LG now officially supports bootloader unlock for the LG G6 H870 (European variant), allowing development on the device. Unlocked bootloader is mandatory to install TWRP custom recovery, get root access, install custom ROMs, customize LG G6 as per your needs, and do various other things. However, note that unlocking the bootloader will void your device’s warranty, factory reset your device and the process cannot be reversed.
Bootloader is a security feature on Android, however, if you do not care about the unlocked bootloader, then read on to how to unlock your LG G6’s bootloader officially. At present LG supports European variant LG G6 H870 only. However, there is a hope that other region G6 variants will also get support from LG in the future.
If you have enough reasons to unlock the bootloader on your LG G6, then check out the guide below.
Prerequisites for unlocking bootloader on LG G6 H870 (European Variant):
– USB driver for LG G5 H870 installed on your PC (Download here)
– ADB and Fastboot driver installed on the PC (Read this guide)
Warning: Before get start, do remember that though LG officially lets you unlock LG G6’s bootloder, it will void your device’s warranty. Also, once done, you cannot go back to previous state. Back up all data, you have on your phone before proceeding.
How to Unlock Bootloader of LG G6
Disclaimer: This guide is for advanced users only. We will not take responsibility for anything that goes wrong. Also note that the below method only supports LG G6 H870 European variant only.
1. Enable OEM Unlock and USB Debugging on LG G6. To do so, go to your phone Settings > About Phone > Software Info > tap Build Number multiple times to enable Developer Options. In Developer Options, enable OEM Unlock and USB Debugging.
2. Now, create a LG developer account [HERE]
3. To unlock LG G6 bootloader, you need device ID and IMEI number. Dial *#06# and note down the IMEI number.
– To get device ID, connect your LG G6 to your PC, go to ADB installation folder and open a command window from there (shift + right click and select open command window here).
– In the command prompt, type ‘adb reboot bootloader’ and hit enter. It will boot your phone into fastboot mode. (If ADB does not detect your device, then try switching USB mode from Charging to MTP or PTP).
– Now, type the command ‘fastboot oem device-id’ and hit enter. This will return a character string as given below example with device ID:
4. To generate your unlock key, you need to paste together the 2 lines of output into one continuous string without “(bootloader)” or white spaces.
Example, the Device ID would be:
CD58B679A38D6B613ED518F37A05E013F93190BD558261DBBC5584E8EF8789B1
5. Now, go to LG developer website and log in with your account. Then, click the ‘Start Unlocking the Bootloader’ button.
6. In the page that opens, enter details, such as your name, email ID, IMEI number and device ID.
7. Click ‘Phone’ drop down menu and select, LG H870 from the list.
8. You will receive your Unlock key on your mail. Download the file and save it on ADB installation directory.
9. Now, while the device is still in fastboot mode and is connected to your PC, issue the below command:
fastboot flash unlock unlock.bin
(unlock.bin is the bootloader unlock key you received in the email)
10. Now, issue the command ‘fastboot reboot’ to reboot your phone
You have now successfully unlocked your LG G6 bootloader. You can now install TWRP recovery, gain root access, etc. (Source –LG)
