MOTO G 4th Gen How to Remove the Amazon Lock Screen Ads and Bloat Ware

[Tomsgt]

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Hey Guys as soon as i heard that Amazon was offering a device with ads for a lower price to amazon prime member i was pumped and ready to remove those ads as soon as i got the device in hand.
well Amazon has made it really easy for us in many ways.
You can just flash one file that i have put together to remove the ads and all of the amazon apps in one shot.


Requirements
Moto G 4th gen tested on the XT1625 and XT1644
Motorola Drivers installed
Motorola program RSDlite 6.2.4 or you can use this RSD-Flash Script for Mac or Linux
The Files and remove-amazon-bloat.xml file i created HERE

Steps
1. Boot device into bootloader / fastboot mode by powering down then holding volume down and power until it boots
2. Open RSDlite 6.2.4 and select the remove-amazon-bloat.xml
3. press START and wait for device to reboot thats it once rebooted your amazon apps and lock screen ads are gone.

NOTE If you are having problems with RSDlite and windows 10 use this XT1625-Amazon-Bloat-Ads-Remover-Without-RSDLITE
Also works on Mac and Linux now.

Extra Credit
If you have already unlocked your bootloader on your Moto G 4th gen you can do this same process with one simple command from fastboot mode.

fastboot flash oem oem.img

Rootjunky out


RSDLITE ON WINDOWS 10 NOT WORKING TRY THIS

https://youtu.be/njXQYn53SPc

If you want Amazon Underground apps back check HERE


Here is another method to remove ads and keep your ota updates working

 

[crutchcorn]

Noticed that even though you're flashing the OEM image, it still shows as an Amazon device. Can you update from the OEM image?

 

[Tomsgt]

Noticed that even though you're flashing the OEM image, it still shows as an Amazon device. Can you update from the OEM image?

This will stop the Amazon OTA Updates from working. Time will tell if this will make it receive Motorola OTA Updates or not.

if you want to restore your device back to Amazon bloat you can use my XT1625-Restore-Amazon-Bloat-Ads tool but you will need a unlocked bootloader. This script will flash the Amazon oem.img but it will look like it fails so just reboot the device and you will see all the amazon junky and ads are back. Then you can take the ota update or adb sideload it in stock recovery.
AMAZON OTA UPDATE CAN BE FOUND HERE


NOTE If you flashed the full stock Motorola Firmware with RSD lite you can use this Amazon oem.img to get your device back to amazon ota update path as well it works the same way.

once you take the ota update you can always flash the XT1625-Amazon-Bloat-Ads-Remover-Without-RSDLITE and have the ads and amazon stuff removed again or even better you can flash XT1625-Remove-oem-config-fully and get ride of all configuration on the device. this removes the consumer cell and other dum bloat.
View attachment 3813821View attachment 3813822

Here is another way to update to the new ota update on this device. download the stock firmware then just flash the servicefile.xml in rsd lite or use RSD-Flash Tool for mac or linux and you will update your device and not wipe data.

NOTE
If you left your bootloader locked and flashed XT1625-Amazon-Bloat-Ads-Remover or XT1625-Amazon-Bloat-Ads-Remover-Without-RSDLITE to your device it may no receive OTA updates from amazon any more and or they may fail to install. If this is the case you can always flash the stock firmware that i will be updating from HERE. If you use the servicefile.xml it will be just like you took the ota update and none of your data will get wipe, you will keep all your apps and data safe. also the ads should stay removed

 

[crutchcorn]

with this method the ota updates should still work from what i have seen

Kinda what I thought. Thanks boss, you're the man!

 

[xtermmin]

Wonder if flashing the full XT1625-XT1644_ATHENE-RETUS_MPJ24.139-48_cid50_subsidy-DEFAULT_CFC.xml.zip would get you out of the Amazon Software Channel.

 

[rodalpho]

with this method the ota updates should still work from what i have seen

Right, but what we (or at least I) want is to get updates from Lenovo/Motorola, not Amazon. They're certainly likely to update faster, and Amazon updates may mess with the debloating.

 

[Tomsgt]

Right, but what we (or at least I) want is to get updates from Lenovo/Motorola, not Amazon. They're certainly likely to update faster, and Amazon updates may mess with the debloating.

once the bootloader is unlocked you will for sure be able to flash the stock motorola firmware. but i think even with a locked bootloader you will be able to flash it. also you should use this firmware on the XT1625 HERE

 

[atrix4nag]

Just want to makesure..

just running RSDlite program will unlock bootloader, and remove amazon crap?

or I need unlock bootloader first, then rung the RSDLite?

 

[eriklee95]

RSDLite isn't recognizing the phone. Phone is displaying USB connected so it shouldn't be a driver issue.

 

[Gnex1]

I flashed twrp and flahshed supersu 2.46. Afterwards I was stuck in a bootloop, and after formatting caches and system (stupid, I know), I no longer have an operating system. The device is the Moto G4 XT1625 (amazon prime edition). What options do I have to get a working OS back on my phone?

 

[Tomsgt]

Just want to makesure..

just running RSDlite program will unlock bootloader, and remove amazon crap?

or I need unlock bootloader first, then rung the RSDLite?

first try and flash the file in rsd lite like i do in the video. if it fails then you will need to unlock the bootloader first but i think it will work without unlocking the bootloader please report back with your findings thanks

 

[Tomsgt]

RSDLite isn't recognizing the phone. Phone is displaying USB connected so it shouldn't be a driver issue.

is the phone in bootloader / fastboot mode like in the video

 

[Tomsgt]

I flashed twrp and flahshed supersu 2.46. Afterwards I was stuck in a bootloop, and after formatting caches and system (stupid, I know), I no longer have an operating system. The device is the Moto G4 XT1625 (amazon prime edition). What options do I have to get a working OS back on my phone?

just download the stock google firmware from here and flash it in RSDlite to restore the device. or you can download the stock twrp backup i made of my system and restore it in twrp.

 

[tcozman]

RSDLite isn't recognizing the phone. Phone is displaying USB connected so it shouldn't be a driver issue.

It isn't recognizing my phone as connected either. If I check via fastboot (fastboot devices) I see my device is connected. However RSD isn't seeing it at all.

Is there a way to just flash the stock Moto g gen 4 image? If so, how?

 

[Tomsgt]

It isn't recognizing my phone as connected either. If I check via fastboot (fastboot devices) I see my device is connected. However RSD isn't seeing it at all.

Is there a way to just flash the stock Moto g gen 4 image? If so, how?

you could fastboot flash the oem.img if the bootloader is unlocked

fastboot flash oem oem.img

 

[Gnex1]

just download the stock google firmware from here and flash it in RSDlite to restore the device. or you can download the stock twrp backup i made of my system and restore it in twrp.

I'm trying this right now, I'll let you know how it goes once it's finished!

EDIT: It brought the phone back to life and NO ADS!!! I'll update again if I run into any issues. Thank you once more for the assistance.

 

[tcozman]

you could fastboot flash the oem.img if the bootloader is unlocked

fastboot flash oem oem.img

That worked! Thank you so much! No more Amazon bloat!

 

[Gnex1]

It isn't recognizing my phone as connected either. If I check via fastboot (fastboot devices) I see my device is connected. However RSD isn't seeing it at all.

Is there a way to just flash the stock Moto g gen 4 image? If so, how?

I had this issue as well in Windows 10, however RSDLite recognized it fine on my windows 7 PC.

 

[Tomsgt]

That worked! Thank you so much! No more Amazon bloat!

glad i could help. can anyone please report and tell me it this RSD lite flash works on moto G 4th gen with locked bootloader please. it should but would love to have some reports on it

 

[markazali]

Sorry for the noob questions...

That worked! Thank you so much! No more Amazon bloat!

So I used ATHENE_MPJ24.139-48_cid50_subsidy-DEFAULT_CFC.xml with RSD and things look great. My software channel is AMZ though... can I fix this?

Was the issue not running RSD with the bootloader unlocked?