Once you’ve unlocked the bootloader on your Motorola Moto E (2015), the best thing that you can do for yourself is install a custom recovery on your device. It should let you gain root-access on your device and once that’s done, you’re free to enjoy whatever custom ROMs or custom kernels you wish to have on your device.

Here’s how to install a custom recovery on your device:

Moto E 2015

Files You Need

1. You must have unlocked the bootloader on your Moto E before you do the following tutorial.

2. Download Minimal ADB Setup to your computer. It’ll help you issue various commands to your device.

3. Download TWRP Recovery Image to your computer. It’s the recovery that you will be installed on your device.

4. This doesn’t work for the 3G variant of the device.

Installing a Custom Recovery on the Motorola Moto E (2015)

1. Extract files from Minimal ADB Setup to your computer by right-clicking on it and selecting Extract here.

2. Turn on the USB debugging option on your device by going to Menu->Settings->Developer options->USB debugging.

3. Plug in your phone to your computer using a USB cable.

4. Open a Command Prompt Window where the ADB files are located. To do that, open the ADB folder, hold down Shift and right-click on any blank space and select Open command window here.

5. Type in the following command into the CMD and press Enter:

adb reboot bootloader

6. Select fastboot on your device.

7. Now, issue the following command to install the TWRP Recovery on your device:

fastboot flash recovery recovery.img

8. Wait for it to install the recovery on your device.

9. When the recovery is installed, issue the following command:

fastboot reboot

10. Your phone should reboot.

11. You’re done.

The TWRP Recovery was successfully installed on your Motorola Moto E (2015) and you can get access to it using the “adb reboot recovery” command.

Since you now have a custom recovery up and running on your device, follow our guide that teaches how to root the Motorola Moto E (2015) to gain root-access on your device and get the root-requiring apps running on it.