Why Do People Root Android Phones?

Now, I'm going to turn around and tell you the exact opposite thing. Well, not exactly. I'm not saying rooting is for everyone. It isn't. It involves hacking your phone and risks that you will break it. However, for some people, rooting is practically a requirement. Maybe you don't want to be treated like a child. Rooting your phone gives you total control. You can "flash" variations of the Android operating system that may be more convenient. You can get apps that allow you to have super-powers and do things that the phone carriers and phone makers wouldn't ordinarily allow you to do. Some of those things are perfectly fine, and some may be a bit questionable ethically or legally, so be a good judge. That's what grownups do.

Believe it or not, Google is pretty cool with this whole rooting thing. They could make rooting harder. Lots of Android phone makers did. You can find tons of apps designed to run on rooted Android devices in the Google Play store. If Google were out to quash rooting, that would not be the case. While I can't guarantee any particular app is safe or wise, if you're going to install root access apps, sticking to the Google Play store is at least a way to keep out most of the bad actors.

What are the consequences of rooting your phone? Well, you're going to void your warranty. You might also break your phone permanently. You are also now in charge of keeping track of your own Android maintenance. Any system updates are now your own responsibility. 

Obviously I'm not a lawyer, but rooting your phone appears to be legal in the US - for now. However, ulocking your phone is not, provided that you purchased that phone after January 1, 2013. What is the difference? Unlocking your phone means that you are changing it in a way to make it interoperable on another carrier. You obviously can't do that with every carrier - different phones use different wireless communication systems, but if you wanted to take your AT&T phone over to T-Mobile, the courts now say you need AT&T's permission to do that. Some methods to root phones may also unlock them, so be aware and don't inadvertently break the law.