Rooting Android Devices: Know the risks!

So you’ve got that android phone that you always dreamed of! Unpacked it, charged it and loved it. Started downloading apps or games and everything seems rosy in this picture perfect world. But can you download every app?

How about trying to install some custom themes? What if you aren’t that satisfied with the in-built system applications and processes and want to change them? As it turns out, you can’t do any of the above.

Like every software manufacturer, android device and OS makers develop their own custom software and limit the functionality of certain features either for future releases or to protect the phone from internal damage caused by unnecessary meddling by an inexperienced user.

But geeks and techno enthusiasts always find a way around these obstacles! ‘Rooting’ is the process of removing these limitations and allowing you full access to all features and settings of your device.

You can customize its appearance and working, remove buggy and resource consuming built-in applications, and overclock the processor for faster speeds by getting ‘root access’, hence the name. It grants you super user privileges and allows changes to be made in every aspect of your device!

But (there’s always a but!) if every cloud has a silver lining then the vice versa is also true. Rooting isn’t exactly that straightforward a process and there are many risk and contingencies involved.

Older rooting methods required a little knowledge of programming, complex instructions and were generally time consuming. Newer ‘one-click’ methods and apps have appeared over time but have increased the risks associated with rooting.

So before you go ahead with the process, let’s educate you about some of the risks involved with rooting android devices:

• Warranty – You knew this one right! Any tinkering or tampering you do with the OS will automatically void the warranty of your device. So if something goes wrong either during the process or someday later, don’t expect help from the customer care or service center.
• You got bricked! – The changes you initiate may make the OS unstable and can damage the software to such an extent that your device stops working. It’s not a product anymore; it’s a brick, an expensive paperweight. This is known as ‘bricking’ and one of the biggest concerns that any user trying to root their android device should keep in mind.
• Virus attack – Viruses aren’t restricted to computers only and your android device can get infected too. Since rooting involves overriding the security features provided by the manufacturer, you run the risk of contaminating your device with worms or Trojans if an efficient antivirus isn’t installed. A common process is ‘flashing’ your ROM with custom programs that may result in introducing changes to the core structure of the software. Malwares and viruses can breach these changes and infect your device.
• Reduced performance – Even though the intent behind rooting is to increase performance and decrease system response time, it is possible to make your phone slower than before. One should remember that we are making changes to the core structure specified by the manufacturers which were possibly designed with the intent of limiting features that your phone may not handle properly. Rooting can give you complete control over the device, but it may not be beneficial in cases like this.

After having seen the various risks associated with rooting android devices, the decision is yours to make. If you believe the features and functionalities provided by rooting are something you can’t live without, and then proceed after careful research and proper guidance. If not, then it’s best to leave your phone the way it is and enjoy the features you currently have.

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Guest article written by: Alan Tay is the author who runs IT Security Column, a IT Security blog where he mostly writes about computer security and virus protection.

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Guest article written by: Alan Tay is the author who runs IT Security Column, a IT Security blog where he mostly writes about computer security and virus protection.

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