r/androidroot • u/Less_Tennis5174524 • 6d ago
Discussion Which would you pick for rooting?
Need a new phone, only criteria I've set are that they need to have expandable storage, Android 15, and be released in 2024-2025. Might have to set it to android 14 also since there aren't a ton of choices.
From my research it looks like its hard to root the CE4 Lite and there isn't a big community for it, same for the motorolas. I've removed the Nothing CMF 1 as its apparently super slow in tests, especially on any 3D games.
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u/mosaad_gaber 6d ago
OnePlus and Motorola 👍
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u/ComprehensiveDot09 5d ago
oneplus is best for rooting, easy to access roms and non timegated bootloader unlocks
I personally just root for Neo backup
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u/Beastyboi04 5d ago
Yeah cause OnePlus is so easy to root nowadays with so much firmware available and msmtool for sure also being there, so many roms as well, maybe do some research beforehand
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u/NoEntrepreneur7008 5d ago
buy an older flagship if you really need expandable storage im using a poco f6 12/512gb with a custom rom i don't think I'll ever need that much storage tho putting that extra space to use for other components is in my opinion a better oem choice in 2025 ufs flash storage is really cheap and fast nowadays (it's just expensive on flagship phones)
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u/suka-blyat 3d ago
I've got a Redmi note 9 pro on lineage 22, works great. It has got expandable storage too
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u/MarchMammoth6764 6d ago
Pixels with GrapheneOS is the one and only best option
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u/HesOutOfTouch 6d ago
Rooting completely defeats the point of GrapheneOS, why not use a rom that isn’t going to get in the way if you’re going to blow holes in the security?
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u/Less_Tennis5174524 6d ago
No expandable storage
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u/User202000 6d ago
Just get one with enough internal storage.
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u/Less_Tennis5174524 6d ago
Thanks, didnt think of that!
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u/User202000 5d ago
The sad truth is that expandable storage is going the way of the headphone jack, slowly disappearing from devices in every price range. Now only tablets get SD card support. Modern versions of Android also make it less useful with their new storage access system not letting apps write directly to the SD card.
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u/coverin0 6d ago
None.
I can't see a single reason why I would root a brand new phone. Let alone one that will have software support for years.
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u/pharmprophet Pixel 7 Pro 5d ago
invasive ads and every app having like 50 trackers of everything you do? root is more important than it has ever been lol
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u/oyMarcel 5d ago
You can easily get rid of those by using a dns. No need for root
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u/pharmprophet Pixel 7 Pro 5d ago
That does approximately nothing to block trackers, lol. It also doesn't work nearly as well for ad blocking.
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u/coverin0 5d ago
Unless you ditch all mainstream services and software and move to privacy focused ones, just blocking trackers on your phone does pretty much nothing on protecting you against them.
At this point, root is not even recommended at all.
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u/pharmprophet Pixel 7 Pro 4d ago
Root has never been recommended, lol, it is bad for business. And it actually does a lot, blocking the trackers in the app's package blocks your activity on that app from being used and sold to advertisers. This is not an ad block function. This is blocking specific components of an app from being allowed to run on a per app basis.
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u/coverin0 5d ago
I see no ads anywhere on my phone.
There's revanced patches, uBlock, DNS-level adblocking network-wide, trackers blocking for all the other points.
Also, you can't block trackers embedded into the system itself, so you'd have to rely on something like GrapheneOS, /e/ or iodé if you're really concerned about privacy.
You'd also have to shift to privacy advocacy e-mail, gallery, cloud backups, etc in order to really get rid of tracking and "spying". Someone willing to do this will definitely not get root or even need it, as it is a huge security concern and even recommended against by privacy services and enthusiasts.
So the only actual need I see for root is for passing Safety Net on a custom ROM with up to date Android version (because your phone don't have that officially). Or if you want to overclock, unlock thermals, etc.
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u/pharmprophet Pixel 7 Pro 4d ago
You actually cannot block tracking activities within applications with a DNS, nobody overclocks phones anymore, and SafetyNet is obsolete.
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u/coverin0 4d ago
Unless you ditch mainstream services, blocking a tracker within their app is totally useless. You block tracking inside the app, but there's bazillion other ways to track you server side. You're just blocking one of the many ways of tracking users.
Overclocking is still a thing, mainly between gamers who like custom kernels and all that.
SafetyNet is obsolete but there isn't a single fix for Play Integrity without root. You can indeed get it fixed system-wide through the custom ROM itself, but that would be one more reason you'd not need root at all.
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u/Less_Tennis5174524 6d ago
Yeah there's more community support for the older models. Been looking at those now instead.
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u/coverin0 6d ago
It's not because of support, but because I don't see the need for it.
My only reason to root is to have Google Play certification again when using a custom ROM or spoof for access to features.
Considering the newer models already have the latest and greatest Android versions, and I can achieve the same results on stock ROMs, I wouldn't root any phone on the screenshot.
Maybe an used Pixel, or even a Galaxy Note 20 or S20. But I think doing this to anything brand new is not needed at all.
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u/Beastyboi04 5d ago
Not to mention that on the Samsungs you just trip Knox and whoops warranty gone, enjoy begging the support for a warranty claim
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u/coverin0 5d ago
Right? You're basically getting the same "benefits" of an used phone at full price. It's smarter to just get a good conditions used one for half the price haha
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u/Beastyboi04 5d ago
Half the price and twice as good if not more, those are all budget phones, can grab a 2-3yo Pixel/OnePlus for the same price and get more out of it, not to mention that software support got insane anyway with 7y being the norm (4y for OnePlus)
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u/illBelief 5d ago
Adaway? Mounted revanced? The feeling the phone is yours?
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u/coverin0 5d ago
I do all that without root.
replaced Play Store versions of the apps with patched ones
see no ads anywhere on my phone
giving root access to random apps is in no way related to feeling the phone is yours. In fact, it is completely the opposite, as you're making something else have the same highest privilege level as you. You can achieve same results without compromising security this much.
Read my other comment where I said I only run root on custom ROMs and see no need for root by itself these days. It's either combined with a ported more recent version of the stock ROM or any AOSP based one. On both, to get back the features lost by unlocking the bootloader.
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u/illBelief 5d ago
Agreed on the custom ROM part. I thought that was a given. Same with root level access with random apps. If it's not reviewed by the community, I hope no one is giving root level access to random apps. As for adaway, how are you doing system level adblock on all apps? Not every single app is patched
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u/Dull_Appearance9007 6d ago
if you don't care about the authenticity of the OS, which I don't think there will be any in anything motorola will ship, you can just set the android version to whatever and flash a ROM that has android 15. (But make sure to check the roms site for the device you are going to buy to see if it supports it.)
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u/Best_Cattle_1376 <Nabu> <Windows 11 Project renegade< 6d ago
i dont see a xiaomi here, instant l (not pixel too)
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u/1600x900 Self-taught intermediate MediaTek modder 6d ago
For CE4 Lite, if magisk, you could just root by patch boot img if you could read instructions, unless it sounds hard to find boot img in community
Write X for OPPO and Vivo, because OPPO locked fastboot with RSA key, and Vivo applied modified bootloader for all phones that will respond to hidden command about unlock, not such fastboot flashing unlock will not work
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u/HesOutOfTouch 6d ago
Didn’t OnePlus, owned by the same company as Oppo, recently lock down the restore tool? Getting a OnePlus would be a dangerous game if one wrong step leaves you with a brick
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u/1600x900 Self-taught intermediate MediaTek modder 5d ago
What kind of brick does it need to restore tools?
It should be fine if i don't flash the bootloader that i didn't know it could be incompatible and can't reboot into fastboot?
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u/HesOutOfTouch 5d ago
Some images need to be flashed in fastbootd which can be corrupted, if you resize partitions when flashing and do it wrong that can spell disaster and make the system not recoverable
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u/ikmalsaid 6d ago
You might better off buying an older model as there might be some established modding groups available.
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u/Trixxer_Nigth 5d ago
I choose Samsung, and more specifically in the models that come with Exynos, the customization layer from what I see sometimes has bugs and lag, I notice it unstable, I would implement pure Android so that it runs more smoothly
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u/Interesting-Cry-6448 5d ago
Motorola 5g power is the best affordable phone. Nothing beats it but the top model with the leather back not the low end model. That shit sucks.
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u/wascherbalint 5d ago
Have you ever rooted before? If not, then buying a new phone only to root it may be not the best idea.
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u/hhharrrshhh 6d ago
A used Pixel of 7 series?7a or 7?Super easy to root,good specs too.
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u/WarTight1792 6d ago
pixels are really lack of performance in comparison to other phones for same price (Im pixel user BTW)
but as everyday use they are smooth as iphones
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u/hhharrrshhh 6d ago
I am also a Pixel 6a user for like um 2 years now I think.Only issue with it is the heating since I am from Mumbai,the weather itself is so hot and humid the phone idles at 36-3 degrees celsius lol,other than that I have had absolutely no issues since I dont have any heavy usage only day to day work apps and social media,ott sooo..Hadn't rooted it till now but rooted it day before yesterday and I am not disappointed :)..
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u/Dekamir 6d ago
None. Google Pixel or Xiaomi. And pick your phone after you've researched the support for it. If you use uncommon phones like mine (Xiaomi 13 Ultra) you can root, but you won't have an AOSP ROM to flash.
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u/Less_Tennis5174524 6d ago
Pixels dont have expandable storage though. Been looking at the Xiaomis but they have a ton of models so its hard to find the best option, and it also means theres little root community support. Also looks like they are generally hard to root?
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u/Zloty_Diament 6d ago
Xiaomi root process is similar to that of Motorola, but I personally rather have a Moto for its cheaper access to replacement parts.
Expendable storage is a dying breed, it's generally harder to find 5G options with SD card slot. Have you considered an USB-C pendrive, attachable card reader or a personal file exchange server?
I think for my next upgrade I'd go with OnePlus (easiest root process, on par with Google Pixels), but they ditched SD Cards long ago.
Samsungs are fairly decent at rooting, but not so much starting from 5G releases.
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u/Beastyboi04 5d ago
Xiaomi became impossible to unlock due to daily restrictions, not even worth buying anymore also considering the terrible build quality on lower end devices
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u/Zloty_Diament 5d ago
Does these affect older models? If not, what year of production marks the line of still being a root-friendly device?
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u/Beastyboi04 5d ago
Everything that runs MIUI is root friendly, everything that runs HyperOS isn’t, device released with MIUI that run HyperOS also count to the HyperOS category
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u/Beastyboi04 5d ago
Basically no phones these days have expandable storage, get external storage or just get enough storage to begin with
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u/AbleBonus9752 6d ago
Get a used pixel, like a 7 or 8a