Various tools for system maintenance
Root Keeper
These tools should take care your rooted device stays rooted – even if you install a system update (e.g. via OTA).
Root Checker
Apps to check whether the rooting process was successful.
- Root System Detector (5@47) 7
2
LastUpdate: 2021-01-02
- Simple Root Checker (4.4@26) 3
2
LastUpdate: 2016-03-28
- Root Verifier (4.3@2,255) 1
LastUpdate: 2016-03-26 Github
- Root Checker: with Terminal Em (4.3@1,043) Ǥ 4
3
LastUpdate: 2020-02-01
- Root Checker (4.2@1,191) Ǥ 5
1
LastUpdate: 2018-01-30
- SU Root Checker (4@10,645) 3
LastUpdate: 2016-09-13
- Root Validator (3.9@4,013) Ǥ 6
1 LastUpdate: 2018-04-15 Github
- Root Checker (3.9@19) Ǥ 6
3
LastUpdate: 2019-05-04
- Root Checker (3.8@368,708) Ǥ 10
10
/ Root Checker Pro (4.7@2,554; ~EUR 4.75) Ǥ 3
1
LastUpdate: 2019-07-12
- Root Checker (3.6@7,132) Ǥ 4
3
LastUpdate: 2019-01-11
Root Hider
With a rooted device, some apps refuse to work (mostly those using "protected" or "sensitive" material. If you still want to use those apps and keep your device rooted, you may wish to hide that fact. These apps help you with that. Also see Magisk, which provides both root and root hiding.
- Hide Rooting Lite (2.6@2,200) 4
4
LastUpdate: 2016-09-09
- Entrust IdentityGuard Unblocker (0@0) 0
LastUpdate: 2017-05-11
- ANRC (0@0) 2 LastUpdate: 2017-06-06 Github
- Zuper (0@0) LastUpdate: 2020-02-10 hide mock location, forbidden ads, root and more
- RootCloak (OLD, SEE DESCRIPTION) (0@0) / RootCloak (with 5.x and 6.x support) (0@0; ~EUR 1.25) 1 LastUpdate: 2017-04-09 XDA inkl. Anleitung
- unWatch (0@0) LastUpdate: 2015-09-01 Github
- Good for Enterprise Disable Root Check (0@0) LastUpdate: 2014-11-07 Hide root from the Good for enterprise client
- SberbankUnroot (0@0) LastUpdate: 2016-03-03
- No Device Check (0@0) LastUpdate: 2015-09-25 make Google think you run unmodified Android
- Sudohide (0@0) LastUpdate: 2017-10-22
- Surrogate (0@0) LastUpdate: 2017-04-15 Github; provides rules to directly hook into other apps, replacing their methods (e.g. root checking)
- CYBER APPX (0@0) LastUpdate: 2018-09-25
- SDW Hide Root (0@0) LastUpdate: 2018-02-16
- MaxdomeXposed (0@0) LastUpdate: 2014-03-26 Maxdome trotz root nutzen
SuperUser
- Superuser X Pro [Root] (4.6@225; ~EUR 22.00) 6
LastUpdate: 2019-03-26
- Superuser (4.5@1,265) 1
LastUpdate: 2016-01-29 Github
- SuperSU (4.2@365) 5
LastUpdate: 2017-05-29
- Superuser (4.2@22) 2
LastUpdate: 2014-04-14
- Superuser (3.9@69) 4
LastUpdate: 2018-11-01 / Superuser Elite (3.8@6,257; ~EUR 3.25) Ǥ 3
LastUpdate: 2012-06-30
Magisk
If you don't know what this is, please see Root for all: Magisk in the articles section.
- Magisk (4.6@3,095) 12
Github; Guide 9/2016 | 3/2017; Video Tutorial 3/2017 (~7min) | 6/2017 (~6min) | 9/2017 (~6min); Howto 8/2017; IzzyOnDroid 5/2018; XDA Home; Magisk Wiki; Installation & Troubleshooting Guide; Universal Systemless Interface
- Unified Hosts Manager (4@141) 1
LastUpdate: 2018-01-28
- MMRL (0@0) 4
Github; Magisk Module Repo Loader, supporting custom repos
- Fox's Magisk Module Manager (0@0) 9
Github
- MRepo (0@0) 9
Github; a Manager for Magisk Modules
- KernelSU (0@0) 1
Github; a rooting solution comparable to Magisk
- MRepo supports adding custom repositories. Here are some you can add:
- the IzzyOnDroid Magisk Modules Repo (only F/LOSS modules)
- the mirror of the Magisk Alt repo
- Lygisk: a fork of Magisk
- aa4mg: Android Auto 4 microG
- android-auto-stub: likewise, with CalyxOS in mind
- magisk_for_linux: patch boot image from your Linux PC
- Magisk and MagiskHide Installation and Troubleshooting guide
- Magisk Documentation
- Magisk Modules Repo: here you can find many modules for Magisk
- Androidacy Magisk Modules Repository
- Best Magisk Modules: Call Recorder, Font Manager, 1Controller, and more, including some background and instructions (10/2021)
- Collection of Magisk Modules
- Passing-SafetyNet-with-Magisk-Zygisk-and-DenyList
- Magisk v24 has removed MagiskHide, but: A new method for hiding root in Magisk is in development (1/2022)
Also see Shamiko: Check the new method for hiding root is on the way (1/2022) - How to Uninstall a Magisk Module and Magisk zip from a Rooted Device (in case a newly installed module goes bonkers) (6/2021)
- 10 Must-Have Magisk Modules (1/2020 - 11/2022)
Busybox
BusyBox is software that provides several stripped-down Unix tools in a single executable file. (Wikipedia) Usually requires root.
- BusyBox Installer (5@112) 3
Github
- BusyBox X [Root] (4.3@9,645) Ǥ 10
3
LastUpdate: 2018-09-09 / BusyBox X Pro [Root] (4.9@226; ~EUR 22.00) 8
LastUpdate: 2018-09-09
- BusyBox (4.3@5,531) 3
Github
- BusyBox (4.1@160,195) 2
LastUpdate: 2020-07-19 / BusyBox Pro (4.5@8,398; ~EUR 2.75) 3
LastUpdate: 2020-07-18
- BusyBox for Android (4@26,507) Ǥ 13
20
Github
- BusyBox Installer Classic (4@94) Ǥ 9
3
LastUpdate: 2019-09-19
- EXA Busybox Installer(no root) (2.8@225) 7
1
LastUpdate: 2021-07-11
Terminal Apps
Command line to interact with the system, see Terminal Emulator.
- Another Term (5@46) 8
/ Another Term (0@0) 8
/ Another Term Shell Plugin - Android 10 Essentials (0@0)
LastUpdate: 2021-11-12 Github / Github
- TTerm (5@44) 5
LastUpdate: 2018-04-22
- RHazOS (5@1) 5
LastUpdate: 2018-08-03 Github
- Material Terminal (4.3@6,491) Ǥ 6
LastUpdate: 2016-04-04
- Qute: Terminal emulator (4.3@5,796) Ǥ 15
13
- Remote ADB Shell (4.3@803) 3
connect to one Android device from another Android device
- ☆ AirTerm (floating terminal) (4.3@586) Ǥ 7
LastUpdate: 2013-08-07
- Termux (4.1@158,154) 14
/ Termux:API (4.7@8,960) 24
/ Termux:Styling (4.4@537; ~EUR 2.00) 0
Github; Repository for additional packages; Kurzvorstellung 1/2016; Anleitung 12/2019; Howto 12/2020; includes
apt
to install a lot of packages like aapt, busybox, git, mc, python, rsync and more - Terminal (4@172) 4
- Terminal Emulator for Android (3.9@121,154) 5
LastUpdate: 2017-07-18 Github
- TermOne Plus (3.6@391) 9
GitLab
- Shell Terminal Emulator (3.3@2,878) 4
1
LastUpdate: 2021-03-20
- Ping Net (3.3@7; ~EUR 4.25) 5
LastUpdate: 2018-06-27
- NeoTerm (0@0) 7
LastUpdate: 2021-05-19 Github
Custom Recovery & Flashing
- Treble Info (4.8@1,375) Ǥ 1
GitLab; check Project Treble, A/B and Architecture for GSI installation
- ROM Manager (4.8@32) Ǥ 12
2
LastUpdate: 2018-10-30
- ZIPme (4.4@19) 3
1
LastUpdate: 2017-04-11 create update ZIP packages to install in recovery
- ROM Toolbox Lite (4.3@59,692) Ǥ 27
20
/ ROM Toolbox Pro (3.2@25,428; ~EUR 10.00) Ǥ 26
6
LastUpdate: 2019-04-03
- ROM Installer (4.3@43,759) Ǥ 16
19
- Flasher (4.2@93) 7
LastUpdate: 2020-06-05
- Auto Flasher ROM flash utility (4.1@1,976) Ǥ 6
2
LastUpdate: 2017-03-24
- Smart Flasher (4.1@66) 4
LastUpdate: 2021-06-24 Github; make flashing recovery zips easier
- Flashify (for root users) (4.1@27) Ǥ 7
2
LastUpdate: 2015-12-12 maintains your recovery partition
- [ROOT] CRAB - Custom Recovery (4@31) 1
LastUpdate: 2018-10-22
- TWRP Manager (Requires ROOT) (3.8@34,415) Ǥ 12
4
LastUpdate: 2017-07-02 Live Nandroid Backup for TWRP
- Official TWRP App (3.4@41,114) Ǥ 16
1
LastUpdate: 2020-08-14 Intro 12/2016
- [root] FlashFire (3.3@7,697) Ǥ 9
LastUpdate: 2017-09-21
- DD GUI (0@0)
LastUpdate: 2020-05-23 Github; GUI for the good-old
dd
tool - Kernel Flasher (0@0) 1
Github
- DSU Sideloader (0@0) 5
Github
- Horizon Kernel Flasher (0@0)
LastUpdate: 2021-10-31 Github; flash AnyKernel flashable zips
- Free-Droid: Linux/Mac/Win tool to make flashing easy
- Anarchy-Droid: Successor of Free-Droid. Finds matching ROMs for your device, apply special adjustments and more. Linux, Mac, Windows.
- PixelFlasher: Pixel™ phone flashing GUI utility
- openandroidinstaller: makes installing alternative Android distributions nice and easy
- otadump: extracts partitions from OTA-files
- android-ota-payload-extractor: OTA payload extractor
init.d
- init.d scripts support (3.6@430) Ǥ 10
2
select a folder to place scripts which shall run at boot time
- Run Userinit (0@0) 2
LastUpdate: 2018-08-25
- Init.d Light (0@0) 4
LastUpdate: 2017-12-24 Github
Sandbox (isolate) apps
- Island (4.7@6) Ǥ 19
3
Vorstellung 3/2018; XDA; like Greenify, but more: freeze, isolate (sandbox) apps, clone (for parallel usage), hide …
- Shelter (3.8@1,870) 10
Github; Vorstellung 9/2018 | 1/2019; Vorstellung & Howto 7/2019; Intro 9/2019; Howto 11/2020; Anleitung 12/2020 | 3/2020-2/2021; FOSS alternative to Island
- App Cloner- Clone App for Dual (1.4@1,056) Ǥ 111
4
not "sandboxing", but allows multiple instances of an app by cloning and re-installing with different package names; random Android ID, IMEI, IMSI & more at runtime
- Insular (0@0) 16
Github; FOSS variant of Island
Run Linux on Android
- UserLAnd - Linux on Android (4.4@7,016) Ǥ 12
Github; Anleitung 1/2019; Video Howto 5/2019; Howto 6/2019 | 11/2019; run GNU/Linux on Android (no root required)
- Linux Deploy (3.9@15,739) 7
LastUpdate: 2020-03-02 Github; Howto 9/2017 | 8/2018; Anleitung 4/2020-7/2021; Install and run GNU/Linux on Android
- AnLinux - Run Linux on Android (3.6@2,239) Ǥ 6
2
Github; Video Howto 4/2020
SafetyNet
- YASNAC - SafetyNet Checker (4.9@1,364) 0
Github
- SafetyNet & Root Check (4.7@62) Ǥ 4
2
- SafetyNet Helper Sample (4.5@995) 1
1
Github; find out whether your device passes the SafetyNet test
- SafetyNet Test (4.1@1,829) Ǥ 5
3
LastUpdate: 2018-10-03 find out whether your device passes the SafetyNet test
- SafetyNet Checker (4.1@501) Ǥ 5
2
/ SafetyNet Checker Pro (5@31; ~EUR 1.00) Ǥ 4
1
- SafetyNet Device Check (4.1@118) Ǥ 6
4
Other tools
- Power App | Simple Power Menu (5@87) 2
LastUpdate: 2020-11-09 Github; power options menu (reboot, recovery etc.)
- SELinuxModeChanger (4.7@17) 1
LastUpdate: 2018-04-10 Github; Set SELinux mode on boot
- DontKillMyApp: Make apps work (4.5@7,085) 4
LastUpdate: 2021-06-02 Github; benchmark (how aggressively is your phone killing background apps) and more
- Simple Reboot (only for rooted (4.5@4,946) 0
LastUpdate: 2020-10-10 Github; boot menu (requires root)
- Prevent Running (4.5@673) 7
LastUpdate: 2019-05-15 prevent force-stopped apps from auto-restarting
- [root] LiveBoot (4.4@6,591) Ǥ 3
- Shizuku (4.4@2,417) 4
Github; using system APIs directly with adb/root privileges from normal apps
- [ROOT] KTweak — Universal Kern (4.4@449) 3
LastUpdate: 2020-12-02 Github
- Brevent (4.3@8,677) Ǥ 11
1 Github; prevent apps from auto-(re)starting; no root required
- Bash Shell X [Root] (4.3@2,004) Ǥ 10
3
LastUpdate: 2018-09-09 installs GNU bash 4.2;
- Sysctl GUI - Kernel parameters (4.1@62) 4
Github
- Root Essentials (4@9,923) Ǥ 15
3
LastUpdate: 2017-10-28
- Kernel Profiler (3.9@17) 4
LastUpdate: 2021-06-20 Github; manage your kernel settings
- Script Manager (3.8@72) 4
LastUpdate: 2021-07-26 Github
- Bash (3.2@9) 4
1
LastUpdate: 2017-04-19
- Timezone Updater (1@128) 4
Github
- Magic (0@0) 1
LastUpdate: 2019-11-08 Github; file type guesser
- P7Zip (0@0) 2
LastUpdate: 2021-04-21 Github; (un)compress files and directories
- PSAUX (0@0) 1
LastUpdate: 2020-01-15 Github; task manager and automated background service killer
- BackgroundRestrictor (0@0) 0
LastUpdate: 2017-11-03 Github; restrict apps from running in background
- Command Click (0@0) 7
Github; change shellscript to Gui App
- ScriptManager (0@0) 8
LastUpdate: 2021-03-01 Github
- SmartPack-Kernel Manager (0@0) 14
Github
- Content Provider Helper (0@0) 14
LastUpdate: 2017-05-14 Github; find available content provider URIs; add & delete your own
- FakeGapps (0@0)
Github; signature spoofing for MicroG as an Xposed module
- Network Monitored Blocker (KitKat) (0@0) LastUpdate: 2015-02-14 Github; get rid of the "network may be monitored" message triggered by adding a CA cert to the key store in KitKat
- Switch My Slot (0@0)
LastUpdate: 2021-05-09 Github; switch between A & B Slots easily
- MinMinHide (0@0) LastUpdate: 2015-03-03 Github; hide apps from other apps (not only from app-drawers)
Further Readings:
- rooting tag-wiki at Android.SE including a rooting index with hints for specific devices
- Magisk for "systemless modding" (incl. root); also see this guide at AndroidPolice
- The 4 Best Alternatives to TWRP Recovery on Android (4/2023)
- 10 Mistakes to Avoid When Installing Custom ROMs on Your Android Phone (3/2023)
- 10 Must-Have Magisk Modules for Your Android Device (3/2022)
- How to Trick Apps Into Thinking Your Android Is Not Rooted (3/2022)
- How to pass SafetyNet on Android after rooting or installing a custom ROM (1/2022)
- Ist Rooten ein Sicherheitsrisiko bzw. gefährlich? (10/2018)
- Was ist Rooten und Jailbreak? (5/2016 - 12/2020)
- 5 reasons you should learn how to root your phone today (and how to do it) (2/2015 - 9/2021)