If you have the Sony Xperia Tablet Z running Android KitKat, you can get access to the root file system by using the Towelroot app. The Towelroot app is certainly not for beginning and it gives you all the power a professional Android fan wants to have. There is one danger with that, and it is you need to install the SuperSU app from the Google Play Store after you root the device. The SuperSU can sometimes come automatically on your device, depending on what rooting tool you are using, but it doesn’t come automatically with the Towelroot method.
Everyone who wants to stay safe from malware and potential viruses should install the SuperSU app from the Google Play Store. It’s the SuperSU that blocks all root access and only allows root access to an app after it gives you a message and asks whether you want to accept or deny the app root permission. If there is an app name that you do not recognize, do not grant it permission, and that’s how you keep your device safe.
Files You Need
- Visit this website: http://towelroot.com when we say during the guide.
- You do not need any USB or ADB drivers to complete this guide.
- You are voiding the Tablet Z warranty by rooting the device. You’ll need to flash the tablet Z stock ROM back on the device to get the warranty working again.
- You must be running Android KitKat for this guide to work. More specifically, you need a kernel version before June 3 2014. Keep downgrading your firmware until you find one that works if you cannot find out your kernel version.
Rooting the Sony Xperia Tablet Z SGP351 running Android 4.4.2 KitKat
- Make sure you have the Unknown Sources option on your Tablet Z device enabled. You can do that by heading to the menu > Settings > Security > Unknown Sources. Having the Unknown Sources option means you can install third-party apps from outside the Google Play Store like we have here with the Framaroot application.
- Open the web browser on your tablet device and enter the URL you can see from the files section above that points to the Towelroot homepage.
- Tap over the red symbol in the middle of the webpage we call the Lambda. That lambda is going to download your Towelroot exploit file.
- From here it’s pretty simple: Tap the ‘OK’ option, and wait for the download to complete.
- Tap over the downloaded file and choose the “Install” option.
- Tap over the ‘Open’ option at the bottom.
- Tap the “Make it Ra1n” button.
- The Towelroot exploit will now make it rain on your device and give it root access just like you wanted.
- Technically your device has the root access and you are done once you can see the “you should have root, no reboot required” message. However, we strongly recommend you continue this next step.
- Open the Google Play Store app on your tablet Z device and browse for the SuperSU app by Chainfire.
- During the SuperSU app installation, you might get prompted about an SU binary that needs updating. Confirm and grant the permission for updating the SU binary.
- It will ask you to pick between normal and through a custom recovery. Choose the “normal” option here.
- Samsung devices have an option here to disable the Knox security with the SuperSU, but that doesn’t matter for your Sony device.
- Now you have root access and SuperSU on the Sony Xperia Tablet Z, which means you can install your apps safely. No app automatically gets root permissions on your device until you accept the notification to allow that app. make sure you read these notifications and the app names you are choosing to grant permission. Don’t accept anything that you do not recognize or anything that is a similar name to the real thing but is not the real thing. These are typically the potential malware attempts.
- Lastly, head back to the Google Play Store and install the root checker app on your tablet Z device.