Last Updated on May 13, 2023 by Mathew Diekhake

Becoming the root user on the Samsung Galaxy Tab A SM-P355M tablet means you can do more stuff. By more stuff, we are talking about applications. It is the applications that make your mobile operating system world go round because everything that you do is done with the help of apps. There are apps out there that can help you be entertained such as gaming apps, and there are apps out there that help you live a more practical life by giving you handy solutions for creating longer lasting batteries.

The Android operating system is a bit different to other operating systems such as Windows by Microsoft. Not only do they use different terminology but they also don’t agree on the level of permissions one should have when owning a device. The Windows operating system is all about making the person who first steps up the computer as the administrator, and that then puts them in control over the operating system. That makes a ton of sense since the first person to set up the computer is either the owner or someone is setting it up for the rightful owner, and it is that owner who is going to want to have the control. With Android, things are different. The Android developers did not feel like letting people be the person in control of the operating system. That control is referred to the root user account or being the root user. The term root user and administrator are the same things but different terminology between Windows and Android operating system.

On Android, there are a couple of common ways you can root a device. One of them is by using a one-click rooting tool such as KingRoot, WinDroid, CF-Auto-Root, TowelrRoot and so forth. The other way is by getting a custom recovery image installed, and then flashing something similar to SuperSU from the custom recovery. Samsung devices usually always use the CF-Auto-Root tool for the one-click rooting method and the CF-Auto-Root tool installs and enables the same kind of SuperSU that people flash from a custom recovery image. The difference is that the people who needed to use a custom recovery often choose just to flash SuperSU from the custom recovery image since they needed to have both things on the device anyhow or the others who have no intention of ever having a need for a custom recovery to be installed are choosing to root with the CF-Auto-Root tool. Apart from that, it does not matter what method you choose because they both result in the same thing happening which is getting SuperSU correctly installed and enabled.

Notes:

  • Chainfire had the MMB29M.P355MUBU1BPF3 firmware build number running on the Samsung Galaxy Tab A SM-P355M tablet when the rooting file found in this guide was developed. He does not suggest you do need to be running on the same firmware build number as him when you follow this guide. All he is doing is letting you know so you can use it as an indicator.
  • There is an official CF-Auto-Root tool thread setup over at the XDA-Developers web forum that you can post messages on if you have any questions. The forum is also there for when you try using a file, and it does not work because it needs updating. Chainfire finds it hard keeping track of every file, so he relies on the public to leave messages and let him know. The message you leave should contain the recovery image file found from the new firmware your device is running. He uses that file to update the rooting file so that it starts working again.
  • You need the Samsung Galaxy Tab A tablet that comes with the SM-P355M model number to use this guide. Any of the other model numbers that the Samsung Galaxy Tab A might come in will get bricked if you flash the file in this guide.
  • You need to have a computer that is running on a version of the Windows operating system to use this guide. The Odin flashing tool does not automatically run on any other operating system. It is also not advised that you try running it on another operating system by using a virtual machine.

Download Samsung Galaxy Tab A SM-P355M CF-Auto-Root and Drivers

How to Root Samsung Galaxy Tab A SM-P355M on Android 6.0.1 (Marshmallow) Using CF-Auto-Root

  1. Unlock the Developer Options menu from the Samsung Galaxy Tab A SM-P355M tablet, so you can open it up and use the set of options that are available to developers inside.
  2. Enable the USB Debugging Mode on the Samsung Galaxy Tab A SM-P355M tablet so the Android software that is running on your tablet allows you to make the changes you need for the rooting to work.
  3. Extract the rooting file to the Downloads folder so that you get the Odin flashing tool and the rooting file available to use.
  4. Run the Samsung USB Drivers on the computer so that when you do connect the Samsung Galaxy Tab A tablet it can be detected by the flashing tool.
  5. Boot the Samsung Galaxy Tab A SM-P355M tablet into the Download Mode and connect it to the computer with the USB cable.
  6. Run the Odin flashing tool file from the Downloads folder and check that your device is shown as added from the Log and the ID: COM port is lighting up with a blue color. (Seeing the ID: COM port light up and the added message means that the Odin flashing tool has been able to detect your device because the Samsung USB Drivers are correctly installed on the computer).
  7. Do not make changes from the default settings that are available from the Odin user interface or else you may risk losing data.
  8. Click on the AP button and then navigate through to the Downloads folder and select the rooting file that is ending in the MD5 file extension.
  9. Click on the Start button, and the rooting of the Samsung Galaxy Tab A SM-P355M tablet begins.
  10. Read all of the information that is now rolling down the display of the tablet that Chainfire has programmed to help you understand what is happening and what you can expect because the different versions of the CF-Auto-Root tool can act differently. (The Android 6.0.1 marshmallow version, in particular, can boot loop a few times and is considered normal. Do not worry and do not disconnect your device until it completes).
  11. Wait until you see a green box light up from the Odin user interface that has a pass message available inside it.

In conclusion, that is how to root Samsung Galaxy Tab A SM-P355M tablets running on the Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow software updates by using the CF-Auto-Root tool—a one-click rooting tool developed mainly for Samsung devices by Chainfire. You might already know the name because he is also the developer who created the SuperSU that people flash from a custom recovery image when they want to get root access that way instead. In fact, the CF-Auto-Root installs the same version of the SuperSU that you would install if you were running on the Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow update. The beauty of the CF-Auto-Root tool is the way it goes about doing that for you. There is no custom recovery installed on your device after the CF-Auto-Root installation completes. Tha means you can only install the root applications and you do not get the chance to have custom ROMs. That said, nothing is stopping you from installing a custom recovery after you have gotten root access by using Chainfire’s one-click rooting tool in the guide above. You can have a custom recovery installed either before or after using the CF-Auto-Root tool.

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