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Flashing a new Chinese phone.. talk to me

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Chinaboy
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PostPosted: 09:26 - 18 Mar 2018    Post subject: Flashing a new Chinese phone.. talk to me Reply with quote

Bought a Vivo X20 Plus for the wife. Even though I can change the language to English, nearly all the apps relate to Chinese standards.

I have heard of flashing back to factory settings, but can I choose to get it back to full English and then download stuff like google and English apps.

I have just downloaded a rar file containing all the necessary files to do this according to the internets,(link below for info) but a bit scared.. can anyone offer some advice, ok, before you say buy an English phone lol I am here in China now and the price was good, I am not sure if this phone is even available yet in the UK.

Help is appreciated
thanks

https://www.mediafire.com/file/4maw0s3etdf0dgs/Vivo_X20_Plus_PD1710F_EX_A_1.6.8_QFIL.zip
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Lord Percy
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PostPosted: 12:54 - 18 Mar 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

I bought a phone here last month and had to do similar.

I followed the instructions on this website: https://techbeasts.com/how-to-install-google-play-store-on-chinese-android-phones/

In particular I used the second part - "How to install Google Play Store on Chinese Android phones using Google Installer." - the first part, where you just install the play store apk, doesn't always work because there are sometimes a few deeper things that need installing alongside to make sure google play services are working. So do the second part in that link, not the first part.

My phone still has a few generic Chinese utility apps on it (though a fair few were easily uninstalled), but most importantly it has all the usual google bumf that comes on a non-Chinese Android phone, in particular the Play Store.

I don't see the point in going for an ultra hard super reset to make the entire thing look like it was bought in an English speaking country. Sounds a bit vague and needlessly risky, when surely the only real need is to have the menu options in English and have access to Google services.
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Chinaboy
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PostPosted: 15:41 - 18 Mar 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi Percy,

Sorry if I sounded a bit vague, but the flashing thing was something I had read about. What you recommend appears to be a lot less severe so if I follow the instructions I should get the google stuff installed.

One question though, as we know google is pretty much off limits here, did you have to use a VPN hotspot to connect your new phone to be able to get the google apk file?

thanks for your help Percy. Where in China are you now? I am in Taicang, just north of Shanghai Thumbs Up
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Lord Percy
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PostPosted: 16:42 - 18 Mar 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

Chinaboy wrote:
Hi Percy,

Sorry if I sounded a bit vague, but the flashing thing was something I had read about. What you recommend appears to be a lot less severe so if I follow the instructions I should get the google stuff installed.

One question though, as we know google is pretty much off limits here, did you have to use a VPN hotspot to connect your new phone to be able to get the google apk file?

thanks for your help Percy. Where in China are you now? I am in Taicang, just north of Shanghai Thumbs Up


Yeah I'm pretty sure it'll need a VPN to get it sorted, given that google in general needs VPN stuff. Though I may be wrong about that. I guess it's worth trying even if you have no VPN. You'll definitely need one to complete the setup, login in to your google accounts etc.

I'm in Chengdu still. Still meaning to get myself over Shanghai way again, when time/money permits..!
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Chinaboy
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PostPosted: 07:22 - 19 Mar 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yes I have a VPN (Astril) that works well here so could use that via a hot-spot.

One thing I just found last night is that it only has one input method for messaging/typing which is the Chinese type, not even an alternative. The phone I changed to English, so I can read everything but now this... my head is starting to spin now!!
Confused
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UncleFester
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PostPosted: 07:39 - 19 Mar 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

You may well need to add a Google UK keyboard - presuming you have the option to?
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Chinaboy
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PostPosted: 00:44 - 20 Mar 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks Fester,

I think once I get out of China I can have free access to the world of google and download most things I want. It's just being in China right now you encounter all sorts of internets trickery and have trouble because a lot of stuff is banned. Thus I use a VPN, but even that gets a knock back sometimes.
I will see what happens in a couple of weeks after I leave, but thanks for the reply Thumbs Up
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M.C
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PostPosted: 01:09 - 20 Mar 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

Chinaboy wrote:
I think once I get out of China I can have free access to the world of google and download most things I want. It's just being in China right now you encounter all sorts of internets trickery and have trouble because a lot of stuff is banned.

Silence
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Lord Percy
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PostPosted: 03:35 - 20 Mar 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

Chinaboy wrote:
Thanks Fester,

I think once I get out of China I can have free access to the world of google and download most things I want. It's just being in China right now you encounter all sorts of internets trickery and have trouble because a lot of stuff is banned. Thus I use a VPN, but even that gets a knock back sometimes.
I will see what happens in a couple of weeks after I leave, but thanks for the reply Thumbs Up


You can get whatever apps you want on the Chinese internet! Western/English apps, I mean.

Paid apps and 'pro' versions too, for free.

Here's a keyboard for you: https://www.apk4fun.com/apk/10910/
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Chinaboy
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PostPosted: 04:20 - 20 Mar 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

Lord Percy wrote:


You can get whatever apps you want on the Chinese internet! Western/English apps, I mean.

Paid apps and 'pro' versions too, for free.

Here's a keyboard for you: https://www.apk4fun.com/apk/10910/


Thumbs Up
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UncleFester
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PostPosted: 07:42 - 20 Mar 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

From memory, once you allow untrusted sources, you can install pretty much whatever you like. Assume you've enabled developer mode on it?

Can you not download via computer, copy over to SDC and then manually install on the phone from a downloaded file?

I've fallen foul of Chinternet before, I used to support Uk folk working out there - was a constant hassle trying to get around restrictions.
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Chinaboy
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PostPosted: 00:46 - 21 Mar 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for the reply Fester, Thumbs Up

I got in touch with Vivo who now tell me that this model is for the Chinese market and has no international ROM (as yet) so flashing is not an option I dont think. But, they did send me a Google Play Store apk file that I downloaded to my laptop and installed via a cable. I now have an Icon for Google, but as I have no vpn on the phone cannot open, I will have to wait until I get to a google friendly country.
I can I think, do what you said Fester, just have to wait and see after I leave here maybe 2 or 3 weeks. I am sort of regretting my purchase a little, but the specs are good on the phone compared to other models... my bad I suppose. Crying or Very sad
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Lord Percy
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PostPosted: 04:14 - 21 Mar 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

Chinaboy wrote:
I now have an Icon for Google, but as I have no vpn on the phone cannot open


Does the app open at all? It should still be able to get to the part where it's trying to load or log in.

I'm just wondering if it's doing the thing that I said it would do:

Quote:
the first part, where you just install the play store apk, doesn't always work because there are sometimes a few deeper things that need installing alongside to make sure google play services are working. So do the second part in that link, not the first part.


In particular your phone needs have google play services installed (not the same as the google play store).
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Chinaboy
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PostPosted: 10:37 - 21 Mar 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ah.. maybe. It does try and start but is searching and never completes. Might be the connection not having a vpn. I will try number 2 like you suggested Thumbs Up
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Riejufixing
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PostPosted: 23:40 - 23 Mar 2020    Post subject: Re: employee time tracking Reply with quote

Juniorjames34 wrote:
A


No idea what that was bit I have marked it as spam.

I am annoyed about some of the things people are posting today.
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Polarbear
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PostPosted: 12:02 - 26 Mar 2020    Post subject: Reply with quote

Juniorjames34 wrote:
· Home healthcare professionals make visits only when doctors ask them to, and these visits are usually for a short period of time. In the case of in-home care, frequency of visits depends on the needs of the patient.

Veterans Aides and Attendants Home Care and Support services


Sod off back to yankeedoodle land with your spamming please. You are going to be very busy there shortly.
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bhinso
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PostPosted: 16:36 - 26 Mar 2020    Post subject: Reply with quote

Any Clips of "Veterans Aides" ?
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