Asus recently launched its new flagship phone and it is a compact Android phone we have seen in a while. Zenfone 9 is a nicely designed smartphone with powerful hardware. Asus recently released the kernel source and its unlock apk which means custom development can begin. And you can also root your phone. Here you will know how to root Zenfone 9 and how to unlock bootloader of Asus Zenfone 9.
Before we move to the root guide let’s quickly go through the specifications and what this phone can do. There are not many choices for those who are looking for premium phones under 6-inch and Asus has given one. Apart from the good design the phone also comes with flagship specs but the price is on higher side.
Asus Zenfone 9 features a 5.9-inch FHD+ display which supports up to 120Hz display. The phone comes with the latest Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 along with Adreno 730 GPU. Zenfone 9 coupled with 8GB/16GB LPDDR5 RAM, plus 128GB and 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage.
The phone has two rear cameras. These camera sensors include a 50MP main sensor and a 12MP ultrawide camera. On the front, there is a single 12MP selfie camera. It has a 4300mAh battery. And with this package, it performs great but you can unlock advanced features with root privilege and here I will share how to achieve that. The guide also includes how to unlock bootloader of Zenfone 9.
How to Root Asus Zenfone 9
Recently the Zenfone 9 kernel source has been released giving us the opportunity to expect custom development for Zenfone 9. And now rooting is also possible as the unlock app is available to users. Rooting brings many options and advanced features. But to root Zenfone 9, first you need to unlock the bootloader of Zenfone 9.
Unlock bootloader of Asus Zenfone 9
Like all Android phones, Asus Zenfone 9 also comes with locked bootloader which restricts users from modifying the device by rooting or installing custom ROMs. So if you want to root or install files like custom ROMs then you have to first unlock the bootloader. As Unlock app for Zenfone 9 is available, unlocking bootloader is going to be simple. Here is how to unlock bootloader of Zenfone 9.
- Unlocking bootloader will reset your phone, so take a backup of your data.
- Open Zenfone 9 official support page on your browser.
- Now on the webpage switch to the Drivers and Tools section. And in the drop down option, select Android.
- It will list all the important utility files including the Zenfone 9 Unlock APK.
- Download the ‘Unlock Device App’ for Zenfone 9.
- Install the downloaded Unlock APK on your phone.
- Now go to Settings > About Phone and tap Build Number 7 times to turn on developer options. It will show a message that you are now a developer.
- Go back to Settings then open Developer Options. Enable OEM unlocking and USB Debugging.
- Run the unlock app on your phone and accept its rules.
- Tap on Unlock bootloader button in the App. This will erase data and unlock bootloader.
- After unlocking the bootloader of Asus Zenfone 9, reboot your phone and set it up.
After unlocking the bootloader you can check or confirm the status in fastboot mode. And also OEM unlocking in developer options. Now let’s move to rooting steps.
Prerequisites
- Take a full backup of your phone (To restore if you lose data)
- Charge your phone to at least 50%
- Download & Install Magisk app on your Phone
- Install ADB & Fastboot drivers on your PC
- Download Asus Zenfone 9 firmware (Same version as your build number, use this link)
Steps to Root Zenfone 9 with Magisk
- Extract the boot image file (boot.img) from the Asus Zenfone 9 firmware using payload dumper.
- Now copy the extracted boot.img to your phone.
- Install and open the Magisk app on your phone.
- In the app, click on Install next to Magisk.
- Next, choose ‘Select and Patch a File’ and select the boot.img file from the phone storage.
- It will now patch the file and save the output magisk_patched.img in the Download folder.
- Copy the patched boot file to your PC in the C:\adb location or in the platform tools folder. And rename the file to boot.img.
- Open the Command window where the boot image is located (type cmd in file location and press enter). In case you have macOS or Linux then use Platform tools.
- Boot your phone into Fastboot Mode and connect the phone to the PC using a USB cable. To boot into fastboot you can either use shortcut buttons or command:
adb reboot bootloader - Enter the below command to flash patched boot image and root Asus Zenfone 9.
fastboot flash boot boot.img
- After installing the Magisk on your phone, reboot it to the system.
- Now you have an Asus Zenfone 9 with Root privilege.
After rooting your phone, you can use apps and features that require root privilege such as Xposed Modules. Along with root you also need to install the Xposed framework to try modules.
So, there you have it, the complete guide on how to root Zenfone 9 and how to unlock bootloader of Zenfone 9. And if you have any questions regarding the device and guide then let us know in the comment section.
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