Root [MetroPCS/CDMA] Rooting MetroPCS Samsung GS3?

[AstroDroid]

Carrier: MetroPCS

Phone: Samsung Galaxy S3 (16GB)

Model: SCH-R530M

Android version: 4.3 Jelly Bean

Region: USA


Looking to root this thing, or at least do some reading on the subject. Is it possible with this particular phone?

Could someone point me in the right direction? Any help would be greatly appreciated. I'm a total noob at this stuff. Thanks in advance.

 

[funkylogik]

Welcome to the community Astro :beer:
The best place you can ask this is in the metro pcs all things root forum at the bottom of this forum page.
As far as i know, all the carrier versions of s3 can be rooted on 4.3 and i think only the verizon one cant be flashed with unsigned firmware but im on a completely different model so dont take my word for it lol

 

[DragonSlayer95]

Do you have h the cdma or gsm version so I have move this to the appropriate forum

 

[AstroDroid]

I deff saw something about CDMA in the settings of the phone, not sure how helpful that is to you though...

How can I confirm this?

 

[funkylogik]

Hopefully someone from the US will answer soon after this but my understanding is that CDMA means it doesnt use a SIM card(?)

 

[DragonSlayer95]

That's right funky

Does yours take a sim card or no astro?

To a certain extent cdma doesn't take Sims, some carriers do however, only for the lte technology though.

Moved to the cdma Metro root forum.

Cheers

 

[dmcjr22]

op check out this link http://androidforums.com/metropcs-c...metropcs-galaxy-s3-all-things-root-guide.html ...and funky yes cdma is sim free

 

[AstroDroid]

This phone does indeed accept SIM cards. I am looking at the port for it on the back of the phone. I don't have a SIM for it or any service on it however. MetroPCS is one of those Pay-As-You-Go type places right? Like no contract, no SIM ect. ?

I was interested in possibly getting the $40/month unlimited text/calls deal. But this phone was purchased second hand from a friend. So I have no warranty with it or anything. Hence, wanting to root it.

 

[AstroDroid]

And thanks for the replies everyone. Friendly place here, heh.

 

[DragonSlayer95]

Better yet what color is it?

If I'm not mistaken the cdma phone is white, and gsm is blue.

 

[AstroDroid]

Yeah I have the white one.

 

[confed]

White is CDMA. It uses a UICC card. The model number you posted have it away. The blue GSM is a different model

 

[DragonSlayer95]

I was thinking that ^^

Wasn't positive though since I'm not familiar with the metro s3's.

Thanks for confirming.

 

[AstroDroid]

Well, I am rooted. Now what... lol? At least I think I am, got SuperUser installed ect.

THANK YOU SO MUCH EVERYONE!

 

[AstroDroid]

Okay now SuperUser will not start. Also, I'm getting a security warning from Android about it trying to access restricted areas of the phone or something.

I guess I am NOT rooted yet.. hmm.

 

[DragonSlayer95]

Could you post a screen shot of it saying this?

You really shouldn't open up superuser unless your removing apps that you've granted su privileges to or updating the binaries.

 

[AstroDroid]

Sometimes out of no where I also get a msg that SuperUser has stopped working too.

Also, I installed some app from the play store called Root Checker. Says my phone isn't rooted. Dang. Thought I had it. lol.

*shrugs*

 

[Shabbypenguin]

use cf-root and supersu, tell it to disable knox and then root again and youll be fine.

 

[AstroDroid]

Eh.. would this video tut get me there?

ROOT METRO PCS s3 4.1.2 AND ANY OTHER S3 ON 4.1.2 - YouTube

I noticed it doesn't show my exact phone model, though.

 

[AstroDroid]

I have tried two different ways to root this phone and both ways just end with superuser not working. Meaning its not rooted. I am out of ideas here....

EDIT: FIXED IT AND AM ROOTED!

Knox was blocking Supersu. Here's the fix.

1. Installed ES File explorer and open it.
2. Press Menu on the phone and scroll down and turn ON Root Explorer and hit Back.
3. Choose Device from the top menu (dropdown)
4. From the bottom menu, choose search and search for super and you should see superuser.apk.
5. Choose that and install it.

From there you should be able to disable KNOX and open SuperSu

And the Root Checker verifies that I do indeed have root access. So this really worked. Thanks to all that posted here and I will be browsing this fine site for more knowledge in the future I'm sure.

Dang it feels good to be a gangsta... lmfao

 

[DragonSlayer95]

^^^:rofl: glad to see you got it all sorted bud

 

[AstroDroid]

Spoke too soon... again. ugh.

I'm rooted but that's the end of it. Using the Samsung Toolkit and trying to flash the rom, but it just sits there stuck saying "waiting on debugging mode to be enabled".

Of course, I have it enabled/disabled/re-enabled it on the phone. I have the drivers installed on the PC. I have tried both MTP/PTP connections. I have even tried enabling USB Teathering because I read somewhere it might help. I have unplugged it, tried different USB ports, different cables. Nothing works.

USB debugging just flat out will not work for some reason. All night Googling and every single suggestion to fix this has failed me. Sooooo... I am going to bed for now. Will sleep on it. This is waaaaay more trouble than it's worth in the end, I think. At least for me it is so far.

Basically the only thing I have accomplished here is block the ability to get genuine Samsung updates via Kies. Which I wouldn't mind, if I could flash my device. Yeah, I need rest. lol.

 

[confed]

Spoke too soon... again. ugh.

I'm rooted but that's the end of it. Using the Samsung Toolkit and trying to flash the rom, but it just sits there stuck saying "waiting on debugging mode to be enabled".

Of course, I have it enabled/disabled/re-enabled it on the phone. I have the drivers installed on the PC. I have tried both MTP/PTP connections. I have even tried enabling USB Teathering because I read somewhere it might help. I have unplugged it, tried different USB ports, different cables. Nothing works.

USB debugging just flat out will not work for some reason. All night Googling and every single suggestion to fix this has failed me. Sooooo... I am going to bed for now. Will sleep on it. This is waaaaay more trouble than it's worth in the end, I think. At least for me it is so far.

Basically the only thing I have accomplished here is block the ability to get genuine Samsung updates via Kies. Which I wouldn't mind, if I could flash my device. Yeah, I need rest. lol.

Seems like your current problem involves your computer recognizing your phone properly. If you have a rom you downloaded, find a different way to put it on your SDCard. You could always use Dropbox and then put the file on your SDCard from there. I download all my roms straight to the phone, move them to the SDCard and then flash in Recovery, which for me is TWRP.