The folks out of the Googleplex are rolling out the new Android 5.1 over the air (OTA) software update for all three main Nexus devices. The Google Nexus 5 fits that list. If you are already running the latest software update on your phone and wish to open up the ports with root access again, you can do that by following the step-by-step guide below.

REQUIREMENTS

• You should already have the Nexus 5 updated to the aforementioned firmware build, namely LMY47D by accepting the official OTA signals.
• You should only flash the files below for the Google Nexus 5 and no other Nexus device in the range of smartphones and tablets. Installing the files on any other device in the range can cause bricking.
• We do not guarantee this method will work for any future over the air update. So, if you are reading this in the future and you know of a fresher software release, it’s best to search for a guide on that firmware. Google often patch earlier known exploits and that causes them to fail.

BEFORE WE BEGIN

• Backup the smartphone before going ahead. Use the built-in backup feature to store the contacts and other sensitive data. There’s also many third-party applications available from the Google Play Store that’ll help you make copies of just about everything you need.
• Download the Google nexus USB drivers so you are up to date. You want to restart the computer so the drivers take effect before starting the guide.
• Enable the USB Debugging Mode from the Developer Options menu.
• Make sure you have around 60% battery power before starting so it doesn’t shut off before the guide finishes.

HOW TO ROOT THE GOOGLE NEXUS 5 RUNNING ANDROID 5.1 LOLLIPOP LMY47D FIRMWARE

1. Download the SuperSU file you need from here.
2. Download the Android SDK for Windows here.
3. Download the fastboot file for Windows here and extract the folder in the  android-sdk-windows\platform-tools directory.
4. Connect the Nexus 5 to the computer with the USB cable.
5. Transfer the SuperSU zip file over to the internal SD card of the phone (without unzipping the file).
6. Power down the phone.
7. Download the ClockworkMod recovery file.
   – save it to the same /platform-tools directory.
8. Boot the Nexus 5 in fastboot/bootloader mode by holding down the Volume Down and Power buttons.
9. Navigate over to the /platform-tools directory and right-click any blank white space and hold down the Shift key. Now choose to open the Command prompt.
10. Type the following command: fastboot flash recovery recovery-clockwork-touch-6.0.4.5-hammerhead.img
11. Now select the Recovery options from the fastboot menu.
12. You should now be in the custom recovery mode.
13. Scroll down the list until you see “flash zip from SD card” and select the option.
14. Now select the “choose zip from SD card”.
15. Search for the SuperSU file in your internal memory.
16. Confirm you wish to install the SuperSU file.
17. Wait for the installation to complete before going back to the main recovery menu and selecting the “reboot system now” option.