Over the last one week, we have explained to our readers via the Rooting 101 series what is rooting, shared a glossary of terms they need to be familiar with, things to know and do before they root and finally, the best sources to find rooting guides for their devices. Before I bring an end to this series, I would like to list down some of the best apps that require root access to work properly.
Titanium Backup: If you have root access on your Android device, Titanium Backup is perhaps the first app that you should download from the Play Store. It allows you to create a backup of all your System settings, installed apps with their data, Messages, Data Usage records, Call Logs, Contacts and more.
The app does have a very clunky UI but makes up for it by providing an all-in-one backup solution for rooted users.
Greenify: The app helps in improving the performance and battery life of your Android device by hibernating apps from running in the background. While it was recently updated to work on non-rooted Android devices, it still performs best on the rooted ones. A must-have, especially on low-end devices.
Cerberus: Google might have introduced an anti-theft tracking system on Android but the service is not as integrated as Find My iPhone on iOS. A simple factory reset of the stolen device by the thief will disable Android Device Manager and you will have to bid adieu to any hopes of ever getting back your phone.
Cerberus is an anti-theft app that installs itself into the /system partition of your Android device, allowing it to survive a factory reset. It also offers many other advanced features like SIM checker configuration, the ability to click pictures and record audio/video remotely and much more.
Xposed framework: Technically, Xposed is a framework and not an app that works only on rooted devices. The framework when combined with community made modules can bring nearly all the features of custom ROMs to your Android device. Definitely a must-have!
BetterBatteryStats / GSam Battery Monitor: Want to know which app or process is draining your phone’s battery like crazy? BetterBatteryStats and GSam Battery Monitor are among the best on the Play Store for this purpose but require root access to work properly, ever since Google killed the unofficial APIs used by them in KitKat. They also provide other insightful information like the average drain per hour, battery life estimates and more.
There are a lot of other root-related apps that provide you with greater customization options including iFont, Boot Box, Root Uninstaller and Trickster Mod. Which are your favorite apps that require root access? Drop in a comment and let us know!
