Last Updated on July 22, 2022 by Mathew Diekhake

We told you about the European Samsung Galaxy S5 international model is receiving LRX21T Android 5.0 Lollipop earlier today and now we are showing you the complete step-by-step guide on how you can gain root access for the same G900F variant. You can verify what mobile number your smartphone has by turning it on and navigating to the ‘Settings’ followed by “About Device.” In addition to opening the operating system away from the default factory restrictions we are also installing Team Win’s TWRP recovery.

Many prefer TWRP over Clockworkmod and we think it’s easier to work with than Clockworkmod for youngsters so that’s what we are using. Both of the two aforementioned custom recoveries are easy for installing zip files. However, it’s arguably easier to find the file using TWRP recovery. We also prefer Team Win’s work over ClockworkMod because of backing up. We can’t stress enough how important backing up data and partitions is on a smartphone or tablet before delving into customizing them with root access, installing custom ROMs and anything else. We prefer TWRP for backing up because it lets users make copies of each individual partition. In short, it gives us more control over what we want to make copies of and we have several choices.

S5 Lollipop

Details of Note

  • The mobile in the picture doesn’t always represent the same model number in the post.
  • Only follow the steps below if you are an advanced user of the Android operating system.
  • You want to back up the data before starting the steps. We love recommending Helium from Google Play for handling the phone contacts for syncing, backing up the market apps and the SMS texts. You can use SMS Backup plus if you prefer a dedicated text message application. Since we are using a Samsung device you can download and install Samsung Kies for syncing the device. Kies is also great for installing the up-to-date USB Drivers if you prefer doing it that way and not manually. You must visit the official website or download the file from a third-party source otherwise. Some of you have the drivers working already. If you are connecting to the Windows PC and finding you can get access to the phone data without any worries, the drivers are likely working.
  • You must enable USB Debugging Mode from the Developer Options menu. Developer options comes directly from the Settings menu on your mobile device.
  • Check how much battery is remaining by looking at the battery icon in the status bar. The status bar is all white just like it was during the last stages of Android KitKat. As the battery runs down it turns a transparent color. You want to have at least 50% power from the icon. The S5 obviously comes with USB charging as a default feature. That means after plugging into the PC it charges the battery just like it would from a phone charger. It charges slower than a phone charger would produce but it still sends the battery icon upwards regardless. If USB charging isn’t working for you, it’s best to double-check your reading. We can’t have the device shutting off until the flashing finishes.
  • The SM-G900F is the Snapdragon system chip variant. Do not try installing the following on any other device including the other model numbers in the Galaxy S5 range. The files are extremely case-sensitive and you can’t flash the same file here on anything else without it causing conflicts.
  • Moreover, you ought to stop any security programs from running on the computer. Do the same with the Android mobile. Remember they come as applications from your mobile.
  • Don’t uninstall the antivirus software. Instead, temporarily disable it or else you have to install it after leaving here. Don’t forget to turn the security programs on again after leaving or else you risk browsing the internet and installing apps from the Play Store unprotected from malware.

How to Install TWRP Recovery on Samsung Galaxy S5 G900F

There’s no use having root access without a custom recovery first. Therefore, we are running through the steps for the recovery first.

  1. Download the openrecovery-twrp-2.8.1.0-klte.tar.
  2. Download the SuperSU UPDATE-SuperSU-v2.37.zip.
  3. Have the latest version of the Odin app pre-installed on your computer from here.
  4. Open the Odin app.
  5. Connect the S5 to the computer.
  6. Click the AP button and upload the tar file.
  7. Leave Odin’s default settings.
  8. Don’t adjust the re-partition.
  9. Click the start button for the flashing.

Wait for the flashing to finish and the phone to automatically reboot.

How to Root Samsung Galaxy S5 G900F on Android 5.0 Lollipop

Now you are ready to start the rooting process.

  1. Transfer the SuperSU zip file to the SD card.
  2. Turn the phone off and reboot in Download Mode.
    – press Volume Down + Home + Power.
  3. Release the Power button when the Sammy logo appears.
  4. Keep the other two buttons pressed firmly until the TWRP recovery menu appears.
  5. Locate the “install’ button and upload the SuperSU package.
  6. Confirm you want the file installed and navigate back to “reboot system now.”
  7. Disconnect the phone properly by stopping the USB Mass Storage device.

Solve boot loop troubles by accessing the recovery mode and selecting “wipe data factory reset” followed by “wipe cache partition.” Those of you satisfied that everything’s working can verify that by installing the Root checker and Unroot Pro application from Google Play. As you probably know, the unrooting part of the app is the one you want to return the Galaxy S5 back to the stock version like it was out of the box. It takes the root access away. You can find a free version of the same that does the checking only.