The OnePlus One is different from most other Android devices and comes with CyanogenMod 11S preinstalled. Even though the OnePlus One brings excellent hardware and software, you can take your experience to a whole new level just by rooting your phone. In this guide, I’ll show you how to root OnePlus One. I don’t personally own a OnePlus One and haven’t tested it myself, but other users have had success rooting their OnePlus One devices.
Why Root Your OnePlus One?
The rooting process might be a bit complicated for new Android users and you might be wondering why you should root your device if it already features the CyanogenMod firmware. Here are the reasons why rooting can make your phone more awesome.
Block ads using third-party apps. After rooting your phone, you’ll be able to block all the annoying ads that you get on your OnePlus One. Use tons of root-enabled apps. Aside from root enabled file managers and other productivity apps, there are various battery saving and performance improving apps that require root access and you’ll be able to enjoy them on your OnePlus One. Install custom ROMs on your phone in order to improve your phone’s performance and get a new interface along with loads of new features. We’ve already covered the ten best ROMs for the OnePlus One in order to make your ROM search easier. Use Titanium Backup on your phone. This is arguably the most powerful backup app available for Android devices and it requires root access. Use the awesome Xposed Framework in order to tweak around with your OnePlus One.
What Should You Do Before Rooting Your OnePlus One?
One of the great things about owning the OnePlus One is that you won’t void your warranty by unlocking your bootloader and rooting your phone. That being said, you should only perform this at your own responsibility as rooting is a risky process. Make sure that you follow all the instructions properly as you might end up bricking your OnePlus One if you miss out something. Follow these tips before proceeding with the rooting process.
During the rooting process, all your data will be deleted which is why I would recommend backing up all your files to your PC, such as videos, music and documents. You can also check out our list of the best backup apps for Android. Make sure that your phone is charged at least 70%. Sync your phone with your Google account so that you can get some of the data back on your phone after the rooting process, such as contact details.
How To Root Your OnePlus One
Follow the steps below carefully in order to root your OnePlus One. You’ll need a Windows PC, a micro USB cable and some patience in order to successfully root your phone.
Step 1
Download this zip package and extract the ADB Drivers_Updated folder on your PC.
Step 2
Switch your OnePlus One off and hold the Volume Up and Power buttons simultaneously in order to boot your phone into fastboot mode. If your phone has successfully booted into fastboot mode, you’ll see Fastboot mode on the screen.
Step 3
Connect your OnePlus One to a PC using a micro USB cable.
Step 4
Press Shift and right-click on an empty area inside the ADB Drivers_Updated folder that you extracted on your PC earlier. Click on Open command window here. A command prompt window should now appear.
Step 5
In order to check whether your phone is successfully connected, type the command below in the command prompt window and press enter. fastboot devices
Step 6
If your phone is successfully connected, then you’ll see some numbers in command prompt and you can proceed to Step 7. If your phone isn’t connected, then you’ll need to install these drivers on your PC.
Step 7
Type in the following command and press Enter in order to unlock your bootloader. fastboot oem unlock
Step 8
After the above command is fully executed, type the following command and press enter in order to boot your OnePlus One. fastboot reboot
Step 9
Go to About phone in Settings and tap on Build number seven times in order to enable Developer options in Settings.
Step 10
Tap on Developer options in Settings and enable the Android debugging option and disable the Update CM recovery option.
Step 11
Download the TWRP recovery file on your PC. You can get the latest version using this link. The file will have an .img extension.
Step 12
Change the name of the recovery file to recovery.img and move it to the ADB Drivers_Updated folder. Make sure that the actual name of the file is recovery and the extension is .img.
Step 13
Switch off your OnePlus One and boot it into fastboot mode by holding the Volume Up and Power buttons simultaneously.
Step 14
In command prompt, type the following command and press enter. fastboot flash recovery recovery.img
Step 15
Once the recovery is successfully flashed, type the following command and press enter. fastboot reboot
Step 16
Download this SuperSu file on your PC and transfer it to your OnePlus One without extracting it.
Step 17
Switch off your device and boot it into recovery by holding the Volume Down and Power buttons simultaneously.
Step 18
Press the Install button in recovery, navigate to the SuperSu zip file that you transferred to your phone earlier and select it.
Step 19
Swipe to confirm. Your phone will now flash the SuperSu file.
Step 20
Once the flashing process is complete, reboot your OnePlus One. The reboot process might take a while and this is normal. That’s it! You have successfully rooted your phone. Congratulations on making your OnePlus One more awesome!
Check Root Access (Optional)
In order to check whether your OnePlus One has been successfully rooted, follow these steps.
Step 1
Download and install the Root Checker app on your OnePlus One. You can get it through the Google Play button below.
There is also a paid version of Root Checker for some additional features:
Step 2
Open the app and tap on Verify Root. Tap on Grant if you get a permission popup.
Step 3
If you get a Congratulations message, then you have successfully rooted your phone.
Conclusion
The OnePlus One is a great Android smartphone and even if you haven’t rooted your phone, I’m sure you’re still enjoying it. However, if you want to get more features on your OnePlus One and want to make it awesome, then I would highly recommend rooting your phone. The method mentioned above should work with most OnePlus One devices. However, you should follow the instructions carefully, because if anything goes wrong, you might brick your phone. If you have any questions on how to root OnePlus One, feel free to shoot them in the comments section below and if you want to learn more about Android rooting, then you can follow this guide.
