How to Unlock Bootloader and Root or Jailbreak Google Nexus 5

Rooting means you have root access to your Android-based smartphone device that similar to jailbreaking in iPhone. It’s similar running programs as administrators in Windows, or running a command with sudo in Linux. With rooting the smartphone device, user can fully access to change or modify the file system on the smartphone.

Nexus devices are known to be easily rootable to the extent that a non-developer. The engineering bootloader that with Google new Nexus 5 devices running Android 4.4 KitKat in fact enable the device to be fastboot to unlock the device, Chainfire’s famous CF-Auto-Root specifically built for the Nexus 5, at XDA forums.

How to Unlock Google Nexus 5 Bootloader

1. Download and extract the latest Android SDK from Google.zip file (Windows, Linux and Mac included)
2. Run a command prompt or terminal at the directory which the zip file was extracted.
   adb reboot bootloader
   (Note: If using a Mac, it’s ./adb reboot bootloader or ./fastboot -insert comand)
3. Type and run one of the following command according to system platform:
   fastboot-windows oem unlock
   ./fastboot-mac oem unlock
   ./fastboot-linux oem unlock
4. Select “Yes” to unlock bootloader

 

How to Root (Jailbreak) the Google Nexus 5

1. Download the CF-Auto-Root.zip file and extract to a directory.
2. Turn off the phone, and then press and hold Volume Up, Volume Down and Power buttons together to enter the bootloader mode.
3. Connect Google Nexus 5 to PC via USB and install any drivers if required
4. For Windows – Double click on root-windows.bat file in the extracted CF-Auto-Root file.
   For Linux – Open a terminal window to the directory containing the CF-Auto-Root file, and run the following commands:
   chmod +x root-linux.sh
   ./root-linux.sh  
   For Mac OS X – Open a terminal window to the directory containing the CF-Auto-Root file, and run the following commands:
   chmod +x root-mac.sh
   ./root-mac.sh