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How to install Magisk modules on a rooted Android phone
Finding new modules might look a little different from now on
Magisk is one of the best tools to tap into when customizing any rooted Android device. You install modules that do just about anything you want systemlessly, allowing you to make changes without permanently overwriting your system files. Once you uninstall them, you'll return to stock settings. If you want to take one of the best Android budget phones and tweak it with Magisk, you could customize it to your liking. Specific module-related properties have changed in later versions of Magisk, so we go over everything you need to know in the guide below.
Magisk 26 is leaving Android Lollipop in the rearview
Yet another reminder that you should stop using this 9-year-old Android version
We get a new Android version every year, but in order for the ecosystem to advance, older versions will, eventually, need to be abandoned by developers. Android 4.x is a relic of the past by this point, with almost all developers dropping support for these ancient versions. The same thing is happening to Android 5.0 and 5.1, better known by their iconic dessert name Lollipop. This Android version had many flaws, but it was a massive step forward in many regards, most notably being the very first release using Google's then-new Material Design user experience. The legendary Magisk modding interface is just the latest to drop Lollipop support.
Magisk v25.0 makes big changes to the root software’s foundation
The new beta release also adds support for the Oculus Go and Android 13 GKIs
Root tool Magisk may not be as powerful as it once was ever since Magisk Hide is all but dead, but as long as you don’t rely on apps that you need to hide the rooted status of your Android phone from, it’s still great to get more control over the device you own. And now, the tool has received a big release as part of version 25.0, which comprises a full rewrite of how the software initializes itself during the boot process.
It's been eight months since we last looked at a major update to the popular Android rooting tool Magisk, and a lot's happened since then — like the release of Android 12 back in October. That makes it high time for an update, and on Wednesday developer John Wu (a.k.a. topjohnwu on GitHub) shared some good news for anyone anxiously awaiting root, with the announcement of the public beta for the powerful new Magisk v24.0.
Magisk is one of the best and most powerful modding tools around when you want to take full advantage of your rooted Android phone, but unfortunately, it long lost one of its killer features due to Google ramping up security: MagiskHide. As the name implies, the feature allowed users to hide the fact that their device is rooted from security-focused apps that would otherwise not run on modified phones at all, like banking services. According to Mishaal Rahman, it looks like there might soon be a new workaround for hiding the root status of your phone.
How to take a screenshot in Android when an app doesn't want you to
Second revision: now with more peril!
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Android may be a wide-open world compared to iOS, but there are still some things you just can't do on Google's mobile platform. One of them is capturing screenshots within apps that prohibit the act — either because the screen contains sensitive information or content protected by digital rights management. Lucky, then, that we have a trick up our sleeve called rooting! Yes, even in 2020, it still has utility for the people who need it the most. So, if you'd like to grab a freezeframe to meme up or spoil a drama series or keep some backup passcodes where you can easily pull them out, we've got a way (or three) to do that.
Android modding tool Magisk is alive and well, MagiskHide not so much
Creator John Wu will continue to manage the project
Magisk is one of the most powerful Android mod tools around, and a godsend to users who buy a phone without a strong custom ROM community. But ever since its creator John Wu was hired by Google itself in May, its future has been somewhat fuzzy. Earlier today Wu updated his Medium site for the Magisk project, stating that the open source tool will continue development ... but with some notable changes.
Google hires an Android community rooting guru
Magisk developer John Wu now works for the Android Platform Security team
Magisk developer Hung-Lin "John" Wu (aka topjohnwu at many venues) has just started working for Google — on the Android Platform Security team, no less. For those without the context to pick up on the irony, that means John Wu is now working for the group inside Google that Magisk and SafetyNet-circumventing Magisk Hide have been playing cat and mouse with for the last several years.
Magisk v23 arrives with SafetyNet fixes, but legacy support is dead
No more support for Jelly Bean or KitKat
Magisk is one of the most powerful tools available for Android that can not only root your smartphone but even help it bypass Google's SafetyNet, which stops certain apps like Google Pay from running on modified devices. While the focus of the latest update is fixing bugs, it brings about a couple of notable developments.
Magisk is ending legacy support for some older versions of Android
v22 releases will be the last to support Jelly Bean and KitKat
A couple of months back, the popular root solution Magisk picked up a big update that unified the Magisk Manager app and Magisk itself into a single convenient package in v22, which would be the last version to support Android versions prior to 5.0. Ahead of that change, v22 is getting a minor .1 revision with a handful of fixes and improvements, including a brand new log writer.
New v22.0 update merges Magisk and Magisk Manager app
Samsung's Galaxy S21 series is now supported too
If you've ever rooted your Android phone to modify system components, chances are, you've come across Magisk, which allows for systemless root access. Developer John Wu has constantly updated it to ensure it works just as well and goes undetected by Google's SafetyNet. The tool is now being updated to version 22.0, which introduces support for the Samsung Galaxy S21 series and kills the Magisk Manager as we know it.
Magisk gets its biggest update in months, bringing features like Android 11 support and a brand new UI to stable
Rooters are rejoicing
For advanced Android enthusiasts, Magisk is one of the most popular tools for achieving systemless root access to a device. Since each yearly Android release introduces new underlying code changes, there's usually a lot of work to be done before Magisk can be made compatible. Developer John Wu started with the first canary builds back in April, and now it looks like Magisk version 21 is officially ready for Android 11 — as well as a completely rewritten version of Magisk Manager.
Google's dreaded SafetyNet hardware check has been spotted in the wild
The end of an era — unless a solution is found
If you're part of the root and ROM Android enthusiast crowd, then you probably freaked out a bit back in March when it was revealed Google's SafetyNet check was getting a hardware-backed component with no easy workaround. Now, these changes have been spotted live in the wild, and some phones are already using hardware-backed SafetyNet attestation. Cue "the end is nigh" wailing.
First Magisk canary builds are now available for Android 11
Magisk Hide is functional, too, but SafetyNet changes are still looming on the horizon
It's the same procedure as every year: Google releases new development builds for the latest version of Android, and the developer community begins digging through the code to see how it can achieve root. That's true for this year, as well, as Magisk developer John Wu has published the first canary builds of his systemless root solution for Android 11's developer preview.
Latest SafetyNet improvements threaten to finally kill Magisk Hide
The developer has overcome other big obstacles before, though
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Magisk and Google have been playing a game of cat and mouse for years: Google's SafetyNet technology is supposed to be triggered when it notices a rooted device, but MagiskHide does its best to keep banking apps, Pokémon Go, and other root-despising applications going, no matter what you do with your phone. However, the latest update to SafetyNet, apparently rolling out via the Play Services, seems to put an end to the game permanently. Magisk developer John Wu isn't convinced he'll find a solution that would keep his tool intact once Google fully implements the change.
Magisk, the popular root solution, is testing an updated interface for its Magisk Manager app's latest Canary release. It's a pretty drastic redesign, and developer John Wu is clear that this isn't the final look, but we can expect a focus on "functionality over aesthetics." John Wu has also announced that the developer who did the new redesign will be the "main" maintainer for the app (but presumably not Magisk itself) in the future.
Android root solution Magisk first offered support for Android Q in Beta v19 back in March. Compatibility with the latest version of Android — now known as 10, not Q — has now made its way to the stable release of the utility in version 20.
Along with many other security-related updates, Android Q also changed how system partitions work for the Pixel 3 and 3a to allow the seamless installation of Generic System Images through dynamic system updates and improve general system safety. A side effect of these new logical partitions is a complete shift in the way root access can be enabled. Previously, Magisk developer John Wu stated that this would mean that Android Q couldn't be rooted on newer devices for quite some time going forward. But as always, Wu surpassed himself and announced that he achieved the first working full root on a Pixel 3XL running Android Q Beta 4.
Among Android root and ROM enthusiasts, the name John Wu is well known, being attached to the developer responsible for Magisk. Wu's systemless root solution has had a blistering development pace, repeatedly beating Google when it comes to the cat and mouse game imposed by SafetyNet and other system changes. But today the 23-year-old developer has announced a surprising career move: He's going to be an intern at Apple for the next four months.
Yesterday John Wu, the prolific developer behind the go-to Android root solution Magisk, released the public beta of Magisk version 19. The full changelog is available on XDA, with a more verbose version on the project's Github, but in short, v19 delivers a new module installation method, imageless support for modules, a return of native 64-bit support, a new MagiskHide system, and support for Android Q Beta 1.