Before proceeding, it is important to understand that rooting is not always a straightforward process, and you may encounter hiccups along the way. If you decide that you absolutely need to root your Android device, continue below, but know that it isn’t for the faint of heart or technology-inexperienced.

Manufacturers and carriers will dissuade you from rooting, and they aren’t just scaremongering. If you don’t follow instructions properly, the worst-case scenario can irreparably damage your device, but many people feel that the potential benefits are well worth it. With a rooted phone, you can remove bloatware, speed up your processor, and customize every element of your phone software’s appearance.

This guide on how to root Android phones will walk you through the steps to root your device. While we can root some phones in minutes, others are going to take a little more research. But one thing is clear: rooting your phone is one of the best ways to tap into your Android device’s true potential.

What is rooting?

Rooting an Android phone or tablet is akin to jailbreaking an iPhone — basically, it allows you to dive deeper into a phone’s sub-system. After rooting, you can access the entire operating system to customize just about anything on your Android device, and you can get around any restrictions that your manufacturer or carrier may have applied.

Rooting is best undertaken with caution. You must back up your phone’s software before installing — or “flash,” in rooting terms — a custom ROM (a modified version of Android).

Why would you root?

One of the biggest incentives to root your Android phone is so you can strip away bloatware that’s impossible to uninstall otherwise (although you can sometimes disable it — check out our guide on disabling bloatware). On some devices, rooting will enable previously disabled settings, like wireless tethering. Additional benefits include the ability to install specialized tools and flash custom ROMs, each of which can add extra features and improve your phone or tablet’s performance.

There isn’t an overabundance of must-have root apps, but there are enough to make it worthwhile. Some apps will let you automatically back up all of your apps and data to the cloud, block web and in-app advertisements, create secure tunnels to the internet, overclock your processor, or make your device a wireless hot spot. Look at the best root apps for rooted devices for a better idea of what is possible.

Why wouldn’t you root?

There are essentially four potential cons to rooting your Android.

• Voiding your warranty: Some manufacturers or carriers will void your warranty if you root your device, so it is worth keeping in mind that you can always unroot. If you need to send the device back for repair, simply flash the software backup you made, and it’ll be good as new.
• Bricking your phone: If something goes wrong during the rooting process, you risk bricking — i.e., corrupting — your device. The easiest way to prevent that from happening is to follow the instructions carefully. Ensure the guide you are following is up to date and that the custom ROM you flash is specifically for your phone. If you do your research, you won’t have to worry about bricking your smartphone.
• Security risks: Rooting introduces some security risks. Depending on what services or apps you use on your device, it could create a security vulnerability. And certain malware takes advantage of rooted status to steal data, install additional malware, or target other devices with harmful web traffic.
• Disabled apps: Some security-conscious apps and services do not work on rooted devices — financial platforms like Google Pay and Barclays Mobile Banking do not support them. Apps that serve copyrighted TV shows and movies, like Sky Go and Virgin TV Anywhere, will not start on rooted devices, either — and neither will Netflix.

How to prepare your Android device for rooting

One of the easiest ways to root an Android device is by using an app, and several rooting apps have garnered attention over the years — Framaroot, Firmware.mobi, Kingo Root, BaiduRoot, One Click Root, SuperSU, and Root Master are among the most reliable. These services will usually root your device in the time you take to brush your teeth. But some of them only support devices running older versions of Android, so you may need to do some shopping around to find one that works for your device. If you’re looking to root an even older device, you may need to check Firmware.mobi.

It used to be that rooting Android versions from Android 7.0 Nougat upwards was more difficult. The verified boot service will check the device’s cryptographic integrity to detect if your device’s system files are compromised, inhibiting legitimate rooting apps. Thankfully, rooting apps have caught up with the curve, and rooting newer Android versions is much easier than it used to be.

If your phone isn’t compatible with a one-click rooting app, you must spend a little time researching alternatives on Android forums. The best place to start is XDA Developers Forum — look for a thread about your phone or tablet, and you’re likely to find a method.

Preparing for rooting

Back up everything you cannot live without before you start. You should also always back up your phone’s current ROM before you flash a new one. You will also want to ensure that your device has a full charge before you begin.

You will need to turn on USB Debugging and OEM Unlocking. Do this by opening Settings on your device. If you do not see Developer Options toward the bottom of the Settings screen, follow these steps to activate it.

1. Tap on About Phone and find the Build Number. The exact path depends on your phone, but it’ll usually be found with other software information.
2. Tap on the Build Number seven times, and the Developer Options will appear on the Settings main page. You may need to confirm your security passcode to enable this.
3. Tap on the Back key to see your new developer options.
4. Tap Developer Options.
5. Check to enable USB Debugging.
6. Check to enable OEM Unlocking.

Installing the Android SDK Platform Tools

Rooting used to involve downloading Google’s entire Android development kit. Thankfully, that’s not the case anymore, and all you need is the Android SDK Platform Tools.

Download and install the Android SDK Platform Tools from Google’s developer site. There are choices for Windows, Mac, and Linux. These instructions are for Windows machines. Extract the zipped files. When asked what directory to install the software to, we recommend setting it to C:android-sdk. If you choose a different location, make sure you remember it.

Installing device drivers

To ensure your computer can properly communicate with your smartphone or tablet, you will need to install the appropriate USB driver.

Devices from some manufacturers come with the drivers included in the phone’s software, so all you need to do to install the appropriate USB driver is attach your phone to your PC by USB cable. OnePlus is an example of this, but it’s worth connecting your phone first to see whether USB drivers will automatically install.

Otherwise, here is a list of drivers from the most popular manufacturers:

• Asus
• Acer
• Alcatel
• Coolpad
• Google/Nexus/Pixel
• HTC
• Huawei/Honor
• Lenovo/Motorola
• LG
• Samsung
• Sony
• Xiaomi

Follow the installer’s instructions. Once the drivers are installed, proceed to the next step.

Unlock your bootloader

Before you get started, you need to unlock your device’s bootloader. The bootloader, simply put, is the program that loads the device’s operating system. It determines which applications run during your phone or tablet’s startup process.

Some manufacturers require you to get a key to unlock the bootloader. Motorola, HTC, LG, and Sony provide step-by-step instructions on how to do so, but a word of warning: They require you to register for a developer account.

Unfortunately for users of Huawei and Honor devices, those phones’ bootloaders can no longer be unlocked. Huawei rescinded the ability to request unlock codes in July 2018. If you still want to root your Huawei or Honor device, you must use a third-party service like DC-Unlocker.

Once you have taken those steps, you can embark on the unlocking process. You will need to put your device in fastboot mode. It’s different for every phone, but on most devices, rebooting the device and holding down the Power and Volume Down buttons for 10 seconds does the trick (HTC phones require that you hit the Volume Down key and press the Power button to select it).

Once you have booted into fastboot, head to the folder you previously unzipped your Android SDK files to. Then, open your computer’s command prompt by holding down Shift + Right Click and choosing Open a Command Prompt Here. If your device requires a code, you will get a long string of characters. Paste it into the box on your device manufacturer’s website, submit the form, and await an email with a key, a file, and further instructions.

Unlock your device’s bootloader by connecting it to your computer and placing it in fastboot mode again. Pull up the command prompt by typing cmd into your Start menu.

For Google Nexus and Pixel devices, the commands are easy:

• Nexus phones: Type “fastboot oem unlock” (without quotes) and hit Enter.
• Pixel phones: Type “fastboot flashing unlock” (without quotes) and hit Enter.

It’s the same for Samsung devices:

• Samsung phones: Type “fastboot flashing unlock” (without quotes) and hit Enter.

Motorola’s command is a little different:

• Type “oem unlock UNIQUE_KEY” (without quotes), replacing “UNIQUE KEY” with the code you received

So is HTC’s:

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