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I have installed Android x86 on my Windows 10 HP Laptop. It was "Android-x86_64-9.0-r2.iso". I ran it on my PC and it opened rooted.

I installed an app I required. The app has got lots of videos that are supported for playing only on an unrooted device.So, I couldn't play the app's videos.

What I did:

  • I enabled developer's options and disabled root access in it. I still couldn't play the videos.

  • Enable Developper Mode. On the developer's options, enable full root access. Run the terminal emulator. Use the followings commands :

su

rm /system/bin/su

rm /system/xbin/su

After typing these commands as: These files are read only files type of message. The last command resulted in a question y/N and after writing 'y', I still got the former message.

None of these methods worked. I need an OS that gives me both root access and unroot access as and when I require. This is quite easy in Android emulators as they have a single option on setting which can enable or disable root access. But my app is not supported on emulators. Hence, the need for OS.

PS: I don't know if this is the correct site for my question. I couldn't find very appropriate tags. Please suggest the correct website.Thank you.

PS: I am asking regarding whether other OS might be suitable for what I need. Like PrimeOS, BlissOS, RemixOS, etc.

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First you have to be aware that what device is considered "rooted" by an app depends on the app. Some apps may consider a device rooted, other not and the other way around.

Second the term "rooted" is often used in a very generalized way, in the meaning of "the system is not genuine" or "the system seems to be manipulated". If the device offers a su binary to get root access or not is usually just one of multiple factors an app will check.

Furthermore emulators and custom "ROMs" like Androidx86 are usually always detected as "rooted" devices, because they are not official Google Android devices. Only physical Android devices, certified by Google can pass the "Google's SafetyNet" check which is commonly the first test performed by an app for a rooted device.

Therefore depending on what checks the app performs you might not succeed no matter what modifications you do to Androidx86. The app may always detect the system as "rooted" (not genuine).

The only real way to bypass this root check is usually to reverse engineer the app, check what "root" check it performs and modify the app using apktool or Frida so that the root check returns the desired result (only works if there is not a back-end involved that checks e.g. the Google SafetyNet check result).

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  • I don't know what root checks the app performs nor I do know how do I go about knowing that. Any suggestions ? Similarly, I don't get what modifications I would have to do using Frida and apktool. Please elaborate.
    – Sristy
    Apr 21, 2021 at 8:03
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    This all depends on the app, each app is different and thus require different measures to bypass the check. There is no general answer how to do it.
    – Robert
    Apr 21, 2021 at 8:04
  • Is there any other Android OS that may be made Rooted and Unrooted as per convenience ?
    – Sristy
    Apr 21, 2021 at 8:45
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    Please re-read the section that mentions Google's SafetyNet. Only on real physical Google certified devices you can be sure that an app considers it as not rooted. There is no official Android for x86 PCs available. All those systems are unofficial and thus can be considered non-genuine. If an app considered such a system as non-rooted depends on what the app checks.
    – Robert
    Apr 21, 2021 at 9:10
  • I am asking about PrimeOS, BlissOS, PhoenixOS, RemixOS, etc ? these options not of Androidx86. Google is not owning the rest of them, is it?
    – Sristy
    Apr 21, 2021 at 14:01

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