Last Updated on July 17, 2022 by Mathew Diekhake

Chainfire is the developer who created SuperSU–the world’s most useful rooting tool that almost all experience Android rooters love to use. Most people who are advanced Android users enjoy installing custom ROMs and getting root access to Android by unlocking the bootloader, installing a custom recovery image like TWRP Recovery and then flashing Chainfire’s SuperSU package from within the custom recovery menu. The result is the SuperSU being available from the app drawer, and it is sitting there already installed enabled thanks to the new custom recovery. They like doing it that way because it is fun, they have a custom recovery already installed so that they can install ROMs and kernel right away and because it is considered the proper way to root.

Most experienced Android users also stay away from one-click rooting methods, but Chainfire’s CF-Auto-Root tool is a bit different. There is nothing shameful about getting root access to the Android operating system by using Chainfire’s CF-Auto-Root one-click rooting tool because it serves more of a purpose than just rooting via one-click and fast. Anyone who does not want to have a custom recovery installed–and there are many people nowadays–and they would still like to have SuperSU making them the superuser of the operating system can install CF-Auto-Root.

The CF-Auto-Root tool is the successor to the CF-Root tool. Both of them are made by Chainfire and both give you SuperSU running, but both also are different. The CF-Root (minus the automatic part) are manually built root kernels that give the device more than just root. The CF-Auto-Root tool, on the other hand, is based on an automated system that Chainfire is always updating and improving depending on the version of Android. It works by taking the stock recovery image and then returns an automated root package. These root packages are made to install and enable the SuperSU on the phone or tablet and nothing more.

Chainfire was running on the LRX22G.T715YDXU2AOK3 firmware build number when he created the rooting method and the CF-Auto-Root tool in this guide that is made to root the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 SM-T715Y tablet when it is running on the Android 5.0.2 Lollipop software updates. You do not need to be running the same firmware build number that Chain fire was using when he rooted the guide when you are following this guide. You can be running on any of the firmware that is based on the Android 5.0.2 Lollipop Android version. You can heck what your version of Android is that is running on the tablet by tapping on the Menu > Settings > About Device > Android version.

Notes:

  • You must have the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 that has the SM-T715Y model number when you flash the rooting file in this guide. There is only one CF-Auto-Root tool but there are hundreds of CF-Auto-Root files each made uniquely for a device. The version in this tutorial is only made to be flashed on the corresponding model number that you can see in the article title.
  • You must have a computer that is running the Windows operating systems to use this guide. The difference, this time, is the flashing tool that we are using (Odin) as it will not run on any other operating system unless you are willing to install something like a virtual machine. There are things called virtual machines that you can install on MacOS and Linux to efficiently run the Windows operating system on that computer and if you are willing to go to that much work you should be able to to get the Odin flashing tool to work from the virtual machine also.
  • There still could be some more software updates that roll out over the air Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 SM-T715Y tablet that is based on the Android 5.0.2 Lollipop software updates. It is the software updates that sometimes stop the CF-Auto-Root files from working until Chainfire has had the chance to update them. Usually, all updates that are based on the same Android version (in this case Android 5.0.2 Lollipop) do not cause any problems. It is generally when a new Android version of Android 4.4.4 KitKat to Android 5.0 Lollipop arrives that can bring new bootloaders with them, and it is usually the bootloaders that cause the problems. In any case, a new bootloader is not out of the question for software updates that are still based on Android 5.0.2 Lollipop. If you find that your device is not booting, or the rooting file is not flashing it is likely because the file needs updating. You need to get the new recovery image file from the firmware that is creating the problem and send it to the CF-Auto-Root tool thread made at the XDA-Developers website so that Chainfire can see the message and then use the file to apply the changes. The changes that he makes to the rooting files will be automatically reflected in our guides, so you never have to wonder about if you see the latest file.

Download Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 SM-T715Y CF-Auto-Root and Drivers

How to Root Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 SM-T715Y on Android 5.0.2 Lollipop Using CF-Auto-Root

  1. Log into the Windows computer you are using in the guide using the administrators account so that the Odin flashing tool can work.
  2. Unlock the Developer Options menu on the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 SM-T715Y so you can use the site of topics available within that menu.
  3. Enable the USB Debugging Mode from the Developer Options you just unlocked so that you can connect the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 SM-T715Y to the computer and the flashing tool can make changes to the software.
  4. Extract the rooting file to the desktop of the computer and you get the Odin flashing application and the rooting file that is used to make you the root user of the device.
  5. Install the Samsung USB Drivers on the computer so that when you do connect the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 SM-T715Y to the computer the Odin flashing application will be able to detect the device which then allows for the rooting to take place.
  6. Double-click the Odin flashing tool executable that from the desktop and the flashing tool we are using to root the tablet opens so you can see all of its buttons.
  7. Boot the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 SM-T715Y tablet into the download mode and then connect it to the computer with the USB cable that is usually used for charging the battery of the device.
  8. Check that you can see a blue or yellow ID: COM port color shining on the Odin flashing application on the computer and the same app gives you the added message appearing. (Those of you who do not see this need to get the Samsung USB Drivers working or log into the computer using the administrator’s account).
  9. Do not make any changes from the buttons that you get by default displaying on the Odin flashing tool user interface or else you might end up losing some data.
  10. Click the AP button from the Odin user interface and then upload the rooting file for the Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 SM-T715Y tablet that is ending in the tar.md5 file extension to this location.
  11. Click the Start button when you are ready for the flashing to begin.
  12. Sit in front of the screen of the tablet and check out the text that is rolling down the display and have a read, so you know what is happening to your device. Mostly the one-click rooting tool is installing a modified cache to go along with a modified recovery, and those two things are going to help install and enable the SuperSU. From there the rooting tool deletes everything it installed leaving your device with the stock recovery once again, and the SuperSU will remain by itself and be completely installed and enabled.
  13. As soon as you see the message on the display of the table stating that it is going to reboot in ten seconds and the green pass box coming from the Odin user interface then you know it is complete, and you can unplug from the computer.

In conclusion, that is how to root the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 SM-T715Y tablet when you have it running on the Android 5.0.2 Lollipop software updates by using the most traditional versions of the CF-Auto-Root tool by the same old developers whom we love, Chainfire. Chainfire’s CF-Auto-Root tool that is used in this guide needs to get into the system partition to do its thing. Apart from that, there is no difference. You are still able to install the same root applications from the Google Play Store that you would always be able to install no matter how you root the device. Moreover, you can install a custom recovery image if you wanted to start installing some custom ROMs. We have a dedicated post that goes into more details about what you can do with a rooted Android operating system for anyone looking to learn more.

People get confused with rooting the Android operating system and what is required for installing a custom ROM. A custom ROM only needs you to unlock the bootloader and the install usually a custom recovery before you can then install the custom ROM. With Samsung devices to date, you do not even need that much. You can just install the custom recovery such as TWRP without worrying about the bootloader and then you can check out what ROMs are available if that is the kind of thing you are into. Those who want to learn how else they can do with a root Android operating system can check out our detailed post that shows a lot more with what you can achieve with applications like creating better battery life and changing how the CPU is clocked so you can get even more battery performance or click it the other way to increase the performance.

Anyone who installed the root checker application from the Google Play Store but did not get a positive root status can try getting the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 SM-T715Y into the recovery mode by pressing the hardware button combination as soon as it reboots back into the normal mode. You need to time the buttons pressing right so that the standard OS mode never boots. Sometimes the CF-Auto-Root tool does not get into the recovery mode as it should, and these are the times when booting it into the recovery mode manually will help gets the SuperSU installed and enabled correctly.

Furthermore, there are plenty of other versions of the Odin flashing application that people can install if they need it try another version. There is no way of telling whether the Odin flashing tool version is going to be the right one for you or not because they are meant for every device. Nevertheless, in spite of this, there are plenty of videos on YouTube stating others. People are using one version of Odin and not getting a device from Samsung rooted, and then they are trying another version of the Odin flashing application, and it is rooting it. You can try the same trick by heading to our Odin downloads page and checking out what is available that is not the same number as the version you are using now. The version that Chainfire bundles in with the CF-Auto-Root tool for the Android 5.0.2 Lollipop updates is the Odin 3.10 so try installing another numbered version instead.

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.