Vodafone, one of my favorite phone carriers in the UK, have recently updated their Samsung Galaxy S4 LTE device’s with the newer Android 4.4.2 KitKat build namely XXUFND7. If you have updated manually or over the air (OTA) then I’m about to show you how can root it and open that device back up again. Just before I do let’s go through a few checkpoints to make sure you guys know what you’re in for.
This guide and all the files in this article work only for the I9505 model number of the S4. If you have any other do not attempt to install this because it won’t work and can potentially soft-brick the device.
Details of Note
- This rooting method will void the manufacturer’s warranty on the device. You would have restored it by upgrading the firmware, though, and the same applies yet again for a later date when you go back to the official firmware. It will be a continuous thing. Also, something that has come into us recently is the news of an application called triangle Away. This app can reset the flash counter and will make the warranty good again. If you don’t mind being a bit cheeky then check it out from the Google Play Store.
- Download and install the Samsung Galaxy USB Drivers. Back in the day the Sammy developers would have different drivers for each device. However, due to the confusion and extra technological advancements, they now just make the same driver package available that will work for all devices under the Samsung name. These drivers are available from the Samsung website or numerous other sources for downloading.
- Stop any firewall on security program from running on a Windows-based PC. These can often cause conflicts that we want to avoid. The same is said for any anti-malware protection running on the Galaxy S4. Android is susceptible to virus attacks and many people use security these days. It comes in the form of an app and can be disabled from visiting the apps screen on a smartphone.
- This step by step guide comes with your best intentions at heart. We always give our best efforts to give clean, precise and accurate information that gets seen, but that also remains true to itself. With that being said, if you end up with a problem we are not liable as a website to cover you for anything. The user chooses to follow anything that is put up on this site on their own due diligence.
- Do not try to install this if you are not on the mentioned firmware version. Do not attempt this installation if you are using a Custom ROM. You want to be on them after doing this first.
- This tutorial uses the CF-Auto-root tool and as such the handset will be plugged into the computer for the duration. Whenever using a smartphone or tablet that naturally has USB charging as a connectivity feature, there is no need to worry about charging the battery on the device before starting. If the handset is plugged in until it is finished then it will have more battery power when it finishes compared to when it started.
- I saved this point to last because it is the most important. We recommend you backup all data and especially the personal data such as irreplaceable picture of boyfriend and girlfriends that you can’t afford to lose. Furthermore, don’t forget to backup contacts, call logs, SMS and MMS text, market apps, settings and so forth. The S4 comes with 16 GB of built-in storage. If you try to back up and it says there is no more space left then you have two choices. The first is to delete existing data that uses up the space and create some room. Or the second is to go to the store and buy a microSD, microSDHC, microSDXC expansion memory card of up to 64 GB. These provide additional external storage option and are great to backup to because they let you backup apps and contacts plus all the rest to the same place. Often that is easier said than done with an internal storage. I recently came across Google Drive that gives Droid users on mobile devices and computers extra storage ideas. You can check this out also.
How To Root Samsung Galaxy S4 LTE I9505 On The XXUFND7 Android 4.4.2 KitKat Firmware
1. First download the CF Auto Root tool here.
2. Download the latest version of Odin 3.09 to the C: Drive.
3. Turn the smartphone on in Download Mode by pressing the Power button and Home + Volume Down at the same time and holding them.
4. On Windows, click Start > and in the search box start typing in “Odin.” When it shows up double-click on it and unzip to open it.
5. Plug the mobile device into the computer system unit USB slots.
6. Watch the ID: Com port change color and a message say, “added” in Odin.
7. if the last step did not work for you try re-downloading USB drivers from a different source because they are not up to date.
8. Click the mouse on the PDA/AP button and upload the CF-Auto-Root-jflte-jfltexx-gti9505.zip.’
9. Odin already has the default settings worked out for what we need. You should see a tick in the boxes called Auto reboot and F Reset Time. That is how we want them. Do not take these ticks away or add any additional “ticks” to any of the other boxes.
10. Click the Start button to get root.
11. When it is complete the ID: COM port may change color and it will give a message that says, “pass” on the screen.
Now it is time for you to close the Odin application by clicking on the “X” in the top right corner just like you would any other program in Windows.
12. Move the mouse cursor down to the taskbar. Look for the “Safely remove hardware” button. Follow the instruction to stop the USB Mass Storage device correctly. Now you are safe to remove the smartphone from the PC and enjoy the new firmware.
Just a friendly reminder that we are expecting Android 4.4.3 to be coming out very soon. If our sources are correct it will be coming to the Nexus 4, 5, 7 and 10 by the end of this month. It is not coming to the S4 for a long time yet though so enjoy what you have now and check back for more updates.