Running the standard Android Drifta app on non-standard phones
Posted on September 9, 2011Before the hacked version of the DStv mobile application surfaced people were looking for ways to get the standard application to work on devices other than those supported, as well as on rooted devices. That playing around stopped with the hacked version. Now that DStv has taken to asserting their copyrights to the application a lot of people have not been able to get hold of the hacked application. The same outcome can be achieved without needing to infringe DStv’s copyright. Below is the short and more detailed version of this :
- If your device is not supported, you can change your device’s identity so that it looks like a supported device.
- If your device is rooted, you can temporarily unroot it using OTA Rootkeeper.
That’s it. Simple, yes?
Below is Johan’s feedback and instructions (edited a little with links added to make your lives easier).
Over to Johan:
WOW………works like a charm. A million “thank you’s” for the link to this app.
Went as follows:
I have an HTC HD2 that I have running Android Gingerbread (2.3).
I have also made the name changes in the root to reflect “Samsung GT-I9000” as per instructions on your website using ES File Explorer. (You only need to do these steps if you have an unsupported device)
- Get ES File Manager from the Market (link here)
- Open ES File Manager and go to Menu > Settings > Root Options and enable both check boxes (You must do this!)
- With ES File Manager, make a copy of the build.prop file that’s in the /system folder, just in case. Open build.prop and change these two lines:
- ro.product.model=’your phone’s name’ to ro.product.model=GT-I9000
- ro.product.manufacturer=’whatever’ to ro.product.manufacturer=samsung
- Reboot and you’re done.
I have un-rooted the device successfully with the OTA Rootkeeper App from Supercurio (link here)
Install the DStv mobile application (link to Android market place here)
Activated the phones Wi-Fi and connected to the Drifta.
The DSTV app on the HD2 sent a software upgrade to the Drifta and I then rebooted the Drifta.
The DSTV app on the HD2 immediately picked up the Drifta, displayed the channel information, I clicked on SuperSport 1 and up came the picture.
The picture quality on my HD2 is excellent as well as the audio with no lag or delays.
Thanks Johan
I will be interested to hear which devices this works on, please share your experiences.
Tags: android, drifta, dstv mobile, hacked, non standard, non supported, rooted, unsupported
Categories: Fun things to do, Gadgets
Please after temporarily unrooting my device,how do i bring it back to the rooted state…
25.11.2013 14:01
I am using Tecno N7 and it worked perfectly for me. Thanks Justin.. u really doing a great job here.
17.06.2013 04:50
I’m using Tecno N7 and it worked perfectly for me. Thanks man..
17.06.2013 04:42
I get the same with GT-I9100 phone is rooted did checkif was changed and it was also
it shows at about phone as GT-I9000 please help
25.04.2013 15:36
I got a lg optimus l7, and i’ve downloaded drifta application bt the phone cannot be authorysd by the drifta’d server…..and i’m so supryse bcos the device is also listed on a supported devices list…plz hell me…
30.11.2012 11:16
Hi Kb
Can you send through a screenshot of the error message? Need to try understand if its a problem communicating with the server or if the server isn’t recognising the phone. Also let me know which version of Android you are running on the phone
J
02.12.2012 08:29
[…] (Thanks to Justin Williams – http://j-j.co.za/2011/09/running-the-standard-android-drifta-app-on-non-standard-phones/) […]
22.03.2012 11:45
HI,
I have changed the ID device dont allow me to save the changes what can I do??
16.03.2012 09:36
Thanks!!! OTA Rootkeeper works on S2…
07.12.2011 08:46
Finally rooted my wildfire, after editing my build.prop file. It still can’t download dstv mobile from the market. maybe there’s more to edit in the prop file. Could you send my your prop file?
04.10.2011 15:27
Here is a copy of the build.prop from my HTC Desire.
http://j-j.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/build.propHTC_Desire.txt
Hope it helps.
If you have one of the other supported devices feel free to send me your build.prop files, will be happy to share, maybe it helps out some others.
04.10.2011 20:16
I’m trying to get it to work on HTC wildfire (not the “s” version), any ideas? Struggling to root 2.2.1 software.
03.10.2011 10:31
Try these instructions : http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=788776
03.10.2011 19:35
ps – I failed to say, the guide is to get Android on HTC HD2…
29.09.2011 09:45
Hi Johan. I have just created a bit of a noddy-guide for users on my blog. Your instructions and blog has also been plugged. (I am scared DSTV force you to take this down and feel users need to know how to do this.)
http://cyber7.l1fe.co.za
cyber7-out
29.09.2011 09:42
[…] (Thanks to Justin Williams – http://j-j.co.za/2011/09/running-the-standard-android-drifta-app-on-non-standard-phones/) […]
29.09.2011 09:40
Yes it shows the changes that I did.
Thanks a lot Justin for your help but not lucky by the moment, hope next update of the decoder or a new rom will work
28.09.2011 20:26
I have a HTC Desire, can send you a copy of the build.prop if you want try copy and paste some of the sections over ?
28.09.2011 20:37
Yes, even after changed the device ID to GT-I9000
28.09.2011 11:24
Arkaitz, sometimes it seems the saving of the ID change doesn’t work. Have you gone back and checked it still shows what you changed it to ?
28.09.2011 17:54
It doesn’t work on galaxy s i9003, it says not supported device!
🙁
27.09.2011 17:06
Even after you changed your device ID to make it masquerade as an i9000 ?
27.09.2011 21:52
Doesn’t work on galaxy I9003 es explorer says no working
16.03.2012 03:50
Is your device rooted?
16.03.2012 23:44
I just dont want to unroot my phone for dstv cause many apps on my phone are working only because its rooted. Is there no way around it?
25.11.2015 19:39
You can try OTA rootkeeper which allows temporary unrooting of the device in order to run the app.
07.01.2016 08:23