You can now root Verizon Galaxy Tab 2 on ICS and Jelly Bean firmware by flashing the pre-rooted stock firmware on your device. Besides, you can also unlock its bootloader and install CWM or TWRP recovery.
The Android devices from Verizon are considered very hard to hack due to their security and locked bootloaders. A perpetual game of hide and seek is always going on between the biggest carrier of the USA and some of the sharp brains of the Android community. Verizon keeps strengthening the wall and our great developers take the new challenges with open hands.
While the international variants of the Galaxy Tab 2 are very easy to root and install a custom recovery, rooting the Galaxy Tab 2 SCH-I705 from Verizon is a little complicated. If you have this tablet device and you wish to root it, unlock its bootloader and install a custom recovery like ClockworkMod or TWRP, we have come with a perfect guide (at least I think so) for the same. Using this guide, you can root your Galaxy Tab 2 on Ice Cream Sandwich and Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean firmware.
Having root access on your Galaxy Tab 2 SCH-I705 can be advantageous in many ways. You’ll be able to install a lot of very useful apps that require root permission, flash a mod or custom ROM to enhance its performance.
Disclaimer:
Please note that the method described below is considered risky. It will void the warranty of your device and if not followed carefully, might brick it too. You have been warned! Proceed if you are ready to face the consequences.
Warning: Do not try this method if your device’s firmware version is VRBMI1 or above!
Prerequisites:
- Download Odin3 tool and extract the zip: Odin3_v3.04.zip
- Download one of the following firmwares and extract it on your desktop:
- Pre-rooted ICS firmware: sch-i705_4.0.4_VRLJ1_prerooted_ODIN.7z
- Pre-rooted Jelly Bean firmware: jellybean-4.1.2-rooted_sch-i705.tar.md5-COMPRESSED.7z
- Pre-rooted ICS firmware: sch-i705_4.0.4_VRLJ1_prerooted_ODIN.7z
- Download insecure bootloader for unlocking bootloader. After downloading, place it on the main (root) directory of your device’s SD card: aboot.img
- Download your preferred custom recovery from below:
- CWM Recovery (no touch): recovery.tar.md5
- TWRP Recovery (supports touch): TWRP_2440.tar.md5
- Download and install either Samsung USB Drivers or Kies on your PC.
- Turn on USB Debugging on your Galaxy Tab 2 SCH-I705 from Settings> Developer options.
- Charge your device so that it has about 70% battery level.
Installing Rooted firmware on Tab 2 SCH-I705:
- Turn off your Tab and boot it into Recovery mode: press and hold the Volume Up +Power keys together till you see a green Android bot on the screen, then release the Power key and keep the Volume Up key pressed till you see a menu with “Android System Recovery” written on the top. Use the volume and Power keys when the device is in this mode.
- Now scroll down and “wipe data/factory reset”.
- Then “wipe cache partition” too.
- Do not reboot or turn off the device and boot it directly into Download Mode: hold down the Volume Down + Power buttons till you see a warning screen and then press the Volume Up key to continue to the Download mode.
- Now launch Odin3 3.04 and connect the device to the computer using a USB cable.
- Wait till your Tab is detected by Odin. A successful connection is indicated by the ID:COM port on Odin turning to Blue and “Added!” message on the box below.
- Do touch anything else on Odin and click on PDA button. Navigate to the firmware file with .tar.md5 extension and select it.
- When you are sure that you have not missed anything, click the Start button on Odin.
- The firmware will be flashed to your device in a few minutes and then you will see PASS! message on Odin.
Your Verizon Galaxy Tab 2 will now reboot automatically and it will have root access. To check it, open the app drawer on your device and look for an app called “SuperSU”. Open it and update the SU binary if it asks you to do so. You can now any app that needs root. Enjoy!
Unlocking the Bootloader on Verizon Galaxy Tab 2:
Before you proceed to install a custom Recovery on your Tab, we recommend you to unlock the bootloader on your device first. Here are the steps:
- Download and install Android Terminal Emulator app on your Galaxy Tab 2 and grant it root access.
- Make sure that you have copied the “aboot.img” file to the root directory of your device.
- Open the Terminal Emulator and type the following command on it:
su cd /sdcard/ dd if=aboot.img of=/dev/block/mmcblk0p5 reboot download
- The insecure bootloader will be pushed to your device and the bootloader will be unlocked.
- Alternatively, you can also flash the “aboot.img” file to your device using ADB (Android Debug Bridge). If you have set up ADB on your computer type the command given below. In case you have not yet set it up, download the latest SDK platform-tools on your computer. You can issue these lines to install the “aboot.img”:
adb shell su cd /sdcard/ dd if=aboot.img of=/dev/block/mmcblk0p5 reboot download
Note:
Make sure that you do not receive any OTA update from Verizon after installing the insecure boot image or you will lose it and will have to go through all the drill again.
Installing a Custom Recovery on Verizon SCH-I705:
Here are the steps to install CWM or TWRP on your Galaxy Tab 2. The method given below is pretty much the same as you followed while installing the rooted firmware with Odin. Follow these quick steps:
- Turn off the device and put it in Download mode.
- Launch Odin and connect the device to PC.
- Uncheck all other options n Odin except “Auto Reboot”.
- Click on PDA and select CWM or TWRP recovery file with .tar.md5 extension.
- Click Start and wait till device reboots automatically.
Your device will boot and now it’ll have CWM or TWRP recovery installed on it. You can now install a custom ROM or mod on your Tab 2. To enter the recovery mode anytime, press Volume Up+Home+Power buttons simultaneously on your device. Cheers!
FocusBlast So, is it not booting even in Download Mode?
FocusBlast Did you fix it? I just did the same thing.
What’s is the firmware version of your tab?
wifi stops working
It doesn’t matter anymore. I bricked my tablet. Complete Hard brick.
I know my mistake was i rooted it before wiping data and removing cache.
Ok Please help me! I just bought this 3 days ago. I’ve spent the last 3 days trying to root it using p3100 instructions and nothing was working. Finally found these instructions and it worked up until the point where I used terminal emulator to install the aboot.img. Then it looked like it was rebooting but never started back up. Now I can not get it to turn on or go into download mode or go into recovery mode. It will not do anything!!! How do I fix this?
unlocking the bootloader step hardbricked my tab 2, after i entered the ‘reboot download’ it turned off and never back on again. no power at all, hardbricked, trash. cool.
What about the verizon 10.1 model?
With Verizon’s VRBMI1 update, if we just want to root and do not proceed with unlocking the bootloader, will it work?
You can install the rooted firmware.
I tried this guide step by step and as soon as you image the dev block with aboot.img it bricks the device.
What software version your device has?
Rakesh please update this page so nobody else bricks their device. Mine is garbage now.
Since it bricked I opened the device and pulled the battery to see if that would help, but to no avail.
See the source: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1942674
Yep. With Verizon’s VRBMI1 update this procedure no longer seems to work. See last post on thread by Mr Hyde:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=50095195&postcount=22
damn i wish i checked comments first. it hardbricked mine also. trash. thanks
Ok Please help me! I just bought this 3 days ago. I’ve spent the last 3 days trying to root it using p3100 instructions and nothing was working. Finally found these instructions and it worked up until the point where I used terminal emulator to install the aboot.img. Then it looked like it was rebooting but never started back up. Now I can not get it to turn on or go into download mode or go into recovery mode. It will not do anything!!! How do I fix this?
FocusBlast Did you fix it? I just did the same thing.
FocusBlast So, is it not booting even in Download Mode?
I know my mistake was i rooted it before wiping data and removing cache.
It doesn’t matter anymore. I bricked my tablet. Complete Hard brick.
What’s is the firmware version of your tab?
wifi stops working