How to Unlock the Bootloader on Your Android Phone
How to Unlock the Bootloader on Your Android Phone GA S REGULAR Menu Lifewire Tech for Humans Newsletter! Search Close GO Mobile Phones > Android
You’ll see a message requesting access on your phone. Check the box to always allow the connection, and confirm. Run the following command to reboot your phone into the bootloader. adb reboot bootloader
Wait for your phone to reboot. You’re now ready to unlock with Fastboot. On newer devices and Google devices, run the following command: fastboot flashing unlock
On devices that require a code—or, possibly, some older devices—run this command: fastboot oem unlock
Omit the code, if you don’t need one. You may be asked to confirm. Do so. After your see a confirmation message that your bootloader is unlocked, you can reboot it with Fastboot. fastboot reboot
As your phone reboots, you’ll probably see a warning that your bootloader is unlocked, and that it isn't secure. Continue booting. Your bootloader is unlocked, and you’re ready to continue on to flashing custom recovery and rooting your device. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire Remotely Reset Android Lock Screen Password and PIN How to Install Magisk and Safely Root Your Android How to Back Up Your Android Phone to a PC How to Unlock a Phone From Any Carrier How to Sideload Android Apps How to Turn Off Android Phone Sensors How to Root Your Android Phone How to Install Android Debug Bridge (ADB) How to Use Lockdown Mode on Any Android Phone How to Install Google Play on Kindle Fire How to Root Kindle Fire How to Set Up a New Android Phone How to Install APK on Android How to Unlock an Amazon Fire Tablet How to Enable USB Debugging Mode on Android What to Consider Before You Buy an Unlocked Smartphone Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies
How to Unlock the Bootloader on Your Android Phone
The Fastboot tool is one easy way to unlock the Android bootloader.
By Nicholas Congleton Nicholas Congleton Writer William Patterson University Nick Congleton has been a tech writer and blogger since 2015. His work has appeared in PCMech, Make Tech Easier, Infosec Institute, and others. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on August 27, 2022 Reviewed by Jessica Kormos Reviewed by Jessica Kormos Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College Jessica Kormos is a writer and editor with 15 years' experience writing articles, copy, and UX content for Tecca.com, Rosenfeld Media, and many others. lifewire's editorial guidelines Tweet Share Email Tweet Share EmailIn This Article
Expand Jump to a Section How to Enable OEM unlocking How to Install Android Tools How to Unlock With FastbootWhat to Know
On Android, go to Settings > About phone > tap Build number seven times.Next, go back to System > select Developer options > toggle on OEM unlocking > toggle on USB debugging.Install latest Android tools, then unlock with Fastboot. This article explains how to unlock the bootloader on an Android phone. Some phones require an additional unlock code from the manufacturer to unlock the bootloader.How to Enable OEM unlocking
Before you can actually unlock your phone, you need to enable the OEM unlocking developer feature in Android. Open the Settings app on your device. Select About phone. Near the bottom of the screen, you see the Build number. Tap it seven times to enable the developer options. You may be prompted to enter your password to continue. Go back and choose System in the Settings app. Locate and select Developer options. Developer options are likely in the Advanced section. Tap the down arrow to open those options. Find the OEM unlocking option, and toggle the switch on. Scroll down and locate USB debugging. Toggle the switch on.How to Install Android Tools
Enabling OEM unlocking only makes it possible to unlock the device. In order to actually unlock it, you’re going to need a couple of Android developer tools from Google. These are freely available, and they’re simple to use.Windows
Download the latest Android tools ZIP for Windows. Unpack the ZIP file into a convenient folder. This is the folder you will run the tools out of, so it should be fairly easy to access. Right-click the folder containing the extracted files. When the menu pops up, select Open command window here.Ubuntu Debian Linux
Open a terminal window. Use ‘sudo’ to get root privileges, and use the following command to install the Android tools. $ sudo apt install android-tools-adb android-tools-fastbootHow to Unlock With Fastboot
You’re ready to unlock your phone’s bootloader with the Fastboot tool that you just downloaded. Before you go any further, you should see if your phone requires a code from the manufacturer to unlock it. Here are the instructions for several major phone manufacturers: LG HTC Motorola Sony Samsung (Only international Samsung phones with an Exynos processor can be unlocked.) Google phones can all be unlocked by default unless you purchased them from a major carrier. Plug your phone into your computer with its USB cable. In the terminal (or Command Prompt), run the following command to connect your phone. adb devicesYou’ll see a message requesting access on your phone. Check the box to always allow the connection, and confirm. Run the following command to reboot your phone into the bootloader. adb reboot bootloader
Wait for your phone to reboot. You’re now ready to unlock with Fastboot. On newer devices and Google devices, run the following command: fastboot flashing unlock
On devices that require a code—or, possibly, some older devices—run this command: fastboot oem unlock
Omit the code, if you don’t need one. You may be asked to confirm. Do so. After your see a confirmation message that your bootloader is unlocked, you can reboot it with Fastboot. fastboot reboot
As your phone reboots, you’ll probably see a warning that your bootloader is unlocked, and that it isn't secure. Continue booting. Your bootloader is unlocked, and you’re ready to continue on to flashing custom recovery and rooting your device. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire Remotely Reset Android Lock Screen Password and PIN How to Install Magisk and Safely Root Your Android How to Back Up Your Android Phone to a PC How to Unlock a Phone From Any Carrier How to Sideload Android Apps How to Turn Off Android Phone Sensors How to Root Your Android Phone How to Install Android Debug Bridge (ADB) How to Use Lockdown Mode on Any Android Phone How to Install Google Play on Kindle Fire How to Root Kindle Fire How to Set Up a New Android Phone How to Install APK on Android How to Unlock an Amazon Fire Tablet How to Enable USB Debugging Mode on Android What to Consider Before You Buy an Unlocked Smartphone Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies