Last Updated on May 13, 2023 by Mathew Diekhake

Becoming the root user on the Samsung Galaxy J3 smartphone is important if you want to be in control of the device truly. Without access to the root user account, you are not the administrator, and you are using an account that has restrictions in place that prevent you from being able to install and uninstall the things that you wanted to have or take away.

If you are lucky, you can find a few ways to get root access on the smartphone. It never matters what way you choose if you want to install root apps. For example, every rooting method out there allows you to run the same apps. However, there are different ways you can go about it depending on what you want to do.

Many people who are advanced Android users and want to install a custom ROM or custom kernel to go along with the root apps that they wanted to choose to install a custom recovery image and then get root access by flashing the SuperSU from the custom recovery. Other people who are not interested in installing custom ROMs or kernels at all enjoy flashing a one-click rooting tool like Chainfire’s CF-Auto-Root.

The CF-Auto-Root tool manages to install and enable the SuperSU on the Samsung Galaxy J3 smartphone just like you flashing it from a custom recovery if there were one available would. The difference is that CF-Auto-Root installs and enabled SuperSU, and when you use the device, there is no custom recovery image replacing the stock recovery so what you have is a stock recovery with SuperSU. Moreover, getting root access with the CF-Auto-Root is also very quick and easy. You just need to flash it using the Odin flashing tool that Samsung devices owners use to flash official software updates when they become available.

Notes:

  • Chainfire always needs to have a particular firmware build running on his devices when he developers the rooting tools that you find in our guides. In this case, he had the MMB29M.J320R4TYU1APE1 firmware build number running on the Samsung Galaxy J3 SM-J320R4 smartphone when the CF-Auto-Root tool found in this guide was developed. That does not mean he wants you to be running on the same firmware when you follow this guide when he lets us know the firmware he was running. He gives you that information just in case you want to use it as an indicator if it ever becomes relevant information at all.
  • There is an official CF-Auto-Root tool thread made over at the XDA-Developers website, and Chainfire can see the messages that are posted there. In a note from the CF-Auto-Root repository, he says that anyone who finds a version of his CF-Auto-Root tool that needs updating can let him know by leaving a message there along with the recovery image that is found in the new firmware you are running. He needs that recovery image before he can update the file. You know that a version of the rooting tool needs updating if you are finding your Samsung Galaxy J3 smartphone not booting after the flashing of the CF-Auto-Root tool.
  • You need to have the Samsung Galaxy J3 smartphone that comes with the SM-J320R4 model number before you can use this guide. There are many different versions of the CF-Auto-Root tool developed, and most of them are for various model numbers. Flashing a version that was made for a different model number often results in that bricking the device and you the needing to install the stock ROM to fix it. You can find the Sam Mobile website as a very reliable source for the Samsung stock ROMs if that ever happens to you.

Download Samsung Galaxy J3 SM-J320R4 CF-Auto-Root and Drivers

How to Root Samsung Galaxy J3 SM-J320R4 on Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow Using CF-Auto-Root

  1. Unlock the Developer Options menu on the Samsung Galaxy J3 SM-J320R4 if it is not unlocked already so you can enter it and make some development changes.
  2. Enable the USB Debugging Mode from the Developer Options menu so you can make the changes to the Android operating system that you need to change for the rooting to work.
  3. Extract the CF-Auto-Root package to the Downloads folder on the computer and the Odin flashing app and the flashable rooting file are then both available from the Downloads folder.
  4. Run the Samsung USB Drivers on the computer, so the flashing tool can detect your smartphone when you connect it to the computer with the USB cable.
  5. Boot the Samsung Galaxy J3 SM-J320R4 smartphone into the Download Mode and connect it to the Windows PC with the USB cable that is available for charging the battery.
  6. Open the Odin flashing tool by clicking on the executable file for that which is available in the Downloads folder.
  7. Check that you can see a blue or yellow color coming from the ID: COM port which is letting you know the device you connected to the computer with the USB cable is detected by the flashing tool because the Samsung USB Drivers are working.
  8. Leave all of the default settings from the Odin Options tab as the default settings.
  9. Click on the AP button that is available from the Odin user interface and click on the MD5 rooting file that is available from the Downloads folder.
  10. Click the Start button from the Odin user interface now, and the rooting of the Samsung Galaxy J3 SM-J320R4 smartphone begins.
  11. Pick up the device and have a read of all the information that is rolling down the screen so you know what to expect during the rooting process which can take up to a few minutes and multiple boot loops before it is done.
  12. You know it is complete when the smartphone says it is rebooting in ten seconds and then the Odin flashing app user interface shows a green pass message inside a box.

In conclusion, that is how to root Samsung Galaxy J3 SM-J320R4 smartphones running Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow software updates by using the systemless root version of the CF-Auto-Root tool. There isn’t any difference between this systemless root version and your normal version regarding what apps can be installed—all of the same root apps are available to you with this version. However, one of the differences is that hard resetting now results in a complete unroot and SuperSU is gone. That SuperSU app is going to be available from your app drawer as soon as the Samsung Galaxy J3 SM-J320R4 smartphone reboots back into the normal mode when the rooting completes, and it is already capable of doing what is necessary for the rooting apps to run after you installing them without you changing any of the default SuperSU settings. Nevertheless, you can open up the SuperSU app now if you like and check out what is available.

Most people get it wrong when they try to explain what a rooted Android operating system can do. Rooting is not necessary to be installing custom ROMs or anything like a custom kernel. You can do those things from a custom recovery image. Rooting is all about what you can do with the ROM that is running on your device right now, and that begins and ends with applications. There are root apps out there that can do many things from helping a battery last longer to changing the frequencies of the CPU for different hardware performance. You can find out everything there is to know about what things can be done with a rooted Android by checking out our dedicated article.

Once you have decided on the things that you would like to see happen on your Android operating system you can start finding out the names of the apps that help to get those things done. There is no front page of the Google Play Store or the internet that is dedicated to helping you find out the names of the root apps, so you need to go into it knowing what they are. You can get a good head start by checking out our other post on some of the best root applications for the Android operating system that runs on the Samsung Galaxy J3 smartphone for a better idea.

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