After rooting my Android and explaining what can be done, summarize what are the advantages and disadvantages of the root. It is clear that getting permissions on superuser for our mobile and install a custom ROM greatly changes the experience of the device, however, in recent years it is increasingly common to ask if it is worth being Android root.
For those who still have doubts and want to know what it means to be root, here we leave a small list of what we got. On the other hand, it is also important to know the risks that we will have and the reasons why it is not necessary to take this step either. In your hands is to venture into the root world and get the most out of your Android or continue to enjoy your mobile through tricks and applications, which in many cases are enough.
Advantages
We will start with the advantages and benefits of rooting the mobile. Anyone who does root on their Android for the first time will quickly realize the changes and the potential. Install new applications, eliminate those that we do not want … these are the reasons why a user could be encouraged to root their Android.
Do not worry about updates
There are mobiles that from one year to another stop updating. It is usual, in all manufacturers’ passes. Even Google does it. But thanks to the root we can install ROMs like LineageOS or Paranoid Android that work like a charm. If you want to give a second life to an old mobile this way is the one that better results will give us.
To all those who want to change Android, I recommend that you first try to root it, unlock the bootloader and manually update it with some ROM. The smartphone will remain the same, but the experience it offers has nothing to do with it.
Before changing your phone, try updating it with a custom ROM
Renew the Android version of an old mobile or simply get the latest update. Sometimes the device is new but the manufacturer is very slow updating, in these cases the community almost always goes ahead.
You can also check the Verizon ELD, that stands for Electronic Logging Device.
Squeeze the hardware to the maximum and optimize the battery
This reason is quite simple and I think all users are interested. Thanks to the root we can get better battery, better performance and in general, take advantage of the full potential of the internal components of the mobile. If you already have a high range you may not have that need, but over the years the speed suffers and with the root, we can give you that extra gear.
We have applications to modify the frequency of the processor, applications to analyse the battery and avoid wake locks… the options are very diverse. We can also remove applications from the system to free up space and get a memory that otherwise was not accessible to us. A good solution to charge the battery efficiently is using a Oneplus dash charger.
Everything to our liking: personalization to the maximum
Do we want an Ultra minimalist Android that is controlled by gestures? Do we want an open source version without apps from Google? Do we want rare icons and exotic sources? Do we want everything to look huge? The possibilities are huge and thanks to the root we can adopt Android to our needs.
The customization goes far beyond what is achieved by changing a launcher or installing an application. Thanks to tools such as Root Essentials or Xposed we will modify the mobile at any level.
Can you think of any customization? With root, you can install it on your Android
Activate additional or blocked functions
The mobiles add components of all kinds: processors, sound chips, wifi … are manufactured by various companies that do not always coincide with the manufacturer of the mobile. And most importantly, these components often offer services that are not activated base. Thanks to the root we can unlock functions that do have other devices similar to yours.
We can also implement modes and services that improve your mobile. As for example add compatibility with some application, improve the sound like Viper4android does or even expand the possibilities of the camera.
After SuperSU by Chainfire With root, the restrictions are removed. In fact, even some impediments like some applications do not work with root can be solved with tools like Magisk. Again the potential that is achieved with superuser permissions is above the standard limitations imposed by manufacturers.
Detailed control and security
Android is updated monthly with security patches. At least that is what is promised by many manufacturers. If we have root access, we can directly implement these security measures or control all the permissions in detail, although be careful because it is a double-edged sword. The applications can also get superuser access and interact freely with the system.
Another related issue is the possibility of blocking advertising to our liking. And who says ads says whatever it is trying to show. The root users have at their disposal tools to choose personally what will be shown and what will have access to each part of Android.
Improve your knowledge of the Android world
t may seem a minor point but it is probably one of the advantages that I appreciate the most after a certain time in the root world. If you are a user with curiosity about the computer world when you are root and install ROMs you can touch key elements such as the Android SDK, learn ADB and fastboot commands and understand how the kernel acts, Google Apps or battery management.
Rooting the mobile should be done at least once in a lifetime if only to know the full potential of Android
Having root means access to the bowels of the operating system to configure it to our liking. We may not need to touch anything, but the mere fact of seeing the process will already give us a lot of information. If you are Android users for years and have not yet given the step to the root world and the ROMs, I strongly advise you to cheer up at least once. Even if only to understand the possibilities of an open system like Android.
Disadvantages and risks
It touches to talk about the inconveniences and risks of the root. From here we have also written that each time it is less worth rooting the mobile. A few years ago it was very common to install cooked ROMs and modify the system to get real performance, but with the advance of technology and the improvement of the devices has passed in the background for many. Here we leave you a series of doubts and disadvantages that you should keep in mind before you root your Android.
Having root is not always that easy
We have applications like KingRoot or Nexus root toolkit to get root access easily. We also have popular ROMs like LineageOS that can be installed easily. But what is not often said is that these tools are only available for certain phones, the most popular. If you have a mid-range Huawei, a Samsung Galaxy that is not high-end or an LG, you may not have such simple tutorials.
If your mobile is used by few people, you will have less support
Related to the previous point, if your mobile is not a Nexus or a best seller it is very possible that the amount of tricks and ROMs for your mobile is much lower. More difficult to root, fewer updates, fewer tutorials … the world of the root is mainly based on the work of the community but if the one that exists around your device is smaller, you will have more problems to find what you want.
It is not the same to root a Nexus as a Galaxy J5, LG X Cam or Xiaomi Redmi 4X
And be careful at this point, because many mobile offers are the versions with double SIM or Asian and the ROMs do not work in the same way. The Galaxy S8 (G950F) does not have for example the same backup as the Galaxy S8 double sim (G950FD). And if instead of the Samsung we talk about a less known mobile, the problem is enlarged.
You can already do have many features without root
But I already do that without root. Control permissions, modify the appearance, and create gestures … nowadays we have many applications to configure Android to our liking without having superuser access. And they are right.
Tasker is one of those complex and powerful applications that many users have in mind when talking about root, but the truth is that you do not need to have it to work. We can create all kinds of automation without rooting the mobile.
Who needs root with all the applications we have on Google Play?
On the other hand, there are many tutorials to activate hidden functions that would be easier with root, but they can be done manually via ADB. A method to modify the Android system without having to root it. An example of this is to uninstall applications from the system or completely modify the interface with the SystemUI app.
The manufacturer does not understand
Do you lose the warranty of the mobile if I rooted? In the end, we must think that rooting the device can skip security blocks, avoid using pre-installed applications and generally use the device in a different way than the manufacturer had thought we would use it. So if we root and unlock the bootloader of the device we have to think that we may have problems with some types of insurance or guarantees, as it may not cover us.
Need to update manually
By installing a custom ROM we can get a superior version of Android, but there it will stay. To receive new versions or we remain within the same ROM, since some implement constant updates, or we must go back.
If you have a ROM forget about official OTAs from your manufacturer, or security patches, or updates that add new apps … all the add-ons we can have manually thanks to the new ROMs that come from the official, but again it will be installing it by hand.
If you root your mobile phone, your manufacturer will understand that you manage them by yourself
Risk of bricks complicated to solve
Almost everything has a solution, but it is true that installing ROMs and making root can unintentionally cause a brick in our device. It is that moment when the phone does not turn on since we have installed a file that was not or we have skipped a step. Following tutorials is easy a priori, but sometimes they are not exhaustive enough or for our mobile, in particular, it is not well explained. That’s when we liaise and cause these errors that make our Android unusable.
We have soft bricks easy to solve by entering the recovery and installing the ROM again, even hard bricks caused by installing a software that was not designed for our mobile. At that point we will have a nice paperweight that will look great in our drawer.
Incompatibility with some applications
The fight between SafetyNet and Magisk is the one that focuses all the looks of the root scene in recent months. Manufacturers, Google and multimedia services do not want you to have your phone rooted. That’s why they directly block their applications. They do it to avoid piracy and improve the security of Android. Safetynet wants to seal Android and avoid even downloading applications if it detects that it is rooted.
Many companies are banning their applications if the mobile is rooted. It has a solution, but it is another battle in which we wear ourselves out
Of course, the chefs work on avoiding the bans and we have versions that bypass SafetyNet’s security and allow the system to be tricked into believing that we do not have root. However, it is a fight and a reason why many can opt directly for the traditional version of Android.
Android every time works better
Download a ROM Upgrade to the Nightly. Switch to that kernel that has a 17% higher performance. Modify the volume button so that if I press it four times I will make a backup. The possibilities are endless but in the end, we just spent more time than you perhaps deserve. Using a mobile phone should be transparent, something that does not require effort and offers us what we want directly. Many users will want that level of performance, automation, and customization, but many others do not.
And we will end with the last reason and probably the main reason why the root scene has been decreasing with the passage of time. Today Android works like a charm. Many users already have access to Android 6.0 or higher and the performance is very good in the smartphones they take out, we can control the permissions and the level of customization is great. There are dozens of tutorials for Android that do not require root.
For all this, we understand that many users do not have the need to have root on their mobile, but from here we also remember their virtues and we encourage all those who have not tried that if they have a secondary device try to give it a new life by testing it. Do they outweigh the disadvantages? In what state do you think the root scene is?