Help Permanently Disable WIFI from Phone

[FlatEarth]

Hey guys!
I am looking to permanently disable WIFI capability for my Samsung Android Core phone.

While doing some research on how to make this happen I found two methods, both of which I tried and neither worked.

Method 1:
The first method was to root the phone, and in the systems folder/lib/modules, find and delete the file "bcmdhd.ko". This file didn't exist on my phone.

Method 2:
The second method was to go into the systems folder and open build.prop and remove the following lines:

wifi.interface=
wifi.supplicant_scan_interval=

BUT, these lines don't even exist in my build.prop folder!

Now that I've tried both methods and neither worked, I am unsure what to do next, and that brings me to androidforums.com to ask you for help. Please let me know what I can do to permanently disable WIFI.
Thanks so much!

PS - Just in case it helps, here are the contents of my build.prop file:

# begin build properties
# autogenerated by buildinfo.sh
ro.build.id=KOT49H
ro.build.display.id=KOT49H.G386WVLU1ANJ2
ro.build.version.incremental=G386WVLU1ANJ2
ro.build.version.sdk=19
ro.build.version.codename=REL
ro.build.version.release=4.4.2
ro.build.date=Mon Aug 31 20:15:39 KST 2015
ro.build.date.utc=1441019739
ro.build.type=user
ro.build.user=dpi
ro.build.host=SWHD4417
ro.build.tags=release-keys
ro.product.model=SM-G386W
ro.product.brand=samsung
ro.product.name=afyonltevl
ro.product.device=afyonltecan
ro.product.board=MSM8226
ro.product.cpu.abi=armeabi-v7a
ro.product.cpu.abi2=armeabi
ro.product.manufacturer=samsung
ro.product.locale.language=en
ro.product.locale.region=CA
ro.wifi.channels=
ro.board.platform=msm8226
# ro.build.product is obsolete; use ro.product.device
ro.build.product=afyonltecan
# Do not try to parse ro.build.description or .fingerprint
ro.build.description=afyonltevl-user 4.4.2 KOT49H G386WVLU1ANJ2 release-keys
ro.build.fingerprint=samsung/afyonltevl/afyonltecan:4.4.2/KOT49H/G386WVLU1ANJ2:user/release-keys
ro.build.characteristics=bmc
# Samsung Specific Properties
ro.build.PDA=G386WVLU1ANJ2
ro.build.hidden_ver=G386WVLU1ANJ2
ro.build.changelist=2988301
ro.product_ship=true
ro.chipname=MSM8926
ro.config.rm_preload_enabled=0
ro.build.knox.container=
persist.sys.storage_preload=1
# end build properties
#
# from device/samsung/afyonltecan/system.prop
#
#
# system.prop for msm8974
#

rild.libpath=/system/lib/libsec-ril.so
rild.libargs=-d /dev/smd0
persist.rild.nitz_plmn=
persist.rild.nitz_long_ons_0=
persist.rild.nitz_long_ons_1=
persist.rild.nitz_long_ons_2=
persist.rild.nitz_long_ons_3=
persist.rild.nitz_short_ons_0=
persist.rild.nitz_short_ons_1=
persist.rild.nitz_short_ons_2=
persist.rild.nitz_short_ons_3=
ril.subscription.types=NV,RUIM
DEVICE_PROVISIONED=1

# For sys info indication
persist.radio.add_power_save=1

# VoLTE/IMS
persist.radio.calls.on.ims=true
persist.radio.jbims=1

ro.sf.lcd_density=240

debug.sf.hw=1
debug.egl.hw=1
debug.composition.type=c2d
persist.hwc.mdpcomp.enable=true
debug.disable.bwc=1
debug.mdpcomp.logs=0
dalvik.vm.heapsize=36m
dev.pm.dyn_samplingrate=1
persist.demo.hdmirotationlock=false

ro.hdmi.enable=true
tunnel.decode=true
tunnel.audiovideo.decode=true
lpa.decode=false
lpa.use-stagefright=true
persist.speaker.prot.enable=false
qcom.hw.aac.encoder=true
#
# system props for the cne module
#
persist.cne.feature=0

#system props for the MM modules

media.stagefright.enable-player=true
media.stagefright.enable-http=true
media.stagefright.enable-aac=true
media.stagefright.enable-qcp=true
media.stagefright.enable-fma2dp=true
media.stagefright.enable-scan=true
mmp.enable.3g2=true
mm.enable.smoothstreaming=true
media.aac_51_output_enabled=true
#37491 is decimal sum of supported codecs in AAL
#codecs: AVI AC3 ASF AAC QCP DTS 3G2 MP2TS
mm.enable.qcom_parser=37491

# VIDC: debug_levels
# 1:ERROR 2:HIGH 4:LOW 0:NOLOGS 7:AllLOGS
vidc.debug.level=1
#
# system props for the data modules
#
ro.use_data_netmgrd=true
persist.data.netmgrd.qos.enable=true
ro.data.large_tcp_window_size=true

#system props for time-services
persist.timed.enable=true

#
# system prop for opengles version
#
# 196608 is decimal for 0x30000 to report version 3
ro.opengles.version=196608

# System property for cabl
ro.qualcomm.cabl=1

#
# System props for telephony
# System prop to turn on CdmaLTEPhone always
telephony.lteOnCdmaDevice=0

#Simulate sdcard on /data/media
#
persist.fuse_sdcard=true

#
#snapdragon value add features
#
ro.qc.sdk.audio.ssr=false
##fluencetype can be "fluence" or "fluencepro" or "none"
ro.qc.sdk.audio.fluencetype=none
persist.audio.fluence.voicecall=true
persist.audio.fluence.voicerec=false
persist.audio.fluence.speaker=true

ro.qc.sdk.sensors.gestures=true
ro.qc.sdk.gestures.camera=false
ro.qc.sdk.camera.facialproc=false
#property to enable user to access Google WFD settings.
persist.debug.wfd.enable=1
#property to choose between virtual/external wfd display
persist.sys.wfd.virtual=0
tunnel.audio.encode = true

#use VERY_HIGH_QUALITY for audio resampler
af.resampler.quality=4

#
# ADDITIONAL_BUILD_PROPERTIES
#
persist.sys.logkit.ctrlcode=0
keyguard.no_require_sim=true
ro.com.android.dateformat=MM-dd-yyyy
ro.carrier=unknown
ro.com.google.clientidbase=android-samsung
sysprof.activitythread.slowloop=300
sysprof.choreographer.skip=15
sysprof.inputdispatcher.slow=500
sysprof.inputdispatcher.stale=500
ro.vendor.extension_library=/vendor/lib/libqc-opt.so
persist.radio.apm_sim_not_pwdn=1
dalvik.vm.heapstartsize=8m
dalvik.vm.heapgrowthlimit=128m
dalvik.vm.heapsize=512m
dalvik.vm.heaptargetutilization=0.75
dalvik.vm.heapminfree=2m
dalvik.vm.heapmaxfree=8m
ro.build.scafe=capuccino
ro.build.scafe.size=short
ro.build.scafe.shot=single
ro.hdcp2.rx=tz
media.enable-commonsource=true
ro.secwvk=144
ro.securestorage.support=true
ro.sec.fle.encryption=true
ro.error.receiver.default=com.samsung.receiver.error
ro.config.ringtone=Over_the_horizon.ogg
ro.config.notification_sound=S_Whistle.ogg
ro.config.alarm_alert=Morning_flower.ogg
ro.config.media_sound=Media_preview_Touch_the_light.ogg
ro.setupwizard.mode=OPTIONAL
ro.com.google.gmsversion=4.4_r4
persist.sys.dalvik.vm.lib=libdvm.so
ro.build.selinux=1
ro.kernel.qemu=0
ro.config.tima=1
ro.config.timaversion=3.0
ro.config.knox=v30
net.bt.name=Android
dalvik.vm.stack-trace-file=/data/anr/traces.txt
ro.qc.sdk.izat.premium_enabled=0
ro.qc.sdk.izat.service_mask=0x0
persist.gps.qc_nlp_in_use=1
ro.gps.agps_provider=1

 

[AZgl1500]

I think it would be a whole lot easier to just install MacroDroid and create a Macro to turn it off when the screen is unlocked.

Then have a 2nd macro watch for the WiFi being manually enabled by someone and have it turn WiFi back off again.

Remove the MacroDroid icon from all of the HomeScreens.... Only you will be aware of what is going on, and can access it through the Apps Drawer..... Use Nova Prime Launcher, and you can "hide the apps drawer".... is that sneaky or what?

That does work, I have done it back when I was trying to prevent my phone from updating to Lollipop.

(Verizon forces updates on us whether we want them or not.)
____________________________________
2 ea. Verizon Galaxy S5, 1 ea. HTC One M9

 

[scary alien]

@FlatEarth,

I don't do this often, but your issue intrigued me, so I created a very small, very simple app for you (attached below).

It will, upon launch, if wi-fi is turned on, the app will turn it OFF.

Upon reboot, if wi-fi is turned on, the app will turn it OFF.

That's it...it doesn't do anything else or run at any other times--just when you launch it or when you reboot. It also (currently) does not monitor if wi-fi gets turned back on (that could be added later). Also, at reboot time, it might take a minute or two for the boot cycle to fully complete before the app gets a notification to turn and turn wi-fi off.

You should also know that there are apps currently in the Play Store that probably do what you want and need (and more)--this app for example: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.j4velin.wifiAutoOff, but my app is very lightweight and is dead simple.

Lemme know if you try it out and how it works. If it fixes things for you, then I'll jazz it up a bit and publish it in the Play Store.

Cheers!

 

[AZgl1500]

@FlatEarth,

I don't do this often, but your issue intrigued me, so I created a very small, very simple app for you (attached below).

It will, upon launch, if wi-fi is turned on, the app will turn it OFF.

Upon reboot, if wi-fi is turned on, the app will turn it OFF.

That's it...it doesn't do anything else or run at any other times--just when you launch it or when you reboot. It also (currently) does not monitor if wi-fi gets turned back on (that could be added later). Also, at reboot time, it might take a minute or two for the boot cycle to fully complete before the app gets a notification to turn and turn wi-fi off.

You should also know that there are apps currently in the Play Store that probably do what you want and need (and more)--this app for example: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.j4velin.wifiAutoOff, but my app is very lightweight and is dead simple.

Lemme know if you try it out and how it works. If it fixes things for you, then I'll jazz it up a bit and publish it in the Play Store.

Cheers!

now that was right neighborly of you

 

[FlatEarth]

First of all thank you guys so much for taking the time to think and reply with your solutions.

I should probably tell you exactly why I want this to happen then you can understand why those two options will probably not work for me.

After years and years of porn addiction and not being able to stop myself from watching it, I've finally decided to kill porn from my life forever. I donated my home computer to a highschool student in need, disabled data from my cell phone server directly, and the last step in all of this is to permanently delete wifi capabilities from my phone.

I tried an app called Mobile Fence which actually had the option to disable wifi, and when I'd turn it on, it would automatically shut off, but I found a way around this and it started to work again.

@AZgl1500 - Great solution, the only problem with this is that if I know how to undo what I've done then I will.
@scary alien - That's incredibly generous of you to create a lightweight app to help me and I feel humbled. At the same time, the solution needs to be one that I cannot undo and makes it impossible to connect to wifi.

Any more permanent ideas would be very welcome. I'd love to send someone $20 to their paypal as a thanks for whoever manages to come up with a solution to this.

 

[scary alien]

Ah, that does help, @FlatEarth...thanks for the clarification.

I did start-out researching things and think I found the same links and methods that you posted up-top.

The invasive nature of some of those methods and other ones that might work seemed to me at risk for causing you to have a non-working device--clearly not a desirable outcome .

That's why I went down the path of trying to do something via a known, safe method that accomplished your (initial) goals. There are also some things we could do with root by installing the app in the /system partition to make it unremovable, but anything we do there can obviously be un-done by root capabilities.

Without having the same device to work and test with, I'd probably be remiss in giving you any specific steps to try to disable something that often device/hardware-specific (i.e., different wifi drivers and chips for different devices).

There are lots of references to "wifi" in the /init.*.rc files that would probably cleanly disable wi-fi, but changing those would require having a copy of your boot image, unpack it, modify the (proper) lines in the init.*.rc files, re-pack it, and have you re-flash it back to your device.

I certainly know how to do this for my Nexus devices, but don't know any details about your particular device (is the bootloader unlocked, what is the boot partition, do you have a copy of the boot.img, can you re-flash, etc., etc., etc...).

I'll keep looking and thinking about this for you, though...

 

[FlatEarth]

Is it possible to delete it by physically going into the phone and removing a radio chip or something of this nature?
If so, what tools would I need to make that happen?

 

[Jfalls63]

There is the basic flip phone, talk and text only. The ones I've looked at are not WiFi or data capable.

 

[girolez]

Hi, sounds like you need to avoid wifi and mobile data! Buy a dumb phone?

 

[Brian706]

You might poke around in your system files a bit more. Devices don't always have all of the same files. For example my device does not have system > lib > modules folder structure. But in system > lib I have a file called libwifi-service.so

Take a look through your lib folder and see if you can find anything wifi related. I'd recommend a backup plan if you start deleting system files though, as sometimes your phone will stop booting when you mess with system files.


A simpler solution would be to ditch the smartphone completely and get a basic phone as @Jfalls63 suggested. I mean, if you completely disable mobile data and wifi, what is the point of having the device anyway? It essentially becomes unusable as you would never be able to install another app or update existing apps etc... Not to mention, I'd imagine your carrier would still charge you for a data plan regardless just for having a smart phone.

 

[James L]

Not really sure how hard or easy it would be, but a possible solution would be to remove the wifi antenna internally. Or if it would disable more then just wifi. Just going off pictures on the internet it looks like a wire that would probably run the length of the device.

 

[scary alien]

@FlatEarth, as I and Brian have mentioned above, you could find something in your /system partition and delete or rename it--but at the risk of soft-bricking / bootlooping your device.

You mentioned that you have rooted your device, but do you have the ability to install a custom recovery? I ask this because that would allow you several additional options:

- the ability to make a Nandroid backup and be able to restore your device should the aforementioned soft-bricking/looping happen

- the ability to find a custom ROM that could have the init*.rc files modified to remove the wifi-related services

- you could also try to find a kernel dev familiar with your device willing to either tell you exactly how to disable wifi in a not-easily-reversible manner or propose having them building you a kernel with that hardware disable

It looks like there's an active development area over at XDA (assuming your device is the "Samsung Galaxy Core" and not one of the other variants?):

http://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-core/development​

All this being said, these are still reversible processes, albeit a bit harder than uninstalling or stopping an app like mine (even if it were installed in the /system partition).

Also, I don't know 100% for sure if this is your device, but here is tear-down video for "Samsung Galaxy Core LTE 4G SM-G386F Teardown Disassembly and Assembly":

Not sure if your's is the "LTE" version, though. I'm still watching it, but I don't know what key part(s) might be accessible and/or wifi-related that would allow you to disable the wifi.

Edit: and this page, shows an image for where/what the antenna might be (not sure if that's wifi, cell, or combo antenna, though):

https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Samsung+Galaxy+Core+Screen+Replacement/25383

 

[AZgl1500]

I appreciate your candidness in explaining the "why", and I had heard that is as bad a disease as "smoking" is and just as hard to kill the habit.

But, I think for your current situation, that trading the phone for one that does not support WiFi or Data at all is about the only real solution. Any flip phone can still do SMS, and it seems that removing the internet from a smartphone leaves you only SMS and 1x type service anyway.

 

[FlatEarth]

With all of your generous help, I am happy to report I have found a solution to this issue which I don't know how to undo, so it's perfect!

The very first response from @AZgl1500 was ultimately what I used, with my own twist on things.
I downloaded and installed macrodroid, then created a macro to flick off wifi whenever it is turned on, and it works like a charm. Then, I needed a way to both hide and password protect the uninstall of Macrodroid, and I found the perfect program to make this happen.

It's called App Hider Android App and after hiding Macrodroid I got a friend to change the password (needed to access this hidden app icon) to something I don't know, and the rest is history. Problem Solved.

 

[scary alien]

Awesome, @FlatEarth--very glad you found an acceptable solution!

 

[Hadron]

And a safer one than disconnecting components

 

[thepslayer]

There is a file in /system/lib/modules/ called wlan.co . I renamed this file and the WiFi no longer works. I don't knw if this file affects anything else but it did diable the WiFi for me.