[Sprint LG G2] Fuzz1303:
I have a Sprint LG G2 (LS980) that I wanted to use on T-mobile. There is a ton of info scattered in various threads on achieving bits and pieces of this task, but nothing I could follow straight through to get it done. I did not come up with any of the info in here, I just assembled it to form a guide that I used to successfully get my LS980 working on T-Mobile. Thanks to all the hard work of everyone else who wrote the apps I used, and those who came up with the exploits that made it all possible.

(Also, I wrote this in HTML before I realized I had to use BBCode here. I used a HTML to BBCode converter, so if something looks formatted weird, let me know, I might have overlooked it)

Apps Used

RootBrowser

RadioSwitcher

RootChecker

ChangeAPN

ROMToolbox Lite

Flash Stock Rom

Based on steps here.

Downloads

Download firmware and dll files for your specific phone model

I used LS980ZVA_01.tot& LGLS980_20130904_LGFLASHv151.dll

Download LGDrivers

File name: 'LGUnitedMobileDriver_S51MAN313AP22_ML_WHQL_Ver_3.13.2.exe'

Original article says to get the Verizon Drivers if you're doing a verizon phone, however since I'm dealing specifically with the Sprint LS980 I didn't get them.

Download LGFlashTool v1.8

Download MegaLock.dll

Install LG Drivers

Run the downloaded file 'LGUnitedMobileDriver_S51MAN313AP22_ML_WHQL_Ver_3.13.2.exe'

Click Next through the prompts, they require no real configuration.

If successful, you should get a prompt:

Setup LG Flash Tool

Run the downloaded file Setup_LGFlashTool_1.8.1.1023.exe

Click Next through the prompts, nothing needs unique configuration. It will install by default to C:\LG\LGFlashTool\

Copy the downloaded MegaLock.dll from earlier into C:\LG\LGFlashTool, and over-write the one that is already there.

Boot into Download Mode

Plug usb cable to computer

On the phone, hold volume up and plug other end of usb cable into phone

Screen will show 'Download Mode'

The screen will then show 'Firmware Update'

The device is now in Download Mode and ready to be flashed

Configure Port for Phone

Open Device Manager and expand Ports (COM & LPT)

Right click LGEAndroidNet USB Serial Port and choose Properties

In the Properties window click the Port Settings tab, then click Advanced

In the Advanced Settings window, set the COM Port Number to COM41 and click OK

The entry in Device Manager should show as having COM41 now.

Flash the Phone

Run LGFlashTool as Administrator

"C:\LG\LGFlashTool\LGFlashTool.exe"

In the Model Config window that opens:

Check Select Manual Mode

DLL:"C:\LG G2\LGLS980_20130904_LGFLASHv151.dll"

S/W:"C:\LG G2\LS980ZVA_01\LS980ZVA_01.tot"

Click Ok

In the LG Flash Tool screen click the Yellow Arrow to Start

The Port 1 box should, after a second, show Ready!

If the Port 1 box does not start showing processing after a few seconds, unplug the phone then plug it back in. This should start it.

As it processes, the phone may reboot a couple times (I never counted how many times)

At 94% my phone will restart, and the app will show 'Waiting 120 sec for reboot'. When the phone restarts at this point, it is loaded into the OS and waiting to be configured. I have never gotten the Flash Tool it to hit 100% successfully, despite being in the phone. I have not seen this to be a problem yet.

Once inside the phone, close the Flash Tool.

Root the Device

The device has to be in debug mode before it can be rooted with this method.

Enable Debug Mode

Open Apps| Settings

Select About Phone

Choose Software Information

Click Build Number 7 times. After about 4 clicks you will see feedback indicating remaining clicks until you are a developer

After 7 clicks, you will see a popup that says:

Back out to the root of Settings and choose Developer options

In the Developer Options, check USB Debugging

Root the device

Download IOroot here.

Extract the downloaded ioroot.zip

Run ioroot.bat as Administrator

A cmd window will launch and show:

On the Phone, click OK when prompted for Allow USB Debugging?

On the Computer, press ENTER to advance the batch

The batch script will next pause showing:

On the Phone, switch the USB mode to a different option,then switch it back.

On the Computer, press ENTER to advance the batch script

The batch will show:

Make sure you see uid=0(root)gid=0(root) as shown in the screenshot above

Press Enter to continue The script will next show:

Press Enter to continue

The script will show:

The phone should reboot and be rooted now.

Check Root with Root Checker

If nothing went wrong, the phone should be rooted now. To make sure, we can use Root Checker. (there are probably other apps that will do this as well, but I used this one)

Download, install, and launch RootChecker

In the application, click Verify Root

It should return back showing

Unlock SIM

Steps here are from this article. I am just writing it out here with notes that helped me.

Download and install Root Browser (I only had success using version 2.2.3.)

Download ls980SIMunlockFinal.rar

Extract ls980SIMunlockFinal.rar (I used 7-zip)

Replace 'Carrier' folder

Within the extracted contents, copy the 'Carrier' folder onto the phones internal storage (I copied it to Internal Storage\Downloads)

On the Phone, open Root Browser and navigate to where the Carriers contents were copied

Note: My screenshots show me copying the files from where I copied the files to in Internal Storage\Downloads (storage\sdcard0\Downloads)

Click Storage

Click sdcard0

Click Download

Long press carrier

Click copy

Click the green back arrow until you're back at root

Click Paste

When prompted, choose to overwrite.

Note: Alternatively, you could rename the original 'carrier' folder for safekeeping... I never did though.

Reboot the phone.

Replaceapns-conf.xml

From original post - "To make APNs stick automatically"

Note: I later add a new APN, despite having replaced the apns-conf.xml here. I honestly don't know if

this

step is necessary for that reason, but I did it in my process, so I'm adding it here.

Within the extracted contents, copy the apns-conf.xml onto the phones internal storage (I copied it to Internal Storage\Downloads or root\storage\sdcard0\download)

On the Phone, open Root Browser and navigate to where the apns-conf.xml was copied

Long press the apns-conf.xml and choose copy

Navigate to root\etc, and click paste

When prompted to overwrite, choose Yes

Note: Again, you could rename the original to keep a backup.

Navigate to root/data/data/com.android.providers.telephony/databases

Delete/Rename telephony.dband mmssms.db

Note: I didn't actually delete the telephony.db and mmssms.db originally, and I still had success. But I also don't know what deleting those so they can be rebuilt does, so I included the steps.

Reboot the phone.

Update build.prop

Backup build.prop

Open Root Explorer and navigate to root\system

Long press build.prop and choose Copy, then click Paste to create a backup.

Edit build.prop

Download and install ROMToolbox Lite.

We're going to use the Build Properties application included in the Toolbox for editing the build.prop.

Open Root Explorer and navigate to root\system

Click build.prop and choose to open with Build Properties

If you get the Welcome screen, click OK

Locate and click on each of the following settings, and set the Value as shown below, and click Save

persist.service.crash.enable=1

ro.build.target_operator=spr

ro.carrier=spr

Reboot the phone.

Switch the Radio

Download and install RadioSwitcher (I only had success with version 1.2.)

Open Radio Switcher, and set the Preferred network type to LTE/GSM/WCDMA

Create a New APN

Despite replacing the apns-conf.xml earlier, I still ended up having to create a new APN.

Download, install, then open ChangeAPN

Click Menu and choose New APN

Here are the settings I used in the APN from here

Click Menu then Save

Reboot the phone

Notes

After all of this was complete, I had the LS980 working on my T-Mobile SIM card successfully. Some other threads I've read discussed installing recoveries like TWRP to make a backup, but every time I tried, it ended up causing a boot loop, so I ultimately didn't do it. From what I can tell it is not a necessity to simply get the phone to work on T-Mobile. Once all the settings/changes have been made, I just popped in my SIM Card from my other phone and it worked fine.

Known Issues

Since we got it running on T-Mobile, there are a few issues that we've been facing.

Unable to call some numbers

When trying to make calls, ff the number does not have a 1 at the beginning, I get a crash.

Adding a '1' before the number has corrected it.

This article lists another possible more permanent fix, that I will eventually try out:

Text Messages, and Multimedia Messages Fail to send

When trying to send texts, or picture messages, I was getting regular failures.

This article had a solution.

1. In dialer press ##443336772#, you will get a 6 digit SPC code, remember it!

2. In dialer press ##DATA# , this will take you to hidden Data settings

3. Select MMSC

4. Hit Edit, you will be prompted for your SPC code, enter it

5. Now have 3 options: Set URL, Gateway, and Set Port. Set all

My working settings:

Set URL: http://mms.msg.eng.t-mobile.com/mms/wapenc

Gateway: 10.12.0.2

Set Port: 80

6. Reboot