The following guide teaches you how to root Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 GT-P5210 devices with the CF-Auto-Root tool running on Android 4.4.2 KitKat operating systems.

REQUIREMENTS

• You can use this guide on any Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 device that has the GT-P5210 model number GT-P5210 and no others. You can always check what your Tab 3’s model number is by tapping on the Menu > Settings > About Device > Model Number. Anyone with a different model number other than GT-P5210 will probably brick the device using this guide.
• You must have a Windows PC to use this guide. Any other computer will not run the Odin flashing tool — a tool that is made by Samsung developers but never officially released. That could be part of the reason why it only saw a release for Windows operating systems.

BEFORE WE BEGIN

• Download the Samsung USB Drivers for the Tab 3 P5210 directly to the Windows computer and run them before you start the guide.
• Enable the Developer Options menu on the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 device by tapping on the Menu > Settings > About Device > Build Number 7 times.
• Enable the USB Debugging Mode from the Settings so you can connect the Tab 3 to the computer by tapping on the Menu > Settings > Developer Options > USB Debugging Mode.

HOW TO ROOT SAMSUNG GALAXY TAB 3 GT-P5210 RUNNING ANDROID 4.4.2

1. Download the updated CF-Auto-Root package for the P5210 from this link.
2. Download the Odin flashing tool from this link.
3. Extract both of the files to the desktop of the computer.
   – you can extract them both by right-clicking on the files once they are on the desktop and then choose “extract here” from the menu.
4. Run the Odin flash tool by double-clicking on the same. Leave it open so it is ready for the device to connect to it soon.
5. Long-press the Power button on the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 device and wait until its turned off completely.
6. Reboot the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 in download mode.
7. Connect the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 device to the computer with the USB cable.
8. Click the PDA or AP button you can see from the buttons available on the Odin user-interface.
9. Upload the CF-Auto-Root-santos10wifi-santos10wifixx-gtp5210.tar.md5 file from the desktop — you see it when you extracted the file in the first step. Do not extract it a second time.
10. Click the Start button without changing any of the default settings available from the Odin user-interface.
11. Wait until you can see the pass message from the Odin user-interface and your Tab 3’s display says the device is going to reboot in 10 seconds.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 will now reboot in recovery mode where it will apply the finishing touches. Anyone who doesn’t get to recovery mode automatically needs to do that manually by pressing the Volume Up + Power + Home buttons when you are starting with the device off completely.

Flashing and booting failures should be reported to Chainfire — the developer of the CF-Auto-Root tool you are using — over at the official XDA Developers thread made for the rooting tool. Sometimes new software updates can bring in new bootloaders, which require Chainfire to update the files.