OnePlus Nord is probably the most advertised smartphone in the mid-budget segment. There are specific reasons why OnePlus did it. Apart from that, OnePlus Nord is a fantastic smartphone given that its price is ₹30,000 in India and £470 in Europe. Apart from the tech reviewers, OnePlus Nord didn’t land into the hands of consumers yet, and there’s already a rooting guide available for OnePlus Nord. Kudos, OnePlus! So here’s how you can root your OnePlus Nord. All the credit goes to Some_Random_Username for coming up with this guide.
In this rooting guide, we’ll show you how to unlock the bootloader of OnePlus Nord, and flash Magisk. Since there are no official builds, the process takes a little bit of time. For this root process, you’ll be needing a PC, your OnePlus Nord, and an internet connection.
NOTE: THIS PROCESS WILL ERASE ALL OF YOUR DATA. MAKE SURE TO BACKUP YOUR DATA BEFORE PROCEEDING WITH THE PROCESS.
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Prerequisites
- Update OxygenOS to the latest build. You can find the latest builds here. Download the ZIP file based on your region (Europe or Indian).
- Once download, go to Settings > System > System Update and tap the Settings option, and select Local Upgrade option, and locate the download zip file in Step 1. Once the update is complete, your phone will reboot.
- Go to Settings > About phone and tap on the Build number seven times to activate Developer Options.
- Now go to Developer Options (located in Settings > System), and enable OEM Unlocking and USB Debugging.
- Download the official Android Developer Platform Tools from here and install them.
- Connect your OnePlus Nord to your PC and open CMD/Command Prompt/Windows Powershell on your PC.
Rooting OnePlus Nord
1. Unlocking Bootloader
- Using the command prompt, navigate to the Platform Tools folder. For example, if my Platform Tools are in the C:\Files\Platform Tools folder, I’ll type in the following command:
cd C:\Files\Platform Tools
You should replace the location with the location where you downloaded Platform Tools. - Type in the following command to check whether your device detects ADB. Check if your phone for a prompt, and select the Allow option. Type the following command again, and you should see the device listed:
adb devices - Enter the following command to reboot your phone into bootloader:
adb reboot bootloader - Once the device boots into bootloader/fastboot mode, enter the following command. Remember that this step will erase all of your data on your smartphone. So make sure to backup your data before doing performing this command.
fastboot oem unlock - Once done, reboot your phone and complete the OxygenOS setup.
2. Patching Boot Image
- Download Magisk Manager from the given link here.
- Download the boot image for your Indian or European build.
- Install Magisk Manager, and open it.
- Tap on Install next to “Magisk is not installed.” Tap Install again, and choose “Select and Patch a File” and select the boot.img file that you downloaded in the previous steps. Wait for Magisk to patch the file.
- Once done, you will be able to locate your patched file in your Downloads folder.
3. Replacing The Boot Image
- Locate the Patched Boot.img file and copy it to the Platform Tools folder located on your computer.
- Now type in the following command again while your phone connected to PC. It will boot your phone into fastboot mode.
adb reboot bootloader - Once the phone boots into bootloader mode, enter the following command:
fastboot getvar current-slot - If the output is a, then type in the following command:
fastboot flash boot_a magisk_patched.img
If the output is b, then type in the following command:fastboot flash boot_b magisk_patched.img - Once the process finishes, reboot your phone and open Magisk Manager. It’ll show that your phone is rooted now.
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Conclusion
So these were the steps to root your OnePlus Nord. This process doesn’t require TWRP as of now, since there’s no official or unofficial TWRP available yet. Note that this will downgrade the Widevine L1 certification, which comes default on the OnePlus Nord to Widevine L3. As a result, you won’t be able to stream HD content on Netflix, Amazon Prime, etc.
Keeping that aside, these steps are quite easy, and you’ll be able to root your OnePlus Nord in no time. OnePlus devices have always been easy to root and do come with excellent developer support. In case if you need assistance during any of these steps, mention your queries in the comments below.
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