If you are up and running on the new Android M developer preview for the Google Nexus 6, you might want to gain root access so you can start flashing custom ROMs again. The “old trusty” SuperSU that we knew to flash with earlier firmware releases didn’t work for the latest Android M but it hasn’t taken long for XDA to come up with a new method using a fresh SuperSU version and a new Despair kernel.

REQUIREMENTS

• You need the Google Nexus 6 only. The despair kernel is available for both the Nexus 5 and 6 models, however the two kernels are unique. You must have the correct kernel before flashing which is only found on this page.
• You should be running the Android M Developer Preview to follow this guide. Much like the earlier exploit, we can’t tell if this new exploit will be patched in the future.

BEFORE WE BEGIN

• You’ll need to flash TWRP Recovery before starting the rooting guide because you need to enter TWRP to flash the two files. Read how to flash TWRP recover on the Google Nexus 6.
• Unlock the Developer Options menu if you haven’t already by heading to Settings > About Device > tap the build number on the display seven times. You’ll notice it counting you down for the last few tries so you can see how many times you still must tap.
• Now that you have the Dev Options unlocked, you’ll need to enter that. Head to the Settings > Developer Options and enable the USB Debugging mode inside.

HOW TO ROOT GOOGLE NEXUS 6 ON ANDROID M MPZ44Q DEVELOPER PREVIEW

1. Download the Despair kernel for Nexus 6.
2. Download the SuperSU 2.49.
3. Do not extract the Despair kernel or the SuperSU files. Just keep them on the desktop.
4. Connect the Nexus 6 to the computer.
5. Copy and paste the files over to the root of the internal storage SD card.
6. Unplug the Nexus 6 from the computer now and completely shut down the handset by holding down the Power key for over 10 seconds.
7. Reboot the Nexus 6 in the TWRP recovery mode by holding the Power + Volume Up + Volume Down keys at the same time.
8. Pressing those three keys will take you to the Fastboot menu. Now press the Volume Down button and highlight the recovery option from the menu. Now you are entering the recovery mode.
9. Head to the “Install” option from the menu and browse for the Despair toolkit. Once done, confirm you wish to install it. Now go back and browse for the SuperSU and confirm to install it the same way as you did with the Despair kernel.
10. Once complete, head to the main menu of recovery and select to reboot the system.