Intro to Root on Android

If you're an Android user who has never heard of "rooting" your device, you're most likely in the majority. Jailbreaking is a much more famous term, referring to the similar process on iOS. Rooting your device is the act of gaining root privileges, or admin access. This allows you to change quite literally any part of your phone's OS. Why isn't this enabled by default? Well, because you can change anything, it's also possible to break your OS by tampering with the wrong thing. Because of this, many manufacturers also make the act of rooting your device void your warranty, so proceed with caution.

There are a number of reasons why you might want to root your Android device. Firstly, many phone companies and carriers add what's called "bloatware" to your phone, or apps you'll never use that simply take up space. Rooting allows you to remove these apps. Customization is also a major feature, from being able to change minute parts of the OS using things like the Xposed Framework, to completely installing a new one. Rooting can even let you gain better battery life through apps like Greenify, automate processes using Tasker, and even block ads.

Depending on your device, there are different methods for rooting out there. I'll get into how to root in a later post. First I'll introduce you to some common terminology you'll need so you won't be completely lost.

• Rooting - The act of gaining administrator access on your device.
• SuperSU - An app that manages which apps on your device have access to root privileges.
• Bootloader - The piece of software inside your phone that decides which OS to boot into.
• Knox - Samsung's security software that makes rooting more difficult.
• Flashing - The act of installing software outside of the OS.
• Sideloading - Installing apps without using the Google Play Store. (via USB, ADB, or APK.)
• ADB - Android Debug Bridge. Lets you control your phone by plugging it into your computer.
• Recovery - Booted outside of the OS from the bootloader, lets you flash, backup, etc. without connecting to a computer.
• ROM -  Custom variant of Android that can be installed instead of the stock version.
• Kernel - Software that communicates from your hardware to your OS. (CPU/GPU calibrations, battery enhancements, etc.)

This is a lot to remember when you're first getting into rooting, but it's all very important. There are multiple methods to root, but if you have a device where it is possible to root using ADB, I recommend that completely. ADB is a simple command-line interface, and while it may not be the easiest to do, it will help you gain an understanding of what you're doing so you know how to fix your device should things go wrong. Use those one-click root options as a last resort, or if you're already aware of how rooting works.

Like I said, I'll get into how to root in a later post, but hopefully this post will help you understand whether you want to root as well as some common terms used.