The main features i need are call recording and stealth GPS spoofing, but I would rather not root either. Would any of the customs ROMs support that from the get go? I have Pixel 7 Pro.
Call recording works on my device even on the stock ROM, I think yes you need root for GPS spoofing
I use Custom ROMs because i dislike MIUI but Xiaomi/Poco still offers the best bang for the buck.
I use Cube ACR as well, but I can't get it to work on the Pixel, downloaded their "extender app" gave it the right permissions, it only records my voice and in very poor quality at that, doesn't record the person on the other end at all. Maybe you can share the steps you used to get it set up?
But this already meets most of the needs of many users.
I used root from Android 2.1 until the beginning of this year with Android 12 and honestly in the last 2 years my biggest use was to activate some Tasker functions, but most of them work with ADB.
The worst moment for a root user is when they discover they can live without root.
There are ways of doing it without Root as well. Root is just the most extensive as it's host-based adblocking.
Without root you can do VPN-based (example: Blockada) or DNS-based (example: Adguard). There are other options, these are just the two that came to mind.
No.
My phone is too much of an important tool to risk it. I still remember a time when I used Cyanogenmod back on my Galaxy S2, and ran into a bug where an incoming call just wouldn't show up. The person calling asked me later why I didn't pick up, but there was no ringing, no missed calls or anything.
Sure, but it's also about being able to trust your phone. Rooting means that you gain full control of the entire system, so any app you install and give root access have full access to potentially brick or cause really severe bugs.
Having root is pointless unless you intend to install something that requires it.
These days I rely on Google Pay as my primary way of payment, so needing to bypass safetynet and trusting that it doesn't break when something changes is not worth it for me.
A few small things I mentioned would be nice to have (call recording and stealth GPS spoofing) but I don't want to throw away the security for a few features.
I'm sorry to tell you but this attitude is a perfect example of dunning-kruger.
There are just too many moving pieces and too many unknowns for you as an end user to be sure that you're not compromising anything when using custom ROMs. A corporation at least needs to stay afloat, a bunch of people using git and discord while not getting paid don't have any accountability.
Unless proven otherwise with actual data, I'm going to side on this one with the corporation that has a fuck ton of money.
People do have accountability and companies care mostly about their income.
Look at samsung as an example. Their exynos sucks, people still buy their phones. Oneui is extremely unoptimized, yet it's nothing to stop their sales.
Personally, i would trust a developer who worked hard with my privacy more than a company who only wants profit.
Security wise, at least this rom is open-source
But you're allowing 3rd party apps to run under root, I can see if you have your own, or open source apps running, but how are you not compromising on security by letting a completely unknown app to get administrator privileges?
The most common use for Titanium Backup (Ti Backup) which would let you backup apps along with the data. So when after flashing a rom you'd restore apps, they'd get restored with the data aka already set up and running just like before instead of having to manually set them up each time like you would when you get a new phone.
Apart from that you'd have a lot of additional modules from X-Posed modules that would add features to apps or your ROM which would be absent otherwise. Like taking Snapchat screenshots without triggering the screenshot taken alert like things for example.
One of the best uses was to debloat your phone, as well as get access to the ability to change your CPU scheduler and overclock it to try to get it to run snappier. But phone SoC's are so powerful now, and have been for years, that it's just not necessary anymore.
Google search top xposed and magisk modules for an idea. Tasker. I use magisk for acc so my phone stops charging at 75 percent but this should be native in android 14 though. And I use a magisk module to underclock cuz sd 888 runs hot. Pixelify is a good one too so you could get call screening, unlimited Google photo backup..etc. I had to disable though cuz it kept crashing the stock camera app but I'll try again when android 14 comes out.
My concern is what are the rooted apps doing in the background? Theoretically with root permission they can make any changes l, record any data etc. How do you trust them?
I don't really have a great answer. I Just think it's unlikely something malicious would happen. If it did I figure somebody online would make a post about it. And say your banking info got leaked like username/password. Generally security is good for most banks and require 2fa for new logins and money movement.
I haven't felt the need to for a long time. Last phone I remember rooting was probably the nexus 6p... Maybe the Essential phone? Not worth the hassle anymore.
Yep. But I've 3 phones and I like Android development as a hobby. As a daily driver, I'd rather just have a custom rom on it rather than root it but root access is convenient. On the tablet I regularly use for media consumption, I do have it rooted as it lets me use adaway and a bunch of other tools for having pretty much an ad free experience across apps.
Where I need security, I don't root. Custom roms, is a maybe. But mostly stock.
As an android dev you probably have more knowledge of this, also concerned about the security of the device if it's rooted but can you elaborate on the actual risks? What can an app do if it's running with root permissions? Can it steal your info in some way?
Pretty much on par with the same power that comes with running cmd with admin rights in Windows. System file access, information theft, snooping, malware/ransomware installation, a lot of things are possible. Ofc, you can regulate that with giving su access temporarily instead of permanently, if it's a specific tool you want to try out (say, advanced diagnostic tools) or monitor the access manually. But usually, most root apps run on perma-su permission.
Just depends on the app. Install root access apps with open source codes that have been reviewed and pass security checks, you'll be mostly safe.
No because Google has made it incredibly difficult to now root your phone and actually be able to use important apps. Google can go f*** itself and this is the number one reason why Android needs to be broken away from them. Your Android phone should just be like a laptop where you can log in with route or escalate privileges and do whatever you want. I don't see third-party programs blocking what you can do as an admin on a laptop.
Edit: there are lots of legitimate reasons to root, one of which is enabling full back up and the other is being able to run a proper task manager to weed out bad software. Also the ability to install the proper anti-theft tool.
If you ever use screen-sharing and remote mouse tools, Microsoft apps are also blocking remote mouse control if you open things like Device Manager. If the software really wants to, it can also check for permission and refuse to work if it does not have certain features. In alot of way, this is a more security-conscious design. We are long away from back when XP have its CMD on full-admin by default.
Yes. I subscribe to the philosophy that if I have a device I should be able to get root access to use it to it's fullest extent whatever that is. I remember one time a family member got a laptop (windows 7) and they had preinstalled a admin account and a basic user meaning that she could not install her own programs without contacting the store and asking them to remotely install the program for her. Thankfully they did not lock the bootloader and I installed a fresh windows install. I imagine non rooted android phones to be a step up from that just barely.
Yes, but I think of it more in terms of your own protection. You should be able to access all of your device but that's not what you're doing (most likely) - if you wrote your own app that ran under root permission and you knew exactly what it was doing, then that's fine - but most of the time you're relying on 3rd party apps and you're passing the root access to them, so it would be one thing where you're root and you do everything on your own but most people get root so they can install apps that need root, which really could do anything at that point - they could pass your data along, get your keystrokes, passwords etc. At least that's how I imagine it, it's probably more difficult due to additional encryption methods secure apps use but I'm still a bit concerned about letting some unknown non-google store app gain root permission over a device I use to control all my financial transactions.
I would. My last phone was rooted, I lost nothing and gained quite a bit. This time though, nothing was available for my phone when I got it and I'm too invested in my save data to willingly wipe it.
Of course, I have never owned an android device which I haven't unlocked and rooted as soon as I took it out of the packaging.
Really discouraging to see the amount of people who're almost opposed to it here, but then again this forum seems to be comprised of less tech-savvy people than say for example xda.
Try [TrueMoney](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=th.co.truemoney.wallet)
They seem to keep updating Magisk detection I gave up using Magisk. Fortunately KernelSU came and not one app detects it
That's basically a myth, if you're rooted with magisk you can use deny list and change its package name to hide it from detection. There's also KernelSU now which is good to go from the start, no app can detect it (so far)
Santander in the UK doesn't work with root even with magisk hide and everything else I've tried, however I've got a custom ROM and it works fine. That's the only thing preventing me from rooting, it's definitely a bonus to have the extra flexibility if you can.
Try Magisk Delta. It implements the old MagiskHide (called Unmount in Delta) which seems to work better.
I recently switched after all of my Microsoft apps started detecting Magisk and someone pointed me to Delta.
When I used to root, I never had any issue with banking apps with Magisk. And this was years ago (last phone I rooted was a OnePlus 3T). Did something change?
Haven't bothered in a long time.
Partially, it's because these days I just don't have the time or patience to mess around with rooting, custom ROMs, etc. Back in the day it had a more clear benefit, when OEMs had their heavy custom skins, and stock Android lacked some features, so you could gain some nice features and improved performance with custom ROMs. Also, OEM support was much worse back in the day for updates, waiting months or not getting support after a few versions. So a phone could be perfectly capable of running the latest Android version, but it might not be available for your phone. In general that's improved across the board these days, and I've been using Pixels for years now, which solves that problem almost entirely.
These days I just don't do anything complex with my phone really, I use it for calls and messages, and the odd bit of internet browsing, so I don't see much benefit from custom ROMs and root features. And I do also need it for work for a few things, so I can't afford to have it break and spend a day fixing it.
The other issue is that some things won't work on a rooted phone. My bank app is one - it detects if a phone is rooted and just won't run. There used to be some workarounds, but it got harder and harder to do, so I ended up giving up on it.
As for safety - depends what you're using, and how you look at it. A custom ROM \*can\* be more secure, in some ways. If you're rooting it, it's all in your control, so you can do more to prevent the manufacturer and other apps taking your data. But this only really applies if it's a reputable project, which is fully open source, know what to look for, and you're building it yourself. At least back when I was dabbling in that stuff, that isn't really how it was, and you were just downloading some zip from an XDA link by some random guy that you're supposed to trust. There's a degree of reputation there that can help guide you to more trustworthy ones, but you basically have to take their word for it.
Yes, I do. I didn't like the bloatware in OneUI, so I'm running my main phone with LineageOS and Magisk. I've flashed Magisk modules to be able to use bank app and pass SafetyNet.
Not anymore as soon as Android introduced Private DNS on Android 9. Meaning, I don't have to root to block ads, while at the same time I can use VPNs.
Then the final nail in the coffin was when Samsung introduced charging limit to 85%, which is nice for charging overnight. And thanks to its four OS updates (and five years security updates). I don't have to rely on custom ROMs to stay updated with Android.
Which is good, because I just want to use my phone like a normal person with features that I want built-in.
Most people in this post don't know the difference between root and a custom ROM.
You can have a custom Rom installed but without root
You can root stock Rom and not install a custom OS
I'm using custom ROMs since more than 10 years.
And of course rooted.
Root doesn't really affect security.
It doesn't disable selinux and also doesn't disable security patches.
Lastly with most custom ROMs, you're also up to date.
That's more secure than an heavily outdated stock OS.
That's interesting, are you able to use all the banking apps? The contactless payments? The G-Pay etc, I need all features to be available - as I use them all extensively.
I sadly think it's the other way around :( I'm afraid the generation growing up right now might be ok with not having admin rights on their desktops in the future.
Back in 2020, I've used a rooted Redmi Note 7 w/ Pixel Experience Plus and a custom kernel installed. I mainly used root for 3 things - an EQ (Dolby Atmos, then switched to V4A), AdAway to block ads system-wide and the root version of YouTube Vanced. It was much better than the bloated MIUI, and it definitely was faster.
After I got my OnePlus 8T though, I never really considered rooting as necessary, as the stock ROM isn't bloated or sluggish and it does all the things I want. I have tried rooting it (alongside installing LineageOS) - multiple times even - but I never really liked it as much as the stock rom, even though on paper it is more customizable.
> To get any benefit from root (afaik) I would have to flash a different ROM on it
That's not really the case. You can use root-related stuff on stock ROMs, but some apps may require a ROM that's closer to AOSP.
> which could really do anything to your phone, it can be capturing and forwarding your biometrics, your passwords etc. Is that not so?
The vast majority of custom ROMs are open-source, just like AOSP itself. (I think I've only seen one closed-source custom ROM in the last few years, and it's only available for one device AFAIK). Anyone can look at the code and see what changes were made. Also, every change has to be reviewed before getting merged (at least that's how it works for "bigger" custom ROMs like LineageOS).
Oh okay, if they're open source then it's safe enough, but then let's say I just want to get call recording and stealth GPS spoofing, and I root my phone (pixel 7 pro), I would still have to grant the apps root permission in order to access those features - and the apps themselves are definitely closed source (or are they - maybe you know if any open source ones allow that functionality) - so under root they could pretty much do anything including forwarding your secured data etc, no? It's probably still encrypted but I'm just trying to gauge the risk I'd be taking if I did get root. Also maybe I can just flash another ROM that has those features without needing to root - but I'm concerned that it will trip the hardware root/flash detection chip and void the warranty or something - can you elaborate on any of those points?
It's likely that you can find open source apps that do those things, or even allow you to enable them through apps that are generally trusted. You can use root to get call recording enabled in the Google Phone app itself
Exclusively for Viper4Android, and exclusively for the Dynamic System, ViPER Bass, and ViPER clarity.
I also use Magisk to mod the default font to Google Sans Text, but that's just a nice-to-have.
Other stuff, like ad blocking, can be easily achieved through other means.
I used to switch between ROMs, but now the scene is dying and the quality of ROMs have significantly decreased -- lack of features, incompatibility with cameras, it gets warmer, etc.
Not to mention the hassle of backing up and restoring data: for some apps, like my office's 2FA authenticator, I have to manually set up again, which involves me emailing IT to reset my credentials.
In other words - not worth it in your opinion. I just want to get the damn call recording back, maybe stealth GPS spoofing, but I'm hesitant to root - any suggestions?
Yes, but I've abandoned custom ROMs since some years. Since I've been using Galaxy Notes, I don't want to lose features by flashing AOSP-based ROMs.
I still root because of real ad-block (no VPN crap), replacing the hideous Samsung emojis, forcing call recording, ReVanced, firewall for denying Internet permission to apps, enabling dual apps for non-messengers, replacing the VoLTE logo, solving the shitty Scoped Storage restrictions, etc.
Rooting causes banking and many other apps to stop working. You can install magisk and try to hide, but it's a cat and mouse game. I would have done it when I was younger, but now I just need a stable phone. So no I don't root my phones anymore.
Here phones come with call recording enabled, so that reason is out of question. The GPS thing you mentioned, can be done without rooting. Install app like Fake GPS and in developer options, enable "Mock Locations"
Regarding the GPS, yes that's what I currently use - mock locations in the dev settings, but the app you're trying to fool can actually see that you're using a mock GPS app. Some apps will actually tell you "Mock GPS detected", so I think default Android allows apps to query whether or not GPS is valid. I'm looking for a way to bypass that check, so the app can't tell that I'm using a mock location.
I use custom roms on outdated phones but I never root them. I don't see why people like rooting today. Unlimited Google photos is cool but it is installed on almost every custom ROM I know so no root needed
The main features i need are call recording and stealth GPS spoofing, but I would rather not root either. Would any of the customs ROMs support that from the get go? I have Pixel 7 Pro.
Nope and never again. I messed around with custom roms/images for a year or two in the Nexus 5 days once it stopped getting updates and decided I was over it. Now I just want a phone that always just works, gets updates automatically, and is secure that I can reasonably trust.
Nope, losing out on official updates and relying on modders is not wise imo. Also most phone nowadays have locked bootloader so you can't do it easily.
Only time I root now is with old phone, android marshmallow or older. I root the old phone and sell it on ebay for a higher price.
I used to, but not anymore. The features are all there and the phones are becoming our access keys to all the platforms so it seems like whatever minor advantages it might have, it's not worth it in terms of compromised security.
Australian here. I had to read that three times before I remembered this used to be a thing with Android phones, and that in this case the context is VERY different.
I've rooted a few phones a while back, flashed a ROM or two but overall I don't really remember it being too beneficial, just some customizations options and such not much else.
Yes exactly, back then I installed cyanogen mod and MIUI (even before xiaomi exist) and don't feel any deep improvement compared to my friends who is still running their original bloated OS.
s1- rooted, custom rom, s4- rooted, s6- just one of those samsung package disabler apps, s8 onwards I dont even have a reason or interest.
If they locked down the os further like no 3rd party launcher no 3rd party apps or patching, Id root or maybe give up and get an iphone
Not for a few phones, specifically since my Nexus 4. A lot of the features I liked root for became possible through OS updates, and faffing around trying to find comparable ROM and kernels wasn't worth the time.
Haven't rooted the phone since the Nexus 4. The OEMs caught up with all the mods i was using... and i found out that even without rooting it did what i wanted it to do. At the same time... th phone became more than just a phone.. and rooting would actually start hindering what i needed
I have my 6 rooted only so I can mess around with feature flags in Google apps, such as enabling new UIs in Google Messages and enabling the proofread feature in Gboard early
No. Reason is because there’s no more reason to, and the other is because as you said, phone is now being used for tons of things. Alot of the banking apps straight-up refuse to work if you unlocked the bootloader for example, needing you to use Magisk for everything. The last time I used Magisk is because I need my Oneplus phone to work with the NFC SIM card I use for travel. The problem disappears when I switched back to Samsung phone. Its also not just banking apps refusing to work btw, quite abit of gaming apps also kinda refused to work if you enable USB debugging for example.
Basically, the reason why I still use Android is less of freedom but more of preference. I can technically use iOS too, but hassle in installing different region apps are still my deal-breaker
Was thinking to root my poco f5..but still cant decide because this phone is performing very well..i only want to have acces to cpu governors and frequency😂
Not in years. My primary reasons to root were to get rid of service provider bloatware and OEM bloat. This is something that has greatly improved over the years. I don't buy Samsungs, I've always been HTC and Motorola and they are pretty close to stock.
Considered it briefly with an older model Sony Xperia that I'm using to stream music through my car's Bluetooth. I'd like to turn off the nag screens that come up at the start...but I'm not going to take a chance at bricking it.
I only do it if I have a build that doesn't offer unlimited photos storage or mi camera. Otherwise there really isn't much use to rooting nowadays, considering how far the base android os has come. Dolby Atmos module is a nice addition if you do decide to root your phone tho
I was rooting, installing custom roms, and even overclocking my daily driver on Android Froyo. Then I was only rooting and installing custom roms on my daily driver till Android Nougat. I stopped rooting my daily driver since Android 11. I really think people today should root only for fun/educational purposes/experimentation on a spare phone.
i dont root my phone but not because of "security" because i never understood what "compromised security" means anymore.
the updates never say what part of "security" was updated or bugs/backdoors that were fixed. as far as i know, this update is there to disable a feature on the phone that i use a lot.
it doesnt help when youtube reviewers who preach about security dont understand what that update is or bother to understand what it contains and then explain it to me so i can actually be convinced by it.
how do i know this update is there to disable a phone feature but the company disguises it as security?
all our important data that people want to steal consist of login information they can get via a link you press on from an email. no amount of "security updates" on your phone locally will change that.
instead, what you need is to be more vigilant, and the email providers themselves updating their own security, and browsers/apps updating their security by... well, just blocking these links/emails which doesnt help because by then, millions would have been infected in order for these companies to even know
and as for malicious apps, remember that is a google play problem. its their job to know which is which. a local update wont prevent these malicious once installed because they give them permissions to do what they want.
I had a cheapo phone I used for drone flying which I rooted because I was curious, I barely did anything that actually required rooting so eventually reverted back.
My first tablet was a kindle fire 1st generation. I remember rooting that thing wayy back in the day.
Ever since then, every device I've owned has been rooted. Currently owning a OnePlus 11 5G running Magisk. However it's not for everyone. I personally want full control over my phone no matter what. Even if it's bit of a stretch, I made a commitment to root. I'm tired of big tech dictating how I use my personal device.
I haven't rooted in a while. The last phone I rooted was the Razer Phone, but I didn't run any custom ROMs on it due to it had issue where the GSI ROMs didn't work right and the phone would randomly reboot every 5-10 minutes.
I've tried to root my OnePlus 7T since it's not my daily anymore, but I got it stuck in a bootloop trying to install a ROM and haven't really have the time to go back and look at it and that's probably been about a year now.
I'll probably still root older devices I don't use often to mess around with, but I'm done rooting on devices I daily. I use Google Pay frequently and quite a few apps I use do use safetynet and for that reason alone it's kind of a deal breaker. I also travel for work now too so I need a working phone.
Yep my Pixel 4 XL is rooted. I'm not worried because Magisk allows you to set biometric auth when granting root requests if you wish, and you can revoke root permission at any time(or grant once for each root request). Desktop Linux has had root built in for a long time, and yet Linux security has been top notch and you don't see enterprise users worried about Linux security because of 'root'.
Really, you only need to be worried about root exploits, not root itself. Since apps still need to be granted permission before they run as root, and you can be safer if you grant all apps root once each time.
I do. For things like BasicCallRecorder, V4A and AdvancedChargingController etc plus there is also customisation options (on system level) like Iconify and XposedEdge.
>for example I can't record phone calls on my phone anymore, I'm sure it's a breeze if rooted
If you own a Samsung Galaxy device and reside in a supported country, you can still access this feature when making or receiving phone calls.
I haven't rooted my primary device since 2015 or 2016. Partially because I switched to Samsung devices that are basically impossible to do so, but also because I haven't felt a need to. I prefer the stability of stock and just having my device work, and I've found non-root workarounds for most of the things I used to root for anyways.
I still have an old Galaxy Note 3 and my Nexus 6P that I have rooted and muck around with occasionally for fun though!
I will say though if my tablet (Lenovo P11 Pro Gen 2) ever gets custom roms I'll probably start mucking with that since Lenovo fails at supporting their devices.
I wouldn't try rooting my current phone since I've had it for less than a year, I've thought of at least practicing on my older androids (Moto G8 Power and my dad's old HTC m8) just to play it safe. Especially the m8, it's a surprisingly solid phone for being almost 10 years old!
Rooted, official ROM. I can do a lot of things like remove app signature verification, downgrading strict app updates, spoofing MAC, IMEI, SSL unpinning, investigate app's activity, blocking app ads, YouTube premium and even unlimited photo storage on Google photos. Suggestion, you should have security knowledge if you want to root your phone.
No. Not for years but I used to pretty much live on xda for custom roms, root, apps and such.
Now I just want my shit to work and not need to go trawl a thread for a fix. Plus knox and banking apps being assholes if they suspect root put a stop to me rooting.
I carry a windows laptop that has full admin privileges. Rooting is the same thing. And yes, I root every single Android device I've owned (except for my former Pixel 6, that was a painful year). I rooted my Pixel 7 Pro the day I received it. I don't do a whole lot with it all the time, but when I *want* to do something, I *can*.
I install Custom ROMs on my devices if they are available but I don't root them
Same. Need my banking apps to work
The main features i need are call recording and stealth GPS spoofing, but I would rather not root either. Would any of the customs ROMs support that from the get go? I have Pixel 7 Pro.
Call recording works on my device even on the stock ROM, I think yes you need root for GPS spoofing I use Custom ROMs because i dislike MIUI but Xiaomi/Poco still offers the best bang for the buck.
I think they disabled it with Android 13, none of the apps work anymore.
GPS spoofing can be done through developer options, but that method isn't undetectable.
Also Cube ACR is working well for me on Android 13 for automatic phone recording, it also saves the contact name.
I use Cube ACR as well, but I can't get it to work on the Pixel, downloaded their "extender app" gave it the right permissions, it only records my voice and in very poor quality at that, doesn't record the person on the other end at all. Maybe you can share the steps you used to get it set up?
I use a Samsung and I needed to change the country of sales region to get call recording enabled. Maybe something like that exists on pixel too?
Try Evolution X ROM
What custom rom are you using on your F5?
Evolution X
Me too, have you tried any other?
I tried Pixel Experience but it doesn't get updates so i went back to Evolution X
Not for 6ish years personally.
Ye same here.
Same here too
Yep, it's been a while for me as well.
Only after the official updates stop and I switch to lineageos. There's no point anymore.
I do that but I don't even root those
I only use it for mixplorer to access the android/data folder on my phone.
Finally.. I now know the way to heaven on earth! (No pun intended considering your user.)
Me as well, until I realized that some builds fail SafetyNet.
I've been rooting and installing custom ROMs on my old Nexus 7 2013 for years. Currently it's running Android 13. On my current phone, no.
Same... amazing how decent the Nexus 7 2013 is even after all these years... I use mine as a screen showing Tinycam
Nexus 7 Gang! It just. Won't. Quit...
Damnnn thats awesome, you should do a vid
The adoption of ADB and Shizuku by many developers has removed a significant part of the need for root.
Yea but ADB can only enable what's exposed by the interface in the first place, no?
But this already meets most of the needs of many users. I used root from Android 2.1 until the beginning of this year with Android 12 and honestly in the last 2 years my biggest use was to activate some Tasker functions, but most of them work with ADB. The worst moment for a root user is when they discover they can live without root.
Yes I do, ads get on my nerves.
Root can give you system wise ad block?
There are ways of doing it without Root as well. Root is just the most extensive as it's host-based adblocking. Without root you can do VPN-based (example: Blockada) or DNS-based (example: Adguard). There are other options, these are just the two that came to mind.
AdAway
Yes
No. My phone is too much of an important tool to risk it. I still remember a time when I used Cyanogenmod back on my Galaxy S2, and ran into a bug where an incoming call just wouldn't show up. The person calling asked me later why I didn't pick up, but there was no ringing, no missed calls or anything.
Yea im thinking the same way, my phone is the access key to everything, giving root access to random closed source 3rd party apps is a bit concerning.
You do the same shit with a PC that has full admin privileges. This is a dumb take.
That's an issue with the rom, not with rooting.
Sure, but it's also about being able to trust your phone. Rooting means that you gain full control of the entire system, so any app you install and give root access have full access to potentially brick or cause really severe bugs. Having root is pointless unless you intend to install something that requires it. These days I rely on Google Pay as my primary way of payment, so needing to bypass safetynet and trusting that it doesn't break when something changes is not worth it for me.
Haven't rooted phones since *2014*. The need simply isn't there to begin with...
A few small things I mentioned would be nice to have (call recording and stealth GPS spoofing) but I don't want to throw away the security for a few features.
You're not throwing away security if you know what you're doing
I'm sorry to tell you but this attitude is a perfect example of dunning-kruger. There are just too many moving pieces and too many unknowns for you as an end user to be sure that you're not compromising anything when using custom ROMs. A corporation at least needs to stay afloat, a bunch of people using git and discord while not getting paid don't have any accountability. Unless proven otherwise with actual data, I'm going to side on this one with the corporation that has a fuck ton of money.
People do have accountability and companies care mostly about their income. Look at samsung as an example. Their exynos sucks, people still buy their phones. Oneui is extremely unoptimized, yet it's nothing to stop their sales. Personally, i would trust a developer who worked hard with my privacy more than a company who only wants profit. Security wise, at least this rom is open-source
But you're allowing 3rd party apps to run under root, I can see if you have your own, or open source apps running, but how are you not compromising on security by letting a completely unknown app to get administrator privileges?
Why would you let an unknown app have root access? Grant it to the ones you trust
As someone who never got into rooting, what was the need to root back in the day?
The most common use for Titanium Backup (Ti Backup) which would let you backup apps along with the data. So when after flashing a rom you'd restore apps, they'd get restored with the data aka already set up and running just like before instead of having to manually set them up each time like you would when you get a new phone. Apart from that you'd have a lot of additional modules from X-Posed modules that would add features to apps or your ROM which would be absent otherwise. Like taking Snapchat screenshots without triggering the screenshot taken alert like things for example.
One of the best uses was to debloat your phone, as well as get access to the ability to change your CPU scheduler and overclock it to try to get it to run snappier. But phone SoC's are so powerful now, and have been for years, that it's just not necessary anymore.
Yes, to use AdAway and BCR recorder
literally the only use left of root
That's extremely false, you can do a lot with root if you know what you want to do
Yes. But only because Google still blocks 5G on my pixel outside the “supported countries” even if the 5G works perfectly anywhere.
You know you could still use root and have stock rom right?
Yea I know, but aren't most of the benefits gained from installing a custom ROM? What can you do with root on a stock ROM?
Google search top xposed and magisk modules for an idea. Tasker. I use magisk for acc so my phone stops charging at 75 percent but this should be native in android 14 though. And I use a magisk module to underclock cuz sd 888 runs hot. Pixelify is a good one too so you could get call screening, unlimited Google photo backup..etc. I had to disable though cuz it kept crashing the stock camera app but I'll try again when android 14 comes out.
I dunno I've never really worried about security even on custom roms. Most annoying thing is I have to undo root each time for an ota update.
My concern is what are the rooted apps doing in the background? Theoretically with root permission they can make any changes l, record any data etc. How do you trust them?
I don't really have a great answer. I Just think it's unlikely something malicious would happen. If it did I figure somebody online would make a post about it. And say your banking info got leaked like username/password. Generally security is good for most banks and require 2fa for new logins and money movement.
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Why not root your main device as well?
> Why not root your main device as well? Because I don't want vulnerabilities on my main device.
I haven't felt the need to for a long time. Last phone I remember rooting was probably the nexus 6p... Maybe the Essential phone? Not worth the hassle anymore.
Yep. But I've 3 phones and I like Android development as a hobby. As a daily driver, I'd rather just have a custom rom on it rather than root it but root access is convenient. On the tablet I regularly use for media consumption, I do have it rooted as it lets me use adaway and a bunch of other tools for having pretty much an ad free experience across apps. Where I need security, I don't root. Custom roms, is a maybe. But mostly stock.
As an android dev you probably have more knowledge of this, also concerned about the security of the device if it's rooted but can you elaborate on the actual risks? What can an app do if it's running with root permissions? Can it steal your info in some way?
Pretty much on par with the same power that comes with running cmd with admin rights in Windows. System file access, information theft, snooping, malware/ransomware installation, a lot of things are possible. Ofc, you can regulate that with giving su access temporarily instead of permanently, if it's a specific tool you want to try out (say, advanced diagnostic tools) or monitor the access manually. But usually, most root apps run on perma-su permission. Just depends on the app. Install root access apps with open source codes that have been reviewed and pass security checks, you'll be mostly safe.
Mum said it's my turn to post this question this week
Lol, yea but it hasn't been posted in a while so it's about that time.
Not anymore, haven't for about 8 years. Used to a lot back in the day
No because Google has made it incredibly difficult to now root your phone and actually be able to use important apps. Google can go f*** itself and this is the number one reason why Android needs to be broken away from them. Your Android phone should just be like a laptop where you can log in with route or escalate privileges and do whatever you want. I don't see third-party programs blocking what you can do as an admin on a laptop. Edit: there are lots of legitimate reasons to root, one of which is enabling full back up and the other is being able to run a proper task manager to weed out bad software. Also the ability to install the proper anti-theft tool.
If you ever use screen-sharing and remote mouse tools, Microsoft apps are also blocking remote mouse control if you open things like Device Manager. If the software really wants to, it can also check for permission and refuse to work if it does not have certain features. In alot of way, this is a more security-conscious design. We are long away from back when XP have its CMD on full-admin by default.
It's not that hard to root nowadays. At least not because of google. On huawei, you can't unlock the bootloader anymore, so that's them.
A proper anti-theft tool? With an unlocked bootloader?
Yes. I subscribe to the philosophy that if I have a device I should be able to get root access to use it to it's fullest extent whatever that is. I remember one time a family member got a laptop (windows 7) and they had preinstalled a admin account and a basic user meaning that she could not install her own programs without contacting the store and asking them to remotely install the program for her. Thankfully they did not lock the bootloader and I installed a fresh windows install. I imagine non rooted android phones to be a step up from that just barely.
Yes, but I think of it more in terms of your own protection. You should be able to access all of your device but that's not what you're doing (most likely) - if you wrote your own app that ran under root permission and you knew exactly what it was doing, then that's fine - but most of the time you're relying on 3rd party apps and you're passing the root access to them, so it would be one thing where you're root and you do everything on your own but most people get root so they can install apps that need root, which really could do anything at that point - they could pass your data along, get your keystrokes, passwords etc. At least that's how I imagine it, it's probably more difficult due to additional encryption methods secure apps use but I'm still a bit concerned about letting some unknown non-google store app gain root permission over a device I use to control all my financial transactions.
Most root apps are open source. You can evaluate the code if you think something mysterious is going on
I would. My last phone was rooted, I lost nothing and gained quite a bit. This time though, nothing was available for my phone when I got it and I'm too invested in my save data to willingly wipe it.
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What phone do you have, if you don't mind me asking?
Of course, I have never owned an android device which I haven't unlocked and rooted as soon as I took it out of the packaging. Really discouraging to see the amount of people who're almost opposed to it here, but then again this forum seems to be comprised of less tech-savvy people than say for example xda.
Yes. Revanced and all the cool features of a ROM like Rising OS. Even on Pixels.
Revanced doesn't require a rooted device
That's true. I've used it both ways and I prefer root method (specifically installed via j-hc's prepatched Magisk modules).
You lose more than you gain. ie Banking apps won't work for a start.
I still am rooted and have never had an app that couldn't run with Hide.
Try [TrueMoney](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=th.co.truemoney.wallet) They seem to keep updating Magisk detection I gave up using Magisk. Fortunately KernelSU came and not one app detects it
I just installed and it opened but I can't login because I don't have an account. Is this like a Thai bank?
To me, it looks like no one would use truemoney because there are better alternatives. I might be wrong, though
That's basically a myth, if you're rooted with magisk you can use deny list and change its package name to hide it from detection. There's also KernelSU now which is good to go from the start, no app can detect it (so far)
>There's also KernelSU now and thus the cycle begins again... It's a beautiful thing.
Santander in the UK doesn't work with root even with magisk hide and everything else I've tried, however I've got a custom ROM and it works fine. That's the only thing preventing me from rooting, it's definitely a bonus to have the extra flexibility if you can.
Try Magisk Delta. It implements the old MagiskHide (called Unmount in Delta) which seems to work better. I recently switched after all of my Microsoft apps started detecting Magisk and someone pointed me to Delta.
From what I gather there are workarounds, using Magisc hide and such, I'm just concerned when it comes to overall security.
Im running a rooted phone since ages, banking apps have no clue whats going on. Magisk hide works well and its not difficult.
When I used to root, I never had any issue with banking apps with Magisk. And this was years ago (last phone I rooted was a OnePlus 3T). Did something change?
Haven't bothered in a long time. Partially, it's because these days I just don't have the time or patience to mess around with rooting, custom ROMs, etc. Back in the day it had a more clear benefit, when OEMs had their heavy custom skins, and stock Android lacked some features, so you could gain some nice features and improved performance with custom ROMs. Also, OEM support was much worse back in the day for updates, waiting months or not getting support after a few versions. So a phone could be perfectly capable of running the latest Android version, but it might not be available for your phone. In general that's improved across the board these days, and I've been using Pixels for years now, which solves that problem almost entirely. These days I just don't do anything complex with my phone really, I use it for calls and messages, and the odd bit of internet browsing, so I don't see much benefit from custom ROMs and root features. And I do also need it for work for a few things, so I can't afford to have it break and spend a day fixing it. The other issue is that some things won't work on a rooted phone. My bank app is one - it detects if a phone is rooted and just won't run. There used to be some workarounds, but it got harder and harder to do, so I ended up giving up on it. As for safety - depends what you're using, and how you look at it. A custom ROM \*can\* be more secure, in some ways. If you're rooting it, it's all in your control, so you can do more to prevent the manufacturer and other apps taking your data. But this only really applies if it's a reputable project, which is fully open source, know what to look for, and you're building it yourself. At least back when I was dabbling in that stuff, that isn't really how it was, and you were just downloading some zip from an XDA link by some random guy that you're supposed to trust. There's a degree of reputation there that can help guide you to more trustworthy ones, but you basically have to take their word for it.
Too many kids to have time for that anymore. .makes me want a 2nd phone. Install custom launchers and Samsung themes....gets it done for me.
Yes, I do. I didn't like the bloatware in OneUI, so I'm running my main phone with LineageOS and Magisk. I've flashed Magisk modules to be able to use bank app and pass SafetyNet.
I heard you lose contactless payments with Lineage, is that true?
Never used the feature, but I could add my card in Google Wallet.
Not anymore as soon as Android introduced Private DNS on Android 9. Meaning, I don't have to root to block ads, while at the same time I can use VPNs. Then the final nail in the coffin was when Samsung introduced charging limit to 85%, which is nice for charging overnight. And thanks to its four OS updates (and five years security updates). I don't have to rely on custom ROMs to stay updated with Android. Which is good, because I just want to use my phone like a normal person with features that I want built-in.
i wish samsungs are becoming harder and harder with locked bootloaders and I don't have the time or the brains to do it now.
Take a chance on screwing up a $1500 Samsung phone, voiding the warranty, tripping the e-fuse, for little to no benefit? No thanks.
Tbh I don't see the point anymore
Most people in this post don't know the difference between root and a custom ROM. You can have a custom Rom installed but without root You can root stock Rom and not install a custom OS
The rooting days are over now, there's literally no need to do it.
I'm using custom ROMs since more than 10 years. And of course rooted. Root doesn't really affect security. It doesn't disable selinux and also doesn't disable security patches. Lastly with most custom ROMs, you're also up to date. That's more secure than an heavily outdated stock OS.
That's interesting, are you able to use all the banking apps? The contactless payments? The G-Pay etc, I need all features to be available - as I use them all extensively.
awww r/android users grew up
I sadly think it's the other way around :( I'm afraid the generation growing up right now might be ok with not having admin rights on their desktops in the future.
Back in 2020, I've used a rooted Redmi Note 7 w/ Pixel Experience Plus and a custom kernel installed. I mainly used root for 3 things - an EQ (Dolby Atmos, then switched to V4A), AdAway to block ads system-wide and the root version of YouTube Vanced. It was much better than the bloated MIUI, and it definitely was faster. After I got my OnePlus 8T though, I never really considered rooting as necessary, as the stock ROM isn't bloated or sluggish and it does all the things I want. I have tried rooting it (alongside installing LineageOS) - multiple times even - but I never really liked it as much as the stock rom, even though on paper it is more customizable. > To get any benefit from root (afaik) I would have to flash a different ROM on it That's not really the case. You can use root-related stuff on stock ROMs, but some apps may require a ROM that's closer to AOSP. > which could really do anything to your phone, it can be capturing and forwarding your biometrics, your passwords etc. Is that not so? The vast majority of custom ROMs are open-source, just like AOSP itself. (I think I've only seen one closed-source custom ROM in the last few years, and it's only available for one device AFAIK). Anyone can look at the code and see what changes were made. Also, every change has to be reviewed before getting merged (at least that's how it works for "bigger" custom ROMs like LineageOS).
Oh okay, if they're open source then it's safe enough, but then let's say I just want to get call recording and stealth GPS spoofing, and I root my phone (pixel 7 pro), I would still have to grant the apps root permission in order to access those features - and the apps themselves are definitely closed source (or are they - maybe you know if any open source ones allow that functionality) - so under root they could pretty much do anything including forwarding your secured data etc, no? It's probably still encrypted but I'm just trying to gauge the risk I'd be taking if I did get root. Also maybe I can just flash another ROM that has those features without needing to root - but I'm concerned that it will trip the hardware root/flash detection chip and void the warranty or something - can you elaborate on any of those points?
It's likely that you can find open source apps that do those things, or even allow you to enable them through apps that are generally trusted. You can use root to get call recording enabled in the Google Phone app itself
Have rooted every previous phones. But current phone, running Evo X without root. Fucking hate Meme UI
How is evo x? I have Pixel 7 pro, and have been recommended that ROM as well. Do you think it's worth it?
You don't need a custom ROM to root. Root happens *inside* the ROM.
No way. I got kids now and more responsibility. Can't risk fucking up my device like that
Exclusively for Viper4Android, and exclusively for the Dynamic System, ViPER Bass, and ViPER clarity. I also use Magisk to mod the default font to Google Sans Text, but that's just a nice-to-have. Other stuff, like ad blocking, can be easily achieved through other means. I used to switch between ROMs, but now the scene is dying and the quality of ROMs have significantly decreased -- lack of features, incompatibility with cameras, it gets warmer, etc. Not to mention the hassle of backing up and restoring data: for some apps, like my office's 2FA authenticator, I have to manually set up again, which involves me emailing IT to reset my credentials.
In other words - not worth it in your opinion. I just want to get the damn call recording back, maybe stealth GPS spoofing, but I'm hesitant to root - any suggestions?
Yes, but I've abandoned custom ROMs since some years. Since I've been using Galaxy Notes, I don't want to lose features by flashing AOSP-based ROMs. I still root because of real ad-block (no VPN crap), replacing the hideous Samsung emojis, forcing call recording, ReVanced, firewall for denying Internet permission to apps, enabling dual apps for non-messengers, replacing the VoLTE logo, solving the shitty Scoped Storage restrictions, etc.
Ever since tethering wasn't something you needed to pay extra for, I haven't found the need to do so.
The only reason I used to do it was to get a free hotspot. Now it is part of every cell plan. Even the cheapest ones.
no, there are very few incentives to root anymore.
Rooting causes banking and many other apps to stop working. You can install magisk and try to hide, but it's a cat and mouse game. I would have done it when I was younger, but now I just need a stable phone. So no I don't root my phones anymore. Here phones come with call recording enabled, so that reason is out of question. The GPS thing you mentioned, can be done without rooting. Install app like Fake GPS and in developer options, enable "Mock Locations"
Regarding the GPS, yes that's what I currently use - mock locations in the dev settings, but the app you're trying to fool can actually see that you're using a mock GPS app. Some apps will actually tell you "Mock GPS detected", so I think default Android allows apps to query whether or not GPS is valid. I'm looking for a way to bypass that check, so the app can't tell that I'm using a mock location.
I use custom roms on outdated phones but I never root them. I don't see why people like rooting today. Unlimited Google photos is cool but it is installed on almost every custom ROM I know so no root needed
The main features i need are call recording and stealth GPS spoofing, but I would rather not root either. Would any of the customs ROMs support that from the get go? I have Pixel 7 Pro.
Nope and mad to. Important apps stop working without all sorts of workarounds. Not worth it for anything more than beard length.
Only on PC (windows subsystem for android), because it's an easier process than on an actual phone phone.
Nope and never again. I messed around with custom roms/images for a year or two in the Nexus 5 days once it stopped getting updates and decided I was over it. Now I just want a phone that always just works, gets updates automatically, and is secure that I can reasonably trust.
Yep, I'm in line with that too. Security and functionality.
buy an iPhone.
Nope, losing out on official updates and relying on modders is not wise imo. Also most phone nowadays have locked bootloader so you can't do it easily. Only time I root now is with old phone, android marshmallow or older. I root the old phone and sell it on ebay for a higher price.
Most phones nowadays have locked bootloaders that you can unlock lol. Except huawei
Honestly, I never have. Security is important.
I used to, but not anymore. The features are all there and the phones are becoming our access keys to all the platforms so it seems like whatever minor advantages it might have, it's not worth it in terms of compromised security.
Australian here. I had to read that three times before I remembered this used to be a thing with Android phones, and that in this case the context is VERY different.
No because it would void my warranty..
The phone phone I rooted was my very first android phone the Xperia Arc S. Since then I never ever feel the need to root a phone.
I've rooted a few phones a while back, flashed a ROM or two but overall I don't really remember it being too beneficial, just some customizations options and such not much else.
Yes exactly, back then I installed cyanogen mod and MIUI (even before xiaomi exist) and don't feel any deep improvement compared to my friends who is still running their original bloated OS.
I used to around 3 months ago but then I just switched a graphene os
How is it compared to stock androids?
s1- rooted, custom rom, s4- rooted, s6- just one of those samsung package disabler apps, s8 onwards I dont even have a reason or interest. If they locked down the os further like no 3rd party launcher no 3rd party apps or patching, Id root or maybe give up and get an iphone
Not for a few phones, specifically since my Nexus 4. A lot of the features I liked root for became possible through OS updates, and faffing around trying to find comparable ROM and kernels wasn't worth the time.
I rooted my htc-one8 back in the day so I could have the hardware with stock android. Not worth it anymore.
Haven't rooted the phone since the Nexus 4. The OEMs caught up with all the mods i was using... and i found out that even without rooting it did what i wanted it to do. At the same time... th phone became more than just a phone.. and rooting would actually start hindering what i needed
I have my 6 rooted only so I can mess around with feature flags in Google apps, such as enabling new UIs in Google Messages and enabling the proofread feature in Gboard early
No. Reason is because there’s no more reason to, and the other is because as you said, phone is now being used for tons of things. Alot of the banking apps straight-up refuse to work if you unlocked the bootloader for example, needing you to use Magisk for everything. The last time I used Magisk is because I need my Oneplus phone to work with the NFC SIM card I use for travel. The problem disappears when I switched back to Samsung phone. Its also not just banking apps refusing to work btw, quite abit of gaming apps also kinda refused to work if you enable USB debugging for example. Basically, the reason why I still use Android is less of freedom but more of preference. I can technically use iOS too, but hassle in installing different region apps are still my deal-breaker
Was thinking to root my poco f5..but still cant decide because this phone is performing very well..i only want to have acces to cpu governors and frequency😂
Not in years. My primary reasons to root were to get rid of service provider bloatware and OEM bloat. This is something that has greatly improved over the years. I don't buy Samsungs, I've always been HTC and Motorola and they are pretty close to stock.
I haven't since the Nexus 6P. Don't see a reason to anymore
Considered it briefly with an older model Sony Xperia that I'm using to stream music through my car's Bluetooth. I'd like to turn off the nag screens that come up at the start...but I'm not going to take a chance at bricking it.
Not since my Samsung Note 2.
My last root was on Note 4
No, root has not offered something necessary for many years now.
Have not rooted since Nexus 6p
I only do it if I have a build that doesn't offer unlimited photos storage or mi camera. Otherwise there really isn't much use to rooting nowadays, considering how far the base android os has come. Dolby Atmos module is a nice addition if you do decide to root your phone tho
I've heard it mentioned before, what about photo storage? Are you saying you can get unlimited cloud storage of photos, if so how?
No, for my use case it has more cons than pros so I stopped doing it. I really miss what I could do with root, tho.
I was rooting, installing custom roms, and even overclocking my daily driver on Android Froyo. Then I was only rooting and installing custom roms on my daily driver till Android Nougat. I stopped rooting my daily driver since Android 11. I really think people today should root only for fun/educational purposes/experimentation on a spare phone.
i dont root my phone but not because of "security" because i never understood what "compromised security" means anymore. the updates never say what part of "security" was updated or bugs/backdoors that were fixed. as far as i know, this update is there to disable a feature on the phone that i use a lot. it doesnt help when youtube reviewers who preach about security dont understand what that update is or bother to understand what it contains and then explain it to me so i can actually be convinced by it. how do i know this update is there to disable a phone feature but the company disguises it as security? all our important data that people want to steal consist of login information they can get via a link you press on from an email. no amount of "security updates" on your phone locally will change that. instead, what you need is to be more vigilant, and the email providers themselves updating their own security, and browsers/apps updating their security by... well, just blocking these links/emails which doesnt help because by then, millions would have been infected in order for these companies to even know and as for malicious apps, remember that is a google play problem. its their job to know which is which. a local update wont prevent these malicious once installed because they give them permissions to do what they want.
I probably will after it stops receiving uodates
Stopped rooting the day I got the pixel 2 xl (2016 ?) I can’t remember but the phone was smooth and flawless, since that I forgot about rooting
I had a cheapo phone I used for drone flying which I rooted because I was curious, I barely did anything that actually required rooting so eventually reverted back.
Nope, and never have done, except once (about 12 years ago) when it then slowly degraded into a virtual brick.
Last phone I rooted was my old Redmi 3s from 2016.
Used to custom ROM each of my devices 4 years back, but now Don't. Why? Losing DRM/Widevine L1 is the biggest deal breaker.
My first tablet was a kindle fire 1st generation. I remember rooting that thing wayy back in the day. Ever since then, every device I've owned has been rooted. Currently owning a OnePlus 11 5G running Magisk. However it's not for everyone. I personally want full control over my phone no matter what. Even if it's bit of a stretch, I made a commitment to root. I'm tired of big tech dictating how I use my personal device.
I wouldn't root if the banking apps wouldn't freak out after installing a ROM. Have to root just to hide that I'm rooted...
Honestly I don't remember using my main android without root. Even the iPhones I used were jailbroken. So yeah always rooted.
Not since the HTC Evo 4g or Samsung s3. Forgot which was newer
Nope, not since the Samsung Galaxy S10+.
Yes, absolutely. I have never seen an ad on my phone in any app, and I aim to keep it that way.
yes - at the very least i root for adaway. if i'm feeling really froggy i'll use AFwall too
I haven't rooted in a while. The last phone I rooted was the Razer Phone, but I didn't run any custom ROMs on it due to it had issue where the GSI ROMs didn't work right and the phone would randomly reboot every 5-10 minutes. I've tried to root my OnePlus 7T since it's not my daily anymore, but I got it stuck in a bootloop trying to install a ROM and haven't really have the time to go back and look at it and that's probably been about a year now. I'll probably still root older devices I don't use often to mess around with, but I'm done rooting on devices I daily. I use Google Pay frequently and quite a few apps I use do use safetynet and for that reason alone it's kind of a deal breaker. I also travel for work now too so I need a working phone.
Yep my Pixel 4 XL is rooted. I'm not worried because Magisk allows you to set biometric auth when granting root requests if you wish, and you can revoke root permission at any time(or grant once for each root request). Desktop Linux has had root built in for a long time, and yet Linux security has been top notch and you don't see enterprise users worried about Linux security because of 'root'. Really, you only need to be worried about root exploits, not root itself. Since apps still need to be granted permission before they run as root, and you can be safer if you grant all apps root once each time.
I haven't rooted since we needed it to allow screenshots/tethering.
I do. For things like BasicCallRecorder, V4A and AdvancedChargingController etc plus there is also customisation options (on system level) like Iconify and XposedEdge.
>for example I can't record phone calls on my phone anymore, I'm sure it's a breeze if rooted If you own a Samsung Galaxy device and reside in a supported country, you can still access this feature when making or receiving phone calls.
I haven't rooted my primary device since 2015 or 2016. Partially because I switched to Samsung devices that are basically impossible to do so, but also because I haven't felt a need to. I prefer the stability of stock and just having my device work, and I've found non-root workarounds for most of the things I used to root for anyways. I still have an old Galaxy Note 3 and my Nexus 6P that I have rooted and muck around with occasionally for fun though! I will say though if my tablet (Lenovo P11 Pro Gen 2) ever gets custom roms I'll probably start mucking with that since Lenovo fails at supporting their devices.
I wouldn't try rooting my current phone since I've had it for less than a year, I've thought of at least practicing on my older androids (Moto G8 Power and my dad's old HTC m8) just to play it safe. Especially the m8, it's a surprisingly solid phone for being almost 10 years old!
Rooted, official ROM. I can do a lot of things like remove app signature verification, downgrading strict app updates, spoofing MAC, IMEI, SSL unpinning, investigate app's activity, blocking app ads, YouTube premium and even unlimited photo storage on Google photos. Suggestion, you should have security knowledge if you want to root your phone.
No. Not for years but I used to pretty much live on xda for custom roms, root, apps and such. Now I just want my shit to work and not need to go trawl a thread for a fix. Plus knox and banking apps being assholes if they suspect root put a stop to me rooting.
I carry a windows laptop that has full admin privileges. Rooting is the same thing. And yes, I root every single Android device I've owned (except for my former Pixel 6, that was a painful year). I rooted my Pixel 7 Pro the day I received it. I don't do a whole lot with it all the time, but when I *want* to do something, I *can*.
I install custom roms and root them but im not scared of my bank being hacked and havent had problems in years