Background#
First, think about why you want to root your device: are you tired of the vendor's outdated system? Or do you want to gain root access to run certain software? Or maybe you want to experience a near-stock Android system?
Although our purposes may vary, we all need to take the same path: unlocking the BootLoader!
BootLoader lock is a security mechanism used to prevent unauthorized modification or reprogramming of the boot process of a mobile device. BootLoader is the earliest running firmware in the device's boot process and is responsible for loading the operating system kernel. When the BootLoader is locked, it prevents users from loading unofficial firmware or operating systems, thereby preventing potential security vulnerabilities and unauthorized modifications.
So, let's start unlocking the BL!#
- First, confirm your phone brand. In my case, it's Xiaomi, and unlocking requires a dedicated Xiaomi Unlock Tool. First, open the settings of your device -> Developer options (if not available, go to Settings -> About phone -> Tap MIUI version/OS version multiple times until "You are now a developer!" appears) -> Device unlock status -> Bind, and then wait for seven days.
Note! If you have already updated to Hyper OS! Then you may need to reach Level 5 in the community and pass the Xiaomi College Entrance Examination! * (KSU author's score is 30 points (happy *) You can try using the bypass script (click here to download directly in China not the latest version)! But if your Hyper OS is newer, it may not work! - Connect your device to the computer and power it off. Press and hold the power button + volume down button until the "FASTBOOT" appears on your device screen.
- Open the Xiaomi Unlock Tool on your computer. At this point, your computer should have recognized the phone to be unlocked. Proceed step by step (Unlocking the BL will restore the device to factory settings, so make sure to backup!)
- Wait for the phone to restart automatically. A unlock symbol will appear on the startup screen, indicating that your device has been unlocked.
Next, install Magisk!#
Magisk is a popular Android system-level permission management tool that allows users to install and manage root permissions without modifying the system partition. The main functions of Magisk include providing superuser access, hiding root status, and managing other modules.
There are multiple ways to install Magisk, such as using TWRP to flash Magisk.zip in the early days to load Magisk at startup. But now, most devices do not have TWRP support, so we use the method of patching the boot image to load Magisk.
- First, you need to obtain the firmware package (usually with the .tgz extension) for your device's system. After extracting it, you can find the
boot.img
in theimages
folder. Transfer theboot.img
to your phone. - Download Magisk on your phone (direct link in China) and open it. In the Magisk section, choose Install -> Select and Patch a File -> Select your
boot.img
. After the patching is complete, you can find the patched file namedmagisk_patched-xxxxx_xXxXx.img
in the phone'sDownload
folder. Transfer it back to your computer. - Power off your phone and enter FASTBOOT mode by connecting it to the computer. Download Google - Platform Tools on your computer (direct link in China). After the download is complete, extract the files and open cmd in the folder that contains
fastboot.exe
. Enter the command:fastboot flash boot magisk_patched-xxxxx_xXxXx.img
and wait for the flashing to complete. Then enterfastboot reboot
to restart the phone. - After the restart, open Magisk again, and you can manage root permissions and install modules through Magisk!