How to Unlock Bootloader on Moto G 2016 Edition Moto G4 and G4 Plus

The Moto G4 is the latest flagship phone from Motorola and with its collaboration with Google, the device sports the latest Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow firmware out of the box. The two devices feature stunning specifications and has been a popular device this year. Even though the Moto G4 device is new, many Android enthusiasts would like to get started with the advanced development for it. Hence, the very first step to get started with the development, personalization, modding, etc. is to unlock the bootloader on your Android device. This ensures that you are ready to tinker with your Moto G4 and Moto G4 Plus and get started with rooting, installing TWRP, flashing custom ROMS like CyanogenMod. This tutorial will help you to unlock bootloader on Moto G 2016 Editions i.e, Moto G4 and Moto G4 Plus officially. The G4 comes with model numberย XT1641, XT1643 and the Moto G4 Plus

This is an official procedure and is a simple one that requires you to register at the manufacturerโ€™s website and receive a unique unlock code. Once you have the code, you are all set to unlock the bootloader using ADB and Fastboot commands. The procedure comes from Motorola from their developer site page and hence, it may void your deviceโ€™s warranty. So you should be cautious about it. The unofficial procedure is not yet available that bypasses the Motorola bootloader authentication. For now, this is the only method. Stay tuned for more updates.

Update: the post has been updated to work with Android 7.0 Nougat and also on Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow official firmware on Moto G4 and Moto G4 Plus.

Download Bootloaderย Unlock Files and Links forย Moto G4 (Plus)

Disclaimer:ย Unlocking the bootloader, rooting or installing a custom recovery will all void your warranty. We wonโ€™t be responsible for anything you do with this. You will lose data, apps, etc., hence backup. Readerโ€™s discretion is advised.

How to Unlock Bootloader on Motorolaย Moto G4 and G4 Plus 2016 Edition?

Summary: First you need to signup for Motorolaโ€™s official Bootloader Unlock program and receive a code. To sign up for the program, you will need aย device id/device unlock data. This unlock data can be generated from fastboot commands. Hence, setup or install ADB and Fastboot environment onto a Windows, Linux or Mac machine. Install latest USB drivers from Motorola. Enter the commands listed in the tutorial and unlock the bootloader. Wait for the phone to reboot.

Prerequisites

1.ย Enable USB Debugging on your device. To do so, go to Settings>About Phone> Tap on the Build Number several times until you get a newย Developer Options in theSettings.ย Openย Developer Options and enable USB Debugging from there. Trust the connection by allowing it when you connect it to your PC for the first time.

2. For ADB and Fastbootย download the quick ADB and Fastboot Installer fromย hereย for Windows users or easily setup ADB and Fastboot environment on Mac OS, Linux, or Chrome OS from here. You may also like Minimal Motorola ADB, ย Universal ADB drivers, Naked ADB drivers.

3.ย Activating the โ€œEnable OEM unlockโ€ option is necessary to unlockย the bootloader. To enable OEM unlock, go to Settings >> Developer options and check Enable OEM unlock.

4.ย Verify your device for compatibility. Also, make sure you have latest device drivers setup on your PC for a better connection. Get it from the official pageย of your device manufacturer.

Installation Instructions

Step 1: Make sure you setup ADB and Fastboot on your PC. Connect your Motorola device to PC and trust the connection- tap Yes on โ€œAlways allow from this computerโ€ when you plug in the device for the first time.

Step 2:ย If you have installed the quick ADB installer, launch a command prompt or terminal window anywhere. To do so, just click the address bar and type cmd and press Enter key. Alternatively, hold the shift key on the keyboard and right-click on an empty space and select โ€œOpen command window hereโ€ option to launch a cmd window. [If you use the minimal ADB package, then navigate to the location where you have setup ADB and Fastboot and launch a command prompt or terminal window there]

Step 3: Nowย reboot into the bootloader, issue the following commands. (If ADB does not detect your device try switching your phoneโ€™s USB mode from Charging to MTP or PTP. Check connectivity with by command โ€œadb devicesโ€)

adb reboot-bootloader

Step 4: Once in the bootloader, issue the following fastboot command to obtain device data :

fastboot oem get_unlock_data

Step 5: Fastboot command will return a string. This is the unlock data which is needed to generate your unique unlock key. It should look something like this:

$ fastboot oem device-id
(bootloader) 0A40040192024205#4C4D3556313230
(bootloader) 30373731363031303332323239#BD00
(bootloader) 8A672BA4746C2CE02328A2AC0C39F95
(bootloader) 1A3E5#1F53280002000000000000000
(bootloader) 0000000

Note: To generate your unlock key, you will need to paste together the 2 lines of output into one continuous string without โ€œ(bootloader)โ€ or white spaces. In the example above, the data would be:

32323239#BD008A672BA4746C2CE02328A2AC0C39F951A3E5#1F532800020000000000000000000000

Step 6: Copy the string and save it in a text file. Now go to theย Motorolaย developer site from here, sign into your account (create an account id not) with the same URL. Choose next and paste the unlock data string in the column where it says โ€œCan my device be unlocked?โ€. Once pasted, hit the โ€œRequest Unlock key โ€œsubmit button. In a few minutes, the Unlock Key will be emailed to you. will be emailed to you. Download unlock key to your computer.

How to Unlock Bootloader on Moto G 2016 Request Unlock Key

Step 7:ย While the phone is still in fastboot mode and connected to your PC, issue the following command to unlock the bootloader using terminal/cmd as shown. (This will unlock your phone AND factory reset your device wiping all data!)

fastboot oem unlock <UNLOCK_KEY>

Step 8:ย Thatโ€™s it. Reboot the phone and boot into your unlocked device. Use command:

fastboot reboot

Make sure your device is unlocked properly. You can use the command โ€œfastboot unlock-infoโ€. It should give out โ€œTrueโ€. Once done, you may proceed with TWRP and root procedure. Like and follow us in social media. For queries, comment down below.


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