There’s a new method for gaining root access to phones running Google Android — and it works on almost every phone it’s been tested on so far. SuperOneClick isn’t quite as easy to use as the Universal Androot tool I mentioned a few weeks ago, since you have to run SuperOneClick from a Windows PC while your phone is connected via a USB cable. But SuperOneClick has one key advantage over Universal Androot: It works on the Google Nexus One running Android 2.2.1.

Google pushed out an updated version of Android for the Nexus One a few weeks ago, and while it didn’t add any key new features, it did patch the security hole that Universal Androot was exploiting. I held off on applying the Android 2.2.1 update until I discovered SuperOneClick this weekend, because I didn’t want to lose my root access.

Here’s how SuperOneClick works. Download and unzip the app to a folder on your computer. Plug in your phone. Click the SuperOneClick.exe file and then select the Root button. That’s really just about all you have to do. Wait a few seconds and a message should pop up alerting you that your phone has been rooted.

Now for the fine print. The app doesn’t appear to work with the HTC Evo, and some users may notice that they can no longer sideload apps which means you can only install apps from the Android Market, not by installing APK files downloaded to your SD card. There is an “Allow Non Market Apps” button in the SuperOneClick UI that should help re-enable support for non-market apps. I kept running into problems when I tried to apply that patch on my Nexus One, but you know what? When I actually tried installing an app from my SD card, it worked just fine.

Root access grants you access to settings that otherwise wouldn’t be available. The main reason I prefer to have a rooted phone is because it makes taking screenshots much easier. Clearly, as a blogger that’s pretty important to me. But there are other benefits of rooting your phone. For instance, you can install software that lets you tether your phone to a computer to share an internet connection even if that’s not something your wireless carrier normally supports.

That said, SuperOneClick is still pretty new and you may run into difficulty. Don’t expect any sympathy from your phone company if you damage you phone while trying to gain root access.

via Android Police

Brad Linder

Brad Linder is editor of Liliputing and Mobiputing. He's been tinkering with mobile tech for decades and writing about it since 2006. Brad has also worked with NPR, WHYY, PRI, and AOL.

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