Is My Phone Rooted? 7 Effective Methods to Check if Your Device is Rooted
- "Is my phone rootable?"
- "Why is my phone rooted?"
- "How to know if your phone/device is rooted?"
You may want to break out of the constraints of Android OS to gain more permissions. For instance, you're to install an app from Google Play, but it doesn't work out as it should. So, a question - is my phone rooted - may come into your mind? Well, since some phones come rooted, some folks care about how to check if your phone is rooted.
As is known to all, most Android smartphones are rootable. However, there might be some risks in doing so. Be that as it may, it's still a concern to check whether your phone has been rooted and how to do it, if not.
OK, here are seven simple ways to check your Android root status. And they might be situational, depending on your phone models. On top of that, we will share with you more about rooting as well.
Section 1. What Is Rooting & Why Is My Phone Rooted?
You've probably heard of people using some Android rooting tools to root their phones. And they thus get more access and fun from the "new phone". So, what is rooting, and why do people root their Android devices? Now, let's figure them out.
What Is Rooting?
Like jailbreaking on iOS devices, rooting is done on Android devices, granting the users privileged control or root access. That is, it gives you the freedom to bypass Android internal protections and obtain superlative control over the operating system.
Why Root Your Phone?
- Utilize more dominant and powerful applications.
- Change certain settings.
- Level up your battery life.
- Play more exciting games.
- Uninstall useless apps that come with your phone.
- Dispose of maker's Android UI.
- Extend the usefulness of your device.
- Benefit from the added performance.
Next, how can you tell if your phone is/has been rooted? Indeed, there are at least seven methods to deal with it. And we will talk about them in the following.
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Section 2. Is My Phone Rooted? 7 Ways to Check It
Way 1: Check Root Status through Settings
Is my phone/tablet rooted or unrooted? The easiest way is to check the root status from the Settings app. Here are the steps:
- Go to your phone's Settings.
- Locate and tap "About Phone".
- Go to "Status information".
- Check the "Phone Status".
If it is "Official", it suggests that your software hasn't been tampered with, and your phone is not rooted.
Seeing a Custom tag under the phone status means your device is rooted.
Way 2: Find if There Is a Kinguser or SuperSU Icon
After checking the root status, you may not be sure whether your Android device is rooted or not. You can get into your device and find if it has installed the Kinguser or Superuser app. These two apps can be used to control your root access. In most cases, they will be installed on your device after rooting.
How did my phone get rooted? Here's a complete guide on how to root Android phones. Check the link if necessary.
Way 3: Use a "Systemless Root" Method
You can do the "systemless root" with Magisk. One of the most significant features of this tool is that the modifications are saved safely in the boot partition other than modifying the real system files. As the original system files keep unchanged, modifications can go unnoticed by Google SafetyNet.
After everything is done by this tool without an error, you have rooted for all intents and purposes.
Way 4: Use a Root Checker Application
How do I know if my phone is rooted or unrooted? A root checker for Android like Root Checker, SU Root Checker, or Am I Rooted may help. Here, let's take the Root Checker as an example to explain how to check the status with it:
- Open Google Play, search Root Checker.
- Download and install it on your phone.
- Open the installed Root Checker, tap "ROOT".
- Touch the screen start to check if your phone is rooted or not. It may take you tens of seconds.
Tips: Some root tools might lead to data loss on your phone. Thus, you can back up your Android device without rooting to secure your stuff.
Way 5: Install a Terminal Emulator
How to tell if your Android device is rooted? A Terminal Emulator is another great option to pick. This app gives its users a complete Linux terminal emulator for Android devices.
- Go to Play Store.
- Tap the search bar and then "Terminal Emulator".
- Tap Install > Agree.
- Go to Settings and find the Terminal Emulator app.
- Open the app.
- In the terminal window, type in "su" and tap either Search or Enter.
The "su" is the super-user command line. If your Android phone is rooted, you will see the "$" turn into "#" in the command line. Otherwise, your phone isn't rooted.
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Way 6: Install ADB Tools
To fix how to check/know if my phone/device is rooted from a PC, you can turn to the Command Prompt. You should have ADB tools and drivers for the Android device installed on your PC. Besides, it's also necessary to enable USB debugging on your Android device. Subsequently, follow the instruction to check Android root status:
- Make sure your device is powered on.
- Connect Android to your PC via a USB cable.
- Open Command Prompt with admin rights.
- Run the command: adb shell su
- The command will take you to the root status of the connected device.
Way 7: Check If Phone Is Rooted with Doctor for Android
This ultimate way is to use MobiKin Doctor for Android (Win and Mac). This utility can not only help you check if your Android phone has been rooted but gives you an option to securely recover any lost data before/after rooting. Before you know how to check Android root status, let's get a basic idea of what it is.
Key highlights of MobiKin Doctor for Android:
- Check if an Android phone is rooted easily.
- A dedicated tool to recover data from Android internal memory or SD card.
- Make Android data recovery without root or with root.
- Work for data like contacts, messages, call records, photos, videos, music, documents, and more.
- Let you preview and select the items before recovery.
- Run smoothly on 8000+ Android devices, covering Samsung Galaxy, Huawei, LG, HTC, Motorola, Xiaomi, Sony, Google, Asus, DELL, OPPO, Vivo, etc.
- It won't give away your privacy.
How to see if your phone is rooted with Doctor for Android?
Step 1. Connect Android to a computer via a USB cable. Install and run the tool on the computer. Enable USB debugging on Android to have it recognized by the tool. Afterward, check all the data types and click Next.
Step 2. Follow the screen prompts to select a scanning mode and then click on "Continue".
Step 3. If the program shows you an interface as below, it means your device is not rooted. Here, you can tap the "full guide" to root your phone as required.
Section 3. How to Recover Lost Android Data after Rooting?
As we described in the previous section, MobiKin Doctor for Android can help you check if your Android phone is rooted. After rooting your device, you might lose your precious data on it, or you even lost some files before the root. This professional Android data recovery program is right here to let you retrieve all your lost content in simple clicks.
How to retrieve lost/deleted Android data after rooting?
- Follow the drill above to allow the program to run a scan on your device.
- After you get the screen as below, preview and select whatever you want to restore from your device.
- Click "Recover" and save the chosen items to your computer.
FAQs for Android Rooting
1. Is Rooting Android Phone a Security Risk?
Honestly, here are some of the risks your Android phone could face after it is rooted:
- Your phone warranty turns void.
- It may be hard to install official updates.
- You might brick your device simply trying to root it.
- ROMs like Lineage might be difficult to install.
- Malware can easily breach your mobile security.
2. What to Do If My Phone Isn't Rooted?
Has my phone been rooted? If the answer is no, what can I do to accomplish the job? Well, you know, Android rooting is the key to an unlimited Android experience. On the off chance that your phone is not rooted, do remember to reach out to root specialists for yourself.
3. Can I Unroot an Android Device?
Yeah, definitely! If you'd like to run a system update, unrooting your device could be the first to do. For more, check out the page: how to remove root from Android.
Concluding Remarks
We learned how to see/tell if the phone is rooted, from which we can arrive at the following review:
- Neither the Terminal Emulator nor the Root Checker apps can root any Android device.
- To gain more customization options and control over your device, you can root your Android phone after making a secure backup.
- You can use MobiKin Doctor for Android to check Android root status and recover your lost data as well.
- Don't go crazy over root access if you are enthralled only by its merits.
Related Articles:
Top 7 Tools to Root Android Devices Online
How to Hide Root Access from Apps on Android?
How to Use Root Explorer - Full Guide of Root Explorer
