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How to Install TWRP Recovery and Root Samsung Galaxy S9/S9+ (Exynos)

The Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ comes in two variants. One is the Exynos version and the other one is powered by Snapdragon. This post will walk you through the procedure of installing TWRP recovery and rooting your Exynos variant of the Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus.

New to Rooting? Check our Beginner’s guide to Android rooting!

First of all, you need to identify which variant of the Galaxy S9/S9+ you have so for that, you need to check the model number of your device. You will be able to check that in the About Phone section of your Settings app. Make sure your device model is one of the many listed below.

  • Galaxy S9: SM-G960F, SM-G960F/DS, Korean SM-G960N
  • Galaxy S9 Plus: – SM-G965F, SM-G965F/DS, Korean SM-G965N

After you have verified the device model, you are good to go. But not before you download the following things.

Downloads & Requirements

Those are quite a lot of things that you have to download before starting the whole process to install TWRP on Galaxy S9 and S9+ and root the device. But before we go any further, we need to perform a few things on the phone. Check the list below.

  1. Take a backup of everything. The phone will be wiped clean after this process is complete so you should take out a backup of all your data. Use the Smart Switch app in order to backup everything including your app data etc.
  2. Enable Developer Options by going to Settings > About Phone > Software Information and tap the Build number 7-8 times. You will have the Developer Options enabled now.
  3. Head over to Developer Options and look for an option that says OEM Unlock. You need to toggle that option ON.
  4. Then on the same screen look for USB Debugging and turn it ON as well.

Your device is now ready to carry out the process. Make sure you have downloaded everything and you have changed the settings as mentioned above.

If you skip or fail to carry out any of the mentioned steps, you will have to wait for 7 days in order to carry out the process again.

The Procedure: Install TWRP & Root Samsung Galaxy S9/S9+ (Exynos)

Install TWRP Recovery and Root the Galaxy S9/S9+ Exynos Variant
Install TWRP Recovery and Root the Galaxy S9/S9+ Exynos Variant
  • Now that you have downloaded everything, changed the settings and backed up your phone, we can start with the procedure.
  • Take your S9 or S9+ and then hold the Volume Down, Bixby and Power Buttons simultaneously  until you see a new screen with a warning sign.
  • On the warning screen, you have to press the Volume Up button which will put your into Download Mode.
  • On your computer, you need to install the Samsung USB drivers that you downloaded before and after it is installed, reboot your computer.
  • Connect your phone to the computer using the USB cable that came with the phone.
  • On your PC, extract the files in the Odin3_v3.13.1.zip and start Odin3 v3.13.1.exe.
  • When the Odin3 window opens up, you should see a blue colors box like the one in the image below.
Flash Using Odin
Flash Using Odin
  • If you don’t see the highlighted box, restart your PC and try again.
  • Click on the AP button inside the Odin3 window and choose the TWRP tar image that you downloaded for your device.
  • Now the next step is important so you have to carry it out properly.
  • In the Odin3 window, click the Start button and on your phone, as soon as the phone’s screen goes black, you need to press the Volume up, Bixby and Power buttons together. Keep them pressed.
  • As soon as you see the phone’s power up screen, you need to let go of the Power button but keep the Volume Up and Bixby button pressed until you see the TWRP loading screen.
  • You have now booted into TWRP but there’s a long way to go from here to complete the tutorial.
  • When the TWRP screen loads, tap on Keep Read Only. Now you’re into TWRP.
  • Choose the Wipe option and then tap on Format Data. Type yes and complete the process. This will wipe your phone completely but if you have a microSD card in the phone, the data on that card will be safe.
  • Do not reboot your phone yet.
  • Next step is to head back to TWRP home. Tap on Reboot and then tap on Recovery.
  • On the next screen, you have to tap on Do not install. TWRP will now be rebooted.
  • Once TWRP has rebooted, tap on Keep Read Only button. Now connect your phone to your PC. Your PC will be able to identify your phone now. Go to This PC > Galaxy S9/S9+.
  • Now copy everything that you downloaded before which includes:
    • RMM State Bypass
    • Latest Samsung Antiroot Removal Tool
    • No Verity Zip
    • Latest Magisk Installer
  • Paste these copied files onto the phone’s internal storage.

  • After the files have been copied, just disconnect your phone from your PC.
  • Now on your phone, just tap on Install in the TWRP screen.
  • You will be able to see all the copied files here.
  • Flash them one by one in the order that is mentioned below. This is important!
  • The first thing that you need to flash is the no-verity-opt-encrypt-samsung-1.0.zip file.
  • After the file has been flashed, go back to TWRP home and tap on Reboot and then tap on Recovery.
  • Again tap on Do not install and your TWRP will be rebooted.
  • Go back to Install after TWRP has loaded. Choose the file that reads RMM-State_Bypass_Mesa_v2.zip and flash it.
  • No need to reboot recovery now. Just go back to Install and choose the Magisk zip file that you have in your storage. Flashing this might take some time so you need to hold on.
  • Again, go back to Install and flash the last file that reads samsung-antiroot-removal-4.1.zip.
  • Everything is flashed and we are good to go. All we need to do now is to reboot the phone into Android so just tap on the reboot system button and your phone will reboot.
  • The phone will reboot itself twice, don’t worry. After the reboot has been completed and your phone is on, you will have to set up the phone again.
  • Unlock the phone and go to the Play Store. Look up an app named Magisk Manager in your apps drawer.

You can check the root access by downloading Root Checker from Play Store. All done and you just finished the steps to install TWRP and root your Samsung Galaxy S9/S9+. 


7 thoughts on “How to Install TWRP Recovery and Root Samsung Galaxy S9/S9+ (Exynos)”

  1. I have rooted my S9 (SM-G960F/SD) successfully – no problems during the installation.! maybe interesting issue: to eneble OEM-Unlock deletes everthing. Thanx for this article

    Reply
  2. I had an error while flashing magisk image, after that i just rebooted my phone adn now it’s loading about 15 min. Its a black screen with word “samsung”. Is it bricked or i just need to wait ?

    Reply
  3. Hi. Thank you for the great instructions.
    I used TWRP 3.3.1 and Lineage 17.1
    Everything was fine during installation, but after the reboot, when I get into TWRP it asks for a password to decrypt data partition.
    The PIN I am using in Lineage does not work in TWRP. Thus I am not able to make a backup.
    I found some article on xdadevelopers that it is an issue of TWRP 3.3.1 and I should use version 3.2.3 but even if I replaced the TWRP, wiped all and installed Lineage again, there is the same issue.
    Did you face the same problem?

    Reply

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