A couple of days ago, owners of the T-Mobile Galaxy S3 were treated to some really good news as the first official Jelly Bean (Android 4.1) update leaked for it, having the firmware version UVDLH3. Now, a rooted version of the same update has come out courtesy of the guys over at the XDA Developer forum, which can be installed by those looking to get root access on the Jelly Bean firmware.

Owners of the international Galaxy S3 can try out the leaked Jelly Bean firmware → here.

Keep in mind that this is a leaked update and is not being officially rolled out by T-Mobile/Samsung, so it may have issues and some things might not work properly. It is not totally stable yet for every day use, so try this out only to get a taste of the official Jelly Bean firmware. If you’re uncomfortable with flashing leaked firmware, it’s best to wait for the official release.

Continue reading to find out how you can install the rooted UVDLH3 Jelly Bean firmware on your T-Mobile Galaxy S3.

Compatibility

This hack and the guide below are compatible only and only with the T-Mobile Galaxy S3, model number T999. It’s not compatible with other US variants or other devices. Check your device’s model number in Settings » About phone.

Warning!

The methods and procedures discussed here are considered risky and you should not attempt anything if you don’t know completely what it is. If any damage occurs to your device, we won’t be held liable.

How to Install Rooted UVDLH3 Jelly Bean Firmware on T-Mobile Galaxy S3

  1. This procedure will wipe all your apps, data and settings (but it will NOT touch your SD cards, so don’t worry about those). Backup your Apps and important data — bookmarks, contacts, SMS, APNs (internet settings), etc. This Android backup guide would help you.
    NOTE: Don’t forget to at least note down your network’s APN settings, which are required to make mobile data work. Go into Settings » More » Mobile Networks, click on the APN that is in use, then note down the setting for each field. While APN settings should be automatically restored from network, you can enter them manually if needed to make mobile data work. You can also find your APN details → here.
  2. Make sure you have ClockworkMod recovery installed on your phone. If not, use this guide to install it.
  3. Download the rooted firmware.
    Download UVDLH3  |  Alternate Link  |  Filename: Deodexed_T999UVDLH3.zip
  4. Copy the downloaded zip file to the internal SD card.
  5. Now, boot into ClockworkMod recovery. To do that, turn off your phone. Then, hold down Volume Up, Home and then the Power buttons together until the screen turns on, then let them go. The phone will boot into ClockworkMod recovery in a few seconds.
    In recovery, use the volume buttons to scroll up/down and the home button to select an option.
  6. Perform a Nandroid Backup of your existing ROM, so that you can always restore it from recovery if something does not work out with this ROM. To perform a backup, select Backup and Restore –> On the next screen, select Backup again. Go back to main recovery menu after backup is complete.
  7. Select wipe data/factory reset, then select Yes on next screen to confirm. Wait a while till the data wipe is complete.
  8. Select install zip from sdcard, then select choose zip from sdcard. Scroll to the Deodexed_T999UVDLH3.zip file on the SD card and select it. Confirm installation by selecting Yes on the next screen.
  9. After the ROM finishes installing, select go back then select reboot system now to reboot the phone into the rooted UVDLH3 Jelly Bean firmware.NOTE: If you want to go back to your previous ROM, boot into recovery (as given in step 5), select backup and restore then restore your previous ROM by selecting it from the list.

Your T-Mobile will now be running the leaked official Jelly Bean firmware, rooted by default. Do let us know how it works for you!

Do try out some custom Jelly Bean ROMs for the T-Mobile Galaxy S3 → here.