To root or not to root? That is the
question. Rooting your Android device
definitely pushes you up a level or two
in your geekdom. It requires a certain
level of commitment, at least a little
savvy, and even a modicum of risk. So,
why would you want to bother?
We've got nine good reasons for ya.
What Is Rooting?
We talk about rooting plenty around
here, but here's the high-level look for
the few remaining uninitiated. Rooting
means gaining root access to your
device. When you take your phone out
of the box, while there are plenty of
settings you can tweak, you can only
alter what the manufacturer allows you
to. By gaining root access you can
modify the device's software on the very
deepest level. It takes a bit of hacking
(some devices more than others), it
voids your warranty, and there's a small
chance that you could completely break
your phone forever. But you know
what? It's still totally worth it for all the
goodies you get access to.
1. Apps Aplenty
If you've spent much time in Google
Play, you know you're not exactly hard-
up for good apps. But why settle for good
when you can have great. Once you're
rooted not only can you get more apps,
but the apps you have access to can get
way down deeper into your phone's
brains. In some cases you'll be able to do
things that carriers, manufacturers,
and/or Google may not want you to do.
Some will allow you to do things of
questionable legality. For example,
Network Spoofer uses your device to set
up a fake wireless network. When your
houseguests sign in, you can make ever
image they see inverted, or all of the
text fuzzy. It's a harmless prank, but of
course it could (but shouldn't!) also be
used for stealing passwords and other
nefarious things.
Where do you find all these root-only
gems? Amazingly enough, many of
them are still in the Google Play app
store. Google's much more relaxed
about rooting than Apple is about
jailbreaking. Some apps, like Tasker,
work for factory-shipped devices as well,
but get expanded superpowers when
you root.
2. The Latest OS Updates
Dammit, why am I always three updates
behind. This may be the most common
complaint among Android users, less
than half of whom have made it as far
as Ice Cream Sandwich. Between the
Google, the carriers, and the hardware
manufacturers, there are a whole lot of
shenanigans behind closed doors that
determines when (or if) your phone gets
an upgrade. Who has the patience?
Android's developer community, on the
other hand, is a hardcore bunch.
They're often able to get the new OS
onto a phone months before the carrier
releases the update, often along with a
few bonus features. Once you're rooted,
you just have to find the OS version you
want (optimized for your specific device),
and it's generally extremely easy to
install the latest and greatest.
3. Ditching the Skin
Android enthusiasts rightly hate the
software skins that hardware
manufacturers use to brand their
devices. They're often bulky, ugly,
unwieldy, or just downright not as clean
and functional as stock Android. They're
also a big reason those OS updates take
so long. You're almost always better off
without.
So root! Once you do, you can download
and install any number of custom-built
ROMs (different versions of the Android
firmware). Some of them are highly
customized and tweaked to add features,
and others are basically just stock
Android. Cleaning off an ugly skin can
be like a breath of fresh air.
4. Bloat Banishment
Android phones are plagued not only
with OEM skins, but with a fistful of
superflous apps that you don't want and
will never use. Generally, they're just
things to get you more entrenched in
the carrier's ecosystem. The best part?
You can't remove them. In Android 4.1
(Jelly Bean) devices, you can disable
those apps so you don't see them, but
they're still there, taking up space. Once
you've rooted your phone, you can use
Titanium Backup to delete them once
and forever. Just be careful you don't
accidentally delete something that your
phone actually needs, or you'll be sorry.
5. Speed/Battery Life Boosts
Phone starting to get laggy? Or maybe
you're having trouble making it through
the day on a single charge? Rooting
allows you to install customized kernels
(the software that enables the OS to talk
to the hardware, basically) that are
optimized differently. Some are made for
low-power consumption, and some are
built for speed. You can also use an app
like Set CPU, which enables you to
overclock or underclock your phone's
processor, and set rules for usage.
For example, you can set your
processors to go into overdrive when
you're playing a graphically intensive
game, but have them draw the bare
minimum power when the screen is off.
6. Extreme Customization
Android is already the most
customizable mobile OS out there, which
is one of its big draws, but if you root
your phone you can really go nuts. If
you want a total change, you can
download custom ROMs that look
nothing like Android at all. Want your
device to navigable entirely by gestures?
No problem, just install GMD Gesture
Control (see video). Prefer a sliding
keyboard when you're in portait mode,
but a tapping, predictive keyboard when
you're in landscape. Keyboard Manager
will automatically switch between your
keyboards of choice whenever you
rotate your phone. You can also add
features like widgets in your notification
bar, or can change the way certain
features look or behave, like the lock
screen, or notification bar. The sky's the
limit.
7. Infinite Features
Beyond just customizing your phone's
existing features, rooting helps you pile
on all kinds of wonderful new
weirdness. You'll love it.
Want to hook up your PlayStation
controller to your phone for better
gaming? You can. Want to set rules for
callers to decide who can and can't call
you when? Why not. Maybe your carrier
has blocked certain apps, or an app isn't
available for the country you live in?
There are Market Enabler apps that
trick your phone (and Google) into
thinking it's on another carrier or in a
far off land. Nervous about connecting to
the public Wi-Fi? Wifi Protector will keep
you safe from all kinds of ARP, DOS, and
MITM attacks. Or, you could put the new
Android 4.2 camera on your non-
Jellybean phone
. Accidentally deleted something you
wish you hadn't? Undelete might just
save your bacon. The possibilities are
virtually limitless.
8. A Free Wi-Fi Hotspot
You probably know that your phone can
function as a Wi-Fi hotspot, allowing you
to get your laptop (or tablet, or
whatever) online wherever your phone
has a data connection The catch? Most
wireless carriers charge you $10 a
month or more for that privilege, on top
of your regular data plan. With a rooted
Android device, however, you can simply
download Wireless Tether (yep, right
from the Android Market), create your
own mobile, encrypted Wi-Fi network,
and your carrier will be none the wiser.
If you do tether multiple devices to your
liberated phone, just make sure you
don't go over your monthly cap. Data
goes down a lot faster on a laptop.
9. Better Backup
There are apps out there that
kiiiiinnnnda back up your phone, but
generally it's pretty surface level stuff
(contacts, pictures, music, etc.). Once
rooted you can go way, way deeper.
Grab an app called Titanium Backup. Not
only can it back up all of your apps, but
it can back up all of the information
stored in those apps. So if you've been
doing great in Temple Run but you want
to wipe your phone and start fresh, you
can use Titanium to back up and then
restore the game, and you'll be right
where you left off. It's a nice security
blanket if you're going to be messing
around deep in your phone's brain.
In spite of all these benefits, only you
know whether rooting is right for you.
For some people it's just not worth the
time and effort. For others, it's a
godsend that allows them to use their
phones in a better way and for a longer
time. If you decide to take the plunge,
read up and make sure you follow
instructions carefully. After that, go hog
wild. It's your phone, after all.
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