Most Android smartphones allow you to check the status of the bootloader using the Fastboot commands. Controls may vary based on different OEMs. Therefore, although there is no complete list, the shared command in this post should work for most users.
How to check if bootloader is unlocked or locked on Android
The bootloader on any device is a code that is executed at the beginning when the device is turned on. Contains instructions for loading the operating system kernel to boot the device. The boot loader status can be locked or unlocked.
Today, almost all Android manufacturers supply their smartphones with a locked bootloader for security reasons. To install a custom ROM or root a device, you must first unlock the bootloader. The status of the bootloader sometimes indicates the integrity of a device, for example for companies like Samsung and Huawei, unlocking the bootloader can void the warranty and the device will no longer be trusted.
The best thing about an Android phone is that you can root and run it the way you want. If you have an older version of Android that no longer receives updates, you can find a custom ROM to update and get the next version, or at least add some of its features. You can customize almost everything on a rooted Android phone, but you can also change it a bit if your bootloader is unlocked.
Unlocking the bootloader requires very few skills and you can do a lot with it. If you need to check whether your bootloader is unlocked or not, it’s pretty easy.
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Android Phone
You can check if your bootloader is unlocked or not from your Android phone. This method should work on most conventional phones and on a good number of dark phones. There will be some exceptions and if this doesn’t work on your Android phone, you can always choose the PC solution.
On your Android phone, open the Phone/dialer app and enter the code below.
*#*#7378423#*#*
This will open a new window. In this window, go to Service Info > Configuration. If you see a message saying Unlock the bootloader and there is a “Yes” written in front, it means the bootloader is unlocked.
PC
If you do not see a window when entering the code provided in the previous section, you can check the lockloader status from the PC. It’s pretty simple, but you must first download the adb and fastboot tools from Google.
Download and extract the folder and then open the command prompt in that folder. You can do this by typing cmd in the Windows 10 address bar.
Next, you need to set the phone to Fastboot mode. To do this, turn off the phone. Then, hold down the Volume Down and Power On buttons until the device reboots. Once turned on, release the power button but hold the Volume down button until the bootloader screen appears. It’s the one with the little Android bot on the back.
Connect the phone to the PC via the data cable. Once connected, execute the following command. If you return code, it means that the device has been detected.
fastboot devices
Once it has detected the device, run the following command and look for the boot loader information. The bootloader for the Nexus 6P in which the command is executed is locked.
fastboot oem device-info
It is relatively easy to unlock a bootloader if the device manufacturer allows it. Otherwise, it can be difficult for you.
On newer phones, you can see the critical features and unlock the unlock separately. The difference between the two is that the critic protects the higher-level partitions that are critical for the phone to boot. Usually, it is not necessary to mess with critical partitions.
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Can’t access the fastboot? The simplest (and not the quick start) method to check the status of the block is from the developer’s options. The “OEM Unlocking” item will vanish when the bootloader is already unlocked.
