ZiDroid Tutorials for Android smartphones
If you update your AT&T Samsung galaxy Note 3 SM-N900A to Android Lollipop, you will not be able to root it anymore on Lollipop mean you have to accept all Samsung and AT&T bloatware on your device, but if you can’t live without root, there is a trick which allow you to update your rooted N900A galaxy Note 3 from KitKat to Lollipop without losing root access.
This post will show you how to keep root AT&T galaxy Note 3 on Android 5.0 Lollipop N900AUCUEOC1 update, this tutorial is divided in some cases, the main instruction at the end of the post.
Case 1: Your device is running on Android 5.0 Lollipop (OC1) or Android 4.4.4 KitKat (NL1)? if Yes then continue, No then skip to the next case.
Case 1 process: Downgrading from Lollipop to Android 4.4.2 KitKat (NC2).
Steps:
- Backup all your important data because downgrading process require wipe data/factory reset.
- Download and extract N900AUCUCNC2 firmware file to your computer.
- Download and unzip Odin3 tool and install Samsung USB driver.
- Put your galaxy Note 3 in download mode.
- Connect your device to PC via USB cable.
- Put the extracted FW file step 2 “N900AUCUCNC2_Full_Odin_Tar.tar” into AP button in Odin3.
- Make sure Auto Reboot and Re-Partition box are unchecked.
- Click Start button
- After it finish Odin3 will display PASS! or RESET!.
- unplug your device from the PC, take off the battery for 10 seconds, then put it back.
- Put you Note 3 in recovery mode (press and hold Vol UP+Home+Power buttons until you see in top left corner recovery booting…., now release the buttons)
- In the recovery mode screen Navigate using Vol Up/Vol Down to wipe data/factory reset, Confirm your selection by Power button, after that conform reboot system now.
Case 2: Your AT&T galaxy Note 3 is rooted and Safestrap installed? if No then continue, Yes then skip to the main process.
Case 2 process: Rooting AT&T galaxy Note 3 on Android 4.4.2 KitKat and install Safestrap.
Steps:
- Download and Install towelroot apk App to your device.
- Launch towelroot App then click “make it ra1n” button, now your device is rooted.
- Go to Google Play store, search and install SuperSu App.
- Launch SuperSu App to update su binary in normal mode NOT recovery and disable KNOX.
- Back to Google Play to search and install busybox App.
- Launch busybox App, Give it the root permission by pressing Grant, then hit Install button.
- Download and install Safestrap apk App to your device.
- Open safestarp, hit Grant, then click Install Recovery.
The main process: How to update to Android Lollipop without losing root access.
Requirements:
- Rooted AT&T galaxy Note 3 on Android 4.4.2 KitKat and Safestrap installed.
- External SDcard installed in your device.
- N900A [OC1] stock rooted Lollipop ROM file, Mirror.
- At least 20% battery level.
Instructions:
- Backup your data.
- Copy the downloaded zip “SM-N900A_OC1_Lollipop_Rooted_Rom.zip” file to your external sdcard.
- Reboot into safestarp recovery mode, open safestrap App then hit reboot recovery.
- Press Wipe then Advanced Wipe, select all partitions except “Micro SDcard”.
- Press home button to back to the main screen, choose Install to install the downloaded zip step 2.
- Once it finish installing hit Reboot system.
Your device will take a little bit longer time the first time to boot.
Congratulation, now your AT&T galaxy Note 3 N900A is rooted on Android 5.0 Lollipop.
– Note that Safestrap will not function after updating to Android Lollipop.
Source: 1
Updated: 01/04/2015
Creative Commons 4.0
I successfully (?) followed the upgrade to the letter and I did get a 5.0 Lollipop rooted phone. I used it for awhile but realized my phone was slower and many of the automatic functions, like auto rotate of the phone and turning off the screen when I was using the phone no longer worked. I was forever making pocket calls to people, etc. Very un-nerving.
So i used the first part of the process to down grade my 5.0 Lollipop back to 4.4.2 KitKat. I originally had 4.4.4 but since I didn’t that I could root that I used the 4.4.2 version. All went fine and my phone is now back to the normal phone I had before I started except that it is rooted. 🙂
Thanks for the information. It worked for me.
i completed all the steps but in the end when i tried to flash the zip file using safestrap the error comes out “error executing updater binary in zip…..”. i couldn’t complete the process and failed message comes out.
is there anyway you can help me ? i have samsung galaxy SM-N900 A (AT&T-USA)
works v.fine and good for N900A model, i checked many blogs and links but this is best of all of them, works very smoothly and easily…
Highly recommended… (Y)
ohh Thanks man… It goes very fine…
so easy to root lollipop…
Can someone help! I downgraded from 5.0 but safestrap will not boot. pleases help.
Constantly get “Unfortunately, the process com.google.process.gapps has stopped” click ok and comes right back. Reinstalled lollipop from zip, worked for about 5 minutes. Than the same thing.
Did you try to clear cache and data?
It has been running good now. Thanks!
Can someone help! I downgraded from 5.0 but safestrap will not boot. pleases help.
Hi all, just bn thnkng, is it possible to flash UK Firmware for N9005, on N900A running android Lollipop [OC1]. If so, please help me with the links , because I think these phones are identical and they can handle the same firmwares, and am willing to risk bricking my N900A, to try this. Anyone who can share the N9005XXUGBOE9…..with bootloader, pit and csc files, I would like to try it out and see what happens
Don’t try it this will brick your device
Just to add I noticed the phone asks to update google play services. When you click update and restart the phone you get this ( Android is upgrading optimizing app 1 of 1) That’s when it all starts with the com.google.process.gapps has stopped B.S.) I cleared data for google play services and the problem stopped. However it does not let the gmail app run without the update. And every google app you run asks to update google play services. So I tried upgrading google play services again, restarted phone it did this again (Android is upgrading optimizing app 1 of 1) But so far so good. Ill give it a little while see if it starts acting up again.
Hi,
I’ve got the same situation. Have you found the solution yet?
cleared data for google play services and the problem stopped. However it does not let the gmail app run without the update. And every google app you run asks to update google play services. So I tried upgrading google play services again, restarted phone it did this again (Android is upgrading optimizing app 1 of 1) But so far so good. Ill give it a little while see if it starts acting up again.
That worked for me.
Worked like a charm thanks!
Is this deodexed or odexed?
odexed
My phone starts then says gn3.. then goes blank, the goes into recovery booting, and its just a cycle… and seafestrap is still there, please help!!
Will there be any updates for this? there are a few bugs..
Can you list that bugs?
Is this 5.0, 5.0.1 or 5.0.2? I heard of memory leak causing battery drain. Is this the case with this ROM?
No memory leak on Samsung firmwares 🙂
How do I backup data before root process
Choose backup option in safestrap recovery then select data partition and restore it after installing rooted ROM (step5)
Backup and restore process should be on kitkat
can’t download the file for at&t note3 kitkat 4.4.2 to lolipop update. i have tried several times and at one time it reaches to 99.86% download but then fail.
please help 🙁
Use another browser or use a download manager
1, 2 ,3 .and done , and its working smoothly.
high five , nice work dude , thanks for the guide
Worked great for me.had to wait a long time to get past att splash screen .was getting worried but waited and viola lollipo.thanks for the nice write up
This does not work for me either on mine or my partners N900A, done it twice to the letter on both phones. ..and I root and flash stuff lots.
I follow the instructions but I seem to be stuck in a loop. I just see the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 splash screen and after 30 seconds or so it vibrates and reboots.
Okay I just did a recovery reboot and wipe. Everything came back up on 5.0 but I am getting knox stopped working messages so I will just disable that I guess as indicated below. Otherwise, thanks for the tutorial!
how did you fix it in detail. i have the same problem
I have follow the intructions of the Case 2 and everything works fine. Just some issues with the Google Apps but just download the update at the Play store a ready.
Thanks. Updated . Everythink ok except ,” knox counter unfortunately stopped” message during the restart.
Knox counter?! you mean in download mode?
If you mean knox app disable it
WHAT RECOVERY APK DO YOU NEED ONCE YOU CHANGE TO LOLIPOP SINCE YOU MENTIONED THAT SAFESTRAP WON’T WORK ANYMORE ONCE YOU CHANGE TO LOLIPOP?
All steps on NC2 Android 4.4.2 KitKat not Lollipop
The last steps of this guide is to install Lollipop, so after rebooting your device Safestarp won’t work.
Im not 100% sure that safetrap does not work. Ive read somewhere and I didn’t want to try. You could lose the stock recovery. Do some research about safetrap I might be wrong, but stock recovery works fine.
It is possible to have Safestrap after you install Lollipop.
How to Access Safestrap Recovery
Since Safestrap Recovery does not support Lollipop officially, here is a workaround to access it after updating your AT&T Note 3 using the Safestrap method from above.
Long press the the Power button to bring up Power Menu.
Select Safestrap Recovery from the Reboot Menu.
Now you can use Safestrap for purposes like backing up, restoring and flashing ROMs.
When you are done with using Safestrap, return to main menu and tap the Install option.
Navigate to /sdcard/OC1_Kernel/, select SM-N900A_OC1_Kernel_Safestrap_Installer.zip and flash this file.
Having flashed the file, you can exit Safestrap by selecting Reboot> System option.
I am going to wait for a few days seeing as people are having issues with the installation and it looks like it has to do with the roms.
I’ve followed these steps and it works. The phone from for 10 min on att logo but be patient. It will go through. I haven’t checked if safetrap works or not. I read somewhere thatsafetrap does not work, so did you on want to try. I might lose the ability to boot into recovery. Xposed doesn’t work either.
Inducing gapps?
No issues with gaaps
Xpose does not work, I did this update and know I dont know how to get xpose to work. Please would you tell me if there is a workaround
N900A [OC1] stock rooted Lollipop backup file
Where is file brother
Updated
Hi,
I’ve updated to Lollipop and got Gaaps and Google Play not working. Any solution for that?
I have the same problem with gapps and Google play not working.
Lo instalaré esta noche y ya les comentó como va.
Hi I followed every step and after “Extract Odin3, launch it as administrator, Click AP button and open the downloaded stock partitions “N900A_OC1_ALL_Other_Stock_Partitions.tar.md5″ file.” my phone is now stuck on the Samsung GALAXY Note 3 screen
Reflash the stock partitions again
i had the same issue and reflashed the partitions to no avail.
Can you check the changes to the guide “How to update to Android Lollipop without losing root access”
Would you tell me how to make xpose work on lollipop, I did a research on xda and you have to flash a zip file that contains xpise but how can I do it know that I have lost safestrao
Any way it doesn’t work for all Samsung devices running stock Lollipop ROM, waiting a fix from the developer
Sounds good thanks for the reply!!