Rooting your Android phone means gaining access to its software at the root level, a level that will allow you full control over your device.
You might think that an operating system like Android, with its open source background, would already give users full control. But it is not like that: Android, like any other operating system, has its limits. Limit the apps you can install, the features your phone has, and how fast your phone runs. Rooting your Android phone removes those limits, although there is a bit of risk involved.
The following information should apply no matter who made your Android phone: Samsung, Google, Huawei, Xiaomi, etc.
Reasons not to root your Android phones
There are several reasons to root your Android phone. But let’s start with the reasons not to. Rooting your Android phone will most likely void any warranty you have. That means if something goes wrong, you’re out of luck.
So what are the chances of something going wrong? It’s hard to say. There’s a chance that rooting your Android phone could “brick” the device, essentially turning your expensive smartphone into nothing more than a piece of paper. But Android devices are said to be difficult to lock, and you may be able to revive an Android phone after the rooting process fails, should it be necessary.
While rooting your phone may void your warranty, it is not illegal. In July 2010, the United States Copyright Office revised the Digital Millennium Copyright Act to indicate that activities such as rooting or jailbreaking a smartphone are protected by the fair use doctrine of copyright law.
Reasons to consider rooting your Android phone
One of the most common reasons to root an Android phone is the ability to install a custom ROM. A custom ROM is essentially a version of the Android operating system that has been customized to work in a certain way. Custom ROMs include everything you need to get the operating system running on your phone, but have been optimized for better performance. One of the biggest custom ROMs in the industry is CyanogenMod, so be sure to try it out.
Better performance is one of the main reasons why Android users decide to root their phones. Rooting the phone allows you to overclock the CPU of the phone to make it run faster. (Note that overclocking a CPU can cause damage to the CPU, and can shorten its lifespan.)
A rooted Android phone can also run apps that have not been authorized, and can take advantage of features that may not be enabled on your phone, such as multi-touch technology or tethering. If you have an older Android phone, rooting can allow you to upgrade to a newer version of Android OS.
How to root your Android phone
Normally, rooting your Android phone is done by installing and running software on the phone. But the rooting process is not the same for all Android phones, and not all rooting apps will work on all phones. If you are interested in rooting your Android phone, you should look for available rooting options online. (If you Google “root” and the name of your Android phone, you’ll likely find a lot of information.)
Be sure to thoroughly research your options and try to find forums (eg XDA-Developers) where you can get advice from real-life users who have their own rooted phones. Good luck!
