[Xperia Arc General] SXUsr:
The purpose of this thread is designed to help you unlock the full potential of your new Phone and as most XPERIAs are similar in the way you modify them this is wrote as a general reference and suited more for 2015/16/17 devices. You can find a reference thread for older XPERIA devices HERE.

The process of tinkering with any Device can seem a like a daunting process for New members but it's really quite simple so long as you read

EVERY WORD

of a thread describing how to Modify your Phone you won't go far wrong.​

The things covered in this thread and in the general order of modifying a new XPERIA are...

SIM Unlocking

The Flashtool, Updating, Unbricking & De-Branding

DRM/TA.img Backup

Fastboot, Bootloader Unlocking/relocking

TWRP Recovery

DRM/TA.img Restore

Rooting

Modifying & Theming

...that will help you achieve your desired end result.

​

SIM Unlocking:

NOTE: The ONLY WAY to Sim Unlock your Phone is to buy it SIM-Free or PAY for it, so do some Googling and read which services have been recommended in the past. O2 Contract Users however can use this FORM to request an unlock code.

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The Flashtool, Updating, Unbricking & De-Branding:

The Flashtool is simply what it says on the tin, it's a flashtool that flashes Firmware to your device in a similar manner as SEUS or PC Companion does and this is generally the preferred method for updating or repairing a device.

You can also use the Flashtool to flash a Generic .ftf which will remove any Operator Branding from any device, this video by BlueChipJ explains the process of using it...

[YOUTUBE]Keo61Zffh5Q[/YOUTUBE]​

You can find firmware files in your devices section or you can use XperiFirm by [MENTION=1879618]IgorEisberg[/MENTION] which is built in to and works along side the flashtool to download and flash firmware to your device..

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There is also an Official Sony Flash Tool for certain devices with unlocked bootloaders.

[youtube]PKSyZ2amVNY[/youtube]​

- Official Sony Flash Tool..

Further reading:

How to install Flashtool on Ubuntu

Newflasher (xperia command line flasher for 2017 devices)

[GUIDE] Recover 2012 and newer XPERIAs from SOFT-brick

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DRM/TA.img Backup:

NOTE: To root newer versions of Android you HAVE to unlock the bootloader, no ifs, buts or maybes unfortunately. Before doing so we need to back up our DRM keys that we can restore them later if we don't want to lose a few features, because they will be lost in the process of unlocking the bootloader and there is no getting them back if you don't back them up. Unfortunately the tool required to backup our DRM keys doesn't work on Nougat so downgrading to Marshmallow is required, but you can simply use the flashtool for that.

Once you've downgraded then you need Universal (Dirtycow-based) TA Backup v2 by [MENTION=962182]rayman[/MENTION] to backup your DRM keys. Backing up isn't essential if you don't want but you are strongly advised to, you have been warned!

Further reading:

[TOOL] Backup TA for Mac OS X [v1.4][2015-05-13]

[REMAKE][UNMAINTAINED][TOOL][LB][ROOT] Backup TA v9.11 for Linux

[UNMAINTAINED][TOOL][LB][ROOT] Backup TA v9.11 for Windows [20140615]

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Fastboot, Bootloader Unlocking/Relocking:

You can find a great Guide HERE that will show you how to use Fastboot which is the method used for working with the bootloader. There is one way to Unlock yours, using the Official method (For SimFree/Un-Branded Phones) which is explained HERE, but PLEASE NOTE! - If your Phone came from a Carrier then chances are (99%) you won't be able to unlock. There is a simple method of checking if you can or not which you'll find HERE.

The stock bootloader on most Android phones is set up to run a signature check on any update file you attempt to flash to your NAND internal memory. So if you were to take a stock Android phone purchased from a carrier, and try to install a custom ROM on it, you'd get nowhere fast. Even after rooting, you still need to get access to the bootloader. Basically, unlocking the bootloader lets you install unsigned ROMs, like CyanogenMod.​

- Know Your Android Bootloader - What it is and Why it Matters

[youtube]OEF7ZAAVW00[/youtube]​

[Tutorial] Relock bootloader!

[GUIDE] Lock/Unlock/Relock Bootloader Using TWRP With DRM keys

Further reading:

[HOW-TO]Set up Android SDK/ADB/Fastboot on Ubuntu Linux

[GUIDE] Set up ADB and Fastboot on a Mac easily (With Screenshots!)

[miniTUT][WIN10]Installing ADB Drivers for Sony Devices on Windows

Fastboot & Flashboot ADB Driver installation on Windows 8 Guide for Sony Xperia Users

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TWRP Recovery:

See your devices section for TWRP recovery support.

An essential tool for anybody that loves to modify their Android device is a good custom recovery. TWRP has been around since the invention of the wheel back in 1996 and has been providing modders with all kinds of great tools. If you’re wondering how to get TWRP on your device this guide should help you with that. I’ll also go over all of the basic functions of the recovery and what they can be used for.​

- How To Install TWRP Recovery

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DRM/TA.img Restore:

If you backed up your DRM Keys/TA.img then you have a couple of options to restore them.

We can use PoC...

- [PoC][Work in progress] Trim Area Proof Of Concept by [MENTION=4120742]munjeni[/MENTION]

Or we can use the Root kernel tool...

- [ROOT][Kernel][TWRP] repack of the stock kernel with dm-verity and SONY RIC off by [MENTION=357342]tobias.waldvogel[/MENTION].

Further reading:

CONFIRMATION OF TA RESTORE!

[Z~Z5 Series][EXRxTHS]SONY DRM FUNCTION RESTORATION FOR UB DEVICE | Z3 lines support!

Extracting A 'boot.img' From An FTF

[TOOL] UnSIN ~ SIN v3/v4 Unpacker

[TOOL][Windows,Linux,Android] Unpack any format of the Sony image

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Rooting:

When you root your phone, you gain “superuser” privileges to the Android operating system. When you are using a stock device, you have the equivalent of “guest” privileges. If you are familiar with any Linux operating system, you know that the superuser privilege allows you to gain access to administrative rights. This level of access gets you down to the nitty gritty of the OS with no restrictions, lets you make changes to the system, and run scripts that would normally be blocked with a standard user account.​

- What is rooting and why should I do it? The pros & cons of Android rooting

Further reading:

SuperSU v2.82 SR2 Release

[MOD] Boot Bridge for Sony ELF

phh's SuperUser/ OpenSource SELinux-capable SuperUser

[2017.7.20] Magisk v13.3 - Root & Universal Systemless Interface [Android 5.0+]

PRFCreator - easily create pre-rooted firmwares

[ROOT] [STOCK] [TWRP] Root Stock Firmware of Any Modern Sony Device

[GUIDE]How to make a rooted flashable rom from ftf file[FOR ALL XPERIA PHONES]

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Modifying & Theming:

There are a few ways to theme an XPERIA device, use the Apktool method or we now have Sonys Official Theme Creator to create themes. Check out Substratum too.

Further reading:

[Info:] XPERIA Theming Resource Thread

[Guide:] The Definitive APK Modding & Theming Thread

?All System Apps And Details [15/12/2012]?

[MM/N] [UB] [COMBINED] System/OEM Debloat Script

[Guide] Ultimate RAM and Battery management for All Rooted Xperia Devices

[MOD][GUIDE]Remove Signature Verification for all devices

[Guide][SuperUserMOD] disable signature verification nougat/MM

Create a personalized ROM yourself!

How to build a Linux kernel and flash it to the phone

How to get & read a logcat/ Troubleshoot your own issues!

How to Flash boot.img / kernel.elf / kernel.sin using flashtool

[MOD] XperiaMultiROM - MultiROM for Sony Xperia devices

[DEV]Chroot-Linux on Xperia Devices Locked/Unlocked Bootloaders(Debian,Ubuntu,BT5up)