Last Updated on May 13, 2023 by Mathew Diekhake

Contrary to popular belief, rooting is not a bad thing. In fact, our Android operating systems would have come to us rooted if Android developers did not change anything. The root user to Linux is what the administrator is to Windows. The root user has the all access pass to do whatever they want when they are using the operating system. With regards to the mobile operating system that Android is, having root access also allows apps to read others apps data. There are good reasons for apps being able to read others apps data such as the Titanium Backup application. Without the ability to be able to read the other applications the Titanium Backup applications would not be able to back up as effectively. That is why Titanium for root users is so much better than Helium for the non-rooted user. While applications like Titanium Backup offer plenty of upsides, there are also adverse effects of apps being able to read other apps data. Should you accidentally install malware, having root access makes it easier for that malware to read other apps data and that is a problem. You do not want malware reading your banking details like a book. That is why Android choose to block off root access and by doing so, they also block off the ability for apps to read other apps data.

While it makes a ton of sense for Android to block root access when selling devices to millions of people around the world, it also makes sense for people to become root users should they choose–and not even the Android or people from Google would disagree. Being a root user is critical for being a developer. The Google Nexus range of devices are made for developers, and they are easy to get root access on because every developer needs to be a root user. A root user is not just for developers either, however. There are plenty of applications out there that are available from the Google Play Store that requires people be the root user before they can also be installed. The Titanium Backup app that we already mentioned is one of them, but there are much more. Apps like Dumpster that can restore your old pictures work far better with root access. Apps like the ROM Toolbox and the ROM Manager are going to make your new ROM experience much easier. Apps like Greenify can help you make the most out of the potential battery life that your device can get. Apps like the System App Remover app can help you remove the system apps, so they are taking up less of your device’s internal memory and so forth.

The firmware that Chainfire was running on the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 SM-N920C smartphone when he created this rooting method based on the Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow software update is the MMB29K.N920CXXU2BPB9 firmware build number. It does not mean that you need to be running that same firmware build number on your Samsung Galaxy Note 5. Chainfire just makes that information available to the public because some Samsung devices do not boot old images. That is the only time when the information is useful. Apart from that, you can flash the rooting file found in this guide on any firmware that is on Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow as long as you have the correct model number which in this case is the SM-N920C model number.

Notes:

  • Note that the CF-Auto-Root tool always trips any Samsung Knox security if your device has it running. Knox security means that your device cannot be unrooted to get the warranty working again. You can unroot it, but the warranty is always gone.
  • You must have the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 smartphone that comes with the SM-N920C model number to flash the rooting file in this guide. The model number never changes, and you can always find it available from the Menu > Settings > About Device > Model Number. Any other model number will probably brick the device according to Chainfire.
  • You need to have a computer that is running versions of the Windows operating system if you are not using this guide. The Windows operating system is the only OS that runs the Odin flashing tool–the flashing application for Samsung devices that we are using to flash the rooting file on your device.
  • There might be some more Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow software updates that roll out over the air to your device. If any of these updates bring new bootloaders with them, they can stop the CF-Auto-Root tool from working until Chainfire updates the files. He relies on readers help to keep him informed. You can leave a message along with the recovery image file found in the new firmware on the official CF-Auto-Root tool thread over at the XDA-Developers website, and he sees the message, and then uses it to update the rooting file on his end. Once he updates the files, those changes will be automatically reflected in our guides.

Files You Need

Rooting the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 SM-N920C running on the Android 6.0.1 marshmallow software updates

  1. Unlock the Developer Options menu on the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 smartphone so you can use the options available within that menu.
  2. Enable the USB Debugging Mode on the Note 5 from the Developer Options menu that you just unlocked so you can connect to the computer and it allows for the software developments to happen.
  3. Extract the rooting file on the desktop of the computer and you get the Odin flashing application and the rooting file that you are going to use on the desktop.
  4. Run the Samsung USB Drivers on the Windows computer so your device can be picked up correctly by the flashing tool when you connect it to the computer.
  5. Double-click and run the Odin executable file that is on the desktop of the computer.
  6. Boot the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 SM-N920C into download mode and then connect to the computer with the USB cable that you usually use to charge the battery.
  7. Check that you get a yellow or blue color coming from the ID: COM port which is available from the Odin user interface.
  8. Do not make any changes to the default settings of the Odin flashing tool.
  9. Click the AP button from the Odin application on the computer and then browse through to the desktop location and choose to upload the rooting file that is ending in the tar.md5 file extension.
  10. Click the Start button from the Odin user interface and then check out the display of the phone and wait until it says the device is rebooting in ten seconds.
  11. Look at the Odin app on the computer and check that it says it passed with a message inside a new green box that was not there before.

In conclusion, that is how to root the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 SM-N920C smartphone when you have it running on the Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow software updates by using the systemless root versions of the CF-Auto-Root tool by Chainfire. The systemless root version is flashed the same way as the old way and gives you access to all the same root applications as the old versions too! The difference is in the way your device gets rooted–no longer is the rooting file needing to work through the /system partition anymore. The results are a much cleaner rooting method since the system partition is not touch. The only difference you notice is that your device will be unrooted now each time you take a factory reset. You get the SuperSU applications available from the app drawer as soon as the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 smartphone reboots back into the normal mode which is what it is going to do now automatically.

As soon as the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 smartphone reboots into the normal mode, you can open the Google Play Store and install one of the many root checker applications that are available these days. You should find most are willing to let you check the root status of the smartphone without having to pay any money. There are some bonus features you can get your hands on if you are willing to fork out a few extra bucks and buy the pro versions too.

Those who have used the root checker app and it tells them that they are not rooted can now try to find out why that is exactly. The first thing you might want to try is booting into the recovery mode using the hardware button combination when the device reboots and see if that fixes the issue. The recovery mode is an important part of the rooting process which usually happens by itself because the rooting tool is programmed to get into the recovery mode. However, from time to time that doesn’t happen.

Furthermore, anyone looking for another solution can try installing another version of the Odin flashing application and use it to follow the same guide as above. Chainfire packages the Odin 3.10 in with his rooting files that are made for the Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow software updates, but that does not always work for everyone.

It is also worth noting that Sam Mobile is a website that all Samsung Galaxy Note 5 owners should know about because it holds the stock ROMs that you can install. You can flash a stock ROM using the same Odin flashing tool as above and flash it the same way as you flash the CF-AUto-Root file. The ROM you choose must have the same model number and phone carrier network if you are not yet SIM unlocked. Additionally, those of you who do have the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 SM-N920C SIM unlocked can download the firmware for the same model number but can choose between phone carrier networks. Note that it does not always apply for every device because sometimes there is only one phone carrier network using a model number. However, in some parts of the world usually outside of the United States there can be multiple phone carrier networks using the one model number, and that is when it is useful. Once you have installed the different firmware for your smartphone, try flashing the same rooting file again using the guide above and see if that helps.

CF-Auto-Root on XDA-Developers

Chainfire, the developer of the CF-Auto-Root tool available in this guide, has created a CF-Auto-Root tool thread on the XDA-Develoeprs website. You can use the CF-Auto-Root thread on the XDA-Developers site for requesting new root methods for devices that are not currently available.

Encryption

Note that flashing a CF-Auto-Root file (regardless of the device) wipes the data if the device storage is encrypted. For everyone else, there should be no data loss when rooting with the CF-Auto-Root tool.

Samsung’s Knox security

Some smartphones and tablets in the Samsung range come with Samsung’s Knox security. The CF-Auto-Root tool trips Knox which prevents you from unrooting and using the warranty again.

Flash counters

Any device with a target flash counter is triggered when using the CF-Auto-Root tool. Chainfire’s Triangle Away supports many devices for this problem.