[Fire HD 8 and HD 10 General] DragonFire1024:
Current as of March 29, 2018

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I've been saving this for a rainy day and it's raining at my house today :P I have been with XDA for about a year and a half now. I made a list of several goals I wanted to accomplish, mainly to do so without root. Though I have been successful at many tricks and hacks on these tablets WITHOUT root, sometimes, no matter how hard you try, some things can't currently be done without it. One of the goals I set was activating Android's stock Daydream screensaver. This is something that was built into Android and is a feature that is greatly underappreciated and many people just don't know it exists. It's also a feature Amazon blocks us from using. Another goal was to find a way to change the lock screen wallpapers after you got rid of Amazon Photos.

After several weeks of reading and researching, I finally discovered a working way to edit the framework and successfully install it back onto at least two of the Amazon tablets I own. In doing so I discovered how Amazon blocks the use of certain features and settings and in some cases, have been able to reverse their code and replace it with values that activate those things. As you can see in the screenshot below, the Daydream screensaver feature is installed onto the tablet. Using Activity Launcher, tap the top left pull down menu and select 'all activities. Scroll until you see the settings option and tap it. Then scroll until you see 'Daydream'. That's as far as you can go. If you tap it, the display settings is what pops up. Furthermore, if you disable or delete Amazon Photos, and you're stuck with their lock screen wallpapers for the rest of time, until now.

In this case the settings don't redirect to another app like setting your lock screen wallpapers, which until now, required Amazon Photos to change. They simply take advantage of the framework, and block the use of the Daydream function through settings within it. That setting, among many more settings, are all allowed to be blocked and are options Android provides to manufacturers and service providers when they purchase the rights to a copy of an Android OS.

Today I am proud and very happy to announce through modding the FireOS framework on the Fire 7 and HD 10, I have successfully activated Android's stock Daydream screensaver, while at the same time, not destroying the fabric of FireOS. I have also found a way for you to once and for all, change your lock screen wallpapers WITHOUT the use of Amazon Photos.

In this TWO PART guide, I'll show you how to enable the use of the Daydream screensaver, install the 'Colors' add-on and show you how to change your lock screen wallpapers. The best part about Daydream, I have been able to track down the proper APK for Android's stock 'Colors' screensaver, also known as 'BasicDreams' and as you can see in the screenshot below, it surprisingly worked on both the Fire 7 and HD 8 :D

The hardest part of all this, once Daydream was activated, was finding the proper APK to get this working. It took me about a week or more to track down the closest version of the 'BasicDreams' APK for our version of Lollipop and I provide it to you today as well. Follow the guide below on how to get Daydream activated and in part two, learn how to change your lock screen wallpapers WITHOUT the use of Amazon Photos.

*****WARNING*****

Editing or modifying the system framework can be very damaging to your device. I have spent an extensive amount of time studying it and ways to edit it. I am writing this guide now because I believe this method is the safest way to edit the framework without damaging your tablet. With that said, your results might not be the same. As such, from this point forward in this guide, I cannot be responsible for any damage that may occur to your device. Please only continue if 1) You are willing to risk a possible brick 2) If you are willing to flash back to the last version of FireOS that your tablet was on in case a brick does occur.

Part 1: Enable 'Daydream' Screensaver

Requirements:

- Rooted Amazon Fire 7 or HD 10.

- Windows PC with ADB installed.

- APKtool (Please note you need to install Java version 7 or greater in order to use APKtool).

- 7-Zip

- Proper 'BasicDreams' screensaver APK, provided at the bottom of this post.

- Notepad++

- ADB insecure

- Patience.

Instructions:

1. On your PC, Download and install 7-Zip, Java (INSTALL JAVA BEFORE YOU INSTALL APKTOOL!!), APKtool and Notepad++ and ADB Insecure, if you haven't done so already, from the links provided above. Download links and install instructions for APKtool can be found here. On your Fire 7 or HD 10, download and install ADB insecure from the link provided above. For APKtool, I recommend you create a folder named 'apktool' in your C:\ directory, as seen in the screenshot below:

2. Once you've installed those two things, plug your tablet into your PC and make sure you have ADB debugging enabled in developer options. (Tap settings, device options, tap serial number 7 times, tap developer opeions and enable ADB). Open an ADB window. We need to get a copy of your framework package by typing the command below into your ADB window and pressing enter. This command assumes you installed APKtool into your C:\ directory:

adb pull /system/framework/framework-res.apk C:\apktool

3. Now on your PC, you need to navigate to your APKtool folder in C:\. When the window opens, open a command window by holding down shift and right clicking on the APKtool folder window and select 'open command window here'. An example of how that command window would look is posted below:

4. Now we need to install the framework APK into APKtool so it's able to decompile it. In the APKtool command window, type the following command:

apktool if framework-res.apk

5. Time to decompile the framework so we can look inside of it and make ONLY one edit. Yes that's all it takes is one edit. Amazon only blocks out the Daydream screensaver by using one word. Type the following command in the APKtool window to decompile the framework APK:

apktool d framework-res.apk

6. Now go back to your APKtool folder on your PC. Another folder should have been created inside the APKtool folder. The folder will be called 'framework-res'. Open up the folder and double click the RES folder. Scroll down until you see the folder named 'values' and double click it. You then should then see a list of XML files, like in the screen shot posted below:

7. Right click on the file named 'bools.xml' and select 'Open with Notepad++'. Slowly scroll the page and look for the configuration setting as seen below. On my Fire 7 the configuration is on line 98:

<bool name="config_dreamsSupported">false</bool>

8. In the configuration it will say 'false'. Change it to 'true' (no quotation marks) so it looks like this:

<bool name="config_dreamsSupported">[B]true[/B]</bool>

9. Then save the file by clicking on the floppy disc icon at the top left of Notepad++. DO NOT MAKE ANY OTHER EDITS!! You can now close Notepad++ and open the command window for APKtool again. We have to recompile the framework. Do that by typing the following command into the APKtool command window:

apktool b framework-res

10. You might get an error or three as the APK recompiles. As long as APKtool builds the APK, ignore the errors. If any pop up during the rebuild process, at most there will be 3 that will say something about an 'ellipsis' and time formatting. They don't mean anything as far as I can tell. If there are more errors which are fatal for the framework APK building, APKtool will not complete the build process. If the build process successful, move onto the next step. Otherwise please repeat the process from step two and make sure you don't edit anything else.

11. Back on your PC, bring up the APKtool folder again. Open the 'framework-res' folder. A few new folders have been created by APKtool. The only one you need to worry about is 'dist'. Double click that folder. This is where APKtool puts rebuilt APKs. Right click on the 'framework-res.apk' file and choose '7-Zip' and 'open archive'. DO NOT CHOOSE UNZIP!!! (Unzipping or decompiling the APK improperly will result in undesirable consequences when you install it back on your tablet.)

12. A 7-Zip window will open up listing a few files. You can make it a little smaller and move it out of the way, but don't minimize it. Back at the APKtool folder (you should still be inside the dist folder), click the back or arrow up button until you are back in the main APKtool folder. Right click your OLD framework-res.apk file and select 7-Zip and 'open archive'. Again do NOT unzip or decompile the APK. You can make the 7-Zip window that opens, smaller if you like, but now make sure the two 7-zip windows are side by side, noting which one is the OLD and which is the NEW archive (the one with 'dist' in the directory is the NEW APK. See below):

13. Highlight the 'res' folder in the 7-Zip window containing the NEW archive. Now drag the 'res' folder from the new archive into the 7-Zip window containing the OLD archive. A window will appear asking if you "really want to copy the folder". Click yes. Now highlight the 'resources.arsc' file in the NEW archive window and then drag it to the OLD archive window and click yes when it asks you if you really want to copy it. You can now close both 7-Zip windows and navigate back to your APKtool window.

14. Now it's time to install the modified framework. Open ADB Insecure if you've already installed it. Grant it SuperUser rights and check the box next to "enable insecure adbd" and open an ADB command window. In order for this next step to be successful, you MUST have insecure adbd enabled. When you're ready, type the command:

adb remount

15. The window should reply with 'remount succeeded" as seen above. Now we are going to install the framework to the system. Don't worry about setting permissions for the framework. Because we are pushing the framework into the system via ADB and because the framework-res APK was already a system app, ADB will automatically set the proper permissions for the framework APK. This is the moment of truth! Type the following command below (this is assuming you installed APKtool into the C:\ directory). Once installed, within 5-10 seconds some buttons may appear different or be a different color. This is normal and generally signals a successfull installation. If within 5-10 seconds your tablet automatically reboots itself, that generally signals a soft brick. Here we go! Type the commands below, into your ADB command window one at a time:

adb push C:\apktool\framework-res.apk /system/framework/framework-res.apk
adb reboot

16. If your tablet rebooted successfully, congrats, you just activated Daydreams :D Before we install the Colors screensaver, go ahead and navigate to your display settings on the tablet. You'll notice a new tile, 'Daydream'. Tap on it and a new window opens. From here you can use the stock desk clock app for the screensaver, install 'Colors' or choose the Amazon screensaver. For Colors: Download the attached BasicDreams APK at the bottom of this post, but do NOT install it. Place the APK into your ADB folder. When done type the following command below. Again no need to worry about setting permissions to the APK as ADB will do it for us:

adb push BasicDreams.apk /system/app
adb reboot

17. When your tablet reboots, download and install Activity Launcher if you haven't done so already. Tap the pull down at the top left and select all activities. Scroll down until you see SystemUI and tap on it, then tap 'Dessert Case'. To stop the screensaver, tap and pull up near the navigation bar and swipe it closed. Navigate to your display settings again and tap on Daydream. You now have 3 screensavers!!! Tap the three dots at the top right for options on when the screensavers should turn on aka 'daydream'. You can also tap 'start now' to preview them.

So far, these are the only three I have been able to get working. I am still trying to get Photo Table to work, but I am pretty sure Gapps needs to be installed, and I haven't gotten that far to test it. I've tried other screensavers from the Play Store with no luck unfortunately. However if anyone finds anymore working ones, please post your results/finds :D

Thanks everyone who followed. This makes me quite happy to see this unique feature on these tablets as they are deserving of such a thing. It's disappointing Amazon lets such a great thing go to complete waste. This maybe an old feature, but a very cool and underappreciated one. I hope everyone enjoys this as much as I did unlocking it. I'll be honest; I never thought I would be able to learn basic coding. At least not enough to get this far and accomplish the things I have. Thanks for the support everyone :D

Watch for part two in the next couple days: Change your lock screen wallpapers...WITHOUT using Amazon photos!!