latest
How to use Shizuku for ADB rootless mods on any Android device
Modding your device without root access just got a lot better
In the earlier days of Android, modding a device was a popular hobby that offered more user control and new features not found in stock Android. However, with every new major release of Android, we get more options and features that make modding even less likely for the average user. Today, you can customize one of the most affordable Android phones without jumping through extra hoops. You can still mod your device for more power using Shizuku, and we show you how in the guide below.
How to install Magisk modules on a rooted Android phone
Finding new modules might look a little different from now on
Magisk is one of the best tools to tap into when customizing any rooted Android device. You install modules that do just about anything you want systemlessly, allowing you to make changes without permanently overwriting your system files. Once you uninstall them, you'll return to stock settings. If you want to take one of the best Android budget phones and tweak it with Magisk, you could customize it to your liking. Specific module-related properties have changed in later versions of Magisk, so we go over everything you need to know in the guide below.
Magisk 26 is leaving Android Lollipop in the rearview
Yet another reminder that you should stop using this 9-year-old Android version
We get a new Android version every year, but in order for the ecosystem to advance, older versions will, eventually, need to be abandoned by developers. Android 4.x is a relic of the past by this point, with almost all developers dropping support for these ancient versions. The same thing is happening to Android 5.0 and 5.1, better known by their iconic dessert name Lollipop. This Android version had many flaws, but it was a massive step forward in many regards, most notably being the very first release using Google's then-new Material Design user experience. The legendary Magisk modding interface is just the latest to drop Lollipop support.
Magisk v25.0 makes big changes to the root software’s foundation
The new beta release also adds support for the Oculus Go and Android 13 GKIs
Root tool Magisk may not be as powerful as it once was ever since Magisk Hide is all but dead, but as long as you don’t rely on apps that you need to hide the rooted status of your Android phone from, it’s still great to get more control over the device you own. And now, the tool has received a big release as part of version 25.0, which comprises a full rewrite of how the software initializes itself during the boot process.
Magisk is one of the best and most powerful modding tools around when you want to take full advantage of your rooted Android phone, but unfortunately, it long lost one of its killer features due to Google ramping up security: MagiskHide. As the name implies, the feature allowed users to hide the fact that their device is rooted from security-focused apps that would otherwise not run on modified phones at all, like banking services. According to Mishaal Rahman, it looks like there might soon be a new workaround for hiding the root status of your phone.
How to take a screenshot in Android when an app doesn't want you to
Second revision: now with more peril!
Read update
Android may be a wide-open world compared to iOS, but there are still some things you just can't do on Google's mobile platform. One of them is capturing screenshots within apps that prohibit the act — either because the screen contains sensitive information or content protected by digital rights management. Lucky, then, that we have a trick up our sleeve called rooting! Yes, even in 2020, it still has utility for the people who need it the most. So, if you'd like to grab a freezeframe to meme up or spoil a drama series or keep some backup passcodes where you can easily pull them out, we've got a way (or three) to do that.
Android modding tool Magisk is alive and well, MagiskHide not so much
Creator John Wu will continue to manage the project
Magisk is one of the most powerful Android mod tools around, and a godsend to users who buy a phone without a strong custom ROM community. But ever since its creator John Wu was hired by Google itself in May, its future has been somewhat fuzzy. Earlier today Wu updated his Medium site for the Magisk project, stating that the open source tool will continue development ... but with some notable changes.
Read update
Android modding isn't the hot scene that it used to be, mostly because Android phones have gotten good enough that few people feel the need to modify them. But a brave new world for tinkerers just opened up, right when a decent chunk of people might need it. A developer has released a basic tool for gaining root access on a Roku TV, dongle, or set-top box, and it's ready to try out.
Magisk is ending legacy support for some older versions of Android
v22 releases will be the last to support Jelly Bean and KitKat
A couple of months back, the popular root solution Magisk picked up a big update that unified the Magisk Manager app and Magisk itself into a single convenient package in v22, which would be the last version to support Android versions prior to 5.0. Ahead of that change, v22 is getting a minor .1 revision with a handful of fixes and improvements, including a brand new log writer.
How to reliably sideload the latest Google apps on Android 11
Try this if you get the dreaded verification failure error
Read update
Magisk gets its biggest update in months, bringing features like Android 11 support and a brand new UI to stable
Rooters are rejoicing
For advanced Android enthusiasts, Magisk is one of the most popular tools for achieving systemless root access to a device. Since each yearly Android release introduces new underlying code changes, there's usually a lot of work to be done before Magisk can be made compatible. Developer John Wu started with the first canary builds back in April, and now it looks like Magisk version 21 is officially ready for Android 11 — as well as a completely rewritten version of Magisk Manager.
Google's dreaded SafetyNet hardware check has been spotted in the wild
The end of an era — unless a solution is found
If you're part of the root and ROM Android enthusiast crowd, then you probably freaked out a bit back in March when it was revealed Google's SafetyNet check was getting a hardware-backed component with no easy workaround. Now, these changes have been spotted live in the wild, and some phones are already using hardware-backed SafetyNet attestation. Cue "the end is nigh" wailing.
First Magisk canary builds are now available for Android 11
Magisk Hide is functional, too, but SafetyNet changes are still looming on the horizon
It's the same procedure as every year: Google releases new development builds for the latest version of Android, and the developer community begins digging through the code to see how it can achieve root. That's true for this year, as well, as Magisk developer John Wu has published the first canary builds of his systemless root solution for Android 11's developer preview.
Latest SafetyNet improvements threaten to finally kill Magisk Hide
The developer has overcome other big obstacles before, though
Read update
Magisk and Google have been playing a game of cat and mouse for years: Google's SafetyNet technology is supposed to be triggered when it notices a rooted device, but MagiskHide does its best to keep banking apps, Pokémon Go, and other root-despising applications going, no matter what you do with your phone. However, the latest update to SafetyNet, apparently rolling out via the Play Services, seems to put an end to the game permanently. Magisk developer John Wu isn't convinced he'll find a solution that would keep his tool intact once Google fully implements the change.
Ahead of Android 10's official launch, developer Kieron Quinn published DarQ, an application that forces the new OS' dark theme on a per-app basis, complete with a scheduling option that's still extremely useful to this day. Until now, the product had exclusively relied on root access, but Quinn shared with us that following a recent update to version 1.2, you can grant the needed permissions via ADB — no root required anymore.
Magisk, the popular root solution, is testing an updated interface for its Magisk Manager app's latest Canary release. It's a pretty drastic redesign, and developer John Wu is clear that this isn't the final look, but we can expect a focus on "functionality over aesthetics." John Wu has also announced that the developer who did the new redesign will be the "main" maintainer for the app (but presumably not Magisk itself) in the future.
Read update
Google's new Live Caption near real-time transcription feature was set to be a Pixel 4 exclusive, later coming to the Pixel 3 and 3a by the end of the year. As always in the world of Android features, it was only a matter of time until dissatisfied tinkerers got other phones got in on the fun, with or without official support. Our friends at XDA Developers have managed to get Live Caption working on any Android 10 device, including older Pixels.
While we said in our review that the Pixel 4 and 4 XL's displays are perfectly usable outdoors, they're still not emitting as much light as many competing handsets. A hidden high brightness mode fixes this and substantially increases the Pixels' maximum brightness. Root access is required to activate it, though, and your battery life will most likely suffer.
Before Android 10's official release, an automation feature called "Rules" was discovered during the beta phase that many hoped would make its way into the final build of the OS. Although it didn't appear as feature-rich as Tasker, it seemed like a good starting point for Google to build on. After being absent for a while, the Rules feature began popping up for certain Android 10 Pixel users as a server-side update. If you'd rather not wait for Google to activate the feature for you, there is a short and simple method available now, assuming you have a rooted Pixel phone running Android 10.
The Pixel 4 is the first Android phone to feature a proper secure face unlock mechanism that can't be easily fooled by pictures or similar looking people. To enable authentication in banking apps or password managers, this technology requires Android 10's new biometrics API. Since it's different from the previous fingerprint API, there are only a handful of applications that already support it. A new Xposed module provides a workaround for unsupported apps that aren't yet compatible with the Pixel 4's face unlock. The only caveat: it requires root access.