How To Guide Root GALAXY A53 5G - Android12 OneUI4.1

[Kisaen]

Hello, This is a work in progress guide to help you with rooting your phone for whatever reason (i root it to use the Automate app as i am lazy)

I hope this is not a total mess, i will edit this if you have too much trouble reading

DISCLAIMER /!\
• Please consider that you follow this guide at your own risks, i am a random person in the internet, if you do not trust any part of this guide, dont follow it!
• I am adressing this guide to experimented users, i have probably missed a lot of steps and i will try to correct myself, (or not, it takes time sry)
• i am from Europe; not a native english speaker + a noob in the field. feel free to criticize, but be elaborate to help others

I did this on the GALAXY A53 5G phone with :
• Build ver. SP1A.210812.016.A536BXXU1AVCC
• One UI 4.1
• Android Version 12


The following is needed in order to speedrun this :
+MAGISK25.1
+LZ4
+ODIN3.14
+YOUR BOOT.IMG (FROM THE AP_ FILE OF THE FIRMWARE)

1) On your phone go to Settings -> About phone
2) Then -> Software info
3) Check at (the 6th line) ; BUILD Versionfor me it was:
SP1A.210812.016.A536BXXU1AVCC
4) You will have to download yours at sammobile or any other website you trust more : (needs an account but then is free to download)

Download Samsung Galaxy A53 5G SM-A536B firmware

Download the latest Samsung firmware for Galaxy A53 5G with model code SM-A536B. Check out our free download or super fast premium options.

www.sammobile.com

Then when you have you files , the one that matters is the one starting with AP_
5) extract the boot.img.lz4
6) download one of the versions of LZ4 from : https://github.com/lz4/lz4/releases
7) extract all files into a folder
8) drag and drop the extracted file from part 5) INTO the .exe file from part 7)
YOU HAVE YOUR BOOT.IMG
9) Now drag and drop this Boot.img INTO your phone

The version 25.1 of Magisk (or above is needed ? as i used that version of magisk to root my phone i guess)

10) Install it on your A53 you can download it from :

Releases · topjohnwu/Magisk

The Magic Mask for Android. Contribute to topjohnwu/Magisk development by creating an account on GitHub.

github.com

11) inside the app, click on INSTALL (written in blue on top right)
12) select the only option
13) go to the boot.img (that you dropped into your phone at part 9)
14) wait
15) when it is done, plug your phone again if you unplugged it and drop the new file generated by MAGISK into your computer and rename it boot.img.tar

Unlock the bootloader of your phone by either ;
• Watch a tutorial it helped me understand why i kept having an error while doing the next steps (i "unlocked" OEM only within dev options, that wasn't enough)

and skip to 22)

• Or follow these steps
on your A53 go developper mode by clicking 7-10 times on the VERSION in settings -> about phone -> Software
turn on the switch for OEM unlocking (wifi must be connected if the button doesnt appear)
and i am not sure if we need to but , turn on the switch for USB DEBUGGING as well (for adb)
16) stay pressed on both VOL UP + VOL DOWN
17) plug your phone to computer
18) wait
19) long press VOL UP
20) wait
21) press VOL UP
ez
So now get ODIN 3.14 on ur computer
I got the official website but cant remember where from, i will look into it, maybe you can find it on google but be carefull of malicious ones i swear !
(if you are kind enough you will share it below ♥)

22)after launching ODIN
23)The on the AP button put your boot.img.tar file that you got from part 15)
24) on your A53 go developper mode by clicking 7-10 times on the VERSION in settings -> about phone -> Software
25) check that you wave wifi connected
26) go to dev options and check if OEM unlock is grey'd out
30) turn OFF your A53 phone
wait for it to BZZZZZZZZ (viber)
31)STAY PRESSED onto the 2 buttons VOL UP + POWER
on recovery choose the 2nd option with your volume keys, "reboot to bootloader"
then if odin recognise the phone press start

 

[nsfxpython]

This looks like a great guide. Too bad OEM Unlocking doesn't appear on US carrier phones, or else I'd totally do this :/

 

[Lego Man 1980]

sorry if i sound stupid but how do i get the boot.img.lz4 file?

 

[crazyut]

This does NOT work on VD7 or most likely later with Magisk 25.1/25.2 (the BL is unlocked on this SM-A536B as I get the warning on reboot and the OEM unlocked is on and greyed out in developer options).

 

[crazyut]

I used the patch the entire AP file method in Magisk and flashing the patched AP file (you can google T505N XDA root Samsung; I will find the forum link later and remember to post it here (this method works on VD7 and probably higher)

 

[crazyut]

I am now rooted with TWRP, thanks to this site, https://www.droidwin.com/install-twrp-recovery-and-root-samsung-galaxy-a53-5g/

Still cannot delete system/app, system/priv-app (not even in twrp) but am able to access data/app (and remove .digest and .dm files)

 

[Andoreid]

I used the patch the entire AP file method in Magisk and flashing the patched AP file (you can google T505N XDA root Samsung; I will find the forum link later and remember to post it here (this method works on VD7 and probably higher)

Confirmed, works with VG1 and latest VGA. I used patched AP along with BL, CP and (Home) CSC. Please note that you have to do a factory reset after this, so remember to backup your data properly.

 

[aryanrh]

Hlo I rooted my a53 5g thanks to you but cannot remount system partition as read write

I get this output after running

mount -o remount,rw /                                        <
'/dev/block/dm-0' is read-only

Please help me with it
And also cannot disable dm-verity flashed disable-dm-verity.zip but after formatting data device stuck in bootloop...

 

[JoseAndDiezel104]

Hello. I am new to programming. I have a rudimentary knowledge of android, i.e. whatever I figured out while jailbreaking JP5 and JP6 Securus tablets, and I await academic coursework for formal education in computer hardware and software engineering.

Clarity and redundancy is greatly APPRECIATED regarding any replies to my post.

The question(s) are, what benefits would I obtain from rooting my A53, what about the Cons? I Can I improve the performance of my phone, processing data, etc.

Afterwards in the future, can I still flash the Android 13 firmware? Does Samsung find out?

I know I have to read up, I am being lazy.

THANK YOU.

 

[ShaDisNX255]

Hello. I am new to programming. I have a rudimentary knowledge of android, i.e. whatever I figured out while jailbreaking JP5 and JP6 Securus tablets, and I await academic coursework for formal education in computer hardware and software engineering.

Clarity and redundancy is greatly APPRECIATED regarding any replies to my post.

The question(s) are, what benefits would I obtain from rooting my A53, what about the Cons? I Can I improve the performance of my phone, processing data, etc.

Afterwards in the future, can I still flash the Android 13 firmware? Does Samsung find out?

I know I have to read up, I am being lazy.

THANK YOU.

While I don't have a Galaxy A53, I can speak from experience that almost all Samsung phones suffer from the same pros and cons to rooting

Let's start with the pros:
Using a system-wide adblocker like Adaway is much more battery friendly and more effective using it on root mode than any non-root alternative. This one is the main reason a lot of people root and I think it merits it, it's a really amazing ad blocker.
You'd be able to activate some features that Samsung likes to disable on A-series, like full edge lighting and the camera privacy toggle (I don't know if it's disabled on A53 by default but I'm leaning towards yes)
You get to experiment with GSI and maybe some custom ROMs in the future
You can install some neat Magisk modules like the Pixelify module for example, that tricks Google Photos and lets you have unlimited space like the Pixels have.
With root, you have almost unlimited possibilities of modding your phone, it's just a matter of knowing what you want to modify and finding the right mods to it.

Now, the cons:
Samsung phones have an e-fuse. Flashing custom firmware automatically trips this fuse and it is impossible to recover from unless you change the motherboard. When this fuse is blown, you will never be able to use Samsung's security features like Samsung Pass, Pay, Secure Folder, Secure Wifi, etc...
Even if you flash your stock firmware and even if you re-lock your bootloader, the fuse will still be blown.
There are some regions which even deny any warranty claims if they find out that this fuse is blown, but some places in Europe still accept the phone in this condition.
Another con is that sometimes some apps refuse to work if they detect you are rooted like Google Pay and I believe Netflix and others too (like banking apps). Some are easy to fool/bypass root detection and some are more complicated. It all depends on the app.



And to answer your final question. Fortunately for you, you still should be able to flash the latest stock firmware and if you re-lock your bootloader, you should still be able to receive updates via OTA, just keep in mind of the services that will never work again I mentioned above

 

[JoseAndDiezel104]

Hello. I am following up with my previous post.

I found the exact zip and Odin file at Sammobile. Would this be a good start? My understanding is that the bootloader option is not available yet
...

I am learning as I go and before I move forward (big IF) I want as many redundancies as I can.

 

[aryanrh]

Hello. I am following up with my previous post.

I found the exact zip and Odin file at Sammobile. Would this be a good start? My understanding is that the bootloader option is not available yet
...

I am learning as I go and before I move forward (big IF) I want as many redundancies as I can.

I din't have unlocking bootloader option. But I did:-
1)factory reset phone
2)insert sim
3)restart phone
4)enable developer mode
5)And you will get a message "Welcome to Samsung your device is registered"
6)that's it OEM unlocking option will be avilable
7)power off phone
8)holding vol +&- keys connect usb to pc
9) leave both keys after you see waring messages
10)press and hold volume + key , bootloader will be unlocked and phone will be factory resetted.

 

[nsfxpython]

I din't have unlocking bootloader option. But I did:-
1)factory reset phone
2)insert sim
3)restart phone
4)enable developer mode
5)And you will get a message "Welcome to Samsung your device is registered"
6)that's it OEM unlocking option will be avilable
7)power off phone
8)holding vol +&- keys connect usb to pc
9) leave both keys after you see waring messages
10)press and hold volume + key , bootloader will be unlocked and phone will be factory resetted.

Would this work for US phones?

 

[crazyut]

Would this work for US phones?

Unless you find a a hack, any U/U1 (USA/United States/The States/States/American/America) and W series (Canada) phones have not been bootloader unlock or root for the last 5+ years or more. If you want root options, get a B (EU/UK) or E series phone.

 

[Intranetusa]

Unless you find a a hack, any U/U1 (USA/United States/The States/States/American/America) and W series (Canada) phones have not been bootloader unlock or root for the last 5+ years or more. If you want root options, get a B (EU/UK) or E series phone.

Is there any way to recover deleted pictures in the Samsung A53 5G (USA version) if it is impossible to root this version of the phone?

I accidentially manually deleted some photos in my phone today with my computer (so it doesn't appear in the photo's trash bin), and every single recovery program I encountered says I need to root my phone in order to use a deep scan to look for the deleted files.

 

[Andoreid]

I have litte hope that there is anything to recover. Despite the fact that us versions can't be unlocked what would be necessary for rooting, flash storage management (also garbage collection, trim etc.) tends to shift data all the time to other/new cells making it unlikely for you to recover lost data on an active device. Better backup from time to time, always your best bet.

 

[ArrayMilner]

Hello! Im having an issue, maybe im doing somthing wrong. I'm at 13) After giving the img.boot.lz4 i wait and wait and the memory of the phone fills completly (Around 120+Gb) and the patched img do not comes out, any thougths?

 

[Andoreid]

This is a deprecated method. You have to patch the whole AP file with magisk and flash it along with BP, CP and (Home) CSC after you've unlocked the bootloader.

 

[iCavem4n]

This is a deprecated method. You have to patch the whole AP file with magisk and flash it along with BP, CP and (Home) CSC after you've unlocked the bootloader.

That's right, but for folks with no experience rooting new Samsung devices, please:
- DO read OP's "Unlock bootloader" section. Visitors to this page who skip to the end and have never rooted non-Samsung or older devices might think "adb reboot fastboot" followed by "fastboot flashing unlock" or "fastboot oem unlock" will do the trick. It won't. To clarify: fastboot will NOT recognize this phone, which is normal because it doesn't have a standard fastboot mode, and simply enabling "Allow OEM unlock" in developer settings is necessary but not enough.
Do follow OP's steps for unlocking.
- For rooting, I followed the instructions here https://samsungusbdriver.me/root-samsung-galaxy-a53-5g/ (second method).
But the instructions on that page for getting the actual model number and CSC for Frija are unclear. Finding that information was not straightforward. Depending on the method I used, the model number would be SEPF_SM-A536B_12_0001, SM-A536B/DS, A536B... and you need to know CSC stands for "country-specific code" and it's a 3-character code. I eventually figured out my model was SM-A536B and CSC was EUX. But it took quite a bit of research.
-If you're not familiar with Magisk's DenyList, google it. You might have to use it some apps, particularly banking apps. I think you need it for Netflix, too. Speaking of Netflix, the version that comes preinstalled won't work after rooting. The way I got it to work was uninstalling that version and sideloading the Netflix APK from Apkpure. And adding it to Magisk's DenyList.

 

[Jahus]

Hello,

I have a rooted (Magisk) A53 with TWRP. For a week, I get a notification asking me to update to security patch level of May 1st, 2023. I thought that with unlocked bootloaders, OTA wasn't possible, but whatever. My question is if it's possible to perform the update without losing TWRP and Magisk, and also if it's possible to keep all user data and installed apps. I have little time to spare after work and really don't want to go again through the process of resetting my phone.

Thanks.