[Q] Worth Rooting? - Xperia Arc Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

The only reason why i would want to root my Xperia Arc is to clear the unwanted apps and hopefully it will run faster ( u guys call it bloatware if im not wrong) , should i take the risk?
Or are there any useful apps that can help to speed up my phone without rooting?
Edit : Oh And what are the Dos and Donts of rooting ? Like do download an app to backup certain stuff and dont do something or your phone might get bricked etc..
Thanks in advance!

Keep backups and read what you need to do before you do it.
There are some risks, but generally it is straight forward.
Just removing bloat makes a huge difference to the phone.
Sent from my LT15i using XDA App

using gingerbreak seemed to work pretty well for me and i have had no problems since - removed all the bloatware and much happier - just be careful you know what you are removing and also be aware that once you remove system apps you might not be able to update via OTA updates (I am not 100% sure of this, just from what I have read on here)
generally the benefits far outweigh the cons

Related

To root 4g or not 4g... askn pros oppinions

I hope this is a resonable ?.... what is rooting, what's the benifits, should I or shouldn't I root my phone, and can u unroot? Simply can u explain to a intrested and user who likes to take it to maximum capeabilities.! Thnx 4 your input pros!
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App
Reply
qbking77 made some awesome videos that explains most everything, but the simplest answer is to run applications that require root access such as wireless tether, titanium backup, and get full access to your system. Of course the next step is to put on custom rom's to get rid of sprint bloatware. Watch the videos and make your own call. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1009997
If you don't know why you should root, you probably shouldn't be. There's no shame in not rooting, but rooting just to root is pretty stupid.
063_XOBX said:
If you don't know why you should root, you probably shouldn't be. There's no shame in not rooting, but rooting just to root is pretty stupid.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think his reason for asking is to avoid "rooting just to root"...
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA Premium App
There's a rooting WIKI stickied at the top of the Q&A section that explains a lot about rooting. See link below..this is a section of the wiki that I think can answer a lot of your questions.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=798067
Good luck and remember...don't go down this path if you're not willing to do a lot of reading and you're willing to deal with the possibility of turning your phone into a paperweight. The more you research you do the less likely that this will happen.
badmoment said:
I hope this is a resonable ?.... what is rooting, what's the benifits, should I or shouldn't I root my phone, and can u unroot? Simply can u explain to a intrested and user who likes to take it to maximum capeabilities.! Thnx 4 your input pros!
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Rooting just to root can give you some nice backup options, but on stock I never personally found a need to restore anything. So that's not a huge reason to do it, and besides, MyBackup Pro can handle all your backup needs non-rooted.
Moving on, as mentioned higher up, one of the biggest reasons for rooting is for Wifi Tethering without using Sprint's Hotspot. You're paying for the data, it only seems right that you should be able to use that great power on other devices as well. That said, don't abuse it unnecessarily .
Many people will root simply to take advantage of theming options, changing the lockscreen appearance, pull-down menu, icons, launcher, startup/shutdown animations, and the appearance of system apps. That mentioned... you can remove annoying system apps that otherwise can't be removed.
Finally, but certainly the most exciting, rooting allows you to take advantage of the many custom roms floating around XDA! That is, it allows you to essentially replace the phones operating system with one of the many custom rebuilt versions, enabling new features, removing bloatware, increasing battery life and more than doubling performance speeds!
Personally, I do it for all of these reasons! Check out the links in my signature for my favorite modifications.
Good Reasons To Root:
Applications Like-
1.ADFREE-ZERO ADS In 90% Of apps
2.Wireless Tether/Wired Tether- Free Internet Sharing
3.Titanium Backup- Backup everything on a schedule at a time that u arent using your phone so u never lose apps or text messages, contacts and other important stuff
4. SDX Stock App Removal- Remove Outdated or Bloatware that you dont want.
5. Custom Roms/Kernals- Make it so u can have a more reliable faster phone and undervolt and overclock the kernal meaning- make you phone faster then its suppose to go and make it go slower to save battery, as well as NO Carrior IQ Adgent Service on some roms- meaning sprint cant track your personal info..
6. Custom Themes- Meaning custom pulldowns,custom menus , fonts and all that fun stuff
7. Mods: Including themes, Battery mods,Hulu mod, and way too many to keep track of.
BAD Reasons To Root:
1. If you dont read and know how to get back to a fresh state you could very possibly brick your phone or soft brick it.
2.Void Warranty-However if you know read up on ODIN, u can flash back to stock and they will never know
3. Thats all i got in my opinion for bad
If you want to root just make sure you read all instructions on how to and read about odin/titatanium backup/and nandroid backups as Those are life savers.
Hope this helps, dont forget to hit thanks or checkout dropbox if u find this info helpful
Have a nice day
dkechitkid said:
Good luck and remember...don't go down this path if you're not willing to do a lot of reading and you're willing to deal with the possibility of turning your phone into a paperweight. The more you research you do the less likely that this will happen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is why i dont root. Even though i've been here since October lol
Sent from my always stock, EC05 Epic 4G.
Always root at least to remove.bloatware
Sent from Snarf phone
I have to greatly compliment you on your informative and very professional reply. Thanx abunch. You answerd all i wanted to know without asking. I hope you respond again to my endless need to master this piece of technology. ROCK ON BRO!!
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App

So why root?

I rooted my GN2 the day I bought it but now with OTA update rolling out I have to unroot. Wonder why I rooted in the first place...
The only good thing about rooting so far is being able to remove bloatware (flipboard, etc.). What are other benefits? No wireless tether yet (and I'm sure there will be a non-root solution to this coming), no access to google wallet, tweaking CPU or other settings is not really a concern since phone is so snappy with stock rom unrooted. I don't think the benefits of rooting justify the hassle and disadvantages (such as not being able to receive OTA update) of rooting.
What do you think?
For the fun of tinkering?
Sent from my SPH-L900 using xda premium
mrcrptguy said:
For the fun of tinkering?
Sent from my SPH-L900 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This.........
And knowing you can restore from backup if something goes wrong. Everyone has their own reasons for root. But just knowing if you want to tinker around with your device, you can.
kg1128 said:
I rooted my GN2 the day I bought it but now with OTA update rolling out I have to unroot. Wonder why I rooted in the first place...
The only good thing about rooting so far is being able to remove bloatware (flipboard, etc.). What are other benefits? No wireless tether yet (and I'm sure there will be a non-root solution to this coming), no access to google wallet, tweaking CPU or other settings is not really a concern since phone is so snappy with stock rom unrooted. I don't think the benefits of rooting justify the hassle and disadvantages (such as not being able to receive OTA update) of rooting.
What do you think?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can be rooted and still receive the OTA update. As long as you dont remove any system apps or install a custom recovery you are good to go! If you would like to keep root during OTA you can enable SuperSU survival mode also.
mrcrptguy said:
For the fun of tinkering?
Sent from my SPH-L900 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If your asking yourself why root then why did you choose to root? Root is awesome for people who love to play around with their devices and make changes to them to fit their needs. If you think the device is awesome the way it is then the only reason to root would probably be for backing up your apps.
To proper answer this question. "So why root?". Because we want to. Not everyone shares our joy of rooting but this is XDA and most of what we do here revolves around having a rooted device.
If u dont want to root then the question should be why android ? U like being limited to what the company gives u dont u ?
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda premium
With rooting you can customize your device as you like
Sent from my LG-P500 using xda premium
kg1128 said:
I rooted my GN2 the day I bought it but now with OTA update rolling out I have to unroot. Wonder why I rooted in the first place...
The only good thing about rooting so far is being able to remove bloatware (flipboard, etc.). What are other benefits? No wireless tether yet (and I'm sure there will be a non-root solution to this coming), no access to google wallet, tweaking CPU or other settings is not really a concern since phone is so snappy with stock rom unrooted. I don't think the benefits of rooting justify the hassle and disadvantages (such as not being able to receive OTA update) of rooting.
What do you think?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is a laundry list of benefits to rooting your device, too many to list here, but the main reason IMO is so you can make your device YOUR own!
Eventually the DEVs will have the OTA built into their ROMS and tweeks. You also benefit from adding the BEST features and tweeks that often are not included in Stock builds, or are actually screwed up by Stock builds and updates. You can also just root your device and stay mostly stock, then add features, mods, and tweeks at your liking.
So, for me, its all about having options and being able to set up the device how I like it best. I think you'll find most people on here feel the same way. For me, I don't even activate a device unless its rooted first... Not rooting is kind of like having a Sports car and not being able to do any mods to it,- no air cleaners, no wheels, no gauges, no upgrades, just having to leave it the way you bought isn't ANY fun!
Thanks to all the people who work hard to make the good stuff happen!
ROOT IT :good:
It's not that complicated to un root and takes 60 seconds. ..
Full App+Data backup/restore and tethering.
---------- Post added at 10:48 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:46 AM ----------
BigJPNut said:
You can be rooted and still receive the OTA update. As long as you dont remove any system apps or install a custom recovery you are good to go! If you would like to keep root during OTA you can enable SuperSU survival mode also.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's not been my experience with my GS3. I've attempted to install the few OTA's that have come for the phone and while you can hit the Install now button, it fails to actually install it. Only once I unrooted did it actually complete.
I root cause its there.
Actually, its for the Ad Block and Titanium Backup and then Tether whenever that comes along.
I did it so I could meet and date supermodels
to get rid of ads, I also plan on putting the perseus kernal on it so I can charge my phone with a car charger. and as everyone else stated, to be able to make it how I like it.
Sent from my Ubuntu Note II
epicnoob66 said:
Sent from my Ubuntu Note II
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In 8bit color?
kg1128 said:
I rooted my GN2 the day I bought it but now with OTA update rolling out I have to unroot. Wonder why I rooted in the first place...
The only good thing about rooting so far is being able to remove bloatware (flipboard, etc.). What are other benefits? No wireless tether yet (and I'm sure there will be a non-root solution to this coming), no access to google wallet, tweaking CPU or other settings is not really a concern since phone is so snappy with stock rom unrooted. I don't think the benefits of rooting justify the hassle and disadvantages (such as not being able to receive OTA update) of rooting.
What do you think?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its still a relatively new device and dev support hasn't REALLY taken off yet IMO. Go look at the S3 forum for example and there are threads all over the place with ROMs, kernels and MODs.

Removing bloatwares from Samsung Galaxy Ace Duos GT-S6802 & its Consequences

I have rooted this device. I want to remove the bloatwares in order to make it run faster. At present, it runs terrible. I have gone through the posts here regarding custom ROM but I am not planning to do that since it is a bit tricky & I don't want to take the risk of bricking the phone. However, I want to remove the bloatwares which I never use & are taking up space. The important thing I want to bring to your notice is that I can track/wipe/lock/send message/call my phone from Samsung's Dive service on their website. Will I be able to do that after I remove the bloatwares? If not, what is the best alternative that you guys have to this? Please comment only if you've used these alternatives in reality , not just installed them after reading the Description.
Thanks
Bump!
Sent from my GT-S6802 using xda app-developers app

Why should I root?

Okay, this may be a bit of a noobish thread, but rooting is a thing I don't have much experience or knowledge in. I've been using an M8 for a few months and I'm just trying to figure out how to make it a more personal experience. I have downloaded Tasker but I still need to look at guides and FAQ's on it before I start playing with it. Back to the thread title, why should I root? I know I can play with ROM's, kernels, and what not when I root. But I'm still unfamiliar with what I'm actually doing when I do that. I'm not 100% sold on changing the ROM on my M8 because I was watching a video for Cyanogen on an M8 and you lose the double tap to unlock functionality and the video stated that most ROM's will lose that functionality. I happen to use it quite often so I'm a bit leery of letting it go. So more specifically my question is, what can do I with rooting? What do different kernels do? What can I do with rooting if I don't change the ROM or kernel? I'm hoping I can find out if rooting is something I want to do or not with my phone. Any help is greatly appreciated.
If you root, you can use tasker... For starters. ?
No one can answer this. Except you. If there are things you want to do that require root, then root. If not, don't. Not much else to say on it really.
KJ said:
If you root, you can use tasker... For starters. ?
No one can answer this. Except you. If there are things you want to do that require root, then root. If not, don't. Not much else to say on it really.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well that's pretty much exactly why I want to know what all I can do with rooting and what those things actually do. So I can decide if rooting is something I want to do.
adaway is the major reason why i root, and xposed.
Well there is only so much you can do on a device without making changes to its system. Kinda like a computer, Windows & Linux. How many things can you install and/or change without Administrator Privileges / Super User?
Heck these days you need Administrator privileges for updates on some games. Almost anything cool will HAVE to make some changes to the system in order to work properly.
Xposed Framework
Titanium Backup
Root explorer - <Name already says it all.
Six axis controller - You need root in order to connect your PS3 remote to your phone in order to play games with a controller.
Tasker - Like mentioned before.
Ad block Plus - Who really wants to look at ads the whole day?
Greenify - To hibernate all those excessive apps and save up some battery juice.
Better Batter Stats / GSAM with Root Companion - Get some detailed info on your what drains your battery(Wake locks etc)
WiFi Tethering - Pay for it through Carrier or Free with root?
Has the writing to external issue been fixed with latest android phones? If not you'll probably need Root to make changes to the permissions in order to write to external SD card.
The questions really isn't right... It's not "Why should I root? " it's "Why shouldn't I root? " Like I mentioned above you can't really do anything to the device if you don't have the permission/authority to do so and some of the best stuff out there needs to make changes to the system. When last did you install an awesome program on your computer without having to grant it administrative privileges
That list I gave is small one in a huge list of cool things you can install and/or do if you're rooted.
Then of course next it'll be... Why should I go with S-OFF
Completely stock - Human - you only do what they want you to do.
Rooted - Demi-God - you make your own choices on what you want and what you don't.
S-OFF - God Mode. Enough said.
Being able to disable data at the firewall for everything except those apps that actually need Internet access is a godsend if you don't have a large data plan. I use DroidWall, but Android Firewall is coming along as well.
Then, add in Adaway, being able to completely remove CarrierIQ, and disable unnecessary services, it's more a question of why wouldn't you root? However, I'm a bit of a control freak when it comes to my phones.
Thanks for the replies guys, I've got some things to look into now. Is there an easy to understand guide anyone can link to help me better understand what I can do with rooting? Knowing certain apps/tasks and what not is great for looking into, but I would like to gain a better understanding of what all rooting is capable of so I can come up with ideas of my own to try. I still really have no idea what different kernels do, and reading descriptions doesn't help me much right now with my limited understanding. Thanks again guys.
I think most of the benefits of rooting have already been stated, but what about the trade-offs?
Well, there are simply no trade offs unless you use an app that won't work with root, like Barclays Bank UK. Unless you use any app that won't work with root...
About double tap to unlock, you will only lose it if you use any aosp Rom, you will still have it if you use a stock based rom like ARHD or Venom
metllicamilitia said:
Thanks for the replies guys, I've got some things to look into now. Is there an easy to understand guide anyone can link to help me better understand what I can do with rooting? Knowing certain apps/tasks and what not is great for looking into, but I would like to gain a better understanding of what all rooting is capable of so I can come up with ideas of my own to try. I still really have no idea what different kernels do, and reading descriptions doesn't help me much right now with my limited understanding. Thanks again guys.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A pretty comprehensive guide and explanations of everything for the M8 that you want to know before rooting/modding/flashing/etc. :good:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=52484527
metllicamilitia said:
Thanks for the replies guys, I've got some things to look into now. Is there an easy to understand guide anyone can link to help me better understand what I can do with rooting? Knowing certain apps/tasks and what not is great for looking into, but I would like to gain a better understanding of what all rooting is capable of so I can come up with ideas of my own to try. I still really have no idea what different kernels do, and reading descriptions doesn't help me much right now with my limited understanding. Thanks again guys.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Here are some helpful videos on how to root, unlock bootloader, gain s-off, and receive ota updates while rooted. All these videos helped me and will help you too .
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkGyPgONJaI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N88nHyCktW0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPPT5J8xG6w
Personally I wouldn't bother rooting unless you have a specific must have or must not have problem with the M8.
Every phone i've had now i've rooted, unlocked etc, and I always go back to the same thought, why did I bother.
Personally I think it just has you wiping and reinstalling all the time and not getting on with things. Flashaholic I think is the term lol.
I also think my M8 functioned better stock. Smoother and with better battery life.
Personal opinion though. When I get my Z3, i'll be leaving it stock, ready for the M9 lol.
HtcOneJon said:
Personally I wouldn't bother rooting unless you have a specific must have or must not have problem with the M8.
Every phone i've had now i've rooted, unlocked etc, and I always go back to the same thought, why did I bother.
Personally I think it just has you wiping and reinstalling all the time and not getting on with things. Flashaholic I think is the term lol.
I also think my M8 functioned better stock. Smoother and with better battery life.
Personal opinion though. When I get my Z3, i'll be leaving it stock, ready for the M9 lol.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm actually still running stock right now, and taking OTA updates. I just refuse to give up my control of iptables and the HOSTS file. If there was a non-root way to setup these things, I would probably not bother either. On my last phone, a Galaxy S2 Skyrocket, I rarely messed with the OS once I get everything setup the way I wanted it. It was running stock firmware the whole time, just with DroidWall and Adaway running on it.
The only thing I did that deviated from that was backing up applications and restoring on new devices. For example, I wanted to preserve my progress in Alchemy, so I backed it up with Titanium Backup, moved the Tibkp file to my new phone, and restored the data. No having to manually redo everything
IOW, root doesn't have to mean "total makeover".

To root or not to root

I've had my Pixel 2 XL for 2 weeks now and am very impressed with all of the customizations. Quick question: is it worth it to root it? My bootloader is unlocked, BTW. What are some additional benefits it I choose to root it?
t4duzan said:
I've had my Pixel 2 XL for 2 weeks now and am very impressed with all of the customizations. Quick question: is it worth it to root it? My bootloader is unlocked, BTW. What are some additional benefits it I choose to root it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The "worth it" part is up to you. What is it you want to achieve? If you want to....
Flash custom roms and kernels..
Use add blocking and themes..
Install sound mods...
Or just customize the crap outa it.....then yes.
However, a word of caution, do your research into flashing procedures, and become very familiar with fastboot just in case something goes wrong, and you need to recover your device.
Also, if you use certain banking apps, they may not work if your rooted. If you have anymore questions, feel free to ask. There are bunches of helpful people on XDA that are happy to help you. :good:
Badger50 said:
The "worth it" part is up to you. What is it you want to achieve? If you want to....
Flash custom roms and kernels..
Use add blocking and themes..
Install sound mods...
Or just customize the crap outa it.....then yes.
However, a word of caution, do your research into flashing procedures, and become very familiar with fastboot just in case something goes wrong, and you need to recover your device.
Also, if you use certain banking apps, they may not work if your rooted. If you have anymore questions, feel free to ask. There are bunches of helpful people on XDA that are happy to help you. :good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the advice and info Badger50. I think I'll do as you recommend and research it for awhile.
Also insurance apps detect root also and some games
Magisk is a great app for hiding root from these apps most of the time.
If you want to keep up to date on the monthly Google updates it can be a bit of a pain as you have to replace your boot image and kernel and even then can have issues with the way pixel handles the rom.
But with that said it's good to at least do it learn a bit about what goes into it see if it is good for you.
Good to have a backup phone and or know your restore procedures.
Pretty hard to brick a phone with the pixel phones.
Just have to follow some steps exactly the way they tell you.
I stay stock now because of the updates some times it takes me a day to get time to fix the phone to accept the update and work properly and I like having accu battery have history from start of the phone
Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk
Taimen_#1
Without a doubt, hands down, currently I need Root. If the device has no solution then it's the last one I would pick. Currently I'm running Havoc with Magisk 18. I have the viper/Dolby sound benefits with my favorite Sony features & apps. Also I'm running lawnchair w/ quickswitch module. All in all I guess you could say I have a problem. Every since I learned I could update to KitKat instead of being stuck on stock gingerbread I've been rooting. Thanks:good:
If you have a warranty (sounds like you bought it used) or you have have insurance they will be void if you are unable to restore to stock.
That's why I don't root.
Just something to be aware of.
One of the best and ultimate reasons to root is to be able to take a nandroid backup that's better than any non-rooted backup method! It will literally backup and remember everything (due to all of this residing in the /data partition)! Your homescreen, settings, app and its data,down to every little thing!
Being able to move the clock back to the right, modify so it's better on battery life and cpu quickness, enjoy extra features in apps, and many other "tweaks" are secondary but very enjoyable and satisfactory...
it's an interesting question to me, because this is the first phone that I have decided not to bother rooting. It is also my first pixel/Nexus which I think is part of the reason. In the past getting rid of bloat and many of the controlling aspects from carriers was important to me. With the pixel, there is very little of that. Plus it just works, I'm not working around issues.
maybe I'm getting old, but to me the phone is now something I want to use not something I want to play with. When I root the phone, I have to keep up with security updates and I'm usually also fixing and patching things from trying different mods. So far the pure Android experience from Google has proven reasonably reliable and stable, and it just doesn't seem worth the hassle anymore. I will continue to buy phones I can root, how's that may change at some point.
Right now, my opinion is, for me, there is no need to root
I haven't unlocked my bootloader or rooted since the first pixel. I use adguard premium and YouTube vanced. Currently, absolutely no need for root anymore. Just my two cents.
simplepinoi177 said:
One of the best and ultimate reasons to root is to be able to take a nandroid backup that's better than any non-rooted backup method! It will literally backup and remember everything (due to all of this residing in the /data partition)! Your homescreen, settings, app and its data,down to every little thing!
Being able to move the clock back to the right, modify so it's better on battery life and cpu quickness, enjoy extra features in apps, and many other "tweaks" are secondary but very enjoyable and satisfactory...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Everything related to apps and app data. Anything on the internal sdcard, not so much.
Sent from my [device_name] using XDA-Developers Legacy app

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