Last Updated on July 19, 2022 by Mathew Diekhake

Did you just get a shiny new Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 as a Christmas gift from Santa? Wish to get your hands dirty by rooting that beast? If so, we are here to help you out. Rooting the Android operating system that always runs on the Samsung smartphones and tablets is what you need to do to get the full write permissions over the operating system. Android enthusiasts call it “root access” because it borrows the same terminology from the Linux distributions that run on desktop computers where people get given a chance to be in control of the root user account when they first set the PC up much the same way that people who set up a computer that runs on Windows or Mac get to use the admin account. Linux calls it the root user account and not the admin account because in the Linux OS there is a root directory and having full permissions over that root directory if done by full write permissions that allow people to run all commands and access all files.

While the preloaded firmware on your tablet has everything to fulfill your daily life needs, rooting it should let you have something that it never had – the root-requiring apps. And that is where your customizations start from. Here’s how you can root your Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 with model number SM-T710:

Root Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0

Files You Need

  1. This requires you to have a computer that runs Windows as its base OS.
  2. You do not need a custom recovery in order to gain root on your tablet.
  3. Make sure you have installed Samsung USB drivers on your computer before you do this tutorial so that your tablet can be recognized.
  4. This should flash a file on your tablet to achieve access to the root.
  5. Download CF-Root to your computer. It is the file that will be flashed on your tablet.
  6. Download Odin to your computer. It will be used to flash the above file on your tablet.
  7. You should only do this on a SM-T710 device.
  8. Your tablet must be running on Android 5.0.2 or this tutorial will not work.

Rooting the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 (SM-T710)

  1. Extract files from Odin over to your computer by right-clicking on it and selecting Extract here. That should make the files available for your use.
  2. Launch Odin by double-clicking on its executable that you just extracted to your computer.
  3. When the Odin launches, click the PDA button and select the extracted CF-Root file available on your computer.
  4. Ensure that Re-partition is unchecked in the Odin.
  5. You can checkmark both Auto Reboot and F. Reset Time options in the Odin.
  6. Now turn off your tablet.
  7. Reboot your tablet into download mode so that Odin recognizes it. To do that, hold down Volume DOWN, Home, and Power buttons at the same time and you will reboot into the download mode.
  8. Plug in your tablet to your computer using a suitable USB cable.
  9. Odin should recognize your tablet and show a message on its interface.
  10. When you are all set, click the button that says Start in the Odin and it will start flashing the CF-Root file on your tablet.
  11. Wait for the Odin to finish flashing the file on your tablet. It should not take too long, though.
  12. When the Odin’s done flashing CF-Root, your tablet will automatically reboot.
  13. You should now be rooted!

Your Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 (SM-T710) is now rooted and you can safely eject it from your computer. To confirm you are rooted, just open the app drawer on your tablet and you should see an app called SuperSU. If it is there, you do have root access.

Now that your tablet is rooted, go ahead and flash a custom recovery on it in order to enjoy more on your tablet. While root gives you access to root-requiring apps, a custom recovery gives you access to tons of custom ROMs that are exclusively available for your device. You can follow our how to install a custom recovery on the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 (SM-T710) tutorial to get a custom recovery up and running on your tablet.

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