Android devices have historically been easy to root. With rooting, users get root access to the device’s file system. This allows users to have customization capabilities outside of what is usually possible with an unmodified version of Android. Here, we show you how to root your Android phone with the SuperSU tool.
Prerequisites
Before we get started, there are a few things you will need to have in place:
- You will need to unlock your boot loader.
- A custom recovery like TWRP must be installed on your device (we have a TWRP setup guide for you here).
- You will need to download the latest SuperSU file. Be sure to download the flashable ZIP file.
Root Your Android Phone
To get started, you need to place the SuperSU file that you downloaded in the root directory of your phone’s storage. You can do this by either downloading the file directly from your browser or by connecting your Android phone to a computer and transfering it over.
Next, boot your phone into recovery mode using the key combination to do so with your phone. Now, from the installation menu of your custom recovery, you will need to select the SuperSU file from earlier.
After selecting the SuperSU flashable ZIP file, you need to confirm that you want to flash this file to your device.
After some time, you will be notified that the the file was successfully flashed to your device. You can then reboot your device by going to the main menu of the TWRP recovery and selecting Reboot.
Your device should now be rooted. Hopefully everything went smoothly. To ensure that this is the case, you’ll need to do a quick check to see if your device has indeed been rooted. You should now be able to see the SuperSU app in your phone’s menu.
To verify that the rooting process was successful, download the Root Checker app.
When you run the app, you should see a SuperSU prompt asking you if you wish to grant the app Superuser permissions.
Grant the app Superuser permissions. You should see that your device is rooted on the main screen of the app.
If none of these things happen, and there is no indication that your device has been granted Superuser permissions, then you may have to go back and retry the rooting process.
If it does indicate that you have root access, then you’re golden! You can now download root apps to your heart’s desire. When running a root app for the first time, you’ll usually be greeted with a prompt asking if you want to grant the app in question Superuser access.
Simply grant the app Superuser access, and you will be able to make use of all of its features.
Some Notes About the SuperSU App
If you don’t respond to the prompt in time, then you won’t be able to make full use of the app’s features. If this was unintended, simply go to the SuperSU app, select the app want to grant superSU access to, and under the “Access” section of the resulting pop-up, select Grant.
You have the option of doing this with any root app that you have run on your device. The options for access are Prompt, Grant, and Deny.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does rooting wipe my phone?
No, rooting shouldn’t wipe your phone, though there is always a risk that if you root your phone wrong you may brick your phone! While rooting doesn’t wipe your phone, installing a custom OS may wipe your phone. So bear that in mind, given that a lot of people root specifically to install custom OS like LineageOS.
Is SuperSU still in development?
The latest version of SuperSU is 2.82, which was released back in 2017. So it’s been a while since we’ve had a new version of the app. From that, it doesn’t look like the app is in development any more.
Is SuperSU Pro worth it?
SuperSU Pro is a license key that unlocks some additional features for SuperSU, mainly in the way of security, with some extra anti-malware features and others. Given that it’s all free these days and can be downloaded from the SuperSU site, there’s no harm in downloading SuperSU Pro after SuperSU then using the APK to unlock the extra features on SuperSU.
Who owns SuperSU?
Since 2021, SuperSU was actively developed by Chainfire, something of a legend on the Android modding scene. In 2015, Chainfire transferred ownership to a company called CCMT, then later in 2018 Chainfire announced the end of his work developing SuperSU, as it’s now being developed by another team. In truth however, they don’t seem to be doing much the the app. Very little is known about CCMT, leading many users to jump ship and use Magisk instead.
Rooting is useful, since it gives you full access to your file system, thus allowing you to customize your device and install apps in a way that isn’t possible with an unrooted device. If you just want to uninstall bloatware from your phone, you can do it without having to root your phone. Also, here’s how to take a scrolling screenshot on Android.
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