Root Android Phones

Rooting your Android phone gives you greater access to its operating system, allowing a higher level of customizability. Since there is so much variety in Android phones, there is no single rooting method that will work for every phone or version of Android. To get started, you will need to download the appropriate rooting software for your phone model (most of these are for Windows only), enable USB debugging on the phone, and configure your USB drivers on your computer. Don’t forget to backup your data before rooting.

Steps

Rooting Samsung Galaxy S/Edge Phones

  1. Go to “Settings > About” on your phone. The “About” button is at the bottom of the settings menu.
    • Note: These steps are written specifically for the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge models but will likely work for earlier Galaxy S models as well so long as you download the correct CF Auto Root file for your phone model.
  2. Tap the “Build number” 7 times. This will enable the developer options on your phone
  3. Go back to “Settings” and tap “Developer”. This menu option appears after enabling developer mode and has a list of developer and debugging options that are normally hidden.
  4. Select “OEM Unlock”. This setting will allow your phone to be rooted.[1]
  5. Install and open Odin on your computer. Odin is specifically designed for rooting Samsung phones, but is only available for Windows.
    • This software can also be used to root earlier models, like the Galaxy S6, but you will need to make to sure download the appropriate autoroot file.
  6. Download and install the Samsung USB driver. This is necessary to make use of the phone’s USB debugging options on your computer.
  7. Download and extract the S7 or S7 Edge Chainfire autoroot file. Right-click the .zip file and select “Extract”. The extracted file will have the .tar.md5 extension.
    • Search the CF Autoroot site for the correct autoroot file for your specific model if you are rooting an older Galaxy S phone. Using the correct autoroot file is VERY important to prevent damage to your phone.
  8. Press the hold the Home, Power, and Volume Down buttons on your phone simultaneously. After a few moments the phone will enter Download Mode.
  9. Connect your phone to your computer via USB while Odin is running and your phone is in Download Mode. After a few moments, Odin will display “Added Message” which indicates the connection between the phone and Odin is working.
  10. Click “AP”. You will be prompted to browse for a file to use.
  11. Select the autoroot file you extracted ending in .tar.md5.
  12. Press Start. The rooting process will commence. Your phone will reboot throughout the process and then boot into Android when it is finished.

Rooting a Nexus Phone

  1. Turn on your phone and connect it to your computer via USB.
  2. Install and open the Nexus Root Toolkit to your computer. Nexus Root Toolkit can be used to unlock and root any Nexus device. Upon launching, you will be prompted for your phone model and Android OS version.
  3. Select your phone model from the dropdown menu.
    • Go to “Settings > About Phone” on your phone if you are unsure. The model is listed under “Model number”.
  4. Select the version of Android you are currently running from the second dropdown menu.
    • Go to “Settings > About Phone” on your phone if you are unsure. The sections “Android version” and “Build Number” will display the exact information you need to make a selection.
  5. Press Apply. You will be taken to a window with precise instructions on enabling USB debugging mode.
  6. Go to “Settings > About Phone” on your phone. “About Phone” is at the bottom of the Settings page.
  7. Tap “Build Number” 7 times. “Build Number” is at the bottom of the “About Phone” page. After the 7th tap you will see a message notifying you that developer mode is enabled.
  8. Go back to “Settings” and tap “Developer”. This menu option appears after enabling developer mode and has a list of developer and debugging options that are normally hidden.
  9. Select “USB Debugging” and press “OK”. You will see a prompt to allow debugging access to the computer you are connected to.
  10. Select “Always allow from this computer” and press “OK”.
  11. Press “OK” in the instructions window of Nexus Root Toolkit. The program will automatically detect the necessary dependencies for rooting your phone.
  12. Press “Download + Update All File Dependencies” then press “Continue”. The dependencies will download and you will be taken to the main Nexus Root Toolkit interface.
  13. Press “Full Driver Installation Guide” for instructions on configuring your drivers. The steps will vary depending on your current driver setup. You will need to uninstall any old drivers if you have connected another Android phone to your computer before this, then Nexus Root Toolkit will recommend and provide a driver installation kit to match your setup.
  14. Press “Backup” to save any data you want to keep (optional). This will open a menu with various backup options, such as contacts, SMS, or app data. Each button will provide specific instructions for backup up the data to your computer.
  15. Press “Unlock”. This will unlock the bootloader, allowing you to root the device. Note: This process will erase all of the data on your phone so make sure you have made a backup of anything you want to keep.
  16. Press “Root”. Nexus Root Toolkit will root your device and automatically install the SuperSU root software. When the process is complete your phone will be rooted!
  17. Press “Restore”. This will open a window with various restore options matching the backup options. Press each option to restore from the backups you created.

Rooting Phones with WinDroid Toolkit

  1. Check the device compatibility list to make sure you can use WinDroid Toolkit with your phone.
  2. Connect your phone to your computer via USB.
  3. Go to “Settings > About Phone” on your phone. “About Phone” is at the bottom of the Settings page.
  4. Tap “Build Number” 7 times. “Build Number” is at the bottom of the “About Phone” page. After the 7th tap you will see a message notifying you that developer mode is enabled.
  5. Go back to “Settings” and tap “Developer”. This menu option appears after enabling developer mode and has a list of developer and debugging options that are normally hidden.
  6. Select “USB Debugging” and press “OK”. You will see a prompt to allow debugging access to the computer you are connected to.
  7. Select “Always allow from this computer” and press “OK”.
  8. Download and open WinDroid Toolkit onto your computer. After launching, you will be prompted to download ADB if it’s not already on your computer.
    • This program is currently for Windows only.
  9. Click to download the ADB (Android Debug Bridge). If you already have ADB installed then this prompt will not appear. After installing ADB, a list of supported devices will appear.
  10. Select your phone’s brand. The list will expand to display supported models.
  11. Select your model. After selecting your model, Winroot Toolkit will automatically download the recovery image and autoroot files for your phone. Once the download completes you will be taken to the main interface.[2]
    • In the lower left corner is an indicator of your online status. If at some point you lose connection, press “Refresh” in the lower right to return online.
  12. Click the option(s) that appears in the “Unlock Bootloader” column in descending order. The buttons that appear here will vary depending on the phone you are unlocking (for example, “Request Unlock” or “Get Token ID”). WinRoot Toolkit will provide instructions on how to prepare the phone for unlocking.
  13. Click the “Unlock Bootloader”. This button make Winroot Toolkit automatically download and run software to unlock your bootloader.
    • Unlocking your bootloader will erase the data on your phone. Make sure you make a backup of any data you want to keep before doing this.
  14. Click the option that appears under the “Flash Recovery” header. This option will vary depending on the phone you are flashing (for example, “Flash TWRP”). This will automatically reboot your phone into fastboot mode and install the recovery image. When complete you will be prompted to reboot your phone.
  15. Click “Yes” to reboot your phone. Winroot Toolkit will reboot your phone using ADB.
  16. Click “Flash SuperSU” in the “Gain Root” column. A window will appear asking you to verify that you want to begin the rooting process.
  17. Click “Yes”. Winroot Toolkit will automatically transfer the SuperSU autoroot file to your phone and boot it into the recovery image.
  18. Install SuperSU from the recovery. The buttons may vary depending on which recovery is being used. Once installed, a notification will appear in Winroot Toolkit that the root was successful and to reboot your phone.
    • For example, with TRWP recovery, press “Install”, then select the SuperSU file and swipe the “Confirm Flash” to enable SuperSU on your phone.
  19. Reboot your phone. Your phone will boot into the Android OS with root access!

Rooting Other Android Phones

  1. Search the XDA forums for your phone model. The XDA forums is a collective of Android developers that create ways to root various phones. Search for the “Jump To” header and click your phone's brand name. Then search for your phone model for specific instructions on how to root your phone.
  2. Familiarize with the Android SDK (Software Development Kit) and ADB (Android Debug Bridge) tools. These tools utilize your computer’s command line and are necessary for unlocking and rooting some newer phones like the HTC 10 or Moto X Pure.
    • The Android SDK is also the most common tool to root an Android phone from a Mac.
  3. Root using ‘one-click’ software for older phones. Programs like Towelroot or FramaRoot can be used to root some older phone models running Android 4.4 or older. Check each website to make sure your phone model is supported by the software.

Tips

  • Even though your phone is connected to your computer while rooting, it is a good idea to charge your phone beforehand. If the phone runs out of battery during the root process it can damage the phone’s software.
  • Download and run a root checker app from the Play Store to confirm that your phone is rooted.

Warnings

  • Make sure the software you are using matches the model and version of the phone you are trying to root. A mismatch can cause the root to fail and potentially brick your phone.
  • Unlocking the bootloader and rooting the phone may void your warranty.
  • You may not be able to root some phones. This is especially common with newer models, so make sure that it's even possible before trying to root. Otherwise, a range of consequences can happen, from simple wasted time to accidentally bricking the phone.

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ https://www.androidpit.com/how-to-root-samsung-galaxy-s7-and-s7-edge
  2. ↑ http://en.miui.com/thread-107898-1-1.html
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