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Root [AT&T] Where to download the FACTORY messaging apps?

bennylava

Well-Known Member
Aug 20, 2011
170
6
Hi all. I recently rooted the wife's Android phone. Its running 4.1.1. So I went through and got rid of all the bloatware, using titanium backup. But it seems I accidentally uninstalled a couple things that I shouldn't have. One thing was the "Text to speech" aspect of the stock SMS program. The other was some bluetooth thing that allows it to connect to the car.

Yeah I know, I done messed up. But I was hoping that someone here could tell me exactly how to find these items on the Google Play Store. I looked, but all I see is unrelated stuff. Back in my Galaxy S days, I could find the stock messaging app, no problem. Right there on the play store. Now its nowhere to be found. What's the deal?

Or, if my only option is to factory reset the phone, then how do I back up my contacts to my SD card so I don't lose them all? Can I just take out the SIM card perhaps?
 
Just backup and move it to the external backup also for your contacts use Google, it is the easiest way to keep contacts, if you don't have a gmail just make one and use it for that. That feature alone is the best part of Google.

Also if you listed your phone we would be able to help in finding these so called apps.
 
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It would help a lot if you told us the model.:)

Exactly what phone (e.g., Motorola Razr Maxx HD) are you using?

... Thom

^^+1

Bloat is often phone specific and depending on what it is, sometimes the only way to restore it is to extract it from the factory image meant for the device, or simply reflash the factory image to get everything back. With numerous devices out there, it would be impossible to get you the correct files without knowing what to look for.
 
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Does that really matter? I try to avoid naming my model cause some mod always comes along and moves my thread to another forum where it gets much less exposure. I think its enough info to know that I'm running 4.1.1

Yes it does really matter we need to know which version of the apps you need. Default email app for Motorola Razr Max HD may be different than for the Motorola Razr M.

As far as the move we just try to help but a simple pm asking us to move it back generally results in a move back.
 
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Does that really matter? I try to avoid naming my model cause some mod always comes along and moves my thread to another forum where it gets much less exposure. I think its enough info to know that I'm running 4.1.1

Yes.

Asking the question ... in this case in the All Things Root section ... for your device actually maximizes the exposure. I visited and worked in Android Forums for over a year before I ever reviewed anything in this forum.

... Thom
 
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Ok well its the AT&T version of the Samsung Galaxy S3. I know that's a popular phone and all but so was my Captivate 1 and when my threads got moved, they died. I'm just looking for the actual stock messaging app for the S3. In my way of thinking, you'd just go to the Play Store and type in "Messaging" and that would be the very first one. Download and install it, and you'd have the factory android messaging app.

IIRC, that app is created by Google as a stock part of Android and doesn't change much from phone to phone. Reason I think that is because back in my Captivate phone days, I accidentally deleted the stock messaging app that comes with the phone. The one that is always at the bottom of the screen next to the little phone icon. Well back then, I simply went to the play store, (back then it was the Marketplace) found that stock app, and reinstalled it. A very simple fix.

For some reason, its just not there anymore. Can't find it now. I've installed Go SMS Pro as a temporary fix, but the wife is attached to that stock app and wants it back lol
 
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I don't have anything to add as far as where to find what you are looking for but simply a bit of advice.

Make a nandroid backup in your custom recovery before messing with system files or making any big changes. If something goes wrong, you can simply restore your phone to it's previous state, no harm no foul, and start fresh again.
 
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OK, I know you were adverse to having your thread moved, so I hope my reply makes up for it.

The reason we like to know your exact phone model is because when a ROM (including the stock unrooted one) is built from source there are certain proprietary files that all the apps are built against so that each app knows how to handle the specific hardware your phone uses.

To fix your messaging app there are two ways to do so, either with adb installed on your pc or a file explorer that is root enabled on your phone (latter preferred).

So without further ado, go here:

CyanogenMod Downloads

scroll down to the 'stable' "cm-10.0.0-d2att.zip" and download that to your pc. Once it is done, unzip it. What you need is the "Mms.apk" file that will be in \cm-10.0.0-d2att\system\app.

Now, IMHO, the easiest way is to copy that file to your phones' sdcard or equivalent. Then using your root enabled file explorer (I use SUFBS, but most don't) go on your phone to /system/app and long press on any app already there to get its' permissions (with SUFBS it is 644, others it is usually letters, dashes, and/or plus signs). Make a note of them. Then using your root enabled file explorer, mount your /system as read/write. Then find and copy the "Mms.apk" file from your sdcard to /system/app. Then set the permissions to match the other files in /system/app. Reboot your phone.

Profit.

good luck
 
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OK, I know you were adverse to having your thread moved, so I hope my reply makes up for it.

The reason we like to know your exact phone model is because when a ROM (including the stock unrooted one) is built from source there are certain proprietary files that all the apps are built against so that each app knows how to handle the specific hardware your phone uses.

To fix your messaging app there are two ways to do so, either with adb installed on your pc or a file explorer that is root enabled on your phone (latter preferred).

So without further ado, go here:

CyanogenMod Downloads

scroll down to the 'stable' "cm-10.0.0-d2att.zip" and download that to your pc. Once it is done, unzip it. What you need is the "Mms.apk" file that will be in \cm-10.0.0-d2att\system\app.

Now, IMHO, the easiest way is to copy that file to your phones' sdcard or equivalent. Then using your root enabled file explorer (I use SUFBS, but most don't) go on your phone to /system/app and long press on any app already there to get its' permissions (with SUFBS it is 644, others it is usually letters, dashes, and/or plus signs). Make a note of them. Then using your root enabled file explorer, mount your /system as read/write. Then find and copy the "Mms.apk" file from your sdcard to /system/app. Then set the permissions to match the other files in /system/app. Reboot your phone.

Profit.

good luck

I'm not entirely sure what you mean by "root enabled file explorer". I have rooted the phone, but I'm not sure about the file explorer.
 
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What is a file explorer? I need to clarify what you're calling a file explorer before I can proceed. Are you talking about the factory user interface that you use every time you use the phone? Or are you talking about some kind of downloadable app from the play store that gives you more control over the the files and folders found under the "My files" icon? I need more specifics.

I am only familiar with windows and if you are too then you know that often times things like this don't translate from windows to linux very well when you're trying to explain something to someone.
 
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How do you do a TRUE factory reset on the phone? How do you get it to wipe everything and get it to be just like it was, when it was brand new right out of the box?

Simply once you rooted the phone you took away that option. You see Factory Reset means that it will in deed take your phone back to the day you bought it as long as you have not messed with anything in the /system folder. However if you deleted anything from the /system folder then it will not return after a factory reset which only really deals with /data and /cache partitions.

Here is a small article on how it works:
http://androidforums.com/faqs/646432-factory-reset-what-why-would-you.html
 
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