Related
[SIZE=+3]Frequently Asked Questions[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+2]Google Nexus 6[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+1]This a short list of frequently asked questions in this device forum and the answers often given as a response. It should serve as a starting point for gathering knowledge and finding solutions to many common problems. Please only post in this thread with feedback on how to improve this document. Do not post "Thank you" type responses. If you have additional questions or require more help, try to find an existing thread or create your own. Do not use this as a general help thread.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+1]Q1: I'm new to Nexus 6, where do I find a thread with guides and useful information?[/SIZE]The sticky roll up thread in the general forum has all of the guides and important information. You can find that HERE.
[SIZE=+1]Q2: Where can I find tools such as USB drivers[/SIZE]You can find the universal Google driver inside of the Android SDK found HERE. Or you can install ADB/fastboot and universal drivers from HERE.
[SIZE=+1]Q3: What does "flashing" my phone mean?[/SIZE]Well, there are a couple of meanings here. "Flashing" a custom ROM means to overwrite your current OS with a new one. "Flashing" can also mean, changing from a carrier to a pre-paid carrier. Example: I need to flash my phone from AT&T to Cricket.
[SIZE=+1]Q4: Bootloader.. What is this?[/SIZE]For an easy explanation of what a bootloader is, look HERE.
The most recent bootloader and radio can be found here : Here is a recovery flashable zip of the 6.0.1 bootloader and 32r radio
[SIZE=+1]Q5: How do I root my device?[/SIZE]There are a few options. The most recommended way is to unlock your bootloader, flash custom recovery, flash superSU zip, install superSU app. Also there are more automated methods, such as toolkits and auto root. HERE is a great place to get that information.
[SIZE=+1]Q6: What is a factory image?[/SIZE]A factory image for Nexus devices is provided directly from Google. They are used to return your device to the state it was in when it was put in the box. They can be found HERE.
Most recent is 6.0.1 (MMB29Q)
[SIZE=+1]Q7: How do I backup my device in case I bork it?[/SIZE]TWRP recovery has the feature of allowing you to backup your device. It is highly recommended to backup your stock image after installing TWRP and before flashing anything else. Simply use the backup option in TWRP. Think of this as a restore point to go back to when things get borked. Also, you can backup all of your files to your PC before beginning the root process because unlocking your bootloader will wipe your device. There are also apps available that will back up your apps and app data Titanium Backup is a great choice if you already have root. Helium is an option for non-rooted users.
Latest recovery is [RECOVERY][shamu] TWRP 3.0.0-0 touch recovery [2016-02-06]
[SIZE=+1]Q8: How do I flash a factory image?[/SIZE]Flashing a factory image is a fairly easy process. You can use the fastboot method or a toolkit. Toolkits can be found in the development section and an excellent guide to the fastboot method can be found HERE.
[SIZE=+1]Q9: Do the carrier versions matter in deciding on root or ROM?[/SIZE]No. there are no carrier specific ROMs or root methods. There are only two versions of the Nexus 6, Domestic (XT1103) and international (XT1100). Device wiki can be found HERE.. Bootloader unlock method is universal as well.
[SIZE=+1]Q10: What is encryption and should I disable it?[/SIZE]First off, to best answer the "what is" question, look HERE. Now, whether or not to disable it, is entirely up to you. For the most part, the benefits are dependent on your usage. HERE is a thread discussing encryption on 5.1 so please check it out.
[SIZE=+1]Q11: What are fastboot and ADB and should I learn how to use them?[/SIZE]You should absolutely have at least some knowledge of fastboot and ADB. These simple yet powerful tools can save you from trouble and do wonders for your device. The basic principles and commands are extremely easy to learn and thankfully, there are plenty of guides that will help you understand and learn how to use them. Fastboot and ADB aren't exclusive to Nexus either, you can use them with Android as a whole. You can find my favorite guide to using fastboot and ADB right HERE.
[SIZE=+1]Q12: Can I install an OTA if I'm rooted/unencrypted?[/SIZE]No. Since the onset of lollipop, absolutely no system or boot img modifications can be present in order for the OTA to flash. HERE is a thread dedicated to OTA related Q&A and instructions for sideloading. HERE is a thread for OTA files available for sideloading.
[SIZE=+1]Q13: What is a toolkit and should I use one?[/SIZE]First, a toolkit is a program that auto runs and makes changes to your android device. Those changes can be very significant and difficult to recover from when things go wrong. With a toolkit, you can obtain root, return to stock, flash recovery, etc. However, once you start to run the program, you have no idea what is happening to your device. It comes highly recommended to have the basic knowledge of ADB and fastboot even if you are using toolkits. So, should you use one? Sure! No one will tell you not to try, just know what you're getting into and that most experienced users will not use them at all. Therefore, you are more likely to get helped quickly if you have a basic understanding of fastboot, and a tested and working fastboot/ADB environment on your PC, should an issue arise where you need help. Toolkits are absolutely awesome and highly useful in some situations, so don't underestimate their usefulness. It is just that with a Nexus, and a few simple fastboot commands, you can obtain root, return to stock, flash recovery, etc. While typing those commands, you can be 100% certain of what is happening to your device.
[SIZE=+1]Q14: What is CMTE(cyanogenmod theme engine?[/SIZE]Here is a better explanation here And please take note, This is only supported by ROMS that has already adopted CMTE instead of Layers.
[SIZE=+1]Q15: What is Layers (RRO)?[/SIZE]Layers is a extension of runtime resource overlay.
RRO is a framework created by sony for use as a way for them to create xperia themes but also for internal quick prototyping. More explaination from the original thread here. And take note, this is only going to work with ROMs that has adopted to use layers instead of CMTE. Stock roms natively support layers. Just need to download necessary apps and your good to go.
[SIZE=+1]Q16: Systemless Root?[/SIZE]A new way of getting root without modifying /system. More news here.
[SIZE=+1]Q17: Android Pay?[/SIZE]If your running stock and not rooted, no doubt its gonna work out of the box. There was a previous discussion on how to run the feature on rooted devices. It was fun while it lasted. And here is the latest story about android pay.
[SIZE=+1]Q18: I'm trying to search for something specific but I'm having trouble. How do I use XDA Search?[/SIZE]Look HERE for a detailed guide on how to use XDA Search to it's fullest capabilities.*
And here are some terms to ponder
ADB - "Android Debug Bridge" a system that can be accessed using a computer where you can manage the device from. You need the Android SDK to use it.
AOSP - "Android open source project" a project by Google Inc. to give android to developers and manufactures for free.
APK - "Android Package" an Android application
Bloatware - Software or 'apps' that you don't need, but come preinstalled to a device's /system partition, meaning that you cannot remove them unless the device has been rooted. Usually, these are apps are sponsored by a company and included by a carrier for profit
CDMA/GSM - A type of network communication between phones and carriers. GSM phones normally are included with SIM Cards that authorize them onto the network. CDMA have this authorization built in and do not need a sim card.
Custom recovery - A modified version of stock recoveries that allow you to do more things in the recovery mode.
Cyanogenmod (CM) - A free open-source project based on the AOSP. It is a modded version of the Android firmware
Dalvik-Cache - Holds all of the pre-compiled .dex files created from installed apps. These files are static and do not change unless the app is updated.
Deodexed - Where ODEX files are moved into the actual applications modded) version of the Android firmware.
Developer - A man or woman who has created (developed) software.
Firmware - a piece of software to make hardware function correctly. This can refer to Radio Firmware, but is normally used as another name for ROM.
Governor - A system embedded into the kernel to automatically change the current working CPU frequency depending on the workload. It would only go up to what it is overclocked (or underclocked) to, this is called the maximum frequency. It would not drop below the minimum frequency.
KANG - The process of creating a code based of someone else's code.
Kernel - An important part of all operating systems that handles the CPU and other vital components. A modded kernel may be used for overclocking.
Logcat - A logging system built into the ADB
Mod - A modification to a part of the phones software. It is also POSSIBLE to mod the phones hardware but is not recommended.
OTA - "Over the air" a term used to indicate software that was sent to phones directly through the internet to their phones.
Open-source - (not to be confussed with free) A peice of software that is free to edit, use, distribute and share with no charge.
Overclock - To exceed the default maximum CPU speed. This could make a phone more powerful but may cause damage. Although no damaged has been reported so far it could still drain battery life.
Radio Firmware - A type of software that allows correct communication with the radio and the operating system. A newer firmware would normally improve battery life and call quality. The radio firmware only applies to the CDMA/GSM radio.
Radio - (not to be confused with Radio Firmware) A piece of hardware that allows communication. There are 3 main radios in your phone. Bluetooth, WiFi and GSM/CDMA.
ROM -
1. A modified version of the Android operating system operating system.
2. Read Only Memory, a place where information is stored and can not be destroyed, modified or written to.
Stock - An unchanged version of something. Example: I just flashed stock sense.
Underclock - To change your phones maximum frequency to LOWER than the default to attempt to extend the phones lifespan and battery.
WIP - "Work In Progress"
Zipalligned - An archive alignment tool that provides important optimization to Android application (.apk) files. The purpose is to ensure that all uncompressed data starts with a particular alignment relative to the start of the file. Specifically, it causes all uncompressed data within the .apk, such as images or raw files, to be aligned on 4-byte boundaries. This allows all portions to be accessed directly with mmap() even if they contain binary data with alignment restrictions. The benefit is a reduction in the amount of RAM consumed when running the application.
INTL - International
Odex - Files that are collections of parts of an application that are optimized before booting. Doing so speeds up the boot process, as it preloads part of an application.
Recovery Mode - A special environment that you can boot into for troubleshooting and upgrading purposes
Thanks to @benjamingwynn for the glossary of terms
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Forum Rules | New Users Guide | XDA Tour | Report Posts
This FAQ is part of a Recognized Contributor Group Initiative. Please look for a similar FAQ thread when visiting another device forum.
A special thanks to everyone who contributed to the production of this FAQ
This thread is an ongoing process. This will be a WIP for a period of time
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This is not intended to be a Q&A help thread. Please only post suggestions for content that should be added to the OP. Post the relevant links to accompany your request.
If you need help or have a general question, consider using these links:
Ask any question/Noob friendly: http://forum.xda-developers.com/nexus-6/help/noob-friendly-qa-help-thread-t3068327
General question and off topic: http://forum.xda-developers.com/nexus-6/general/google-nexus-6-t3077130
Otherwise, create a new post here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/nexus-6/help
A suggestion. Maybe have some info on encrypted vs decrypted, what it is how it works,how to decrypt and stay that way. This thread has a file that you flash in recovery to make sure encryption does not get forced while flashing a ROM or kernel (don't know if I broke any rules by linking without permission if I did let me know this is NOT my work all credit goes to the dev) http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=3000788. Also maybe a link to the noob question thread (though it looks like it's one post above for now) thanks for this thread always nice to just read something to find an answer and not have to make a useless post.
elevatorguy said:
A suggestion. Maybe have some info on encrypted vs decrypted, what it is how it works,how to decrypt and stay that way. This thread has a file that you flash in recovery to make sure encryption does not get forced while flashing a ROM or kernel (don't know if I broke any rules by linking without permission if I did let me know this is NOT my work all credit goes to the dev) http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=3000788. Also maybe a link to the noob question thread (though it looks like it's one post above for now) thanks for this thread always nice to just read something to find an answer and not have to make a useless post.
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Click to collapse
Excellent suggestion, I will get something together tomorrow. Thank you.
"is there a thread with links to important guides and information ?"
"yes, general > sticky roll-up"
Or maybe reword question 1 a little so people know that's where guides are.
rootSU said:
"is there a thread with links to important guides and information ?"
"yes, general > sticky roll-up"
Or maybe reword question 1 a little so people know that's where guides are.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Done. Thanks!
elevatorguy said:
A suggestion. Maybe have some info on encrypted vs decrypted, what it is how it works,how to decrypt and stay that way. This thread has a file that you flash in recovery to make sure encryption does not get forced while flashing a ROM or kernel (don't know if I broke any rules by linking without permission if I did let me know this is NOT my work all credit goes to the dev) http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=3000788. Also maybe a link to the noob question thread (though it looks like it's one post above for now) thanks for this thread always nice to just read something to find an answer and not have to make a useless post.
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Done, thanks again.
rootSU said:
One day we'll rebel
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Question 18 added to build the rebel forces.
Question 19 added.
Question 20 seems to be a frequent flyer.
Thread has been cleaned per OP request.
Please only post questions with answers, you feel would help your fellow Nexus 6 user.
All other conversion... please bring to a new thread or the lounge:good: Keeping in mind this is not a Q&A thread.
Thank you @Evolution_Tech for continued updates.
Questions 21 and 22 added since we have a new update.
Question 23...toolkits.
Post #2 updated with links to general help threads.
cam30era said:
@Evolution_Tech,
While responding to a thread this morning, I was "asked" to change to the New 2015 XDA thread view (web view). Not sure I like it, but that's not why I'm here. What's the difference between "commenting" on a post and "posting a reply"?
Update: Weirder still, some on the comments aren't even viewable in the XDA Premium app. Just shows a web link....... @danarama 's Black Screen thread.
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Click to collapse
I specifically chose a new template for that thread which allows answers to be "up voted" as you may have seen on many technical sites, most prominently, Microsoft technet.
The apps can't handle it so they make you use a browser.
Reply is an answer or solution. Comments are to a particular answer, so for example, I can say "tried that" without creating a response that is seen as a votable answer.
Question #24 added. How to use XDA Search.
updates coming.. stay tuned
Hey guys I'm new here and hope this is the correct forum. I recently purchased a nexus 6 off amazon and when it arrived I was surprised to find it had been rooted already. I want to set it back to original stock image but I'm not sure which version to download. I don't know which provider it was originally on. It is on Verizon now. Can I just download mmb29q and expect it to work? System info says I have mmb29u but there is no option for that version. Thank you.
Any version will work but all marshmallow builds are unified and 29q is the latest factory image
MassiveDynam1c said:
Hey guys I'm new here and hope this is the correct forum. I recently purchased a nexus 6 off amazon and when it arrived I was surprised to find it had been rooted already. I want to set it back to original stock image but I'm not sure which version to download. I don't know which provider it was originally on. It is on Verizon now. Can I just download mmb29q and expect it to work? System info says I have mmb29u but there is no option for that version. Thank you.
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this is not q&a thread. this is for the most common FAQ's..
but to answer ur question. go with 29q. this is the latest stock firmware .
how did u ever got 29u as a stock rom? thats the latest aosp. nexus 6 never had a 29u stock firmeware
So this is my first thread and had a heck of a time trying to successfully root the 6t using Magisk and TWRP. Why might you ask? Because the unofficial TWRP for the Oneplus 6T has a bug with the Media Transfer Protocal (MTP) so once TWRP is installed, you can't use it to install flashable zips. The device shows the 6T internal storage as empty and therefor you cant flash a zip if TWRP cant find a zip to flash. So anyways heres what I did to get this working.
*****NOTE***** I am not a dev, i simply stumbled across a solution (work-around), to the TWRP MTP issue, and therefor if anything goes wrong with your device, it is on you. DO NOT BLAME ME if you brick your device. If you so choose to follow this guide, ANY/ALL risk and the subsequent consequences, are YOURS AND YOURS ALONE.
***CREDITS*** TO: @topjohnwu for MAGISK & @mauronofrio for his unofficial android Q TWRP
STEP1: Grab this TWRP https://androidfilehost.com/?fid=1395089523397961761
STEP2: Grap magisk beta v19.2 https://github.com/topjohnwu/Magisk/releases/download/v19.2/Magisk-v19.2.zip
STEP3: Run the following command: fastboot flash boot twrp.img
***NOTICE ABOVE COMMAND*** (uses "flash boot" instead of "boot")
STEP4: Manually reboot into back into recovery
***NOTE*** once in recovery I used "swipe to allow modifications" , dont know if it matters
STEP5: Go to adb sideload tab from within TWRP Recovery
STEP6: Once adb sideload finishes loading, run the following command: adb sideload magisk.zip
STEP7: Let sideload finish, reboot device, open magisk app and follow its instructions to finish install.
kluongo said:
So this is my first thread and had a heck of a time trying to successfully root the 6t using Magisk and TWRP. Why might you ask? Because the unofficial TWRP for the Oneplus 6T has a bug with the Media Transfer Protocal (MTP) so once TWRP is installed, you can't use it to install flashable zips. The device shows the 6T internal storage as empty and therefor you cant flash a zip if TWRP cant find a zip to flash. So anyways heres what I did to get this working.
*****NOTE***** I am not a dev, i simply stumbled across a solution (work-around), to the TWRP MTP issue, and therefor if anything goes wrong with your device, it is on you. DO NOT BLAME ME if you brick your device. If you so choose to follow this guide, ANY/ALL risk and the subsequent consequences, are YOURS AND YOURS ALONE.
***CREDITS*** TO: @topjohnwu for MAGISK & @mauronofrio for his unofficial android Q TWRP
STEP1: Grab this TWRP https://androidfilehost.com/?fid=1395089523397961761
STEP2: Grap magisk beta v19.2 https://github.com/topjohnwu/Magisk/releases/download/v19.2/Magisk-v19.2.zip
STEP3: Run the following command: fastboot flash boot twrp.img
***NOTICE ABOVE COMMAND*** (uses "flash boot" instead of "boot")
STEP4: Manually reboot into back into recovery
***NOTE*** once in recovery I used "swipe to allow modifications" , dont know if it matters
STEP5: Go to adb sideload tab from within TWRP Recovery
STEP6: Once adb sideload finishes loading, run the following command: adb sideload magisk.zip
STEP7: Let sideload finish, reboot device, open magisk app and follow its instructions to finish install.
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The twrp we have works fine dude
Lol
And you are referring to using TWRP on Android Q beta correct??? Because when I tried using the latest stable TWRP for 6T but with Android Q... It would not flash
JUST FYI
The mtp issue is a known bug with the Q developer preview.
Rite from download page.
"Known Issues
Camera, portrait mode does not work
Ambient Display is not working
System stability issues
Encryption will change in the next preview build
Some apps may not function as expected when running on this Developer preview release
Issue With MTP cannot copy rollback from PC to Phone."
Not with twrp.
The only issue with twrp at the moment is reading v3 synthetic keys to decrypt if you have pin/password set and running may security patch.
kluongo said:
And you are referring to using TWRP on Android Q beta correct??? Because when I tried using the latest stable TWRP for 6T but with Android Q... It would not flash
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Thank you twinn for clarifying that... So I stand corrected on twinns point... But not on fullofhells needless comment
kluongo said:
Thank you twinn for clarifying that... So I stand corrected on twinns point... But not on fullofhells needless comment
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Use Blu spark, secondly the resolution for mtp, is enable dev options and turn on USB file transfer. Then USB works. Use a prepatched twrp and pre rooted twrp Blu spark kernel. Flash in fastboot, twrp works fine. Fully. Not apparently not needless if u still have issues posting erroneous comments that serve no purpose. U should read. It serves so many purposes. U would see the fix for mtp on Q and how in the main twrp thread a week or more ago I discussed how twrp works fine if u do as I listed there.. I read everything, I assumed every other user does the same.
fullofhell said:
Use Blu spark, secondly the resolution for mtp, is enable dev options and turn on USB file transfer. Then USB works. Use a prepatched twrp and pre rooted twrp Blu spark kernel. Flash in fastboot, twrp works fine. Fully. Not apparently not needless if u still have issues posting erroneous comments that serve no purpose. U should read. It serves so many purposes. U would see the fix for mtp on Q and how in the main twrp thread a week or more ago I discussed how twrp works fine if u do as I listed there.. I read everything, I assumed every other user does the same.
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:highfive:
WOW.
Where to start here?
The TWRP you linked (https://androidfilehost.com/?fid=1395089523397961761) is for OPO 6, not 6T, but it does say fajita, and not enchilada
TWRP works fine for us, if you use the latest.
P and Q are different beasts, as of now, and there are posts on how to flash TWRP on Q.
This thread seems redundant an unnecessary.
But....that's just my $.02
So first, i just searched all 9 pages of the 6t Guides thread section... not one single thread explaining, or detailing, any guide or tutorial, for individuals to play around with Q... On that point, not redundant.... Secondly the fajita image i posted is not for the 6... its from mauronofrio for the 6t, under the thread he started for twrp images for the 6t... so.. if it is in fact for the 6... maybe he should be notified?..... and if this thread is redudnant, why cant i find any guide detailing steps to mess around with Q?
kluongo said:
So first, i just searched all 9 pages of the 6t Guides thread section... not one single thread explaining, or detailing, any guide or tutorial, for individuals to play around with Q... On that point, not redundant.... Secondly the fajita image i posted is not for the 6... its from mauronofrio for the 6t, under the thread he started for twrp images for the 6t... so.. if it is in fact for the 6... maybe he should be notified?..... and if this thread is redudnant, why cant i find any guide detailing steps to mess around with Q?
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Here's a thread about Q on the 6T: https://forum.xda-developers.com/oneplus-6t/how-to/oneplus-6t-androidq-beta-release-links-t3928174 (specifically post #62)
The TWRP link page you linked specifically says "Download test-twrp-3.3.0-Q-fajita.img for the OnePlus OnePlus 6" but I commented that it was correctly for the 6T. I would get ahold of Mauronofrio to inform him of the error.
It's only redundant because after reading the thread I posted above^, it seems we have some waiting to do until we even get a stable Q build.
Thanks!
Yes, I did in fact see that thread and briefly read it over. On the contrary, it did not help me in the manner i needed. Alot of people don't have the time to dig through threads to find an answer to a problem, especially from a thread which was never intended to address said problem in the first place (according to its title, as well as the entire first page of posts). I have been following these forums, quietly, since the galaxy s4 was released and hence, when I look for a guide or missing piece of information I require, i know to read and look around a bit before starting a thread. As such, I have not needed to create a thread EVER... and then there was this problem with no clear cut guide, thread, solution... nada.... so alas, I decided to provide one for a change... I am now reminded why i choose to stay mostly quiet... because xda has become a honeypot full of negative trollers, and "full-of-themself" donald trumps, when it should contain more people offering constructive critisicm, positive environment, and turning the less knowledgeable into the more informed android enthusiast.
Just my $.01
kluongo said:
Yes, I did in fact see that thread and briefly read it over. On the contrary, it did not help me in the manner i needed. Alot of people don't have the time to dig through threads to find an answer to a problem, especially from a thread which was never intended to address said problem in the first place (according to its title, as well as the entire first page of posts). I have been following these forums, quietly, since the galaxy s4 was released and hence, when I look for a guide or missing piece of information I require, i know to read and look around a bit before starting a thread. As such, I have not needed to create a thread EVER... and then there was this problem with no clear cut guide, thread, solution... nada.... so alas, I decided to provide one for a change... I am now reminded why i choose to stay mostly quiet... because xda has become a honeypot full of negative trollers, and "full-of-themself" donald trumps, when it should contain more people offering constructive critisicm, positive environment, and turning the less knowledgeable into the more informed android enthusiast.
Just my $.01
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No need to stay quiet, just learn to use the search function, and participate on the already created threads instead of creating new ones. (Just a suggestion...)
And the ad hominem attempts are unnecessary.
Love,
'full-of-myself'
No..
Love,
@fullofhellself
?
Damn wth did I do..lol... We are a system of checks and balances for all users. Full of myself... Yeah okay.. better be nice or mom's not gunna pay your internet bill.. and I hate trumpian politics. I just loathe redundant unusable posts. As do my constituents here..
kluongo said:
Yes, I did in fact see that thread and briefly read it over. On the contrary, it did not help me in the manner i needed. Alot of people don't have the time to dig through threads to find an answer to a problem, especially from a thread which was never intended to address said problem in the first place (according to its title, as well as the entire first page of posts). I have been following these forums, quietly, since the galaxy s4 was released and hence, when I look for a guide or missing piece of information I require, i know to read and look around a bit before starting a thread. As such, I have not needed to create a thread EVER... and then there was this problem with no clear cut guide, thread, solution... nada.... so alas, I decided to provide one for a change... I am now reminded why i choose to stay mostly quiet... because xda has become a honeypot full of negative trollers, and "full-of-themself" donald trumps, when it should contain more people offering constructive critisicm, positive environment, and turning the less knowledgeable into the more informed android enthusiast.
Just my $.01
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Click to collapse
Chill out, no need to bring politics into a phone modding forum, seems kinda silly doesn't it? But yes, you should have just gone to the existing 6T Android Q thread and just used the search function. Wouldn't have been that hard. I never even installed Android Q and I even remember reading through numerous posts of people wanting to return to stock. I don't blame you for posting or anything, I'm just letting you know that there definitely was a clear-cut easy way to find a way to go to stock from the Q beta.
LMAO xda is getting out of control... I agree with the OP as the other thread is not about this particular issue... Which was getting twrp and magisk going on the Q beta (NOT returning to stock - like where did that even come from if your following along lol)
I could easily see him getting flamed for hijacking the thread if he posted this tutorial in the other person's thread. You can't win for loosing any more.
This is also why I stay mostly silent on here smh!
juggz143 said:
LMAO xda is getting out of control... I agree with the OP as the other thread is not about this particular issue... Which was getting twrp and magisk going on the Q beta (NOT returning to stock - like where did that even come from if your following along lol)
I could easily see him getting flamed for hijacking the thread if he posted this tutorial in the other person's thread. You can't win for loosing any more.
This is also why I stay mostly silent on here smh!
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omfg. Read post 1. Reread. Read again. Now read your sentences. Try not to feel dumb. Search function = no one wastes time. That's all.
fullofhell said:
omfg. Read post 1. Reread. Read again. Now read your sentences. Try not to feel dumb. Search function = no one wastes time. That's all.
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[emoji848]Maybe it's you who should re-read. The first post doesn't mention anything about returning to stock. He's trying to install magisk on a BETA, which is the polar opposite of returning to stock [emoji2375][emoji2363]...
If anything having a dedicated thread for a "specific reason" is much easier to find, and less time consuming, than searching for a possible answer in the comments of another thread on a somewhat related post. He's making the search more efficient since you mention "wasting time", you're the one wasting time *****ing on a usefull post lol.
You're assuming installing TWRP is for the purpose of returning to stock but there's a ton of other reasons someone could want to install TWRP and then magisk... Also there's other ways to return to stock besides TWRP soooo [emoji2375] i guess that's a waste of time too...
What are we doing SMH [emoji23][emoji24][emoji88]
Sent from my SM-G975U1 using Tapatalk
juggz14301 said:
[emoji848]Maybe it's you who should re-read. The first post doesn't mention anything about returning to stock. He's trying to install magisk on a BETA, which is the polar opposite of returning to stock [emoji2375][emoji2363]...
If anything having a dedicated thread for a "specific reason" is much easier to find, and less time consuming, than searching for a possible answer in the comments of another thread on a somewhat related post. He's making the search more efficient since you mention "wasting time", you're the one wasting time *****ing on a usefull post lol.
You're assuming installing TWRP is for the purpose of returning to stock but there's a ton of other reasons someone could want to install TWRP and then magisk... Also there's other ways to return to stock besides TWRP soooo [emoji2375] i guess that's a waste of time too...
What are we doing SMH [emoji23][emoji24][emoji88]
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Who is talking about returning to stock? He's talking about installing TWRP and magisk on Q beta.
Hi all! So, you have a P8 lite in your pocket and you hate EMUI? Well, that was my case too, it's uncustomizable, ugly, and removes plenty of features from android stock. I do not like it one bit, and I like even less the fact that this phone is getting no more updates, ever. This sucks, it all sucks, luckily we can say "F all that" and do whatever we want with this device, provided you follow this guide.
I am making this guide because I want to condensate every single thing I know about this device in one single thread. One big guide to help all of you out installing custom ROMs. Without this, you would have to do research along multiple threads, often with conflicting information, and what's even worse, DEAD LINKS! There's nothing more frustrating than finally finding the solution to your problem, just one download away, just to be greeted by a dead link, and you would need to scout for another file that may or may not work... ugly stuff.
So, the point of this is to bring up to date info so you can make this device rock. This guide assumes you have Huawei's EMUI 4.0 installed which runs on Android 6.0. I'm also assuming you have your bootloader locked, and I will explain how to unlock it FOR FREE. No need to pay to some shady site in order to access what effectively belongs to you.
These are the requirements for this guide:
Code:
#USB cable
#A PC
#Some charge on the device to ensure nothing goes wrong
#An SD Card
#Patience
Before beggining, a quick disclaimer:
Code:
#It's not my objective to break your device, however there's always a risk when doing these kind of things.
#When you follow this guide's steps your are accepting the risks and are taking full responsiblity for whatever may happen to your device.
#Don't blame me for breaking your stuff if that happens, all I'm listing here worked for me, and should work for you.
#I won't be babysitting anybody to help solve their specific problems, don't PM me asking me why X doesn't work.
#I am unaware if this works in other versions of this device, but I'm positive this works on both ALE-L23 and ALE-L21
#If you have a "CAM-XXX" device, it's highly likely this works for you too, but as with everything, TRY AT YOUR OWN RISK.
#YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!
Ok, so let's begin. As the title says, the guide is applicable to any custom ROM. However, I will be installing Lineage OS 14.1 which runs on (almost stock) Android 7.1.2. Regardless, the final step where we install the custom ROM is interchangable, and you can use whichever you please.
This process WILL wipe all of your data (except SD card). Make sure to make a backup of everything you want to save (app configs, photos, videos and whatever else).
1. DOWNGRADING TO ANDROID 5
As you may know, Huawei has stopped providing bootloader unlock codes for very stupid reasons. This has led to many unable to unlock their bootloader and having to pay for third party apps in hopes they don't get scammed. There are some trustworthy sites where you can get these at a fee tho (mainly DC Unlocker at 4 bucks), so if you want to pay up to avoid having to downgrade to Android 5, you can do so. However, I understand that you may not want to pay at all, I didn't want to either.
To get the bootloader unlock code, we need root, and to get root, we need Android 5. Why? Because getting root in Android 6 requires us to flash some zips, and for that we need TWRP, and for that we need an unlocked bootloader, everyhing closes up very nicely. So, we have no choice but to downgrade.
An SD card is not needed for this process, but it is going to be required at a later point, so why not use it now too?
NOTE: It may be a good idea to make a factory reset at this point, to avoid issues. For that, do the following:
Turn your phone off.
Boot the phone by holding the power button and the volume up button at the same time.
Wait untill the Huawei logo appears, then let go of both buttons.
You should be in recovery mode, navigate with the volume keys to the "Wipe data/factory reset" option.
Select it with the power button and wipe everything.
Reboot the device with the option in the menu.
Once the device has booted up, follow the guide.
Alright, once that's done, connect your phone to the PC to transfer some files:
NOTE: There's two Stock Android 5s downloads ("HW_Android_5_Transition.zip" and "HW_Stock_Android_5.zip"). One is a transition package, as the name implies, and the other is Huawei's EMUI 3.1 in all of it's glory. What's the difference? The transition package is a much smaller file that is designed to downgrade the phone from EMUI 4.0 (Android 6) to EMUI 3.1 (Android 5). If you are running EMUI 4.0 (which should be the case) then you can use the transition package which will take less to download. If you have another version (i.e. EMUI 4.1) you should use "HW_Stock_Android_5.zip". However, the latter is the safe bet. If you are not sure which one to use, use "HW_Stock_Android_5.zip". The process is exactly the same for both packages.
Extract the "UPDATE.APP" file from "HW_Stock_Android_5.zip" or "HW_Android_5_Transition.zip".
Navigate to your phone's internal memory or SD card (whichever you want to use) and locate a folder called "dload". If there's not one, create it.
Put the "UPDATE.APP" file inside of the "dload" folder.
Turn your phone off.
Once it's off, press the power button and the two volume buttons until you see the Huawei logo.
That should make the phone recognize the "update" and start flashing it. Once it finishes, it will try to boot by itself, so pressing those 3 buttons was your last input until the phone boots into Android 5. It will take a long time for it to both finish and boot, don't be afraid, the phone is not bricked. If you think the phone is indeed bricked because it has been stuck at the logo screen for way to long (longer than an hour) then proceed to the "Unbricking" section of this guide. However, it's highly unlikely that this will happen, as Huawei checks the file before flashing it, so if it's incompatible with your device it should not do anything and boot again into Android 6 with everything untouched.
2. ROOTING ON ANDROID 5 AND EXTRACTING BOOTLOADER UNLOCK CODE
Once you are in Android 5, we will need to root the device. Download KingRoot (proved to work) or another one click root app of your choice. I'm aware of KingRoot's bad reputation because of the spyware accusations, but the phone will be wiped anyway and we are sure it works, so it doesn't really harm at all. If you still don't want to use it, check with other apps, I haven't done so myself so I don't know what else works.
Once your phone is rooted, we will need to use the terminal for the first time. We will need to setup ADB and Fastboot, if you already have that, skip this step.
Extract the "platform-tools" folder from the zip and place it somewhere nice.
Shift right click on a blank space INSIDE of the "platform-tools" folder.
Select "Open command window here".
This should be enough to get ADB working, but we need to make some config on the phone itself too.
Go to Settings -> About Phone
Look for a line that says "Build Number" and tap it multiple times.
When the message saying "You are now a developer" pops up, go back and enter the new "Developer Options" menu.
In there, look for an option called "USB Debugging" and turn it on.
Connect the phone to your PC via USB cable.
A message should have popped up on the phone asking for permission to use USB Debugging, tap on "Always allow from this PC" and then on "Allow".
NOTE: If the message doesn't pop up, you can try a number of things. I prefer to tap the "Revoke USB debugging authorizations" button to ensure that no PC is authorized, so the message must pop up at some point. Once you revoked authorizations, disconnect and connect the phone again, if you still don't see it, try to select MTP as the transfer protocol. If not, then PTP, if you still don't see it install Hi Suite on your PC and open it, it should pop up now.
Once you have everything working, type the following in the terminal in your PC:
Code:
adb devices
If you see a serial number there, that's your phone, and that means everything is set up correctly (make sure you don't have any other device attached to your PC, or you could confuse the two and make bad stuff happen for that other device). If you don't see it, make sure USB Debugging is enabled. You can try to use different cables if you still have problems. Now type:
Code:
adb shell
And then:
Code:
su -c "grep -m1 -aoE 'WVLOCK.{14}[0-9]{16}' /dev/block/mmcblk0p7 |grep -aoE '[0-9]{16}'"
KingRoot (or the app you used to root) should prompt you (in your phone) if you want to give ADB root access, make sure to allow it to make this work. This should give you your unlock code. SAVE IT INTO A TXT FILE AND COPY THAT FILE TO ALL OF YOUR PCS, ALL OF YOUR CLOUD ACCOUNTS AND ALL OF YOUR MOBILE DEVICES.
(Maybe the terminal gets stuck at this point, press CTRL + D (or C) to get it unstuck).
Seriusly tho, it didn't happen to me, but it is a possibility that your Bootloader can re lock after doing some of the things that follow, in which case you will need to unlock it again, and if you don't have that code... it's back to square one.
3. GOING BACK TO ANDROID 6
Now that we have done all that we wanted on Android 5, it's time to go back. The process is exactly the same.
Extract the "UPDATE.APP" file from the "HW_Stock_Android_6.zip" file and move it to the dload folder (SD card or Internal).
Turn off your phone and turn it on again with all three buttons pressed.
Wait.
???
Profit.
So, we're back on Android 6. Why did we go back you may ask? Why did we not just flash our precius custom ROM? Well, for once, this gives people the chance to stay on EMUI if all they wanted was to unlock the bootloader and maybe root on Android 6 (which I will explain how to do too, in case you want to). Another, more important reason, we need Android 6 to install the B895/B896 update, which is a requirement for any custom ROM (mainly Android 7.0+) if you don't want any problems with your SIM card (and others that may arise).
4. UNLOCKING BOOTLOADER AND FLASHING TWRP
Now, we need to turn on USB Debugging again, and to allow our PC... again. Do so, and check that everything is right with:
Code:
adb devices
If that's the case, then type the following:
Code:
adb reboot bootloader
Your phone will reboot, and you should see a white screen with a wasted android above a green text saying "PHONE LOCKED". If that's the case, take a moment to say goodbye to that green text, because it will soon turn very red. We will need to unlock the bootloader with the code you got from the previous steps, for that type the following:
Code:
fastboot oem unlock ****************
In place of the "****************" you must enter your code, of course. And that was it, now the green text is replaced with a red "PHONE UNLOCKED". This are good news. Now, we need to flash our custom recovery if we want to do anything fancy with the device. For that, extract the "recovery.img" file from the "TWRP_3.1.1.zip" file and paste it into the same folder where all of the ADB files are located (where "adb.exe" is). Now type:
Code:
fastboot flash recovery recovery.img
This will flash TWRP into your device, hooray! Now type:
Code:
fastboot reboot
And your device should turn back on, today is a bright day my son. Now you must take a decision, do you want to flash a custom ROM and get very nice and fancy features or do you want to stay with what you have? If you prefer Huawei's EMUI 4.0, then follow to the next step. If you want to flash custom ROMs, then skip the next one.
5. ROOTING ON ANDROID 6 (OPTIONAL)
I don't know why you would prefer EMUI over... anything else really, but it's your call. I'll tell you how to root it so you can at least take some advantage of it. You see that file called "HW_Android_6_Root.zip"? Extract it, inside there will be... another folder called Root... huh? Redundant. Anyway, inside of that there should be two zips. 1.zip and 2.zip. You will need to place the folder called "Root" inside of your SD card or your internal storage. Then, go back to the terminal and type:
Code:
adb reboot recovery
You should reboot into TWRP, isn't it nice? Anyway, we have to flash some zips! Go to "wipe" first and wipe the "Cache" partition and the "Dalvik" partition. Once that's done, go to install and navigate to the Root folder your placed... well, you know where. Select 1.zip and flash it, once it's finished reboot the device. If TWRP prompts you to install it's app, DO NOT DO IT. Once the phone has rebooted (it will take longer because of the cache and dalvik wipe), repeat the process but flash 2.zip this time, reboot and your phone should be rooted. This is the end of the line for you now, as you don't want to make anything else to the phone. However, you can go to the final chapter where I explain how to install Xposed framework, if you want more customization. EMUI doesn't like Xposed very much, so there's little you can do with it, but it's something I guess.
6. INSTALLING THE B895/B896 UPDATE
So, you followed the power user path, the one we all really want deep down. That's cool, I respect you. We gotta use that custom recovery we just flashed, but first we need to transfer some files into our phone's memory. We need to install an update to the phone, for which you need Android 6 (that you should already have anyway). There's two different updates, B895 and B896. As you may guess, B896 is newer. However, any of these two will (or rather should) work without issues. I personally used B896, but some people claim B895 is more stable. I can't find a difference really, but the process is the same regardless of which you choose. Once you have made that decision, move "B895_update.zip" or "B896_update.zip" to your phone's internal storage or SD card AS IS (don't extract it). Then type into the terminal:
Code:
adb reboot recovery
You should be in TWRP now. Go to wipe and select the "Cache" and "Dalvik" partitions ONLY, then wipe them. Once that's done, go to install and flash your update of choice. Once finished, reboot the device. If TWRP prompts you to install it's app, DO NOT DO IT. The boot should take longer than usual because of the "Cache" and "Dalvik" wipe... and because of the update too. Once booted, you should be in EMUI 4.1. Go to settings and into "About Phone". In there, look for a field called "IMEI". If you see a number, that means you did everything properly, if you see "unkown" or nothing at all, then that means you lost your IMEI... which means you will have connectivity issues. To fix this, you will need to do a full wipe (so, boot into recovery (we lost TWRP due to the update) and then go to wipe, in there select everything except SD card) and follow the steps again starting from 3, this time flashing the other update (so if you flashed B895, flash B896 this time and vice versa)).
Now, this last step we made has wiped our custom recovery... so sad. We have to flash it again, but we are almost finished!! Now it's time for you to move the custom ROM you want to your SD card (SD card is mandatory, as we will wipe internal storage). You should also move your custom ROM of choice. If you want root, also move the "SuperSUv82.zip" file.
OPTIONAL:
If you want Gapps, that means the Google apps, so PlayStore, Google services and such (and you really should want them, as Android without PlayStore is kinda rough), then you need to download them separately.
So, go to the Gapps website and select the pacakge you want. You NEED to choose the ARM64 platform, the android version depends on the ROM you are flashing, so check which version it runs, and the package itself is personal preference. Here you can see a comparison of each package, detailing what each one contains so you can make a decision. The aroma package is kinda bugged, I would avoid it. Choose wisely, as flashing another Gapps package once you have flashed a different one can and most likely will cause issues. If you want my opinion, I would stick to the nano package. It offers the basic Google functionality and allows you to download other Google apps you may need/use with the PlayStore once you are booted up.
Once you choose your package, move it to your phone's SD card along with the ROM and the SuperSU zip if you want it.
Check that USB Debugging is still enabled, and then type:
Code:
adb reboot bootloader
Once into the bootloader, flash the custom recovery once again with:
Code:
fastboot flash recovery recovery.img
Then:
Code:
fastboot reboot
Once booted up again, type:
Code:
adb reboot recovery
And now it's time to drop the bomb, say bye bye to EMUI, and say hello to... whatever it is you are installing.
7. FLASHING YOUR CUSTOM ROM OF CHOICE
MOST CUSTOM ROMS REQUIRE AN LTE CAPABLE SIM IN ORDER TO HAVE CELLULAR NETWROK WORKING CORRECTLY, THIS DEPENDS ON A ROM TO ROM BASIS, DO YOUR RESEARCH BEFORE FLASHING
Once in TWRP, go to wipe and check every box, I'm serius, check everything except the SD card. Once that's finished, the moment of glory has come. Go to install and flash your ROM. It will take a while, and when that's done reboot. The phone should boot into your ROM. If you want either Gapps or SuperSU, make a quick setup and enable USB Debugging again, then reboot to recovery with:
Code:
adb reboot recovery
Once in TWRP, go to install and flash the Gapps package and the SuperSU zip (in that order) if you want it. Reboot. That should be it! You are done!
8. UNBRICKING
I don't know why, but with all the flashing and the testing I've done you would have thinked that I should have suffered of a brick state at least once... that was, luckily, not the case. I haven't suffered a single brick. I don't know if I'm extremely lucky or if this phone is tremendously resilient, but the case is I haven't had any issues of this kind.
However, I can understand that it is a possibility, so if this happens to you my best advice is to do the following: Boot into recovery mode (either stock or TWRP depending on where in the whole process you got stuck), make a full wipe and apply the update from "HW_Stock_Android_6.zip" with the dload folder and the three buttons method. That should get it unstuck, if not... try the same with the "HW_Stock_Android_5.zip" 's "UPDATE.APP".
9. INSTALLING XPOSED FRAMEWORK (OPTIONAL)
What? A custom ROM is not enough for you? Getting freed from EMUI is not enough? Well fear not then, because there's one last step for the true power user, for that man who thinks that everything is not enough, the good old Xposed Framework *queue fireworks and trumpets.
So, you need to install the Xposed Installer apk. Get it from here, and ONLY THERE. I once installed an apk from another source... ended up being adware, not fun. The apk is at the very bottom of the thread. You will also need the framework itself, get it from here.
Get the latest (arm64) version for your ROM. This depends on what Android version it is running on:
Code:
SDK21 = Android 5.0
SDK22 = Android 5.1
SDK23 = Android 6.0
SDK24 = Android 7.0
SDK25 = Android 7.1
SDK26 = Android 8.0
SDK27 = Android 8.1
You should also get the uninstaller in case things go south.
Once you got the files, install the apk on your phone. Open the app once. Transfer the framework and the uninstaller into your SD or internal storage. Boot into TWRP recovery and install the framework, reboot the device.
NOTE: Android 6.0 takes about 20 mins to boot, wait about an hour before deciding that it's bricked. Android 7.1.2 took me about 2 mins. I'm unaware of the boot times of other versions, but be aware that it can take LONG. If you think it really got bricked, boot into TWRP again and flash the uninstaller. That should get it unstuck and you can either try again or leave it as is.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Well guys, that's all I got, quite a big write up huh? I don't really have nothing else to say, just remember that what you are doing here is at your own risk and I don't want anybody blaming me for the bad things that can happen. I will proceed to leave you with the download links so you can try this yourself. I'm currently running Lineage OS 14.1 which features Android Nougat 7.1.2 on my Huawei P8 lite ALE-L23, I've never been happier to be free from the manufacturer's ROM.
DOWNLOADS
(The B895 and B896 update's links are not mine)
Huawei's Stock Android 5:
Android Filehost
Mediafire
Huawei's Android 5 Transition:
Android Filehost
Mediafire
Huawei's Stock Android 6:
Android Filehost
Mediafire
Huawei's Android 6 Root:
Android Filehost
Mediafire
EMUI 4.1 (B895):
Android Filehost
EMUI 4.1 (B896):
Android Filehost
Platform-Tools:
Android Filehost
Mediafire
TWRP 3.1.1:
Android Filehost
Mediafire
Gapps:
Open Gapps
SuperSU:
Android Filehost
Google Drive
Hi,
I didn't understand what do you mean whan you write: Once booted, you should be in EMUI 4.1. If you retained your IMEI, you are in good path, if not... then do a factory reset (wipe everything) and repeat the steps starting from 3.
Could you explain it better?
Thank you
ilmatte said:
Hi,
I didn't understand what do you mean whan you write: Once booted, you should be in EMUI 4.1. If you retained your IMEI, you are in good path, if not... then do a factory reset (wipe everything) and repeat the steps starting from 3.
Could you explain it better?
Thank you
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, it's basically this: If you go into the "About Phone" section you will see that there's a field detailing your IMEI. I won't lie, I don't know exactly what it is, but it's a unique number for every phone and has something to do with your cellular network connection.
If you messed up at some point, you can lose your IMEI (i.e. you won't see it in that field or it will say "unknown" or something of the sort). If that happens, then it means you did something wrong, and proceeding in this state will make you have problems with your connection. The signal would be really unstable and it would be practically unusable.
To make a simpler check, if you have a cellular network connection, and can make calls and send/receive SMS on EMUI 4.1, then you won't have any problems.
Ah ok it wasn't so clear but I know what an imei is luckily it didn't erase it in my case. Anyway, I don't know how to thank you bro! You saved my life. I beleived to be screwed when I learned that Huawei stopped releasing the bootloader unlock code. How stupid they are. I blamed them through the customer support. I'm running lineage now! Kiss my ass Huawei!
ilmatte said:
Ah ok it wasn't so clear but I know what an imei is luckily it didn't erase it in my case. Anyway, I don't know how to thank you bro! You saved my life. I beleived to be screwed when I learned that Huawei stopped releasing the bootloader unlock code. How stupid they are. I blamed them through the customer support. I'm running lineage now! Kiss my ass Huawei!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Glad to hear I helped! Mind dropping a thank on the main thread? Hope you enjoy your phone
Thanks <3 -notes
Thank you tralph3, you make my life so easy, great easy guide. I have a few suggestions for improving clarity:
Step 1. "Stock_Android_5.zip" contains "transitional" android 6.0 ALE-L21C900B500 firmware According to including Spanish documentation "3., 3.1 Download the Android5.0 update package" It must be downloaded another 5.0 firmware. I use this 5.0 firmware to make kingroot preform root.
Firmware: huaweidl.com/download/p8-lite/ale-l21/b204/
Look for a line that says "Compilation Number" and tap...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Step 2. second point 2. Change to "Build Number"
su -c "grep -m1 -aoE 'WVLOCK.{14}[0-9]{16}' /dev/block/mmcblk0p7 |grep -aoE '[0-9]{16}'"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Step 2. getting unlock code. After executing command. Add step -Kingsroot display root access prompt ALLOW it.
t
Thanks for your work.
BelisTT said:
Thank you tralph3, you make my life so easy, great easy guide. I have a few suggestions for improving clarity:
Step 1. "Stock_Android_5.zip" contains "transitional" android 6.0 ALE-L21C900B500 firmware According to including Spanish documentation "3., 3.1 Download the Android5.0 update package" It must be downloaded another 5.0 firmware. I use this 5.0 firmware to make kingroot preform root.
Firmware: huaweidl.com/download/p8-lite/ale-l21/b204/
Step 2. second point 2. Change to "Build Number"
Step 2. getting unlock code. After executing command. Add step -Kingsroot display root access prompt ALLOW it.
t
Thanks for your work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for pointing this stuff out, I'll make those changes you suggested and try to fix some typos too. So, what I gather from what you told me about that Android 5 thing is that in order to correctly flash the update I'm providing you NEED to be in Android 6, right? Whereas with the one you are providing me it should boot into Android 5 regardless of what you currently have. If that's the case, I'll include both and tell people of the distinction between the two so they can use the one they want/need (after all, the transition package is much smaller and easier to download). I'll download the package and upload it to Android Filehost along with everything else. I think I'll keep the mediafire downloads as a mirror. I'll get to that, thanks.
tralph3 said:
.... in Android 6, right? Whereas with the one you are providing me it should boot into Android 5 regardless of what you currently have.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, exactly. Thanks for curating this additional download, good idea.
Does this also work for the PRA-LX1 version?
I have Android 8.0 on it and absolutely no idea what EMUI version or eben the firmware version.
I want to put crDroid on this phone because EMUI ... you know, it's bad.
Otherwise: I am ok with paying these 4€ if this payed unlock works.
WHICH of all these DC Unlocker Apps do I need for getting the unlock code?
Badoolo said:
Does this also work for the PRA-LX1 version?
I have Android 8.0 on it and absolutely no idea what EMUI version or eben the firmware version.
I want to put crDroid on this phone because EMUI ... you know, it's bad.
Otherwise: I am ok with paying these 4€ if this payed unlock works.
WHICH of all these DC Unlocker Apps do I need for getting the unlock code?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
DON'T TRY ANY OF THIS. All of what I've detailed is for the P8 lite 2015, your phone is a different 2017 version that's basically another completely different phone with the same name, because Huawei doesn't know how to namr their devices. You have a different chipset, doing anything of what's described here will most likely brick your phone. With that said, maybe the bootloader unlock method works IF YOU FIND ANOTHER WAY TO ROOT YOUR PHONE. DON'T ROLL BACK TO ANDROID 5 WITH THE FILES I'M PROVIDING PLEASE.
This forum is dedicated to P8 lite 2015, you can see there's a different forum for 2017. Good luck.
Hello, I have ALE-L21 with EMUI 4.0.3 - MM 6.0 - version B633 and i can not downgrade to android 5, phone says : update failed, or stuck on 5%. could someone help me please ?
I tried a lot of stock ROMs, 5.0 , 6.0 etc, nothing worked for me.
Thanks,
Ax1qwer said:
Hello, I have ALE-L21 with EMUI 4.0.3 - MM 6.0 - version B633 and i can not downgrade to android 5, phone says : update failed, or stuck on 5%. could someone help me please ?
I tried a lot of stock ROMs, 5.0 , 6.0 etc, nothing worked for me.
Thanks,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you using the stock package or the transition package? If you are using the transition package, try stock.
I tried both, with no success. And many others.
I tried to update via internal storage and SDcard too, with no success.
If phone is connected to pc, updating stuck on 5%, if not connected to PC, update fails.
Ax1qwer said:
I tried both, with no success. And many others.
I tried to update via internal storage and SDcard too, with no success.
If phone is connected to pc, updating stuck on 5%, if not connected to PC, update fails.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you wipe all of your data with the stock recovery? If nothing works then I could suggest you to try to apply the downgrade with sideload. (Boot into recovery and select to apply update from adb, then you type adb sideload <filename>)
I'm clueless on why it doesn't work on your device, it should.
Also, you can try to flash the stock android 6 rom first, that's an older emui version (4.0). If you can flash that, then maybe you can flash android 5 after it.
i have tried intalling both the 5.0 stock roms but it always fails at 5%. i got ALE-L21C02B896 with emui 4.1 and android 6.0. i've been trying different guides but all lead me to dead ends. please help
thanks in advance
Wazu786 said:
i have tried intalling both the 5.0 stock roms but it always fails at 5%. i got ALE-L21C02B896 with emui 4.1 and android 6.0. i've been trying different guides but all lead me to dead ends. please help
thanks in advance
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have the exact same firmware(ALE-L21C02B896) that you have and I also cant downgrade to android 5.0 using any of the tutorials that I found in XDA Furum.
razorfancy said:
I have the exact same firmware(ALE-L21C02B896) that you have and I also cant downgrade to android 5.0 using any of the tutorials that I found in XDA Furum.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah it very frustrating, please let me know if you find a way and ill do the same.
Wazu786 said:
Yeah it very frustrating, please let me know if you find a way and ill do the same.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Told you guys, try to flash android 6 and see if that works, afterwards you can flash android 5.
tralph3 said:
Told you guys, try to flash android 6 and see if that works, afterwards you can flash android 5.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tried your Huawei's Stock Android 5, Huawei's Android 5 Transition and Huawei's Stock Android 6 and all failed to install giving error at 5 percent.
tralph3 said:
Told you guys, try to flash android 6 and see if that works, afterwards you can flash android 5.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i tried android 6 also and it also failed at 5%, please is there anything else i can try?
For me, pwning my new phone was a 7-hour process that required incredible learning capacity. Not everyone is prepared to go through a process like that, and it can easily take multiple days or weeks. This is a guide outlining a version of the exact process that got me to this point. It should be easy for anyone to follow, even people without much technical knowledge. (although, do be careful with the resulting root access)
I started with a GM1915, which is the T-Mobile model. You'd think it would require an unlock key from T-Mobile in order to work, but actually it doesn't. That's what they don't want you to know.
A well-known method for bypassing that requirement is to install an international OS and then upgrade it to a certain developer preview, causing the phone to update the bootloader to a non-crippled version that doesn't require an unlock key. So that's what I did.
However, the process is easier said than done. For someone like me who's done it, it's not too hard, but for a beginner it's intensely confusing. I was a beginner just yesterday and struggled with dumb error messages like "packed image not exist".
The guide is below. Sections starting with "T-MOBILE ONLY" and ending with "END OF T-MOBILE ONLY" are only to be performed on T-Mobile phones with T-Mobile firmware and a locked bootloader. If you have an unlocked bootloader then you can skip those steps.
Make sure you have a Windows machine. The Qualcomm drivers are only available for Windows, the programs are only available for Windows, people on this forum only know Windows. I have a Mac, personally, because Unix is awesome, but unfortunately nobody has thought about us and all the tools are Windows-only. I am just as disappointed as you, trust me. I used a virtual machine, but YMMV, depending on how good your hypervisor's USB passthrough is. You may want to use bare metal if you only have VirtualBox; it's not worth the effort. You will be hot plugging A LOT, and your phone will show up as many different types of USB devices.
You must have fastboot installed, but ADB is not required.
--- T-MOBILE ONLY ---
Install the "L2 drivers" for the phone. You can find them here. Just install as many of them as you can by right-clicking every `.inf` file you find and clicking Install on each one of them. Some of them will have missing files. Some of them won't have a signature. It doesn't matter, as long as you try every one of them, something will work. For me it was the 64-bit driver, in the 64 folder. All the others are 32-bit.
--- END OF T-MOBILE ONLY ---
You should probably plug the phone into your computer now and install the official OnePlus drivers as well. This is so that you can easily access the phone storage, which will become very important soon. Reboot your computer to apply the driver updates.
--- T-MOBILE ONLY ---
Download the "MSM Download Tool" from here (same link as above). Place it in its own folder. This is crucial because you must now download the guacamole-whatever.7z file and extract the .ots file into the same folder as the MSM Download Tool.
MSM Download Tool always looks in its folder for the image and pops up a cryptic error message if it's not found ("packed image not exist"). This is not very widely documented because MSM Download Tool is often distributed in the same folder as the image anyway. That's not the case when you are forced to download them as separate files.
Note that this is the only time you will have to use MSM Download Tool and all other updates can be installed by the phone itself. On international variants you don't have to do this because the bootloader will already be unlockable, which is why this is T-Mobile only.
You need to start downloading three updates. This patched version of international OOS is where you will start, the developer beta will upgrade the bootloader, and the full downgrade will roll you back so you can start updating. Start the downloads now, but you do not have to wait for them to finish yet; it will be a few steps before you have to use them.
Now is about the time to back up any data you want to keep. Everything on your phone will be wiped by the next step, including bootloader unlock status, all your data, the entire operating system and so on.
Now it's time to install international OOS. Place it inside the folder with MSM Download Tool and then start it up. Uncheck the SHA-256 checkbox!
Unplug your USB cable and THEN turn off your phone completely. If the USB cable is plugged in while it's turned off, it will automatically boot into the charging mode which is not what you want. Have your USB cable, and computer mouse, on the ready. You don't want to waste any time, because this may be physically painful: Hold down both volume buttons at the same time for at least 5 seconds, and then plug the USB cable into your phone. Make sure some COM port appears in the tool, then click the "Start" button in MSM Download Tool WHILE STILL HOLDING THEM DOWN. You can only let the volume buttons go AFTER you click "Start", or else the phone will drop out of EDL mode into fastboot.
The process will take a few minutes depending on how fast your USB connection is. Leave the phone plugged in until it is complete. This also gives time to download those two updates, which are together about four gigabytes in size.
Once MSM Download Tool is done flashing, you can reboot the phone and set it up using the setup wizard. Feel free to move fast and enable nothing. You don't need internet, you don't need a correct clock, you don't need accounts or telemetry or anything like that. All data will be wiped again later.
Use your computer to copy the developer preview update to the phone. Don't copy it to the Download folder or anything, copy it into the root (just inside the internal storage). Go to settings > local updates > settings icon in the top right > local update and update to the developer preview.
Once you're in the developer preview, enable OEM unlocking in developer options, reboot into fastboot mode (I do this by also enabling advanced reboot in developer options) and use fastboot oem unlock. Your bootloader is now unlocked! But we're not nearly done yet, there's still lots to do.
After rebooting, since the unlock wiped the phone, you'll have to set it up again. Just breeze through like before, then copy the rollback zip to the phone just like you did for the developer preview.
Go to local update again and use the rollback. This is required in order to go back to a stable OS that can accept OTAs. After this your data will be wiped. This is the real setup wizard. You can set it up with real data; your data will not be wiped again for the rest of this guide.
--- END OF T-MOBILE ONLY ---
If your bootloader is not already unlocked, enable OEM unlocking in developer options and then run `fastboot oem unlock` in Fastboot mode.
Next, you will want to install Magisk. This is a slightly complex process but once it's done your phone will become fully untethered.
First download a tool called Payload Dumper. Extract the entire archive into its own folder. Get an OTA update for your version of OxygenOS (if your phone is T-Mobile, that is the rollback update you just installed; if you aren't following the T-Mobile guide, you may have to download an OTA update from Google), and use WinRAR or similar to extract the `payload.bin` inside into the payload dumper's input folder.
Run the payload dumper. You don't need to run all of it; wait for "boot" to show up in the console window, then wait until something else shows up and then close the window. Inside the output folder there should be a `boot.img`; there may be other img files but the boot is what we're interested in.
Transfer this boot.img to your device and use Magisk Manager to patch it. Transfer the magisk_patched.img to your computer, reboot the phone into fastboot mode and use `fastboot flash boot magisk_patched.img`. Reboot the phone into Android.
If you start Magisk Manager you should see that Magisk is installed. Great. Next step is to install TWRP.
In my experience, flashing TWRP or using `fastboot boot twrp.img` didn't work. You're not clever if you try installing OxygenOS 9.5.4 which adds `fastboot boot` support to the bootloader; it still won't work. In my experience the only correct way to install TWRP on the OnePlus 7 Pro is to use Magisk.
(Someone in the replies below stated that you need to upgrade all the way to OOS 10 in order to boot TWRP using fastboot. This guide details the easier method using Magisk Manager.)
On the phone, go to the TWRP downloads page for the OnePlus 7 Pro, and download the latest installer. Then flash the zip using Magisk.
Crucially, at the end of the installer log it says "you are now unrooted". DO NOT IGNORE THIS MESSAGE! If you reboot now, Magisk will be gone and the stock ROM will immediately overwrite TWRP. You must use Magisk Manager to reinstall Magisk using a "Direct Install". That way, your boot.img will be patched again and your Magisk (and TWRP) will persist across reboots.
Go ahead and try it out. Reboot a few times, sometimes into recovery, sometimes into Android to test Magisk.
We're still not done yet. Wouldn't you love to stay rooted and still be running the latest version of OxygenOS? I sure would. Next I'll describe the process of applying an OTA update while keeping your root and everything. Thanks to A/B you can stay untethered.
Please note that, if you'd like to proceed with the EU version of OxygenOS, you should go grab 9.5.4 before proceeding to the next step, for example from here (MD5 fcec14e2ec053d67c793a27bfdef17d0), and use local update to install it. (note GM21BA instead of GM21AA) The EU version is supposed to have better privacy options and less bloatware, so that's what I personally went with. Converting your OxygenOS from GM21AA to GM21BA has no harmful side effects and should work on any phone. It affects the OTA you'll receive in the next step, and this is possibly the only chance you'll get to switch (or not). So choose wisely.
You can find other versions of OOS in this XDA post.
Remember to turn off all auto-updating in the OxygenOS settings. You don't want your phone suddenly losing Magisk and TWRP after any old reboot. Then you can use the OxygenOS updater to accept an official OTA update. It will recognize you're rooted and install an entire fresh new system to your inactive slot, which is exactly what we want.
There are two steps you need to perform before rebooting. The first is TWRP persistence and the second is Magisk persistence. For TWRP persistence you need to go into Magisk Manager and flash a module called "TWRP A/B retention script". Then for Magisk persistence you need to go install Magisk again, but this time to the inactive slot. You must do TWRP persistence first.
After this you should be good to go back to the update screen and hit reboot. You should still have TWRP and Magisk, but now on the very latest version of OxygenOS. Customize your phone to your heart's content now; it's all yours.
Recommended tweaks:
- install a Magisk module called "Debloater (Terminal Emulator)". Install a terminal emulator like Termux and use `su` to enter a root shell. Then you can run `debloat` and go through the list of apps, removing things you don't want. Certain services need to be watched out for, like PlayAutoInstallConfig (lets your carrier silently install apps without your consent). You can find tidbits online explaining what certain things do, like this pastebin, or this one. Houdini is the kernel driver which is very important.
- enable MagiskHide and hide yourself from Netflix and other DRM-enabled apps. Also hide yourself from Google Play's snet service.
- there is a Magisk module called F-Droid Privileged Extension, it's quite nice.
- use MagiskHide Props Config to set `net.tethering.noprovisioning=true`. This will prevent the carrier from knowing when you are using hotspot features, so they will not immediately cut your connection
- don't install a custom ROM. OxygenOS is high quality and everything you could ever want from a phone honestly. It has all the drivers and stuff for the phone and all of that cool stuff.
Small curiosities:
- SMT download mode is a special flashing mode used by the factory and it can overwrite things like the IMEI. Don't mess with it, you do not know what you're doing.
- Now that you have the software, you can literally just install a Dual SIM tray and have dual SIMs. Your phone is essentially the same as the international OP7P
- Feel free to post if you have any issues or need help with something.
Thank you mate. This will help out a lot of people coming to one plus such as myself. Only wonder I have about it all is the dual sim. I have 2 imei now but obviously both are the same. So I'm trying to figure out how that would work.
TheMadScientist said:
Thank you mate. This will help out a lot of people coming to one plus such as myself. Only wonder I have about it all is the dual sim. I have 2 imei now but obviously both are the same. So I'm trying to figure out how that would work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, same here. Dual SIM phones are required to have two IMEI numbers since they technically have two transceivers, one for each SIM. Maybe one day someone will post a guide on how to change your IMEI numbers? You could keep one and change the other.
Today I had a little incident with SafetyNet.
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I had installed the magisk modules Riru and Riru - EdXposed. Big mistake. Uninstalling them didn't fix it. Reinstalling the OS didn't fix it. I thought I was totally ****ed. However, toggling MagiskHide off and back on again and clearing Google Play Services' data seems to have fixed it:
Phew. This SafetyNet guide really helped
EDIT: Also make sure to clear Play Store's data so it re-checks your device for certification.
LoganDark said:
Yeah, same here. Dual SIM phones are required to have two IMEI numbers since they technically have two transceivers, one for each SIM. Maybe one day someone will post a guide on how to change your IMEI numbers? You could keep one and change the other.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunately we can't discuss that on xda.
TheMadScientist said:
Unfortunately we can't discuss that on xda.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Software spoofing is allowed. EMS flashing is not.
Riru - EdXposed seems to pass SafetyNet if you use HiddenCore module (and DO NOT BLACKLIST GOOGLE SERVICES or else they will not get patched and they will fail you). I haven't checked to see how deep this goes. Perhaps third party apps which do their own SafetyNet check will see through it. Anyone here with experience?
Edit: BAD ADVICE DO NOT USE HIDDENCORE IT WILL BREAK SAFETYNET EVEN MORE
Well I got to say your guide it's good. But the part where you can only install twrp with magisk I got to say no there. All you have to do is use the roll back package and then update your phone with the first update it allows in system update. That should put you on Oxygen os android 10. Then fastboot will work. Did it myself so I know. Best regards
LokifiedMee said:
Well I got to say your guide it's good. But the part where you can only install twrp with magisk I got to say no there. All you have to do is use the roll back package and then update your phone with the first update it allows in system update. That should put you on Oxygen os android 10. Then fastboot will work. Did it myself so I know. Best regards
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
People seem to have mixed luck regarding using fastboot to boot TWRP. I understand upgrading the bootloader can enable additional fastboot capabilities which is why I tried it myself. It didn't work for me so that's why this guide takes the safer/guaranteed approach.
I did only upgrade to a later version of OOS 9, though. It added `fastboot boot` but trying it softlocked the phone.
Note that in either case, the OnePlus 7 Pro's recovery is stored in the boot partition, and flashing a zip using Magisk is easier than flashing one with TWRP.
I have revised the post to acknowledge the alternative method.
(Also, it's worth mentioning that I know anyone following this guide probably knows how to flash a zip in TWRP. I'm not saying that's too complicated, but the guide details the process I followed specifically. There are many other guides online detailing alternative methods, but they did not work for me, which is why I made this one.)
LoganDark said:
People seem to have mixed luck regarding using fastboot to boot TWRP. I understand upgrading the bootloader can enable additional fastboot capabilities which is why I tried it myself. It didn't work for me so that's why this guide takes the safer/guaranteed approach.
I did only upgrade to a later version of OOS 9, though. It added `fastboot boot` but trying it softlocked the phone.
Note that in either case, the OnePlus 7 Pro's recovery is stored in the boot partition, and flashing a zip using Magisk is easier than flashing one with TWRP.
I have revised the post to acknowledge the alternative method.
(Also, it's worth mentioning that I know anyone following this guide probably knows how to flash a zip in TWRP. I'm not saying that's too complicated, but the guide details the process I followed specifically. There are many other guides online detailing alternative methods, but they did not work for me, which is why I made this one.)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No worries mate. Just giving you the heads up. Cheers
I'm unsure how to flash twrp using magisk. I used a friend's machine to flash magisk last night but don't have access now. I'm waiting on asusurion to send mine back. I stayed on the beta and updated to the latest. Would flashing or booting into twrp be possible? Thanks for the guide, btw
Leskanic said:
I'm unsure how to flash twrp using magisk. I used a friend's machine to flash magisk last night but don't have access now. I'm waiting on asusurion to send mine back. I stayed on the beta and updated to the latest. Would flashing or booting into twrp be possible? Thanks for the guide, btw
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Apologies for the late reply.
Download the "twrp-installer" zip file and use Magisk to flash it.
After that, you have to "direct install" Magisk again.
I guess my question is which option do i use in magisk to flash the twrp installer zip file? Do I use the install module from storage option or in the section where you patch files? Could i just use terminal emulator to boot into twrp then flash twrp and magisk while I'm in twrp? Sorry for my ignorance it's been a couple years since I've had Android with an unlocked bootloader and not having my laptop doesn't help
Leskanic said:
I guess my question is which option do i use in magisk to flash the twrp installer zip file? Do I use the install module from storage option or in the section where you patch files? Could i just use terminal emulator to boot into twrp then flash twrp and magisk while I'm in twrp? Sorry for my ignorance it's been a couple years since I've had Android with an unlocked bootloader and not having my laptop doesn't help
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The TWRP installer zip is just a Magisk module that you can flash by going to the modules section and tapping "install from storage".
Basically, step 1: go into this section and install the twrp-installer zip this way
Step 2: go here
and direct install Magisk like this
Yes, you are installing Magisk again. That is because the TWRP installer overwrote it, and if you rebooted, you would lose root (and the stock ROM would immediately overwrite TWRP, leaving your device completely stock)
As for flashing both things via TWRP, you would probably flash TWRP first and then Magisk. If you can get the phone to boot into TWRP in the first place, yeah it's probably possible and many others have probably installed their TWRP+Magisk that way.
Thanks i didn't realize the twrp installer zip could be flashed as a module. Sorry it's been a while and I'm trying to get back up to speed
I have a few XPrivacyLua hooks that can be used to change your model number to GM1917 (at least to Java apps). It doesn't have any side effects except peace of mind.
Add these using the XPrivacyLua Pro companion app (you don't need to buy Pro to edit hooks), MAKE SURE to enter GM1917 in the model text box and save, enable them for every app including system apps in XPrivacyLua, and reboot.
Enjoy
LoganDark said:
For me, pwning my new phone was a 7-hour process that required incredible learning capacity. Not everyone is prepared to go through a process like that, and it can easily take multiple days or weeks. This is a guide outlining a version of the exact process that got me to this point. It should be easy for anyone to follow, even people without much technical knowledge. (although, do be careful with the resulting root access)
I started with a GM1915, which is the T-Mobile model. You'd think it would require an unlock key from T-Mobile in order to work, but actually it doesn't. That's what they don't want you to know.
A well-known method for bypassing that requirement is to install an international OS and then upgrade it to a certain developer preview, causing the phone to update the bootloader to a non-crippled version that doesn't require an unlock key. So that's what I did.
However, the process is easier said than done. For someone like me who's done it, it's not too hard, but for a beginner it's intensely confusing. I was a beginner just yesterday and struggled with dumb error messages like "packed image not exist".
The guide is below. Sections starting with "T-MOBILE ONLY" and ending with "END OF T-MOBILE ONLY" are only to be performed on T-Mobile phones with T-Mobile firmware and a locked bootloader. If you have an unlocked bootloader then you can skip those steps.
Make sure you have a Windows machine. The Qualcomm drivers are only available for Windows, the programs are only available for Windows, people on this forum only know Windows. I have a Mac, personally, because Unix is awesome, but unfortunately nobody has thought about us and all the tools are Windows-only. I am just as disappointed as you, trust me. I used a virtual machine, but YMMV, depending on how good your hypervisor's USB passthrough is. You may want to use bare metal if you only have VirtualBox; it's not worth the effort. You will be hot plugging A LOT, and your phone will show up as many different types of USB devices.
You must have fastboot installed, but ADB is not required.
--- T-MOBILE ONLY ---
Install the "L2 drivers" for the phone. You can find them here. Just install as many of them as you can by right-clicking every `.inf` file you find and clicking Install on each one of them. Some of them will have missing files. Some of them won't have a signature. It doesn't matter, as long as you try every one of them, something will work. For me it was the 64-bit driver, in the 64 folder. All the others are 32-bit.
--- END OF T-MOBILE ONLY ---
You should probably plug the phone into your computer now and install the official OnePlus drivers as well. This is so that you can easily access the phone storage, which will become very important soon. Reboot your computer to apply the driver updates.
--- T-MOBILE ONLY ---
Download the "MSM Download Tool" from here (same link as above). Place it in its own folder. This is crucial because you must now download the guacamole-whatever.7z file and extract the .ots file into the same folder as the MSM Download Tool.
MSM Download Tool always looks in its folder for the image and pops up a cryptic error message if it's not found ("packed image not exist"). This is not very widely documented because MSM Download Tool is often distributed in the same folder as the image anyway. That's not the case when you are forced to download them as separate files.
Note that this is the only time you will have to use MSM Download Tool and all other updates can be installed by the phone itself. On international variants you don't have to do this because the bootloader will already be unlockable, which is why this is T-Mobile only.
Start the MSM Downloader tool and make sure that it's open and ready. Uncheck the SHA-256 checkbox!
You need to start downloading two updates. The developer beta will upgrade the bootloader, and the full downgrade will give you a reference boot.img to use for Magisk. Start the downloads now, but you do not have to wait for them to finish yet; it will be a few steps before you have to use them.
Now is about the time to back up any data you want to keep. Everything on your phone will be wiped by the next step, including bootloader unlock status, all your data, the entire operating system and so on.
Unplug your USB cable and THEN turn off your phone completely. If the USB cable is plugged in while it's turned off, it will automatically boot into the charging mode which is not what you want. Have your USB cable, and computer mouse, on the ready. You don't want to waste any time, because this may be physically painful: Hold down both volume buttons at the same time for at least 5 seconds, and then plug the USB cable into your phone. Make sure some COM port appears in the tool, then click the "Start" button in MSM Download Tool WHILE STILL HOLDING THEM DOWN. You can only let the volume buttons go AFTER you click "Start", or else the phone will drop out of MSM mode.
The process will take a few minutes depending on how fast your USB connection is. Leave the phone plugged in until it is complete. This also gives time to download those two updates, which are together about four gigabytes in size.
Once MSM Download Tool is done flashing, you can reboot the phone and set it up using the setup wizard. This one will be overwritten, so feel free to move fast and enable nothing. You don't need internet, you don't need a correct clock, you don't need accounts or telemetry or anything like that. All data will be wiped again later.
Use your computer to copy both updates (developer preview & rollback) to the phone. Don't copy them to the Download folder or anything, copy them into the root. Go to settings > local updates > settings icon in the top right > local update and update to the developer preview.
Once you're in the developer preview, enable OEM unlocking in developer options, reboot into fastboot mode (I do this by also enabling advanced reboot in developer options) and use `fastboot oem unlock`. Your bootloader is now unlocked! But we're not nearly done yet, there's still lots to do.
Go to local update again and use the rollback. This is required in order to go back to a stable OS that can accept OTAs. After this your data will be wiped. This is the real setup wizard. You can set it up with real data; your data will not be wiped again for the rest of this guide.
--- END OF T-MOBILE ONLY ---
If your bootloader is not already unlocked, enable OEM unlocking in developer options and then run `fastboot oem unlock` in Fastboot mode.
Next, you will want to install Magisk. This is a slightly complex process but once it's done your phone will become fully untethered.
First download a tool called Payload Dumper. Extract the entire archive into its own folder. Get an OTA update for your version of OxygenOS (if your phone is T-Mobile, that is the rollback update you just installed; if you aren't following the T-Mobile guide, you may have to download an OTA update from Google), and use WinRAR or similar to extract the `payload.bin` inside into the payload dumper's input folder.
Run the payload dumper. You don't need to run all of it; wait for "boot" to show up in the console window, then wait until something else shows up and then close the window. Inside the output folder there should be a `boot.img`; there may be other img files but the boot is what we're interested in.
Transfer this boot.img to your device and use Magisk Manager to patch it. Transfer the magisk_patched.img to your computer, reboot the phone into fastboot mode and use `fastboot flash boot magisk_patched.img`. Reboot the phone into Android.
If you start Magisk Manager you should see that Magisk is installed. Great. Next step is to install TWRP.
In my experience, flashing TWRP or using `fastboot boot twrp.img` didn't work. You're not clever if you try installing OxygenOS 9.5.4 which adds `fastboot boot` support to the bootloader; it still won't work. In my experience the only correct way to install TWRP on the OnePlus 7 Pro is to use Magisk.
(Someone in the replies below stated that you need to upgrade all the way to OOS 10 in order to boot TWRP using fastboot. This guide details the easier method using Magisk Manager.)
On the phone, go to the TWRP downloads page for the OnePlus 7 Pro, and download the latest installer. Then flash the zip using Magisk.
Crucially, at the end of the installer log it says "you are now unrooted". DO NOT IGNORE THIS MESSAGE! If you reboot now, Magisk will be gone and the stock ROM will immediately overwrite TWRP. You must use Magisk Manager to reinstall Magisk using a "Direct Install". That way, your boot.img will be patched again and your Magisk (and TWRP) will persist across reboots.
Go ahead and try it out. Reboot a few times, sometimes into recovery, sometimes into Android to test Magisk.
We're still not done yet. Wouldn't you love to stay rooted and still be running the latest version of OxygenOS? I sure would. Next I'll describe the process of applying an OTA update while keeping your root and everything. Thanks to A/B you can stay untethered.
Please note that, if you'd like to proceed with the EU version of OxygenOS, you should go grab 9.5.4 before proceeding to the next step, for example from here, and use local update to install it. (note GM27BA instead of GM27AA) The EU version is supposed to have better privacy options and less bloatware, so that's what I personally went with. Converting your OxygenOS from GM27AA to GM27BA has no harmful side effects and should work on any phone. It affects the OTA you'll receive in the next step, and this is possibly the only chance you'll get to switch (or not). So choose wisely.
Remember to turn off all auto-updating in the OxygenOS settings. You don't want your phone suddenly losing Magisk and TWRP after any old reboot. Then you can use the OxygenOS updater to accept an official OTA update. It will recognize you're rooted and install an entire fresh new system to your inactive slot, which is exactly what we want.
There are two steps you need to perform before rebooting. The first is TWRP persistence and the second is Magisk persistence. For TWRP persistence you need to go into Magisk Manager and flash a module called "TWRP A/B retention script". Then for Magisk persistence you need to go install Magisk again, but this time to the inactive slot. You must do TWRP persistence first.
After this you should be good to go back to the update screen and hit reboot. You should still have TWRP and Magisk, but now on the very latest version of OxygenOS. Customize your phone to your heart's content now; it's all yours.
Recommended tweaks:
- install a Magisk module called "Debloater (Terminal Emulator)". Install a terminal emulator like Termux and use `su` to enter a root shell. Then you can run `debloat` and go through the list of apps, removing things you don't want. Certain services need to be watched out for, like PlayAutoInstallConfig (lets your carrier silently install apps without your consent). You can find tidbits online explaining what certain things do, like this pastebin, or this one. Houdini is the kernel driver which is very important.
- enable MagiskHide and hide yourself from Netflix and other DRM-enabled apps. Also hide yourself from Google Play's snet service.
- there is a Magisk module called F-Droid Privileged Extension, it's quite nice.
- use MagiskHide Props Config to set `net.tethering.noprovisioning=true`. This will prevent the carrier from knowing when you are using hotspot features, so they will not immediately cut your connection
- don't install a custom ROM. OxygenOS is high quality and everything you could ever want from a phone honestly. It has all the drivers and stuff for the phone and all of that cool stuff.
Small curiosities:
- SMT download mode is a special flashing mode used by the factory and it can overwrite things like the IMEI. Don't mess with it, you do not know what you're doing.
- Now that you have the software, you can literally just install a Dual SIM tray and have dual SIMs. Your phone is essentially the same as the international OP7P
- Feel free to post if you have any issues or need help with something.
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It isn't very clear what version of OOS you started on. If I'm running OOS10 on stock this should still (in theory) work right?
r4w0ne said:
It isn't very clear what version of OOS you started on. If I'm running OOS10 on stock this should still (in theory) work right?
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OOPS, fuck, I missed a step. You have to use MSM Download Tool to clean install this patched OOS before installing the developer preview. I'll update the post ASAP
Edit: Post has been updated
LoganDark said:
OOPS, ****, I missed a step. You have to use MSM Download Tool to clean install this patched OOS before installing the developer preview. I'll update the post ASAP
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Glad I asked lol.
r4w0ne said:
Glad I asked lol.
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I actually mentioned installing international OOS in the post but for some reason I didn't link it or provide instructions. Silly me...
Edit: Post has been updated
LoganDark said:
I actually mentioned installing international OOS in the post but for some reason I didn't link it or provide instructions. Silly me...
Edit: Post has been updated
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New problem, OEM unlocking is greyed out in the options on the developer preview...
EDIT: I'm a retard and didn't follow instructions. Ignore.
Disclaimer: By attempting this I accept no responsibility for any consequences or repercussions or perceived consequences or repercussions of using this guide or any of the files in it. I'm simply a n00b trying to make things easier for the next guy because this was quite a process and my phone was "bricked" for several days before i found the solution so this is more a "how i did it, maybe it will work for you" guide then most of these guides by guys with a lot more experience than me. If you run into something crazy I didn't run into, ill likely not be able to help you.
With that being said after 3-4 days of struggling, this is what was working TODAY, 6-3-2022
Now that the disclaimer is out of the way, here's a further warning... THIS WILL ONLY WORK FOR THE NORD N100 Metropcs Variant (BE2015) BE82CF. You WILL have issues if you try this on another N100! Furthermore, this will leave you stuck on OOS 10.5.8 (android 10) rooted with no way (that I could find) to update further. If that's not ok with you, well then this guide isn't for you.
PLEASE READ THE WHOLE GUIDE BEFORE BEGINNING TO AVOID MAKING MISTAKES OR MISSING STEPS/NOTES!
So normally we would unlock the bootloader and then install magisk and take our boot.img from the firmware we are on and patch it and flash the patched boot img and then we would be done.... HOWEVER there's not a lot of newer firmware floating around for this phones variant.... so first, a step backwards before we continue.
0) Before you start make sure you have everything you want to keep backed up one way or another because this will wipe your phone several times over and you will lose everything that you don't backup!
1) Flashing OOS 10.5.8 using MSMDownloadtool.exe so that our boot.img will match our current version
So the newest firmware I could find that I could VERIFY belonged to this exact variant was 10.5.8 (android 10). However i was on the newest firmware which was android 11. The boot.img wouldn't match so this could likely brick my device
So first i used the firmware i found to go back to an older firmware that i got from here [OPN100][OOS METRO BE82CF] Unbrick tool to restore your device to OxygenOS
and in case a newer version is posted in the future here's the direct link from this post OOS 10.5.8
I used the included MSMDownloadTool but had trouble connecting until i used my motherboard USB port AND uninstalled the qualcomm driver that was already installed and installed the one i got from this post: Qualcomm HS-USB QDLoader 9008 Drivers: Download & Install
After i finally connected it took me just about 4 minutes to flash the new firmware. Once again you have a fresh clean install. Setup everything really quickly in OFFLINE mode. This is for 2 reasons, one is speed but the other is to stop the auto update of the system firmware! Before enabling internet. enable developer mode and uncheck Automatic System Updates
NOTE: For some people it will make more sense to do this next part first so they aren't stuck on an old firmware for a week while waiting for an unlock token, but regardless if you do these steps first or not they still need to be done here as well since flashing firmware with MSMDownloadTool relocks the bootloader if it was unlocked already.
This is already going to be long so for sake of shortening it im putting these steps here instead
2) Switch the OEM UNLOCK toggle in dev options
We have to flip the OEM Unlocking option in developer options. But it's greyed out! I myself did this the time consuming way but theres two methods, ONLY CHOOSE ONE
2.1a) Its greyed out because you're carried locked. You can get this ungreyed by waiting 6 months and using the stock carrier unlock app named "unlock." You can do this quite easily using this app and following the prompts.
2.1b) There's a way to skip the carrier unlock, after all we dont want to switch carriers just unlock the bootloader. This was found the best way: by accident. Someone made a one plus debloat script and the people that were running it found out that the"unlock bootloader" came unlocked afterwards. It's a neat little script, i ended up running it myself. I found somewhere in my searches the exact command in the script that did it but i can't remember exactly and can't find the post that identified the one command.
I BELIEVE it's one of these three:
com.qualcomm.qti.remoteSimlockAuth
com.qualcomm.qti.uim
com.qualcomm.qti.uimGbaApp
The most obvious one seems to be the remoteSimlockAuth. TBH i only added that because it seemed so obvious. I believe it's actually one of the other two, but i'm just not sure. You could try removing those three only and see if it works. Worse come to worst, run the whole script from this post: One Plus Pure Debloat
NOTE: If you are going to run the whole debloat script make sure to install a keyboard FIRST or you will be stuck without one! Or remove com.google.android.inputmethod.latin from the list.
2.2) No matter which way you completed it (using step 2.1a or 2.1b), the OEM Unlocking toggle in developer option will be usable now. Enable it. While you're in developer options, make sure usb debugging is on because you will need it for the next part. Make sure to plug your phone in and when the rsa key fingerprint pops up, choose "always allow from this computer"
3) Unlocking the bootloader
This part is pretty standard with no serious deviations. I followed this guide from step number 3 on: How to unlock bootloader for OnePlus smart Phone
When you get to step 5 they don't mention it but it takes about a week to get the unlock token.
The only real thing i changed for all of this pretty straightforward guide was when they say the command is fastboot flash cust-unlock <unlock_token.bin> ... Well the bin is called unlock_code.bin so i ended up using fastboot flash cust-unlock unlock_code.bin instead.
Once you finish and your phone restarts, set up the phone quickly in offline mode just to get through it again. Before enabling internet. enable developer mode and uncheck Automatic System Updates. While you're in developer options, make sure usb debugging is on because you will need it further on. Make sure to plug your phone in and when the rsa key fingerprint pops up, choose "always allow from this computer"
4) Decrypt the .OPS firmware file from step 1 to get the boot.img
The next part seemed very complicated but really wasn't. We need to decrypt the .OPS firmware file to get the boot img out of it. I used Oppo Decrypt
There were some changes I needed to make in this section which ended up working, i don't know if the issue was a newer python version or what but if following the readme from the github doesn't work as-is for you, try this instead.
4.1) install python for windows from the official website Python Official Site
4.2) Navigate to the python install directory. C:\Users\%username%\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\PythonXXX\ is the default directory, with %username% being your account username, and XXX being the current python version without the .'s For me this was C:\Users\Kaladin\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python310\
Now launch a command prompt from this location.
4.3) Run the command pip3 install -r requirements.txt and if it complains about anything not being updated run that command next to update everything.
4.4) Move a copy of bengal_14_O.04_201221.ops from step 1 into the python310 folder and then run the command opscrypto.py decrypt bengal_14_O.04_201221.ops and wait for it to finish. You can now close the CMD window. You will find the boot.img we need in the "extract" folder in the same directory. Put your phone in file transfer/MTP and move just the boot.img over to your phone or however you want to get this done, do it.
5) Install magisk and root by patching the boot.img and then flashing the patched boot.img
Now we just follow these steps starting at step 2.3 from this guide How to Root OnePlus Nord N100 using Magisk [No TWRP Required]
The only thing that seemed wrong here is in step 3.4 they say to run the command fastboot devices and not only is this not needed but wont work here. If you want to make sure you're connected, use adb devices here instead or reboot to fastboot first before running fastboot devices (so after step 3.5 before step 3.6 instead of step 3.4).
Then, in step 3.6 we have an A/B partition systems, so we need to use the first command only, fastboot flash boot boot.img ... ignore the second part about non A/B Partition systems. Flashing the wrong command here could probably brick your device.
Follow the rest of the guide.
One additional thing i needed to do to obtain root after rebooting was to again open Magisk Manager and click install and choose "Direct Install (recommended)" this time (instead of select file and patch it). When the process is done, reboot your phone and then once it restarts you will be able to download a root checker app off the play store and verify root.
Yay! It was a long journey, but we are done!
NOTE: Magisk has a way to install OTA updates while keeping root by half uninstalling Magisk and reverting to the stock boot.img before allowing the OTA update, then you would reinstall Magisks patched boot.img to the other partition before restarting but i wasn't able to get this to work myself. I will give you the tutorial here though just in case but for me it auto restarted as soon as the OTA update finished installing and updated me to the newest firmware which removed my root and made it so that i had to start this whole process all over again from step 1 (minus the wait time for the carrier unlock and the unlock token of course). So up to you if you want to try this out.
For now i'm just happy to be rooted on a stock rom even if it is a little old. Hope this helps someone out =)
SPECIAL THANKS FOR ALL THE PEOPLE WHO WROTE THE GUIDES, TUTORIALS, AND PROGRAMS USED THAT I LINKED TO! I WOULD HAVE BEEN LOST WITHOUT THESE AND ALSO WITHOUT GOOGLE TO FIND THEM!
any chance you could upload the patched and unpatched boot.img?
dabman710 said:
any chance you could upload the patched and unpatched boot.img?
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Sure, but i don't know enough to know if you should use the patched one or not. I think you should use magisk and patch yourself.... But ill include it anyways Boot.img from bengalm_14_O.04_201221 it may be totally safe im just not sure. but the boot.img is unaltered.
AesopRock127 said:
Sure, but i don't know enough to know if you should use the patched one or not. I think you should use magisk and patch yourself.... But ill include it anyways Boot.img from bengalm_14_O.04_201221 it may be totally safe im just not sure. but the boot.img is unaltered.
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i didnt try using your patched boot.img, but the unpatched one worked perfect for me after patching myself. saves everyone a few steps too by having that available. thank you
So even though i debloated all one plus things i could find and kept autoupdate automatically in dev settings turned off , my phone still pushed an update and i lost root.... Unless someone knows how to fix this, CFW may be our only hope of keeping root, at least for this variant