By EasyRoot was a very simple – but still a very useful (and desirable) – app: you click and you’re rooted (on the Droid and Droid X). For $.99, you save yourself the time and headache of having to research or ask questions over at XDA and watch confusing YouTube videos trying to step you through the process of rooting your device.
Unfortunately, that app has now been suspended from the Android market. No official reason has been given (UnstableApps – the developer – is still looking into the issue) but I’m not surprised that this happened. Either the app went against the terms of use that Motorola and Verizon – and possibly even Google – set when you agreed to access the market, or Google just felt the readily available app was too risky an advent to keep. Clueless patrons could stumble across it, download it, and root their phones without knowing what in the world they just did (but the chances of that happening are extremely slim, I’d imagine).
Luckily, this isn’t the last we’ve heard of EasyRoot. The developer emailed our tipster – Michael – with the following message:
“Thank you for your support of Easy Root by Unstable Apps. We are sorry that Google decided to suspend our application from the Market,but fully intend to continue supporting your purchase. You can download the latest version of Easy Root at:
http://www.unstableapps.com/apps/EasyRoot.apk“
That APK alone isn’t enough, though, as you’ll need to purchase an access key from them in order to use the app (if you’ve already purchased it through the market, the developer will be emailing you with a download link and your own unique key should you need to reinstall it in the future). Head over to UnstableApps.com to get started.
[Thanks, Michael!], [Thanks to Androinica for the awesome image we snagged from their story.]
That’s so apple :(
I thought there was an official Federal ruling making rooting legal. Although I suppose it could still be violating some TOS agreement.
Android Central just posted an update saying it was back up and running. http://www.androidcentral.com/google-pulls-easy-root-market
@a, except it’s not.
1. It’s true that Google removes some apps that violate the terms of the Android Market, but developers aren’t forced to wait for pre-approval before making their apps available in the first place.
2. Google’s Market is not the only way to get apps. Users are still free to buy and install this app directly from the developer.
@Chronos, the ruling was not a blanket invitation to root. It was carefully worded to allow rooting in very specific cases in which rooting was the only means for the user to gain lawful access to networks and services. If the API provides all the needed access to legal services, rooting is unnecessary and not protected. As such, rooting to bypass the network’s block on tethering, for example, is illegal since tethering is a paid-for service addition and using it without paying constitutes theft.
Maybe it was because the dev took some open source code, then slapped a button on it and charged money for it?
That app was pretty shady to begin with.
Geez, I thought you were talking about Apple for a minute.
Not to Shady. Worked like a charm
Rooting is legal. It was in the news here a while ago, same with unlocking and jailbreaking. This is weird.
@TM you sir need to read up on open source licensing. For example, you are allowed to sell GPL apps. You just have to license your app as GPL and share your source. Which he does.
Yeah, you are free to install the app in other ways–only wait, didn’t VZ and AT&T just start releasing Android phones with 3rd party installation forbidden?
If you can’t see where the carriers are steering the boat…
I’m pretty sure only AT&T prevents side-loading apps, and I think you can work around that if you have the Android SDK … of course that’s probably more trouble than your average user’s going to go through.
this app is availble on unstableapps.com. I’ve tried it and it works like a charm.
Thank you devs!
That is so f’ed up.
Verizon had not restricted the loading of 3rd party apps. I work for verizon and can confirm this is not happening. That’s not to say they never will but that still won’t stop us.
Why’s the android gotta look like it just sharted itself?
@INsano Um, no, that’s just AT&T. I haven’t seen any reports of Verizon Android phones blocking installation of apps from non-Market sources. As for the app being pulled, my suspicion would be that this type of app is allowed for free, but if you try to profit fromm it, they take exception to that. I don’t know that to be the case, but like I said, it’s my suspicion.
Verizon allows side-loading apps, at least on my lowly Ally.
Isn’t it obvious? The ONLY way that app could have worked to root a phone was via an unreported exploit. Google isn’t going to allow ANY app that exploits their software. Duh.
You all are freaks. Seriously. Why would Google allow that app to sit on their market, intended to exploit their software? They’ve been very tolerant of customer developers and of individuals who bypass their security. I’m sort of amazed that the carriers and Google is not more prohibitive. I’m glad they’re not (I’ve rooted my G1).
And this has nothing to do with the legality of rooting or bypassing of security. If it was illegal, then Google could press charges against Unstable Apps.
Is it me or does that picture look like that Android just shat himself???
You can still get easyroot at their website. http://www.unstableapps.com/?p=44
UnstableApps…oh the irony…
It’s a user-land unpublished exploit. Of course it’s going to get taken down.
What if someone reverse engineers it and decides to own your frigging phone’s root. Doesn’t matter if you are a stock user, the hacker will then be able to do whatever he likes, look at whatever he likes, send whatever he likes.
This is just Google’s way of protecting their users. If someone with little to no experience roots their phone, it not only voids their warranty, but could damage their phone if they don’t know what they are doing.
I don’t really have a problem with this. They aren’t blocking you from using it by taking it off the market. If you were locked into only using the official market then maybe I’d complain but you aren’t. The dev did the right thing. If you want to sell it then put it on your own site and sell it. There is no law that says Google has to sell it for you if it breaks their terms or something.
rooting was legal but why it removed..
Hey… the server for his site just went down as of 8/20 10:30 it displays this error message
“This account has been suspended.
Either the domain has been overused, or the reseller ran out of resources.”
Right when i got my paypal account setup to buy it, the website crashes…