[Samsung Galaxy Tab A series Guides, News, & Discus] DJBhardwaj:
I recently purchased the Galaxy Tab A7 10.4 (released in 2020) and couldn't help but notice that there's no dedicated thread in the forums for unlocking the bootloader or rooting (Although, the method should be very similar to what is followed for the Tab 10.1 (2019)).

It's been quite some time since I published a tutorial on XDA. So, I decided to put up this comprehensive tutorial, hope it helps everyone who's looking for it. We will take the direct approach of rooting the tab by patching the AP firmware and flashing the patched AP through Odin.

/* I will be using the same images I prepared for the tutorial to be posted on my blog. Sorry that they have been watermarked, that is to prevent scrapers from stealing. It took me enough time to capture them and do some post-processing. */

Before we start, here's the obligatory disclaimer and warning:

Update log

Requirements

Your Galaxy Tab A7 with SM-T500 or SM-T505 model number

A compatible USB-C cable

A Windows computer. (Odin only works on Windows. If you're using Linux or Mac, you could try Heimdall)

Instructions

Step 1: Enable OEM Unlocking

In order to unlock the bootloader, you must first enable the 'OEM Unlocking' toggle. This toggle resides inside the 'Developer options' screen, which is hidden by default on most Android devices.

First, enable 'Developer options' by going to 'Settings' > 'About tablet' > 'Software Information' and repeatedly tap on the 'Build number' section five times. If you have a lock screen security set, you will need to input your PIN/Password/Pattern when prompted.

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Once you do this, you should see a toast notification on the bottom of the screen saying that "Developer mode has been enabled".

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Once that is out of the way, go to 'Settings' > 'Developer options' and turn ON the toggle next to "OEM unlocking". You will instantly be prompted to enter your PIN/Password/Pattern, so do it. Then select "Enable" to allow OEM unlocking.

Note: If the OEM unlocking toggle is grayed out, make sure that you have connected the tablet to the internet first (via WiFi or mobile network, your choice).

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Step 2: Unlock the Bootloader

Start by powering off your tablet completely. Then while holding the Volume Up and Volume Down keys together, connect it to your computer using the USB cable. This should take you to the bootloader screen (I call it that because logically that's what directs you to either Download Mode or Device Unlock Mode). Long-press the Volume Up key to enter the 'Device unlock mode'.

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Your tab should now prompt you with a confirmation screen, so press the Volume Up key to confirm and unlock the bootloader.

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Your Tab A7's bootloader is now unlocked and it should reboot automatically. You should also see a warning message right before the Samsung splash screen, just as shown in the picture below. Don't worry, it's completely normal. And no, there's no way to get rid of it (unless of course, you relock the bootloader).

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The first boot after unlocking the bootloader could take some time (took around 3-4 minutes for me). So be patient.

Now that the bootloader is unlocked, let's verify it. Samsung introduced a new feature known as "VaultKeeper", which will automatically relock the bootloader if you do not perform this step.

After your tab boots, connect it to the internet. Then enable the Developer options as shown in step #1 and go to 'Settings' > 'Developer options'. The OEM unlocking toggle should be greyed out and say that the bootloader is already unlocked. Again, refer to the picture below.

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Step 3: Download the firmware package

With the bootloader properly unlocked, you can begin with the rooting part. As I mentioned, we will be patching the AP firmware file via Magisk App, as instructed by John Wu in his installation guide on Github.

So, you will need to download the firmware package for the software version that's currently installed on your tab. This is very important, do not use an older firmware, as it will result in issues. You could of course use a newer firmware, which will update your tab at the same time as rooting it.

To verify your software version, you can go to 'Settings' > 'About tablet' > 'Software information' and check the "Build number". The latter half of the mentioned build number is your tab's software version, which in my case as shown in the picture below is: T500XXU1ATJ2. So, I will need to download the firmware package for "T500XXU1ATJ2" and in your case you should download the one corresponding to the info you see under 'Build number'.

Where to download? You could use online FW databases like SamMobile, Samfrew, etc. However, I would recommend using Frija or Samloader as they allow you to download the firmware directly from Samsung's Firmware Update Servers and without any speed caps. If you're operating on Windows, use Frija. On macOS/Linux, use Samloader.

Step 4: Extract the AP firmware and transfer it to your Tab A7

Once you have the ZIP package downloaded, you will need to extract it to get The extracted folder should contain the individual firmware files like BL, AP, CP (only for SM-T505 LTE variant), and CSC/HOME_CSC (in .tar.md5 file format).

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The file you'll require is the AP firmware, which in my case is "AP_T500XXU1ATJ2_CL19362637_QB34980135_REV00_user_low_ship_MULTI_CERT_meta_RKEY_OS10.tar.md5". Again, in your case, the filename would be a bit different, but it should follow the same structure.

After extracting the AP firmware, connect your tab to the computer, enable File Transfer (MTP) mode on it, and copy over the AP firmware to your tab's internal storage. Copy it to the root directory, that is, outside all the folders as shown below. The location of the file doesn't matter, you can copy it anywhere, but I prefer this for easier access.

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Step 5: Patch the AP firmware using Magisk App

Now's the time to patch the AP firmware. To do this, download the latest version of the Magisk app from the official Github releases page to your Tab A7. This will be an APK file. Once downloaded, install the APK file using your choice of file manager.

You do not need to change Magisk's update channel to Beta anymore. Starting January 12, Magisk v21.x was pushed to the stable channel (default).

After installing, go to the app drawer and launch the Magisk Manager app. Before you start patching, you would want to change Magisk Manager's update channel to Public Beta. This is because Magisk's latest version (i.e. v21.0) is only available on the beta channel and hasn't been pushed to the stable channel yet (at least at the time of publishing this tutorial).

To do this, press the settings icon on the top-right, tap on "Update channel" and select "Beta". Then go back to the app's main screen. It should refresh and show you the latest version as v21.0.

Press the "Install" button and then "Select and Patch a File" from the list of available methods. This should open the file selector, so navigate to the internal storage and select the AP firmware you transferred during the previous step.

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Once the file is selected, hit "LET'S GO" to start the patching process. This should take a minute or so because the AP firmware is quite a heavy file. Once it is done, the patched AP firmware with the filename "magisk_patched_xxxxx.tar" (where "xxxxx" is an arbitrary code) should be stored inside the "Download" folder of your tab's internal storage.

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Step 6: Flash the Patched AP Firmware using Odin

The last step is to flash the patched AP firmware to your Galaxy Tab A7 and root it. For this, connect your tab to the computer over USB and copy the "magisk_patched.tar" file from the Download folder. Paste this patched AP firmware inside the firmware folder that was extracted during step #5, along with the rest of the firmware files (BL, CSC, etc). Disconnect it from the PC after transferring the file.

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Now, boot your Tab A7 into Download Mode. Power it off, and connect it to the computer over USB while holding the Volume Up and Volume Down keys together. This should bring up the bootloader screen. Simply tap the Volume Up key once to enter Download Mode. Here's what the Download Mode on the Tab A7 looks like.

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Next, download Odin v3.14.1 from this XDA thread (NOT the patched version, but the regular one) and extract the contents of the downloaded ZIP package. Then launch Odin on your computer by double-clicking the "Odin3 v3.14.1.exe" executable and click "Ok" when prompted. You should see the Odin interface on your computer screen now.

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Odin should automatically recognize your tab in Download Mode and display the COM ID on the top-left.

Click the 'Options' tab and uncheck the 'Auto Reboot' option. This will prevent the tablet from being automatically restarted after the flash is complete.

Now, load the firmware files in the respective slots of Odin.

The BL firmware file (BL_T500/5XXXXXXX_xxxxxxxxxxx.tar.md5) goes to the "BL" slot

The CP firmware file (CP_T505XXXXXX_xxxxxxxxxxx.tar.md5) goes to the "CP" slot. Note that the CP firmware only applies to the Tab A7 LTE variant with the SM-T505 model number.

The HOME_CSC firmware file (HOME_CSC_OMC_ODM_T500/5XXXXXXX_xxxxxxxxx.tar.md5) goes to the "CSC" slot. We will not be using the regular CSC, as it will erase all the data. If you want to do that, feel free to use it.

And finally, the patched AP firmware file (magisk_patched.tar) goes to the "AP" slot.

Once the files are loaded in their respective slots, hit the "Start" button to flash them to your tab.

Note: While you could get away with just flashing the patched AP firmware alone, John recommends NOT doing it. Always flash the patched AP along with the rest of the firmware files like BL, CSC, etc.

Wait for the flash to finish. Once it is, you should see the 'PASS!' message in Odin. Like so:

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You can now close the Odin window and disconnect your tab from the computer.

Step 7: Perform a Factory Reset

Once the flash is complete, you will need to manually boot your tablet into the stock recovery mode and do a factory reset. This is only mandatory during the initial rooting process, which is exactly what we are doing here.

To do this, hold the Volume Down and Power keys together for about 7 seconds. As soon as the screen turns off, release the Volume Down key and quickly hold the Volume Up key, while still holding the Power key. Keep holding the keys until you see the stock recovery screen.

You should now see the stock recovery screen with some device information in yellow color at the top. Like so:

Use the Volume keys to move the selector to 'Wipe data/factory reset' and hit the Power key to confirm the selection.

You will now see a confirmation prompt on the screen. Select 'Factory Data Reset' to confirm and finally perform a factory reset.

Once done, select the 'Reboot system now' option from the recovery's main menu. Your Tab A7 should now reboot may be more than once, so be patient.

We're not done yet. After booting, you will need to open the Magisk app from the app drawer and follow the on-screen instructions to replace the Magisk stub with the actual full application, and further complete the required setup when prompted by Magisk app.

Once this is done, your Tab A7 should reboot one last time and should be rooted thereafter.

Your Tab is Rooted!

You may now go ahead and start using root applications, install some modules, etc. Since v20.4, Magisk Hide has been disabled by default on new installations in light of the new hardware-backed SafetyNet attestation. So, to use banking/security, or any other sort of apps that may detect root, you will need to turn ON Magisk Hide from within the Magisk App settings.

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That's all from my side. If you run into any issues, feel free to post. Don't forget to share details like the software version your tab is on, the firmware package you downloaded and used, and of course your tab's complete model number.