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The Complete
Guide to
Rooting Your
Android Phone
or Tablet
Written by Khamosh Pathak

Published August 2017.

Read the original article here: http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/take-control-android-rooting-

guide/

This ebook is the intellectual property of MakeUseOf. It must only be published in its original
form. Using parts or republishing altered parts of this ebook is prohibited without permission
from MakeUseOf.com.


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Table of contents
The Advantages of Root Access 4
Things You Lose by Rooting 6
Rooting Dictionary 7
Back up Before You Root 8
How Rooting Actually Works 9
Should You Root? 10
Why You Probably Shouldn’t Use One Click Tools 11
How to Root Your Android Phone 13
Install a Custom ROM 15
Root Apps You Must Try 16
Stay Vigilant 18

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The Android phone you’re using right now is running in a sandboxed environment. Unlike your
Windows PC or Mac, you can’t go looking around or messing with system files. You can only
operate within predefined parameters that are defined by Google and your manufacturer. Root
access is the way to break free.

In the simplest terms, rooting your Android phone means taking control of your entire device,
right from the code that’s running the operating system. It is beautiful, dangerous, and super
rewarding. Rooting gives you access to system files, folders, and system commands — things
that are normally hidden from the user.

Once you have root access, you’ll be able to do things mere mortals can only dream of. You’ll be
able to remove carrier bloat, update to the latest version of Android even if it’s not officially
supported, and you’ll be able to mod every part of the software. But as our friendly
neighborhood superhero always says: With great power comes great responsibility.

Which brings us to the question — is it worth it?

The Advantages of Root Access

It’s important to note that just gaining root access won’t immediately solve all your problems.
Rooting will just give you the power to do so. Here are all the clear advantages of using a rooted
Android phone.

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Remove bloatware: You’ll be able to remove carrier or manufacturer bloatware that was
preinstalled on your phone.

Better backups: You’ll be able to back up individual apps along with their app data using Titanium
Backup. And a Nandroid backup will let you backup your entire operating system with just a tap.

Custom ROMs: If your phone is running slow, just switch to a custom ROM. It usually comes with
the latest version of Android and the latest security patches. Most custom ROMs run on stock
Android, so your phone will run much faster.

Extra apps and features: You’ll be able to run apps that aren’t available on the Play Store, and
you’ll be able to tweak not just the software, but the hardware as well (by overclocking and
underclocking the CPU).

Extended life: The HTC HD 2 is a legend in the rooting world. The phone was released in late
2009, but thanks to custom ROMs, it is able to run Android 7.0 Nougat seven years after its release.
For you, a custom ROM could mean an extra year or two out of your current phone.

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Things You Lose by Rooting

Let’s talk about the cons. While it’s no longer illegal to root your Android phone in countries like
the US, you do void your warranty by doing so. That’s not the end of the world, though, because
you can usually unroot your device and get back to stock if you want. After that, it should be back
under warranty. Some manufacturers implement ways to know if you’ve ever rooted, but there
are often workarounds for those.

Something that will affect you on a day-to-day basis is the incompatibility with some
apps. Apps like WhatsApp and Netflix will throw up a warning. Certain banking apps might lock
you out entirely. Once you’re rooted, you’ll need to be wary of software updates. A major update
might affect your root status, and if you have customizations installed, you could end up
bricking your phone.

Lastly, you’ll need to be extra careful about what you do with your phone. Because apps have
root access, a malicious app or tweak can do much more damage now.

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Rooting Dictionary
Bootloader: The bootloader is the piece of software on your phone that boots up the system
recovery and the operating system. When you boot up the phone, this is the first piece of
software that runs.

Root: The term “root” is a relic of the Linux world (Android runs on Linux). Gaining root access
means gaining administrator or superuser access to the entire device, at its most basic level.

Recovery: The first thing the bootloader rings up is the recovery. A custom recovery like TWRP
will let you back up the entire device, flash tweaks, and install a new custom operating system.

Custom ROM: A custom ROM is a replacement operating system. It’s compatible on the most
fundamental level, but customized or changed in some other aspect. A custom ROM can have
special apps, extra features, or tweaks to the code that make your phone faster and more
secure.

SuperUser: When you root your phone, it installs a “su” binary. You can use apps like SuperSU
to manage superuser access. Grant it to apps so they can interact with the root level of the
operating system.

ADB: Android Debug Bridge lets you communicate to your Android device from your PC using
the command line. For some devices, this is the only way to gain root access.

Kernel: A kernel is what sits between the phone’s hardware and software, making it easy for the
software to communicate, interact, and tinker with the hardware. If you’re the ambitious kind,
you can switch out the kernel for something custom. This can give you a performance increase and
access to more features.

Xposed Framework: Xposed is a modding tool. The modules available for Xposed let you tweak
system and app behavior. You can get features from custom ROMs without actually switching
to one.

Brick: When your phone just won’t boot up, it’s officially bricked. Don’t worry — you can usually
get it up and running again by restoring a Nandroid backup.

Nandroid: Once you’re rooted, you’ll be able to perform Nandroid backups using the custom
recovery. This backs up your entire phone, including apps and data that you can restore after
you’ve installed a different custom ROM. So even if you update a ROM, you won’t lose out on any
data.

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Back up Before You Root
When the bootloader is unlocked, all your data will be wiped in the process. So it’s really
important you backup your data before you take the first step.

Android doesn’t have a singular backup system for all apps and data (although you’ll gain this
ability once you’re rooted). As rooting can be a risky affair, it’s best to back up all your
important data first — contacts, messages, work documents, images, etc. To make sure your
Google data is being synced to Google’s servers, go to Settings > Accounts > Google.

For contacts and email, just make sure Google sync is enabled, and should be good to go (as
long as you use Gmail). For Photos, you can either copy them to your PC or upload them to
Google Photos. For any important documents you might have on your device, we recommend you
upload them to Google Drive or Dropbox.

There are also a few apps that can help you back up other bits of data you may have lying around.

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How Rooting Actually Works

Usually, rooting is a three-step affair: Unlock the bootloader, flash a new recovery, then use the
new recovery to flash a .ZIP file that will give you root access.

The first thing you need is an unlocked bootloader. For most popular devices, there’s some kind
of workaround to unlock the bootloader. Before going forward, check if your device’s bootloader
can be unlocked via a quick Google search. Every Android device is different.

Once the bootloader is unlocked, the next thing is to switch from the system recovery to a
custom recovery. A third-party recovery like TWRP lets you do things like flash .ZIPs, install
tweaks, make backups, and execute commands. We’ll use our new recovery to flash a .ZIP that
will give us root access.

Once you’re running a recovery like TWRP, you’ll flash a SuperSU file that gives you root access.
When you reboot your device, you’ll find that nothing has actually changed. You just gained the
power to make changes. Don’t worry, real change is coming. We’ll talk about installing a new
ROM, managing tweaks, and using root-enabled apps in the sections below.

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Should You Root?

Now that you know what rooting is, the advantages, and how exactly you go about it, now is the
time to ask the question: Should you root? Using a rooted phone is (and I say this without a
hint of irony), a lifestyle. Just like brewing your own beer or building retro game consoles is a
lifestyle. For some people, it works; for some, it doesn’t.

At this point, you have to decide if it works for you. Or you can decide once you’ve already tried
using a rooted device. If you’re excited about the notion of complete control over your Android
device (and everything that entails), go for it. If you’re desperate for better performance out of
the machine, go ahead and install a custom ROM.

Just keep in mind that you’ll need to be mindful of a lot of things, and you’ll need to do your due
diligence before making a significant change to the operating system. Because when it comes
to the root life, there are no shortcuts.

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Why You Probably Shouldn’t Use One Click Tools
If your device has an unlockable bootloader, there are 2 major directions you can take. You can
either go the old-fashioned way, or you can use a one click tool.

The old-fashioned way entails connecting your Android phone to your PC and manually passing
commands to the phone using the command line.

The appeal of a one click tool (one that works from the device itself or via a PC) is that it takes
care of everything for you. The manual route gives you more control over the process and is far
more reliable. When it comes to one click tools, you’re at the mercy of its developer and how well
it’s customized for your device.

You’ll find many one click rooting tools like KingRoot, KingoRoot, CF-Auto-Root, OneClickRoot, and
so on.

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Here’s how a one click rooting tool like KingRoot works. KingRoot is just a database of exploits.
When you use the app, it uploads your device details to its server and downloads the relevant
exploit back on the device which disables the security parameters. This allows the app to gain
root access.

The problem is that their use of exploits makes them notoriously unreliable. Exploits are
usually blocked with software updates. And sometimes they may vary depending on the version
of the operating system and the type of phone it is.

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Apps like KingRoot and KingoRoot install their own cleaner apps in the process. So even if your
phone does end up being rooted, you’ll now have more bloatware to deal with. Plus, utilities like
KingRoot only work if you have an unlocked bootloader, and they don’t install a custom recovery
like TWRP. If your end goal is to run a custom ROM, it’s better if you go through the manual
process.

The advice for using a one click rooting tool is simple: Only use it if it’s your only option.

How to Root Your Android Phone

Thousands of different devices, hundreds of tools, and dozens of Android versions mean there
are a million different ways to root an Android phone. But all you really need to think about is
how it works for your device.

If you have a Nexus, Pixel, OnePlus, LG, or HTC phone, the process will be quite straightforward
(even if it is slightly tedious). If you’re using something from an obscure brand, it’s going to be
a bit harder. If you’re using a carrier-locked Samsung flagship like the Galaxy S8, it might be
downright impossible. Let’s find out.

Open a new browser tab because it’s time for some good old-fashioned internet research! First
of all, go to the XDA Developers forum and search for your device.

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XDA is the best community resource for everything related to rooting, modding, and custom
ROMs. You’ll find detailed guides on how to root your device, how to install custom ROMs, and
more. More importantly, the guides there will always be up-to-date. Certainly, more so than any
step-by-step process I could outline for you here.

Alternatively, search on both Google and YouTube for phrases like “how to unlock (your phone
here) bootloader” or “how to root (your phone here)”. Here’s the rule of thumb — favor the
community-based result. A guide for rooting the OnePlus 3T that’s hosted on the official OnePlus
forum is going to be far more helpful than what some blog wrote about. Once you find the forum
post, read the comments and cross check the steps with a couple of different sources.

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The steps will vary based on different devices but this is usually the way it goes:

1. On your PC, you’ll need to install ADB and Fastboot drivers. On your phone, enable USB
Debugging.

2. Once your phone is connected to the PC, put it in Fastboot mode and use the command
prompt to send the commands to the phone. This is how you’ll unlock the bootloader and
then install a custom recovery like TWRP.

3. Boot into the TWRP custom recovery, flash the SuperSU file that you’ve copied over to the
device, and you’re rooted. Run the Root Checker app to confirm root access.

Install a Custom ROM

Now that you’re rooted, you’ll want to install a custom ROM. This time, the process is mostly the
same no matter what device you’re using. It’s important to note that when you install a custom
ROM, you’re basically replacing the entire operating system with a new one. So you’ll lose all
your data.

This is why you should first make a Nandroid backup in case the custom ROM doesn’t work out.
In the TWRP recovery, tap on Backup to get started. Also, back up individual apps and data
using Titanium Backup so that once the custom ROM is installed, you can restore all your
favorite apps just they way there were.

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After you’ve made sure that the custom ROM is compatible with your device, download it to the
internal memory of your phone. Boot into the TWRP recovery, find the file, and flash it. When you
reboot, you’ll be running an entirely new operating system. Here are a few of the major custom
ROMs you should look into: LineageOS, PAC-ROM, Paranoid Android.

Root Apps You Must Try

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Titanium Backup: If you’re going to be a custom ROM hopper, Titanium Backup is the first app
you should install after rooting. The app will let you backup apps along with their data. You can
even sync it using cloud services like Dropbox so that your app data will always be safe even if
your phone ends up bricked.

Greenify: Greenify is the best way to improve your phone’s battery life. Greenify shows you
which apps are running in the background and how many times they’re waking up your device
from sleep. You can then decide to freeze background processes on a per-app basis. It’s like the
Doze feature, but on steroids.

Tasker: Tasker is a powerful automation app. You can set up IFTTT-style workflows that initiate a
program you’ve already configured. You can have the lights turn off when you leave your house
or automatically launch Spotify when you connect to your Bluetooth headphones.

Xposed Framework: The Xposed Framework app is required to install certain mods. The rich
library of Xposed modules will let you tweak your device to your heart’s content. Currently, the
Xposed Framework only works reliably on Lollipop and Marshmallow devices.

Nandroid Manager: This app lets you interact with your Nandroid backups. You can extract files
from them or easily backup apps and data.

Flashify: As a frequent flasher, Flashify will make your life easier. The app makes it easy to flash
GAPPs, .ZIPs, kernel files, and more. Using Flashify’s interface is much faster than twiddling
around in the TWRP recovery.

Link2SD: The app creates a seamless link between your internal storage and SD card so the
apps think you’re just using your internal storage. This can help you move app data (especially
media) to the SD card without tipping off the app.

Magisk: This ingenious little app helps you hide your root status from apps. This way you
can download movies from Netflix even when you’re rooted.

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Stay Vigilant
As I’ve said before, rooting is a lifestyle and being alert is part of the package. So be careful
when you’re out there in the trenches, without the safety of the secure sandbox. Consult trusted
sources like XDA and you’ll be fine. Don’t just flash anything (and if you are a troublemaker,
make sure you’re all backed up).

Did you decide to root your Android phone? Why? What kind of apps and custom ROMs are
you using? Share with us in the comment section.
Image Credit: Niyazz via Shutterstock.com, Canon via Wikimedia Commons

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