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?
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Can’t root, breaking Safetynet destroys about 30% of what I use my phone for.
What? There is a module for that called SafetyNetFix. I am fully rooted and can usw any App I want.
You’re basically playing cat and mouse with these fixes; I don’t want to be stuck without access to apps for a day or two, and what I gain isn’t that great anyway.
If that is your mindset, you’re definitely better without root. My phone is rooted for three years now and never had any issue. I never had an app fail with my methods to hide Magisk. I even got GPay and contactless payment working when I still had Google services installed. Without them, it is impossible unfortunately.
I ran a Lineage OS on a Mi 5 for 2.5 years, there were definitely some days when my banking app would fail and then Magisk would come up with a fix a few days later. Given the prevalance of digital systems I’m not wanting to go without.
Feel like I’m being attacked for not wanting to root, in a thread asking people whether they root or not. This feels like people being asked if they believe in Jesus and those who say no are swamped by believers who then chastisise them.
I still root my phone for system-wide adblock, call recorder and Xposed modules I have been using since Jelly Bean.
Haven’t rooted in years. Don’t really need to anymore.
Plus root breaks my banking app and I need that.
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.
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.
Necessary for what? If you want to block ads system-wide, you can use the Private DNS feature. But to fiddle with system partition/install Xposed stuff you definitely need root
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 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 love that you replied to my 4 month old post. This would never happen on Reddit!
I’ve been a flashaholic since the CWM days, but I haven’t rooted since probably 2017 or so. Back in the day, rooting was practically necessary for a good UX, but Android’s matured enough now that I haven’t had the need for a few years.
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
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
