I want to root my nexus 7 .Its on 4.4.4 kitkat right now. I have rooted many devices before like samsung galaxy ace,s2,fit and micromax etc using one click root softwares (https://www.oneclickroot.com), through flashing a rooting file and have never encountered a problem. They needed a single click and never needed a clean wipe or unlocking bootloader. Is it possible to do something like that with my nexus.
I have come across a thread
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2233852
but i think it is for an older version of nexus 7.
is towelroot safe?
Need advice. Thank you.
Short answer: TowelRoot is safe but grants no control over root as it gives root permission to all apps that require it.
Long answer and tip: First remember that if you in future want to flash a factory image, it is required to unlock the bootloader and also if u want to update the Android version via OTA , it will fail as the system partition will be modified and OTA does not like that. When I bought my Nexus 7 2013 WiFi (a.k.a Flo) last year I have rooted using TowelRoot without unlocking the bootloader and it ran for 2 weeks flawlessly, so I say it is safe in a way. But TowelRoot does not give you any control over the apps or services that request root access as it grants them access without asking I did not like that so I have unlocked the bootloader (which completely wiped all apps, data and files from my Nexus 7 2013 as this is normal because unlocking also performs a factory reset) and flashed a new factory image of 4.4.4 just to be sure I got TowelRoot removed and rooted using Wug's Nexus Root Toolkit with SuperSU so I have control over the root granting or denying. My advice is root with TowelRoot , then backup all your apps using Titanium Backup and all your storage files that you need, to your PC, then unlock the bootloader and root with SuperSU so you have control over root, using Nexus Root Toolkit ( it has fantastic instructions and it's super easy to use and understand and install adb drivers). If you ever want to flash a custom ROM, you need an unlocked bootloader to flash TWRP recovery and the custom ROM and/or custom kernel of choice through it. Also flashing a factory image requires unlocked bootloader as I specified in the beginning of the post.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk
idCyber said:
Short answer: TowelRoot is safe but grants no control over root as it gives root permission to all apps that require it.
Long answer and tip: First remember that if you in future want to flash a factory image, it is required to unlock the bootloader and also if u want to update the Android version via OTA , it will fail as the system partition will be modified and OTA does not like that. When I bought my Nexus 7 2013 WiFi (a.k.a Flo) last year I have rooted using TowelRoot without unlocking the bootloader and it ran for 2 weeks flawlessly, so I say it is safe in a way. But TowelRoot does not give you any control over the apps or services that request root access as it grants them access without asking I did not like that so I have unlocked the bootloader (which completely wiped all apps, data and files from my Nexus 7 2013 as this is normal because unlocking also performs a factory reset) and flashed a new factory image of 4.4.4 just to be sure I got TowelRoot removed and rooted using Wug's Nexus Root Toolkit with SuperSU so I have control over the root granting or denying. My advice is root with TowelRoot , then backup all your apps using Titanium Backup and all your storage files that you need, to your PC, then unlock the bootloader and root with SuperSU so you have control over root, using Nexus Root Toolkit ( it has fantastic instructions and it's super easy to use and understand and install adb drivers). If you ever want to flash a custom ROM, you need an unlocked bootloader to flash TWRP recovery and the custom ROM and/or custom kernel of choice through it. Also flashing a factory image requires unlocked bootloader as I specified in the beginning of the post.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk
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Click to collapse
Thank you. Got just about every bit of information i needed.
and i believe i can unroot using this wug toolkit as well?
Related
Hello,
I am running stock one x rom. There is only thing that I don't get. If i root it does it mean that stock rom will become rooted or I need to flash custom rom after a root?
marijan_e said:
Hello,
I am running stock one x rom. There is only thing that I don't get. If i root it does it mean that stock rom will become rooted or I need to flash custom rom after a root?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
when you root your stock rom is rooted. Then you can use custom one if you want.
reply
Hello, as far as im aware you can root the stock rom using the super user but you need to have it unlocked first. I just got my new phone and followed the guide from HTC Dev down in the link below and i was up and running in an hour.
1. Unlock bootloader
2. Install a custom recovery
3. Make backup through recovery
4. Root using superuser but I installed ARHD which is rooted already so therefor I didnt need to.
If you follow the guides on here you really cant go wrong just make sure you get things in the right order and dont attempt without knowing each step as it took me 4 days to persuade myself I had everything right plus just ask on here and someone will keep you on the right track.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/wiki/HTC_One_X
Regards
I am running stock one x rom. There is only thing that I don't get. If i root it does it mean that stock rom will become rooted or I need to flash custom rom after a root?[/QUOTE]
You really want to think about putting an AOSP based ROM on your phone, they're much faster
What people don't realize is that "rooting" is just putting the su binary in the bin folder. That's it. Su is a standard Linux app that supersedes the permissions level on systems - SuperUser. When someone says that they have a rooted phone all they mean is that they have su in the /bin folder and usually an .apk (SuperSu) to manage the which apps have access to is (otherwise you'd have to su open app.apk in terminal).
That said, when some mentions that they "rooted" their phone typically they mean they unlocked their bootloader or used an exploit to get around the locked bootloader. And even then unlocking the bootloader lets you to write to system partitions (pre-Android boot of course, since the files are still read only by Android).
The easiest method is to unlock via HTCDev, flash CWM with fastboot, then flash either the supersu or superuser zips.
Basically you can have a rooted stock ROM, rooted custom ROM, or even a unrooted custom ROM. To unroot, just deleted the SuperSu.apk from /system/app and su from /bin (some systems make a symlink to /xbin so look there too).
Unlocking the bootloader has nothing to do with rooting.
I have a rooted transformer prime and my bootloader is intact.
Rooting is rom specific. What rooting does is giving you administrative access to system files on your rom whether it's stock or custom and uses the su binary to control access to root files.
Unlocking the bootloader gives you the ability to do things before the system boots. These things are usually running recovery software, flashing roms, or doing backup.
Rooting and unlocking the bootloader are two separate things.
Having said that, i have to make it clear that most rooting methods on forums do unlock the bootloader and install recovery code on the phone in addition to rooting. So if u want to keep ur phone covered under warranty i suggest you look for a root method that doesn't unlock the bootloader or install any recovery.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk 2
The only way to root this phone is by flashing Superuser, hence the need for ClockworkMod Recovery and an unlocked boot loader.
Sent from my HTC One X using xda app-developers app
CoSaWa said:
The only way to root this phone is by flashing Superuser, hence the need for ClockworkMod Recovery and an unlocked boot loader.
Sent from my HTC One X using xda app-developers app
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Click to collapse
I have never used the one x. What u said might be true. But it's hard to believe that the only way to root an android device is only by unlocking the bootloader. There must be another way.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk 2
Manar Aleryani said:
I have never used the one x. What u said might be true. But it's hard to believe that the only way to root an android device is only by unlocking the bootloader. There must be another way.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk 2
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Click to collapse
I believe people are working on it but that's the only way at the moment to my knowledge, crappy HTC forcing you to unlock your bootloader just to root, whatever next... Voiding your warranty at the same time? Oh wait....
Sent from my HTC One X using xda app-developers app
After some vigorous searching I've found out that if you don't modify the boot loader then you should be okay receiving OTA updates. I'd like to root my nexus 7 so I can run some apps that require root access. I've looked at many methods on how to root the nexus 7, but from my noob understanding, the majority of these methods require unlocking the boot loader and getting TWRP recovery. Won't that mess up the OTA? I've searched a couple threads but I don't necessarily understand the difference between an unlocked boot loader and a rooted device. The reason I still want to have OTA updates is so that I can still update android and so on.
Thanks for taking the time to read this and help guys!
Pickle_Jr;4f86 said:
After some vigorous searching I've found out that if you don't modify the boot loader then you should be okay receiving OTA updates. I'd like to root my nexus 7 so I can run some apps that require root access. I've looked at many methods on how to root the nexus 7, but from my noob understanding, the majority of these methods require unlocking the boot loader and getting TWRP recovery. Won't that mess up the OTA? I've searched a couple threads but I don't necessarily understand the difference between an unlocked boot loader and a rooted device. The reason I still want to have OTA updates is so that I can still update android and so on.
Thanks for taking the time to read this and help guys!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
On this platform, at this time, you need to unlock the bootloader to install root.
You don't need to flash/install twrp if you don't want to, but you need to boot into twrp temporarily to install the root files.
Even if you install twrp rather than boot into it temporarily, it won't cause your ota to fail.
The things that cause the ota to fail are
1) modifying or deleting any files with your root permissions
This includes root apps which do things you might not realize
2) installing custom kernel
3) installing earlier version of supersu
sfhub said:
On this platform, at this time, you need to unlock the bootloader to install root.
You don't need to flash/install twrp if you don't want to, but you need to boot into twrp temporarily to install the root files.
Even if you install twrp rather than boot into it temporarily, it won't cause your ota to fail.
The things that cause the ota to fail are
1) modifying or deleting any files with your root permissions
This includes root apps which do things you might not realize
2) installing custom kernel
3) installing earlier version of supersu
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Awesome! Thanks! So if I understand correctly, as long as I be careful about what root apps I have as well as have a newer (newest) version of SuperSU installed I'll be okay? I'm assuming I'll lose root when I get an OTA update but hopefully when the time comes, there'll be a way to root android 4.4 when the n7 get's it as well. And if something goes wrong I guess I could just unroot, factory reset, and update OTA that way too. Thanks for the help!
Pickle_Jr said:
Awesome! Thanks! So if I understand correctly, as long as I be careful about what root apps I have as well as have a newer (newest) version of SuperSU installed I'll be okay?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes.
For example, if you freeze a stock app in titanium, that is ok, but if you remove a stock app, then an OTA will likely fail.
If you use stickmount, it modifies a system file and backs it up, then restores it when it is done, but sometimes that gets out of sync, in which case the OTA fails.
There are other examples.
Pickle_Jr said:
I'm assuming I'll lose root when I get an OTA update but hopefully when the time comes, there'll be a way to root android 4.4 when the n7 get's it as well. And if something goes wrong I guess I could just unroot, factory reset, and update OTA that way too. Thanks for the help!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you install root through the stock recovery, you'll lose root permissions (but the files will still be there). Just re-root using the existing procedure.
If you want to save a step, boot into TWRP to install the OTA (which you download manually) and then "chain" install the OTA, then the root install files.
This way, you lose root for half a second until the 2nd install file in the chain runs. Essentially you won't lose root (or won't notice losing root) because the first time you boot into 4.4, you'll have root.
TaintedByte said:
FAQs - Massive Question Round Up Thread for Flo
Q: What is the difference between root and an unlocked bootloader?
A: An unlocked bootloader allows you to write protected partitions such as system or recovery. This lets you flash custom ROMs (un-official non-stock operating systems that have more functionality such as CyanogenMod, AOKP, ParanoidAndroid, etc.). Root does not mess with partitions, instead it grants you complete control over the OS (Android) itself. It will let you write and edit any file you wish. This lets you run apps like Titanium Backup and Adblock that need to either access or edit system files.
[/LIST]
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i have questions..is it possible to root device without unlock bootloader..or i need to do both of them..and also vice versa..anothing thing,can we flash kernel(example elementalx) with only root..thanks in advance..i'm new with this nexus 7 2013 LTE..sorry for my english
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk
Rooting your device requires an unlocked bootloader so that you can flash a superuser .zip. You can, however root and relock your bootloader. There is also the wugfesh toolkit which will run root commands automatically when you press a button. It can also relock your bootloader as well. I'm not sure that if you run root without running unlock that it will unlock the bootloader but I believe it will. So I guess try the wugfresh toolkit.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
mugzylol said:
Rooting your device requires an unlocked bootloader so that you can flash a superuser .zip. You can, however root and relock your bootloader. There is also the wugfesh toolkit which will run root commands automatically when you press a button. It can also relock your bootloader as well. I'm not sure that if you run root without running unlock that it will unlock the bootloader but I believe it will. So I guess try the wugfresh toolkit.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
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Rooting your device does not require unlocking the bootloader... I rooted with towelroot, flashed custom recovery (twrp), then flashed a custom ROM from recovery, all while the bootloader was still locked...
So far I've had only Samsung phones, which were rooted by flashing a zip file through the built-in recovery (containing signed SuperSU).
Now I have a 2013 Nexus 7 and I'm looking at the rooting guides and I see bootloader unlocking, flashing custom recoveries and a lot of other things which personally confuse the hell out of me as to why are they needed.
So I wanted to ask if there is a way to just flash a zip file with the SuperSU (and buzybox) app like how it's done on the Samsung phones? Or if there is a method that doesn't require replacing the stock recovery / flashing ROM components?
If anything its easier than any Samsung device but the thing is don't Root if it confuses you at least until you understand how to do it there is tons of guides online
spinninbsod said:
If anything its easier than any Samsung device but the thing is don't Root if it confuses you at least until you understand how to do it there is tons of guides online
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's kind'a my question, it's not that I don't know how, I just don't get if all the side-stuff in 90% of the guides is actually needed, so I asked if there is a way to just get SuperSU working without any custom-recoveries or other side-things.
To my knowledge, you need to have a custom recovery to root it. Unlocking the bootloader helps with this, as it ensures recovery and root sticks.
Or, just use the Wugfresh Nexus Root Toolkit to unlock and root.
CrisR82 said:
That's kind'a my question, it's not that I don't know how, I just don't get if all the side-stuff in 90% of the guides is actually needed, so I asked if there is a way to just get SuperSU working without any custom-recoveries or other side-things.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was in the exact same position as you four days ago, up until then the only android devices I had owned were the Samsung Galaxy S2 and S4. It is quite different to the rooting process on the samsung devices but just as you did with the Samsung devices you will learn as you go along. My bootloader is unlocked, rooted with a custom rom and it was pretty easy to do
CrisR82 said:
That's kind'a my question, it's not that I don't know how, I just don't get if all the side-stuff in 90% of the guides is actually needed, so I asked if there is a way to just get SuperSU working without any custom-recoveries or other side-things.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A sideload would only be needed if you didn't dump SuperSU on the phone first.
Unlock bootloader
Flash TWRP
Flash SuperSU
Done
Get wugfresh's nexus root toolkit. It's made for the novice in all of us.... Works great, self updates, awesome help section.. Look into it.. It's made specifically for the nexus line of products
Thanks for the replies guys, but noone seems to say what is the minimum that neds to be done for rooting.
I'll re-ask my question in a different way:
When rooting, does the bootloader always have to be unlocked and a custom recovery always needed to be installed?
CrisR82 said:
Thanks for the replies guys, but noone seems to say what is the minimum that neds to be done for rooting.
I'll re-ask my question in a different way:
When rooting, does the bootloader always have to be unlocked and a custom recovery always needed to be installed?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Bootloader needs to be be unlocked, but can be relocked after rooting
AFAIK, you can use stock recovery, but custom offers better options/control over the situation. Most roms/kernels are flashed via twrp or cwm..... You can flash through rom toolbox if you choose to stay stock recovery
You can use Towel root to root your tablet in about 30 seconds. It'll also unlock your bootloader for you.
Cousin recovery is only needed of you intend to flash kernels and Roms and the like. If, like me, you only want root for installing things like xposed then you don't need to bother with one.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using XDA Free mobile app
CrisR82 said:
Thanks for the replies guys, but noone seems to say what is the minimum that neds to be done for rooting.
I'll re-ask my question in a different way:
When rooting, does the bootloader always have to be unlocked and a custom recovery always needed to be installed?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, all the steps that are listed are required for rooting your Nexus. I understand what you are asking and I was also hesitant at first, but it was super easy to root and I didnt use the WugFresh took kit I manually rooted mine, following Zedomaxs Video tutorial, that way I could stop and Pause it at every step to make sure things were happening as they should here is the link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1cD-JXRGX8
I confirm towelroot works on the 2013 nexus 7. After rooting unlock bootloader with app from google play. This method does not wipe user data or need a computer at all. And if root is lost and the towelroot exploit is patched with the next os update you can reroot the old way.
Sent from my Le Pan TC1020 using Tapatalk
Hi, I'm wondering if it´s possible to root my Nexus 5X and install BusyBox without loosing my data
Every guide I've read so far you always end up with loosing your data.
swe-trojan said:
Hi, I'm wondering if it´s possible to root my Nexus 5X and install BusyBox without loosing my data
Every guide I've read so far you always end up with loosing your data.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you have already unlocked the bootloader, yes. Download SuperSU, fastboot flash TWRP and install root.
If bootloader locked, no. You'll have to do something like adb backup then unlock the bootloader.
Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk