Owners of the Samsung Galaxy S3 SGH-T999 from T-Mobile should be smiling from ear to ear because their Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS) phones can finally be rooted, deodexed, and debloated, thanks to the ROM released by RootzWiki member Whitehawkx.

The developer has pre-rooted the stock ROM for software version UVALEM of Android 4.0.4 ICS and went the extra mile by removing some of the T-Mobile apps that originally came with the factory ROM. It is completely deodexed, giving you more freedom when you want to theme or modify the stock ROM.

Considered the first custom ROM made for the T-Mobile Galaxy S3, the pre-rooted stock ROM may not have a lot of features like other custom ROMs, but it will make removing bloatware a tad easier when you have the ROM flashed to your phone.  Find out how to install this ROM by reading the rest of this guide.

Warning

• The instructions in this guide are intended for use with the T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy S3, model number SGH-T999. Applying these instructions on another device or model may produce undesired outcomes.
• The information in this guide is provided for instructional and educational purposes only. There is no guarantee that these instructions will work under your specific and unique circumstances.
• Use these instructions at your own risk. We shall not hold any responsibility or liability for whatever happens to you or your device arising from your use of the info in this guide.
• Read and understand the whole guide first before actually performing the instructions.

Requirements

• T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy S3 SGH-T999 with ClockworkMod Recovery installed
  • If you don’t have ClockworkMod Recovery installed on your phone yet, check our guide on how to flash ClockworkMod Recovery on the T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy S3 SGH-T999.
• A Windows PC
• Your phone’s USB cable
• Download the T999UVALEM ROM package to your computer (Deodexed_T999UVALEM.zip, md5sum: 25d7e9e172e421b59456de44ccddada6).
• See to it that your phone’s battery is charged up to 75% or more to avoid interruptions during the process.
• Backup all personal data on your phone to make sure you have a copy of your personal data (e.g., contacts, SMS, MMS, Internet settings, Wi-Fi passwords, and the like) in case the procedure in this guide erases such data.
  • For backup tips, check our guides on how to sync your data to the cloud and how to create local backups of your mobile data.

Instructions

1. Copy the T999UVALEM ROM package to the internal SD card of the phone. Do not extract the package.
2. Switch off your phone. To make sure it is completely switched off, wait until it vibrates and the lights on the Menu and Back keys go off.
3. Reboot your phone to ClockworkMod Recovery. To do this, hold the Volume Up, Home, and Power button together until the screen turns on.
4. Select Wipe Data/Factory Reset and choose Yes on the next screen to confirm the action.
5. Select Install ZIP from SD Card. Select Choose ZIP from SD Card and choose the Deodexed_T999UVALEM.zip file. To confirm the installation, select Yes – Install Deodexed_T999UVALEM.zip on the next screen to flash the ROM to your phone.
6. Once the installation is completed, go back to the main recovery menu and select Reboot System Now to reboot your phone to pre-rooted UVALEM ROM.

Awesome! Your T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy S3 SGH-T999 is now running on stock but pre-rooted, completely deodexed, and debloated Android 4.0.4 ICS firmware build UVALEM.