Last Updated on September 20, 2022 by Mathew Diekhake
The Samsung SM-A022F smartphone was released on January 27 of 2021 and came with Android 10 out of the box. It has since been upgradable to Android 11 which is indeed a desirable operating system, but for some, it still comes overly bloated with Samsung’s default apps that cannot be uninstalled unless you were to have root access. That’s one of the main reasons people get root access — to get better performance out of the hardware and battery — but not the only reason. Rooting is quite desirable nowadays because with Magisk you can install handy modules that make it easy to customize the smartphone.
The following tutorial demonstrates how to install Magisk on the Samsung SM-A022F so the smartphone is successfully rooted and can pass Android SafetyNet which allows you to use the Google Play Store and important apps like Android Pay.
How to Install Magisk on Samsung SM-A022F
Presumably, when people say they want to install Magisk on a device, they’re suggesting they want to get root access with Magisk since that is the point of the Magisk app. The following tutorial demonstrates everything you need to have root access to Magisk so you can install Magisk modules.
Part One: Unlocking the Bootloader on Samsung SM-A022F
You need to unlock the bootloader on the Samsung SM-A022F smartphone before you can get root access with Magisk. This is because you need to install a modified boot image, which to a company like Samsung, means no difference to installing custom firmware even though you’re keeping the same firmware. Here is how to unlock the bootloader on the Samsung SM-A022F:
1. On the Samsung SM-A022F open Settings and tap on About Phone. At the bottom of the About Phone section is a build number. Tap on the build number and it says you are “x taps” away from becoming a developer. Keep tapping until you are a developer.
Note: If you tap on the Android version, there is another build number inside; however, this build number is not compatible with becoming a developer.
2. Once a developer, you have unlocked the Developer Options menu which is now accessible from the Settings menu. Tap and open Developer Options and then enable OEM Unlock.
3. You have now unlocked the operating system to allow for the bootloader to be unlocked but it is not unlocked yet. Boot the Samsung SM-A022F into Download Mode and then hold Volume Up to unlock the bootloader. The smartphone’s bootloader will unlock, the data will be wiped, and it will reboot.
4. Though the bootloader is unlocked now, Samsung’s VaultKeeper may still prevent you from installing custom firmware partitions. To solve this, connect the Samsung SM-A022F to the internet and enable Developer Options again. In Developer Options, check if OEM Unlock is greyed out. If it is, this is actually a good thing, as it means VaultKeeper is allowing the bootloader to load unofficial firmware partitions.
Part Two: Rooting with Magisk
Once you have unlocked the bootloader, you can proceed to get root access with Magisk. No developer has written a custom guide for the Samsung SM-A022F, so this is a general guide. Please leave comments if you think something needs to be slightly altered. Here is how to root the Samsung SM-A022F with Magisk, aka install Magisk [so the smartphone is rooted]:
1. Update your Samsung SM-A022F so it is running the latest firmware. Download and extract the same firmware version for the Samsung SM-A022F to the desktop of your computer. You can download firmware using free Samsung firmware update tools.
2. Download Magisk.
3. Connect the Samsung SM-A022F to the desktop computer with its USB cable.
4. Extract the Magisk folder and copy the boot.img file to the Samsung SM-A022F’s internal storage.
5. Open the Magisk app, tap Install, and then tap on Patch Boot Image File.
6. Upload the boot image to this location in Magisk and Magisk will then patch the boot image.
7. Transfer the patched_boot.img to the desktop computer and paste it inside the firmware folder you extracted to the desktop earlier.
8. Download the Odin flashing tool to the desktop computer and extract and open it.
9. Create a TAR file for Odin by using the 7 zip open source to archive it to the TAR file type. From Odin’s interface, uncheck Auto Reboot. Upload the tar.md5 firmware file to the AP button in Odin.
10. Reboot the Samsung SM-A022F smartphone holding the Power and Volume Down buttons. Wait for the screen to turn black and then release Volume Down and press Power and Volume Up. Wait for the Android logo to appear and then release the Power button. Wait until you see the bootloader warning and then release the Volume Up button.
11. Press the Power button to advance beyond the bootloader warning and then you will see Recovery Mode.
12. From Recovery Mode, select Wipe Data/Factory Reset and Reboot System Now.
In conclusion, that is how to install Magisk on the Samsung SM-A022F smartphone.