Rooting Android phones provide users with additional permissions in their phones. They will be granted what is known as “superuser privileges” that allows them to perform operations which relate to altering, modifying or accessing system settings and features that phones with normal privileges can’t. What it means for the normal user is that rooting Android handsets will allow us to install apps that has features that other apps don’t. An example of such feature can be to take video screenshots of the phone. It can also be used to extend the functionality of phones which the manufacturers or carriers have restricted.
Rooting an Android device have their own set of benefits and disadvantages. This post deals with the benefits that rooting Android handsets provide.
The list of 7 reasons to root your Android phone:
1. Install Apps that Require Root Access
The main reason why people need to root phones is to be able to install apps that require root access. It is understandable that the Play Store has one million apps now and out of them a large percentage do not require root. The large percentage of apps also have many features that a normal phone user would be satisfied with. But there are some features that those apps do not provide.
Apps like Titanium Backup, which not only backs up your phone contacts but also backs up your phone apps and apps data, require root access. When you backup with Titanium access you can restore your phone to the exact state it was. People who lose their app data like game progress will like this. Other powerful apps with features like undeleting files, blocking all ads, removing location limited apps restriction for example all require root access. So, if you are stuck with your phone not providing a needed feature provided by rooted apps, then you probably ought to root your phone.
2. Install Custom ROMs
When it comes to Android, you can always change the operating system that comes with the phone. There are developers out there who are working hard to provide you the features that your OS does not have. When you root your phone, you will be able to install such custom ROMs. You can also be able to develop or modify a custom built ROM if you are a developer. It is also to be understood that when you install custom ROMs such as CyanogenMod, you are automatically rooting your phone.
When you flash Custom ROms into your phone, you will be upgrading your phone. Manufacturers provide late updates and sometimes they don’t even want to provide your phone with latest Android versions. So what do you do when you want your phone to be updated with the latest Android? You root your phone.
3. Save Battery
It is a known fact that rooting can save battery life. When you root your phone, you will be given super user permission with which you can configure your phone to consume less system resources, hence the enhanced battery life. But it is not as simple as that. Some people even experience poor battery life when they root their phones and flash with custom ROMs.
You will have to install apps like Greenify which has a lot of options to save your battery. Basically after root what you will be doing is disabling apps that run in the background for notifications. When those apps are disabled, battery life is improved. You can always allow the apps which you want to run in the background. You can also install custom ROMs with root which are built around your phone model in such a way that they consume less system resources by configuring the phones processor and apps to lay low.
4. Increase Speed and Performance
Simply put, when you root your Android device, you can configure it in such a way that it will be faster with performance upgrades. With the help of apps and if not ROMs, you will be able to review and increase the performance of your phone. Apps will allow you to overclock your phone which increases it’s processing power, free up memory and remove background apps that consume resources. All these contribute towards improving your phone’s overall performance.
With custom ROMs and builds, the developers provide features to your phone that automatically work towards performance upgrades. When newer versions of Android are installed in your phone, they boost performance upgrades. Newer versions are not always provided by manufacturers but Android custom ROMs come to the rescue. So by installing performance upgrading apps or ROMs, both of which require root access; your phone will feel faster and smoother.
5. Remove Bloatware
Bloatwares are those apps that come pre-installed with your phone. They are installed by your device’s manufacturer. They are just there consuming resources. Even if you don’t need them, you won’t have an option to uninstall them. You can factory reset the phone and they will still be there, just hanging around in your apps menu.
When you root your phone, you will be able to uninstall all those bloatware. You will be able to go beyond your manufacturer’s restriction and be able to truly own your phone. You can remove all those useless apps that come installed and have only those apps that you require.
6. WiFi Tethering & Mobile Hotspots
What carriers are known to do is restrict your phone’s internet to the phone only. It may have a data plan that is fast and large enough for you to use the internet on your other devices. But you won’t be able to do because of restrictions. For example when you want to use your phone’s wifi in your laptop while you are not in your house.
After rooting your phone, you can use its internet connection and broadcast it over WiFi. Your laptop can then access that connection and you will be able to use your phone’s internet over WiFi. This is a blessing provided by rooted phones.
7. Automate Your Phone
There are apps out there in the Play Store that allow you to automate a lot of things in your phone which increases your phone’s performance and your productivity. You will be able to change CPU speeds as per requirement, toggle other features of your phone like WiFi, 3G, GPS and what not. All those can be done automatically when you install the right app.
That means you will be improving performance and saving battery by configuring your phone just how it needs to run at a particular moment. Your phone will activate the resources that it requires only when it requires them. This is pretty neat.
Note: This post is a part of my Awesome 7 lists. You can check out other posts from this list:
