Many people want Android smartphones with root to be able to install various third-party apps or overcome some system limitations, usually implemented by manufacturers and hardware managers.
While some phones can be rooted, most of them don’t. There are some simple and free ways to check if you have a phone with root. In this article you will find three methods, two of which are infallible and one that can be situational, depending on the model of your phone.
WHAT IS ROOT?
Not to be confused with jailbreak (on iOS devices), it is a method to unlock an Android device in order to guarantee the user privileged control or root access. It’s a bit like having administrator privileges on a Windows or Linux based operating system.
CHECK THROUGH SETTINGS
Note that this method may not work on all Android phones.
- Go to the settings.
- Find and touch Device Information.
- Go to State.
- Check the status of the device.
Most new smartphones should have an official device status. Official means that the software has not been tampered with and the device is not rooted.
Displaying a custom tag in the device status usually means that the phone is rooted.
The device status card may differ from one model to another. Therefore, if you see an official tag, it is usually best to check the manufacturer’s website and see if the phone is rooted or not.
USE THE ROOT CHECKER APP
The Root Checker app is a third-party app that you can download for free from Google Play or pay for a more elaborate Pro version. Whichever version you choose, you should be able to determine the root login status on your phone.
- Go to the Play Store.
- Tap on the search bar.
- Type “root checker”.
- Touch the simple result (free) or the root checker pro if you want to pay for the app.
- Tap Install, then agree to download and install the app.
- Go to the settings.
- Select app.
- Locate and open Root Checker.
- Tap the “Start” button.
- Tap “Verify root” once the app has determined the model of your phone.
The app should only take a few moments to determine the root access status of the phone. Once verified, you will see a message clearly indicating whether or not you have root access.
USE THE TERMINAL EMULATOR
The Terminal Emulator app was designed to offer users a complete Linux terminal emulator for Android devices.
It’s a good way to practice using the commands or to take full advantage of the various commands enabled on rooted phones.
- Go to the Play Store.
- Tap the search bar and type “Terminal Emulator”
- Tap Install and accept.
- Go to Settings and find the Terminal Emulator app.
- Touch the icon to open the app.
- In the terminal window type “up”, then tap Search or Enter.
“Up” is the superuser command line. If your phone is rooted, you should be able to see $ turn into a # in the command line. Otherwise, or if you receive an error with “command not found”, it means that the phone is not rooted.
Note that neither the Terminal Emulator app nor the Root Checker app can root an Android device. There are other third-party apps that allow you to do so.
How to root Android | The best method
ADVANTAGES OF AN ANDROID PHONE WITH ROOT
There are some dangers associated with rooting an Android phone. Especially since when users start searching and searching through the phone’s various functions, it is possible to cause a complete system malfunction or, in other words, you can block the phone if you don’t know what you’re doing.
This usually happens when users want to have many, “too many” features from their phones, pushing components beyond their limits or installing new firmware that may not be fully supported.
That being said, there are also some notable advantages when it comes to having a phone with root. If you don’t mess with essential system processes, you can do a lot to customize and improve your phone’s performance by using other options.
MORE CHECK
Imagine an Android phone with root as a desktop PC. You can practically set up a desktop of your choice, as long as all the components are compatible. Rooting can also give you access to overclocking or underclocking the phone’s CPU and GPU components. You can boost performance or attenuate them so that your phone grows slower.
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Other advantages include complete application control. This means being able to back up, restore, remove and add everything you want, including editing applications in batch.
You can also remove some unwanted and unnecessary system processes pre-installed. These are commonly called bloatware. These types of processes are similar to Windows system processes and pre-installed apps that consume a large slice of resources without offering the user any value.
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OTHER CUSTOMIZATION OPTIONS
One of the most interesting things about having a phone with root is the level of customization you can get about everything from themes to animations and everything else, including icons.
Most smartphones have limited customization options. For example, you cannot change the loading screen animations on non-rooted phones.
DO NOT TAKE TOO MANY FOR ROOT ACCESS
Although it is nice to have a smartphone on which you can theoretically do what you want, compared to normal users, it’s better to pay attention or at least inform yourself about what you should and shouldn’t change.
If you have some suggestions on how to improve performance by using root access, please leave a comment in the comments section below and don’t forget to specify which Android smartphone model these suggestions are intended for.