Rooting your phone can unlock its full potential, allowing you to customise it in ways that standard settings don’t permit.
However, rooting can be complex and risky for even the best Android phones and the best Android tablets, if not done correctly.
This guide will walk you through what rooting means, how to prepare your device, the rooting process, and the pros and cons involved.
What does ‘rooting’ your phone mean?
The process of rooting your phone allows you to get into the nooks and crannies of your phone’s operating system, giving you access to options and systems that you wouldn’t otherwise have from the default user interface.
This allows you to get around many manufacturer restrictions that may have been put in place. Depending on how cynical you are, these restrictions are in place to either help make sure we don’t break the operating system or because these big companies don’t want us getting any more performance or functionality out of our devices – as ever, the truth is probably somewhere in the middle.
Regardless, if you do plan on rooting your phone you must make sure you back up your phone’s software before you start tinkering, in case the worst should happen.
What to do before rooting your device
It can’t be stressed enough that before you do anything, you should back up your phone – luckily for you, we have a guide covering how to do just that. Also ensure your device is fully charged or at least above 80% to avoid interruptions during the rooting process.
Keep in mind that not all devices can be rooted in the same way, so research your specific device model and the available rooting methods online.
Then, you’ll need to turn on developer mode and enable USB Debugging and OEM Unlocking. You can follow our guide on how to get developer options on Android for more in-depth guidance or follow the simple steps below:
- Go to ‘Settings’ > ‘About’ or ‘About phone’ and tap ‘Build number’ seven times to enable ‘Developer Options’.
- Go back to ‘Settings’ > ‘System’ > ‘Developer Options’ and turn on ‘USB Debugging’.
Many devices require you to unlock the bootloader before rooting. That’s why the exact rooting process will change depending on which software you’re using.
You’ll be able to find guides for each specific piece of software on the developer’s website, or try Dr.Fone’s root software.
How to root your Android device
Considering the amount of power and control that is available by rooting your phone, is it surprisingly easy to do. As with most aspects of our lives these days, there is an app to make it easier – and the same can be said here.
There are a wide array of apps you can use to root your phone, and we can’t stress enough that you need to do your own research before doing this – we’re not recommending doing it, we’re just telling you that it’s possible and that it can have beneficial results.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
If we’re going to recommend an app, Dr.Fone’s root supports a wide array of devices and also lets you unroot your device in future, should you feel the need. There are several other rooting apps that allow you to complete the process, including Kingo and iRoot, but these only work on much older versions of Android.
How to unroot your Android device
You may wish to unroot your device at some point, and as ever, there’s an app for that too.
SuperSU and Magisk Manager are two of the most common methods for this, but you can also flash your device with a stock firmware. However, be sure to visit their respective websites to learn exact instructions on how to use these apps. Once again, do your own research before doing anything.
Using SuperSU
SuperSU is a tool for rooted devices that allows for advanced management of superuser (root) access rights, for all the apps on your device that require root. Here’s how to unroot using SuperSU:
- Download, install and open the SuperSU app.
- Go to ‘Settings’ and select ‘Full Unroot’.
- Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the unrooting process.
Using Magisk Manager
Magisk Manager allows for systemless rooting and unrooting of Android devices. To unroot your Android phone or tablet, follow the steps below:
- Download, install and open the Magisk Manager app.
- Go to the ‘Uninstall’ section.
- Choose the ‘Complete Uninstall’ option and follow the prompts.
Flashing stock firmware
You can also flash your device with a stock firmware. To do so:
- Download the stock firmware for your device from the manufacturer’s website.
- Use a tool like Odin (for Samsung Galaxy devices) or Fastboot (for other devices) to flash the stock firmware.
Unrooting your device will remove root access and restore factory settings, potentially reinstating your warranty and resolving any issues caused by rooting.
What are the advantages of rooting your phone?
Rooting your phone means you essentially get the keys to the castle. You can remove manufacturer installed software (aka bloatware), enable settings you couldn’t get access to before and install software that allows your phone to run faster.
You can also customise almost every aspect of the user interface, allowing you to create a custom look and feel to your phone – or allow you to reorganise the interface entirely.
There are a range of root applications that make the idea very tempting, from blocking in-app advertisements and creating secure paths to the internet, to automatic back-ups and processor overclocking.
What are the dangers of rooting your phone?
Rooting your phone will almost certainly void your warranty, but if you keep a backup of the software you’ll be able to reinstall the default configuration if your device ever needs to go back for repairs.
Just as adjusting the registry on a computer, rooting your phone involves tinkering with the very core of the software – this can cause some real damage if done incorrectly and can cripple your phone. However, as long as you do your research and follow a trustworthy guide, you shouldn’t have a problem.
Stopping certain processes from running can grant far more freedom with your device, but it can also have some negative effects – security software that has been installed can also be deactivated which could leave your phone vulnerable, as most of us use our phones extensively, having data lifted from your phone could compromise anything from your social media accounts to your credit cards.