can Verizon tell if your rooted?

[Androider93]

I want to root my phone, but the one thing that's holding me back is that it voids your warranty. If something were to ever happen to my phone I'd be real mad if I wasn't covered by the warranty because i was rooted. So would verizon know if I was rooted?

 

[nitsuj17]

I want to root my phone, but the one thing that's holding me back is that it voids your warranty. If something were to ever happen to my phone I'd be real mad if I wasn't covered by the warranty because i was rooted. So would verizon know if I was rooted?

if they really wanted to, they probably could detect root...but we can unroot using adb or terminal emulator.

that being said...i will throw this out there as I always do: if you choose to root your phone, there are risks. if you brick your phone completely thats on you and you should have known what you were getting in for. i am completely against people returning bricked phones. pretty much everything can be fixed however, and too many people give up to easily.

motorola, htc, and other oems lock down their phones primarily because too many "geniuses" are returning bricked devices and they want to stop this. simply put if you root and mod your phone be prepared to eat the cost of it.

 

[NOsquid]

Yep, if lighting your phone on fire would do anything more than piss you off, don't mod it. If this phone is necessary for you to function and you can't afford a new one without sacrificing something more important, leave it alone.

 

[alnova1]

Agree with everyone but the rewards definitely outweigh the risks. If this phone couldn't be rooted so it could be stripped of the bing and other useless stuff I wouldn't have it..rooted its a sweet phone IMHO.

 

[nitsuj17]

Agree with everyone but the rewards definitely outweigh the risks. If this phone couldn't be rooted so it could be stripped of the bing and other useless stuff I wouldn't have it..rooted its a sweet phone IMHO.

yeah dont get me wrong...rooting is great....just pointing out the op that i dont support people doing root stuff....destroying the phone...and then trying to return the phone

 

[Bob-o]

Rooting won't brick your phone. Modding it will if done wrong correct? That's why I'm scurred to mod: D.

 

[lrv]

Rooting your phone may "void" the warranty with VZW, but it won't with Samsung. Personally, I don't care what VZW has to say about it. They didn't manufacture my phone.

I used to work daily with Samsung, Motorola, HTC, LG, and Nokia.

 

[nitsuj17]

Rooting your phone may "void" the warranty with VZW, but it won't with Samsung. Personally, I don't care what VZW has to say about it. They didn't manufacture my phone.

I used to work daily with Samsung, Motorola, HTC, LG, and Nokia.

if you brick your phone by doing something stupid and return it, you are justifying what motorola and other oems are doing to lock down the phone.

i wish people just owned up to their mistakes.

 

[lrv]

if you brick your phone by doing something stupid and return it, you are justifying what motorola and other oems are doing to lock down the phone.

i wish people just owned up to their mistakes.

The OEM's aren't locking them down.

 

[nitsuj17]

The OEM's aren't locking them down.

then why is the bootloader locked on the droid x and droid 2 and why did HTC try and block root with the latest generation of phones

 

[SupraLance]

If this phone is necessary for you to function and you can't afford a new one without sacrificing something more important, leave it alone.

I don't look at it quite so black and white. Each modification has its own risks and rewards and you have to evaluate the added functionality vs. the risk at each step. A lot of people really can't afford to replace their phone, but they still use stable and tested modifications because the added functionality is worth the slight risk. It's usually the guys trying to live at the cutting edge of the hacks (and those who don't read, re-read, re-read) who brick their phones. You just have to be patient until the risk of the new mod you really want falls to an acceptable level, which can take a while. [And means you should not be running to IRC to get DJ05. When the risk is less, it will be on the forum.]

BTW, I declined additional insurance because I'm going to root my phone. I agree that the responsibility and risks fall on the user unless it is defective hardware causing the problem.

 

[NOsquid]

I sort of agree it isn't black and white but there isn't any valid risk assessment score for different mods so it might as well be BW. Obviously reading and re-reading is wise.

I also think it's kind of silly to have something like a smartphone if you can't afford to replace it, but that's the world we live in. I'm a curmudgeon I know.

 

[Droidus]

if they really wanted to, they probably could detect root...but we can unroot using adb or terminal emulator.

that being said...i will throw this out there as I always do: if you choose to root your phone, there are risks. if you brick your phone completely thats on you and you should have known what you were getting in for. i am completely against people returning bricked phones. pretty much everything can be fixed however, and too many people give up to easily.

motorola, htc, and other oems lock down their phones primarily because too many "geniuses" are returning bricked devices and they want to stop this. simply put if you root and mod your phone be prepared to eat the cost of it.

Agreed 100% with this post. 1 click root makes rooting so simple that people go and do it without knowing what they are getting into or what adb even is.

 

[SirKronan]

Agreed 100% with this post. 1 click root makes rooting so simple that people go and do it without knowing what they are getting into or what adb even is.

If my rooted and custom kernel Fascinate bricks due to software screw up, I will eat it. If the speaker quits working, I will expect the hardware warranty to cover it, regardless of whether it's rooted or not. If I drop the phone and it breaks, I will pay the $50 deductible and expect the insurance to cover it. As long as the problem is not related to my rooting, I would hope that they would fix/replace it for me. If the problem is related to my rooting and modding, then I should be responsible for it.

It's not THAT bad. I mean, if you screw your phone up with a kernel for another phone, or something stupid risky like that, you can still just wait for one of your lines to revolve and get the upgrade price again. You can get a used smartphone on the cheap off eBay to get you by with email and such.

 

[Old Man]

If my rooted and custom kernel Fascinate bricks due to software screw up, I will eat it. If the speaker quits working, I will expect the hardware warranty to cover it, regardless of whether it's rooted or not. If I drop the phone and it breaks, I will pay the $50 deductible and expect the insurance to cover it. As long as the problem is not related to my rooting, I would hope that they would fix/replace it for me. If the problem is related to my rooting and modding, then I should be responsible for it.

Unfortunately, not every potential problem is that simple or obvious and indirect or consequential damages are a real factor, especially when dealing with a device for which so much of the hardware is dependent on the associated firmware and software.

For example, as someone who deals with this daily in terms of audio systems that employ DSP, what if the stock phone used software to limit or control the audio signal level to the speaker? Can you be sure that any modifications you apply did not affect that or potentially relate to the speaker not working?

 

[skilaufen]

then why is the bootloader locked on the droid x and droid 2 and why did HTC try and block root with the latest generation of phones

The OEMs are doing this, but I think it is more in response to Verizon or the other companies requiring it on the phones they sell. After all, HTC phones are locked down on AT&T so you can't install third party software, yet they have no such restriction on Verizon sold phones. The OEMs want to sell phones to the carriers who get to set much of the specs.

I can see Verizon wanting to have Motorola lock down the bootloaders of the phones they sell and requesting that.

I do agree one should accept personal responsibility for their actions. If one was to mess up their phone by modding it then they should replace it IMHO.

 

[SirKronan]

The OEMs are doing this, but I think it is more in response to Verizon or the other companies requiring it on the phones they sell. After all, HTC phones are locked down on AT&T so you can't install third party software, yet they have no such restriction on Verizon sold phones. The OEMs want to sell phones to the carriers who get to set much of the specs.

I can see Verizon wanting to have Motorola lock down the bootloaders of the phones they sell and requesting that.

I do agree one should accept personal responsibility for their actions. If one was to mess up their phone by modding it then they should replace it IMHO.

I wouldn't be surprised if it's pressure from the entertainment industries. If they can somehow prevent or reduce the rooted phones out there, perhaps they can keep their DRM solutions from being circumvented by knowledgeable folk. I am suspicious of this after hearing that the Netflix app has not found its way to Android yet almost entirely due to the fact that the content producers are not confident in the current DRM it will include. They want devices that will play their content locked up as much as possible to prevent piracy.

They are stupid to think they can prevent piracy by securing a mere android netflix app. And why someone would use a phone for pirating content when their computer would work much better makes absolutely no sense ...

 

[butthead007]

They can tell if they look hard enough. But, generally, most reps will not know how to look for a rooted device. Trust me, they know by having physical possession of your phone for some astute reps. Most will never get it.

 

[Knewz]

Rooting your phone may "void" the warranty with VZW, but it won't with Samsung. Personally, I don't care what VZW has to say about it. They didn't manufacture my phone.

No, many reps can't tell..Yes many techs can tell.. Yes rooting does void the warranty, the manufacturers warranty. VZW does not have a warranty, they only uphold the manufacturers warranty(standard or extended). Even insurance claims are not handled by VZW, but by a third party. Best thing to do would be to unroot before you go into store, just to be safe.

 

[SupraLance]

Out of curiousity I read carefully through the Samsung warranty that came in the box with my phone when I got it. I didn't see any mention of rooting voiding the Samsung warranty, although the warranty does exclude any damage CAUSED by changing the software to non-standard software. (exa: overclocking cooks your chipset)

It also specifically lists this exclusion: "Modification or alteration of any nature is made in the electrical circuitry/ or physical construction of the set." By omission, this statement legally implies that any software modification is OK per Samsung {see disclaimer below}.

Only Verizon cares whether you run their money-making software or your own. If Verizon were to deny a warranty claim because they detected root, you should still be able to go directly through Samsung. However, I agree with you that it is better to unroot and let Verizon help with any warranty issues than to fight this with Samsung.

{Nothing in this post should be taken as legal advice. I am not an attorney, and all legal documents such as warranties are open to interpretation by a court}

 

[Knewz]

The reason why rooting voids the warranty in the eyes of Verizon is because they consider that "user damage". Not necessarily the rooting as damage but if there is anything wrong with the phone VZW will determine the root of the problem stems from modding the software. I've seen where a customer had a genuine hardware issue unrelated to software, but openly admitted rooting and was denied a warranty claim. Just be careful about what you say also. I don;t condone lying but stay far away from the truth if possible. Don't ask, don't tell when it comes to talking to reps.

 

[Sailingmaster]

The reason why rooting voids the warranty in the eyes of Verizon is because they consider that "user damage". Not necessarily the rooting as damage but if there is anything wrong with the phone VZW will determine the root of the problem stems from modding the software. I've seen where a customer had a genuine hardware issue unrelated to software, but openly admitted rooting and was denied a warranty claim. Just be careful about what you say also. I don;t condone lying but stay far away from the truth if possible. Don't ask, don't tell when it comes to talking to reps.

This is half right. It's the manufacturer who tells Verizon they won't honor a warranty on a rooted phone.

 

[Knewz]

yeah^ ....what this guy said.

 

[thisismetcalf]

This is half right. It's the manufacturer who tells Verizon they won't honor a warranty on a rooted phone.

Isn't that in exact contridiction to what everyone is saying?

I thought the consensus was that Samsung would honor a dead phone even if it is rooted, but Verizon would not (if Verizon knew your phone was rooted).

Now I'm even more confused.

 

[Knewz]

Well its like this. for phones that are replaced under warranty, verizon gets a credit if the phone is determined defective by the repair techs in the warehouse. if the phone is determined to be defective due to user damage or the warranty is void, they dont get that credit. If vzw sends a phone for repair that is rooted, that store will get flagged and not get a credit for the phone. If you deal with the manufacturer directly it may be a different story but verizon is told to uphold "no rooted swaps".