Can I unlock bootloader, root and still update OTA? Noob question

[mikemike162012]

Noob question,

If I unlock the boot loader, root it to have Superuser, can I still update it OverTheAir in the future if I did not flash any custom image or roms? I just want to unlock and have Superuser ability so I can use rooted tweaks from Googlestore. Am I doing this right?

 

[patruns]

OTA updates will not come to a rooted device.

 

[jd914]

OTA updates will not come to a rooted device.

I might be wrong but I believe that if you have a custom recovery you can't receive updates. I have had rooted only devices in the past and have been able to get OTA updates.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

 

[Citizen Coyote]

OTA updates will not come to a rooted device.

Root does not stop OTA updates from happening, or my old Photon 4G wouldn't continually bug me to download its latest (crappy) update. You will still get OTA notices.

 

[uumeshh]

Ota updates will come as long as all the stock files are intact. That means no framework or system changes are made. Rooting doesn't change any file so won't be a problem. Custom recovery installed would deprive you of an ota update.

 

[sfhub]

OTA updates are usually patch-style updates. That means the whole file is not shipped, just the differences from the previous file. Sometimes if the update is major, they will ship the update with the complete files.

The OTA updates will download to your phone regardless of whether you root. What will stop them from downloading is if you stop the process from checking or you change your signature to look like you already have the update, but rooting by itself will not affect those processes (though you would root your phone to make the aforementioned changes)

Now once the process determines you need an update and downloads the update, then the file gets sent to the recovery process to install.

If it is a full update, then it will just blast over any changes you made and it will normally succeed, even if you have made changes.

If it is a patch-style update, then it will first verify that the SHA signatures of every file/partition it is patching are original and unchanged. It does this because if the files/partitions are changed, the patch will not work and worse, would produce gibberish if the patch was applied without the verification.

So the answer to your question is it depends. If you only add root, you are just adding files to the system, so all the SHA signatures will pass and the OTA update (both full and patch) would succeed, though in the process of running the update, it resets all the permissions in the directories, so you would lose "root" capability, though the files used to give you root are still there (in the patch style update)

However, often if folks add root, they are eventually tempted to change some original OS files, in which case, the patch-style update would fail.

Incidentally, you normally don't need to worry that rooting your phone and changing files and subsequently having the OTA update applied by accident will screw up your phone. The patch-style OTA update will first verify all the files are original before making a single modification and if you have changed files (it depends on) the OTA update will just fail. That's not to say you couldn't artificially create situations where an OTA update will screw up your phone, but it normally wouldn't happen.

 

[patruns]

The point of my rather short and unexplained response was that once rooted people normally install something that changes a system file. After all, what is the point of rooting otherwise. As has been pointed out, if a system file was changed and does not match what the update is looking for the update will not install. The original poster said " I just want to unlock and have Superuser ability so I can use rooted tweaks..." That tells me something will likely eventually block an update.

 

[rumatt]

So if someone has rooted and installed programs that interfere with the OTA update, what is the simplest path forward? I'm hoping to hear that wiping the phone is not required.

 

[nexusisneecesary]

As someone who unlocked the boot loader on his nexus 7 and then took two ota's I can confirm it will take an ota with an unlocked boot loader. If you are on a stock(unmodified) ROM then you can take an ota and you unless you use ota root keeper,you will lose root,that's all.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

 

[rumatt]

Not to derail this thread but after rooting I relocked the bootloader. Does that affect this discussion? Was that a goof?

 

[Citizen Coyote]

The point of my rather short and unexplained response was that once rooted people normally install something that changes a system file. After all, what is the point of rooting otherwise.

Not necessarily. Among many other things root allows you to run apps that otherwise don't work (or have limited functionality), like backup programs that preserve app data. If that's all you're looking to do, then you're not touching system files. Also, some system changes won't interfere with the OTA coming through, but it may fail to install because the device is lacking a necessary file.

 

[sfhub]

There are quite a few people who root just to run Titanium and WiFiTether. These don't change any system files and therefore an OTA would install successfully in that situation. Obviously if you install a custom ROM, the OTA won't take.

It all depends on your situation.

 

[blackhand1001]

Unlocking the bootloader will not affect OTA updates at all. Neither will root alone but if you change anything on the system partition the update will likely fail.

 

[Lawrence Pepper]

I have rooted and unlocked my HTC ONE AT&T but have not installed any ROMS. Following the instructions to Root and Unlock the phone I did install TWRP. That is all.

Will that cause the upcoming 4.3 update from AT&T to fail?

L

 

[Android_1234]

Ota updates will come as long as all the stock files are intact. That means no framework or system changes are made. Rooting doesn't change any file so won't be a problem. Custom recovery installed would deprive you of an ota update.

Will installing a modded Google play be considered a system change?