Tools

Root method checker

Answer the questions and get the image to patch and the command to flash it. The logic follows Magisk's installation guide and the rules Magisk's own installer uses to pick an image. It runs in your browser on your answers; it doesn't read your phone.

Last updated October 27, 20267 sourcesHow we check pages

Your phone

1. Is it a Samsung Galaxy?

2. What does the Magisk app's home screen show for "Ramdisk"?

On A/B phones it is always Yes.

3. Does your stock firmware contain init_boot.img?

Use the Android version the phone launched with, not the one it runs now.

4. What does adb shell uname -r show? (only matters if the answer to 3 is init_boot)

Result

Choose your answers above.

Commands

How to answer each question

1. Samsung

Samsung phones are patched and flashed differently (a whole AP firmware file, flashed in Download mode), so they get their own result. Check Settings → About phone if you are not sure.

2. Ramdisk

Install the Magisk app on the phone; it doesn't need root to show this. The home screen lists Ramdisk: Yes or No. Magisk's script answers Yes for every A/B phone, and No for older non-A/B phones that use the legacy system-as-root layout, which have no ramdisk in boot.

Where to find Ramdisk

Home

MagiskNot Installed Install

ZygiskDisabled RamdiskYes

App

Latest31.1 (31100)

Installed31.1 (31100)

Packagecom.topjohnwu.magisk

ModulesSuperuserHomeLogsSettings

Ramdisk: Yes means your boot image has a ramdisk: patch init_boot.img or boot.img. No means patch recovery.img instead.
Before you install, the Magisk card says Not Installed. That's expected; the app works without root.

The Magisk app shows the Ramdisk line even before Magisk is installed. Illustration drawn from the Magisk v31.1 app's source code: same labels and layout, simplified look. Not a screenshot; v30.7 looks different.

3. init_boot.img in the firmware

Look inside the firmware package for the exact build you run (where to get it: getting the stock image):

Folder of .img files (fastboot ROMs, Pixel factory images after unzipping the inner image-*.zip): look for init_boot.img.
OTA zip with payload.bin: list the partitions with payload-dumper-go -l payload.bin.
Samsung AP tar: tar -tf AP_*.tar.md5 lists init_boot.img.lz4 if it is there.

AOSP moved the ramdisk into init_boot for phones launching with Android 13. Phones upgraded to Android 13 or later keep their original layout. The Android versions page lists what each version changed.

4. Kernel version

Magisk's installer only uses init_boot when the kernel is newer than Android 12 GKI: some phones have an init_boot partition but still run an Android 12 kernel. Run adb shell uname -r (or see Settings → About phone → Android version → Kernel version on many phones). A release such as 5.10.x-android12-... or anything 5.4 and older means boot.img; 5.15.x-android13-... or 6.1.x-android14-... means init_boot.img.

The rules

The rules the checker follows

Samsung Galaxy?

Yes
Patch the AP tar; tick Recovery Mode if Ramdisk is No
No
Ramdisk in the Magisk app?
- No
  Patch recovery.img with Recovery Mode ticked
- Yes
  Firmware contains init_boot.img?
  - No
    Patch boot.img (vendor_boot.img on a few devices)
  - Yes
    Kernel is Android 12 GKI or older?
    - Yes
      Patch boot.img
    - No
      Patch init_boot.img

Magisk's installation guide (v31.1) and its find_boot_image and check_boot_ramdisk scripts. The kernel rule is the is_gt_gki_13 check in Magisk's source.

If…	Patch	Flash with
Samsung Galaxy	The firmware's `AP_*.tar.md5` (tick "Recovery Mode" if Ramdisk is No)	Download mode, together with `BL`, `CP` and `CSC` (see the Samsung guide)
Ramdisk: No	`recovery.img`, with "Recovery Mode" ticked	`fastboot flash recovery …`
Firmware has `init_boot.img` and a kernel newer than Android 12 GKI	`init_boot.img`	`fastboot flash init_boot …`
No `init_boot.img`, or an Android 12 GKI or older kernel	`boot.img`	`fastboot flash boot …`
Ramdisk lives in `vendor_boot` (a few devices)	`vendor_boot.img`	`fastboot flash vendor_boot …`

Questions people ask

My firmware has both boot.img and init_boot.img. Which one?

That is normal for phones that launched with Android 13 or later: boot holds the kernel and init_boot holds the ramdisk (AOSP). Patch init_boot.img, unless the kernel is Android 12 GKI or older (question 4).

What happens if I patch the wrong image?

Usually the flash works but Magisk never starts and the app shows Not Installed (v31.1) or Installed: N/A (v30.7), or the phone doesn't boot. Flash the stock image back to the same partition and patch the right one. See bootloop after flashing.

The app says Ramdisk: No on my Xiaomi

Magisk's guide notes that some Xiaomi devices accept a boot ramdisk even when the app says No, and the only way to know is to try. Patch boot.img first and keep the stock image ready to flash back.

How do I know my phone uses vendor_boot?

The Magisk app can't tell you; it only applies to a few devices, and their community guides say so. If boot.img has no ramdisk but your device's guide points to vendor_boot, patch that (Magisk v30.3 and later).

Does the Samsung result apply on One UI 8?

No. One UI 8 removed the bootloader unlock option, and US and Canada models can't be unlocked at all, so Magisk can't be installed. See the Samsung guide.

Does A/B matter for the choice?

Only for the Ramdisk answer: Magisk treats every A/B phone as having a boot ramdisk, so the recovery method never applies. When you flash, fastboot writes the active slot. See A/B slots.

Sources

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