Last Updated on April 6, 2017 by Mathew Diekhake
In order to gain root on an Android One device, you must first install a custom recovery on it. Fortunately, Android One devices have been blessed with the CWM custom recovery that comes packed with some of the great recovery functions.
The tutorial below should help you get it up and running on your Android One device:
Files You Need
1. Your bootloader must be unlocked before you can install a custom recovery. Please follow our how to unlock the bootloader on the Android One tutorial and get your bootloader unlocked first.
2. Download Minimal ADB Setup to your computer. You’ll use it to issue commands to your device.
3. Download CWM Recovery to your computer. It’s a common recovery file that can be flashed on all the Android One phones out there.
Installing CWM Recovery on the Android One (All Devices)
1. Extract files from Minimal ADB Setup to your computer by right-clicking on it and selecting Extract here. This should extract the actual usable files from the archive.
2. Turn ON USB debugging on your phone. To do that, go to Menu->Settings->Developer options and tick-mark the USB debugging option.
3. Connect your phone to your computer using a USB cable.
4. Open the folder where you have extracted the ADB files. Hold down Shift and right-click on any blank area on your screen and select Open command window here. It should launch the Command Prompt Window using which you can send commands to your device.
5. Type in following command into that window and press Enter:
adb reboot-bootloader
6. Select fastboot using the physical buttons on your device.
7. Now issue the following command to install the recovery on your device:
fastboot flash recovery recovery.img
8. When it has done installing the recovery, issue the following command:
fastboot reboot
9. Your phone should reboot.
10. You’re done.
You’re now rocking the popular CWM Recovery on your Android One device. You can now gain root-access on your device by following the tutorial given here.