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What is OEM Unlock – What does OEM Unlock Mean on Android devices?
Almost all Android mobiles devices have their bootloader locked. What does a locked bootloader mean? Mobile Users can’t flash the bootloader or touch the device partitions in this manner.
This is where OEM Unlock comes in. What does OEM Unlock mean? It means that you can now unlock a mobile device to flash the bootloader with a new image.
OEM Unlocking is hidden just like other features such as USB debugging. Users who do not understand what they are doing could negatively damager their mobile device.
Pros and Cons of OEM Unlocking.
There are both pros and cons to OEM Unlocking. Review both the pros and cons before you decide to OEM unlock the your Android device bootloader.
Pros of OEM Unlocking
1. Freedom to install custom ROM, Kernel or other famous mods.
2. Root Android Device
Cons of OEM Unlocking
1. You will not be able to return device as you have broken warranty.
2. You lose company support services.
3. Device will lose all data once OEM bootloader is unlocked
4. You may be prevented from installing Android applications that have DRM-protected feature.
Instructions on How to OEM Unlock Android Device Bootloader:
** Ensure you Backup your Android Device **
When messing around with the internal components of an Android device there is always a chance you could lose your data. See backup guide.
In order for a user to flash their bootloader, they need to manually unlock the OEM bootloader. This can be accomplished by going into the Android devices Developer Settings.
1. Turn ON the Developer Options (Enable Developer Options) – Settings > About Phone > Software Information and then tap on Build number 7 times. This will enable Developer Options on your device.
