Last Updated on May 13, 2023 by Mathew Diekhake

Samsung smartphones can often come with two ways to get root access. Having root access means you can install any of the root apps that are available online—and there are thousands of them. A root app is simply an app that you can install, but it does not run unless you grant it root access. All Android operating systems have root access by default but it is blocked off for just about everyone, and all those people then need to find out a way to unlock it if they want it.

One of the most common ways of becoming the root user and getting the root access is by unlocking the bootloader, booting the smartphone into the bootloader mode and then running some ADB commands from a command line to get the custom recovery image flashed on the device. For some devices like the Google Nexus range that are intended for developers, doing all of those things like unlocking the bootloader is relatively straightforward and can be done with as little as one commands from the command line. For others, it can be very challenging, particular if you have a device fro ma manufacture of clearly doesn’t like you having root access which is why it is important to research these things before choosing what phone to buy if you dearly wanted to become a root user.

To complicate rooting Android knowledge, even more, the Android software updates can change the way we get root access. Sometimes new software updates can patch an exploit which means away people were getting root access before it no longer working, and sometimes software updates or newer versions of Android can just come with new bootloaders which stop certain one-click rooting tools from working. Moreover, a one-click rooting tool such as the CF-Auto-Root tool can change the way it goes about getting the root access to your phone’s internal system because the security features that reach well beyond our basic level of understanding change and that means the way rooting developers like Chainfire work to get root access change too. An example of that is looking how he now gets root access to the Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow software updates by using a systemless root which means he now bypasses the system partition.

If you are not interested in learning all the technical aspects of getting root access and becoming the root user, then you should check out a tool like the one-click rooting tool he makes called CF-Auto-Root. It works the same way you flash firmware updates from the Odin flashing tool when you do it manually from a computer. That means it takes just you clicking the start button and the rooting tool handles the rest.

Notes:

  • Chainfire had the MMB29K.J710MNUBU1APG8 firmware build number running on the Samsung Galaxy J7 SM-J710MN smartphone in his possession when he developed the rooting method found in this guide. He does not suggest that you need to be on the same firmware build as him, however. He just gives the information of the firmware build number that he was running so you can use it as an indicator later if you need it.
  • There is an official forum thread set up for the CF-Auto-Root tool over at the XDA-Developers web forum that people can leaves message for requesting new versions of the CF-Auto-Root tool for devices that don’t yet have them if you need it. The same thread is where people need to post new messages alerting Chainfire that existing versions of the CF-Auto-Root tool need updating. You need to leave the recovery image file from the new firmware that is not getting rooted in the message because that is part of what he needs to update the rooting files so that they begin working again.
  • You need to have the Windows operating system running on the computer before you can run the Odin flashing tool that is used in this guide for flashing the rooting file on the smartphone.
  • You need to have the Samsung Galaxy J7 smartphone that comes with the SM-J710MN model number to use the CF-Auto-Root file that is available in this guide without bricking the device. Each version of the CF-Auto-Root tool is made for a new model number and flashing the wrong one usually means the device is bricked until you flash the stock ROM on it again. If you find yourself in that situation, you can try checking out the Sam Mobile website for downloading the stock ROM.

Download Samsung Galaxy J7 SM-J710MN CF-Auto-Root and Drivers

How to Root Samsung Galaxy J7 SM-J710MN on Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow Using CF-Auto-Root

  1. Unlock the Developer Options menu on the Samsung Galaxy J7 SM-J710MN smartphone so you can use the options available to you inside for developers.
  2. Enable the USB Debugging Mode from the Samsung Galaxy J7’s Developer Options menu that you just unlocked so you can have changes made to the Android software.
  3. Install the Samsung USB Drivers on the Windows PC so that the Samsung Galaxy J7 smartphone can be connected correctly to the Odin flashing tool.
  4. Extract the rooting file to the Downloads folder and when you do you can then see the Odin flashing tool executable file and the rooting file available in the Downloads folder.
  5. Boot the Samsung Galaxy J7 SM-J710MN into the Download Mode and then connect the smartphone to the computer with the USB cable when it is done.
  6. Open up the Downloads folder on the PC and then run the Odin flashing tool executable file that is there so that the flashing tool opens.
  7. Check that Odin shows a blue or yellow ID: COM port color and the added message is inside the Log which is both signs that the Samsung USB Drivers are working.
  8. Don’t make changes from the default settings that are available from the Odin Options tab or else you risk losing data.
  9. Click on the AP button and then browse through to the Downloads folder on the computer and then pick out the Md5 rooting file to upload to the Odin.
  10. Once you see the rooting file extension is visible in Odin, click on the Start button and the flashing then begins.
  11. Read all of the text that rolls down the display of the smartphone that has been programmed by the developers to fill you in on everything that is happening.
  12. Check that Odin shows a pass message coming from inside a green box.

In conclusion, that is how to root the Samsung Galaxy J7 SM-J710MN smartphone running on the Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow software updates by using the CF-Auto-Root tool by Chainfire. The phone now reboots into the normal mode automatically for you and the SuperSU applications is available from the app drawer. You can enter the SuperSU app if you like but it is not required before you begin to install the root applications. The SuperSU is already enabled now, and it prompts you with messages when you try to run root apps asking for your confirmation that you would like to run them.

The term “rooting Android” is so common these days that your oldest of cousins is probably aware of it. The only thing is that they likely don’t know about it as much as they think they do. The reason I say that is because I’ve even come across tech writers who write on Android who don’t know what it truly means and what it does. Nor did they properly know what rooting Android is required.

Many people I come across think that rooting Android is, in part, done to help install a custom ROM because some custom ROMs need root access before you can install them. Rooting is not required before installing custom ROMs. Rooting Android is about what changes you can make with the ROM that is installed on your smartphone or tablet today. It doesn’t matter if that is a custom ROM or a stock ROM running. But rooting Android is never about assisting people to install new ROMs. What you need if you want to install new ROMs is the bootloader unlocked and a custom recovery image installed.

Everything that you do with root access to the Android operating system is done with apps. These are called root apps, and most of them are installed from the same Google Play Store that you already use for the regular apps. Where the difference comes in is with trying to find these apps. If you open up Google Play now, you get to see what apps are trending and looking like great ones to install as recommendations. There is no such area for the root apps, so you need to do that research beforehand yourself. You can get things started by checking out our guide on what we think are many of the best root applications to install for your Android operating system. The great thing about root apps is that they generally all work on your device no matter what device it is and no matter what method you choose to become the root user. As long as the root checker app is showing in your favor and it suggests you are rooted, then the app will work.

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