To Root or not to Root? - General Questions and Answers

Hi
This is my first post and I'm admittedly new to this so forgive me if I come across as a bit of a n00b.
I've been considering whether to root my HTC Desire for a while now. One of the main reasons is to bypass HTC Sense as its stopping me from doing a number of things. One being installing a Wii Classic Wireless game pad I want to use on the PSX4 Droid emulator. So hopefully this will fix this problem. Another issue I'm hoping it fixes is the ability to blue tooth mp3 files to other phones, which HTC has blocked. Does anyone know if this is possible with root?
I'm going to use the Unrevoked method as I've found a step by step guide and also a video, which seems pretty straight forward. Unless anyone else knows of a better method?
Lastly if I was to root my phone is it possible to unroot it?
Thanks

Zammo76 said:
Lastly if I was to root my phone is it possible to unroot it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, as if it has never been rooted.

I rooted my phone and never looked back!

I think I'd only ever unroot it if it needed to go in for repairs or I sold it.

Zammo76 said:
Hi
This is my first post and I'm admittedly new to this so forgive me if I come across as a bit of a n00b.
I've been considering whether to root my HTC Desire for a while now. One of the main reasons is to bypass HTC Sense as its stopping me from doing a number of things. One being installing a Wii Classic Wireless game pad I want to use on the PSX4 Droid emulator. So hopefully this will fix this problem. Another issue I'm hoping it fixes is the ability to blue tooth mp3 files to other phones, which HTC has blocked. Does anyone know if this is possible with root?
I'm going to use the Unrevoked method as I've found a step by step guide and also a video, which seems pretty straight forward. Unless anyone else knows of a better method?
Lastly if I was to root my phone is it possible to unroot it?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To be jailed or to be free?

thank you so much

how can we unroot then? I'm also thinking of rooting my Samsung Galaxy Ace but afraid to not avail its warranty if I root it.

Yes you can root and unroot, but Rotting the phone makes the phone open to all the cool things you will want to flash on the phone. THAT is why we got Android phones

Do it. The Epic is my first Android phone. I'm an experienced NOC Analyst, been using and working in Linux and Unix for years as part of my day to day. I cannot BELIEVE how fun these phones are...if you're a techy gearhead type and you just can't leave anything alone, jump in with both feet. I promise you'll learn it fast and you'll never again wonder why people do it. Just follow the instructions and be patient, the rewards will be great.

ROOT IT MAKES FOR A WAY BETTER PHONE MY MOM EVEN HAS A ROOTED PHONE!

I was a little hesitant to root at first because I had heard horror stories about bricked phones, etc, and was under the initial impression that it was only something super-techy people could do. However, I looked up the instructions and was like "oh, okay, I can do that" and really, as long as you can follow directions, you will be fine. And even if you do mess something up, usually you aren't the first person who has done that particular thing and you can still find help on these forums.
You can definitely unroot it and it will be as if you never rooted it at all. I've rooted and then unrooted an Incredible and an X (after I nearly bricked the X) and you would never know the difference from stock. The Incredible I brought it for repair with Verizon and got a new phone with no question from the the tech.

Thanks Lainzee for the informative reply, that's helping make up my mind. Are you able to now blue tooth MP3 files?
Also will I still be able to use widgets if I root my phone? I say this because I used a custom launcher and it took away some of my widgets and also app shortcuts.

Do you mean the sense widgets?
Wether you are able to use some widgets depends on the rom you use or if you use an anlternative launcher. When you use a rom with sense in it, you are able to use the htc widgets. If you use a rom without sense or an alternative launcher,you can't use the sense widgets. I rooted my desire the minute i had it. It opens so much possibillities and options you don't have when not rooted.

after reading different threads on how to root the phone I was confused but it is really quite easy and the phone rungs better now and seems to have a much better battery because all the rubbish is not there slowing things down
Go For it

I do like some of the widgets, for instance I find the calender really useful. I work shifts and its easy for me to look at it and work out when I'm next in work. I'd be gutted if I lost this function, plus some of the other more useful widgets.
I'm definitely going to run a ROM without HTC Sense, so will I be able to run any widgets?
I currently have the following:
HTC Clock/ weather
HTC Calender,
HTC Music,
HTC News,
HTC People,
Android Google Search,
Android YouTube,
Android Facebook,
Android Power Control,
Android Transdroid,
Android Tweetcaster,
Am I right in thinking I'd loose the ability to run any HTC widgets, but the others would be fine?

If you came to XDA, you definetly need a rooted phone! I even rooted my gf's HTC Desire Z (not that she knows I did it, or what it does or means..) !

I rooted a htc dersire and is the best!!!I recommended.

Lol to rooting of your girl friends phone. She's probably like "why have I got a ninja icon on the apps menu?".
If I do root my Desire can I have the original HTC Sense UI and a Vanilla 2.2 ROM on my phone. Then just switch between the two as and when I want too?

Zammo76 said:
Thanks Lainzee for the informative reply, that's helping make up my mind. Are you able to now blue tooth MP3 files?
Also will I still be able to use widgets if I root my phone? I say this because I used a custom launcher and it took away some of my widgets and also app shortcuts.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Rooting will not remove anything from your device. It just gives you the possibility to remove anything.

Moudii said:
If you came to XDA, you definetly need a rooted phone! I even rooted my gf's HTC Desire Z (not that she knows I did it, or what it does or means..) !
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is that like cheating on your GF "rooting her phone" LOL.
Sent from my Desire HD using XDA Premium App

Related

[Q] New Inspire Owner First Time Android User Questions

I am loving this phone however I am not digging the lockdown that AT&T has put on it. I went with Android because I thought it was more open than iOS, the only smart device I really have any experience with thus far is a 2nd gen iPod touch. I know what I want from the phone but I'm not sure what I need seeing that a lot of the terminology is still greek to me. The only thing I'm pretty sure of is that rooting the phone is analogous to jailbreaking a iOS device. Things like flash, s-off, ROM, radio etc. start to get my head swimming.
I really just want to be able to get rid of the crap bloatware that is on the phone and be able to get apps from places other than the market (swype, amazon app store etc.) I like the sense UI and really like the features of the phone, I really just want to have more control over it. Also is it difficult to "unroot" the phone in case I need to have it serviced?
If anyone could lend insight I would be greatly appreciative. Even if you could point me to like a rooting android for dummies or anything like that would be great.
Google/youtube are your friend when it comes to learning. Also see the sticky in the inspire section of xda listing all roms etc. That sticky includes pretty much everything you need for your inspire.
As I was/still am an Android newbie, ill list some basics
Root - getting administrator rights to your phone, full control.
Rom - custom operating system for your phone, based off a stock Android OS, with mods, features, root, etc.
Kernel - used to relate operating system to hardware, control overclocking, etc.
Radio - software used to control communication, 3g, 4G, WiFi, etc.
Hacking the inspire is quite a bit more involved than jailbreaking an iPhone, as I also come from ios land, but there are good instructions and great help on xda!
Happy flashing!
Sent from my Desire HD using XDA Premium App
ripper522 said:
I am loving this phone however I am not digging the lockdown that AT&T has put on it. I went with Android because I thought it was more open than iOS, the only smart device I really have any experience with thus far is a 2nd gen iPod touch. I know what I want from the phone but I'm not sure what I need seeing that a lot of the terminology is still greek to me. The only thing I'm pretty sure of is that rooting the phone is analogous to jailbreaking a iOS device. Things like flash, s-off, ROM, radio etc. start to get my head swimming.
I really just want to be able to get rid of the crap bloatware that is on the phone and be able to get apps from places other than the market (swype, amazon app store etc.) I like the sense UI and really like the features of the phone, I really just want to have more control over it. Also is it difficult to "unroot" the phone in case I need to have it serviced?
If anyone could lend insight I would be greatly appreciative. Even if you could point me to like a rooting android for dummies or anything like that would be great.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Reading is your friend, I would say spend as much time as possible in the DEV section and read all of the things pertaining to rooting. If you read the threads completely and I mean every post you will find answers to every question you have.
There is no hurry in rooting your phone, it is not going anywhere and if you can live with the AT&T crapware for awhile you will learn alot. Pretty soon you will be ready to do it. It is always hard to take the first step but if you read everything you will be fine.
There is a very good FAQ section in the [DEV][GUI][RC2][GPL][3-21-2011] HTC Inspire 4G Simple One Click it will give you many answers to what you want to know and watch the rooting video on that thread also.
Good luck and have fun doing it because it is really more fun than what you may think.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=952352
Easy way to root ur Inspire
Sent from my Inspire 4G using XDA Premium App
maddiedad2009 said:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=952352
Easy way to root ur Inspire
Sent from my Inspire 4G using XDA Premium App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1.
Definitely stick to the hack kit and it's simple step-by-step process. Ignore the other methods that claim to be 'easy' and just follow that one carefully. It's the most reliable method with consistent results.
Make your own choice it is your phone and you have to do it, you spent the money so you make the decision's on what to do with it, not anyone else!!!
moe3754 said:
Make your own choice it is your phone and you have to do it, you spent the money so you make the decision's on what to do with it, not anyone else!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh I am definitely making my own choice. I am looking to make an informed choice as possible.
ripper522 said:
Oh I am definitely making my own choice. I am looking to make an informed choice as possible.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I definitely recommend that hack kit, and if you run into trouble you can join their irc channel for live help. They've helped me a couple of times in the past, great bunch.

Hi gang, just got my gorgeous Inspire

I've been wanting an Inspire for a long time and thought I would have had to pay full price for it rather than a consignment deal. Looks like I was wrong and I went ahead and snagged one.
This is just a purely outstanding phone. It is AT&T's version of the DesireHD and I've been using a DHD ROM on my HD2 for quite some time now. I'm very familiar with the ROM my Inspire has, all the setup and functionality, and setting this Inspire up was nothing new. There are a few minor difference here and there, though. I can say it is definitely smoother and cleaner and quicker than DHD on my HD2.
Not really sure if I will try to root it or not. The last time I tried to root a genuine Android phone was nothing shy of a pain and misery of frustration. It was a T-Mobile MyTouch 4G and it just would not root. That was the first and only time I ever attempted a root. It left me with a very sour experience. However, not being rooted, I can't use my backup programs like MyBackup or Titanium. Nor can I use my screen capture app, ShootMe. I don't really need to use any of those, though.
Anyway, I'm enjoying my Inspire and I look forward to interacting with and being "Inspired"...lol...at the XDA Inspire community.
I was a newbie with rooting but once I did it it was EASY and worth it.
Sent from my Desire HD using XDA Premium App
Some Android phones can be easily rooted than others. It all depends on the manufacturer and model of the phone. Don't let one bad experience ruin it for you. Here are links to two proven methods of rooting the Inspire if you are interested...
HTC Inspire Hack Kit
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=952352
HTC Inspire 4G Simple Root and S-OFF
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=961406
Use the Simple Root but trust me, save yourself some later hassle and click the "Fixes" option when you're done and flash the ENG S-OFF (radio S-OFF) so if you change radios, you don't lose S-OFF plus you get engineering features like fastboot (allows you to flash new radio images for one but also allows you to try out images before you actually flash them, through fastboot, which can be handy when you aren't sure about something or you are testing a new ROM)
Guys, the user experience with this Inspire is just getting better and better. It now is super fast compared to my experience with HD2 DHD ROMs. The boot-up is almost instantaneous and the page loading in menus like Manage Apps is so much faster now.
I doubt I will ever even root this glorious machine. I'm admiring like an iPhone.
For anyone on the fence about a purchase, Hell yes! Let it have a couple days of break-in and you will see the difference from first turning it on. I'm just glad I chose the Inspire over the Atrix. The Atrix is a super nice machine, but I just don't believe it can top the silky-smooth and top-notch user experience of the Inspire.
you got it right when you said the Inspire was gorgeous....my roommate is all about his iphone4, and i'm all about hating on apple (used them for 3 years and couldn't wait to be done) and telling him how great android is.
Lets just say i caught him today picking up my phone and telling me how awesome it was and how he actually wanted one after playing with the Inspire. I had the Captivate and that just didn't do anything for him, but the Inspire is just perfect!
buddy17 said:
you got it right when you said the Inspire was gorgeous....my roommate is all about his iphone4, and i'm all about hating on apple (used them for 3 years and couldn't wait to be done) and telling him how great android is.
Lets just say i caught him today picking up my phone and telling me how awesome it was and how he actually wanted one after playing with the Inspire. I had the Captivate and that just didn't do anything for him, but the Inspire is just perfect!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Inspire has some serious appeal. I still love my iPhone 4, but the Inspire has a quality all its own. My serious personal view of the DesireHD/Inspire 4G is that it should be the actual Android flagship smartphone. The OS...Android 2.2.1...combined with HTC's Sense 2.0 is just purely the cream-of-the-crop. The lag some people complain about with Android just isn't even a hint in this OS and on this hardware. I owned a WP7 HTC HD7 for about half a year and found the UI to be the smoothest I'd ever experienced. There was nothing that was a smooth. That was then, this is now. This Inspire is easily just as smooth, quick and clean as that WP7 HTC HD7. And the battery life is a little bit better, too.
Just got my Inspire two days ago. A bit leery of rooting myself. I've read the threads and instructions a few times, as well as watched the video, but I'm just terribly afraid of making a bad mistake, lol.
Sukuiku said:
Just got my Inspire two days ago. A bit leery of rooting myself. I've read the threads and instructions a few times, as well as watched the video, but I'm just terribly afraid of making a bad mistake, lol.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For what root provides, I just see no desire to do it. The sum total of the apps I won't be able to use are currently 3, MyBackup Root, Titanium backup Pro, ShootMe. For how well this phone works and how clean it is, I'm wanting to keep the iPhone style feeling I have with it. Rooting it and such would just lead to a mess for me. It would strip away the pristine cleanness and purity of this fine piece of hardware.
Understandable. I would love to be able to use ShootMe and install new themes, but with being so new at things like this, the risk seems greater than the reward. I installed Launcher Pro and I'm pretty satisfied with the amount of customability I have with it, though.
I know there's a lot more its capable of after being rooted but most of it isn't something I would use, lol.
Sukuiku said:
Understandable. I would love to be able to use ShootMe and install new themes, but with being so new at things like this, the risk seems greater than the reward. I installed Launcher Pro and I'm pretty satisfied with the amount of customability I have with it, though.
I know there's a lot more its capable of after being rooted but most of it isn't something I would use, lol.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you mean skins, don't worry about the them. I installed a bunch of them on mine and there is no risk that I can see. Currently using the Wildflower HD and it works just like the original. I think I have 20 skins installed.
There isn't really much risk rooting the phone - the only real risk is if you apply ENG S-OFF because that involves replacing the bootloader and if something goes wrong there, you're bricked.
I don't see why everyone is afraid of rooting this phone, this is the first Android phone I've ever owned, and the first I've ever seen rooted, and I was done in a couple hours, it was easy, just read and follow instructions. For me being able to take screenshots is the biggest reason I rooted, but have found many other reasons that I'm glad I did. Messing with an iPhone for a year, if I screwed something up I would be in for a long process of re-syncing and setting everything up, but with clockworkmod, if u screw something up, a backup including all data and settings in all apps is just 10 mins away. Being able to overclock to add a little extra smoothness to the UI is very nice. And having the freedom to run the software I want and not run the software I don't want is huge.
Sent from my Desire HD using XDA Premium App
tjb433 said:
I don't see why everyone is afraid of rooting this phone, this is the first Android phone I've ever owned, and the first I've ever seen rooted, and I was done in a couple hours, it was easy, just read and follow instructions. For me being able to take screenshots is the biggest reason I rooted, but have found many other reasons that I'm glad I did. Messing with an iPhone for a year, if I screwed something up I would be in for a long process of re-syncing and setting everything up, but with clockworkmod, if u screw something up, a backup including all data and settings in all apps is just 10 mins away. Being able to overclock to add a little extra smoothness to the UI is very nice. And having the freedom to run the software I want and not run the software I don't want is huge.
Sent from my Desire HD using XDA Premium App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It isn't about fear. For me, I prefer to retain the pristine nature of this phone. So I don't want to root it and open it up situations that could slow it down and cause it to be buggy.
MartyLK said:
It isn't about fear. For me, I prefer to retain the pristine nature of this phone. So I don't want to root it and open it up situations that could slow it down and cause it to be buggy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Rooting is well worth the trouble. And to me, having all the bloatware removed yields a more pristine nature...
Sent from my Desire HD using XDA App
MartyLK said:
It isn't about fear. For me, I prefer to retain the pristine nature of this phone. So I don't want to root it and open it up situations that could slow it down and cause it to be buggy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Rooting only makes the phone faster and cleaner, not the reverse;-).
oh ho! wadd up brother!
RogerPodacter said:
Rooting only makes the phone faster and cleaner, not the reverse;-).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, I disagree. Rooting allows you to do things that can cause issues. For people who know how to program and code, they can usually get better results. But for people who just need a phone to work and do what it normally does, rooting can be destructive.
MartyLK said:
No, I disagree. Rooting allows you to do things that can cause issues. For people who know how to program and code, they can usually get better results. But for people who just need a phone to work and do what it normally does, rooting can be destructive.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes ROOTING can cause somewhat destruction.
today while upgrading my phone to COREDROID, that thing bricked my phone. Somehow, I managed to fix my phone.
The coredroid thing made my BOOTING SCREEN STUCK. never got to its next step.
im not a coder or anything, im just following guides.
P00t said:
yes ROOTING can cause somewhat destruction.
today while upgrading my phone to COREDROID, that thing bricked my phone. Somehow, I managed to fix my phone.
The coredroid thing made my BOOTING SCREEN STUCK. never got to its next step.
im not a coder or anything, im just following guides.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is the reason I haven't rooted. I'm tech-savvy, but not a developer or anything. I see countless threads related to issues that seem to have risen from rooting. Either an issue arises during the process, or something happens that wouldn't have happened without root. And then there's that "you could brick your phone" deal. I'll stay unrooted.

[Q] Hello I Am New

Hello everyone, I am new both to this site and to the world of Andriod, Ordered my first ever Andriod Desire-S after being in a huge confusion between Desire-S and Galaxy-S, i found Galaxy to be too common, relatively older model and err not sexy
I am reading on all this "rooting" stuff and at this time its beyond me, i hope i can access market place and install apps and games on my new phone without having to worry about rooting it? Or am i stuck with the stuff which comes on the phone only?
My confusion is what features would rooting give me? Should i stop worrying and enjoy the existing U.I and get used to it before trying to jump at this rooting stuff
you can access market withought rooting your phone.. the only reason to root is to change stuff that are build in the operation system.. including tweaks and more..
First enjoy the phone as it is..then think about changing
baqai said:
Hello everyone, I am new both to this site and to the world of Andriod, Ordered my first ever Andriod Desire-S after being in a huge confusion between Desire-S and Galaxy-S, i found Galaxy to be too common, relatively older model and err not sexy
I am reading on all this "rooting" stuff and at this time its beyond me, i hope i can access market place and install apps and games on my new phone without having to worry about rooting it? Or am i stuck with the stuff which comes on the phone only?
My confusion is what features would rooting give me? Should i stop worrying and enjoy the existing U.I and get used to it before trying to jump at this rooting stuff
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd say as a new comer you'll be plenty happy without root for a long while....and it should give you the ideal chance to learn the O/S and whats involved without any chance of doing any permanent damage to your phone.....
Enjoy...its a lovely device!
baqai said:
Hello everyone, I am new both to this site and to the world of Andriod, Ordered my first ever Andriod Desire-S after being in a huge confusion between Desire-S and Galaxy-S, i found Galaxy to be too common, relatively older model and err not sexy
I am reading on all this "rooting" stuff and at this time its beyond me, i hope i can access market place and install apps and games on my new phone without having to worry about rooting it? Or am i stuck with the stuff which comes on the phone only?
My confusion is what features would rooting give me? Should i stop worrying and enjoy the existing U.I and get used to it before trying to jump at this rooting stuff
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
first of all welcome to the forums
as ben said if you are a new user you will be able to enjoy your phone without rooting for a long time & also get to know more about the OS
& also there is a certain risk involved while rooting & flashing new roms & radios so don't do it until you completely know what you are doing
you can read along in the net to get more info about the platform & all other things
here are a few pages explaining the rooting buisness
http://www.androidpolice.com/2010/04/15/rooting-explained-top-5-benefits-of-rooting-your-android-phone/
http://www.androidpolice.com/2010/07/13/8-great-apps-every-rooted-android-user-should-know-about/
i love the experience till now just few things bugging me ... coming from BB 9700 (which i still use) the battery life is very low (in comparison) so i am adapting myself to charge it every day and a half.
The default sms application randomly crashes on me so i have to use this another app i got from market place called Handcent SMS
Also i applied for swype beta and installed it but it does not seems to work across the board, it started working in few applications but not all, maybe swype is making the default sms application crash?
baqai said:
i love the experience till now just few things bugging me ... coming from BB 9700 (which i still use) the battery life is very low (in comparison) so i am adapting myself to charge it every day and a half.
The default sms application randomly crashes on me so i have to use this another app i got from market place called Handcent SMS
Also i applied for swype beta and installed it but it does not seems to work across the board, it started working in few applications but not all, maybe swype is making the default sms application crash?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Battery usage is about right. Try playing with how often things update and turn off data when you don't need it.
Handcent is better anyway!
Hence 'beta'. Doesn't mean it'll always work.
Sent from my HTC Desire S using Tapatalk
A day & a half from a modern smartphone is ok, I was getting a lot less when I first got DS - well, new phone, you're gonna play around with it some, no?!
Enjoy what market place has to offer & I would say don't get too sucked into rooting unless if course you have experience of flashing custom roms on other phones & someone nearby has use of xtc clip! Think it'll be a little while yet before software rooting is available for us DS users, and a while more before it becomes stable/reliable.
Peace, & enjoy
Sent from my HTC Desire S using XDA Premium App
have u encountered any problems with the phone thus far?
No problems at all so far. All native apps run smoothly, very smoothly actually.
Installed "Lookout" from Marketplace for security reasons, and installed then uninstalled an app-killer after reading that these actually cause more trouble than they're worth
That's all really apart from the occasional reboot - manual, not forced - which I think is a personal hang-up coming from blackberry!
Peace
Sent from my HTC Desire S using XDA Premium App
Hi
Been using this phone for a month now, coming from iPhone.
Truth be told, what is writen above about rooting is right. I have gone down this road and although it is fun to be able to customize almost every aspect of your phone, it needs a lot of time and involvement to get it right, not to mention the risk of damaging something.
So, I would agree in taking as must time as you can to enjoy it as it is, get to learn the OS before you tamper with it. Different mods / roms will always be here when you are ready to "play"
Have fun!!
I have a S-OFF device ... atleast the first line when i go into hboot says "SAGA PVT SHIP S-OFF RL"
errr so does this means i can do this root stuff if i want to?
Congratulations! You're one of the lucky few to have an S-OFF DS out of the box!
You can now root your DS. If you're wanting to go down the road of rooting take a look in the Android Development Section on XDA. The Gingerbreak method worked for me for gaining root access. There are risks involved with rooting so make sure you read around plenty first. If you follow the instructions carefully you shouldn't have too many problems!
Happy Rooting!
I am surprised as well I guess yeah I am lucky will read more on rooting to find what can I gain
Sent from my HTC Desire S using Tapatalk
Buddy I wud say atleasy for a week or two enjoy your stock and get a feel of desire s...
Once done you can go for rooting and flashing custom roms...
Well wat can rooting give you...
absolute power to customise your cell as you want...
if you ever used a linux os wat a root login allows you to do...
Also for an android...if you dont root and customise...
Den its like having a Ferrari but driving at 60 km/hr speed...
Hope now you understand its significance...
Lol yeah I have worked on cli on different flavors of Linux and know what Su means although its been some time now, now I sit and give orders lol.
So far I have loved it and find it be so much better than the over hyped toy the iPhone.
Sent from my HTC Desire S using Tapatalk
Agreed man...
Even i used to think iphone was d Phone...
but wen i researched a bit realized y android is known as 'Iphone Killer'

Should I Root?

Please keep in mind I have never rooted a phone and have no idea how to.
Ok so I Don't know if I should root my Sensation, or just leave it as is. I know there are risks to rooting, but I hear rooting makes phone's more customizable?
So.. Please post:
-The Advantages of rooting
-The DisAdvantages
-The Risks
-For a noob like me, on a scale of 1-10 how hard will it be? 10 = Hardest
-Should I root, and why.
Thank you!
Go to google.com and type in "what is rooting android" now spend the next 30minutes-1hour reading and learning.
Sent from my Sensation using xda premium
From a scale from 1-10, I think it'd be like a 2. Its fairly simple if you read the instructions carefully.
Sent from my HTC Sensation Z710e
You should definitely root! It gives you complete control over your phone and customize it whatever way you want!
On a scale from 1-10, i think it'll be 2 too. Its really easy if you follow the instructions clearly.If you don't, there might be a chance of bricking your phone if you messed up somewhere badly. The chances are really slim though!
Sent from my fingers to appear on your screen magically.
Root gives u absolute control over your phone. Like admin rights on a windows computer. No disadvantages. Lots of advantages (read: a lot of cool programs out there that require root privileges)
The risk is not following instructions and turning your phone into an expensive paperweight. For a noob like you, if you can follow instructions, difficulty level is a 1. Likelihood of you bricking your phone is negatively correlated with your SAT score.
Sent from my HTC Sensation
Real question is:
Does the phone do what you want it to do as it is now?
If the answer is 'yes' then rooting isn't really neccessary. The ONLY reason I've rooted is to remove all the system apps I don't use. I use my own ROM which is basic and does what I want it to do
EddyOS said:
Real question is:
Does the phone do what you want it to do as it is now?
If the answer is 'yes' then rooting isn't really neccessary. The ONLY reason I've rooted is to remove all the system apps I don't use. I use my own ROM which is basic and does what I want it to do
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Prety much this ... for a noob rooting is totally useless .. many people do it to strip the phone off useless aps to make it faster ... which fact lost its point for me with new OTA release with which Sense became fast enought to prevent example me from bothering with rooting. At this moment theres no reason good enough for me to do it.
Another group of people are those who root just to be pimp and IN even if its totally worthless for them.
Different group of people are those who use root/s-off for changing/modifying/creating custom ROMs with either some sort of tweaked HTC Sense with transparency, various MODs and that kind of stuff, or totally different graphic layout (which reason i never fully understood since i bought Sensation for its Sense .. hence the HTC brand .. innit?)
So yea ask urself ... does the phone have all i need? if the answer is yes, then theres no need for rooting for you.
Thats my subjective point of view.
If you root you can customize your phone the way you like it, or atleast the ways developers make available to you. i just rooted my phone for the first time and it was way easier than i thought it was. before you flash a new rom, make sure you backup your device with titanium backup. then after its flashed, you can easily restore all your apps and data with titanium backup. the only data you really lose is your home screen apps because you have to put all your apps and widgets back on your own.
EddyOS said:
Real question is:
Does the phone do what you want it to do as it is now?
If the answer is 'yes' then rooting isn't really neccessary. The ONLY reason I've rooted is to remove all the system apps I don't use. I use my own ROM which is basic and does what I want it to do
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
^^^This is THE perfect response to the question
I've not rooted and unless I need ICS and it won't come to the Sensation (to be honest, by the time you NEED ice cream sandwich the Sensation will likely be old tech) so I'll need a custom ROM, or there's some work related can't live without app that requires root, I can't see myself ever needing to do it.
I have rooted my 7 weeks old Sensation after only 3 weeks. Initially I thought I would never have to do so, but there were 2 things which made me unhappy: bloatware and the bitpool problem which causes crappy sound while listening to music over bluetooth headset. After all I flashed the device with as much as 7 separate roms and since today I'm happy with CM7 alpha 4. It's like a completely different device So I'd always say yes, but it depends on how your needs are.
You should root. Simply because there are many awesom apps in the market that required the root. With a rooted phone, you can do whatever you want.
The risk is your phone can be bricked. But i rooted many android phone but no brick to me, you should give it a try
What amazing apps are there for rooted devices? I'm thinking of rooting mine, mainly for the extra customisation options, but don't know if I can be bothered backing up all my apps and data. You have to back up sd card too don't you?
Sent from my brain
tibuchivn said:
You should root. Simply because there are many awesom apps in the market that required the root. With a rooted phone, you can do whatever you want.
The risk is your phone can be bricked. But i rooted many android phone but no brick to me, you should give it a try
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thx. Couldn't have said it better. No risk - no fun
---------- Post added at 10:01 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:54 PM ----------
yourpassenger said:
What amazing apps are there for rooted devices? I'm thinking of rooting mine, mainly for the extra customisation options, but don't know if I can be bothered backing up all my apps and data. You have to back up sd card too don't you?
Sent from my brain
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Titanium Backup
Root Explorer
AdFree
you can even install the HTC Beats Music mod, if you want to. I've tested that and it really sounds better. I even miss that on CM7, but I love CM7 for other reasons...
I'm sure, I forgot some apps, but it's late here
Regarding backup:
I usually have Titanium Backup for my apps & apps data (important and convenient, when moving to another rom) plus a general (clockworkmod) backup of the whole phone rom prior to flashing to be able to easily go back if something goes wrong...
im not stranger to rooting as i have done all kinds of crazy crap to my vibrant, i have the sensation and im not so sure if i want to root. Its cause i hear Htc devices are alot easier to brick, and i don't wanna risk messing with the bootloader. So far its running great, wifi tether, screenshots, i don't think you really need it.
well.
i thought im not happy with my phone so i rooted.
i installed the revolution room , it looked promising but im not happy.
my phone getting super hot while playing and some time rebooting it self and dont stop reboot until i remove the battery
as someone else said if u happy with your phone just leave it.
BshadoW1 said:
well.
i thought im not happy with my phone so i rooted.
i installed the revolution room , it looked promising but im not happy.
my phone getting super hot while playing and some time rebooting it self and dont stop reboot until i remove the battery
as someone else said if u happy with your phone just leave it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And if you're not happy with your phone send it back for a replacement
Course now you'll have to get it back to it's original condition and un-root it to do that...
And how about spoonfeeding???
Dude... Please read, read and read some more.
What ya'll get with root.... almost all access to all the files....
Here comes the question? What ya gonna do with it?
Do you need that?.... Don't think so. Yer probably thinking of supping yer phone...
Installing different ROM.... Then... ROMs come rooted already.
What you might ask for is: Should I S-OFF my phone?
That's up to you. You lose yer warranty if S-OFF discovered, but you can do whatever you want with yer phone....
Hope I explained as simple as it comes...
Tester
---------- Post added at 05:14 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:07 PM ----------
xaccers said:
And if you're not happy with your phone send it back for a replacement
Course now you'll have to get it back to it's original condition and un-root it to do that...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dude....
Replacement not gonna do a crap... To be honest...
If he plays games and all other 9 yards.... His battery has to be glowing!!!
JMO.
Tester
Tester30 said:
Dude....
Replacement not gonna do a crap... To be honest...
If he plays games and all other 9 yards.... His battery has to be glowing!!!
JMO.
Tester
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mine doesn't. I've never had a reboot due to over heating, or gotten too hot to touch, and that's even with streaming music via bluetooth, downloading over 3G and using GPS. Likewise while playing graphics intensive games with online content it's got warm but not over heated.
Some handsets have suffered an over heating issue and rightly have been replaced under warranty.
You should root, really you don't know what your missing, Android Revolution is best ROM out there and root ting is vary safe.
OK I am also new to rooting.. Can anyone suggest me link on how to root my sensation.. Plus after rooting do I need to change Kernel and Radio? (Though I still don't understand both terms).
My only concern is the slow performance. The phone should run faster for a 1.2 Ghz processor...

Why Not Root?

Why wouldn't somebody want to root their phone? I just don't understand why. I mean maybe they're worried about warranties or wanting to return the phone, but that's all I can think of. Does anybody know why people are so scared to root? My friend just refused to let me root his phone because he thinks I'm "breaking" it.
Lay out the advantages of having a rooted device and an unrooted device. Try not to mention returning a phone or warranty issues, because that isn't totally relevant to my argument with my friend (he is NOT turning in his phone anytime soon ). Right so I'm just curious. I can't imagine having an Android phone and it NOT being rooted.
Pros:
POWER (so much power)
BLN/BLD/Voodoo/Touchwake/OC/UV
Custom Kernels
Custom ROMs
Proper terminal/busybox
Adblock
ClockSync (these android phones have appalling timekeeping)
General customisation (build.prop, icons)
And of course wifikill (this links back to POWER)
etc etc
Cons:
Warranty, though hardware should be under warranty anyway as long as it has nothing to do with software malfunction (power button, usb port, etc).
Damn windows drivers
Maybe if it requires a lot of work and they do not appreciate customization or control. Perfect iPhone user if you ask me.
My brother in law had a Droid X and you had to jump through 15 hoops to root it and flash custom ROMs. He has a Galaxy Nexus now and has no desire to unlock and root it. :screwy:
My coworker has a Xoom and a Bionic and has not rooted either. Then he was complaining how long it was taking for the OTA ICS to be rolled out.
Nick N said:
Maybe if it requires a lot of work and they do not appreciate customization or control. Perfect iPhone user if you ask me.
My brother in law had a Droid X and you had to jump through 15 hoops to root it and flash custom ROMs. He has a Galaxy Nexus now and has no desire to unlock and root it. :screwy:
My coworker has a Xoom and a Bionic and has not rooted either. Then he was complaining how long it was taking for the OTA ICS to be rolled out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
.......
for Nexus series , unlock and root is absolutely required , because they are google's sons and pure blood of Android , with Nexuses you can do all kinda things
Nexuses are for people like us who is DEV or likes flash ROM over and over and over ...
okay , i 'm sorry that off the subject.
but , honestly , for crazy users like we are do need it , because lots thing we do daily needs root access
but for a normal user , that kinda people who doesn't know much things about flash ROM or something , it's kinda not need to be rooted...
root or not , it depends on your usage.
for the people who only use phone to talk to SMS to Gmail and to browser webpage, what roots for ???
qtwrk said:
.......
for Nexus series , unlock and root is absolutely required , because they are google's sons and pure blood of Android , with Nexuses you can do all kinda things
Nexuses are for people like us who is DEV or likes flash ROM over and over and over ...
okay , i 'm sorry that off the subject.
but , honestly , for crazy users like we are do need it , because lots thing we do daily needs root access
but for a normal user , that kinda people who doesn't know much things about flash ROM or something , it's kinda not need to be rooted...
root or not , it depends on your usage.
for the people who only use phone to talk to SMS to Gmail and to browser webpage, what roots for ???
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So you're arguing that unrooted is simplicity from what I gathered in that text lol ? I don't know. I'm still not convinced. I believe it is better to root. If you root you will finally be able to get that "one" thing your phone is missing. Ever single person in this world has had a moment where they say "I wish my phone could..." ... well it can if they root it
Nexus S - AOSP+ Neapolitan flavors 3.0, Glados kernel 2.8
For my friend, his reason not rooting is because he's really lazy. And the possibility of his phone bricking is too worry some for him to root especially when he doesn't really need to.
When I was deciding not to root or not was because of the warranty. I just realized I could lock it again and return it for warranty if anything
Well, how should I suppose to say this. The only reason I buy Android phone is because it could be rooted. And this is where all the fun is!!!
You'll only brick it if you're are "smart" enough not to read what the ROM or whatever you're using supports your phone. Warranty issues are not includes for just such reason lol. If somebody can give me 3 point how rooting is better I will praise you and my friend. So fair stock:0 rooted:a heavy amount
Nexus S - AOSP+ Neapolitan flavors 3.0, Glados kernel 2.8
I am always worried of the EFS folder
BTW : would that folder be at risk if the device is rooted ? and would rooted devices are at more risk that some app would screw an original one ?
Because most people only care about 3 things
1) Can it make calls
2) Can it send SMS/MMS
3) Can I browse the web
If a phone matches that criteria most are good to go
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using Tapatalk
I am not a dev, nor am I a programmer. The most I can do is follow instructions and edit simple things like font style and color in XMLs. I don't dare flashing bleeding edge stuff, so I always read reviews and go with something other people have tried first.
Still, I think that for an Android phone, rooting is much better than not rooting if you want to get the most out of your money. The performance and battery life can be improved, depending on the phone model, one can get a mild improvement (like with Nexus S) or dramatic change that makes you feel as if your phone gets a new life. Some people may not be inclined to backup often or spend time read up on XDA, but if they have a friend/relative who likes those stuff, it would be nice to have that friend/relative pick a stable setup and put those in (and set periodic auto backup for apps/messages). When others are whining "updates where? I have waited for MONTHS for GB/ICS", custom ROM users are already enjoying the new features.
Warranty still applies as long as you have the card. I've fixed the power button of my under-warranty LG Optimus One and they got it done with no questions asked. I know someone who had their Nexus S bricked due to wrong flashing and they still get to claim warranty.
If a person only uses their phone for calls, text and the occasional browsing, buying an Android phone is probably a waste of money.
Hey budday...
To answer the initial question as to why some one, but in this case I do not want to root is out of fear bricking my phone. Also I've found it fairly easy to customize without ..but in this case if you can lay out an easily read diagram or some sh!t then maybe people(me) will be more compelled to. Or for your sake make your argument a better one !
Especially with this ridiculously delayed OTA for my nexus ..and with no indication as to why! ? That's what I really wanna know!
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App
Maybe they want to leave it stock to not deal with the headache. Most ppl root just to tether for free and thats it.
Sent from my MIUI.us Sensation 4G using XDA App
..
My work place is gey. In order to access the Corporate Exchange server using the Good for Enterprise app, my phone has to be unrooted. The Good app sees that I have superuser binary on my phone and won't allow access. I can't use my phone without it rooted, I'll go nuts. So I ditched Good, and my phone stays rooted. Why are Corporations afraid of rooted phones?
Sent from my Nexus S using xda premium
..
Election Day said:
Try calling someone's customer support and explain any problem you are having in full detail. They will still treat you like a complete idiot that does not have a clue what he/she is talking about.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LOL, i know what you're saying. but they don't do that to insult you or imply you don't know anything. They don't know who you are or how much you know. It is simply the best way to approach a problem. If a user said they did something, how do you really know? (e.g. user says they rebooted the computer. but what they did was log out and log back in)
Anyways, there are different reasons why someone might not wanna root. If they don't wanna hear it then stop pushing. who doesn't hate that religious guy insisting you go to his church? when you keep pushing people to root you are that guy.
..
fergie716 said:
Because most people only care about 3 things
1) Can it make calls
2) Can it send SMS/MMS
3) Can I browse the web
If a phone matches that criteria most are good to go
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Any finished (decent) ROM does that better and it does ALOT MORE
Nexus S - AOSP+ Neapolitan flavors 3.0, Glados kernel 2.8
As a new Nexus S user who is yet to root, it is something I am planning on doing, but the shear number of ROMs and kernel's is very daunting, and it seems I'm going to have to set aside a fair few hours when I finally decide to do it. I'm sure once it's done I'll be hooked, it's just the initial jump that's delaying it for me.
Due to the huge number of people involved in Nexus S development (and this is not a bad thing by any means!) I am finding it difficult to find a suitable starting point.

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