Do you want to know the reason why you cannot easily root Android 6 Marshmallow, Android 7 Nougat, Android 8 Oreo, Android 9, 10 and other higher operating system (OS)? This article will definitely acquaint you on why will need the help of a PC while rooting a smartphone running on higher Android OS.
Nowadays rooting can make you pass through unnecessary stress and hassle but yet, there are many advantages a user will enjoy after rooting an Android phone and they are:
- Rooting will increase your phone performance with the help of apps available on playstore that will help you tinker with your processors.
- Rooting will help you protect your device, especially your private information. With the help of apps available on playstore, security comes in handy.
- Rooting helps you remove bloatware. Some pre-installed apps that came out of the box with it can be removed and other unnecessary apps won’t stand it with the help of Titanium Backup application.
- Rooting helps you make backup. You can backup your information and private data in order not lose it with the help of Titanium Backup app. The app requires root, so it will be easy to give it the access.
- Rooting helps you configure restricted Settings. You can boost fast charge of your USB and you can fix yellow tint on your display.
- Rooting gives you total control of your Android. The installed apps, pre-installed apps and other features.
- You can use any font app on your phone
As there are advantages of rooting, there are also disadvantages but the advantages usually overwhelms the disadvantages. The disadvantages are:
- Will void your warranty.
- Might expose you to more security threats.
- Can cause update issues.
- The phone can be bricked
And that’s all. The disadvantages are not sure because you can use up your warranty and root. Secondly, you can use security apps to protect your device and thirdly, you can unroot and upgrade, then root again.
Why is Google making it Harder to Root Android 6.0 Marshmallow and higher OS
When Google released KitKat and Lollipop OS, everyone were able to root their phone easily with the help of Kingroot mobile app and other rooting mobile applications. Now, things have turned around because those apps can no longer root any smartphone running on Android 6 Marshmallow and above.
The reason is that Google had decided to improve security by using cryptographic integrity checking to detect changes to the operating system and this feature is called “Verified Boot“.
The Verified Boot feature was first integrated in marshmallow but was made to be strictly enforcing in Nougat, Oreo, Pie and more OS version to come.
This is to make sure you leave your phone the way they came from the maker. Meanwhile, Google has been somewhat permissive with regards to root but behind closed doors, it has been working hard to close open avenues.
The Verified Boot feature will check the cryptographic integrity to detect if your device or operating system has been tampered with. The process in rooting involves modifying of system files in order to introduce a new class of user with elevated permissions.
It basically enables Superuser access – a feature available in the Linux, but has been dropped in the standard version of Android for security reasons.
Normally, rooting helps you secure your phone but realistically speaking, it opens up doors for malware and a can of worms.
So, Google wants to make its OS safer and had to come up with Verified Boot feature to make sure everything is working as it should be, and that no one can do something to change that and expose themselves to unnecessary risks.
Rooting affects the boot image – the core component of the operating system, and any attempt to modify will be detected by the Verified Boot. Meanwhile, hackers can still root it but it will be more harder.
How Smartphone Makers are Trying to Stop Rooting
Samsung, for example, has implemented a flag in its software that if triggered, will show that the device is tampered and will lead to some issues. Your warranty may be voided and if you enroll it for repair, they will rightfully refuse it due to security reasons.
Some other phone manufacturers have locked their phone’s bootloader, which stops any rooting attempts. For example, to root the Xiaomi Mi Pad 2, you need to first unlock the phone’s bootloader.
Nexus devices bootloader are also locked but it’s easy to unlock it. Google make it super easy to unlock because Nexus devices are aimed at developers and enthusiasts, and some even buy it for being easy to hack.
Google reveals that by using Verified Boot the impact of data corruption increases, and therefore reliability is reduced.
Conclusion
Some years back, rooting was a must for me because it helped me unlock so many features on my Android phone then but today, Smartphones comes with all those features that you enjoy after rooting phone.
Talk of battery optimization, customization of fonts, themes, notifications, graphics, etc; all these are now easily accessible on new phones without root. So why bother yourself on rooting.
