Nothing launched their first smartphone, Phone 1, with NothingOS, and enthusiasts had already started putting efforts into rooting the device and unlocking the bootloader. Android enthusiasts and developers started testing several mods and tweaks alongside developers developing custom ROMs. Today, this guide will share how you can unlock your Nothing Phone 1. It’s pretty easy if you have performed this in the past, so without further ado, here is the quick guide to unlocking and installing Magisk on Nothing Phone 1.
Unlock Bootloader and Root Nothing Phone 1.
The kernel source for the device is available to download and distributed under the GNU GPL v2 License. At the same time, most OEMs provide references upon request, after a couple of months, or after updates. Nothing published in the device tree will begin the aftermarket ROMs.
Unlock Nothing Phone 1 Bootloader
Pre-Requirements
- Your system (PC, Mac, or Chromebook) should have installed the latest ADB (Android Debug Bridge).
- Update your Android USB driver.
Note: Your device’s data will be wiped; ensure to keep a backup of your important data.
- Open Device Settings, and then scroll down to About Phone.
- Tap on Software Info, and then tap Build Number x7 times to enable developer mode.
- Revert to the Settings page and go to the system.
- There, you will find the developer option at the bottom. Tap on it and enable OEM unlocking by toggling the menu. (The device will ask you to set up a lock screen PIN or password for security purposes.)
- On the same menu, scroll down until you find USB Debugging; toggle to enable it.
- After that, connect your phone to a Mac, PC/Chromebook.
- Open CMD (Command Prompt) or Terminal and execute “adb devices.”
- To confirm your device is connected successfully, on the desktop, it shows “authorised.”
- If your device prompts you to enable USB Debugging, allow it, and then reboot to bootloader by executing “adb reboot bootloader.”
- After that, execute “fastboot flash unlock” to communicate with your device. Still, for this, you need to switch to the Fastboot command from the bootloader menu. Otherwise, execute “fastboot flashing unlock_critical” if your device uses low-level partitions.
- Keep pressing the Volume Up key until you see an on-screen text warning about the risk of unlocking the bootloader, “Unlock the bootloader,” and then press the power button.
- Now, your device will unlock the bootloader and reboot to the bootloader menu with a red warning icon with “unlocked” text.
- Reboot your device now, and then execute the “fastboot reboot.”
- That’s!
You have successfully unlocked the bootloader of your Nothing Phone 1. Next, you need to root your device with Magisk.
Root Nothing Phone 1 with Magisk
You can now proceed to start tweaking your Nothing Phone 1 using Magisk.
Pre-Requirements
- You need to re-enable the Developer Option in the device settings.
- Download the Nothing Phone 1 OTA Package (courtesy: GoogleAPIs), the Nothing Phone 1 Boot Image (courtesy: Qiyue_XDA-Developers Member), or you can extract the boot image yourself from the OTA Package.
Root Nothing Phone 1 using Magisk
- Open CMD (Command Prompt) or Terminal and execute “adb push <path_to_file> /sdcard/Download.”
- Now download and install Magisk on your device.
- Launch Magisk and start the installation.
- After installing, browse the package and patch file in a file manager.
- Open CMD/Terminal to execute “adb pull /sdcard/Download/magisk_patched_[random_strings].img.”
- Reboot your device by using the “adb reboot bootloader.” Next, flash the patch boot image with the “fastboot flash boot /path/to/magisk_patched_boot.img” command.
- Now, reboot your Nothing Phone 1 with “fastboot reboot.”
- Done.
You can try different Magisk modules, Xposed modules, or install other root apps to enhance your experience. Sideload your device manually to ensure you have the latest security patch. Custom ROMs and custom kernels allow you to adjust the performance of your device.