Advice about bootloader and root please

Hi everyone,
I got a FP4 :raised_hands:
Albeit, direct from Fairphone and not a Murena one.

Before I get started, I’d like to, in future, be able to back it up with Titanium or Helium backup, which need root, and TWRP for full partitions, which needs a bootloader unlock. However, I don’t want to leave it rooted or leave the bootloader unlocked. What’s the best way to go about setting up the phone to do this?

If I relock the bootloader, does this delete all user data?

Is it okay to relock the bootloader with TWRP installed or will it bootloop?

Even if this is okay, when I unlock the bootloader again then it will delete all user data won’t it?

And for rooting, I can follow the steps for using Magisk, but is it possible to leave it disabled most of the time (i.e. to allow banking and other similar apps to work)?

Magisk also means OS updates need to be done manually doesn’t it? So would I need to leave the bootloader unlocked?

Basically, I don’t want to start using my phone immediately without doing what I can to set up these things so I can use them in future, because I know that otherwise to set it all up in future will require a factory reset for which I’d actually want to have Titanium/Helium backup in the first place!

Thanks for your patience with my probably dumb questions!
Cheers :slight_smile:

Regain your privacy! Adopt /e/ the unGoogled mobile OS and online servicesphone

The root can be hidden for banquing apps run as usual
Only selected apps can get root.

Open Magisk settings

Image 1641578445.png

Hide the Magisk app

Image 1644064420.png

Name the app of your choice and click OK

Image 1644064425.png

Create shortcut when asked

Image 1644064862.png

Open Magisk settings again and enable Zygisk. Do not enable Enforce DenyList

Image 1644072391.png

Choose the apps you would like to hide from detection

Image 1641578481.png

Reboot to take effect.

This settings usually only work with basic detections. Before we go further, try the apps you want to use, see if it detect root or doing some strange fake bugs like connection error. If not, and you can use the apps perfectly, you do not need to hide more

If the apps are still detecting it, you need to install some modules to hide even more

You need the following modules:

How to install modules:

Go to modules tab and select Install from storage

No
but you have to reflash the modified boot.img after each update.

i don’t know as my device don’t allow relocking

Hi @piero,
Thanks for your reply and answering what you can. Having to modify and reflash the boot.img every time the OS updates sounds like a pain I’ll soon find tedious, forget to do, then screw up my phone. Sounds like there isn’t a solution for what I want to do.
Cheers :slight_smile:

Not modify each time, an old modified boot is good enought, it will be updated by the magisk app (still installed).
Just flash it using the already installed recovery manager. Also you don’t need to reinstall nor magisk, nor additional modules.

2 Likes

If you run “stable” build, the banking apps could work out of the box, without rooting

1 Like