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Last week, we looked at how to install non-Market apps onto your Android device. That’s only half the fun, though. One way to get even more functionality out of your Android device is by rooting it. If you root your device you can install additional apps, set up wireless tethering, and even install custom ROMs that change the way your device operates. Rooting can be frightening, though, as you can potentially brick your device. If you want an easy way to root your phone, check out z4root.

z4root differs from other rooting options in that it is an app that is installed on your phone, and run from there. Other rooting options typically require you to hook your device to a computer, and run the root via the computer. So, the first step is to get z4root onto your device. If need be, you can use the Sideload Wonder Machine to do so. Once installed, start the app on your device, hit the “root” button, and wait for the process to complete. When you’re done, reboot your device.

My experience with z4root wasn’t perfect – my device never gave me a confirmation message, and seemed stuck on the same screen. After 15 minutes, I finally just rebooted the phone, and, to my pleasant surprise, I had the Superuser account (an icon in my app list) on my phone, meaning that the root had worked.

Have you rooted your Android device? What method did you use?

z4root [via xdadevelopers forum]

The primary method of installing apps on your Android phone is via the Android Market.  Last week, we talked about AppBrain, an app that helps you discover new Market apps.  There’s a whole world outside the Market, though. How do you get those apps onto your phone, if your Android device doesn’t directly support the loading of non-Market apps?  Enter the Sideload Wonder Machine. Read more