Last Updated on July 17, 2022 by Mathew Diekhake

Rooting the Android operating system on your Samsung Galaxy S6 smartphone running on the Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow software updates is how you finally get to use a smartphone with full privilege control. We call it the full privileged control because there is nothing you cannot change apart from the bare coding. People who have the experience and knowledge can do that too (modify the coding) because Android is an open source operating system, and that is what allows people to create custom ROMs for others to try. Developing a custom ROM is not something that people without high developing skills can do, but they can still customize almost every aspect of the user interface on the smartphone and all the design elements themselves. You do not need any coding experience to install a custom ROM for example. About the most challenging thing, you need to do is learn how to unlock the bootloader and install a custom recovery usually. It is even simpler for people with Samsung devices as the bootloader does not usually need unlocking in a separate guide—you can usually just flash the custom recovery image using something like that of the Odin flashing tool for Samsung devices.

Then once you root the device, so you have both root and a custom recovery running, you can instantly start checking out what custom ROMs are available to install and how to go about doing it. That job is usually as simple as booting your Samsung smartphone into the recovery mode by using the same hardware button combination that you would normally use to boot the stock recovery and then tap on the Install button from the recovery menu to upload your ROM file that you need to have previously copied and pasted over to the internal storage SD card. At times, you will find people are unable to locate the custom ROM file that they transferred, and then they give up and walk away. The problem here is that they do not copy the ROM file over to the root of the SD card. You might see the term “root” of the SD card and think that it means burying it in the deepest folder you can find, but it means the opposite. The root of the SD card is referring to the top folder because any subfolder will not be visible from your custom recovery image. Once you understand that and have the file at the top level, you will see it there to upload from the custom recovery and then your new ROM will be loaded.

When referring to rooting the Samsung Galaxy S6 smartphone without a custom recovery installed, you are limited to install new apps. These apps can do many things though nowadays to the point where there is little different between a custom ROM and tweaking your user interface using something like that of the Xposed framework. The Xposed app can tweak most things you would consider tweaking; however, it also does a lot more. You might not know it but Xposed can also handle being able to remap hardware buttons, manage your application permissions, enable side-by-side multitasking, add options to the Power menu, disable the unsafe volume warning, enable OK Google for third-party launchers, and Gravity Box–a standalone app that gives you heaps of more customization options.

As you can see, Xposed offers much more than just some visually appealing changes to your user interface and operating system. About the hardest part of setting up Xposed is finding the right versions because there were new installations required with some newer versions of Android such as the Android 5.1 Lollipop update. Removing the warning message for the unsafe volume is one of the little things it can do that goes unrecognized. Many people are listening to music at low levels to the point where they are almost afraid to have it any louder because that warning message is so undelightful. True, your hearing is necessary, and you do not want ever to come down with a healthy dose of tinnitus–I know I have due to an ear infection that I picked up swimming in the ocean with many other people around over summer. If you had never thought of the germs and bacteria in that sea water swimming around with you that is hardly moving from the original place that it originally laid, now is as good a time as ever. Just like how that news is going to many you not want to swim, the unsafe sound level warning text message can be just as unpleasant. Most people will not get an ear infection followed by tinnitus by swimming in the ocean, and most will not have hearing issues with the volume level of our smartphones powered by Android operating systems. We are not suggesting that everyone should use Xposed to get rid of the message, but the option is there for all of you out there who find it off-putting.

Each version of the CF-Auto-Root tool is always based on a particular build number (firmware) because that is how the developer (Chainfire) creates the tool. In this particular case, the build number that the rooting app is based on is MMB29K.G920KKKU3DPD2 and Chainfire gives us that information for us to use as an indicator. He does not tell us that we need to run that same firmware on our Samsung Galaxy S^phones before we use this rooting method. The only reason Chainfire includes the build number for people to see along with the rooting package is that some of the Samsung phones and tablets could refuse to boot images if they are tool old. So this way you can see the rough time frame that the firmware was made and update to something of a similar period if required.

Files You Need

  • Download the new CF-Auto-Root tool that is made to work on the Samsung Galaxy S6 with the SM-G920K model number when it is running on the Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow software updates from here.
  • Download the Samsung USB Drivers on your Windows computer from here.

You must have a computer that is running a version of the Windows operating systems before you can use this guide. Any other operating system such as the Linux or Mac OS X operating systems will not get rooted if you follow this guide because the flashing tool will not work.

You must have the Samsung Galaxy S6 smartphone that comes with the SM-G920K model number to use the files associated with this guide. The CF-Auto-Root tool is usually available in a unique version for each model number and the files also get updated to work on different software releases. You can check the model number of your Samsung Galaxy S6 phone matches up by tapping on the Menu > Settings > About Device > Model Number.

The Samsung Galaxy S6 phone will still see several new major Android software updates rolling out over the air for devices to install. Moreover, these firmware files will become available online on sites such as Sam Mobile for anyone who is already rooted and wants to flash the stock ROM manually that way. The potential issue is when these larger updates bring new bootloaders with them because the new bootloader can cause problems for the CF-Auto-Roto tool in the sense that it can cause the rooting to stop working. Two usual symptoms present themselves for us to identify the issue of a new bootloader being present: the phone will not flash, and the phone will not boot after flashing. These issues are always temporary, and they have not done permanent damage to your phone. However, for Chainfire to be able to fix the rooting tool, so it starts working again, he relies on us submitting the new recovery image files that are found in the new firmware updates that people installed to the CF-Auto-Root tool thread located on the XDA-Developers forum page. He will see the messages people leave along with the new recovery image files and use them t update the database on his end. Those changes he makes will make the rooting tool start working again, and those changes will always be automatically reflected in our guides as soon as they take place because we link directly to the Chainfire repository.

Rooting the Samsung Galaxy S6 SM-G920K smartphone running on the Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow software updates

  1. Unlock the Developer Options menu on the Samsung Galaxy S6 smartphone so you can get access to the settings available inside.
  2. Enable the USB Debugging Mode on the S6 phone so it can connect to the computer with the USB cable and be able to transfer data.
  3. Extract the CF-Auto-Root tool to the desktop of the computer so you can see the rooting exploit file and the Odin flashing tool file.
  4. Run the Samsung USB Drivers n the Windows computer you are using and where you downloaded the files.
  5. Double-click the Odin executable file so the Odin flashing tool user interface opens up on the desktop.
  6. Press the Power button on your S6 phone and tap on the option to switch it off completely from the menu.
  7. Hold the hardware button combination for the download mode when booting it back up and then connect it to the computer once you have followed the prompts on the display of your phone to get it into the download mode.
  8. Once your S6 phone is connected to the computer correctly, check that you have a yellow or blue ID: COM port coming from the Odin user interface and the word “added” appearing. (The change in color of the ID: COM port along with the word added is letting you know that your Samsung Galaxy S6 smartphone is connected properly and ready to be used. It is telling you that your Samsung drivers are working on the computer for the phone and that your device is in the download mode that is required.
  9. Do not change any of the default settings from the Odin user interface.
  10. Click on the AP button that is found in Odin and then upload the rooting file for the S6 phone that is sending in the tar.md5 file extension.
  11. Click the Start button from the Odin user interface and then wait for the rooting to take place.
  12. Check the screen of your Samsung Galaxy S6 handset for some text that will be running down the display if everything is going to plan; you should see text stating that it is flashing the SuperSU, cleaning up the cache and then flashing the stock recovery.
  13. Once you see the text confirming that your stock recovery is flashed, look up at the computer and check that it says that it has passed by giving you a new box with a green pass message inside.

In conclusion, that is how to root the Samsung Galaxy S6 phone with the SM-G920K model number when you have it operating on the Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow software updates by using a newer version of the old CF-Auto-Root tool made by the famous developer Chainfire.

There are apps available from the Google Play Store that are called root checker apps, and they will help you verify whether the guide above worked for you or not. If it did work, then you can hit up the Google Play Store app once again and start installing any of the root apps you wanted to try out such as the Titanium Backup app. The Titanium Backup applications are as good a place to start as any provided that you do not brick your phone due to having accidentally deleted some apps that your system needed to run. It’s for that reason that we advise you pay close attention to what you choose to remove. Anything that you are unsure about should not be selected, Anything that you know can apparently be deleted such as something to do with drawing with an S-pen is the type of thing you can safely remove without fearing bricking your device. You will also see more free memory space which will give your phone better hardware performance as well as better battery performance.

There are usually two types of root checker apps for people to install–and we do not own any of them so do not worry about trying to sell you the apps mentioned. We are here to tell you they are useful, and you should have no problem downloading and being able to put your trust in a free version of the app to let you know if your phone is rooted or not. The most popular free version of the root checker app is called the basic root checker app, and it also comes with a pro version should you ever want to access some of the most advanced features. It is the pro version of the app that makes you have to pay a few dollars.

Anyone who uses the root checker app and it tells them that the Samsung Galaxy S6 phone is not rooted can try a few things in an attempt to rectify the problem. The first thing we recommend trying is checking your phone is getting into the recovery mode. Chainfire states that each device that tries to root using the CF-Auto-Root app must get into recovery mode for the SuperSU to have installed correctly. However, it can be hard to see if that happens because everything happens so quickly when you press the Start button. Anyhow, by flashing it again with the rooting tool and then pressing the hardware button combination for the recovery mode once the flashing stops you are then able to have it rooted just like it would be if that recovery mode happens automatically for you as planned.

Those who have tried the recovery mode fix and it still doesn’t work can try installing one of the older versions of the Odin flashing tool. The Odin application comes in a few versions, and the latest version is the one that Chainfire packs into his rooting file bundle for you to use by default. However, there have been times when people have had to try using a few versions of Odin not get them to flash for a phone or tablet by Samsung. So, to fix that issue try installing one of the older versions of Odin from our Odin downloads page and then trying again.

Moreover, anyone who has tried all of the above and still does not have a rooted Android operating system on the Samsung Galaxy S6 smartphone can try unlocking the phone and heading to the Sam Mobile website to download another firmware build that is for the same model number. Depending on your phone, there could be several smartphone carrier networks all with the same model number. Install the firmware from the most popular smartphone carrier network on your phone using the Odin flashing application and then try rooting the device again using the same CF-Auto-Root tool that was made for that model number. Being able to unlock a smartphone and use firmware from another phone carrier network usually reserve for phones that are from outside of the United States. Within the US, networks usually have a model number each that they use.