What is "Flash"?
In connection with Android Smartphones is referred to with the term "Flash" or "flashing" is the process to replace the existing operating system by a different Version. The corresponding Partition of the device will be described first deleted and then new data.
- How to flash a Smartphone is different for each depending on the model. A single instruction, there is not thus. As Android 4.3 manually on your Samsung Galaxy S4 install, read for example here.
- From the "flashing" is also the talk when it comes to the exchange of the kernel. The Kernel (the core) is the Central area of the operating system. A modified Kernel (Custom Kernel) generally offers many advantages, such as better performance or longer battery life.
What is "Root"?
If you root your Smartphone, you can give individual Apps advanced permissions (also Superuser rights). They can then write, for example, on the otherwise protected System Partition of Android. This is comparable with the administrator rights under Windows.
- So when flashing, the Root process runs on every Android Smartphone is different. General notes you can find here, a guide to Rooting the Samsung Galaxy S4 for example, here.
- The advantage of Rooting: you can also use Apps that need access to protected areas of the system. Such Apps usually offer extra features that are not normally part of Android. "Titanium Backup", for example, backs up Apps and their settings, "SetCPU" to change the CPU clock, and "Greenify" it optimizes the system performance.
- Even if you have a new Android Version on your Smartphone is flashing (see above) want to, you will need a rooted Smartphone.
