Rooting Galaxy S4 I9500 on stock Android 4.3 XXUEMJ5 Firmware

Galaxy S4 had received the Android 4.3 Jelly Bean OS, the firmware being dubbed as XXUEMJ5. If you had applied the software on your device (OTA or manually, it doesn’t matter) then now, your Samsung Galaxy S4 is running on stock Android Jelly Bean ROM which means that the root access (if it has been previously gained) has been revoked. Therefore, if you want to re-root your phone you will have to use a tutorial suitable with the new XXUEMJ5 firmware. Well, in that case I do recommend you to follow the guidelines from below.
But first, what is root and why you should root your Galaxy S4 in the first place? Root access is for Android what jailbreak is for iOS. More exactly root means unchaining your phone from factory and default restrictions. So, by gaining root access on your Galaxy S4 that runs stock Android 4.3 OS you will be able to remove the restrictions that are preventing you from accessing the OS and the internal system of your device. That’s why, if you are an advanced Android user the root access is not an option for you.
As you can already tell, on a rooted system the fun begins because you can tweak your Galaxy S4. How? Well, first you can install a custom recovery image for replacing the custom one. Then by using the same you can backup the data and the firmware, you can wipe the system, clear the cache, perform maintenance and optimization operations, install .zip files from the SD card and more. Then, of a rooted Galaxy S4 you will be able to apply a custom ROM firmware for improving the speeds and for changing the stock Android looks. Furthermore, you will be able to bump the speeds by overclocking the CPU frequency, improve the performances and also upgrade the battery life.
So, that’s why you should root your Samsung Galaxy S4 on official Android 4.3 JB XXUEMJ5 OS. Do note that this tutorial is suitable only with the mentioned firmware and not with other version of the Android system. The root operation isn’t official and if you mess things up you can even end up in bricking your handset. So, stick to the guidelines from this step by step guide and don’t perform things without consulting my explanations.
Since gaining root access is an unofficial procedure, by applying the same your Galaxy S4 warranty will get lost. You see, each time you perform a custom operation the flash counter of your phone is being increased. The flash counter is something like a factory restriction that is saying if on your device there have been added unofficial operations or not. As you can already tell, for being able to restore the warranty back you will have to reset the binary flash counter. Well, you can do that by revoking the root access or by updating / downgrading your SGS4 to stock / official Android system.
On the present tutorial, for rooting your S4 Odin will be used. Odin is an official program developed and offered by Samsung and used especially for applying official updates on Samsung branded devices. Now, since Odin is official, it is unlikely to lose your data while applying the steps from below. But since you can never be too sure when it comes to your personal data, info and accounts, I do recommend you to back everything that is saved on the internal storage memory of your smartphone. Make sure to save the contacts list, market apps, EFS folder, text messages, personal data and so on – use suitable backup and restore tools from Google Play (don’t worry, the apps are free distributed).
On the other hand for this tutorial the following will be required:

• You need to use a Windows running computer because Odin can be installed only on the same.
• Also, your SGS4 and its USB cord will be used since you will have to connect the handset with the computer.
• You will download the root package manually on your PC; because of that on the computer you should first deactivate the security protection; also temporarily disable the antivirus, antimalware and Firewall protection.
• For being able to properly connect your smartphone with the PC, on the Galaxy S4 the USB debugging option must be enabled; you can do the same by heading to path “settings -> applications -> development”.
• Finally, on your phone you need to check the battery status; it’s important to plug in the charger if there is less than 60% power left. Else you can skip this step.

Good; now remember that this step by step guide is compatible only with the Samsung Galaxy S4 model number I9500 that runs on official Android 4.3 XXUEMJ5 Firmware. Applying this guide on a different phone will probably brick your beloved handset.

How to Root Galaxy S4 I9500 on stock Android 4.3 XXUEMJ5 Firmware

1. On your computer you need to download: Odin, Samsung KIES and the root package (get the root file from here).
2. Up next, on your computer install the Galaxy S4 drivers via Samsung KIES – do that only if the drivers are not already installed.
3. Then, unzip the root package on desktop.
4. Finally, unzip Odin and install the program.
5. Also, in the end run Odin on your computer.
6. Now, turn off your phone.
7. Reboot it in download mode: press and hold power, volume down and home buttons simultaneously.
8. With the S4 booted in download mode and with Odin launched on the PC, take the USB cable and use it for connecting the handset with your PC.
9. Once the connection is established Odin will try to recognize your Galaxy S4.
10. If everything works as expected, on Odin the “added” message will be displayed and the ID:COM section will turn yellow or blue.
11. If not, you will have to close Odin, unplug the USB cable and reflash the SGS4 drivers; then repeat the steps from above.
12. Good; now from Odin select the option named as “PDA”.
13. Pick the root package from desktop.
14. Click on “start” – don’t make any other changes on Odin (re-partition and f.reset time options should be unchecked).
15. Wait until your handset is being rooted.
16. You will be done when the “pass” message will be displayed and when the ID:COM section will turn green.
17. Unplug the USB cord and reboot your smartphone.

Troubleshooting

If Odin gets stuck you need to close the tool on your computer. Then, you have to disconnect your SGS4 from the same by unplugging the USB cord. After that you need to force restart your device and reflash the drivers on the computer. Finally, you need to retry the steps from above.
If your handset gets stuck in a boot loop, you will have to reboot your Galaxy S4 in recovery mode. Then, by using the recovery mode you need to wipe the system. Do the wipe by selecting “wipe data factory reset” and “wipe cache partition”. Return to recovery and select “reboot system now”.
Do note that if the first boot (after gaining root access) will take longer to complete than normally you have nothing to worry about; there is nothing wrong with your phone.
Good job; you have successfully rooted your Samsung Galaxy S4 model number I9500 on stock Android 4.3 Jelly Bean XXUEMJ5 firmware. Now you can flash CWM recovery, install a custom kernel, update with a custom ROM and so on. Do tell us if the root procedure worked for you or not and share your impressions and thoughts with our team by using the comments area from below.