Root Android Phone - Galaxy S7

[Krolic]

HI all, 

 

So recently my phone has been really starting to show its wear. As such, I am starting to care very little it and don't mind messing around with it and potentially breaking it I break it since I am probably gonna have to get a new phone soon anyways. I have been looking into rooting the phone to play around with something I have looked up online, but I have no idea about anything to do with rooting a phone, or what it even fully entails. Does anyone have experience doing this, and the benefits of rooting a phone? 

[NelizMastr]

Rooting a phone and unlocking its bootloader will give you access to every aspect of the operating system (also exposing it to external threats in the process, mind you), and to custom ROMs that are specifically built for your phone model, often much newer and cleaner than the Android ROM supplied by Samsung. So your device might be better protected (because more updates) and faster and leaner at the same time.

[Krolic]

Once a phone is rooted, is any data lost at all (like a factory reset). And is it reversible? Can you still use normal Google Play Store apps?

[IntMD]

3 minutes ago, Krolic said:

Once a phone is rooted, is any data lost at all (like a factory reset). And is it reversible? Can you still use normal Google Play Store apps?

Not 100% on how they normally do it on Samsungs to be honest, but from what I've done in the past with old Sony phones (haven't done it for 4 or 5 years at least).

1. Depends on the root method, sometimes yes, sometimes no.

2. Yes (at least on Sony phones, you used to just have to flash a stock ROM)

3. Yes (mostly, some have root detection and won't run, normally banking apps and the like, but this can often be taken care of).

 

Below link is where you'll really want to go for definitive answers though.

 

https://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s7

[RollinLower]

1 hour ago, Krolic said:

Once a phone is rooted, is any data lost at all (like a factory reset). And is it reversible? Can you still use normal Google Play Store apps?

on the galaxy S7 for a succesfull root fomatting data is recommended, so yes you will lose your data.

yep, you can even reset the KNOX counter on the S7, so it is completely invisible to the store if you need to replace it under warranty!

yes, once rooted you can use all normal GAPPS, so also the playstore. that being said tough, some custom ROMs require to reflash another GAPPS. but usually that is explained on the ROM page.