Best Android phones for rooting and modding

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 12R 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.

Rooting your phone isn't without its own set of problems. Sometimes it's not easy and you could get things to a point where it's not fixable. Make sure you read everything you can find before you get started, and maybe even go back and read it again if this is your first time.

Some phones require you to buy a specific model if you want to root them. This is the case with the Samsung Galaxy S23. It's an excellent phone but models made for North America are unable to be bootloader unlocked. Once you get the bootloader of an international version unlocked, you'll forever alter the device, disabling many of Samsung's features and blocking all future OTA software updates if you ever decide to go back. Tread lightly and carefully!

Jerry Hildenbrand

Jerry is a former engineer who has been writing about tech for over 15 years. He's been immersed in Android since the beginning and uses his expertise and experience to cover Google's ecosystem of consumer products, the tech that powers them, and the company's ever-changing policies.

At a glance

Best overall

The OnePlus 12 is a fabulous choice if you want to buy a flagship in 2024. It has everything you need in a high-end phone: a sublime design, a display that goes up to 4,500 nits, outstanding hardware that's great for gaming, a battery that lasts over a day, and fast charging tech. But it's the cameras where there's a noticeable difference from previous years, and you get versatile lenses that take stellar photos and videos.

But what if you don't want to spend that much money? That's where the OnePlus 12R comes in; the phone has a lot of the same features as the OnePlus 12, but it costs a lot less, giving you a much better value. OnePlus has been making phones in the R series for four years now, but these devices have been exclusive to India and China — thankfully, that's changing this year. The OnePlus 12R is launching in the same markets as the OnePlus 12, including North America and the U.K., and this is absolutely the right move by OnePlus.

Easy mode

It's hard to argue with Google's Pixel 8a. It completely eliminates the need for the smaller Pixel 8 as you'll find the camera is just as good and the battery life is identical. While it's got a slightly cheaper-feeling plastic back, you're probably going to keep it in a case, anyway.

The camera is excellent and as good or better than phones costing hundreds more. Really, unless you need to regularly zoom in more than 5x, there's no reason to even spend the extra money to get the Pixel 8 Pro, either.

The price-to-performance ratio of the 8a is without parallel and the 8a represents the absolute best deal you'll find in the Android world right now. I think it's the perfect phone for the price.

Best hardware

There's no such thing as a perfect phone, but every year, Samsung seems to get close to hitting the mark.

The Galaxy S24 crams a lot of power into a small body, and it manages that power quite well. Performance is stellar and battery life is much improved. There's a lot to like about the Galaxy S24.

The cameras aren't the very best but they're still good and definitely not a deal-breaker. While there's definitely plenty we would like to see in future models, like faster charging and a bolder design, the Galaxy S24 is a step in the right direction and a return to form for Samsung's baby flagship.

If you're rocking the Galaxy S23, it may not be worth upgrading, unless you really need that extra battery life. Otherwise, this is a phone I would recommend to anyone looking for a pocketable flagship. And now that it's an older release, you're not going to be put off by the price tag.

Note: The North American version of the Galaxy S24 has a bootloader that can't be unlocked. Make sure to buy an international version if you want to tinker with this one.

Best small phone

The Xiaomi 12 Pro has a bold design, spectacular AMOLED screen with dynamic scaling, the latest internal hardware with 256GB of storage as standard, and versatile cameras that take outstanding photos in just about any situation.

There's a lot to like on the software side of things as well; the Xiaomi 12 Pro runs MIUI 13 based on Android 12, and the interface is clean, bloat-free, and with plenty of customizability. Xiaomi will deliver three Android OS updates and four years of security updates to the phone, and while that's less than what Samsung is offering, it is on par with the brand's immediate rivals.

And then there's 120W wired and 50W wireless charging, with the Xiaomi 12 Pro managing to outmatch the Find X5 Pro and Galaxy S22+ in this area. The only shortcoming that I can think of is the lack of water resistance; if you don't care about that, the Xiaomi 12 Pro is a great choice for a flagship — provided you're in a country where it's officially available.

Best value

Given the Poco X5's low price, it may be difficult to find any flaws with this device. The main camera sensor takes decent photos in daylight, the AMOLED display is excellent, and the battery life is impressive. To be able to get all this at an affordable price is very welcome if you're penny-pinching.

You'll be disappointed, though, if you're looking for any wireless or reverse charging capabilities, but it comes with the territory. The biggest drawback is that the Poco X5 is living in the shadow of the Poco X4 Pro when you consider bang for the buck.

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How to choose

But first, SHOULD you root your phone?

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If you have to ask, you probably shouldn't.

Seriously, there are not a lot of reasons to root your phone now. Things didn't used to be that way, and manufacturers were more than happy to hold back features or force ones on us we didn't want. It's much harder to find a reason why you need to root your phone in 2024.

Needs aside, a lot of folks just want to do it. Rooting your phone puts you in charge of the hardware you paid for; it also puts you in charge of keeping your phone safe. Rooting your phone enables a whole 'nother level of malware possibilities.

I don't recommend you do it. I also can't tell you not to do it. I can only suggest you take your time and make sure you know what you're about to do before you get started.

Once you decide to go forward

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 12R is 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 8a even though the Pixel 9a is releasing soon.