OnePlus got popular with the tagline “Flagship Killer” smartphones. Their smartphones are powerful, less costly (at least compared to other flagships), and have long-lasting build quality.
OnePlus is also famous due to its custom Android OS ‘Oxygen OS’, which is very famous due to it’s clean, clutter-free, easy to use UI with a handful of features.
OnePlus recently launched its flagship devices OnePlus 8 Pro and OnePlus 8 to take on other flagships like Samsung S20 Ultra, Huawei P40, and others.
In this article, we will see how to root OnePlus 8 and unlock its bootloader. Rooting a smartphone is a little bit geeky task but helps you unleash the true potential of a device with a host of new advanced features.
But before that, let’s quickly know the device. OnePlus 8 is now powered by the Snapdragon 865 processor, which is far more potent than its predecessors. It has a big 6.55-inch FHD+ fluid AMOLED display, which has a 90Hz refresh rate and 180Hz response rate. Battery got an upgrade to 4300mAh. On the camera section, it has a 48MP primary camera with 16MP ultrawide and a 2MP macro sensor. For the selfies, it has a 16MP shooter.
Okay, let’s jump to the guide.
Here’s an overview:
How to Root OnePlus 8/8Pro:
OnePlus devices are also loved due to their aftermarket development. They have the support of significant communities like XDA, which brings lots of custom development like custom recoveries, custom ROMS, customization Apps/Tools, and support for them. Even when I type this, there is already lots of development begun for OnePlus 8.
As I’ve said before, rooting a device will open the door to some extra things that you can do with your devices. Like you can use custom fonts, boot animation, custom themes, improve camera performance, internal software upgrades, and many more.
But getting all these crazy things was not easy since Google has tightened the security measures on Android. It’s a little tough, but we can do it with some new methods. All thanks to John Wu, the developer of the Magisk tool. If we have an unlocked bootloader, we can root OnePlus 8 using Magisk.
Magisk is a trendy Open Source solution to achieve ROOT without touching system files. Magisk makes root by modifying BOOT partition, which helps Magisk install devices working fine with all Google apps & receiving OTAs from OEM even after rooting it.
Let’s start and first see a guide to unlock bootloader in OnePlus 8.
[A] Guide to Unlock Bootloader in OnePlus 8/8Pro:
Bootloader unlocking allows the user to open the gate of system access. OnePlus devices have an unlockable bootloader, so it supports aftermarket community development. While many manufacturers like Huawei have locked bootloaders, so users are locked with native functionalities and can’t experiment more.
Let’s begin with the bootloader unlocking guide of OnePlus 8 Series, after which we will proceed to root OnePlus 8/8Pro.
But, before that, you must have to check with the following prerequisites.
Prerequisites:
- Make sure your device has at least 50% battery, If not, then charge it.
- Do take a full backup of your device data. The bootloader unlocking process deletes all the data of your device. You may follow this guide HERE and HERE to take a backup of your device.
- Make sure you have installed an ADB & Fastboot driver on your computer. You can download and install it from HERE for Windows computer. If you have a macOS/Linux computer, you can follow the guide HERE.
I request you do not move ahead from here if the above requirements don’t get satisfied.
Steps to Unlock Bootloader on OnePlus 8/8Pro:
1: Open settings of your phone > go to ‘About phone’ section
2: Now click on ‘Build Number’ 6-7 times, and you will see ‘You are now a developer’ on screen.
3: Go back to Settings again > Go to System > Developer Options
4: In developer option turn on ‘OEM unlocking’, ‘Advanced Reboot’, and ‘USB Debugging’ options.
5: Long press power button and click on ‘Bootloader’.
6: OnePlus 8/8Pro will now restart in Fastboot mode.
7: Now, while the OnePlus 8/8Pro is in Fastboot mode, connect it to a computer using a cable.
8: Next, Open Windows Command Prompt/CMD on your Windows PC.
9: To ensure the OnePlus 8 connected to PC, type fastboot devices in CMD and press enter. It should return some device ID.
10: Now, to unlock bootloader type fastboot oem unlock in CMD and press enter.
11: As you press enter, some options will show up on your phone. Use the volume key and navigate to the ‘Unlock the Bootloader’ option and press the power button to select it.
12: Bootloader unlock process will take a while and remove all data. As unlocking is done, it will be rebooted.
Kudos! We’re done, your OnePlus 8 series smartphone has now unlocked bootloader, set up your device, and enjoy.
Now, as we’ve unlocked the bootloader, we can easily do root the phone. Let’s do it.
[B] Guide to Root OnePlus 8/8Pro:
OnePlus 8 series has the same rooting process as other Android devices. We can root OnePlus 8/8Pro using Custom Recoveries or patched boot image. But we don’t have both as devices just launched so that aftermarket development will take a little time. So we will manually patch the boot image and then use it for rooting.
But before we begin this vital process, make sure you check the following prerequisites.
Prerequisites:
- Make sure your device has at least 50% battery, If not, then charge it.
- Take a backup of your device, as mentioned in the bootloader unlock guide.
- Download and Install Magisk Manager App from HERE.
- Make sure the bootloader is unlocked on your device.
- Make sure ADB & Fastboot drivers are installed on your computer, as mentioned in the above guide.
- Download the firmware for your device. It should be the same version as your current installed firmware on the phone. (You can check by going to settings>About phone > Build number).
I request you do not move ahead from here if above requirements don’t get satisfied
1: Open the firmware that you’ve downloaded and extract ‘boot.img’ from it. Copy boot.img to OnePlus 8.
2: Open the Magisk Manager app on the phone and click on install & again install.
3: Now click on ‘Select and Patch a File’, then find and select the boot.img file that you copied earlier.
4: As you select the boot.img file, it will start patching it. Once patching is done new file will be saved in the Download folder with name ‘magisk_patched.img’ or ‘patched_boot.img’
5: Copy the patched file to your computer C:\adb folder. Rename the file from magisk_patched.img to boot.img.
6: Boot your OnePlus 8 to Fastboot Mode using the steps given in the above unlock bootloader process.
7: Now, while the OnePlus 8 is in Fastboot mode, connect it to the computer using a cable.
8: Open Windows Command Prompt/CMD on your Windows PC.
- type cd\ and press enter
- then type cd adb press enter
- so your CMD will be now in C:\adb> location.
9: Now, type fastboot devices in CMD and press enter. It should return some device ID.
10: Next type fastboot flash boot boot.img in CMD to flash patched boot image and root OnePlus 8.
11: Once flashing is done, reboot your phone into the system.
12: You can check whether your device is rooted or not. I recommend using the Root Checker app.
Voila!! You did it.
Enjoy the root access on your OnePlus 8. Now you can use root apps, modules, and privileged system customizations.
Last Words:
So these are the simple steps you need to follow to root OnePlus 8 device or OnePlus 8 Pro device. One thing you should always keep in mind that do not blindly follow any guide without a clear idea of precisely what you are trying to accomplish with that step. There are enormous resources on Google that you can cling on to know more.
I’m Stuck. How to Get Help?
Rooting and modding OnePlus series is a developers’ dream, and this doesn’t change with the OnePlus 8 series also. But well, if you get stuck anywhere, the best place to reach out for help is the OnePlus forums (OnePlus 8 | OnePlus 8 Pro) or the XDA Developers forum (OnePlus 8 | OnePlus 8 Pro).
Why?
It has likeminded people who might help you out with this.
To minimize the chances of error, you should double-check every step you take so that you do it right.
Let me know if this method worked for you successfully. If you have any other queries in general, then do comment below. I will try my best to help out.
That’s all for now. I will be back soon with another exciting update. Keep reading HiTricks.
Abhijit Parmar is a post graduate in Computer Engineering and Tech Geek at heart. When he is not writing for you, probably found exploring Tech on the Internet. Buddies call him Tech Troubleshooter & buy gadgets only after taking a piece of advice from him.
