Rooted Androids – How It Can Brick Your Phone

Smartphone Repair / Smartphone Repair

If you are not sure what ‘rooting’ means, it is simply providing yourself with root permissions on your Android. It’s much like running Windows programs as an administrator or while in Linux, running a command with sudo. When your phone is rooted, you are able to run apps which might require access to specific system settings or flash custom ROMs to your Android. These all add various extra features.

The thing is, however, you really can’t and shouldn’t do whatever you want with your phone. Mobile network operators and phone manufacturers have imposed different software limitations for security reasons. By rooting your Android, you can overrule these limitations, although it is not advised, particularly if you have no antivirus installed on your phone which protects you from mobile malware. All too often, people will tell you how much freedom you get by rooting your Android.  What they neglect to tell you are the risks you face when you do so.

The Risks

Some risks of rooting your Android include:

  1. You risk turning your phone into a brick. Sure, not literally, but should you mess up the rooting process which are the code modifications, your Android software might get damaged and will basically make your phone as useless as a brick.
  2. You will void your phone warranty. Sure, it is legal for you to root your Android, but, if you do, you lose the warranty on your phone. Therefore, if you experience any type of phone malfunction – software or hardware related – after you have rooted your phone, it’s not covered.
  3. Your mobile security can be breached easily by malware. Gaining root access also involves bypassing your Android operating system’s security restrictions. This means that viruses, worms, Trojans and spyware can easily infect the software after it’s been rooted if you don’t have it protected with mobile antivirus. You can get malware on your phone in various ways such as malicious links, drive-by downloads or infected apps that you download from app stores that aren’t very reputable. These attacks get into your phone and work maliciously behind your back forwarding your contact list to cyber crooks, sending text messages to premium numbers, sniffing your emails, collecting personal data like your usernames, passwords, credit card details and racking up your phone.

Can it Be Fixed?

Because ‘bricking’ your device is equivalent to leaving it useless, other than being great for using as a paperweight, we are led to believe that it is virtually impossible to undo. This is not entirely true. It is not impossible to undo; just a little tricky to recover by yourself.

This is why it is a good idea to get the professional assistance of an Android or iPhone repair shop.  They have the expertise to handle a rooted Android phone.  The last thing you want to do is totally kill your phone so you can’t use it again.  Get the help of these professional services instead so you can have peace of mind that your phone will remain intact.

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