Last Updated on July 22, 2022 by Mathew Diekhake
The Samsung Galaxy S3 Neo announced April 10 of 2014 hit shelves this year even though it’s under the same S3 name we know from several years go. It comes with Android 4.3 Jelly Bean out of the box but later saw the Android 4.4.4 Kitkat over the air update that let owners upgrade the OS to a newer version. It’s not the latest software in Android’s line-up anymore after releasing 5.0 Lollipop to much of the Google nexus range, a couple of devices in the Motorola range and some from Sony too. However, it is still the latest OS most with a Samsung smartphone and tablet are running — no matter how expensive it is out of the box.
The S3 Neo is a smart choice for anyone looking for a phone with a big display, high pixel density screen, high-resolution display, quad-core processor, lots of RAM, fast mobile data support, NFC and our standout feature: Dual SIM card support. However, if you want to get the most out of your system internals you must crack it with root access. That way you can install custom ROMS, extra applications from Google Play, custom firmware, learn all about CyanogenMod and AOSP plus many more cool features.
Before starting with the steps for opening up the operating system we are listing some essentials which includes what you will need to do on your smartphone, what products you need, what the risk are in partaking in such a guide and any potential threats.
Details of Note
- We recommend taking a backup of the phone data before doing anything else. Here is the most time-consuming part, but also the most important since you risk losing everything that’s on your phone after opening it out of the box if you don’t make copies of the data. Backup using Helium for those running stock, Titanium for those of you with root access already, G Cloud backup, Easy backup and Google Drive. With the aforementioned apps, all of you can back up just about everything on the OS including syncing the phone contacts, backing up the market apps, EFS folder, SMS texts, pictures, videos and music files. Furthermore, Drive offers extra storage space in the cloud for those wanting more space. Sometimes people run out of internal memory and don’t have the external SD card.
- Stopover at Menu > Settings > Developer Options > USB Debugging and enable the mode. Likewise, install the up-to-date USB drivers. Those of you accessing the phone data from the computer already don’t need to do anything because we know the drivers are working.
- The Neo comes with many connectivity options including USB 2.0, MicroUSb, DLNA, Miracast, computer sync, tethering, OTA sync and our two favorites: USB Mass Storage and USB charging. USB charging is great because it means it automatically charges the battery when plugged into the computer. Granted, it’s a touch slower than the usual power output by a traditional phone charger but it still get’s the job done nonetheless. Anyhow, that means you don’t have to charge battery before starting unless the USB charging isn’t working. The Phone is connected to the computer for most of the guide. Those preferring to air on the side of caution out to reserve roughly 50% power. You can check out how much you have left by turning on the mobile and looking at the status bar.
- The steps are for the i9300I variant of the Neo and not any of the others. Do not use the file here on a different model number. Check the model by navigating to Menu > Settings > About Device.
- The warranty is inevitably void after the steps. You can only keep it by reverting and locking the device once more. There’s a link at the bottom of the post that shows you a handy apps from Google Play that let’s you unroot the phone and return it back the way it was before using the guide.
How to root Android 4.4.4 KitKat for the Galaxy S3 Neo
- Download TWRP recovery here.
- Download Odin 3.10 (new).
- Have Odin open on the PC.
- Connect the Neo to the computer using the USB cable.
- Flash the TWRP file using Odin.
- Click the AP button and upload the recovery as you would any other file.
– keep the app open still because we are using it again. - Download the SuperSU here to the desktop.
- Knox removal script here (optional) to the desktop.
- Shutdown the smartphone.
- Boot it back up and transfer the SuperSU and the Knox script to the internal storage space.
- Boot it up in recovery mode.
– Volume Up + Power + Home keys. - Select the “install’ option.
- Upload the SuperSU file.
- Do the same with the Knox.
- Go back and select “reboot system now.”
If the installation fails you should repeat the steps again. If you are encountering boot loop issues you must select “wipe data factory reset” followed by “wipe cache partition.” Those preferring to verify everything’s working can install the Root checker and Unroot Pro. As the name suggests, it’s also the best way to return the device back to stock.