Do you root or do you go straight to ROMs?
It’s worth discussing at least. I used to be a big fan of flashing custom software, kernels, recoveries, etc.
At some point though, it started becoming more and more of a hassle to get a phone with an unlockable bootloader to work with my mobile network operator. Limited choices of I even had one.
Then all the banking and p2p apps stopped being easy to use while rooted, so we had to hide root from those apps. Then that got harder and harder.
Meanwhile the custom features that I used to want became mostly standard within Android.
At this point, I don’t really bother with rooting anymore because there’s little that I need it for but lots of hassle involved in having it. Now Google is blocking RCS messages from being delivered to rooted phones.
So if Android is now basically iOS with how much it’s locked down from modification, why not just get an iPhone with better features I care about (their cameras and photo software) and better long-term updates? What is it that Google is even aiming for with Android now? If they’re going to be hostile to users owning their own hardware, then maybe the OS should see more than a single line item change for a major version (android 14). I don’t feel like Google has made any meaningful additions to the OS in a decade+ now.
This is more or less how I feel. I haven’t rooted in years, though I have installed non-root ROMs to extend support.
Google’s SafetyNet stuff is simply unreasonable, and a shameless power-grab. I’m so tired of software and websites trying to control what I do with my own goddamn hardware and software “for my safety”.
It’s gotten to the point where the “security” features actively hamper my security, because they leave me unable to improve it. e.g. my banking app would rather I be on an unsecured wireless network than have me use a reputable VPN. Their web site would rather have me expose myself to malvertising than run an ad blocker. They’d rather have me running an outdated OS with heaps of known security vulnerabilities than run a fully patched LineageOS. They’d rather I use my carrier’s unsecured DNS than DOH. And heaven forbid I block trackers!
Nevertheless, I stick with Android because there are still lots of things I value that I still can’t do on an iPhone. No, I don’t download torrents on my phone very often, but I’ve needed to in the past and will likely need to again at some point, so I’m not going to buy a phone that doesn’t let me install benign apps just because I might use them to download things they don’t want me to download.
The whole industry is user-hostile, but Android is still less hostile than iOS.
I wish Microsoft had stayed in the mobile space. That competition might have changed things for the better.
Now we have a duopoly.
To be fair, Microsoft is one of the most aggressive at checking for root on Android devices. They’re not the good guys here.
Microsoft was not an open platform at all, they seemed to be taking more inspiration from Apple when it came to customization and openness.
Losing Palm makes me much more sad.
Perfectly well said.
It’s infuriating to have to split a banking app off the VPN tunnel because they deem that secure. Or that 2FA over SMS which is inherently insecure and spoofable is acceptable and REQUIRED versus an RSA key or authenticator app.
It’s pushing me into grumpy old man territory quickly. My bank swapped to some of these requirements for their app last year so now I phone in on an international VOIP number over VPN and can do all my banking. It’s absolutely insane that’s its an acceptable form of communication over my secure device in my hand, but it’s easier to call the line like an octagenerian, give them digits off of a debit card, and be able to wire money in and out and around all my accounts. I see why scammers have such an easy time.
Custom ROM: yes, rooted: no
Still, google shouldn’t be blocking a messaging functionality just because something is rooted. That’s fucked.
Google blocking RCS after their complaints about Apple not supporting their standard is really funny, but why CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 in this case?
The Google Messages app is Google Proprietary as is their server implementation for RCS
quick question: an unrooted lineageos install will allow me to use banking apps hassle-free?
because now the only thing that helps is rooting and using xposed to hide the fact im on a custom rom…
Really depends on the banking app. Unfortunately, you have to try it yourself. You can also give it a go in Waydroid.
No root, no fun, I always go with custom ROMs and a bunch of modules, LSposed services and apps with root services.
Currently in Magisk I have the following modules:
Play Integrity Fix and Playcurl both to pass Safety Net and device integrity.
REX YT and REX YT music I found it faster and easier to handle with said modules than using a revanced app manager (especially because I change custom ROMs often and I hate ticking stuff often LMAO).
Systemless Hosts for AdAway.
Zygisk LSposed for a bunch of other services.
Zygisk Detach to have a sane way to avoid auto update per app in the Google Play Store.
In LSposed I have currently on the following apps:
Classic Power Menu which gives me quick access to my Google Home gadgets, even from the LS.
Discovery Killer to get rid of Google Discovery, or better yet, take advantage of it and replace it with a better app, like Feeder.
Lucky Patcher to get coins and stuff for the old game “Nimble Quest” which I had to side load because it is no longer possible to download it from the Playstore, nor buy stuff “legally” (yey freedom!).
Twifucker for getting rid of Twitter ads and some other perks which I don’t think I use (I also use Instander for the same subject).
Regarding the apps I granted root permissions to work nice:
AdAway to block ads systemwide with the host file without wasting the DNS/VPN spots nor draining Battery.
App Manager to manage apps (duh).
Battery Guru to manage the battery (I’m still amazed iOS has more transparency than android in this regard, at least in A14 with my phone I’m not able to see the battery health of my hardware).
BBS, I used to use it to check wakelocks, but Guru does it too, I have it on, but the app is frozen.
Classic Power Menu
Discovery Killer
Droidify (the only sane way to auto update apps without manual interaction, I think).
Force Doze, to save battery, allegedly.
Fp Downloader to spoof my fingerprint when Google bans it, just open the app and that’s it.
FKM to manage my kernel, install other kernels, backup boot and dtbo images etc.
Hail to froze apps as I like.
Horizon Kernel Flasher to flash other kernels (I found it faster than FKM).
IceBox, similar to Hail, I found it first but I could just use Hail alone.
Swift Backup to have a sane system backup, again, iOS does this way better than Google, with Swift Backup at least you get a way to backup all the relevant stuff of your info and it also support plenty of cloud services.
Termux to manage detach and some other stuff.
I wouldn’t say I’m a power user, but I like complete freedom of using my phone as I please, and as a former jailbreak user I won’t let Google get rid of that fun for me.
When I was rooting/flashing custom ROMs I was spending a lot of time tinkering or debugging issues. I could deal with forgoing bank apps, Netflix, etc but I stopped in the end after cyanogenmod had an issue that meant emergency calls would soft reboot the phone. It made me realise my phone was an appliance not a hobby, I need to be able to rely on it and not be wondering if something won’t work because of the ROM I have installed or because it’s rooted.
Spite mostly. I have small QoL improvements, but mostly because Google says I can’t do what I want with my device.
Specific reasons:
- AdAway - ad blocking, can’t live without
- SnapEnhance - ad blocking & other tweaks to make SC more usable
- Revanced (w/o microgapps) - YouTube mod w/ sponsorblock & returned dislikes
- PixelExpert - misc UI tweaks like separate WiFi & mobile data tiles, as well as a 3 wide qs panel
- SmartSpacer - Custom complications on my at a glance screen. Can do useful things like show me my gas rewards card when in range of a gas stations WiFi, notifications for missed calls, texts, and emails that I might have dismissed from my tray
- MACsposed - let’s me spoof my MAC address. Used it to snag free WiFi on planes
- Swift Backup - backs my phone up to my server every night
- GAppsMod - enable call recording & other features on Google dialer & messages
- DarkTricks - additional misc toggles, some overlap with PixelExpert but occasionally has better implementations (power button flashlight, volume keys to skip tracks, etc)
No longer working:
- Xposed edge pro - let you bind a bunch of gestures to different actions or fly outs from any screen. Hasn’t been functional in Android 14 and it seems like the dev has dipped. I genuinely miss having an app fly out (but not enough to buy a Samsung)
Don’t most phones these days generate a spoofed MAC address by default?
Not spoofed, but a random MAC.
I stopped some years ago but I think I’ll have to start again because ROMs are becoming so sh***y and won’t let me use my phone and my app the way I want
i root solely for adblocking and for hiding my custom rom from the annoying apps that don’t like it.
AdAway, AFWall+, A-GPS SUPL Replacer, Pixel Tensor Audio Decompressor, Wireguard Command line tools, Termux and chroot capabikities, App Manager, Pixel IMS, SDMaid automation, and a number of other controls on how my phone works.
Its not for everyone.
I have root on this phone I’m using to post. I’m also running LineageOS 21.
The reason I do this is because this is my phone and I’ll be in control of it. Also I want to keep my phone running as long as possible. I’m still using a Pixel 2 XL.
Sure, but why root? These days you can flash custom roms without root on a lot of phones (including my fairphone 4)
I suppose I might not understand the question then. To me having root is more important. I guess I’d say why not? I do not use any functionality that stops working due to SafetyNet or whatever.
Thats a fair reasoning. Im running lineageos myself (without root) so i can also do a lot of customization or app removal. That and lineageos is freaking good and keeps updating older phones!
I dont use root anymore. My daily driver is a Pixel 6 with GrapheneOS which works out of the box really well for me.
I haven’t rooted and rommed since the days of Paranoid Android and Franco kernel on the Nexus 5. I went to a Samsung phone after that which I would have rooted if I could, but after a couple samsungs I went to Pixels and felt no need to root or ROM.
I stopped running custom ROMs when two things came together:
- I stopped buying Samsung stuff with their then-godawful UI. I still don’t like their current one, but hey, they improved a lot, I give them that.
- Cyanogen self-destructed a wee bit, and it took some time for Lineage to take up many devices I had around.
Once I had dropped off, I just could not be arsed picking it up any more. Too much hassle with Netflix and shit, too much effort for ~0 gain. I just need my phone to work, it’s a tool not a religion.
I’d do it if I didn’t lose access to Google Pay, banking apps and RCS. AKA, be sent back to 2011
Play Integrity Fix solves that for most apps. It even worked for Google Pay last time I used it last year (but I usually don’t want Google to know my shopping habits).
I’m using it now and it still solves any problems you migh have.
The only thing I want to root for anymore is adblocking. All the other shit that I used to add, they’re part of default android now. I’m just lazy and haven’t gotten around to rooting my current phone.
I use DNS66 for a vpn-based ad blocker. Works great, no root needed. https://f-droid.org/en/packages/org.jak_linux.dns66/
