I have installed custom ROM (PixelExperience) on my Moto G5s Plus. This way I extended its life by 2 years. The stock ROM only went up to Android 8.1 and was very slow and buggy, unlike with Android 7. This way I got Android 11 which was newest at the time. It was also much faster than the flawed 8.1 update.
Additionally, PixelExperience allowed some nice things. It looks like Google Pixel phone, even to Google, so I got free unlimited photo/video backups. This may be against ToS, but it’s not like I said I have a Pixel 5, they decided that I do ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.
Another really great thing is routing Wi-Fi hotspot over VPN. I definitely don’t want someone using my internet connection raw.
Next, root. I have only done that with Samsung Galaxy Ace from 2011. No locked bootloader BS, just flash, Tada! Rooted.
This allowed me to do full backups, including apps on that device.
But there’s countless other uses, most of which I forgot. Some that I can think of that would be useful to me are:
Proper firewall
Access to Android folder (without using desktop) (removed since Android 11)
Full app backups
Routing hotspot over VPN
Band locking on Qualcomm SoC (possible without root on Exynos and MediaTek)
WPS push and WPS pin Wi-Fi connection (insecure) (removed since Android 9)
Opening ports <1024
Changing screen resolution and aspect ratio (useful for screen mirroring)
Many/most apps try to connect to Facebook, for example. Part of the ghost profile issue.
Or a handful of other data gathering services.
Blocking those are useful for both privacy reasons and battery life.
Those apps like to run in the background at al times, registering for every single receiver the phone has (apps like Solitaire, for example). If I didn’t block receivers many apps would run all the time, even apps I use once a month.
I have installed custom ROM (PixelExperience) on my Moto G5s Plus. This way I extended its life by 2 years. The stock ROM only went up to Android 8.1 and was very slow and buggy, unlike with Android 7. This way I got Android 11 which was newest at the time. It was also much faster than the flawed 8.1 update.
Additionally, PixelExperience allowed some nice things. It looks like Google Pixel phone, even to Google, so I got free unlimited photo/video backups. This may be against ToS, but it’s not like I said I have a Pixel 5, they decided that I do ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.
Another really great thing is routing Wi-Fi hotspot over VPN. I definitely don’t want someone using my internet connection raw.
Next, root. I have only done that with Samsung Galaxy Ace from 2011. No locked bootloader BS, just flash, Tada! Rooted.
This allowed me to do full backups, including apps on that device.
But there’s countless other uses, most of which I forgot. Some that I can think of that would be useful to me are:
What services does it have that are listening on external interfaces?
It’s not necessarily about listening.
Many/most apps try to connect to Facebook, for example. Part of the ghost profile issue.
Or a handful of other data gathering services.
Blocking those are useful for both privacy reasons and battery life.
Those apps like to run in the background at al times, registering for every single receiver the phone has (apps like Solitaire, for example). If I didn’t block receivers many apps would run all the time, even apps I use once a month.
It’s MY phone… End
That’s the point. I don’t know.