Last Updated on October 9, 2022 by Mathew Diekhake
The Samsung Galaxy S5 arrived at all good U.S. phone carriers on the 11th of April including AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, Sprint, Metro PCS and of course our beloved US cellular which is the same carrier we have a guide for you to follow today that will open up your mobile world to a lot more fun than keeping it stock ever would.
Any of our loyal readers will know how fond of Chain Fires auto root package we are for giving as close to stock experience as possible will still dish us root. It is easy to use and it does not require an expert who is great news for those just starting out. However, there are several characteristics that are important to understand before starting:
Make sure you have an unlocked bootloader. If the bootloader is locked it can brick it. Chainfire goes on to say that there is a nexus exception to this, but all other devices that are compatible must be unlocked.
If your device is Knox-enabled it will trip the Knox warranty void status. That means the warranty will no longer work.
Most root scenarios do not result in data loss, however, in this case, if the Galaxy S5 storage is encrypted then it will wipe all data.
Details of Note
- This step by step guide is only made for the US cellular variant of the Galaxy S5 SM-G900R4 and not any of the others. Do not attempt to install this tool on anything else because it can result in a damaged handset and that is not good.
- Download and install the suitable Samsung Galaxy USB Drivers for your Windows-based PC.
- As my above step touch on briefly, this will use ODIN and ODIN is only made for Windows. Do not try and install it on mac or Linux because it will fail.
- Enable USB Debugging mode by visiting the Developer Options page. Unlock Developer options by going to Settings > About Phone > tap on the build number until it counts all the way down with no turns remaining. It is usually seven goes.
- Backup all the important data to the device’s internal memory. It includes MMS, SMS, call logs, contacts and anything else you can think needs saving. Otherwise, you can choose to backup all of this data to the devices micros SD card. The SD card is a good option for backing up the apps also. If you do not want to try either of those options then at least sync the device to Samsung KIES or with the Google + account.
- There is no need to worry about battery power because when we plug the S5 into the computer with a USB cable it will automatically start charging. It means the other blogs telling you to make sure a certain percentage is existing is bogus.
- Optional: disable the security programs on the Android OS and the Windows computer because it can interfere with operations. If something does not work and you did not turn them off for now this is likely the problem area. The second option is to update your USB drivers from the link above.
How To Root The Samsung Galaxy S5 From Phone Carrier US Cellular
1. Download the CF-Auto-Root tool from here.
2. Download ODIN 3.07 from the XDA link here. Do not be alarmed when it automatically starts downloading to the browser rather than taking you to a website where you click the link. It is normal and official still.
3. Chainfire states that the device must be on ODIN download mode. To do that go Home + Power + Volume Down and wait for the Android logo when the handset is already turned off first.
4. Extract the file from step two and open up ODIN on the desktop.
5. Plug the smartphone into the computer with USB cable. If you cannot find it check your charger!
6. Wait a few seconds until ODIN tells us the “added” message on the screen.
7. In ODIN click the PDA button and select out the .tar.md5 file. Make sure it is the right file or else it can damage the phone.
8. Leave all other settings in ODIN as they are by default.
9. Double check you have done everything properly to avoid mistake.
10. Press the big start button to begin rooting the Sammy flagship smartphone for 2014.
Wait for it to finish without touching any buttons on the handset or the computer. Interruptions can be harmful.
12. Close down ODIN.
13. Disconnect the device from the computer by right-clicking on the safely remove hardware icon in the task bar. Stop the USB device in question. Wait for it to say it is now safe to eject and unplug the S5.
That’s it. You will now have root. Visit the file link to donate to the original developer and not us because we only give the guides. Thye are the ones who created the tool for your benefit so all proceeding deservedly go to them. They appreciate the feedback you give whether its happy comments or a bit of money for buying them a coffee.