Last Updated on July 20, 2022 by Mathew Diekhake

Since the Xperia T handset doesn’t get the latest software updates anymore, you might want to check out the custom ROMs available which offer a greater chance at running some of the new Lollipop and Android M firmware. Likewise, if you want to change the features, themes, or anything else with the operating system, you first need to make sure you get root access after the guide below.

There’s a few different methods for rooting the Xperia T. One of the ways includes installing ADB on Windows, but we aren’t using that guide. Those of you planning on installing the ClockworkMod recovery might want to do that with ADB, though.

Sony Xperia T

We’ve detailed in an extensive guide here, what you are capable of achieving with root access. Some examples include overclocking the CPU, increasing the device performance, increasing the battery so it lasts longer, installing additional applications from the Google Play store made by third-party developers you probably don’t know yet and taking NANDroid backups once you have a custom recovery installed. A popular choice for the Sony Xperias T custom recovery image is the ClockworkMod recovery which you can find available from here.

Details of Note

  • As usual, you need to take some precautions before starting the guide. The first thing everyone needs to do is unlock the Sony bootloader by following the appropriate guide for that.
  • Furthermore, you should backup the data you have installed on the device since owning it, as that data could get wiped. Those of you who are unlocking the bootloader, will definitely need to back up the data, since unlocking does wipe the data. For everyone else it’s not as important. However, you should do it anyone using a third-party app from Google Play such as Helium if you get bricked and want to take the factory reset option.
  • You should unlock the hidden Developer Options menu by pressing down on the display 7 times over the Build Number that is available from the About Device menu. If you already see the Developer Options menu available from the Settings app, tap it to open it up and check the box available from USB Debugging. Now after you connect the handset to the computer during the guide, you won’t get any error.
  • We recommend not continuing unless you are an advanced Android user who is capable of restoring a device and getting out of a boot loop or a soft brick situation. Hard bricks where you totally wipe out your device are rare, but soft bricks which require a factory reset or flashing software updates happen more often than an inexperienced user would like.

How to root the Sony Xperia T running Android 4.3 Jelly Bean (or most other Jelly Bean updates)

1. Download the root with restore binary file from here.

2. Download the aforementioned file to the desktop of a Windows PC only.

3. Extract the file (unzip it) so that you can use the contents inside.

4. Connect the Sony Xperia T to the Windows computer where you downloaded the file.

5. Double click the bat file to run the rooting program on the desktop.

6. Follow the on-screen instructions to finish rooting your Sony smartphone.

After you finish with the guide, you can install Busy Box from the Google Play Store. Other options from Google Play include the infamous root checker app which tells you if the guide worked or not. Those who don’t see a “success” message after installing can try the guide again after installing the Sony USB Drivers. It’s likely a USB driver problem.