The Samsung Galaxy Nexus is a Google Android mobile, which has a few interesting characteristics. The main one which comes to mind is the centered camera it is equipped with. This is generally a camera which appears on either the left or right side of a mobile for other manufacturers. It’s also a fair bit smaller for an Android, but it still is large enough under the hood.

It is a great mobile to want to root, the only problem is that it’s a fairly lengthy problem. Length doesn’t always account for difficulty, however, so don’t be scared away just yet.

Verizon Galaxy Nexus

Details of Note

  • If you find you are having connection troubles you may need to upgrade the USB drivers.
  • This should only be attempted for those phones which are running the 4.1.1 Jelly Bean with the JRO03C build number. This won’t necessarily be you, because this isn’t the firmware it has out of the box.

Rooting the Galaxy Nexus running Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean

1. Download the Android SDK from the developer’s website. Also download Fastboot afterwards and extract it into the android-sdk-windowsplatform-tools directory.

Now you only need to do this once. If you already have them, then you do not need to download them again. Simply begin the guide from here instead.

2. Download the Superuser-3. 1.3-arm-signed.zip. Again, only do this if you don’t have this for your galaxy Nexus already.

3. Connect the device to the computer via the USB cable supported.

4. Simply copy over the Superuser-3.1.3-arm-signed.zip from step 3 to the SD card of the device.

5. Power down the device.

6. Download the CWM 5.5.0.2

7. Also save this file to the android-sdk-windowsplatform-tools location. This is the same location, we put fastboot.

8. Enter fastboot. How do I do that? Press and hold the Power button and volume down for a few seconds. Wait until you see some text on-screen.

9. Go to the android-sdk-windowsplatform-tools and when yo8u get there open up the command line. From the command line you need to type the following: fastboot flash recovery, recovery-clockwork-5.5.0.2-maguro.img. The last dot is a full stop for my sentence. Don’t put the last dot in. When it’s in, press enter to confirm the command.

10. Now you see the fastboot menu. From here choose to enter recovery mode.

11. Navigate your way to flash zip from SD card. Remember, the power button inside recovery is how to confirm commands. Press power again and select choose a zip from SD card.

12. Navigate to the Superuser-3.1.3-arm-signed.zip file using the volume keys and select it. Continue to use the power button to confirm and choose to install this.

13. Now head back to the main screen and select reboot system now. Upon reboot the device will be rooted.

That’s all.