Last Updated on June 1, 2019 by Mathew Diekhake
These are the guidelines to install a custom recovery on the Samsung Galaxy Alpha smartphone with the SM-G850A model number. The aforesaid model number is the American model that came out for T-Mobile and AT&T subscribers.
There is no traditional CF-Auto-Root tool by Chainfire available for the T-Mobile and AT&T option of this device so we are getting root access with the SuperSU and flashing it from within your new recovery.
The following tutorial demonstrates how to install TWRP Recovery on the Samsung Galaxy Alpha SM-G850A smartphone.
Files You Need
- Download the TWRP Recovery for the Galaxy Alpha.
- Download the latest version of the Odin flashing tool.
- Download the universal Windows ADB driver from here.
- Installing your custom recovery on the Samsung Galaxy Alpha will be the gateway to rooting the AT&T and T-Mobile variants of the device. You can find the guide for that at the end of this post. Otherwise, feel free to just use your recovery for recovering the device, taking full backups and installing some ROMs or kernel.
Installing a Custom Recovery On the Samsung Galaxy Alpha from AT&T and T-Mobile
- Extract the TWRP file to the desktop of the computer.
- Do the same thing for the Odin flashing tool as you did for the custom recovery package.
- Run the universal ADB driver by extracting it and then double-clicking the file. Follow the on-screen prompts to finish the installation of your drivers.
- Right-click the Odin executable file and then choose to run it as an administrator from the menu.
- Turn off the Auto Reboot option from the Odin application once the user-interface opens on the desktop. Do not make any other changes from the default settings.
- Boot the Samsung Galaxy Alpha in download mode by turning it off and then pressing the correct hardware key combination for the said mode.
- Connect the Samsung Galaxy Alpha to the computer with the USB cable.
- Wait until you can see the yellow or blue ID: COM port available from the Odin application. No color means you did not install the drivers properly.
- Click the AP button and browse the desktop for the custom recovery tar file that is on the desktop.
- Click the Start button in the Odin application on the computer.
- Wait for a few minutes and it should return a green box with a pass message inside on the Odin application.
- Reboot the Samsung Galaxy Alpha directly to recovery mode during the first time boot otherwise the stock recovery might wipe over your work.
In conclusion, that’s how to install the TWRP custom recovery on the Samsung Galaxy Alpha smartphone with the SM-G850A model number. Now you can find out how to root the Samsung Galaxy Alpha SM-G850A smartphone so you can start installing your root applications, custom ROMs and custom kernels.
Anyone thinking about installing some aftermarket firmware on the device might be interested in checking out the best custom ROMs for the Samsung Galaxy Alpha post so you can see what it available.
That’s all.
October 5, 2017 @ 03:51
Did everyone give up on rooting the Galaxy Alpha SM-G850A?
September 18, 2016 @ 00:40
Hello, try installing the file, but me an error menssage “version error” appears I have a Galaxy Alpha SM-G850A, ¿How I can resolve it?
September 18, 2016 @ 04:47
We have received a few messages with relation to this custom recovery image. It seems it is not working at the moment. I will update the file as soon as there is a new one available/updated the guide when something else becomes available.
At this point, there is no way to get root access on the AT&T variant of the Samsung Galaxy Alpha. You can send a message to Chainfire and request for him to make a working rooting method for your device, and he might make it happen.