Genymotion recently moved root access behind a paywall, making it a premium feature. However, if you're using Genymotion for Android development, testing, or educational purposes, having root access can be essential. Root access allows developers to access deeper functionality, test root-only features, and explore Android's internals without restrictions.
The good news is that with a bit of work, you can still enable root on a Genymotion emulator if you have access to its disk image and platform keys. This guide walks you through the process of adding a custom system app, RootToggle
, which will allow you to switch root access on and off without needing Genymotion's paid root access feature.
This Gist details the steps to compile, sign, and install RootToggle
as a system app in a Genymotion emulator by directly modifying the emulator's disk image IN LINUX (use a virtual machine on Windows to do that).