Why should you root your Android phone?

Have you ever felt limited by your Android phone’s features and wanted to see its full potential? Rooting could be your answer. It used to be, for a whole lot of users. And while Android rooting isn’t as common today, it’s still a neat way to get the most out of your phone. This guide will explain everything you need to know about why rooting on Android works, the amazing things you can do with it, and the risks you should be aware of.

So, why root Android phones? A non technical answer would be because:

• You gain complete control over your phone and can bypass all restrictions.
• It unlocks the complete potential of your hardware.
• It increases customization to an enormous extent.
• It gets you tons of new features.
• Its fun. Being a geek, I enjoy flashing new custom ROMs and their updates to my phone and cherish new features.

Before we go in-depth, let’s understand what is rooting.

What is Rooting?

Think of your Android phone as a walled garden. You can do a lot, but certain areas are off-limits because of restrictions set by the manufacturer. Rooting removes those walls, giving you full control over your phone’s operating system.

When you root Android phones, you gain “superuser” access. This means you can modify system files, install apps that require special permissions, and truly customize your phone the way you want.

How to Root Android Phone

Rooting your Android phone is simple if you follow these basic steps:

1. Backup Your Data: Save all important files to avoid losing them. Don’t ignore this.
2. Enable Developer Options: Go to Settings > About Phone and tap the Build Number 7 times. Then, activate USB Debugging in Developer Options.
3. Unlock the Bootloader: Follow your phone manufacturer’s instructions (note: this may void your warranty).
4. Download Rooting Tools: Like Magisk.
5. Root Your Android Phone: Run the rooting tool and follow the steps. Be careful.
6. Verify Root: Use an app like Root Checker from the Play Store to confirm success.

Be cautious and research the specific instructions for your phone model before starting!

Why Root Your Android Phone?

There are countless benefits of rooting your Android phone. Let’s see why you should root your Android:

Flash (Install) custom firmware (ROMs):

Feature packed variants of Android made by geeks all over the world can be flashed to your phone. These can be customized and themed as per your choice and provide tons of features which your stock firmware will not have.

For example, popular ROMs like LineageOS or Pixel Experience can give you:

• The latest Android updates even if your phone manufacturer stops supporting your device.
• Extra features like gesture navigation, better privacy controls, and enhanced speed.
  

  Get updates quicker:

  When Android announced JellyBean, most devices were yet to get the Ice Cream Sandwich update. Your phone manufacturer may take months to release Android updates (and some phones are bound to not get them at all) but you do not need to wait for that. You can find up to date custom firmware for your phone online and flash it once you have root.

• Set a custom CPU frequency:

  You may overclock(set your CPU max frequency higher than its standard value) or underclock (set it lower than its max value). Overclocking helps if you have a slow CPU and want to run an app with high requirements. Under clocking helps in saving battery during journeys when you might not require high performance. A more efficient way of doing this is to flash a custom kernel with a custom CPU governor which too is possible
  

  Get past carrier restrictions:

  Phone carriers like AT&T, Sprint etc. usually restrict certain features like WiFi Hotspots. These can be broken with root.For example, you can use apps like NetShare to share your mobile data with other devices without paying extra fees.
  

• Get Apps that require root access:

  There are a few important and interesting apps that require root access to run. Like Root Font Changer, ROM Toolbox (Several tools for managing and customizing your phone), Greenify (Hibernate Apps to improve battery life), Root File Browsers, Root Screenshot, Root Tether, etc.
  

Better Battery Life

Rooting helps you take control of your phone’s battery usage. You can:

• Remove battery-draining apps.
• Use apps like Greenify to hibernate apps running in the background.

Rooting allows you to adjust settings like screen brightness, CPU performance, and network usage at a deeper level. If you’ve ever wished your phone would last longer on a single charge, rooting can make it happen.

Install Mods and ‘Incompatible’ Apps

Have you ever wanted to install an app but couldn’t because it wasn’t supported on your device? Rooting removes these barriers.

For example, some camera mods, like the Google Camera (GCam) port, are only compatible with rooted phones. These mods enhance your phone’s photography capabilities by adding features like Night Sight, HDR+, and Astrophotography, which may not be available in your stock camera app.

Certain apps are restricted by region or device compatibility. For instance, you might want to use an app that’s not available in your country or designed for flagship devices. Rooting bypasses these limitations, allowing you to enjoy any app regardless of restrictions.

Block Intrusive Ads Everywhere

Ads can be one of the most annoying parts of using apps and browsing the internet. Ads consume bandwidth and slow down your experience. By removing them, you not only save data but also enjoy faster loading times in apps and websites. With root access, you can use powerful ad-blockers like AdAway to remove ads not just in browsers but also within apps and games. This creates a smoother, distraction-free experience.

These were some of the reasons why root Android phones for better performance. But let’s not overlook the risks involved.

Risks Involved:

You might have read or heard that you may brick your phone (phone being rendered to an unusable state equivalent to a brick) while attempting to root it. Well yes, since you are playing with your system files you do run a risk of bricking your phone.

What you might not have heard is that the phone can be recovered 99% of the times by just flashing another firmware or flashing back the stock firmware.

Recovering the phone becomes difficult if you mess up the bootloader(which manages your phone’s boot) and are not able to enter Recovery mode(Recovery mode is where most of the flashing is done). But in this case too, you can use a USB Jig to enter Recovery.

It is very rare that all will fail. Tens of thousands of Android Users root their phones successfully. There is very little risk involved if you follow the instructions carefully. It would be fair to say that the benefits outweigh the risks.

Don’t feel good with root? It is possible to completely un-root your device back to its clean and boring state. This could be a work-around for the loss of warranty for rooted phones.

To learn how to root, do some reading about your device at the bible of Android: XDA-Developers

Bottom Line

Rooting your Android phone can completely change the way you use it. From advanced customization to better performance and unique apps, the benefits of rooting your Android phone are hard to ignore. However, it’s not without risks, so make sure you do your research and follow trusted guides. 

If you want to learn more about such tech stuff, be sure to check out Yaabot.

FAQs

1: Is rooting safe?
Rooting is generally safe if you follow detailed guides for your specific device. However, there’s always a very small risk of bricking your phone.

2: How do I root my phone?
The process varies by device. Search forums like XDA-Developers for step-by-step instructions tailored to your phone model.

3: Can I un-root my phone?
Yes, you can un-root your Android phone using tools like Magisk Manager or by flashing the original firmware.

4: Does rooting improve performance?
Yes, it might. Rooting lets you optimize your phone’s CPU, remove unnecessary apps, and improve battery life for better performance.

5: Will I lose my data?
Always backup. Rooting usually wipes your phone, so back up your data before starting the process.