That fantastic new Android phone has an open
source operating system, but
that doesn't actually make the whole thing open. You see, phone carriers and
device manufacturers actually put quite a few modifications and restrictions on
your phone. Even Google put restrictions into its own operating system - for safety
and security, but also at the request of carriers and phone manufacturers.
What exactly is "rooting" in the first place?
On a basic
level, rooting an Android phone means giving yourself superuser access.
What does that mean? If you use a desktop computer that allows multiple user
accounts, some of those user accounts have more power than others, right?
Administrative accounts allow you to do more, and they're also a little more dangerous
- because they allow you to do more. A superuser account on Android is sort of
like that administrator account. It allows more access to the operating system.
That means more power, but it also means more potential for damage.
This is to
say that phone carriers and even Google is treating you a little like a small
child. Don't get me wrong. We are a little like small children when it comes to
using our phones, and our lives are generally better for being treated that
way. If you had unfettered access to the source code behind your phone, could
you guarantee that you wouldn't type in an extra space or delete a line and
accidentally crash the whole phone operating system? What if you install a
malicious app that completely bricks your phone? Well, lucky for you, you don't
have that access. Your user account isn't logged in as root, so all your apps
only have permission to play sandboxed areas.
Now, I'm going to turn around and tell you the exact opposite
thing. Well, not exactly. I'm not saying rooting is for everyone. It isn't. It
involves hacking your phone and risks that you will break it. However, for some
people, rooting is practically a requirement. Maybe you don't want to be
treated like a child. Rooting your phone gives you total control. You can
"flash" variations of the Android operating system that may be more
convenient. You can get apps that allow you to have super-powers and do things
that the phone carriers and phone makers wouldn't ordinarily allow you to do.
Some of those things are perfectly fine, and some may be a bit questionable
ethically or legally, so be a good judge. That's what grownups do.
Believe it or not, Google is pretty cool with this whole rooting
thing. They could make rooting harder. Lots of Android phone makers did. You
can find tons of apps designed to run on rooted Android devices in the Google
Play store. If
Google were out to quash rooting, that would not be the case. While I can't
guarantee any particular app is safe or wise, if you're going to install root
access apps, sticking to the Google Play store is at least a way to keep out
most of the bad actors.
What are the consequences of rooting your phone? Well, you're
going to void your warranty. You might also break your phone permanently. You
are also now in charge of keeping track of your own Android maintenance. Any
system updates are now your own responsibility.
Obviously
I'm not a lawyer, but rooting your phone appears to be legal in the US - for
now. However, ulocking your
phone is not, provided that you purchased that phone after January 1, 2013.
What is the difference? Unlocking your phone means that you are changing it in
a way to make it interoperable on another carrier. You obviously can't do that
with every carrier - different phones use different wireless communication
systems, but if you wanted to take your AT&T phone over to T-Mobile, the
courts now say you need AT&T's permission to do that. Some methods to root
phones may also unlock them, so be aware and don't inadvertently break the law.
