Today we will teach you how to unlock the bootloader and install the TWRP recovery on your Android device.
TWRP stands for a Team Win Recovery Project, it is a custom recovery that allows us to do a lot of things in our phone. Many users say it is one of the best recovery ever used. The RWRP allows as to flash ROMs, to change the kernel, to change the boot image, to do backup, to delete certain partitions or to do back up at specific partitions, and so on.
First of all, ensure that you have unlocked the bootloader. You don’t know how, you can learn here below.
How to Unlock bootloader on your Android Device
Android bootloader is a code like a software which has the mission to perform certain tasks, such as loading the kernel, debugging and others.
Android bootloader is locked on the base and has the mission to protect the device against the installation of malicious code.
Not everyone has to unlock the bootloader of their Android device, but those who wish to make Root, to install other recovery or another rom you have to perform it.
The unlocking process is simple, but first you need to ensure that you have the USB drivers installed on your PC and your device is recognized, then you have to install the Android ADB.
Here are the links to the: universal USB driver andMinimal ADBand Fastboot, in order that your connection between the PC and Android device to work.
After installing these tools, first go to Developer Options from the Android device and tick Unlock OEM (if you don’t see Developer Options you have to go to About Phone and by tapping seven time on the Build Number, you will unhide it) and then restart your device and choose Fastboot OEM Unlock command.
You will see appearing on the screen, two buttons YES and NO, you have to choose YES to unlock the bootloader (use the volume keys to navigate and power to confirm).
Please note that before unlocking the bootloader, you must back up all your data because the device will reset to the factory settings and also that your device’s battery is fully charged, to avoid powering off the device during the process.
How To Install TWRP Recovery On Your Android Devicevia Minimal ADB and Fastboot
This process is applicable for most of the Android devices, but there are some phones like Samsung which may not work with this guide. For Samsung devices you can use Odin Flash tool to Install TWRP recovery.
- On the main page of TWRP, in the device field you need to search your Android device for which you want to install TWRP Recovery, by tapping its name and Download a TWRP recovery.img file compatible for your device.
- Setup Minimal ADB and Fastboot on your computer.
- Make sure that USB debugging is enabled on your Android device and open the folder where the TWRP Recovery .img file is saved.
- Open a command window inside that folder with “Shift + Right click”on any empty white space inside that folder and select “Open command window here”from the context menu.
- Connect your Android device to the PC using a USB cable and type adb reboot bootloader into the opened window, to boot your device into bootloader/fastboot mode. If you are asked to “Allow USB debugging”, do it by tapping OK.
- Once your Android device boots into bootloader mode, typefastboot flash recovery twrp-2.8.x.x-xxx.img into command window, to flash the TWRP recovery .img file.Here you have to modify twrp.img with the name of your TWRP recovery.img file, OR change your TWRP recovery filename to twrp.img and use the command above.
- Once TWRP is successfully flashed on your device, issue the fastboot reboot command and hold Volume Down and Power button and chose Recovery enter into the TWRP recovery custom. Now you have TWRP on your Android device.
Once in the TWRP recovery, you have many options, like install, backup, wipe, mount, advanced or reboot. Basically, this recovery is making you the master of your Android device that allows you to flash any custom ROM that you want on your device.
