[GUIDE] Nexus 4 - Unlock & Root

[shawnlanglois]

Hey dude,

I just wanted to thank you for this awesome guide. I've looked through quite a few others as I was contemplating rooting my Nexus 4, and I found most either weren't quite descriptive enough or dumbed things down too much using tools that result in me not learning anything. Your guide had that perfect medium of being nice and easy to follow, but I also feel like I came out all the better for having gone through the process.

Now my big choice is whether I want to stay stock or try my hand at some custom ROMs. Choices, choices...

 

[jgbyr]

Thanks for the excellent guide. I only got my nexus 4 the other day & followed the instructions given.Worked perfectly.
Thanks again.

 

[MichealKnight]

Having some issues, i pressed format data in twrp and now all my internall sdcard files are gone including backups, i have tried both factory restore and root none work the rom just stays in a boot loop, i used adb push but now it says it cant mount sdcard

 

[2defmouze]

Having some issues, i pressed format data in twrp and now all my internall sdcard files are gone including backups, i have tried both factory restore and root none work the rom just stays in a boot loop, i used adb push but now it says it cant mount sdcard

Yeah, formatting data will do that.. Lol. Just perform a factory image restore following the guide and you will have a new, stock system to boot into.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2

 

[MichealKnight]

i did it gets stuck in the boot loop

 

[2defmouze]

i did it gets stuck in the boot loop

Browse the thread, and the FAQ/troubleshooting section.. There are solutions for everything.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2

 

[sordup]

I just successfully rooted my new Nexus 4. Thanks for the help!
I wonder what is going on, though:
When I first got the phone out of the box and went through the process of activating it with my Google account, etc., the phone spent about two minutes and I then had ALL my apps from my previous phone in addition to the stock Google apps installed, updated and ready to go. Then I decided to unlock and root, and when then going through the set-up with my Google account, the phone now is on about 15 minutes JUST updating the Google apps ONLY. None of my chosen apps are re-installed or available on the phone. They are, of course, available for me to re-install individually and time-consummingly from Play, but...
All my Google account settings, Backup & Reset, Wi-Fi etc. are set up appropriately and the same for both the above instances.
Question is: does this unlocking/rooting process remove the integration with these Google conveniences? and why would it take over 5 times as long to do about 1/5 of the work (downloading and installing)? Does rooting cause the phone to work slower than it does with Google's stock set-up?

 

[2defmouze]

I just successfully rooted my new Nexus 4. Thanks for the help!
I wonder what is going on, though:
When I first got the phone out of the box and went through the process of activating it with my Google account, etc., the phone spent about two minutes and I then had ALL my apps from my previous phone in addition to the stock Google apps installed, updated and ready to go. Then I decided to unlock and root, and when then going through the set-up with my Google account, the phone now is on about 15 minutes JUST updating the Google apps ONLY. None of my chosen apps are re-installed or available on the phone. They are, of course, available for me to re-install individually and time-consummingly from Play, but...
All my Google account settings, Backup & Reset, Wi-Fi etc. are set up appropriately and the same for both the above instances.
Question is: does this unlocking/rooting process remove the integration with these Google conveniences? and why would it take over 5 times as long to do about 1/5 of the work (downloading and installing)? Does rooting cause the phone to work slower than it does with Google's stock set-up?

Negative to your questions.. More likely just a weird anamoly, maybe even a network issue.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2

 

[rental_sad]

My nexus 4 was rooted, note that it wasn't rooted by me. I used it for a month and it was on Franco kernel. I was playing dead trigger and my phone was charging, strange thing happened, as soon as I disconnected my charger the screen went black. I waited for few minutes but nothing really happened. I restarted my phone and it got stuck. On nexus' X logo, again I waited for few minutes but nothing really happened. Then I opened my boatloader and performed back up and restore then restarted the phone. Again he same was happening. I cleared all the data and cache, same thing happened. Then I cleared the dalvish cache and sd card, my phone isn't even getting past the "google" logo now after clearing the dalvish and sd card. Can someone help? I am a noob.

 

[phippski]

great guide. I have now successfully performed my first unlock & root! Nexus 4 now running AOKP

 

[2defmouze]

My nexus 4 was rooted, note that it wasn't rooted by me. I used it for a month and it was on Franco kernel. I was playing dead trigger and my phone was charging, strange thing happened, as soon as I disconnected my charger the screen went black. I waited for few minutes but nothing really happened. I restarted my phone and it got stuck. On nexus' X logo, again I waited for few minutes but nothing really happened. Then I opened my boatloader and performed back up and restore then restarted the phone. Again he same was happening. I cleared all the data and cache, same thing happened. Then I cleared the dalvish cache and sd card, my phone isn't even getting past the "google" logo now after clearing the dalvish and sd card. Can someone help? I am a noob.

Use the Factory Image Restore guide

 

[webman2k]

Perhaps this should include the motochopper option, since it will provide root without the bootloader unlock, meaning you won't lose any data. I can confirm this works on a stock Nexus 4

 

[2defmouze]

Perhaps this should include the motochopper option, since it will provide root without the bootloader unlock, meaning you won't lose any data. I can confirm this works on a stock Nexus 4

Negative.. The purpose of this guide is to teach people the process to unlock and root their phones, and to discourage the use of toolkits and one-clicks, which I believe are detrimental to the user as they don't learn the basics and have no means of reference to troubleshoot when issues crop up later. You guys may, by all means, keep a separate thread for any toolkits or shortcuts. I prefer to teach a man to fish

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2

 

[razoraz]

OK, So I'm on a Mac, and I got the bootloader unlockerd, but when I get to the "root it" step I'm lost:
Instructsions say: "Once booted, and still connected to your computer, drag and drop the superuser.zip file we downloaded earlier on to the root of your sdcard - meaning just the base of your internal storage, not inside any folders"
What "sdcard"? The Nexus 4 doesn't have an SD Card. And I don't see any USB drive corresponding to it in the Finder. Is there something else I need to do to make the phone visible as a storage device in OS X?

 

[razoraz]

OK< after a lot of research I found I need to run an app from here to drag files onto the phone. Android.com

 

[ChromeJob]

OK, So I'm on a Mac, and I got the bootloader unlockerd, but when I get to the "root it" step I'm lost:
Instructsions say: "Once booted, and still connected to your computer, drag and drop the superuser.zip file we downloaded earlier on to the root of your sdcard - meaning just the base of your internal storage, not inside any folders"
What "sdcard"? The Nexus 4 doesn't have an SD Card. And I don't see any USB drive corresponding to it in the Finder. Is there something else I need to do to make the phone visible as a storage device in OS X?

The socalled "sdcard" memory is actually internal memory, identified through adb shell as /sdcard/ When the Nexus boots up, the mount is found at /data/media/ . It could be labeled as something else in Finder. I dunno, I don't have a MacOS system handy...

 

[wolfxj]

Please Help!
Just soft bricked my Nexus 4 and was searching for the Nexus 4 - Factory Image Restore guide!

However, when I Click on the link at the bottom of the page - Nexus 4 - Factory Image Restore
It takes me to the [GUIDE] Nexus 4 - Unlock & Root (http://forums.androidcentral.com/nexus-4-rooting-roms-hacks/224861-guide-nexus-4-unlock-root.html)

If anyone can post the correct link to Nexus 4 - Factory Image Restore.

Will be thankful!

 

[wolfxj]

Please Help!
Just soft bricked my Nexus 4 and was searching for the Nexus 4 - Factory Image Restore guide!

However, when I Click on the link at the bottom of the page - Nexus 4 - Factory Image Restore
It takes me to the [GUIDE] Nexus 4 - Unlock & Root ([GUIDE] Nexus 4 - Unlock & Root)

If anyone can post the correct link to Nexus 4 - Factory Image Restore.

Will be thankful!

 

[2defmouze]

Please Help!
Just soft bricked my Nexus 4 and was searching for the Nexus 4 - Factory Image Restore guide!

However, when I Click on the link at the bottom of the page - Nexus 4 - Factory Image Restore
It takes me to the [GUIDE] Nexus 4 - Unlock & Root ([GUIDE] Nexus 4 - Unlock & Root)

If anyone can post the correct link to Nexus 4 - Factory Image Restore.

Will be thankful!

It's right at the top of the Rooting section, under the thread you are in now.....

http://forums.androidcentral.com/ne...3923-guide-nexus-4-factory-image-restore.html

 

[chrislamberthjr]

So, Im like a 2 year old that only knows the word Maama... when it comes to phones... My google nexus 4 does one thing... Says Google and it has a lock at the bottom that looks almost locked... like .3mm from being shut.... all these things tutorials, videos, articles, blogs, images.... says start bootloader or fast boot by pressing power and up and down keys... Mine just says google. I do not think it will even turn off.... when i press up and down and power, if the screen goes black, when it vibrates and comes back on it says google... thats it... nothing else happens...... am I screwed?