As you may know, I recently got a Nexus 7 for Christmas. About a week ago, a subscriber asked me to make a video about how to root their new Android device. When I got my Nexus 7, the first thing I did was unlock the bootloader and root it. Unfortunately, I didn’t manage to catch it on camera. Even if I had, however, it may not have done the person asking that question much good.
You see, every Android device is different, just like every computer is different. Jailbreaking an iOS device requires the same process, every time, because every iOS device is the same. On the contrary, rooting my Nexus was a different process than rooting, say, my Motorola Atrix 2.
Because I don’t own every device in the world, I can’t give you a step-by-step manual on rooting your Android device. I can, however, point you in the directions of some nice resources that can help you out with your specific device.
Perhaps the most focused resource I’m mentioning here is XDA Developers. Located at xda-developers.com, this community is maintained specifically for mobile devices, namely Android. You will almost certainly be able to find a tutorial on the forums there. If you’re lucky, you’ll even find a guide on XDA Developer TV, which is at http://www.youtube.com/user/xdadevelopers.
Speaking of YouTube, that’s another good place to look for help. Even though I may not have your specific Android device, it’s likely that another tech-savvy YouTube uploader will. Just try searching for something broad like “how to root [your device]”. You’ll almost certainly find something.
Finally, Google is a very reliable resource for searching out any step-by-step tutorial. Once again, keep search terms broad, and you’re bound to find something of value.
Once again, I regret that I can’t help everyone with their devices, but without access to the device in question I just wouldn’t be able to provide reliable instructions. If you need help finding any of the resources I mentioned, just shoot me an e-mail at jacobgkau@gmail.com, and I’ll do my best to find a tutorial for you.