However, since most Android users don’t have access to Norse gods, you’ll have to make do with the software under the same name instead. You’ll need a working PC and a USB cable to make use of the Odin software. I’ll explain how to get your hands on the program, what to do when you get it, and how to prevent turning your phone into a mini paperweight after a short warning.
Method 1: Rooting Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini Using Odin
The Risks to Rooting
Rooting your phone comes with several risks, some more severe than others.
Your warranty will be null and void. It doesn’t matter how you root your phone because any rooting method will immediately void your warranty. This is especially important if you crash your phone permanently in the process. Though, on the bright side, you can make sure your useless warranty papers never get blown around in the wind with your new paperweight.You could brick your phone. Bricking your phone is a constant risk when rooting, no matter how careful you are. You have to make sure you follow all of the rooting instructions carefully, and even then the chance of failure is still present.You could lose data on your phone. While this is a better alternative than your phone bricking, it’s another risk. This is one reason why you should always make a backup before rooting any device.
With that said, there are many benefits to rooting that can easily outweigh the risks.
The Benefits to Rooting
Unlocking your device helps it reach its true potential, giving you access to a multitude of different options you could never get with a factory default phone. There are a lot of benefits, but here are just a few that already make running the risks worth it.
Improved battery life and performance. With rooting comes better control over your phone, and that means your CPU is completely under your control. When your phone is rooted, you can either overclock or underclock your device at will. With overclocking you can increase your phone’s performance at the cost of the battery. However, with underclocking you can cut back on performance to save on battery.No more factory installed bloatware. When your phone is rooted, you can finally kiss all of those bloated applications on your phone goodbye, permanently. After you’ve gotten rid of everything you don’t want on your phone, even if the manufacturer/carrier had it installed, you’ll get a boost in performance and even free up some more space.An even better selection of apps. Even though on a locked Android device you can install apps from storefronts that aren’t the Google Play Store, there are even more apps out there for a rooted Android phone to enjoy. These aren’t all limited to ROMs either, but those are just one more possibility for a rooted phone to take hold of.Fully backing up your device. It’s difficult to make an exact copy of your phone when your device is unrooted. You can copy apps, contacts, and some data, but what about everything else? With a rooted phone, you can easily make an exact copy for backup purposes.
If those aren’t enough reasons to root a Samsung Galaxy S5 mini, I don’t know what else would make the cut. However, if those are enough, there are a few things you’ll have to do before you attempt a root.
What to do Before you Root
There are a few precautions that are vital before any rooting, so make sure to follow each one. If you don’t not even a Norse god can save your phone.
Charge your phone above 70% battery. I recommend you have a full charge before attempting a root, but a charge of 70% or more is safe to prevent data loss during the process.Enable USB Debugging. USB debugging needs to be enabled for this to work. If you don’t have it enabled it has to be turned on through Developer Options in Settings by checking the box labeled USB Debugging.Backup your phone’s data. You could potentially lose any amount of data on your phone during the rooting process, so it doesn’t hurt to be safe. If you’re already charging your phone now’s a good time to back it up.
You’ll need a computer to connect to, and a USB cable to go along with your phone. There will be two files you’ll need to download as well, but I’ll go over those in the steps below. That should do it, but I have to say at least one more time that doing this will void your warranty immediately. If you want to make sure your warranty is still eligible, turn back now! For those brave enough to continue, a brand new experience is waiting for you and your Galaxy S5 mini in as little as 30 minutes.
Step 1:
Downloading everything you need.
There are two things that you’re going to need to download to root your S5 mini: Odin and the appropriate CF-Autoroot zip from Chainfire. However, if your S5 mini doesn’t show up on your computer when you plug it in, you’ll also need to download Samsung USB drivers. If you don’t have the drivers, you can download them here. After installing the drivers, or reaffirming that you already have them, downloading Odin and the proper autoroot files comes next. Luckily the two things you’ll need are packed into the same zip file. First you’ll need to visit the CF-Auto-Root Repository. Once there, carefully read all of the information and warnings on the page above Odin Flashable Devices before continuing. Once you’ve read all of it, read it again. It can never hurt to be too careful with rooting. After you’re absolutely sure you’ve gone over all the information scroll down below Odin Flashable Devices for some more very important rules to follow. I’ll be going over these rules again as we go through the root process, but keep them in the back of your mind for now. Next you’ll need to find out your model number for your device since you’ll need that to find the right files. Using the wrong files WILL brick your device, so be careful. If you’re unsure what your model number is there is an easy way to check. First navigate to your SETTINGS, then to ABOUT and your model number should be on display there. Once you have the model number, you can continue. As an example, the model number could be SM-G800F. If that were the case, you would ctrl + f for the number or simply scroll down to find it. Then click Download to be taken to a new page where your files will be available in a zip at the bottom. Additionally, if you wanted to throw a dollar or two towards the Chainfire developer, there’s a donate button in the middle of the page as well. It’s certainly not necessary, but it’s a good way to say thank you for the root. Now you have everything you need to get started.
Step 2:
Unpack the zip file.
To get a hold of everything you need you’ll have to unpack it first. If you don’t have the programs necessary download either 7zip or WinRAR. After unpacking the zip you should see files similar to this: You’ll want to drag and drop them into a folder to access them easily as you need them. After you have everything unpacked and organized, you’re good to go for the next step.
Step 3: Open Odin
Make sure your phone isn’t connected to your PC yet and double-click the Odin application file to get things started. There’s no installation required and Odin opens right up as long as you allow it. Don’t hit that Start button just yet! We have a few things we need to make sure are in order with the program and your phone first before we continue.
Step 4: Getting your phone ready.
First power your phone down and wait until it’s completely off. Afterwards, you’ll need to boot the phone back up in Download Mode. To do this hold the Volume Down, Power, and the Home button all at the same time for at most ten seconds. You’ll know you’ve gotten it right when you see a yellow warning sign at the bottom of the screen. From here press the Volume Up button to progress. Once you do your screen should confirm that you’re in download mode.
Step 5:
Now that your phone is all set, plug it into your PC with a USB cable. If your drivers are working properly, Odin should immediately recognize your phone. You should see something appear in one of the boxes under ID:COM, signaling you’re on the right track. If your phone is connected without a hitch make sure that checkboxes Auto Reboot and F. Reset Time are ticked. Additionally, make sure the Re-Partition checkbox is empty. Now you’re almost ready to start the root.
Step 6:
Starting the root!
With everything connected, go to the Files [Download] section of the Odin screen and tick the box next to PDA. Next give the PDA button a determined click to look for the file in your folder that ends in tar.md5. It should be the only thing you can select in the folder. Once you have it selected, click open. Now take a deep breath and hope Loki doesn’t distract Odin from his job as you hit Start back on Odin’s main screen. All that’s left to do now is sit back and wait for a few minutes. If you want, you could make a nice paper sailboat out of your warranty. I can guarantee before you even manage to make it seaworthy the root will be finished. Once the root is done, you should see a big green PASS! above the ID:COM section of the main screen.
Step 7:
Disconnect your phone and check the root.
Once you have the pass from Odin, you can safely disconnect your phone. Once you do it should automatically reboot. When your phone powers back on you should have the application SuperSU installed on your device. This is a surefire way to know that the root has taken hold, but if that, along with the giant green PASS! isn’t enough, there’s another app you can download just to be sure. To check to see if your phone has been rooted, you can download the aptly named, Root Checker off of the Google Play Storefront. You can easily download it using the Google Play button below. Once installed, you can use Root Checker by opening it up and tapping Verify Root to confirm quickly if you rooted your phone successfully or not. Now that your root has been verified enjoy your rooted Galaxy S5 mini!
Conclusion
When it comes to the Samsung Galaxy S5 mini, rooting can be a little difficult. But thanks to Chainfire’s auto-root the process is easy to understand. However, as easy to understand as it may be one mistake could still lead to a bricked device. It’s extremely important to follow all rooting instructions carefully no matter the method used. With that said, using Odin is one of the only trusted ways I know of to root a Galaxy S5 mini, and the easiest. If you’ve been searching for a way to unlock your S5 mini’s potential, this is definitely the way to do it with ease. Just because the mini is a little smaller than its big brother doesn’t mean it can’t unlock the same kind of power. Have any questions about rooting your S5 mini, or your favorite Norse god who unlocks phones in their spare time? Speak your mind in the comments below! If you know a way to crack open the S5 mini without dipping into Norse mythology, feel free to share that as well! Featured Image Credit
