What is ROOTING?!
Rooting is the process of allowing users gain privilege control over Android’s sub-system.
Why ROOT?!
Rooting is considered to be the ‘Holy Grail’ for advanced Android users. It allows specialized apps to run with admin level privileges that are otherwise locked on a normal or non-rooted Android phone. In addition, users can also make system wide changes, remove or freeze company specific apps that are otherwise non-removable or cannot be stopped, install custom ROMs, tweak CPU and GPU settings and a hell lot more!!
Who should consider ROOTING?!
Powerusers who want absolute flexibility and control over their Android smartphone. Read up before you tread down this dark and sublime path. There is no turning back!!
A good place to start would be www.xda-developers.com– one of the biggest Android community and people are always ready to help.
Always remember - If you do not know what you are getting into, your nice and shiny phone will be nothing more than a nice looking paperweight.
On the other hand, if you read up and understand the steps thoroughly, it opens up a wide range of possibilities. From more RAM to lesser background processes to keeping your identity safe from snooping apps. Hell!! You can even block in-app ads from popping up randomly!! A major deal breaker for most Android users
Having said that, the risk of ROOTING is yours to take and yours alone!! I am not responsible for any damage caused.
What are we going to achieve by rooting the Zenfone 5?!
1. Remove/block in-app ads
2. Greenify unwanted apps (Paid version)
How to root and receive OTA updates on the Zenfone 5 (KitKat 4.4)
What you will need:
Android USB Drivers: http://goo.gl/klivfH or http://goo.gl/7VCLst
Rooting Toolkit: http://23pin.logdown.com(download the latest version such as v3, v4, v5…)
At the time of writing, V3 was the latest
V. IMP: Make sure you download the right SKU package to root the Zenfone; else you might end up bricking the phone. WW for WW based versions, CHT for CHT based versions, TW for TW based versions
Here is how you check the build version
Settings > About > Software Version – See the build number
XXX_T00X_WW_XXX_2.19.40.18.XXXXX
How to enable ‘Developer Options’
Settings > About > Software Information > Rapid tap on ‘Build Number’ (Approx. 7 times)
You will now be able to see the above mentioned menu under ‘Settings’
Enable USB Debugging: Settings > Developer Options > Check ‘USB Debugging’
Make sure that your drivers for the ZenFone are installed
Do this by right clicking on ‘My Computer’ – then click ‘Properties | Device Manager’
Psst: Please connect the phone to check the status of the drivers
Jump here once the drivers have been installed
Jump here once the drivers have been installed
Unzip the file ‘RootZenFone5KitKatv3-XX.zip’ - where XX is the SKU specific to the phone you are rooting.
Follow the steps:
1. Set it to ‘Airplane’ mode
2. Connect it to your Laptop or PC
3. Enable USB Debugging (If not enabled)
4. Execute ‘CheckBeforeAction’ to confirm if the device is readable and ready to ‘Root’
5. Execute ‘Root-ZenFone’
6. Sit back and follow the instructions
7. Don’t panic!! The phone will reboot a few times during the rooting process
8. Once the rooting process is over, open CMD by executing ‘EnterShell’
9. Type ‘SU’ and hit ‘Enter’
10. You may or may not see this – ‘Success ROOT Hello!’
11. Reboot your phone
To remove ROOT, execute ‘UnRoot-ZenFone’ and follow the steps
Once you are done rooting, do take the time to update all necessary apps. Even the SuperUser library (installs during the rooting process)
Head to ‘Settings | Security’ and enable ‘Unknown sources’ and ‘Verify apps’
1. Download and Install the Xposed Framework. Click ‘Done’ after installation and not ‘OPEN’. DO NOT RUN THE APP AND DO NOT INSTALL THE FRAMEWORK.
Connect the phone to your Laptop or Desktop.
2. Unzip the contents of ADB Fastbool Tool.zip to ‘C:\’ or to your own preferred location. Navigate to the extracted location and execute ‘OPEN’ or ‘OPEN.cmd’. This is what you should be able to view when ‘OPEN.cmd’ is executed. Where 'E:\' is the drive partition, '!Zenfone' is where the zip file is saved to and 'ADB' is my current working folder. (Image below)
3. Execute the following commands
adb devices (checks if your device is connected or not)
adb shell (hit Enter)
su (hit Enter and look to your phone and click ‘OK’)
echo 148 > /data/data/de.robv.android.xposed.installer/conf/jit_reset_offset (hit Enter)
chmod 664 /data/data/de.robv.android.xposed.installer/conf/jit_reset_offset (hit Enter)
4. Open Xposed, click ‘Framework’ and hit ‘Install/Update’. Reboot your phone
Disabling in-app ads with MinMinGuard
1. Open Xposed | access Download | search for ‘MinMinGuard’ | access ‘Repository’.
2. You can access the link and download the apk either via your browser or you could just let Xposed install it automatically.
3. If the file has been downloaded using the browser install the apk by accessing the download folder. Use your installed file manager to access the apk.
4. Open Xposed | access ‘Modules’ | enable ‘MinMinGuard’. Reboot the phone. (You will need to enable the modules and reboot after every app installation for them to work.
You can now disable Ads across any given app. Access MinMinGuard and select the app where the Ads need to be blocked.
Greenify
The main purpose of using Greenify is to stop memory hogging apps from running in the background. It also prevents apps from waking up the device; thus reducing the number of wakelocks.
Installing and using Greenify (paid version)
2. Enable the module in Xposed (Reboot device)
3. Open ‘Greenify’ | click the three dots towards the bottom right and choose ‘Experimental features’
4. By default the ‘Working mode’ will be Root (assuming your device is rooted) – change it to ‘Boost’ (The system will freeze for a moment. Sit back and wait for it to initialize. Your phone might also soft boot. Don’t panic!!)
5. Re-open Greenify (if closed). Head to ‘Experimental features’ and enable all except ‘Wake-up Tracker & Cutoff’ – DO NOT ENABLE THIS. You phone might go into a BOOT LOOP
To Greenify an App click the ‘+’ sign and select the desired app. You can also go on selecting to add multiple apps. Once done, click the ‘Check mark’ on the top right side of the app. That’s about it. Your apps should now go to sleep once the phone goes into standby. Greenify is best used in conjunction with Wakelock Detector.
Psst: It is recommended to not Greenify system apps. It unnecessarily breaks the functionality of the Android OS and in turn ends up consuming more battery.
Apps worth the download –
Wakelock Detector – Ever wondered as to why your battery falls drastically when locked?! The sole reason for this is due to ‘wakelocks’ – power-managing software mechanisms, which prevent your device from attaining deep sleep (a state that should kick in when the device is locked).
This nifty little app shows the usage statistics of apps that have kept your phone from sleeping since boot. Most effective when combined with Greenify.
Titanium Backup – The Grandfather of all backups. If you are rooted then this is well worth every penny. It is loaded till the brim with features and various backup options. A must have for any rooted phone. BUY IT!!
AFWall+- Some apps have the tendency to connect and download data even when they aren’t supposed to. This is where a Firewall such as the AFWall+ comes into play. With the AFWall+ installed you can decide which apps have access to the Internet or you can choose to permanently block them from gaining access.
Root Explorer – One of the few file managers I recommend on a rooted phone. If you like tinkering with the Android file system then this is one app that will make you grin from ear to ear. However, I would recommend you to only buy it if you know what you are getting into. Making changes to the Android file system can brick your device.
Lockdown Pro – Probably one the best app lock programs there is on the Play Store. Apart from the conventional method of locking specific apps, Lockdown Pro goes a step further by implementing a set of classic features. And this is where it triumphs over other similar apps.
To start with there is a ‘Private Gallery’ that allows you to hide personal pictures and videos from being viewed without your given consent. However, the feature that I personally find best is the implementation of ‘Smart Lock’. You can lock or unlock access to apps when it connects to other registered devices such as a wearable or when your phone connects to a registered WiFi address, such as your home router. In addition you can also register locations to lock/unlock your apps.
AppMonster– A very simple straight forward app backup solution. If you find the need to only make backups and not your data then this will suffice. Else you can turn to Titanium Backup for fully fledged backups.
SHAREit– Honestly speaking, this app takes sharing to a whole new level. Files, folders, apps, music, pictures – anything and everything can be shared either with a single user or a group of users (Max 5). And it supports cross-platform sharing; which means you can share files and folders with Apple users and Windows users and vice-versa with much ease.
OfficeSuite 8 – One of the best OfficeSuit I have used till date. The whole UI has gone through a major overhaul. Not only have they made it easier to use but what you get is a desktop type experience on a smartphone or tablet. The only drawback are the in-app ads that take up a major chunk of space towards the bottom. But if you are rooted you will know how to block these ads and gain the extra bit of space.
