Easy Guide to Root Verizon Galaxy S3

In a disappointing turn of events, Verizon has officially put an end to Samsung’s policy of leaving the bootloaders on their Android devices unlocked by locking the bootloader on the Verizon Galaxy S3 (now we know what caused delays in shipping out the Verizon S3). This means that performing hacks such as rooting or installing a custom recovery on the device aren’t as straightforward as on other devices, even though Samsung devices are usually the most easy to root or perform other hacks on.

But of course, the expert developers in the development community never sit idle, and a procedure to root the Verizon Galaxy S3 has already been released, by XDA Senior Member invisiblek. The procedure is almost the same as the other variants, but requires a few additional steps thanks to the locked bootloader, and the guide below will walk you through the required steps.

Read on to find out how you can root your Verizon Galaxy S3.

Compatibility

This hack and the guide below are compatible only and only with the Verizon Galaxy S3, model number SCH-i535. It’s not compatible with other US variants or other devices. Check your device’s model number in: Settings » About phone.

Warning!

The methods and procedures discussed here are considered risky and you should not attempt anything if you don’t know completely what it is. If any damage occurs to your device, we won’t be held liable.

How to Root Verizon Galaxy S3

  1. [Optional] Just to be safe, backup all your apps, data and settings.  Backup your Apps and important data — bookmarks, contacts, SMS, APNs (internet settings), etc. This Android backup guide would help you.
  2. Download and install the drivers for the phone on the computer.
    Download Drivers
  3. Download Odin 3.07, the software that we will use to flash root.
    Download Odin  |  Filename: Odin307.zip
  4. Extract the Odin307.zip file to a convenient location on the computer to get a folder named Odin307 with 4 files inside.
  5. Download the following files needed for achieving root which will be flashed using Odin:
    1. Blank System.img  |  Filename: blank.system.img.tar
    2. Rooted System.img  |  Filename: rooted.system.img.tar 
  6. Turn off your phone. Then boot into download mode. To do so, hold down the Volume Down, Home and then the Power buttons together until a Warning!! message is displayed on the screen. Here, press Volume Up to enter download mode. A green Android and the text Downloading will be displayed on the screen.
  7. Now, open Odin by clicking on the Odin3 v3.07.exe file in the Odin307 folder which you obtained after extracting Odin307.zip in step 4.
  8. Then, connect the phone to the computer with the USB cable and wait for Windows to finish installing drivers. Odin will say Added!! in the message box on the bottom left if the phone is detected successfully. If not, make sure the drivers are installed and also try using a different USB port – preferably a USB port on the back if using a desktop computer.
  9. In Odin, click on the PDA button, then select the blank.system.img.tar file that you downloaded in step 5.1. Do NOT touch any other option in Odin. Make sure Re-partition option is NOT selected.
  10. Now, hit the START button to start flashing the blank.system.img file on the phone. When the flashing is complete, your phone will automatically reboot — and when you see the Samsung logo, you can safely unplug the cable. Plus, you’ll get a PASS message (with green background) in the left-most box at the very top of Odin.
    What to do if Odin gets stuck: If ODIN gets stuck and doesn’t seem to be doing anything, or you get a FAIL message (with red background) in ODIN, disconnect the phone from the PC, close ODIN, remove battery, re-insert it, then repeat the procedure from step 7.
  11. IMPORTANT! After the phone reboots after successfully flashing, it will get stuck at the Samsung Galaxy S III logo, which is normal, so don’t panic. When it gets stuck, remove the battery on the phone, re-insert it, then boot into download mode again as explained in step 6. Then, connect it to the computer.
  12. Close Odin if it is open, then reopen it. Then, click on PDA but this time select the rooted.system.img.tar file downloaded in step 5.2.
  13. Click on START to start flashing the rooted.system.img.tar file on the phone. When the flash is successful and the phone reboots, you can again disconnect the cable.
  14. This time the phone will boot up properly and you will have a rooted Verizon Galaxy S3.
Your Verizon Galaxy S3 is now rooted and ready to be used with any root apps. Let us know how it works for you, in the comments below.

Link to Install Clockworkmod Recovery on Verizon Galaxy S3

34 Comments

  1. after i finished all the steps successfully my phone gets stuck on the Samsung galaxy S3 logo when i try to start it up! the last step did not successfully reboot. It also got stuck on the same screen. Please help

    1. Hey, is your phone still stuck or is working fine now? Let me know, would help if it’s still stuck. 🙂

    2. Ah, i followed the root at rootzwiki, flashed rooted.system.img.tar file at that thread and it isnt stuck anymore PHEW!
      Think the site is down atm but here it is:
      rootzwiki.com/forum/507-galaxy-s-iii/

      I managed to root it but i have absolutely no idea on how to use adb stuff so its unfortunate that i cant do CWM on it 🙁

      The bootloader is still locked from what I’ve found. I cannot do the wifi tether on it but super user grants permission to it. also super user granted permission for:

      SetCPU
      ROM manager

      i am a rooting noob. Im not sure if i can install any custom ROMs into the phone. The main reason i want to root is because i heard custom ROMs run a lot faster than stock.

  2. That is the Sprint Driver. Does it matter,

  3. after i finished all the steps successfully my phone gets stuck on the Samsung galaxy S3 logo when i try to start it up! the last step did not successfully reboot. It also got stuck on the same screen. Please help

    1. Hey, is your phone still stuck or is working fine now? Let me know, would help if it’s still stuck. 🙂

      1. Ah, i followed the root at rootzwiki, flashed rooted.system.img.tar file at that thread and it isnt stuck anymore PHEW!
        Think the site is down atm but here it is:
        rootzwiki.com/forum/507-galaxy-s-iii/

        I managed to root it but i have absolutely no idea on how to use adb stuff so its unfortunate that i cant do CWM on it 🙁

        The bootloader is still locked from what I’ve found. I cannot do the wifi tether on it but super user grants permission to it. also super user granted permission for:

        SetCPU
        ROM manager

        i am a rooting noob. Im not sure if i can install any custom ROMs into the phone. The main reason i want to root is because i heard custom ROMs run a lot faster than stock.

  4. after i finished all the steps successfully my phone gets stuck on the Samsung galaxy S3 logo when i try to start it up! the last step did not successfully reboot. It also got stuck on the same screen. Please help

    1. Hey, is your phone still stuck or is working fine now? Let me know, would help if it’s still stuck. 🙂

      1. Ah, i followed the root at rootzwiki, flashed rooted.system.img.tar file at that thread and it isnt stuck anymore PHEW!
        Think the site is down atm but here it is:
        rootzwiki.com/forum/507-galaxy-s-iii/

        I managed to root it but i have absolutely no idea on how to use adb stuff so its unfortunate that i cant do CWM on it 🙁

        The bootloader is still locked from what I’ve found. I cannot do the wifi tether on it but super user grants permission to it. also super user granted permission for:

        SetCPU
        ROM manager

        i am a rooting noob. Im not sure if i can install any custom ROMs into the phone. The main reason i want to root is because i heard custom ROMs run a lot faster than stock.

  5. This will not work, Verizon Galaxy S3 can not be rooted. Good to see that you are spamming giving same methods for all variants of S3. Here is the proof
    http://www.xda-developers.com/android/no-root-for-verizon-galaxy-s-iii-petition-started/ The XDA thread you mentioned does not say that the root is for Verizon S3. Have you rooted it?

    1. Hi. Please check the via link at the bottom of the article. The root is for the Verizon variant as the thread says. The page you have linked to is a different thread which is from before root was achieved by developer invisiblek.

  6. That is the Sprint Driver. Does it matter,

  7. That is the Sprint Driver. Does it matter,

  8. This will not work, Verizon Galaxy S3 can not be rooted. Good to see that you are spamming giving same methods for all variants of S3. Here is the proof
    http://www.xda-developers.com/android/no-root-for-verizon-galaxy-s-iii-petition-started/ The XDA thread you mentioned does not say that the root is for Verizon S3. Have you rooted it?

    1. Hi. Please check the via link at the bottom of the article. The root is for the Verizon variant as the thread says. The page you have linked to is a different thread which is from before root was achieved by developer invisiblek.

  9. This will not work, Verizon Galaxy S3 can not be rooted. Good to see that you are spamming giving same methods for all variants of S3. Here is the proof
    http://www.xda-developers.com/android/no-root-for-verizon-galaxy-s-iii-petition-started/ The XDA thread you mentioned does not say that the root is for Verizon S3. Have you rooted it?

    1. Hi. Please check the via link at the bottom of the article. The root is for the Verizon variant as the thread says. The page you have linked to is a different thread which is from before root was achieved by developer invisiblek.

  10. Was careful to follow directions to the letter. All worked perfectly. One difference. After flashing blank.system.img Odin’s message was RESET instead of PASS. I tried this twice. However, after flashing the rooted image I got the PASS message and the phone booted correctly. Thanks for the instructions.
    Fred

  11. Was too hasty. After following procedure some apps are missing. Most importantly is email. Help!

  12. Was careful to follow directions to the letter. All worked perfectly. One difference. After flashing blank.system.img Odin’s message was RESET instead of PASS. I tried this twice. However, after flashing the rooted image I got the PASS message and the phone booted correctly. Thanks for the instructions.
    Fred

  13. Was careful to follow directions to the letter. All worked perfectly. One difference. After flashing blank.system.img Odin’s message was RESET instead of PASS. I tried this twice. However, after flashing the rooted image I got the PASS message and the phone booted correctly. Thanks for the instructions.
    Fred

  14. Was too hasty. After following procedure some apps are missing. Most importantly is email. Help!

  15. Was too hasty. After following procedure some apps are missing. Most importantly is email. Help!

  16. i have done this 5 times now and works perfectly fine

  17. i have done this 5 times now and works perfectly fine

  18. i have done this 5 times now and works perfectly fine

  19. i have done this 5 times now and works perfectly fine

  20. When I click the links to the blanksystem.img and rootsystem.img it says the files you are looking for were not found. Any ideas for what I can do about this?

  21. When I click on the links to the blank system image and the root system image it brings me to a page that says the file i was looking for was not found. Happens with these links and all other links to every other root process I have tried. If anyone knows why this happens or something else I can do, please comment on here with a solution for me.

  22. When I click the links to the blanksystem.img and rootsystem.img it says the files you are looking for were not found. Any ideas for what I can do about this?

  23. When I click the links to the blanksystem.img and rootsystem.img it says the files you are looking for were not found. Any ideas for what I can do about this?

  24. When I click on the links to the blank system image and the root system image it brings me to a page that says the file i was looking for was not found. Happens with these links and all other links to every other root process I have tried. If anyone knows why this happens or something else I can do, please comment on here with a solution for me.

  25. When I click on the links to the blank system image and the root system image it brings me to a page that says the file i was looking for was not found. Happens with these links and all other links to every other root process I have tried. If anyone knows why this happens or something else I can do, please comment on here with a solution for me.

Comments are closed.