Rooting Android tablets.

[Devils Advocate]

I have been looking around at apps and useful programmes for a tablet in advance of using it for the first time.........as well as trying to find out what other things it may come in handy for (I'm still not convinced I needed one but couldn't think of anything else I wanted for Christmas really ).

Every discussion on the forums comes back to this "rooting" thing to get the best out of it......a term I had no clue of what it meant.

So after googling I now know it unlocks the system and you can get to the core of things..........whatever that means

People reckon it'll then run things you'd never be able to with an unlocked tablet and is fantastic.....whilst others don't.

However I believe the w/tee becomes void and there are millions of scaremongering stories about knackering it up altogether.............whilst some still say it's a "must do".

So, what do you guys think?........worth it or not?

I searched this forum here and not much has been said about this........I notice in July someone mentioned it....and our resident techie Enrique pulled all sorts of faces ..........if he says it's a no,no then it's good enough for me.

Is it still a taboo then or worth a dabble?

If it's worth a go would a techie numpty be able to root it..............thought I'd ask now rather than bothering you all in a frenzied rant on Christmas day

[Enrique]

Good morning DA,

Will be similar for Tablet..........done it for a phone
If you have decent size RAM i.e 1Gb and SD card then you should be ok ish.
If you have a main stream make then should you want to root the device there is plenty of info on how to do it.
I've rooted a China clone because it only had 256MB RAM, it was somewhat challenging finding the info.

Basically you backup your current SD card , repartition it , restore. Download the software for your make and model of phone and load this. Ok I've missed out the sweaty palms bit as you can Brick it.

Should you wish to look at it in more detail , give me the exact Make and Model number ..

GerryH has done some as well..................

[Devils Advocate]

Appreciated Enrique.....2gb of ram but NO sd card

Nexus 7 2013.

Many thanks for the help.

PS
Is it worth it in your opinion?

[gerryh]

GerryH has done some as well..................

Certainly have.
As long as backup up your device first and follow the rooting instructions fully then you should be OK.
As far as the warranty goes if you have a problem you can, usually, restore your device to it's factory settings.
Cheers
Gerry

[Devils Advocate]

Ok, thanks Gerry I'm glad you said that.............quite a lot of people are saying that once rooted you can't return to where you were.............more internet BS?

I'm assuming instructions will be available online somewhere, which leads me to another question................whose instructions would I follow/trust? It's a sure fire bet they won't be issued by Asus I'd have thought.

[Enrique]

Hi DA,
A description to get an idea............

http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/how ... t-android/

"whose instructions would I follow/trust? ".......that's the sweaty palm bit.........

As you have a mainstream........shouldn't be a problem............I'd (in your case)use it as is for a bit to get a feel of what you're going to use it for...........then you can consider if you want to play with the OS.

[gerryh]

Asus, or any other manufacturing, will not issue instructions for rooting.
They would prefer, if you want other features that you can get on a rooted phone, to buy one of their more expensive models with some of the additional feature.
As Enrique has said, use your tablet as it is and explore it's features/ facilities.
If you then find an app/ feature that only works on a rooted device then that is the time to root.
In the meantime read up on rooting for your particular device.
Cheers
Gerry

[Devils Advocate]

Thanks Enrique, in a nutshell I bought one of those cheapo USB borescopes on Ebay for a job/s I need to do on a car. I've also bought a mini USB to full size USB adaptor for it to connect to the tablet.

Now the borescope does come with a windows disc so I can use it with the laptop.........but I thought it'd be easier carrying the tablet backwards and forwards to the garage than the Lappy.

So I googled for linking one to a tablet and there seemed to be a problem............some say yes it can be done, some say no, not a chance..........and some say you need to root, and that's where I first heard of the term.

I will try it but have little hope of it working. I do agree with you though...........I'll not be rooting on Christmas day...........unless she gets me the wrong quadcopter

Edited....

Good advice and thanks Gerry

[10RDan]

I've done about five phones without problems.

I would advise reading here, http://forum.xda-developers.com/ several times re. your device, and then read again !

Can be quite "nerve racking" the first time but I read,.read and.read again until I had it clear in my head what to do BEFORE I did ANYTHING.

It's quite a complex site but there's not much that you can't find.

[ebbnflow]

I'll echo the XDA Developers site as the best reference, they'll most likely have instructions for your exact model of 'phone.

It is a site for techies who know what they are doing, as said study those instructions in detail. If you are then stuck on a certain point they'll set you right.

The big question is though, do you need to go down this route? I did to change a Windows 'phone to Android (incredible improvement) but I now own an original Android device that does 99% of what I want.

If ain't broke...

[Devils Advocate]

Thanks Dan for that link.....I'll certainly refer to that if I do it.

Although Ebbs warning of

It is a site for techies who know what they are doing

might just be my stumbling block.

If it ain't broke don't fix it approach is my motto too........Just wanted to know if I could use my borescope through it and someone mentioned rooting.............If I break it on the first day I know where my borescope will end up.....and I bought the larger 10mm one as well, ouch

[10RDan]

I hadn't a clue what I was doing a couple of months ago but I now, quite often, change the ROMs on the devices to try all the different options within each ROM, and, because I can. ))))

[Enrique]

Hi DA,
Some light reading on the Nexus 7 2013.................

http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/nexus7-2013-an ... oot-529207

You need to look at the exact model you will have in your grubby mit........this is usually found by looking at ............ Settings >> About tablet.

I can vouch for 10RDan...a few months ago he was hanging on my every word, now he is running Master classes in Linux/Android................

[Devils Advocate]

Super link Enrique.thanks for your help. Could you PM me your personal phone number now please just in case I do decide to have a dabble on Christmas day

[10RDan]

I can vouch for 10RDan...a few months ago he was hanging on my every word, now he is running Master classes in Linux/Android................

[Devils Advocate]

Back to the top with this one guys if it's ok with you!

Took on board all advice given here on the tablet.............from what model to buy through to "not rooting" until I've played with it. I also listened and intended to act to Gerrys advice that rooting is a must...so here's where we're at.

Understand the tablet now, very impressed with it for the meagre price tag. It does a lot more than I thought it would/could...... but strangely can't do a couple of things I'd expected it to.

Now my attention has turned back to rooting and is it actually worth it...........I've scoured many a techie forum now and that answer seems unclear....some say yep and some say nope.

In a nutshell it seems to me, and correct me if I'm wrong guys............the 2 main reasons for rooting seem to be
1) Because I can
2) To allow secondary storage.

Number one I'm not bothered about ..........and number two is of no interest as I've got as much storage as I'd ever need.......I don't store films or millions of pics so will have at least 70% capacity free all the time.

So 2 questions.

Why is it worth rooting?............the 2 things I'd like the tablet to do I believe rooting won't help.

If I'm talked into rooting what is the best method to do this? ..............I looked at Enriques link and have noticed several other programmes all offering the same. In essence it looks like very small gains for undertaking a quite complicated task.

Yes, I would root but is it miles better than a stock factory tablet?

Many thanks.

[gerryh]

I would say the big advantage of rooting is that you can use the ROM Manager and Titanium Backup Pro apps to backup and restore all your settings, apps etc.
The two apps have saved my phone many times, but, on the other hand, if I didn't fiddle with the OS on my phone, then perhaps I wouldn't need them.
There might be apps that can do similar on unrooted devices, there wasn't when I looked a few years ago before rooting my phone.
Cheers
Gerry

[10RDan]

Yes, I would root but is it miles better than a stock factory tablet?

Many thanks.

Not miles better.

As you have discovered, generally, they are rooted to free up space by getting rid of the "bloatware" and preinstalled apps.

But, if yours does what you need and you don't need any more space, it's not really worth the "stress" if you've not done it before.

Also, depending on who you speak to, the warranty will more than likely be void.

As for backing up apps, if you use Google play store, they are stored within the play store with a list of "installed apps" and "all" which is every app you've installed even if you have since uninstalled.

[gerryh]

Yes, I would root but is it miles better than a stock factory tablet?

Many thanks.

As for backing up apps, if you use Google play store, they are stored within the play store with a list of "installed apps" and "all" which is every app you've installed even if you have since uninstalled.

Titanium Backup Pro lets you keep previous versions of apps. Play store just keeps the most recent.
Sometimes it is handy to go back a version of an app if you don't like the new "improved" version.
Cheers
Gerry

[Devils Advocate]

Thanks Gerry...........I risk a telling off here though, as I've received on other forums when I admit this point ......I simply never back anything up and never have, whether it be Desktop, Laptop, Tablet, whatever.

I'm serious too..........blokes have got "internet angry" at me for this, likening it to mugging a Nun or something ...............thing is I've nowt I need to back up that I can't get back very easily, so I always fail to see the horror this creates.

Dan, very well explained mate, appreciated, you've said what I was now thinking.

I did intend seriously to have a go at this but I now believe the gain would be so minimal it'd not be worth it.

Rooting won't cure the issue of the tablet not being "plug and play" friendly like the laptops are so why bother I'm now thinking?