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this post was submitted on 10 Aug 2023
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Android
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This is one reason why I will never pay for a phone I cannot root if a rootable option exists.
Strangers on the internet constantly tell me I am a fool to root "'cause security", and I just shake my head.
If I pay $700 for a phone, I own it. If I'm paying for X gigabytes of cellular data, I will not be told I cannot use it "for that".
I almost never see advertisements, am blocking tracking and malware at the device level, and impriving sound output quality. I use kernels that are patched up way better than the device default, and have superior battery life, and cpy over-clocking.
I'd go insane if I had to deal with all those restrictions, invasion of privacy, and monetization of my life at my expense.
The options grow thinner every year. Not too many high spec devices can be rooted at all these days.
Perhaps. I'd have to see how it blocks ads and malware. If I can get the features I want, I'd be happy to remain unrooted because I am taking risks if I lose the phone or it is outright stolen.
There are options now that allow you to remove phone bloat/ads/spyware without rooting and without breaking the security model of the device. GrapheneOS and CalyxOS have made rooting obsolete IMO.
You don't have to root to use graphene? I always thought you did and that was basically the only reason I haven't switched. Thanks!
Nope, I'm running it now! You unlock the bootloader, flash the ROM, then lock it back up. As long as you don't mind the lack of Android Auto, it is basically a completely flawless experience and I have loved almost every moment of it. Especially if you host your own services like nextcloud and jellyfin, everything works seamlessly!
Eh, I drive a clapped out 2009 Honda fit. Android auto has never been a thing for me lol. I'm gonna look into it some more now that I know the process isn't a pain in the ass
You just need an OEM unlocked Pixel and a web browser that supports webUSB. You literally just click the buttons on the installation web page and it does everything for you in your web browser.
https://grapheneos.org/install/web
You can even install GrapheneOS using another phone, no desktop computer needed.
Rooting and custom rom get interchanged a bit. Rooting just means gaining access to root, graphene os is a custom rom and you don't necessarily have access to root. Personally i've been running custom roms for years with no root but it's my property and damn sure better be able to root it if I want to. Anyway, with either root or custom rom you can probably get around your carrier's tethering restrictions which is what OP meant.
Out of interest, are there good resources on archiving those optimisations when rooting you would recommend? I'm low key interested in cracking android open when I'll have to buy a new phone eventually but haven't yet looked into the topic.
By optimizations, do you mean the malware blocking, audio improvements, and CPU tweaks?
Most work through Magisk. I flash a kernel from the pixel 6 XDA forum that uses a magisk module to help it work. That has optimizations and I can use a kernel manager to tweak it's settings. And I use adaway which is a DNS level ad blocker. ViperFX4Android is a godlike audio transformer.
Still using xprivacylua to restrict apps' ability to track, use camera and speaker, and get my contacts. I have a tool that stops phone charging at 90% so I don't over-wear the battery.
I use NeoBackup to backup all my apps with data, plus some system data like WiFi hotspots, call history, Bluetooth pairings. When I factory reset or otherwise have to start over, I restore that to get everything back. On older phones, I use TWRP to flash and do nandroid backups, etc. I'm not sure why TWRP is still not available on Pixel 6.
With root, I can do all this, without it I can't even backup the apps, and any ad block I can use makes it impossible to run a VPN to protect my privacy as they use VPN to block the sites.
If I can't unlock the bootloader, then when the OS becomes too bloated to be useful, I have to toss my phone instead of stripping the bloat with a degoogled ROM. I get another 3 to 5 years out of it by replacing stock. That's a boat-load of money, right there!
For example, I'm still using my Pixel 2XL as a viable device (minus Sim). That is about 6 years old now. It is on the 7/23 patch of android 13 right now. It might get 14.
My AdAway host lists block over 650,000 known malware and ad sites.
I'm pretty happy with my setup, and have confidence I'm at least partially protected from the crap out there.
yeah but for privacy like running grapheneos, rooting might not be a good idea. I absolutely agree that the option needs to be there though.
That depends on how well it blocks adware and malware at the system level, and how much control it has over individual permissions for each app.
I'll take a closer look at Grapheme since I'm hearing a lot more positive reviews lately.