Why Rooting Still Matters in 2025: A Power User's Perspective

I am not a native English speaker; this article was translated by Gemini.

Android has matured significantly, but for power users, rooting remains a prerequisite for total control over the hardware and software experience. Here is why rooting still matters in 2025.

1. Bleeding Edge Kernel Features

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Manufacturers often use older, stable kernels. Rooting allows me to leverage modern features:

• BBRv2 Congestion Control: Significantly improves speeds on cellular networks (noticeable on China Unicom 4G/5G).
• F2FS Optimization: Paired with UFS 3.1, it offers noticeable gains in random I/O performance.
• Zstd Compressed ZRAM: Offers ~20% better compression than lz4.
• Custom CPU Schedulers: Schedulers like EAS (Energy Aware Scheduling) can reduce daily power consumption by ~15%.

I’ve compiled custom kernels for xaga and RMX3888 devices, enabling many features disabled by OEMs. KernelSU has proven to be more stable than Magisk for these scenarios.

Tools: Franco Kernel Manager / UKMM

2. Killing “Cloud Control” and OEM Bloat

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Manufacturers often push unwanted “optimizations” or ads silently via cloud control. My approach:

# Freeze system updates
pm disable com.xxx.ota

# Block cloud control domains via hosts
echo "127.0.0.1 cloud.manufacturer.com" >> /system/etc/hosts

Essential Modules: CorePatch (bypass signature verification), Shamiko (hide root).

3. Bypassing Ecosystem Locks

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Some banking apps or region-locked games restrict access based on device models. Technically, this involves hooking the android.os.Build class:

XposedHelpers.setStaticObjectField(Build.class, "MODEL", "SM-G9980");
XposedHelpers.setStaticObjectField(Build.class, "MANUFACTURER", "samsung");

Modules: Device Faker / Hide My Applist.

4. Automated Bookkeeping (The LSPosed Way)

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Accessibility services and OCR are too unstable for automated bookkeeping. LSPosed hooks are the gold standard—hooking directly into the payment success callback:

// Hooking WeChat Pay success callback
findAndHookMethod("com.tencent.mm.plugin.wallet...", "onPaySuccess", 
    new XC_MethodHook() {
        protected void afterHookedMethod(MethodHookParam param) {
            // Extract amount and merchant info directly into the database
            saveTransaction(param);
        }
    });

It achieves 100% accuracy and never gets killed by the system because it runs within the app process itself.

Reference: AutoAccounting (Open Source).

5. System-Wide Ad Blocking

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Beyond DNS-based blocking, root allows for:

• AdAway: The classic hosts-based blocker.
• ReVanced: The essential YouTube and streaming app enhancer.
• iptables Rules: Forcefully rejecting ad-domain traffic at the kernel level.

# Reject ad domains via iptables
iptables -A OUTPUT -d ad.xxx.com -j REJECT

6. Underclocking and Undervolting for Longevity

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Every SoC is different. On my Snapdragon 8 Gen2:

Method: Modify the kernel device tree voltage table or use Franco Kernel Manager for real-time tuning.

7. Bypassing Thermal Throttling & Charging Mods

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Thermal Control

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OEMs are often too conservative, throttling at 45°C. I increase the threshold to 55°C:

# Modify thermal trip points
echo 55000 > /sys/class/thermal/thermal_zone0/trip_point_0_temp

Smart Charging

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For devices always plugged in, I limit the charging current and capacity:

# Limit charging current to 2A
echo 2000000 > /sys/class/power_supply/battery/constant_charge_current_max

# Stop charging at 80%
echo 80 > /sys/class/power_supply/battery/charge_control_limit

Module: ACC (Advanced Charging Controller).

8. Termux: The Full Linux Experience

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Without root, Termux is isolated. With root, it becomes a complete mobile server:

# Install a full Debian distro
proot-distro install debian

# Network packet analysis
tcpdump -i wlan0 -w capture.pcap

# Flash custom kernels directly
dd if=/sdcard/custom_boot.img of=/dev/block/by-name/boot

Conclusion

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In 2025, rooting is still a necessity for me. It’s about performance extraction, privacy protection, and functional expansion. While there are risks like warranty loss or app detection, the journey of tuning the system is where the learning and fun reside.

My strategy: Keep the primary device conservative, but never stop tinkering with the secondary ones.