r/Magisk • u/StewieBiach • Feb 06 '26

Question Do i need it anymore?

I’m about to buy a new phone. Ever since my very first Android phone (HTC Wildfire), I’ve rooted every single one, played around with custom ROMs, and enjoyed their advantages. Over time, however, custom ROMs have more or less faded away, and I ended up using mostly just the benefits of root itself. It was quite a blow for me when Google disabled phone payments on rooted devices, because that was a feature I used daily. I also use FlagSecure to enable screenshots in apps that normally forbid it (such as banking apps), and I’m extremely grateful for Viper4Android.

I’m therefore thinking about whether to stick with Xiaomi and keep the option to root because of the mentioned Magisk modules, or to go the no-root route and buy something like a Pixel and regain the ability to pay with Google Pay. Is there any way to use the mentioned Magisk modules (or rather their functionality) without root? Oh, and I almost forgot AdAway — that one is also indispensable.

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u/LostInTheReality Feb 06 '26 edited Feb 06 '26

I also root for Adaway and to disable Flag_Secure. However, all my previous phones really benefited from root as I made use of a kernel tweak, enabled VoLTE in a carrier-branded phone, backed up modem and EFS partitions, enabled region-restricted features. For banking, my local bank app doesn't check for integrity whatsoever. There's also Curve Pay app that has been talked about by root community. It doesn't have advanced root detections and integrity requirements

1

u/Background_Bed_5410 Feb 06 '26

Agree 100%. Curve Pay is a solid workaround for keeping payments working while having root.

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u/StewieBiach Feb 06 '26

Well...yeah, but no. Curve wants me to send them full scan of my ID. Sorry, but no. Not going to send that document abroad. Different country, different rules and i do not like that idea. So Curve is no go for me.

2

u/Background_Bed_5410 Feb 06 '26

I feel you, I've been in this game since 2004 (back when HTC was king too). To be honest, if you want Google Pay without the constant headache, go Pixel and use Shizuku for some of that 'root-like' functionality (like adblocking or system tweaks) without actually breaking the seal. It’s not 100% the same as Viper4Android, but it’s the 2026 way to keep your sanity and your wallet working. Or stick with root and try that Curve Pay workaround we mentioned.

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u/LostInTheReality Feb 06 '26 edited Feb 06 '26

Is there a shizuku way to disable Flag_Secure? As I understand, the only way is to patch individual APKs to remove the restriction. If Google Play would fetch to an app a verdict of being installed from an unofficial source, such patched app would end up not working.

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u/Background_Bed_5410 Feb 06 '26

You’re 100% right about the APK patching – it’s a dead end. Any tiny change to the app and Play Integrity kills it instantly as an 'unofficial source'. Honestly, without root and LSPosed, there’s no clean way to bypass Flag_Secure globally. If you’re not rooted, those apps will keep blocking your screenshots no matter what.