[RECOVERY][OFFICIAL] TWRP for ASUS ROG Phone 3

[Captain_Throwback]

*** Disclaimer ***

All flashing is done at your own risk!
While nothing from this thread should break your device,
don't come back here blaming anyone if it does!

Introduction

Team Win Recovery Project 3.x, or twrp3 for short, is a custom recovery built with ease of use and customization in mind. Its a fully touch driven user interface no more volume rocker or power buttons to mash. The GUI is also fully XML driven and completely theme-able. You can change just about every aspect of the look and feel!

Images


Prerequisites

• Unlocked Bootloader

Installation instructions

Fastboot Install Method:
You will need the platform-tools from the Android SDK on your computer. Find the Android command line tools section on the page linked and install the SDK tools package. From the SDK Manager, download only the platform-tools to get adb and fastboot binaries.

Windows users will need proper drivers installed on their computer. You can try the Naked ADB drivers or the Universal ADB drivers if you don't already have a working driver installed

On your device, go into Settings -> About and find the Build Number and tap on it 7 times to enable developer settings. Press back and go into Developer Options and enable USB debugging. From your computer, open a command prompt and type:

adb reboot bootloader

You should now be in fastboot mode.

Download the correct image file and copy the file into the same folder as your adb and fastboot binaries. Rename the image to twrp.img and type:

fastboot flash recovery_a twrp.img
fastboot flash recovery_b twrp.img

fastboot reboot

Alternate Installation Method (requires prior TWRP installation):

TWRP Image Install method:
Most devices can be updated quickly and easily within TWRP if you already have version 2.8.4.0 or higher installed. NOTE: This will only flash TWRP to the active slot!

1. Download the latest version of TWRP appropriate for your device/firmware
2. Reboot to TWRP
3. Hit Install and tap the "Install Image" button in the lower right
4. Browse to the location of the TWRP image on your device and select it
5. Select recovery from the partition list and swipe to flash

Device Changelog

Current version: 3.6.0_11-0:

• Initial version

Older Device-specific versions:

N/A

TWRP Official Change Log

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Downloads

Download
Latest Official versions

Sources
TWRP
Device tree
Common tree
Kernel source

Known Issues

Device-specific

• N/A

TWRP Upstream

• N/A

Bug Reporting

If you have an issue, the first step is to post a recovery log so we can determine the cause of the issue. This is done in recovery using Advanced -> Copy Log, or adb pull /tmp/recovery.log. Once a log is uploaded we can determine how best to proceed. NOTE: Posts that are reporting bugs or issues without an accompanying recovery log will be ignored! Additionally, providing details about your device setup, including variant, firmware version, and exact steps to reproduce your issue will also be helpful in diagnosing the problem.

If your issue is determined to be a bug, please consider posting it to our github issues log. It's pretty much impossible for us to keep up with the more than 40 threads that we have for the devices that we "directly" support. If you have a significant problem that cannot be answered in this thread, your best bet is to contact us via our website. If you see someone that's struggling, feel free to point it out to us. We need your help to help us keep track of all of our devices! Thanks!

Additional Help/Support

Live support is available on Zulip.

 

[Captain_Throwback]

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. How do I install an OTA while rooted and keep TWRP/root?
   Full Firmware zip - in Android
   Prerequisites:
   • Full Firmware zip for new software
   • TWRP zip from twrp.me
   • Magisk app
   Steps:
   1. Put Full Firmware zip on root of internal storage
   2. Reboot the device so that the update is detected
   3. Install the update
   4. After install completes BUT BEFORE REBOOTING, install TWRP zip in Magisk app
   5. Install Magisk "to Inactive Slot (After OTA)" in Magisk app
   6. Reboot and you're updated with TWRP and root retained
   
   Full Firmware zip - Through TWRP
   Prerequisites:
   • Full Firmware zip for new software
   • TWRP image or TWRP zip from twrp.me
   • Magisk apk (optional)
   Steps:
   1. Reboot into TWRP
   2. Navigate to Full Firmware zip and install, or sideload zip over adb
   3. Install TWRP image using "Install Image" (check "Flash to both slots" option), or flash TWRP zip to retain TWRP.
   4. (Optional) Reboot into TWRP and flash Magisk for root.
   
   Incremental OTA package - Through TWRP ONLY
   Prerequisites (for stock images, see attachments to post #3):
   • Current software stock boot.img
   • Current software stock recovery.img
   • Current software stock dtbo.img (only if modified by Magisk or custom ROM)
   • Incremental OTA zip for current software to new software
   • TWRP image or TWRP zip from twrp.me
   • Magisk apk (optional)
   Steps:
   1. Ensure you have the latest version of TWRP installed. If you don't, follow the instructions in the OP to flash it.
   2. Boot into TWRP.
   3. Use the "Install Image" feature to flash the stock boot and recovery (and dtbo) images.
   4. Flash the incremental OTA zip. Make a note of the slot to which the zip is installing (you will need this after the next step).
   5. Install TWRP image using "Install Image" (check "Flash to both slots" option), or flash TWRP zip to retain TWRP.
   6. Open the Reboot menu in TWRP and switch to the slot to which the zip installed from step 4. Reboot to system now, or go to the next step.
   7. (Optional) Reboot into TWRP and flash Magisk for root.
   The key here is making sure the current slot is fully stock (including boot and recovery images) in order for the incremental OTA zip to install successfully.
   
   
2. What's the deal with these dynamic partitions?
   Here's Google's explanation.
   
   
3. Why can't I write to system?
   Dynamic partitions (see link above). See @topjohnwu's detailed explanation here.
   
   
4. How do I make modifications to system?
   On the stock ROM, you don't. However, you can modify system "systemlessly" with Magisk.
   
   
5. Can I boot the recovery image without flashing it?
   No. Fastboot boot isn't possible on this device, but since there's a separate recovery partition (two in fact), and ASUS provides full stock firmware, this isn't a big concern.
   
   
6. What is fastbootd?
   Here's Google's explanation.
   
   
7. Can I back up the system/vendor partition separately?
   No. Because dynamic partitions. The Super partition is backed up and restored in its entirety. If you need to flash the individual images, use fastbootd.
   
   
8. Why can't I restore X partition (read-only error)?
   Some of the partitions that can be backed up in TWRP include sensitive device data which, if corrupted, backed up, and then restored, can irreparably damage the device. Therefore, while these partitions can be backed up in TWRP, only experienced users should restore them, which can be done manually via the dd command.
   (I will not provide any additional details on this procedure)

 

[Captain_Throwback]

Stock Boot/DTBO/Recovery Images

 

[deadlyindian]

Keep up the good work m8 @Captain_Throwback :highfive:

 

[bs3pro]

Great job!

 

[ryu091]

Reserved

 

[chacho_2me]

sup guys. been a long time that i havent installed twrp.

jiz wanna ask if i have twrp if OTA is still possible?

 

[tbalden]

Woohoo! Excellent!

Sent from my ASUS_I003D using Tapatalk

 

[Monsibd]

about twrp

hey guys, i have tried to install the twrp but after installing using the powershell whenever I try to restart to recovery it just shows the twrp loading screen and restarts back to the phone, so basically I dont have any recovery anymore

 

[Captain_Throwback]

hey guys, i have tried to install the twrp but after installing using the powershell whenever I try to restart to recovery it just shows the twrp loading screen and restarts back to the phone, so basically I dont have any recovery anymore

This happened to me before when my device data partition got corrupted. You'll have to do a RAW flash that uses fastboot -w to clean up the corrupted data. Then TWRP should work. Unfortunately that is unrelated to TWRP.

 

[Captain_Throwback]

sup guys. been a long time that i havent installed twrp.

jiz wanna ask if i have twrp if OTA is still possible?

Well, unlocking the bootloader means you won't get an OTA from ASUS anymore, but that has nothing to do with TWRP. When a new OTA becomes available, you will be able to flash the full firmware file in TWRP, if that's what you're asking.

EDIT: Installing TWRP won't prevent you from being able to place a firmware file on the root of your storage so that the system updater will detect and install it, either. That process happens outside of recovery so flashing TWRP is unrelated to it. However note that after flashing an OTA update, TWRP will need to be flashed again, as the OTA will write stock recovery to the slot where the OTA is installed.

 

[Monsibd]

This happened to me before when my device data partition got corrupted. You'll have to do a RAW flash that uses fastboot -w to clean up the corrupted data. Then TWRP should work. Unfortunately that is unrelated to TWRP.

hey there, thank you so much my man you fixed my mobile! you rock!! <3


however now theres a new problem after doing the Fastboot -w, i installed the twrp but i cant mount the data partition because it asks for password (which there shouldnt be cause i just reset the phone) and after restarting into the system and setting it up, I get the same results as before (the twrp loading screen shows and reboots back to system).... so yea kind of lost now

 

[Captain_Throwback]

hey there, thank you so much my man you fixed my mobile! you rock!! <3


however now theres a new problem after doing the Fastboot -w, i installed the twrp but i cant mount the data partition because it asks for password (which there shouldnt be cause i just reset the phone) and after restarting into the system and setting it up, I get the same results as before (the twrp loading screen shows and reboots back to system).... so yea kind of lost now

Where is the recovery log from the TWRP boot where it was prompting for password? The OP clearly states that a log should be included with any issues. Do me a favor and try flashing the TWRP attached and let me know if it boots.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-2qBUqYv0AWnvqDmxIY2DqRqwG5dSwHg/view?usp=drivesdk

If it does, I can adjust the TWRP image linked in the OP. If it doesn't, I'll definitely need a log to understand the issue, and your device details.

 

[Captain_Throwback]

So I did some testing, and it appears that if you're not on the latest .58 firmware, then TWRP may not boot successfully. Can anyone that has had an issue with booting TWRP please report their device variant and firmware version? If you're not on the latest, please update and then try TWRP.

WW 2007.58 Full Firmware: https://dlcdnets.asus.com/pub/ASUS/...US_I003_1-ASUS-17.0823.2007.58-1.1.9-user.zip
CN 2007.58 Full Firmware: https://dlcdnets.asus.com/pub/ASUS/ZenFone/ZS661KS/UL-ASUS_I003_1-CN-17.0823.2007.58-1.1.45-user.zip

If that doesn't work, let me know.


EDIT: Actually I need to check again. I think I broke my TWRP tree so it may not be the kernel at all :/

 

[Monsibd]

Hey sorry for taking such a long time to reply, life happened to me.

I am on the latest firmware (cn_17.0823.2007.58)


I am sorry as I didn't send the recovery log, I will be testing the latest twrp you attached for me with the Google drive and let you know the results shortly :good:


Edit: the same happens with this twrp file too, it just shows the loading screen and boots to system directly, would you want me to clean flash and then do the recovery all over again with the logs?

Edit 2: by any chance would be able to get hold of the stock_recovery.img or do you know any way to flash the stock rom without recovery? FYI my version is cn_17.0823.2007.58 ,will recovery from any version work though?

 

[chacho_2me]

Well, unlocking the bootloader means you won't get an OTA from ASUS anymore, but that has nothing to do with TWRP. When a new OTA becomes available, you will be able to flash the full firmware file in TWRP, if that's what you're asking.

EDIT: Installing TWRP won't prevent you from being able to place a firmware file on the root of your storage so that the system updater will detect and install it, either. That process happens outside of recovery so flashing TWRP is unrelated to it. However note that after flashing an OTA update, TWRP will need to be flashed again, as the OTA will write stock recovery to the slot where the OTA is installed.

so basically installing twrp can still be overwritten when flashing original firmware from asus
.thanx sir

 

[Captain_Throwback]

Hey sorry for taking such a long time to reply, life happened to me.

I am on the latest firmware (cn_17.0823.2007.58)


I am sorry as I didn't send the recovery log, I will be testing the latest twrp you attached for me with the Google drive and let you know the results shortly :good:


Edit: the same happens with this twrp file too, it just shows the loading screen and boots to system directly, would you want me to clean flash and then do the recovery all over again with the logs?

Edit 2: by any chance would be able to get hold of the stock_recovery.img or do you know any way to flash the stock rom without recovery? FYI my version is cn_17.0823.2007.58 ,will recovery from any version work though?

So maybe there is some difference with the CN device that's causing this issue. Everyone it's working for is running WW firmware. Not sure what's different with the CN firmware, but that's unsettling.

Since the full firmware file is available, you can just use payload dumper to get the stock recovery image.

And yes, a clean flash with logs would be great, thanks!

 

[bouyhy01]

hey guys, i have tried to install the twrp but after installing using the powershell whenever I try to restart to recovery it just shows the twrp loading screen and restarts back to the phone, so basically I dont have any recovery anymore

same as you im on the latest ww firmware tencent games variant and rooted

 

[Captain_Throwback]

same as you im on the latest ww firmware tencent games variant and rooted

So yours is Tencent converted to WW? I'm going to build a TWRP with the CN kernel and if that makes any difference. There must be something different with the Tencent variant that's causing the kernel panic.

 

[bouyhy01]

So yours is Tencent converted to WW? I'm going to build a TWRP with the CN kernel and if that makes any difference. There must be something different with the Tencent variant that's causing the kernel panic.

thank you very much captain i'll be waiting for it to test