Once you root the Android software stack that is running n the Samsung Galaxy Tab S tablet you have officially opened up a whole bunch of other doors that allow you to do a lot more with the device that you could from the stock and locked Android version that always comes on your device when you first buy it from the store. Many of the best developers in the world are out there making applications and new ROMs give people the chance to do more things with the Android operating system which is what Android was so famous for in the first place.

The idea that rooting Android is bad or wrong is incorrect. It is something that not all people should do for security reasons. For example, I would not recommend it to my Mother or Father or maybe even more brother, but anyone who is halfway into technology and understand Android on an intermediate level should have no problem negating any potential dangers that are lurking out there. The only real threat that comes to rooting the Android software is malware. As long as you learn how to use the SuperSU application when it is installed and enabled on your device, then you know how to block malware. When you know how to block malware you are fit to be a root user. Understanding rooting is as simple as that.

So what do I mean by knowing how to use the SuperSU application? The CF-Auto-Root one-click rooting tool that we are flashing in the guide below to root the Samsung Galaxy Tab S tablet is going to install and enable the SuperSU on the tablet. Now each time you download an app that needs root access before it can run, the SuperSU app prompts your display with a new message checking whether or not you do want to grant root access to what is asking for it. Here is the part where you need just to be consciously aware of what is happening and take a second to read the name of what is asking for the root access. As long as the name matches up with what you just installed, then you are safe. If you wake up one day, haven’t downloaded anything, and SuperSU prompts you with a message asking whether you would like to grant root access to something that you have never heard of before, then that is the time to deny. For the most part, malware is very rare to come across, and the chance of you having to deal with this is very slim. However, you still need to understand the basic of what is happening when you choose to run a rooted device and install your apps with the help from SuperSU. Had you have just installed malware from the Google Ply Store before then it does not matter because it cannot read anything that is on the device with the locked Android operating system that your device comes with out of the box. However, when you give it a chance to roam your system, that malware could read data from other apps you have.

Notes:

  • Chainfire was running the LRX22G.T700XXU1BOK1 firmware build number on the Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4 SM-T700 tablet when he developed the CF-Auto-Root tool found in this guide. Nobody else needs to be running on that same firmware build number–although it is great is you are running it. All people need to make sure of is that they are using the SM-T700 model number, and it is running on the Android 5.0.2 Lollipop software updates.
  • You must have the Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4 tablet that comes with the SM-T700 model number to use this guide.
  • We recommend that the Galaxy Tab S 8.4 is operating on the Android 5.0.2 Lollipop software updates when using this guide.
  • Note that the CF-Auto-Root package developed by Chainfire always trips the Samsung Knox security regardless of the version. If your device has the Samsung Knox security, then unrooting does not get the warranty working again.
  • You must have a computer that is running any version of the Windows operating system to be able to use this guide. The Odin flashing application runs on Windows only.
  • If you are finding that the CF-Auto-Root tool in this guide is not currently woking during your time of visit, it might be because a new bootloader has arrived in a newer software update. You need to visit the official CF-Auto-Root tool thread made on the XDA-Developers forum with the new recovery image file that is in the new firmware your device is running for Chainfire to see the message. He then updates the files using that recovery image, and the rooting tool works again. Those changes are always automatically shown in our articles because we link directly to Chainfire’s pages.

Files We Need

Rooting the Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4 SM-T700 tablet running on the Android 5.0.2 Lollipop software updates

  1. Log into the Windows computer using an administrator’s account and password if required so that the Odin flashing tool application on the computer allows us to flash.
  2. Unlock the Developer Options menu on the Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4 tablet so we can use the menu found in the Developer Options.
  3. Enable the USB Debugging Mode from the Developer Options you just unlocked, so the Android software allows for us to make changes to the software when we connect it to the computer.
  4. Install the Samsung USB Drivers on the computer so when you connect the Samsung Galaxy Tab S tablet ot the computer with the USB cable it is able to then connect to the flashing tool.
  5. Extract the rooting file to the desktop of the computer and the flashing tool and the rooting file that can be flashed shows themselves as separate files now on the desktop.
  6. Boot the Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4 SM-T700 tablet into the download mode and then connect it to the computer with the USB cable that is usually used for charging the battery.
  7. Double-click on the Odin flashing tool executable file that is on the desktop of the computer, so the flashing tool opens.
  8. Check that the Odin app on the computer shows a yellow or blue ID: COM port and gives an “added” message. (No color and no message at this point is suggesting that the Samsung USB Drivers are not installed or you are not logged into the computer as an administrator. If you are logged into the computer correctly and the Samsung drivers are installed, you can try installing them from another source online or try installing the Universal ADB Driver for Windows instead. Koushik Dutta makes the ADB Driver, and it should work just as well as the Samsung USB Drivers).
  9. Do not make any changes from the Odin flashing tool user interface.
  10. Click the AP button found on the Odin app user interface and then browse through to the desktop of the computer and select the rooting file that you extracted there earlier.
  11. Click the Start button from the Odin app on the computer and the rooting begins.
  12. Check the screen of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4 tablet for some messages that show the stages of the CF-Auto-Root tool including it flashing the SuperSU, cleaning out the cache partition and the reflashing the stock recovery.
  13. Check the Odin app on the computer shows a green box with a pass message inside which is there to let you know that the rooting is complete.

In conclusion, that is how to root the Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4 tablet that has the SM-T700 model number when it is running on the Android 5.0.2 Lollipop updates. The tablet got rooted because Chainfire’s CF-Auto-Root tool has just flashed a modified cache and recovery image to install land then successfully enable the SuperSU which makes you the superuser. You can see the SuperSu application available from the tablet’s app drawer when the device reboots into the normal mode. You do not need to change any default settings from the SuperSu application; it is also giving people the access to the root user account. All you need to do now is enter the Google Play Store application and browse for the root apps that you wanted to try on the device. For anyone who has no idea about what root apps are or intends to research some name, you can check out the best root applications of the Android operating systems and take a look at some of the root applications that we recommend people use.

CF-Auto-Root on XDA-Developers

Chainfire, the developer of the CF-Auto-Root tool available in this guide, has created a CF-Auto-Root tool thread on the XDA-Develoeprs website. You can use the CF-Auto-Root thread on the XDA-Developers site for requesting new root methods for devices that are not currently available.

Encryption

Note that flashing a CF-Auto-Root file (regardless of the device) wipes the data if the device storage is encrypted. For everyone else, there should be no data loss when rooting with the CF-Auto-Root tool.

Samsung’s Knox security

Some smartphones and tablets in the Samsung range come with Samsung’s Knox security. The CF-Auto-Root tool trips Knox which prevents you from unrooting and using the warranty again.

Flash counters

Any device with a target flash counter is triggered when using the CF-Auto-Root tool. Chainfire’s Triangle Away supports many devices for this problem.