[TOOL] Tickle My Android - Decompile & Recompile With Ease

[ForestCat]

Looking at your history text the APK decompiled fine. Whatever wasn't decoded is because of missing resources...

Thank you, man, these are the kinds of clues that may lead me to some success with this. I don't want to write a novel here, but I think background on what I'm trying to do will be helpful , certainly for anyone in the future with the same questions who stumbles on this in a google search. I have two identical rooted, bl unlocked SM-N910V's. One has an almost stock VZW 6.01 touchwiz ROM, the other has an almost stock TMB 6.01 touchwiz ROM. With a TMB SIM in the TMB-ROM'd phone, VoLTE and W-Fi Calling work. With the same SIM in the VZW ROM'd phone, it drops back to 2G/GSM for voice calls, and the menu items for enabling Wi-Fi calling aren't present. It does have 4G/LTE data working. There are differences in the menus relating to VoLTE and W-Fi Calling within the contacts/dialer apps between the TMB and VZW ROMs. I'm trying to mod the VZW ROM (MODestROM v11, my daily driver until VZW service went to hell in my area)) to be fully functional on the TMB network. My admittedly newbie approach to this has been to search for VoLTE-related strings that are unique to the TMB contacts/dialer menus, within decompiled priv-app apks that have names that seem related to telephone function, and transplant the apks containing those strings. OK, stop laughing, I really AM trying . If I read you right, you're saying the reason I can't find a string is the same reason this apk is throwing "S: Could not decode file" errors, i.e. those menu/settings text strings exist in some other resource, perhaps a CSC/carrier-specific apk/jar/etc? Is there some way to identify and/or satisfy those dependencies, short of 'apktool if every_single_apk_in_the_phone', if that would even work. I feel like there has to be a better way than trial & error. It's frustrating because I KNOW it's not the h/w. And both of the phones have VZW modem/baseband firmware! I sure do appreciate the help, and I apologize for drifting off-topic. Thanks.

 

[ForestCat]

Can you upload the three files?

Here you go. Thanks!

 

[Tulsadiver]

Here you go. Thanks!

Kind of weird. Almost like the framework files are for something else. I tried just installing SecContacts as a framework. Apktool picked up the last framework I had installed under c:/usrers as the framework to use as 1.apk and the "invalid data detected, skipping 4 bytes" errors went away....the "could not decode file errors replaced by false" errors remained.

 

[ForestCat]

Kind of weird. Almost like the framework files are for something else.

One thing I need to mention: Almost every other apk in priv-app decompiles with no errors using apktool v2.1.1 through 2.3.1. Not this secContacts bugger. There is a LOT of carrier-specific stuff in there. I just want to know where the settings/menus are coming from, if not within this apk itself.

 

[Thebear j koss]

One thing I need to mention: Almost every other apk in priv-app decompiles with no errors using apktool v2.1.1 through 2.3.1. Not this secContacts bugger. There is a LOT of carrier-specific stuff in there. I just want to know where the settings/menus are coming from, if not within this apk itself.

If you're talking carrier specific things, there will be carrier specific jars, apks, .prop files, etc that will not be located in your contacts, phone, messaging apks. Carrier specific stuff is usually added into the builds after device manufacturer releases their build. I never really messed with carrier swapping as there are a lot of differences in radios, modems, hardware that can leave you with a brick if something goes wrong. But the files or codes you are looking for are most likely not where you are looking for them.

 

[ForestCat]

If you're talking carrier specific things, there will be carrier specific jars, apks, .prop files, etc that will not be located in your contacts, phone, messaging apks. Carrier specific stuff is usually added into the builds after device manufacturer releases their build. I never really messed with carrier swapping as there are a lot of differences in radios, modems, hardware that can leave you with a brick if something goes wrong. But the files or codes you are looking for are most likely not where you are looking for them.

Found this in the manifest for the contacts apk:
<uses-library android:name="touchwiz"/>
<uses-library android:name="smatlib" android:required="false"/>
<uses-library android:name="commonimsinterface" android:required="false"/>
<uses-library android:name="imsmanager" android:required="false"/>
<uses-library android:name="TmoWfcUtils" android:required="false"/>

Guessing these are why apktool is throwing errors? No idea how to import/include them in the decompile, since they are .jar files.

 

[Thebear j koss]

Found this in the manifest for the contacts apk:
<uses-library android:name="touchwiz"/>
<uses-library android:name="smatlib" android:required="false"/>
<uses-library android:name="commonimsinterface" android:required="false"/>
<uses-library android:name="imsmanager" android:required="false"/>
<uses-library android:name="TmoWfcUtils" android:required="false"/>

Guessing these are why apktool is throwing errors? No idea how to import/include them in the decompile, since they are .jar files.

It doesn't really matter, what you are trying to accomplish will need to be handled a completely different way. Also, there aren't any errors in the decompile. Errors means it wasn't decompiled which in fact the APK was successfully decompiled. Those files listed above are called libs (libraries) which are basically shared resources that multiple apps rely on to function. See here- https://developer.android.com/studio/projects/android-library#Convert

 

[Teracotta]

one of the androidmanifest.xml is not decompile, here is error

Exception in thread "main" brut.androlib.AndrolibException: brut.directory.DirectoryException: java.util.zip.ZipException: zip END header not found
at brut.androlib.ApkDecoder.hasResources(ApkDecoder.java:315)
at brut.androlib.ApkDecoder.decode(ApkDecoder.java:103)
at brut.apktool.Main.cmdDecode(Main.java:170)
at brut.apktool.Main.main(Main.java:76)
Caused by: brut.directory.DirectoryException: java.util.zip.ZipException: zip END header not found
at brut.directory.ZipRODirectory.<init>(ZipRODirectory.java:55)
at brut.directory.ZipRODirectory.<init>(ZipRODirectory.java:38)
at brut.directory.ExtFile.getDirectory(ExtFile.java:52)
at brut.androlib.ApkDecoder.hasResources(ApkDecoder.java:313)
... 3 more
Caused by: java.util.zip.ZipException: zip END header not found
at java.base/java.util.zip.ZipFile$Source.findEND(Unknown Source)
at java.base/java.util.zip.ZipFile$Source.initCEN(Unknown Source)
at java.base/java.util.zip.ZipFile$Source.<init>(Unknown Source)
at java.base/java.util.zip.ZipFile$Source.get(Unknown Source)
at java.base/java.util.zip.ZipFile$CleanableResource.<init>(Unknown Source)
at java.base/java.util.zip.ZipFile.<init>(Unknown Source)
at java.base/java.util.zip.ZipFile.<init>(Unknown Source)
at java.base/java.util.zip.ZipFile.<init>(Unknown Source)
at brut.directory.ZipRODirectory.<init>(ZipRODirectory.java:53)
... 6 more

[email protected] --- File Not Decompiled

how I decode? appears encrypted, not obfuscated

Thank you, man, these are the kinds of clues that may lead me to some success with this. I don't want to write a novel here, but I think background on what I'm trying to do will be helpful , certainly for anyone in the future with the same questions who stumbles on this in a google search. I have two identical rooted, bl unlocked SM-N910V's. One has an almost stock VZW 6.01 touchwiz ROM, the other has an almost stock TMB 6.01 touchwiz ROM. With a TMB SIM in the TMB-ROM'd phone, VoLTE and W-Fi Calling work. With the same SIM in the VZW ROM'd phone, it drops back to 2G/GSM for voice calls, and the menu items for enabling Wi-Fi calling aren't present. It does have 4G/LTE data working. There are differences in the menus relating to VoLTE and W-Fi Calling within the contacts/dialer apps between the TMB and VZW ROMs. I'm trying to mod the VZW ROM (MODestROM v11, my daily driver until VZW service went to hell in my area)) to be fully functional on the TMB network. My admittedly newbie approach to this has been to search for VoLTE-related strings that are unique to the TMB contacts/dialer menus, within decompiled priv-app apks that have names that seem related to telephone function, and transplant the apks containing those strings. OK, stop laughing, I really AM trying . If I read you right, you're saying the reason I can't find a string is the same reason this apk is throwing "S: Could not decode file" errors, i.e. those menu/settings text strings exist in some other resource, perhaps a CSC/carrier-specific apk/jar/etc? Is there some way to identify and/or satisfy those dependencies, short of 'apktool if every_single_apk_in_the_phone', if that would even work. I feel like there has to be a better way than trial & error. It's frustrating because I KNOW it's not the h/w. And both of the phones have VZW modem/baseband firmware! I sure do appreciate the help, and I apologize for drifting off-topic. Thanks.

if you are trying to get volte, and the modem is the same, you need to flash the t-mobile CSC
most likely what happens is wifi calling works but volte doesn't

 

[Thebear j koss]

one of the androidmanifest.xml is not decompile, here is error



how I decode? appears encrypted, not obfuscated


if you are trying to get volte, and the modem is the same, you need to flash the t-mobile CSC
most likely what happens is wifi calling works but volte doesn't

I don't know what is not decompiling. I'm too confused at this point of who is doing what. Manifest shouldn't need to be decompiled. You can just extract it with 7zip.

 

[Teracotta]

I don't know what is not decompiling. I'm too confused at this point of who is doing what. Manifest shouldn't need to be decompiled. You can just extract it with 7zip.

there are two androidmanifest.xml, the encrypted one is under systemui.apk/original and define app parameters like API level
other androidmanifest.xml in systemui.apk defines app permissions

 

[Thebear j koss]

there are two androidmanifest.xml, the encrypted one is under systemui.apk/original and define app parameters like API level
other androidmanifest.xml in systemui.apk defines app permissions

What does this have to do with the switching of vzw note 4 to a t mobile note 4? I'm confused.

 

[Teracotta]

What does this have to do with the switching of vzw note 4 to a t mobile note 4? I'm confused.

my project is decode of systemui.apk
ForestCat is csc change

 

[Teracotta]

themeing help
I dumped the graphics from 4.4.2 drawable-xhdpi-v4 into 4.1 drawable-xhdpi-v4
they are not the same size as the 4.1 graphics
I edited dimens.xml with the sizes from the dimens.xml in 4.4.2
app fails to load
what other xml files need to be edited to accomodate the correct graphics sizes

 

[Thebear j koss]

themeing help
I dumped the graphics from 4.4.2 drawable-xhdpi-v4 into 4.1 drawable-xhdpi-v4
they are not the same size as the 4.1 graphics
I edited dimens.xml with the sizes from the dimens.xml in 4.4.2
app fails to load
what other xml files need to be edited to accomodate the correct graphics sizes

I'm not following 100% here but are the images all the same? Same names and same amount of images? If so, after building, just swap in the new folder with the new images into the original APK.

 

[Teracotta]

how to change icon of systemui.apk?
there is no "icon" png or qmg in the apk, but the systemui.apk clearly hs the correct icon even in different androids, so it's not that the icon is being overwritten by framework-res
I did see kitkat icon in framework-res and no icon in systemui.apk
only icon in systemui.apk is for ice cream sandwich

 

[Tulsadiver]

how to change icon of systemui.apk?
there is no "icon" png or qmg in the apk, but the systemui.apk clearly hs the correct icon even in different androids, so it's not that the icon is being overwritten by framework-res
I did see kitkat icon in framework-res and no icon in systemui.apk
only icon in systemui.apk is for ice cream sandwich

What icons are you talking about?

 

[Teracotta]

What icons are you talking about?

the actual icon of the systemui.apk

 

[Teracotta]

the actual icon of the systemui.apk

has to be edited in framework-res.apk

I decompile, recompile framework-res.apk and it cause bootloop, why?
changing the systemui icon platlogo.png does not cause bootloop
but changing lock screen sounds up.ogg and down.ogg cause bootloop
decompile/recompile and certify with same signature does not fix bootloop