So, let's root our Sprint Galaxy S3 SPH-L710 or T-Mobile Galaxy S3 SGH-T999, it only takes about 5 minutes, very safe to do.
Step 1. Hold down Volume Down, Home Center, and Power buttons together for about 20 seconds until your phone resets and shows you an option to get into download mode.
Step 2. Next hit Volume Up button to enter download mode.
Step 3. Once in Download mode, you can connect your micro-USB cable from your Galaxy S3 to your computer.
Step 4. Next, download GalaxyS3RootSprint.zip and unzip, you should find all the files you need.
Download GalaxyS3RootSprint.zip
Step 5. Next, make sure you have drivers installed, you should see "Samsung Mobile USB CDC Composite Device" in Device Manager. ?If you don't, simply download Samsung Kies and install it. ?(Then unplug, plug the micro-USB cable.)
Step 6. Double-click on odin3 v1.85.exe file to start ODIN. ?You should see a yellow highlighted box with a COM number. ?The number doesn't matter just so long as you see a yellow box. ?If you don't see yellow box, your drivers are not installed correctly OR try killing Kies in Task Manager as sometimes it can interfere.
Step 7. Choose "PDA" and choose "clockworkmod.TAR" file in GalaxyS3RootSprint folder. ?Then hit "Start".
Step 8. In about 10 seconds, your phone will reboot and give you ClockworkMod Recovery.
Step 9. You will get a "PASS!" if everything went correctly.
Step 10. Once your Galaxy S3 reboots, copy over the file?CWM-SuperSU-v0.87.zip?from the folder?GalaxyS3RootSprint?to the internal storage or SD card of your phone.
Step 11. Reboot into ClockworkMod Recovery by holding down Volume Up, Center Home, and Power button together for about 10 seconds.
Step 12. Once in ClockworkMod Recovery, choose ?install zip from sdcard?.
Step 13. Next choose ?choose zip from sdcard? or ?choose zip from internal sdcard? depending on where you put the file in Step 6.
Step 14. Choose?CWM-SuperSU-v0.87.zip.
Step 15. Choose ?Yes?.
Step 16. Once it?s done flashing the file?CWM-SuperSU-v0.87.zip (the Superuser zip file), simply reboot and enjoy a fully rooted Galaxy S3.
Step 17. You will find SuperSU app once rebooted.
Step 18. You can now run rooted apps!
FAQ
Q: Does this root method erase my settings and apps?
A: No, it doesn?t touch a thing, very safe to do.
Q: I ended up in Kernel panic mode, what do I do?
A: Relax, that?s same as ODIN download mode, simply run Heimdall again and flash the files again, it will work.
More questions? ?Please leave in the comment section below for help from author and other users.
<h2>More on this Root Method</h2>
This root method simply installs ClockworkMod Recovery to the recovery partition and installs Superuser zip file, very safe to do. ?With Galaxy S2, recovery partition was part of the kernel and was a bit dangerous but with Galaxy S3, Samsung has made recovery parition separate from the kernel, making it much safer just like how Galaxy Nexus works.
Congratulations! ?You've rooted your Galaxy S3! ?That was easy right?
FAQ
Q: Does this root method erase my settings and apps?
A: No, it doesn't touch a thing, very safe to do.
Q: ODIN does not start on my computer, what do I do?
A: Sometimes various Windows programs and drivers interfere with ODIN, try closing/killing any programs before running the program. ?If that does't work, just use another computer.
Q: I ended up in Kernel panic mode, what do I do?
A: Relax, that's same as ODIN download mode, simply run ODIN again and flash the files again, it will work.
Q: Does rooting break my phone in any way?
A: No, this root method actually does not change your Galaxy S3 except install custom recovery and give you root. ?Everything else on your phone will stay the same.
More questions? ?Please leave in the comment section below for help from author and other users.
More on this Root Method
This root method simply installs ClockworkMod Recovery to the recovery partition and installs Superuser zip file, very safe to do. ?With Galaxy S2, recovery partition was part of the kernel and was a bit dangerous but with Galaxy S3, Samsung has made recovery parition separate from the kernel, making it much safer just like how Galaxy Nexus works.
Credits - NoobNL
For detailed step-by-step instructions with photos, see here:
How to Root Sprint/T-Mobile Galaxy S3 [SPH-L710][SGH-T999]! | GalaxyS3Root.com
Step 1. Hold down Volume Down, Home Center, and Power buttons together for about 20 seconds until your phone resets and shows you an option to get into download mode.
Step 2. Next hit Volume Up button to enter download mode.
Step 3. Once in Download mode, you can connect your micro-USB cable from your Galaxy S3 to your computer.
Step 4. Next, download GalaxyS3RootSprint.zip and unzip, you should find all the files you need.
Download GalaxyS3RootSprint.zip
Step 5. Next, make sure you have drivers installed, you should see "Samsung Mobile USB CDC Composite Device" in Device Manager. ?If you don't, simply download Samsung Kies and install it. ?(Then unplug, plug the micro-USB cable.)
Step 6. Double-click on odin3 v1.85.exe file to start ODIN. ?You should see a yellow highlighted box with a COM number. ?The number doesn't matter just so long as you see a yellow box. ?If you don't see yellow box, your drivers are not installed correctly OR try killing Kies in Task Manager as sometimes it can interfere.
Step 7. Choose "PDA" and choose "clockworkmod.TAR" file in GalaxyS3RootSprint folder. ?Then hit "Start".
Step 8. In about 10 seconds, your phone will reboot and give you ClockworkMod Recovery.
Step 9. You will get a "PASS!" if everything went correctly.
Step 10. Once your Galaxy S3 reboots, copy over the file?CWM-SuperSU-v0.87.zip?from the folder?GalaxyS3RootSprint?to the internal storage or SD card of your phone.
Step 11. Reboot into ClockworkMod Recovery by holding down Volume Up, Center Home, and Power button together for about 10 seconds.
Step 12. Once in ClockworkMod Recovery, choose ?install zip from sdcard?.
Step 13. Next choose ?choose zip from sdcard? or ?choose zip from internal sdcard? depending on where you put the file in Step 6.
Step 14. Choose?CWM-SuperSU-v0.87.zip.
Step 15. Choose ?Yes?.
Step 16. Once it?s done flashing the file?CWM-SuperSU-v0.87.zip (the Superuser zip file), simply reboot and enjoy a fully rooted Galaxy S3.
Step 17. You will find SuperSU app once rebooted.
Step 18. You can now run rooted apps!
FAQ
Q: Does this root method erase my settings and apps?
A: No, it doesn?t touch a thing, very safe to do.
Q: I ended up in Kernel panic mode, what do I do?
A: Relax, that?s same as ODIN download mode, simply run Heimdall again and flash the files again, it will work.
More questions? ?Please leave in the comment section below for help from author and other users.
<h2>More on this Root Method</h2>
This root method simply installs ClockworkMod Recovery to the recovery partition and installs Superuser zip file, very safe to do. ?With Galaxy S2, recovery partition was part of the kernel and was a bit dangerous but with Galaxy S3, Samsung has made recovery parition separate from the kernel, making it much safer just like how Galaxy Nexus works.
Congratulations! ?You've rooted your Galaxy S3! ?That was easy right?
FAQ
Q: Does this root method erase my settings and apps?
A: No, it doesn't touch a thing, very safe to do.
Q: ODIN does not start on my computer, what do I do?
A: Sometimes various Windows programs and drivers interfere with ODIN, try closing/killing any programs before running the program. ?If that does't work, just use another computer.
Q: I ended up in Kernel panic mode, what do I do?
A: Relax, that's same as ODIN download mode, simply run ODIN again and flash the files again, it will work.
Q: Does rooting break my phone in any way?
A: No, this root method actually does not change your Galaxy S3 except install custom recovery and give you root. ?Everything else on your phone will stay the same.
More questions? ?Please leave in the comment section below for help from author and other users.
More on this Root Method
This root method simply installs ClockworkMod Recovery to the recovery partition and installs Superuser zip file, very safe to do. ?With Galaxy S2, recovery partition was part of the kernel and was a bit dangerous but with Galaxy S3, Samsung has made recovery parition separate from the kernel, making it much safer just like how Galaxy Nexus works.
Credits - NoobNL
For detailed step-by-step instructions with photos, see here:
How to Root Sprint/T-Mobile Galaxy S3 [SPH-L710][SGH-T999]! | GalaxyS3Root.com