Rooting your phone is like giving it superpowers. Basically android phones come with built in restrictions, which you can remove. I always do this so I can use the following best android root apps. Note: in the EU rooting does not void warranty (link)
- Adaway to block ads all over my phone (free)
- Callrecorder to record all my calls and upload then to dropbox ($10)
- Greenify to kill background apps and save battery (free, $2.99 for premium)
- Titanium backup to back up all apps and data automatically (free, $5.99 for premium)
- Wifikill to mess with wifi networks (free, premium available)
- Tasker for advanced phone customization ($2.99)
Best android root apps
Note that all following apps need your phone to be rooted. If you are not sure if your android is rooted, it is probably not. If you want to root your phone, try this overview page. Before you root, note that you are responsible for the results. It's possible to at least temporarily break your phone. Back everything up, and preferably have a geek friend along. It's not rocket science though, and I've never broken a phone by rooting.
Adfree root app
On my computer I have an adblocker in my browser. Phones are not so easy, because ads are spread out over the system. They are on websites, they are inside apps and so on. Adfree is a hosts level ad blocker. Basically this means that your phone will not be capable of opening advertisement links. Meaning that the ads simply can't load. It's made by bigtincan, and not available from the app store.
Callrecorder root app
For some reason people assume call recording is illegal, whereas in a lot of places it is not (if you are a private citizen and not a company). This app has saved me a bunch of hassle and given a lot of peace of mind. It prevented me from having to take legal action against a lying landlady for example. "No I didn't say that" conversations suddenly become a lot easier. Proof.mp3 does wonders. Note that you have to check local law to see if using this app is ok. If it is, it's very secure. It even has AES encryption available.
Greenify root app
Some apps have the nasty habit that they keep running after you click them away. For some this makes sense, whatsapp for example. For others it doesn't. Greenify tells you which apps may be sucking power out of your phone in the background and offers to automatically 'greenify' them. This increases speed and battery life.
Titanium backup root app
This app is a classic in the rooted phone world. It is super powerful. Basically what it does is back your apps up, including the data in them. I configured mine to:
- Make a backup at 02:00 every day
- Encrypt my backups
- Upload the backups to dropbox
That way even if my phone is stolen/destroyed I can restore all my apps and their settings in 1 go. It saved my life in the case of second factor authentication apps for example.
Wifikill root app
I found this one out of frustration. For a while I lived in a house where the internet router was a bit unstable. That means that if a housemate left their laptop home to let it download a movie, I could get zero work done. With wifikill I simply open the app, and knock their laptop off of the wifi. I don't even need to be the administrator of the network. Note that you should probably not do this on networks that are not yours without permission.
Tasker root app
I like my devices customized to my preferences. Usually my desires go beyond standard android functionality. Tasker works on a Trigger > action, Trigger gone > other action basis. For example:
- Flipping my phone enables airplane mode and slows down the processor
- Picking it up again puts everything back to normal
- Switching off the screen greenifies all apps and slows the processor a little
- Connecting to an unsecured network triggers a secure VPN connection You can do pretty much anything, these are just some examples I like to use. Another fun one would be to automatically text your SO when your battery is at 5%.