Android
By George Ogunleye
Despite the Android platform being an “open” mobile operating system, most Android powered smartphones/tablets still come with few limitations. Mostly put in place as safety mechanisms for security and to prevent inexperienced users from messing up their devices.
However, explorers see these safety mechanisms as limitations that restrict how they get to use their device.
Rooting lifts the limitations on the Linux-based operating system (OS)of the Android device and gives owners a super-user or root, permission into the core of the device in order to bypass the restrictions put in place by the manufacturer and allow them use the device the way they want to and not the way the vendor wants them to.
The term “Rooting”is the same as jail breaking on Apple IOS devices. Rooting an Android platform unlocks endless possibilities of the smartphone/tablet.
Oftentimes, some Android versions by default have poor battery performance and responsiveness. This could be because the default mobile network carrier designed such version of Android to suite their service platforms thus they install a certain class of software colloquially known as “Bloatware” and spyware, which sorts causes slowdown, poor battery life and egregious lapses in data security.
Rooting could unlock some features that network operator may charge for.
One example is enabling free WiFi and USB tethering, which many carriers charge money for. However, over time network operator may catch on to the fact that one is the device as a free WiFi hotspot and figure out a way to charge you for it.
Rooting allows users to install custom ROMs and custom kernels effectively; these modifications frequently improve general device performance of the device. Tweaking the kernel code layer that handles communication between the hardware and software can drastically enhance the performance and battery life.
One of the chief reasons to root your device two years back was to get access to missing features such as multi-touch, Wi-Fi tethering and Apps2SD (application installation on an external SD card).
However, since Google's acquisition of the Android these features rooting lost some of its charm but certainly not all of it.
The present enticing advantage of rooting ones device is that grants simple users the ability to install powerful applications that require more-than-usual privilege.
Rooting an Android device grants users the ability to update the Basebands on the smartphone/tablet. The Baseband is what controls the radio on the device. By updating to the latest Basebands, one can potentially improve both the signal and quality of your phone calls.
The ability to easily backup all the Applications and Data on the Android is one important feature that is omitted on a stock build of Android devices. Rooting gives one the sole privilege to use Titanium Backup App that backs up/restore everything on the device (both apps and data) with just a click.
There is an increased risk of unknowingly installing malicious software through rooting an Android device, installing an Anti-Virus and Security App could make it safe. Unlike the simple restore opportunity for Jail broken Apple IOS devices Unrooting could be a daunting task.