Disclaimer: The writers aren’t responsible for any damage caused to your device, data or files of any type, which could be caused due to restless behaviour, not reading all the steps properly and skipping certain steps, assuming them to be unnecessary. If it was unnecessary, why would the writers mind to put them there in the first place! 

Do it at your own risk and do some more digging before you get started. To learn more about Rooting your device, check out the previous post.

Handy rooting terminology:

• Bootloader – Lowest level software on your phone that starts up recoveries and then the main operating system.

• Recovery – Low-level software that can create and restore full system backups. Accessed before the main OS.

• ADB (Android Debug Bridge) – A command-line tool that is part of the Android SDK, which supports communication between a computer and an Android device.

One Step Rooting?

Rooting is much easier than it once was. In fact, the easiest method is usually to use a simple root app. These are apps that let you root Android with a single tap, with some popular examples being KingRoot, KingoRoot, and OneClickRoot. Simply download the app from the PlayStore, and they will first check compatibility and then go ahead and root your device for you. This is a minimum-fuss method that will work in a large number of cases. However, it’s worth noting that some come with annoying push notifications and ads. (NOT RECOMMENDED)

Steps to Glory…

Follow carefully through the steps to root your Android device and make sure that you have taken a backup of your data and DO NOT SKIP ANY STEPS!

Note: The steps provided in the blog is the general outline that works for all the phones. Only the degree of struggle varies between each device.

So, let’s hop right into it!

#1: Backup your data (CRUCIAL!)

This remains the first step for almost all the times you intend on installing a new custom ROM on your device. Taking a complete backup of all the data on your device can always come in handy. Rooting your device always wipes out all your data. So, make sure to make a complete backup of all your data.

Taking a complete backup of your device is very simple. Nowadays, with most of the phones, backup option is inbuilt in the settings page. If not present, you can always try out third-party backup apps from the Play Store.

This step takes a while depending on the size of the data you have on your device. So, be patient and don’t rush with this part. After you take the backup, transfer that backup files into an SD card or push it to your PC. (don’t keep the backup of your device on the same device, as I did 😪)

#2: Unlock your Bootloader

The next step towards rooting your device is unlocking your device’s bootloader. There are very few exceptions, which come as factory unlocked. A bootloader is nothing but a bootstrap program inside the kernel that is placed in the system memory for the initial booting of the system.

The bootloader needs to be unlocked to sideload a custom recovery program on your Android device. Sometimes, it might be as straight-forward as writing two lines of code on a command line (OnePlus phones) and some include a tedious process of getting permission for unlocking from the respective OEMs (Xiaomi and Redmi devices). The unlocking of bootloader varies from device to device. Thus, refer to the Internet for your specific model and the procedure to unlock your bootloader.

#3: Install the Custom Recovery

Once your bootloader is unlocked, the next step is to install the preferred custom recovery program. The most commonly used one is the TWRP recovery. Use the link given to download TWRP for your device: https://twrp.me/Devices/

Installing the recovery requires you to follow the steps given below:

1. Install the necessary USB Drivers required for your phone to be connected to your PC.

2. Put your phone in USB Debugging Mode by navigating:
   Settings > About Phone > Tap Build Number 7 times (until developer confirmation) > Back out to settings > Developer options > Check USB Debugging

3. Go into Fastboot Mode on your phone.
   Note: Different Android devices have different key combines to enter bootloader or fastboot mode. Generally, holding “Volume down” key/”Volume up” key and “Power” key together works for most Android phones. If it doesn’t help, you may need to search for other methods in Google.

4. Now download and install ADB command on your Windows PC using this link: https://dl.google.com/android/repository/platform-tools-latest-windows.zip

5. Connect your phone (that still is in Fastboot mode) to your PC using a USB cable.

6. Now type: ADB devices in the command shell to list the detected devices. If your phone is listed, then you are good to go. If not, then try disabling and reenabling USB debugging on your phone.

7. Now type : fastboot flash recovery twrp-2.8.x.x-xxx.img
   Note: Here modify twrp.img with the name of your TWRP recovery .img file.

8. Once TWRP is successfully flashed on your device, type this final command to reboot your device: fastboot reboot

#4: Select the ROM of choice

There are a plethora of custom ROMs available for every device. The main thing to keep into consideration while choosing a custom ROM is to remember that each device is unique. This means that the ROM for some device will NOT work on your device.

Each device has a unique set of ROMs and makes sure that you are always downloading only the ones designed for your device.

xda-developers.com would be a good place to start looking for ROMs for YOUR device. Enter your phone’s exact model name and search for the ROM that suits your needs. Each ROM is different and each packs a load of features and customization options too.

#5: Installing the ROM

Once you have downloaded the ROM, follow these steps:

Note: Make sure you do not skip any of the steps or it may lead to bricking or permanent damage to your mobile device.

1. Place the downloaded ROM in your internal storage, preferably in a location where you can find it easily.

2. Make sure that the chosen ROM has all the google apps and services (GAPPS) in-built into the ROM itself.

3. Take a backup of your current ROM

4. Wipe cache and Dalvik by following the image given below:

5. Now, you are ready to install your downloaded ROM. Just go into Install > navigate to the folder where you saved your custom ROM > select the ROM > swipe to flash the ROM.

6. Once the flash is completed, you can reboot into the system. Depending on the installed ROM, you will be presented with a first-time setup screen. Setting up your device will take a couple of minutes.

Voila! Now your device has been resurrected. Have fun!

For any queries with your device do post them in the comment section below for any assistance from my team.

Happy Rooting!