Samsung Galaxy S3 (T-Mobile) SGH-T999 users who have already installed their devices with Android 4.3 Jelly Bean, may root their devices using the tutorial below.
This tutorial uses CF-Auto-Root file released by Elite Recognized XDA-Developers, Chainfire. The CF-Auto-Root file allowing Galaxy S3 users to root their devices easily without depending on the firmware. It completely supports Android 4.3 Jelly Bean and future firmware as well. Head over to the CF-Auto-Root main thread to learn more about the root method.
Disclaimer: Rooting voids the warranty of your device. We and the developer of this rooting procedures shall not be held responsible if any undesirable outcomes may happen to your device. use of this root guide is solely at your own risk!
Pre-requisites
1. Install USB Driver for Samsung Galaxy S3 on the computer.
2. Enable USB Debugging Mode on the phone by navigating to Settings >> Developer Options.
3. Make a backup of all your important data before following the guide.
4. Ensure the battery of the phone is charged more than 80 percent.
5. The CF-Auto-Root file works only on the Galaxy S3 (T-Mobile) SGH-T999. Applying this to any incorrect variant might brick the device. Verify the model number of the Galaxy S3 by navigating to Settings >> About Phone.
Files Required
1. CF-Auto-Root (Mirror Link) for Galaxy S3 (T-Mobile) SGH-T999 (CF-Auto-Root-d2tmo-d2tmo-sght999.zip)
2. Odin 3.07
Steps to Root Galaxy S3 (T-Mobile) SGH-T999 Running on Android 4.3 Jelly Bean Firmware
Step 1: Extract CF-Auto-Root and Odin 3.07 files using WinRAR/7-Zip/WinZip or any other extracting tool.
Step 2: Switch off the Galaxy S3. Then boot the device into Download Mode by pressing and holding Volume Down, Home and Power buttons together until a construction Android robot icon with a warning triangle appears on screen. Now press the Volume Up button to enter Download Mode.
Step 3: Launch Odin on the computer as an Administrator.
Step 4: Connect the Galaxy S3 to the computer using USB cable while it is in the Download Mode. Wait until Odin detects the device. When the device is connected successfully, the ID: COM box will turn to light blue with the COM port number. Additionally, the successful connected will be indicated by a message saying Added.
Note: If the Added message does not appear, then try re-install USB drivers or changing the port on the computer.
Step 5: In Odin, click the PDA button and select the CF-Auto-Root-d2tmo-d2tmo-sght999.tar.md5 file.
Step 6: Verify that Auto Reboot and F. Reset Time checkboxes are selected in Odin. Also, ensure the Re-Partition option is NOT selected.
Step 7: Double-check and click Start button in Odin. The installation process will now begin.
Step 8: Once the installation process is completed, your phone will restart and soon you will see a PASS message with green background in the left-most box at the very top of the Odin. You can now unplug the USB cable to disconnect your device from the computer.
Samsung Galaxy S3 (T-Mobile) SGH-T999 running on Android 4.3 Jelly Bean is now rooted successfully. Open the app drawer of the phone and check for an app called SuperSU. Verify the root status of the device by downloading Root Checker app from Google Play Store.
Note: Many Samsung devices store a flash counter that keeps track of how many times you have flashed custom firmwares to your device. Triangle Away can be used to reset the flash counter to zero.
How to Fix "Unfortunately, SuperSU has stopped"?
Step 1: Download and install the latest APK of SuperSU on your device.
Step 2: Open SuperSU app (update the binary if prompted) and allow it to disable KNOX.
Step 3: Reboot your device.
Thank's to all fellas at XDA who first tried out this rooting technique. This method was originally posted via XDA-Developers original thread.
Read also:
I rooted with no problem using this method. The only issue I have is SuperSu quits upon launch and won't open which won't allow me to run any rooted apps. Do you have any options to help?
ReplyDeleteI think the problem is Samsung knox is tripping the root access and no one has found a way to make them work together as yet some say the best solution is to remove Samsung knox but I am wait patiently for the best root myself
ReplyDeleteThanks. I was able to TB to run and remove knox but it still won't work. I guess it's embedded somewhere in the system. I'll wait for an update too.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteCurrently there is no way to root t999uvuemjc. Apparently, knox blocks the root. Just wait a bit until some developer finds a way to fix this. If you want to keep your root do not update to stock jb 4.3! You wont be able to downgrade T_T i am stuck.
ReplyDeleteSucks man I got the t999 runing 4.3 and root it but wont work now I got a half root it and half stock phone can't go back to stock non root and can't have root privilege..I want to kill the guy who invented knox lol I'm stuck in the middle...
DeleteTo disable knox so you have full root, try running this command in a terminal emulator:
Deletesu pm disable com.sec.knox.seandroid
As an alternative method, you can install SuperSu from Google Play and when you run it you should be given an option to disable KNOX.
More info on KNOX can be found here:
http://www.droidviews.com/disable-knox-security-service-on-samsung-galaxy-devices/
so, we cannot do that because we do not have working root.
DeleteI had the same issue and now have successful root using the following steps:
DeleteWhen Phone is back up and running after 1st boot
Enable SuperSU in Settings/More/Application Manager
Go to Google Play
Apply update for SuperSU
If not showing up, Install from Google Play
Open up SuperSU
Allow app to update/Allow app to disable KNOX
Wait patiently for a few minutes
Reboot device
You now have root
Please note that the steps I list out, are to be completed after completing all of the steps posted by the author of the howto.
DeleteAw dang :/ Guess I'll wait then... thanks for the info!
ReplyDeleteafter you root reset the phone to factory thru the phone and when is coming back hit super user at first NOT KNOX and try delete knox back up ultimate is work for my in 4.3
ReplyDeletecan you repeat your instructions and be more specific...?
DeleteI had the same issue and now have successful root using the following steps:
ReplyDeleteWhen Phone is back up and running after 1st boot
Enable SuperSU in Settings/More/Application Manager
Go to Google Play
Apply update for SuperSU
If not showing up, Install from Google Play
Open up SuperSU
Allow app to update/Allow app to disable KNOX
Wait patiently for a few minutes
Reboot device
You now have root
Hi Aaron, it works! Thanks for taking the time to share with us!
DeleteThank you from T-Mobile S3 user with Android 4.3 Jelly Bean, I had been checking daily here for this process. Successful Root, Thanks a million, I was already missing my Ad-Block which is mostly all I root for.
DeleteAaron, I have root but still cannot get SuperSU to open. I keep getting a message that there is no SUBinary and SuperSU can't open. Any ideas on ways to help?
DeleteYou can try to re-flash cf-auto or you might try re-installing it from the market.
DeleteDude it works thanks a lot
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteAaron, in your directions you say the following:
DeleteWhen Phone is back up and running after 1st boot
Enable SuperSU in Settings/More/Application Manage
What do you mean by this? When I follow the main directions to root with CF-auto; after the reboot, I don't have supersu installed. I download it from play store but it will not open because I get the binaries not installed for root; when I click ok it just closes the app. Also when downloading from play store you say allow app to update and disable knox. I'm not sure what you mean by this either. The app does nothing after I download. could you be a little more specific on what you are advising on this?
Aarons tip worked here as well. thanks
DeleteYou may have to install SuperSU from Google Play, but once that is done, just follow the rest of the steps in my previous post and all will be good.
ReplyDeleteHmmm. Mine seems to hang on copying root.img over. Any suggestions?
ReplyDeleteI was able to successfully do this earlier today. I came here to write the instructions. Aaron's steps are what it took me to successfully root.
ReplyDelete@ Adam, can you explain to me exactly the steps you followed when it freezes?
I have a samsung galaxy S3 T999 running 4.3. I followed each step precisely, until just after step 7. It never gets to step 8. I get the following message output:
ReplyDeleteAdded!!
Enter CS for MD5..
Check MD5.. Do not unplug the cable..
Please wait..
CF-Auto-Root-d2tmo-d2tmo-sght999.tar.md5 is valid.
Checking MD5 finished Sucessfully..
Leave CS..
Odin v.3 engine (ID:7)..
File analysis..
SetupConnection..
Initialzation..
Get PIT for mapping..
Firmware update start..
recovery.img
It never seems to get past recovery.img - I left it alone for about 15 or 20 minutes and it just stayed like that.
I've tried to load previous versions of android as well (aka older stock ROMs), and have not been able to do that either as it always seems to get hung up when copying a file over. Perhaps I don't have a real OEM USB cable since I did get it off amazon? I can copy files over to the phone just fine though - I just can't seem to properly flash the darn thing.
Ah turns out I wasn't using an OEM cable. Switch to one allowed me to root successfully.
ReplyDeleteGreat. I am glad you have it working. Let us know if you need anything else.
ReplyDeleteGlad you got it working.
ReplyDeleteHola estoy haciendo el proceso pero en el paso 6 la casilla de ID:COM esta en color amarillo y la opcion de Auto Reboot esta activada y Reset Time esta esta desactivada pero ambas no me permiten modificarlas, que hago.
ReplyDeleteUsually the problem was with the version of Odin 1.85 to 3.04 and made it ready.
ReplyDeleteWill this method delete my internal storage?
ReplyDeleteIt should not, but a backup is never a bad idea.
ReplyDeletewhere do i download the CF-auto-root file? i hit the link thats on here but takes me to download another file and not the CF-auto-root... any thoughts
ReplyDeleteHi guys I had a rooted tmobile s3 4.1.2 and I updated to 4.3 via kies and it some how worked, It is now running 4.3. but I lost root so I used odin and cf-auto root to re root it and it worked but I only have to issues, superuser was n ever installed during root process and for some odd reason I have a slight ghost effect on my top notification bar where my signal strength and 4g symbols are, but when I slide it down or open an app its perfect. is there anything I can do to remove that? should I factory reset and start from scratch?? any info would help thanks
ReplyDeleteI GOT IT!!! I feel foolish for posting this now, but as dumb as this amy sound the slight ghost effect on the battery and 4g signal that I was seeing was due to my wallpaper that was an old screen shot and since the update the icons have slightly been modified so were no longer in the exact same place. lol I changed the wallpaper and was like DOHh! and as for the supersu not being installed I just installed that from the playstore and it worked fine, when I opened it for the 1st time it informed me that knox was trying to block it and if I wanted it to disable knox, I clicked yes and now I have a fully rooted galaxy s3 tmobile sgh t999 running 4.3 looks and feels more like a 4 now, camera features and all.
DeleteHey guys thanks for the tutorial... SUCCESSFULL ROOT!!!
ReplyDeletewill this erase my phone?
ReplyDeleteIt should not erase your phone, but backups are always a good idea.
ReplyDeletecant seem to get supersu to open and root checker never finishes checking
ReplyDeleteI tried every suggestion I found in this forum and all unsuccessful. Reset phone back to factory level is the only one I have not tried. I try updating binary through APK installer blocked by Knox No Super User policy ...... I saw binary needs updating but again SOB Knox blocked. Is there a way to uninstall SuperSu through the recommended process?
ReplyDeleteTo disable knox so you have full root, try running this command in a terminal emulator or using adb:
ReplyDeletesu pm disable com.sec.knox.seandroid
As an alternative method, you can install SuperSu from Google Play and when you run it you should be given an option to disable KNOX.
More info on KNOX can be found here:
http://www.droidviews.com/disable-knox-security-service-on-samsung-galaxy-devices/
Hi Aaron,
ReplyDeleteI went to App Store, and it showed SuperSU installed already. Click open, error message said unfortunately, SuperSU had stopped. I installed SuperSu CWM through App Store,the same banana like the installed SuperSU. I installed SuperSU CWM through APK installer, it installed SuperSDU CWM. When I open the app, I saw update binary or binary needs to update. I thought solution is near, but then update was stopped by Knox because saw a notification. In the end, there was a message no SuperSu policy installed something to that effect. Where do I go from here?
Hi Aaron,
ReplyDeleteI also tried terminal emulator with line command, SOB Knox stopped it dead cold.
Update: Using the droidviews.com/diabale-knox-security method worked beautifully.
ReplyDeleteKnox was disabled and I got root priviledge confirmed by root checker.
Thank you very much Aaron.
ReplyDeleteVery informative and worthy post. Thanks for the sharing such a precious updates with us.mobile phone deals
ReplyDeletehi i cant open the supersu and the knox will apear what shoud i do?
ReplyDeleteI no longer have an S3 to be able to test with to provide answers.
DeleteI think you should check out this:
To disable knox so you have full root, try running this command in a terminal emulator:
su pm disable com.sec.knox.seandroid
As an alternative method, you can install SuperSu from Google Play and when you run it you should be given an option to disable KNOX.
More info on KNOX can be found here:
http://www.droidviews.com/disable-knox-security-service-on-samsung-galaxy-devices/
Then follow the steps to root your phone.
I assumed you upgrade your phone software to Android software to 4.3. In Android 4.3, Google embed an enhanced security system called Selinux on top of Samsung Knox. Let me clarify something here. When you upgraded to Andoprid JB 4.3, Knox security software was downloaded but not install automatically. To check this, you have to go to your application folder and click on Knox. If knox pops up and ask you whether you want to install, that means Knox is not the problem. Go to your device through settings, device info page at the very bottom, there should be one column Selinux mode enforced. If Selinux is in enforcing mode, there is no way you can take root as it will block Super Su to take control. You can try, by changing the Selinux mode to permissive. To do that, try the easiest route by going to Google Play Store and download Selinux Mode change changer. After you installed the Selinux mode changer, hopefully you can fire it up and change the mode from enforcing to permissive. It is possible that Selinux may block the mode changer to start up. If that happens, you have to look for latest Super Su V1.9 which you can install and hopefully, allow you to update Super Su binary to the latest version which you can disable Knox and change Selinux Mode to permissive. That is the only way you can take root. Going back to Knox, if Knox is installed, only Samsung can walk you through how to uninstall Knox. If your phone is provided by your employer ( company) changing Selinux mode or uninstall Knox may get your fire and I am not responsible. Selinux is an extremely effective enhanced security program in both Linux and Android. But Selinux is also troublesome from other people experience in using Fedora or Red Hat Enterprise Linux software.
ReplyDeleteYour post really cool and interesting. Thanks very much.
ReplyDeleteLenovo - 12.5" ThinkPad Notebook - 4 GB Memory - 320 GB Hard Drive - Black (2325-22U)
Lenovo - 14" ThinkPad Edge Notebook - 4 GB Memory - 500 GB Hard Drive - Matte Black
What about this phone original ?
ReplyDeleteMy phone galaxy sgh t999 i747 root to s3 gti 9300 quad core phone and refurbished phone android 4.3 plz answer this is original phone?
ReplyDelete