In its quest to resurrect the Nokia brand, HMD Global has quite faithfully deferred to Google in almost all aspects of its phones" software. The company was among the first to sign up for the Android One program, and its entire lineup now features Android One, making it Google"s largest partner in this regard.
Thus, it"s not surprising that just like Pixel phones, you will now be able to unlock the bootloader on Nokia phones. HMD"s Chief Product Officer, Juho Sarvikas, earlier today tweeted about the change, which the rather lively Android modding community will surely appreciate.
If you"re not familiar with what the benefits of an unlocked bootloader are, it simply means that the phones can now be customised to a greater degree. It"s also a requirement if you"re planning on installing a custom ROM on your smartphone.
To the passionate developer and modding community out there, we have news to share!
— Juho Sarvikas (@sarvikas) September 27, 2018
You can now unlock the bootloader of your #Nokia8. #BootloaderUnlock #Nokiamobilehttps://t.co/v61TmWNbV9 pic.twitter.com/EUuuzf3cKq
The company"s statement cautions users that only select Nokia models are eligible, but apart from the Nokia 8, which Sarvikas mentioned by name, it"s not entirely clear as to which phones are supported and which aren"t. There is also a list of cautionary warnings and potential mishaps that could happen as a result of your tinkering with the bootloader, the most important of which is that the phone"s warranty will be immediately voided as a result.
If you"re still not deterred, you can head over to the following page to get the necessary tools to unlock the bootloader on your Nokia handset. You will, however, need to sign up for an account before you can proceed.
Once you"ve done so, you"ll need to download the Nokia Bootloader Unlocker app on your phone, and validate your phone using the provided code in the app. You can then follow along with the instructions provided on Nokia"s site to proceed with unlocking the bootloader.
Thanks to BUNS for the tip!