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Change your Device Name and the Android version you're on!

Let me announce this before you start thinking that this article will do something magical. No, this article won't help you update your Android 4.1 phone to Android 4.2, it is just meant to fool your friends, mainly girlfriends (because they are not technically as sound as guys, no offense) by changing the Android version you are running and your device's model name and manufacturer.

This small tweak needs you to be rooted and is one of the cool perks you get once you root your device.

Stuffs Required: A rooted Android mobile, your wise brain, this guide, any file explorer which can access root files (recommended: root explorer)

Change your Device Name and Android Version:

  1. Open Root Explorer.
  2. Go to /system folder.
  3. Mount the system as Read/Write from the top right corner.
  4. You will find a file named build.prop there.
  5. Long press that file and open it in text editor.
  6. Find the line named ro.product.device and change that to anything you want your device's model name to be.
  7. Find the line named ro.build.version.release and change the value after = to anything you want your Android version to be.
  8. Press menu and hit Save.
    Screenshots from during the procedure
How to restore (just in case...): Your original file will be saved as build.prop.bak and you can rename that back to build.prop and delete the modified file. 

I hope you had fun customising your device by this guide. Let me tell you an interesting story before leaving, one of my friend had a Spice Mi 425. He got it laminated in such a way that the Spice logo on the back cover didn't appear, pasted a HTC sticker on the device, changed the device name and splash image and boot animation, and now he easily fools around people. Seems fun, eh?