Fastboot: The simple guide to flash all your files on Android

One of the charms of Android is that we can customize absolutely everything at the software level. However, many users do not dare to flash some ROMs or files to damage their terminal. One of the basic methods to flash on Android is Fastboot, a great unknown for newbies, which far exceeds the flashing options that Recovery gives us.

Today we bring you a more than simple guide to learn everything you can do with Fastboot without going into technicalities. The objective is that even the most novice can install a ROM by Fastboot, so if you are an expert, do not take into account the technical deficiencies of the post since the objective is to make everything very easy for the basic user.

What is Fastboot, and when is it necessary to use it?

So that you don’t mess around, keep in mind that Fastboot is a tool that Android provides us to flash files and modify some software factors. For example, surely you have heard of a mobile that has the Bootloader blocked. Well, thanks to Fastboot, you can unlock the Bootloader to change the ROM of your terminal. To enter Fastboot, consult the guide for your phone, although it is usually the power button + vol up.

But you may wonder, why do I want to use the Bootloader to flash a ROM for Recovery? We will explain it to you in a simple way, an installation via Fastboot installs a factory image, the system pure and clean. A flash by Recovery installs a ROM compressed in .zip format, this is not bad, but Recovery considers the files that the phone has and can give us problems. Facebook does not.

We give you a simple example so that you can understand it. Imagine that you have installed a recovery that, for some reason, does not load or gives errors. You could not flash any file or fix it in principle. However, via Fastboot, you can flash another recovery or the factory image that contains the original Recovery.

Basic commands for Fastboot

Let’s see it! Command flashing can be scary at first, but later, you find out how simple, fast, and efficient it is. In some terminals, the commands change, but there is common terminology for all Android terminals that you should know. In addition, it is easy to remember, since its name tells us what we are doing.

• If you want to check that your mobile is connected: fastboot devices
• If you want to flash a ROM: fastboot flash (rom name) .zip
• If you want to flash a recovery: fastboot flash recovery recovery. img
• If you want to flash a kernel: fastboot flash boot boot. img
• If you’re going to boot into Recovery: fastboot boot recovery. img
• If you want to unlock the Bootloader: fastboot OEM unlock
• If you want to lock the Bootloader: fastboot OEM lock

There are more commands, and there may be small variations depending on the terminal, but this list of commands can help you find a tutorial on how to flash a file and not make it clear how it is done. Another advantage of Fastboot is that nowadays, we find flash_all_bat files that carry out the process automatically, without you having to write a single command.

Conclusion

If your terminal does not boot, if you want to flash a factory image, a modified kernel, or unlock your Bootloader, Fastboot is the best tool to modify files on Android. Its use is very safe since if a file is not compatible, Fastboot will not allow it to be installed.