If you own a Motorola phone or are planning to get one, and your priority is to root your phone or make changes at the root level, unlocking the bootloader is likely the first step. In this guide, I’ll share how to unlock the bootloader on any Motorola phone.
Motorola phones come with a locked bootloader for security reasons, but it also restricts users from modifying certain aspects of the phone. To gain full control over your Motorola phone, you must unlock the bootloader. This is also a mandatory process if you want to root your phone.
Before we begin the process, it’s important to note that not all Motorola phones can be unlocked. The restrictions vary depending on the carrier and region. But if there are no restrictions, you should be able to unlock the bootloader of your phone.
Note: Unlocking the bootloader will reset your phone, so make sure to back up all important data to the cloud or a local storage.
How to Enable OEM Unlocking
To unlock the bootloader, you first need to enable OEM Unlocking. This method also allows you to check if there are any restrictions on unlocking the bootloader of your phone.
- Open Settings on your Motorola phone.
- Now navigate to About Phone > Device identifiers and tap 7-8 times on Build Number, and you will get a message saying ‘You are now a developer.’ It may ask for your device password.
- Go back to Settings and now navigate to System > Developer Options.
- Look for OEM Unlocking and enable it. If it’s greyed out, your device might be new, so wait at least a week. During that period, make sure your device has a stable internet connection.
- Additionally, enable USB Debugging in the developer options.
If your carrier has blocked your device from unlocking the bootloader, you may need help from third-party sources if you’re not an advanced user.
Once you’ve completed the initial part, the next step is unlocking the bootloader using the official Motorola method. We’ve shared the unlocking methods for specific devices, but here, we’re focusing on all Motorola phones. If you have a Motorola phone and have successfully enabled OEM unlocking, follow the method below to unlock the bootloader.
Unlock the Bootloader on Motorola Phones
- Download ADB and Fastboot driver for your PC. You can download platform sdk tool from Google for Windows, Mac, and Linux.
- Extract the platform tools folder. Open Terminal or Command Prompt from the platform tools folder location. For Windows you can follow this guide. For Mac, right-click on the folder and select New Terminal at Folder.
- Once the terminal is open, connect your mobile phone. It may ask for debugging permission on your phone. In this case, grant the permission.
- Now enter the below command to check if the device is connected and adb is working. If you have Mac or Linux you may need to include ./ in every command.
- adb devices
- adb devices
- If your Motorola phone is connected properly, it will show some id. If not, check the connection and try again.
- Now enter the following command to get the unlock code.
- fastboot oem get_unlock_data
- It will give you 5 lines of code. Copy the code and adjust it in one line. Use Notepad for convenience. Remember not to copy the bootloader in case of Windows and the Info in the case of Mac.
- Open the Motorola unlock page in a browser and log in with your Motorola account.
- Now, enter the code that you adjusted earlier and click on Can my device be unlocked? And then click Request Unlock Key.
- Motorola will send a code to your email address. Copy this code and place it in place of Code in the command below.
- fastboot oem unlock code
- After the above command you’ll get two options on your phone. Using volume key highlight ‘unlock the bootloader’ and press Power key. This will erase all the data and unlock the bootloader of your phone.
Reboot your phone and set it up. Now you can root your phone or perform other tasks that require the bootloader to be unlocked. If you have any queries regarding the guide, let us know in the comments section.
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