Rooting Android Phones

[ra.minerva]

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just bought my first smartphone 2 weeks ago which is an android...tana lang unta ko mga master kung unsay advantage f ma-root nimo imong phone??

bro, advantages of root are ...

you have full control over your android system and this would include modifying system files, install themes, changing boot animation, remove annoying apps from carriers/manufacturers

you can also backup/restore your android system.

you can save a lot of space on your phone. you may save it to your sdcard

you can run special applications like screenshot, wireless tether, remove unwanted ads, overclock your phone, etc.

and lastly, my fave, you can install custom roms. speaking of custom roms, this means that you can install different flavors of android into your device. (froyo, gingerbread, ice cream sandwich)

[ra.minerva]

unsa man diay ning rooting sa android? imong i run tanang program/apps as root? or imo rang i sudo ang mga program?

bro, rooting is a process of modifying the operating system of your device. this means you can overcome the limitations that the carriers/manufacturers set on your device. the word "root" comes from Linux which means grant access. In Windows this is called Administrator privileges.

not all apps require root access. you can change the behavior of your android with apps that requires root access in this way, you can make your device much more faster and saves more battery life.

[donnrico]

How about the disadvantage of rooting your phone? and is it safe?

[imeanbusiness21]

yeah is it safe? are adroid tablets susceptible to viruses and stuff?

[saulrhyz]

rooting is not taking down your phone's defenses, it merely grants you access to system files.

it's relatively safe since some files need to be mounted with rw attributes to be edited, it's not totally dangerous, it's empowering. ^_^

[ra.minerva]

How about the disadvantage of rooting your phone? and is it safe?

afaik, there are 2 disadvantages of rooting the phone. first is you void the warranty and second is you may brick (unusable) your phone if not rooted properly.

is it safe? the answer is 'no'. you do it at your own risk.

it took me 2 months to study my device. know what applications needed to root, backup, and apply system tweaks.

[ra.minerva]

yeah is it safe? are adroid tablets susceptible to viruses and stuff?

there's a big risk in installing apps/custom roms from unknown sources. the risks would be your credit card details would be stolen (if and only if you add your credit card on your android device) and they have access to your personal information

[saulrhyz]

murag lagpas naman gamay... kani nalang ts o..

Pros
Some common reasons to root an Android phone include:

• The ability to add more home screens (say 5, from the default 3 in Android 1.5 and 1.6);

• "Tethering" your 3G internet connection to their laptop computer via USB cable, WiFi, or Bluetooth (using the phone as a modem);

• Installing a 3rd party ROM (or "Mod"), including a more recent version of the OS than your telco has provided for the phone;

• Backing up all the data and apps on the device;

• Being able to apply custom themes;

• The ability to install any application (including those "blocked" by your telco), apps that have been "banned" from the Market, and even alternatives to the Market itself;

• FLAC lossless audio;

• multi-touch support;

• The ability to overclock the processor; and

• Enabling enhanced sdcard capabilities such as caching and allowing you to install and run apps on the sdcard (freeing up your internal memory).

Cons
There are two primary draw-backs to rooting your Android:

• If the rooting process fails you may permanently "brick" your phone, rendering it unusable for anything other than, well, a brick;

• Rooting your phone typically voids the manufacturer and telco warranties.

Other drawbacks are more specific to what is done after the device is rooted (burning out the CPU due to overclocking, wearing out the sdcard prematurely due to caching and running apps directly from it, etc.).
-- taken from somewhere

So Rooting per se is not harmful at all, what you do after you root... well, that's a different story. ^_^ besides, even if you don't root, you can still install apps. I rooted my phone right after I got home from the mall and this was my first time rooting. If you want, i'll point you to the right direction for your phone.