Last Updated on January 5, 2023 by Mathew Diekhake
There is only way one to have all privileges over your Android operating systems on the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 smartphone running on Android Lollipop software updates, and that is with root access to your internal system. There are many ways to unchain the Android operating system — some involve the use of one-click rooting tools that are easy while others include installing a custom recovery and then uploading a package like SuperSU from your recovery which will then grant those same rooting permissions. People who own Samsung devices will usually get the pleasure to use the CF-Auto-Root tool–a one-click rooting tool designed to be flashed with the use of Samsung’s Odin flashing tool. It will result in the same SuperSU being on your device that you would usually find from installing a custom recovery and uploading your SuperSU manually. Chainfire — the developer of the CF-Auto-Root tool — is also the same developer of the SuperSU, so that works well. Also just as interesting to note is the fact that Chainfire has been known to publicly state he is moving away from installing custom recoveries on devices and is favoring just rooting. That means people using the CF-Auto-Root tool are going in the direction that Chainfire prefers for reasons unknown to us, but we are sure they are genuine reasons to do with the Android operating system and not to do with selling his products.
The CF-Auto-Root file in this guide is based on the LRX21V.N9008ZMUGPA1 firmware which is part of an Android 5.0 Lollipop software update that rolled out for some regions around the world. Chainfire tells us that it does not mean you need to be running that same LRX21V.N9008ZMUGPA1 firmware. It is just given there as information for you to use as an indicator.
Files You Need
- Download the new CF-Auto-Root package for the Note 3 SM-N9008 Snapdragon 800 processor version running Android 5.0 Lollipop from here.
- Download the Samsung USB Drivers for the Note 3 smartphone from here.
You must have the Snapdragon 800 processor version of the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 smartphone with the SM-N9008 model number. That means there will be two versions of the same SM-N9008 model number so be careful, or you will brick the device. Furthermore, it must be the right model number of Note 3 handset. You can check your Note’s model number by tapping on the Settings icon > About Device > Model Number.
The CF-Auto-Root package in this guide is for the Snapdragon 800 MSM8974 system chip. Make sure your device has that same MSM8974 system chip or else you will brick your device. Both versions of the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 smartphone with the SM-N9008 model number come with the Snapdragon 800 processor–it’s just the MSM8974 number that changes.
There will be some updates that come out for the Note 3 SM-N9008 that bring new bootloaders. When that happens, Chainfire relies on you guys to submit the updated recover image files to the official CF-Auto-Root thread made over at the XDA-Developers forum so he can update the files.
Rooting the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 SM-N9008 running the Android 5.0 Lollipop software updates
- Enable the USB Debugging Mode on the SM-N9008 Samsung Galaxy Note 3 smartphone so you can connect it to the computer with the USB cable.
- Extract the rooting file to the desktop of the computer so you can use the flashing tool and the rooting exploit.
- Install the Samsung Note 3’s USB Drivers on the computer before you follow the next step and open the Odin user interface — though it shouldn’t matter a great deal.
- Double-click the mouse on the Odin executable file that is on the desktop and your flashing tool will open.
- Turn off the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 SM-N9008 smartphone and then reboot it by tapping the hardware button combination for the download mode.
- Connect the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 SM-N9008 smartphone to the computer with the USB cable you usually use to charge the battery overnight.
- Wait for about five or so seconds and check that you can see a yellow or blue color coming from the Odin user interface which is letting you know that the device is connected properly, and the Samsung drivers are working.
- Leave all the default settings from the Odin user interface the same as they were when you first opened the flashing tool from the desktop.
- Click the AP button from the Odin user interface and then search the computer desktop for the rooting file that is ending in the tar.md5 file extension.
- Click the Start button from the Odin user interface and the flashing tool will begin to flash the rooting file to your Samsung Galaxy Note 3 smartphone.
- Take a look over at the display for your smartphone and check that you can see it saying that it is now installing the SuperSU application, cleaning up the cache and then flashing the stock recovery back on your smartphone.
- Look up at the computer screen and check the Odin user interface is giving you a green pass box letting you know that your device is now rooted.
In conclusion, that is how to root the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 smartphone with the SM-N9008 model number running on the Android 5.0 Lollipop software updates by installing a newer version of the CF-Auto-Root tool by Chainfire. The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 smartphone will now reboot back into the normal mode — how you normally use the device — where you can find the SuperSU application available from the app drawer.
Anyone wanting to check that the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 is now rooted can install the basic root checker app from the Google Play Store free to charge. There is a pro version of the same app that unlocks some additional features, but they are not required to check if your device is rooted.
What is more, you can install an older version of the Odin flashing applications if the Odin version 3.10 available in this guide is not working for your device. There are reports in YouTube about some people rooting a device with one version of Odin and it not working while when they try another version, it does work. From all reports, these cases seem to be random and unpredictable.
Furthermore, another thing you can try if you do not find your Samsung Galaxy Note 3 rooted still is booting your device into the recovery mode manually after the flashing completes during the guide. Part of the way the CF-Auto-Root tool works is by booting the device into recovery mode automatically during the tutorial, but occasionally this does not work, and people need to boot the device into the recovery mode manually instead.