Chosen Solution
Hi, I upgraded my S8 to a S9 and would like to sell my old S8 as an unlocked device. I was told that being that the phone is paid off, It is unlocked, and can be used on any carrier. This is great, but am wondering how to remove the Verizon Boot Splash screen and the pre loaded Verizon applications after the device is reset. If I were to buy an unlocked phone and were to use the device on a different carrier, I wouldn’t want the Verizon bloatware on my device. Is there any way to get the stock android firmware on the device. As if it was bought directly from Samsung? And if not, do you have any suggestions for the best way to go about selling it as an unlocked phone with all the added Verizon crap? Thanks, Taylor
Verizon phones will not accept any custom ROM. This has been done this way since the S4/Note 3. The way Verizon locks their bootloader effectively prevents other ROM’s from being installed - even the reference Samsung ROM from the Unlocked by Samsung series. AT&T is also guilty of doing this so Verizon isn’t alone. IT HAS to be the carrier specific ROM or it prevents it from BOOTING. The feature Verizon uses is known as Samsung KNOX. They use boot signature enforcement, which verifies the ROM signature against the “correct” signature. The phone will not boot without the Verizon ROM installed since the signature varies per device (Unlocked, T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon, Sprint). The KNOX “feature” prevents you from removing the Verizon ROM or modifying it to remove the bloatware. Root can be used to “force” it off, but you cannot change the ROM to remove it permanently, but it triggers the 0x1 flag and permanently disables Samsung Health. How I’d sell it is I’d sell it as unlocked for any carrier, but explicitly mention it’s a Verizon phone. This is sufficient because while it’s SIM unlocked (FCC open network license requirement), it is still a Verizon phone. It will also deter buyers who want the ability to tinker with the ROM, so you will not need to worry about the KNOX 0x1 flag being tripped and hurting the resale. You are better off losing a sale from someone who opposes Verizon’s lockdown practices to avoid getting a tripped phone back.
