Last Updated on May 13, 2023 by Mathew Diekhake

There are two things that Chainfire does when developing a new rooting tool for devices running Android: find out a way to do it so that it works and use the best way possible. Sometimes Chainfire doesn’t always get to pick how things are done. Take the CF-Auto-Root tools since Android 5.1 Lollipop and Android 6.0 Marshmallow for instance when Google ramped up the security so that Chainfire could no longer go through the system partition to get the job done.

Luckily for us, the new systemless root method has also turned out to be favorable, and many people prefer it over the older method because it is a cleaner method. Since it didn’t have to modify anything in the system partition, it’s also a lot easier to unroot the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 smartphone. Instead of having to head over to the Sam Mobile website and install a stock ROM for your device which can take a while to download depending on your computer and internet connection, now we can just boot up into the recovery mode and apply hard reset. As long as you backed up your data, the hard reset will fully unroot the smartphone, so there is not any trace of the SuperSU being installed or enabled, and the warranty will work again for all devices that do not have Knox security.

Apart from the unrooting options you get, the systemless root method for the CF-Auto-Root tool is just like the other method and allows you to install all of the same rooting applications from the Google Play Store. Some of the applications that people like to install include the Dumpster app, Xposed Framework, Titanium Backup, ROM Toolbox, ROM Manager, NANDroid Manager, Flashify, Greenify, Viper4Android, Root Firewall Pro, and the Root App Deleter. There are a few applications out there that allow you to uninstall the root apps completely when you have root access. One of the most appropriate apps out there for the job is the System App Remover application.

The other two popular choices we have already mentioned on this list: the Titanium Backup app and the Root App Deleter. The terms system app and root apps are both referring to the same thing, and both applications will do the same job but just go about their business slightly differently. The Titanium Backup applications are the best app you can use to backup your data, and it also comes with the added feature of being able to remove the system apps or freeze them. I prefer using the Titanium Backup application for this job because Titanium also gives the option of freezing the apps instead of uninstalling them. That way if you freeze something that you shouldn’t have, or you discover that in a few days from now you needed whatever you froze, you can always have it back again when you unfreeze it. The button that completely uninstalls these system apps are not so friendly, and when you click it has deleted the system apps for good until you flash the stock ROM back on the device. Moreover, sometimes the system instability that arises from deleting system apps that you realize you needed doesn’t always come back to normal after installing the new stock ROM even though all the apps will. That means paying a few extra dollars for the options to freeze apps from the Titanium Backup applications is the way we would recommend.

Notes:

  • You must have the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 smartphone that has the SM-N920L model number to use this guide. You can check out what the model number is from your Samsung Galaxy Note 5 smartphone by tapping on the Menu > Settings > About Device > Model Number.
  • You must have a computer that is running a version of the Microsoft Windows operating system so that the flashing tool can run. The flashing tool you are using is Odin, and it will only run on a Windows OS. Those who have Mac or Linux computer can try settings up a Microsoft Windows virtual machine and then try flashing from within the virtual machine that is running on your Mac or Linux computer.
  • The developer of the CF-Auto-Root tool, Chainfire, had the MMB29K.N920LKLU2BPB1 firmware build number running on the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 SM-N920L smartphone when he created the working rooting file that is also available in this guide. It does not mean that you need to be running on the same firmware build number as him before you begin. All you need to do is make sure you are running on a version of the Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow software updates and have the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 smartphone that comes with the SM-N920L model number.
  • There can be some new bootloaders in new software updates when people update the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 smartphone. Usually, this only happens in new versions of Android which is why we create our guides based on one Android version. Nevertheless, it is possible that a new bootloader comes in a smaller update, and if that happens, the CF-Auto-Root tool will stop working until Chainfire updates the file. Before he can fix the rooting files, he relies on people posting the new recovery image files found in the new Android firmware files to the CF-Auto-Root tool thread made at the XDA-Developers website. He sees your messages and applies the changes to the recovery image files that you leave. Once the rooting files are updates those changes are always updated in our guides also because we link directly to the source file by Chainfire.

Files We Need

How to Root Samsung Galaxy Note 5 SM-N920L on Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow Using CF-Auto-Root

  1. Start up the Windows PC and maker sure you log in as an administrator (using the administrator’s account) the Odin flashing tool can allow us to flash files.
  2. Unlock the Developer Options menu on the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 SM-N920L smartphone if it isn’t unlocked already.
  3. Enable the USB Debugging Mode on the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 SM-N920L smartphone so the Android software will allow us to make some changes to the development.
  4. Extract the rooting file to the desktop of the computer and the Odin flashing app and the CF-Auto-Root files will be available on the desktop.
  5. Install the Samsung USB Drivers on the Microsoft Windows computer so the flashing tool can detect the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 smartphone when you connect it to the computer.
  6. Click the Odin flashing application file so that the program opens on the computer and you will see the Odin user interface with all of its buttons.
  7. Boot the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 SM-N920L into the download mode and then connect it to the computer with the USB cable that is used for charging the battery.
    Check the Odin flashing application shows a yellow or blue color coming from the ID: COM port that is available somewhere close to the top left-hand side. (No color and no added message from Odin means the Samsung USB Drivers are not yet installed correctly. try installing them again or download the Windows Universal ADB Driver and see if that works for you instead).
  8. Do not make changes from the default settings and buttons that Odin gives.
  9. Click the AP button and browse the desktop location for the MD5 file rooting file and upload it to Odin.
  10. Click the Start button from Odin and the rooting begins.
  11. Check the Galaxy Note 5’s display and have a read of the writing that Chainfire has programmed to show you which details what is happening and also some important notes for you to understand regarding what to expect from this version of CF-Auto-Root.
  12. Check the Odin app on 6the computer for a green pass message after the rebooting in ten seconds message shows up on the display of the smartphone.

In conclusion, that is everything you need to root the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 SM-N920L smartphones when they are running on the Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow software updates by using Chainfire’s systemless root version of the CF-Auto-Root tool. Both Chainfire’s SuperSU and the CF-Auto-Root that he develops have a systemless root version which is always available for devices that are running on the Android 6.0 Marshmallow software updates. The result is you get to install all of the same root application you could before, but the rooting method no longer goes through the system partition like it once did. The change means you can unroot just by applying a factory reset on the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 smartphone now whereas before you had the SuperSu app and the stock ROMs you could flash from the Sam Mobile website.

The rooting of the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 puts you in control of the root user account that is always there, but it was taken away from you before it arrived in stores. It means you have the power to install any of the applications that you want to install as well as having the authority to uninstall any apps. That includes the system apps that are put on the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 smartp[hone by the manufacturer and the phone carrier networks. If you do not have any idea where to begin with the root applications you may check out our post regarding the best root applications for Android and get some ideas there. You need to have the names that you know before going to the Google Play Store because there is no quick way to search for only root apps.