Reload: Android 7.0 Nougat – Root – Pokemon Go

Ok, it turned out that a combinations of updates has broken my previous guide on playing Pokemon GO on a rooted Android device. What has happened that the October security update of the Android Nougat has changed the SecurityNet that is used for checking for rooted devices, and at the same time the Magisk rooting system as catapulted itself (hopefully temporarily) into the complete irrelevance by removing the working version and providing an “improved” version that does neither have SuperSU installed, nor the ability to hide root – well done, congratulations.

But there is a way around, and I am now back at the latest security patch level, rooted, and playing Pokemon GO (not very often, no time, though!).

My previous guide used Magisk Version 6 to root and hide root. But the recent security updated of Andorid Nougat (October 2016) has rendered Magisk-v6 non-working. I first thought that Magisk-v7 could solve the problem, but I was badly disappointed: After reflashing my device to pristine state, installing Magisk-v7, I suddenly was left with: no SuperSU (that means, X-plore, Titanium Backup etc do not work anymore), nor the ability to hide root for Pokemon Go or banking apps. Great update.

Thus, I have decided to remove Magisk completely and make a clean start with SuperSU and suhide (and a GUI for suhide). And it turned out to be more convenient and more standard than Magisk, may it rest in peace (until they fix their stuff together).

In the following I assume you have a clean slate Android Nougat device, if not, please see one of the previous guides for hints how to flash back without loosing your user data.

Ingredients

One need the following few items:

• AutoCF root: If you are not rooted at the moment, this is the best method. For my Nexus 6p I used CF-Auto-Root-angler-angler-nexus6p.zip
• SuperSU: At the moment you need at least v2.78 SR1 from this thread, at the time of writing one can get SR1-SuperSU-v2.78-SR1-20160915123031.zip
• suhide: And improved method of hiding root that works also with the current October security patches. Furthermore, it makes hiding of root application specific. Current version is suhide-v0.54.zip
• suhide GUI: For your convenience, this app can be installed from the Google app store, link.

Rooting

Unzip the CF-Auto-Root-angler-angler-nexus6p.zip and either use the included programs (root-linux.sh, root-mac.sh, root-windows.bat) to root your device, or simply connect your device to your computer, and run (assuming you have adb and fastboot installed):

adb reboot bootloader
sleep 10
fastboot boot image/CF-Auto-Root-angler-angler-nexus6p.img

After that your device will reboot a few times, and you will finally land in your normal Android screen and a new program SuperSU will be available. At this stage you will not be able to play Pokemon GO anymore.

Updating SuperSU

The version of SuperSU packaged with the CF-AutoRoot is unfortunately too old, so one needs to update using the zip file SR1-SuperSU-v2.78-SR1-20160915123031.zip (or later). Here are two options: Either you use TWRP recovery system, or you install FlashFire (main page, app store page) which allows you to flash zip/ota directly from your Android screen. This time I used for the first time the FlashFire method, and it worked without any problem.

Just press the “+” button in FlashFire, than the “Flash zip/ota” button, select the SR1-SuperSU-v2.78-SR1-20160915123031.zip, click two times yes, and then wait a bit and a few black screens (don’t do anything!) later you will be back in your Nougat environment. Opening the SuperSU app should show you on the Settings tag that the version has been updated to 2.78-SR1.

Installing suhide

As with the update of SuperSU, install the suhide zip file, smae procedure, nothing special.

After this you will be able to add an application (like Pokemon GO) from the command line (shell), but this is not very convenient. Better is to install the suhide GUI from the app store, start it, scroll for Pokemnon GO, add a tick, and you are settled.

After that you are free to play Pokemon GO again. At least until the next security update brings again problems. In the long run this is a loosing game, anyway. Enjoy it while you can.