Last Updated on September 2, 2022 by Mathew Diekhake
Many smartphones come with unlocked bootloaders these days. If yours isn’t unlocked, don’t blame the manufacturer necessarily; often it’s the carrier that chooses whether “their” device will be unlocked or not. Thankfully any Android smartphone can have its bootloader unlocked. And often it’s only a few simple steps.
The LG LS997 smartphone is the Sprint variant of the LG V20. It was released in October of 2016, so no doubt many people are considering getting the bootloader unlocked so they can install custom firmware. The guide below will show you how you can do that.
The following tutorial demonstrates how to unlock the LG LS997 bootloader so you can install a custom operating system.
How to Unlock Bootloader on LG LS997
Caution:
Unlocking the bootloader on the LG LS997 smartphone will result in all data being wiped from the smartphone. So, you need to backup the data before you continue.
1. Download Minimal ADB and Fastboot and extract it on the computer so Fastboot is installed.
2. Download and install the LG USB drivers on the desktop computer. You can also use the universal ADB drivers instead.
3. Turn on the LG LS997 smartphone and wait for the operating system to load.
4. Open Settings and About Phone and tap on the build number at least six times until it says you are now using the smartphone as a developer. This means the Developer Options menu is unlocked.
5. Open the Settings menu and enable USB Debugging and OEM Unlock in the Developer Options menu.
6. Connect the LG LS997 to the computer with its USB cable.
Note: If the smartphone asks what connection option you prefer, swipe down from the top of the screen and choose the Charging Mode connection from the available connection options. Once the drivers are installed automatically, allow the ADB USB debugging connection when it asks.
7. Open the elevated Command Prompt directly or via the Windows Terminal.
8. Type the following commands into the command line and press Enter after each:
adb devices
adb reboot bootloader
fastboot oem unlock
9. Wait for the smartphone to finish unlocking the bootloader. It may reboot several times during the process.
In conclusion, that is how to unlock the LG LS997 bootloader.