Rooty Tooty, Fresh and Fruity (Android Edition)
October 15, 2015 6:31 AM   Subscribe

Should I root my Samsung Galaxy S5?

I have a Samsung Galaxy S5 running Android 5.0. I have 16gb of internal storage, and have a 64gb SDmini card inserted. I am getting a little frustrated that it seems most programs cannot be relocated to the SDmini card. I understand some things should stay on the internal memory for stability purposes, but Facebook? Come on, man.

Should I root? Would rooting give me additional powers to relocate apps to the SDmini card? How easy is it to root? Are there other advantages/disadvantages to rooting of which you think I should be aware?

Thanks!
posted by joelhunt to Technology (4 answers total) 4 users marked this as a favorite
 
No. It really does void your warranty. I've had warranty claims denied, and a free repair turned into a junked phone that I needed to replace. It's just not worth it.
posted by chrchr at 6:45 AM on October 15, 2015


Yes. I've had warranty repairs done since rooting my phone, and there's no such thing as a "free repair" on Galaxy S5s.

Virtually every repair on them requires removing the incredibly fragile screen, which is glued in place. Experienced techs tell me they break about 33% of them, regardless of precautions, and they cost about $75 for that part alone, so that helps explain why the deductible on my T-Mobile S5 is $100.

Rooting is as simple as installing towelroot and pressing one button. And it's completely reversible, too.
posted by IAmBroom at 7:23 AM on October 15, 2015 [3 favorites]


Yes. I rooted my S4 using the towelroot link above. Worked great. Made the mistake of taking the 5.1 update and now cannot root. I miss my root.

Rooting will allow you the opportunity to free up space on the internal memory by letting you delete some the Samsung (and for me, Verizon) bloatware that came on the phone. Being free to use Android as it was intended was liberating and I liked my phone a lot before rooting.

Install the XPosed framework. It will give you access to all sorts of programs that allow you to do things with the phone you couldn't before.

My daily driver now is a OnePlus One. Phone was made to be rooted. Pure Android, or close to it, is a terrific experience.
posted by AugustWest at 9:24 AM on October 15, 2015 [1 favorite]


I didn't think there was a root available for the S5? Clicking the button on the Towelroot page does nothing on my AT&T S5.
posted by Thoughtcrime at 1:30 PM on October 16, 2015


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