What's rooting and what we need to know about it

posted by Ray S.

Apr 12, 2012, 6:16 AM

What's rooting and what we need to know about it

PhoneArena Knows Best is back with a new set of interesting questions to answer! Our pilot question this time has a lot to do with what rooting is and what should we know about it. If you are interesting in tinkering with your phone's software, but feel somewhat unsure about it, now is your chance to get the basic info you need. Of course, we've also solved a number of other mobile-related mysteries in this edition of PhoneArena Knows Best!

Before we start, let us remind you that if you have any questions about your phone, tablet, or anything mobile-related, you can always direct them to us using the following email address for a chance to get an answer from PhoneArena's tech gurus! Please send your questions to this address:

phonearenaknowsbest@gmail.com

What's rooting and what do I need to know about it?

Viswanath Math: Hey Phonearena!
I really need to understand what is rooting and what dis/advantages it provides. I'm kinda a newbie to Android since I moved to Galaxy S 2 recently from my Nokia N8. I was thinking of exploring new custom ROMS which seem to bring more functions and options to the interface. I was particularly looking at Cyanogenmod Rom for my S2 i777.
I'm conceerned about losing all my data if I root. Please share a safe and esay way to do it and suggest some nice ROMs for that at&t SGS2.
Thanks

Hi, Viswanath! Congratulations for getting the Galaxy S II, great choice! Basically, rooting an Android phone allows you to have administrative access to everything in it. When you root an Android phone, you get access to system files and all kinds of permissions. The most valuable thing to rooting a phone is the ability to install custom ROMs like CyanogenMod. If you really want to install a custom ROM on your Galaxy S II, we can recommend the CyanogenMod ROM, but keep in mind this will void your warranty. Here's a very detailed guide explaining everything you need to know about rooting and installing CyanogenMod on your AT&T Galaxy S II. It'll also point you to what actions you need to undertake in order to back up all of your information safely. In any case, we'd advise you to be very careful when attempting to root or install a new ROM on your phone, especially when you aren't completely sure about what you're doing.

Should I get the iPhone 4S or Galaxy Nexus, or wait for the Galaxy S III or iPhone 5?

Jagdeep Gaba:I'm very confused what to buy iphone 4S or galaxy nexus or wait for
galaxy s3 or iphone 5 to launch..

nice move phonearena .. .

Hi, Jagdeep! It really depends on how badly you need a new smartphone. If you're fine with your current one and can wait, it's always a good idea to wait for the new models to come out. However, if waiting is not an option, we think it's perfectly OK if you purchase any of the handsets you've mentioned. The iPhone 4S and Galaxy Nexus, or even the Galaxy S II are still very powerful and adequate offerings that will get every job done with ease. Now, which platform to choose between iOS and Android is up to your preferences and taste. But here is a comparison article that might make your decision easier: iPhone 4S vs Galaxy Nexus.

Carrier-unlocked vs Factory-unlocked

Steve: Hi Phone Arena staff,

Thanks for setting up "Phone Arena Knows Best" and helping your readers out! Great idea.

My question is this: I am weighing the pros and cons of getting a carrier unlocked phone versus a unbranded factory unlocked phone. For example Negri sells phones that were locked to T-Mobile that they then unlock (carrier unlocked) versus phones that are unbranded to a carrier and came from the factory unlocked. I know that with carrier unlocked phones, software updates are fairly straightforward as they come from the carrier. However, I am wondering how unbranded factory unlocked phones receive their updates. Do the updates come automatically or does one have to be proactively in seeking out updates? I ask this question because I am interested in the new HTC One X or S and I know that AT&T and T-Mobile will carry them. But some online vendors also sell unbranded international versions.

Apart form software updates, if you have any other thoughts about the pros and cons of buying carrier unlocked versus factory unlocked, please let me know.

Thanks
Steve

Hey, Steve! Whether and when you'll get a software update for your phone depends on a number of factors, not just whether your handset is carrier-unlocked or neverlocked (factory-unlocked). There really isn't a rule for that. With some devices, getting the update with a factory-unlocked handset might be faster than with a carrier-unlocked, but the opposite isn't out of the question as well. In most cases, however, you should have the ability to update your device if it's factory-unlocked, because the "carrier factor" will not be involved then. Updates should come automatically, but it's not 100% guaranteed. Plus, you might be able to get the new software faster if you attempt to manually search for and install the update.

Is it OK to buy a dual-core tablet, or should I aim for a quad-core one?

Tevin Wilson: Hey Phonearena, I'm a regular reader of the website and I was wondering which tablet I should get. I know I absolutely DO NOT want an iPad, because i already have an iPod touch and i'm all too familiar with the experience. I also know that I do want an android tablet and the screen has to be 10 inches. What i'm really asking is, what tablet has the best performance for my money. Would I be okay with a last-gen tablet, or should I pony up for this year's quad-core beasts?

Please help,
Tevin D. Wilson

Hi, Tevin! Unfortunately, you didn't tell us how much money you've prepared for a new tablet purchase, so we can't recommend the best one your money. But, the good news is that we think a current/last-gen tablet will be perfectly suitable for you. There won't be so much of a real-world benefit from a quad-core tablet for at least another year. That said, it's worth investing in a high-end dual-core tablet, as this will guarantee that you have the horsepower needed to run just about every piece of software right now.

If you have any mobile-related questions for us, and would like to see them answered on PhoneArena, don't hesitate to write us here:

phonearenaknowsbest@gmail.com

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51 Comments

37. networkdood

Posts: 6330; Member since: Mar 31, 2010

Get OTA RootKeeper, SQLITE EDITOR, Titanium Backup Pro, and Root Explorer...and life will be good.

posted on Apr 12, 2012, 1:27 PM 0

40. remixfa

Posts: 14605; Member since: Dec 19, 2008

Paid Titanium pro, paid clockwork mod,, paid SetCPU, and paid Root Explorer. Tools of the trade that make mod life sooo easy. And yes, pay for it. the extra functionality is more than worth it (especially on titanium, OMG) + rewarding the guys that make the mod community so popular and functional is also well worth it.

posted on Apr 12, 2012, 10:11 PM 0

44. thelegend6657 unregistered

Hey remixfa you tried install android x86 on your pc ? It comes rooted and I think that's awesome

posted on Apr 13, 2012, 2:22 AM 0

46. remixfa

Posts: 14605; Member since: Dec 19, 2008

no, i need my PC to be stable. If i had an extra one laying around, yea i probably would :)

posted on Apr 13, 2012, 7:04 AM 0

48. thelegend6657 unregistered

you could you easues partition manager creates a small partition (4gb enough) and install it from a USB drive , thats what i do . Now i have a android tablet that i never bought :)

posted on Apr 13, 2012, 10:00 AM 0

50. remixfa

Posts: 14605; Member since: Dec 19, 2008

i haven not thought of that. I might do that once I upgrade my car USB drive.. ill have a spare at that point. :) I am never buying a car without a hidden USB drive again. MP3 player built into the deck rocks.

posted on Apr 13, 2012, 7:10 PM 0

51. thelegend6657 unregistered

problem is some apps is still not optimised for x86 yet

posted on Apr 13, 2012, 7:28 PM 0

33. theBankRobber

Posts: 682; Member since: Sep 22, 2011

I rooted my OG Evo just to remove the bloatware from my phone. My Photon has let me uninstall apps without the need for rooting, except a few Sprint apps. Never really got into the custom rom thing, BUT knowing the option is there makes it all the best.

posted on Apr 12, 2012, 1:11 PM 0

32. nitinrana

Posts: 27; Member since: Apr 02, 2012

Thank you so much for the reply remixfa... :-) And yes you are right, read more and more... Being a lazy bum i just try to find my part of interest and when i don't get i don't visit that page... So i am gonna start reading threads on dev sites... Don't worry... Your friend has an international version... And if your friend has it means that it's yours... :-) Thankful to PA that they have people like you around who are ready to help... Else most of the times i see people fighting on who's phone is better... My take on this is that everybody has different taste... People will buy what they like whether it's dumb or smart... Why are you so worried? It's their money and they gonna spend it wherever they like to... And sometimes the comments turn into a community fight instead of phone related discussion... That's kinda stupid...!! || Peace and Love ||

posted on Apr 12, 2012, 1:10 PM 1

36. remixfa

Posts: 14605; Member since: Dec 19, 2008

not a prob. glad i could lend a hand. :)

posted on Apr 12, 2012, 1:25 PM 0

20. bolaG

Posts: 468; Member since: Aug 15, 2011

I wish I knew how to root, rom, and kernel properly :( anyone want to give lessons? cough remixfa cough networkdood cough protozeloz :)

posted on Apr 12, 2012, 12:30 PM 0

22. networkdood

Posts: 6330; Member since: Mar 31, 2010

sure....I do it constantly ....not on droid razr due to locked bootloader, but with samsung captivate....most roms and kernels can be flashed via CWM recovery. What phone do you have?

posted on Apr 12, 2012, 12:34 PM 0

23. networkdood

Posts: 6330; Member since: Mar 31, 2010

My advice is to go to xda developers website and start reading up as some phones have their individual quirks with flashing/modding. Rooting is easy in most cases.

posted on Apr 12, 2012, 12:35 PM 1

25. remixfa

Posts: 14605; Member since: Dec 19, 2008

the answers you seek are easily found, if you only were to look. (hint hint XDA hint hint)

posted on Apr 12, 2012, 12:36 PM 0

17. networkdood

Posts: 6330; Member since: Mar 31, 2010

On a samsung phone, if you bork your phone during the ODIN process, you can buy some parts that will revive your phone back to download mode....check out XDA for that. Love the captivate on FUSION ICS 4.0.3.

posted on Apr 12, 2012, 12:26 PM 0

24. remixfa

Posts: 14605; Member since: Dec 19, 2008

if you bork your phone during odin, u just use odin to unbork it. samsung phones are nearly impossible to fully kill. not only are they the best of the best in tech, they are awesome phones to learn to root/rom on since sammy is so friendly with the dev community. The last phones u want to learn on are HTC or Moto bootlocked phones.. unless you want to learn how to command line code at the same time. lol

posted on Apr 12, 2012, 12:35 PM 0

26. networkdood

Posts: 6330; Member since: Mar 31, 2010

Actually, when you bork your phone with ODIN, with a captivate, you are sort of screwed, but at XDA, there is aposter who can advise on the fix. Costs around 2.00 at radio shack or amazon, and I have used the method 3 times now to bring my cappy back from the dead.

posted on Apr 12, 2012, 12:37 PM 0

28. remixfa

Posts: 14605; Member since: Dec 19, 2008

really? on the vibrant there is a trick that will always force it into download mode, where you can ODIN it right back to stock. it takes a miracle (or a sledge hammer) to completely kill it. I figured it would have been pretty much the same since they are both SGS1s. Interesting.

posted on Apr 12, 2012, 12:41 PM 1

30. networkdood

Posts: 6330; Member since: Mar 31, 2010

Well, maybe that is something new. Makes more sense, though. I have sent a phone back to warranty and received another one, so rooting and ROMing does not void your warranty, as we are scared and led to believe.

posted on Apr 12, 2012, 12:55 PM 0

34. remixfa

Posts: 14605; Member since: Dec 19, 2008

thats the way its always been with the vibrant. umm.. from memory... phone off with no sim or memory card... plug in charger, hold up and power then pull battery. it should throw it into download mode no matter what. of course, that was from memory so i might be slightly off somewhere. it does void your warranty. but the person on the other end has to know and care to check. if you've bricked your phone completely its nearly impossible to check. :) many places are a lot more leniant about ROMS than they used to be since its so common, but when in doubt always return to stock first. You dont want them to notate the account that you tried to warranty it with a ROM on there (if you go in and they send u away since you voided the warranty)

posted on Apr 12, 2012, 1:23 PM 0

27. networkdood

Posts: 6330; Member since: Mar 31, 2010

I learned with an HTC windows phone on changing kernels, radios, and ROMs. Android is a piece of cake compared to what I did with WIN 6/6.5. WIth MOTO, safestrap lets you 'partition' your phone so that if you mess up you can easily return to the original ROM that came with the phone, at the expense of loss of data storage.

posted on Apr 12, 2012, 12:39 PM 0

29. remixfa

Posts: 14605; Member since: Dec 19, 2008

yes.. android is way easier than windows 5xx/6xxx. WP7 is actually suprisinly easy as well, and there is an alternate mod-app store for it as well, like cydia. You can add in just about any feature you feel is missing from the OS. Its much more capable than people want to give it credit for.

posted on Apr 12, 2012, 12:43 PM 1

31. networkdood

Posts: 6330; Member since: Mar 31, 2010

They still have the tri-colored screen?

posted on Apr 12, 2012, 12:56 PM 0

35. remixfa

Posts: 14605; Member since: Dec 19, 2008

yep. still does. the rainbow screen. :) it roots kind of similar to android. its really not so bad.

posted on Apr 12, 2012, 1:23 PM 0

15. nitinrana

Posts: 27; Member since: Apr 02, 2012

Hey remixfa... Here's a question for you... I hope I get the right answer from you... I live in India... I have a Samsung Galaxy S2... So obviously it's an international version... Few days back i visited cyanogen site... There i saw many roms for my phone however I wasn't able to recognize which is the one for mine because there was a stable and some night version... I have never rooted any device... Can you please give me a link so I can look upto it and do it myself in a better way.... And is Odin same like cyanogen or are they different? And which one is the best among them? Thanks... :-)

posted on Apr 12, 2012, 11:45 AM 0

16. remixfa

Posts: 14605; Member since: Dec 19, 2008

ok.. ODIN is a samsung rooting program. it is not a rom, its a tool to help when flashing roms. On samsung devices it really is a great tool to be cozy with. if your not familiar with ROMS and rooting, u want stable versions. Nightlys, alphas, and betas are all bug filled versions. Those are for experienced people who want to play a part in development, dont mind bugs, and know how to properly report them to the devs so they can help fix them. again, best thing to do is to 1) find the ROM threads with the most posts.. they are generally the best developed and least buggy 2) avoid any threads that say "nightly, alpha, or beta with low numbers (aka Beta version 2) 3) spend time reading.. a lot of time. read user posts as well as dev posts. 9 times out of 10, someone has already had your question and had it answered. 4) dont do anything until your comfortable. rooting and roming a samsung phone is cake. Samsung is very open with the dev community, more than any other manufacturer. But you can still ruin cake if you dont follow directions. BTW, im jealous, ive wanted an international samsung for a while. :)