Is Rooting still as essential as it used to be?
Is Rooting still as essential as it used to be?
Back in the day - rooting Android phones and installing custom ROMs were such a big part of Android. I remember so well using titanium backup and Greenify and Cyanogenmod and the list goes on.
Is it still necessary to root in 2023 though?
I have been on vanilla Android without root access for the past couple of years and at this point most root features have made it into the vanilla Android OS. What are your thoughts?
Necessary is a matter of perspective, and what it is you need your device to do. Mine is that if you don't have root (or equivalent) on a computer, you don't really own it. That's a philosophical point more than a practical one - I'd want root even if I didn't currently have a use for it.
Practically, here are some things I use root for in 2023:
- Advanced charge controller - limit battery charge to extend service life. Some devices have a built-in option now, but it's usually only a single switch for 85%. I usually set it to 60%.
- Backup of apps with their data (Neo Backup), to install onto another device or after a factory reset - I don't think there's a way to do anything like this without root.
- Mounting remote devices for access by arbitrary apps using EasySSHFS - I don't think there's a good equivalent.
- Accessing exfat format external drives, like the SD cards in my camera using MiXPlorer's built-in filesystem drivers. Android is an asshole for not supporting more filesystems. It's Linux; the support already exists.
- Hosts file ad blocking - DNS ad blocking is a viable alternative now.
If something blocks me from using it with root, I'll give it a 1-star review on Google Play and probably not use it even if I can get around the blocking. If my bank starts using more effective blocking, I will probably change banks.
I used to root my phone, run custom ROMs and tweaks, the whole thing. Was basically forced to keep stock when I got a galaxy S8, and now I haven't rooted even with my past few pixels, it doesn't feel useful anymore. I might root my pixel 5 in the future as I plan to keep it for a long time, but right now I'm stock
Essential? no.
Worth it? maybe.
Nice to have control of your own device? absolutely.
I have two devices, primary with root (through Magisk as KernelSU still has some issues for me) and secondary without root. Anytime I have to do something more demanding on the unrooted device I really wish I had root. Local terminal access, ability to disable some annoying "features" (verified app links) and multiple other things I use daily make it worth it for me.
EDIT: I saw mentions of custom roms in other comments. I have a custom rom installed (AOSP based). If I was on a stock rom (or god forbid something like MIUI) root would be a must for me.
I haven't felt a need to root a phone in years. These days you will get a usable UI and UX with basically all major brands and adblock can be done without root, so it's just not worth the hassle trying to hide the fact that you're rooted from banking apps etc. At least as far as I'm concerned, I'm sure that some people still see a benefit in rooting.
Edit: I actually just thought of a reason: updates once the phone is past its official support window but otherwise still functional (though you don't technically need root for that, just an unlocked bootloader, the new ROM doesn't need to be rooted either strictly speaking). I'd just buy a new phone, but that really just means I'm a part of the e-waste problem.
I been on custom ROMs for years without root. But recently, root has moved from magisk to kernelsu, which is a kernel based root solution. Much better than magisk in terms of avoiding detection and required no extra install if your kernel already supports kernelsu. I've started using root features again thanks to kernelsu
I purchased my first Android phone at 13, the Motorola Droid. In less than a month, it was rooted running a custom rom. I rom hopped weekly, tried all sorts of hacks and modifications, and eventually started releasing my own (very crappy) custom roms. I did this all the way through until I had the G6.
I eventually started getting phones where I can unlock the bootloader, and for a bit I would root such as my Essential phone or my Pixel 3a or 4a 5G but since the Pixel 6 I haven't had any reason for perpetual root. I unlock my bootloader, and I root when needed and remove magisk when no longer needed. The cat and mouse game of trying to bypass detection alone makes it a pain when I have banking, work apps, etc that all validate hardware attestation.
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Yes for swift backup and pixelify
Depends on what your necessities are.
I use Lineage faithfully so my phone stays rooted. Also, I live in the US where carriers aggressively lock down their phones so they can upcharge everything. the whole "your hotspot will work at 3g speeds" is one reason to root. Adaway is another reason to root as well. I'm too cheap for home internet so I tether to get online. US carriers (and cable companies) hate that and try to prevent it. root and VPN gets around that. unlimited 5g hotspot.
The big thing now is Graphene OS on the Pixels. It is a custom ROM that works exactly like an OEM. The reason this works is because the Pixels ship with the same type of cryptographic hardware security chip as modern computers with TPM/secure boot. This chip makes it possible to create a verified chain of trust in the device so that Graphene can do over the air updates to the device. The ROM is configured with root disabled and the full Android 3 party lockdown user space for regular operations. You still have root through developer mode and USB if you need it. I've done custom ROMs for many years in the past, but nothing compares to the Graphene experience. As far as I am concerned, Graphene's list of supported devices is the entire list of available phones I will consider purchasing.
Even when I've done custom roms like lineqgeOS I haven't rooted. However when it comes to backing up apps root still does feel like the best way to back up specific app data with apps like swift backup.
blocking ads is as close to "necessary" as it gets for me.
rooting gets harder and harder with new android versions and devices - but it's been worth it for me every time.
lastly FUCK the app developers trying to block rooted devices, it's for their (sense of) security, not ours, and it's sad to see so many people in this thread bullied out of rooting by them
Quite to the contrary, my phone doesn't even support rooting. Neither TWRP or any other alternative bootloader is written for the Motorola G73, and an image file isn't available to use with Magisk. I would love to root my phone, if I could.
Nope
I still root my phone for Freezing System Apps, reVanced, AdAway(system-wide adblock), Shell automation, circumventing Hotspot restrictions from my Carrier.
I've also been a customization junkie before (mainly with audio mods and UI plugins for Exposed). Not anymore.
But since then rooting to me become not only a means to the end, but an essential part of my phone, as in I get to control and choose what and why is installed/active, not the Vendor/Google. I would root my phone even if I didn't had the need, just cause I like owning things, opposed to modern standard of "everything is a service".
First time I rooted was in 2007 for installing CyanogenMod. After Cyanogen stopped updating I haven't bothered rooting my phones.
I haven't fucked with my daily driver phones for like 5 years. Sometimes I'll use apps like YouTube revanced or something for music... But honestly I can even do without that and get by with newpipe.
Most of the features that drew me to root my phone back in the day (2012 to 2015) are now in my phone by default. They've been adopted by OEMs as part of their official skins so it's not really necessary to root anymore.
Rooting is more security compromising than it's worth. There are a small set of use cases I could see but for the most part do either or below.
If you have a Pixel you would want to run GrapheneOS for maximum security and privacy.
All other phones you would ADB remove bloatware, run PrivateDNS with NextDNS or an alternative, and turn off as much analytics/permission/features as possible for a functional phone.
I keep my Android phone rooted because there's specific functionality that I use daily that's a pain to do without root.
It's not my primary phone so the fact that it's 3 years out of date in order to preserve my root doesn't bother me. But if it was my primary phone I'd probably look into workarounds to avoid needing root.
I used to on my Motorola RAZR for custom themes and the ability to double tap volume keys for track skipping or rewind. Now I have an app to to do that and some watered down system themes. Now I just don't cause I don't see the reason for rooting anymore. And random apps like McDonald's have started checking for root or unlocked bootloader's for some reason.
No but I think roms now are at an all time high for quality and stability.
For me yes, I can tweak my system at my liking, root breaking things is not something that has ever happened to me, all my bank app works without issues and I can't remember the last time they didn't.
I run Paranoid Android rooted along with tons of apps that require root acces such as Swift Backup, Adaway, App Manager, BBS, FKM, KonaBess, Pixelifly for Google Photos, Saver Tuner, Revanced, SD Maid, Termux, X-Plore etc.
And some modules like Zygisk, Detach, Pixel Launcher Extended
I know some of those apps doesn't require root specifically (can work with adb) but for me is just easier to just put Magisk and call it a day.
I did with my old samsung, motorola, asus, nokia. But my last phone, PoCo F3, no, especially because it's difficult to have a working Google Wallet with unlocked bootloader/root. I did it with my asus zenphone and nokia, but damn it broke every few weeks with a google update, and you needed to patch after patch after faking stuff and magisk addons etc for it to run a couple of weeks and BAM! Google Pay was disabled again... very annoying.
On my F3 I disabled/uninstalled unwanted apps with a debloater and I'm using Firefox for browsing. No need to root yet. When I'll change phone I'll root the old one.
Not at all.
I used to root all my phones going back to the HTC Incredible. You had to, if you wanted great UI, or locked-out functionally like wifi hotspotting.
These days my phone does everything I want right out of the box.
I guess I'd still consider rooting on order to do a debloat, but with onboard storage being what it is, I really don't care that I'm only disabling and hiding the bloat.
I haven't even thought about rooting a phone in probably 10 years now.
If you want to use your phone for a few years it's very nececary in my experience, they tend to get slow quick and with LineageOS (previously Cyanogenmod) I can still use a Galaxy s5, well I could if half of the hardware wasn't broken but that's beside the point. I think ROMs are definitely neccecary but mine isn't rooted rn and it's probably debatable if you realky need that, I miss a proper adblocker so I should have rooted mine and probably will sooner or later considering I got Lineage on it already.
I haven't rooted in a long time. But if you tell me there is an app out there that can restrict or deny apps background usage (to increase deep sleep state %) and that you can only do it with root.
Then I'd say root might be necessary in those situations.
For example WhatsApp is the number one standby battery drainer in my phone. If I check partial wakelocks like 70% of them have the WhatsApp logo. (In BBS app). If I had a way to reduce them by 90% just keeping new messages and call working and root is needed for that then I'd want to root my phone.
I tried "Apps Ops" and it let me deny some of the permission. But maybe there is something more restrictive out there that needs root.
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Necessary for me to fix the "bugs" present in Android (Safetynet fix, F-droid & Aurora auto updates etc.) and some from the OEM (flawed camera libs from Xiaomi that unintentionally hamper the use of Gcam).
I find root essential if you use a custom rom. I usually buy cheap phones (like Poco/Xiaomi) and install a lineageOS build. Without magisk/kernelsu there are a lot of apps that are not going to work (like netflix, Google pay, bank apps, et...).
Nowadays most developers consider that you are a terrorist for having a non-oficial ROM and for me using the super bloated MIUI rom is not an option. If you have a good base os like pixelos, samsung's os or similar maybe you don't need it.
Also being able to fully block advertisement is a great plus of having root. I now that there are methods that does not require root but adaway, in my opinion, is the best.
I root because my favorite adblocker is by a guy named kNinja, and I like having 3rd party Material You icons on my default launcher. Also prefer amoled black as a system theme through Repainter.
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It's useful but pretty much impossible on most flagships