[HOW TO] Enable OEM Unlock for VS986

joshw0000 · Aug 8, 2015

Hey guys, before you get all excited, this is NOT a bootloader unlock. This will simply allow you to check a box in Developer Options to Enable OEM Unlock. Verizon seems to be the only carrier that doesn't have this setting in Developer Options by default. So let's go find it.

To enable this selection you need a way of activating Android activities. I use Nova Launcher and that's what I recommend but there are plenty of other ways to do this.

1. Long press a blank space on your home page, choose Widgets, then grab Activities and drop it on your home screen.
2. Scroll down to Settings, then Setting Util. You now have an icon on your home screen.
3. Open Setting Util, select Change Property. You'll see 2 blank boxes. Click the 2nd one, select TMO, and click Confirm.
4. Now open Settings, Developer Options, Enable OEM Unlock, and agree to the warning.

Once you reboot, the checkbox for Enable OEM Unlock will go away but it is still selected. Just repeat step 3 and when you return to Developer Settings you'll see that it's still selected.

If you'd like to boot to Fastboot, follow these steps http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=62230561 (note in the last command it should be laf.img).

Confirmation that this phone is locked:

itskapil · Aug 2, 2015 at 9:31 AM

@joshw0000 but this doesn't really unlocks the bootloader, right? Like the TMO version, where doing this unlocks the bootloader -- one doesn't even need to unclok it through LG's unlock program.

mtva24 · Aug 2, 2015 at 1:27 PM

You may be on to something!

joshw0000 · Aug 2, 2015 at 3:22 PM

itskapil said:
@joshw0000 but this doesn't really unlocks the bootloader, right? Like the TMO version, where doing this unlocks the bootloader -- one doesn't even need to unclok it through LG's unlock program.

Correct. Our bootloader is locked and this does not unlock it. At this point, enabling OEM Unlock doesn't provide much benefit. Maybe some time in the future it will.

mfun89 · Aug 2, 2015 at 3:55 PM

Can we install TWRP with this method, because all the T-Mobile variant needed was the option to enable OEM unlock and root access.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/tmo...recovery-twrp-2-8-7-0-touch-recovery-t3164874

"Prerequisites:
* Root
* Unlocked bootloader (In developer options, enable oem unlock)

Installation:
* Flash with flashify (probably the easiest method)

* Flash with dd via adb shell or terminal emulator (assuming the image is in the root of your internal sdcard)

Get root permission
Code:
su
Flash the image to recovery partition
Code:
dd if=/sdcard/twrp-2.8.7.0-h811.img of=/dev/block/bootdevice/by-name/recovery
Last edited by Unjustified Dev; 25th July 2015 at 12:54 PM."

jmileti · Aug 2, 2015 at 4:41 PM

mfun89 said:
Can we install TWRP with this method, because all the T-Mobile variant needed was the option to enable OEM unlock and root access.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/tmo...recovery-twrp-2-8-7-0-touch-recovery-t3164874

"Prerequisites:
* Root
* Unlocked bootloader (In developer options, enable oem unlock)

Installation:
* Flash with flashify (probably the easiest method)

* Flash with dd via adb shell or terminal emulator (assuming the image is in the root of your internal sdcard)

Get root permission
Code:
su
Flash the image to recovery partition
Code:
dd if=/sdcard/twrp-2.8.7.0-h811.img of=/dev/block/bootdevice/by-name/recovery
Last edited by Unjustified Dev; 25th July 2015 at 12:54 PM."

Anyone try or am I gonna be the guinea pig. I will if no one wants too

joshw0000 · Aug 2, 2015 at 4:44 PM

itskapil said:
@joshw0000 but this doesn't really unlocks the bootloader, right? Like the TMO version, where doing this unlocks the bootloader -- one doesn't even need to unclok it through LG's unlock program.

mfun89 said:
Can we install TWRP with this method, because all the T-Mobile variant needed was the option to enable OEM unlock and root access.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/tmo...recovery-twrp-2-8-7-0-touch-recovery-t3164874

"Prerequisites:
* Root
* Unlocked bootloader (In developer options, enable oem unlock)

Installation:
* Flash with flashify (probably the easiest method)

* Flash with dd via adb shell or terminal emulator (assuming the image is in the root of your internal sdcard)

Get root permission
Code:
su
Flash the image to recovery partition
Code:
dd if=/sdcard/twrp-2.8.7.0-h811.img of=/dev/block/bootdevice/by-name/recovery
Last edited by Unjustified Dev; 25th July 2015 at 12:54 PM."

I tried this last night with Flashify. I flashed the TMo TWRP and got a secure boot error when I booted to it. The phone simply rebooted itself. Restoring the stock recovery with Flashify was successful.

So no, Verizon isn't unlocked like TMo.

joshw0000 · Aug 2, 2015 at 4:46 PM

jmileti said:
Anyone try or am I gonna be the guinea pig. I will if no one wants too

I tried. You can flash it but it won't boot TWRP.

jmileti · Aug 2, 2015 at 4:53 PM

joshw0000 said:
I tried. You can flash it but it won't boot TWRP.

Well not what I wanted to here. Hope this leads to something bigger.

flamadiddle · Aug 4, 2015 at 9:54 PM

Great find. Thanks for the walkthrough. To everyone asking, this doesn't unlock the bootloader, but is one more hurdle before making that possible. This is likely something we will need to do anyway if/when a hack/workaround is found.

STIKID · May 21, 2015 95 7 0

Nice find i just hope it helps toward at least a bootloader work around.

Sent from my VS986

MicroMod777 · Aug 7, 2015 at 4:12 AM

joshw0000 said:
I tried this last night with Flashify. I flashed the TMo TWRP and got a secure boot error when I booted to it. The phone simply rebooted itself. Restoring the stock recovery with Flashify was successful.

So no, Verizon isn't unlocked like TMo.

Maybe try asking Unjustified Dev to build a TWRP for this varrient. You can't use a T-Mobile H811 TWRP on a VZW G4. I'm on the H811 and when I un-check oem unlock I get secure boot error also.

Sent from my LG-H811 using Tapatalk

joshw0000 · Aug 7, 2015 at 4:28 AM

MicroMod777 said:
Maybe try asking Unjustified Dev to build a TWRP for this varrient. You can't use a T-Mobile H811 TWRP on a VZW G4. I'm on the H811 and when I un-check oem unlock I get secure boot error also.

Sent from my LG-H811 using Tapatalk

I actually did ask him before I opened this thread. He said the Verizon G4 is locked. The T-Mobile G4 is unique in that checking that box somehow unlocks it. That's why you get the error when you un-check it. If the Verizon G4 was unlocked it would attempt to load the recovery (as buggy as it may be on this device) instead of giving that error.

Sent from my VS986 using Tapatalk

MicroMod777 · Aug 7, 2015 at 4:38 AM

joshw0000 said:
I actually did ask him before I opened this thread. He said the Verizon G4 is locked. The T-Mobile G4 is unique in that checking that box somehow unlocks it. That's why you get the error when you un-check it. If the Verizon G4 was unlocked it would attempt to load the recovery (as buggy as it may be on this device) instead of giving that error.

Sent from my VS986 using Tapatalk

Yea probably so. I zero'd out the laf partition on the H811 to enter fastboot and OEM Unlocking it in Dev Options disables secure boot. Has anydody tried this on vzw G4?

Sent from my LG-H811 using Tapatalk

joshw0000 · Aug 7, 2015 at 4:48 AM

MicroMod777 said:
Yea probably so. I zero'd out the laf partition on the H811 to enter fastboot and OEM Unlocking it in Dev Options disables secure boot. Has anydody tried this on vzw G4?

Sent from my LG-H811 using Tapatalk

Have you tried running Fastboot OEM Unlock on yours (even though it's technically already unlocked)? If I'm not mistaken it'll still ask for an unlock.bin which LG is only giving out for the international version.

Sent from my VS986 using Tapatalk

MicroMod777 · Aug 7, 2015 at 5:23 AM

joshw0000 said:
Have you tried running Fastboot OEM Unlock on yours (even though it's technically already unlocked)? If I'm not mistaken it'll still ask for an unlock.bin which LG is only giving out for the international version.

Sent from my VS986 using Tapatalk

Yes, it didn't recognize the command.

Sent from my LG-H811 using Tapatalk

joshw0000 · Aug 7, 2015 at 6:23 AM

MicroMod777 said:
Yes, it didn't recognize the command.

Sent from my LG-H811 using Tapatalk

So how did you zero the laf partition? I assume it's reversible (with a locked bootloader)?

Sent from my VS986 using Tapatalk

kcarden · Aug 7, 2015 at 5:36 PM

joshw0000 said:
Have you tried running Fastboot OEM Unlock on yours (even though it's technically already unlocked)? If I'm not mistaken it'll still ask for an unlock.bin which LG is only giving out for the international version.

Sent from my VS986 using Tapatalk

The reason this doesn't work is very simple. On boot for vzw devices, there's a pesky little qfuse that is checked against the software. Try flashing a dev edition bootloader for that device. At least it'd be signed correctly by the manufacturer. If it boots, you win.

joshw0000 · Aug 7, 2015 at 5:46 PM

kcarden said:
The reason this doesn't work is very simple. On boot for vzw devices, there's a pesky little qfuse that is checked against the software. Try flashing a dev edition bootloader for that device. At least it'd be signed correctly by the manufacturer. If it boots, you win.

I'm pretty sure that will hard brick.

Sent from my VS986 using Tapatalk

kcarden · Aug 7, 2015 at 5:59 PM

joshw0000 said:
I'm pretty sure that will hard brick.

Sent from my VS986 using Tapatalk

More than likely yes.. but hardware does check the software being flashed.

Try to turn oem unlock on and then pull the bootloader via dd. Then run a diff on the stock image and the one you dd'd from your phone.

[HOW TO] Enable OEM Unlock for VS986

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