Google and Android collectively ramped up the security in Android 6.0 Marshmallow and Android 7.0 Nougat so that the older way of getting root access was no longer an option. The way it used to happen as that the CF-Auto-Root tool could launch the su daemon that had enough permissions to root the device just by running it through the /system partition. That is no longer the case, and the developer of the CF-Auto-Root tool then had to try to come up with a way of achieving the same outcome but by doing it without running through the /system partition any more. He managed to do it, and the new rooting method was then born — he called it the systemless root.

The systemless root version of the CF-Auto-Root tool is no different than nay of the older versions regarding what it can do: you still get the chance to run the same amount of root applications as you did before. Moreover, it still installs the same kind of SuperSU app (although a slightly different version) that it will be granting an denying the root permissions to individual apps of your choice.

Details We Should Know

  • The Android 7.0 software update with build number NRD90M.G920PVPU4DQC7 was running on Chainfire’s Samsung Galaxy S6 SM-G920P smartphone when he created the rooting method available in this guide. However, that does not mean you need to be running the same software update. Chainfire states that it should work on any firmware build number for the Android 7.0 Nougat software update.
  • If you flash the CF-Auto-Root tool using Odin on the Samsung Galaxy S6 SM-G920P smartphone and it causes the device not to boot up, don’t stress. The smartphone is not bricked permanently; it just needs firmware flashed on it manually using the Odin flashing tool. You need to let Chainfire know about the problem by leaving a message on the CF-Auto-Root tool thread so he can update the file, so it starts working again.
  • You need to have the Samsung Galaxy S6 smartphone that comes with the SM-G920P model number to use this guide. Flashing the wrong CF-Auto-Root file for your model number does not work, and you need to flash the firmware with Odin to get the device working again.
  • All versions of the CF-Auto-Root tool need to be flashed with Odin. The Odin flashing tool needs to be used on the Windows operating system.

Files We Need

  • Download the CF-Auto-Root tool for the Samsung Galaxy S6 SM-G920P running on the Android 7.0 Nougat software updates.
  • Download the Samsung USB Drivers for the Windows operating system running on your computer.

How to Root Samsung Galaxy S6 SM-G920P on Android 7.0

  1. Log in to the computer running on a version of the Windows operating system using the administrator account.
  2. Unlock the Android Developer Options menu on the Samsung Galaxy S6 SM-G920P smartphone so you can turn on the USB Debugging.
  3. Enable the USB Debugging Mode on the Samsung Galaxy S6 SM-G920P smartphone so that the Odin flashing tool can make changes to the operating system when flashing the rooting files.
  4. Install the Samsung USB Drivers on the Windows operating system so that Odin can detect your device when you connect it to the computer.
  5. Extract the CF-Auto-Root tool to the Downloads folder on the computer and then double-click on the Odin executable file from the Downloads folder.
  6. Boot the Samsung Galaxy S6 SM-G920P smartphone into the Download Mode and then connect it to the computer with the USB cable.
  7. Wait for the ID: COM port to light up blue or yellow and give an “added” message. If you do not see that, then the USB Drivers are not installed correctly on the computer yet.
  8. Do not make any changes to the default Odin settings from either of its tabs on the Odin user interface.
  9. Click on the AP button and then navigate through to the Downloads folder and select the rooting MD5 file to upload to the Odin.
  10. Click on the Start button from the Odin user interface and then wait for the rooting of the Samsung Galaxy S6 SM-G920P smartphone to complete.
  11. While the smartphone is being rooted, have a read of the information that is running down the display of the device, so you know what to expect.
  12. When complete, the Odin user interface shows a pass message in a new green box.

The SuperSU is now installed on your device, and you can find it as a new application, just as if it were a regular app coming from the Google Play Store. You can open up the SuperSU app and play with its settings, but none of them need to be adjusted at all before you can run root apps.

Most of the root apps that you want to use will be already available on the same Google Play Store that you use to install regular apps all of the time. You’ll just need to know the names of them already before you start browsing for them because Google Play doesn’t have a directory where you can find these apps easily.

If you run root apps and grant it root permissions over the operating system and later realize that was a mistake, you can change your mind and deny the app root access again. To do that, open the SuperSU application that is available from your app drawers and then navigate to the Settings and change the current setting from granted to denied. The root apps will no longer be able to run or have access to the system—even if it is installed. You can always install root apps; the difference is they never run unless the device you want to run them on has root access. It also doesn’t matter what way you chose to get root access. All of the same root apps can still run as long as the root checker app does agree that you did become the root user.

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