Can someone please explain "rooting"

[LosingMyMind]

Is it similar to jail breaking? Also if android isn't locked tight like apple, what would be the need to root a device?

 

[Sooks]

I would explain it, but this says it all; and compares rooting to jailbreaking!

Android rooting - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[VDub2174]

From my understanding, jail breaking allows you to get "free apps" which those of us in the Android world like to call side loading. Rooting isn't necessary to do that.

We all root for different reasons. Some of us do it so we can change the battery frequency to get longer life out of it. Some do it so they can remove bloatware from carriers. Others do it for the previous reasons plus we like to customize out phones with ROMs and such.

 

[LosingMyMind]

I would explain it, but this says it all; and compares rooting to jailbreaking!

Android rooting - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Thanks, I'll figure it out. FYI Wikipedia shouldn't be trusted, not all info is correct.

 

[LosingMyMind]

From my understanding, jail breaking allows you to get "free apps" which those of us in the Android world like to call side loading. Rooting isn't necessary to do that.

We all root for different reasons. Some of us do it so we can change the battery frequency to get longer life out of it. Some do it so they can remove bloatware from carriers. Others do it for the previous reasons plus we like to customize out phones with ROMs and such.

Thank you, wasn't sure if it was the same thing or not.

 

[Sooks]

Typically I would agree, however this article is 100% dead on..... I would read the first two paragraphs as it answers exactly what you asked. But to sum it up, jailbreaking is software level manipulation, where as root with android is hardware and software level manipulation. For example, with Jailbreak you can change your icons, install free apps.. with Root you can manipulate the hardware, i.e. overclock, undervolt, etc. Root is a system wide "admin permissions" if you will.

 

[LosingMyMind]

Typically I would agree, however this article is 100% dead on..... I would read the first two paragraphs as it answers exactly what you asked. But to sum it up, jailbreaking is software level manipulation, where as root with android is hardware and software level manipulation. For example, with Jailbreak you can change your icons, install free apps.. with Root you can manipulate the hardware, i.e. overclock, undervolt, etc. Root is a system wide "admin permissions" if you will.

I'm new to android so I've been reading, watching, researching everything I can. I have a better understanding now. Thanks so much.

 

[power5]

We all root for different reasons. Some of us do it so we can change the battery frequency to get longer life out of it.

What does this mean? Did you mean that you undervolt or underclock to get better battery life? What is battery frequency?

 

[Zergslayer69]

One thing I want to point out is, unlike jailbreaking, once you root, you no longer can receive the updates. You'd have to reflash the stock..what is it called, OS? and then update that way. Otherwise root and jailbreak is similar, it allows additional access to your device but still leaves everything as it was before you rooted it.

 

[Sooks]

What does this mean? Did you mean that you undervolt or underclock to get better battery life? What is battery frequency?

This is exactly what they mean, by underclocking and undervolting you can gain massive battery life.

One thing I want to point out is, unlike jailbreaking, once you root, you no longer can receive the updates. You'd have to reflash the stock..what is it called, OS? and then update that way. Otherwise root and jailbreak is similar, it allows additional access to your device but still leaves everything as it was before you rooted it.

Kind of .... You can still get OTA Updates it just unroots your device.

 

[mavrrick]

Kind of .... You can still get OTA Updates it just unroots your device.

This isn't always true. It depends on the device and how far from stock you go. If just root and remove bloat there is a chance, but it can also depend on how you got root.

My previous experience with Samsung devices is that once you flash a custom recover like ClockworkMod, Samsung Kies won't detect the device correctly. Many times that is needed to root.

 

[Sooks]

Just use ODIN problem solved lol. I typically use TWRP been a while since I have used CWM

 

[VDub2174]

What does this mean? Did you mean that you undervolt or underclock to get better battery life? What is battery frequency?

That's what I meant. I couldn't grasp the right words for some reason.....lol