Back in the day - rooting Android phones and installing custom ROMs were such a big part of Android. I remember so well using titanium backup and Greenify and Cyanogenmod and the list goes on.
Is it still necessary to root in 2023 though?
I have been on vanilla Android without root access for the past couple of years and at this point most root features have made it into the vanilla Android OS. What are your thoughts?
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Haven’t rooted in years. Don’t really need to anymore.
Plus root breaks my banking app and I need that.
I’ve never had a phone that hasn’t been rooted and also have always been able to use every app. Google pay might get pissy occasionally, but every banking app has always worked.
Cool 👍
Essential? no.
Worth it? maybe.
Nice to have control of your own device? absolutely.
I have two devices, primary with root (through Magisk as KernelSU still has some issues for me) and secondary without root. Anytime I have to do something more demanding on the unrooted device I really wish I had root. Local terminal access, ability to disable some annoying “features” (verified app links) and multiple other things I use daily make it worth it for me.
EDIT: I saw mentions of custom roms in other comments. I have a custom rom installed (AOSP based). If I was on a stock rom (or god forbid something like MIUI) root would be a must for me.
Since the proliferation of mobile banking that doesn’t even work if you have your phone rooted and the manufactures getting more hostile towards custom ROM developer I practically have stopped modding my phone altogether. I used to be a guy who flashes ROM couple times a day. However now, especially I’m working remotely, I find myself on my phone even less. My phone has become basically only used for texting, banking, and Uber Eats.
There’s something interesting about mobile banking. I constantly see stories of issues with it on non-stock / unmodified software. The funny thing is that I have never had any issues personally. Until recently my banking app worked even without Magisk’s Denylist (and the most picky app was McDonald’s). Now (since few months) I have to add it to Denylist, but that’s the only requirement, no SafetyNet, no Play Integrity, nothing.
I guess some banking apps are less annoying about phone payment, but a lot of them are.
I been on custom ROMs for years without root. But recently, root has moved from magisk to kernelsu, which is a kernel based root solution. Much better than magisk in terms of avoiding detection and required no extra install if your kernel already supports kernelsu. I’ve started using root features again thanks to kernelsu
What kind of benefits are we talking here… System wide adblock? What kind of security would I be losing, last time I used a custom rom (don’t remember if it was rooted) i lost access to a few payment platforms
Payment platform didnt work due it detecting root. I guess this is now “fixed”?
Many of them detect unlocked bootloaders. Even when your phone isn’t rooted, you need an unlocked bootloader in order to use a custom rom. The fact that they refuse to work on unlocked bootloaders is insane.
Ah ok. I am a bit out of the loop.
kernelSu doesn’t require you to install or flash anything to get root access if your kernel supports it just install KernelSU app and done you’ll just have to give permission within Kernelsu app apps won’t be able to request or detect root (like we used to get a popup to grant or refuse root access)it also supports magisk modules
I purchased my first Android phone at 13, the Motorola Droid. In less than a month, it was rooted running a custom rom. I rom hopped weekly, tried all sorts of hacks and modifications, and eventually started releasing my own (very crappy) custom roms. I did this all the way through until I had the G6.
I eventually started getting phones where I can unlock the bootloader, and for a bit I would root such as my Essential phone or my Pixel 3a or 4a 5G but since the Pixel 6 I haven’t had any reason for perpetual root. I unlock my bootloader, and I root when needed and remove magisk when no longer needed. The cat and mouse game of trying to bypass detection alone makes it a pain when I have banking, work apps, etc that all validate hardware attestation.
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A lot of the reasons why I used to root simply don’t exist anymore. Personally, I haven’t unlocked the bootloader or installed a custom ROM since maybe Nexus 4. Plus now, as others have said rooting your device makes most financial related apps stop working.
That’s what did it for me. I need to be able to use bank apps, and appreciate the convenience of Google Pay on my Pixel 7 Pro. Can’t do that with a custom rom or root. I loved rom hopping on my older droids, but I guess stock android has all the functionality I need.
Can anyone confirm if that’s still the case with kernelsu, losing banking apps hurts the most. For ads a dnsguard still kinda works
Works fine for me …you should try asking in your device development group most of them are active on telegram
Even when I’ve done custom roms like lineqgeOS I haven’t rooted. However when it comes to backing up apps root still does feel like the best way to back up specific app data with apps like swift backup.
Can’t root, breaking Safetynet destroys about 30% of what I use my phone for.
What? There is a module for that called SafetyNetFix. I am fully rooted and can usw any App I want.
You’re basically playing cat and mouse with these fixes; I don’t want to be stuck without access to apps for a day or two, and what I gain isn’t that great anyway.
If that is your mindset, you’re definitely better without root. My phone is rooted for three years now and never had any issue. I never had an app fail with my methods to hide Magisk. I even got GPay and contactless payment working when I still had Google services installed. Without them, it is impossible unfortunately.
I ran a Lineage OS on a Mi 5 for 2.5 years, there were definitely some days when my banking app would fail and then Magisk would come up with a fix a few days later. Given the prevalance of digital systems I’m not wanting to go without.
Feel like I’m being attacked for not wanting to root, in a thread asking people whether they root or not. This feels like people being asked if they believe in Jesus and those who say no are swamped by believers who then chastisise them.
What does it break? I’ve always had a rooted phone and outside of Google pay, have never had anything not work.
Fixing safetynet is just another magisk module (or two, it’s been so long I don’t remember anymore).
As said above, don’t want to be stuck without access to payment apps and ID apps even for a day or two. Risk not worth the reward.
That’s your decision. I experience no issues with my setup, but you do what you want.
KernelSU? Hadn’t heard of that one before.
Do you get proper compliancy with the Integrity API?
KernelSU? Hadn’t heard of that one before.
It’s relatively new, few months old at most and started as a joke.
Do you get proper compliancy with the Integrity API?
Screenshot_20230804-134241_Play Integrity API Checker
Feel free to ask more questions if you need. For me getting to this point was quite an experience, so I’d be happy to help.
I’m very interested! Which device is this and how did you get to this stage? I believe GKI only really exists for devices running kernel version 5.10 and over. My device is running 5.4 so I can’t use this. I hope that in a couple of years KernelSU will become mainstream and I can reap the benefits of SafetyNet without having to deal with Magisk + Zygisk + LSPosed and a bunch of other stuff.
That was 3 months ago.
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My phone is Redmi Note 10 Pro (global version) running a custom ROM (AOSP based).
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You can install KSU on non-GKI devices: https://kernelsu.org/guide/unofficially-support-devices.html. I was probably using this one, but there are multiple KSU kernels available for my device and you can probably find some for yours in the telegram groups.
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I used to root my phone, run custom ROMs and tweaks, the whole thing. Was basically forced to keep stock when I got a galaxy S8, and now I haven’t rooted even with my past few pixels, it doesn’t feel useful anymore. I might root my pixel 5 in the future as I plan to keep it for a long time, but right now I’m stock
blocking ads is as close to “necessary” as it gets for me.
rooting gets harder and harder with new android versions and devices - but it’s been worth it for me every time.
lastly FUCK the app developers trying to block rooted devices, it’s for their (sense of) security, not ours, and it’s sad to see so many people in this thread bullied out of rooting by them
I like vanilla Android, but many phone companies has their own version of it with meaningless pre-installed apps. I typically root and install vanilla OS and thats it.
A custom rom isn’t the same as rooting though. I’ve used custom roms without rooting them quite a bit, so my answer to op’s question is that no it really isn’t that essential, unless you need some very specific magisk module or something.
Ah apologies, I have equate rooting same as flashing custom roms, custom roms only requires unlocking the bootloader.
Yes, I also noticed that recently I have little need to root to tweak around the system. But I do use some apps that requires root, and that is the only reason of my continuing doing so.
No. I still use custom Roms, but only ones I can relock the bootloader. I like GrapheneOS and CalyxOS.
You can relock the bootloader with a custom rom? Which phone do you use?
Pixel 6a. That’s why I exclusively use Pixels, they are the only device that offer this. Well, there are a few others but it’s very rare outside of pixels and theirs tends to be very insecure and or outright broken/buggy. Pixels are supported by basically every rom out there.
I haven’t felt a need to root a phone in years. These days you will get a usable UI and UX with basically all major brands and adblock can be done without root, so it’s just not worth the hassle trying to hide the fact that you’re rooted from banking apps etc. At least as far as I’m concerned, I’m sure that some people still see a benefit in rooting.
Edit: I actually just thought of a reason: updates once the phone is past its official support window but otherwise still functional (though you don’t technically need root for that, just an unlocked bootloader, the new ROM doesn’t need to be rooted either strictly speaking). I’d just buy a new phone, but that really just means I’m a part of the e-waste problem.
I still root my phone for system-wide adblock, call recorder and Xposed modules I have been using since Jelly Bean.
Same. I recently got a new phone and considered hopping into the Apple ecosystem, but call recording kept me on Android.
Which app can you recommend for call recording?
I use Call Recorder on a rooted Pixel 5. Works well.
I’m using the BCR magisk module for recording on a Pixel 7. BCR seems to be pretty universal, but some dialers (OnePlus dialer is one) have recording disabled via config and can be reenabled with adb.
I don’t root anymore, not since I switched to GrapheneOS. It breaks the Android security model. On GrapheneOS it’s like fortifying a castle and then blowing a wide open hole in the wall. Just didn’t make any sense.
Same here.
Anyway, it’s not an arms race against the vendor anymore on GrapheneOS. Root is just a toggle switch I control, now.
So I can Degoogle my phone with Graphene OS?
