What happens if i update my rooted phone

Any security patches or software updates pushed out by the OEM are lost because your bootloader is unlocked. However, you still can update your device, it just a take a bit more effort.

Because OTA updates are designed for stock firmware, any modifications can cause issues with the installation of the software updates.

While you can easily ignore this, OTAs are important. OTAs are more than just security patches and software updates. Many OEMs will package new features and bug fixes that improve the experience. This is why you don't want to ignore OTA. Although it takes some effort, updating your rooted device is worth it. To properly install the update, your phone needs to be returned to its original firmware the way it was before you made any changes.

If you used a systemless root method and did not make any permanent changes to files in the system partition on your phone, you'll only need to reinstall the stock boot image. Otherwise, you'll need to reinstall the entire firmware before accepting the update.

If you're unsure about whether or not you rooted with a systemless root method or if you don't know what you modified using root access, we recommend flashing the entire stock firmware package for your phone. For those new to the process, we have a guide that breaks down all the steps.

The security model of Android is also compromised when you have root. Some malware specifically looks for root access, which allows it to really run amok. For this reason, most Android phones are not designed to be rooted. Banking apps, Google Pay, and others that handle sensitive data will do this check and refuse to run on rooted devices. If losing access to high-security apps is a big deal, you might not want to mess around with rooting.

Root methods are sometimes messy and dangerous in their own right. Rooting also makes it harder or impossible to install official updates, and ROMs like Lineage can be difficult to install and buggy once you do. If having root access is really important to you, you might be left waiting on flawed software while you beg for a new root method or a modded OS update.

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