Simply because of the customization options it provides, Android is one of the most popular operating systems out there. In order to improve the performance of their devices, users can modify practically every aspect of their equipment. The build.prop file, which is your device’s configuration file, is essentially responsible for all of this. This file includes all of the configuration information for your device and the Android operating system that is installed on it. To further customise their device, many advanced users change this file. Our most recent article covered some of the coolest build.prop customizations for Android devices. Sadly, the perception is that you require a rooted smartphone because this is a system file. Don’t worry, though; there is a solution to that as well. Read on for our instructions on how to edit build.prop without root access if you’re an Android user looking for the build.prop file on your Android device but don’t have root access:
Edit Build.prop Without Root Access
Note:The next technique necessitates the use of a custom recovery, such as TWRP or CWM. For this process, you have the option to either install the custom recovery or even just boot via it. This is because recovery mode gives you complete access to system files. Additionally, stock recoveries forbid mounting the system partition, which is necessary for this to be possible. The following technique, which I tested on the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Moto X Play, worked flawlessly.
- To begin with, download and install ADB and Fastboot drivers onto your system, as shown here.
- Install an advanced text editor like Notepad++ or Sublime Text on your system. This is will be used later on to edit the build.prop file.
- Next up, switch off your device and head over to the recovery mode. Once there, tap on Mount . A list of all the partitions on your device will open up. Make sure the checkbox next to System is checked, and the checkbox next to Mount system partition read-only is unchecked.
- Once you ve mounted the /system partition, connect your device to your PC and open the ADB window. Once there, type in the following command to transfer the build.prop file onto your system:
adb pull /system/build.prop <path to save file>
For instance, I’d like to move the file to my system’s C:Beebom, so the command I’d enter would be:
adb pull /system/build.prop C:\Beebom
The build.prop file will now be moved to the selected directory, in my case C:Beebom, as you can see in the screenshot below.
- Now that your build.prop file has been transferred to your system, you can edit it easily using the text editor you downloaded previously. To do so, simply right-click on the build.prop file and select Edit with Notepad++ or any other text editor that you may have downloaded.
- A new Notepad++ window should now open and you should easily be able to modify the build.prop file. Once you re done with your edits, simply save the changes.
- Now that you ve edited the build.prop file, we need to transfer it back to your device. To do so, run the following command in the ADB window:
adb push <path to your file> /system/build.prop
Therefore, since my file is on C:Beebom, the command I’ll be entering is:
adb push C:\Beebom\build.prop /system/build.prop
- Now that you ve transferred the modified build.prop file, you need to set its permissions as well. To do so, open up the ADB shell by typing in the following command:
adb shell
- Once you re inside the ADB shell mode, type in the following command to set the right permissions:
chmod 644 /system/build.prop
The end of that. The ADB window is now ready to be closed. Now that your settings have been changed, your build.prop file has been updated.
SEE ALSO: Mac and Windows ADB Installation and Use
Edit Build.prop Without Root on Your Android Device
You may get more use out of your Android device by modifying your build.prop file. The extent of customization that Android offers, which largely depends on the build.prop file, is what sets it apart from other operating systems. And even though not everyone has root access, using the techniques described above, one can still change their build files. Remember to keep a backup of your build.prop file on hand at all times, regardless of what you do with it. That’s all I have to say about it, but do share any other tweaks you have tried to apply to your device in the comments section below.