Any drawbacks of unlocking bootloader? - Nexus 5X Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

I plan to unlock my bootloader, but not rooting the phone yet, want to see if I can live without root. But in case I find out I couldn't I don't want to wipe my device again, thus unlocking now before actually moving all my stuff over from my old Nexus.
My question is, does it have any drawback to unlock bootloader? Does it actually affect anything (besides the hyper-annoying nag screen on boot), that would make it better just to leave it locked, and do the wipe and everything only if I ever decide to actually root it? Tough decision, I'd love to hear your opinions.
Thank you!

Assuming you aren't flashing TWRP, right?
Drawbacks... Security, maybe? Can't really think of anything else. OTAs will still work, as will all the usual upsides.
Upside, you can flash the latest factory images as soon as they are released.

PhoenixTank said:
Assuming you aren't flashing TWRP, right?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, no flashing nothing, just a plain fastboot oem unlock, then pretending to be a basic user with a locked phone. I wonder if from the OS side anything can be perceived by apps, security/integrity checks, etc.

Yeah, then nothing in android will know, apart from the checkbox you need to enable in developer options.
Only when you change the boot or system images, does it really flag up anything. Hope that helps.

Addendum in case someone comes by this thread: unlocking makes you lose device protection features, or at least checking the box that lets you unlock does. Not sure what's going to happen with the checkbox after actually doing the unlock, will soon find out.

IVBela said:
Addendum in case someone comes by this thread: unlocking makes you lose device protection features, or at least checking the box that lets you unlock does. Not sure what's going to happen with the checkbox after actually doing the unlock, will soon find out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It stays checked. I haven't tried to unchecked it yet

IVBela said:
Addendum in case someone comes by this thread: unlocking makes you lose device protection features, or at least checking the box that lets you unlock does. Not sure what's going to happen with the checkbox after actually doing the unlock, will soon find out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What are these 'protection features' that we would be losing if checking the OEM Unlocking (I assume you mean?) box??

sordup said:
What are these 'protection features' that we would be losing if checking the OEM Unlocking (I assume you mean?) box??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This. So far this is the only drawback I found.

IVBela said:
This. So far this is the only drawback I found.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not really sure what device protection does, as Android Device Manager still works.
Android Device Manager lets you remotely locate, lock, wipe, or ring your phone. So for example if someone stole your phone and you have Android Device Manager installed, you can locate it, and also lock it until the police can find it.

gleggie said:
Not really sure what device protection does, as Android Device Manager still works.
Android Device Manager lets you remotely locate, lock, wipe, or ring your phone. So for example if someone stole your phone and you have Android Device Manager installed, you can locate it, and also lock it until the police can find it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It may work with casual thug. Sophisticated thief will turn device off, reboot into bootloader, wipe device and take possession. Device protection is meant to discourage theft.
https://support.google.com/nexus/answer/6172890?hl=en

I'm having some difficulty getting my Mac to recognize my 5x. I am able to connect to the phone with USB debugging normally when I first plug it in. The command ./adb devices lists the phone, and I am able to use adb reboot bootloader to reboot into fastboot mode. But once rebooted, the computer loses contact with the phone: ./adb devices returns nothing. Has anyone else seen this? Got a fix? Thanks. I should also note that I have enabled unlocking the bootloader in developer options.

Jemmy Ducks said:
I'm having some difficulty getting my Mac to recognize my 5x. I am able to connect to the phone with USB debugging normally when I first plug it in. The command ./adb devices lists the phone, and I am able to use adb reboot bootloader to reboot into fastboot mode. But once rebooted, the computer loses contact with the phone: ./adb devices returns nothing. Has anyone else seen this? Got a fix? Thanks. I should also note that I have enabled unlocking the bootloader in developer options.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are three sets of drivers needed. One for fastboot, one for adb and one for MTP. When device is in fastboot mode you use command "fastboot devices" or Mac equivalent.

gleggie said:
Not really sure what device protection does, as Android Device Manager still works.
Android Device Manager lets you remotely locate, lock, wipe, or ring your phone. So for example if someone stole your phone and you have Android Device Manager installed, you can locate it, and also lock it until the police can find it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This doesn't help if they get your device and factory reset it. If they factory reset it before you have a chance to lock it down then you are screwed. With device protection even when you factory reset it, it will prompt for the previous google account the phone was set up with. If your bootloader is unlocked and they are knowledgeable thieves then they can just reflash everything and wipe it out fully.
I work at Swappa and we see this all the time. Someone will sell their device, factory reset it and send it to the buyer. The buyer gets it and can't set it up because device protection was enabled and it prompts them for the previous google account info that was tied to the phone when they try to set it up

Jemmy Ducks said:
I'm having some difficulty getting my Mac to recognize my 5x. I am able to connect to the phone with USB debugging normally when I first plug it in. The command ./adb devices lists the phone, and I am able to use adb reboot bootloader to reboot into fastboot mode. But once rebooted, the computer loses contact with the phone: ./adb devices returns nothing. Has anyone else seen this? Got a fix? Thanks. I should also note that I have enabled unlocking the bootloader in developer options.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tried using fastboot anyway, despite seeing no devices listed, and lo and behold, it worked. Bootloader unlocked for flashing.

Related

[Q] newbie in over his head

the phone is a sprint gnex.
i had twrp as recovery, and i was playing around with it, got distracted, and my 2 year old grabbed it and wiped everything. no OS, no recovery, no nothing.
i'm not even sure where to start. my newbie self is thinking maybe odin? i used adb once, is that where i should be looking?
i guess my question is where does one start when he has no OS. and i could sure use a link for wherever factory images, or tar files, or whatever, are reposed.
please help a brother out, and keep in mind i am in fact over my head. just trying to salvage this if possible. it is not an urgent thing, as i the device is merely used as a media device for my 2 year old.
my laptop is a windows 7 device. i've downloaded usb drivers for samsung, odin, and adb fastboot. they are sitting in my download folder as zip files. that is where i stand.
boathead said:
the phone is a sprint gnex.
i had twrp as recovery, and i was playing around with it, got distracted, and my 2 year old grabbed it and wiped everything. no OS, no recovery, no nothing.
i'm not even sure where to start. my newbie self is thinking maybe odin? i used adb once, is that where i should be looking?
i guess my question is where does one start when he has no OS. and i could sure use a link for wherever factory images, or tar files, or whatever, are reposed.
please help a brother out, and keep in mind i am in fact over my head. just trying to salvage this if possible. it is not an urgent thing, as i the device is merely used as a media device for my 2 year old.
my laptop is a windows 7 device. i've downloaded usb drivers for samsung, odin, and adb fastboot. they are sitting in my download folder as zip files. that is where i stand.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't worry you'll be fine.
If you can get into twrp, try just downloading a ROM and gapps zip on computer and using adb to push or sideload to device (Google "adb sideload ROM galaxy nexus...exact steps easy to find)
If you can't get into recovery, or just want to go back to complete stock and start from there, go here https://developers.google.com/android/nexus/images
Grab a package for sprint gnex(mysidspr, aka toroplus) and if u have adb&fastboot installed on computer(if not then Google "installing android SDK" and it will be top result, fastboot and adb come WITH the SDK when u install it)
Then you just unzip that factory img file, plug device into computer while in boot loader mode (hold power and both volume keys), open the folder created when u uncompressed factory IMG file, hold down shift and right click and choose "open command prompt". Enter "fastboot devices"(no quotes) in the command window to make sure device is recognized. Then just run "flash-all.exe" or "flash-all.bat" in command prompt and BE PATIENT AND LET IT FINISH EVERYTHING. After that device will be like brand new out of box.
ashclepdia said:
Don't worry you'll be fine.
If you can get into twrp, try just downloading a ROM and gapps zip on computer and using adb to push or sideload to device (Google "adb sideload ROM galaxy nexus...exact steps easy to find)
If you can't get into recovery, or just want to go back to complete stock and start from there, go here https://developers.google.com/android/nexus/images
Grab a package for sprint gnex(mysidspr, aka toroplus) and if u have adb&fastboot installed on computer(if not then Google "installing android SDK" and it will be top result, fastboot and adb come WITH the SDK when u install it)
Then you just unzip that factory img file, plug device into computer while in boot loader mode (hold power and both volume keys), open the folder created when u uncompressed factory IMG file, hold down shift and right click and choose "open command prompt". Enter "fastboot devices"(no quotes) in the command window to make sure device is recognized. Then just run "flash-all.exe" or "flash-all.bat" in command prompt and BE PATIENT AND LET IT FINISH EVERYTHING. After that device will be like brand new out of box.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thank you so much for responding. i will play around with this later, but it is a bit comforting to know that maybe i'm not doomed.
i cannot get into recovery, so yeah, i don't know what i'm doing.
boathead said:
thank you so much for responding. i will play around with this later, but it is a bit comforting to know that maybe i'm not doomed.
i cannot get into recovery, so yeah, i don't know what i'm doing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why can't you get into recovery?
Are you choosing recovery mode via the bootloader menu? I didn't think it was POSSIBLE to wipe recovery from within recovery.
Even if you can't, trust me, Doing a factory img restore, or using fastboot to flash custom recovery again is VERY easy. To get the SDK that has needed fastboot tools, go here http://developer.android.com/sdk/index.html#ExistingIDE
And grab the needed exe for your setup(windows 64 or 32bit). Make sure you are getting the "ADT bundle" it's what has needed platform tools. Then just run the exe and follow instructions.
Now u COULD also just Google search for Wugfresg toolkit, and download and use that. Its very easy to use as well. I just prefer to have adb and fastboot installed to my computer so that I can always be good to go. Plus I use Linux so Im not able to use Wugfresh, but knowing how to just use fastboot and adb also makes ya feel like a boss(even though is pretty simple lol)
Don't worry, there is hope, and it's not gonna be difficult. You'll be up again in no time.
because you said you didn't think it was possible to wipe recovery from recovery, i went into bootloader. you are correct. in my panic i overlooked it. i DO in fact still have twrp.
but there is nothing to restore or install. so once my phone charges, i'll give it a shot as you suggested. would you kindly check in later in case i need some more help?
thanks my friend for steering me in the correct direction.
boathead said:
because you said you didn't think it was possible to wipe recovery from recovery, i went into bootloader. you are correct. in my panic i overlooked it. i DO in fact still have twrp.
but there is nothing to restore or install. so once my phone charges, i'll give it a shot as you suggested. would you kindly check in later in case i need some more help?
thanks my friend for steering me in the correct direction.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Of course!
I'm always checking in these forums, and I use Tapatalk, and have actually grown fond of Tapatalk notifications, so I SHOULD get a notif if you post back or PM(though I prefer to keep in thread, that way someone else searching for answer to similar issue can find a helpful thread as well)
Yea it sounds like your little one got into twrp and most likely wiped all of /data and /system. Instead of just a regular factory reset which would have left your stuff like flashable zips and all still in /sdcard. That sucks! I've actually done that on accideHahaha
hile back(a mistake you only make once to wipe all of /data AND /system lol, even though can pretty easily be fixed)
Sounds like you could use adb sideload or push to get ROM/gapps zips back on the device, or just go with a total device factory restore, whichever you choose at this point should work just fine.
I'm not sure if there is a way to do this yet, but I've always wanted to put a pin code lock for TWRP. That way if my nephew ever did find his way into there when using my phone, he wouldn't be able to do any damage. If it's not a part of custom recovery yet (I haven't looked actually lol) it would be awesome if someone found a way to add that feature in. Could save a lot of us the hassle in cases like this! Hahaha
I'll check back in the morning and randomly tomorrow (some of the day I won't have a connection, I use Gnex strictly on WiFi) to see if you need any help/tips/clarifying of any steps needed. Once you do this restore process once, you'll be amazed at how easy it can be, and as long as you keep the files on your laptop, you'll be ready to go if you ever need to do it again.
success!
i had a great deal of trouble sorting the drivers....took quite a while to get the pc to recognize the device. then i got confused about a few things...stunner, i know, but was able to reflash a factory image with the wug toolkit. so i guess i took the cowardly way and didn't do the adb route.
anyway, i'm good to go. i am left with the initial problem that had me in recovery in the first place. i figured flashing a rom would solve it, but no. so i'm left thinking it is on the server side. at least i have something to work with now.
so thanks again. without your calming words i never would have gotten this going. i don't have the temperament to play around with my devices, i've learned.
boathead said:
success!
i had a great deal of trouble sorting the drivers....took quite a while to get the pc to recognize the device. then i got confused about a few things...stunner, i know, but was able to reflash a factory image with the wug toolkit. so i guess i took the cowardly way and didn't do the adb route.
anyway, i'm good to go. i am left with the initial problem that had me in recovery in the first place. i figured flashing a rom would solve it, but no. so i'm left thinking it is on the server side. at least i have something to work with now.
so thanks again. without your calming words i never would have gotten this going. i don't have the temperament to play around with my devices, i've learned.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That temperament is something that is gained. MOST of us have been in that "oh holy crap what do I do now?!?! Im not prepared for this!!" Moments (my first one was on my birthday back when I had DroidX2, and didn't have my own computer to restore it using RSDlite sbf flash.. I accidentally flashed something that didn't work, and was left with no OS stuck in bootloop with no way to get into the bootstrap recovery we had...was without device for 3 days until I could get to a coworkers laptop!! Lol!!!) But the stress goes WAY down after you've restored device once or twice and have the tools at the ready with basic understanding of the steps at least
And as for drivers, I apologize for not warning/informing about that. I forgot that you mentioned you had multiple driver packages downloaded and i was going to clarify which to use(on a Linux setup you don't need drivers and it been a while since I used windows for my device so drivers aren't usually on my mind lol) I think a lot of people use the PDAnet drivers. But if you are connected to internet and just put device in fastboot mode and connect to computer, I think it will automatically find and install the correct drivers needed for fastboot/adb access.(the toolkit can also be used to install correct drivers I believe)
And don't worry, I wouldn't call using toolkit the "cowardly way". SOME people detest/despise use of toolkit since they think it takes away from learning and understanding how to do it without a toolkit. But when you use a toolkit you usually see command prompt correct? (Or at least a setting so you can SEE what it is running as far as commands) so you get to see what its doing, which helps beginners start to grasp the concepts of what it is doing.
Trust me, if you can use the toolkit correctly, you can easily transfer that knowledge to just using fastboot or adb commands.
by the way, fastboot is what's used for factory image restore. ADB is for pushing/pulling files, taking logs, sideloading a ROM/gapps zip that isn't on device, taking/restoring adb backups of system and or data, things like that. Think of adb as the "taker and giver". And fastboot as the "img installer/booter"...imgs being anything from system img files, to data partition img files, boot.img(aka kernel), recovery.img, bootloader update img, radio imgs. Things like that
The reason the knowledge from using toolkit easily transfers over to using just straight up fastboot for example is because of how they word the choices and menus. You will see it says something like "use fastboot to flash new recovery img", which the fastboot command for that in command line equates to "fastboot flash recovery "NameOfRecoveryImage.img" "
(With no quotes of course, and replace "NameOf...." With the actual file name of the recovery.img you have downloaded, and you can rename the downloaded recovery img file to something easier to type out if you want to also)
Basic structure of using fastboot command would be as follows:
fastboot[space]command[space]partitioname[space]filetobeused
Which after used once or twice is very easy to grasp basic usage
So are you able to at least boot into OS now? Also, make sure if you are trying to flash a KitKat ROM, that you install the 2.7TWRP recovery, anything earlier won't work correctly for 4.4based ROMs.
Again, any trouble feel free to ask.
(And apologies for the long rambling posts lol)
yes. i am in the OS now.
what gave rise to my troubles in the first place is that i've moved my residence. all my devices recognize my new wifi, and proceed along their merry way.
my gnex is another story. it recognized my wifi, shows me as connected, but nothing at all can actually access the server. i tried factory reset, nothing. then i was going to install a new rom, figuring something was corrupted. then my 2 year old took over!
so i am in the OS, but still cannot access the server. so it must be on the server side i figure. not sure how to fix this, but when i have some time, i'll do some looking around. i am going to try to access a different wifi network later on to see if at least it is not my device.
again, thanks for your help my friend.
boathead said:
yes. i am in the OS now.
what gave rise to my troubles in the first place is that i've moved my residence. all my devices recognize my new wifi, and proceed along their merry way.
my gnex is another story. it recognized my wifi, shows me as connected, but nothing at all can actually access the server. i tried factory reset, nothing. then i was going to install a new rom, figuring something was corrupted. then my 2 year old took over!
so i am in the OS, but still cannot access the server. so it must be on the server side i figure. not sure how to fix this, but when i have some time, i'll do some looking around. i am going to try to access a different wifi network later on to see if at least it is not my device.
again, thanks for your help my friend.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
what security do you use on your router? if WEP try changing it. the gnex has issues sometimes with using WEP secured WiFi AP's
also, if using a 5ghz network, I can only get mine to connect to that on channel 153. there are only a certain number of 5ghz channels supported.
might also want to just try forgetting WiFi network and re add?(if it restored the access points by any means including Google backup/restore)
and make sure your router isn't rejecting the Mac address for some reason(and some people will suggest reboot of the router to see if that helps fix it, which I've seen fix many connection issues)
well, my device works beautifully....everywhere except in my house.:crying:
as much as drivers befuddle me, routers do even more so. it must be a router issue, right? my device connects to google elsewhere. and all my other devices connect to google here at home. maybe tomorrow i'll try the router's live chat to see if i can get some help.
boathead said:
well, my device works beautifully....everywhere except in my house.:crying:
as much as drivers befuddle me, routers do even more so. it must be a router issue, right? my device connects to google elsewhere. and all my other devices connect to google here at home. maybe tomorrow i'll try the router's live chat to see if i can get some help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
what type of security are you using in the router setting? WPA? wep? none?
what model router are you using?
is device connecting to internet and just not Google servers?
is device connecting to router at all and just no internet access?(meaning when you are in WiFi settings, and choose network does it show obtaining IP address and then connected? or just never fully connect?)
I've had similar issues in past and might be able to help with some more details
ashclepdia said:
what type of security are you using in the router setting? WPA? wep? none?
what model router are you using?
is device connecting to internet and just not Google servers?
is device connecting to router at all and just no internet access?(meaning when you are in WiFi settings, and choose network does it show obtaining IP address and then connected? or just never fully connect?)
I've had similar issues in past and might be able to help with some more details
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
wpa2...but i've even disable all security to see....i've disable firewalls...nothing. it is an arris router that time warner cable provided when i moved to my new place.
and i my phone does show me as connected to my network...just can't get into google. and the phone works just fine at my work. as you know, i've been through several roms and an entirely new OS...so it cannot be the phone...can it?
been through this entire threads, and no joy.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2110225
if you have any ideas, post away. i will be away from access to the internet for a few days, so i won't even have a chance to check in here, but any info in the meantime would be most thanked.
boathead said:
thank you so much for responding. i will play around with this later, but it is a bit comforting to know that maybe i'm not doomed.
i cannot get into recovery, so yeah, i don't know what i'm doing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
my samsung s5 had the same problem. i wiped out everything and it says i have no os no nothing. i hope if anyone can help, i will be pleased.
the only question is that "how can i get an os and get my phone working"
ashclepdia said:
Don't worry you'll be fine.
If you can get into twrp, try just downloading a ROM and gapps zip on computer and using adb to push or sideload to device (Google "adb sideload ROM galaxy nexus...exact steps easy to find)
If you can't get into recovery, or just want to go back to complete stock and start from there, go here https://developers.google.com/android/nexus/images
Grab a package for sprint gnex(mysidspr, aka toroplus) and if u have adb&fastboot installed on computer(if not then Google "installing android SDK" and it will be top result, fastboot and adb come WITH the SDK when u install it)
Then you just unzip that factory img file, plug device into computer while in boot loader mode (hold power and both volume keys), open the folder created when u uncompressed factory IMG file, hold down shift and right click and choose "open command prompt". Enter "fastboot devices"(no quotes) in the command window to make sure device is recognized. Then just run "flash-all.exe" or "flash-all.bat" in command prompt and BE PATIENT AND LET IT FINISH EVERYTHING. After that device will be like brand new out of box.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The same thing happened to me right now, while I was installing CM13 in my Lenovo Zuk Z1. I took a backup from TWRP and copied the same to my pc. Then I wiped all the data from my phone using TWRP. Then I plugged in the Usb back to copy the downloaded files of CM13 to my phone but my pc is not showing the Internal Memory of my phone. I am so freaked out right now. I dont have an OS in my phone and I am unable to restore what I backed up. I am just stucked in TWRP. Guide me through to install CM 13 or atleast revert back to where I started. Any help is appreciated.

Locked out of HTC M8

I have an HTC M8 phone and I set a pattern lock, and then stupidly forgot what it was. Everyone has been telling me to do a factory reset, but some of my photos are not backed up anywhere and I do not want to lose them. I need help either figuring out how to get into my phone, or how to recover the pictures that are on my locked phone. I have my Google account information, but that does not seem to be any help really. Please help!
Thank you!
Do you have a custom recovery? Even if not you should be able to boot to recovery, connect to pc, and in cmd prompt where your adb is(usually platform-tools in the Android sdk) type
adb pull /sdcard
That will download your entire sdcard to your computer. Could also just do adb pull /sdcard/DCIM to only get the camera pictures, other pics are in /sdcard/Pictures
Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk
After you enter the wrong pattern enough times, does the phone give you the option to sign on via your Google login?
Be aware that the security passwords and patterns exist for a reason, and its not commonly discussed here how to circumvent them. Such knowledge can be used by criminals that steal phones.
Also, I know this doesn't solve your issue, but its far too common to see posts like this. Waiting for a disaster to happen is not the right time to realize you should have been backing up your data. With all the options (SD card, sync to PC, cloud solutions - some built in) there is really no excuse not to be doing so.
redpoint73 said:
After you enter the wrong pattern enough times, does the phone give you the option to sign on via your Google login?
Be aware that the security passwords and patterns exist for a reason, and its not commonly discussed here how to circumvent them. Such knowledge can be used by criminals that steal phones.
Also, I know this doesn't solve your issue, but its far too common to see posts like this. Waiting for a disaster to happen is not the right time to realize you should have been backing up your data. With all the options (SD card, sync to PC, cloud solutions - some built in) there is really no excuse not to be doing so.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No , it does not give me that option which is frustrating as that is what many have told me to do. And yes I know, I'm kicking myself for not backing everything up. It has been a few months since I uploaded everything to my laptop. And at this point I was trying any possible option, and was given this forum to try to find help.
I am not sure to be honest... I'm not very knowledgeable about all this which is why I am having such a hard time. How do I boot to recovery? And every time I connect to my pc, it wont let me get any photos from the phone.
HolyAngel said:
Do you have a custom recovery? Even if not you should be able to boot to recovery, connect to pc, and in cmd prompt where your adb is(usually platform-tools in the Android sdk) type
adb pull /sdcard
That will download your entire sdcard to your computer. Could also just do adb pull /sdcard/DCIM to only get the camera pictures, other pics are in /sdcard/Pictures
Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
megan.marie42 said:
I am not sure to be honest... I'm not very knowledgeable about all this which is why I am having such a hard time. How do I boot to recovery? And every time I connect to my pc, it wont let me get any photos from the phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If the phone is stock (never rooted, bootloader unlocked, etc.); and you don't know what custom recovery is, than you don't have it.

Need help backing up my data on a OnePlus 5T with an unresponsive screen.

The display stopped responding to touch out of the blue. I want to access my data urgently. I'll just explain the situation point by point.
1. This happened about 3 months back. There were posts on the forum saying that it might be because the software has damaged the hardware on the screen in some way (i wouldn't know, i'm a novice when it comes to this)
2. USB debugging is turned off. So i can't access ADB
3. OTG is on timeout. It has to be turned back on again to use a mouse over OTG
4. Bluespark TWRP 3.2.something is installed but since the device is encrypted it asks for the password, which i can't insert.
5. Fastboot works
What can i do to get my stuff back? is there any solution to this besides replacing the screen? Because i can't afford to do that right now.
use a mouse and connect it via otg extension. unlock it with pattern it and enable usb debugging
MuminMohamed said:
use a mouse and connect it via otg extension. unlock it with pattern it and enable usb debugging
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As i said in the description OTG is on a 30 minute time out. It turns off automatically after 30 minutes of inactivity. So i can't connect a mouse.
Helhound0 said:
As i said in the description OTG is on a 30 minute time out. It turns off automatically after 30 minutes of inactivity. So i can't connect a mouse.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't think there's a way to recover your data without OTG/ADB available, fastboot alone doesn't offer a solution either, only way I could think of is to fastboot flash another ROM (well you can't really flash whole ROMs but only boot.img,system.img, etc.) without the OTG restrictions or maybe even have ADB enabled by default (I think I saw such thing before on custom ROMs), this would however lead you to a total trail 'n error kind of situation were you potentially could lose all data too (in best case you could access /sdcard but definitely would lose everything not on the internal storage).
All this is very experimental and probably sheer luck if you ever succeed, so it's probably best to wait until you can replace the screen as there's no real good solution to the problem with the given possibilities...
Sent from my OnePlus5T using XDA Labs
If you reboot the phone does the OTG timeout reset?
Essentially, you need to get past the security gate to decrypt your data because even if you could get it off without decrypting it, it would be useless to you.
You're absolutely going to need to be able to enter your PIN somehow to proceed.
Pro Tip: always leave adb debugging enabled.
Sam Nakamura said:
I don't think there's a way to recover your data without OTG/ADB available, fastboot alone doesn't offer a solution either, only way I could think of is to fastboot flash another ROM (well you can't really flash whole ROMs but only boot.img,system.img, etc.) without the OTG restrictions or maybe even have ADB enabled by default (I think I saw such thing before on custom ROMs), this would however lead you to a total trail 'n error kind of situation were you potentially could lose all data too (in best case you could access /sdcard but definitely would lose everything not on the internal storage).
All this is very experimental and probably sheer luck if you ever succeed, so it's probably best to wait until you can replace the screen as there's no real good solution to the problem with the given possibilities...
Sent from my OnePlus5T using XDA Labs
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was thinking about that too, though i haven't found a ROM with ADB or OTG enabled by default. I'm pretty sure that can be done. Where do i find one?
djmcnz said:
If you reboot the phone does the OTG timeout reset?
Essentially, you need to get past the security gate to decrypt your data because even if you could get it off without decrypting it, it would be useless to you.
You're absolutely going to need to be able to enter your PIN somehow to proceed.
Pro Tip: always leave adb debugging enabled.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah... and have OTG on all the time maybe. I learned a lot because of this.

Struggling to unlock booloader: getting weird barcodes

I am following the instructions from motorola-global-portal.custhelp.com/app/standalone/bootloader/unlock-your-device-a
I've downloaded Motorola drivers for Mac, as well as platform-tools. I am booting the phone to booloader but then a weird barcode shows up: imgur.com/a/8sT2lds
Any idea how to make progress from there? By the way my phone model is XT2029-2
Nycticorax said:
I am following the instructions from motorola-global-portal.custhelp.com/app/standalone/bootloader/unlock-your-device-a
I've downloaded Motorola drivers for Mac, as well as platform-tools. I am booting the phone to booloader but then a weird barcode shows up: imgur.com/a/8sT2lds
Any idea how to make progress from there? By the way my phone model is XT2029-2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Would like to know it too. Passed some days searching the web for a answer, and got none. The only thing I get when scanning the barcode is a number that AFAIK doesn't match any serial nor anything at all in the phone; just a number from what I can tell. Using fastboot oem get_unlock_data doens't work at all too, I just get a "command unknown" error returned from fastboot. Tried different drivers, none seemed to work, and the only ones that did, gave me the barcode and the fastboot error when trying to unlock. A very weird error, this one; fastboot devices work just fine, fastboot getvar all too, so it really doesn't seem like a fastboot or driver issue. My last try was this article (https://www.xda-developers.com/how-to-discover-hidden-fastboot-commands/) to see if I could get a list of the phones OEM commands and figure out how to unlock it. Tried to extract the bootloader from the firmware I downloaded online, using a tool I found on the forum, but no success until now. Will try to root the phone and extract it as it is shown in the tutorial to see if I can get more lucky. I saw somewhere that there's an app called sunshine that was used to unlock some older models, maybe you wanna try that too. I won't, because it's paid and I don't have the money to pay for it . Anyway, I'll try the bootloader extracting and see how that works, and depending on the output, maybe I'll post a tutorial here.
Def4lt_ said:
Would like to know it too. Passed some days searching the web for a answer, and got none. The only thing I get when scanning the barcode is a number that AFAIK doesn't match any serial nor anything at all in the phone; just a number from what I can tell. Using fastboot oem get_unlock_data doens't work at all too, I just get a "command unknown" error returned from fastboot. Tried different drivers, none seemed to work, and the only ones that did, gave me the barcode and the fastboot error when trying to unlock. A very weird error, this one; fastboot devices work just fine, fastboot getvar all too, so it really doesn't seem like a fastboot or driver issue. My last try was this article (https://www.xda-developers.com/how-to-discover-hidden-fastboot-commands/) to see if I could get a list of the phones OEM commands and figure out how to unlock it. Tried to extract the bootloader from the firmware I downloaded online, using a tool I found on the forum, but no success until now. Will try to root the phone and extract it as it is shown in the tutorial to see if I can get more lucky. I saw somewhere that there's an app called sunshine that was used to unlock some older models, maybe you wanna try that too. I won't, because it's paid and I don't have the money to pay for it . Anyway, I'll try the bootloader extracting and see how that works, and depending on the output, maybe I'll post a tutorial here.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok so after analysis the barcode just the IMEI associated with my SIM card's slot. (This phone has two SIM card slots.) Nothing interesting about it, I think.
Also it seems that Motorola does not support unlocking this bootloader as it does for other phones; in fact "motorola-global-portal.custhelp.com/app/standalone/bootloader/unlock-your-device-a" is just a hub for any phone listed at "support.motorola.com/us/en/solution/MS87215", and this one is not on the list. I am not aware of any way to unlock the bootloader in these circumstances.
Please let me / us know if you are more successful than me. For now I will consider this phone not rootable via this method.
PS: The furthest I've been: `fastboot oem get_unlock_data` returns a blank line as if the mobile was working. No error message or anything.
PPS: What do you mean by "extracting the bootloader"? What rooting method is extracting the bootloader part of?
The official list of devices that can be unlocked has never been complete.
Usually all moto models can be unlocked, except Carrier branded devices or those on Amazon software channel.
Those getting the barcode screen, is that from
Pressing the volume down button and power on, or
adb reboot bootloader
?
Sent from my ali using XDA Labs
Nycticorax said:
Ok so after analysis the barcode just the IMEI associated with my SIM card's slot. (This phone has two SIM card slots.) Nothing interesting about it, I think.
Also it seems that Motorola does not support unlocking this bootloader as it does for other phones; in fact "motorola-global-portal.custhelp.com/app/standalone/bootloader/unlock-your-device-a" is just a hub for any phone listed at "support.motorola.com/us/en/solution/MS87215", and this one is not on the list. I am not aware of any way to unlock the bootloader in these circumstances.
Please let me / us know if you are more successful than me. For now I will consider this phone not rootable via this method.
PS: The furthest I've been: `fastboot oem get_unlock_data` returns a blank line as if the mobile was working. No error message or anything.
PPS: What do you mean by "extracting the bootloader"? What rooting method is extracting the bootloader part of?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's weird. My barcode number doesn't seem to match any numbers at all, serial, IMEI, nothing. I'll double check it to see if I have missed something. Never got this blank line, would be happy if you shared how you achieved it, maybe there could be some insight I can get from the process. Answering the question about the bootloader, the extraction isn't a part of a rooting method, it's only something I'm trying in order to get the list of oem fastboot commands of the phone. Those are manufacturer-specific, aren't listed anywhere, and differ from model to model. The method I'm using is the one from the article I pointed in my previous answer. Anyway, if it takes me anywhere, I'll bring an update about it with details.
---------- Post added at 23:36 ---------- Previous post was at 23:04 ----------
sd_shadow said:
The official list of devices that can be unlocked has never been complete.
Usually all moto models can be unlocked, except Carrier branded devices or those on Amazon software channel.
Those getting the barcode screen, is that from
Pressing the volume down button and power on, or
adb reboot bootloader
?
Sent from my ali using XDA Labs
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The barcode is from entering the bootloader. Any method that gets you there shows it. At first I thought it was a driver-related bug, but after some experimentation it seems like whenever the device is recognized by fastboot, it shows this barcode; So it appears to be a bootloader-related thing (I never saw nothing like it, so just guessing for now). Also tried the method from the Motorola website, and I really wish it had worked as expected, but what it seems to me is that MediaTek devices are a pain in the ass in general for this kind of thing. The device doesn't recognizes the oem commands sent through fastboot as valid (And yes, OEM Unlocking is properly enabled under Developer Settings). Here's a screenshot from a powershell session showing the results of trying the commands. Notice how the device is correctly recognized by both adb and fastboot, only the unlocking commands doesn't work: https://pasteboard.co/JnW4cvK.png
sd_shadow said:
The official list of devices that can be unlocked has never been complete.
Usually all moto models can be unlocked, except Carrier branded devices or those on Amazon software channel.
Those getting the barcode screen, is that from
Pressing the volume down button and power on, or
adb reboot bootloader
?
Sent from my ali using XDA Labs
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In my case the barcode shows up whenever I reach fastboot, whether via booting with [vol up + power] and then selecting fastboot, or via adb reboot bootloader. I've tried several barcode recognition apps and 2 out of 3 confirm it's my IMEI.
Nycticorax said:
In my case the barcode shows up whenever I reach fastboot, whether via booting with [vol up + power] and then selecting fastboot, or via adb reboot bootloader. I've tried several barcode recognition apps and 2 out of 3 confirm it's my IMEI.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you try
Code:
fastboot flashing unlock_critical
according to this thread... it is for e6 plus. May be it works with e6 play.
https://old.reddit.com/r/androidroot/comments/f6c5k5/unlock_bootloader_moto_e6_plus/fupyalw/
No,
Code:
fastboot flashing unlock critical
does not work. And no, we shouldn't assume that a method meant for the e6 plus works for the e6 play.
Phone in red state not able to change settings
I have struggled with the same problems as above. I am not able to get into the developer mode as I only have access to the recovery screen. Anybody who knows how to do that from the recovery screen - perhaps using terminal?
I have been able to enter into the phone by adb sideload filename.zip and the phone acknowledged connection, but the upload failed, probably due to I am not able to unlock the phone from the red state/Android Recovery. It is running bali-reteu/bali9/POAS29.550-81-1/
glensbo said:
I have struggled with the same problems as above. I am not able to get into the developer mode as I only have access to the recovery screen. Anybody who knows how to do that from the recovery screen - perhaps using terminal?
I have been able to enter into the phone by adb sideload filename.zip and the phone acknowledged connection, but the upload failed, probably due to I am not able to unlock the phone from the red state/Android Recovery. It is running bali-reteu/bali9/POAS29.550-81-1/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is not clear to me what you did exactly. The step where we -- the others participants to this post and I -- are stuck is [2] here below:
boot to fastboot by running `adb reboot bootloader` from a command line on a connected and turned on device
get the OEM unlock code by doing `fastboot oem get_unlock_data` from a connected device under the fastboot interface
exchange the unlock code on the motorola support site and input that code to confirm bootloader unlock
glensbo said:
I have struggled with the same problems as above. I am not able to get into the developer mode as I only have access to the recovery screen. Anybody who knows how to do that from the recovery screen - perhaps using terminal?
I have been able to enter into the phone by adb sideload filename.zip and the phone acknowledged connection, but the upload failed, probably due to I am not able to unlock the phone from the red state/Android Recovery. It is running bali-reteu/bali9/POAS29.550-81-1/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Got a little further as the code:
#fastboot flash unlock_critical Filename.zip#
the phone replied - Transferring and Transmission OK .... time etc
But I got an error sadly to say:
Failed (remote: not allowed in locked state) so I'm back to basics as I cannot open the state from the recovery mode (as of yet)
glensbo said:
Got a little further as the code:
#fastboot flash unlock_critical Filename.zip#
the phone replied - Transferring and Transmission OK .... time etc
But I got an error sadly to say:
Failed (remote: not allowed in locked state) so I'm back to basics as I cannot open the state from the recovery mode (as of yet)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Okay, I would like to be positive and call that a progress but the whole point of steps (2-3) is to have it unlocked so that you can proceed to root to flashing it the way you're trying to.
So I am pretty pessimistic on that one. To me it looks like a case of a cheap phone a company has no real urge to make easy to unlock.
Nycticorax said:
It is not clear to me what you did exactly. The step where we -- the others participants to this post and I -- are stuck is [2] here below:
boot to fastboot by running `adb reboot bootloader` from a command line on a connected and turned on device
get the OEM unlock code by doing `fastboot oem get_unlock_data` from a connected device under the fastboot interface
exchange the unlock code on the motorola support site and input that code to confirm bootloader unlock
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry got carried away finding a group dealing with the same problem as I have. And not skimming but reading the text I can confirm that I am stuck at the same place. Sorry for the interruption. I will revert if/when I have something new.
glensbo said:
Sorry got carried away finding a group dealing with the same problem as I have. And not skimming but reading the text I can confirm that I am stuck at the same place. Sorry for the interruption. I will revert if/when I have something new.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's okay. I hope one of us can find something useful. Let Root, the God of Hacks, send His best love waves to you guys
wow No Help
Biniesuschristos said:
wow No Help
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just curious do you know what software Channel your phone is on?
The software Channel might be listed in
Settings/ about phone.
Or try
Code:
fastboot getvar all
While in fastboot mode
ro.carrier = Software Channel
Sent from my ocean using XDA Labs
You didn't ask me but perhaps it might help you help us:
Code:
reteu
for me.
I'm don't actually know anything regarding rooting mobile devices but i'm going to post some of my experience thinking it might help someone who actually knows what to do.
I've been having the same issue while trying to unlock the bootloader.
As it seems all of the fastboot commands are working fine except the OEM ones which is strange considering that i'm sure i toggled the OEM Unlock on the dev. options, just like some members commented already.
Regarding the barcode it shows as soon as i connect the device via USB in Fastboot mode, and it shows up when i use "adb reboot bootloader" too, but it wasn't showing before i updated the USB Drives so i could find the device via "fasboot devices" (the phone wasn't showing before i did it).
pontiacus said:
I'm don't actually know anything regarding rooting mobile devices but i'm going to post some of my experience thinking it might help someone who actually knows what to do.
I've been having the same issue while trying to unlock the bootloader.
As it seems all of the fastboot commands are working fine except the OEM ones which is strange considering that i'm sure i toggled the OEM Unlock on the dev. options, just like some members commented already.
Regarding the barcode it shows as soon as i connect the device via USB in Fastboot mode, and it shows up when i use "adb reboot bootloader" too, but it wasn't showing before i updated the USB Drives so i could find the device via "fasboot devices" (the phone wasn't showing before i did it).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Windows 10?
Sent from my ocean using XDA Labs
@sd_shadow: Do you think it looks like a bootloader you could unlock?

Redmi Note 8 locked, need help with unlocking/backup

Hello!
I need help regarding a Redmi Note 8 that no longer accepts the correct pattern and is locked.
I'm looking for a solution that would allow me to either unlock my phone without data loss, or make a backup of the phone's internal storage on an sd card/pc before hard resetting.
The device is not rooted and I don't have custom recovery installed. USB Debugging is on, but my laptop is not authorized.
With Adb, the device is detected but unauthorized. It seems to be detected normally in fastboot mode. I was able to get my laptop to detect it in recovery mode by clicking on "Connect with MIAssistant" while it was plugged in, but only in sideload mode. I also somehow managed to get into safe mode, but I used the stock screen lock, so unless there's something else that can be done in that mode, it doesn't seem useful in this situation.
I tried the actual MIAssistant software but it tells me to update my device before connecting. From what I found, this is because it doesn't even work with phones running Android 6.0 Marshmallow or above, so that seems to be a dead-end, unfortunately. Downloaded from here, updated to version 3.2.1.3111. If there's a newer version that could support my device, even an untranslated one, I would love to know, but I couldn't find a working one.
I had some ideas that could potentially solve my problem, but couldn't find a way to actually execute them, so here they are in case someone out there who knows more than me could help me with one of them.
1, Is there any way I could authorize my laptop for USB Debugging without being able to accept the prompt on screen?
2, Is there a way to make a backup of the internal storage of my phone in fastboot/sideload mode?
3, Is there a way to get adb to detect this device normally in recovery mode, instead of in sideload mode?
4, Is there a way to get my device into mtp/ptp mode instead of charging mode when connected to a PC without USB Debugging so I can copy my files?
5, Here's a thread I found that seems promising, although it's old. Could I somehow use this, or a similar method on Redmi Note 8? The Recovery Mode is much more limiting on this device, unfortunately, so I can't exactly follow this tutorial. Are there alternatives that can be done in adb fastboot/sideload mode, perhaps?
6, If I am forced to hard reset, is there any software out there that could recover at least some of the deleted data afterwards, or is everything lost in case of a reset?
I am open to new ideas not listed above, as well. I am not a very advanced user so I probably missed some things.
Thank you so much for any answer in advance!
zoey_96 said:
Hello!
I need help regarding a Redmi Note 8 that no longer accepts the correct pattern and is locked.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
do you have the default recovery ? or a custom one ?
zoey_96 said:
Is there any way I could authorize my laptop for USB Debugging without being able to accept the prompt on screen?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No
loopypalm said:
do you have the default recovery ? or a custom one ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Default, which doesn't have many options on Xiaomi. :/
loopypalm said:
No
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sad to hear that. Are there any alternative options that could solve my problem? I'd really rather not factory reset.
zoey_96 said:
Default, which doesn't have many options on Xiaomi. :/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if you had twrp or similar your problem would be solved ...
zoey_96 said:
Are there any alternative options that could solve my problem?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
not as far as i know, ask in ADB thread if you find any
Updated with extra info in case anyone else has any ideas.
Even if you can copy your files to PC, they are problably unusable because of encryption.
That is why you need that pattern
For security this is exactly what you want, if your phone is lost or stolen.
Elinx said:
Even if you can copy your files to PC, they are problably unusable because of encryption.
That is why you need that pattern
For security this is exactly what you want, if your phone is lost or stolen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you mean that the reason it doesn't accept the correct pattern anymore is for security? I would have thought it would still accept the correct one, at least after several tries of the same thing. Being completely locked out even when you know the correct password is a little strange to me.
zoey_96 said:
Hello!
I need help regarding a Redmi Note 8 that no longer accepts the correct pattern and is locked.
I'm looking for a solution that would allow me to either unlock my phone without data loss, or make a backup of the phone's internal storage on an sd card/pc before hard resetting.
The device is not rooted and I don't have custom recovery installed. USB Debugging is on, but my laptop is not authorized.
With Adb, the device is detected but unauthorized. It seems to be detected normally in fastboot mode. I was able to get my laptop to detect it in recovery mode by clicking on "Connect with MIAssistant" while it was plugged in, but only in sideload mode. I also somehow managed to get into safe mode, but I used the stock screen lock, so unless there's something else that can be done in that mode, it doesn't seem useful in this situation.
I tried the actual MIAssistant software but it tells me to update my device before connecting. From what I found, this is because it doesn't even work with phones running Android 6.0 Marshmallow or above, so that seems to be a dead-end, unfortunately. Downloaded from here, updated to version 3.2.1.3111. If there's a newer version that could support my device, even an untranslated one, I would love to know, but I couldn't find a working one.
I had some ideas that could potentially solve my problem, but couldn't find a way to actually execute them, so here they are in case someone out there who knows more than me could help me with one of them.
1, Is there any way I could authorize my laptop for USB Debugging without being able to accept the prompt on screen?
2, Is there a way to make a backup of the internal storage of my phone in fastboot/sideload mode?
3, Is there a way to get adb to detect this device normally in recovery mode, instead of in sideload mode?
4, Is there a way to get my device into mtp/ptp mode instead of charging mode when connected to a PC without USB Debugging so I can copy my files?
5, Here's a thread I found that seems promising, although it's old. Could I somehow use this, or a similar method on Redmi Note 8? The Recovery Mode is much more limiting on this device, unfortunately, so I can't exactly follow this tutorial. Are there alternatives that can be done in adb fastboot/sideload mode, perhaps?
6, If I am forced to hard reset, is there any software out there that could recover at least some of the deleted data afterwards, or is everything lost in case of a reset?
I am open to new ideas not listed above, as well. I am not a very advanced user so I probably missed some things.
Thank you so much for any answer in advance!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Howdy bro (I also have a Xiaomi Redmi Note 8).
I've been almost two intense weeks reading and watching the XDA forum, trying somehow and I did not find the way to unlock it .... Besides that I have the Bootloader disabled it makes me more difficult, because for that I need to format my phone and is what I do not want .... Already today is my last day of searching and I think I will have to leave my memories behind and Format my cell phone.
I leave you a thread of a user that explains well the process of why you can not:
A Comprehensive Guide to getting Past the Android Pattern Lock Screen
So, here's the situation I’m in. Also I am 99% sure I got something wrong so please tell me. I’m past the pattern lock screen so ADB won’t directly work to unlock the lock screen. If I was at a pattern lock screen, I could use ADB to unlock the...
forum.xda-developers.com
and several more of the many threads that I searched, maybe it will help someone:
[Xiaomi] How to unlock phone after forgetting the password.
Hello, today it happened that I forgot a password to my phone. I've tried to restore it by logging in into my xiaomi account and my google account. Unfortunately it only offers to wipe my data, which I want to avoid at all costs. I have Poco F2...
forum.xda-developers.com
[Android][Guide]Hacking And Bypassing Android Password/Pattern/Face/PI
- DISCLAIMER - This Is For Educational Purposes Only You Shall Not Use This On Other People Phones Without Permission Under Any Circumstances I'm Not Responsible For Any Eventual Errors And Misbehaving Of Your Devices Files And Tutorials Are...
forum.xda-developers.com
[Android][Guide]Hacking And Bypassing Android Password/Pattern/Face/PI
- DISCLAIMER - This Is For Educational Purposes Only You Shall Not Use This On Other People Phones Without Permission Under Any Circumstances I'm Not Responsible For Any Eventual Errors And Misbehaving Of Your Devices Files And Tutorials Are...
forum.xda-developers.com
[GUIDE] Unlock bootloader without losing user data.
Hi, I am writing this guide because many people followed other guides in the forum and lost their data. This is the proper way of unlocking the bootloader without losing your data. 0 - Read the whole guide before proceeding and proceed at your...
forum.xda-developers.com
[GUIDE] Redmi K20 Pro - Unlock & Root Information, Links, Tools and Instructions
Like many, I was overwhelmed with information when trying to unlock, flash, and root my phone. After many failures, I decided to compile the good information all in one place. I hope this helps. If it does, please consider buying me a beer...
forum.xda-developers.com
Recovery without data loss
Hi Community, you are my last salvation. I am owner of Pixel 4a 5g since half a year and now it cannot boot anymore. I see only the google-"G" and the loading bar nothing else. I can start the Boatloader but before i do a factory reset i need to...
forum.xda-developers.com

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