How to Check Whether Your Bootloader Is Unlocked or Not

You may like or dislike Android phones, but one thing is for sure – Android devices are highly customizable. The Android OS can do some things that other operative systems cannot. One of the main perks that the Android devices have to offer is allowing you to unlock the bootloader. The bootloader allows you to root the device, giving you almost full command over your phone. That’s because a rooted phone allows you to customize almost anything.

Here’s how to check whether the bootloader is unlocked on your phone and how to unlock it.

Is It Unlocked?

Messing around with bootloader may seem like a scary concept, but it really isn’t all that difficult and doesn’t require a lot of skill. Checking if it’s locked or unlocked is even easier. To do this, however, you may need to call in some help from your trusted PC.

Android Phone

Your Android phone may be all that you need for this task. Make sure that it’s fully charged and that it has the latest update installed. To check for updates, open Settings, scroll until you’ve found About device at the bottom of the list.  Tap it. Next, tap System update, Check for updates, and, if one is available, tap Download or Yes. After is the download, you should tap Install Now. Make sure that your device is connected to the power source and wait until the update is installed.

Now, to check whether the bootloader is unlocked is very easy; much easier than you might think, in fact. Just open the Phone app and enter the following code, as if you were dialing a phone number: “*#*#7378423#*#*”. When you’ve inserted the code, a new window should pop up. In it, navigate to Service info and then to Configuration. On this screen, look for the “Bootloader unlock” heading and see if there’s a “Yes” next to it.

If there’s no next to the heading, the bootloader is locked and you’re going to have to try and unlock it if you want to use it.

PC

Sometimes, you may enter the above-mentioned code and see that nothing happens. Don’t worry, this may happen on some Android models and there is a workaround for this, too. You can use your PC to check the status of the bootloader on your phone. However, you’ll need a set of tools, called ADB and Fastboot. You can find them on the official Android development site. After downloading, extract the folder and open Command Prompt on your computer.

Now, put the Android phone in fastboot mode by turning the phone off and holding the Power and the Volume Down buttons until the phone turns on. You may need to hold for a few (around 10) seconds. It is important to keep holding the buttons until the phone turns on. When it turns on, release the Power button. Keep holding the volume down button until the bootloader screen appears. You’ll recognize it by the familiar Android bot icon.

Now, connect your phone to your PC using the charger/data cable. Once your PC notifies you that your Android phone is connected, use the Command Prompt that you’ve opened earlier to enter the following command: “fastboot devices”.

When Command Prompt detects your device – the program will return a code – type “fastboot oem device-info” and you should see bootloader info. Next to “Device unlocked,” there should be a “True.” If it says “False” instead, that means the bootloader on your Android device is locked.

Unlocking the Bootloader

Before you continue, you should know that not every Android phone will allow you to unlock the bootloader. This depends on the phone model, the manufacturer, and even on your carrier.

First of all, it is essential that you back up everything that you want to save, as the bootloader unlocking process will delete all data from your device. You can back up your files and settings using the backup function on your phone.

Android SDK

Now, install the Android SDK (SDK Tools Only) and the phone’s drivers. Run the SDK Manager and have only Android SDK Platform-tools selected. Close the SDK manager when the installation process is done. Find the drivers on the phone manufacturer’s site. If you’re prompted to restart your PC, do it.

Now, restart your phone (don’t unplug it), navigate to the Android SDK folder, open the folder called platform-tools, and Shift + Right-Click on the empty part of the folder. Select Open Command Prompt Window Here from the drop-down menu. Type in “adb devices” in Command Prompt and press Enter.

Unlock Key

Find the bootloader unlocking page on the phone manufacturer’s website. Follow the instructions on the official website, as this process differs from manufacturer to manufacturer. It can also differ from phone model to phone model.

Unlock the Phone

Start the fastboot mode on your phone. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions regarding what code to enter once you’ve opened Command Prompt in the Android SDK folder. Enter the code and press Enter.

That’s it, you should see a message confirming that the bootloader has been unlocked on your phone at the boot screen.

Locked or Unlocked?

Now you know how to see if your bootloader is unlocked and how to unlock it. Unfortunately, some Android models can’t be unlocked and there is no going around it. Either way, this entire process may take some time, but it’s fairly straightforward and simple.

Have you unlocked the bootloader on your Android device? Do you plan to root your device? Share your ideas and experiences in the comments section below.