How to Unroot a Rooted Android Phone
Rooting your Android phone essentially makes you an administrator on your device. By rooting your handset, you gain the ability to control the device and its software more comprehensively. A multitude of extra settings will be at your disposal, but understanding them requires having extensive knowledge about how Android works.
By unrooting your device, you are essentially reversing this process. This means that your handset will go back to its default settings, and it also means you’ll be able to access applications that are not accessible on rooted devices. Pokemon GO is a popular example of an application only working on unrooted phones.
There are two simple ways you can reverse the rooting process on your device and go back to having a standard device that works with all apps on the Google Play Store.
Using ES File Explorer
The first popular way of unrooting your device is using an app called ES File Explorer. While this is an application designed to make it easier to explore your documents and data on your Android device, there is a simple trick that allows you to unroot your device without plugging in your handset to your computer.
- Download
The first step is to download the official ES File Explorer app from the Google Play Store, and open it once the download and installation have completed.
- Tools
Now, you’ll need to scroll to ‘Tools’, where you will be given the option to switch on ‘Root Explorer’. Switch it on and grant root privileges when the menu prompts you to do so.
- Main Screen
Go back to the main screen where you can find the root folder on your device. The folder will not be entitled ‘Root Folder’, but will instead appear as ‘/’. Tap ‘/’ and you will be taken to the root folder, which contains files relating to the rooting process.
- Bin
In the root folder, search for ‘System’. Tap it and then press ‘Bin’.
- Busybox
In this folder you’ll find ‘Busybox’ and ‘Su’ files. Delete both of these files. On some occasions, you will not be able to find these files. In this case, move on to the next step.
- App
Go back one step to the ‘/’ folder and choose ‘App’. In here, you will find the Busybox and Su files if you have not already deleted them. You will also find a file called ‘Superuser.apk’. Delete this file. This will essentially remove the files required for your phone to remain rooted, meaning that when you restart your device, it will go back to its original settings.
- Restart
Finally, restart your device. When it turns on, you should find that the device has been unrooted and can be used as normal.
Using SuperSU
SuperSU is an Android application specifically designed to unroot your phone. To find it, go to the Google Play Store and search for ‘SuperSU’. After downloading and installing the app, you can simply follow these instructions to unroot your device.
- Open Settings
On the application, go to the ‘Settings’ tab where you will be given a wide range of options for controlling the application and your phone.
- Full Unroot
On the settings page, you’ll see an option that reads ‘Full Unroot.’ Choose this option and confirm that you want to completely unroot your handset. If that’s what you want to do, simply tap the ‘Continue’ button, and the process will begin.
- Close
Once you’ve done this, the app will automatically close. This doesn’t mean that it’s crashed, but it does mean that it has started the process. All you need to do now is restart your device without changing any more settings.
- Uninstall
Once your phone has completed restarting and it’s booted up again, uninstall the SuperSU application and the process is complete. You won’t be required to do anything more.
