The possibilities are many, I even remember rooting my Galaxy Note 3, installing and bringing to it all the functions and features of the Galaxy Note 5 shortly after its release.
You're wrong if you think no one else does that. Just search the internet for root or unlock and tens of thousands of links appear as a result, for both old and newly released devices.
This is all thanks to developers who create custom ROMs, giving survival to smartphones that are already on the market.
Sadly, it looks like this may all be about to come to an end as Google steps up its efforts to protect the Android platform, a move that could also make the same platform less attractive to a specific class of users.
Android rooting involves exploiting security vulnerabilities to gain root access to the device. Installing custom ROMs, however, usually involves unlocking the smartphone's boot loader, a process that can be performed (although often not recommended) by some manufacturers such as Sony, Asus, and Motorola.
Now the latest version of Google's SafetyNet, however, can handle these procedures the same way it handles signs of device compromise.
SafetyNet is a set of Google Play Services APIs that applications can use to verify that a device has not been compromised in terms of security.
This is essential for apps like banking and finance apps, but also some apps that don't need it. The Pokemon GO app is an example. In the past, modifications to rooted devices could, through Magisk, tell the system, "I'm not rooted", even though they are. This will now be more difficult to do with the latest version of SafetyNet.
According to experienced developers, SafetyNet has silently started using hardware attestation to verify the health of a device. It will utilize various factors like boot loader unlock status, presence of programs used on rooted devices, signed firmware and others to check smartphone status. In other words, it will be almost impossible to hide a device's root status.
To be clear, it will still be possible to root Android devices or install custom ROMs on them. With the new SafetyNet, however, users will have to choose between these superuser features and be able to use some popular and important Android apps. For some users, the fact that they are being forced to make a choice is enough to make them feel that Android may be moving towards a similar structure to the iOS of Apple devices.
