On the one hand, manufacturer opposition might be understandable. Samsung is on the hook for fixing phones under warranty. Imagine if every phone has been customized and every user has been given special access to the root element of their phone. It could become extremely difficult to know how to fix all of these wild-card phones. It is far easier to handle the matter by considering these phones’ warranties null and void. However, you might have more of a need to use your warranty if you have rooted your phone. Rooting affords you the ability to get down to the innermost level of the software to screw things up. With this great power comes great responsibility. Unless you can unroot, you are on your own. Just as you took somewhat of a risk rooting your phone, unrooting can cause problems if not done properly. Sometimes it isn’t even anything you are doing, either. S6s with a lot of modifications may require more troubleshooting during the unrooting process. Look for troubleshooting advice at the end of the first method. And do keep in mind that unrooting doesn’t necessarily solve every problem. If you tripped the Knox security feature when you rooted, Samsung Pay probably may still not work. When Knox is disabled, the code is rewritten, and this amount to hardware damage. Therefore, it is not easily fixed through software or by any other means. To check the status of Knox, enter Download Mode. You should see a “Warning!” View the text on the top right-hand side of the phone. If the Knox Warranty Void text displays 0x0, the warranty has not been voided. But if the Knox Warranty text displays 0x1, it is very likely your warranty is gone. Ping Pong Root claims that it does not trip Knox, but at this point, if that isn’t what you used to begin with it’s probably too late. Ping Pong Root does install its own app that gives away its presence, but that can simply be deleted as you would any other app. If you use any of the following methods your phone will be unrooted, but there is still a chance that Knox will still give away your secret. It is still possible it could save your warranty, but that’s not the only reason to unroot. Rooting and the access it provides can sometimes cause problems that unrooting can solve. We can show you how to safely unroot Samsung Galaxy S6. Increase Your Odds of Success by Being Prepared: 1.) Download and install appropriate USB drivers on your computer. 2) Check the battery level of your Samsung; at least a 60% charge is recommended. 3) It’s never a bad idea to perform a backup prior to any significant change. Unrooting will wipe your phone, with certainty. 4) From “Security” (in the “Settings” menu) enable “Unknown Sources” so you download and install apps outside of those in the Google-Play store. 5) Ensure that the bootloader is unlocked.
Method 1: Unroot With Odin
The most common way to unroot Samsung S6 is through Odin. This method should leave your phone without a trace of root. In doing so, you will wipe your phone, so a back up beforehand is highly recommended. If you used Odin to root, you will find the unrooting process to be very familiar. Step 1: Download the stock firmware for your model. If you are not sure which model you have, you can access that information by going to the “About Device” tab in Settings. This does matter. Do not use firmware intended for the Edge on the Samsung S6 or vice versa. Firmware for Samsung Galaxy S6 Firmware for Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge WARNING: Do not attempt to downgrade from 5.1.1 to 5.0.2. It will not work. Step 2: Download Odin3 v3.10.7 onto your PC. Download Link Odin3 Be sure to also include the USB driver for your Galaxy S6 if you haven’t already downloaded it. Step 3: Unzip or extract the stock firmware to obtain the “tar.md5” file. Now that you have your PC prepped, check to ensure that your phone has adequate charge. Step 3: Enter Download Mode on your S6. Turn your device off. Now press and hold the Volume Down, Home, and Power buttons simultaneously. Step 4: Enter Download Mode on your S6. Turn your device off. Now press and hold the Volume Down, Home, and Power buttons simultaneously. Step 5: Press Volume Up to continue. Don’t be alarmed by the “WARNING” screen. This is normal and you are exactly where you want to be. Step 6: Connect your phone to your PC via USB cable. The official Samsung USB cable is best. Step 7: Right-click on Odin3 and select “Run as administrator.” You should see a blue box on the left upper side. It will be underneath the section called ID: COM. If this is not visible, double check to ensure you have the correct Samsung USB drivers. It is normal for the box to contain text. Step 8: Click on “AP” and select the md5 file you unzipped in Step 2. If you are wondering what options should be checked, Odin has taken care of this for you. You do not want to place anything under the PIT section or tick “Re-Partition.” “Auto Reboot” and “F. Reset Time” are okay. Step 9: Press “Start” and allow Odin to do its thing. This process may take up to 15 minutes. When the flashing successfully commences, you will see a message saying “PASS” on a green background. Your Samsung should reboot. It may take longer than usual for your phone to boot; allow it some time. Troubleshooting Tips: If the message displayed says “FAIL!” instead of “PASS,” check your USB cable and port for connection problems. See if you get the same result on a different computer. If you get stuck in a bootloop that takes you back to the welcome screen logo, enter Recovery Mode, and then perform a wipe/reset.
Method 2: Unroot with SuperSU
Let’s say you rooted with CF-Auto Root. Part of the rooting process was more than likely the install of SuperSU. The people behind SuperSU (Chainfire) didn’t want you to feel trapped, so they built the option to unroot right into the rooting software. For them and now for you, it’s all about freedom. Want complete control over your phone? Here it is with the root. Having some second thoughts or need your warranty back? No biggie. Unroot S6. Step 1: Locate the SuperSU app. From the Home screen, tap on “Apps” or just use the SuperSU icon. Step 2: Open the SuperSU app. If you swipe two times to the right, you should see “Settings.” Step 3: Tap on the “Settings” tab. Scroll down and locate the “Cleanup” section. There you will find the “Full Unroot” option. Step 4: Tap on “Full Unroot” option. A warning will pop up. Read and consider what it says. Hit “Continue.” The app is about to remove the root from your phone. Step 5: If your phone doesn’t automatically reboot, manually reboot instead. Press the Power button for roughly 10 seconds.
Method 3: Unroot Using KingUser
If you used KingRoot to root your phone, you should be able to unroot using the KingUser app that came with it. Here’s how. Step 1: Open the KingUser app. You can find this in your Apps menu. Step 2: Now click on the “Settings” icon in the upper-right corner. The icon looks like a tiny gear. Step 3: Tap on “Root Authorization Setting.” Step 4: Click on “Remove Root Permission.” A message will pop up to inform you if cleanup “aka” unrooting succeeds. Step 5: Select “Clear.” You are done because the app should take care of the rest.
Method 4: Manually Unroot
If none of the previous methods worked for you, there’s still hope. It is possible to manually remove the files that were installed to grant root access. This is how to unroot Samsung Galaxy S6 manually. Step 1: Download and install a file manager app, such as ES File Explorer or Root Browser. You can find such apps in the Google Play Store or look at our list of file managers for Android for more suggestions. Step 2: If necessary, give your file manager app superuser privileges. If it requests Superuser access, give it permission. Step 3: Look for and press /system/bin/. Step 4: Check for and delete a file named SU. Press and hold the file until the option to delete is offered. Don’t be alarmed if the file doesn’t exist in this location. Just proceed to the next step. Step 5: Now open the /system/xbin/ folder and delete SU. Step 6: Find and press /system/app/. Look for the Superuser.apk file. Step 7: Delete the Superuser.apk file. Step 8: Exit the file manager and reboot. You can verify that you are unrooted with an app like Root Checker.
Conclusion
Now that you are unrooted you shouldn’t experience as much difficulty receiving over-the-air system software updates. If you sell your phone you don’t have to worry about your buyer hating the root. If your custom ROM was making you pull your hair out, you probably just lowered your risk of baldness. And your phone may not be as vulnerable to security risks. You can always root again if you change your mind. Or you may enjoy the comfort of your phone going back to normal. If you don’t want to root, you still have options to customize your unrooted phone. Tell us your thoughts on rooted vs unrooted phones, other methods for unrooting the S6 that work for you, or about any problems you experience. Leave a comment in the section below.
