These are the Best Apps for Rooted Android Devices in 2022: Tasker, AdAway, Migrate, and more!

One of the greatest virtues of Android is how customizable it is. This customization can range from simple things such as installing a new launcher, and even going so far as to root your smartphone in order to unlock true superuser privilege. How far you want to go is actually up to you, but if you want to take full control of your devices and add features that aren’t always available in the factory-installed OS, you will eventually opt for some apps that leverage the potential of root access.

There are apps and apps out there, but very few can reach the level of popularity required to stay at the top for long. Due to falling success, lack of support, feature redundancy, or people getting overall bored with them, some very successful root apps can fall from their pedestals quite easily only to become a smudge in the history of the Android modding scene. In case you’re new to the world of rooting, you might be undecided between several choices, including the deprecated ones. Don’t worry though, we are here to help.

This article will give you a closer look at some of the best root apps you can install on your Android device and explain what each one can do for you.

Navigate this article:

---

Automation

MacroDroid

MacroDroid provides an advanced set of automation features but focuses heavily on usability with a simple, easy-to-use UI and logical step-by-step process. The app also comes with a plugin store, where you can find other apps that are compatible with MacroDroid so that you can further expand functionality.

MacroDroid: XDA Discussion Thread

Tasker

Tasker is perhaps the most popular automation app for Android and for good reason. The app allows you to create profiles that automatically trigger based on certain conditions to execute tasks. Tasker also offers a wide variety of plugins. With root access, you can automate pretty much anything you can imagine.

XDA Tasker Tips & Tricks Forum

---

Backup and Restore

Backing up data and restoring it on Android can be a painful exercise. Having root will make it a whole lot easier, thanks to these apps.

Migrate

Just like other backup apps, Migrate backs up your app data, APK files, permissions, call logs, messages, and more. What makes it unique is that it restores them all painlessly as a TWRP backup during the ROM installation process.

Migrate: GitHub Repo || XDA Discussion Thread

Neo Backup

Neo Backup (formerly OAndBackupX) is an open source backup app for Android that allows you to backup individual apps and their data. Both individual and batch backup/restore are supported. You can opt for encrypted backup as well.

Neo Backup: GitHub Repo || XDA Discussion Thread

Partitions Backup & Restore

Experienced modders often need to create or restore low level partition backup. If you don’t want to use CLI tools like dd to do such operations, you can opt for the Partitions Backup & Restore app.

Partitions Backup & Restore: XDA Discussion Thread

Swift Backup

Swift Backup can back up your APKs, your texts, your call logs, and applied wallpapers without root. However, with root access, it can backup and restore special app data like permissions, battery optimization, Magisk Hide state of the app, and more. Some of the root-only features can be accessed with Shizuku as well.

---

Customization

DarQ provides a per-app selectable force dark option for Android 10 and above. It also provides an option to apply the system dark theme (as well as selectable force dark) only after sunset and before sunrise.

DarQ: GitHub Repo || XDA Discussion Thread

LiveBoot

LiveBoot is a unique boot animation application that shows you the output of both logcat and dmesg while the device is booting up. Not only do modders see it as a better boot animation than the OEM logo, but it can also be useful as it can show you errors from these logs as they happen.

LiveBoot: GitHub Repo || XDA Discussion Thread

---

Productivity

AdAway

AdAway is a free and open-source ad blocker that uses the hosts file to block ad-serving hostnames. What it essentially does is keep an updated list of ad serving networks and redirects them to the localhost (i.e. your own phone), so these requests go nowhere, and no ads can be served. The app has a non-root mode as well, but it works best with root.

AdAway: GitHub Repo || XDA Discussion Thread

AFWall+

AFWall+, short for “Android Firewall Plus,” is a graphical front-end for the iptables Linux firewall. It provides fine-grained control over which Android apps are allowed to access the network. You can also control traffic flow within LAN or while connected through a VPN using this app.

AFWall+: GitHub Repo || XDA Discussion Thread

Aurora Store

Aurora Store is a popular open-source client of the Google Play Store, allowing users to search, download, and update Android apps and games on any device without depending on GApps, MicroG, or Google services of any kind. With root access, it can automatically install and update apps in the background as soon as they are downloaded.

Aurora Store: GitLab Repo || XDA Discussion Thread

BetterBatteryStats

If you’ve ever felt like some applications abuse your battery by constantly running in the background or waking up your device from a deep sleep state, then you need to try BetterBatteryStats. You can configure this app to track those wakelocks and keep an eye on everything.

BetterBatteryStats: XDA Download and Discussion Thread

Shizuku

Shizuku is a nifty tool that enables regular apps to directly call system APIs with ADB/root privileges. It can be used in a non-root environment as well, but there are a number of incompatibilities with different OEM skins, hence the root mode is preferable.

Shizuku: GitHub Repo

Storage Isolation

Storage Isolation is an app that works on the same principle as Android’s Scoped Storage feature and lets you manage how apps use your storage. As the name suggests, you can choose which apps you want to isolate and which apps you want to give full access to the shared storage.

Termux

Termux is a feature-rich terminal emulation software for your Android device that doubles as a GNU/Linux environment. It comes with a versatile collection of Linux application packages, some of which are tailor-made for root users. Keep in mind that the Google Play variant of Termux is long-deprecated, so always grab the latest build from its GitHub repo or F-Droid.

Termux: GitHub Repo

---

Miscellaneous

File Manager Apps

When we talk about file managers on Android, there are quite a few options that we recommend. For power users, a file manager with root privileges can be extremely handy. You can access all of Android’s file system and perform modifications as necessary.

Kernel Manager Apps

If you’ve ever cared about flashing a custom kernel on your Android device, then you’ve probably heard of the kernel manager apps like EX Kernel Manager, Franco Kernel Manager, etc. Users take advantage of such apps for adjusting the CPU governors, changing the clock speeds and voltage values, tuning the schedulers, and so much more.

Log Reader Apps

There is no shortage of options available when it comes to logging what your Android device is doing. Whether it’s for the purpose of debugging or reporting an issue and you want to grab a log via PC or straight from the device, your options are myriad. With root access, the log reader apps can easily hook into a number of sources that are otherwise not readable.

Magisk Modules

Of the many different ways to unleash the superuser privilege on an Android device, Magisk is arguably the best. Thanks to its systemless interface and support for additional modules, you can tweak, enhance, and add functionality to your device.

Xposed Modules

Powered by the Xposed Framework, Xposed modules are small apps that get directly plugged into your OS and hand you absolute control over the features of your Android device.

---

Honorable Mentions

Titanium Backup

One of the oldest root apps out there, Titanium Backup lets users backup and restore all of their installed apps and their user data, including all system apps and protected apps, across multiple ROMs. And to top it all off, it is among one of those rare apps that still boasts compatibility with Android versions going back all the way to Android 1.5.

ViPER4Android FX

For many, Viper4Android FX was their go-to audio enhancement solution and it actually still is for some. The project consists of a driver and a graphical equalizer interface. As new updates to Android roll out though, the project has faced some incompatibility issues.

ViPER4Android FX: XDA Download and Discussion Thread

---

Rooting your Android smartphone 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. If you like this list or have some great alternatives you think we may have missed out on, let us know below in the comments.