If you are a Samsung Galaxy M21 owner and want to get more out of this amazing smartphone, or simply an Android Enthusiast who likes to root and tweak your mobile phones, then you’ve landed at the right place.
The advancements in Android firmware and security have made it harder to root our devices. It does require additional steps, but it’s still possible if you follow the correct method. Note
that after rooting Samsung Galaxy M21, you’ll lose official support, updates and warranty. But it will be worth it if you want to install a favourite custom OS, use root apps or get rid of the bloatware for a lag-free experience down the road.
We will be showing a simple and straight-forward method to root a Samsung Galaxy M21 using custom recovery and Magisk. So, if you’re ready to enhance your smartphone experience and dive into the world of Android rooting, keep reading!
Prerequisite
Again, this guide is for rooting Samsung Galaxy M21, and there are a few things we’d like
you to know before jumping on the rooting methods.
- 1The device model should be Samsung Galaxy M21 [Models: SM-M215F, SM-
M215F/DS, SM-M215F/DSN]. - Backup all your data.
- Charge up your phone to at least 70%.
- Download Magisk Manager.
- Enable USB debugging on your phone (Settings > Applications > Developer
Options > USB Debugging). - Download TWRP of Galaxy M21.
- Download and Install Odin and the latest Samsung USB drivers on your PC.
Steps to Root Samsung Galaxy M21
The following is a three-step process for Samsung Galaxy M21 Root, which we have tried to
explain in as simple and easy-to-follow manner as possible. We’ll have to unlock the
bootloader on your device, install the TWRP recovery and then use Magisk to root the
smartphone.
It’s solely in the interest of the user to perform these steps with utmost care to avoid any
permanent damage to your device. Also, don’t just dive right into it, make sure to read the
tutorial fully and then only proceed.
Unlock Bootloader
The first step in order to root Samsung Galaxy M21 is unlocking the bootloader. It comes locked on all Android devices by default to prevent any modification. Luckily, it’s fairly easy to unlock the bootloader in Samsung devices, and here are the steps for the same.
- Enable USB Debugging and OEM Unlock from the Developer Options. (If you
don’t find Developer settings on your phone already, go to Settings > About and tap
on the build number 7-8 times until you see the message “You are now a
developer”).- Important: The next steps will wipe all the User Data on your phone. We are going to enter “Download mode” and unlock the bootloader from there.
- Kill all the apps and then turn off your smartphone.
- Press and hold the Volume Up + Volume Down buttons together and connect the
device to a PC using a USB data cable. - Your device will boot into the Download mode (Yellow warning sign on the screen).
- Press the Volume Up button to unlock the bootloader.
- Once your device boots up, check the OEM Unlock again. If it locks again, wait for a
couple days and try again. If it’s greyed out, you can proceed to rooting your
Samsung Galaxy M21.
Install TWRP
The “Team Win Recovery Project” (TWRP) is an open-source custom recovery image specifically designed for touch-based interfaces. It allows you to flash third-party firmware, root/unroot your device, handling partitions and much more.
Apart from rooting, you can also use TWRP to boost your device performance, create NANDroid backup, install custom ROMs, get theme support among others. So, after you’ve unlocked the bootloader, follow these steps to install TWRP on your
Samsung Galaxy M21. Keep a USB cable handy and charge up your phone to at least 50%.
- Download and Install Odin ROM Flashing Tool on your PC. Also, install the latest
Samsung USB Drivers. - We assume that you’ve already downloaded the TWRP from the prerequisites. If not,
then download TWRP Recovery for your Samsung device. - Turn off your device.
- Now boot your device in the Download mode as discussed in the “Unlock
Bootloader” section (Holding Volume Up + Volume Down buttons). While in
Download mode, connect your phone to the PC using USB data cable. - Run Odin as administrator on your PC.
- If the ID:COM tab on Odin turns blue, your device is recognized successfully. If it
doesn’t, reconnect your phone properly and check if you have the latest USB drivers. - Now click on the AP button and select the TWRP for Samsung Galaxy M21 that you
downloaded earlier. - When the TWRP is loaded in the AP section, click Start. Don’t touch any button or
USB cable while the flashing process is underway. - If the TWRP flashing is successful you will see the PASS button in green color. The device will reboot, and you can remove the USB cable and proceed with the
Samsung Galaxy M21 Root below.
Root Samsung Galaxy M21 using Magisk
You can also use SuperSU to root your device, but we think Magisk is a superior software as it allows you to hide root to access specific apps that otherwise won’t work on rooted devices.
So, assuming that you’ve downloaded Magisk from the prerequisites, perform the following steps carefully.
- Move the “Magisk Zip” file to the internal storage of your Samsung Galaxy M21.
- Turn off your phone and then turn it on to the Recovery Mode (press and hold
Volume Down + Power button). - On the TWRP interface, select Install.
- Locate and select “magisk.zip” file and select Install.
- When the flashing process is finished, reboot your device.
Congratulations! You have successfully rooted your Samsung Galaxy M21 SM-M215F and
installed the TWRP recovery.
Now you’ll be able to access all the root functions, flash custom firmware and customize your device as much as you like. Remember that powering on the smartphone with Volume
Up + Power Button will boot the system with root access.
Conclusion
If you have followed all the steps correctly, you now have an unlocked bootloader, TWRP recovery and a rooted Galaxy M21 smartphone. A good way to check this is if you have Magisk manager installed after booting up, then your device is rooted.
It means that now you can remove factory default apps, install an Ad-blocker, backup everything you possibly can, underclock/overclock the processor and the list goes on. However, you should know that you are solely responsible for voiding your device warranty and the company won’t entertain you if anything goes wrong.
This concludes our short guide to rooting Samsung Galaxy M21. We hope you liked reading it and were able to follow easily. If you are having trouble with any steps or have any other questions to ask, drop them in the comment box and we will be glad to answer them.