Samsung’s latest Galaxy S23 is a flagship smartphone with a custom Qualcomm SoC, high-end camera, and top-notch display. An unofficial TWRP is already available for the Galaxy S23 Ultra. If you want to install it, you must root your Galaxy S23 with Magisk.
If you are still getting familiar with the process, this article will guide you through unlocking the bootloader and rooting your Galaxy S23. Once you have opened the bootloader and flashed the Magisk Patched Boot image, you can take advantage of Magisk modules, Xposed modules, and other apps that require root access.
Note:
- Your Galaxy S23 must have an unlockable bootloader. The North American (Canada and USA) editions do not have this feature.
- Make sure to back up all your data, including logs and files, as unlocking the bootloader will completely wipe your Galaxy S23.
- Knox Security will no longer work even if you restore the stock OS and re-lock the bootloader after unlocking it. Your device will also no longer receive OTA updates. To reinstate Knox Security, you will need to replace the motherboard.
Root your Galaxy S23 with Magisk
Rooting the Galaxy S23 is more challenging than it was for older generations of Galaxy smartphones. Android 13 and above require following Google’s Generic Boot Partition guidelines, which move the RAMDisk to “init_boot” instead of “boot.”
As a result, the current version of Magisk does not work with the Galaxy S23. However, XDA-Developers has released a patch for Magisk that allows you to root the Galaxy S23 series.
#1. Enable Galaxy S23 OEM Unlock
Now that we have discussed the critical information, let’s move on to enabling OEM to unlock your Galaxy S23.
- Open Device Settings and go to About the phone.
- Tap on Software Information and Build Number 7 times to enable Developer Mode.
- Go back to Device Settings and select Developer Mode.
- Toggle the OEM unlock option. You may need to enter your security PIN/pattern/password to validate your action.
#2. Unlock Galaxy S23 Bootloader
- Please turn off your Galaxy S23 and connect it to your PC/Mac using an appropriate USB cable.
- Press and hold the Volume Up + Volume Down buttons simultaneously. Once the device turns on, release the buttons.
- A warning dialog about Custom OS will appear from Samsung.
- Use the Volume keys to navigate and press them to enter Download Mode.
- You will see an option to unlock the bootloader.
- Press and hold the Volume Up key for a few seconds to open the Bootloader Unlock Wizard.
- Use the Volume Up key again to confirm your action.
- After this, your device will automatically reboot once it finishes.
#3. Flash Galaxy S23 with Magisk
- Download the latest firmware for your Galaxy S23. Indian users (SM-S911B) can check here, while others can use the Samsung Firmware Downloader.
- Extract your firmware package and copy the AP tar file to your storage. (This file should have a name like AP_[build number and other identifiers].tar.md5).
- Download and install Magisk on your device. Tap on the Install button on the Magisk card.
- Choose “Patch File” as the method and select the AP tar package.
- Once it is patched, copy the restored file (named magisk_patched_xxx.tar) from your phone’s download folder to your PC.
- Download Odin and launch it on your PC.
- Flash the magisk_patched_xxx.tar as AP alongside BL, CP, and CSC from the firmware package file you downloaded earlier. *Do not choose Home_CSC because a data wipe is required.
- After it finishes, your device should automatically reboot. If it asks for a factory reset, do so.
- Once you reach the home screen, launch the Magisk app, asking you to perform additional setup tasks.
- Grant permission to execute additional routines and automatically reboot the device. If everything is done correctly, your device should reboot.
Note: A stable version of Magisk that supports init_boot images is expected to be released imminently.
Congratulations! You have successfully unlocked the bootloader and rooted your device. Remember that your Samsung device will no longer receive Android OS updates through OTA. You must download and install the latest firmware on your device manually.
To upgrade your device to the latest firmware, use ODIN to flash the HOME_CSC tar file. This will allow you to upgrade your device without wiping out your data. However, it is not recommended to flash everything as it could alter the partition map and shrink your user data partition. Instead, only flash AP, BL, CP, and HOME_CSC when upgrading your device.