Android, like any operating system (OS), has an advanced mode—usually called "root"—to modify protected system files. Rooting can unlock many advanced features, but there are some big trade-offs as well. If you're wondering whether to root your Android phone, this article is for you.

What Is Android Rooting?

The highest permission level is usually called Administrator, Root, or Superuser. It unlocks advanced features that require modifying system files. However, enabling it also creates security risks, and this feature shouldn't be used recklessly.

Over the years, some Android functions started requiring root permissions to be used. This has been done to enhance the system's security, but can bother users who'd like to unlock their phone's full potential. Sometimes, you may just want more detailed battery stats or similar insights into how your device works.

That's when rooting comes in. In computer systems, administrator permissions are just a command and a password away. For Android devices, you need to do a few more modifications before being able to use that command.

Simply put, rooting your Android device gives you access to a level of tweaking and customization that is not intended for the average user.

What to Know Before Rooting an Android Device

Before rooting your Android phone or tablet, you need to understand a few things. This includes risks—stuff that may or may not happen during the rooting process or after it—and consequences that are inherent to rooting and, therefore, unavoidable.

1. Rooting Makes Your Android Phone Vulnerable

You shouldn't underestimate the risks of using Administrator privileges, be it on Android or any computer system. Since rooting makes the system files modifiable, if your device gets infected by malware, the damage has the potential to be even deeper than before.

Even if you're not infected, messing with the wrong file or configuration may render your phone unusable. Enthusiasts call this "bricking" a device (as in turning it into a brick, a paperweight), and it may or may not be a recoverable situation—but I wouldn't recommend taking any chances.

2. Rooting Will (Likely) Void Your Warranty

Rooting an Android device requires doing a procedure called "bootloader unlocking." Simply put, you'll disable a security check that prevents your phone from booting a system with unauthorized modifications.

Save for a few companies, like Google and OnePlus, unlocking the phone's bootloader voids its warranty, which means you won't be covered even if issues arise that are totally unrelated to the system.

Most manufacturers will show a warning about the unlocked bootloader when you turn your device on. Some have a physical fuse blown during the procedure, as explained on this Samsung support page, so even if you re-lock the bootloader, the warning still shows.

This is not without reason: a phone with an unlocked bootloader can load any system that runs on it, not just the ones created by the manufacturer. Because of that, the company can't be liable for damage that these modifications may cause to the device.

3. Rooting May Disable Android Features

This one is usually a consequence of unlocking the bootloader, not of rooting. But since you can't do the latter without doing the former, the warning still applies.

Using Samsung as an example again, you won't be able to use Knox or its enhanced protection features, like Secure Folder. The physical fuse mentioned before, when blown, disables Knox.

Many manufacturers also prevent you from receiving over-the-air (OTA) system updates (or don't prevent it, but brick your phone if you install the new version) if the bootloader is unlocked. This limitation may continue even if you re-lock the bootloader.

Rooting also triggers SafetyNet (and its replacement, "Play Integrity"). They're checks included in Android by Google that ensure the system hasn't been tampered with. If a device fails these checks, many games and banking apps—including Google Wallet—won't work.

There are ways to "hide" rooting and pass these checks, but they require even more effort on top of rooting.

4. Rooting Deletes All of Your Phone’s Data

This is another consequence of unlocking the bootloader. When you do it, your phone's whole internal storage is wiped, so all installed apps and saved files will be deleted.

Some devices, including all Samsung phones, actually delete your data twice. Your storage is first wiped when unlocking the bootloader, and, in some cases, it gets erased again when doing the rooting procedure itself.

That's not much of a concern if you make a backup of your Android phone before unlocking the bootloader—and any experienced enthusiast in the modding community will tell you to always make a backup before doing any important procedure.

What You Need to Root an Android Device

As stated before, you won't be able to root your device if you don't unlock its bootloader first. So, be sure to follow our guide on that procedure before continuing.

You'll also have to download an app called Magisk. You may or may not be able to root your Android device without a computer, depending on its model. However, Magisk is required in both cases.

When you first run Magisk, the app tells you which method your phone requires. It's still not a very straightforward process, but just follow Magisk's installation instructions to the letter, and you'll be safe.

The Magisk app is not available on the Play Store since Google forbids rooting apps. You'll need to download the APK from the official GitHub repository and sideload it. If you didn't enable app installation from outside the Play Store, you'll need to do that after downloading to install Magisk.

This article does not intend to tell how to root your device.The rooting process tends to vary by device, and software updates can often throw a wrench into previously working methods. The best thing to do is find communities for your specific device. You'll be able to see what has worked for other users and find appropriate files for the rooting process. The XDA forums are an excellent resource for this sort of thing.

Is It Still Worth Rooting Your Android Phone?

When Android first launched, it was a barebones system (this was also true for any smartphone OS in the early 2010s). Since then, many functions that previously required rooting have been included either in "stock Android" AOSP or Android skins.

But "many" doesn't mean "all". As an example, Tasker is a tool that allows you to automate several activities with your phone, both on the phone itself and on online services. Tasker can do a lot without root access, but the more advanced functions still require it.

Root is also required by tools like Swift Backup and Titanium Backup, which move not only your installed apps between devices but also saved accounts, settings, and so on. That's a feature Android actually offers these days, but the official solution is not as expansive.

There are many more functions that still require root. Ad blockers (to block ads in apps, not only in your browser), advanced battery managers like Greenify, and more in-depth theming are just some examples. Rooting also allows you to remove bloatware that's otherwise impossible to install, freeing up space.

The Android modding community flourished because of users who wanted to make more out of the devices they had: additional/locked features, longer support for OS updates, higher performance, better battery life, and so on. Most of this comes in the form of custom ROMs, like GrapheneOS, which are Android versions made by independent developers.

There's no right or wrong answer if you should use root on Android or not. The procedure does require you to learn a considerable amount of things about how Android works, and knowledge is always a good thing. From there, you will likely be informed to weigh the pros and cons of Android rooting and make the best decision for your case.