Rooting a Device - Voids Warranty?

[AdreesInator]

Hey guys,

My Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 7.0 Kids is running very slowly. I have tried factory resetting it and uninstalling certain apps to no avail. I have downloaded the app Greenify and hibernated some apps which helped a little but the tablet is still very slow.

I was discussing this with a friend who gave me some tips which required root. I am unsure whether to root the device or not as I have taken out an extended warranty of 3 years which I do not want to be voided. Will rooting it void the warranty? There is a mixed opinion online with some people saying it is fine with others saying it will void the warranty.

Could someone clear this up for me please?

Also if you could share any tips on how to make the tablet faster without root, i would be grateful.

 

[zedorda]

Root does void manufacturers warranty. But in most cases there is no reason the device should be return still rooted. Root is reversible and in most cases completely undetectable. Just before you root find what you need to restore a factory stock image. Then your warranty will be fine. Plus I believe all aftermarket warranties leave out root as being an issue. Only the manufacturers warranty has problems with root. Just check the paperwork first.

I have had warranty work/returns on 4 rooted devices without issue.

 

[Paul627g]

Hello,

To make it clear and simple..

Your warranty while the device is ROOTED will be voided. So if you took it into your local store or sent it in for warranty repair to the OEM then yes they have every right to deny you of service.

Now 99.9% of devices that are rooted can be unrooted/restored to factory stock. So if you all the sudden start having a hardware problem like speaker goes bad or something that warrants using your warranty then all you have to do is un root the device using the proper package and technique and it will remove all signs of rooting and restore you back to stock how your device appeared out of the box. Then my friend you can have your device warrantied.

 

[Paul627g]

Root does void manufacturers warranty. But in most cases there is no reason the device should be return still rooted. Root is reversible and in most cases completely undetectable. Just before you root find what you need to restore a factory stock image. Then your warranty will be fine. Plus I believe all aftermarket warranties leave out root as being an issue. Only the manufacturers warranty has problems with root. Just check the paperwork first.

I have had warranty work/returns on 4 rooted devices without issue.

Nothing against your comment and I'm glad its worked for you but both carrier, OEM and stores like Best Buy, Radio Shack, etc have every right to deny you of warranty for rooting. Always best to restore back to stock & un root. Taking the chance is not something I would ever recommend or brag about even though I know it does happen quite often.

 

[AdreesInator]

OK, so if I do go ahead and root the device, it is reversible. Can i still unroot even if the device is broken i.e doesnt turn on or charge etc?

 

[Paul627g]

OK, so if I do go ahead and root the device, it is reversible. Can i still unroot even if the device is broken i.e doesnt turn on or charge etc?

The latter part of your question.. Usually no, that is the tricky part. If you have a complete overall failure where the device is un responsive and still rooted then hopefully it would be replaced w/ a refurb as a hardware failure as long as it doesn't turn on or boot up where they see evidence of rooting.

Normally most people have a fun and safe time when rooting. Best thing to do is educate yourself properly on the terminology and techniques used in rooting your device and make sure you gather all the proper files to root and un root so you have everything ready to go. Never a good thing to have an issue then go rushing around in a frenzy trying to find files to fix your phone.

 

[AdreesInator]

OK I'll definitely think about it. Thanks very much for your replies, you have been a big help

 

[srkmagnus]

OK I'll definitely think about it. Thanks very much for your replies, you have been a big help

I the meantime, try installing another launcher, such as Apex or Nova, and see if you have a better experience. I suspect the problem is partly (or entirely) TouchWiz related.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using AC Forums mobile app

 

[Rukbat]

The reasons for the differing opinions as to the voiding or not voiding the warranty is caused by the lack of a uniform law all over the world. In the US, the warranty means basically anything it says. Some states don't allow exception of the warranty of merchantability (a thing must be usable for the purpose for which it's sold - you can't sell a computer monitor to watch over-the-air TV). In the EU, the owner is allowed to put any software on a device he buys without voiding the warranty. (You can void the warranty by using that software to do some damage, but the burden of proof is with the seller.)

So does rooting void the warranty? In the US, count on that being a "yes". If you live in the EU you could probably flash Ubuntu to the phone and still have a warranty.

(If you root the device, do some damage and unroot it to get warranty service, I think that would be out of the purview of this and most forum, since it's actually attempting to defraud the manufacturer - and most forums take a dim view of people helping others to do things like that. Not an accusation, just a comment.)

 

[Allen Jay Udaundo]

okay so what if there is nothing wrong with the phone and still want to root it, and i don't want to return it, can i still root it without avoiding warranty???

 

[Relgoshan]

It's an ethical question and a matter of risk. If you root and break some important settings you will need to do your own firmware recovery. If you are rooted and something important stops working without being dropped....you better hope you can still re-flash it to stock before sending in for service.

If you try to abuse root for things like locking the CPU speed, I wholly feel you should be held responsible for heat damage and you probably would not be able to reflash before sending in...