Rooting a phone is one of those magical things you read about on the internet that will make you want to do it, even if you don’t understand what you are doing. When rooting a phone, you are getting access to the root, or main system settings and programs that make your phone work. This can lead to amazing things, but it can also cripple your phone just as quickly.
The first thing to think about in rooting a device, Evo or otherwise, is to decide WHY you want to root it. Rooting will unlock some amazing opportunities for adding functions to your device, but it can also render it useless and will void your warranty. There have been various opinions on that last statement, but just keep in mind that it appears that rooting a device will void the warranty.
The next stage of rooting is deciding how to do it and if you are technically savvy enough to pull it off. Rooting is pretty easy for the computer literate, phone knowing tech junky, but it can be quite a challenge for the timid. The folks over at unrEVOked have come up with some pretty simple methods of rooting the device. You need a computer, data cable and a bit of reading to get through the process, but overall, it’s pretty simple. z4root is also a very popular system for rooting devices. I have not attempted a z4root on the Evo, but I have used it on the DroidX and it is as simple as one click of the icon on the device itself.
Now, if you pass the first two thoughts, you might be ready to root. The last piece to consider is if you might want to have a $500 paperweight instead of your flashy phone. If you say no to this, get some help if you decide rooting is for you. There’s plenty of helpful videos, website forums and instructions online to get the job done for you.
Once you have executed rooting your phone, or gaining access to the system itself, you can begin to remove items that you don’t want, or add items that the carriers leave out. The popular additions to most devices are: SetCPU, Rom Manager, Root Explorer, Wireless Tether and of course, the all powerful Superuser Permissions. Many people consider the latter part of rooting, and in all honesty it is, but it is the single most powerful app you can place on your device. It allows you to grant programs access to the core functions of your device. Something not to be taken very lightly, but needed for some of the functions you will start using with root obtained.
Wireless tethering is one of the biggest reasons that people want to root their device. This turns your Evo into a wireless hotspot to share with multiple devices. You can use that powerful 4G data connection to power your laptop, you iPad or any other WiFi enabled device.
Installing other apps like Root Manager will make quick and easy work of uninstalling the ‘bloatware’ that Sprint provides on the device. Bloatware in the tech community is the software that the carrier installs after the stock software has been finalized. For the Evo, these include: Sprint TV, Nascar, Sprint Football Live and Sprint Navigator just to name a few. Almost everyone that has had an Evo since day one will swear by Google Navigator over Sprint Navigator, but you can decided on that for yourself.
You can also remove core HTC apps like Facebook for Sense, News, HTC Mobile Guide, Flashlight, Footprints and the FM Radio. Of course, other software titles like Titanium Backup allow you to freeze apps making them ‘disappear’ from your app list, while leaving them on the device.
Finally, we get to the biggest reason to root your device, flashing custom ROMs to your device. The stock ROM or program for the Evo is currently running Android 2.2 with HTC Sense over the top of it. To some, Sense is very slow, bulky and bloated with features that they don’t want and are willing to sacrifice for faster and more responsive devices. Flashing ROMs is when rooting becomes the most dangerous but, at the same time, become the most beneficial.
Flashing a ROM is only something that should be done once you are familiar with everything you phone can and can’t do. Once you are comfortable, read up on flashing and learn to backup your device. After that, you can flash away and enjoy new a new phone everyday.
Overall, I have to give an edge to not rooting your device. While there are some serious perks to rooting, the majority of starters that root experience many issues, problems and bricked phones just to save a buck on wireless tethering for their laptop. You can accomplish the same results by using popular apps like PDANet from June Fabrics over bluetooth or USB cable for a very minimal charge.
If you truly want to delve into the world of customized Android devices, then get your helmet on, buckle your seatbelt and do some homework before you start and you’ll be just fine.
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