Unfortunately, for those of you on AT&T and Verizon, this guide does not have the answers you are looking for. There isn’t a reliable or widely available rooting method for those carriers at the moment. But keep your fingers crossed and hope for the best! Sorry, I don’t have more to offer you than hope right now.
A WORD OF WARNING!
Rooting your Galaxy S6 Edge Plus will trip your Knox counter.
Why should you care?
Well, first off, this will void your warranty. But this is not news to most of you who have rooted a phone before. What you may not know is that tripping your Knox counter will also disable Samsung Pay. The Knox counter is essentially a security system put in place to notify the system if there has been a security breach. Installing custom ROMs or rooting your phone are technically a form of security breach. There is currently no known method for reversing the Knox counter. Long story short: Rooting Your Phone Means You Will Not Be Able To Use Samsung Pay. Now, if you’re still reading this, that means you have a Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Plus, are not on AT&T or Verizon, and don’t mind losing the ability to use Samsung Pay, so let’s get down to business!
Method 1: Using Odin and Arter97’s Custom Kernel
As far as I can tell, there is only one current and reliable method for rooting a Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Plus. As with many rooting methods available these days, we have the members of the XDA Developer’s Forum to thank for this process, specifically Arter97. Arter97 is responsible for creating the custom kernel that allows rooting on the Galaxy S6 Edge Plus and is the real hero of this story. This root method should work on any Galaxy S6 Edge Plus purchased from T-Mobile, Sprint, or any international versions. This WILL NOT, and I repeat, WILL NOT work on most devices purchased through AT&T or Verizon (with the possible exception of unlocked, international variants). Those carriers have locked their bootloaders, and attempting this method on those phones will most likely result in something bad happening. Model Numbers Currently Supported By This Method:
SM-G928FSM-G928iSM-G928GSM-G928CSM-G928SSM-G928KSM-G928LSM-G928TSM-G928W8
Here at Joy of Android, we like to bring you the easiest and most fool-proof methods for rooting your phone whenever possible. However, the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Plus seems to be a fickle beast when it comes to rooting. If you are not comfortable with flashing stock images from Odin back onto your phone in case something goes wrong, or if the idea of trying to troubleshoot a soft brick scares you, WE DO NOT RECOMMEND YOU ATTEMPT THIS METHOD! Disclaimer: Joy of Android and (and myself!) cannot be held responsible for anything that goes wrong in the rooting process. Rooting is inherently risky, and can at times be complicated. There is always a chance that you break your phone, and always a chance that you lose all of your data as well. Before you proceed, please back up anything you could not stand to lose. By continuing, you absolve us of any liabilities and accept any consequences. You also understand that bricking your phone is a possibility, and THIS METHOD WILL TRIP YOUR KNOX COUNTER! There have been some users who have reported various issues when trying to root a Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Plus, such as getting boot loops and having to remove their Google accounts from the phone to root their devices. If you have are not comfortable troubleshooting technical problems if they arise, please do not proceed. The chances of something going wrong seem higher with this method than many root methods we recommend. This is not for novice users or the faint of heart. What You Will Need
Computer Running WindowsSamsung Galaxy S6 Edge PlusUSB CableSamsung Drivers installed on your computerOdin v3.10.7 SoftwareArter97’s Custom KernelArter 97’s Custom PhilZ RecoverySuperSU
Step 1: Back Up Your Information
Hopefully, you understand the relevant risks associated with rooting your phone, otherwise perhaps you should take the time and do a little more research. It is always a good idea to back up your contacts, files, pictures, music, anything you do not want to lose should something go wrong. Don’t forget, we are your one-stop shop for all your backup needs!
Back Up Photos and VideosBack Up Texts/SMSBack Up ContactsBack Up AppsGeneral Back Up Information
Step 2: Charge Your Phone
You should not attempt a root with anything less than 75-80% battery. The more charged your phone is, the better off you are. If your phone dies during this process, things will end very poorly for you.
Step 3: Check Your Model Number
Check the model number of your phone. This can be found under Settings > About Device. Here again is a list of the model numbers which can currently be rooted using this method:
SM-G928FSM-G928iSM-G928GSM-G928CSM-G928SSM-G928KSM-G928LSM-G928TSM-G928W8
Step 4: Download Samsung USB Drivers onto Computer
These are free to download and can be found on Samsung’s official site, or by following this link. Unzip the folder to your computer.
Step 5: Enable Developer Options
Go to Settings > About Device and find where it says Build Number. Tap this part of the screen 7 times in a row to enable Developer Options.
Step 6: Enable USB Debugging and OEM Unlock
Go to Settings > Developer Options > Enable USB Debugging. Also under Developer Options, be sure to enable OEM Unlocking.
Step 7: Download Odin onto Computer
It is important when using this method that you download the latest version of Odin because there is evidence that earlier versions have been causing issues. The version shown in this guide is v3.10.7. You can find the download here. (Download sourced from XDA Developers forum.) Unzip the Odin folder onto your computer.
Step 8: Download Arter Kernel, PhilZ Recovery, and SuperSU
The custom kernel, as well as the custom PhilZ recovery, have been provided by Arter97, who hosts the files himself here. This link should take you directly to the Exynos 7420 6.0 folder. (Exynos being the processor in the S6 Edge Plus, 6.0 being the most current stable version of the kernel.) From here, find your corresponding model number and open that folder. Some of the kernels are combined to support multiple models in a single kernel, so for example the G928S kernel also works for the G928K and G928L models, which means the folder is labeled as “g928skl”. Don’t get confused here. You are going to want to download the kernel, which will be labeled as “arter97-kernel-g928skl-6.0.zip” (replacing “skl” with your particular model). You also want to download the PhilZ recovery, the file that ends in “tar.md5”. While you’re at it, head on over to ChainFire’s site and download the latest version of SuperSU.
Step 9: Transfer Arter Kernel and SuperSU to Phone
You can use whichever file transfer method is easiest for you; USB, Bluetooth, wireless, cloud transfer, whatever system works best for you. The end goal is to get the Kernel.zip and SuperSU.zip loaded into your phone’s internal storage. DO NOT transfer the PhilZ recovery onto your phone yet (tar.md5 file). Alternatively, you can most likely just access the websites listed in Step 8 from your phone and download them directly, saving yourself the hassle.
Step 10: Boot Phone into Download Mode
Power the phone off, and then hold the Volume Down + Home + Power Buttons simultaneously until the warning screen appears. Press Volume Up on the warning screen to continue into download mode.
Step 11: Flash Philz Recovery Using Odin
Once your phone is in download mode, open Odin and connect your phone to your computer with a USB cable. Wait for the phone to be recognized by Odin. Enter the Odin Options tab and make sure the only box checked is “F. Reset Time”. On the main Odin screen, check the box next to AP. Now, click the AP button and load the tar.md5 file downloaded in Step 8. Click “Start” to begin the process of flashing the PhilZ recovery; this shouldn’t take very long. Once you receive the “PASS” notification from Odin, you have successfully flashed the recovery.
Step 12: Install Recovery and SuperSU
With the custom recovery installed, hold Volume Up + Home + Power to restart the device into recovery mode. Once in the PhilZ recovery, select “Install Zip” and choose the previously downloaded “kernel.zip”, followed by the “SuperSU.zip.” Now restart your device, and you should be good to go! Feel free to download any of the various root checking apps to confirm that the process has indeed been successful. NOTE***** Some users HAVE experienced issues with Step 12. If your phone does not let you boot into Recovery Mode from Download Mode, try booting the phone into Download Mode again. Hold Volume Down + Home + Power. Once you have entered Download Mode, press Volume Down to cancel Download Mode, which should restart the device. AS SOON AS THE DEVICE RESTARTS, hold Volume Up + Home + Power to boot into the custom recovery. If you miss your timing on this, there is a chance that the system will reinstall the stock recovery, in which case you will need to go back to Step 11 and start from there again.
Conclusion
It seems that manufacturers and carriers are trying their best to stop us from rooting our phones; but where there is a will, there will hopefully always be a way. We hope you had success with this process and are enjoying your newly rooted Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Plus. If you have any questions or comments on the method, or if you know of a different method, please comment below. Special Thanks to Arter97 for the custom kernel and PhilZ Recovery that make this method possible, and to ChainFire for the SuperSU download.
