Difference between revisions of "Talk:Why Root My Android"

Revision as of 00:26, 5 February 2014

9 cool things you can do with a rooted Android smartphone

http://www.phonearena.com/news/10-cool-things-you-can-do-with-a-rooted-Android-smartphone_id35360

1. Get rid of bloatware

Most Android smartphones come pre-loaded with software that the owner will probably never need. These apps are called bloatware. Thankfully, there are ways to disable, or uninstall the unwanted software. Gemini App Manager, for example, is perfect for the task. Check it out if you want to prevent any unneeded applications from running, or simply uninstall them, if you think doing so would be safe. Get rid of bloatware

2. Install custom ROMs

Custom ROMs can be pretty cool as they might be faster than your smartphone's stock firmware. Installing one, however, has its prerequisites, and having a rooted handset is one of them, while having an unlocked bootloader is the other. That is because only root can remove and replace files belonging to the operating system. Install custom ROMs

3. Use a Sixaxis controller to play games

Playing River Raid on your favorite Atari 2600 emulator for Android is a lot more engaging if you have physical controls to rely on. Thankfully, you can totally use a PlayStation Sixaxis controller with your rooted Android device. Our guide is here so check it out. Use a Sixaxis controller to play games

4. Overclock your CPU

Overclocking is the process of forcing a processor to run at a higher clock speed than recommended. That could result in increase in performance, but it might lead to stability issues, not to mention that the CPU will definitely get hotter when running on overdrive. No wonder that overclocking apps require root access. Speaking of which, SetCPU is an application one can experiment with. At their own risk, of course. Overclock your CPU

5. Use Wi-Fi hotspot for free

Some wireless carriers don't allow users to freely share their smartphone's internet connection with other devices. Rather, they require a monthly fee for the feature. Yet root users have a way around that limitation, and that is through apps like Wireless Tether. Other devices, such as laptops, tablets, smartphones, you name it, can connect with the rooted handset via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth in order to access the internet. Just don't blame us in case you get caught tethering by your carrier. Use Wi-Fi hotspot for free

6. Record videos of your screen

Currently, the cheapest and easiest way to record a video of your Android smartphone's interface is with an app like Screencast. It can capture smooth recordings of whatever is being displayed and save them in a convenient MP4 format. Audio can be recorded as well using the smartphone's microphone. Record videos of your screen

7. Backup everything

Backing up your data is a lot easier with Titanium Backup, which also happens to be one of the most popular apps for root users on the Play Store. It can keep all your data safe, including installed applications, system apps, and whatever you have stored on your microSD card. Backup everything

8. Remove advertisements

There is this neat Android app called AdFree, and as you might expect, its task is to prevent those annoying advertisements from being displayed. It does that by nullifying requests to a set of host names, which practically stops the ad from being accessed and rendered. It works for both the web browser and ad-supported applications, and it should be able to block the majority of them. Remove advertisements

9. Change screen resolution

If for some reason you need to alter the resolution on your Android device, be it to change the size of icons and text, or just to see what will happen, you can use an app called LCD Resolution. It allows you to reduce or increase the system's DPI, which makes icons, text, widgets, and everything else, bigger or smaller, depending on how you set it. Some manufacturer interfaces look terrible if the setting is tweaked, but there are third-party launchers out there that work just fine. Change screen resolution