How to root an Android Virtual Device

Prerequisites

• Android Studio installed
• AVD (Android Emulator) created
• Prefer API 33 (Android 13) with Google APIs (NOT Play Store)
• ADB working (adb devices should show emulator)

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Clone rootAVD

git clone https://gitlab.com/newbit/rootAVD.git
cd rootAVD

2. Setup Android SDK Path

export ANDROID_HOME=~/Library/Android/sdk
export PATH=$ANDROID_HOME/platform-tools:$PATH

Verify:

adb devices

3. Start Emulator

Start from Android Studio or CLI:

emulator -avd AVD_NAME

Wait until fully booted.

4. Ensure Only Emulator Connected

adb devices

If other devices exist:

adb disconnect

5. Add Latest Magisk

• Download latest Magisk APK: https://github.com/topjohnwu/Magisk
• Rename to:

  Magisk.zip
  

• Place inside rootAVD folder

6. Run rootAVD Script

./rootAVD.sh system-images/android-33/google_apis/arm64-v8a/ramdisk.img

7. Emulator Crash / Not Starting Fix

Kill stuck process:

killall -9 emulator
killall -9 adb
adb kill-server
adb start-server

Start clean:

emulator -avd AVD_NAME -wipe-data -no-snapshot

Important Tips

• Disable Snapshot / Quick Boot
• Always use Cold Boot
• API 33 is most stable for rootAVD
• Use arm64-v8a for Apple Silicon

Done!

Your emulator should now be rooted with Magisk.

You can verify:

adb shell su

Enable ADB Root Access (Important)

After setup, you may see:

su → Permission denied

or a toast:

“Shell was denied Superuser rights”

Fix:

1. Open Magisk app inside emulator
2. Go to Superuser
3. Find:

   Shell (com.android.shell)
   

4. Change permission to:

   Allow / Grant
   

Alternative Quick Trigger

adb shell su -c id

Then tap Allow in Magisk popup

Recommended Setting

Magisk → Settings:

Superuser Access → Apps and ADB

Verify Root

adb shell
su
whoami

Expected:

root