Should You Be Rooting your Android Device?

(Just to clarify this is not a tutorial on rooting your Android device...A simple search will give you a plethora of step-by-step guides.)

So many of my viewers have asked me for my advice on whether they should root their Android device or not? 

I know it may seem like a scary concept to tackle and there are some dark myths still surrounding the underground association it has.  I'm here to let you guys know it's pretty mainstream now a days and it's actually easier than you probably think.   It may have started out as something lonely geeks loved to do( plucking away at lines of code from a freshly leaked APK file) but that's just how most of these things start out.  I mean if "hipsters" are doing it than anyone can. (jk!) :p   

Scroll down for my conclusion....

What is rooting?  It's the process of unlocking your device or freeing it from whatever the carrier or manufacturer has placed onto your device.  Most folks "root" because in the early stages of Android devices the operating system's left a lot to be desired so if you wanted to fully customize your device this is what was done.  Basically it's making your device far more open to you and enhancing it's capabilities.

Now, let me start by saying when I first saw the act of rooting I was one of those very skeptical people who felt like their phone was a very personal tool that I didn't want compromised!  So after waiting way to long (imo) and with the reassurance of some of my friends they showed me the light so to speak lol.  I was a virgin no longer to the root community.  I did my research of course, like I always do before taking the leap.  I was fully aware of what I was getting into.  I would also recommend that for you as well before doing anything to your device; especially rooting!!  There is a very useful website dedicated to all things root related called XDADevelopers.  I would offer a link but some content on their forums is a violation of my adsense account.  You should go there take a look around and register before you root in case you want to ask questions before rooting or if you run into any problems they have been there and done that and developers frequently post there on new builds and such.  

Below I have listed some of the most common reasons to root and some things to consider if your not sure about rooting your device.

So what are some of the advantages of rooting?

1) Full customization-This means...Themes, ROM's, Operating System's
2) Extended battery life
3) Super user access-
   a)Allows for the ability to back up all your apps and information, 
    
   b)Remove bloatware that the carrier has permanently put on your device,
    underclock & overclock the CPU.
    
   c)Install apps from numerous other sources besides the Google Play store 
    
   d)Free tethering capabilities to allow 3G/4G connection to Wifi or USB              
    connected devices such as a Ipod or laptop.

4) Early access to new updates(ICS, Jellybean, etc...)

What are some of the disadvantages of rooting?

1) Rooting WILL void your manufacturers warranty!  If you mess up your device somehow during the root process or while rooted your carrier/manufacturer will most likely not cover the replacement even if you have insurance on your device...SO BE AWARE OF THIS PLEASE!

2) There is a potential to "brick" your device which means essentially what it implies your device will become entirely useless and will become just a paper weight!  Now the chance of this happening is extremely small even for a novice who knows knowing about rooting.  If you do your research than you will know that even in most cases of some one thinking they have ruined their device it is not and can be fully restored.

3) Sometimes there are so many different options of ROM's out there that you might get a very unstable one.  This will make the experience of owning a rooted device very frustrating and almost unusable but if you don't like that particular ROM then just reflash it to another.

4) Possibility of ruining the hardware inside your device by overclocking and overheating your CPU to the point it stops working which= a useless device.

5) If you aren't tech savvy when it comes to new BETA ROM's sometimes it can get confusing and you might not understand that some features will not be available to you at first like Wifi, 4G, GPS, Camera, etc...

So should you root or not?
Yes & NO?
1) If you have done your research and learned the basics of how to install and uninstall a ROM then absolutely!
2) Do you want to customize every aspect of your device?
3) You want to download and use whatever apps or files you would like to and remove the rest then I say go for it.
4) You are okay with certain ROM's being unstable and may have less features than your stock device.
5) If your due for your upgrade and your warranty is up then it's really worth it to get so much more out of your device and see what all the hype is about!!
6) Although some people seem to think rooting is an illegal act, it's actually  perfectly legal(except on tablets) and even Google supports it through releasing APK's.

I have personally had a "rooted" HTC EVO 4G (now a S3) for a very long time and was quite happy with it.  I like many, have had my fair share of bad ROM's here or there but all in all I learned a lot and now I will always carry that knowledge with me. :)

I'm sure I didn't even begin to cover all of the many aspects of rooting but this will hopefully give you a good sense of what some of the positives and negatives of rooting are and if it's something you are willing to pursue.  

These are just my personal experiences and opinions so take that for what it's worth.  Most importantly Have Fun Guys!

For any questions or comments drop me a line below, thanks! -TWM

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