The days of rooting is over, from my S2-S8+ there where numerous roms but for my S9+ there is less than a handful. Is it because of Knox or something else? or maybe because of all the themes that are out. If it is due to Knox, Sammy have fulfilled their objective with it, what do you lot think.
Knox is the same between the two models, rooting permanently trips it.
I'd guess part of the problem with the unlocked rootable models is no one upgraded from the S8+ because it wasn't a big jump.. less developers using them equals less roms..
While the number of total ROMs have gone down, there's still a fair selection to choose from in the S9/S9+ cross-device development forum. But to answer your question, I'm sure the US variants of the S9+ having locked bootloaders halted a lot of potential development for the device.
Since there is the knox sdk that now allows us things to do like dns firewall, systemwide adblock, disable nearly all unwanted apps.. For me there is no real need for root anymore.
I only miss a few apps (titani um backup, game g uardien) but I can live with that..
What do you need root for?
It is not over yet because we have gsi's to flash and have the whole pixel experience etc.
Related
Since I asked a lot of question on this forum I would like to share the answers with everybody and maybe help them.
NOTE: Please don't post any replys as I want to keep the post clean and room for updates, send me a PM if you have and idea or any fails that I made in this post, if this post helped you don't post hit just the thanks button. Cheers.
Current list of questions with answers(will be updated):
Why would I want to root my phone?
Is rooting worth the trouble?
Is rooting illegal?
Will I have any customer support?
Is it dangerous?
Isn't rooting a complex and difficult process?
Will I still receive operating system updates from my carrier?
Application updates?
What if I want to un-root my phone?
Do I run the risk of bricking my phone?
Could my phone overheat and explode?
Why would I want to root my phone?
Everything in a Linux system is a file, or is treated as a file. Since Android runs on top of Linux, it acts the same way. Most of the files you will need to access or change are available to you without having elevated permissions. "Most" being the key term here. When you want to do things that affect or change the core software of your device -- like updating the version of Android on your phone, or adding a nice piece of software from another device -- you'll have to do it as root. Dream and Magic users have been running Eclair on their phones for a good while now, and it’s because they have rooted their device. Rooting also gives you access to some handy software that you couldn’t use otherwise. Things like a complete system backup or ad blocking software require you to root your device. Don’t root your phone just for the sake of rooting your phone, but if you come across something you feel you could use or would like to have, then consider it. You'll find that the open source community is usually pretty helpful and encouraging new people to do new things is common. And when you get to the point where you can lend a hand to the new folks, pay it forward.
Is rooting worth the trouble?
The answer is a resounding yes. The phone is faster than it has ever been, the battery lasts longer, and have all kinds of new features, including free wireless tethering and notification-bar widgets. Rooting your phone is generally a fairly quick process, though the complexity depends on your specific situation. Once you're rooted your handset, you can begin installing apps (many directly from Android Market) that will take advantage of your handset's new capabilities. Installing custom ROMs (replacement operating systems) built by hackers is a longer, more involved process , and generally involves your wiping all the data from your phone, but even that is worthwhile.
Is rooting illegal?
Nope. You bought the phone, it's your equipment, you own it, and you can do what you want with it. No one is going to come and get you, and your service provider will not cancel your contract. In fact, the U.S. federal government recognized the legality of rooting a phone in July 2010.
What you will do, however, is void the warranty on your device. If you don't want to live without a warranty, rooting isn't for you. Personally, I finally decided to take the plunge when I realized that the potential benefits outweighed the potential consequences. My phone was becoming slow and buggy, with lots of force-closes, and I was just about eligible for an upgrade anyway.
Will I have any customer support?
Rooting can be daunting because there is no toll-free number you can call for help, and no governing body to which you can turn for definitive answers. But the collective process of rooting phones and creating custom ROMs has engendered cool and supportive communities. The user-generated forums out there contain a staggering amount of information; the CyanogenMod forum has offered answers to almost all of my questions, as has the XDA Developers forum, but you can find many more. No matter your question, the forums most likely already have threads that can answer it. If you really can't find anything, you can always start a new thread to ask your question. If you think you've really mucked things up and you need immediate help, many IRC chat channels specialize in support for rooters. (Download an IRC client on your computer and head to irc.freenode.net, where the channels #android and #android-root are particularly helpful.)
Is it dangerous?
It can be, It might, and Yes. By not allowing access to the superuser account, the manufacturer and your carrier have basically protected you from doing things that change the system and make it unusable. All it takes is one wrong keystroke to turn your shiny new Android phone into a plastic and metal brick with no connection. Most times this is recoverable, but not always. You have to decide how capable you feel you are, and how well written the instructions you’ve found seem to be. Nobody will blame you if you decide against the risk, especially your cell carrier. All major carriers and manufacturers plainly state that altering or using unapproved software voids your warranty, and rooting falls into that category. While that seems a bit harsh, they need to be able to support the products they sell. For that to happen, they need to know exactly what’s running and what it’s doing.
Apps that run as root need a little further consideration. You need to have a level of trust in the person who wrote the app first and foremost. Does the developer have other software available? Do the user comments (for Market apps) have anything that raises a red flag? Do the requested permissions seem a little odd? These are all questions you need to think about before you allow something to run as root. For a further level of security, think about installing an application that warns you anytime something tries to run as root. SuperUser Whitelist is a great little app that does exactly that. If you decide to go on and root, ask users with the same device as you for a link to a version of SuperUser Whitelist that works with your firmware. Once installed, anytime something wants to run as root, the app intercepts and asks if you would like to allow it. You’re given the choice to accept, decline, or grant the app in question full privileges each time it runs.
One last thing to touch on here. Many custom ROMs include some sort of SSH server. This can be a wonderful tool, or it can get you in hot water. This is what caused the whole “Rick-Roll” episode with the latest iPhone jailbreak. The server sits and waits for an outside connection, and if that connection provides the right password full control of the device is turned over. In the case of the iPhone, users never bothered to change the default SSH password for root. A clever (or devious) group of users simply scanned for servers listening on the correct port, then attempted to sign in as root with the default password. Lesson learned, but this is easy to prevent. Ask other users of the ROM or firmware you’re thinking of flashing if there is a server listening, and if so how to disable it or change the default password.
Isn't rooting a complex and difficult process?
Yes and no. It really depends on what model of phone you have. On many phones (such as the Nexus One, Motorola Defy, or EVO 4G) the process is incredibly easy: You can download an app such as Simple Root, Universal 1-Click, or Z4root that will safely root your phone with a single click. Those apps are no longer available from the Android Market, but you can find them online with a simple search and install them onto an SD Card.
It is important to note that different approaches will work for different phones. For example, Z4root will work on many Android phones, but it won't work on most HTC models. Some rooting apps will work on an early build of Android 2.2 (Froyo), but will not work on later builds (though more and more apps are being released for that now). Rooting is phone/OS specific, so make sure to check that the root tool you're considering is compatible with your phone. For other models, rooting may take much more work. You might be required to connect the phone to your computer and enter some lines of code in a terminal utility.
Fortunately, more and more root apps do not require you to hook up your computer and get in that deep. Do some research as to what is required for your setup, read some step-by-step guides, and be honest with yourself about how comfortable you would be trying to follow the directions. If it feels like you'd be in over your head, it's probably best to avoid rooting.
Note that generally rooting is even tougher to do if you use a Mac, as most of the software for doing this sort of thing is written for Windows or Linux.
Will I still receive operating system updates from my carrier?
Maybe. More than likely if you’ve just rooted your phone so you could have access to the full file system and haven’t drastically changed things, the phone will still pass your carrier's checks and upgrade. If you’ve delved deeper and really customized your device, count on not being able to upgrade. Carrier updates were designed to work with the original software, so they need to be sure that’s what the phone is running. Again, this is for your own good. T-Mobile or Verizon can’t offer technical support for things they haven’t trained their technicians on, and if you flash a carrier approved update over custom software it’s probably not going to work.
The good news is that failing the checks the carrier does during an update won’t cause any damage to your phone. The update will just quit and you’ll be back where you started. Then you can decide if you would like to un-root and upgrade or take another path. The worst case scenario is that the phone passes the carriers checks, updates, and then things get broken. That’s pretty unlikely, but possible. If that would happen, you won’t be alone. Everyone in your situation will scramble to their favorite Android user forum and hopefully a work around can be found.
Note - a carrier update may also break the ability to root the device and a new method will need to be found. Any discussion of upgrading and root needs this mentioned as well. Most folks who root and decide to install a custom ROM wait for the ROM developer to provide an update that includes any bug fixes or new capabilities of the carrier update.
Application updates?
Yes. While it’s not being used, the program that allows permissions to be upgraded just sits and does nothing. Normal applications won’t even be aware it’s there, and applications that use it expect it to be there. Application updates, whether they are from the Market or other third parties will still install as normal.
What if I want to un-root my phone?
It depends on the model of your phone. Some are ridiculously easy to revert, some not so much. This is the most important question you can ask before you dive in and root your phone. Usually the website you found the method to root your phone will also have a discussion about un-rooting and going back to stock firmware. Take the time to find and read this information so you’re aware of just how difficult it’s going to be to go back. Pay close attention and create backups when recommended while you’re rooting your phone, as these may be needed to go back. I’ve not heard of any device that can’t be restored to factory firmware provided the original was backed up properly as recommended during the rooting process. The most important thing to always remember is to ask for help. If you do find yourself stuck without a backup or a working phone and need to roll back, ask for advice. Our forums are full of fine folks from all walks of life, and the majority are more than happy to help. There’s a good chance you’re not the first person in that situation and a solution has already been worked up!
Do I run the risk of bricking my phone?
This is one of the Internet's favorite bogeymen. "Bricking" is the idea that if you try to tinker with root access, you'll mess something up so it becomes completely unusable, and you'll essentially turn your phone into a paperweight. While that's certainly not outside the realm of possibility, the good news is that Android phones are generally very hard to brick. Yes, even the Droid X, which was purported to be the "unrootable" phone, has been safely rooted for quite some time (Z4root reportedly works with the Droid X).
If you do get caught in a boot loop, you may have to connect your phone to your computer and rewrite some code, but if you are patient and willing to do some more reading, you will almost always be able to find a way to at least restore your phone to its original state (read more on where that help comes from in the next section).
A common mistake that actually will lead to a bricked phone is running out of battery power in the middle of trying to install a custom ROM. The operating system only half installs, and that really is tough to fix. So always make sure that your battery is full before you install a new OS or ROM.
Also, just because a phone is rootable does not mean you can install any custom ROM you want. Differerent ROMs will work for different phones. Even the extremely popular CyanogenMod works for many phones, but certainly not all, so do plenty of research to make sure your phone is supported before trying to install a custom ROM.
Could my phone overheat and explode?
One of the major incentives to root your phone is the ability to overclock your processor to gain more speed (or underclock it to extend battery life). My phone has gotten considerably faster because of overclocking. When you overclock your processor, though, it will get hotter. If you try to push your phone too far and you don't set any fail-safes (a maximum allowable temperature in the overclocking utility), then you could burn out your processor. However, it is very easy to set safety thresholds to ensure that you don't do that.
SetCPU, the most popular app for overclocking or underclocking, allows you to set up various profiles.
Reading the rooting forums will give you plenty of advice on how far you can push your specific device and maintain stability. It pays to do some experimentation: Different phones behave differently, even if they're the same model.
Sources: androidcentral.com, pcworld.com
Useful threads:
[TUTORIAL] Unlocking, rooting, custom roms installing, going back to stock
[INDEX] HTC Desire X (protou) - Everything Desire X is here!
Reserved.
Hey guys,
New to the forum - always been an iphone man, but in recent years I've been more and more unimpressed and annoyed by the apple offerings and so my S6 edge will be delivered in the morning.
My question is should I root it on arrival? Half the reason I made the jump is all the "you can do so much more with android" etc
What is that "so much more"??
I'm fairly tech savvy but obviously never used android so not sure what to expect, but something had to give.
Is adapting the OS easy to do? Things I'm looking to do would be change the themes from operator branded stuff etc at minimum and would like to get the most from my new phone
Also is rooting reversible? Should I want to sell on in the future I'm assuming it's a good idea to revert to original state
Thanks in advance
No need to root, s6 and edge is plenty smooth. "So much more" involves a 3rd party launcher. Personally, I use Nova.
Root is reversible.
FluffyR said:
No need to root, s6 and edge is plenty smooth. "So much more" involves a 3rd party launcher. Personally, I use Nova.
Root is reversible.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, root is reversible, but tripping Knox by rooting a Samsung device isn't. Tripping Knox will permanently cause you to lose functionality of the Knox app and Samsung Pay. You could also potentially lose your warranty.
CafeKampuchia said:
Yes, root is reversible, but tripping Knox by rooting a Samsung device isn't. Tripping Knox will permanently cause you to lose functionality of the Knox app and Samsung Pay. You could also potentially lose your warranty.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
From want I understand... the whole Samsung Pay debacle is just speculation at this point. Everyone swore that you could never use Google Wallet with root but look what happened. They said we would probably never see root on certain carrier branded Samsung devices. Look what happened. It takes time but it's almost always figured out.
To the OP... I would, personally, wait a little bit and just play around with the phone to see what you like and what you would change. If you find that there's a long list of what you would want to tweak then check out as many threads/forums as possible to see if the tweak can be done, what the risks are, and go from there. The phone is great without root but it's so much better with it. Good luck and welcome!
shoresteve626 said:
From want I understand... the whole Samsung Pay debacle is just speculation at this point. Everyone swore that you could never use Google Wallet with root but look what happened. They said we would probably never see root on certain carrier branded Samsung devices. Look what happened. It takes time but it's almost always figured out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Installable apps like Google Wallet that check for root are not the same as Samsung Pay which is integrated into the ROMs security framework secured by Knox. Both Chainfire and Sammobile (which have Samsung insiders) have warned about rooting breaking Samsung Pay. It's more than just a little speculation, and it will be extremely difficult to work around if its possible at all.
The bottom line is that if you care about Knox or Samsung Pay, don't root or accept the risk.
Welcome to XDA @Strongey01
Years ago I would have said rooting is a no brainer but now, not so much. The 2 main functions of rooting were deleting bloatware and customizing. This new iteration of touchwiz is much lighter in term of bloat and there is the option to disable apps. Hers's what I would recommend: Get familiar with the os, start off with Nova launcher, pay for prime and explore away. That alone should allow you to customize your launcher beyond your wildest apple dreams. Get familliar with XDA learn the jargon, flash, twrp, odin etc. Explore the general and Q&A threads. There are a few threads about the advantages of root in there. Get familiar, get comfortable then root. If need be.
mrnovanova said:
The 2 main functions of rooting were deleting bloatware and customizing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And ad blocking.
CafeKampuchia said:
And ad blocking.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok I stand corrected. Three main functions are deleting bloatware, customizing and ad blocking.
Btw what do you use for ad blocking? I mean without xposed.
Thanks for taking the time to respond guys it's appreciated.
Getting it to run quicker and ad blocking are the main reasons I considered rooting tbh
I definately need to look more in depth at roms etc to see what they really do as like I say I'm completely new to all this, it's like going back to when I built my first website, I just don't have a clue lol
Thanks again guys
mrnovanova said:
Ok I stand corrected. Three main functions are deleting bloatware, customizing and ad blocking.
Btw what do you use for ad blocking? I mean without xposed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Adaway. Follow the link in the post of mine that you quoted.
Strongey01 said:
Hey guys,
New to the forum - always been an iphone man, but in recent years I've been more and more unimpressed and annoyed by the apple offerings and so my S6 edge will be delivered in the morning.
My question is should I root it on arrival? Half the reason I made the jump is all the "you can do so much more with android" etc
What is that "so much more"??
I'm fairly tech savvy but obviously never used android so not sure what to expect, but something had to give.
Is adapting the OS easy to do? Things I'm looking to do would be change the themes from operator branded stuff etc at minimum and would like to get the most from my new phone
Also is rooting reversible? Should I want to sell on in the future I'm assuming it's a good idea to revert to original state
Thanks in advance
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Since you say you're tech savy, I think adapting to Android will be smooth and easy for you.
You don't have to root the phone to enjoy most of the customization options of Android. Google Play Store offers many choices for you to play with: custom launchers, dialers, text apps, phonebooks, notification apps, wallpapers, galleries, ringtone and notification apps, etc.
Rooting then installing a custom recovery will open more customization options. With a custom recovery, such as TWRP, you can install custom ROM's, which can alter your phone completely.
Specifically for the galaxy S6E, you can root in 2 ways - via CF-AUTOROOT or Pingpong Root. I recommend you root with pingpong b/c the Samsung Knox counter will not be tripped and you can try Samsung Pay later.
If you decide to root via pingpong, be sure not to later install a custom kernel or recovery b/c Knox will be tripped.
Sent from my SM-G925P using Tapatalk
Thanks for taking the time to write that. Very informative and helpful
Cheers
Well i planned on getting the V10 tomorrow and out of excitement i was going to look up how the dev was on xda. Disappointment it seems to be very little development. Is there a particular reason or should i get different phone?
I'm actually thinking the same exact thing. Plan on getting this phone this weekend with Jump on Demand from an S6
Development is down on all devices..and for many reasons:
1. Much greater security in Lollipop and Marshmallow
2. With all the customizations available and features included on new phones developers are losing the desire to make ROMs
Between layers and Xposed most users can make their phones do what they want
3. Manufacturers and Carriers locking bootloaders and making root very difficult and anything other than flavors of stock impossible
Security is the new thing that sells phones...these are people's personal assistants now with their entire lives and financial business on them.
With all the features included on new phones these days, including theme engines, for most people just having root is enough. And for some devices there is not even root.
Best advice? Look towards a Nexus device...unlockable, rootable and works on all carriers.
What kind of development do you want exactly? Between root and all the Xposed modules available, there really is no more need for custom ROMs. For the V10, P_Toti's G4TweaksBox takes care of 95% of things people would want to change, and you can accomplish the rest with Xposed.
when the phone stops doing what you want(i.e. when it's end of life and thus isn't supported by the oem) then is the time to worry about romming, but honestly, by the time a device is end of life, it's usually time to get a new phone anyways...android is to the point now that other than modifying things layout-wise, there's no reason to rom...as has been said numerously, between xposed and the way android is, and manufacturer skins as well, there's no point anymore
i am buying a new phone, the S8+ to be exact, and there have been a lot of new developments (problems) when it comes to rooting your device. i've been rooting my smartphone devices for over 10 years because i love the freedom it brings (er, brought). Now i read things like Netflix, Snapchat, and AndroidPay not working on rooted devices. So i am wondering what people's experiences have been like. Any regrets? Are the trade-offs worth it to you? Is it worth being able to uninstall bloatware and install custom ROMs if a lot of other features and apps will stop working? i know most of this is personal preference but would like to know more about what other people have experienced.
billybag said:
i am buying a new phone, the S8+ to be exact, and there have been a lot of new developments (problems) when it comes to rooting your device. i've been rooting my smartphone devices for over 10 years because i love the freedom it brings (er, brought). Now i read things like Netflix, Snapchat, and AndroidPay not working on rooted devices. So i am wondering what people's experiences have been like. Any regrets? Are the trade-offs worth it to you? Is it worth being able to uninstall bloatware and install custom ROMs if a lot of other features and apps will stop working? i know most of this is personal preference but would like to know more about what other people have experienced.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
First and foremost, if you plan on getting a US variant, meaning it will have a SD835 in it, Root is unlikely to come soon for it, This doesn't mean it won't happen, just not soon. Now if we're talking international, the ones that ship with an Exynos in it, they're rootable now.
Now, with that out the way let's get into the questions you've asked. There will indeed be a selection of apps that will not work when rooted these days because of "SafetyNet" check failure. Some of the biggest would be Snapchat and Android pay, However they will work with the assistance of Magisk which will allow SafetyNet to pass it's check, Same goes for most apps that fail to work because of root presence.
Heading back to what I first mentioned now, Rooting a Samsung device of recent years comes with some pretty notable cons to it, These would include loss of KNOX, I'm not sure what your stance on security is but if security is a concern to you, losing KNOX is not good. Another big and notable con is you will lose all Samsung pay support permanently, Actually to be honest both of the latter are permanently lost once rooted. If these things aren't a concern for you then by all means root away.
On to other things now, Rooting these days doesn't present as many attractive things as it use to, especially on a Samsung device. Most OEMS have given alternatives to many of the things a user couldn't do without root before. Currently there is no Xposed on Nougat and above, it's being worked on but there is no foreseeable date that can be given on when it will be completed.
So all in all, Until root is achieved for the Snapdragon variants, I'd hold off on a purchase of an S8. If we're talking Exynos variants then by all means get one, as I've said they're rootable right now. But don't let that be the ray of sunshine, though they're rootable, They're in infact an Exynos and Samsung is unwilling to provide source code to their Exynos chipsets. Which basically means to you that custom ROMs will be limited to rehashes of the stock ROMs with a couple mods if possible, AOSP such as Lineage and others like it are next to impossible to happen on Exynos without a source code to work from. It has been done before but the resulting roms took a long time to develop and either were extremely buggy or were just simply not usable for daily use.
I'm pretty sure I've hopefully covered every aspect I could but if you've got any more questions I'll surely answer them.
I apologise for this being so long lol.
Perfect. Thank you, this helped a lot.
billybag said:
Perfect. Thank you, this helped a lot.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Glad I could help, Again sorry it was a lengthy response but it was necessary to cover all of it.
I'm considering rooting my phone but I can't see very many custom ROMs for the s9+, I'd love to get stock android onto it or something a little faster. Is it worth doing?
yes. head over to treble forum here at xda so you could try some more aosp/los based roms aside from the los, rr and crdroid here
Connor1744 said:
I'm considering rooting my phone but I can't see very many custom ROMs for the s9+, I'd love to get stock android onto it or something a little faster. Is it worth doing?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not for me, we can use themes and disable many samsung services and apps with a package disabler so me personaly i`am fine. Samsung update frequency has improved so that isn`t an issue for many users also, though some regions may not get as many updates as others.
It's not worth it unless you like the idea of ending with a $900 paperweight.
Not worth it. Disable apps and enjoy your good camera
Not worth it I think. Install adhell 3 which blocks ads and you can remove unnecessary bloatware. And you keep your warranty!
Not worth it, at least for me.
With a rooted device I can't use samsung pay, for example.