Samsung's recent launches, such as the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge, come with its KNOX security system, which does not allow the devices to be rooted for installing and running unapproved apps, or access advanced features of such apps. However, a team of developers have now managed to root the new Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge smartphones without triggering the KNOX counter.

Root access serves as a gateway for Android devices and can give users more control over their device, though it is possible that certain features may not work properly. However, some users still try to gain root access since it allows them to receive different modifications and personalize the software as per their own needs. Samsung has tried to prevent modders from hacking into the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge by using an in-house Exynos processor on top of its KNOX protection. Samsung's KNOX protection allows its devices to be used securely for features like mobile payments, though any attempt to root the Galaxy S6 can trip KNOX protection and make the smartphone permanently ineligible for using secure features.

However, an XDA Developers forum member idler1984 has managed to successfully gain root access in the Galaxy S6 using a tool known as PingPong root without triggering Samsung's KNOX protection. Being fairly simple to use, the tool does not require Samsung's ODIN software to flash a custom recovery and also supports several ROM variants. Users who wish to root their Galaxy S6 or Galaxy S6 Edge only have to download, install, and run PingPong Root, which is available from the XDA-developers forum. PingPong Root supports most versions of Samsung's S6 series smartphones including the AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, and Sprint variants, though the developers will be expanding its capabilities to support other devices like the LG G Flex 2 and HTC M9.