How to find out that the Android bootloader is not touched. How to unlock bootloader on Android smartphone. Official way
Articles and Lifehacks
Any complex technology has a kernel and a bootloader. To launch an operating system (OS) on complex equipment, you first need to activate the bootloader, and only then load the OS through it. This bootloader is called Bootloader. Let's look below at what a bootloader is on Android.
What is Bootloader for?
When you turn on your Android smartphone or tablet, you see a splash screen, which you can consider the bootloader.A bootloader is a separate program pre-installed by the manufacturer, usually password-protected by the manufacturer to make changes or replace the bootloader with a custom one.
The bootloader accesses the operating system files and loads them, making the smartphone the way you are used to and want it.
Next, loading occurs as usual: the bootloader launches the system kernel, the system boots, and you work directly in the OS shell.
Unlike a computer bootloader, a smartphone or tablet can only work with one OS at a time. Comparison: you can install both ubuntu and windows on your computer, and then choose in the boot which system you need right now.
Is it possible to change the bootloader, modify it, and most importantly, why and who needs it?
Bootloader and Android: the meaning of customization
As already mentioned, access to the bootloader is almost always prohibited by the manufacturer. Removing the ban and changing it leads to a complete loss of the warranty on the device.The bootloader is changed, for example, to CyanogenMod. What does this give the user? First of all, it is the ability to install customized OS builds and install third-party programs for recovery. The built-in bootloader will only work with the OS installed by the manufacturer. But it happens that the built-in operating system is crude, you don’t like the slow functionality, there is no access to part of the built-in hardware, and the like.
How to access and change the bootloader? Without a computer, a USB cable, and special programs, nothing will work. Each brand, and sometimes each model, has its own way of changing it and flashing it to a custom Android.
When deciding to flash and change the bootloader yourself, check that your Android gadget is fully charged and the cable is not broken. And under no circumstances disconnect the device from the computer until the change process is completed. You can make a preliminary backup, then the likelihood of returning to normal will be much higher.
And as a summary. What is Bootloader on Android OS? This is a special program that starts the device and makes the hardware work with the operating system.
Unlocking the bootloader on your smartphone is the first step to speed it up and install custom firmware. And, contrary to popular belief, this feature is supported on most devices. Below is the official method for unlocking the operating system bootloader.
Not every phone will allow you to do this.
There are two types of phones in this world: Those that allow you to unlock the bootloader and those that do not.
The ability to unlock the bootloader depends on your smartphone manufacturer, model, and even your operator. All Nexus smartphones allow you to unlock the bootloader, and many phones from Motorola and HTC will allow you to unlock the bootloader in the same way as on the Nexus.
Other smartphones, as well as operators, do not provide the ability to unlock the bootloader in an official way. In this case, you will have to wait until the developers find vulnerabilities with which you can get root rights and download custom firmware to your phone. If you have such a smartphone, then, alas, this article will not help you.
The best way to find out which category your smartphone belongs to is to look at a specialized website. If you have an HTC or Motorola smartphone, then you can also check the unlocking capability on the HTC and Motorola websites. If the bootloader of your smartphone cannot be unlocked in the official way, then only the unofficial unlocking or root method, which can usually be found on the XDA Developers forum, will help you.
Step 0: Back up everything you want to keep
Before you begin, it should be noted that this process will erase all of your data. Therefore, if you have any Important files, be it photos, music, videos or anything else, then now is the time to save everything to your computer. In addition, if you have any application settings that you want to save, then use the backup function to create a backup of the settings and save it on your computer too.
Here's another tip: since I know I'll want to root my smartphone, I always unlock the bootloader as soon as I buy a new device. This way I don't waste time customizing the phone to suit myself only to delete all the data after a couple of days.
Once you have saved all your important files, you can begin.
Step 1: Install Android SDK and drivers for your phone
You will need two things for this process: Android Debug Bridge, which is a command line for PC that you can use to communicate with your phone, and a USB driver for your device. If you installed them earlier, then you need to update them to the latest version.
Here are brief installation instructions:
- 1. Go to the Android SDK download page and scroll down to “SDK Tools Only”. Download the ZIP file for your OS and extract the archive.
- 2. Launch SDK Manager and uncheck all items except “Android SDK Platform-tools”. If you are using a Nexus phone, you can also select “Google USB Driver” to download Google drivers.
- 3. After installation is complete, you can close the SDK manager.
- 4. Install USB drivers for your phone. You can find them on the website of the smartphone manufacturer (eg Motorola or HTC)
- 5. Restart your computer if necessary.
Turn on your phone and connect it to your computer using a USB cable. Open the tools folder in your Android SDK installation folder and Shift+Right Click on an empty area. Select “Open a Command Prompt Here” and run the following command:
adb devices
If the serial number appears, then your phone has been detected and you can continue further. Otherwise, make sure you follow all the given steps correctly.
Step 2: Enable USB Debugging
Next, you will need to enable several options on your phone. Go to your phone settings and select "About phone". Scroll down to Build Number and click on this item 7 times. A message should appear indicating that you are logged into developer mode.
Return to the main settings page, you should see a new “For Developers” item. Enable “OEM Unlocking” if this option exists (if it doesn't, don't worry - only some phones have this option).
Then enable “USB Debugging”. Enter a password or PIN if required.
Once you do this, connect your phone to your computer. You will see a window on your phone asking “Do you want to enable USB debugging?” Check the “Always allow this computer” checkbox and click OK.
Step 3: Obtain an unlock key (not for Nexus phones)
If you have a Nexus smartphone, then proceed to the next step.
Go to the smartphone manufacturer's website to obtain an unlock key (for example, for Motorola, open this page or this one for HTC), select your device (if required) and drive or create a new account.
Further in this step there may be differences for different phones, but there should be instructions on the steps on the manufacturer’s website. It will be as follows: first, turn off the phone and boot into fastboot mode. There are different methods on different phones, but most often you need to press and hold the power button and volume down key for 10 seconds. Release the buttons and you should be in fastboot mode (HTC users will have to use the volume down key to get to the Fastboot item and use the power key to select this item).
Connect your phone and PC using a USB cable. Your phone must somehow notify you of the connection. Open the tools folder in your Android SDK installation folder and Shift+Right Click on an empty area. Select “Open a Command Prompt Here” and enter the unlock command provided by the manufacturer (for Motorola this is fastboot oem get_unlock_data command , for HTC fastboot oem get_identifier_token).
Long strings of characters will appear on the command line. Copy these characters and make one line of them without spaces and on the website, paste the resulting text into the appropriate field. If your smartphone can be unlocked, you will receive an email with a key or file, which we will use in the next step. If your device cannot be unlocked, you will also be notified about this. If you still want to go all the way and use the unofficial method, then you will need the developers website.
Step 4: Unlock
Now you are ready to unlock. If your phone is still in fastboot mode, run the command below. If not, then turn off your phone and boot into fastboot mode. There are different methods on different phones, but most often you need to press and hold the power button and volume down key for 10 seconds. Release the buttons and you should be in fastboot mode (HTC users will have to use the volume down key to get to the Fastboot item and use the power key to select this item). Connect your phone and PC with a USB cable.
Open the tools folder in your Android SDK installation folder and Shift+Right Click on an empty area. Select “Open a Command Prompt Here”.
To unlock your device, you will need to run one simple command. For most Nexus devices, this command is:
fastboot oem unlock
If you have a new version of Nexus, for example, Nexus 5X or 6P, then the command will be slightly different:
fastboot flashing unlock
If you do not have a Nexus smartphone, then the manufacturer’s website will indicate the command you need. For Motorola devices, this is the command fastboot oem unlock UNIQUE_KEY, where UNIQUE_KEY is the code sent to you by email. For HTC, this is the command fastboot oem unlocktoken Unlock_code.bin, where Unlock_code.bin is a file received from the HTC manufacturer.
After running the command, the phone may ask if you really want to unlock. use Volume key to confirm.
When unlocking is complete, use the OSD menu to reboot your phone (or run the fastboot reboot command on your computer). If everything is done correctly, then when you boot the phone you will see a message that the bootloader is unlocked, and then the Android OS will load. It is important to boot Android first before doing anything like installing a custom recovery.
Congratulations on being unlocked! For now you won't notice any differences, but now you can install a custom recovery, get root rights or install a custom firmware.
Not everyone has a mobile device in the form of a smartphone or tablet running the series OS Android, knows that in any version of the OS there is such a thing as Bootloader. What it is will now be discussed. Based on an understanding of the very essence of the issue, it will be possible to find out what operations can be performed when unlocking it.
Bootloader: what is it?
Let's start, so to speak, with the basics. Bootloader Android systems is practically no different from what is available on any computer terminal, be it PC or Mac. In simple terms, Bootloader is a built-in operating system boot tool.
If we take as an example computer terminals with several installed operating systems (say, Windows and Linux), the bootloader, after turning on the stationary unit or laptop, offers the user a choice of logging in, and after confirmation loads one or another OS.
OS Boot Principles
Just like in stationary systems, the Bootloader in mobile devices accesses initialization files in the same way as, for example, Windows does when loading parameters from the boot.ini file.
If you pay attention to such data, it is not difficult to conclude that in Android systems you can easily change not only the boot method, but also the loaded OS, either manually or automatically. However, few people know that this tool itself only loads the system that is written for a specific model of smartphone or tablet.
Bootloader: how to unlock and why is it needed?
As for the possibilities that unlocking the bootloader suggests, the matter here is not limited to data recovery.
It is believed that in this case the user gains access to the system core, which is not possible by default. How to describe Bootloader in such a situation? What this is will become clear if you look at the absence of the so-called superuser rights. It turns out that after the blocking is lifted they are not needed at any level at all. Otherwise, you often have to install special firmware and applications. If custom firmware, to put it mildly, is “clumsy”, then the whole system can fail.
Any manufacturer of mobile equipment provides for working with a component such as Bootloader. How to unlock it? This is usually done using special utilities installed on a PC when connected to a mobile device via a USB interface. Please note that superuser rights are not required in this case.
For most devices, including, for example, Sony and HTC gadgets, the use of the utility is implied, and for Sony you will have to additionally use special Sony Fastboot drivers, and even refer to the special Unlocker section on the official website. As you can see, the procedure, although feasible, is quite complicated.
How to unlock Bootloader in more detail
- How to unlock the bootloader - HTC
- How to unlock the bootloader - Nexus
- How to unlock the bootloader - Sony
- How to unlock the bootloader - Xiaomi
- How to unlock the bootloader - Huawei
- How to unlock the bootloader - LG
Data recovery
On the other hand, in its standard mode of operation, restoring Bootloader after resetting the settings to factory settings is quite simple. You don't even need to do this.
You just need to reset the settings on the gadget itself, and after rebooting, the system will offer to choose an option: either use new settings on the device, or restore settings, programs and files using a Google services account. In this case, you will have to enter your Gmail address with a password, and also connect to the Internet, for example, with an active Wi-Fi connection.
Installing another operating system
If we talk about the possibility of installing another OS, this issue is quite complicated, although we can solve it. The fact is that some manufacturers claim that after Android there will be no other system for the gadget. Purely a publicity stunt designed to advertise the installed system.
But the Chinese have already proven with their “left” HTC devices that both Android and Windows Phone can easily coexist on one device. Moreover, such models are supplied in most cases with an already unlocked Bootloader. What is it in this case? This is a tool that allows you not only to select a bootable OS, but also to install any other one by changing parameters at the system level.
In other words, the user can even do without any firmware or additional programs to optimize the operation of the installed operating system. Moreover! This does not even require specialized utilities like optimizers, of which there are so many today that the user himself does not understand what to choose from this huge number of programs and applications.
What should you pay attention to separately?
But when it comes to custom firmware, which have become quite popular among many owners of mobile devices, you need to be very careful with them. Of course, smart firmware or an OS update will not do any harm; on the contrary, it will only improve the operation of the device, but when you install something unofficial and not yet tested (like computer beta versions), expect trouble. Then certainly no bootloader will help.
By the way, few realize that such versions can put too much stress on the hardware components, which, in turn, can lead to their complete inoperability. But changing the processor in the same smartphone is far from the easiest thing.
In addition, unlocking the bootloader in officially released branded gadgets implies automatic loss of warranty and the possibility of free service. So you will have to think a hundred times before performing such actions and operations.
Finally, it remains to add that the issue of installing another OS on an Android device is also, in general, quite controversial. Yes, of course, the system will work, no matter what the manufacturer says. But how it will work is another question, especially since most users usually install some kind of lightweight version that has an unknown source of origin. But in vain. Here, as they say, you can screw up so much that you won’t end up with a sin. And in case of such changes, according to current international standards, the manufacturer itself does not bear any responsibility for the correct operation of the mobile device. Therefore, the decision on expediency must be made by the owner of the gadget himself. But it’s better not to joke with such things.
This article provides step-by-step instructions that will help even an inexperienced user successfully unlock bootloader And install custom recovery Cyanogen Mod.
Your data is subject to deletion. If you need to save important information, we recommend making a backup. You perform all your actions at your own peril and risk. Please note that the author is not responsible for the “bricking” of the user’s smartphone.
Getting ready for installation
1. Download and install drivers. You can do this by following our link below.
2. Unpack the archive anywhere on your hard drive.
3. Turn off the phone.
4. Start the phone in fastboot mode, for which you should press “Volume -”, and while holding it, press “Power”.
5. The PC will display a message indicating that a new device has been found.
6. Go to the device manager (path: Control Panel – System – Device Manager).
7. Find an unknown device, which is usually indicated by a yellow triangle with an exclamation mark.
8. Double click on it.
9. In the window that appears, you need to click: Update driver – Search for drivers on this PC – Select drivers from the list of installed drivers – Install from disk – Select the folder where the drivers were unpacked – Check the “Search in subfolders” checkbox - complete installing drivers.
10. The device is completely ready for further manipulations.
11. Download ADB and Fastboot according to the bitness of the operating system: for x32/86 or x64. Unpack the archive into a folder of your choice. It is necessary that the path does not contain Russian letters (Cyrillic) and numbers. For example, I unpack a folder in d:\ADB.
12. Download custom Recovery: CWM and drop the *.img file into the same folder as ADB.
Bootloader unlock
First you need to unlock Bootloader on your smartphone. For this purpose, you need to connect your smartphone to your PC and put it in fastboot mode. To switch to this mode, you need to turn off the phone and during shutdown, press and hold two buttons: “Volume -” and “Power”. In Fastboot mode, a green robot with an open stomach will appear on the smartphone display.
Next, you have to launch the command line: start – in the “run” line write “cmd” (without quotes) – “cmd.exe” should appear at the top - right-click “cmd.exe” - Run with administrator rights.
After that, we go to the folder in which ADB is located (in my case it is located on the path d:\ADB): first I enter “d” (no need to enter quotes) and press Enter - I enter “cd ADB” and press Enter again. The command line window now looks like this:
To unlock Bootloader you need to enter the following command:
fastboot oem unlock
We accept the unlocking by pressing the “Volume +” button and confirm the action by pressing the “power” button.
So, Bootloader is unlocked. Now we reboot into the system. The smartphone will make the necessary changes, boot up, after which you should carry out the initial setup from Google (I’m missing a lot, since the phone will still be rebuilt). Next – launch fastboot and install custom Recovery.
Now install custom Recovery. To do this, enter the command into the command line
fastboot flash recovery ***
