Do you guys use CUSTOM FIRMWARE in 2023 ?

Yep. I exclusively buy devices that have a well established development community.

Edit: Occasionally one app or the other manages to detect root for a while but it can be successfully hidden from the overwhelming majority of banking and financial apps. 

Listing about this after a long time.

All new devices are coming with most of the required software/customizations and Black Mode already so I don't think it is worth investing time in this anymore. I used to flash lots of custom ROMs but haven't done this for last 3-4 years I think. 

Nowadays,  no other benefits of rooting than:

1. Debloating, which you can do with adb also without root.

2. Adaway Ad blocker, which works good with root.

3. Greenify / naptime to save some battery

Cons,  is you will have hard time hiding root from banking apps. At present,  A13, March Security patch, HDFC, Federal needs Magisk to be disabled everytime you open them. Yes Bank app dont work whatever you try.

Other apps are working. 

Instead of rooting,  just unlock bootloader and do TWRP and flash xiaomi eu ROM. Dont root.

I still do it, it's a joy in it's own. Now most of the roms comes with their own encryption so pretty much secured. Root is optional though.

Personally using rooted mobile and removed all redmi pre installed apps / bloatware 😃

but no custom rom because they can have some minor bugs atleast for my device

Nope. Not gonna face random reboots for 10-15% performance increase.. 

Yes, I use. But primary device is debloated with stock ROM & secondary is on custom ROM.

How can you say you flashed roms but dont see the need now?

Im sorry to say this you missed the whole point or had none at all.

Its most needed now when theyre making it incredibly hard to do so by getting encrypted and locked bootloaders out of the box,

Have you seen how much storage your bloated systems like Miui Realme ui etc takes up?

Have you seen all the system apps and their permissions?

Like all the new devices ive bought have some suspious apps/bloatware like facebook manager or some random  name/chinese app pre installed/hidden deep in system apps with god knows what reason.

Or have you actually ever checked permisions for Play Store and Play services and many other apps? Previously you could remove all permissions like Phone and sms and others you still can in AOSP if im not wrong but in new devices both Phone and sms is a required permission for playstore and play services ever wondered why?They even have usage  access turned on meaning they can track you through every app.
There are work arounds using root but it doesnt solve evrything these manufacturers still control the ui to even slow down the device and give random aweful reasons as to preserve battery.

If you never saw any of these and just did for the fun of it you never saw the point youre just better off with just downloading a different theme app for your phone.

With every other app requiring sms and contacts permission rooting android is the only option. With app such as Xprivacylua one can deny such permissions from these apps and still continue to use these apps. Even hiding root is now easy due to magisk deny. 

You may not need a custom rom but rooting is still much needed.

I used to root and flash custom firmware back in the early days of Android.

Now even with Magisk denylist or Magisk Delta, rooted is a fight with almost every banking app so I stopped rooting.

For custom firmware, unlocked bootloader is a must as you may very well know. If you root, even with Magisk + Zygisk + other mods to hide root and pass Google's hardware attestation, it's a battle with banking apps so I gave up.

Even if you flash custom firmware but keep phone unrooted, certain evil apps like Axis Mobile detect the unlocked bootloader and refuse to run.

These days, many evil bank apps in India won't run if
● Older Android e.g. 8.1 in 2023
● Android Developer options ON
● USB debugging ON
● App installed outside Google Play e.g. via APK
● Unlocked bootloader to flash updated or unofficial ROM because manufacturer has abandoned the phone for updates
● TeamViewer/AnyDesk installed
● Rooted phone of course.

IMHO, they should ONLY check for root, not these things.

Mera to bootloader unlock nhi ho rha h kya kru