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Root access. What is root in Android? Root access using the KINGROOT program

operating room Android system by default, it has built-in protection against rash user actions that could damage the normal functioning of the device. Such a security mechanism blocks the installation of unwanted software, limits access to system files, and prohibits changing a number of settings. For the average user who is not technically savvy, such barriers are only beneficial and, in principle, do not interfere with the normal use of the gadget. But what to do if you want to get full access to the system’s functionality and experiment with all, even hidden, settings. This is what the so-called root rights, or Superuser rights, are intended for.

Why do you need root rights?

So, what exactly? additional features Do they provide root rights in the Android system? Let's list the main ones:

Editing any system files;
Removing standard applications;
Removing debris and unnecessary files, previously protected from deletion;
Installing applications on a memory card;
Installation of modified firmware and mods;
Unlimited interface changes (themes, screensavers, icons, fonts);
Providing applications with full access to the system;
Advanced backup;
Optimizing operation and increasing device performance.

Along with the pros, there are also cons. These include possible refusal to warranty service and the risk of device failure due to violation of the integrity of system files.

If you have weighed all the pros and cons, and definitely want to get root rights to Android, then feel free to proceed to the instructions below.

Ways to obtain Superuser rights

Today, there are many models of smartphones and tablets on the market, each of which may have its own specific features that affect the rooting procedure. However, in most cases, the expansion of powers is carried out according to the same scheme. Moreover, for Android of any version (4.4, 5.1, 6.0, 7.0, etc.) the sequence of actions to obtain root rights is almost the same.

There are two main options for “giving” Android devices special rights:

Do this via computer:
Carry out the procedure autonomously without using a PC.

We will look at both methods with specific examples and programs. But before you use one of the proposed algorithms, you need to check the current user permissions on your phone/tablet. Perhaps full access to Android functions is already open.

Checking for extended rights

You can find out whether a specific mobile device has Superuser rights using the application RootChecker. We install it from the Play Market, and then launch it.

To start checking, click the “Root Check” button.

If the required rights are not found, a red message will appear; if they have already been granted, then a green message will appear.

In the absence of authority, we proceed to direct actions to acquire it.

Obtaining root rights through a computer

This technique involves the following standard steps:

Download and install on PC special application;
Launching the program;
Connecting to a computer via USB port devices running Android;
Enable USB debugging mode on the device;
Establishing a connection between the application on the computer and the phone/tablet;
Directly launch rooting (usually by pressing just one button in the program window).

This sequence will be relevant for almost any program, of course, with certain amendments. Which application to use is up to you, we will just give a list of the most common ones:

Kingo Android Root;
SuperOneClick;
VRoot;
MTKdroidTools.

As an example, let's try to get root rights using Kingo Android Root.

Kingo Android Root

Download the program from the official website www.kingoapp.com, and then install it on your computer.

If the application is blocked by an antivirus, which often happens with such software, then the protection will have to be disabled while the procedure is being performed.

Launch Kingo Android Root.

Now we connect the Android device to the PC via a USB cable and immediately set the MTP data exchange mode in the settings (transfer and manage files on the PC).

The Kingo Android Root app will start connecting to your phone and will ask you to enable USB debugging mode.

To do this, you need to go to the Android settings, and then go to the “For Developers” section (Developer Options).

If there is no such item, then go to the “About phone” page and click on the “Build Number” line seven times.

The “For Developers” section should now appear. Go into it and enable the “USB Debugging” option. A window will appear in which we check the box “Always allow debugging from this computer” and click “OK”.

The installation of drivers will begin, after which the “ROOT” button will appear in the Kingo Android Root program window on the computer.

Click on it, wait for the procedure to complete and reboot mobile device. If everything went as expected, you will have extended rights.

How to get root access without using a computer

This method does not require a PC, and all actions are performed exclusively in the interface of the Android device. True, you can’t do without third-party programs here either. Let's list the most popular ones:

KingRoot;
OneClickRoot;
Framaroot;
iRoot

If these applications do not suit you, you can find others on the Internet. Interaction with any of them will occur approximately according to the same scenario:

An apk file is downloaded directly from the official website to your phone;
The program is installed from it (the “Allow installation of applications from unknown sources” option is first activated);
After launching the program, the device model is determined (or manually selected) and rooted.

Let's consider with step by step mode process getting root- rights to Android using the KingRoot application.

KingRoot

Download the installation apk file from the official website kingroot.net.

Now find the saved file in the list recent downloads File Manager or any File Manager.

We initiate the installation.

After installation is complete, launch the program. In our version of the application, to start rooting, you had to go to the “Complex rights” page and click the “Get root” button.

In other editions the interface may be slightly different. We are waiting for the procedure to complete.

Results

As we can see, establishing Superuser rights (aka root rights) on Android without using a computer or with its help is not difficult. To do this, just select the necessary software. The only catch may be that the selected utility will not support your specific device model. In this situation, you should try another program or use the manufacturer's proprietary application (if available).

If all else fails and root access to Android is still denied to you, you will have to carefully study the information on specialized forums in threads dedicated to your model. And, of course, to identify problems that interfere with obtaining elevated rights, you should definitely pay attention to the text of warning messages and errors that usually accompany the occurrence of various types of problems.

Although the Android operating system is considered open, users receive full access to it only after activating Root rights. They allow the user to edit and change system files what may be needed to change appearance system, obtaining new functions, hacking games and programs, as well as making many other changes that a user without Root rights cannot make.

When on a smartphone or tablet under Android control Root rights are activated, it loses security, and various other problems may occur with it. In such a situation, the user has a question about how to remove Root rights from Android, and in this article we will look at the main ways to do this.

Removing Root rights through a file manager

As mentioned above, Root rights give the user full control above the device and the ability to edit all files in it. Accordingly, you can make changes to system files that will cancel Root access. In fact, to do this, you just need to erase all files from the device that put it into Super User mode - a user with advanced rights.

To remove Root rights you must first install any file manager. You can find many of them in Play Market– E.S. File Explorer, Total Commander, X-Plore File Manager and others. Launch the file manager and do the following:

You can check the presence or absence of Root rights using the Root Checker application, which is available for free on the Play Market. Download it, run it and check whether the program detects whether the device has Root rights or not.

Removing Root rights using the application

If you don’t want to tinker with the device’s system files, you can refuse Root rights using a special application – SuperSU. Minus this method is that it only works in a situation where rights were not installed on the device using Root third party firmware. Otherwise, when you reboot the device, the installed software on your smartphone or tablet will return Root access.

To use the SuperSU program to remove Root rights from a device, you need to do the following:

It is worth noting that SuperSU is not the only program that allows you to remove Root rights from a device. There is its paid analogue Unroot, which also allows you to refuse Root access, and in some situations it copes when SuperSU has problems.

Note: Some smartphones, for example, the Galaxy series from Samsung, are protected by the manufacturer in such a way that it will not be possible to obtain and remove Root rights from them in the standard way. If none of the above methods helped to remove Root rights from your smartphone or tablet, it is recommended to find instructions for specific model devices.

After removing Root rights from a device, various problems may arise. For example, a smartphone or tablet will start to reboot on its own for no reason. In such a situation, you need to reset the device to factory settings through the system menu. To do this, do the following:

After this, the smartphone or tablet will start working in standard mode no mistakes.

So, you have opened the door to a world of increased functionality for your Android smartphone by gaining root access. Great! You can do things with your phone that others can't do with theirs. But what if circumstances change and you need to reverse the operation? Don't be afraid, we will help you.

You may need to disable root access for security reasons, or the settings changes you make no longer require root access. Or perhaps you want to sell your phone, or take it in for warranty repair. Or, for example, download an OTA update.

Ways to disable root access of Android phone

Just like for enabling root access, there are several ways to disable advanced access. And the one you use depends on the OS version on your device and what changes have been made. Typically, “disabling root access” means one of the following processes:

Any phone that has ever been rooted: If rooting is all you've ever done with your phone and the device is still running the original version of Android, unrooting should work easy and painless. Its procedure is described in detail in the first section of this guide.
Any phone with a custom ROM, or using the Xposed Framework: If you haven't limited yourself to rooting, most likely you've made some pretty serious changes to certain parts of the system. In this case, the only way There will be a complete return to the original factory settings. Now it all depends on the phone and we can't give specific instructions for each model, but you will find information about this in the last section.

Seems easy, right? Unfortunately, the SuperSU method does not always work perfectly. It may not work for some reason. In this case, you can carry out the procedure manually in one of the following ways:

Nexus series phones, as well as phones from other manufacturers running Marshmallow version: If the SuperSU method does not work, you can manually disable root access by re-running boot.img. This is the main file that changes when you root your Marshmallow phone. So replacing it and restarting the factory version of Android should help. Read about how to do this in the second section of our guide.
Nexus series phones, as well as phones from other developers running Lollipop and previous versions. If the SuperSU method doesn't work, you can manually disable root access by deleting the su binary. This is a file that allows you to gain root access on phones with Android versions earlier than Marshmallow. So, uninstalling it and restarting the factory version of Android should help. Read about how to do this in the third section of our guide.
Non-branded OS devices: If the SuperSU method doesn't work, you'll likely have to completely wipe your phone and return to the original settings. In this case, the algorithm of actions depends on the phone, and we cannot give specific instructions. More detailed information You can find out more about this in the final section of our guide.

We'll cover each of these methods (in more or less detail) in the four sections below. So scroll down to the part that suits your device, Android version, and situation.

How to disable root access on almost every Android device using SuperSU

SuperSU is probably the most popular and reliable Android root app. If your device is rooted, there's a good chance you're using SuperSU to gain root access to apps. This manager is also ideal for the reverse procedure, as it can be done directly in the application on your phone.

In order to completely disable root access on your device, you first need to launch SuperSU, located in the application log.

Once you've launched the app, go to the Settings tab and scroll down until you see the Cleanup section. Tap the option " Complete removal root" ("Full unroot").

A dialog box will open telling you what to expect during the uninstall procedure and asking for confirmation. If you rooted your device using this traditional method (typically for phones running Lollipop or earlier), this will be your first and only step. Clicking "Continue" will disable root access. Reboot your phone to complete the procedure.

If your device was rooted using the Systemless Root method and the device is running Marshmallow, clicking Continue will open another dialog box asking if you want to restore to factory settings, and information that this is necessary for OTA (over-the-air) updates. If you're going to install an Android update when it comes out, or if you're getting rid of your phone, click OK. If this is not relevant to your situation, you can simply leave it changed boot image by clicking “No”.

The next dialog box may ask if you want to restore the system. If you are using the Custom Recovery suite of utilities (which is most likely) and want to update the OTA, this feature is required - click OK to continue. If you intend to root again in the future or want to continue with Custom Recovery (for example, for Android backups), click No. There is a possibility that this window will not appear. In this case, you need to manually start restoring the default settings. The next section describes how to do this.

After this, SuperSU will automatically uninstall and clear the installation log. The whole process will only take a few seconds, and then the device will reboot on its own. Once the reboot is complete, your phone will be completely unrooted and, depending on what options were selected, will be restored to its default settings.

How to manually disable root access on Nexus series devices and other Marshmallow phones

Although the above method using SuperSU should theoretically work perfectly on devices where root access was obtained through a non-system method, it would be useful to know what to do in a situation if SuperSU fails to completely disable advanced access.

The good news is that a simple trick - replacing the modified boot.img file with the original one - should work.

For example, I use Nexus 5, but the procedure will be the same for all devices in this series. If you have a phone from another manufacturer, the algorithm may differ slightly.

The first thing you will need to do is download Factory Image from Google (for Nexus). Other manufacturers must also provide these files. Once you have downloaded Factory Image, you will need to extract the archive. There is another one inside this archive. Unpack it too.

This archive will contain the bootloader, radio (if necessary) and various scripts, essential for complete installation Android. The file we need – boot.img – is located in the final zip archive “image- -.zip". Unpack it.

Return to your phone and make sure the Developer Options are enabled by going to Settings > About phone and tapping Build Number seven times. Pop-up notifications will show you how many more taps are needed to “become a developer.”

Once the Developer Options menu is unlocked, go back to the original settings menu. The "Developer options" menu will be located directly above "About phone". Click Developer Options.

Scroll down to the USB Debugging button and turn it on using the switch.

A warning will pop up telling you what USB Debugging is - click OK to activate this option.

Connect your device to your computer using a USB cable. If you have the necessary drivers installed, a notification should pop up asking for permission to connect to your computer. If you are using Personal Computer, check the box next to “Always allow on this computer” to automatically connect in the future. Click OK.

Let's go back to the computer. If you have the Android Debug Bridge (ADB) installed in your PATH, Shift+Right Click on the folder where you extracted the Factory Image files, then open a command window.

If you don't have ADB, copy the boot.img file to the ADB folder - C:\Android\platform-tools. Once the boot.img file has been copied, press Shift+right mouse button and select “Open a command window here”.

Then enter the following command into the bootloader to reboot the device:

adb reboot bootloader

Once your phone is restarted, enter the following command. There are only a few seconds left until the end:

fastboot flash boot boot.img

If you are performing the procedure root removal In order to install the OTA update, or want to go back to factory settings completely, you also need to run a factory reset. To do this, use the following command:

fastboot flash recovery recovery.img

After that, reboot Android with:

The phone should reboot immediately and that's it - root access will be disabled and Android will return to its default settings, but the rest of the system will be unaffected. If you plan to sell the phone, you will need to factory reset the entire system.

How to manually disable root access on Nexus series devices and other Lollipop (or earlier) phones

In general, disabling root access using SuperSU is The best decision for devices with a modified system, since traces of all changes made during rooting will be cleared. However, if you want to perform the procedure manually, the process will be more painstaking and will not be limited to simply launching boot.img, as in the non-system method. The good news is that the entire procedure can be done directly on your phone without using a computer.

The first thing you need is a file manager with root access - ES File Explorer is by far the most popular, but any other explorer will do.

In ES, you need to open the side menu by sliding it out on the left, then scroll down to the "Root Explorer" key and activate it using the switch. The SuperSU app will prompt you to grant access to the file manager.

Once root access is obtained, go to the system folder (/system folder). Using ES, select " Homepage» (“Homepage”) (of course, if you are still on home page). Click on the “Device” button.

In the primary partition, scroll to the “system” folder and open it.

Difficulties may arise at this stage - depending on how your device was rooted, the "su" file (which we will need to delete) may be located in one of the following folders: /system/bin or /system/xbin. Let's check the first one first.

The files here are in alphabetical order, so if you don't find the "su" file (as in the image), head to the /system/xbin folder. Go back by clicking on the black arrow and then open the "xbin" folder.

There are not many files in it, so you can easily find what you need.

Regardless of where the file was located, the procedure will be the same. If you want to perform the full procedure on your device, simply delete the “su” file (long press + Trash icon).

If you want to temporarily disable root access in order to install an OTA update, simply cut the "su" file from this folder (long press + Snipping Tool). Then navigate to the /sdcard/ folder, returning to the Device folder and opening the sdcard folder. Insert the file into it by selecting the “Insert” icon.

Once you get rid of the "su" file, you need to move or delete another file. Go to the /system folder again and open the "app" folder.

You need to find the SuperUser app here if you are using SuperSU. It is located in the folder under this name. If you're using another app to gain root access, you may have to do a little searching. Once you have found the folder, open it. Please note that this may not be a folder at all, but simply a “superuser.apk” file in the root folder.

Once you have found required file, select it with a long press and cut or delete it in the same way as the “su” file.

If you cut it, paste it into the /sdcard folder so it doesn't get lost.

At this point, double-check the root status of the device using an application like Root Checker. If the app shows that root access is disabled, then you are done.

Now you need to restore the default settings on your Android device. In order to do this, you need to download Factory Image to your phone and follow the algorithm described in manually disabling root access on Nexus series devices.

Restart your device to activate factory settings

If you are using a phone with a custom ROM or Xposed Framework, disabling root requires a full factory reset. If the SuperSU method doesn't work, this is the only way.

Unfortunately, the algorithm varies depending on the device manufacturer. So, apart from the Nexus series phones, we cannot give detailed instructions. You should look full version manuals for your phone on sites like developer forumXDA. But here are a few words about what to expect from the procedure on the following devices:

Nexus series phones, as well as phones from other developers: Everything is simple here. Download Factory Image from Google or your manufacturer's website (just like Marshmallow above), then run the archived files on your phone.
Samsung phones: You will need a file with full firmware, available at Sammobile.com. You will be dealing with a fairly simple "Odin" program on your computer. Just make sure you find the instructions that fit your device.
Motorola Phones: Motorola uses a program called "RSD Lite" to install image files, although these files are not available for non-manufacturer devices. There are many copies available online, so make sure the source is reliable before running the file.
LG Phones: LG uses a specially designed " Flash Tool» for installation suitable for specific device KDZ files. Again, the process may not be easy, so make sure the instructions are right for you.
HTC phones: HTC probably makes the friendliest devices that use only the so-called “RUU” (ROM Update Utility) file, which can be launched with simple ADB or Fastboot commands. Alternatively, you can place the RUU file in the /sdcard subfolder of most HTC devices and it will be automatically detected in the bootloader. You just need to find the appropriate RUU file for your phone.

We would like to make detailed instructions for every device, but this is simply not possible. And this is another reason why we prefer Nexus and other manufacturers of phones based on Marshmallow, Lollipop (and earlier). But with a little digging, you can independently disable root access on any device and return it to its previous working state.

What is root

Android is built on the operating kernel Linux systems from where he adopted many of the principles of the system. In Linux, unlike Windows, there is only one administrator account, whose name is root. The second difference is that root has truly unlimited rights, which allows you to do anything with the system through this account, including deleting system files. As you probably already guessed, using root can be dangerous, which is why the vast majority of kernel-based systems linux users sit under ordinary accounts, obtaining root rights for a while and only to perform a specific task that requires elevated rights. For example, installing/uninstalling programs, editing system configuration files, replacing any system components, etc.

Android is no exception, so the phrase “get root” means that you can now give some programs permission to read/write system directories and the ability to work with other processes.

To allow/deny access to root rights, applications that are installed when receiving root\firmware are usually used. If by some chance there is no such program, then you should install Super SU or superuser from the market. Installing/enabling such applications is EXTREMELY recommended in order to prevent access with elevated privileges to applications without your knowledge (which may include “malware” that you do not know about).

Positive sides of root

The ability to install applications that will modify the system, allowing, for example, changing system icons; add entries to system hosts file, thereby allowing you to block advertising both on websites and in free apps; synchronize time with accurate sources, etc.
Ability to delete\replace system components, which will allow you, for example, to get rid of unnecessary pre-installed applications.
The ability to install a recovery menu, with which you can install alternative firmware. This will allow, for example, to supply more new version android, if the manufacturer does not update your device or takes too long to do so.
Fine-tuning the system’s operation with the phone’s hardware, which allows, for example, to increase the volume of the speakers; overclock or even slow down (to save energy) the smartphone; allocate more RAM to applications, etc.
Advanced work with partitions, which allows you to “bite off” part of the memory from the memory card and attach it to the system partition, which will allow you to install more applications.
Ability to control work running applications: for example, by prohibiting the transfer of information about your location to programs that, in theory, do not need it (for example, live wallpapers), but whose author for some reason collects this information; allow\deny access of applications to 3G\Wi-Fi: allows, for example, to release some applications only through , thereby saving mobile traffic.

Disadvantages of root

If you get root, you can turn your phone into a “brick” and at the same time lose your warranty. Perhaps the most significant objection to “rooting” your smartphone, but: firstly, the chance of “screwing up” the device is extremely small, and secondly, the qualification “ technical specialists» in the majority retail chains is quite low and they are unlikely to be able to determine what caused the smartphone to break down. So all you have to do is come to the salon shouting “nothing’s working for me” and they’ll probably replace it for you. Unless you have to wait a while.
There is a chance of losing information stored on your phone. There is only one piece of advice: do it backup copy all important data before any important action.
application that received root access can do anything with your system. However, performing several simple rules practically neutralizes this threat: firstly, you should not install little-known programs and especially programs from third-party sources because they can be modified. Secondly, it’s worth installing and testing new programs for them.
Getting root on some devices is not so easy. But on the other hand, there are a huge number of detailed instructions on the Internet on how to do this. So there shouldn't be any problems with this.

How to root your phone

Unfortunately, there is no single instruction suitable for all phones. Moreover, the process of obtaining root access may vary even by different versions firmware of the same model. Instructions in Russian for most phone models can be found on the 4pda forum.

Phones from some manufacturers come on the market with locked bootloaders, which prevents you from getting root on these devices. Fortunately, some manufacturers have accommodated customers halfway and added the ability to officially unlock the bootloader. In order to do this, you will need to go to specific page on the manufacturer's website and follow the instructions there.

Sony Ericsson (For most Sony and sony ericsson To get root, unlocking the device is not required) – http://unlockbootloader.sonymobile.com/instructions

Most other manufacturers do not have such strong protection as these three, and you can find many instructions for unlocking your phone's bootloader.

Before you do anything, ALWAYS make a backup copy of all important data. And follow the instructions exactly. If you follow these two points, the process of “hacking” your smartphone will be quick and painless..

What's next…

Root in terminal

After we finally got root access, the question arises: how to get all the goodies that were written about in the corresponding section of the article. Here are some examples of programs that will help you unlock the potential of your phone. Naturally, this is far from full list what you can do with your phone after getting root, but listing everything would take more than one article.

LBE Privacy Guard
	Very useful application, if you care about the security of your phone and personal data. Allows you to set permissions on various actions(reading SMS, reading your location, etc.) applications that are installed on your system. This will allow, for example, to prohibit sending SMS to an application that you do not trust too much. ATTENTION!!! On some (if not all) Android 4.1 and 4.2 with root rights, launching this application leads to an endless reboot of the device. Therefore, if you decide to install this application– do not give him permanent root rights. This will allow you to check how the application behaves on your phone. If everything goes well, then you can allow it, but if it goes into reboot, it will not be able to reboot the phone next time and you can safely delete the application.	Price: For free
Download from Play Market

Titanium backup

An application for creating backup copies of your data. IN paid version you can create several backups, add SMS messages, call logs, etc. to them. Sync with , Box and Google Drive and also a lot of different goodies. Those. free version This is more for informational purposes than for actual full use. Among other things, the program also strives to save in a copy not only the programs themselves, but also the data for them.

The program is not cheap, but if you plan to experiment with firmware, it’s definitely worth taking.

Price:

For free

~ 191rub (Pro)

4EXT Recovery Control
	One of best apps to change the firmware in your phone. Possesses big amount settings, the ability to change the design of the recovery menu (all actions with firmware are carried out through it) as well as a touch interface in this very menu. Using this program you can install firmware, make full backup copies of current firmware, change the type file system partitions, work with cd-ext, etc. If you plan to experiment with firmware, or frequently update the current one (MIUI, for example, has updates every week), I highly recommend it (just make sure that your phone is in the list of supported models). For everyone else, the free ROM Manager will be more than enough.	Price: ~ 91 rub.
Download from Play Market

System Tuner
	One of the applications for working with the hardware (and not only) of your phone. Contains many tools that allow you to: adjust the minimum/maximum processor frequency; select frequency control mode; configure RAM consumption (aka RAM) to the application; has a built-in process manager, disk space analyzer, etc. In general, the application can be recommended to those who want to play with the “hardware” part of their smartphone, or who need fine tuning performance\power consumption.	Price: For free


	Free program to synchronize your smartphone's clock with time servers. Many people use their phone, among other things, to find out the current time. And if the time is wrong, it can cause considerable trouble, so the program should be installed at least for preventive purposes. Also, given the fashionable trend in the government to cancel/switch to winter/summer time and play with time zones, I recommend installing an addition to this application TimeZone Fixer, which will update information on your phone about both zones and “winter” now time, or “summer time”.	Price: For free
Download from Play Market

In addition to programs, you can also change the firmware, which may contain some additional features and functions that cannot always be obtained using programs. For example, the notification curtain in MIUI, which is similar to that of the upcoming Android 4.2.

Of all the firmware it is worth highlighting CyanogenMod from CyanogenMod team and MIUI from Xiaomi. Both are very popular and are installed on a large number of devices from different manufacturers.

MIUI– a fairly heavily modified version of Android (even the settings menu has been changed), with rich functionality and support for themes and customized for iPhone (launcher). One of the most pleasant modifications is the “curtain” with notifications and settings buttons, which is a real pleasure to use. A large number of programs are immediately built into this firmware, some of which perform the same functions as the programs listed above (specifically: droidwall, titanium backup, LBE Privacy guard). However, MIUI cannot be called “light” firmware even if one wants to. Therefore, on more or less old smartphones it may be a little slow.

IN CyanogenMod The emphasis is on ease and customizability, but, unfortunately, the guys from the CyanogenMod team are very principled, and therefore build their firmware based on the original kernels from the manufacturer (which avoids many problems with the smartphone’s hardware). Therefore, if the manufacturer does not provide them source, then the firmware will not appear. This was the case, for example, with the HTC Incredible S.

Firmware for your phone can be viewed on Russian 4pda or foreign xda-developers. Other firmwares are not so well known and widespread. Moreover, they are often limited to smartphones from one manufacturer. But that doesn't mean they're worse or anything like that.

Conclusion

If you want to maximize the capabilities of your phone, getting root is definitely worth it. There are risks, but they are not great and are practically leveled out if you approach this matter wisely and follow a few simple rules:

Always back up important data before any important activity.
Try to avoid dubious, unknown programs, especially from dubious sources.
Strictly follow the instructions for unlocking the bootloader and getting root - without skipping a single step and without adding anything of your own.
Do anything with the system only if you understand what exactly (and not why) you are doing it.
Use Super SU, superuser or any other similar program to control the granting of access to root rights.

Leave your comment!

First, a little materiel. Just a little, don't worry. The word root in Linux environment is an account that has certain privileges in accessing files. It is also called the superuser. The closest comparison is the administrator profile in Windows, but a password is usually not needed. However, this depends on the device, and now we will not talk about full-fledged Linux, but about its offspring of the mobile format called Android.

So, imagine that your computer is accessible through an administrator profile. You can edit system files, play tricks with the registry, mess with the cache and do other operations that, at a certain level of hand curvature, can lead to your PC turning into a photo frame with a permanent BSOD on the screen. So, it’s even harder for a superuser in Android, because more mistakes can be made, and simply reinstalling the OS on it is not an easy task. To summarize: superuser rights allow the owner of a smartphone to access system files, and, more importantly, change them and save these changes.

It would not be amiss to inform you that there are three types of root rights. Full Root provides the user permanent access to the superuser capabilities, Shell Root is a trimmed version of Full, that is, changing the /system folder is not available, and Temporary Root gives full access only until the smartphone is rebooted. And now:

Flaws

The warranty period for most types of electronics ranges from six months to two years. During this time, it is possible to identify post-sale defects, the responsibility for which lies with the manufacturer. If he is really at fault (which is easy to check), repairs and replacement of components will be carried out free of charge at special service centers. But if the so-called warranty conditions are violated, you will have to do everything at your own expense. So, getting a superuser account violates the terms of the guarantee in 99% of cases. This is the same as opening the security seals on a TV in order to try to fix it yourself, but having failed in this, sending the device to a service center. The warranty conditions have been violated, the manufacturer does not know why the breakdown occurred - its fault, or yours. And no one will take words on faith.

Therefore, I formulate the first and main disadvantage for the average user: Gaining root access will almost certainly void your smartphone's warranty! True, there is an option that can hide such actions with a certain chance - rolling back to the factory firmware, but only those who have already dealt with access to the system at a low level are able to do this. Although the probability of an error for such users is close to zero, the “counter” of roots, if the manufacturer has inserted it, may not be reset to zero. Well, if the warranty for the device has already expired, then there is no point in being afraid of this particular drawback.

In my article about mobile viruses, I mentioned that with the opening of superuser rights, the smartphone receives an additional set of vulnerabilities. But this concerns not only the fact that even a simple virus can easily crap into the holy of holies - right into the heart of a pocket friend. People are naturally curious. Having received unprecedented freedom in working with a smartphone, they try to do things, studiously avoiding studying the hardware. Their self-confidence is amusing, but the result is not very good. With a careless movement of the hand, a multifunctional phone turns into a so-called. "brick" that doesn't even turn on. This means that a man-made grain of sand got into the perfectly debugged mechanism and stopped the work of the gears. For the average user, the matter is resolved exclusively service center, flashing and loss of all data (!) that was on the phone, with the exception of those on the memory card and SIM card. And the SC, in turn, will demand money from you for this service, because the warranty has expired (see paragraph above).

This leads to the second drawback: if there is an error in working with superuser rights, you can disrupt the operation of the OS, up to irretrievable loss of data. You can avoid this by doing the following: before doing anything, you need to know the consequences - there is probably at least one person on the Internet who has already taken a risk and posted their thoughts in an accessible form. Next, always have a backup copy on hand, and more than one. I'm not talking about gallery files or contacts, but about a full backup of the entire system - the so-called recovery. We will discuss how to do it later.

Also, for a user who has tasted the delights of root for the first time, the following news will be sad: interference with system files will take away the smartphone’s ability to automatic update, that is, to receive new firmware versions. Yes, yes, you won’t see KitKat if you are on older versions of Android and decided to play around with the superuser. However, there is no question of reliability here - the update may arrive, and even install, and even work! But if this happens to you, consider yourself to have won three lotteries in a row, because this is a colossus with feet of clay, and your OS runs on files that are not designed for this. Therefore, disadvantage number three: after receiving root access, you can forget about auto-updating the smartphone OS, unless you are a very lucky person. If you really want a new one Android version, you will have to do everything manually. It's not easy, but once you have received root access, if you please, live up to this title!

A serious disadvantage of root rights is the variability in obtaining them from device to device. Let's start with the fact that not every smartphone provides such an opportunity. If your device has a feature (although I would call it a “crutch”) called NAND lock, you don’t have to dream about rooting. About Full Root, to be precise. The remaining two options are available in most cases. Yes, there are ways around this software gimmick, but be prepared to spend extra hours poring over instructions.

There's no complete list of devices with NAND lock, but even if your smartphone doesn't prevent root access, don't expect it to be easy. There is no single recipe for obtaining superuser rights. Each new product will be studied by Internet experts for the first few days before a sequence of actions appears on Western forums. You shouldn’t even think that it will be simple - there may be more than 20 steps, and each of them includes desktop computer, Internet, third party programs, stubs and God knows what else. Conclusion: due to NAND lock, not all smartphones have the opportunity to get Full Root, and for most devices where this option is available, there are separate instructions that you need to search for a long time and strictly follow. And if something didn’t work out on the way to your goal, there is a high probability of getting a technological “brick” at a reasonable price.

And the last, but very important fact. Any experiments with obtaining root rights, changing the firmware, creating a backup on a PC or creating a recovery must be carried out ONLY through the NATIVE USB cable, which must be plugged DIRECTLY into the computer case, bypassing any hubs. The fact is that various Chinese crafts of any price and value, with the exception of branded peripherals, fail at the most important moment, or simply cannot cope with such tasks. This is not a recent phenomenon - even Siemens phones were flashed only through native USB, which, by the way, cost a lot of money and was quite rare. As a result, you can make a smartphone an expensive brick in the process of obtaining, say, recovery, which should protect the user from such situations. Be careful!

Advantages

The freedom of action. Having received Root rights, you, as a smartphone user, will acquire full control over the device. Do not like standard applications? Remove them completely! Tired of standard shortcuts/icons? For God's sake, change them to whatever you like! You can remove the screensaver when starting up and shutting down the device, you can make the native flash dance during a call, you can put artificial restrictions on Internet traffic, remove advertising from applications, hide the notification panel or navigation menu, and much, much more. Of course, such changes require appropriate programs.

You don’t want to tinker with individual elements, but are you frankly bored with the standard shell view? There is a solution! With root rights, no one will bother you install the real custom firmware. The leader in this field can be considered the CyanogenMod project, within which software builds are released daily for dozens of popular devices... But there are also MIUI, Illusion, ParanoidAndroid and many others. After getting acquainted with them, you may want to go back to such a native and understandable factory firmware, but not everything is so simple, and the specifics of a particular device will not be slow to affect. Down with doubts! The possibilities of individual ROMs are simply breathtaking.

For example, the main advantages of CyanogenMod are its original purity (no unnecessary pre-installed programs), ease of use, minimal settings, the ability to quickly switch profiles, and excellent optimization. Among the shortcomings, it is worth highlighting a small one, both for custom firmware, a set of settings, as well as general instability in operation. And the MIUI firmware is positioned as a hybrid of Android and iOS, and, in fact, is a hodgepodge of the best elements of both platforms. It does not have most of the pre-installed applications, but it does have a large number of themes and widgets, and most of the standard ones for Android applications either removed or replaced with “lighter” analogues.

Illusion stands out for its completely transparent interface, auto-hiding status bar, and excellent notification functionality, which can be configured separately. ParanoidAndroid is generally a kind of sandbox with customization that will be respected by some Linux distributions. This includes scaling EVERY separate program, the status bar can also be customized as desired, as can notifications, and general scheme The interface can be changed from a smartphone to a tablet, and PIE Control combines all the main shortcuts into one convenient diagram.

But there is even more customizable firmware - AOKP. Personally, it reminds me of the times when Siemens phones ruled the roost, as you could do incredible things with them. With AOKP, your vibrating alert will start singing along to your favorite song, instead of loading there will be a photo of your favorite girl, and the Ribbon interface will eliminate the need for launchers. And that's just short review what universal ROMs are capable of. But there are also firmwares for individual devices that correct the most unpleasant errors without turning the design upside down. Often they are almost in no way inferior to stock ones. But also nice little things, like a built-in boot menu, the ability to record screencasts or change the screen density in dpi through general scaling. ATTENTION! The last function is extremely dangerous and can lead to the smartphone becoming bricked.