Rooting isn't as popular as it used to be, but there's still a vibrant community of modders involved in launching new ROMs. If you're just getting started, or are looking to delve back into the world of modding, the OnePlus 8T is our favorite pick. We've included other top-notch options as well, so you have the best phones for rooting and modding to choose from.
These are the best Android phones for rooting
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Tinker away
The OnePlus 8T is a still solid choice for 2022. You get excellent hardware, a flat 120Hz AMOLED display, 65W fast charging, and reliable cameras. In our testing, we noted that the phone is the ideal canvas for rooting and modding, and OnePlus makes it as straightforward as possible to unlock the bootloader and install custom ROMs.
The 5G option
If you're looking for a great option, the OnePlus 9 is a smart choice. When we reviewed it, we loved how the phone has decent cameras thanks to the Hasselblad partnership, and you get the good internal hardware along with a gorgeous design, 65W fast charging, and 15W Qi wireless charging.
The Flagship
You could buy the OnePlus 10 Pro if you wanted the very latest model, but the OnePlus 9 Pro has everything the OnePlus 9 offers: Great specs and good looks — plus a great camera and super-fast Warp Charge Wireless. It might be worth spending just a little more on this one in our opinion. We raved about the phone in our review.
Pixel for less
With the Pixel 5a, Google brings flagship-tier cameras to a much more affordable price point. When we tested it, we found that the phone combines decent hardware with an outstanding camera on the back, along with the promise of three Android updates. Google also makes it very straightforward to unlock the bootloader and install custom ROMs.
Amazing hardware
Samsung has a very active modding community, and the Galaxy S21 Ultra is a great phone to test custom ROMs, if you're willing to go through a bit of a tedious process. In our review, we found that the phone is packed with amazing hardware, has awesome cameras, and is still one of the most feature-packed phones you'll find on Android.
Pocket rocket
If you're looking for a mod-friendly device outside North America, Xiaomi 12 has a lot going for it. The phone is smaller than its rivals — making it great for one-handed use — but it doesn't miss out on high-end internals. It also has one of the strongest camera systems you'll find today, and Xiaomi lets you easily unlock the bootloader.
Budget beast
POCO's X4 Pro is one of the best budget phones available today. It has reliable hardware, a 108MP camera at the back that takes great photos, and you get a huge 5000mAh battery with 67W fast charging as standard. Since the phone runs MIUI, it's a straightforward process to unlock the bootloader.
Root and mod away
The best Android phones already offer an exhaustive array of features out of the box. Still, with the likes of One UI, MIUI, ColorOS, and even OxygenOS offering a skinned interface, you don't get a vanilla Android look anymore. Rooting your phone gives you the ability to do just that, and you get to install frameworks like Xposed, which allows you way more customization options than on a normal phone.
The OnePlus 8T is still the best overall option if you want to try custom ROMs, with OnePlus making it as easy as possible to mod its devices.
There is a wide selection of ROMs available for the device, and should you break anything, you won't lose out on the warranty. The hardware on offer from OnePlus gives you a lot of overhead for installing customized modules, and the active community means you'll quickly find information should you run into any issues.
Google's Pixel phones are always a great option because Google provides all the files needed to return the phone to "normal," along with a documented and official method to build a custom ROM. Security concerns mean that newer models are a bit more locked down than they used to be, so it's a wise choice to wait for developers to have time to work through things or to buy last year's model. That's why we recommend the Pixel 5a while it's still available from online retailers.
