How to Root Samsung Galaxy S5 (Verizon and/or AT&T Variants Even)

Now you can root your Samsung Galaxy S5 variants like AT&T and Verizon Wireless even!!! You can simply do it with a tool named Geohot’s Towelroot which is the invention of one of the fabulous hackers, George Hotz, aka Geohot. With his work, he has made it possible to root any model of the Samsung Galaxy 5S. Because whatever he hacks, he literally hacks that in style. Hotz’s exploit not only can root G900A, G900V models, it can work on any Android device.

How does it work? This Geohot’s Towelroot causes the Android kernels to crash, allowing it to ask for superuser permissions, even though to the current user, the root is not accessible. This superuser permissions so granted from Android can be used to copy the requisite files, so that other apps in future can also get this permission.

Further elaborating, neither does the Towelroot exploit need any computer nor any complicated ADB commands, it is just an app to be sideloaded. This is so far the easiest method and the Samsung’s Knox is also safe during this exploitation process.

DISCLAIMER: Still you should proceed this rooting process on your own responsibility because your phone’s warranty can go void as soon as you root it.

Straight away to the steps to be followed, here are they!

STEP BY STEP GUIDE TO ROOT YOUR SAMSUNG GALAXY S5 (All Variants):

1. ENABLE UNKNOWN SOURCES:

As this rooting app is not available in the Google app store, you have to make your phone prepare for the installation of apps (sideloaded apps). From settings>system>section>security. in here, open the box named Unknown Sources and press Ok.

2. DOWNLOAD THE TOWELROOT:

Open the galaxy’s web browser and navigate to towelroot.com. Now from here click on the lambda symbol to download the file as Hotz has made available this root exploit app to all via websites.

After the download is finished, press the notification to start the installation process, from here tapping Install and when complete, press Open.

3. ROOT YOUR PHONE:

As you open this app on your phone, it won’t say much just a title would appear saying make it rain. Tap it and you have rooted your device.

Wait for 15 seconds for all the necessary files to be copied over. Your phone will automatically reboot. All of the above steps would not take more than 20 seconds on an Android device, though can vary from device to device.

4. VERIFICATION FOR SUCCESSFUL ROOTING (Optional):

For this, you can download from the google play store an app called root checker tap on this app and then on Verify Root to make sure that whole of the procedure you just followed above went down successfully.

While doing this, you may not be asked to grant Root Checker superuser permissions, it is because Towelroot usually does not install a root management app.

Malware apps can cause damage to your phone because an app that secretly installs itself on your phone can gain root privileges. Thus, your phone might be facing a security risk.

5. INSTALL A ROOT MANAGEMENT APP (Recommended):

Therefore, to be on the safe side, install a root management app Chainfire‘s SuperSU it is one of the best apps and is available at Google play store for free. Its current version has not been updated with Verizon and/or AT&T variants. However, G900A and G900V are supported by it thus that version has been uploaded for you.

Open the link after it has been download, open the notification to launch it, press Install and then press Open.

6. UPDATE THE SUPERUSER BINARIES (Recommended):

You will be asked to update the superuser binaries. Press Continue to start and then click on Normal.

You can also be asked to delete the Samsung’s Knox security features. Just hit No thanks.

You will have a confirmation dialog, once you are finished with the process. For the changes to take effect, you will have to reboot your phone. Do it as it says!

When you are back up, any rooted app will definitely ask your permission to gain access to your phone’s system. You can press Grant for those you trust and any app you do not want to, press Deny at the same time on the same dialog.

7. DISABLE SECURITY POLICY UPDATES (AT&T Version Only):

Once rooted, AT&T’s Security Policy Update service might ask you to update your phone’s Security Policies. This notification can make your phone unrooted and of course, this is not your intention. In order to prevent this all you will have to do is just disable the app and grab any of the many free root-enabled file browsers from the play store, Sliding Explorer is suggested here. First, enable the root mode on your file browser. With this Explorer press the 3-dot menu button, then Settings and then hit the box made next to Enable Root Mode.

Select the Root Directory via navigation menu on the left side. SuperSU will appear asking you to grant root permission to Sliding Explorer. Press Grant.

Next, to this, navigate to the /system/priv-app and search for SPDClient.apk file.

Now select Rename from the 3-dot menu button to the right side of this file, here simply add .bak to the filename and press Rename. Now reboot your device and you should not be worried about AT&T’s Security Policy Update service any longer.

That is all about it, now you have your Samsung Galaxy S5 rooted! let us know if you encounter any ambiguity during the process!