How to Root the Sony Xperia Z3

Now that we have talked about the bootloader and the custom recovery, let’s talk about how to root the Sony Xperia Z3. Just like the custom recovery, this will work on every D66XX Z3 variant.

Note:
Since the T-Mobile Z3 has been rooted now, check the bottom of this article for the tutorial.

If you have been following along then you are that much closer to getting your Sony Xperia Z3 rooted. If not, then you will need to visit some of the other articles I have been writing this week. First of all, to root with this method, you will have to unlock the bootloader of your Sony Xperia Z3. Secondly, this root method requires you to install this custom recovery for the Xperia Z3. Once all of that is done, you are finally ready to gain root access to your latest Android smartphone. Just like the other guides, this is going to be another quick and easy walk-through.

Root Xperia Z3

1. Download Chainfire’s SuperSU
2. Move/Copy the Zip File to Your SD Card
3. Reboot into the Custom Recovery
4. Flash SuperSU with the Install Zip Option
5. Reboot

DooMLoRD, the developer that brings us these tools, recommends that you install BusyBox after you gain root access on your Sony Xperia Z3.

So, once you install/flash the SuperSU file in ClockworkMod, you should reboot the device. This will bring you back into your regular Android installation with a new SuperSU application in your App Drawer. From here, you should head on over to the Google Play Store and download BusyBox. Once the BusyBox application is installed, you have to tell the app to install the files where they need to go. This BusyBox application is essentially an installer.

BusyBox is a software application that provides many standard Unix tools, much like the larger (but more capable) GNU Core Utilities. BusyBox is designed to be a small executable for use with the Linux kernel, which makes it ideal for use with embedded devices. It has been self-dubbed “The Swiss Army Knife of Embedded Linux”. A must have for any rooted phone! Almost EVERY rooted applications needs BusyBox to perform their magic, if you have a rooted phone then you need BusyBox.

When you open the BusyBox app for the first time it will do a lot of scanning to make sure everything is possible. Once it has finished scanning you will need to look around the middle of the screen for a drop down menu. Change the directory it will be installed to from /system/bin and to /system/xbin. Once this drop down menu has been changed, look for the Install button at the bottom of the screen. Tap the Install button and let BusyBox do its thing.

You will be told when this installation process is complete. Once it is finished, you will need to reboot your smartphone one last time to complete the installation. As always, if you have any questions about this walk-through then please do not hesitate to leave a comment below.

[Source: XDA-Developers]

Incidentally enough, the T-Mobile Xperia Z3 wasn’t able to be rooted but that has changed today. There are a couple of things that are required before you can do this though. Firstly, you will need to be on the version of Android that was shipped with your device. Assuming you have accepted an OTA update, this means you will have to downgrade before you proceed with this tutorial. You also need to have the Java Development Kit installed on your computer.

• Download Java Development Kit

So you’ll need to click that link, agree to the terms(which is right above the list of downloads) and then download the file for your version of Windows. Unless you have a 10+ old computer, you’re most likely looking to download the “Windows x64” version which is listed(for me) at the very bottom of the first set of downloads. So accept the terms, download the installer file and then install it onto your computer

With that installed, you might find it best to reboot your computer just in case. After all of that has been done then you can start this exploit.

T-Mobile Xperia Z3 Root

1. Download the D6616 Root .zip File
2. Enable Developer Mode on the Xperia Z3
3. Enable USB Debugging on the Xperia Z3
4. Download and Install the Sony USB Drivers
5. Connect the Xperia Z3 to the PC with a Micro USB Cable
6. Extract the .zip File Onto Your Computer
7. Open the Folder Where the .zip File was Extracted to
8. Hold the Shift Button on Your Keyboard Down and Right-Click on an Empty Space in the Folder
9. Left-Click on the ‘Open command window here’ Option
10. Type in the Following into the Command Prompt. . .
11. exploit.bat
12. Then Press ‘Enter’ on the Keyboard
13. Wait Until You See the ‘Success’ Message
14. Type in the Following into the Command Prompt. . .
15. root.bat
16. Then Press ‘Enter’ on the Keyboard
17. Wait Until the Xperia Z3 Reboots
18. Unlock the Xperia Z3, Launch the Google Play Store, Then Install SuperSU if Needed

Explanation

What we’re doing here is exploiting a vulnerability with the launch Xperia Z3 firmware and then rooting it. So you’re going to need to download the zip file linked in the tutorial. The source will be linked below but if the link is dead please let me know by leaving a comment below. Once you have the zip file downloaded, go ahead and extract it into its own folder(on the Desktop or something). Then you’ll want to connect the Xperia Z3 to the computer with a micro USB cable. I haven’t been able to find out if you need USB Debugging enabled, or if you need the USB drivers installed but I’m going to assume that is required. It also won’t hurt anything to go ahead and do those steps either.

Then, you’re going to want to open the folder that holds the files you extracted from the Xperia Z3 zip file(from step 1). Hold the Shift key on your keyboard and then right click on an empty spot within the folder. This will open up a special menu where you can left-click the ‘Open Command Window Here’ option. This will launch a command prompt and automatically change the folder to where you launched it, which is where you need to be. You’ll then want to type in the ‘exploit.bat’ command and press Enter to execute it. Wait while the exploit does its thing and look for the ‘Success’ message.

It will look something like this. Once you see that, you can get ready to execute the other .bat file. So type in the command ‘root.bat’ and then press Enter again. This will use the vulnerability that was just created and root the device. Simply wait until your Xperia Z3 reboots and then you can unlock the device. Just in case this root method doesn’t install SuperSU, it might be best to go to the SuperSU application page in the Google Play Store and install it if needed.

[Source: XDA]