Question Just bought this - Question regarding unlocking & root - ASUS ZenFone 8

I just bought this phone. It's actually quite nice and better than I expected. Paid 475€ for it brand new in a store here in Italy. I'm coming from the good old XZ1 Compact, aka the best phone ever made. This seems to be a big (too big, tfw no phone under 5.5) improvement over it.
That being said, I was wondering how does Asus react to their phones being unlocked. I come from Sony which does not like unlocking, in fact on the XZ1 and XZ2, unlocking was permanent and you lost drm keys and stock features fOrEveR. How is it on this one? Does it void the warranty forever? Do you lose stock features after unlocking? Can you relock the bootloader and go back to full stock eventually?
I googled and searched all over but I find conflicting and contraddicting informations about this, on top of the usual ****ty websites with ai generated copypaste guides.
Thanks in advance.

MarkMRL said:
I just bought this phone. It's actually quite nice and better than I expected. Paid 475€ for it brand new in a store here in Italy. I'm coming from the good old XZ1 Compact, aka the best phone ever made. This seems to be a big (too big, tfw no phone under 5.5) improvement over it.
That being said, I was wondering how does Asus react to their phones being unlocked. I come from Sony which does not like unlocking, in fact on the XZ1 and XZ2, unlocking was permanent and you lost drm keys and stock features fOrEveR. How is it on this one? Does it void the warranty forever? Do you lose stock features after unlocking? Can you relock the bootloader and go back to full stock eventually?
I googled and searched all over but I find conflicting and contraddicting informations about this, on top of the usual ****ty websites with ai generated copypaste guides.
Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi
see the readme from the ASUS Unlock tool from here https://www.asus.com/de/Mobile/Phones/ZenFone/Zenfone-8/HelpDesk_Download/
Unlock Device App
NOTICE:
Before you download, install, and use the Unlock Device App (“Service”), you understand that you need to take all risks in terms of quality and performance of the Service, including but not limited to: once you trigger the Service, you’re not able to recover your ASUS products to the original status at the time of manufacturing (“Original Product”) anymore. Original Products which is used with the Service (“Changed Product”) will no longer be regarded as the Original Products. The software updates will not be available to the Changed Product, and the digital content in the Changed Product may no longer be used. In addition, the software and hardware problems of your ASUS product caused by using the Service may not apply to your ASUS Warranty Information, please read ASUS Warranty Information of your ASUS product carefully on ASUS official website.(https://bacchus.asus.com/support/Article/1060/)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
>> Does it void the warranty forever?
I think so
>>Do you lose stock features after unlocking?
I did not find anything that did not work anymore after unlocking (but I tested only the functionality that is important for me ....)
>>Can you relock the bootloader and go back to full stock eventually?
I don't know if you can relock the phone but I doubt it.
You can reinstall the Original ASUS Firmware and it still works like before. You can also install the updates for the original OS manually (I did not test if OTA still works)
regards
Bernd

MarkMRL said:
I just bought this phone. It's actually quite nice and better than I expected. Paid 475€ for it brand new in a store here in Italy. I'm coming from the good old XZ1 Compact, aka the best phone ever made. This seems to be a big (too big, tfw no phone under 5.5) improvement over it.
That being said, I was wondering how does Asus react to their phones being unlocked. I come from Sony which does not like unlocking, in fact on the XZ1 and XZ2, unlocking was permanent and you lost drm keys and stock features fOrEveR. How is it on this one? Does it void the warranty forever? Do you lose stock features after unlocking? Can you relock the bootloader and go back to full stock eventually?
I googled and searched all over but I find conflicting and contraddicting informations about this, on top of the usual ****ty websites with ai generated copypaste guides.
Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To add to bnsmb's response,
When the phone is unlocked, some apps will not work, like google pay for example, but the bootloader can be relocked with one fastboot command and you will get all features back (except OTA updates from the settings, you will have to update manually)
(It is not recommended to relock the bootloader when not on the Stock Asus ROM)
To relock, simply type these two commands
adb reboot bootloader
fastboot oem asus-csc_lk
reboot
The phone will prompt you to do a factory reset when booting

Adaoh said:
To add to bnsmb's response,
When the phone is unlocked, some apps will not work, like google pay for example, but the bootloader can be relocked with one fastboot command and you will get all features back (except OTA updates from the settings, you will have to update manually)
(It is not recommended to relock the bootloader when not on the Stock Asus ROM)
To relock, simply type these two commands
adb reboot bootloader
fastboot oem asus-csc_lk
reboot
The phone will prompt you to do a factory reset when booting
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi
>>To relock, simply type these two commands
Good to know that but before I test it:
The phone can be unlocked again after the relock?
regards
Bernd

bnsmb said:
Hi
>>To relock, simply type these two commands
Good to know that but before I test it:
The phone can be unlocked again after the relock?
regards
Bernd
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I have tried it once, but some people reported it does not work depending on the version, I tried on Android 12 and it worked the first time (and on android 11 but that was the first unlock a while ago)

Thank you for the info! I can't find the official manual or faq though, even from the link bnsmb provided :\
That's why I asked here in the first place. From what I can tell after looking through this info, they will know you have unlocked from the imei, considering their unlock tool talks to the mothership before doing the deed. It is still unclear if they will respect the warranty period even after unlocking. I don't care about asking them for support on an unlocked phone, I just want to make sure it will get repaired or replaced for free (in terms of money and hassle) if I get a defect down the line that is unrelated to the unlock, such as a hardwre failure or assembly defect.
Anyway, it seems the only way to shed light on this mystery is to ask Asus themselves. I will report back as soon as they respond to my questions.

Warranty with unlocked bootloader
The warning text of the unlock app links you to the Warranty Policy for ASUS Phones, where the relevant part reads:
6. Exclusions from this limited Warranty Service
[...]
(m) Unusability or damage to hardware of the product caused by installing and using any kind of the Unlock Device App, which is a utility that will unlock your product’s boot loader but will render the warranty null and void.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So yes as is usual, they will try to use "you having unlocked your bootloader" as an excuse to not repair their broken phones under warranty.
But, depending on your local consumer protection laws, there is a good chance this is actually illegal. In the EU for example, during the 2 years of required warranty THEY have to prove YOU that the defect was ACTUALLY CAUSED by you messing with the phone's software - which generally speaking they can't because it wasn't.
If you haven't seen it i recommend this thread for some details of people who have actually been in that situation - from what i saw after a quick glance through, 3 out of 3 people there got their unlocked&rooted phones replaced under warranty in the end, even it it took some effort to convince the support...

sirozan said:
If you haven't seen it i recommend this thread for some details of people who have actually been in that situation - from what i saw after a quick glance through, 3 out of 3 people there got their unlocked&rooted phones replaced under warranty in the end, even it it took some effort to convince the support...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The linked thread does tell that one person was successful with the ASUS support, "all other" unfortunately not, see e.g. post #6.

.Michael. said:
The linked thread does tell that one person was successful with the ASUS support, "all other" unfortunately not, see e.g. post #6.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Reading posts #31 and #38 i am pretty sure the person from post #6 did not have to play in the end as well. I also can't see anyone else in there who reported they tried to get unlocked phone replaced and didn't

Ups my fault, I have not seen the posts after #20 ... So it seems the warranty (given by law) is not void but the guarantee is (given by the company).

Anyway, in the meantime, Asus replied to me saying that if you unlock you lose your entire warranty no matter what. I reiterated, asking if I will also lose my right to a free repair for issues totally unrelated to the unlock, and they said yes, you will lose every right to repair.
So that is the official stance!
Too bad, I'm still in the return period so I might just get rid of it and hunt for a Pixel 5. Kind of sad though, the phone performed pretty well for me so far. But I need muh root and eventually LineageOS...

Related

[Q] Cyanogenmod on XZ

So, I want to install Cyanogenmod on my XZ, using flashtool to unlock the bootloader and doomlord's expliots to root.
However, won't rooting first re-lock the bootloader? Or unlocking the bootloader remove root? Both things wipe the everything, so... Help lpease?
Whatever you do, be sure to backup your TA partition before you unlock your bootloader: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2292598. To do this, you first need to root your device without unlocking your bootloader.
Otherwise you will lose your DRM keys permanently and you will never be able to use certain functions (like Mobile BRAVIA Engine 2) anymore, not even if you relock your bootloader and restore to a stock ROM.
Please also note that by requesting a bootloader unlock key from Sony, the IMEI number of your phone gets blacklisted and your warranty is void.
Apollo89 said:
Please also note that by requesting a bootloader unlock key from Sony, the IMEI number of your phone gets blacklisted and your warranty is void.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi Apollo89, are you sure about that?
CiscoX said:
Hi Apollo89, are you sure about that?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Go to http://unlockbootloader.sonymobile.com/unlock/step1. At step 2, you need to agree with the following legal terms before you can continue:
I acknowledge that use of the boot loader may void the phone’s warranty.
I acknowledge that, if Sony does perform any warranty repairs, Sony may charge a service fee for additional costs associated with the modified software.
So if a phone with an unlocked bootloader (or relocked bootloader) needs to be repaired, your warranty may be void, it's completely up to Sony to decide about that and they have the legal right to charge you for the repair because you agreed to those terms. If that's fine with you, you can continue to unlock your bootloader and flash a custom ROM like CyanogenMod. I myself would only consider this after official firmware updates have been discontinued.
Apollo89 said:
Go to http://unlockbootloader.sonymobile.com/unlock/step1. At step 2, you need to agree with the following legal terms before you can continue:
I acknowledge that use of the boot loader may void the phone’s warranty.
I acknowledge that, if Sony does perform any warranty repairs, Sony may charge a service fee for additional costs associated with the modified software.
So if a phone with an unlocked bootloader (or relocked bootloader) needs to be repaired, your warranty may be void, it's completely up to Sony to decide about that and they have the legal right to charge you for the repair because you agreed to those terms. If that's fine with you, you can continue to unlock your bootloader and flash a custom ROM like CyanogenMod. I myself would only consider this after official firmware updates have been discontinued.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Damn, so you say if i request an unlock key for my bootloader, but never use it. Do it still void my warranty. I mean, maybe some people change there mind after they request the unlock key and never use it to unlock the bootloader.
CiscoX said:
Damn, so you say if i request an unlock key for my bootloader, but never use it. Do it still void my warranty. I mean, maybe some people change there mind after they request the unlock key and never use it to unlock the bootloader.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You should only request the key if you're going to unlock your phone. Sony has no way to check if you unlocked your phone and then restored a TA backup, so that's why they require you to register your IMEI number.
Apollo89 said:
You should only request the key if you're going to unlock your phone. Sony has no way to check if you unlocked your phone and then restored a TA backup, so that's why they require you to register your IMEI number.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ahhh, Thanks you so much for the information Apollo89
CiscoX said:
ahhh, Thanks you so much for the information Apollo89
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Anyway, if Sony refuses warranty, you could go to court and argue that you only requested the key, but didn't use it. Then it's up to the judge to decide if requesting the key (and agreeing to those terms) is enough evidence or not. However, I think most people won't go to court and just pay for the repair or buy a new phone. What I meant to say is: just be careful and think twice before doing such modifications
I think Denmark have pretty strict rules to protect the consumer, so I really doubt that Sony would get away with applying these rules here - but this definitely makes me not want to unlock the bootloader before I have seen Sonys 4.4 firmware.
Thanks for the info!
That being said, I think Sonys stock ROM works really well.
I'm rootet, running SwiftKey, Handcent SMS, Aqua Mail, HD Widgets an Apex Launcher Pro. I get 3 - 4 hours of screen time on stock settings.
I have no reason to really want another ROM.
Had it been a Samsung or HTC device I would have needed to strip the device of all the bloat
ware and get rid the massive battery drain, caused by wake locks from the manufacturers ROM.
Sent from my C6603 using Tapatalk 4

[Q] Can't boot into android, or flash anything

Hi!
Today I updated my Nexus 6 to 5.1 and something is went wrong...
When i try to boot my device into android, i Can't because its shows a dead android with a red triangle
(this is the screen where i can go into the recovery menu by pressing power on+ vol up)
i tried to flash the rom again, but the bootloader is locked because i relocked it after the 5.1 rom flash..
and i cant unlock it again because i cant boot into android to check the OEM unlock box.
i also tried wipe data, factory reset option in the recovery menu... thanks a lot for any suggestions
(sorry for my english)
Welcome to the club!
necroside007 said:
Hi!
Today I updated my Nexus 6 to 5.1 and something is went wrong...
When i try to boot my device into android, i Can't because its shows a dead android with a red triangle
(this is the screen where i can go into the recovery menu by pressing power on+ vol up)
i tried to flash the rom again, but the bootloader is locked because i relocked it after the 5.1 rom flash..
and i cant unlock it again because i cant boot into android to check the OEM unlock box.
i also tried wipe data, factory reset option in the recovery menu... thanks a lot for any suggestions
(sorry for my english)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why in the world would you relock the bootloader? Against commonsense it would seem. Also, there are threads on here dealing with the update and warning against relocking the boot loader. Those threads also describe efforts to recover from the situation.
wtherrell said:
Why in the world would you relock the bootloader? Against commonsense it would seem. Also, there are threads on here dealing with the update and warning against relocking the boot loader. Those threads also describe efforts to recover from the situation.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I haven't seen anyone warning against relocking the bootloader - in fact, I see many instruction sets where relocking the bootloader is the final step, before the first reboot. Most are for returning to stock. Go ahead and use your hindsight though, you sound so smart.
And yeah, there are plenty of efforts to recover from the situation, but I'm yet to see anyone do so successfully.
necroside007 said:
Hi!
Today I updated my Nexus 6 to 5.1 and something is went wrong...
When i try to boot my device into android, i Can't because its shows a dead android with a red triangle
(this is the screen where i can go into the recovery menu by pressing power on+ vol up)
i tried to flash the rom again, but the bootloader is locked because i relocked it after the 5.1 rom flash..
and i cant unlock it again because i cant boot into android to check the OEM unlock box.
i also tried wipe data, factory reset option in the recovery menu... thanks a lot for any suggestions
(sorry for my english)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
freeman_g said:
Welcome to the club!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
AndrewZorn said:
I haven't seen anyone warning against relocking the bootloader - in fact, I see many instruction sets where relocking the bootloader is the final step, before the first reboot. Most are for returning to stock. Go ahead and use your hindsight though, you sound so smart.
And yeah, there are plenty of efforts to recover from the situation, but I'm yet to see anyone do so successfully.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you want to update to the newest OTA you dont need to lock the bootloader back up. The bootloader can remained unlocked when doing this. Its been posted all over XDA about not having to do this. The only time you may want to relock the bootloader is when selling it to someone or trading it in. Thats it.
AndrewZorn said:
I haven't seen anyone warning against relocking the bootloader - in fact, I see many instruction sets where relocking the bootloader is the final step, before the first reboot. Most are for returning to stock. Go ahead and use your hindsight though, you sound so smart.
And yeah, there are plenty of efforts to recover from the situation, but I'm yet to see anyone do so successfully.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=3053497.
Well...I'm not browsing the XDA every day, i only come here for solutions for my problems....
wtherrell said:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=3053497.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, posted this morning. What a warning to everyone who did this before.
And saying not to do something that plenty of people want to do (like, returning to stock) isn't very significant.
necroside007 said:
Well...I'm not browsing the XDA every day, i only come here for solutions for my problems....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well not to come off rude but number one rule for xda before u post is search, and as you can tell there are multiple threads on this exact same topic.
---------- Post added at 10:56 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:51 AM ----------
AndrewZorn said:
Yeah, posted this morning. What a warning to everyone who did this before.
And saying not to do something that plenty of people want to do (like, returning to stock) isn't very significant.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
returning to stock and relocking the bootloader dont go together. You can return to stock and not lock the bootloader. Locking the bootloader has nothing to do with returning a device back to stock. It returns the device back to factory state if u lock it back up. Locking the device back up only should be used for selling the device, or returning the device for repairs. not for taking a ota.
the_rooter said:
Locking the bootloader has nothing to do with returning a device back to stock. It returns the device back to factory state if u lock it back up. Locking the device back up only should be used for selling the device, or returning the device for repairs. not for taking a ota.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unless I want a secure device.
Unless I worry about warranty/resale in case my device is no longer operable (ie, broken screen, port, or buttons).
Unless I want my device to be stock - actually stock - as sold - which is LOCKED. You're telling me and others there's no downside to an unlocked bootloader. Well, that's wrong, and some people want a locked bootloader.
AndrewZorn said:
Unless I want a secure device.
Unless I worry about warranty/resale in case my device is no longer operable (ie, broken screen, port, or buttons).
Unless I want my device to be stock - actually stock - as sold - which is LOCKED. You're telling me and others there's no downside to an unlocked bootloader. Well, that's wrong, and some people want a locked bootloader.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is no downside to a unlocked bootloader. If i remember correctly a locked bootloader is only for oem to protect for warranty issues nothing to do with security that your describing. A locked bootloader or unlocked bootloader tells the oem that this device was unlocked or locked and will tell the consumer (us) that the warranty was void. Number one rule when taking a device back to OEM for repair is return to stock and lock device like I stated above. Security issues has nothing to do with the bootloader. From my understanding its just for the OEM warranty purposes Only!
Edit: what u described above is the same thing I described. Only need to lock device back up for warranty purposes or reselling. Thats it.
AndrewZorn said:
Unless I want a secure device.
Unless I worry about warranty/resale in case my device is no longer operable (ie, broken screen, port, or buttons).
Unless I want my device to be stock - actually stock - as sold - which is LOCKED. You're telling me and others there's no downside to an unlocked bootloader. Well, that's wrong, and some people want a locked bootloader.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I posted the warning because people are not being careful. They are locking the bootloader without even checking it works. I've edited the post to say that. But if you're the sort of person that will be flashiogn a lot, a locked bootloader is not a good thing to have now because if you break recovery and cannot boot your device, you are at present - completely screwed. If you want to be stock, that shouldn't be an issue. Just be careful is all we're saying. ...and I cannot help it if my warning comes after some people have made this mistake. If no one made the mistake, I wouldn't have needed to post a warning. Can of peanuts "May contain nuts"... You know, because you know someone somewhere who was allergic to nuts, ate the nuts.
rootSU said:
I posted the warning because people are not being careful. They are locking the bootloader without even checking it works. I've edited the post to say that. But if you're the sort of person that will be flashiogn a lot, a locked bootloader is not a good thing to have now because if you break recovery and cannot boot your device, you are at present - completely screwed. If you want to be stock, that shouldn't be an issue. Just be careful is all we're saying. ...and I cannot help it if my warning comes after some people have made this mistake. If no one made the mistake, I wouldn't have needed to post a warning. Can of peanuts "May contain nuts"... You know, because you know someone somewhere who was allergic to nuts, ate the nuts.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have nothing against your warning - I'm glad it's there. I was replying to the other guy, saying your the existence of your warning doesn't make everyone with this problem an idiot.
Locking the bootloader without even checking it works - again - I don't often see the "reboot to make sure it works!" step before the final fastboot oem lock. Maybe I've only been reading the lousy guides.
the_rooter said:
There is no downside to a unlocked bootloader. If i remember correctly a locked bootloader is only for oem to protect for warranty issues nothing to do with security that your describing. A locked bootloader or unlocked bootloader tells the oem that this device was unlocked or locked and will tell the consumer (us) that the warranty was void. Number one rule when taking a device back to OEM for repair is return to stock and lock device like I stated above. Security issues has nothing to do with the bootloader. From my understanding its just for the OEM warranty purposes Only!
Edit: what u described above is the same thing I described. Only need to lock device back up for warranty purposes or reselling. Thats it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I thought that an unlocked bootloader allowed someone without 'normal' access to the files on your phone. That's why the bootloader lock/unlock wipes the device.
You're still completely missing my point with the warranty thing. Suppose my phone's unlocked and my screen breaks. Or my USB port stops working. That big unlocked logo under the Google is going to make getting a replacement really difficult.
By saying there's NO downside to unlocking the bootloader for daily use is absurd. I wanted to go back to as-shipped state for daily use, and locked bootloader is part of that. That's a reasonable goal. I don't care if there's something about the bootloader unlocked that you find valuable. I got tired of the tinkering and decided I just wanted my Nexus 6 to be back the way it was - completely.
AndrewZorn said:
I have nothing against your warning - I'm glad it's there. I was replying to the other guy, saying your the existence of your warning doesn't make everyone with this problem an idiot.
Locking the bootloader without even checking it works - again - I don't often see the "reboot to make sure it works!" step before the final fastboot oem lock. Maybe I've only been reading the lousy guides.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If guides don't say that at the moment, they definitely should now. I'll look at ours here and ask the OP's to update.
AndrewZorn said:
I have nothing against your warning - I'm glad it's there. I was replying to the other guy, saying your the existence of your warning doesn't make everyone with this problem an idiot.
Locking the bootloader without even checking it works - again - I don't often see the "reboot to make sure it works!" step before the final fastboot oem lock. Maybe I've only been reading the lousy guides.
I thought that an unlocked bootloader allowed someone without 'normal' access to the files on your phone. That's why the bootloader lock/unlock wipes the device.
You're still completely missing my point with the warranty thing. Suppose my phone's unlocked and my screen breaks. Or my USB port stops working. That big unlocked logo under the Google is going to make getting a replacement really difficult.
By saying there's NO downside to unlocking the bootloader for daily use is absurd. I wanted to go back to as-shipped state for daily use, and locked bootloader is part of that. That's a reasonable goal.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Root access is for the special files. and also i had the same issues u mentioned above and i always found a way to return a device to stock.
1) broken screen- repaired myself
2) broken usb port - repaired myself
I only take in for warranties if it has to do with something that I cant fix myself. This is a risk that all users take in this hobby.
the_rooter said:
Root access is for the special files. and also i had the same issues u mentioned above and i always found a way to return a device to stock.
1) broken screen- repaired myself
2) broken usb port - repaired myself
I only take in for warranties if it has to do with something that I cant fix myself. This is a risk that all users take in this hobby.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Alright, so how do I return mine to stock?
Your self-repair solutions are laughable. You're completely missing the point. I'm done arguing this.
AndrewZorn said:
Alright, so how do I return mine to stock?
Your self-repair solutions are laughable. You're completely missing the point. I'm done arguing this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
its not laughable. unless u buy an extended warranty the warranty is up after a year so you would have to figure the work yourself. If you are in the boat where u locked it back up and took the ota and bootlooping or whatever. your stuck till there is a solution. if u want to return to stock . Just return to stock but dont lock the bootloader back up, and flash. its that simple.
Edit: we are not arguing. Its just i have my way on repairs and you have yours. its a debate i guess
Edit: this issue has been brought up and is being researched. i was talking about the returning to stock for repairs dont try and put words in my mouth saying i know a fix.

Are there any risks rooting the P20 Pro?

As i am coming from Samsung, i want to know if there is any risk of loosing functions that are protected???
With sony, it were some camera functions i lost when i rooted it, on my note 3 it was the efuse etc...
So is there anything i have to worry about?
Bolvaron said:
As i am coming from Samsung, i want to know if there is any risk of loosing functions that are protected???
With sony, it were some camera functions i lost when i rooted it, on my note 3 it was the efuse etc...
So is there anything i have to worry about?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Rooting itself does nothing that you mentioned.
Using a firmware other than the one intended or flashing outside of the natural progression which was intended is what breaks those things
Samsung- efuse chip is triggered when you use Odin, not rooting.
With Sony when I had a Z1 it was using a non standard ROM or: Cm or aosp which meant the standard savers didn't work as it wasn't ported unless they really tightened up their DRM.
In this regard its the same, but the camera has already been ported, its in the ROM section of this forum, so no worry there, I don't know if there is an efuse chip on the Huawei but I do know they're funny about bootloaders being unlocked and further modifying so there may be a way for them to know and they'll probably blame any issues as a result of that regardless of what it is if they can prove it.
That being said there are reports of users who've totally bricked their phones and already have replacements so I would say it depends.
With unlocking the bootloader and modifying your phone against the advice of OEM's always carries a risk, so it's up to you if you continue.
Personally I'll do what I want with my phone, by buying it it's my choice and I'll do what I want.
Can't you root the p20 pro without unlocking the bootloader?
paysen said:
Can't you root the p20 pro without unlocking the bootloader?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, first of All you need to do is unlock the bootloader.
I came also from Samsung, i unlocked my P20 pro and then i rooted. And i had no impairment.
Regards
Okay, thanks for your answers. So ill root mine too, got my bootloader unlock code from huawei.
I suppose you loose warranty the moment you use the bootloader code. P.s. how do you request a code?
Thx
varignet said:
I suppose you loose warranty the moment you use the bootloader code. P.s. how do you request a code?
Thx
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Check out guides on this forum. There are quite a few places that explain how to do it.
For example a thread has all info: [GUIDE] - How to root debrand and/or remove Retail mode for P20pro CLT-L29
Can't post any links yet gotta get through my first 10 posts.

Has anyone returned their phone after locking the bootloader?

Hello there, I was just wondering if anyone returned their Asus Rog Phone 2 for repair or simply returned it after relocking the bootloader.
On XDA there is a great guide on locking the bootloader here https://forum.xda-developers.com/rog-phone-2/how-to/guide-convert-cn-to-ww-rom-26-08-t3961042http://
So would be interesting to see if locking the bootloader is all we need to peacefully rma the phone or does asus have some other sneaky peaky something going on to detect if we ever rooted.
I am perfectly happy with my phone its just some people on my youtube channel were asking if its safe to return after relocking I just said I haven't heard of anyone doing so, so not 100% sure.
Terminal_Heat_Sink said:
Hello there, I was just wondering if anyone returned their Asus Rog Phone 2 for repair or simply returned it after relocking the bootloader.
On XDA there is a great guide on locking the bootloader here https://forum.xda-developers.com/rog-phone-2/how-to/guide-convert-cn-to-ww-rom-26-08-t3961042http://
So would be interesting to see if locking the bootloader is all we need to peacefully rma the phone or does asus have some other sneaky peaky something going on to detect if we ever rooted.
I am perfectly happy with my phone its just some people on my youtube channel were asking if its safe to return after relocking I just said I haven't heard of anyone doing so, so not 100% sure.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Most Android devices have a record in system chip. Once bootloader has been unlocked it will change status from 0 to 1 and even if you relock the device it will still stay as 1. Since you triggered the log thingy. So Asus techs will still be able to find out that bootloader has been touched. For example on Samsung devices they use something called a KNOX chip and when you unlock bootloader on a Samsung S9 or s10 the Knox chip will break and no longer work and status will say that Knox chip has been triggered with 0 to 1. That's how Samsung finds out if you have unlocked your bootloader on their devices. So Asus have probably a way aswell on their end.
You can return the device for repair but repair service will reject warranty repair and will put a price how much it will cost you to repair the device. Since they will see bootloader has been touched. So then warranty is voided.
I returned my 1st one because of no volte. Bl was unlocked, relocked using asus's app before the tool here was available. No issues, got a full refund.
I doubt they wouldn't repair it under warranty, unless it was actually caused by a bad flash, or something.
suzook said:
I returned my 1st one because of no volte. Bl was unlocked, relocked using asus's app before the tool here was available. No issues, got a full refund.
I doubt they wouldn't repair it under warranty, unless it was actually caused by a bad flash, or something.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What Asus app did you use to relock the bootloader? I thought the only way to relock is to use a fastboot command. Asus has an apk for unlocking the phone, haven't heard of one for relocking.
Terminal_Heat_Sink said:
What Asus app did you use to relock the bootloader? I thought the only way to relock is to use a fastboot command. Asus has an apk for unlocking the phone, haven't heard of one for relocking.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, i used app to unlock, and used fastboot to lock
suzook said:
Sorry, i used app to unlock, and used fastboot to lock
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah OK no worries. At least now we know that people can safely return or repair their phones if they relocked the bootloader properly. Thanks for responding.
Terminal_Heat_Sink said:
Ah OK no worries. At least now we know that people can safely return or repair their phones if they relocked the bootloader properly. Thanks for responding.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Afaik in EU they cant refuse repairing faulty hardware because you tried a software mod.

General [CLOSED][SamPWND] Bootloader Unlock [S21/S21+/S21U - U/U1/W]

Note: This Thread is @svetius Approved!
NOTE: Thread locked and link removed until OP returns
SamPWND Bootloader Unlock Service
It is now possible to unlock the bootloader of USA/CAN Samsung S21 Models!​
Note2: This is an informational thread that links to a paid service. Paid service is not a service provided by XDA.
The service described in this thread is simply to provide a remote service that will unlock the bootloader on USA Samsung devices released from the S10 and newer devices. This includes S10, N10, S20, N20, S21, Flip/Fold models, Tab S7 etc. devices which typically will have the letter U, U1, W or in some carrier specific cases might have a different letter, for example, N976V is Verizon N10! 5G model which is also unlockable. This service is not for Exynos variants or China/HK variants that are already unlockable by default.
Due to the nature of this service, there is no exploit that exists. It is also device specific so it is impossible to release any sort of exploit or method that would work on every device due to it being device specific. I will explain more of the process below but please understand that individual files are needed for me to purchase to unlock your devices and of course that is why this service is not able to be provided for free. You all know from my past experiences and posts that if I could provide a free method I would have already done so.
Spoiler: Process
1. First you should be sure to read the FAQ's and all other information on the website and in this thread etc. then be 100% sure that unlocking is what you want to do. Read the notes/disclaimers, refund policy, etc. etc.
2. If you decide unlocking through this service is what you want to do, proceed to the website REMOVED and in the menu go to the "Purchase" tab.
3. Be sure to read each step clearly and enter in accurate information. Form is designed to help walk you though getting your OneUI version, bootloader version, the correct DID etc. etc. It also includes a brief description of the refund policy as well as a signature box to sign just iindicating that you have read everything and agree. This is also done so that if you are on a device or a specific update/bootloader version that cannot be unlocked then it will tell you so and will not allow you to make a payment or will show 0$. If you can unlock your device, it will show you the price and allow you to make a payment once you have completed the form.
4. It will take 1-2 business days (not counting weekends, holidays, as well as life events such as if I get sick or life happens or my source is not available at the time etc.) to have the payment hit my bank account at which time I will send to my source to obtain your unlock "token."
5. Once token is received, I will proceed to message you on Telegram or Discord (whichever you prefer, you have the option to leave your username for both when filling out the form) and will send Instrucitons in a txt file along with modded ODIN (in case you don't already have it) as well as your unlock token so that you can unlock your device at your earliest convenience!
Spoiler: Notes
I wanted to try and keep the XDA threads short and clean so any notes or FAQ's you have questions for I suggest you view the website including the FAQ's first as well as the support group on TG is a good place to talk to others who have already unlocked or planning to unlock using this service as well as you can ask in this thread as usual.
The "Purchase Form" on the website when filled out correctly based on your device will tell you if your device is unlockable or not so fill that out first and if unlockable it will tell you the price at the end of which you can either pay or not depending on what you decide!
Spoiler: Disclaimers
-IMPORTANT - Do NOT blindly update if you are unlocked already or if you plan to unlock your bootloader via this service. Sammy has incremented the bootloader and updated some devices to OneUI 3.1 which breaks the BL unlock. Devices still on the same rev (i.e. S20 at time of this writing) then you can just flash back an older OneUI firmware and device will be unlocked again. If you update to OneUI 3.1 on new bootloader version then you likely will lost the unlock and can't downgrade (i.e. S20FE on rev2/3, N20 and S21 Models on rev2). That said, there are some devs posting some "safe" update files to allow you to update to latest firmware without losing your unlock so before taking any updates always check in the support group first. You have been warned!
- This method will unlock the bootloader allowing you to use custom firmware, custom kernels and everything else that is allowed with an unlocked bootloader including Magisk root.
- Please read the policies on the website including refund policy. Proceeding with the unlock service assumes you have read everything including the policies and decided to continue with the service.
- This DOES NOT unlock your SIM or carrier/network. it is NOT a SIM unlock.
- This process modifies the steady partition. Therefore if you end up messing with this partition or get another remote service such as combo flash or sim unlock service etc. that messes with the steady partition then you might overwrite the unlock and essentially relock the bootloader. Chances are if you have no idea what a steady partition is then I would not worry about it at all.
- Knox will be tripped. This means apps that rely on Knox flag not being tripped will no longer work i.e. Secure Folder, Samsung Pay etc.
- Once the device is unlocked, if for whatever reason it is locked again then it cannot be unlocked anymore. So make sure that once you unlock the bootloader that this is the choice you want to make and you want it unlocked.
- This service is strictly to unlock the bootloader. It is not a root thread, ROM service etc. What you choose to do with your device after being unlocked is your choice. Once device is unlocked, this thread/service will have served it's purpose. Links to other threads sources will likely be provided in another post just so users who are unlocking will have an easy reference and to keep this thread clean.
Spoiler: Feedback/Complaints
If you have any complaints about the service or want to provide feedback then please do so via PM and/or the contact page on the website or via TG/Discord if we have already spoke there etc. Do not bother the forum moderators with complaints regarding the service itself because they are not affiliated with the service and I simply got permission to post about and talk about the service. I assume this isn't something usually granted but I'd like to believe due to me being a long time member, contributor, developer and moderator that an exception was made. Keep in mind, if this somehow get's out of hand or goes south I am sure I will end up having to delete this thread. Let's not let it get to that point!
Spoiler: Purpose
- This is not a get rich quick scheme or something to make money. Trust me, I wouldn't even bother with this if my purpose was to make money because it is not very lucrative to say the least. There is cost involved with purchasing the actual unlock, site costs, payment gateway fees to be able to accept payments, time and effort to process the unlocks etc. so take all of that into consideration when weighing the cost.
- It has been years since USA models had a device that could be unlocked. I have spent countless weeks researching security since the S8. I released root methods for S8 devices as well as the S9/N9 devices at a later time which took a long time to figure out and that was just a basic root method. I was skeptical at first about this unlock process but trusted my sources and when I first unlocked my device I did various testing and concluded it is legit! At this time no one else knew about it, couldn't talk about it, etc. By word of mouth (until now), many devs/users have unlocked their device using this service. TWRP threads have popped up, some custom ROM threads have started popping up etc. The hope of going public is we get a lot more users purchasing and unlocking their devices (when it otherwise is not possible) and drives the development for USA devices.
XDA is the ONLY place I have published this post and would like to keep it that way. You are NOT allowed to create your own posts in regards to this service and if I see any other posts around this service I will ask to have it removed. You can however link to this XDA post if anyone has questions as to how your device was unlocked.
Spoiler: Website
Note: If you frequented the website before, I have removed the "forum" function from the website since we can discuss everything here on XDA in this thread so there is no need for a forum to be attached to my website any longer. Registration on the website is not required for anything. You can view the shop and purchase the service or view the ROM's section to see some of my SamPWND ROM's and download them etc. if you like all without registering or anything.
REMOVED​
mine...
I wasn't sure where to ask this question, if I need to go somewhere else, please let me know. I am considering getting my ATT Bootloader unlocked - but I have a question - once the bootloader is unlocked, what happens when therre are new firmwear releases? Are we able to update when new Firmware is released? Or will that return the locked bootloader? Just want to be sure I understand potential issues I might have...
Thanks
Geekser said:
I wasn't sure where to ask this question, if I need to go somewhere else, please let me know. I am considering getting my ATT Bootloader unlocked - but I have a question - once the bootloader is unlocked, what happens when therre are new firmwear releases? Are we able to update when new Firmware is released? Or will that return the locked bootloader? Just want to be sure I understand potential issues I might have...
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It all really depends. Nothing is forever. Only way a update will break things is if samsung updates their security but doesnt usually happen often.
Thaat said, theres ways to update safely so I wouldnt just blind flash updates until its confirmed one way or the other. Usually its important if they increment the BL because then u cant flash older firmwsre.
Welp, I have the desire to get this done sometime soon. I just keep having busy weekends! But I wasn't aware that I'd be able to flash BL update packages so long as they don't relock the BL. Any idea on where I could find out if the next software update contains a BL file that'd relock me? If so, then I'd be doing this ASAP lol.
NippleSauce said:
Welp, I have the desire to get this done sometime soon. I just keep having busy weekends! But I wasn't aware that I'd be able to flash BL update packages so long as they don't relock the BL. Any idea on where I could find out if the next software update contains a BL file that'd relock me? If so, then I'd be doing this ASAP lol.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
every update has bl files
elliwigy said:
every update has bl files
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your repsponse to my previous question - Of course, there is no way to know if and when Samsung will update/increment the bootloader, but if I am not mistaken, it doesn't happen very often. That being said, it sounds like as long as I am careful about updating - waiting to make sure the Bootloader hasn't been updated that way which prevents going backward - I most likely won't lose "the unlocked" when I update new firmware.
One last question (probably a dumb one) so if everything checks out with the Bootloader when new firmware is released, I assume that we can just use Odin to flash the updated firmware - is that correct?
- By the way, thanks for your help with this.
Geekser said:
Thanks for your repsponse to my previous question - Of course, there is no way to know if and when Samsung will update/increment the bootloader, but if I am not mistaken, it doesn't happen very often. That being said, it sounds like as long as I am careful about updating - waiting to make sure the Bootloader hasn't been updated that way which prevents going backward - I most likely won't lose "the unlocked" when I update new firmware.
One last question (probably a dumb one) so if everything checks out with the Bootloader when new firmware is released, I assume that we can just use Odin to flash the updated firmware - is that correct?
- By the way, thanks for your help with this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, but each software update has a bootloader update included, hence why I was asking where I could find out whether or not flashing that file via Odin would end up relocking the bootloader... I suppose we'll have to just check around here on the XDA forums to find out whether or not the updates would be flashable whilst having your BL unlocked... =(... So we may have to wait a few months until we start seeing posts discussing exactly that...that is, of course, unless Samsung publicly announces whether or not the BL update will have security changes... But being that I haven't had a Samsung phone for the last decade, I'm not really sure if they'd ever announce that information... But hey, that's the one question that's holding most people back from getting a bootloader unlock ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Geekser said:
Thanks for your repsponse to my previous question - Of course, there is no way to know if and when Samsung will update/increment the bootloader, but if I am not mistaken, it doesn't happen very often. That being said, it sounds like as long as I am careful about updating - waiting to make sure the Bootloader hasn't been updated that way which prevents going backward - I most likely won't lose "the unlocked" when I update new firmware.
One last question (probably a dumb one) so if everything checks out with the Bootloader when new firmware is released, I assume that we can just use Odin to flash the updated firmware - is that correct?
- By the way, thanks for your help with this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
no.. dont update.. they just incremented to rev2.. looking into it
A newbie question.
If I relock the bootloader will the knox trip be reversed as well ? or is it a thing for ever like everyother bootloader unlock for samsung?
Techvir said:
A newbie question.
If I relock the bootloader will the knox trip be reversed as well ? or is it a thing for ever like everyother bootloader unlock for samsung?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you cannot reset knox.. its a physical efuse
elliwigy said:
elliwigy said:
you cannot reset knox.. its a physical efuse
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Glad you got this service up and running. This is just awesome. Should get this stickied because I just found it now and of course was not looking for it because I would not have thought a bootloader unlock was available. Eitherway... off to sampwned.com!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
@elliwigy Food for thought: Add on service: TWRP Install?
I would feel a lot better about $150.00 if I at least got a free TWRP install. I mean I bought a $60.00 screen protector and got it installed for free. Unlock phone and get free TWRP install. Advertise it as a limited time deal.
Either way I think it would be a great add-on service even if a small fee applied.
How long does it usually take to get a response back? I got the first email like 4 days ago, this is normal?
Like I'm waiting for the unlock code or whatever it is I use to unlock the bootloader, it's been 5 days now?
Aurey24 said:
Like I'm waiting for the unlock code or whatever it is I use to unlock the bootloader, it's been 5 days now?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
send me pm with your email or order number or message me on telegram.
elliwigy said:
send me pm with your email or order number or message me on telegram.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sent pm
Aurey24 said:
Sent pm
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To you and others who fill out the form:
If you fill it out and it doesnt give you the option to pay or says 0$ then that means your device is not currently unlockable. Hence why you woukdnt get any response from me since I respond to those that are unlockable and have submitted payment.
I dod add yesterday if you are not unlockable itll give you a message saying you cannot unlock at this time to further clarify it.
I will update OP tonight as much has changed since first launching/posting SamPWND services.
Before I buy just want to make sure my bootloader is unlockable. My baseband version is G998U1ES4BULE
joelstitch said:
Before I buy just want to make sure my bootloader is unlockable. My baseband version is G998U1ES4BULE
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
nope

Categories

Resources