Samsung Galaxy S21 series is the current premium flagship smartphone series from Samsung that offers valuable performance. There are three variants in the series including standard Galaxy S21, Galaxy S21 Plus, and Galaxy S21 Ultra. And all three models are 5G supported. It is only a few weeks after the release of the Galaxy S21 series and you can already root your phone. Here you will know how to root Samsung Galaxy S21 (Ultra) and how to unlock bootloader of Galaxy S21 series.
All three phones are flagship devices that are powered by the powerful Snapdragon 888 or Exynos 2100 processor. And as you already know Samsung displays are the best that you can also get in the Galaxy S21 series with a 120Hz refresh rate. Galaxy S21 series also runs on One UI 3.1 based Android 11 out of the box. And there’s plenty of customization options. But for advanced customization, you can always root your phone.
Samsung Galaxy phones are popular for custom Modifications as Samsung allows its users from different regions to unlock the bootloader. But Samsung doesn’t allow it in some regions, so rooting may not be possible for some users. But if you have the Exynos variant then you can easily unlock the bootloader and root your Galaxy S21. Here we will also share how to unlock bootloader of Galaxy S21 series.
How to Root Samsung Galaxy S21 (Ultra)
Samsung is a popular OEM among custom developers. And most of the Galaxy phones receive support for Custom ROMs, Custom Recoveries for years. But if anyone wants to enjoy the One UI but with some advanced features then they can root their Galaxy phones. Rooting is not easy for Samsung as it used to be, but it is still possible. All thanks to John Wu, Magisk developer for his awesome work that let users root their phones.
Samsung Galaxy S21 Unlock Bootloader
Samsung phones also come with locked bootloader like other Android phones. But the OEM allows its users to unlock the bootloader in most of the regions. As this step is mandatory to root any Android phone, here you will know which Galaxy S21 Bootloader can be unlocked. You can unlock the bootloader of the Exynos variant as well as the Hong Kong Snapdragon variant. If you have these variants then you can follow the steps given below.
Steps to Unlock Bootloader of Galaxy S21
- First, take a full backup of your Galaxy S21 as this process will remove all data from your device.
- Once you have the backup, open Settings on your phone and go to About Phone > Software Information.
- In the Software Information, you will find the Build Number. Tap about 7-8 times on it to enable developer options. It will show โYou are now a developerโ.
- Go back to the main Settings and then go to Additional Settings > Developer Options.
- Now enable OEM unlocking and USB debugging in the Developer Options.
- After enabling the OEM Unlocking and USB Debugging power off your device. Press and hold Volume Up + Volume Down and connect your phone to your PC.
- It will show a Warning screen on your phone, and now you can release both buttons. Now press the Volume Up button once, and Galaxy S21 will boot into Download mode.
- Long press the Volume Up button when the device is in Download Mode and now the unlock bootloader on Samsung S21 will start and wipe all data.
- Reboot your phone and connect to the Internet. Make sure that OEM unlocking is greyed out in Developer options. If not, then wait for a few days and repeat the steps.
You can confirm the bootloader status from the OEM Unlocking section in Developer Options. And if it is greyed out, it means you have successfully unlock the bootloader on Galaxy S21. Once it’s done, you can proceed with rooting your Galaxy S21 phone using Magisk. But before make sure to go through the requirements list.
Prerequisites:
- Take a full backup of your phone before rooting to ensure no data loss
- Download Magisk Manager APK
- Download Odin Flash Tool
- Make sure the bootloader is unlocked on your phone
- Download the Galaxy S21 firmware (use SamFirm or Frija)
- Install ADB & Fastboot driver
Steps to Root Samsung Galaxy S21
Rooting Samsung devices are not easy as other brands, because of partition and a different format. But it is possible if you follow the correct procedure. And here you will know the working steps to root your Galaxy S21. All thanks to John Wu for the Magisk that allows users to easily root their phones. So, letโs jump into the steps.
- Extract the downloaded Galaxy S21 on your computer and check for the AP file (file starting with AP).
- Install Magisk Manager (canary build recommended) on your Galaxy S21. Skip this step if the app is already installed on your device.
- Open the Magisk Manager app on your phone after installing it, and click on Install.
- A pop up will appear, where you need to choose โSelect and Patch a Fileโ.
- Browse and select the boot tar file and wait for the patching process. It can take a few seconds to patch the file.
- After patching the output file will be saved in the Download folder with the name magisk_patched.tar. Use the below command to copy the patched tar file to your PC (directly copying can corrupt the patched file). Requires USB Debugging.
- adb pull /sdcard/Download/magisk_patched.tar
- Open the Odin Flash Tool on your PC. On the right side of the tool, load the magisk patched file in AP. And load respective BL, CP, and Home CSC files (That are in the firmware).
- Now Boot your Galaxy S21 into Download Mode.
- The Odin tool will detect your phone, and it will show blue color in the first stack above ID: COM.
- After completing all the previous steps, click on the Start button. It will start flashing the patched Magisk file to your phone.
- It will give a Pass message on completion and your device will reboot. Do a factory reset, if the device is stuck in bootloop.
- After reboot, turn on the internet connection on your phone. Install Magisk Manager if it’s not present on your phone. Open the app and perform the steps that come in a dialog box.
That’s it, you now have root access on your Samsung Galaxy S21 phone. You can now enjoy apps and features that require root access. Also, if you like to try modules then you can also use various Xposed Modules on your phone. Here you can also check how to install Xposed Framework on Android 11.
So, there you have it, the complete guide on how to root Samsung Galaxy S21 Series along with a guide to unlock bootloader of Galaxy S21. And if you have any queries then let us know in the comment section below.
Also Read: