Want to try hacking your Android phone but don’t know where to begin? These 10 quick hacks are the perfect place to start, and can be done by everyone!

Spare Parts is fast becoming a standard install tool that appears in many custom roms. It provides access to a number of Android settings that would normally be kept hidden away. Using the app it’s possible to tweak windows animations, the wi-fi sleep policy, the screen brightness and plenty more besides. It’s also possible to track what apps are using the most power, essential for pin-pointing a new download that is suddenly draining your battery.

A quick look through the Google Play Store reveals a large number of apps that can only be installed on rooted Android devices, including some of the best and most powerful tweaking utilities. We take a look at our top ten apps that will let you really take control of your phone.

Root Explorer is a file browser that has access to the protected Android system files. Using this it’s possible to alter system settings for hacking purposes. To their credit the developers also support the old 24 hour app refund system.

If you think back a few years most peoples mobile phones were fairly simple affairs, even with the advent of camera phones. Now our mobile devices are more akin to portable computers in our pocket that are also useful at making voice calls and sending texts.

With this increased complexity has also come the need for features to be put in place in case something goes wrong.

Most Android devices come with a fairly simple recovery mode thats can be used to fastboot the device , recover , wipe the device and find other info about the phone or tablet. As with a lot of things with Android , even the recovery mode can usually be customized to do more things.

App permissions are one of the most controversial and confusing parts of the Android app world.

For security reasons many functions and data within Android are restricted, and inaccessible to apps. If an app requires access to one of these functions – such as the ability to access the internet over a 3G connection, or use the GPS hardware – it needs to explicitly request permission.

When you download an app you’re presented with a list of all the permissions the app is requesting so you know exactly what you’re getting.

If you’re looking to get into hacking and tweaking your Android phone, our exclusive series of video tutorials will guide you through some of the basics you need to know. From flashing a custom ROM to recovering from problems, these are essential guides for all Android tweakers.

Check back regularly for more in the series soon.