How To Root The Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini (GT-I8190L)

This guide will show you how to root the popular Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini phone from Samsung.

Disclaimer: FlexiSPY is not responsible for rooting the Android device in any way.  Before performing any of these steps make sure you back up your Android device completely.

Rooting is done entirely by you at your own risk.

This guide is only for the Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini whose model number is GT-I8190L.

What is needed to root the Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini?

In order to root the Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini you will need the following.

• The Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini you want to root in your hand.
• A PC.

Step 1 – Download the USB drivers for the Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini for your PC

In order for your PC to recognise the Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini as part of the rooting process you first must download and install the USB drivers on to your PC.

You can download the USB drivers for the Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini from here.

Once you have downloaded them run the main program file to make sure the drivers are installed.

Step 2 – Download the Odin rooting program

In order to root the Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini using the root file given in the next step you must first download Odin which is what will be used to install the root file on to the Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini and perform the rooting process.

You can download Odin from here.

Step 3 – Download the Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini custom recovery

Now that we have installed the Samsung Galaxy S3 USB drivers and downloaded Odin we now need to download the custom recovery that we will install on to the device.

You can download the Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini recovery package from here.

Make sure you save it in an easy to find location such as the desktop and extract it to its own folder.

This should give you a .TAR file.

Step 4 – Download the Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini root file

You also need to download the root zip file that you must copy to the Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini.

You can get it from here.  Once downloaded, save it to an easy to find location on your computer.

Step 5 – Enable USB debugging on the Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini

In order for your PC to recognise the Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini when you plug it in to perform rooting you must first enable USB debugging on the phone itself.  This is done by doing the following.

1. Tap the Settings option.
2. Tap the About Phone option.
3. Keep tapping the Build Number option (seven times) until it says you are a developer.
4. Tap the new Developer Options menu that appears.
5. Make sure that the USB Debugging option is checked.

Step 6 – Root the Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini

Now that we have all we need it is time to root the Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini.  Before we can do that you must first put the Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini in to Download mode which can be done using the following steps.

1. Make sure the Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini is powered off completely.
2. Hold down the Volume down key and the Home key and the power button and keep all three buttons pressed until the Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini powers up.
3. Providing you have done it correctly it should boot in to Download mode and you press the Volume up key to start Download mode.
4. Connect the Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini now to your PC.
5. Run the Odin software you downloaded in step 3.
6. Inside Odin click the AP/PDA option and browse on your computer to the .TAR file you extracted in step 3.
7. Inside Odin click Start to begin the root process.

The process will take a few moments after which the Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini will restart itself and complete the rooting process – Do not remove the Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini from your PC during this time.

Step 7 – Copy the root zip file to the Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini

Let the Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini boot up normally and keep it connected to your computer.

Copy the zip file you download in step 4 from your PC to the device and then disconnect the device from the computer once done.

Step 8 – Boot in to recovery and install SuperSU

You now need to turn the device off completely.

Once you have done that you must boot in to recovery mode.

To do this, on the device itself, press and hold the volume up, home & power buttons together.  The device will boot in to recovery mode.

Select Install Zip From SD card and then Choose Zip From SD Card and browse on the device to the root zip file you copied to it in step 6.

Tap Yes to confirm the installation.

Once done, go back and tap Reboot System Now.

Once the device reboots the Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini should then be rooted.