Square says my Android device is rooted BUT its not!

[ConnectMe]

Square you need to allow all android devices that are not rooted which mine is not to have access to the contactless chip reader, I cant connect, 2 months old from the OPTUS store, i've checked the rooting of the device and it comes up with no root. 

You need to upgrade the software please because i'm not the only one getting this message out there. 

[Seamus · Accepted solution]

Hey there,

Thank you for your message! 

The message that you're seeing saying your device is rooted may be related to Developer Options being enabled on your phone. Apps to check the rooting of a mobile device also need to be uninstalled from your mobile device before you can connect a Square Reader.

If you've already disabled developer options, restart your phone, and have another go. I would also recommend checking your phone's compatibility on our page!

We are always working towards having more Android compatibility, but sometimes a mobile device does not meet all the security requirements to support card processing, and we need to be mindful of our customers' private card information being processed securely.

Cheers!

[debanne]

how do i unroot my samsung s8+ so i can use square card reader

[Arie]

Hi @debanne,

I've merged your post to this thread, where we share some suggestions for fixing the rooted error message on your phone. Please let us know how you go with these troubleshooting tips!

PS. I noticed it's your first post, welcome to our community 👋 

[SeanoDriving]

I finally fixed my issue on a Xiaomi Note 10 Pro by enabling developer options, then switching on USB debugging and Instal via USB. After these steps, disable developer options. The reader then connected (without rebooting or doing anything else).

[Warinayn]

Where do you enable developer options etc?

[SeanoDriving]

Developer Options is disabled by default. To enable it, go to settings then keep clicking on MIUI version approx 8 times. A message will pop up on the screen saying you are about to become a developer. After it's enabled, go back to settings then search for 'developer options' as it's still hidden from the menu. Click on it and then continue with the steps in my previous post.

[SeanoDriving]

Well so much for that - it has stopped working again after a reboot. This is a huge PITA.

It seems to work OK on my older Redmi Note 9. I'm wondering if the latest MIUI update caused this.

Can anyone confirm if they are using MIUI 13.0.15 with Square Reader? Would be helpful to know.

Thanks

[ToriYamazaki]

Same here now.  S22 Ultra, was working fine.  Then the square software updated the reader device. 

Now it won't connect and says my device is rooted which it's not.

Edit: I don't know how, but now my situation changed - now square works with the reader, but the app reports "press button on reader to reconnect".

[Samantha5]

I have had the same problem arise; contactless chip reader connecting fine for over 12 months then suddenly not connecting and an error message saying that my device is rooted and unsupported. My phone (android) is definitely not rooted, the developer options are not enabled, I have uninstalled and reinstalled the square POS app, I have factory reset the reader and even purchased a new one as recommended by a square support member but the new reader still won't connect to my phone. Has anyone experienced this problem and found a solution?

[Laurie_ · Accepted solution]

Hi @Samantha5,

Sorry to hear you're having trouble with your Android device. I've experienced this issue myself on a Google Pixel, and it appears to randomly impact some Android users.

The solution that has worked for me is to enable Developer Options and then disable them. This acts as a system reset and often resolves the issue. I've mentioned this advice in the thread before, but it might have been overlooked. To make it easier to find, I'll share a clearer version here as a quick reference. Give it a try and see if it helps! 🙂

Please follow the steps below:

1. Navigate to Settings > Developer Options on your device.
2. Toggle Developer Options off.

If you can’t see the Developer Options menu:

1. Tap About Device.
2. Tap Build Number 7 times.
3. You will see a prompt on the screen indicating developer options are enabled.
4. Tap the back arrow to navigate back to Settings.
5. Tap Developer Options.
6. Toggle Developer Options off.

This will disable Developer Options on your device. Please open the Square Point of Sale app and try to connect your reader again.

If the reader still does not pair, please try the following steps:

1. Go to Settings on your device.
2. Tap on More Settings.
3. Disable the button ‘Allow Hisuite to use HDB’.

[Annemaree]

My samsung s24 ultra won't pair, I've tried the trouble shooting by turning off the developer function but still saying it is rooted.

[Annemaree]

Never mind, sorted now, sorry

[Katie_SQ]

Thank you for letting us know, @Annemaree! Glad to hear this issue is resolved for you.

If you have any other questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out. 😊

I’ve gone ahead and merged your post to an existing thread where other Square Sellers have discussed this topic. We merge duplicate conversations together to keep like comments in one place, and to make it easier for others to find the thread in the future.