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To root or not to root. Benefits and negatives of Rooting your phone.
What is rooting?
If you’re an Administrator on a Windows machine, you have access to the entire operating system and you can do whatever you like. That’s essentially what happens if you root your Android device. With root access, you can get around any restrictions that your manufacturer or carrier may have applied. You can run more apps; you can customize your device to a greater degree; and you can potentially speed it up in a variety of ways.
The process involves backing up your current software and then flashing (installing) a new custom ROM (modified version of Android).
Read more: http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/how-to-root-android/#ixzz2iUaZEZw9
If you’re an Administrator on a Windows machine, you have access to the entire operating system and you can do whatever you like. That’s essentially what happens if you root your Android device. With root access, you can get around any restrictions that your manufacturer or carrier may have applied. You can run more apps; you can customize your device to a greater degree; and you can potentially speed it up in a variety of ways.
The process involves backing up your current software and then flashing (installing) a new custom ROM (modified version of Android).
Read more: http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/how-to-root-android/#ixzz2iUaZEZw9
Positives of rooting.
Know the nasty adware that is on every single freaking webpage????
Well with just a click you can make it all disappear muahahahahahahahaha.
You get to instal one of a variety of great firewalls.
You can disable or remove any pre-installed programs on your phone you don't want.
You can void all tracking software.
You can customize each screen.
If you've spent much time in Google Play, you know you're not exactly hard-up for good apps. But why settle for good when you can have great. Once you're rooted not only can you get more apps, but the apps you have access to can get way down deeper into your phone's brains. In some cases you'll be able to do things that carriers, manufacturers, and/or Google may not want you to do. Some will allow you to do things of questionable legality. For example, Network Spoofer uses your device to set up a fake wireless network. When your houseguests sign in, you can make ever image they see inverted, or all of the text fuzzy. It's a harmless prank, but of course it could (but shouldn't!) also be used for stealing passwords and other nefarious things.
http://gizmodo.com/5982287/reasons-to-root-your-android-device
http://gizmodo.com/5982287/reasons-to-root-your-android-device
Negatives
There are essentially three potential cons to rooting your Android.
Voiding your warranty: Some manufacturers or carriers will use rooting as an excuse to void your warranty. It’s worth keeping in mind that you can always unroot. If you need to send the device back for repair, simply flash the original backup ROM you made and no one will ever know that it was rooted.
Bricking your phone: Whenever you tamper too much, you run at least a small risk of bricking your device. This is the big fear everyone has. The obvious way to avoid it happening is to follow instructions carefully. Make sure that the guide you are following works for your device and that any custom ROM you flash is designed specifically for it. If you do your research and pay attention to feedback from others, bricking should never occur.
Security risks: Rooting may introduce some security risks. Depending on what services or apps you use on your device, rooting could create a security vulnerability. For example, Google refuses to support the Google Wallet service for rooted devices.
Read more: http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/how-to-root-android/#ixzz2iUbxeF5M
Voiding your warranty: Some manufacturers or carriers will use rooting as an excuse to void your warranty. It’s worth keeping in mind that you can always unroot. If you need to send the device back for repair, simply flash the original backup ROM you made and no one will ever know that it was rooted.
Bricking your phone: Whenever you tamper too much, you run at least a small risk of bricking your device. This is the big fear everyone has. The obvious way to avoid it happening is to follow instructions carefully. Make sure that the guide you are following works for your device and that any custom ROM you flash is designed specifically for it. If you do your research and pay attention to feedback from others, bricking should never occur.
Security risks: Rooting may introduce some security risks. Depending on what services or apps you use on your device, rooting could create a security vulnerability. For example, Google refuses to support the Google Wallet service for rooted devices.
Read more: http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/how-to-root-android/#ixzz2iUbxeF5M
12 replies
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= new reply since forum marked as read
So in 99% of cases, where people research their actions, the only negatives are the loss to the telecoms.
Besides once you backup your phone the negatives are 100% cancelled out. You also have the option to unroot, say if you need your phone replaced because of water or dropping it, then your contract is 100% valid.
And I have rooted my phone. I got sick of being redirected to sites I didn't want to go to, my phone slowing down because of all the adware, spyware etc. It was a train wreck using my phone before rooting. Now it runs as smooth as butterscotch
Really (no sarcasm intended).
