How to get any app you want on your Android smartphone

There are many reasons to unlock and root your Android phone.

Removing bloatware or installing an app that needs superuser privileges are two of the common reasons.

For those who’ve used Linux-type operating systems, the concept of the root user is familiar.

By default on Android you log on as a user with reduced privileges – you can’t access or change files hidden in the system areas of the phone.

“Rooting your phone” is short for becoming the root user, or superuser, which gives access to everything on a system.

To root your phone, you will need instructions specific to your make and model.

Instructions for your device are available on Kingo Root, or towelroot [read warning below]. We took several device brands popular in South Africa and detailed the process below.

Warning

If you root your phone, you need to be careful who you trust. This includes the Kingo Root and towelroot apps.

You are giving these apps the highest privilege level on your phone. Always investigate an app before you give it root access.

Another consideration is that certain apps, like banking apps and Pokémon Go, do not run if a device has been rooted.

To work around this you will need an app like Magisk, which lets you switch between running as a root and a normal user.

Users may also inadvertently “brick” their phone if they flash the wrong image or break firmware.

It is possible to recover from such a mistake, but there is always a chance you will permanently ruin your device.

Rooting may also void your phone’s warranty, with Samsung building a counter into its Knox security software that shows when a device’s firmware has been tinkered with.