Unlock Bootloader and Root Samsung Galaxy M31s using Magisk

The Galaxy M31s is the much-anticipated successor to the popular Galaxy M31 that Samsung had launched not too long ago. It brings to the board a big 6.5-inch AMOLED display with a hole punch to the center at the top. It is easy to say that the Galaxy M31s is the best display experience you can get on a smartphone for under 20,000 rupees. While it is still a 60Hz panel, it displays inky blacks and has a good vibrance as expected from an AMOLED panel. The side bezels are also barely existent and the chin is remarkably small as well.

Also Read: Will Samsung Galaxy M31s and A21s Get Android 12 (One UI 4.0) Update?

If you happen to be one of the owners of the Galaxy M31s smartphone and are looking for ways to unlock the bootloader and root your phone then, you are at the right place. In this post, we will guide you on how to unlock the bootloader and root your Samsung Galaxy M31s. In order to avoid any issues, we would advise you to follow the steps mentioned in this post. So, that being said, let us get straight into the article itself:

Samsung Galaxy M31s Specifications

Inside the Galaxy M31s, we have the Exynos 9611 SoC powering the phone. While it isn’t known for good performance, it still delivers decent speeds in synthetic benchmarks and casual games. The Galaxy M31s is also backed up by 6GB of RAM and comes with a storage of 128GB that is non-expandable. Pair that with the massive 6000 mAh battery, and the M31s is an absolute powerhouse of a phone. Samsung also bundles within the box a 25W fast charger to quickly juice up your phone in dire situations.

The entire phone is made out of “Glasstic” which is just a fancy way of saying frosted plastic. It does feel rather premium thanks to the engineering that Samsung has put into this phone. The Galaxy M31s comes out of the box with Samsung’s OneUI 2.1 that runs atop Android 10. It is expected to receive the latest versions of Android and OneUI as well. The M31s has a quad-camera setup to the rear with a configuration of 64+12+5+5MP which seems to be an overall good setup for taking photos in well-lit situations. The front camera is a 32MP sensor that takes some really crispy selfies.

Pre-Requisites

Now before we go ahead and root the Galaxy M31s, let us make a list of pre-requisites that are required to unlock it:

Charge your phone

You need to make sure that your Galaxy M31s is charged to about 60% before operating it for unlocking the bootloader to avoid any boot loop issues during the unlocking process.

You need a PC or Laptop

We would be running certain ADB and Fastboot commands that can be executed via PC or a laptop. So, we would need a computer in order to unlock the bootloader.

Take a complete backup

Before rooting, one of the most important things that you need to do on your phone is to take a complete backup of your phone. For that, you can follow the guide by clicking the link below:

• How to Backup Your Data on Android device

Download USB Drivers

In order to make your Galaxy M31s get recognized by your PC, you need to have proper USB Drivers appropriate to your phone installed on your computer. And for that, you can follow the link below to download the correct Samsung USB Drivers on your PC.

• Samsung USB Drivers

Install ODIN in PC

Odin is used to flashing stock firmware file (in .tar or .tar.md5 formats) on Android-based Samsung devices and supports any Windows 10, 8.1, 8, 7, XP PC. You can install the latest Odin tool on your PC from the link given below:

• Odin Tool

Download Firmware

You can use either of the links below to download the firmware for your Galaxy M31s.

Steps to Unlock Bootloader on Galaxy M31s

Once you are ready with everything that is mentioned in the list of pre-requisites above, you can go ahead and root your Samsung Galaxy M31s by following the steps below:

Steps To Root Galaxy M31s using Magisk

Before starting the rooting process, make sure to unlock the device bootloader at first. Then you can continue with the next steps.

After you have downloaded the exact firmware file based on your device model number, you can extract the boot.img file to patch it via the Magisk manager app.

Guide to Extract Boot Image File and rename to .tar file

Steps to Create a Patched boot image using Magisk Manager

• First, download and install the latest Magisk Manager app.
• Next, connect your device to the PC via the USB cable.
• Copy only the boot.img file from the extracted folder to your device storage.
• Now, open the Magisk Manager app and select INSTALL and choose to install again.
• Then tap on “Patch Boot Image File”.

• Go to internal storage and select your device boot image that you moved earlier.
• Now, wait for Magisk to start patching the boot image.
• Once the boot image has been patched, copy the “patched_boot.img” from the internal storage and replace it in the same extracted ROM folder on your PC.

Now, follow the second step to flash the patched boot image file.

• Odin flash tool accepts files in .tar format. So, you have to use 7zip and archive it to .tar format. You can even rename the file as boot.img.tar as shown in the below screenshot.

Steps To Install the Patched Boot Image tar file on Galaxy M31s

Now, follow the final or second method to install the patched boot image file on your Galaxy handset. But first, follow the requirements.

Pre-Requirements:

• ROM Supported for – Samsung Galaxy M31s model only. Don’t try it on other devices.
• Keep your device battery charged up to 60% at least before doing anything.
• Take a full backup without the root of the device’s internal storage.
• A Windows PC or Laptop and a USB cable are required.
• Download the Latest ODIN tool and install it on your computer.
• Download and Install the latest Samsung USB Drivers on your computer.
• Copy the patched boot image file into the ADB & Fastboot directory.

Instructions to Root Galaxy M31s Using Magisk

After following the pre-requirements and unlocking the bootloader, in order to Root Galaxy M31s Using Magisk, let’s take a look at the rooting steps.

• First, reboot your device into download mode.
• Now, connect your phone to the PC via the USB cable.
• Once you are connected, now open the downloaded ODIN.exe file.

• When you connect the USB cable you will see a blue sign in Odin.

• Now, load the patched boot.tar file in the AP section.

• Go to Option and see whether the Auto Reboot and F-Reset Time selected or not). If not then select these two. Don’t select re-partition.

• Now, tap on the Start button to root your device.
• Your device will reboot when the process will complete.
• Then wait for a few minutes. The first boot will take some time.
• You’re done. Enjoy!

So, there you have it from my side in this post. I hope you guys were able to successfully unlock the bootloader and root the Galaxy M31s using the guide above. Let us know in the comments below if you come across any issues while following the above-mentioned steps. Until the next post…Cheers!