Android smartphones have become wildly popular in recent years. At the same time, therefore, the popularity of rooting these phones – which simply means taking control of their setup and capabilities completely, starting at the base or “root” level – has increased dramatically as well. While rooting can be a risky affair – not to mention one that voids the device’s warranty – it can add a much greater and more varied level of functionality to an already powerful device. An experienced user may want to create a backup or boot image, then install a different OS. Root your Android phone for more specific or practical reasons, some of which are outlined below.
8 Reasons to Root your Android Phone
# 1: Useless Programs
Most Android phones come with unnecessary preinstalled apps and programs, known as bloatware, that slow down performance and may block the device from using certain features. As the majority of this bloatware cannot be easily uninstalled, rooting is the only way to be rid of it.
# 2: Speed and Performance
When you root an Android device you get more control over the hardware, allowing for CPU overclocking. This, in combination with custom ROMs and other performance-based adjustments, can increase performance by up to 250 percent. Of course, results will vary from one device to another.
# 3: Screenshots
All Android versions below the current “Ice Cream Sandwich” version do not have native screenshot ability. For those who cannot or do not wish to update, rooting will allow the installation of apps like PicMe or Screenshot.
# 4: Cool and Useful Apps
Thousands of apps are available for rooted Androids that offer anything from data use monitoring to file recovery to call blocking, all features not available to unrooted devices.
# 5: Customized ROMs
A custom ROM is basically an improved user interface, which can be an advance release ahead of the carrier’s schedule or one that offers extra performance and more efficient functionality than the standard UI. For the less brave, a Boot Manager is available in the Android Market that offers a choice of five different ROMs when the device starts up.
# 6: Faster Updates
Mobile carriers offer updates when it pleases them, which is often far behind Android’s release schedule. Rooting a device allows the user to get the newest Android version and features in a more timely manner.
# 7: Better Battery Performance
The custom ROMs available for rooted Androids offer extensive battery-saving features, as does a new app called Superpower. Available on the official market, Superpower manages everything on the device that is performance-related, especially CPU and Wi-Fi. The app is currently in beta and still has many bugs, so it is geared for the more tech-savvy crowd.
# 8: More Privacy
Because of the recent uproar over Carrier IQ, a logging program that intercepts texts, tracks user locations and keeps track of keystrokes, users who root their Android devices may wish to take advantage of the Logging Test Pro App Key, which will rid the device of Carrier IQ and other invasive programs. It, too, is available on the Android Market.
Author Bio
David Kendall contributed this guest post on behalf of the WhoIsHostingThis.com. David is a freelance technology writer and avid Android enthusiast. His articles appear on various tech blogs.
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