How to Unlock Bootloader on OnePlus 7T and 7T Pro

OnePlus 7T and 7T Pro are selling like hotcakes because they come with exceptionally good software. if you’re aware, OnePlus 7T & 7T Pro comes with oxygen OS which is quite stable when it comes to other Android skins. However, there are times when users want to install other custom ROMs or firmware. For that, they need to Unlock Bootloader on OnePlus 7T and 7T Pro. only then they can proceed to install or flash any third party firmware or scripts.

Unlocking a Bootloader of any device can be a tricky task but it is not that hard. If you follow all the steps carefully, then you will not face any issues later. A bootloader is a script or a firewall that protects the device from any third party firmware. Without unlocking OnePlus 7T & 7T Pro bootloader, you will not be able to install any third-party custom ROM or any custom recovery such as TWRP. So, as we established how Unlocking Bootloader on OnePlus 7T & 7T Pro is important. Now let’s learn the process of Unlocking Bootloader on OnePlus 7t and 7T Pro.

What does Unlocking your Bootloader mean?

Before we proceed with Unlocking Bootloader on OnePlus 7T & 7T Pro, let’s learn what Unlocking Bootloader means. Every device comes locked from OEM. This means that the user doesn’t have any console control over device hardware or software. Which means users have to stick to whatever OS OEM has put inside it. Some android enthusiasts don’t like it since they like to try new custom firmware, new custom recovery, etc. However, by unlocking the device’s bootloader, you are granting yourself access to parts of your phone that were otherwise impossible to get to previously. This process requires a Windows computer with an ADB interface that can talk to your device in the fastboot mode. The most common ways of unlocking a bootloader include using a tool or using fastboot commands directly to ingest the codes inside of your phone.

Why should you Unlock your Bootloader?

We already discussed about what Bootloader on your smartphone actually is. So why bother removing it, when everything is working fine. Well, there are a plethora of reasons as to why you might want to unlock your device’s bootloader. These might include:

• Installing custom firmware and custom ROMs on your device
• Installing Stock firmware on your device
• Downgrading to a previous version of android or stable build
• Root your device using a custom recovery, etc.
• And there are many more things as well.

Basically, you are granting yourself system rights by tampering with the state of your device’s bootloader – in a good way. So if you want to do anything geeky with you OnePlus 7t or 7T Pro then you need to Unlock bootloader first. But before we Unlock Bootloader, let us get to know device specifications first.

OnePlus 7T & 7T Pro Specification: Overview

OnePlus 7T & 7T Pro are a successor of the original OnePlus 7 device. Both of these devices are packed with amazing features and powerful specs. OnePlus 7T has a massive display of 6.55 inches with a resolution of 1080 by 2400 pixels which is quite impressive. The display is protected by Gorilla Glass protection. OnePlus 7T is powered by octa-core CPU with Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+. It comes with 8GB of RAM and 128 GB of onboard storage. Talking about the camera department, OnePlus 7T has a three-camera system ith a huge circular camera bump. It comes with a standard 48 MP camera, a wide-angle camera, and a 2X optical zoom camera.

When it comes to OnePlus 7T pro, it is like a better version of OnePlus 7T. It has a popup camera mechanism and a completely notch-less display of 6.67 inches and a resolution of 1440 by 3120 pixels. Hardware-wise, OnePlus 7T Pro also offers the same octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+ and 8GB RAM option. So performance-wise, both devices are pretty much the same. Talking about the camera department, OnePlus 7T Pro has a 48-megapixel primary camera with an f/1.6 aperture and a pixel size of 0.8-micron; a second 16-megapixel camera with an f/2.2 aperture and a third 8-megapixel camera with an f/2.4 aperture and a pixel size of 1.0-micron. The rear camera setup has autofocus. For selfie lovers, it has a 16MP pop-up camera to stand out from the crowd.

How to Unlock Bootloader on OnePlus 7T & 7T

Unlocking Bootloader of any device is fairly a complex task, however, we will try to make the whole process easier with our step by step process. But before we start the process, make sure you go through all the requirements.

Prerequisites

• You need ADB and Fastboot tool installed on your PC for this to work. If you haven’t already, follow our comprehensive guide to learn how you can ready up ADB and Fastboot on your Windows PC.
• Make sure that you backup everything there is on your phone. Unlocking your device’s bootloader will wipe everything on your phone, including media. We recommend a thorough backup before beginning this process.
• Download the latest OnePlus USB Drivers and install on your PC.
• Ensure that your phone has at least 60% of the battery prior to beginning this process to avoid any unforeseen shutdowns in the middle of the task.
• Lastly, you need a data transfer cable to connect your phone to your Windows PC.

Procedure

This is the procedure to Unlock Bootloader on OnePlus 7T & 7T Pro. Both fo these devices are the same when it comes to hardware so the process of unlocking bootloader is the same for these devices. Before you go through the procedure, we urge you to take a complete backup of your important information which may include your contact, messages, documents, images, etc.

1. Navigate to Settings > About Phone and tap on Build Number 7 times until a popup says you have enabled the Developer Settings. Head back to the Settings page, and tap on Developer Options. Here, tap to enable OEM Unlock as well as USB Debugging.
2. On your Windows computer, inside the ADB and Fastboot folder, open a command prompt window by pressing the right mouse button while holding down the shift key, now select the open a command prompt window option.
3. Connect your device to your computer using a data cable. Tap on Allow if a prompt shows up on your smartphone to authorize the computer. Use the following ADB command to ensure your computer has recognized your device :

   adb devices

4. If everything has worked out, you should see your device connected with a serial identifier right next to it. Now, execute the following command to reboot your OnePlus device into the Bootloader mode :

   adb reboot bootloader

5. Your phone should now boot into the fastboot mode. Enter the following command to start the bootloader unlocking process :

   fastboot oem unlock

6. Use the volume up/down keys to navigate to the Unlock the Bootloader option, and select it using the power button.
7. Your phone will now be unlocked and will reboot to system.

Make sure to follow the pre-requisite and install the drivers on your PC before proceeding to unlock the bootloader.

Conclusion

This is it guys, you can unlock your OnePlus 7T & 7T Pro in such manner. The procedure will work if you install the required drivers and follow the tutorial step by step. In case you feel confused about any step, then feel free to ask in the comment section. We will be happy to assist you in any way possible.