port to other devices. This is where the Pixel Experience custom ROM comes in.
Asus ROG Phone 6 bootloader unlock tool and kernel source code are already available
Asus has released a bootloader unlock tool and the kernel sources for the newly launched ROG Phone 6 series. Read on to know more about these!
The "Republic of Gamers" (ROG) smartphone lineup from Asus is quite popular among mobile gamers. With each generation of ROG phones, the Taiwanese OEM has continued to push the boundary of smartphone hardware. The recently released ROG Phone 6 series is a prime example, offering a 6.78-inch 165Hz AMOLED display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 chipset, up to a whopping 18GB of RAM, a total 6,000mAh battery, 65W fast charging, a 3.5mm headphone jack (yes!), a plethora of gaming features, and much more. Now, in a bid to comply with the requirements of GPL v2 and help the aftermarket development community get the ball rolling on building ROMs and kernels, Asus has released the official bootloader unlock tool and the kernel sources for the ROG Phone 6 and ROG Phone 6 Pro.
3D Pinball for Windows gets an unofficial native Android port
Thanks to an open source project, it is now possible to play 3D Pinball for Windows – Space Cadet on your Android phone without emulation.
You can find plenty of games in the Google Play Store, including several retro titles. Even if your favorite classic games aren't readily available there, you can opt for emulators to play them on your Android device. In order to preserve the classic titles (and relive the childhood memories), some people have further taken the challenge of decompiling the game code so that they can be analyzed and played on modern platforms. This time, a developer has ported the classic 3D Pinball for Windows to a form that works on any Android device.
How to unlock the T-Mobile LG Velvet bootloader and root it with Magisk
You can now unlock the bootloader of the T-Mobile variant of the LG Velvet and root it using Magisk. Read on to know how to do it!
Unlocking the bootloader, rooting a device, and flashing aftermarket ROMs are popular hobbies here at XDA. The power user community holds the ability to mod their devices in high regard, and they almost find no interest in phones if they are not able to be bootloader unlocked. Many legacy devices are actually kept alive by third-party ROMs, which are also godsends for smartphones that are standing on the verge of losing official support. LG, for example, no longer makes Android smartphones, hence owners of LG devices might want to settle with custom ROMs in the near future. However, the process isn't exactly straightforward due to LG's bootloader unlocking policy.
Descendant custom ROM's latest release brings several new features and adds support for three more devices
The June 2022 release of Descendant custom ROM brings a host of new features and official support for more phones, including the OnePlus 7.
Earlier this year in April, the team behind the Descendant custom ROM released Descendant 12.1 — the first stable Android 12L-based build of the ROM. At first, the team released the ROM for a handful of devices and it included several bug fixes. Soon thereafter, the team released the May update with a bunch of under-the-hood changes. And now, it has started seeding the June 2022 release of Descendant with support for 3 more devices and a couple of new features.
Ambient Music Mod v2 Hands-on: Google Pixel’s Now Playing feature ported to other Android devices without root
Ambient Music Mod ports the Google Pixel’s Now Playing to other Android devices. The latest release of the mod brings several new features.
Most people will agree that the software on Pixel smartphones showcase what Google believes Android should be, and as such, the software is often well-received by enthusiasts. Nonetheless, thanks to the dedicated modding community, you don’t necessarily have to own a Pixel device to take advantage of its software features. The "Now Playing" functionality, for example, has remained exclusive to the Pixel lineup, but developer Kieron Quinn, also known as Quinny899 on our forums, managed to port it to other Android smartphones in the form of a hybrid Xposed-Magisk module named Ambient Music Mod. Now, Quinn has taken things a step further and completely overhauled the mod to make it a non-root solution.
TWRP adds support for the OnePlus Nord 2, Motorola Moto G40 Fusion, and Moto G60
TWRP now officially supports the OnePlus Nord 2, Motorola Moto G40 Fusion, and the Moto G60. Read on to know more!
The Team Win Recovery Project (TWRP for short) is an essential tool for Android enthusiasts who wish to tinker with aftermarket software on their devices. With this custom recovery solution, you can flash new custom ROMs, take full data backups, modify protected files, and open new avenues of device customizations. Last month we saw the Samsung Galaxy S20 and Note 20 receiving official TWRP support. Now, three new smartphones have joined the roster: the Motorola Moto G40 Fusion, Moto G60, and the OnePlus Nord 2.
Magisk v25.0 improves SELinux handling, revises root permission management, and much more
The latest update for Magisk (v25.0) has been released with tons of bug fixes and feature improvements. Read on to know more!
At this point, we at XDA are certain that most of you have at least heard of Magisk. Created by John Wu, aka XDA Recognized Developer topjohnwu, the project originally started off as a systemless root method and has gradually evolved into a much more diverse and powerful solution beyond just a plain superuser privilege provider. It goes without saying that the developer and the contributors are always active and working hard to perfect it. The latest major update of Magisk, which corresponds to the twenty-fifth version (v25), has now arrived at the public beta branch. The changelog is subtle yet very important, so let’s dive into it.
LineageOS 19 is now available for the OnePlus 9/9 Pro, POCO X3 Pro, and Xiaomi Mi A1
Official LineageOS 19 support is here for the OnePlus 9, OnePlus 9 Pro, POCO X3 Pro, and the Xiaomi Mi A1. Read on to know more!
The LineageOS team has extended LineageOS 19 support to several devices since debuting the ROM earlier this year in April. Over the last month, devices like the Samsung Galaxy S10, POCO F3, and OnePlus 5/5T received support for the Android 12-based custom ROM. Since our previous coverage, the team has added four new devices to the official build roster.
Browservio is a speedy WebView-based browser with a built-in ad blocker
Browservio is a WebView-powered open-source browser for Android that packs an interesting feature list. Read on to know more!
One of the great things about Android is the ability to choose a different default browser. You have the most popular option in Google Chrome, along with other Chromium-derived ones like Microsoft Edge, Vivaldi, Brave, and more. However, if you have a cheaper (or older) device, you may find the top picks unsatisfactory and memory-hogging.
LineageOS 19 adds support for the OnePlus 5/5T, and Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite LTE
The LineageOS team has extended LineageOS 19 support to three more devices, including the OnePlus 5, 5T, and Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite LTE.
Want to breathe new life into an old phone you have lying around? Sick of the dated OEM skin on your device and want to try something new? If you have a OnePlus 5, OnePlus 5T, or the LTE variant of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite, then you're in luck. The owners of these devices can now install official LineageOS 19 builds, the latest version of LineageOS based on Android 12.
Basic Call Recorder is a no-nonsense call recording solution for rooted devices
Thanks to this Magisk module, you can now enable the call recording feature on any Android device running Android 10-13. Read on!
Recording a call is often associated with risky business, but the feature is sought out for many reasons. A call recorder comes in handy when you wish to ensure that you don't miss any vital detail during an interview or a business call without having to jot down things manually. However, getting a third-party call recording app from the Play Store is a no go due to Google's recent crackdown. Besides, very few OEMs offer a native region-agnostic call recording solution nowadays. This is where Basic Call Recorder comes in.
Some Vivo devices with Qualcomm processors can now be bootloader unlocked, unofficially
You can now unofficially unlock the bootloader of the Vivo X70 Pro Plus and a couple of other Vivo smartphones. Read on to know more!
What’s the best modding-friendly Android OEM in the market right now? Depending on who you ask this question to, the answer could range from Google to OnePlus to Xiaomi to something else entirely. And that is perfectly alright, as each of those companies have their own strengths and weaknesses when it comes to aftermarket development, and they satisfy different needs for different people. But if you were looking to buy an affordable smartphone solely for modding, Vivo will confidently not be your first choice.
You can now unlock the bootloader of your Realme GT 2 Pro
Realme has finally released the bootloader unlock tool for its flagship Realme GT 2 Pro, kicking off third-party development for the device.
The Realme GT 2 Pro is a ludicrous device, to say the least. As is with products falling within the flagship genre, Realme has gone overboard with just about everything on the device, giving us one of the most powerful Android smartphones till date. The phone comes with the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC, up to 12GB RAM and 512GB UFS 3.1 storage, a 120Hz QHD+ AMOLED LTPO display with a claimed 1000Hz touch sampling rate, dual stereo speakers, 50MP Sony IMX766 primary sensor, and of course, a massive 5,000 mAh battery with 65W fast charging support. Now, Realme is offering more choices to users in the software department as the company has opened up bootloader unlocking on the device.
Developer brings Wear OS to the ancient Samsung Gear S3
A developer is working on turning the Samsung Gear S3 into a Wear OS watch, and it may actually be possible to do just that.
The skill of aftermarket developers in the Android modding scene is often incredibly impressive, especially when it comes to getting hardware to do things it shouldn’t. This time, one modder managed to get Google's Wear OS booted on the Samsung Gear S3 — a Tizen-based smartwatch released back in 2016!
LineageOS 19 builds are here for the Samsung Galaxy S10, POCO F2 Pro, POCO F3, and more
The first builds of LineageOS 19 are out for the Galaxy S10, Galaxy Tab S6 Lite, POCO F2 Pro, POCO F3, Mi 10T/10T Lite, and Essential Phone.
The LineageOS team has been hard at work extending official LineageOS 19 builds based on Android 12 to as many devices as possible. The developers released the first official builds for nearly 40 devices back in April and added some more smartphones to the roster over the next few weeks. Now, the maintainers have extended support to several more devices, including the POCO F2 Pro, POCO F3, and the global Exynos edition of the Samsung Galaxy S10.