Heisenberg's How-To Guide For Beginners
Nexus 6P
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Intro
This thread will serve as a location for basic how-to guides for the Nexus 6P. I'm going to start off with a couple of the more obvious ones and go from there. If anyone has any suggestions for additions please feel free to let me know.
If you're unsure about something please read the FAQ section in post #3 before creating a post to ask a question.
Prerequisites
Always update your phone to the latest build available before starting the unlocking/rooting process. This guide is always current/correct as per the requirements of the most recent build available.
You'll need a working adb/fastboot environment on your PC to get through some of these guides.
Google have finally decided to allow us to install adb & fastboot without needing to install the entire Android SDK. Hurrah! What does this mean for you? Much less mucking around. Grab the appropriate version for your OS:
Platform tools for Windows | Google USB driver for Windows
Platform tools for Linux
Platform tools for Mac
Main Page
Simply download and extract the archive (and follow the linked instructions for the Google USB Driver for Windows). Once you've extracted the download you should have a platform-tools folder, within that folder you should see fastboot and adb. I'll refer to this as your fastboot folder/directory or working folder/directory during this guide. To make sure adb is correctly installed, open a command prompt from within your fastboot folder (hold shift + right click, select open command prompt here) and issue this command:
Code:
adb version
If it returns a version number for Android Debug Bridge then you're good to go.
You can test adb by connecting your device to your PC while booted into Android (making sure that adb/usb debugging is enabled in Settings>Developer Options) with the screen unlocked and issuing this command:
Code:
adb devices
It should return your device serial number, if so, adb is working.
You can test fastboot by connecting your device to your PC while booted into the bootloader (power + volume down) and issuing this command:
Code:
fastboot devices
It should return your device serial number, if so, fastboot is working.
Please see older method for installing adb/fastboot here:
You must have Java installed and up to date in order to use the SDK Manager, please ensure that this is taken care of before installing the SDK.
Please do not install adb/fastboot via any means other than the Android SDK, using other tools (like Minimal adb & fastboot) can lead to an outdated setup and various problems with flashing. You've been warned, other tools will not be supported in this thread.
Go here to download the Android SDK, which will give you most updated version of adb and fastboot. Scroll to the bottom of the page and find Other Download Options>SDK Tools Only, and grab the right version for your OS. While it's downloading create a folder in C:\ called SDK (C:\SDK). Once you've downloaded the zip you can extract it into your C:\SDK folder. Navigate to C:\SDK\android-sdk-windows and open SDK Manager.exe. In SDK Manager you need to install the following packages:
Tools> Android SDK Tools, Android SDK Platform-tools
Extras> Android Support Library, Google USB Driver
Once you have installed those, inside C:\SDK you should see some new folders, one of them will be called platform-tools, within that folder you should see fastboot.exe and adb.exe. I'll refer to this as your fastboot folder/directory or working folder/directory during this guide. To make sure adb is correctly installed, open a command prompt from within your fastboot folder (hold shift + right click, select open command prompt here) and issue this command:
Code:
adb version
If it returns a version number for Android Debug Bridge then you're good to go.
You can test adb by connecting your device to your PC while booted into Android (making sure that adb/usb debugging is enabled in Settings>Developer Options) with the screen unlocked and issuing this command:
Code:
adb devices
It should return your device serial number, if so, adb is working.
You can test fastboot by connecting your device to your PC while booted into the bootloader (power + volume down) and issuing this command:
Code:
fastboot devices
It should return your device serial number, if so, fastboot is working.
By attempting any of the processes listed this thread you accept full responsibility for your actions. I will not be held responsible if your device stops working, catches on fire, or turns into a hipster and claims to have been modified before it was cool.
Quick Tips
How to boot into the bootloader:
Power off your device. Once it's powered off hold power + volume down and the phone will boot into the bootloader. You can also use the following adb command:
Code:
adb reboot bootloader
You can also use an app called Quick Boot to boot into the bootloader directly from Android (root required).
How to boot into recovery:
Boot into the bootloader (see above), use the volume keys to scroll through the options and use the power button to select the recovery mode option. You can also use the following adb command:
Code:
adb reboot recovery
You can also use an app called Quick Boot to boot into the recovery directly from Android (root required).
Index
Post #1
1. How To Unlock Your Bootloader
2. How To Install A Custom Recovery On Your Device
3. How To Decrypt Your Data Partition
4. How To Make A Nandroid Backup With TWRP Recovery
5. How To Make An EFS Backup With TWRP Recovery
6. How To Root
Post #2
7. How To Install A ROM with TWRP Recovery
8. How To Install A Custom Kernel With TWRP Recovery
9. How To Update To A New Build Of The Stock ROM
10. How To Flash The Factory Images (Return To Stock)
11. How To Flash The Factory Images (Return To Stock But Leaving Internal Storage Intact)
12. How To ADB Sideload an incremental OTA update package.
13. How To ADB Sideload a full OTA update package.
14. How To Update To Android 7.0 Nougat
FAQ can be found in post #3!
1. How To Unlock Your Bootloader
Go into Settings/About Phone, scroll down and click on “build number†continuously until you see a toast notification telling you that you've enabled Developer Options. Go back to your Settings menu and enter Developer Options, scroll down and click on the “Enable OEM Unlock†checkbox, also make sure you enable USB Debugging while you're in the Developer Options menu.
Power off your phone then boot into the bootloader (power + volume down).
Connect your phone to your PC via usb cable.
Open a command prompt from within your fastboot folder (navigate to where you have fastboot.exe located on your PC, shift + right click anywhere within that folder, select open command prompt here).
Check your fastboot connection by issuing this command:
Code:
fastboot devices
It should return your device serial number, if not you need to make sure your drivers are installed correctly.
Once you've confirmed your fastboot connection issue the unlock command:
Code:
fastboot flashing unlock
This will erase all user data from the device!
You should now see a screen on your phone asking you to confirm this action, use the volume keys to scroll and the power key to confirm if you're sure you want to go ahead.
Allow the process to complete and then issue this command:
Code:
fastboot reboot
Allow everything to go ahead and once finished you can disconnect your usb cable.
Note: After unlocking your bootloader, each time your phone boots up you'll be greeted with a warning that says "Your device software can't be checked for corruption. Please lock the bootloader". This is nothing to worry about, it's normal to see this when you have an unlocked bootloader. You can't remove it, as long as your bootloader is unlocked it will stay there.
Important: do not relock your bootloader unless your phone is fully stock. You must flash the factory images first in order to remove root and custom recovery (if you have them), if this precaution isn't taken you may end up with a brick. Please see section 10 of this guide for full instructions on how to return to stock.
2. How To Install A Custom Recovery On Your Device
Prerequisites: unlocked bootloader (section 1).
Download the latest TWRP Recovery.
Make sure you check the md5 of the file to verify its integrity (where possible).
Place the file in your fastboot folder (this is where fastboot.exe is located on your PC).
Boot into the bootloader. Open a command prompt from within your fastboot folder (navigate to where you have fastboot.exe located on your PC, shift + right click anywhere within that folder, select open command prompt here), enter this command:
Code:
fastboot flash recovery <filename>.img
(The recovery filename in the command will change depending on which recovery you're flashing)
Use the volume keys to scroll and power key to select the Reboot Bootloader option. Once the phone has booted back into the bootloader you can use the volume keys to scroll and the power key to boot into your newly flashed recovery. It's now safe to disconnect your usb cable.
When TWRP boots up you'll be asked whether you want to allow system modifications or to keep it read-only, choose to allow system modifications, there's no benefit to keeping it read-only.
On Nougat you need to flash SuperSU after booting into TWRP otherwise TWRP won't stick (see section 6).
Do not flash the version of SuperSU that TWRP offers to flash for you in order to give you root, it is not compatible and will cause problems. When you attempt to reboot out of TWRP it will tell you that it's detecting that you don't have root and it will offer to root for you, skip past this.
3. How To Decrypt Your Data Partition
This is no longer necessary as long as you use TWRP 2.8.7.1 or newer, unless you are using the Android N developer preview, in which case you must decrypt.
Prerequisites: unlocked bootloader (section 1).
TWRP recovery cannot decrypt your data partition at this stage. In order for TWRP to be able to read/write on your data partition (to root or create a nandroid backup) you will need to format it, a format will remove encryption.
Boot into the bootloader and connect your phone to your PC via usb cable.
Open a command prompt from within your fastboot folder (navigate to where you have fastboot.exe located on your PC, shift + right click anywhere within that folder, select open command prompt here), enter this command:
Code:
fastboot format userdata
Please note: this will erase all user data from the device!
Once the process has completed you can either reboot normally:
Code:
fastboot reboot
Or you can reboot back to the bootloader in order to undertake another task:
Code:
fastboot reboot-bootloader
4. How To Make A Nandroid Backup With TWRP Recovery
Prerequisites: unlocked bootloader (section 1), TWRP recovery (section 2).
Warning: before you make a backup with TWRP you must remove all lockscreen security. If you do not do this you will not be able to unlock your device after restoring your backup (entering your pin will result in an "incorrect pin" message), you'll be forced to perform a factory reset to boot into Android. To remove lockscreen security go to Settings>Security>Screen Lock and set it to swipe/none.
A nandroid backup is a very important thing to have before installing any custom software on your device. It's basically a backup of your stock system that you can fall back on if anything goes wrong or if you just want your stock ROM back. You can also use the backup tool to create a backup of your favourite ROM set up exactly the way you like it. The backup you create can be easily restored using the restore tool in TWRP recovery.
Boot into TWRP and select the backup option from the TWRP home screen, check the system/data/boor boxes, and swipe to backup. The process will take a few minutes.
Note: If you happened to forget to remove lockscreen security (PIN/Pattern/Fingerprint) before creating your backup, and you cannot get into your OS after restoring, you can do the following to fix the issue. Boot into TWRP and use the built in file manager to delete /data/sytem/locksettings.db. This should be enough to get you into your OS again. If it isn't you can also try deleting /data/system/locksettings.db-shm and /data/system/locksettings.db-wal. If this still doesn't fix your issue you can delete /data/system/gatekeeper.password.key and /data/system/gatekeeper.pattern.key.
5. How To Make An EFS Backup With TWRP Recovery
An EFS backup is very important to have, if your EFS partition becomes corrupt you will have no IMEI, and therefore will not be able to use the phone as a phone. Making an EFS backup is insurance against this catastrophic event. Without a backup, restoring your EFS can be extremely difficult or impossible. The backup you create can be easily restored using the restore tool in TWRP recovery.
Boot into TWRP and select the backup option from the TWRP home screen, make sure only the EFS box is selected, and swipe to backup. The process will take a few seconds. Keep a copy of the backup on your phone and also keep another copy somewhere safe.
6. How To Root
Prerequisites: unlocked bootloader (section 1), TWRP recovery (section 2).
Download the latest root version (Magisk, SuperSU) of your choosing to your phone:
Magisk Stable
Magisk Beta
SuperSU Stable
SuperSU Beta
Boot into TWRP recovery and enter the install menu.
Navigate to where you have the root zip stored on your internal storage and select it.
Swipe to install.
Once the zip has installed you'll have an option to wipe cache/dalvik and an option to reboot system. Wipe the cache/dalvik, hit the back button, and hit the reboot system button. That's it.
Do not flash the version of SuperSU that TWRP offers to flash for you in order to give you root, it is not compatible and will cause problems. When you attempt to reboot out of TWRP it will tell you that it's detecting that you don't have root and it will offer to root for you, skip past this. You do have root, ignore this every time it comes up.
FAQ can be found in post #3!
Donate To Me
FAQ can be found in post #3!
7. How To Install A ROM with TWRP Recovery
Prerequisites: unlocked bootloader (section 1), TWRP recovery (section 2).
Installing a ROM is a pretty straight forward and easy process. Before you install anything you should make a nandroid backup (instructions above).
Download a ROM and appropriate Gapps package and place on your device. You'll also need to find out what build your ROM is based on and download the vendor image for that build, you'll find the latest in my index here.
Boot into your custom recovery.
Perform a full wipe.
Select the wipe option from the TWRP home screen.
Select advanced wipe.
Check the system, data, cache, and dalvik cache options.
Swipe to wipe.
Install the ROM.
Select the install option from the TWRP home screen.
Navigate to where you have the ROM zip stored on your internal storage and select it. You can hit the "add more zips" button now to queue up your gapps package to be flashed after the ROM zip.
Swipe to install.
Most ROMs will run an installer script at this point but some ROMs have what is called an Aroma Installer which allow you to choose some install options before the script runs.
Hit the home button once everything has finished installing.
Install the appropriate vendor image.
Select the install option from the TWRP home screen.
Click the "install image" button in the bottom-right corner.
Navigate to where you have the vendor image stored on your internal storage and select it.
You'll now be asked which partition to flash the image to, select vendor.
Swipe to install.
Once you've installed all necessary zips/images you'll have an option to wipe cache/dalvik and an option to reboot system, hit the reboot system button and you'll boot into your new ROM.
8. How To Install A Custom Kernel With TWRP Recovery
Prerequisites: unlocked bootloader (section 1), TWRP recovery (section 2).
A custom kernel can open up a new level of control over your device, such as overclocking/underclocking, undervolting, changing governors, changing I/O schedulers, adjusting colour calibrations, adjusting sound calibrations, and many other options.
Download a kernel that is compatible with your current ROM.
Check the md5 to verify its integrity.
Enter TWRP recovery.
Select the install option from the TWRP home screen.
Navigate to the kernel and select it.
Swipe to install.
You'll have an option to wipe cache/dalvik and an option to reboot system, hit the reboot system button.
Once your phone has booted up you can use a kernel tuning app to change governors, I/O scheduler, clock speed, and other options. Some of the popular kernel apps are Kernel Auditor, Trickster Mod, No Frills, Kernel Tuner, and many more.
9. How To Update To A New Build Of The Stock ROM
Prerequisites: unlocked bootloader (section 1).
This method does not wipe your data, so you will keep your apps and settings. You should have no problems, however, if you experience problems you may need to perform a factory reset and flash again. Make a backup first and transfer it to your PC.
Download the latest build via the appropriate factory images for your model (Nexus 6P/Angler) here.
Unzip the angler-xxxxxx-factory-xxxxxxxx (x's replace variables) into a directory on your PC (for this guide we'll use C:\angler\).
Once unzipped you should have a folder named angler-xxxxxx (x's replace variables). Open it and move the following files to a new directory named C:\angler\images\:
bootloader-angler-angler-xx.xx.img
radio-angler-angler-xx.xx.img
(Please note that radio and bootloader naming changes from build to build so the filenames and below commands will change with them)
Within C:\angler\angler-xxxxxx\ you'll see another zip archive named image-angler-xxxxxx, unzip the contents of that zip into the C:\angler\images\ folder we created before. Now within C:\angler\images\ you should have the following files:
android-info.txt
boot.img
bootloader-angler-angler-xx.xx.img
cache.img (not present on Android 7.1.2 and above)
radio-angler-angler-xx.xx.img
recovery.img
system.img
userdata.img
vendor.img
Boot into the bootloader and connect your phone to your PC via usb cable.
Open a command prompt from within your fastboot folder (navigate to where you have fastboot.exe located on your PC, shift + right click anywhere within that folder, select open command prompt here), enter these commands to flash:
Code:
fastboot flash bootloader C:\angler\images\bootloader-angler-angler-xx.xx.img
fastboot reboot-bootloader
fastboot flash radio C:\angler\images\radio-angler-angler-xx.xx.img
fastboot reboot-bootloader
fastboot flash boot C:\angler\images\boot.img
fastboot erase cache
(above command is unnecessary on Android 7.1.2 and above)
fastboot flash cache C:\angler\images\cache.img
(above command is unnecessary on Android 7.1.2 and above)
fastboot flash recovery C:\angler\images\recovery.img
fastboot flash system C:\angler\images\system.img
fastboot flash vendor C:\angler\images\vendor.img
On 7.1.2 and above you'll also need to boot into TWRP recovery and wipe cache and dalvik cache.
Once all operations are complete you can reboot the device.
You'll have to flash SuperSU again now, plus add any mods that you previously had.
10. How To Flash The Factory Images (And Return To Stock)
Prerequisites: unlocked bootloader (section 1).
This section will explain how to return the phone to be like it was when it came out of the box. This will wipe everything from the phone. If you wish to flash the factory images without wiping your personal data from the internal storage please move on to the next section.
Go to Settings/Backup & Reset and perform a factory data reset. This will remove all of your user data from the device (apps, settings, photos, music, etc).
Download the appropriate factory images for your model here.
Unzip the angler-xxxxxx-factory-xxxxxxxx (x's replace variables) into a directory on your PC (for this guide we'll use C:\angler\).
Once unzipped you should have a folder named angler-xxxxxx (x's replace variables). Open it and move the following files to a new directory named C:\angler\images\:
bootloader-angler-angler-xx.xx.img
radio-angler-angler-xx.xx.img
(Please note that radio and bootloader naming changes from build to build so the filenames and below commands will change with them)
Within C:\angler\angler-xxxxxx\ you'll see another zip archive named image-angler-xxxxxx, unzip the contents of that zip into the C:\angler\images\ folder we created before. Now within C:\angler\images\ you should have the following files:
android-info.txt
boot.img
bootloader-angler-angler-xx.xx.img
cache.img (not present on Android 7.1.2 and above)
radio-angler-angler-xx.xx.img
recovery.img
system.img
userdata.img
vendor.img
Boot into the bootloader and connect your phone to your PC via usb cable.
Open a command prompt from within your fastboot folder (navigate to where you have fastboot.exe located on your PC, shift + right click anywhere within that folder, select open command prompt here), enter these commands to flash:
Code:
fastboot flash bootloader C:\angler\images\bootloader-angler-angler-xx.xx.img
fastboot reboot-bootloader
fastboot flash radio C:\angler\images\radio-angler-angler-xx.xx.img
fastboot reboot-bootloader
fastboot flash boot C:\angler\images\boot.img
fastboot erase cache
(above command is unnecessary on Android 7.1.2 and above)
fastboot flash cache C:\angler\images\cache.img
(above command is unnecessary on Android 7.1.2 and above)
fastboot flash recovery C:\angler\images\recovery.img
fastboot flash system C:\angler\images\system.img
fastboot flash vendor C:\angler\images\vendor.img
On 7.1.2 and above you'll also need to boot into TWRP recovery and wipe cache and dalvik cache.
If you wish to you can also relock the bootloader with this command:
Code:
fastboot flashing lock
(This command will wipe all user data from the device)
Important: do not lock the bootloader unless you have first flashed the stock images. Locking the bootloader while you have a custom recovery installed can result in a brick. Please also note that the locking procedure will wipe all user data from the device.
Once all operations are complete you can reboot the device.
11. How To Flash The Factory Images (Return To Stock But Leaving Internal Storage Intact)
Prerequisites: unlocked bootloader (section 1).
This section will explain how to return the phone to be like it was when it came out of the box, except it will not wipe any of your personal data (photos, music, etc) from the internak storage.
Download the appropriate factory images for your model here.
Unzip the angler-xxxxxx-factory-xxxxxxxx (x's replace variables) into a directory on your PC (for this guide we'll use C:\angler\).
Once unzipped you should have a folder named angler-xxxxxx (x's replace variables). Open it and move the following files to a new directory named C:\angler\images\:
bootloader-angler-angler-xx.xx.img
radio-angler-angler-xx.xx.img
(Please note that radio and bootloader naming changes from build to build so the filenames and below commands will change with them)
Within C:\angler\angler-xxxxxx\ you'll see another zip archive named image-angler-xxxxxx, unzip the contents of that zip into the C:\angler\images\ folder we created before. Now within C:\angler\images\ you should have the following files:
android-info.txt
boot.img
bootloader-angler-angler-xx.xx.img
cache.img (not present on Android 7.1.2 and above)
radio-angler-angler-xx.xx.img
recovery.img
system.img
userdata.img
vendor.img
Boot into TWRP recovery and enter the wipe menu, select advanced wipe, check only the data box and swipe to wipe.
Go to the TWRP main menu and enter the reboot menu, select bootloader. The phone will now boot into the bootloader, once it has you can connect your phone to your PC via usb cable.
Open a command prompt from within your fastboot folder (navigate to where you have fastboot.exe located on your PC, shift + right click anywhere within that folder, select open command prompt here), enter these commands to flash:
Code:
fastboot flash bootloader C:\angler\images\bootloader-angler-angler-xx.xx.img
fastboot reboot-bootloader
fastboot flash radio C:\angler\images\radio-angler-angler-xx.xx.img
fastboot reboot-bootloader
fastboot flash boot C:\angler\images\boot.img
fastboot erase cache
(above command is unnecessary on Android 7.1.2 and above)
fastboot flash cache C:\angler\images\cache.img
(above command is unnecessary on Android 7.1.2 and above)
fastboot flash recovery C:\angler\images\recovery.img
fastboot flash system C:\angler\images\system.img
fastboot flash vendor C:\angler\images\vendor.img
On 7.1.2 and above you'll also need to boot into TWRP recovery and wipe cache and dalvik cache.
12. How To ADB Sideload an incremental OTA update package.
Prerequisites: Completely stock setup (the only modification allowed on the phone is the unlocked bootloader).
Download the appropriate OTA zip from my index. OTA updates must be taken in order so you must select the right zip. For example, if you're currently on the MMB29Q build you must select the MMB29Q --> MHC19I zip. The filename will be quite long so to make things easier you can rename it to something easier. For the purposes of this guide let's say we'll rename it to "ota.zip". Place the file in your fastboot folder on your PC.
Boot into the bootloader, use the volume buttons to scroll the options and use the power button to select recovery mode.
Once the phone has booted into the stock recovery (you should see Andy Android with an exclamation mark) hold power and tap volume up to get into the recovery menu. Use the volume buttons to scroll and use the power button (you might need to hold it) to select "apply update from adb".
On your PC navigate to your fastboot folder, hold shift and right-click your mouse, select "open command prompt here". Issue the following command:
Code:
adb sideload ota.zip
Wait for the operation to complete (it'll tell you once it's finished) and once it's all done you can reboot your phone, the first boot might take a while.
13. How To ADB Sideload a full OTA update package.
Prerequisites: Completely stock setup (the only modification allowed on the phone is the unlocked bootloader).
Download the OTA zip that you want to upgrade to from my index. You don't need to be on any specific build prior to flashing a full OTA package. You can only move to a higher build though. The filename will be quite long so to make things easier you can rename it to something easier. For the purposes of this guide let's say we'll rename it to "fullota.zip". Place the file in your fastboot folder on your PC.
Boot into the bootloader, use the volume buttons to scroll the options and use the power button to select recovery mode.
Once the phone has booted into the stock recovery (you should see Andy Android with an exclamation mark) hold power and tap volume up to get into the recovery menu. Use the volume buttons to scroll and use the power button (you might need to hold it) to select "apply update from adb".
On your PC navigate to your fastboot folder, hold shift and right-click your mouse, select "open command prompt here". Issue the following command:
Code:
adb sideload fullota.zip
Wait for the operation to complete (it'll tell you once it's finished) and once it's all done you can reboot your phone, the first boot might take a while.
14. How To Update To Android 7.0 Nougat
Prerequisites: unlocked bootloader (section 1).
This method does not wipe your data, so you will keep your apps and settings. You should have no problems, however, if you experience problems you may need to perform a factory reset and flash again. Make a backup first and transfer it to your PC.
Download the Nougat factory images for your model (Nexus 6P/Angler) here.
Unzip the angler-xxxxxx-factory-xxxxxxxx (x's replace variables) into a directory on your PC (for this guide we'll use C:\angler\).
Once unzipped you should have a folder named angler-xxxxxx (x's replace variables). Open it and move the following files to a new directory named C:\angler\images\:
bootloader-angler-angler-xx.xx.img
radio-angler-angler-xx.xx.img
(Please note that radio and bootloader naming changes from build to build so the filenames and below commands will change with them)
Within C:\angler\angler-xxxxxx\ you'll see another zip archive named image-angler-xxxxxx, unzip the contents of that zip into the C:\angler\images\ folder we created before. Now within C:\angler\images\ you should have the following files:
android-info.txt
boot.img
bootloader-angler-angler-xx.xx.img
cache.img
radio-angler-angler-xx.xx.img
recovery.img
system.img
userdata.img
vendor.img
Boot into the bootloader and connect your phone to your PC via usb cable.
Open a command prompt from within your fastboot folder (navigate to where you have fastboot.exe located on your PC, shift + right click anywhere within that folder, select open command prompt here), enter these commands to flash:
Code:
fastboot flash bootloader C:\angler\images\bootloader-angler-angler-xx.xx.img
fastboot reboot-bootloader
fastboot flash radio C:\angler\images\radio-angler-angler-xx.xx.img
fastboot reboot-bootloader
fastboot flash boot C:\angler\images\boot.img
fastboot erase cache
fastboot flash cache C:\angler\images\cache.img
fastboot flash recovery C:\angler\images\recovery.img
fastboot flash system C:\angler\images\system.img
fastboot flash vendor C:\angler\images\vendor.img
You can skip flashing the recovery if you wish, but even if you do the stock recovery may be patched on the first boot anyway. So you'll need to flash TWRP and SuperSU again if you need/want those, as well as any other system modifications you may have had.
Note: Do not flash the userdata.img
Once all commands/flashes are complete you can reboot the device:
Code:
fastboot reboot
You'll have to flash SuperSU again now, plus add any mods that you previously had.
FAQ can be found in post #3!
Donate To Me
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How do I boot into the bootloader?
Power off your device. Once it's powered off hold power + volume down and the phone will boot into the bootloader. You can also use the following adb command:
Code:
[/INDENT]
[INDENT]adb reboot bootloader[/INDENT]
[INDENT]
You can also use an app called Quick Boot to boot into the bootloader directly from Android (root required).
2. How do I boot into recovery?
Boot into the bootloader (see above), use the volume keys to scroll through the options and use the power button to select the recovery mode option. You can also use the following adb command:
Code:
[/INDENT]
[INDENT]adb reboot recovery[/INDENT]
[INDENT]
You can also use an app called Quick Boot to boot into the recovery directly from Android (root required).
3. When issuing the fastboot flashing unlock command it doesn't work, I only get a list of possible commands. What's going on?
This is usually due to having an outdated adb/fastboot setup. If you installed adb/fastboot by any means other than via the Android SDK this is probably the cause. Visit the prerequisites section in the beginning of this guide to properly install adb/fastboot and ensure that it's up to date.
4. After unlocking the bootloader I get a message that says "Your device software can't be checked for corruption. Please lock the bootloader". What's going on? Can I get rid of it?
This is nothing to worry about, it's normal to see this when you have an unlocked bootloader. You can't remove it, as long as your bootloader is locked it will stay there.
5. How do I take an OTA or update if I have root or other system modifications on the stock ROM?
You can't take an OTA update while you have root or any system modifications. You'd need to use fastboot to flash the system, boot, and recovery images. It's much easier to just flash the newer build with fastboot, see section 9 of this guide for full instructions.
6. Does taking an OTA update wipe my user data?
No, it doesn't.
7. Do I need to make an EFS backup?
Yes. Absolutely yes. An EFS backup is extremely important, if your EFS partition becomes corrupt your IMEI will disappear and you will not be able to use the phone as a phone. Without a backup it can be extremely difficult (or impossible) to restore your EFS.
8. Do I need to flash the userdata.img from the factory images?
You should never flash the userdata image. It doesn't take into consideration the storage capacity of the device and always allocates 32gb of storage. This is ok for the 32gb model, but for the 64gb and 128gb models you'll end up with much less storage capacity than you should have. If you wish to wipe your internal storage you'd use the following command instead:
Code:
[/INDENT]
[INDENT]fastboot format userdata[/INDENT]
[INDENT]
Reserved
Reserved
Reserved
Reserved
thanks
works great
The_android_Modder said:
works great
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol, how?
Heisenberg said:
Lol, how?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Magic
tyvar1 said:
Magic
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
xxtruplayaxx16 said:
lmao
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
He must be from the future...
The_android_Modder said:
works great
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thank you for the morning lolz
If we wanted, could we just go to step 4, and not do the rest? I.e just root stock and leave it as is?
Is that safe?
If it is, can I flash a rom on later?
Thanks
(I know the device isn't out yet, just getting prepared for it.)
tf2manu994 said:
If we wanted, could we just go to step 4, and not do the rest? I.e just root stock and leave it as is?
Is that safe?
If it is, can I flash a rom on later?
Thanks
(I know the device isn't out yet, just getting prepared for it.)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, because you need a custom recovery in order to flash SuperSU, and you need an unlocked bootloader to flash a custom recovery. Why not just unlock the bootloader?
Heisenberg said:
No, because you need a custom recovery in order to flash SuperSU, and you need an unlocked bootloader to flash a custom recovery. Why not just unlock the bootloader?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah you misunderstood me, I mean like do all steps upto 4, and then not do the rest?
Sorry for misunderstanding
tf2manu994 said:
Ah you misunderstood me, I mean like do all steps upto 4, and then not do the rest?
Sorry for misunderstanding
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ahh ok, now I understand. Yes of course, they're not actually steps that all need to be completed, they're just numbered sections. So if all you want to achieve is to root your stock ROM then you only need to follow steps 1-4.
Hemm sorry but are we talking about a phone that doesn't exist?
Fentadroid said:
Hemm sorry but are we talking about a phone that doesn't exist?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It certainly does exist, it just hasn't been released yet. And as it says in the OP these processes remain virtually unchanged from model to model in the Nexus line.
Heisenberg said:
It certainly does exist, it just hasn't been released yet. And as it says in the OP these processes remain virtually unchanged from model to model in the Nexus line.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I hope that too!!!
Great Job
Thanks for your Hardwork:good:
*Download all necessary files*
Magisk v15.0 or newest available
Download ElementalX kernel @ elementalx.org
Download latest Magisk Manager from official xda thread
Download TWRP for Moto G4 (Athene)
from twrp.me
Unlock bootloader (Go to Motorola's official site)
Check Unknown Sources in Android settings under security tab.
Download and install ADB & Fastboot on your PC
Boot into fastboot by holding down vol down and power.
Once you see Android robot with text at the bottom, on your computer in cmd type "fastboot boot TWRP image path" ex: fastboot boot D:/TWRPimages/twrp.athene.img
Once phone boots to TWRP, TWRP will ask to make modifications to system. Keep read only. (Note: if is asks to install, always say no.) Next go to backup, and make backup. (Just backup what is selected by default: system, data, and most importantly, boot.img) Note: make sure to tell it to backup to SD, and make sure the SD card is formatted as portable, not adoptable. Note: you might need mount the card under Mount tab first before being able to select it.
Next, go to mount, and uncheck "keep system read only", and swipe to allow modifications. Go to install, and flash ElementalX, and set it up in the following screen. As we already have the turbopower charger, you don't need to enable USB fast charging.
Wipe dalvik cache, and flash Magisk. Then, wipe dalvik again, and power off.
Boot into Android to make sure everything works. Install Magisk app if it didn't appear in your apps drawer from the .apk you downloaded earlier.
Hope this helps! Good luck!
Note: If you would like to flash TWRP instead, use "fastboot flash recovery TWRP.img" instead of fastboot boot.
Thank you for this tutorial! Is it required to install the ElementalX kernel?
Romano2K said:
Thank you for this tutorial! Is it required to install the ElementalX kernel?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It appears to be. I tried it without ElementalX first and got to the point of installing Magisk then rebooting before my G4 went to brick with the flashing light. Same behavior occurred when installed SuperSU. After installing ElementalX everything worked fine.
To supplement this guide, here are a few more links and notes of what I did.
Links
The December 2017 Nougat ROM from here
G4 compatible Shreps TWRP from here
Current Magisk here
ElementalX for G4 is here
If needed, install Platform Tools and Android File Transfer
Steps
Install the ROM using these commands (on Mac):
./fastboot flash partition gpt.bin
./fastboot flash bootloader bootloader.img
./fastboot flash logo logo.bin
./fastboot flash boot boot.img
./fastboot flash recovery ./twrp-3.1.1-athene_shreps.img
./fastboot flash dsp adspso.bin
./fastboot flash oem oem.img
./fastboot flash system system.img_sparsechunk.0
./fastboot flash system system.img_sparsechunk.1
./fastboot flash system system.img_sparsechunk.2
./fastboot flash system system.img_sparsechunk.3
./fastboot flash system system.img_sparsechunk.4
./fastboot flash system system.img_sparsechunk.5
./fastboot flash system system.img_sparsechunk.6
./fastboot flash system system.img_sparsechunk.7
./fastboot flash modem NON-HLOS.bin
./fastboot erase modemst1
./fastboot erase modemst2
./fastboot flash fsg fsg.mbn
./fastboot erase cache
./fastboot erase userdata
./fastboot erase customize
./fastboot erase clogo
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
After running commands, restart bootloader w/o rebooting
Go into recovery w/o rebooting
Reboot
After booting into the OS, turn on Developer Mode (tap About / Build Number 8 times)
Go to Developer Options and turn on OEM unlocking and USB debugging
Copy Magisk and ElementX kernel to / using Android File Transfer (if AFT doesn't connect select USB config, change to charging then back to MTP to enable file transfer)
Reboot into Recovery, then Install Magisk and ElementX from TWRP
Performed on an G4 XT-1625, resulted was a rooted Nougat.
@Sanras, I followed your instructions and they went great on a republic wireless xt1625, thank you! But your post just says to boot into twrp, which means if I ever want to use twrp I have to connect my computer. Is there a special way to flash twrp instead of just booting to it? Because I tried flashing twrp but the phone wouldn't boot afterward. So I had to flash the stock rom and redo everything. Let me know and thanks!
supermaxkato said:
@Sanras, I followed your instructions and they went great on a republic wireless xt1625, thank you! But your post just says to boot into twrp, which means if I ever want to use twrp I have to connect my computer. Is there a special way to flash twrp instead of just booting to it? Because I tried flashing twrp but the phone wouldn't boot afterward. So I had to flash the stock rom and redo everything. Let me know and thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You should be able to flash TWRP. That's actually the most used method. I simply recommended booting and not flashing because it is easier to revert to stock for an update. However, you should be able to flash TWRP if you want with "fastboot flash recovery D:/TWRPimages/twrp.athene.img"
(Replace last part with image path on your computer)
Thanks Sanras,
Great guide, worked for me with no problems.
Anyone know how to approach security updates after rooting via this method?
Currently on Dec17 looking to update to Apr18 security patch just don't want to brick device.
Thanks in advance. :good:
Thanks. Sanras.
I got my phone bricked after restore my stock rom and try to install magisk to it. This solved my case also.
I just have to pay attention that just installing the kernel after try the magisk is not enough. Like you said:
* Install ElementalX kernel; wipe caches
* then install Magisk (again), and wipe caches again
Is this safe for Qualcomm variants like the Boost Mobile version?
chuman72486 said:
Is this safe for Qualcomm variants like the Boost Mobile version?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, my own G4 is a Snapdragon 617 (unlocked US Variant) XT-1625
SD Card Configured Adoptable
Sanras said:
*Download all necessary files*
Magisk v15.0 or newest available
Download ElementalX kernel @ elementalx.org
Download latest Magisk Manager from official xda thread
Download TWRP for Moto G4 (Athene)
from twrp.me
Unlock bootloader (Go to Motorola's official site)
Check Unknown Sources in Android settings under security tab.
Download and install ADB & Fastboot on your PC
Boot into fastboot by holding down vol down and power.
Once you see Android robot with text at the bottom, on your computer in cmd type "fastboot boot TWRP image path" ex: fastboot boot D:/TWRPimages/twrp.athene.img
Once phone boots to TWRP, TWRP will ask to make modifications to system. Keep read only. (Note: if is asks to install, always say no.) Next go to backup, and make backup. (Just backup what is selected by default: system, data, and most importantly, boot.img) Note: make sure to tell it to backup to SD, and make sure the SD card is formatted as portable, not adoptable. Note: you might need mount the card under Mount tab first before being able to select it.
Next, go to mount, and uncheck "keep system read only", and swipe to allow modifications. Go to install, and flash ElementalX, and set it up in the following screen. As we already have the turbopower charger, you don't need to enable USB fast charging.
Wipe dalvik cache, and flash Magisk. Then, wipe dalvik again, and power off.
Boot into Android to make sure everything works. Install Magisk app if it didn't appear in your apps drawer from the .apk you downloaded earlier.
Hope this helps! Good luck!
Note: If you would like to flash TWRP instead, use "fastboot flash recovery TWRP.img" instead of fastboot boot.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My Moto G4 has an SD card formatted adoptable. Is there a work around in step 6 to accommodate an adoptable SD card?
Thanks
rwruck said:
My Moto G4 has an SD card formatted adoptable. Is there a work around in step 6 to accommodate an adoptable SD card?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sure. Instead of making a backup to the card, backup to internal storage. Then, before doing anything else, on your pc copy the files from the newly created TWRP folder on your internal storage. These are your backups. You can then proceed with the rest of the steps. Honestly, the backup isn't even necessary, it's just good to have in case something goes wrong.
Hi
I know it's a bit old now, but I'm unable to root my Nougat XT1641
I already have the whole stuff :
- BL unlocked ;
- TWRP installed ;
- all backups done.
But everytime I try to flash ElementalX/Magisk, it fails and ends in a bootloop.
Can someone have an advice to help me ?
Well, I used this : https://topjohnwu.github.io/Magisk/install.html#patching-images
Patching my boot.img did the trick !
Hi, I'm having some issues trying to install the newest update of A10.
I was on A9 with unlocked bootloader, root and twrp of recovery.
I first tried to install the .rar image via recovery but I couldn't find in the memory, but I already wiped system vendor and data.
So when I rebooted to try if the file was there or not, there was no recovery anymore.
Now I'm trying to flash the newest rom via fastboot but through the flash_all.bat it gives me fastboot tz_a error, so I'm trying to install a recovery through fastboot using this guide https://forum.xda-developers.com/mi-a3/how-to/basic-guide-to-flash-recovery-rom-via-t3989603 but of course it doesn't work and when I reboot it doesn't enter the recovery but always in fastboot (even tho I press the + button).
What should I do now? Is there anyway to erase everything and install a clean OS from 0 just from fastboot? (Without the flash_all or miflash because it doesn't work)
P.S. I don't care about the data, I've done a backup of all my important files before
Thanks for the help
Sapper Morton said:
First, you have to understand what you did. You wiped your system and vendor image, and didn't installed a newer one afterwards, you didn't wiped your recovery (it's inside boot partition).
Further, .rar files will not be flashed through TWRP, .zip must be used instead, with proper format, there must be a compatible flash script inside.
You can't access your recovery, just because you wiped system; inside your bootloader there's a component responsible to manage the slots, bootctl and by default if it detects a corrupted or invalid system partition, it will always boot onto bootloader mode.
As for the tz_a error, you must unlock critical partitions flashing, just because, tz is a critical partition, thus, run in Fastboot:
Code:
fastboot flashing unlock_critical
If you want to know your current state, use:
Code:
fastboot oem device-info
Your current slot is blocked by bootctl, but this doesn't mean your inactive is too, so, use:
Code:
fastboot set_active other
And reboot into TWRP again, that is, if you do have it installed in your inactive slot.
Fastboot/ADB and other tools, you will find it in here:
https://dl.google.com/android/repository/platform-tools-latest-windows.zip
If you want to restore using recovery firmware, please do the favor, and read the post below:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=82595733&postcount=379
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the help but I managed to get into the recovery and install the rom via fastboot, the thing I was missing was a recovery working for Android10 (even though I remember recovery doesn't have nothing to do witg the installed OS), so I managed to install the recovery and root, and everything went fine after a few tries between various guides. Probably my partitions now are all messed up, but if I boot normally it goes into system (slot A), if I boot into recovery it goes into twrp and also works fastboot. Probably I also installed the OS on slot b, but I don't care as long the first partition works well