Have you ever used the Fastboot commands? If not, you might at least be familiar with the Fastboot mode on Android devices. ADB and Fastboot can be used to perform different command-line operations using a computer. Below is the complete list of Fastboot commands with their descriptions to help you understand them better.
You can use ADB and ADB Shell commands when your Android device is turned on. However, to execute Fastboot commands, you must boot your device into Fastboot mode.
What is Fastboot?
Just like ADB (Android Debug Bridge), Fastboot is a command-line tool as well as a protocol on Android devices. It works as a communication bridge between your computer and Android device. Fastboot commands work only when your device is booted into the Fastboot or bootloader mode. Using these commands, you can reboot the bootloader, enable or disable OEM unlock, and flash factory images or modify partitions on your device.
Whether you want to flash a custom recovery or the stock firmware images on your Android device manually, you must execute specific Fastboot commands for the purpose. However, before you can execute ADB and Fastboot commands, there are certain preparations that you must make beforehand.
Booting Android Devices into Fastboot Mode
ADB commands require an Android device connected via USB or ADB over WiFi. However, Fastboot commands require a connected Android device (via USB) that is booted in the Fastboot or Bootloader Mode. While you need to enable USB debugging to use ADB commands, Fastboot does not require USB debugging to be enabled on the device.
You can boot Android phones or tablets into the Fastboot mode by pressing the Volume Down + Power buttons simultaneously for 3-5 seconds. On some devices, you might need to use the Volume Up key instead.
Alternatively, you can reboot your Android device into the Fastboot or Bootloader mode using an ADB command. Connect your phone to a Windows, Mac, or Linux computer and execute the following commands one after another. Make sure your phone’s screen is unlocked.
adb devices
When you hit the Enter key after issuing the above command, you’ll see the connected device on the command window.
Having ensured a proper connection, you can execute the following command:
adb reboot bootloader
Your Android device will reboot into Fastboot Mode and you are all set to use the Fastboot commands listed below.
Complete List of Fastboot Commands
Warning: Please note that Fastboot commands can brick or damage your device. Please use them carefully. If you are new to such things, please refer to a reliable tutorial. Also, Fastboot commands do not necessarily work on all Android devices. Their compatibility differs from OEM to OEM.
Get Information about Fastboot
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fastboot help
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fastboot oem help
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fastboot oem hw help
You can use these 3 Fastboot commands to get information about commands, parameters, and conditions along with their descriptions.
Check Fastboot Connection Status
fastboot devices fastboot devices [-l] (with the path of the device/s)
Using this Fastboot command, you can check if your device has been detected and recognized by your computer or not. It shows the list of devices connected to your computer as shown below.
Fastboot Commands to Find Device Information
fastboot oem
There are some interesting variations of the ‘fastboot oem’ command that work with different parameters as described below:
fastboot oem device-info
The above command, for instance, will display a detailed list of information about your Android device. Similarly, you can add the following parameters after fastboot oem to perform certain tasks and get more info.
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setbrightness
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get_config
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set_config
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rm_config
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esim_erase
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esim_atp
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uart
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HALT
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sha1sum
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ddrtest
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ramdump
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dmesg
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rma
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ramdump_sahara
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dump-chipid
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check-hw-security
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get_platform_info
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set_platform_info
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select-display-panel
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off-mode-charge
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set_display_power_mode
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enable-factory-lock
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factory-lock
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continue-factory
Display Miscellaneous Info about Android Device
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fastboot getvar [NAME]
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fastboot getvar battery-status
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fastboot getvar battery-voltage
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fastboot getvar boot-mode
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fastboot getvar build-mode
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fastboot getvar cidnum
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fastboot getvar gencheckpt
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fastboot getvar imei
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fastboot getvar meid
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fastboot getvar modelid
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fastboot getvar partition-layout
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fastboot getvar platform
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fastboot getvar product
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fastboot getvar security
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fastboot getvar serialno
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fastboot getvar version
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fastboot getvar version-baseband
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fastboot getvar version-bootloader
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fastboot getvar version-cpld
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fastboot getvar version-main
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fastboot getvar version-microp
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fastboot getvar version-misc
GetVar means “get variables”. To get even more information about your Android phone or tablet you can the Fastboot commands listed above.
Fastboot Command to Unlock the Bootloader
fastboot oem unlock
This command can unlock the bootloader on Android devices from OEMs like Google Pixel, OnePlus, Motorola, Nokia, etc. You may also need an unlock key from your device manufacturer to unlock the bootloader. Alternatively, you can also use the following Fastboot command to unlock the bootloader.
fastboot flashing unlock
Read Also: How to Unlock Android PIN and Pattern using ADB Commands
Relock the Bootloader
fastboot oem lock
or
fastboot flashing lock
Once unlocked the bootloader, you can relock it later by using the above command.
Reboot Android Device
fastboot reboot
This command reboots your device into the ROM.
Reboot Android Devices into FastbootD Mode
fastboot reboot fastboot
When your Android device is still booted into Fastboot, you can use this command to reboot into FastbootD mode.
Reboot the Device into the Recovery Mode
fastboot reboot recovery
Reboots Android devices into Recovery mode.
Reboot the Device into the Bootloader Mode
fastboot reboot bootloader
Sometimes, you may need to reboot the Fastboot or Bootloader mode while flashing images. This command will do that for you.
Fastboot Commands to Flash System Image File and TWRP
fastboot flash
This command can be used to flash zip files, factory images, recovery, boot, radio, system, and other images to your Android device. Check out these examples:
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fastboot flash boot boot.img -
fastboot flash system system.img -
fastboot flash recovery recovery.img -
fastboot flash cache cache.img -
fastboot flash modem NON-HLOS.bin -
fastboot flash sbl1 sbl1.mbn -
fastboot flash dbi sdi.mbn -
fastboot flash aboot emmc_appsboot.mbn -
fastboot flash rpm rpm.mbn -
fastboot flash tz tz.mbn -
fastboot flash LOGO logo.bin
Similarly, you can use the following command to flash TWRP recovery.
fastboot flash recovery twrp.img
If the TWRP recovery file you have is a flashable ZIP, you can use the following command.
fastboot flash recovery TWRP-recovery.zip
Boot into TWRP via Fastboot
fastboot boot recovery twrp.img
Use the above command if you need to just boot your Android device into a custom recovery mode temporarily without flashing it.
Format the Userdata Partition
fastboot erase userdata
You can use this command to erase your phone’s data.
Flash All Partitions at Once
fastboot -w flashall
If you want to flash all partitions on your Android device at once, you can use the above Fastboot command.
Restore from Backed-up Images
If you have backed up the system, data, and cache image files from your phone and want to restore them, you can do that by erasing the current partitions followed by flashing the backed-up images saved on your computer. Make sure to issue the commands given below in the same sequence.
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fastboot erase system
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fastboot erase data
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fastboot erase cache
Once you have erased the above partitions, use these commands to restore your backup:
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fastboot flash system system.img -
fastboot flash data data.img -
fastboot flash cache cache.img
Should you have any questions to ask about ADB and Fastboot commands, feel free to drop us a comment. Before you go, don’t forget to check out our huge list of ADB Shell commands with a detailed explanation.
Flash Update.zip via Fastboot
fastboot update <package.zip>
You can use this command to flash all partitions from an update.zip package.
You can download the Fastboot commands list as a PDF file as well.
