Rooting the Samsung Galaxy S7: Fully Customize Your Device

We received some bad news in the US about the Samsung S7 concerning rooting. All models come with a locked bootloader. This can’t really be blamed on Samsung, as they didn’t make the call. Instead, all of the major carriers–even some that are usually more freedom-friendly, like T-Mobile–have opted to lock the bootloader of these phones.

This does make rooting more difficult for developers/hackers/modders. Thankfully, a few were still up to the challenge. One-Click-Root vows to make rooting safe, easy, and fast; and Chainfire (behind CF-Auto-Root) has a solid reputation for providing root access. In all honesty, Kingo Root seems a bit dicey for some models, but on others, it seems to work just fine.

Before We Begin:

• Verify your device model number.
• Realize that rooting voids your warranty. Use these methods at your own risk.
• Perform a full backup.
• Download and install USB drivers on your computer.
• From Security in the Settings menu, enable Unknown Sources so you download and install apps outside of those in the Google-Play store.
• Charge your phone.
• Enable USB debugging.

Related: How To Root Android – Everything You Need To Know

Method 1: Root Using Odin and CF-Auto-Root (With Optional Custom Recovery)

While you’re at the business of rooting, you might as well install a custom recovery. A custom recovery will afford you more features like the ability to create and restore backups, install custom ROMs, and ClockworkMod even offers a ROM Manager.

A brand new version of TWRP (Team Win Recovery Project) has been released—Version 3.0. It now includes a better-looking user interface with arrow keys, some language translation capability, and storage support for devices with Marshmallow.

Download Root Package

• Download and extract these files to your PC:

Download: Odin

Download:Smart Switch

Download:CF-Auto-Root

Optional Download:TWRP

Optional Download:CWM

Download the file specific to your model only! If you do otherwise, you risk bricking your phone! Right-click on the zip folder and select Extract All. Or, left-click and press the Extract All button from Compressed Folder Tools. You can also use Samsung’s website to download USB driver software onto your PC.

Open Odin3

Boot into Download Mode

• Turn off your phone. Simultaneously press the Volume Up, Home, and Power buttons. You will land in the Download Mode menu, where you’ll need to press the Volume Up button to verify this is where you want to be.

Connect to PC

• Connect your Galaxy to your desktop using a USB cable. The original USB cable that came with the Samsung is sure to work, provided it’s in good condition. Odin should identify your device and you should see an Added message in the Odin window.

Click AP

• Click the AP (or PDA depending on the version of Odin) button and select the .tar.md5 file. The box under ID:COM should be blue (or yellow, depending on the version of Odin). If that is not the case, or you don’t see the Added message, try to reconnect your Samsung and try again.
• Ensure that Re-Partition is deselected.
• Wait a couple of seconds until you see a message that says Leave CS, then you are ready to proceed to the next step.

Select Start

• Press the Start button to begin rooting. You should soon see a green Pass message.

Reboot

• Within a moment or two, your Galaxy S7 should reboot automatically. At that point you can remove the USB cable from your device. If your phone does not reboot, do so manually. Or, if you installed a custom recovery, you can reboot by pressing a button onscreen.
• You can also use the Root Checker app to verify that the device is rooted.

Method 2: Root Samsung Galaxy S7 Using Kingroot

This method can be accomplished without a PC; but if you prefer to use one, that is an option as well. If you do decide to use a computer, make sure it is running Windows. You will need to maintain a stable Internet connection throughout the process.

KingRoot is Chinese, although a lot of English is used in the APK version. Unless you want the exclusively Chinese version, we recommend using the APK (Android) version that can be downloaded directly to your phone. This method is different from CF-Auto-Root in that it isn’t really a rooting kernel, and instead capitalizes on a system exploit.

Download Kingroot

• Download and install the Kingroot APK on your Galaxy S7 or the Windows version for your PC. This app checks whether you already have root access. If you download directly from the Google Play Store, use King Pro Root.

KingRoot

Launch KingRoot

• Open your new KingRoot app. You can find it in your Galaxy’s app drawer once installation is complete.
• Or open the file on your PC and connect to your phone via USB cable. The software will automatically check for the latest device drivers for your phone.

Check for Button

• Ensure that you can see the Start Root button at the bottom of the display. This tells you that your device is supported.

Start Rooting

• Tap the Start button to begin rooting. Rooting may take a few moments. Once rooting is complete, you should see Success! on your screen and the KingRoot icon in the Launcher menu.

Restart your Samsung.

• If your device is not compatible with the rooting software, you will instead be prompted to try the desktop version of KingRoot, which might work better for you. There is, however, no English user interface on the desktop version at this time.

Method 3: Root Samsung Galaxy S7 with One Click Root

Like some of the other rooting apps mentioned in prior methods, One Click Root is impressive for the number of different devices it can root. It’s estimated that One Click Root can root about 250 types of devices from all of the major manufacturers. With one click you can access more apps, preserve battery life, and experience faster performance.

Download One Click Root

• Download and install One Click Root. One Click Root works for both Macs and Windows.

One Click Root

Connect Phone

• Connect the phone to your PC or laptop using the original USB cable. A standard USB cable may also suffice, but the original cable is a sure bet.

Launch App

• Open the One Click Root app.

Start Rooting

• Click the Root now button. The software will complete the process for you.
• When complete, remove the USB cable from the phone and PC.

Reboot

• Your phone should automatically reboot when finished. Note the 24/7 support.
• It’s also possible to unroot with one click.

Conclusion

It probably goes without saying that there will be more rooting methods to follow since this is a relatively new phone. Nonetheless, it’s always better to be the first among your friends to gain access to your new phone at the deepest level. If instead you have reached a point where you are stuck or your S7 is rebooting repeatedly, try going through the steps again one more time. If it still won’t work, consider flashing the stock image for your S7.

Did you run into any problems? Leave us a comment and let us know where you got stuck and we can try to help you out.

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