How to root your Android phone in 2022?

Rooting was once a popular process among tech enthusiasts who strived to uncover tremendous customization possibilities on their Android phones. There was once a time when users had to gain root access to enjoy useful features like taking a screenshot.

Over time, manufacturers have managed to make use of and evolve the technology at hand, and now, Android phones are more capable than ever. The improvement in their offering dispersed the need for casual users to unlock root access and endure some of its unfavorable consequences.

That said, core access still has its share of benefits that let users slap on custom ROMs, unlock themes, remove bloatware, gain performance, battery life, and more on Android phones. Rooting is still popular among users who want complete access to their device's capabilities. This article will elaborate on how to root for any Android mobile phone in 2022.

A concise guide to rooting any Android phone in 2022

One must note that the rooting process depends on the device manufacturer's ideals. For example, Samsung devices don't feature a traditional fastboot interface, making the process slightly different for Android devices.

One can look for a root access guide specific to their devices. Doing so will allow the user to go through a more customized and easy experience. If you are looking for a generic guide to rooting any Android phone in 2022, you are in the right place for an answer.

Some things to consider before moving on to the guide

Samsung devices don't feature a traditional fastboot interface; hence, the boot or recovery images are packed differently. Make sure to check device-specific manuals for rooting a Samsung device.
Custom recovery solution projects like TWRP are not recommended for modern devices.
Steer clear of one-click root applications as they aren't valid for modern devices.

Warning: Rooting a device will void its warranty and can damage your device if not done correctly. Make sure to understand the consequences and check for device-specific manuals before proceeding.

How to root any Android phone with Magisk?

One of the most popular and reliable tools for rooting an Android phone is Magisk. It doesn't modify anything stored in the system partition but uses the boot partition instead. All changes are stored in the boot partition, while data on the system partition remains safe. Hence, it's also known as the systemless root method.

Note: The steps mentioned below are extracted from an extensive guide on xda-developers for a more concise approach.

To root a device using Magisk, you'll need to make sure of the following first:

You'll require a PC with ADB and fastboot installed.
The device you seek to root should have the bootloader unlocked.

Note: You can search for methods to unlock the bootloader on your device. The steps vary depending on your device manufacturer. You won't be able to root your phone if it is unlockable.

Once the requirements above are taken care of, one can proceed with downloading the Magisk application on the device they want to modify. Make sure to install the app from its official GitHub repository only to avoid malware.

Once installed, open the Magisk app to ensure proper installation and to note a few parameters. You'll see three parameters with values, namely Ramdisk, A/B, and SAR, which will play an essential role in the future.

Locate boot image

Next, one has to locate the boot image file in the official firmware packages of the device. If you have access to the recovery-flashable ZIP file, locating the boot image may require extra steps, depending on the device. Note the A/B value for your device in Magisk, as mentioned before, and relate it to the following cases:

If your device uses the A-only partition scheme, the boot image will be available in the flashable ZIP file kept for recovery.
If your device uses the A/B partition scheme, the boot image will be packed inside a file called payload.bin.

In the second case, you must use a payload.bin extractor to get your hands on the boot image. One can use the popular Payload Dumper here to extract the image easily.

If your device manufacturer offers a fastboot-flashable image, the boot.img file can easily be extracted from the archive without any hassle.

Patch boot image

Here, you'll need to check the value of the Ramdisk parameter. If it's 'Yes,' the aforementioned boot image will do the trick. Otherwise, one will be required to use the recovery image file (recovery.img) from their device's factory image instead of the boot image (boot.img file).

Keep in mind the .img file required for your device and follow these steps:

Copy the boot image (or recovery image, as required for your device) you extracted in the previous step to the device. You can either copy it on the device you want to root or on a secondary device. If using a secondary device, Magisk should also be downloaded and installed on it.
Open the Magisk app and tap on the Install option. Choose 'Select and Patch a File' under Method, locate the boot image, and select it. Magisk will patch the image into the following path: [Internal Storage]/Download/magisk_patched_[random_strings].img
Next, one has to copy the patched image from above onto their PC using Android Debug Bridge. Use the command: adb pull /sdcard/Download/magisk_patched_[random_strings].img
Lastly, flash the patched boot/recovery image to the device you want root access to. To do so, reboot into fastboot mode and use the following command: adb pull /sdcard/Download/magisk_patched_[random_strings].img

That's it. You can now enjoy root access to your device. Open the Magisk app on the rooted device and look for the version number beside the installed parameter. If there's a number, your Android phone is successfully rooted.