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Magisk is the latest and hottest custom mod available for Android devices. While Magisk is fundamentally different from Xposed, the end result is the same: plenty of customization options using modules developed by third-party developers.
Magisk has soared in popularity and it can be argued that at this point, it is more popular than Xposed framework with more customization modules being available for it.
The Story behind Magisk for Android
Ironically, Magisk was not developed as a Xposed alternative at first. Instead, the developer of Magisk, topjohnwu, took inspiration from Chainfire’s Marshmallow Systemless SuperSU to create a systemless version of Xposed that could be installed on a device without modifying its system partition. However, Systemless Xposed required third-party module developers to make modifications to their modules to be compatible with it. This led to Magisk developer being spammed with requests from developers to make some changes to Systemless Xposed as many mods required some low-level modifications in the systemless approach itself.
Since this was not possible, developer topjohnwu developed a Systemless Interface that allowed developers to easily create systemless mods. Coupled with Chainfire’s supolicy and a few other mods and tools, Magisk was ultimately born.
What is Magisk for Android?
While Magisk was initially born as Systemless Xposed, it ended up also acting as a replacement to SuperSu. Considering SuperSu is no longer being actively developed and was sold off by Chainfire to a Chinese company, Magisk for Android came in at the right time. And since its open source, the developer community has more faith in it.
Magisk for Android gained popularity as it allowed for a way to bypass SafetyNet check thereby allowing users to enjoy root access on their device while still being able to use Android Pay and other apps. This was also the reason behind its popularity when Pokemon GO was released as it allowed hundreds of people to bypass the SafetyNet check on their rooted device while still being able to play the game.
Magisk is not a proper Xposed framework replacement but you will find plenty of third-party modules for it that achieve the same result. However, Xposed modules still offer a greater level of customization than Magisk does and both of them are fundamentally different from each other.
What Makes Magisk for Android So Popular?
Quite a lot of things. The first one is that it can be used to hide root access to apps that make use of SafetyNet to check if a device is rooted or not. Apps like Android Pay and Netflix don’t work on rooted devices as they fail the SafetyNet check. Using Magisk though, you can have root access on your device while also being able to use these devices.
Another reason behind the popularity of Magisk is that since it has a systemless approach i.e. it does not modify the system partition, it is technically possible for one to receive and directly install OTA updates on their device.
Magisk Manager
To control the various aspects of Magisk and to install new modules, you need to use Magisk Manager. As the name suggests, the app is a manager for all the functionality offered by Magisk. This includes being able to update Magisk to the latest release, install new modules, uninstall existing ones, and more.
Are Magisk and Xposed Framework Compatible with Each Other?
Yes, Magisk and Xposed framework are compatible with each other. This means that you can have both installed on your device along with their respective modules. It is recommended that you first install Magisk on your device followed by Xposed. However, installing Xposed can lead to the Magisk Hide functionality being affected.
Download Magisk for Android
Unlike Xposed which had a different build for every version of Android it was compatible with, there is only one zip of Magisk that works with all recent Android releases — right from Marshmallow to Android 8.1 Oreo. Since Magisk for Android is updated regularly, we will be updating the download link frequently and also post a changelog of the last few releases.
➤ Download: Magisk for Android (v15.3)
Change-log
- v15.3
– [Daemon] Fix the bug that only one script would be executed in post-fs-data.d/service.d
– [Daemon] Add MS_SILENT flag when mounting, should fix some devices that cannot mount magisk.img
– [MagiskBoot] Fix potential segmentation fault when patching ramdisk, should fix some installation failures
In case you want to uninstall Magisk from your Android device, you will have to use the uninstaller zip file linked below.
➤ Download: Magisk Uninstaller
Download Magisk Manager for Android
Along with Magisk, you will also need the Magisk Manager app. It is used to update Magisk, install new modules, and control other aspects of it. While an app, Magisk Manager for Android is not available for download on the Play Store. You might find an app with an icon similar to Magisk but that is a malware and you should avoid installing it or any other such app. Instead, the APK of the official Magisk Manager app is only available for download through its thread over at XDA forums. We have also directly linked to the APK below for you to download.
Again, do not download and install the Magisk Manager APK from anywhere else. The APK might be modified to steal your data silently.
➤ Download: Magisk Manager (v5.5.5)
How To Install Magisk
Pre-requisites
- Always create a backup of all the important data on your device before you proceed with the steps mentioned below.
- If your device is rooted, I will recommend you to install Magisk using the Magisk Manager app.
- If you use a custom kernel, make sure to install it after installing Magisk.
- You can also install Magisk on a non-rooted Android device but the process is more complicated and requires that you have the ability to flash a patched boot image on your device. This means that if you own a Pixel, OnePlus 3/5 or any other similar device, you will have to unlock its bootloader first.
- You will also need access to the stock boot image file of your Android device if you plan on installing Magisk on an unrooted Android device.
How To Install Magisk on Rooted Android Device with TWRP Recovery
Step 1: Download the latest version of Magisk for Android from here. Transfer the zip file to the internal storage of your Android device.
Step 2: Reboot your Android device into recovery mode. From there, tap Install and select the Magisk zip file. Swipe the arrow at the bottom to the right to confirm your selection. Once installed, reboot your device back into Android.
You can confirm that Magisk is installed on your device or not through the Magisk Manager app which should have been automatically installed on your device.
How To Install Magisk on Rooted Android Device Using Magisk Manager
If your Android device is already rooted, you can use the Magisk Manager app to install Magisk on it.
Step 1: Download the Magisk Manager app from here. Open the app and proceed to grant it with root permission.
Step 2: After giving other necessary permissions to the app, tap the Install button. After downloading the latest Magisk version, you will be asked to select the installation method. Select Direct Install and then wait for a few seconds. Once Magisk is installed, your Android device should automatically reboot itself.
How To Install Magisk on Non-Rooted Android Device Using Patched Boot Image
This method requires you to have access to the stock boot image of your Android device. Make sure to transfer it to the internal storage of your device before following the steps below.
Step 1: Install the Magisk Manager app on your Android device. You can download the app from here.
Step 2: Tap Install and then select the Patch Boot Image File installation method. Then point the Magisk Manager app to the stock boot image of your Android device. The patched boot image file will be stored in the Magisk Manager folder of the internal storage of your device.
If you own a Samsung device, you will have to flash the patched boot image using ODIN. For that, you will first have to go to Magisk Manager settings -> Update Settings and select .img.tar from under the Patched Boot Output Format.
Step 3: Transfer the patched boot image to your PC and then proceed to flash it using fastboot or ODIN on your device. For fastboot, you will have to use the following command:
fastboot flash boot /path/to/patched_boot.img
Once flashed, reboot your Android device back into Android. The first boot can take some time so don’t panic.
Magisk is bound to become even more popular in the coming days and months thanks to the sheer number of modules that are being developed for it.
