Android has always bribed users with its openness. Unlike iOS, he did not limit them in any way in an effort to change and fine-tune the interface for themselves. Therefore, until a certain moment it was considered the norm to buy a smartphone on Android, get root-rights and flash and reflash it to the point of stupor. But, obviously, Google was not very happy with the fact that Android is considered the lot of the poor and geeks, who cannot be fed with bread, let them hack and spoil with new custom everything that is hacked and scrapped. As a result, the company declared a real war on this malicious practice, which it still wages.
Root-rights will soon receive not only unfashionable, but also unprofitable
Google has expanded the capabilities of the SafetyNet tool, which is responsible for the security of software that hits Android, by training it to recognize signs of a breach. Frankly, he had such a function before, but some users managed to deceive SafetyNet, convincing him that the smartphone was not jailbroken. Therefore, even rooted devices did not experience any problems. However, now it will be different. Google has thoroughly shaken up the software content of SafetyNet and made it so that it learned how to accurately detect the root and block some of the installed applications.
What is root
Ruth can hurt you more than help you
For those who do not understand what we are talking about, I explain: root, or rooting, is the process of obtaining superuser rights on devices under control Android. Its purpose is to remove the restrictions set by the operating system, as well as to get the ability to install applications that require administrator rights, and, of course, flashing. In essence, the root is very close to hacking, although technically it is not. Some smartphones offer root rights to the user out of the box with all the privileges that come with it.
Why you shouldn't root
However, Google does not like the very ability to root Android smartphones for several reasons:
- The user can access any file on the system and modify it;
- The sandboxed environment in which installed applications are running is violated;
- Security is reduced because the user can install any application that contains malicious code;
- The likelihood of turning a smartphone into a brick increases by installing dangerous software and flashing it.
To prevent this, Google trained SafetyNet to check the integrity of the software, check the status of the bootloader, which is usually unlocked in conjunction with obtaining root rights, and also examine the system for installed applications that require super-user rights. Oddly enough, but for this, the hardware of the smartphone is involved, which can no longer be faked by installing scripts and other software tricks. If the security mechanism detects at least one match, applications requiring enhanced security are blocked.
Which applications are blocked by root
Blocking apps is a logical way to discourage users from rooting Android
Typically, these applications include those that have access to confidential information and finance, as well as those that require 'attestation' through SafetyNet. That is, it will be not only all banking applications, clients of payment services, storage of passes and travel documents, but also cloud storage, own applications and Google services, and even some games. In general, in this way, the root can disable the lion's share of all installed software, depriving the user of access to it.
In fact, there is nothing strange about this. Even if Google doesn't care about the personal safety of users Android, it doesn't care about the status of the operating system, which has long been considered the most unprotected platform. This greatly undermines her authority and clearly does not contribute to popularization. After all, if a user is looking for a protected space to work, they are unlikely to turn to Android. Most likely, he will prefer to pay a little, but buy iPhone, which have no problems with security.