Android Rooting: The deep truth

Android Rooting: The deep truth

The android OS is still considered to be among the best and most popular smart phone OS right now. It comes with a lot of capabilities and flexibility but most time, carriers and phone makers tend to restrict lots of the customization and flexibility.

There is nothing wrong with using your android phone as provided by your phone maker or carrier, though android super users who are tired of being at the mercy of their carriers and phone makers may want to experiment pushing their Android devices to new limits and rooting them. Android rooting opens up a world of possibility, whether its wireless tethering, speeding it up with overclocking, or customizing the look of your phone with themes. Here is what you should know before rooting your android device.

What really is android rooting?

Android rooting for those that don’t already know is the process of allowing users of smartphones, tablets, and other devices running the Android mobile operating system to attain privileged control (known as "root access") within Android's subsystem. It’s similar to having an administrator right in a windows system and jail breaking in an iOS. Rooting is often performed with the goal of overcoming limitations that carriers and hardware manufacturers put on some devices, resulting in the ability to alter or replace system applications and settings, run specialized apps that require administrator-level permissions, or perform other operations that are otherwise inaccessible to a normal Android user. The process of rooting an android phone varies from phone to phone but it all follows the same principle.

Why should I root my android phone?

There are lots of reasons why people do root their android phone some just for the fun of it and others to solve a limitation. Below are some of the limitations that can be scaled through android rooting.

•  Rooting enables you to remove any app that was preinstalled on your phone by your phone maker. Rather than simply disabling these bloatware titles, which is often the most you can do within Android, rooting can grant you a full uninstallation. This could be useful in freeing up additional storage capacity.
• Another important reason for rooting you android phone is to be able to flash a custom ROM. “Custom rom” is a custom version of Android, and it truly changes how you use your phone. It could take some time for a new version of android to get to our device but once rooted, you can often get some of the new platform features through custom ROMs in short order. This could, for some users, add years of life to an Android phone. Rather than buy a new phone, flash a new ROM.
•  Another reason why you could root your phone, is to be able to flash it with a custom kernel. Some android tweaks require a custom kernel which you can only flash with a rooted android device. The kernel helps the apps in your phone communicate more effectively with the hardware of your phone. A custom kernel can improve the phones overall performance, battery life, and can even add extra features like Wi-Fi tethering on unsupported phones.
• Another very good reason to root your phone is to be able to do a full backup. When your switching to another android device or for any reason want to restore your device to stock, you can make your life a lot easier by backing up your apps and settings first. That way, you can get your entire setup back in just a few taps. If your phone is not rooted, you can back up a few things like apps and data but won’t be able to back up system apps and data, or automate the entire process as well as titanium back up can. Titanium back up is not only used for backups, it can also uninstall those annoying battery-draining, space wasting crapware that comes preinstalled on so many phones these days. This features only work on rooted devices.
• Other reasons of rooting could include being able to install apps that are not incompatible with your phone, removing adds from apps, boost your device speed and battery life, etc.

Why you shouldn't root your phone

• Rooting a device can void your warrant. Some manufacturers or carriers will use rooting as an excuse to void your warranty. It’s worth keeping in mind that you can always unroot. If you need to send the device back for repair, simply flash the original backup ROM you made and no one will ever know that it was rooted.
•  Rooting a device can also lead to the risk of bricking the device. This is the big fear that everyone has else you might end up turning your device to a “glorified paper weight”. The obvious way to avoid that is by exercising caution when attempting to root your phone and pay close attention to whatever you're doing. Make sure that the guide you are following works for your device and that any custom ROM you flash is designed specifically for it. If you do your research and pay attention to feedback from others, bricking should never occur.
•  Finally rooting may introduce some security risks. Depending on what services or apps you use on your device, rooting could create a security vulnerability. For example, Google refuses to support the Google Wallet service for rooted devices.

How to root your Android

Rooting isn’t that straightforward because Android devices are not created equal. There are significant differences between Android smartphones, between manufacturers, and even between carrier specific versions of the same phone model. To root an android device, it’s always advisable to do some reading and research on the particular phone you need to root. The best place to find discussions about rooting, guides, and custom ROMs is definitely the XDA Developers Forum. Look for a thread on your specific device and you’re sure to find a method that has worked for other people. It’s worth spending some time researching the right method for your device.

Preparation for rooting

There are some things you need to do while preparing your phone for the actual rooting exercise:

•       Ensure your device is fully charged before beginning
•   Turn on USB debugging. On most android phones, the settings can be found in MenuàSettingsàDevelops option and then check the box next to USB debugging.
•     Most android rooting procedures require you to install some softwares on your computer. Softwares like android SDK is needed for most procedures and any other software that may be required.
•      And finally the most important, it is advisable you back up your phone. After all, you'll need something  to fall back on should you run into an issue.

Making the big decision

Gaining full root access to your Android device can be very exciting, especially if you’re the type of user that wants to tweak features, change settings and customize your device. How much of this customization depends largely on the device you have. If you have a shuttered device, like a Kindle Fire tablet, then it’s a great way to get the full Android experience.

The overall benefits for all Android users irrespective of device include improved battery life, root-only apps, custom ROMs, overclocking, an end to bloatware, improved performance, and the ability to upgrade your phone when you want. If you aren’t excited at the prospect of any of these things, then you should reconsider your decision on rooting.

Have you tried rooting your Android? Did you have a positive experience? Would you recommend rooting to a friend, or do you think it’s pointless? Post a comment and share your thoughts.