If you’ve landed on this page, that means you patched your device boot.img using Magisk manager but you still can’t get root privileges on your device. This is a common issue nowadays, especially on newer Android versions. But don’t worry, you’re on the right page. In this guide, we’ll show you how to fix issues with root not working after flashing Magisk’s patched boot.img file for your device.
There are a lot of benefits to having a rooted Android device. It unlocks endless possibilities, however, to root a device, Android users have only two options; either root their device by installing a custom recovery like TWRP and flash a Magisk zip file or flash a patched boot.img made with Magisk manager APK. While using the TWRP method seems to be the best way to acquire root access nowadays and perform all sorts of modifications on a device with ease, the recovery only supports a number of devices officially and this has led a lot of fans to settle for Magisk manager boot.img patch feature for root.
If you would like a TWRP port for your device, then watch the video below to learn how.
Flashing patched boot.img made with Magisk has helped Android fans get root privileges on their devices, however, a lot of users have also reported that even after patching their boot.img with Magisk and flashing it on their device, there is still no root access. If this is the same issue you’re currently facing, then this guide will help you fix the root not working after flashing Magisk patched.img on your device.
No Root After Flashing Magisk Patched Boot.img File — What to do?
Before we dive into the detailed guide on how to fix no root after flashing Magisk patched boot.img below, do keep in mind that there is no universal fix for this issue and as such, you may have to try the different methods we have explained below until you find what works. This website or its authors will not be responsible if you damage your device while trying to acquire root, so, please make sure you understand what you’re doing.
1. Mismatch Firmware Build Number and Boot.img Version
The first and most common reason why a lot of users face the issue of no root access after patching their device boot.img with Magisk is due to mismatched firmware build number and boot.img version. A lot of Android users who encounter this issue are unaware that they need the boot.img of the exact firmware build version on their device. I made this clear when I wrote an article on how to root Tecno Pouvoir 2 in the past.
For the Magisk patch to work correctly, you should use the boot.img of the same firmware build that currently running on your device. You can check your device build number in your device about phone section and search for the particular firmware online. However, if you can’t find your device firmware build, you can as well extract your full firmware from your MediaTek device using the recent article I published — How To Extract Your Stock Firmware from Your Android Device. Guides on how to get the firmware on other SoCs will be published soon.
Once you have the correct boot.img that matches your currents firmware build number, go over the patching process again with Magisk and flash the patched boot.img when it’s done. This is most like the case for many and should fix the no root after you’ve flashed Magisk patch boot.img problem.
2. Use Correct Fastboot Commands to flash Magisk Patched boot.img
Rooting Android devices got more complicated with Android 8.0 when Google first introduced new types of partitions (A-only and A/B partitions). Flashing custom binaries has become even more challenging for some and the reason most likely is because you are using Fastboot commands meant for a single partition device (a-only devices) for a device with a dual partition (a/b devices).
Devices using a/b partitions require that you flash the Magisk patched boot.img on both partitions for it to work properly. You can first confirm the type of partition your device uses with the Treble info app which can be downloaded from the Google Play Store. Once you have confirmed the type of partition your device uses, then, use the Fastboot commands below with respect to your device partition.
For A-only partition
fastboot flash boot magisk_patched.imgFor A/B partition
The OnePlus 7 series requires these commands
fastboot flash boot_a magisk_patched.img
fastboot flash boot_b magisk_patched.imgIf you’ve tried the first and second methods and still have no luck with root access on your device, then try using the last method below. Although the first and second methods will solve most of the issues of no root after flashing Magisk patched boot.img newer Android versions have also made rooting harder so you might have to try it if you’re running the latest version of Android.
3. Use Magisk Canary
As I mentioned above, newer Android versions have also made rooting more challenging. While Magisk has worked pretty fine for many users and older Android versions, the stable build has been reported to cause some issues on Android 11. The workaround for this is the Magisk Canary build (or beta). If after patching your boot.img with the stable Magisk build you don’t have root access, then try again using the Canary build.
Download Magisk Canary build from the link below, install it and use it to patch your device boot.img then flash it via Fastboot.
That’s it on how to fix the root not working issue after flashing the Magisk patched boot.img. If any of the methods explained above has helped you, kindly share the article with your friends using any of the social media buttons below. Also, if you have any queries concerning any of the methods, do let us know in the comments section.
