[1]The Samsung Galaxy S4 is now two years back from being brand new after the newly launched Galaxy S6 alongside the S6 Edge. The LTE variant comes with the Qualcomm Snapdragon system chip and equips your device with blazing speeds, but if you truly want to get the most out of your device you should think about raining root privileges. The reasons for that is you can remove the unwanted bloatware Sammy pre-install on the device, you can make it faster, you can boost the performance and you can even install custom ROMS and change the themes so your handsets looks different from the stock version of Android.
REQUIREMENTS
- You must apply the steps for the I9506 variant of the Samsung galaxy S4 LTE smartphone only. There are numerous model numbers in the S4 and LTE range so make sure you know what your device is before starting.
- You can check that any time by navigating to Settings > About Device and checking the model.
- You should have accepted the official OTA software update for XXUDOA6 firmware on the latest 5.0.1 Lollipop before starting the steps. Do not use this file in the guide for any other device running different firmware. It can risk bricking the handset.
BEFORE WE BEGIN
- We recommend backing up the device data before going ahead. That means making copies of the phone contacts, pictures and videos. You can use the built=-in backup functionality or install Samsung Kies and sync the device to your account.
- make sure you download and install the up to date Samsung USB Drivers [2] for mobile phones by visiting our USB downloads page here.
- Enable the USB Debugging Mode by navigating to the Settings > Developer Options > Check the USB Debugging box. If you do not see the Developer Options, you must unlock the menu by tapping on the build number present on the About Device page.
- Apply this guide will void the device warranty. You only have the warranty working again when you unroot the device and lock the system internals up again.
- Important: You’ll need a custom recovery pre-installed before starting. You must access the recovery during the guide.
HOW TO ROOT THE SAMSUNG GALAXY S4 LTE-A I9506 RUNNING ANDROID 5.0.1 LOLLIPOP XXUDOA6 OFFICIAL FIRMWARE
1. Download the SuperSU [3] file you need.
2. Connect the Qualcomm version of the S4 to the computer with the USB cable.
3. Transfer the file over to the internal storage SD card of the phone.
4. Unplug the phone from the computer.
5. Reboot the S4 in recovery mode.
6. Hold the Volume Up + Power + Home button on the phone to enter the mode.
7. Scroll down the page until you see the “flash zip from SD card” option.
8. Upload the SuperSU file and wait until it finishes installing.
9. Head back out of there and look for the “reboot system now” option from the main recovery menu.
Sweet! You have the latest version of Android Lollipop rooted on your Sammy S4. Now you can start thinking about installing those nifty root-requiring applications and flashing new ROMs.