Last Updated on April 1, 2017 by Mathew Diekhake
These are the instructions to learn how to install a custom recovery on the Sony Xperia Z3. There are three main types of custom recovery: Philz touch recovery, ClockworkMod recovery and TWRP recovery. The guide we are using here today is teaching you how to install Team Win’s TWRP recovery.
Make sure you backup the Xperia Z3 smartphone before starting the guide. If you are using third-party apps for that from the Google Play Store, make sure they are only from trusted sources. Alternatively, you can use the built-in backing up option that comes with your smartphone. You want to back up the data just in case you want to apply a factory reset. The guide shouldn’t automatically wipe the data.
The files You Need
- Download the TWRP recovery file from here.
- Download and install ADB with Fastboot for Windows PCs.
- Download and install the Sony USB Drivers. Alternatively you can download the universal USB Driver.
Installing a custom recovery on the Sony Xperia Z3
- Unzip and transfer the TWRP recovery file from its folder over to the same folder where you have Fastboot.
- Start by turning off the Sony Xperia Z3 smartphone.
- Reboot the Z3 holding the Volume Up while connecting it to the computer at the same time.
- As long as you see the Fastboot mode displayed on the Xperia Z3, you are ready to continue.
- Keep the Fastboot folder open and right-click the mouse while holding the Shift key on the keyboard.
- Doing it correctly should result in a new menu popping up on the computer.
- Choose to open the command window from that new menu.
- Type the command: “fastboot devices” and press Enter.
- Type the command: “fastboot flash boot bootZ3monxtest01.img” and press Enter.
- The custom recovery is now flashed on your Sony Xperia Z3 smartphone.
Now that you have a custom recovery on the Sony Xperia Z3, you can use it to take NANDroid backups, gain root access to the internal hardware and flash custom ROMs. You’ll need to look up the working root method for the Sony Xperia Z3 to work out whether you need to get access to the custom recovery or not.
What is more, you can follow our guide and learn how to boot the Sony Xperia Z3 into the custom recovery mode using hardware keys on your device, or apps from the Google Play Store.