[OnePlus 3] Unlock Bootloader, Flash TWRP and Root

OnePlus introduced the all-new OnePlus 3 to the world just a few weeks back. The OnePlus 3 is the 4th addition to the OnePlus family and comes with some serious innovations on-board. OnePlus has ditched its previous plastic-sand build and turned the phone into metal giving it a whole new premium look and feel. OnePlus 3 carries a Snapdragon 820 CPU under the hood which is accompanied by a whopping RAM of 6 GB.

The internal storage starts from 64 GB which might become a standard for the flagship smartphones of the year 2016 following the footsteps of OnePlus. There is no external card slot on this smartphone, 64 GB of internal storage is quite enough for that matter. OnePlus 3 is powered up with Adreno 530 GPU, which might be a great choice for Android gaming geeks as well.

OnePlus 3’s software is the latest Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow running the Oxygen OS atop of it. OnePlus’s very first smartphone ran on CyanogenMod, which is the aftermarket distribution of Android OS. OnePlus One successfully attracted Android power users in masses.

The software iteration of OnePlus, which now has reached the Oxygen OS is worth having a look at as well. The Oxygen OS is bond to provide near a very close experience to the stock Android, which also happens to be a reason for this smartphone to be an efficient performer. OnePlus 3 is available in the market for around 400 (USD) bucks.

OnePlus 3 has been caught up by developers and the device has already got the treatment that the users always want to see as soon as the device comes out. We are talking about the bootloader unlock, TWRP recovery and the root access. All these three things are the base for an Android device’s customization.

Having the bootloader unlocked, TWRP recovery flashed and rooted your OnePlus 3 means you can flash your desired .zip files, flash custom software, tweak the battery consumption and performance of your OnePlus 3. While you look out for the methods to perform the aforementioned tweaks on your OnePlus 3, we’ve looked into the details and managed to come up with the guide here.

Unlock Bootloader, Flash TWRP and Root OnePlus 3

As we go ahead, we will have a look on how to unlock the bootloader of your OnePlus 3, flash the latest TWRP recovery and then root it right away. Have a look on the preparations and then follow the guide going down.

Precautions & Prep

• This guide is intended for OnePlus 3 only. Do not try this method on any other device otherwise, you may result in bricking it.
• Make sure that your phone’s battery is charged up to 80% in order to avoid any power issues during the flashing process.
• Backup all of your important contacts, call logs, sms messages and media content to stay on a safe end.
• Enable USB debugging mode on your OnePlux X in developer options. To do so, go to settings > about device > tap build number for 7 times. You will have developer options in settings now. Open developer options > Enable USB debugging. If you have the “OEM Unlocking” option, enable it as well.
• Use your original data cable to establish a connection between your phone and your PC.
• Follow this guide to the letter to avoid any mishap.

Disclaimer: The methods involved in flashing custom recoveries and rooting the device are highly custom. Rooting the device and flashing a custom recover is never recommended by a device manufacturer. In case something goes wrong, TechBeasts or the device manufacturers may not be held responsible. Make sure that you’re doing everything at your own risk.

Required downloads & installations

1. Download and install OnePlus USB drivers.
2. Also, download and install Minimal ADB & Fastboot drivers.
3. Download SuperSu.zip file and copy it to your phone’s internal storage.

Unlock OnePlus 3 Bootloader

Unlocking bootloader will wipe your device. Make sure that you’ve backed up everything before going ahead.

1. Make sure that you’ve downloaded and installed Minimal ADB & Fastboot drivers on your Windows PC or installed Mac ADB & Fastboot for Mac.
2. Connect your phone to your PC now.
3. Now open Minimal ADB & Fastboot.exe from your desktop. If you do not have this file on your desktop, then go to your Windows installation drive i.e. C drive > Program Files > Minimal ADB & Fastboot > Press and hold Shift Key + Right click on an empty area with the open folder > click “Open command window here”.
4. Now in the command window enter the following commands one by one.

   • adb reboot-bootloader

     This will reboot your Nvidia Shield in bootloader. Once booted up, issue the following command.

     fastboot devices

     This command will verify the connection of your device with your PC in fastboot mode.

   • fastboot oem unlock

     This command will unlock the bootloader. As soon as you press the enter key after typing this command, you will get a message in your phone asking for the confirmation of bootloader unlocking. Use volume up & down keys to navigate through options and confirm unlocking.

   • fastboot reboot

     This command will reboot your phone. That’s all, disconnect your phone.

How To Install TWRP Recovery on OnePlus 3

1. Download recovery.img file for OnePlus 3.
2. Copy recovery.img file to Minimal ADB & Fastboot folder which is located in program files in your windows installation drive.
3. Now boot your OnePlus 3 into fastboot mode as suggested in step 4 above.
4. Connect your OnePlus 3 to your PC now.
5. Open Minimal ADB & Fastboot.exe explained in step 3 above.
6. Now in the command window enter following commands:

• fastboot devices

  fastboot flash recovery recovery.img

• fastboot boot recovery.img

  (this will boot your device in TWRP recovery mode)

  To boot manually into TWRP recovery mode, unplug USB cable from your OnePlus 3 and turn off your device completely by keeping the power key pressed for a while. Now press and hold Volume Down + Power Key to turn on your OnePlus 3. As soon as your phone’s screen turns on, leave the Power Key and keep the Volume Down Key pressed. Your device will now boot into TWRP recovery mode.

How To Root OnePlus 3

1. Make sure that you’ve copied SuperSu.zip file to your phone. In case you haven’t, do it now.
2. Now boot your phone into TWRP recovery mode. To do so, turn it off completely first. Now turn it on by pressing and holding Volume Down + Power Key. If this doesn’t work for you then try Volume Up + Power or both, Volume Down + Up + Power to boot into recovery mode.
3. As you see TWRP recovery, tap “Install > Locate the copied SuperSu.zip file (should be at the bottom) > tap this file > Swipe the bar at the bottom of the screen to confirm flash”.
4. As soon as SuperSu.zip file is flashed, go back to the main menu in TWRP and tap reboot > system.
5. Your device will boot up now. Find SuperSu in the app drawer. Install the Root Checker app to verify root access.

Don’t forget to create a Nandroid Backup for your OnePlus 3 now. Also, check out how to use Titanium Backup since you’ve got your phone rooted. That’s all. Stuck with something? Don’t worry! Reach us out through the comment box below.