[Guide] Modifying your Android phone - tips, tricks and apps

Your little cute Android is based on a Linux operating system.. and you do not have the full access to some files. That's terrifying, isn't it?
Well, I've got great news for you.
Rooting. It allows you root or admin access to the system, which means that you can change any file you want.
But, rooting can get you in trouble. If you don't do something right you can mess it all up. There are maaaany tutorials and programs and everything - it will make it a lot easier for you, so you shouldn't really worry. However, if you really think that you cannot do it.. don't do it. You can also ask someone who is experienced with it, a friend perhaps?

Wʜʏ ʀᴏᴏᴛ?
Why would anyone risk fucking up their phone? Because rooting is a great thing. Rooting makes Android phones a bit better than iPhones, because you can customize them the way you want them to be. You can bring your phone to a point where you'll extremely love it and won't be able to leave it alone even for a second.
You can:

   Backup your whole system
   Overclock, undervolt
   Install even more cool applications which can enhance your phone
   Flash your kernel
   Flash your rom
   Boost audio
   Speed up your phone and SD card
   Extend or reduce your battery life

And many more things.

Hᴏᴡ?
ʀᴏᴏᴛɪɴɢ
To root your first phone, you need to do some searching. I suggest you to head over here and find what phone you have. If it's not there, try typing your phone into the search box. There must be some results. If you have no luck on xda, you will have to use google. On google you will find many rooting tools, and you will need to find your phone on the compatibility list of that tool (if there exists one.) I cannot really tell you the instructions on rooting your phone because I don't know how to root that many phones.

ғʟᴀsʜɪɴɢ ʀᴏᴍ
When you rooted your phone (when it's rooted you should have the SU app installed on your phone) you can find yourself a ROM. You can choose what Android version it will be upgraded/downgraded to and so it'll work that way. I always suggest upgrading, because duh, upgrading it means new features.
While you look at ROMs, check out their characterictics. Some ROMs are very unstable, some are good only for gaming, some are extreme battery drainers.. so, be careful when choosing.

ғʟᴀsʜɪɴɢ ᴋᴇʀɴᴇʟ
For flashing your kernel you need to have your bootloader unlocked. Changing your kernel from stock to a new, probably enhanced one can be a good idea. As always, be careful when choosing. No one wants to end up with a bad kernel

ʙᴀᴄᴋɪɴɢ ᴜᴘ ʏᴏᴜʀ ғɪʟᴇs
For this, I suggest you to use xRecovery, Titanium Backup or Clockwork Recovery. It's your choice afterall. Don't be lazy and do your backup, 'cause you will surely need it if you mess something up (resulting a factory reset).

Bᴇ ᴄᴀᴜᴛɪᴏᴜs!
Even if your phone rooting is done, there are still many things to be scared/careful about. The most important thing for you to do is.. READ!
Read? Yes, exactly. You need to be sure what you're doing, especially when it's related to roms and kernels. Most mistakes occur when a person doesn't read the given instructions and then they manage to brick their phone. So, don't act like a smartass and start reading some really good tutorials.
Also, check this out if you wondered about your device warranty.

A ʟɪsᴛ ᴏғ ᴀᴘᴘʟɪᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴs


Fʀᴇᴇ
Airdroid
Battery calibration
Boat Browser Mini
Dolphin Browser
DSploit
How Stuff Works
imo.im
Link2SD
Netflix
Outlook
Rom Toolbox Lite
SD Booster
SD Maid
Titanium Backup

Pᴀɪᴅ (ʏᴏᴜ ᴄᴀɴ ᴜsᴇ ʙʟᴀᴄᴋᴍᴀʀᴋᴇᴛ ғᴏʀ ᴛʜɪs)
Root Explorer
Tapatalk
- more to be added -


Tᴇʀᴍɪɴᴏʟᴏɢʏ

~ADB
Android Debug Bridge
~Apps2SD
This allows moving applications from the internal memory on the external (SD card).
~Bloatware
The applications that you don't need, useless apps.
~Bootloader
A bootloader instructs the kernel to boot properly.
~Busybox
A set of Unix tools / commands that has been compiled for use on your phone.
~CWR
ClockworkMod Recovery
~Flashing
Replacing or adding things onto your operating system
~FC
Forceclose
~GApps
Google Apps.
~Hard Brick
Not recoverable, you can throw your phone away if your warranty papers don't help you somehow.
~Hot Reboot
Reload all applications and framework files without rebooting your phone.
~Kernel
The core of most operating systems.
~ODIN
Samsung software used to update only Samsung devices. Can be used when soft bricked a Samsung device.
~ROM
Read Only Memory, when talking about Android, is the internal flash memory where the core operating system resides. If you don't flash it correctly, you might brick your phone.
~SDK
Software Development Kit
~Soft Brick
Phone usually gets stuck at boot screen, have to recover it with a pc tool or Odin.
~Superuser (SU)
A progam which gives unlimited access privileges to perform any or all operations on the operating system.
~Vanilla
Unmodified or clean version of anything.
~Widget
An application that is always running.
~Zipalign
Reduces the amount of RAM consumed when running the application.
- more to be added -
..
Please this is my first tutorial and it took like 2-3 hours to gather and make this.
Comment any mistake and I will modify it.
Am writing new ones I will drop them when I finish.[hacking some types of website]


GH BOARDERS 4REAL

NICE... KEEP IT UP.

most newbies should note, if you are planning to mod your phone, you should know every sigle basic info about your phone, like phone model, SoC (chipset ), chipset type( ARM version ),and others. this would help prevent hard bricking your phone

thanks @Admin and Emmaus we will do that

welcome and keep up the good work.

good job. will like you to help me root my HTC wildfire a3333

Try super one click

u can try z4root and seee

My phone is htc wildfire a3333 ,can you help me with the steps in rootting it.

z4root didn't work for my huawei u8510

any other suggestions cost my phone is running too slow

what is you model

wat model are u talking abt??anyway d android version is 2.3.5

Just use superoneclick it works like fire

super one click is a PC app right??

racheampong80 wrote:wat model are u talking abt??anyway d android version is 2.3.5

i ask for your phone model so that we will know your specs, and look for the best way to speed it up.just the os aint enough.

huawei u8510.datz it

superoneclick too isn't seems to be working for me.wen I click on 'root' nothing happens.I have installed USB drivers for my huawei too so I don't know why

I'm just stuck at waiting for device

Oh sorry but Google and see

make sure u have enable usb debugging mode on ur device and added android sdk

I've enabled USB debugging mode.wat is adding of android sdk??

download and install android sdk on your pc . this will install the adb drivers.it is needed to root your phone.

if u talking abt d device usb drivers,I already have it