Superuser Allows Other Apps Root Access

Superuser is the first app a user should install after rooting, if the rooting method didn’t do it already. “Rooting” a phone allows a user to establish total control over the device, but Superuser is the app that provides the button for that control. With Superuser installed, any app that needs root privileges to run will have to ask permission, and an informative pop-up will display with the option to give it those privileges. This app is an absolute must for any of the other apps on the list to even run.

Titanium Backup Automates System Backups

Titanium Backup is an enormously useful app. Not only can it backup apps, but it can backup apps and all their data, and it can delete apps—even system apps or bloatware. Making regular backups of all your apps (and their data) can ensure that if you ever really screw up, say in trying to install a custom ROM, that you can still have everything the way you left it should you need to wipe the entire phone and start from scratch. For more detailed information, see our full guide on using Titanium Backup.

ShootMe Takes Screenshots with a Shake

It’s a sad fact that Android ships with no way to take screenshots. ShootMe is an extremely simple, user-friendly app that rectifies that situation, but it needs the phone to be rooted first. ShootMe’s greatest feature is that it allows you to choose from several options in deciding what the trigger should be for the screenshot to take place—whether it’s shaking the phone, covering the light sensor, or just yelling at it (my favorite).

Adfree Blocks Ads Anywhere on Your Phone

Adfree may actually be the greatest root-essential app available on Android, and it’s one that you never see unless it needs updating. All Adfree does is block ads, but it does it for everything on the phone. Since the app works by blocking ad-serving sites at the IP address level (by modifying the phone’s Hosts file), it doesn’t slow your system down, and it does a remarkably good job. Even if you don’t mind ads in your browser, using Adfree makes “free” apps from the Market much more tolerable, since most of them have pop-up ads that tend to ruin the experience otherwise.

Metamorph Applies Visual Themes to Anything

Metamorph is a small app that allows you to theme any part of Android by applying simple patch files. Learning how to make your own themes isn’t exactly the easiest thing in the world, but most users don’t bother—there are plenty to choose from, made by other users who are absolutely nuts about theming. Parts of the system that can be themed by Metamorph include the lockscreen, menu screens, individual apps, or just about anything else that’s ever displayed on the screen. It’s all possible.

SSH Tunnel Encrypts All Internet Traffic on Your Phone

SSH Tunnel is an app that allows an Android phone to connect to the internet using an ssh tunnel for a completely secure connection. It’s great for those times when you’ve got no data signal, stuck at work or a coffee shop that only has public Wi-Fi available, and you need to be sure that nobody is snooping your sensitive personal information as you connect to sites like Gmail or Facebook.

SetCPU Controls the Speed and Behavior of Your Phone’s Processor

SetCPU has been, is still, and will probably be for quite some time the de facto tool for controlling a rooted Android phone’s processor speed. SetCPU allows the user to exert total control over how fast, or slow, the processor runs at any given point in time. As an example, SetCPU can force the processor to sit at its lowest setting whenever the screen is turned off, but to use a range between 240MHz and 806MHz as needed while the phone is awake. For phones that have the ability to drastically overclock, SetCPU can help ensure that they don’t overheat by keeping watch on the temperature, and acting accordingly. Overclocking or not, battery savings and overall performance can be greatly enhanced using this app.

Tasker Can Automate Almost Any Task

Tasker by itself doesn’t require root privileges to run, but some of its more impressive features do. Giving Tasker room to do what it does best is definitely a good thing, since it can practically automate your entire phone given the right amount of power. Rooting your phone is the only way to give it that kind of access.

Busybox Adds True Linux Commands to the Android System

Busybox is often called “the Swiss Army Knife of Embedded Linux,” because that’s what it basically is. It’s not an actual app that you run, but instead provides all the Linux/UNIX commands that we know and love. Without the commands installed, the barebones “Linux” that Android runs on top of can’t really do too much, making apps like Terminal Emulator nearly worthless.

Wireless Tether Turns Your Phone into a Wi-Fi Hotspot

Wireless Tether. For many users, this feature is the single most important thing in the world of mobile devices, so having the ability to use it is a must. Wireless Tether turns an Android phone, regardless of carrier, into a full blown W-Fi hotspot for any nearby devices that need one. It’s as simple as that, but only rooted phones can use it.

Performance, Performance, Performance:

Android is an absolutely awesome open source mobile OS for smartphones. The only problem is that with manufacturer’s own version of UI layered upon with bloatware, the performance of the phone could become sluggish, and thus ruining your phone usability. With every update of Android, the performance of the hardware just gets better and better. Rooting your phone and installing your own custom ROMs available online gives a new lease of life even to the first generation of Android Phones. And we are talking stuff like  – New windows opening up faster, App menus loading faster and UIs being more responsive.

Hardware / Software Interaction:

Stock Android installations often tend to have bottlenecks when it comes to performance. With a rooted Android OS, this is removed and hence the performance is tweaked. Overclocking the processor is much easier, and even certain functionalities can be enabled which are not present in the default install – e.g. Flashlight function in HTC Desire.

Freedom:

Take for example my Android phone – Samsung Galaxy Portal. It came with Android 1.5 (or the Donut), and I hate to wait for bloody ages to get the carriers upgrade it to Eclair. It was eventually done, but I had to wait ages for the update. If I would have rooted my phone back then, I could’ve easily upgraded my phone with the then readily available custom ROM ( in Eclair version).

Apps2SD:

One of the most important features that rooted phones support is that you can install Apps to the SD Card, instead of clogging up the phone memory. Although, the performance of apps which are installed on the SD card is a bit inferior to the ones on phone. This comes in very handy when you need to backup Apps, since most of the 1st and 2nd generation Android phones don’t come with a lot of internal memory.

Unavailable features:

With the root, features such as Live wallpapers can be enabled. C’mon, you have to admit. As silly as it may sound, one of the most amazing features of the Eclair update was the Live Wallpapers. With the official Eclair update on my Galaxy Portal, Live wallpapers was disabled. And Live Wallpapers was disabled on all Android phones with version lower than Eclair. By rooting the phone, I could enable Live Wallpapers.

Multi-touch:

This is yet another major feature which is enabled by rooting your phone. ‘Nuff said.

WiFi and Bluetooth tethering:

With this functionality enabled, you can share your cellular data connectivity to be used by your PC/Laptop. There are several apps available which can assist you to establish a tethering connection, but these only work with rooted phones.

Better keyboard:

Not that we don’t love what Samsung, or Moto or HTC have to offer – or any of the other paid apps offering keyboard layouts , but custom ROMS have their awesome input methods that make me go hmmm!

Apps from other builds:

The whole wide world of the Android market is your oyster. But also, you can get apps from Custom ROMs which are integrated from other builds – such as Switchers that can toggle WiFi connectivity, Bluetooth, GPS , Microsoft Exchange to support work mail, etc.etc. The list is endless. [Well, not endless really, but you know what I mean).

Because you can:

The most ultimate reason. Because you are the BOSS. It’s your phone which you paid your hard earned money for. And you are not letting the shitty default installation ruin the experience for you.