unlock - 6/7 - Android Police - Android News, Apps, Games, Phones, Tablets

May

Victory Is Ours! HTC: "We've Listened, Will No Longer Be Locking The Bootloaders On Our Devices"

Posted by Artem Russakovskii in Development, HTC, News

Ladies and gentlemen, minutes ago HTC announced that they have been listening to us all along and will reverse their stance on locking bootloaders! The statement comes directly from the CEO Peter Chou and reads:

There has been overwhelmingly customer feedback that people want access to open bootloaders on HTC phones. I want you to know that we've listened.

Today, I'm confirming we will no longer be locking the bootloaders on our devices. Thanks for your passion, support and patience," Peter Chou, CEO of HTC

Devices with locked bootloaders can still be rooted and usually partially unlocked. They could even enjoy custom ROMs (see the Droid X ROM community), but because the system kernel cannot be replaced, these ROMs cannot be considered complete - they can change things on the surface but not under the hood.

May

HTC "Reviewing" Its Bootloader Policy - We'll Believe It When We See It

Posted by Nate Kimmey in HTC, News

Last Updated: June 1st, 2011

Update: If you've somehow ended up on this page, please note: HTC has since changed its bootloader policy - all future phones will be unlocked.

Once a great example of how open Android phone manufacturers could be, HTC has taken a lot of heat from its fan base over recent decisions to lock its devices' bootloaders (such as with the Sensation and EVO 3D), endangering the possibility that these devices will be able to support custom ROMs. Fortunately, there is a chance that could be changing, as HTC announced on its Facebook page that the company is reviewing its bootloader policy:

Thanks so much for providing feedback, we hear your concerns.

May

[Weekend Poll] How Important Will Customization Be In Determining Your Next Android Purchase?

Posted by David Ruddock in Android OS, Polls

Last Updated: September 3rd, 2011

It's that time of the week again folks - time to hit the polls. This week's question is one that'll allow you to express what you think an Android handset should let you do in terms of customization, modification, and other various tinkering (think rooting, custom ROMs, kernels, etc). Basically, we want to know how important it is for you, as a consumer, that your next phone be easy to customize. Or if that really isn't important at all.

Let us know in the comments what ROMs, rooted apps, and other goodies only available to the rooted/unlocked users among us that you just can't live without.

Apr

[Instructions] How To Root The Verizon Samsung Droid Charge

Posted by Justin Case in Charge (i510), Development, News, Samsung, Tips & Tutorials, Verizon Wireless

Last Updated: May 7th, 2011

Neither z4root nor SuperOneClick is currently working on the Charge (though I'm sure someone will come up with a one-click method soon enough), but guess what - Gingerbreak sure does. Follow these instructions, and you should have root and full /system unlock on your Droid Charge in a few minutes. Credit goes to the Exploid Crew and unnamed testers.

No custom recovery, such as ClockworkMod or RA, is available yet, but it is surely going to arrive very soon.

Pros

Permanent root
Read/write access to /system
The bootloader is factory unlocked, so no additional fiddling is required
All Droid Charges survived testing
No data wipe is needed

Cons

Voids warranty
Could brick your phone if you aren't careful

Android Police and Team AndIRC disclaim all liability for any harm that may befall your device, including, but not limited to: bricked phones, voided manufacturer warranties, exploding batteries, etc.

Mar

Sony Ericsson Promises Unlocked Bootloaders In Some Flavors Of All Upcoming Xperia Devices (Arc, Play, Neo, Pro)

Posted by Artem Russakovskii in Development, News, Sony Ericsson

Today is starting out pretty well - minutes ago, we finally got the HTC Thunderbolt kernel source, and now Sony Ericsson decided to lift our spirits even further via a blog post announcing their commitment to the Android development community. And a commitment it is - Sony Ericsson may just be the first large manufacturer truly listening to us.

Sure, Motorola unlocked the bootloader of the XOOM, and Samsung did the same to the Nexus S, but Sony Ericsson is promising to release versions of ALL Xperia phones with easily unlockable bootloaders, at least ones slated for 2011. This includes the Xperia Arc, Play, Neo, and Pro, but SE is quick to clarify - by far not all devices will be this open.

Mar

It Wasn't Just Verizon - The HTC Incredible S' Bootloader And Recovery Are Signed As Well

Posted by Jaroslav Stekl in Development, HTC, Incredible S (Vivo), News

Conspiracy theorists would have you believe that the ThunderBolt's signed (and locked) bootloader was all Verizon's doing, but it appears that isn't quite the case - the Incredible S, one of HTC's unlocked GSM phones, is shipping with a similar failsafe system. That basically means no custom ROMs for you (at least until a viable workaround is discovered).

Proof? Look no further than the contents of this Incredible S RUU:

From what our friends at AndIRC can tell (note that they don't have a device in hand), the Incredible S includes a signature check much like the one on the ThunderBolt.

Mar

Updated (4/21/2011): [Exclusive] How To Root The HTC ThunderBolt And Unlock Its Bootloader

Posted by Justin Case in Development, Exclusives, HTC, News, Thunderbolt (Mecha), Verizon Wireless

Last Updated: June 5th, 2012

HTC tried to stop us. They made signed images, a signed kernel, and a signed recovery. They locked the memory. In short, the ThunderBolt is their most locked-down phone to date.

We fixed it for you. Unlike the root method we described yesterday, following the instructions below will provide S-OFF, remove signature checks, and unlock eMMC. Enjoy!

Rooting The ThunderBolt - Version 2.5

Update: This guide was updated to include some steps into the upgrade RUU, making it faster and safer

Pros

Root with read/write access to /system
Ability to downgrade and flash any RUU (i.e. signed firmware)
S-OFF
Fully unlocked bootloader
All ThunderBolts survived testing

Cons

Voids warranty
Could brick your phone if you aren't careful

The method of rooting your Android device as described in the article herein is solely for enthusiasts and not for the faint of heart.

Mar

HTC Thunderbolt Bootloader Unlocked, ClockworkMod Recovery Loaded, ROM Floodgates Opened

Posted by David Ruddock in Development, HTC, News, Thunderbolt (Mecha)

That didn't take long. A collaborative effort between numerous Android hackers just managed to crack the Thunderbolt's bootloader wide open, successfully booting a custom recovery image. They also incidentally discovered a new root method in the process. Credit goes to jcase, jamezelle, and scotty2 (and all of andirc) for working out the details, and ProTekk and Trident for putting their shiny new Thunderbolts on the line. Here's the visual proof:

Image credit: Trident, ProTekk

We'll keep you apprised on the situation with instructions on how to go about unlocking your own Thunderbolt as we get more information.

Mar

Updated: HTC Thunderbolt Takes A Page From Moto's Playbook: Bootloader And Recovery Are Locked

Posted by David Ruddock in Android OS, Development, HTC, News, Thunderbolt (Mecha)

Last Updated: March 22nd, 2011

Update: Bootloader and recovery are both locked and signed. See new screenshot.

Update #2: The device has been rooted, and its bootloader has been unlocked!

Some of our good friends over at AndIRC (most thanks going to scotty2 for discovering it, and Trident for being the guinea pig) have discovered a bit of troubling information regarding the HTC Thunderbolt: its bootloader and recovery are locked. What does that mean, exactly? No custom ROMs - for now. Some enterprising hackers successfully flashed a custom recovery image onto a T-bolt, but lo and behold, upon entering the bootloader, no recovery boot option was to be found once the flash had been completed.

Feb

If Your Motorola XOOM Is Rooted It Will Not Be Upgraded To 4G LTE Unless You Un-Root, Says Moto

Posted by David Ruddock in Development, Motorola, News, Tips & Tutorials, Verizon Wireless, XOOM

Well, the title explains it pretty well, but I'll provide you some documented evidence:

That's right, folks. Sending in your XOOM to Motorola while it's rooted will get it sent right back. Motorola will not provide 4G LTE upgrades to XOOM devices that have been rooted, plain and simple.

A forum moderator in the same Motorola support thread indicates that it's not quite as hard-line as the first responder indicated, and that your XOOM simply must be stock in terms of software functionality when Motorola receives it. Presumably, this means a flash back to factory settings and software will allow your previously booted 'n rooted XOOM to be upgraded.