Root US Cellular Galaxy Note 3 on Android 4.4.2 KitKat

It has been more than a month since the US Cellular Galaxy Note 3 SM-N900R4 started received the official Android 4.4.2 KitKat update. The new software update for the device bears N900R4TYUCNAB as build version and brings all new goodies associated with KitKat. Usually, users avoid taking incremental OTA updates from the OEM because they are afraid of losing root access. Bust when its is some major update that bumps up the OS version of their device, they can’t just get away from that.

The users who have enjoyed the benefits of owning a rooted Android device, can’t live a single day without it. If you own the Galaxy Note 3 SM-N900R4, accepting the new OTA would remove root from your device. Those who have already received the update would have already discovered that the old root method does not work on Android 4.4.2 any more.

Today, we have a very good news as you can now root US Cellular Galaxy Note 3 on Android 4.4.2 KitKat firmware. One of the users from the US Cellular forums has found that Chainfire’s CF-Auto-Root package for the Note 3 SM-N9005 works successfully on the US Cellular variant of the device.

Warning!

The rooting procedure described below is considered risky and might soft-brick your Note 3 SM-N900R4. The method has been tested well, yet we do not guarantee that it will bring the same result for all. Follow the guide carefully and proceed at your own responsibility.

UPDATE

The Root de la vega method does not work any more! To root your US Cellular Galaxy Note 3 on KitKat, use Geohot’s TowelRoot app.

Prerequisites:

1. Download  Odin tool: Odin3 v3.09.zip  
2. Download the latest CF-Root from here: CF-Auto-Root-hlte-hltexx-smn9005.zip
   
3. Enable USB Debugging on your US Cellular Galaxy Note 3. If you do not know how to do it, read this tutorial.
4. Ensure at least 60% battery juice on your Note 3.

Root US Cellular Galaxy Note 3:

1. Unzip the Odin file.
2. Also extract the CF-Auto-Root ZIP package.
3. Turn off your Note 3 and boot it into Download Mode by pressing and holding the Volume Down + Home + Power buttons at the same time for 2-3 seconds. When you see the warning screen with yellow triangle, press the Volume Up key to enter Download Mode. In this mode, you would see “Downloading” on your device screen.
4. Launch Odin 3.09.exe as administrator.
5. Connect your phone to PC via a USB cable.
6. Wait till the ID:COM port on Odin turns blue and you see “Added!!” message on it.
7. Now click the AP button on Odin and select CF-Auto-Root-hlte-hltexx-smn9005.tar.md5. If you are using a lesser version of Odin, click PDA button in place of AP to select the file.
8. Then click the Start button to initiate the process.
9. When CF-Auto-Root is flashed, you will see PASS! message on Odin and your Note 3 will reboot automatically.

Wait till your phone boots up. Open the app drawer and look for the SuperSU app there. If it is present, your device has been rooted. To verify proper root access on your US Cellular Galaxy Note 3 running Android 4.4.2 (TYUCNAB) firmware, install Root Checker from the Play Store and run it.

[googleplay url=”https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.joeykrim.rootcheck”]

Having rooted your Note 3 successfully, do not forget to try some awesome apps for rooted Android devices.