Samsung Galaxy S9 and the S9 Plus have been rooted. Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus were very quick to reach the users. Samsung announced the phones on February 25, 2018, and the users started getting the phones as soon as March 7, 2018. In the past, it used to take 3 weeks to a month for the Galaxy fans to get the latest flagship. The root achievement also happened as quick as the phones reached the markets.
These phones have been rooted with the help of SuperSU and Magisk. XDA Recognised Developer Tkkg1994 was kind enough to build a TWRP custom recovery for these phones. Through the TWRP recovery, SuperSU and Magisk were flashed on the phones which resulted in a successful root access.
Initial reports have suggested that Magisk 16.1 works flawlessly to root the phone. Before flashing Magisk, users need to disable dm-verity and forced encryption. Both these things can be easily done right after flashing the TWRP recovery. I just wrote a comprehensive guide on how to install TWRP recovery on Galaxy S9. The guide also shows how you can flash the patched kernel image to disable dm-verity. In this guide, you will learn how to flash Magisk to root S9/S9 Plus. Before we root the phone, it’s important for the newbies to have an idea of what root is and how it can help you.
Root allows applications and scripts to access the system files of your phone. The purpose of allowing root access to apps and scripts is to make system-level changes to improve the features or performance of your phone. You can allow root access to an application like Greenify to enhance the battery life of your phone, or you can give root permission to CPU tweaking applications to underclock or overclock the CPU of your phone. Another great use of root is to make the Titanium Backup work. This application can back up each and every single component of your phone. Root is also essential for the Xposed Modules to work. There’s a huge list of root benefits, the purpose of this part of our guide is only to give you a slight idea of the term root.
If you are wondering why phone manufacturers do not recommend rooting a phone, then here’s your answer. A rooted phone’s system can be accessed by any third party application. It means a third party application or a third party script can make changes to your phone without your consent. The problem pops up when a malicious application tries to access your system and it ends up damaging your phone. A phone, which is not rooted, is very secure. No third party elements can access a non-rooted phone’s system files. When you root the phone, the smartphone manufacturers drop the responsibility for your device. After that, you are completely on your own and you are responsible for all the damages that may or may not happen. This is the very reason for rooting your phone voids its warranty.
Android power users, who have a really good know-how of the stuff they are installing on the rooted phone can easily avoid all those dangers. It’s always important to make sure that whatever you are installing on your phone, comes from a well-reputed source. Root access is not necessarily risky. You only have to be careful with the installations taking place on your phone.
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How to Root Samsung Galaxy S9 or S9 Plus
Following is the comprehensive tutorial to Root Samsung Galaxy S9 or S9 Plus. The guide, as mentioned above, makes the use of Magisk 16.1 to root the phone. Follow all the steps carefully to avoid any mishap.
Note: These are highly custom processes and are not recommended by device manufacturers. Rooting or flashing custom recovery also voids the warranty of your phone. In case of a mishap, TechBeasts or the recovery developers may not be held responsible. Make sure that you are doing this at your own risk.
Let’s head over to the guide now. Have a look at the tutorial to root your Android Oreo powered Samsung Galaxy S8 or Galaxy S8 Plus now.
Preparing your Galaxy S9/S9 Plus for Root
This guide is only for the Galaxy S9 G960F/FD/N and S9 Plus G965F/FD/N Exynos variants.
Charge your phone up to 80% to avoid power issues during the installation process.
Backup your contacts, call logs, SMS messages and important media content.
Enable OEM Unlocking on your phone.
Enable USB debugging mode on your phone as well.
If you are using a Chinese variant of the Galaxy S9/S9 Plus, then unlock its bootloader.
While using Odin3, disable Samsung Kies if you have it installed on your PC.
Use OEM data cable to connect your phone to your PC.
Steps to Root Galaxy S9 or S9 Plus
- Download and install TWRP Custom Recovery on your phone.
- Follow the TWRP guide carefully until the end.
- Now download Magisk 16.1 and copy it to your phone.
- Boot your phone into TWRP recovery. To do so, power off your phone. Turn it on by pressing and holding Volume Up + Bixby + Power button.
- Once your phone is in TWRP recovery, tap Install > Install Zip > Locate and select Magisk 16.1.zip > Flash it.
- Once done, restart your phone. You will have it rooted. You can install Magisk Manager from the Play Store now to manage the root.
If something goes wrong, you can immediately flash the stock firmware to recover your Galaxy S9. In case you have any queries, feel free to ask them in the comments section below.
