Rooting was once a popular process among tech enthusiasts who strove to discover huge customization possibilities on their Android phones. There was a time when users had to get root access to enjoy useful features like taking a screenshot.
Over time, manufacturers have managed to use and evolve the technology at their fingertips, and now Android phones are more capable than ever. Improving their offering has dispersed the need for casual users to unlock root access and suffer some of its adverse consequences.
That said, Core Access still has its share of perks that allow users to use custom ROMs, unlock themes, remove bloatware, gain performance, battery life, and more. on Android phones. Rooting is still popular among users who want full access to their device’s capabilities. This article will explain how to root any Android mobile phone in 2022.
A Concise Guide to Root Any Android Phone in 2022
It must be noted that the rooting process depends on the ideals of the device manufacturer. For example, Samsung devices don’t have a traditional Quick Start interface, which makes the process slightly different for Android devices.
One can search for a root access guide specific to their devices. This will allow the user to have a more personalized and easier experience. If you are looking for a generic guide to root any Android phone in 2022, you have come to the right place for an answer.
A few things to consider before moving on to the guide
- Samsung devices do not have a traditional Quick Start interface; therefore, boot or recovery images are packaged differently. Be sure to check the device-specific manuals to root a Samsung device.
- Custom recovery solution projects like TWRP are not recommended for modern devices.
- Avoid one-click root apps as they are not valid for modern devices.
Warning: Rooting a device will void its warranty and may damage your device if not done properly. Make sure you understand the consequences and consult the device-specific manuals before proceeding.
How to root any Android phone with Magisk?
One of the most popular and trusted tools to root Android phone is Magisk. It does not modify anything stored in the system partition but uses the boot partition instead. All changes are stored in the boot partition, while data on the system partition remains safe. Hence, it is also known as the systemless root method.
Note: The steps mentioned below are taken from a comprehensive xda developers guide for a more concise approach.
To root a device using Magisk, you must first make sure of the following:
- You will need a PC with ADB and fastboot installed.
- The device you are looking to root must have the bootloader unlocked.
To note: You can search for methods to unlock the bootloader on your device. The steps vary depending on your device manufacturer. You will not be able to root your phone if it is unlockable.
Once the above requirements are met, you can proceed to download the Magisk app on the device you want to mod. Make sure to install the app from its official GitHub repository only to avoid malware.
Once installed, open the Magisk app to ensure proper installation and note a few settings. You will see three parameters with values, namely Ramdisk, A/B and SAR, which will play a vital role in the future.
Locate boot image
Next, one needs to locate the boot image file in the official software packages of the device. If you have access to the recovery ZIP file, locating the boot image may require additional steps, depending on the device. Write down your device’s A/B value in Magisk, as mentioned earlier, and associate it with the following cases:
- If your device uses partition scheme A only, the boot image will be available in the flashable ZIP file kept for recovery.
- If your device uses the A/B partition scheme, the boot image will be compressed into a file called payload.bin.
In the second case, you need to use a payload.bin extractor to get your hands on the boot image. The popular Payload Dumper can be used here to easily extract the image.
If your device manufacturer offers a quickboot flashable image, the boot.img file can easily be extracted from the archive without any problems.
Patch boot image
Here you will need to check the Ramdisk parameter value. If it’s “Yes”, the aforementioned boot image will do. Otherwise, it will be necessary to use the recovery image file (recovery.img) of their device’s factory image instead of the boot image (boot.img file).
Keep in mind the .img file required for your device and follow these steps:
- Copy the boot image (or recovery image, depending on your device’s needs) that you extracted in the previous step to the device. You can either copy it to the device you want to root or to a secondary device. If you are using a secondary device, Magisk must also be downloaded and installed on it.
- Open the Magisk app and tap on the Install option. Choose “Select and Fix File” under Method, locate the boot image and select it. Magisk will patch the image to the following path: [Internal Storage]/Download/magisk_patched_[random_strings].img
- Then one needs to copy the patched image from above to his PC using Android Debug Bridge. Use the command: adb pull /sdcard/Download/magisk_patched_[random_strings].img
- Finally, flash the patched boot/recovery image to the device you want to root. To do this, reboot into fastboot mode and use the following command: adb pull /sdcard/Download/magisk_patched_[random_strings].img
That’s it. You can now enjoy root access to your device. Open the Magisk app on the rooted device and find the version number next to the installed setting. If there is a number, your Android phone is successfully rooted.
