Root for 4.4.2 on Samsung Devices.

Erza Scarlet · 07-22-2014, 12:54 AM

DO NOT DO THIS IF YOU DO NOT HAVE THE RIGHT PHONES, SAMSUNG GALAXY DEVICES ONLY, I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY DAMAGES TO YOUR DEVICE.

IF ANYTHING GOES WRONG PM ME AND I WIILL TRY TO HELP TO MY BEST ABILITY.

So the update of 4.4.2 (KitKat) ruined root for most people. There is a new way and it's so easy to do it!
I'm not sure if this works on all 4.4.2 Samsung Devices, but it's confirmed by myself working on VZW Galaxy SIII and S4. I would imagine that it works on all the kitkat devices.

1) First, you have to download towelroot.apk at http://www.towelroot.com

2) Install that on your phone and then download and install SuperSU from the market, BUT DO NOT OPEN IT.

3) Run towelroot and click the button that says "make it ra1n". If it reboots it didn't work, but if it stays on congrats you're rooted!

4) Go to the SuperSU app and update the binary and just click through all the confirmations.

Congratulations, you're now rooted on KitKat.

Oni · 07-22-2014, 04:44 AM

I heard AT&T was actually working against root users. I have a friend that had a Galaxy S4 and he claims that AT&T's update broke his root and prevented him from flashing ROMs.

Losi · 07-22-2014, 04:47 AM

(07-22-2014, 04:44 AM)Oni Wrote: I heard AT&T was actually working against root users. I have a friend that had a Galaxy S4 and he claims that AT&T's update broke his root and prevented him from flashing ROMs.

Huh. I have AT&T and my rooted note 2 is fine. Hope it doesn't happen to me. Stressed

Erza Scarlet · 07-22-2014, 05:12 AM

(07-22-2014, 04:44 AM)Oni Wrote: I heard AT&T was actually working against root users. I have a friend that had a Galaxy S4 and he claims that AT&T's update broke his root and prevented him from flashing ROMs.

I haven't heard that, he can always downgrade and then flash a custom bootloader or rom.

Oni · 07-22-2014, 06:07 AM

(07-22-2014, 05:12 AM)Erza Scarlet Wrote: I haven't heard that, he can always downgrade and then flash a custom bootloader or rom.

Nope. Not for his phone. I linked him to the thread, so maybe he'll shed some light. I tried flashing for him.

Erza Scarlet · 07-22-2014, 01:12 PM

(07-22-2014, 06:07 AM)Oni Wrote: Nope. Not for his phone. I linked him to the thread, so maybe he'll shed some light. I tried flashing for him.

Hmm.. interesting.

Skullmeat · 07-23-2014, 12:06 AM

(07-22-2014, 04:44 AM)Oni Wrote: I heard AT&T was actually working against root users. I have a friend that had a Galaxy S4 and he claims that AT&T's update broke his root and prevented him from flashing ROMs.

Not root. Custom firmware. At&t relased a OTA update last year that locks their bootloaders. MF3 on the GSIV, along with a statement that they no longer support unlocked bootloaders. Verizon has also done the same. As for downgradeing that doesn't work. I'm not fully clear on the exact way it works, but from what I've read on the xda forums, it blows some kind of key to the hardware. Attempting to downgrade or flash a custom bootloader will brick your device.

Oni · 07-23-2014, 12:42 AM

(07-23-2014, 12:06 AM)TheMercenary Wrote: Not root. Custom firmware. At&t relased a OTA update last year that locks their bootloaders. MF3 on the GSIV, along with a statement that they no longer support unlocked bootloaders. Verizon has also done the same. As for downgradeing that doesn't work. I'm not fully clear on the exact way it works, but from what I've read on the xda forums, it blows some kind of key to the hardware. Attempting to downgrade or flash a custom bootloader will brick your device.

Yeah, that.

Skullmeat · 07-23-2014, 01:40 AM

(07-23-2014, 12:42 AM)Oni Wrote: Yeah, that.

Wasn't at my pc, so I couldnt find this statement by At&t:

Quote:"To ensure a safe and consistent experience on your wireless device, we do not support unlocked bootloaders."

As to my earlier comment of how the locked bootloader works, I was able to find that as well.

Quote:What is locked is the kernal signiture. On boot, the phone does a SHA1 check on the ABOOT.img file (and the recovery.img) to verify integrity and that it is made from Samsung.

In short, there is NO WAY to unlock the bootloader, aside from obtaining the key from Samsung, which I doubt will happen. Furthermore, due to the way the bootloader works, there are no Odin files that work with the GSIV, so if you brick it, you are pretty much screwed.

Oni · 08-06-2014, 12:17 PM

(07-23-2014, 01:40 AM)TheMercenary Wrote: Wasn't at my pc, so I couldnt find this statement by At&t:

As to my earlier comment of how the locked bootloader works, I was able to find that as well.

In short, there is NO WAY to unlock the bootloader, aside from obtaining the key from Samsung, which I doubt will happen. Furthermore, due to the way the bootloader works, there are no Odin files that work with the GSIV, so if you brick it, you are pretty much screwed.

Another reason to despise AT&T. Tongue