yashsingh1/xdaforums huggingface dataset:
[Samsung Galaxy S20 / S20+ / S20 Ultra Guides, News] ngdskier:
It's running the original firmware from AT&T and the first thing I did after booting it up was put it in airplane mode, and I verified that I had the unlockable boot loader. I forget what it was that allowed me to confirm that, but I did confirm it and nothing has changed since. I have Android Security Patch level "December 1, 2020" if that's any indication. I thought it was a certain number in build number or baseband number that showed it was maybe bootloader v1 or something, I forget, but I should be able to unlock the bootloader. That certainly seems like the first step, and I've see threads saying you can do an OEM unlock, or SamP0nded or UnSamLock, or other various ways to do it, but is there an consensus on the best/safest way to do that?
[Samsung Galaxy S20 / S20+ / S20 Ultra Guides, News] iBowToAndroid:
Oh wow! When you said you obtained it a year ago, I thought for sure that it had been updated beyond 2020 firmware. You can't user OEM Unlock it, as that function doesn't exist on (most) North American devices. But yep, as long as you don't update it at all before getting it unlocked, you can use one of the paid services. And, cheaper prices may be available - if you know who to ask 😉
[Samsung Galaxy S20 / S20+ / S20 Ultra Guides, News] ngdskier:
Yeah, my wife and daughter wanted new phones, but I didn't really need one just yet, but I got kind of a package deal, where I got my S20 for only $200. I knew I wanted to root it, so I literally booted it up, put it in airplane mode immediately, and about the only thing I've done since was a little research on whether I COULD root it (and that's when I confirmed I had a unlockable bootloader), and a little bit on how to root it, but there's just so much to read, some of which is possibly old or in conflict with other things I read, and life has just been too busy to dive into it deep, so it has mostly just sat around powered off and occasionally powered up (e.g. to compare with camera image quality with S8, or to take a couple pictures if my S8 was dead), and occasionally charged... Other than a couple pictures on it, it is the same as the day I bought it, as I didn't want to mess with it until I had a plan, but now that my S8 is flaking out (parts of the screen flashing green, and sometimes not turning on), urgency is growing a bit. ; - )
[Samsung Galaxy S20 / S20+ / S20 Ultra Guides, News] HelstarRS:
I just want to thank you so much for this. I bought a refurbished S20 FE 5G ATT unlocked model for $119 and got a great deal but my T-Mobile sim card only let me use LTE and my signal was weaker and it said mobile network state disconnected but the data still worked. I tried several Odin other non patched versions with no luck and getting a connecting or initializing or hash256 error. This one worked first try and got rid of the ATT bloatware and now I have 5G and before it just said LTE and was buggy on me. Also when I went to mobile networks there was no option for auto connect or LTE/3G/2G auto connect or anything.
[Samsung Galaxy S20 / S20+ / S20 Ultra Guides, News] csmdew:
will your code write to a s20 tactical edition phone to put it back to basic phone
[Samsung Galaxy S20 / S20+ / S20 Ultra Guides, News] en11gma:
i have a Galaxy S20 5G from spectrum wireless "CHA" on this firmware "SAMFW.COM_SM-G981U_CHA_G981USQU1ATCT_fac"

(Android 10).

i basically want it to be a wifi phone with no bloat.

do i have to flash with a "userdata" file in odin as i will not be entering a sim card in it at all even after a factory data reset.

i basically just want this phone so i can root and have access to a clean adnroid aosp experience as i can get.

i know thats probably not just done with a root to a stock official rom but as clean as i can get i can work with that.

i can get my own firmwares from the normal sites i just not sure about the userdata as i wont need cellular at all and would like to disable it completely if possible.
[Samsung Galaxy S20 / S20+ / S20 Ultra Guides, News] matti88:
Root can only be accomplished by getting a bootloader unlock token - and those aren't free. Do NOT update the phone though, because you have to be running a very old version in order for it to be doable
[Samsung Galaxy S20 / S20+ / S20 Ultra Guides, News] en11gma:
i thought magisk can do it without bl unlock.

can you recommend the android version i can go upto and still be able to bl unlock?

Android 11 or 12?

im at sammobile and im under sm-g981u catagory and looking through the sub catagories and should i be looking at the USA XAA to get?
[Samsung Galaxy S20 / S20+ / S20 Ultra Guides, News] matti88:
How do you expect to flash Magisk with a locked bootloader......?

After you're unlocked, there's special firmware that you can flash that will allow you to update all the way to 13, while still retaining bootloader unlock
[Samsung Galaxy S20 / S20+ / S20 Ultra Guides, News] en11gma:
ive done roots in the past with locked bootloaders.
[Samsung Galaxy S20 / S20+ / S20 Ultra Guides, News] matti88:
On a very old model, via a software exploit, sure. But 1) those doesn't exist on a G981U and 2) Magisk doesn't work that way
[Samsung Galaxy S20 / S20+ / S20 Ultra Guides, News] en11gma:
in the instruction for going to a U to a U1 firmware it says put the carriers sim card in and upon reboot flash the userdata file.

what if i want to do that but insert no sim and flash no userdata file?
[Samsung Galaxy S20 / S20+ / S20 Ultra Guides, News] matti88:
You have misread entirely
[Samsung Galaxy S20 / S20+ / S20 Ultra Guides, News] en11gma:
ok yes that is for switch carriers.

ok still what happens if i dont flash "userdata" with odin on a U1 firmware (especially since i wont be putting a sim in it).

flashing this: "SAMFW.COM_SM-G981U1_CHA_G981U1UEU1ATCT_fac"

over this : "SAMFW.COM_SM-G981U_CHA_G981USQU1ATCT_fac"

with this : "Odin3 v3.14.1_3B_PatcheD"

with out the "userdata"

and without a sim.

Failed.

flashing "SAMFW.COM_SM-G981U_CHA_G981USQU1ATCT_fac" (all 5 files again just for good measure).

ok so what is the best firmware and procedure for what im trying to do.

basically this phone i want to use like a raspberry pi (which i have had before and its great but slow).

i want to use it preferably with root (but dont have to have it 100%) but i might pay for a BL unlock service if i can find one cheap or maybe try and figure it out myself. i have bl unlocked some phones in the past.

so i want the rom with the least bloat.

if i have to i can take my t-mobile sim out of my daily phone i use and put it in it but dont really want to because i think i have to call my carrier and tell them.
[Samsung Galaxy S20 / S20+ / S20 Ultra Guides, News] matti88:
I see you are very new to Samsung.

USERDATA doesn't exist on U1 firmware
[Samsung Galaxy S20 / S20+ / S20 Ultra Guides, News] tijsva:
So far I can only see people that flashed carrier firmware onto their unlocked phone, not the other way around :)
[Samsung Galaxy S20 / S20+ / S20 Ultra Guides, News] iBowToAndroid:
Then you're not reading close enough
[Samsung Galaxy S20 / S20+ / S20 Ultra Guides, News] iglambo:
Is it possible to flash KOO Rom on U1 unlocked S20 5G? Also do you have any idea why i don't see the option that the international variants has it under "more connection settings" called "download booster"?
[Samsung Galaxy S20 / S20+ / S20 Ultra Guides, News] iBowToAndroid:
I have no idea what "KOO Rom" is
[Samsung Galaxy S20 / S20+ / S20 Ultra Guides, News] iglambo:
SM-G981N model from Korea the unlocked version comes with KOO CSC like the US unlocked comes with XAA. My problem is that my phone is bought from US but i live in Europe and a lot of features are missing so i want to try some other Rom that is using Snapdragon to see if i can make it better...
[Samsung Galaxy S20 / S20+ / S20 Ultra Guides, News] iBowToAndroid:
This thread is only for U and U1 models. American and Korean models are not compatible with each other
[Samsung Galaxy S20 / S20+ / S20 Ultra Guides, News] iglambo:
I am answering to your question what is KOO. I know this thread is for U and U1 models. My model is U1 thats why i am texting here...
[Samsung Galaxy S20 / S20+ / S20 Ultra Guides, News] iBowToAndroid:
American and Korean models are not compatible with each other. Therefore you can't flash Korean firmware to an American phone, nor vice versa
[Samsung Galaxy S20 / S20+ / S20 Ultra Guides, News] iglambo:
I see, i thought they might be, because the Korean one is using Snapdragon as well.
[Samsung Galaxy S20 / S20+ / S20 Ultra Guides, News] SoNic67:
So you have bought from US a Korean phone (KOO CSC) and you want to transform it to a Snapdragon hardware by flashing? Not saying that you can't find a Korean phone for sale in US.

I don't know what is the correct response to that...
[Samsung Galaxy S20 / S20+ / S20 Ultra Guides, News] iglambo:
You are not reading sir. I bought a USA unlocked S20 phone from Samsung and i want to put Korean firmware because Korean S20 is also using Snapdragon, also the Bands and the Carrier Agregation in Korea is the same as my country...
[Samsung Galaxy S20 / S20+ / S20 Ultra Guides, News] entropism:
No, you are not reading, sir. You CAN NOT use any other firmware on a U or U1 model, other than U or U1 firmware. It doesn't matter if it's snapdragon or Exynos, or a Core i7. While Sonic67 might not have understood, your question has been answered here multiple times.
[Samsung Galaxy S20 / S20+ / S20 Ultra Guides, News] UZ7:
Yikes! didnt notice XDA combined all 3.... I meant ATCT looks good on the G986U1 (S20+) :silly:
[Samsung Galaxy S20 / S20+ / S20 Ultra Guides, News] iBowToAndroid:
Ughhhhh I hate it when they do that. Forums get so much more crowded and it's more difficult to find what you need
[Samsung Galaxy S20 / S20+ / S20 Ultra Guides, News] bickfordman:
Has anyone noticed poor battery life on the U1 firmware compared to the U t-mobile firmware
[Samsung Galaxy S20 / S20+ / S20 Ultra Guides, News] bickfordman:
Ok I downloaded the "U" files to go back to Tmobile but I keep getting "Failed" in Odin (patched) the same one I used to get the "U1" firmware
[Samsung Galaxy S20 / S20+ / S20 Ultra Guides, News] iBowToAndroid:
We either need to know the exact error message/text, or see a picture of what shows up on the phone and/or in Odin, in order to troubleshoot
[Samsung Galaxy S20 / S20+ / S20 Ultra Guides, News] nj2079:
Hi [MENTION=3163377]iBowToAndroid[/MENTION]

I want to flash Unlocked firmware on my T-Mobile S20.

Can you help me to point out step/instructions with some ODIN UI

I am new in flashing and don't want to brick my new S20.

found this link https://miliunlocks.com/tips/how-to-use-odin/

for flashing unlock firmware - I do not need select USER Data file - correct ?
[Samsung Galaxy S20 / S20+ / S20 Ultra Guides, News] bickfordman:
Duh sorry I will so it again later and let you know
[Samsung Galaxy S20 / S20+ / S20 Ultra Guides, News] iBowToAndroid:
1. The instructions in that link look fine

2. There is no USERDATA for U1 firmware
[Samsung Galaxy S20 / S20+ / S20 Ultra Guides, News] en11gma:
im not new to samsung at all.

been doing bl unlocks and rooted roms for a very long time.

i just never used a U1 firmware

and "Odin3 v3.14.1_3B_PatcheD" would not let flash the U1 firmware with "userdata" missing either so i just flashed the original stock firmware again in case it did something to it
[Samsung Galaxy S20 / S20+ / S20 Ultra Guides, News] matti88:
I stand corrected then.

But anyways, yes, you can flash any U1 firmware that you want, as long as it's still within bootloader/bit 1 (going to 2 will make you lose BL unlock capability)
[Samsung Galaxy S20 / S20+ / S20 Ultra Guides, News] en11gma:
these are the 4 firmwares i have:

Odin3 v3.14.1_3B_PatcheD isnt even letting me flash the same carriers U1 firmware.

also tried with Odin3 v3.14.1

i can use odin 3.14.xx to flash my original stock rom "SAMFW.COM_SM-G981U_CHA_G981USQU1ATCT_fac" successfully.

i mean i cant even flash "SAMFW.COM_SM-G981U1_CHA_G981U1UEU1ATCT_fac" (without userdata) over "SAMFW.COM_SM-G981U_CHA_G981USQU1ATCT_fac"

im not even switching carriers.
[Samsung Galaxy S20 / S20+ / S20 Ultra Guides, News] matti88:
Need details, in order to troubleshoot
[Samsung Galaxy S20 / S20+ / S20 Ultra Guides, News] en11gma:
just posted a pic in post above your last comment and provided some more details
[Samsung Galaxy S20 / S20+ / S20 Ultra Guides, News] matti88:
Nothing in that post gives any details about exactly how or why Odin won't let you flash the firmware.

You need to describe the exact steps you're taking, any error messages, etc
[Samsung Galaxy S20 / S20+ / S20 Ultra Guides, News] en11gma:
i was going to switch stock firmwares "U" from spectrum to t-mobile but tmobile is a "TCU" and spectrum is a "TCT" which i know has the same BL so shouldnt be a problem.

so what did for trial was try and flash from spectrum "U" "TCT" to spectrum "U1" TCT" without the userdata which did not work but if it would have worked i then would have did the tmobile "U1" "TCT" firmware.

the tmobile "U" "TCT" firmware i will probably delete.

in the end i probably want the least amount of bloat as possible so probably want to goto the XAA with no userdata (by default) but i cant even find one that old (android 10 TCT) with out subscribing to get the archive files.

it is there just dont have the $ to get that right now
[Samsung Galaxy S20 / S20+ / S20 Ultra Guides, News] en11gma:
Right now im using "Odin3 v3.14.1" to flash "SAMFW.COM_SM-G981U_CHA_G981USQU1ATCT_fac" without userdata. it actually is flashing. its the same stock firmware i was on just without userdata.

the userdata tar file is 724MB

nice.

wonder how phone will behave without userdata...

will report back

maybe im missing it but i think it looks the same.

i see alot of the same apps as i did before when i had userdata.

hmmm

22.98GB / 128GB used.

wow. i just did a fresh install of windows 11 home with all updates yesterday and cleaned the drive after all updates, disabled create restore points and deleted the hibernation file and i think thats the exact same size i used or real close to it.

23GB used on a phone with 128GB

i really really want to trim this down by starting with the firmware that has the least bloat.

this is insane samsung/google.

so if userdata never really got flashed is that why i see all these apps?

i did do a factory reset and wipe from recovery menu too before i started phone after i just flashed it
[Samsung Galaxy S20 / S20+ / S20 Ultra Guides, News] matti88:
U1 firmware is the only one that's bloat-free
[Samsung Galaxy S20 / S20+ / S20 Ultra Guides, News] en11gma:
im still having problems with flashing "SAMFW.COM_SM-G981U1_CHA_G981U1UEU1ATCT_fac" over "SAMFW.COM_SM-G981U_CHA_G981USQU1ATCT_fac".

i have used 4 different version of odin (2 patched and 2 not).

any suggestions would be great.

maybe you can link me to the file you are talking about.

i do have a working t-mobile sim card that i use everyday but not sure what t-mobile will do if i put it in another phone and try and boot.

i thought carriers were cracking down on this soon.
[Samsung Galaxy S20 / S20+ / S20 Ultra Guides, News] en11gma:
i think i did this correctly and it asks my to network unlock and it wants a code.

i was going from CHA(U) to TMB(U).

on step 3 of the last paragraph in OP it says insert the sim of the network you want to goto so i did that right after odin said good and was green and phone screen was black before samsung logo came on i inserted my t-mobile sim.

when it got to the 1st screen it said that message.

this was on the TMB U1 firmware / XAA

(3) says hit ok after you insert the sim and it should reboot.

my option was dismiss or enter the pin. (got it figured out. not good news for me.) damn...

this is what i was on.

SAMFW.COM_SM-G981U_CHA_G981USQU1ATBN_fac

this is what i used for the U1

SAMFW.COM_SM-G981U1_TMB_G981U1UEU1ATBN_fac

this is what i was going to do on step 4

SAMFW.COM_SM-G981U_TMB_G981USQU1ATBN_fac

in settings about phone it says im on SM-G981U1

which is what i wanted really anyhow but why dont my current t-mobile sim card that i use everyday work and change my settings to t-mobile and tell me that message about my tmobile sim not allowed on their network?

it changed the firmware but still have all the bloat (at least google is there anyhow and all its apps).

crap

my current software in about phone settings is:

G981U1UEU1ATBN

Security Patch Level

March 1, 2020
[Samsung Galaxy S20 / S20+ / S20 Ultra Guides, News] matti88:
Google will ALWAYS be there. It's Android 🤷🏻‍♂️
[Samsung Galaxy S20 / S20+ / S20 Ultra Guides, News] en11gma:
i sooo thought google would all the way be gone.

i used to get my custom roms and google came in 3 or 4 different versions you could install if you wanted too.

micro

mini

normal

full

or not at all.

i cant believe every samsung phone (100%) have both google and samsung bloat.

so the only devices sold without (double) apps is google pixel stuff?
[Samsung Galaxy S20 / S20+ / S20 Ultra Guides, News] matti88:
No. Many manufacturers have less bloat than Samsung
[Samsung Galaxy S20 / S20+ / S20 Ultra Guides, News] en11gma:
with snapdragon or exynos as those SoC are the best. i want pure AOSP but i not even sure i can get a paid BL unlock.

this phone i not even sure its worth it though.

cracked screen broken digitzer on top 3rd of screen and today i talked to ATT and the previous customer owes money on the bill so no cellular for now but i really wanted it for wifi so i can play in the file system.

do you know if i can BL unlock even though it cant be used on a cell network?
[Samsung Galaxy S20 / S20+ / S20 Ultra Guides, News] matti88:
I've already answered that
[Samsung Galaxy S20 / S20+ / S20 Ultra Guides, News] en11gma:
just flashed the Android 11 XAA (Febuary 1st 2021 Security Patch Level) i can do higher and always downflash to this firmware if needed but i figure i will just stick with it until i can figure out if i can OEM / BL Unlock still.

you said you answered that already but i dont remember (been so busy with so much).

will go and try and find your post now.

I read 40 pages last night of an 86 page thread. (the last 40 pages).

going and looking for a good debloater script for Android 3.1 right now. well have been looking for the last hour.

@matti88 thanks.

i know it dont sound like i appreciate your help but i do.
[Samsung Galaxy S20 / S20+ / S20 Ultra Guides, News] matti88:
I think you need sleep more than anything. Android 3 (Honeycomb) was a tablet-only release. And even if it weren't, a script for Android 3 would damn sure not apply to Android 10 in any way, shape, or form
[Samsung Galaxy S20 / S20+ / S20 Ultra Guides, News] matti88:
And no, you can't. I see you have a lot more to learn about Android, or at least about Samsung
[Samsung Galaxy S20 / S20+ / S20 Ultra Guides, News] en11gma:
i already went higher and went back. same bootloader "1"

dont forget i was on Android 10 when i started
[Samsung Galaxy S20 / S20+ / S20 Ultra Guides, News] en11gma:
Android 3. i meant to say ONEUI 3.1 :)

my bad
[Samsung Galaxy S20 / S20+ / S20 Ultra Guides, News] matti88:
My mistake, forgot that bootloader 1 for this device went all the way to April 2021 patch
[Samsung Galaxy S20 / S20+ / S20 Ultra Guides, News] en11gma:
do you always have to use a patched odin to update the XAA firmware if you flash yourself?

and will samsung push OTA updates through the download install in the software menu?

no more updates from the carrier correct?
[Samsung Galaxy S20 / S20+ / S20 Ultra Guides, News] matti88:
1. Yes

2. Yes

3. Yes, the carrier is always involved in pushing an update - even for U1 firmware. XAA *may* be an exception, but that CSC sometimes gets the OTA last anyways
[Samsung Galaxy S20 / S20+ / S20 Ultra Guides, News] bickfordman:
It said security check failed : pit

And Odin says re-partition operation failed
[Samsung Galaxy S20 / S20+ / S20 Ultra Guides, News] iBowToAndroid:
Sounds like you're trying to flash incompatible firmware. What's the Build Number of the U1 firmware that you have, and what Build of U firmware are you trying to flash?
[Samsung Galaxy S20 / S20+ / S20 Ultra Guides, News] bickfordman:
So I was on s20 t-mobile and I flashed to G986U1 and now I'm trying to go back to original t-mobile using the TAW file G981U

---------- Post added at 08:52 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:40 PM ----------

Got it figured I used the wrong firmware
[Samsung Galaxy S20 / S20+ / S20 Ultra Guides, News] iBowToAndroid:
Oh okay :)
[Samsung Galaxy S20 / S20+ / S20 Ultra Guides, News] lawtq:
So why did you want to do back to the U firmware?
[Samsung Galaxy S20 / S20+ / S20 Ultra Guides, News] bickfordman:
I was getting way better battery life on the U firmware
[Samsung Galaxy S20 / S20+ / S20 Ultra Guides, News] lawtq:
? Maybe optimised for your carrier
[Samsung Galaxy S20 / S20+ / S20 Ultra Guides, News] bickfordman:
I was getting 6 hours screen in time with U1 and 9 with U
[Samsung Galaxy S20 / S20+ / S20 Ultra Guides, News] jcrompton:
This is an interesting comment and I saw no takers .... Have you found any other support of the theory? Is there any reason that U firmware would have different battery usage vs U1?
[Samsung Galaxy S20 / S20+ / S20 Ultra Guides, News] bickfordman:
No nothing i could think of
[Samsung Galaxy S20 / S20+ / S20 Ultra Guides, News] ifiweresolucky:
Initially I had the same experience with my new factory unocked S20, but in the past week to 10 days RCS stopped connecting. I uninstalled and reinstalled Messages, incl the Beta, but now Messages is giving me the "Chat features unavailable for your device" message. I've tried clearing data, using Carrier Services, restarts with and without the SIM installed... no luck.

Going to try a factory reset next, then may have to flash the T-Mo U firmware.

Is your RCS/wifi calling still working?
[Samsung Galaxy S20 / S20+ / S20 Ultra Guides, News] konoplya:
yeah all my RCS stuff is still working fine. i did 2 updates after that post as well and everything is going ok. are you on an actual tmobile plan or is it like metro pcs or something? also, maybe your SIM card is bad and you need to exchange it for a new one. i'm just throwing ideas out. another thing i have is package disabler on my phone which i use to disable a lot of services, so maybe one of those services messed your phone up?
[Samsung Galaxy S20 / S20+ / S20 Ultra Guides, News] dlbutler77:
Looking for Verizon (VZW) USERDATA

Where do I find the USERDATA file for VZW S20 Ultra? I want to flash the G988U1 firmware but understand to keep wifi calling , etc I need the userdata file
[Samsung Galaxy S20 / S20+ / S20 Ultra Guides, News] iBowToAndroid:
No, not necessarily. Users have reported success using the U CSC together with the rest of the U1 files. That's also assuming that wifi calling doesn't work by default - it may very well work perfectly fine by flashing all of the U1 files. You won't know until you try
[Samsung Galaxy S20 / S20+ / S20 Ultra Guides, News] ifiweresolucky:
I did a full reset, with the T-Mobile SIM installed, and RCS worked instantly with zero fuss. I still have no idea for sure what the problem was but have a sneaking suspicion it was the T-Mobile Visual Voicemail app...
[Samsung Galaxy S20 / S20+ / S20 Ultra Guides, News] stealthj:
I Installed the g988u1 XAA firmware on my tmobile g988u and now it says network locked and won't read my sim. I tried to flash the tmobile CSC but same thing.
[Samsung Galaxy S20 / S20+ / S20 Ultra Guides, News] iBowToAndroid:
If you're using a T-Mobile SIM, then that's impossible
[Samsung Galaxy S20 / S20+ / S20 Ultra Guides, News] stealthj:
With the Same (T-Mobile) sim that came in the box, I got network locked after flashing XAA

I reflashed TMB CSC and its working again.
[Samsung Galaxy S20 / S20+ / S20 Ultra Guides, News] iBowToAndroid:
No one else has ever reported that in any of my threads.

When you say "TMB CSC", do you mean the U CSC?
[Samsung Galaxy S20 / S20+ / S20 Ultra Guides, News] stealthj:
Yeah I haven't seen it in any of the other threads on XDA either, Nor had I ever had it happen with any other Samsung or any brand of device ever.

Yes, the CSC file that comes in the Tmo firmware.