Advantages and Disadvantages of Rooting an Android Device

Rooting your Android Device means hacking it to obtain ‘super user rights’ or ‘super privileges’ on your Android software. The same technique is called as ‘Jail-Breaking’ in the iPhone world.

Rooting an Android has many advantages (and disadvantages). Listed below are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Rooting an Android Device.

Advantages of Rooting an Android Device.

1. Load custom ROMs.
   You might be using older version of Android on your device but after rooting, you can upgrade to the latest version with custom made ROMs.
2. Install Custom Themes.
   After rooting, You can customize almost every bit of graphics present on your android.
3. Increase Battery Life.
   Some custom ROMs can improve the communication between kernel and device and make it perform better thus increasing battery life and performance.
4. Install Custom Paid Features.
   Some paid features can be implemented using rooting.
5. Upgrade to newer android versions before they are released by your Service Provider.
   As said earlier, Custom ROMs can be used to install yet to be released softwares.
6. Backup all your Apps and Settings.
   The ability to easily backup all of your Apps and Data is one feature that is sorely missed on the stock build of Android devices. But if you root your device, backing up everything on your device (both apps and data) becomes a simple task. Also you can take Nandroids of your phone which means taking backup of the full phone with its OS and Data like Contacts/SMS/Call Logs etc.
7. Tweak your Baseband for Better Signal.
   The Baseband is what controls the radio on your device. By updating to the latest Basebands, you can potentially improve both the signal and quality of your phone calls.
8. Unlock Features like Wi-Fi,USB,Bluetooth Tethering.
   By rooting your Android device you also gain the ability to unlock some features that your carrier may charge for. One example is enabling free WiFi and USB tethering, which many carriers charge money for.
9. Move all your Apps to SD Card
   You can move most of your apps that you install in the internal memory to the phone’s SD Card and save your internal memory.
10. Over Clocking and Under Clocking.
    Overclocking your Android can yield better performance and under clocking it can gain better battery life.

Disadvantages & Risks of Rooting an Android Device.

1. Bricking.
   If you do a silly mistake in rooting, You end up bricking your android device. So its not for the faint hearts! Bricking your phone means make it pretty much useless.
2. Voiding your Device Warranty.
   Your manufacturer wont repair a bricked or damaged device for you since you rooted it and rooting voids warranty. Fortunately you can even try your hands on Un-Rooting the device before you give it to the manufacturer.
3. Malicious Rooting Software.
   When rooting your device you intend to put a lot of trust on the developer since you are giving the Super User Rights to the apps, So there always resides a security risk in rooting but fortunately since most apps are Open Source, The community takes care of malicious apps.
4. Google doesn’t like Rooting.
   It is quite evident that Google doesn’t like their OS to be rooted from the not so long ago story of Android Market’s new movie rental service from being blocked on rooted devices.

That was the precautionary explanations that you needed to know before going ahead and rooting your Android. Stay tuned with XploringTech.