I posted these step-by-step instructions in another thread but thought others might like to see them in their own thread. This works for Dev Ed Moto X's running either 4.4 or 4.4.2. If you have a non-Dev Ed with an unlockable bootloader, it works for those, too, but of course you void your warranty if you unlock your bootloader if you have a non-Dev Ed.
To unlock and root the developer edition:
1) Get the unlock code from Motorola and unlock the bootloader by following the directions in this link, including downloading the Android SDK and installing Motorola Device Manager:
Unlock Moto X Bootloader
2) Get mfastboot.exe here:
mfastboot.exe
and place it in the same directory as fastboot (fastboot is in the \sdk\platform-tools subdirectory of the Android SDK).
3) Get the TWRP custom recovery for kit kat here:
TWRP for Moto X 4.4
and place it in the same directory as fastboot.
4) On your unlocked Moto X, enable USB debugging and download SuperSU here:
SuperSU 1.93
5) Double check to make sure USB debugging has been enabled! Put your unlocked Moto X into bootloader mode by pressing the Volume Down button and then the Power button. Hold for about 3 seconds and release and you should be in bootloader mode. Connect your Moto X to your PC via a USB cable.
6) Open a command prompt on your PC and change directory to the folder where mfastboot.exe is.
7) At the command prompt type:
mfastboot flash recovery twrp-2.6.3.1-ghost-4.4.img
to flash the custom recovery to your Moto X.
8) After the custom recovery has been flashed to your Moto X, at the command prompt type:
fastboot reboot-bootloader
to reboot into the bootloader.
(I am not sure if this step is necessary but I read somewhere it was necessary and I did it and it worked).
9) Unplug your device from your PC. Then get into recovery mode by pressing the Volume Down button to highlight recovery mode and pressing the Volume Up button to select the recovery mode.
10) You should now have booted into the Team Win Recovery Project custom recovery. Click on Install to install SuperSu. Scroll down to find the sdcard and select it. Then scroll down to download and select it. Select the SuperSU zip file and swipe to install.
If you want to check to see if you successfully rooted, you can download Root Checker Basic from the playstore and it will tell you if you are rooted.
From what I have read you can use the version of TWRP I linked to above to root 4.4.2.
Remember, to take an OTA, you have to revert back to stock!
To unlock and root the developer edition:
1) Get the unlock code from Motorola and unlock the bootloader by following the directions in this link, including downloading the Android SDK and installing Motorola Device Manager:
Unlock Moto X Bootloader
2) Get mfastboot.exe here:
mfastboot.exe
and place it in the same directory as fastboot (fastboot is in the \sdk\platform-tools subdirectory of the Android SDK).
3) Get the TWRP custom recovery for kit kat here:
TWRP for Moto X 4.4
and place it in the same directory as fastboot.
4) On your unlocked Moto X, enable USB debugging and download SuperSU here:
SuperSU 1.93
5) Double check to make sure USB debugging has been enabled! Put your unlocked Moto X into bootloader mode by pressing the Volume Down button and then the Power button. Hold for about 3 seconds and release and you should be in bootloader mode. Connect your Moto X to your PC via a USB cable.
6) Open a command prompt on your PC and change directory to the folder where mfastboot.exe is.
7) At the command prompt type:
mfastboot flash recovery twrp-2.6.3.1-ghost-4.4.img
to flash the custom recovery to your Moto X.
8) After the custom recovery has been flashed to your Moto X, at the command prompt type:
fastboot reboot-bootloader
to reboot into the bootloader.
(I am not sure if this step is necessary but I read somewhere it was necessary and I did it and it worked).
9) Unplug your device from your PC. Then get into recovery mode by pressing the Volume Down button to highlight recovery mode and pressing the Volume Up button to select the recovery mode.
10) You should now have booted into the Team Win Recovery Project custom recovery. Click on Install to install SuperSu. Scroll down to find the sdcard and select it. Then scroll down to download and select it. Select the SuperSU zip file and swipe to install.
If you want to check to see if you successfully rooted, you can download Root Checker Basic from the playstore and it will tell you if you are rooted.
From what I have read you can use the version of TWRP I linked to above to root 4.4.2.
Remember, to take an OTA, you have to revert back to stock!
Last edited: