Rooting and De-bloating an LG Optimus F6 MS500 (old procedure)

This is an archived copy of my original procedure when I rooted and optimized the LG Optimus F6 MS500 the first time. These steps were developed in August, 2014 using CWM and F6Utilities before TWRP Recovery was available for the device. These steps have more "stops along the way". The second time I pretty much went straight to the Optimized Baseline with no Lightly Debloated Baseline.

Preparing

Our starting point is a factory-fresh installation of "12b" firmware. Find your phone's firmware version with

 Menu - System settings - About phone - Software information

Note: In my case got to this "reference" starting point by flashing a .kdz file I downloaded from LG's site. You'll find directions at GameTheory's site. If you do flash the .kdz, remember to remove your SD card first, otherwise it will be reformatted. Also, have some patience because it takes some time to move that much data through a USB cable.

 Welcome to Setup Wizard:  Next
 Set internet connection
   Uncheck mobile network (for now)
   Check Wi-Fi and join network.
   Skip learning about Wi-Fi calling and messaging.
   Next
 Got Google?:  No
 Make it Google:  Not now
 Google & Location:  Uncheck both
 Welcome: Go to Home screen

Now prepare for the root.

 Menu - System settings - Security
   Check Unknown sources
 Menu - System settings - Developer options
   Check USB debugging

While we're at it, let's see how much space is free with all of the bloatware installed (but not updated).

 Menu -> System settings -> Storage
   It says we have
     1.27GB of space
     213MB of apps
     1.09GB available

Rooting and Installing Recovery

Now we'll root the phone and install CWM recovery.

Note: I have the .apk Android package files on the SD. Sideloading makes it easier and faster. It also allows me to avoid attaching my Google account to the phone over and over while I experiment. I used the Towel Root .apk linked here.

 AppDrawer - File Manager

Install and run Towel Root

   <reboots>
 AppDrawer - File Manager
   Install (don't run) SuperSU
   Install (don't run) BusyBox
   Install and run F6 Utilities
     Recovery
       Install CWM Recovery (grant permissions obviously)
       Reboot To Recovery

It works! Cool.

 Reboot system now
 Yes disable recovery flash

Preparing Baseline

Next we'll do another Factory Reset. This will serve two purposes: We'll remove Towel Root (because we're done with it) and we'll make sure the F6 can come back from a factory reset.

 Menu - System settings - Backup & reset
 Factory data reset - Reset phone
   Leave Erase SD Card UNchecked
   Erase Everything

When the Setup Wizard comes up again repeat what we did before.

 Welcome to Setup Wizard:  Next
 Set internet connection
   Uncheck mobile network (for now)
   Check Wi-Fi and join network.
   Skip learning about Wi-Fi calling and messaging.
   Next
 Got Google?:  No
 Make it Google:  Not now
 Google & Location:  Uncheck both
 Welcome: Go to Home screen

Now prepare for sideloading apps and turn on USB debugging.

 Menu - System settings - Security
   Check Unknown sources
 Menu - System settings - Developer options
   Check USB debugging

Now we can reinstall root apps and install Quick Boot for rebooting into recovery. This phone needs to be rebooted from software. Do not use the hardware buttons to get into recovery.

 AppDrawer - File Manager
   Install (don't run) SuperSU
   Install (don't run) BusyBox
   Install and run Quick Boot - Boot to recovery

Baseline Backup with Titanium Backup

Next we'll install Titanium Backup ("TB") on the Bloated Baseline system and do a Full backup. This backup ensures that any uninstalled app can be reinstalled if necessary.

 AppDrawer - File Manager
   Install and run Titanium Backup

Titanium Backup is not extraordinarily user friendly until you get used to it. First move the backup location to the SD card because by TB will otherwise put its backup folder in /storage/sdcard0/ (on the phones' built-in storage space) by default.

 Menu -> Preferences -> Backup folder location

Now hit "back" twice and select external_SD, then use <<Create a new folder>> to create a new folder so now your backup directory will be in /sotrage/external_SD/TitaniumBackup/ .

Next do a full backup using a "batch action".

 Menu -> Batch actions ... -> Backup all user apps and system data

Hit the green checkmark. It takes a while for the backup to complete.

De-bloat & Settle In

What we'd like to achieve now is a configured baseline nandroid backup that can be restored and used to "start over". Everything done here is very safe.

Using AppDrawer - Edit you can see which bundled apps can be uninstalled even without root. Some of them are ripe for removal:

 AppStore
 Dictionary
 FileShare
 MetroMUSIC
 Metro Block-It
 Metro411
 metroZONE
 QuickTranslator
 Rhapsody

and there are a few to keep for now:

 FileManager
 Polaris Viewer 4
 Task Manager

Note: Could have included the World Clock widget, Tasks, LG Backup, LG trackware app. Maybe the system apps from the next section too.

Use Titanium Backup to uninstall the nine apps.

 Backup/Restore - [select App] -  Un-install!

After that we can get a "settled-in".

 Slide the notification bar down
   Turn of NFC
   Clear the notifications
   Lower display brightness to about 50%
   Edit the quick settings bar
     Move the QSlide icon past the GPS so you get
     | QuickMemo | Sound | Wi-Fi | Bluetooth | GPS | ..
     on the main quick settings bar
 Menu -> System settings -> Developer options
   Don't show warning again
   USB Debugging (already on)
   Performance Tweaks:
     Transition animation scale: .5x
     Animator duration scale: .5x
 Menu -> System settings -> QuickButton
   Shortcut: Camera
 Menu -> System settings -> Home screen
   Theme: Biz
   Screen swipe effect: Panorama
 Menu -> System settings -> Lock screen
   Wallpaper - Wallpaper gallery - Set wallpaper
   Screen effect - Basic
 Menu -> System settings -> Battery
   check Battery percentage

Optional:

 Menu -> System settings -> Wi-Fi -> Menu -> Advanced
   Keep Wi-Fi on during sleep: Only when plugged in

See how much space is free now with some apps removed.

 Menu -> System settings -> Storage
   It says we have
     1.27GB of space
     88.92MB of apps
     1.12GB available

Some minimal Home screen setup

 Move the Time&Weather widget to the main screen
 Move the myMetro launch icon a screen to the left
 Move the Gallery icon over onto the main Home screen

Use Quick Boot to reboot into CWM Recovery and do a nandroid backup of the (slightly un-bloated now) baseline system with TB installed and configured.

 backup and restore: backup to external_sd
 Go Back
 Reboot system now

More De-bloat & More Settle In (Lightly Debloated Baseline)

This time we'll delete some system apps that can be replaced by restring with TB.

 Application Manager
 MetroPCS Screen-it
 myMetro
 Visual Voicemail
 VuTalk

Add widgets to the screen to the right of the main Home screen.

 Favorite contacts 3x3 widget, expanded to 4x3
 Task Manager 2x1 widget (for clearing RAM)

Remove the Mobile Hotspot "upsell" icon and add Calendar widget to the screen to the left of the main Home screen.

Time to make another backup. Use Quick Boot to boot into recovery.

Note: Possibly would want to forget WiFi SSID and revers Unknown sources and USB debugging before doing this nandroid backup.

 backup and restore: backup to external_sd
 Go Back
 Reboot system now

This will be the Lightly Debloated Baseline Backup.

From Anywhere to Baseline

If the phone gets twisted up and you want to get back to the rock-solid debloated basline, here are the steps:

Restore factory 12b .kdz (with SD card removed)
Factory reset
Minimal prep (Setup Wizard, Unknown sources, USB debugging)
Root (Towel Root, SuperSU, and Busybox)
Install recovery with F6Utilities and boot to CWM recovery
Factory reset
Restore baseline from backup

Play Store Updates - Lightly Debloated

Our 1.12GB of available Internal Storage space shrinks when we visit the Play Store for the first time and let updates be applied. This effect will be reduced on our de-bloated phone, but we still have lots of fat juicy Google apps that will update.

Background: Apps that come with the system are installed by LG in the /system/ directory. When these apps are updated by Google Play, the updated version doesn't install in /system/, it installs onto our precious 1.27GB of Internal Storage space (in /data/).

For some reason this phone cannot move apps to SD like other phones can.

After Play Store updates are done our 1.12GB of storage space has become 706MB. The 414MB reduction of available space appears to be taken by these Google apps:

The Play Store apps itself
Chrome Browser
Gmail
Google Drive
Google Play Books
Google Play Games
Google Play Music
Google Play Newsstand
Google Search
Google Talkback
Google+
Maps
YouTube

Some Google apps aren't updated yet. If and when they update they'll use some Internal Storage space too.

Google Play Movies & TV
Google Text-to-Speech
Street View on Google Maps
Voice Search

More De-bloat & Settle In (Optimally Debloated Baseline)

Starting with the previous Baseline Backup, we'll delete some more apps, knowing they can be restored with TB if they're wanted later.

LG apps

 World Clock Widget
 LG Backup
 Tasks
 LG MLT (trackware)

Google apps

 Chrome
 Google Play Books
 Google Play Games
 Google Play Movies & TV
 Google Play Newsstand

Small tweaks

 Move QuickRemote to the main Home screen
 Add Calculator where the QuickRemote was
 Add Gmail to the main Home screen
 Remove the MetroWEB launcher and replace it with Gallery
 Browser tweaks
   Delete all deletable MetroPCS bookmarks
   Add a "Search" bookmark -> https//www.startpage.com/m/
   Put the Search bookmark on the main Home page
   Settings - Location - Uncheck allow sites to request access...

Prepare to make this the deployable baseline.

 uncheck Unknown sources
 Disable USB debugging
 Forget the WiFi SSID

Another backup. Use Quick Boot to boot into recovery.

 wipe cache partition
 backup and restore: backup to external_sd
 Go Back
 Reboot system now

This will be the Optimally Debloated Baseline Backup.

Play Store Updates - Optimal

Again we can visit the Play Store for the first time and let updates be applied. When asked, I choose not to keep this device backed up with my Google account.

 Open Google Play
 Let the phone sit for a while
 Reboot
 Open Google Play
 Let the phone sit will apps update
 Close Google Play
 Open Google Play (now newer version)
 Update apps that require approval

This time after Play Store updates are done our 1.12GB of storage space has become 855MB. Instead of 414MB, updated Google apps are taking 265MB of space because there were fewer apps to update. The phone now boots with 464MB of RAM used (368MB after a clear with the widget). Still pretty good!

Google apps that updated:

The Play Store apps itself
Gmail
Google Drive
Google Search
Google Talkback
Google+
Maps
YouTube

Google apps aren't updated yet, and will use Internal Storage when and if they do.

Google Text-to-Speech
Street View on Google Maps
Voice Search

(Continued in original.)

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Page last modified on July 08, 2016