Is rooting still worth it?
Tags: rooting, android, mobile, magisk
Published: 2021-10-01 11:20:45

Rooting was way more difficult back then, but it was well worth the effort since Smartphones and their software were quite confined. Smartphone manufacturers and mobile network providers impose software restrictions for security reasons. These limits, however, may be overcome by rooting your Android device. It was humdrum to use a non-rooted device as you couldn't utilize it's full potentials. If you're new to this, check out my [previous blog](https://dev.to/pranavpatel/rooting-your-android-in-2021-a2b) which explains everything you need to know about rooting.

Emerging operating systems like OnePlus' *OxygenOS* and Oppo's *ColorOS* nevertheless let you customize your phone to a huge extent. The present software could leave you obscure about whether or not you should root, hence I have nailed down the best reasons for both the compelling sides.
###Plus side
On the positive side, you'll have more access to a wide range of fun apps and *personalization* choices. The perks of rooting in brief-
 + entirely customise almost every theme or graphic on the device.
 - increased battery life and performance.
 + latest software updates even if your manufactures don't 
  support anymore.

Well, here are the top reasons why I considered rooting my device now:
####1. Block ads globally with Adaway 
This app basically blocks the outgoing connection requests to ads and trackers. This app is compatible with both, rooted as well as non-rooted devices. The non-rooted version uses *VPN* functionality, on the other hand, the rooted version directly updates your system hosts files, which comprises a set of mappings between host names and IP addresses. [Download here](https://adaway.org/)
####2. Better file management
You can literally take your file management to the next level by exploring the system root files and modifying them. Moreover you can easily delete hidden files and folders consuming up unnecessary space. There are thousands of file manger apps out there but the best one is [Mixplorer](https://mixplorer.com/), and I personally have been using this for it's rich features. [Download here](https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/app-2-2-mixplorer-v6-x-released-fully-featured-file-manager.1523691/#post-23109280)
####3. Better battery stats
[*Grenify*](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.oasisfeng.greenify&hl=en_IN&gl=US) is an app designed to increase your phone's battery life. This too supports both
but if your phone is rooted, you can really maximize its potential. In short, greenify allows you to put any apps you don't need running in the background into a deep sleep or hibernation mode whenever they're not being used, resulting to a significantly better battery life. 
In addition, if you're looking to preserve the health of your phone's battery life, you might want to check out [*battery charge limit*](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.slash.batterychargelimit&hl=en_AU&gl=US), a root-only app that restricts how far you battery can be charged, ultimately resulting longevity of your phone's battery health.
####4. Backing up
[Titanium app](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.keramidas.TitaniumBackup&hl=en_IN&gl=US) was the MVP of root applications back then, and to be honest it still possibly is. It lets you backup literally your entire phone in a reliable and efficient way. Even though it's UI hasn't been updated for ages, there's no app that can replace this compact and featureful tool; some useful extra features include: enable *multiple user profiles* per app, uninstall *bloatware* & *system apps* which you don't use, etc. 
####5. Better privacy
Do you want to prevent your apps from accessing potentially harmful permissions while the screen is turned off? [Permission ruler](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.stefanosiano.permissionruler&hl=en_IN&gl=US) has your back; it is a powerful and automatic permission manager which disables them for all apps running in the background when your device is locked, including locations services, microphone, camera, etc. Hence this, in a way, increases phones battery as well.
####6. Customization on a Higher Level
Use this powerful theming tool to apply system-wide themes -  [*Substratum theme engine*](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=projekt.substratum&hl=en_IN&gl=US). 
With help of [*Emoji Switcher*](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.tjjstudios.emojiswitch&hl=en_IN&showAllReviews=true) you can change your system's emojis if you're fed up of using the current ones like me.
To get software updates even after you stop receiving official OTA updates, you can get your hands dirty on custom ROMs to try out the latest Android version. the custom roms like [*HavocOS*](https://havoc-os.com/) and [*DotOS*](https://www.droidontime.com/) take your phones to another level of customization, enabling you to alter the smallest thing you could wish to change.


###Down side
All this may indeed have convinced you to root your device but I advise you to consider all of the disadvantages of doing so and determine whether the risk is worth it.
####1. Voiding your phones warranty
Yes, your warranty turns void once you root your phone/unlock its bootloader. This is a very important factor to consider because you might face problems getting your phone repaired if its still under warranty.
####2. (Soft) Bricking your phone
If you accidentally mess up the system(root) while accessing the powerful tools, you might end up breaking your phone's software! *Bootloops* and various soft bricks can get frustrating to debug, it could take you days. So, its best if you backup every time you think to play around and know what your doing.
####3. Broken Apps
For security reasons, almost all *banking apps* as well as apps like *Gpay* & *Paytm*, *MyJio*, etc. stop working on devices that are found to be rooted. Although *Magisk hide* feature and similar properties can mask it, however it's not reliable, hence its safer and advisable to use a non-rooted device to have all those apps working.
####4. Harder to upgrade operating system 
Native system updates become a lot harder as you cant have **incremental updates** but have to instead download the entire OS file manually which is far more inconvenient than just downloading the small update and installing it.
####4. Malware and Hacking
Malware may quickly compromise the security of your mobile device. Gaining root access also involves getting beyond the Android operating system's security limitations. Worms, viruses, adware, and Trojans are more likely to infiltrate rooted Android software if it isn't protected by an efficient antivirus.
####5. Performance issues
Because we're rooting our phones to modify some of the system files, this can often result in unexpected malfunctions or a larger drain on your phone's performance than typical. I've definitely noticed that the phones I've rooted felt a little more sluggish after rooting them. Nevertheless there are patches and apps which can help you cover this gap slightly, but what's better than a stable system provided by the manufacturers?