Friday, February 14, 2014
People have a lot of questions about rooting, and we hear them all the time. Here are some of the most frequently asked, laid out so you don't have to ask someone else.
What's the difference between rooting, unlocking, and flashing a ROM?
This can be confusing, since the three practices are often performed at the same time. We've detailed some of this above, but briefly: Unlocking your bootloader is usually the first step in the process and allows you to flash a custom recovery. From there, you can then give yourself root access or flash a ROM. Root access isn't required to flash a ROM, but almost all custom ROMs will come with root access built-in.
Note that when we say "unlock" in this guide, we mean unlocking your bootloader—not unlocking your phone to use a different carrier, which is a completely different thingand doesn't always require hacking (since you can often purchase carrier-unlocked phones directly from Google or elsewhere).
Can I unroot my phone?
Yes. If you decide you don't like being rooted, you can often find instructions on unrooting your phone as well. Usually it involves flashing an RUU, SBF, or something similar to return the phone to truly stock settings.
Is rooting illegal?
No. Technically, it once was, but exceptions to the DCMA have made it legal for most phones (but not necessarily tablets). Either way, it's hard to imagine anyone actually enforcing this rule (much like ripping DVDs for your own personal use).
Will rooting void my warranty?
Yes. Unlocking your bootloader will void the warranty on your phone, even if your manufacturer provides a way for you to do it. That said, if you need warranty service for a hardware issue, you can sometimes unroot your phone and take it in for service with no one the wiser. However, some phones have a digital "switch" that flips when you unlock your phone that is very difficult or impossible to revert, so do your research before unlocking if you want to preserve your warranty.
Could rooting brick my phone?
It's possible, but pretty unlikely. As long as you follow instructions well, you probably won't brick anything (but we're not responsible yadda yadda yadda). Flashing custom kernels and radios is a little riskier than just rooting or flashing ROMs, but again, if you follow directions you should be okay. Keep in mind that bricking means your phone means it won't turn on or function at all—if you're stuck in a boot loop or boot straight to recovery, your phone is not bricked, and it can be fixed.
Are any phones unrootable?
This is a tough question. In the past, many manufacturers have tried to make "unrootable" phones with harsher protections (like the Droid X), but they're usually still rootable in some way, shape, or form. The more likely scenario is that, if you get a new phone or a phone that had a recent update, that a root exploit isn't available yet. In that case, you may have to wait a few months before you're able to root it. This is one of the reasons we recommend buying a Nexus.
Will I still get over-the-air (OTA) updates? Will downloading them break my root?
If you root your phone without flashing a custom ROM, then you will likely still get OTA updates from your carrier, and they will break your root. We highly recommend against downloading these updates, since you may not be able to re-root your phone for awhile after updating. Alternatively, you can use an app like OTA Rootkeeper that will help you keep your root access (though it doesn't work with every version of Android).
If you flash a custom ROM, you will not get OTA updates from your carrier. You may, howaever, get notifications for updates to your specific ROM. Those are safe to download.
Will rooting speed up my phone?
Not on its own—all rooting does is give you root access. However, it does open up the possibility for other tweaks that can speed up an old phone.
Where to Find Rooting Methods and Tools
So now we get to the good stuff: actually rooting your phone. Unfortunately, every single phone is different, and rooting methods change every time that phone's software updates. With so many Android phones out there, it's become impossible for us to actually list rooting instructions here—especially because we only own a few different phones ourselves.
Luckily, now that you know a thing or two about rooting, you're in a much better position to understand some of the other instructions out there. So, here are a few places you'll find guides, ROMs, and other information about rooting your specific phone.
- The XDA Developers forums are the number one place to look for information on your phone. This is where all the best hackers and tweakers gather to discuss phones, share links and guides, create rooting tools, and more. Head to the forums, find your device, and poke around the different subforums for your phone. You should find a number of threads that will direct you to information on how to root your phone, what ROMs and kernels are available, and more. And, when in doubt, ask the other users!
- The Phandroid forums (aka Android Forums) aren't quite as popular as XDA, but they have always done a pretty good job of organizing information on rooting. This is a good place to start. Head to the forum for your device and look for the "All Things Root" subforum.
- RootzWiki may not be as popular as it once was, but there's still good information to be had on these forums, especially pertaining to new ROMs, kernels, and other things on the development side.
- The CyanogenMod Wiki: CyanogenMod, one of the most popular ROMs out there, has a fantastic wiki with a ton of information on different devices. Even if you don't plan on flashing CyanogenMod (or any ROM, for that matter), you can often find information on how to root your phone within their device-specific instructions on installing CyanogenMod, so it's worth checking out.
Try any or all of the above sources and see what you can find. Once you've found the forum for your phone, search around for a rooting guide or rooting tool. Make sure it's applicable to your current software version and try it out. If you have any questions, you can ask in the forums—but be sure to read as much as you can before doing so, since your question has probably already been answered elsewhere.
Armed with the knowledge in this glossary and FAQ, along with the right rooting method on those forums, you should be well on your way to a better phone. Good luck!
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