Last Updated on July 22, 2022 by Mathew Diekhake

The Google Nexus 5 is running the latest Android 5.0 Lollipop software update. The Google Nexus range was the first to see Lollipop since they are a Google company. If you want to try out new custom ROMs based on fresh Lollipop installments, or just tweak your device with better battery performance, less bloatware or new themes, you should open it up with root access by following the guide below.

Android 5.0 Lollipop comes with heaps of new features that make it better than KitKat. They include the new material design user interface, tangible interaction, tap and go for NFC payments, Android Beam, Android RunTime, new notifications with several different features, a smoother ROM experience and more.

Details of Note

  • Rooting the Nexus 5 automatically voids the warranty. You will gain the privileges back again if you take it back to stock firmware.
  • Only flash the next OTA software update manually if you want to revert back to a stock Android device without root access.
  • Backup your smartphone using the built-in utility, or by installing third-party apps from Google Play. Search for applications such as AirDroid for making copies of the Android apps, SMS backup and restore for the messages you don”t want to lose, Sync the phone contacts and Gmail account with Google sync and store any other data you need.
  • Make sure you have at least 60% battery before starting the steps.
  • You must have ADB and fastboot installed on your Windows computer. The guide is only for Windows, but you can install the same Android SDK on Linux and Mac. If you already have it setup on either of the others, you can follow the steps below just the same.
  • You’ll also need the Windows drivers for ADB and fastboot.
  • We are not responsible for any data loss or damages such as a soft-brick on your device after following the guide. You follow it at your own risk.
  • Enable USB Debugging Mode from the Developer Options menu.
  • You should only apply the following if you are an advanced Android user. We don’t recommend making modifications to your mobile unless you have experience.

How to Root Nexus 6 Running Android 5.0 Lollipop

  1. Download the modified boot image here.
  2. Download the root file here.
  3. Use the desktop of the computer for both the files.
  4. Unzip the original modified boot image file and copy the contents to the Android SDK.
  5. Connect the smartphone to the computer with the USB cable.
  6. Open the Android SDK folder on your computer.
  7. Right-click the mouse on the vacant white space in the folder and press the Shift key.
  8. Choose to open the command line.
  9. Type “adb reboot bootloader.”
    – watch as the phone boot in bootloader mode.
  10. Type “fastboot flash boot boot.img”
  11. Don’t touch any buttons until the flashing completes.
  12. Select the recovery mode from the bootloader mode screen.
  13. Find the “install” option from inside recovery.
  14. Select the root file you downloaded in the second step.
  15. Go back to the main screen in the recovery and select reboot system now.

That’s all there is to it. The phone is now working with the unchained operating system so you can check out some new CyanogenMod ROMs or extra apps from Google Play. If you are having any problems with your device, you can open up the recovery mode and select “factory reset” from the menu. Remember: resets will wipe any unsaved data. It wipes the ROM clean, but if you have made backups to the internal SD card storage, it can be reloaded once again.