Rooting your Android phone opens it up to a world of customizations. If you can imagine a customization or tweak, there's probably a tool or mod to achieve it with root access. Android newcomers hear the term "root" a lot but may not understand what it can actually do. Here are 10 reasons why you should root your Android phone today. If you're interested, we have a guide for rooting most devices. You can also check out this list of great root apps.

1. Battery Improvements

Battery life is a crucial part of every device. Nothing really matters if you can't use your phone all day without needing some extra juice. Sometimes the phone you're stuck with doesn't have great battery life, but there's not much you can do about it. That's where root comes in. Apps like Greenify give you much more control over apps that can eat up the battery. It will analyze the running apps and allow you to choose apps to be "hibernated" when not in use. This prevents apps from consuming battery in the background. It's great for apps you don't use frequently.

2. Better Backups

Just like your computer, a phone is full of information and media that should be backed up occasionally. The default non-root backup tools are decent, but they leave a little to be desired. Root allows you to back up literally everything. That includes your preferences and entire apps. A "NANDroid" backup creates a system image that essentially works as a restore point for your phone. If anything goes wrong, you can revert back to exactly how the phone was set up at the time of the backup. Titanium Backup is a popular root backup app.

3. Custom ROMs

The best thing about root might be custom ROMs. This is one of the most popular reasons to root a phone. A custom ROM is literally a custom version of Android for your device. Some of the popular ROMs include LineageOS, CarbonROM, and Paranoid Android. Developers can often bring Android updates and features to phones faster than manufacturers. If you're unhappy with the software on your device, a custom ROM can give you a completely new experience.

4. Deep Automation

There are a lot of "automation" apps available in the Play Store these days. IFTTT is a popular tool for automation with internet services. However, for Android users in the know, Tasker is the holy grail of automation. It doesn't require root, but you can go a lot deeper if you have it. Things that would normally require manual toggling, like turning off GPS, switching between networks, or turning the display off can be automated if you have root. If you're seriously into automation, root opens Tasker up to many more possibilities.

5. Extreme Customization

Customization is a huge deal in the Android community. It's one of the core features that makes Android different from other mobile operating systems. You can already do a ton of customization without root, but nothing is off limits if you have it. You can change up the boot logo, install a custom system font, redesign the nav bar buttons, use a different lock screen, and so much more. Obviously, a custom ROM is one way to take customization to the max, but you can do a lot with any Android version and root access.

6. Free Tethering

Thethering has long been a common reason to get root access. Carriers like to block and remove tethering from Android phones. They want you to buy a separate plan or more data. But why should it matter how you use your data? Root allows you to use apps to turn your phone into a mobile hotspot. This is not something you should do all the time (unless you want your carrier to catch on), but it can be very handy in certain situations. Use your data freely.

7. Magisk & Xposed Modules

Magisk and Xposed are two very popular tools in the Android modding community. Among other things, these tools allow you to install "modules." These are modifications that can be installed from a repository. Essentially an app store full of customizations and tools. Some of the things mentioned in this list can be achieved with Magisk or Xposed modules. The great thing about Magisk and Xposed is they make it easy to customize your phone. Developers can create modules and other users can easily apply them to their device. Check out our guide on the differences between Magisk and Xposed and how to use Magisk Modules.

8. More Powerful Apps

As we've mentioned with Greenify and Tasker, root access allows apps to do more. Root gives apps the ability to tinker with things on the system level. Obviously, this comes with some warnings. A rogue app with root access can do a lot of harm. They can also do amazing things. Once you have root access you should do a search for "root" in the Play Store. You'll find a whole new world of options.

9. Overclocking/Underclocking

This one isn't as necessary nowadays. When Android phones were new and a little underpowered, it was popular to "overclock" the processor. This forces the processor to operate faster than the manufacturer intended. It can improve performance but also negatively impact battery life and device health. Alternatively, you can underclock the processor. This can be used to improve device health and save resources. Modern phones don't usually require overclocking or underclocking, but it can be useful for old devices.

10. Remove Any App

Bloatware is an annoying part of most Android devices. Manufacturers and carriers love to pre-install useless apps. A carrier-branded phone can have upwards of 20 apps pre-installed. Most people never use these apps. They just take up space and get in the way. Android does allow you to uninstall or disable most bloatware apps, but you can take it even further with root. Titanium Backup allows you to completely remove any app. This can be dangerous if you remove the wrong app. Make sure you only remove apps that aren't critically necessary to the system.