Root Xperia ZL C6502, C6503 10.6.A.0.454 LP Plus CWM/TWRP

By
Usama M
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Sony Xperia ZL is the non-glass variant of Xperia Z. Everything except the build material in these two phones is same. Xperia ZL comes in two main variants; C6502 and C6503. Both of these variants are now receiving Android 5.0.2 Lollipop update. The build number for the new update is 10.6.A.0.454. It is based on Material Design of Android Lollipop. The performance of the phone is supposed to be increased with Lollipop update as it brings better RAM Management and better power saving features. Those who have not updates their Xperia ZL to Lollipop yet, should update it using this Guide.

After updating Xperia ZL to Lollipop, root access on the phone(If rooted) will be wiped. This guide follows the steps to root stock Xperia ZL C6503 and Xperia ZL C6502. To root 10.6.A.0.454 Xperia ZL Firmware, you must follow all three major steps given below. The rooting steps for 10.6.A.0.454 firmware listed with all the details required for even those who are rooting their devices for the very first time. By rooting, phone can be customized at will. This guide will also provide steps to install CWM and TWRP Dual Recovery on Xperia ZL. The custom recoveries can be used to install custom mods and custom ROMs. Follow all the steps given below to root Xperia ZL 10.6.A.0.454 LP Firmware.

1. This is only for Sony Xperia ZL C6502 and Xperia ZL C6503

This rooting method is only for the device mentioned above. Make sure that your model number matches the one listed above. To do so, go to Settings > About Device on your device and see your model number. Flashing this firmware on any other device will result in bricking it so make sure that you meet this requirement first of all.

2. Battery should be charged at least over 60%.

Make sure that your battery is charged enough to complete the flashing process. In case your battery is low and your device goes dead during the flashing process, you may end up soft bricking your device as it won’t complete the flashing process.

3. Backup everything!

Just to be on the safe side, you may consider backing up each and everything from your Android device. This is highly recommended so that in case anything goes wrong, you still have the access to all of your data and you can restore it immediately. You may backup everything as listed below.

4. Enable USB Debugging Mode on your device.

Enable USB debugging mode on your device. To do so, tap settings>developer options>USB debugging. If you can’t find developer options in settings, then tap settings > about device and tap “Build Number” for 7 times and you’ll get em’ activated under settings.

5. Install and setup Sony Flashtool.

You must have installed Sony Flashtool. Find the full guide here.

After installing Sony Flashtool, open the Flashtool folder from the drive where you installed it. Now open Flashtool>Drivers>Flashtool-drivers.exe and install the Flashtool, Fastboot & Xperia ZL drivers from the list. If you do not find the Flashtool drivers in Flashmode, skip this step and install Sony PC Companion instead, for drivers support. [Important]

6. Use OEM data cable to establish connection.

Make sure that you use the phone’s original data cable to establish connection between your phone and the PC. Using a different data cable might result in interrupting the firmware installation.

7. Unlock Bootloader (Optional)

Use the following guide to unlock the bootloader of your Xperia device before proceeding.

Disclaimer: The methods involved in flashing custom recoveries, roms and rooting your phone are highly custom and may result in bricking your device, and has nothing to do with Google or the device manufacturer that is SONY in our case. Also rooting your device will void its warranty and you will be no longer eligible for any kind of free device services by the manufacturers/warranty providers. In case of any mishap we may not be held responsible. Follow these instructions to the letter to avoid any mishap or bricking. Make sure that whatever you do, you are doing it at your own responsibility.

Contents

Steps For Rooting Xperia ZL C6502, C6503 10.6.A.0.454 Firmware

1. Downgrade to .283 Firmware and Root It

  1. If you have already updated your smartphone to Android 5.0.2 Lollipop, then you have to downgrade your device to KitKat OS and Root it.
  2. Use this guide to Install .283 firmware.
  3. Root using this guide.
  4. Now you have to Install XZ Dual Recovery (Steps below).
  5. Now phone is rooted, USB Debugging must be enabled.
  6. Download latest installer for Xperia ZL from here. (ZL-lockeddualrecovery2.8.10-RELEASE.installer.zip)
  7. Connect phone to PC using OEM date cable and run install.bat.
  8. It will install the custom recovery.
  9. Now work here is done. Lets move on to next step.

2. Make A Pre-Rooted Flashable Firmware For .454 FTF

  1. Download PRF Creator and install on your system.
  2. Download SuperSU zip and place anywhere on PC.
  3. Download .454 FTF and place it anywhere on PC. [For your phone model only!]
  4. Download ZL-lockeddualrecovery2.8.10-RELEASE.flashable.zip
  5. Now run PRFC and add all three required files in it.
  6. Then click on Create.
  7. Once the Flashable ROM is created, it will show the successful message.
  8. Do not touch any other option while creating the pre-rooted firmware.
  9. Now copy the pre-rooted firmware to the phone’s internal storage.
  10. Our work in this step is now done. Move on to next step.

3. Root and Install Recovery on ZL C6503, C6502 5.0.2 Lollipop Firmware

  1. Custom recovery was installed in the first step.
  2. The pre-rooted firmware was created and copied to phone in next step.
  3. Now you have to turn off phone.
  4. Turn it on again and press volume up or down repeatedly to enter custom recovery.
  5. Click on install and locate the folder where you placed the flashable zip earlier.
  6. Tap on it and install it.
  7. Now reboot the phone.
  8. If phone is still connected to PC via USB cable, disconnect it.
  9. Now go back to the .454 ftf you downloaded in second step and copy it to /flashtool/firmwares
  10. Open flashtool and click on lightning icon in the top left.
  11. Click on it and click on flashmode.
  12. Select the .454 firmware.
  13. In the right bar, in the exclude options, exclude System only while flashing. Leave every other options as it is.
  14. While flashtool prepares the software for flashing, turn off your phone.
  15. Keep the volume down button pressed and connect it to PC via USB cable.
  16. The button must be pressed during it.
  17. The phone will enter flashmode.
  18. Flashtool will automatically detect it and start flashing.
  19. After flashing phone will reboot and you will be done 🙂
  20. That’s all 🙂 Enjoy!

Got any questions? Ask me in the comments below

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Usama M
Usama is a software engineer by profession and at TechBeasts.com he uses his expertise to solve everyday consumer tech problems with his main areas of interest being Android, iOS and Windows.

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24 COMMENTS

  6. Do you get bootloop after installing recovery or flashing the ftf file via flash tool? If you get it after flashing ftf then remember to exclude system. If you get it after installing recovery then reconfirm version and that it is for your phone. Thanks.

  8. Is everything (Lollipop, root, xposed, and recovery) really working properly? I’m asking this because I see negative comments here, and in XDA forums, the recovery is not working. They’ve not found the working recovery yet. Please make it clear if everything is really working without bootloops. Do you think that the people who gave negative comments here didn’t follow your tutorial properly?

  9. @gurpreetindiac6502:disqus this same tutorial is found to be working for devices like Z1, Z2, Z3 and Z1 compact. Not sure about the people commenting here. you can give it a try and recover your device in case something doesn’t work.

    I can’t guarantee you if everything is working properly or not, since I don’t have this device at the moment.

  10. i use this kind of method before, but i found a problem, when i try to use root permission for some application, after few minutes my phone will reboot itself :3

  12. Successfully rooted my Xperia ZL to 5.0.2. with this guide.
    But there is an error in this guide which causes bootloops. 2.8: “Do not touch any other option while creating the pre-rooted firmware.” There was a bootloop error in former “ZL LockedDualRecovery” at least v.2.8.21 seems fixed. I had to check ALL boxes on the right in PRFCreator like shown in http://forum.xda-developers.com/xperia-zl/general/guide-root-xperia-zl-5-0-2-t3115227 (http://forum.xda-developers.com/crossdevice-dev/sony/tool-prfcreator-easily-create-pre-t2859904 explains what the boxes are for)

    For me the guide ended with 3.7. Everything after that I did not do. Instead I did a backup in TWRP. Then I did a factory reset in TWRP to wipe everything unneeded just at the beginning. My Xperia ZL works great!
    Annotation: There is a step at the beginning of the guide where you have to install SuperSU (and Root Checker) to continue. It is not mentioned in the guides but you have to. You will notice when you are at the point (you have to choose between 3 options to do sth. You will need to press 1 to use SuperSU. Before that you have to install it from the store.)

    • The annotation refers to step to 1.6-1.8.

      Annotation 2: I reccomend NOT to download any kind of BusyBox installers / BusyBox itself as it broke the XZDualRecovery. Incompatibility is mentioned in the official thread http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2261606. BusyBox is already installed in / together with XZDualRecovery. There is no need for any additional installer.

    • @Zaraxxas:disqus i too was wondering why steps after 3.7 are needed.

      many people are getting bootloops bcoz of that recovery.
      so to install xposed without recovery, is it safe to blankout recovery column and add xposed zip file in “extra zip” column in PRF?

  13. Yesterday massive problems with my ZL started. I played “Duck Tales Remastered” (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.disney.ducktalesremastered_goo&hl=de) on my phone for ~1h. The device got pretty hot while playing. The CPU Temp should be around 60-70°. Then the complete device crashed. I restarted the device several times. Android crashed immediately at the PIN code screen.
    I let the device cool off. 30 Minutes later I could at least use the phone some minutes before it crashed again. (it could be a heat problem)
    I started TWRP (TWRP still works properly, no crash when TWRP was on for 2h+) wiped all data except external SD card and restored a backup (Kernel, System, Data). The device still crashes infrequent. When I started “Duck Tales” again the device crashed after around 5 min again. So the device now crashes infrequent doing normal actions, but very fast on stress (at least I think so).
    –> When I started the game first time I could play ~1h, when I start the game now my phone crashes 5 minutes later.
    Is a hardware issue presumable?

    In the comment which I wrote some days ago I described the way I rooted (in general this guide).
    Which technical data is needed for a proper diagnosis? Where can I readout it? (3C Toolbox is installed for example)
    Does Android create an error log if phone crashes (instantly)?
    Could problems be created by including .454 kernel (and the other checkboxes) in (guide) step 2.5/6?
    The last days I loved it having a rooted device, having custom recovery and all the other stuff. But it confuses me I can not get rid of those problems by restoring a nandroid backup.

    Thanks!

  14. Some days ago i wrote an entry about problems with my Xperia ZL. It showed it is a hardware defect of my device. The battery is charged but does not provide the power to the phone itself. So my other pending entry can be deleted or stay pending. However my assumtion about the error cause was wrong.

    • @Zaraxxas:disqus one of your comments has already been featured. Non of your entries are pending. I approve them after a little while. Battery issue can’t be related to a recovery or root. Let me know if you’re facing that issue yet, a little more details will be fine.

  15. @Zaraxxas:disqus Due to malfunctioned voltage on charging, most probably your phone’s charging IC has got corrupt, which is a hardware issue. You will have to get it replaced from some service center. Flashing a stock firmware or doing any such thing won’t help.
    Your phone won’t let you perform any thing in the software for more then 5 minutes. I’ve had such issue on my Galaxy S6 Edge and no software diagnosis helped it. In the end it was either a whole motherboard replace or charging IC replace.

  16. Solve Xperia ZL issues: sudden death (replace the battery)
    A month ago I reported problems with my Xperia ZL. Still had warranty so they fixed the problem for me.

    I could just use my phone when it was connected to the charger. Otherwise the phone crashed after a few seconds.
    Today I found out this seems to happen on several devices. The solution: replace the battery.

    Found this (great!) tutorial video which exactly describes my problem:

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