Last Updated on May 13, 2023 by Mathew Diekhake

Many people think that rooting the Samsung Galaxy J5 smartphone is part of what is required to install custom ROMs or custom kernels on it but in fact it is not. Root access only becomes relevant for either of those two things if you plan on getting help from a root application such as the ROM Manager app.

The only reason people root Android is they can install more apps. There are oodles of more apps available out there that cannot run on a smartphone such as the Samsung Galaxy J5 that cannot run without root access. Some of those apps help you backup; others help you remove things like system apps, while others help do things like to make a battery last longer, so you do not need to find the charging cable as often.

As far as root access goes, there can sometimes be more than one way to do it. Some devices have the chance of getting a custom recovery image installed and the flashing the SuperSU from the custom recovery image. Other people can use one-click rooting tools such as the CF-Auto-Root tool which also installs and enables the SuperSU app. The difference between the two is that the CF-Auto-Root tool temporarily flashes a modified cache and recovery and then installs and enabled the SuperSU. Once that installation is done, it removes its traces and leaves the device the same as it was before you started. Conversely, when you install the SuperSU from a custom recovery image, that custom recovery is still there and will be there until you delete it. It does not matter which way you choose if you want to install your root applications because both methods allow for the same amount of apps to run.

Notes:

  • Chainfire was running on the MMB29M.J500MUBU1BPH1 firmware build number when he created the version of CF-Auto-Root that is up for grabs in this guide. That doesn’t suggest that you need to be running on the same firmware build number as many people assume. He just gives you the information of the firmware he had so you can use it as an indicator but the guide should work for all firmware that is running on Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow.
  • There is an official CF-Auto-Root tool thread that is set up over at the XDA-Developers web forum that you can post messages on if you ever want to send Chainfire a request and ask him to root your device. The same forum is also where people need to leave messages if the version of the CF-Auto-Root tool that is trying to use does not work. Some new versions of Android can stop the tool from working until Chainfire updates the file, but before he can do that he needs people to leaves messages containing the new recovery images from the new firmware that is creating the issues.
  • You need to have the Samsung Galaxy J5 smartphone that comes with the SM-J500M model number before you can use this guide. There is usually a different version of the CF-Auto-Root tool for each model number and flashing the wrong one can brick a device.
  • We are using the Odin flashing tool to use the CF-Auto-Root tool and the Odin app only runs on a Windows operating system. You cannot follow this guide by default on something like an Apple device or a Linux operating system.

Download Samsung Galaxy J5 SM-J500M CF-Auto-Root and Drivers

How to Root Samsung Galaxy J5 SM-J500M on Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow Using CF-Auto-Root

  1. Unlock the Developer Options menu on the Samsung Galaxy J5 SM-J500M smartphone so you can open it up and turn on the USB Debugging Mode option.
  2. Turn on the USB Debugging Mode from the Developer Options menu so you can make the required changes to the Android software that need to happen for the rooting to work.
  3. Run the Samsung USB Drivers on the computer, so the Odin flashing tool can detect your smartphone and thus allow for the flashing.
  4. Extract the CF-Auto-Root tool to the Downloads folder on the computer and the Odin flashing tool and the rooting file then become available.
  5. Boot the Samsung Galaxy J5 SM-J500M smartphone into the Download Mode and then connect it to the computer with the USB cable that is used for charging the battery.
  6. Run the Odin flashing tool and check that it shows there is a blue or yellow color coming from the ID: COM port which is letting you know the Samsung USB Drivers you installed on the PC earlier are working.
  7. Click on the AP button from Odin and then browse through to the Downloads folder where you extracted the rooting tool and then select the MD5 rooting file.
  8. Click on the Start button from the Odin user interface and the rooting begins.
  9. Read the information that is rolling down the screen of the Samsung Galaxy J5 SM-J500M smartphone, and it lets you know everything that is happening.
  10. Wait for the Odin user interface to show the green pass message before unplugging from the computer.

In conclusion, that is how to root the Samsung Galaxy J5 SM-J500M smartphone running on the Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow software updates by flashing the CF-Auto-Root one-click rooting tool. The CF-Auto-Root tool has just installed and enabled the SuperSU for you—it is an app, and you see it as soon as the smartphone boots back up into the normal mode how you typically use the device. You do not need to do anything from the SuperSU app to set it up, although there are plenty of options for you to take a look at inside if you want to check it out. All you need to do though is open up the Google Play Store or any website that has the root apps that you want to install and download them like you would any other app. The app then installs, and it will run when you attempt to open it whereas before it would not. Just make sure you agree to grant it root access when the SuperSU app gives a pop-up message on display.

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