Everything Huawei Y550 - Root/CWM/TWRP - Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

I just got this Huawei HUAWEI Y550-L01 for a great price and it's a massive improvement on my G300 (which actually cost me about double what I paid for the Y550 a couple of years ago!)
There doesn't seem to be any custom ROMs available for it yet but I was wondering if it's possible to just root it, as there's quite a few apps I like to use that require root?
I've e-mailed Huawei and they've sent me my bootloader unlock code but unless I can root it, there's probably not much point doing that at the moment.

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Thread Index
Rooting, CWM & TWRP Instructions LINK
Latest TWRP
TWRP 2.8.7.0 21/8/15 - CM12 compatible
2.8.7.0 Final 25/1/16
Older TWRP TWRP 2.8.4.1 31/1/14 - CM11 compatible
Latest CWM 9/12/14
Latest Superuser 9/12/14
Latest Slim SDK 9/12/14
Stock Rom Recovery Link (Install through fastboot - fastboot flash recovery recovery_y550.img)
Updated LInk Here
Latest Y550 (L01) Stock Rom
5/11/14 Western Europe
16/1/2015 Eastern Europe & Scandinavia
Normal upgrade/reinstall using in built updater Link
Forced upgrade/reinstall procedure Link
Upgrade/Reinstall using Fastboot Link
Google Stock Apps Link
All Huawei y550 related apps and files (thanks to klaidone) Link
Alternate unlock code methods Link Link
And another Link
L02 Files
All At this URL
Files:
Update.zip - the latest OTA update for L02 Region Phones - Applied using inbuilt updater
Y550-L02 Stock - CWM backup of the original L02 Stock Rom Link
Y550-L02 (Build 346) - CWM Backup of the most up to date L02 Rom Link
Credits to Happychappy on the Whirpool Forum
Y550 (Prob L02) TWRP Stock Backup
Faq/Tips
Will the L01 rooting method work on my L02 Yes
Can I change the Boot Animation? Link (And the following post)
Can I use L01 firmware on my L02? Link
Can I change the status bar and carrier logo? Link
Does Exposed framework work on this phone? Link
How do i remove the Kitkat write restrictions? Link
Roms from HB72K
Stable and suitable for everyday use. More information, install instructions, root etc from user @HB72K in This post
AOSP Based Roms
Carbon Rom from Hb72k Link & Install instructions - Known Bugs: Phone only rings once then mutes
Stock Based Roms
Y550 Stock Rom by Hb72k Link
Y550 Stock Lite by Hb72k Link
Y550 Stock (Gstock 2) by Hb72k Link
Y550 Stock (Gamer 2) by Hb72k Link
MIUI Based Roms
MIUI 7 by Hb72k Link
MIUI 6 by Hb72k Link
CM Roms
CM11 - Final XDA Build by Hb72k link
Hecaex Build - 11 June 2015 Link Doesnt include Static Mac Address fix
Hecaex Build - 30 May 2015 Link This is based on Patrick's march build with Camera modifications. Working Wifi (Random Mac), Camera working (But flash not working)
Patrick KT Build - 11 March 2015 (CM11) Link - Wifi working but with random Mac. Camera not working
Hecaex Build - 10 February 2015 (CM11) Link - Camera flakey, superuser and torch not working
Patrick KT Build - 1 February 2015 (CM11) Link - Wifi and Camera not working
Static Mac Address Fix Link
Camera Patch Only Link
2016 Roms
Modded EMUI 3.0 https://mega.nz/#!Dt4gGQCD!zEvIGHsuZURN7Xl9F3LnAdRDviTo-BLzC0n42YH9ZjM
Modded Miui 7.0 (Twrp backup) https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0BzJ-jN4Pv2baSXFwRFpqcGoySUE&usp=sharing
CM Patches/Fixes
EMUI (Hb72k) http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=65241854&postcount=2268
Pacman (hb72k) http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=65327203&postcount=2281
Pacrom (Jeffta) http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=65353386&postcount=2284
Miui7 (Dabi01 almost final) http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=65702075&postcount=2334
Other Files
Walkman (Zip) for Stock and Custom Roms Link
IVE BRICKED MY PHONE!
Download the full Huawei Y550 rom from Here (You want the penultimate file - y550 build 239
Download the Huawei update extractor from the same link
Run update extractor and extract the rom
Copy the entire folder "dload" to the root of your sdcard (so there is a folder on your sd card called dload containing the update file)
Hold down all physical buttons on your phone - volume up, volume down and power at once

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dimspace said:
Im still waiting for my unlock code, once i get it will look at it. pretty sure rootgenius will do it as it does most Huawei's. Then i will put something together, as well as bit of review and impressions of the phone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That'll be great, thanks :good:

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doveman said:
That'll be great, thanks :good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Root Genius didnt work
Framaroot didnt work
Eroot didnt work
SRS One Click didnt work
Vroot didnt work
Kingoroot didnt work
For now i dont think we have root on Y550
Apart from anti virus, theres not much i need root for, but the two key things changing the dpi (because the resolution isnt good enough), and full link 2 sd (because of the lack of storage space) are kinda important
Its a pretty new phone though, pretty sure root will be around soon enough.
BTW.. can you change title to Y550 rather than 500.. help people using the search function.

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dimspace said:
Root Genius didnt work
Framaroot didnt work
Eroot didnt work
SRS One Click didnt work
Vroot didnt work
Kingoroot didnt work
For now i dont think we have root on Y550
Apart from anti virus, theres not much i need root for, but the two key things changing the dpi (because the resolution isnt good enough), and full link 2 sd (because of the lack of storage space) are kinda important
Its a pretty new phone though, pretty sure root will be around soon enough.
BTW.. can you change title to Y550 rather than 500.. help people using the search function.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Woops, yep done.
Oh well, thanks for trying.
Yeah, lack of space and inability to use link2sd was the main reason I wanted root, although there's quite a few apps I use that need it too. Apart from that though, the missing encryption feature kills it for me. I e-mailed Huawei asking why it was missing but they haven't replied!

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I have filled out the email response form on a couple of the root methods asking for Y550 to be added if possible. It was only launched in October, and November for most of UK so its pretty new, but generally there is root out there for most Huawei phones.
Most apps can be moved to SD the native way using app manager or similar but its the space hogging ones like Facebook that cant be.
For those passing by this thread, make sure you set SD as default in settings>Storage and then select defaut storage location as SD
and for ref:
CPU: Qualcomm MSM8974 (think this is a misidentifiation. meant to be MSM8916) Snapdragon 800 x 4 on Elpida (Krait 400 Arm 7)
GPU: Adreno 330
Overall, on the phone its not a bad bit of kit, was bought to replace a dying Galaxy S2 and the specs are pretty much the same as the S2, more CPU but less Storage.
Negatives:
Lack of storage space, about 1.3gb at stock
Screen Resolution: Is fairly low but actually looks pretty good. Just needs the DPI dropping down a bit.
The Huwai stock launcher is pants (but easily replaced)
The Good:
Battery life at the moment seems pretty good. Using it all day, whatsapp, twitter, music player (but no games), ive not come close to having to worry about a charge
Included apps: You can actually remove the bulk of the bloatware and most of the included apps are reasonable. The backup program is functional (but let down by lack of scheduled backups), the messaging and contacts replacements are passable (but lacking merge contacts), the power management is actualy fair good with good contral of which apps are shut down to save battery and which stay open, good control of which apps are allowed to push notifications etc so that aspect of it is good.
Camera: average, but fast and functional. Good enough for snaps, but lacks obviously from only being 5mp
Mobile internet is snappy as hell
The Meh..
Not totally convinced about the settings, drop downs etc with the MIUI styling on them,

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Benchmarking
i got
12147 with quadrant
19454 with Antutu (let down by cat 4 SD)
Which to be honest, for a £100 phone aint bad.

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dimspace said:
Benchmarking
i got
12147 with quadrant
19454 with Antutu (let down by cat 4 SD)
Which to be honest, for a £100 phone aint bad.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Down now to £69.99 on O2 Paygo
£1.47 on Ebay to unlock.

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this phone is £49.95 on PAYG upgrade from carphonewarehouse.

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The Ascend y550-L02 is now available in Australia through Vodafone PAYG for $99 AUD (including some pretty sweet extras), making it perhaps the cheapest 4g LTE option in OZ. All the standard one click root methods already mentioned don't work with this sub model either. A new root would be very appreciated! Unfortunately I'm not a developer, but I do like to reward those who are smarter than me and allow me to tweak my devices. Thanks in advance!

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There's a cwm boot image been put on German forums. Not at pc now. Will post info tomorrow

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dimspace said:
There's a cwm boot image been put on German forums. Not at pc now. Will post info tomorrow
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Looking forward to it. Would you post step by step instructions? Thanks!

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DISCLAIMER - THIS CWM AND ROOT METHOD IS DESIGNED FOR THE G620 - IT IS ESSENTIALLY THE SAME PHONE BUT LIKE ANYTHING THERE ARE ALWAYS RISKS WITH INSTALLING CWM AND ROOTING YOUR PHONE. IT WORKED FOR ME, BUT I BEAR NO RESPONSIBILTY IF IT DOESNT WORK FOR YOU, BRICKS YOUR PHONE, OR TURNS YOU INTO A PUMPKIN.
Ok, rooting the Huawei Y550..
Source Credits Here and Here
Originally this is the boot image for the G620 but it has the same partition table as the Y550
Three step method - first you need your bootloader unlocked, then CWM installed, then superuser installed.
First you will need your bootloader unlocked. You can get this by emailing Huawei
to get your unlock email Huawei on [email protected]
Send them a request for bootloader unlock with the following info:
Serial Number: under battery
IMEI: under battery
Product ID: call * # * # 1357946 # * # * to get it
Model: HUAWEI Y550-L01
Once you have your code...
switch device off
boot into fastboot mode "volume down and power"
connect by usb to your PC
wait for drivers to install (just install the huawei app to get the drivers)
download and install ADB toolkit from google (or Android SDK Slim which ive attached as a zip)
open the directory adb toolkit is in, shift and right click and select open command window
type in... fastboot oem unlock 1234567812345678 where the number is your unlock code
Your bootloader will now be unlocked. Source and more info
Update: Alternate way to get the unlock code Link
UPDATE - TRWP RECOVERY
We now have TWRP thanks to patrik.KT. Source
1) Download the TWRP Image file Link
2) Place the image file in the same directory as fastbook.exe from the previous step
3) Connect phone in fastbook mode
4) Check compatability by booting only initially.
Code:
fastboot boot TWRP_y550_20150130.img
5) if boots correctly go back into fastbook mode and run in the dos window
Code:
fastboot flash recovery TWRP_y550_20150130.img
CWM Recovery
Zip file download Link
Extract zip file to computer
Put phone in fastboot mode (Down volume and power button)
Connect phone to PC and run the file - install-windows.bat
This will install a CWM boot to your phone and then reboot it
Contents of zip showed up clean with McAfee
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
Superuser
Dowloaded superuser.zip from HERE
(Do not use Super-SU it doesnt work with stock roms)
copy superuser.zip to your SD card.
Boot into CWM (Volume up and power key)
select english language if prompted
install zip from SD card and install superuser.zip
Boom....
Phone has CWM and Root.
Only downside is parts of the CWM (notably the backup section) are in chinese
Translation for backup section is:
backup image to internal SD
restore image from internal SD
delete image from internal SD
restore image with options from internal SD
backup image to external SD
restore image from external SD
delete image from external SD
restore image with options from external SD

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Note: I tested on L01 model, not tested on L02 etc.

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Wonder if this will work for the Huawei Y536A1 (At&t Tribute) as it is almost the same phone as the Y550?

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aross6 said:
Wonder if this will work for the Huawei Y536A1 (At&t Tribute) as it is almost the same phone as the Y550?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well theres one way to find out.
Joking aside, I dont know, would be a risk trying it (but then me trying g620 method on my y550 was a risk)..
Hard to find specs on the Tribute but all i can find...
1.2ghz quad core - the same
screen 480 x 854 pixels, 4.5 inches - the same
internal storage looks to be the same or similar, i have 1.6 gig on my y550, ive seen 1.62 reported for the y536, but it would need the partitions to be the same.
Y536 specs Link
Y550 specs Link
Pretty much all the specs are the same, slightly different size and weight.
Would be a gamble... but if you only paid $40 from walmart not a very expensive gamble.
Word of Warning - there are various stories that AT&T dont sell phones with unlockable bootloaders or dont allow them on their network. Not sure how reliable these rumours are

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No problem with the unlocked bootoader on At&t's network on my Mom's Y536... just my $.02

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Nice one dimspace. It seems to have worked on my Y01, at least CWM is installed and so is SuperUser.
I'm having a bit of trouble verifying though, as I don't really want to setup my Google Account on this phone (I already spent a while before erasing the storage). I downloaded this root checker http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2472076 which shows
"Application Superuser found"
and then in red
"Terminal does rooted
Busybox not installed"
so do I need busybox installed to check root? If so, which of these zips should I install:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=44175626#post44175626
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1929852
or maybe there's a newer version I need to install? Do I need to install it from CWM?

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I use Jrummy Rootchecker..
You can download the apk without play store and just sideload it from SD.
use APK Downloader
just put the apps id in the box and generate download link, and you can download the apk direct.
The Jrummy rootchecker address is com.jrummyapps.rootchecker
For busybox, again just install busybox installer from play store (or download apk as above) id is com.jrummy.busybox.installer - then run it and follow the instructions to install busybox
For terminal - use terminal emulator - id is jackpal.androidterm
all three of those working fine with me and i have full root, busybox and terminal.
the busybox installer will automatically check root, and download the applicable busybox for you, terminal installs as a normal apk. but you dont NEED them as long as your root is working. some applications do need busybox, but you dont have to have terminal.
---------- Post added at 02:16 AM ---------- Previous post was at 02:13 AM ----------
aross6 said:
No problem with the unlocked bootoader on At&t's network on my Mom's Y536... just my $.02
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeh, id heard stories of At&t phones not allowing unlocked bootloaders, i was just covering myself really

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After reboot. Busybox installed.