Root Galaxy S5 SM-G900K on Android 5.0 Lollipop and Install CWM

After Poland treat from Samsung, the Korean Galaxy S5 users are ready to party after getting the Lollipop update on their devices. The Galaxy S5 SM-G900K is one of the Korean variants of the Galaxy S5 that saw the OTA updates from Samsung. The update brings the device to the build number G900KKTU1BNL2 along with the latest TouchWiz interface. Material design language was one of the prime essences of the update with most of the Samsung and Google apps adapt to the style. If you’ve not yet received the Lolling OTA notification on your device, follow the link below to update the device to Android 5.0 manually.

→ Update Samsung Galaxy S5 SM-G900K to Android 5.0 Lollipop

Android Lollipop is great and definitely the best update from Google so far but it’s hard to switch to new OS and leave behind the flexibility when the device was rooted. Rooting a device unleashes the full power of the device making it much useful for most of the devices. But you don’t need to wait for long to root your Galaxy S5 on Lollipop as the root method is already out and the procedure is simple and the bonus is you get the CWM recovery. A custom recovery such as CWM would help you take backups of your device and restore them along with the ability to flash mods and files on your device. So without any further ado, let’s start the tinkering business.

Warning

This method is only meant for the Samsung Galaxy S5 with the model number SM-G900K, don’t try this on any other device which leads to a bricked device. Rooting and installing a custom recovery will not only void your phone’s warranty but might also lead to unprecedented risks such as boot loops, soft/hard bricks. You are solely responsible for any misfortunes, we are not responsible for any damages occurred during the process.

Downloads

CWM recovery file: Download Link

SphinX-Root: Download Link

Stock Kernel: Download Link

SuperSu zip: Download Link

Getting Prepared

1. Enable USB Debugging on your device. If you don’t know how to do so, read this guide.
2. Download and install the latest Samsung USB Drivers if you do not have it installed already.
3. Backup your phone’s apps and data as a precaution.

Installing CWM Recovery on Galaxy S5

The CWM recovery file comes in an Odin flashable file (.tar), so you can easily flash it using the Odin flashing tool. If you’re not sure on how to flash the recovery file using the Odin tool, follow our simple guide regarding the same from the link below. The below guide is for installing TWRP on Galaxy S5, but it doesn’t matter as the flashing instructions are similar.

→ Install Odin Flashable Recovery on Galaxy S5

Root Galaxy S5 SM-G900K on Android 5.0 Lollipop

Now that you have a working CWM recovery on your Galaxy S5, it’s a piece of cake to have the root permissions. Follow the below instructions to attain root access on your device.

1. Download and copy the SphinX-Root, stock kernel and the SuperSU zip to the internal memory of your device.
2. Boot your Galaxy S5 into recovery mode:
   • Power off your device.
   • Press and hold  Volume Up + Home + Power buttons together until you see the Galaxy S5 logo on your screen.
   • This will boot your device into the recovery mode.
3. Flash the SphinX-Root file from the recovery menu. If you’re dubious about flashing, follow our zip flashing guide from here.
4. Now flash the SuperSU zip after flashing the SphinX-Root file.
5. Reboot the device and verify whether the SuperSU is working.
6. If the SuperSU is not working on your device, boot to the recovery mode again and flash the stock kernel. Reboot the device once again and verify the root permissions.
7. If you’re really unlucky and the root doesn’t work for you still, repeat the rooting process once again.

That’s it. If you’ve successfully rooted the device without any issues, you should see the latest SuperSU app in the app drawer.