The reasons and methods for unlocking bootloaders
Press the Power button (located on the right side). Depending upon the screen lock type, do one of the following: Swipe the Lock icon down. Draw the current unlock pattern. I am requesting that the bootloader, oem unlock toggle, and fastboot be re enabled. Look i paid good money for my cellphone, only to find that yes, it voids the warrenty, trips knox, and makes some programs unsuable, ok cool. The excuse you gave me for not wanting to unlock my bootloader was that i did not own the software on the phone, just the hardware it's self. Ok i can deal with that. Bluestacks 3 mac download. Does Verizon support unlocked phones? It's illegal in the U.S. To unlock a phone without the carrier's consent, so never pay a 3rd party who promises to hack the lock code. But don't worry — carriers must give the code to consumers at no cost, so long as they meet certain criteria. I have a feeling that the command was probably intended for an lock/unlock to other areas, but because of BigRed's config the phone defaults to the bootloader unlock option first. It's like giving the command to upgrade windows, and the setup displaying a format option without actually giving the format command. Nexus phones are all unlockable by nature, and many phones from Motorola and HTC allow you to unlock your bootloader through a similar process as the Nexus. Other phones, however–and some carriers–don't allow you to unlock your bootloader the official way, which means you have to wait for developers to exploit a security vulnerability if.
If you don't care for a carrier's handholding, you might be able to unlock your device to have some fun. Unlocking the bootloader on a phone can offer you tangible benefits like plentiful custom ROMs that can take a sad, outdated device and make it usable again. A device with an unlocked bootloader never need be held hostage by poorly designed software filled with crapware.
The Google Nexus phones are some of the most modder-friendly devices on the market. These phones, like the current Galaxy Nexus, ship with a locked bootloader, but no encryption. With a fastboot file and the Android SDK, users can simply use the 'fastboot oem unlock' command, and the phone is ready for modding. Nexus phones support bootloader unlocking in a secure way — it will do a factory restore when unlocked in order to protect user data. The phone can also be re-locked if you need warranty service.
HTC phones are encrypted, but as long as you don't mind obliterating your warranty, HTC's developer tools can be used to unlock the bootloaders on all its encrypted devices. This is a fairly easy process, but don't expect the carrier to help you if anything goes wrong, whether or not it's your fault. When an HTC phone is unlocked, it stays that way.
Sony devices use a similar system to the one HTC owners get. You use the Sony website to get a bootloader unlock code based on your device's IMEI serial number, then use the Android SDK to push a fastboot command to the phone and enter the code. This process is also irreversible.
Motorola took a lot of heat from the Android community after it became clear that it was implementing encrypted and locked bootloaders. This practice goes all the way back to the Canadian Motorola Milestone (the original Droid in the US) in 2010. After saying in early 2011 that an unlock solution was coming for developers, we're still waiting. With the locked bootloaders on Motorola phones, users are severely limited in what can be modified on the phone.
Most users probably won't ever think to unlock their phone bootloaders or install a custom ROM, and that's fine. Modding isn't for everyone, and there should be some safeguards to keep novice users from getting in too deep, too fast. Samsung's Galaxy S II phones don't actually implement bootloader locking at all, which might be problematic in some situations. Meanwhile, Motorola doesn't even have an unlock solution for its encrypted bootloaders. The best course of action is probably the middle ground system at work in the Nexus phones; a safe and secure method for accessing the bootloader.
Read more at DroidLife
- 2 of 2
If you want to flash custom ROMs to your smartphone, you usually need to unlock the device's bootloader. However, carriers and OEMs are getting more and more strict about bootloader-unlocking (*cough* Huawei *cough*), with Verizon being one of the strictest companies when it comes to the practice.
For example, the Verizon-branded Google Pixel and Google Pixel XL have been bootloader-locked almost since day one (there was a brief time where they could be unlocked, but the exploit was quickly patched). However, we just heard through XDA Developers that a new, incredibly simple method exists to bootloader-unlock your original Pixel or Pixel XL.
Using Unlocked Phone On Verizon
To be clear, this does NOT work on the Google Pixel 2 or Pixel 2 XL. Attempting this on those devices could cause major issues up-to-and-including bricking the phone. Don't try it!
Google apps now blocked from uncertified devices, but custom ROMs still OK
The Google Nexus phones are some of the most modder-friendly devices on the market. These phones, like the current Galaxy Nexus, ship with a locked bootloader, but no encryption. With a fastboot file and the Android SDK, users can simply use the 'fastboot oem unlock' command, and the phone is ready for modding. Nexus phones support bootloader unlocking in a secure way — it will do a factory restore when unlocked in order to protect user data. The phone can also be re-locked if you need warranty service.
HTC phones are encrypted, but as long as you don't mind obliterating your warranty, HTC's developer tools can be used to unlock the bootloaders on all its encrypted devices. This is a fairly easy process, but don't expect the carrier to help you if anything goes wrong, whether or not it's your fault. When an HTC phone is unlocked, it stays that way.
Sony devices use a similar system to the one HTC owners get. You use the Sony website to get a bootloader unlock code based on your device's IMEI serial number, then use the Android SDK to push a fastboot command to the phone and enter the code. This process is also irreversible.
Motorola took a lot of heat from the Android community after it became clear that it was implementing encrypted and locked bootloaders. This practice goes all the way back to the Canadian Motorola Milestone (the original Droid in the US) in 2010. After saying in early 2011 that an unlock solution was coming for developers, we're still waiting. With the locked bootloaders on Motorola phones, users are severely limited in what can be modified on the phone.
Most users probably won't ever think to unlock their phone bootloaders or install a custom ROM, and that's fine. Modding isn't for everyone, and there should be some safeguards to keep novice users from getting in too deep, too fast. Samsung's Galaxy S II phones don't actually implement bootloader locking at all, which might be problematic in some situations. Meanwhile, Motorola doesn't even have an unlock solution for its encrypted bootloaders. The best course of action is probably the middle ground system at work in the Nexus phones; a safe and secure method for accessing the bootloader.
Read more at DroidLife
- 2 of 2
If you want to flash custom ROMs to your smartphone, you usually need to unlock the device's bootloader. However, carriers and OEMs are getting more and more strict about bootloader-unlocking (*cough* Huawei *cough*), with Verizon being one of the strictest companies when it comes to the practice.
For example, the Verizon-branded Google Pixel and Google Pixel XL have been bootloader-locked almost since day one (there was a brief time where they could be unlocked, but the exploit was quickly patched). However, we just heard through XDA Developers that a new, incredibly simple method exists to bootloader-unlock your original Pixel or Pixel XL.
Using Unlocked Phone On Verizon
To be clear, this does NOT work on the Google Pixel 2 or Pixel 2 XL. Attempting this on those devices could cause major issues up-to-and-including bricking the phone. Don't try it!
Google apps now blocked from uncertified devices, but custom ROMs still OK
With that out of the way, unlocking the bootloader of your Verizon-branded Google Pixel or Pixel XL is a snap. We are assuming that you have ADB installed on your computer and know how to use it. If you don't, get that all figured out first and then come back here to unlock your phone. We also are assuming you know that unlocking the bootloader completely wipes your device's storage. Make sure you make a backup first!
- Remove any and all Google accounts from your Pixel. Also delete any kind of screen lock (fingerprint scanner, PIN, pattern, swipe, etc.) from the device.
- Take the SIM card out.
- Go through the usual process of resetting your phone (Settings > Backup & reset > Factory data reset). When the process is complete and your phone is at the initial setup screen, skip through every step of the setup wizard. Don't add an account, don't connect to Wi-Fi, don't add a security lock; skip everything.
- Once at the home screen, go to Settings > Developer options > Enable USB debugging. If the 'Developer options' setting isn't there, you'll need to go to Settings > About phone and then click on 'Build number' a whole bunch of times. Eventually, you'll enable the Developer Options feature and can follow this step.
- Connect your phone to your PC using a high-grade cable, preferably the one that came with your Pixel.
- Head to your ADB directory and open an elevated command prompt in that location. Type in the following:
adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.android.phone - Restart your Pixel.
- Connect your phone to Wi-Fi, open up Chrome, and go to any website (AndroidAuthority.com for example).
- Go back into Developer Options and click the 'Enable OEM unlocking' feature.
- Reboot your device into the bootloader using ADB, and then run one of the following commands:
fastboot oem unlockorfastboot flashing unlock
That's it! You now have a Verizon Pixel or Pixel XL with an unlocked bootloader. Keep in mind, unlocking the bootloader voids most warranties and could cause stability issues. But if you know what you're doing, you can have a lot of fun flashing all sorts of new operating systems.
Unlocked Cdma Phones Verizon
NEXT: Huawei will no longer allow bootloader unlocking (Update: Explanation from Huawei)
