10 Must Have Android Root Apps

Now that you have rooted your Android device what do you do with it? Here are some very essential root apps for any Android device.

1.     Titanium Backup

This is simply a must have app. In fact it is one of the very many reasons why I normally root my Android device the first time I lay my hands on it. With Titanium Backup you can not only backup your applications but also back them up with their data. So your valued texts/sexts, tweets, call log, Facebook login credentials, clipboard items, Fousquare check-ins etc are safe when you are about to do something risky. It goes beyond its backup capabilities by offering users the ability to freeze system apps.

2.     Super Manager

As the name insinuates, Super Manager is simply the super manager of your Droid. It has so many capabilities. It can backup your applications, act as an app protector, a super toolbox, task manager, a file manager, an auto scheduler … the list is long. Simply give it a try to get what I am saying. It saves you the discomfort of having to install multiple apps to those tasks.

3.     AdFree

If you love playing games on your device like I do or use some applications like Ubersocial then you must have encountered those boring banners and other forms of in-app advertisements. Want to get rid of them? No better solution than AdFree. There are several other apps that do exactly that like AdAway. Where AdFree wins is the ease of use and a simple interface, anyone can use it without any complexities and it does not drain your data hen updating its binaries.

4.     ShootMe

If you are using a stock ROM and unfortunately your device does not have a native way of taking screenshots then after rooting you have two options: flash a custom ROM or install an application that does just that. I have seen several apps pop up in the Google Play Store that purport to take screenshots without requiring root access. Truth is, they will take those shots but in a crappier way. You can go ahead and prove me wrong. Root apps like ShootMe on the other hand are just the best.

It is unfortunate that ShootMe isn’t available on the Google Play Store but a simple Google search will surely land you on the appropriate pages where you can download the .apk file and install it without a lot of hassle.

5.     Root App Remover

Most (if not all) Android devices come bundled with a lot of bloatware. A service provider may have several apps bundled on a device it is offering on a contract, the OEM may also bundle a lot of apps that they think will be essential to their users (Samsung is notorious for this) and finally the extraneous Google apps. If you want to have total control of your device and directly dictate what apps stay on your phone and what do not whether system or otherwise, then Root App Remover is the app to go for. It gives you an option to freeze or recycle applications. (The apps are not entirely deleted since system apps are very essential and you may need them later but they are simply deactivated and removed out of sight thus saving you crucial internal space and freeing up some RAM).

6.     Wireless Tether

We would all love to be able to share our phone’s data service with other devices like an extra phone, a friend’s phone, your tablet or even your laptop. There are apps that do this via USB tethering and many Droids come with out of the box capability to create wireless hotspots. There’s a catch though. Since such capabilities (wireless hotspot) are directly system integrated and part of the device, phones on contract are simply limited. USB tethering has its shortcomings too: you can only share to one device effectively; add another and spoil the party. This is where Wireless Tether comes in. Simply launch the app and tether! No worries, no limitations.

7.     S2E

Internal storage space is always an issue in most Droids more so the low end and mid-range devices. To overcome this one can simply partition their sd card and create an extension (either ext2/3/4) that will be treated by the Android system as part of the internal memory. This in return increases your internal memory space and you won’t have worries getting Flipboard, Angry Birds and Instagram on board.

8.     Root Explorer

With this, you can navigate all internal files of your Droid without any of them being hidden from your sight. I recommend it over any file manager out there (I know the likes of ES and Astro have so many fans). Though it shows you “everything” in your system, it keeps the very critical files that you should never ever tamper with from your eyes. This is why I recommend Root File Explorer over the file manager found in Super Manager app which will simply expose everything leaving a great risk should your device land in the wrong hands (Wait, what is the app protector in Super Manager for again?).

9.     No Frills CPU

For those of us using custom ROMs on very low-end Droids that more often than not will require some kind of appraisal, then we don’t need this. However there are custom ROMs that don’t come with native support for overclocking and underclocking the processor. Still if you are on a stock ROM, once you root, you have the option of tampering with your processor speeds. No Frills CPU does just that. It allows one to overclock and underclock a processor at will.

I have recently used SetCPU which is another good app but I still prefer No Frills CPU.

10.   Link2Sd

Works just like S2E above.

Recommended:

How To Root Android Devices

How To Root the Samsung Galaxy Tab P6200