Develop Bugs

Anyone go back to stock from rooted?

I have been finding myself only using Magisk for EmojiOne, but noticing I don't use Emoji like I used to anymore and am thinking since I only use Substratum with a Center Clock mod and have stopped using it for Dark theming, maybe going back to a stock based setup would be fine. I can use the Andromeda thing with Substratum which is an extra step but can do my center clock and possibly emoji one via substratum... not sure what else I would want root for... Updating is a touch of a pain for me. What do yo guys think, and have any of you gone back to stock?

I went back to stock just because I didn't want to have the uncertainty of being rooted.
Nothing wrong with rooting but I love this phone the way it is.
Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

For myself Rooting was a necessity. The devices sold in the past had so much Crapware.
It was nice to get the latest and greatest ROM and tweak the device to run faster because at that time they were just plain old slow.
Today, depending on where you bought a device devices are very fast. It seems to me that every ROM has an issue that influences the character of the device.
If your device comes from a carrier such as Verizon you should Root it to get rid of their crapware.
It seems their attitude is you only have the right to buy their device not the ability to control, I mean really you think you own it or something? ( yes I'm a VZW hater)
What was the question?

kdkinc said:
For myself Rooting was a necessity. The devices sold in the past had so much Crapware.
It was nice to get the latest and greatest ROM and tweak the device to run faster because at that time they were just plain old slow.
Today, depending on where you bought a device devices are very fast. It seems to me that every ROM has an issue that influences the character of the device.
If your device comes from a carrier such as Verizon you should Root it to get rid of their crapware.
It seems their attitude is you only have the right to buy their device not the ability to control, I mean really you think you own it or something? ( yes I'm a VZW hater)
What was the question?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol, I agree 100%. I can simply disable gMail and Calculator, the only 2 APPs pre-installed on my Pixel 2 XL that I don't need. I use Inbox by Google for eMails and a Calculator Widget for that. Aside from the EmojiOne and CenterClock, I don't even dark-theme anymore, especially not on this device with the "black crush" all the OLEDs have an issue with. I was rooted fro KCal, but am finding the Boosted setting works just fine and oddly my Blue Tint has weakened since my first few days where it was really bad. Almost like the display is wearing in and getting better? It's still there, but just not as much as that first fresh opening, so warming up the display isn't needed much for me now either.
I like to see where people's heads are at with each device, and this is one the extra input is nice to read.

I'm actually on the fence about rooting. Just received my phone this weekend and I can't decide. Going to unlock bootloader before fully setting up, but I have been playing with it a little. I've always rooted and ran custom ROMs as well as adaway. With PureNexus on my N6 I stopped flashing for over a year except the occasional ROM update. I simply like Android in it's simplest form.

I will always root, no matter what. The only downside is like you said, having to mess with getting OTAs in an unnatural way. However, seeing as how I flash all factory images, I get them sooner than those waiting on an OTA to hit their phone. Plus once you have all the tools ready to go, it literally only takes a few minutes to flash an update.
I always root because I usually run stock. And while stock on a Pixel 2 XL is damn near close to perfection, it will never be what "I" consider perfect. Which means I have to mess with the /system files to get things "perfect." I've modded the stock launcher, which I couldn't do if I was rooted. I've switched out fonts. I've changed the navbar, status bar, and quick settings. And of course, there's always AdAway which requires root. Granted some of those things can be achieved with third party apps, but I'd rather get it done "internally" whenever possible.

I used to have it for years, then more and more companies (Google and banks) made their apps check for root, and I tired of the cat and mouse game with SuperSU and Magisk. So I unrooted over a year ago. Didn't miss it at all until yesterday, when I wanted to do something with Tasker that requires root. But what I wanted to do falls into the category of "it would be nice" as opposed to "I have/need to do this", so I remain unrooted. I haven't really missed it much.

I am stuck without root since I have the Verizon model which was given to me free from work so I cannot complain too much. I have always rooted and messed with ROMs. The only thing I would need root for with the 2 XL is ad blocking with Chrome. I am trying the Samsung browser and ABP which work pretty well together.
If I didn't have the noise cancellation mic issue on my 6P I think I would have given up root a long time ago...

I rotate between stock and rooted daily lol
Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

I am sort of glad I found this thread. I'm not a XDA regular but I've been following root guides from here since my Razr Mazz HD. I chose the Pixel in part for the ease of getting root and for Project Fi. Now that I have the phone, I'm not sure I want to root. I've never had a phone with quick updates before. I LOVE AdAway, but is it really worth the tradeoff? AdGuard is just as good if you don't use your VPN slot but if you DO use a VPN and need it.... not rooting forces me to choose between PIA and AdGuard. But do I even need a VPN anymore with Project Fi? Probably... Firefox with uBlock works pretty well too but doesn't work on apps. Oh the decisions.

Ruraltech said:
I am sort of glad I found this thread. I'm not a XDA regular but I've been following root guides from here since my Razr Mazz HD. I chose the Pixel in part for the ease of getting root and for Project Fi. Now that I have the phone, I'm not sure I want to root. I've never had a phone with quick updates before. I LOVE AdAway, but is it really worth the tradeoff? AdGuard is just as good if you don't use your VPN slot but if you DO use a VPN and need it.... not rooting forces me to choose between PIA and AdGuard. But do I even need a VPN anymore with Project Fi? Probably... Firefox with uBlock works pretty well too but doesn't work on apps. Oh the decisions.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you like it the way it is, then I'd just leave it. It's a great device on stock. However, having root, AdAway, TiBu, kernels, and mods, is a lot of fun as well. As long as you know adb and fastboot fairly well, rooting and flashing monthly updates is pretty easy :good:

I was rooted from the get go!!

I'm going to try to live without root for a bit but already hating not having AdAway. I just know I won't keep up with updates if I have to do them. I sure wish AdAway didn't need root

Ruraltech said:
I am sort of glad I found this thread. I'm not a XDA regular but I've been following root guides from here since my Razr Mazz HD. I chose the Pixel in part for the ease of getting root and for Project Fi. Now that I have the phone, I'm not sure I want to root. I've never had a phone with quick updates before. I LOVE AdAway, but is it really worth the tradeoff? AdGuard is just as good if you don't use your VPN slot but if you DO use a VPN and need it.... not rooting forces me to choose between PIA and AdGuard. But do I even need a VPN anymore with Project Fi? Probably... Firefox with uBlock works pretty well too but doesn't work on apps. Oh the decisions.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not regretting going back to stock from rooted as the only things I no longer have is center clock and emojione, which I 'could' get using Andromeda / Substratum but heard you have to reconnect to the computer anytime you reboot the phone and decided that's just not worth it for me. I am interested in ad blocking if possible without Root for Chrome. Only Ads that get in my way are via "News" and articles I touch from the Google Feed. Sadly many lately are blatant click-bait, page-hopping crap and slideshows that I refuse to go past the first page on.
Edit: Well, just ran across something known as DNS66 and have that up and running without Root and sure enough, it's blocking Ads on everything, even in Chrome without issue.

sharkie405 said:
I will always root, no matter what. The only downside is like you said, having to mess with getting OTAs in an unnatural way. However, seeing as how I flash all factory images, I get them sooner than those waiting on an OTA to hit their phone. Plus once you have all the tools ready to go, it literally only takes a few minutes to flash an update.
I always root because I usually run stock. And while stock on a Pixel 2 XL is damn near close to perfection, it will never be what "I" consider perfect. Which means I have to mess with the /system files to get things "perfect." I've modded the stock launcher, which I couldn't do if I was rooted. I've switched out fonts. I've changed the navbar, status bar, and quick settings. And of course, there's always AdAway which requires root. Granted some of those things can be achieved with third party apps, but I'd rather get it done "internally" whenever possible.
Click to expand...
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Whats your few minute process? Do you only have a few apps to restore with data?

plisskenn said:
Whats your few minute process? Do you only have a few apps to restore with data?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Flash without wiping data.

plisskenn said:
Whats your few minute process? Do you only have a few apps to restore with data?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
See below. ?
jrbxx7 said:
Flash without wiping data.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using XDA Labs

First thing I did with my unlocked XL 2 was to unlock the bootloader. I then rooted once Magisk was available. I root so I can do pain-free full TiBu of my apps and for AdAway. Even though I have corporate email on my phone, the Magisk Hide bypasses their restrictions in the email app.
I'm actually kind of shocked we don't have more ROMs for this phone, though I'm not a Dev and don't know how complex it may be. If more Devs release custom ROMs, I'll be trying some out for sure.

I never buy android phone unless it's bootloader-unlockable and root-able
Too many handicap applied without root.
I hate dns/vpn based adblock, it cluttering my status bar and notification. So, yes, i need root for adaway,
Google limit Tethering frequency option for my country (No 5Ghz) so, yes, i need root to enable it,
I like the ability to background play youtube, and see youtube without ads, so yes, i root my phone for that. Sure, no root option is available, but lot of problem with google account cant sign in, and this and that.
I like the ability to use Brevent, Edge Sense Plus, Greenify etc without the need of plugging my phone to PC and do adb command. So, yes, i rooted my phone for that.
The phone will never be 100% yours, unless you have total control over anything inside it
So,
There's no way am back to stock. Especially with xposed working so well right now.

otonieru said:
I like the ability to background play youtube, and see youtube without ads, so yes, i root my phone for that. Sure, no root option is available, but lot of problem with google account cant sign in, and this and that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Assuming you are using Magisk, how did you get YouTube Red without subscribing? (You can PM me if you don't want to hijack this thread...)

and To do root to a pixel is worth it??

and To do root to a pixel is worth it??

oraned said:
and To do root to a pixel is worth it??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Depends if you think it is. For me, definitely yes! I like AdAway, TiBu, sound mods, and the ability to flash kernels and roms, or whatever may come down the pike. It's your call though

I've had over a dozen Android phones and all were rooted, usually within the first week because they were all missing something that I considered essential. When I got my P2XL, I kept it stock for a month because it was that good. This is the first Android phone that I could probably live with entirely stock. All of the others needed some sort of tweaking, but I can honestly say the P2XL is a fantastic device right out of the box. Android has come a long way, and most of the things that I changed with root have been incorporated into the OS.
If you rely on AdAway or Viper4Android, then you still need root for those. I had V4A on all of my previous phones, but I don't currently have it on my P2XL because the audio output is good enough for me (I had V4A a few weeks ago, but I wiped & flashed my phone and never reinstalled it). I have used AdAway in the past and it works great, but it sometimes blocks useful links and I am too lazy to revert to default hosts and reboot. I use Brave browser + AdGuard to kill ads, and they serve my needs very well (AdGuard uses a VPN that can be easily toggled when you want to login to bank/credit card account, etc).
I suggest using the Pixel 2 stock for a while, and see if you still need root. Rooting takes less than 5 minutes to do, but if you don't need it, then no need to mess with it.

I also choose to root for all the reasons mentioned. On the other hand, since the introduction of Android, this is the first device I could actually use without any mods and be satisfied. In fact, I'm currently using stock. The ability to choose is most important but it's definitely not necessary

@oraned: That depends. I assume you know what root is, but why do you need to root? If you can't answer that question, don't root.

I Root because of all of the above, and that's why I've been with XDA!

This is the first phone I have had no need to root. Very happy.

sublimaze said:
I've had over a dozen Android phones and all were rooted, usually within the first week because they were all missing something that I considered essential. When I got my P2XL, I kept it stock for a month because it was that good. This is the first Android phone that I could probably live with entirely stock. All of the others needed some sort of tweaking, but I can honestly say the P2XL is a fantastic device right out of the box. Android has come a long way, and most of the things that I changed with root have been incorporated into the OS.
If you rely on AdAway or Viper4Android, then you still need root for those. I had V4A on all of my previous phones, but I don't currently have it on my P2XL because the audio output is good enough for me (I had V4A a few weeks ago, but I wiped & flashed my phone and never reinstalled it). I have used AdAway in the past and it works great, but it sometimes blocks useful links and I am too lazy to revert to default hosts and reboot. I use Brave browser + AdGuard to kill ads, and they serve my needs very well (AdGuard uses a VPN that can be easily toggled when you want to login to bank/credit card account, etc).
I suggest using the Pixel 2 stock for a while, and see if you still need root. Rooting takes less than 5 minutes to do, but if you don't need it, then no need to mess with it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
and if i want to Hide Navigation i need root?

Like everyone else, I root because AdAway, Titanium Backup, Youtube black themed etc. I have tried devices without root and it never lasts long for me.. I always get the itch. Oh and there's wonderful kernels like ElementalX, Flash etc, which btw I am now using Flash kernel for the first time and it's been great.

This app is a real good reason to root.
I was planning on leaving my P2XL unrooted, but when this app was made available I changed my mind.

oraned said:
and if i want to Hide Navigation i need root?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hide navigation? I am not sure what you mean.

I find pixel 2 xl to be a pain to root and update...
I root it, install custom firmware, and after every update, I had to flash vendor ,twrp and sometime magisk again, that alone is annoying enough.
I left it stock and unroot now, don't want to deal with the hassle anymore....
---------- Post added at 06:49 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:45 PM ----------
oraned said:
and if i want to Hide Navigation i need root?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No you don't. just activate global immersive mode using adb shell. (Search on xda)
After that I also install pie control.

New to Android and just Bought a Razer

Hey all. So as the title says, I'm new to Android, I've had an iPhone for like 10 years now and fancied a change. Bought the Razer on Monday and was wondering whats the benefits of Rooting the phone? As someone who used to Jailbreak the iPhone for tweaks etc, why should I root my phone? And is there any advice/help for making my phone better out of the box?

My main reason is to block ads, web and YouTube.
Oh by the way welcome to the dark side. Lol

If ads don't bother you i personally wouldn't bother with all the trouble

I root mainly because of xposed/gravity box and ads blocker

waiflih said:
I root mainly because of xposed/gravity box and ads blocker
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What's that?

Root is not that hard. Go to this post scroll down to "Prebuilt boot image:" download the IMG and flash it.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=76062554&postcount=1

I use root for several different things.
1) Get rid of Ads
2) Grant extra rights to an app called MacroDroid (This app allows you to fully automate your phone through macros, like setting up a rule that says when the phone connects to my work wi-fi then it automatically will switch to vibrate only. This particular rule does not require root but there are extra functions granted by root that allow you to pretty much create whatever kind of rule you want to suit your life. It's a very powerful app and useful app.)
3) Get access to the true file structure (or root) of the phone allowing you to change undercover things if you know what you are doing.
4) I have another app called Social Contact Photo sync that needs root to match up my phone contacts with their Facebook photos.
5) I have an app called Tiles that allows you to change out and add a few extra buttons to the quick menu in the pulldown tray.
6) This is probably the most important one though, Titanium Backup. This should be the first app you install after getting root. Not only does it back up the apps and things on your phone but it also saves the data within those apps. So any custom settings and whatnot you have made in the apps will be saved. It also has many many more features, such as cloud saves to Dropbox or Google Drive.
Ultimately though the real point of Rooting is to grant you admin access to do whatever you want with it, just the way a PC is. You own it, so make it yours.

lostnsound said:
I use root for several different things.
1) Get rid of Ads
2) Grant extra rights to an app called MacroDroid (This app allows you to fully automate your phone through macros, like setting up a rule that says when the phone connects to my work wi-fi then it automatically will switch to vibrate only. This particular rule does not require root but there are extra functions granted by root that allow you to pretty much create whatever kind of rule you want to suit your life. It's a very powerful app and useful app.)
3) Get access to the true file structure (or root) of the phone allowing you to change undercover things if you know what you are doing.
4) I have another app called Social Contact Photo sync that needs root to match up my phone contacts with their Facebook photos.
5) I have an app called Tiles that allows you to change out and add a few extra buttons to the quick menu in the pulldown tray.
6) This is probably the most important one though, Titanium Backup. This should be the first app you install after getting root. Not only does it back up the apps and things on your phone but it also saves the data within those apps. So any custom settings and whatnot you have made in the apps will be saved. It also has many many more features, such as cloud saves to Dropbox or Google Drive.
Ultimately though the real point of Rooting is to grant you admin access to do whatever you want with it, just the way a PC is. You own it, so make it yours.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Awesome. That's very helpful and sounds like I'll be doing that then! One note, should I force the Oreo update first or leave it?

askylitangel said:
Awesome. That's very helpful and sounds like I'll be doing that then! One note, should I force the Oreo update first or leave it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you wanna try rooting i recommend you to back up your ohone ir sync it with google, then download the factory images of razer,
From here you can flash the factory images of oreo and have your phone factory reset, then from there set up your phone.
Oh to use the factiry images, you need to unlock your bootloader.

IM in the same boat, ive only ever owned iPhones going back to the 3GS the RazerPhone is my 1st Android phone too slowely getting use to it however the only problems i have is with lack of secuirty and OS updates that we are use to on Apple devices

iliais347 said:
If you wanna try rooting i recommend you to back up your ohone ir sync it with google, then download the factory images of razer,
From here you can flash the factory images of oreo and have your phone factory reset, then from there set up your phone.
Oh to use the factiry images, you need to unlock your bootloader.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So how do I go about doing that?

There's always a guide
https://forum.xda-developers.com/razer-phone/how-to/guide-to-unlocking-bootloader-t3706462
Please be aware that unlocking your phone will delete all data so backup pictures etc

SeriousFlash said:
There's always a guide
https://forum.xda-developers.com/razer-phone/how-to/guide-to-unlocking-bootloader-t3706462
Please be aware that unlocking your phone will delete all data so backup pictures etc
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So is it worth waiting on 3 to push the Oreo update? (I'm from UK) or should I unlock the bootloader and force the update?

If you want to root your phone just go for the unlocking and debranding your phone to get Oreo and the easy root.
If you don't want to root then wait for three I would say since Oreo doesn't bring too much new stuff besides autofill in apps and better Dolby Atmos
The guides are all pretty straight forward and if something goes wrong you can always flash the recovery images

SeriousFlash said:
If you want to root your phone just go for the unlocking and debranding your phone to get Oreo and the easy root.
If you don't want to root then wait for three I would say since Oreo doesn't bring too much new stuff besides autofill in apps and better Dolby Atmos
The guides are all pretty straight forward and if something goes wrong you can always flash the recovery images
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Awesome. Thank you so much! If I get lost you're the first person I'll ask for help aha

I should probs ask. But once it's rooted what do I do next? Like to block ads etc

Block Ads without a constantly running process by modifying the HOSTS file, OS Tweaks (L Speed, HEBF Optimizer, ect.), Better Customization (Substratum), more features you can use, Hack games with Game Gaurdian (Useful in games like City Racing 3D where you can hack the IAPs to get them free, because $100 for one car is too expensive), Bypass regional or device restrictions on the Play Store by spoofing a different devices specs.... and for my favorite root ability, ViPER Audio (Nothing sounds as near as good, not even Dolby Atmos)!
The list goes on and on... I love root. Most devices I use I root. However rooting voids your warranty. Also some devices have better development and are more stable, the Razer Phone is still new so it may be a while longer before we have more ROM options with root.
There are two types of root. System and Systemless (Recommended, especially for new users since a factory reset will often undo changes you made that may of bricked your phone when something went wrong)

FanboyStudios said:
Block Ads without a constantly running process by modifying the HOSTS file, OS Tweaks (L Speed, HEBF Optimizer, ect.), Better Customization (Substratum), more features you can use, Hack games with Game Gaurdian (Useful in games like City Racing 3D where you can hack the IAPs to get them free, because $100 for one car is too expensive), Bypass regional or device restrictions on the Play Store by spoofing a different devices specs.... and for my favorite root ability, ViPER Audio (Nothing sounds as near as good, not even Dolby Atmos)!
The list goes on and on... I love root. Most devices I use I root. However rooting voids your warranty. Also some devices have better development and are more stable, the Razer Phone is still new so it may be a while longer before we have more ROM options with root.
There are two types of root. System and Systemless (Recommended, especially for new users since a factory reset will often undo changes you made that may of bricked your phone when something went wrong)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That sounds amazing tbh. Is there a tutorial for the systemless? And how would one go about installing the "add-ons" so to speak?

askylitangel said:
That sounds amazing tbh. Is there a tutorial for the systemless? And how would one go about installing the "add-ons" so to speak?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Personally I would wait until there's more development and things are more stable... but if you so ask...
First you should get TWRP. https://forum.xda-developers.com/razer-phone/development/twrp-razer-phone-t3727333 After installing, back everything up to your microSD card. Then you need to install Magisk (This is the systemless root, I usually myself don't use systemless root and I prefer system root as I'm more careful and I want some of my changes to stay even after a factory reset). After that, you may get Magisk modules which add functionality and use some root apps.

Just a quick note, it does seem like there are some minor bugs with the Oreo update on the Razer.
Me and my gf have matching razers and both our phones have stopped syncing voicemails to our dialer and our dialers keep crashing.
We have also had a problem with the phone becoming entirely unresponsive even to force power off and after about 5 minutes the OS would crash and reboot then it would be fine.
This all seems to be a bug within Oreo, the only other phone to ahve the update seems to be the Pixel phones and they seem to be reporting similar issues.
I never had these issues prior to the update and we have both had these phones since day one (very awesome phone by the way regardless of the issues).

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

For the Millions of Pixel 4a's sold , not much going on here.

I would have expected more activity here......

seems like people are happy with their devices out of the box... so there isn't much need for mods, custom ROMs and stuff like this?!

I think the modding scene died as stock Android progressively chipped away at the best major features of custom ROMs. Better privacy controls, power savings, night & dark modes, quick tiles. Those were pretty much the biggest selling points for me. The only other custom ROM features people liked were PIE controls and and silly animations.
And with the Pixel you'd lose so many of the Pixel extras if you flash a custom ROM. (recognizing music, probably live transcribe, the nifty Live Wallpapers, etc.
I've been occasionaly racking my brain to figure out if there are any value-added features left to pursue. Say, for LineageOS- they could replace all of the stock audio files with some high quality and very unique sounds, get some interesting wallpapers (a fresh coat of paint.), improve the stock launcher, bundle F-Droid, and offer Google Cloud Messaging and location svcs alternatives. They did/are add(ing) an online backup solution called SeedVault.
It's a difficult thing to think of any original ideas. I also have this per-app fuzzy location idea I submitted to Google issue tracker (which iPhone also came up with recently. I think they call it Approximate Location.)
It used to be more exciting to be a flashaholic but every time I look at the custom ROMs these days they don't "do anything" for me. More minuses than pluses.

jawz101 said:
And with the Pixel you'd lose so many of the Pixel extras if you flash a custom ROM. (recognizing music, probably live transcribe, the nifty Live Wallpapers, etc.
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Click to collapse
I have all these working on derpfest but I generally agree with your point. Im mostly modded for some personal QoL changes that might not be worth having SafetyNet broken, im weighing it atm

I rooted for about 2 weeks until a security update happened. It's such a pain to update without TWRP, I went back to stock. Only thing I miss with root is backing up data with Swift BU. There are a few other things that are nice with root, but not necessary (mainly custom accent colors, and fonts). I know I'd love to be back on Derpfest, but until a stable TWRP is available, sticking with stock.

Just got mine. Love it. Going to enjoy the stock pixel before playing around with root and roms.

Bought the Pixel 4a precisely to avoid all this root and modding stress. And I was not disappointed, everything runs perfectly.

My last 2 phones ran stock with root. This phone is no exception. I'd be on a custom ROM if the stock wasn't AOSP (eg. Samsung, MIUI, etc). Magisk fixes up any annoyances.

tcat007 said:
I rooted for about 2 weeks until a security update happened. It's such a pain to update without TWRP, I went back to stock. Only thing I miss with root is backing up data with Swift BU. There are a few other things that are nice with root, but not necessary (mainly custom accent colors, and fonts). I know I'd love to be back on Derpfest, but until a stable TWRP is available, sticking with stock.
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Click to collapse
Hi,
I just bought a Pixel 4a, downgraded it to A10 and install Magisk and TWRP.
It seems to be running fine so far (1 week).
But I am concerned with your comment above about a security update breaking your root.
Is this right?
If so, then is there a way to stop auto-security updates?

JohnC said:
Hi,
I just bought a Pixel 4a, downgraded it to A10 and install Magisk and TWRP.
It seems to be running fine so far (1 week).
But I am concerned with your comment above about a security update breaking your root.
Is this right?
If so, then is there a way to stop auto-security updates?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes it is recommended to turn off auto updates. Go to developers settings > turn off automatic system updates

Royalfox said:
Yes it is recommended to turn off auto updates. Go to developers settings > turn off automatic system updates
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Click to collapse
Will do. Thank you.

a1291762 said:
Magisk fixes up any annoyances.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What Magisk modules would you recommend?
I am coming from a Samsung S4 and I liked that the built-in Samsung apps each had a different material color header (Phone - green, Email - blue, SMS - Yellow), but the phone app and message app are just mainly all-white screen apps. But this gripe is theme related.
What other non-theme issues have you used magisk to fix?

I would still root for privacy and security reasons, but I can see why the regular schmegular joe wouldnt need to care. Pixel4a is a great phone stock or modded.

JohnC said:
I am coming from a Samsung S4
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Click to collapse
I think you and I have different ideas about what needs to be fixed. Adding busybox, updated tz files, removing system from apps so they can be suspended in the background. That's the kind of stuff I have.

a1291762 said:
I think you and I have different ideas about what needs to be fixed. Adding busybox, updated tz files, removing system from apps so they can be suspended in the background. That's the kind of stuff I have.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I meant like what modules/apps do you find indispensable?
I am using XprivacyLUA, +AFwall Titanium Backup, Autostarts and Gravitybox to keep privacy up and to keep running apps to a minimum.
I'm pretty happy that I was able to find a phone that I could install the apps needed to get the control over it as I wanted.

a1291762 said:
removing system from apps so they can be suspended in the background.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know how to freeze apps using TB, which totally disables them. But it sounds like you are just removing their background running permission, but still let them run when you want.
How do you do that?

JohnC said:
I know how to freeze apps using TB, which totally disables them. But it sounds like you are just removing their background running permission, but still let them run when you want.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Android has the ability to block any app from running in the background. It's a battery saving feature. But you can't do it to system apps. The primary system app I've seen abusing this inability to block it is Google maps. It works just fine as a user-installed app. Magisk debloat apps (I used terminal debloater) remove system apps (without actually having to modify /system) allowing you to install them as user apps.

Another easy way is to grab the system app apk from /system/app or priv-app and copy it somewhere, delete original folder, reinstall the apk, this time it will be a user app with the original your phone used rather than an online dl
JohnC said:
I know how to freeze apps using TB, which totally disables them. But it sounds like you are just removing their background running permission, but still let them run when you want.
How do you do that?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

jawz101 said:
I think the modding scene died as stock Android progressively chipped away at the best major features of custom ROMs. Better privacy controls, power savings, night & dark modes, quick tiles. Those were pretty much the biggest selling points for me. The only other custom ROM features people liked were PIE controls and and silly animations.
And with the Pixel you'd lose so many of the Pixel extras if you flash a custom ROM. (recognizing music, probably live transcribe, the nifty Live Wallpapers, etc.
I've been occasionaly racking my brain to figure out if there are any value-added features left to pursue. Say, for LineageOS- they could replace all of the stock audio files with some high quality and very unique sounds, get some interesting wallpapers (a fresh coat of paint.), improve the stock launcher, bundle F-Droid, and offer Google Cloud Messaging and location svcs alternatives. They did/are add(ing) an online backup solution called SeedVault.
It's a difficult thing to think of any original ideas. I also have this per-app fuzzy location idea I submitted to Google issue tracker (which iPhone also came up with recently. I think they call it Approximate Location.)
It used to be more exciting to be a flashaholic but every time I look at the custom ROMs these days they don't "do anything" for me. More minuses than pluses.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great post,cause i was thinking the same

I just picked up Pixel 4a this month and I am really wondering if I wanna be rooting or not. I previously have always rooted my devices (had Essential Phone as my last one). Root gets me AdAway (adblock), Swift Theme Installer and YouTube Vanced working but thats all really. Trying to weigh up if its really worth it with the Pixel 4a... original plan was to run it stock with root but now not so sure.