Google’s Android OS is quite well-known for its customizability and developer-friendly approach, and OnePlus is one of the manufacturers of choice among Android enthusiasts who like to tinker around with their device, including unlocking the bootloader, installing a custom recovery and enabling root access. Rooting the device, or flashing new ROMs and packages is not possible without a custom recovery, and TeamWin recently came to the rescue, releasing the official TWRP package for the new OnePlus 3.
TWRP is one of the most famous custom recoveries available for Android, the other option being CWM. Owners of the OnePlus 3 will be excited to know that the recovery image file is now available for download at their official site, along with detailed instructions provided by TeamWin to install the recovery. The latest version of recovery available at the time of writing this article is version 2.8.4. As a note of caution, it is advised that the user learns about the procedure and the risks involved before they attempt installing the custom recovery or rooting the device, especially so if it is their first time
While other manufacturers are making their device considerably hard to modify, with locked bootloaders, and no easy way to gain root access, OnePlus has set itself apart with its motto of allowing the user to modify the device in any way they want. Rooting the OnePlus 3 is quite easy, with the first step being unlocking the hidden developer options in settings, and allowing OEM unlock and USB debugging, which allows ADB access. The next step is to connect the phone to the PC and use the terminal to unlock the bootloader with the commands, ‘fastboot devices’, and ‘fastboot oem unlock’, in the respective order. These two commands will unlock the bootloader and will allow the user to install TWRP and gain root access to the device by flashing the SuperSu package through the custom recovery.
Installing custom recovery and rooting the device allows the user to modify various system settings, providing them with improved battery life or better performance. The custom recovery will also be of help while installing unofficial Android Nougat ROMs before OnePlus releases the official update. OnePlus has always encouraged users to experiment with their devices, being one of the few companies who provide warranty on a bootloader unlocked and rooted device as long as the hardware is not affected by the user.