# Install TWRP recovery on Android: the working 2025 path *Published:* 2025-05-13 *Author:* arthur ### TL;DR **The pick:** Installing TWRP custom recovery on an Android phone in 2025 is mostly a Pixel and OnePlus exercise; Samsung and most other vendors have made it harder over the past few years. **Runner-up:** the legitimate path requires unlocking the bootloader (which factory-resets the device and may void warranty) plus knowing the exact device codename. Below: the workflow that’s most likely to work, plus when to stop and accept that your specific device isn’t supported. **Skip if:** you don’t have a specific reason to root. Most things people once wanted root for (custom themes, ad blocking, app firewalls) are now possible without it on modern Android. .bfa-hero-stat-trio-block, .bfa-hero-stat-trio-block *, .bfa-hero-stat-trio-block *::before, .bfa-hero-stat-trio-block *::after { box-sizing: border-box; } .bfa-hero-stat-trio-block { container-type: inline-size; container-name: bfa-hero-trio; font-family: "Source Serif 4", Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; color: #0E1A1A; background: #FAF7F2; border: 1px solid #E8E0D2; border-radius: 20px; padding: 36px 28px; margin: 28px 0; } .bfa-hero-stat-trio-block .bfa-hero-trio__eyebrow { font-family: "Inter", system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", sans-serif; font-size: 12px; letter-spacing: 0.18em; text-transform: uppercase; color: #44706E; margin: 0 0 12px 0; } .bfa-hero-stat-trio-block .bfa-hero-trio__title { font-family: "Fraunces", Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-weight: 600; font-size: 32px; line-height: 1.15; margin: 0 0 14px 0; color: #0E1A1A; } .bfa-hero-stat-trio-block .bfa-hero-trio__title em { font-style: italic; color: #1F3837; } .bfa-hero-stat-trio-block .bfa-hero-trio__intro { font-size: 17px; line-height: 1.55; color: #4B5C5B; margin: 0 0 28px 0; } .bfa-hero-stat-trio-block .bfa-hero-trio__grid { display: grid; grid-template-columns: 1fr; gap: 14px; } .bfa-hero-stat-trio-block .bfa-hero-trio__stat { background: #ffffff; border: 1px solid #E8E0D2; border-radius: 14px; padding: 22px 18px; text-align: left; } .bfa-hero-stat-trio-block .bfa-hero-trio__value { font-family: "Fraunces", Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-feature-settings: "tnum" 1; font-variant-numeric: tabular-nums; font-weight: 600; font-size: 44px; line-height: 1; color: #1F3837; } .bfa-hero-stat-trio-block .bfa-hero-trio__unit { font-family: "Inter", system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; color: #44706E; margin-left: 6px; letter-spacing: 0.04em; } .bfa-hero-stat-trio-block .bfa-hero-trio__caption { font-family: "Inter", system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; color: #728483; margin: 8px 0 0 0; line-height: 1.4; } @container bfa-hero-trio (min-width: 560px) { .bfa-hero-stat-trio-block .bfa-hero-trio__grid { grid-template-columns: repeat(3, 1fr); gap: 16px; } .bfa-hero-stat-trio-block .bfa-hero-trio__title { font-size: 38px; } } @media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) { .bfa-hero-stat-trio-block .bfa-hero-trio__value { transition: none; } } Android root + recovery guide TWRP install. *The honest 2025 path.* ------------------------------------- TWRP installation isn’t what it was a decade ago. The path is real for some devices and impossible for others; we’ll walk through the working flow and where it stops working. 0vendorsWhere TWRP installation is reliable in 2025: Pixel, OnePlus 0stagesBootloader unlock, fastboot flash, recovery boot 0minRealistic time from start to first TWRP boot (function () { function init(block) { if (block.getAttribute("data-bfa-trio-bound") === "1") { return; } block.setAttribute("data-bfa-trio-bound", "1"); var values = block.getElementsByClassName("bfa-hero-trio__value"); var reduce = window.matchMedia("(prefers-reduced-motion: reduce)").matches; function animate(el) { var target = parseInt(el.getAttribute("data-bfa-trio-value"), 10) || 0; if (reduce) { el.textContent = String(target); return; } var start = null; var dur = 1800; function step(ts) { if (start === null) { start = ts; } var t = Math.min(1, (ts - start) / dur); var eased = 1 - Math.pow(1 - t, 3); el.textContent = String(Math.round(target * eased)); if (t < 1) { requestAnimationFrame(step); } } requestAnimationFrame(step); } if (typeof IntersectionObserver === "undefined") { Array.prototype.forEach.call(values, function (el) { animate(el); }); return; } var io = new IntersectionObserver(function (entries) { entries.forEach(function (entry) { if (entry.isIntersecting) { animate(entry.target); io.unobserve(entry.target); } }); }, { threshold: 0.4 }); Array.prototype.forEach.call(values, function (el) { io.observe(el); }); } function run() { var blocks = document.getElementsByClassName("bfa-hero-stat-trio-block"); Array.prototype.forEach.call(blocks, function (b) { try { init(b); } catch (e) {} }); } if (document.readyState === "loading") { document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", run); } else { run(); } })(); Before you start ---------------- Installing TWRP requires unlocking your phone's bootloader. This factory-resets the device, may void warranty depending on vendor, and changes the security posture of the device permanently. Banking [apps](https://bestforandroid.com/best/apps-android/ "Best Apps Category"), payment apps, and some [streaming](https://bestforandroid.com/streaming/movies/ "Movie Category") apps will refuse to run on a bootloader-unlocked device. Make sure that's an acceptable trade-off before continuing. Devices where TWRP is reliable in 2025: Google Pixel (4 through 9 series), OnePlus (8 through 13 except some carrier variants), and select Xiaomi POCO models. Devices where it's hard or impossible: Samsung Galaxy (Knox-locked since the Note 10 era), most Motorola, most current Huawei. Confirm support on the official TWRP devices page before attempting. Stage 1: Unlock the bootloader ------------------------------ - **Enable Developer Options.** Settings > About phone > Build number, tap 7 times. - **Enable OEM Unlocking.** Settings > System > Developer options > OEM unlocking. Toggle on. (Some vendors require waiting 7 days after first sign-in before this toggle becomes available; that's an anti-theft delay.) - **Enable USB Debugging.** Same menu. Toggle on. - **Connect the phone to a computer.** USB-C cable. Tap "Allow" on the phone when the debugging permission prompt appears. - **Reboot to fastboot.** Either via the in-app option (some custom ROMs have it) or via the command line: `adb reboot bootloader` - **Run the unlock command.** `fastboot flashing unlock` on Pixel and most others. `fastboot oem unlock` on older devices. Confirm on the phone's screen with the volume keys. - **Wait for the factory reset to complete.** The phone reboots and starts the standard setup flow. Stage 2: Find your device's exact codename ------------------------------------------ TWRP releases are tied to specific device codenames, which aren't always the same as the marketing name. The Pixel 9 Pro is "caiman". The OnePlus 13 is "manet". The Xiaomi 14 is "houji". Run `adb shell getprop ro.product.device` with the phone connected to confirm. Then download the TWRP image (`twrp-x.x.x-codename.img`) from the official TWRP site for that exact codename. Don't use someone else's image; the partition layouts vary even between phones with the same chipset. Stage 3: Flash and boot TWRP ---------------------------- - **Reboot to fastboot** again: `adb reboot bootloader` - **Boot TWRP without flashing** first to verify it works: `fastboot boot twrp-x.x.x-codename.img`. The phone should boot into the TWRP UI within a few seconds. - **If TWRP boots correctly**, you can now decide whether to permanently flash it (replacing the stock recovery) or just keep using the boot-once approach for occasional use. - **To permanently flash:** in TWRP, navigate to Install > Install Recovery Ramdisk, select the same .img file, and confirm. Reboot. - **Verify on next boot** by holding power + volume down at startup; the phone should boot into TWRP instead of stock recovery. Common failure modes -------------------- - **fastboot flashing unlock not allowed:** the OEM unlocking toggle isn't on, OR the device requires a 7-day wait after first sign-in. - **fastboot boot succeeds but TWRP doesn't show:** wrong codename. Verify with `getprop`, download the matching image. - **Device boots into a strange logo (Pixel, etc.) and doesn't proceed:** the bootloader has detected the modified state and is in safety mode. Reboot to fastboot and try again with the verified-correct image. - **TWRP boots but can't decrypt /data:** Android encryption is tied to the screen lock. TWRP can sometimes decrypt; sometimes can't. If it can't, you'll need to reset the encryption (which destroys data) or use a TWRP build with the right decryption support for your specific device-and-Android-version combination. What about the Pixel 8 series and newer? ---------------------------------------- Recent Pixel devices (8 onwards) added stronger Android Verified Boot (AVB) checks. TWRP works but the workflow is slightly different (specifically the avb keys you sometimes need to disable). Follow the device-specific page on the TWRP site rather than a generic guide. If your device isn't supported ------------------------------ Samsung Galaxy phones (post-Note 10), modern Motorola, and most current Huawei phones don't have working TWRP builds. The vendor's anti-tampering layers actively prevent it. The realistic options: - **Use a different recovery.** Some devices have OrangeFox or PitchBlack as alternatives. - **Use ADB and fastboot directly.** Most use cases for TWRP (sideloading APKs, flashing kernels, taking nandroid backups) can be done via ADB without a custom recovery. - **Stick with stock.** Modern Android already does most of what people once needed root for. The trade-off math has shifted significantly. Verdict ------- TWRP installation is straightforward on Pixel and OnePlus, harder or impossible on most other vendors. The legitimate path is bootloader-unlock plus device-specific image flash. If your specific device isn't supported, accept it; most things root once unlocked are now possible on stock Android. #### How we tested Workflow verified May 2025 on Pixel 9 Pro and OnePlus 13. We do not recommend or test commercial "one-click" rooting tools; the bypass approaches they use range from no-op to actively destructive.