Rooting (Android)

Rooting is the process by which users of <a href="/facts/Android_(operating_system)/nNyHb0xz">Android</a> devices can attain <a href="/facts/Privilege_escalation/STzSAaf5">privileged control</a> (known as <a href="/facts/Root_access/0Brr6ol7">root access</a>) over various subsystems of the device, usually smartphones and <a href="/facts/Tablet_computer/6pGX2I7b">tablets</a>. Because Android is based on a modified version of the <a href="/facts/Linux_kernel/dlkduHuA">Linux kernel</a>, rooting an <a href="/facts/Android_boot/dql4EnjD">Android</a> device gives access to administrative (<a href="/facts/Superuser/0Brr6ol7">superuser</a>) permissions similar to those on <a href="/facts/Linux/9FvCKSTq">Linux</a> or any other <a href="/facts/Unix-like/YAKrAxzd">Unix-like</a> <a href="/facts/Operating_system_fingerprinting/2hFXJudG">operating system</a> such as <a href="/facts/FreeBSD/RKsFTm7F">FreeBSD</a> or <a href="/facts/MacOS/Y93vVpTm">macOS</a>. 
Rooting is often performed to overcome limitations that <a href="/facts/Mobile_network_operator/6Tt5J4TF">carriers</a> and <a href="/facts/Electronic_hardware/fKcrTv2f">hardware</a> manufacturers put on some devices. Thus, rooting allows the users to alter or replace <a href="/facts/System_software/0faaXG4d">system applications</a> and settings, run specialized <a href="/facts/Application_software/YQuj7Kog">applications</a> ("apps") that require administrator-level permissions, or perform other operations that are otherwise inaccessible to a normal <a href="/facts/Android_One/nXEHrrIt">Android user</a>. On some devices, rooting can also facilitate the complete removal and replacement of the device's operating system, usually with a more recent release of its current operating system.
<a href="/facts/Root_access/0Brr6ol7">Root access</a> is sometimes compared to <a href="/facts/IOS_jailbreaking/yJxsE1h9">jailbreaking</a> on devices running the Apple <a href="/facts/IOS/mK5cggH5">iOS</a> operating system. However, these are different concepts: jailbreaking is the bypass of several types of Apple prohibitions for the <a href="/facts/End_user/7IM9qu7N">end user</a>, including modifying the operating system (enforced by a "locked <a href="/facts/Bootloader/6sNpcLMK">bootloader</a>"), installing non-officially approved (not available on the <a href="/facts/Playstore/j3N4wv6g">App Store</a>) applications via <a href="/facts/Sideloading/JATK5A8M">sideloading</a>, and granting the user elevated administration-level privileges (rooting). Many vendors such as <a href="/facts/HTC/RxsVc2ec">HTC</a>, <a href="/facts/Sony/7x4tCtBd">Sony</a>, <a href="/facts/OnePlus/kzT6p8Qo">OnePlus</a>, <a href="/facts/Asus/134Qobfp">Asus</a>, <a href="/facts/Xiaomi/1u0fUnbN">Xiaomi</a>, and <a href="/facts/Google/GT9Sugza">Google</a> explicitly provide the ability to unlock devices and even replace the operating system entirely. Similarly, the ability to sideload applications is typically permissible on Android devices without root permissions. Thus, it is primarily the third aspect of iOS jailbreaking (giving users administrative privileges) that most directly correlates with <a href="/facts/Android_rooting/xbHXTjzA">Android rooting</a>.
Rooting is distinct from <a href="/facts/SIM_lock/0jpYk4f5">SIM unlocking</a> and <a href="/facts/Bootloader_unlocking/1s6WE06p">bootloader unlocking</a>. The former allows for the removal of the <a href="/facts/SIM_card/NUeSqoG1">SIM card</a> lock on a phone, while the latter allows rewriting the <a href="/facts/Phone_security/6AhXW68J">phone's</a> boot partition (for example, to install or replace the operating system).

Rooting (Android) open-in-new

Rooting (Android)