The bootloader on your T-Mobile LG G5 smartphone is the first thing to boot up on your phone after you turn it on by pressing the Power button. By changing the way our bootloader thinks, we can change what it is willing to have running. Unlocking the bootloader is the term we use for changing the bootloader so that it is going to accept our custom recovery and root access to the internal system. As the device currently stands, you cannot do either of those two things because it is locked.

Here is everything you need to unlock T-Mobile LG G5 bootloaders so you can do things like root the handset and install a custom recovery. Rooting allows you to install root apps from the Play Store and other sources online, while a custom recovery helps with all of your custom ROM or kernel needs.

REQUIREMENTS

• The following guide is knocked up for the T-Mobile variant of the LG G5 smartphone. We do not guarantee that this method unlocks the bootloader for any other device out there. Always check for a unique guide for your device if you own something different, or request what you need if you think it might be available.

BEFORE WE BEGIN

• Unlock the Developer Options menu on the T-Mobile LG G5 smartphone by tapping on the Menu > Settings > About Device > Build Number. Continue tapping on the G5’s build number for at least seven times and it sends out a message on the screen stating that you are now using the operating system as a developer which is what is going to be giving you access to the Developer Options menu.
• Enable the USB Debugging Mode from the Developer Options menu that you just unlocked by tapping on the Menu > Settings > Developer Options > USB Debugging.
• From within the same Developer Options menu that you were inside in the step above, also enable the option for the OEM Unlock. Now you can tap out of the Developer Options menu, and the Android operating system will remember your preferences.
• Make sure you backup all data that you do not want to lose because unlocking the bootloader on your G5 smartphone wipes it clean the same way in which taking a hard reset would.

HOW TO UNLOCK BOOTLOADER ON T-MOBILE LG G5

1. Download the ADB Drivers.
2. Download the Fastboot archive.
3. Connect the LG G5 smartphone to the computer with the USB cable that you would usually use for charging the battery.
4. Have the Fastboot folder open and right-click the mouse in the Fastboot folder where it shows the white background and then hold the Shift key at the same time to bring up a new menu from your operating system.
5. Choose to open a new command window here from the menu of options.
6. Type the command “adb reboot bootloader” as your first command from the command prompt window and the G5 smartphone will now reboot itself into the required bootloader mode.
7. Type the command “fastboot oem unlock” and then check out the list of instructions presenting themselves on the screen for you to follow to complete what it takes to unlock the bootloader.

In conclusion, that is how to unlock the bootloader on T-Mobile LG G5 smartphones when they are running on any software updates. Now that you have the bootloader unlocking process under your belt, it is time to check out how to install a custom recovery on the T-Mobile LG G5 smartphone so you can start thinking about rooting the smartphone.