Are you thinking of rooting your Android device so you can have a custom ROM (Read Only Memory) or install a phone-to-modem tethering app, a type of third-party digital tool that’s blocked in the Google Play store? These are just two of the wonderful things you can do with your Android device if you attain the administrator status afforded by rooting. There are many downsides to rooting, though. Consider these three reasons for not rooting your Android device.
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Warranty
If your mobile device is still under warranty, rooting it prevents you from making future claims. Modifications to the device’s hardware and software can void your warranty, and rooting is considered a form of software tampering. Even if you cover your tracks, Android manufacturers have ways of checking if a device has been rooted. This becomes a problem in case you want to make a warranty claim.
User Protection
After rooting your mobile device, you gain access to its operating system’s source code, the lifeblood of your Android device. What if you inadvertently type in a space or delete a character? Unless you are technically proficient and can understand the nitty-gritty of mobile application coding, you might want to hold off on getting super-user access, because you could just as easily crash your smartphone or tablet.
Your default user account protects your device from the intrusion of certain malicious apps. As a regular user, you are restricted to installing apps only on sandboxed areas, which is an effective way of keeping malicious apps at bay. Bypassing this natural safeguard by rooting can expose your device to malware.
System Updates
After rooting your device, you become saddled with the task of maintaining your phone through downloading and installing critical system updates. Note that the older the operating system or software version, the more likely malicious hackers are aware of its inherent security flaws. Thus, it is important that your device is able to receive automatic updates and patches. Downloading and installing system updates regularly will become your responsibility if you opt to root your device.
When it comes to doing system updates on rooted devices, two scenarios are likely to happen. One, the security exploit used for rooting may be patched, which means you are back to square one, where all low-level changes revert to their stock state. Two, system updates may not install properly, which can result in rendering your device and the personal data on it easy prey for attackers.
All in all, know exactly what you’re getting into before rooting your device. This is especially true for novice Android users.