[LG V30 Questions & Answers] ChazzMatt:
Can you make up your mind what carrier you're on right now? :p

We've been bootloader unlocking and rooting these V30 phones for two years and using across all carriers. That's why I said your assumptions were baseless. ;) This forum would not be as active as it is if we have any of the problems you were asking about. Bootloader Unlock and Root only improves V30 phones. For instance you will never have the LG DTS Surround Sound stereo framework enabled unless you bootloader unlock and root the phone. Yes, in latter Oreo LG gave use DTS libs, but then didn't enable them. But you can root and enable DTS 3D Surround stereo.

Have you even read the

WTF Bootloader Unlock instructions yet?

ALL the way through? Read in web browser, not an app. App seems to truncate entire sections. Section 9 talks about flashing back to your own carrier firmware -- like Sprint.

Most everybody who buys an LS998 are NOT Sprint customers and convert them to something better -- like US998 V30+ to use on AT&T, T-Mobile, Cricket, etc. or create a VS996 V30+ to use on Verizon (make sure you have an already activated Verizon SIM card). And most also Bootloader Unlock and Root their LS998 and use on other carriers. I bought a few LS998 I either converted myself or were already converted to US998. Some of these converted LS998-to-US998 I bought are being used on AT&T. My sister and brother-in-law use their converted LS998-to-US998 on Verizon.

I wrote the

Frankenstein instructions

and the screenshots in those instructions are from my LS998 being converted to US998.

I also wrote the

WTF INSTRUCTIONS on bootloader unlock, TWRP Installation and Root

. Both threads have current, up to date procedures.

Any North American variant -- EXCEPT for T-mobile H932 -- has to be on US998 firmware (at least TEMPORARILY) to bootloader unlock and root, because of the North American variants only US998 has the requisite fastboot flash commands. After bootloader unlock, TWRP installation and root, users can choose to stay on US998 firmware or use DEV-created TWRP flashable zips to flash back to their carrier firmware. Sprint users choose to flash back Sprint firmware because there are 3 LTE bands Sprint uses (for now) which US998 modems do not have. I use AT&T, but I choose to remain on Open Market US998 firmware instead of flashing back to AT&T firmware.

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Please don't bother mentioning other brands of phones in this forum. They have nothing to do with LG phones. Now, if you said you had a certain problem with Bootloader Unlock of a previous LG phone, then that would be valid concern.

You're acting like this is something people haven't done a thousand times already with V30. Even people in other countries are buying North American V30 variants and using them on their own carriers -- AFTER Bootloader Unlock and Root.

Even your thread title is somewhat confusing. Says going from US998 to LS998, don't you mean the reverse? You have LS998. You would be going from LS998 to US998 (at least temporarily).

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But to reiterate -- for Sprint customers only -- yes you should activate the native LS998 on Sprint first BEFORE doing anything else to the phone. AFTER activation on Sprint, then TEMPORARILY convert to US998 for Bootloader Unlock, TWRP and root. Follow the Frankenstein and WTF Instructions.

Then flash back Sprint firmware via TWRP flashable zip to get back Sprint LTE bands.

JohnFawkes is one of our main DEVs. He created the Sprint TWRP flashable zip. He's a Sprint customer himself.

If you fail to follow that simple guideline, yes there is also a full firmware Sprint stock zip -- which wipes out TWRP custom recovery, replacing with stock recovery. You can flash that to go back to "original" Sprint firmware. It's use for warranty exchanges, but can also be use to your phone activated on Sprint if you failed to do it prior to unlocking bootloader. After flashing this special zip, your bootloader is STILL unlocked but the phone can be activated on Sprint. THEN even though your Bootloader is unlocked, after Sprint activation you have to TEMPORARILY CONVERT back to US998 yet again (for fastboot flash commands) to reinstall TWRP... So you're wasting a lot of time and effort doing all that, when you can just activate the LS998 FIRST on Sprint before bootloader unlock and root.

HOWEVER if you are on Sprint already with your LS998 -- as your OTHER thread seems to indicate -- then your LS998 phone is already activated on Sprint. So, I'm not sure why you're asking about all that.