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I'm not tech savvy when it comes to Android and I need some help to root my teen's Motorola Moto E 2015, preferably today.
I need to root it to then disable the guest account, so that when I install the ScreenTime app my son can't bypass it by using the guest account. That's a shortcoming of ScreenTime.
I read a bit about ROMs and would like to use CyanogenMod.
But other than my choice of ROM, I haven't found what I believe to be reliable instructions on what to do now step by step. I really do need idiot-proof step by step instructions.
Is there a super Android geek here who has time to take me through the process or offer advice and links to such sources?
Hello,
Welcome to XDA.
Try the thread linked below, there is a YouTube video in the first post that walks you through rooting your device.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/moto-e-2015/general/root-moto-e-2015-t3086819
If you have further questions about your device, try posting your questions in the forum linked below.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/moto-e-2015/help
The experts there may be able to help. Good luck.
Got this far
Found instructions on CyanogenMod Wiki - wiki.cyanogenmod.org/w/Install_CM_for_surnia[/url
but only got as far as step 5. What terminal on my computer? Command Prompt? I typed adb reboot bootloader into Command Prompt but it said adb command is not recognized.
Unlocking the device
1. Make sure your computer has working fastboot and adb.
2. Enable USB debugging on the device.
3. Enable OEM unlock in the Developer options settings on the device. (Note: Not all devices have this setting, so continue with next step if yours does not.)
4. Connect the device to the computer through USB.
5. From a terminal on a computer, type the following to boot the device into fastboot mode:
adb reboot bootloader
6. Once the device is in fastboot mode, verify your PC sees the device by typing fastboot devices
* If you don't see your device serial number, and instead see "<waiting for device>", fastboot is not configured properly on your machine. See fastboot documentation for more info.
* If you see "no permissions fastboot", try running fastboot as root.
7. From the same terminal, type the following command to obtain your bootloader unlock code:
fastboot oem get_unlock_data
8. Visit the Motorola Bootloader Unlock website and follow the instructions there to obtain your unlock key and unlock your bootloader.
9. If the device doesn't automatically reboot, reboot it from the menu. It should now be unlocked.
10. Since the device resets completely, you will need to re-enable USB debugging on the device to continue.
Installing recovery using fastboot
See All About Recovery Images for more information about custom recoveries and their capabilities.
1. Make sure your computer has working fastboot and adb.
2. Download recovery -- you can directly download a recovery image using the link below, or visit twrp.me to obtain the latest version of TeamWin Recovery Project for your device.
Recovery: Downloadmd5: 5fdfe1871589c0a152f3f7e541b6c892
3. Connect the Moto E 2015 LTE to the computer via USB.
4. Make sure the fastboot binary is in your PATH or that you place the recovery image in the same directory as fastboot.
5. Open a terminal on your PC and reboot the device into fastboot mode by typing
adb reboot bootloaderor by using the hardware key combination for your device while it is powered off.
6. Once the device is in fastboot mode, verify your PC sees the device by typing
fastboot devices
* If you don't see your device serial number, and instead see "<waiting for device>", fastboot is not configured properly on your machine. See fastboot documentation for more info.
* If you see "no permissions fastboot", make sure your UDEV rules are setup correctly.
7. Flash recovery onto your device by entering the following command:
fastboot flash recovery your_recovery_image.imgwhere the latter part is the filename of the recovery image.
8. Once the flash completes successfully, reboot the device into recovery to verify the installation. Boot to recovery instructions: Hold Volume Down & Power simultaneously. On the next screen use Volume Down to scroll to recovery and then use Volume Up to select.
* Note: Some ROMs overwrite recovery at boot time so if you do not plan to immediately boot into recovery to install CyanogenMod, please be aware that this may overwrite your custom recovery with the stock one.
Installing CyanogenMod from recovery
1. Make sure your computer has working adb.
2. Download the CyanogenMod package for your device that you'd like to install to your computer.
Optional: Download 3rd party applications packages, like Google Apps which are necessary to download apps from Google Play.
3. Place the CyanogenMod .zip package, as well as any optional .zip packages, on the root of /sdcard:
* Using adb: adb push filename.zip /sdcard/
Note: You can copy the .zip packages to your device using any method you are familiar with. The adb method is used here because it is universal across all devices and works in both Android and recovery mode. If you are in recovery mode, you may need to ensure /sdcard (sometimes called Internal Storage) is mounted by checking its status in the Mounts menu. If you have booted regularly, USB debugging must be enabled.
4. If you are not already in recovery, boot to recovery mode now.
* Hold Volume Down & Power simultaneously. On the next screen use Volume Down to scroll to recovery and then use Volume Up to select.
5. In Team Win Recovery Project, select menu choices by tapping on the appropriately labelled button.
6. Optional (Recommended): Select the Backup button to create a backup.
7. Select Wipe and then Factory Reset.
8. Select Install (if you're running Cyanogen recovery this is Apply Update).
9. Navigate to /sdcard and select the CyanogenMod .zip package.
10. Follow the on-screen notices to install the package.
11. Optional: Install any additional packages you wish using the same method (if you are installing multiple packages, install CyanogenMod the first and then install any subsequent packages on top of it).
12. Once installation has finished, return to the main menu and select Reboot, then System. The device will now boot into CyanogenMod.
ipzma said:
Found instructions on CyanogenMod Wiki - wiki.cyanogenmod.org/w/Install_CM_for_surnia[/url
but only got as far as step 5. What terminal on my computer? Command Prompt? I typed adb reboot bootloader into Command Prompt but it said adb command is not recognized.
Unlocking the device
1. Make sure your computer has working fastboot and adb.
2. Enable USB debugging on the device.
3. Enable OEM unlock in the Developer options settings on the device. (Note: Not all devices have this setting, so continue with next step if yours does not.)
4. Connect the device to the computer through USB.
5. From a terminal on a computer, type the following to boot the device into fastboot mode:
adb reboot bootloader
6. Once the device is in fastboot mode, verify your PC sees the device by typing fastboot devices
* If you don't see your device serial number, and instead see "", fastboot is not configured properly on your machine. See fastboot documentation for more info.
* If you see "no permissions fastboot", try running fastboot as root.
7. From the same terminal, type the following command to obtain your bootloader unlock code:
fastboot oem get_unlock_data
8. Visit the Motorola Bootloader Unlock website and follow the instructions there to obtain your unlock key and unlock your bootloader.
9. If the device doesn't automatically reboot, reboot it from the menu. It should now be unlocked.
10. Since the device resets completely, you will need to re-enable USB debugging on the device to continue.
Installing recovery using fastboot
See All About Recovery Images for more information about custom recoveries and their capabilities.
1. Make sure your computer has working fastboot and adb.
2. Download recovery -- you can directly download a recovery image using the link below, or visit twrp.me to obtain the latest version of TeamWin Recovery Project for your device.
Recovery: Downloadmd5: 5fdfe1871589c0a152f3f7e541b6c892
3. Connect the Moto E 2015 LTE to the computer via USB.
4. Make sure the fastboot binary is in your PATH or that you place the recovery image in the same directory as fastboot.
5. Open a terminal on your PC and reboot the device into fastboot mode by typing
adb reboot bootloaderor by using the hardware key combination for your device while it is powered off.
6. Once the device is in fastboot mode, verify your PC sees the device by typing
fastboot devices
* If you don't see your device serial number, and instead see "", fastboot is not configured properly on your machine. See fastboot documentation for more info.
* If you see "no permissions fastboot", make sure your UDEV rules are setup correctly.
7. Flash recovery onto your device by entering the following command:
fastboot flash recovery your_recovery_image.imgwhere the latter part is the filename of the recovery image.
8. Once the flash completes successfully, reboot the device into recovery to verify the installation. Boot to recovery instructions: Hold Volume Down & Power simultaneously. On the next screen use Volume Down to scroll to recovery and then use Volume Up to select.
* Note: Some ROMs overwrite recovery at boot time so if you do not plan to immediately boot into recovery to install CyanogenMod, please be aware that this may overwrite your custom recovery with the stock one.
Installing CyanogenMod from recovery
1. Make sure your computer has working adb.
2. Download the CyanogenMod package for your device that you'd like to install to your computer.
Optional: Download 3rd party applications packages, like Google Apps which are necessary to download apps from Google Play.
3. Place the CyanogenMod .zip package, as well as any optional .zip packages, on the root of /sdcard:
* Using adb: adb push filename.zip /sdcard/
Note: You can copy the .zip packages to your device using any method you are familiar with. The adb method is used here because it is universal across all devices and works in both Android and recovery mode. If you are in recovery mode, you may need to ensure /sdcard (sometimes called Internal Storage) is mounted by checking its status in the Mounts menu. If you have booted regularly, USB debugging must be enabled.
4. If you are not already in recovery, boot to recovery mode now.
* Hold Volume Down & Power simultaneously. On the next screen use Volume Down to scroll to recovery and then use Volume Up to select.
5. In Team Win Recovery Project, select menu choices by tapping on the appropriately labelled button.
6. Optional (Recommended): Select the Backup button to create a backup.
7. Select Wipe and then Factory Reset.
8. Select Install (if you're running Cyanogen recovery this is Apply Update).
9. Navigate to /sdcard and select the CyanogenMod .zip package.
10. Follow the on-screen notices to install the package.
11. Optional: Install any additional packages you wish using the same method (if you are installing multiple packages, install CyanogenMod the first and then install any subsequent packages on top of it).
12. Once installation has finished, return to the main menu and select Reboot, then System. The device will now boot into CyanogenMod.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you installed the adb/fastboot program? Do a Google search for adb/fastboot for windows. Then verify that you have your moto E USB drivers downloaded and installed. You should be able to enter adb commands when that is set up. To verify that adb is working and that your device is recognized you type: adb devices
That should give you a set of numbers and letters, if so then your device is recognized, continue with the commands from your guide.
The YouTube video will walk you through step by step with a visual guide instead of trying to make sense of written instructions, just emulate the operators' actions following the video and you can't go wrong.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk
ipzma said:
Found instructions on CyanogenMod Wiki - wiki.cyanogenmod.org/w/Install_CM_for_surnia[/url
but only got as far as step 5. What terminal on my computer? Command Prompt? I typed adb reboot bootloader into Command Prompt but it said adb command is not recognized.
Unlocking the device
1. Make sure your computer has working fastboot and adb.
2. Enable USB debugging on the device.
3. Enable OEM unlock in the Developer options settings on the device. (Note: Not all devices have this setting, so continue with next step if yours does not.)
4. Connect the device to the computer through USB.
5. From a terminal on a computer, type the following to boot the device into fastboot mode:
adb reboot bootloader
6. Once the device is in fastboot mode, verify your PC sees the device by typing fastboot devices
* If you don't see your device serial number, and instead see "<waiting for device>", fastboot is not configured properly on your machine. See fastboot documentation for more info.
* If you see "no permissions fastboot", try running fastboot as root.
7. From the same terminal, type the following command to obtain your bootloader unlock code:
fastboot oem get_unlock_data
8. Visit the Motorola Bootloader Unlock website and follow the instructions there to obtain your unlock key and unlock your bootloader.
9. If the device doesn't automatically reboot, reboot it from the menu. It should now be unlocked.
10. Since the device resets completely, you will need to re-enable USB debugging on the device to continue.
Installing recovery using fastboot
See All About Recovery Images for more information about custom recoveries and their capabilities.
1. Make sure your computer has working fastboot and adb.
2. Download recovery -- you can directly download a recovery image using the link below, or visit twrp.me to obtain the latest version of TeamWin Recovery Project for your device.
Recovery: Downloadmd5: 5fdfe1871589c0a152f3f7e541b6c892
3. Connect the Moto E 2015 LTE to the computer via USB.
4. Make sure the fastboot binary is in your PATH or that you place the recovery image in the same directory as fastboot.
5. Open a terminal on your PC and reboot the device into fastboot mode by typing
adb reboot bootloaderor by using the hardware key combination for your device while it is powered off.
6. Once the device is in fastboot mode, verify your PC sees the device by typing
fastboot devices
* If you don't see your device serial number, and instead see "<waiting for device>", fastboot is not configured properly on your machine. See fastboot documentation for more info.
* If you see "no permissions fastboot", make sure your UDEV rules are setup correctly.
7. Flash recovery onto your device by entering the following command:
fastboot flash recovery your_recovery_image.imgwhere the latter part is the filename of the recovery image.
8. Once the flash completes successfully, reboot the device into recovery to verify the installation. Boot to recovery instructions: Hold Volume Down & Power simultaneously. On the next screen use Volume Down to scroll to recovery and then use Volume Up to select.
* Note: Some ROMs overwrite recovery at boot time so if you do not plan to immediately boot into recovery to install CyanogenMod, please be aware that this may overwrite your custom recovery with the stock one.
Installing CyanogenMod from recovery
1. Make sure your computer has working adb.
2. Download the CyanogenMod package for your device that you'd like to install to your computer.
Optional: Download 3rd party applications packages, like Google Apps which are necessary to download apps from Google Play.
3. Place the CyanogenMod .zip package, as well as any optional .zip packages, on the root of /sdcard:
* Using adb: adb push filename.zip /sdcard/
Note: You can copy the .zip packages to your device using any method you are familiar with. The adb method is used here because it is universal across all devices and works in both Android and recovery mode. If you are in recovery mode, you may need to ensure /sdcard (sometimes called Internal Storage) is mounted by checking its status in the Mounts menu. If you have booted regularly, USB debugging must be enabled.
4. If you are not already in recovery, boot to recovery mode now.
* Hold Volume Down & Power simultaneously. On the next screen use Volume Down to scroll to recovery and then use Volume Up to select.
5. In Team Win Recovery Project, select menu choices by tapping on the appropriately labelled button.
6. Optional (Recommended): Select the Backup button to create a backup.
7. Select Wipe and then Factory Reset.
8. Select Install (if you're running Cyanogen recovery this is Apply Update).
9. Navigate to /sdcard and select the CyanogenMod .zip package.
10. Follow the on-screen notices to install the package.
11. Optional: Install any additional packages you wish using the same method (if you are installing multiple packages, install CyanogenMod the first and then install any subsequent packages on top of it).
12. Once installation has finished, return to the main menu and select Reboot, then System. The device will now boot into CyanogenMod.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, I meant to tell you that the command prompt is where you type your commands.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk
How to unlock bootloader & get root for Lenovo K8 Plus
**********Pre-requirements***********
1. Make sure you have 70% charge or more then that.
2. Follow all steps correctly otherwise you will end up with a bricked phone.
3. I'm not responsible for any damage to your phone.
4. Make sure that you have installed usb drivers.
5. Download ADB & Fastboot Drivers
Steps to Unlock Bootloader
1. First of all, enable the Developer Option
To Enable the Developer Option, Go to your Settings -> About -> Software Information -> More -> Now Tap on the Build Number 7-8 Times until you see a toast message “Developer option enabled"
2. Go back to settings -> Now you need to enable the OEM Unlock by going to Settings -> Developer Option and Enable OEM Unlock and USB Debugging
3. Download and Extract the Downloaded ADB fastboot Zip file on your phone.
4. Now connect your phone to Computer using USB Cable.
When you connect your Phone to Computer, please wait until all the drivers get installed.
5. In your ADB fastboot folder open a command prompt window by pressing Shift Key + Right Mouse Click
Now type the command in your command window
Code:
adb devices
6. If you see a pop up to allow USB Debugging on your phone, Click OK
Now type the command below to reboot your phone to bootloader
Code:
adb reboot bootloader
7. Once your phone reboot into bootloader, make sure your phone shows the bootloader locked and then type the command below to make sure fastboot drivers are installed properly.
Code:
fastboot devices
8. This command will list the connected devices. If your phones serial number shows up you are good to go and may continue. If the phone is NOT listed this indicates that your drivers are not installed correctly. In order for you to continue, you must fix your drivers so that your phone is listed under fastboot devices.
9. If the phone has been recognized by the command above, proceed to unlock the bootloader with the following command:
Code:
Remember that this step will wipe EVERYTHING off the phone
Code:
fastboot oem unlock
10. After the above command has finished executing, run the following
Code:
fastboot reboot
The phone will reboot. Wait until the phone has fully booted up into Android.
Root method
Note:- All credits for it goes to @topjohnwu for his amazing magisk
Requirements:-
1. Make sure you are on latest September patch firmware.
2. Download patched_boot.img created from magisk mangaer.
Instructions:-
1. Connect up your phone then type:-
Code:
adb reboot bootloader
2. Copy patched_boot.img in adb folder.
Now type
Code:
fastboot flash boot patched_boot.img[/url]
3. Open up you device & install magisk manager from [url=https://forum.xda-developers.com/apps/magisk/official-magisk-v7-universal-systemless-t3473445]here[/url]
Voilla you're rooted.
Mod Edit
Duplicate thread is closed
malybru
Senior Moderator
How to unlock bootloader & get root for Lenovo K8 Plus
**********Pre-requirements***********
1. Make sure you have 70% charge or more then that.
2. Follow all steps correctly otherwise you will end up with a bricked phone.
3. I'm not responsible for any damage to your phone.
4. Make sure that you have installed usb drivers.
5. Download ADB & Fastboot Drivers
Steps to Unlock Bootloader
1. First of all, enable the Developer Option
To Enable the Developer Option, Go to your Settings -> About -> Software Information -> More -> Now Tap on the Build Number 7-8 Times until you see a toast message “Developer option enabled"
2. Go back to settings -> Now you need to enable the OEM Unlock by going to Settings -> Developer Option and Enable OEM Unlock and USB Debugging
3. Download and Extract the Downloaded ADB fastboot Zip file on your phone.
4. Now connect your phone to Computer using USB Cable.
When you connect your Phone to Computer, please wait until all the drivers get installed.
5. In your ADB fastboot folder open a command prompt window by pressing Shift Key + Right Mouse Click
Now type the command in your command window
Code:
adb devices
6. If you see a pop up to allow USB Debugging on your phone, Click OK
Now type the command below to reboot your phone to bootloader
Code:
adb reboot bootloader
7. Once your phone reboot into bootloader, make sure your phone shows the bootloader locked and then type the command below to make sure fastboot drivers are installed properly.
Code:
fastboot devices
8. This command will list the connected devices. If your phones serial number shows up you are good to go and may continue. If the phone is NOT listed this indicates that your drivers are not installed correctly. In order for you to continue, you must fix your drivers so that your phone is listed under fastboot devices.
9. If the phone has been recognized by the command above, proceed to unlock the bootloader with the following command:
Code:
Remember that this step will wipe EVERYTHING off the phone
Code:
fastboot oem unlock
10. After the above command has finished executing, run the following
Code:
fastboot reboot
The phone will reboot. Wait until the phone has fully booted up into Android.
Root method
Note:- All credits for it goes to @topjohnwu for his amazing magisk
Requirements:-
1. Make sure you are on latest September patch firmware.
2. Download patched_boot.img created from magisk mangaer.
Instructions:-
1. Connect up your phone then type:-
Code:
adb reboot bootloader
2. Copy patched_boot.img in adb folder.
Now type
Code:
fastboot flash boot patched_boot.img[/url]
3. Open up you device & install magisk manager from [url=https://forum.xda-developers.com/apps/magisk/official-magisk-v7-universal-systemless-t3473445]here[/url]
Voilla you're rooted.
twrp please for lenovo k8 +++++
Mod Edit
Duplicate thread is closed
malybru
Senior Moderator
DISCLAIMER: This is in no way advertising, it is merely providing sources for readers and have no connection with me, the writer. If required the link may and will be removed. I (the writer) have no responsibility no matter what happens to your device.
NOTE: IF YOU WANT TO KEEP YOUR WARRANTY DO NOT DO THIS.
Perquisites:
A Nokia Device - (2, 2.1, 5, 6 , 6.1, 7, 7 Plus, 8) and a data transfer cable
A PC - Linux, Chromebook, Mac, Windows (Any computer that supports Android SDK) - Must have access to command line
Android SDK (See other tutorials on how to install)
Access to Developer Options (About Phone > Tap build number loads of times)
Nokia OST with Patch.
TWRP for your Nokia Version (Look on XDA)
Magisk Manager and Magisk v16+
SafetyPatcher for Magisk by Hackintosh5
An Unlock.bin that can be obtained from here [URL removed]. Note: It costs $5.00 but unfortunately is the only way to get it currently as Nokia is not supporting the unlocking of bootloaders.
Method:
0a. Install OST with the patch
1. Enter Developer Options, and ensure USB Debugging and OEM Unlocking are enabled.
2. After installing ADB and plugging in your phone, make sure your laptop has USB Debugging permissions.
3. Goto the OST LA Directory (DRIVE:\Program Files (x86)\OST LA) and CTRL+Shift+Right Click and open command window here.
4. Ensure your device is recognised by your PC Using "adb devices". If your device is recognised, continue onto 5, if not refer to 4b.
4b. If your device is not recognised, make sure USB Debugging is enabled and re plug in your phone, unlock the phone, and click allow when prompted for USB Debugging permission. To make things easier down the line, if it is your PC tick "Always allow".
5. Enter "adb reboot bootloader" and submit the command.
6. Wait for your device to restart and say download mode in the bottom left corner.
7. Once it has finished loading, enter "fastboot flash unlock path" where path is the path to the unlock.bin file you would have been sent by email after filling in the form. For Example: "fastboot flash unlock C:\Users\XDAForums\Downloads\unlock.bin".
8. Once this finishes, proceed with the command "fastboot oem unlock-go". Follow phone screen instructions, if it just restarts, that is also fine.
9. Your data will be reset so you will have to set the phone up again. Therefore, you will also have to go through the steps of USB Debugging, however, the OEM Unlocking should be greyed out. If it is not, please repeat the steps from 5. Whilst you are doing this, please install Magisk Manager onto your device aswell.
10. Back to your PC, enter "adb reboot bootloader".
11. Once it says download mode, enter "fastboot boot path" where path is the path of the TWRP image.
12. It should boot into TWRP. If it does, your are successful until now.
13. If it asks your to allow modifications, allow it and swipe. Do not reboot the phone yet.
14. Open file explorer in your PC and copy over the TWRP image file and the magisk v16.0+ zip file to the SD CARD of the phone, which can if inserted into the phone can be seen in the file explorer, or one can install it using the pc card reader.
15. In TWRP click Install. And click install image. Select "Select Storage" and choose your SD Card. Find the TWRP image you copied to your SD Card and click on it to install it. (Swipe the bar)
16. Reboot to system.
17. Install the official TWRP App and create a backup of the Recovery Partition.
18. Open Magisk Manager and Tap the "Tap to start safetynet check". If it fails, that is fine.
19. On your phone, open up and download this
. Open up Magisk Manager, goto modules, click the plus and click the safetypatcher.zip you would have just downloaded.
20. Try the safetynet check again, then if it is fine, then not only does it work, you will still be able to use Netflix and Android Pay!
After this, Your HMD Nokia device should be rooted. Should a custom ROM be developed, once can flash it using TWRP!
Has anyone tried this successfully on the Nokia 7 Plus and would I be able to install a Custom ROM through this recovery process if that is even a thing? I sometimes misunderstand the processes and what they are actually accomplishing?
Thank you in advance
Hello,
I'm posting this guide for those (like me) who can't do without TWRP on their device.
I'm providing only a step-by-step explanation. Credits to @nikamura for his kernel and TWRP: https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/twrp-3-4-0-0-for-sunfish-testing.4179101/
Credits to @Zackptg5 for his guide, from which I've started: https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/guide-unlock-root-safetynet-for-pixel-4a.4153773/
Credits to @topjohnwu for Magisk: https://github.com/topjohnwu/Magisk
DISCLAIMER: I don't take any responsibility if your phone explodes or anything... The guide is provided as is.
FIRST STEP: UNLOCKING THE BOOTLOADER
Download USB drivers for your phone here: https://androidfilehost.com/?fid=8889791610682922010
Download SDK Platform-Tools for Windows here: https://developer.android.com/studio/releases/platform-tools
Extract the SDK Platform-Tools to a directory of your choice.
Open your command prompt, change directory to where you extracted the Platform-Tools and type "fastboot". Depending on your Windows setup (I'm a linux guy, so I've used an ancient win8.1 installation in a VM...) you might receive a message of a missing dll (api-ms-win-crt-convert-l1-1-0.dll): if so, download and install the Universal C Runtime from https://support.microsoft.com/en-us...-windows-c0514201-7fe6-95a3-b0a5-287930f3560c
If you try the "fastboot" command once more, it should now work.
On your phone go to system settings -> About phone -> tap on 'Build number' several times until Developer Options is enabled.
Back out into settings and go to System -> Advanced -> Developer Options -> Enable 'OEM Unlocking'.
Switch off the phone.
Boot into fastboot by holding Vol Down + Power.
Plug the phone into a usb port of your pc.
In your command prompt type "fastboot devices". If there is no output, it means you have to install the USB driver. So, open "Device Manager" on your pc, right click on your Pixel 4A (should be on top of the list with a yellow exlamation mark) and update the driver choosing the USB drivers you previously downloaded. In Device Manger you should now read "Android Bootloader Interface", with no exlamation mark.
Now back to the command prompt, "fastboot devices" should now output a string with "fastboot" written next to it.
Now type 'fastboot flashing unlock' -> Follow prompt on the device to unlock the bootloader (note that this will FACTORY RESET the device).
The bootloader is now unlocked! You can now safely reboot (or it reboots on its own, I don't actually remember).
Note that after you unlock the bootloader you will see a reminder for a few seconds every time you reboot, reminding you that the phone is unlocked. That's normal and we have to live with that, as far as I know.
SECOND STEP: USING THE FACTORY IMAGE TO DOWNGRADE TO ANDROID 10
At present, TWRP is not available for Android 11. So we have to downgrade.
Download A10 factory image (version qd4a.200805.003) here: https://dl.google.com/dl/android/aosp/sunfish-qd4a.200805.003-factory-fac7c08d.zip
If you are paranoid like me, check the SHA-256 checksum of the download with some freeware hashing tool. The SHA-256 checksum should be: fac7c08d3d4cb92078fbcdbcc7e80fc4c438612a1a004d3d12814f51928458f3
Extract the files contained in the downloaded archive into the folder where your fastboot.exe is. To be clear, flash-all.bat should be in the same folder as fastboot.exe.
Place your phone in fastboot mode (Vol Down + Power).
Connect your phone to your PC.
In your command prompt type "fastboot devices" to make sure there is proper connection.
Double click "flash-all.bat".
The phone is going to reboot a few times. Just wait patiently until you read "Press any key to exit..." in the command prompt.
You've now downgraded to Android 10!
THIRD STEP: FLASHING A CUSTOM KERNEL AND TWRP
A custom kernel is needed for TWRP to work, because the stock kernel comes with no LZMA support. Just download the kernel provided by the same developer of TWRP (@nikamura): https://drive.google.com/file/d/1nuXc88t0Iokc0ha-AicOtZEUeGCGwQ-R/view?usp=sharing
And download TWRP, obviously: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PZaU9PpYmdcAHlyi0zhNwEGnBsAHDW_E/view?usp=sharing
Place both the kernel and TWRP where your fastboot.exe is.
Note that since you just used the factory image you have to boot Android 10 at least once and run the first boot wizard, before you can flash the kernel and TWRP. Also, turn on "USB debug" in Developer Options (see "FIRST STEP" for how to reach Developer Options).
Now, connect your phone to your PC.
In your command prompt type "adb devices". Follow prompt on your phone to permanently allow the adb connection to your pc.
Type the following commands (without quotes):
"adb reboot bootloader"
"fastboot flash boot TKernel-sunfish_V0.1.img"
"fastboot reboot bootloader"
"fastboot boot sunfish_twrp201017-test5.img"
The phone should now boot into TWRP on-the-fly, but it's not been flashed yet.
Place TWRP file on your phone with the following command:
"adb push sunfish_twrp201017-test5.img /sdcard/"
Now in TWRP go to "Install" > "Install Image" > "sunfish_twrp201017-test5.img" > "Install recovery ramdisk" > Swipe.
Now back to the home of TWRP > "Reboot" > "Recovery".
The phone should now boot into TWRP! And this time it's properly installed (not just sideloaded).
You can now reboot into Android 10.
FOURTH STEP: ROOTING WITH MAGISK
Now, you need to grab your current boot image. To do this, boot into TWRP (Vol UP + Power) > "Backup" > flag only "Boot (64MB)" > "Options" tab > unflag "Enable compression" > "Backup" tab > Swipe.
Reboot to Android 10.
Disable "Automatic System Updates" in Developer Options.
Connect phone to PC.
If you browse your phone, in /sdcard/TWRP/BACKUPS/xxxxxxxx/xxxxxxx/ there will be a file named "boot.emmc.win". That's your boot image and you can rename it "boot.img". It should weigh exactly 64MB.
Download Magisk Manager apk (credits @topjohnwu): https://github.com/topjohnwu/Magisk/releases/download/manager-v8.0.7/MagiskManager-v8.0.7.apk
Copy Magisk Manager apk to your device.
Install Magisk Manager apk.
Open Magisk Manager. My locale is not English, so the following commands might slightly differ from what you will see, but still they should be easy to understand. Select 'Install' (Magisk) -> 'Select and Patch File' -> select your boot.img file -> 'Go!' -> it'll output the patched boot image to your Download folder.
Copy the magisk_patched_xxxxxx.img from Download folder to your pc, where your fastboot.exe is.
In your command prompt type:
"adb reboot bootloader"
"fastboot flash boot magisk_patched_xxxxxx.img"
"fastboot reboot bootloader"
You're now rooted!
Enter recovery to make sure TWRP is still working.
Reboot system.
Check in Magisk Manager the resulting installed version of Magisk is 21.4 (=rooted).
This worked great for me - thank you for the post!
Why would you patch the boot.img via Magisk Manager when you can just flash the Magisk v21.4 zip in TWRP?
I;m still confused AF why you would Patch the Boot.img with a working TWRP.img?
BTW: Are you passing safety net, not that it matters, but i figured i'd would on stock Android 10 at least....
Moto_Fan said:
Why would you patch the boot.img via Magisk Manager when you can just flash the Magisk v21.4 zip in TWRP?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, that should supposedly work the same, although not personally tested.
Moto_Fan said:
I;m still confused AF why you would Patch the Boot.img with a working TWRP.img?
BTW: Are you passing safety net, not that it matters, but i figured i'd would on stock Android 10 at least....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Before flashing TWRP you need custom kernel.
Safetynet is ok, at the moment. Just need to flash this Magisk module: https://github.com/kdrag0n/safetynet-fix/
nor-ric said:
Yes, that should supposedly work the same, although not personally tested.
TESTED AND WORKED PERFECTLY!!!
Before flashing TWRP you need custom kernel.
Safetynet is ok, at the moment. Just need to flash this Magisk module: https://github.com/kdrag0n/safetynet-fix/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea, I already found out about the module, and it did indeed work and passed safety net after cts profile failed.
Now on too Pixel 4a #2 ON android 12 PDP1, too ROOT or NOT to ROOT??? We'll find out soon enough i guess???
nor-ric said:
Hello,
I'm posting this guide for those (like me) who can't do without TWRP on their device.
I'm providing only a step-by-step explanation. Credits to @nikamura for his kernel and TWRP: https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/twrp-3-4-0-0-for-sunfish-testing.4179101/
Credits to @Zackptg5 for his guide, from which I've started: https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/guide-unlock-root-safetynet-for-pixel-4a.4153773/
Credits to @topjohnwu for Magisk: https://github.com/topjohnwu/Magisk
DISCLAIMER: I don't take any responsibility if your phone explodes or anything... The guide is provided as is.
FIRST STEP: UNLOCKING THE BOOTLOADER
Download USB drivers for your phone here: https://androidfilehost.com/?fid=8889791610682922010
Download SDK Platform-Tools for Windows here: https://developer.android.com/studio/releases/platform-tools
Extract the SDK Platform-Tools to a directory of your choice.
Open your command prompt, change directory to where you extracted the Platform-Tools and type "fastboot". Depending on your Windows setup (I'm a linux guy, so I've used an ancient win8.1 installation in a VM...) you might receive a message of a missing dll (api-ms-win-crt-convert-l1-1-0.dll): if so, download and install the Universal C Runtime from https://support.microsoft.com/en-us...-windows-c0514201-7fe6-95a3-b0a5-287930f3560c
If you try the "fastboot" command once more, it should now work.
On your phone go to system settings -> About phone -> tap on 'Build number' several times until Developer Options is enabled.
Back out into settings and go to System -> Advanced -> Developer Options -> Enable 'OEM Unlocking'.
Switch off the phone.
Boot into fastboot by holding Vol Down + Power.
Plug the phone into a usb port of your pc.
In your command prompt type "fastboot devices". If there is no output, it means you have to install the USB driver. So, open "Device Manager" on your pc, right click on your Pixel 4A (should be on top of the list with a yellow exlamation mark) and update the driver choosing the USB drivers you previously downloaded. In Device Manger you should now read "Android Bootloader Interface", with no exlamation mark.
Now back to the command prompt, "fastboot devices" should now output a string with "fastboot" written next to it.
Now type 'fastboot flashing unlock' -> Follow prompt on the device to unlock the bootloader (note that this will FACTORY RESET the device).
The bootloader is now unlocked! You can now safely reboot (or it reboots on its own, I don't actually remember).
Note that after you unlock the bootloader you will see a reminder for a few seconds every time you reboot, reminding you that the phone is unlocked. That's normal and we have to live with that, as far as I know.
SECOND STEP: USING THE FACTORY IMAGE TO DOWNGRADE TO ANDROID 10
At present, TWRP is not available for Android 11. So we have to downgrade.
Download A10 factory image (version qd4a.200805.003) here: https://dl.google.com/dl/android/aosp/sunfish-qd4a.200805.003-factory-fac7c08d.zip
If you are paranoid like me, check the SHA-256 checksum of the download with some freeware hashing tool. The SHA-256 checksum should be: fac7c08d3d4cb92078fbcdbcc7e80fc4c438612a1a004d3d12814f51928458f3
Extract the files contained in the downloaded archive into the folder where your fastboot.exe is. To be clear, flash-all.bat should be in the same folder as fastboot.exe.
Place your phone in fastboot mode (Vol Down + Power).
Connect your phone to your PC.
In your command prompt type "fastboot devices" to make sure there is proper connection.
Double click "flash-all.bat".
The phone is going to reboot a few times. Just wait patiently until you read "Press any key to exit..." in the command prompt.
You've now downgraded to Android 10!
THIRD STEP: FLASHING A CUSTOM KERNEL AND TWRP
A custom kernel is needed for TWRP to work, because the stock kernel comes with no LZMA support. Just download the kernel provided by the same developer of TWRP (@nikamura): https://drive.google.com/file/d/1nuXc88t0Iokc0ha-AicOtZEUeGCGwQ-R/view?usp=sharing
And download TWRP, obviously: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PZaU9PpYmdcAHlyi0zhNwEGnBsAHDW_E/view?usp=sharing
Place both the kernel and TWRP where your fastboot.exe is.
Note that since you just used the factory image you have to boot Android 10 at least once and run the first boot wizard, before you can flash the kernel and TWRP. Also, turn on "USB debug" in Developer Options (see "FIRST STEP" for how to reach Developer Options).
Now, connect your phone to your PC.
In your command prompt type "adb devices". Follow prompt on your phone to permanently allow the adb connection to your pc.
Type the following commands (without quotes):
"adb reboot bootloader"
"fastboot flash boot TKernel-sunfish_V0.1.img"
"fastboot reboot bootloader"
"fastboot boot sunfish_twrp201017-test5.img"
The phone should now boot into TWRP on-the-fly, but it's not been flashed yet.
Place TWRP file on your phone with the following command:
"adb push sunfish_twrp201017-test5.img /sdcard/"
Now in TWRP go to "Install" > "Install Image" > "sunfish_twrp201017-test5.img" > "Install recovery ramdisk" > Swipe.
Now back to the home of TWRP > "Reboot" > "Recovery".
The phone should now boot into TWRP! And this time it's properly installed (not just sideloaded).
You can now reboot into Android 10.
FOURTH STEP: ROOTING WITH MAGISK
Now, you need to grab your current boot image. To do this, boot into TWRP (Vol UP + Power) > "Backup" > flag only "Boot (64MB)" > "Options" tab > unflag "Enable compression" > "Backup" tab > Swipe.
Reboot to Android 10.
Disable "Automatic System Updates" in Developer Options.
Connect phone to PC.
If you browse your phone, in /sdcard/TWRP/BACKUPS/xxxxxxxx/xxxxxxx/ there will be a file named "boot.emmc.win". That's your boot image and you can rename it "boot.img". It should weigh exactly 64MB.
Download Magisk Manager apk (credits @topjohnwu): https://github.com/topjohnwu/Magisk/releases/download/manager-v8.0.7/MagiskManager-v8.0.7.apk
Copy Magisk Manager apk to your device.
Install Magisk Manager apk.
Open Magisk Manager. My locale is not English, so the following commands might slightly differ from what you will see, but still they should be easy to understand. Select 'Install' (Magisk) -> 'Select and Patch File' -> select your boot.img file -> 'Go!' -> it'll output the patched boot image to your Download folder.
Copy the magisk_patched_xxxxxx.img from Download folder to your pc, where your fastboot.exe is.
In your command prompt type:
"adb reboot bootloader"
"fastboot flash boot magisk_patched_xxxxxx.img"
"fastboot reboot bootloader"
You're now rooted!
Enter recovery to make sure TWRP is still working.
Reboot system.
Check in Magisk Manager the resulting installed version of Magisk is 21.4 (=rooted).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Would like to go this route for reasons you have stated above. Have a few questions:
1: If you use normally use Linux why did you use a Windows VM rather than simply do all operations in a Linux terminal?
2: After the above transition will SU required programs such as Titanium Backup and Adaway install and function as they have in the past? I had previously rooted current P4a and neither of the above programs would install?????
3: Will SuperSuperuser be installed under this environment?
I have rooted several devices in the past using varied methods and things seem to have changed drastically since my previous Nexus 6p
Thanks
CarlInMO said:
2: After the above transition will SU required programs such as Titanium Backup and Adaway install and function as they have in the past? I had previously rooted current P4a and neither of the above programs would install?????
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did the above steps and titanium backup, root explorer and other root apps work great.
CarlInMO said:
3: Will SuperSuperuser be installed under this environment?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You will NOT use a separate SU app - Magisk has a built-in SU interface that will pop-up and grant SU permission when an app asks for it - just like the old SU app used to do.
JohnC said:
I did the above steps and titanium backup, root explorer and other root apps work great.
You will NOT use a separate SU app - Magisk has a built-in SU interface that will pop-up and grant SU permission when an app asks for it - just like the old SU app used to do.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the quick response, again!!! I like this phone but it looks at this point as if it has a rather small following here. Are you using the stock build or have you moved on to a custom ROM?
CarlInMO said:
Thanks for the quick response, again!!! I like this phone but it looks at this point as if it has a rather small following here. Are you using the stock build or have you moved on to a custom ROM?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Using stock android 10 image from google because TWRP and Edxposed are stable with android 10, not 11.
And what happens to root & TWRP after upgrade back to Android 11. I assume installed apps continue to operate OK
TWRP has now been modded and is working with A11! Details in the TWRP thread!