A new leak for Verizon’s Samsung Galaxy S3 as Android 4.1.2 and build VRBMA2 has appeared this morning over at XDA. It’s not an official release from Verizon, so if you decide that you want to flash it, just understand that there may be bugs. So far, though, reports have been positive from what I’ve seen.

We’re hearing that this leak does not include the Premium Pack with multi-window and all that jazz.

To grab the file and update to 4.1.2, hit up the XDA thread below for full instructions.

Via:  XDA

Cheers ItsASamsung!

Android 4.1.2 Leaks for Verizon’s Galaxy S3 as Build VRBMA2 is a post from: Droid Life

If you are the ROM developer type and you own a Galaxy S3 on Verizon, you’ll be pleased to learn that Samsung has made the source code available for it. And that’s about all there is to say about that. Developers, do work. ROM flashers, wait patiently.

Via:  Samsung | Android Police

Samsung Makes Source Code Available for the Verizon Galaxy S3 is a post from: Droid Life

Yesterday, we saw some of the first CM10.1 nightly builds go live for devices like the Galaxy Nexus, with fingers crossed that we would start to see other devices join the list in the near future. Sure enough, other devices have joined the party, most notably is the Galaxy S3 in a variety of versions. If you cruise over to the Cyanogenmod site, you’ll find builds for the Galaxy S3 on Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint, along with the international i9300 version.

In order to flash CM10.1, don’t forget that you’ll need to be rooted with an unlocked bootloader. As a reminder, we posted the newest version of those instructions yesterday, a set that should help everyone that recently updated to Jelly Bean.

Via:  Cyanogenmod

Cheers jdhas!

CM10.1 Now Available for the Verizon Galaxy S3, Other Versions as Well is a post from: Droid Life

With the official Jelly Bean (Android 4.1.1) update out for Verizon’s version of the Galaxy S3, we can imagine that some of you may have lost root in the process. Thankfully, an updated method to unlock the bootloader on the device (if you haven’t already) and root it is available.

The steps in the XDA thread below are about as straight forward as it gets. You need Odin (to flash some of the files), current and older firmware files for the device, SuperSU, and custom recovery. If you can’t follow the step-by-step guide linked below, a video of the instructions is included as well. 

Click here to view the embedded video.

Via:  XDA

Cheers ItsASamsung!

New Root Method Released for Verizon’s Galaxy S3 Running Jelly Bean is a post from: Droid Life

A cautionary tale for you on this Monday, brought to you from XDA. A user was looking through his rooted Galaxy S3 system files the other day and decided to open up the S-Memo database in SQLlte. I’m not sure what he was looking for, but one thing he was surprised to find was that the application stored his Google password in plaintext, no encryption of any kind.

Now, before you go looking for S-Memo to uninstall, developers have responded to the thread saying that he only had access to that database because his device was rooted. However, if a malicious application was allowed root privileges it could conceivably gain access to the same place where that password was stored. Not an immediate risk for any rooted S3 users, but let this be a warning: be careful what applications you give root-access to.

Via: XDA

Samsung S-Memo Security Flaw Reminds Us of the Dangers of Rooting a Device is a post from: Droid Life

A Jelly Bean build with TouchWiz for Verizon’s Samsung Galaxy S3 leaked last night over at XDA as software version I535VRBLI5, thanks to member jucytec. When initially posted, users were having issues with the file, however, it has now been distributed to a handful of ROM developers who are already baking it into their latest builds. 

The first of them is called JellyWiz from dev Incubus26jc, a completely stock ROM that has a slight theme over it and new boot animation. Everything else should be as it came in the JB leak, though. So if you were looking to get a feel for Android 4.1 on your GS3, this may be a place to start. In order to flash this, you have to have unlocked your phone’s bootloader and then rooted it. Once you get there, the .zip can be flashed via your favorite custom recovery. You’ll find a link to it below.

It’s tough to tell what this means for an official Jelly Bean release to all users. Verizon, as you all know, tends to be a bit slower than other carriers at releasing updates. Sprint has already pushed their Android 4.1 update out to the Galaxy S3, so who knows, maybe Big Red is on top of this one. If we hear anything, we’ll be sure to pass it along.

Via:  XDA [2]

Cheers Craig, Matt, Jorge, Jimmy, Incubus26jc, and jucytec (for the leak)! 

Jelly Bean Build I535VRBLI5 Leaks for Verizon’s Galaxy S3, Already Baked Into ROMs is a post from: Droid Life

A newer software build of VRALHD for Verizon’s version of the Galaxy S3 has been leaked and posted for download. This is only slightly different than the VRALG7 update that was released a few weeks ago. It’s still Android 4.0.4 and probably doesn’t bring back on-device search, but may include new radios and could help with battery life. We’re hoping that this also fixes the last few “No SIM Card” errors that some are still experiencing even after the last update. 

If you want to grab the full file to be flashed in ODIN, you can do that here.

If you want to flash this new build as a .zip ROM, hit up the XDA link and you will find it in both ODEXED and DEODEXED formats.

Via:  XDA | PhoneArena

Update I535VRALHD for Verizon’s Galaxy S3 Available for Download is a post from: Droid Life

Is there anything those developers can’t do? Well, besides truly unlock the DROID X’s bootloader? Let us all take a second and be thankful that device is water under the bridge.

Recently, a developer successfully ported a leaked TouchWiz Jelly Bean build from the T-Mobile Galaxy S3 to the Galaxy S3 on Verizon. With working 4G data, camera, and almost everything else, if you’re the hacking and modding type, then this could definitely be your daily driver until Verizon and Samsung are ready to make their version available to the masses.

Your device will need to be unlocked and rooted, but the methods for installation aren’t very difficult past that point. If you would like to download and see instructions for installation, simply follow the via link down below.

Via: XDA

Cheers Marcus!

Developer Successfully Ports Official T-Mobile Jelly Bean Build to Verizon Galaxy S3 is a post from: Droid Life

Last night, a tool was released that allows for the Verizon Galaxy S3 to run an unsecure bootloader. It was victory for all, even those that don’t have a GS3. The champagne could be heard popping across the country, well, except for from those who don’t run Mac or Linux on their desktops. Windows users were left out for the time being, but as you would have to expect these days, another simpler method was in the works. That new method, comes in the form of a 1-click app that is available for free in the Google Play store. 

All you have to do is root your Galaxy S3 first, then load this app up and click the massive “Unlock” button. That is seriously all you have to do. Devs are looking into a re-lock methods, so stay tuned for those.

Update: The app has received an update allowing for users to re-lock their bootloader if need be. Get on it.

Play Link

Via:  RootzWiki

Cheers zakry!

1-Click Bootloader Unlock App Now Available for the Verizon Galaxy S3 in the Play Store (Updated) is a post from: Droid Life

And the news of the day goes to…XDA developers who managed to flash an unsecure bootloader to the Verizon Galaxy S3. Developer AdamOutler posted up a file for Mac and Linux that will root your GS3 and apply the unsecure bootloader, leaving your device open for you to do as you please. I cannot even express in words how big of an achievement this is for the community of Galaxy S3 owners that were beyond upset with Verizon’s choice to lock the bootloader of this device. 

*Warning (straight from Adam) – “Let me make this clear. If Samsung updates your device’s bootloaders, using this tool could potentially brick your device. Once you apply this, never accept a factory update without first flashing the Odin Packages in the Original Post of this thread. As a general rule, you want to be the last guy to apply any Samsung update. Run custom.”

Let me say what he said one more time, so that we are clear. After applying this unsecure bootloader, you will not want to accept an update from Samsung or Verizon again or you could brick your device. You’ll have to stay with custom ROMs for the foreseeable future, to be safe.

With that said, are you ready for freedom?

Instructions:

*Mac or Linux only.

1.  Download the file at the source link below and open it.
2.  Connect your device, select “Root with DebugFSRoot” and then “Do It.”
3.  Select “Flash Unsecure Aboot” and then “Do It.”
4.  Use Odin or CWM to flash kernels to your device.

*Windows users, you’ll have to be patient and wait for someone to create a similar tool.

Via:  Download | XDA [2]

Cheers Mike and Jason!

Unsecure Bootloader Can Now be Flashed to Verizon’s Galaxy S3 is a post from: Droid Life

The first root method that was released for Verizon’s version of the Galaxy S3 was to say the least, not optimal. The second version was much less intrusive, however, it required adb and a bunch of manual work that we know many of you are not fans of. So for those that have been putting off rooting because neither of these methods were easy enough, your option is now available.

A new 1-click tool has been created by XDA member AdamOutler, that will give you root, a custom recovery, boot into Download and Recovery modes, and unroot your device should you need to. The tool was released yesterday, so feel free to give it a few test runs and provide feedback to its creator.

Via:  Download Link | XDA

Cheers Kevin!

New Verizon Galaxy S3 Root Tool Brings Root, Recovery and Will Unroot You if Need be is a post from: Droid Life

The previous root method for the Galaxy S3 on Verizon was causing enough problems with users, that developer Noxious Ninja decided to try to find a different way. Not only that, but he wanted to find a method that did not involve flashing a pre-rooted system.img. After trying a variety of current tricks, he found one from the Asus TF300T that worked. He even created a 1-click tool of sorts for those that aren’t interested in going to adb route. We have it all for you below. 

Download:  GS3_debugfs-root_r2.7z

Instructions:

1. Install the USB drivers if you don’t have them already. [Download]
2. Download the GS3_debugfs-root_r2 package and extract it somewhere (you’ll need 7-Zip or some other modern compression tool)
3. On your phone, enable installation of third-party apps (Settings –> Security –> Unknown sources, near the bottom in the “Device administration” section)
4. On your phone, enable USB debugging (Settings –> Developer options –> USB debugging)
5. On your PC, make sure you don’t have any other Android devices connected, any Android emulators running, or any Android tools like PdaNet running.
6. Plug your phone into a USB port on your computer. For best results, use a port directly on the machine, and not a USB hub.
7. Double-click RootDebugfs.bat and follow the directions on the screen. Your phone will reboot 3 or 4 times during the process; just leave it plugged in. To be safe, don’t switch to any other applications while the root process is running.

Video instructions:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Via:  XDA

Cheers fortitudinevincimus!

New Root Method Released for Verizon’s Galaxy S3, No Odin Required is a post from: Droid Life

The locked bootloader on Verizon’s Galaxy S3 hasn’t stopped development much to this point. Last week, we saw the device receive an unofficial CM9 port, but over the weekend, things turned up another notch. Two unofficial ports of AOKP and CM10 popped up, with each either being as close to fully working as possible or with a couple of minor bugs that will soon be worked out.

AOKP Milestone 6 appears to be ready for prime time and a daily driver without any known bugs. CM10 is definitely still being referred to as an ”alpha“, however, data and all of the other most important features are working. If TouchWiz is too painful and stock Android is your saving grace, you may want to consider looking into either one of these.

As a reminder, these ROMs are possible thanks to CVPCS’s kexec boot sequence and will appear to boot twice during bootup. That’s normal and is simply the kexec doin’ work.

Via:  DroidHive (CM10) | RootzWiki (AOKP)

Cheers Jon and Steve!

Unofficial CM10 and AOKP Builds Released for Verizon’s Galaxy S3 is a post from: Droid Life

The kexec boot sequence that CVPCS created earlier in the week is close to being ready for prime time. So close in fact, that an eager developer grabbed it, along with a data fix for CM9 on Verizon’s Galaxy S3 and tossed it all together with instructions for you to take for a test drive. The instructions look fairly simple, but it will require that you have the Android SDK working and know some adb commands. We have them for you below if you are ready. 

Downloads:  CM9 ROM | Recovery | Gapps

Instructions:

*We take no credit for these. Pulled straight from BeansTown106′s post.

1.  Transfer the CM9 ROM, Gapps, and d2vzw_recovery.img to the root of your emmc.
2.  Push the kexec cwm to sdcard and install:

adb push d2vzw_recovery.img /sdcard/
adb shell
su
dd if=/sdcard/d2vzw_recovery.img of=/dev/block/mmcblk0p18 bs=256k
sync
reboot recovery

3.  Reboot into recovery.
4.  Wipe data/factory reset.
5.  Install CM9 zip.
6.  Install Gapps.
7.  You should be booting into CM9.

Should you run into issues, hit up the source link for support.

Via:  RootzWiki

Cheers Steve and Matthew!

CM9 for Verizon’s Galaxy S3 Now With Working Data is a post from: Droid Life

Rather than focusing on the negative aspect of the locked bootloader that accompanies the Galaxy S3 on Verizon, developer CVPCS decided to figure out a way around it. Using kexec, which has become synonymous with signed bootloader devices, he has created a boot sequence that allows you to flash custom kernels to the device, leading to CyanogenMod compatibility.

In a Google+ post released this morning, he breaks it all down. 

So for anyone who is wondering, this last weekend I finalized a kexec-based boot sequence for CM9 on the d2vzw (Samsung Galaxy S3, Verizon variant) that will allow standard installs to the device.

All of the kexec internals are now stored on the system partition, and cold booting into the stock kernel will result in the following:
1.) boot is hijacked immediately after the filesystems are mounted
2.) kexec-boot.zip is copied to /cache and set to auto-flash on reboot
3.) device is rebooted into recovery
4.) kexec-boot.zip is auto-flashed without user interaction
5.) device is kexec-rebooted with androidboot.mode=kexec
6.) boot is not hijacked since it is within a kexec environment
7.) the system is now booted with a custom kernel

This means we now have custom kernels that can be booted directly from a cold boot (no booting into recovery and flashing a zip manually, that will be done for you). Also this means that all of the kexec internals are on the /system partition, so backups and restores from recovery function as expected. The only downside to this is that the boot process actually involved 2 quick reboots, but it’s preferable IMO to having to flash manually from recovery.

The main problem still existing with the device is the lack of data connectivity. This is currently being looked into. Voice calls and SMS function as expected, but the SIM appears to be failing provisioning resulting in no 3G/4G connectivity.

I’ll keep you posted.

As you can see, there is a problem with the SIM and radios, which Austen does not believe to be because of bootloader situation. It sounds like they should be able to fix it in time.

Locked or unlocked, the devs are coming through in magnificent ways.

Via:  Google+

Cheers Steve!

CM9 Inches Closer to Verizon’s Locked Galaxy S3, Kexec Boot Sequence Created is a post from: Droid Life