Skip to content

Commit

Permalink
Add the "🍅 Terrible!" category.
Browse files Browse the repository at this point in the history
This contains devices that cannot be unlocked, regardless of region and whatnot.
  • Loading branch information
melontini committed Dec 23, 2024
1 parent b6d462c commit 92c892b
Show file tree
Hide file tree
Showing 16 changed files with 38 additions and 28 deletions.
34 changes: 21 additions & 13 deletions README.md
Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -20,26 +20,18 @@ If you know of specific details/unlocking methods, please PR them or drop them i
> Reminder that no matter how nice a company is, <br/>
> you should not trust them unless their unlock process is 100% offline!
## ⛔ Avoid at all costs!
## 🍅 Just terrible!

The following manufacturers have made it completely impossible to unlock their devices without a workaround.

### [Huawei/Honor](/brands/huawei/README.md)

### [HMD Global/Nokia](/brands/nokia/README.md)

### [Vivo/IQOO](/brands/vivo/README.md)

### [OPPO/Realme](/brands/oppo/README.md)

### [Xiaomi/Redmi/POCO](/brands/xiaomi/README.md)

### [Samsung](/brands/samsung/README.md)

### [ZTE](/brands/zte/README.md)

### [LG](/brands/lg/README.md)

### [HTC](/brands/htc/README.md)

### [Meizu](/brands/meizu/README.md)

### [Asus](/brands/asus/README.md)
Expand All @@ -48,8 +40,6 @@ If you know of specific details/unlocking methods, please PR them or drop them i

### [Apple](/brands/apple/README.md)

### [Motorola/Lenovo](/brands/motorola/README.md)

### [Energizer](/brands/energizer/README.md)

### [Cat](/brands/cat/README.md)
Expand All @@ -71,8 +61,26 @@ Carrier locked devices are the ones you get after making a commitment with a car

As a rule, almost all carrier locked devices do not allow the bootloader to be unlocked. This usually makes sense, as it would allow you to completely bypass the contract. The problem is that many devices still do not allow you to unlock the bootloader even after the carrier lock has been lifted.

## ⛔ Avoid at all costs!

The following manufacturers allow unlocking under certain conditions, such as region, model, SOC, etc., or require a sacrifice to unlock.

### [OPPO/Realme](/brands/oppo/README.md)

### [Xiaomi/Redmi/POCO](/brands/xiaomi/README.md)

### [Samsung](/brands/samsung/README.md)

### [LG](/brands/lg/README.md)

### [HTC](/brands/htc/README.md)

### [Motorola/Lenovo](/brands/motorola/README.md)

## ⚠️ Proceed with caution!

The following manufacturers require an online account and/or a waiting period before unlocking.

### [Fairphone](/brands/fairphone/README.md)

### [Sony](/brands/sony/README.md)
Expand Down
4 changes: 3 additions & 1 deletion brands/CONTRIBUTING.md
Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -8,7 +8,9 @@ In some situations, a phone farm such as BBK Electronics (now split into Vivo an

### Verdict

Companies that do not allow unlocking must have the "⛔ Avoid" verdict. Sometimes, while it's possible to unlock, the process can be so complicated that a company will be recommended to avoid. (See: Realme, Xiaomi)
Companies that do not allow unlocking must have the "🍅 Terrible" verdict.

Sometimes, while it's possible to unlock, the process can be so complicated that a company will be recommended to avoid. (See: Realme, Xiaomi)

Companies that use some sort of online service to unlock must be "⚠️ Proceed with caution!", regardless of reputation.

Expand Down
2 changes: 1 addition & 1 deletion brands/alcatel/README.md
Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
# Alcatel

- Verdict: **⛔ Avoid!**
- Verdict: **🍅 Terrible!**

There's nothing to say about Alcatel really. They have fastboot removed from most of their phones and have no official unlock method.

Expand Down
2 changes: 1 addition & 1 deletion brands/apple/README.md
Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
# Apple

- Verdict: **⛔ Avoid!**
- Verdict: **🍅 Terrible!**

This one is probably expected. No iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch or Apple TV model has had an unlockable bootloader.

Expand Down
2 changes: 1 addition & 1 deletion brands/asus/README.md
Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
# Asus

- Verdict: **⛔ Avoid!**
- Verdict: **🍅 Terrible!**

Asus originally allowed you to unlock your bootloader via their website, however in November 2023, the website went down "for maintanence", Asus claimed it would come back, but it never did.

Expand Down
2 changes: 1 addition & 1 deletion brands/cat/README.md
Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
# Cat

- Verdict: **⛔ Avoid!**
- Verdict: **🍅 Terrible!**

Cat's phones have the OEM Unlock option in the settings app, but the typical `fastboot flashing unlock`/`fastboot oem unlock` just returns an [unknown command error][Cat Unlock]. I'm honestly not sure why you'd buy a phone from a tractor company anyways.

Expand Down
2 changes: 1 addition & 1 deletion brands/coolpad/README.md
Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
# Coolpad

- Verdict: **⛔ Avoid!**
- Verdict: **🍅 Terrible!**

Coolpad completely removed [the unlock command][Coolpad unlock] from their Fastboot, so Coolpad devices can't be unlocked unless your device has an SoC level exploit like mtkclient.
***
Expand Down
2 changes: 1 addition & 1 deletion brands/doogee/README.md
Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
# Doogee

- Verdict: **⛔ Avoid!**
- Verdict: **🍅 Terrible!**

While some people have reported success via the [standard unlock procedure](/misc/general-unlock.md), most Doogee devices [can't be unlocked][Doogee lock] despite having the OEM Unlock option in the settings.
***
Expand Down
2 changes: 1 addition & 1 deletion brands/energizer/README.md
Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
# Energizer

- Verdict: **⛔ Avoid!**
- Verdict: **🍅 Terrible!**

Not only will Energizer destroy your electronics by leaking battery acid everywhere, but they will also destroy your privacy by not allowing you to unlock your bootloader. There's not much more to say, neither their Android phones or KaiOS phones are unlockable.

Expand Down
2 changes: 1 addition & 1 deletion brands/huawei/README.md
Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -2,7 +2,7 @@

> 🧹 This page is missing sources for history.
- Verdict: **⛔ Avoid!**
- Verdict: **🍅 Terrible!**

In the past, Huawei allowed you to unlock with a special code you get by submitting some information to emui.com (IMEI, serial, model, and product ID), but in 2018 "corporate values have changed" and the site went down. <br/>
Worse, on Android 10+, the unlock command has been **completely removed** from fastboot.
Expand Down
2 changes: 1 addition & 1 deletion brands/meizu/README.md
Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
# Meizu

- Verdict: **⛔ Avoid!**
- Verdict: **🍅 Terrible!**

There's not a lot to say about Meizu.<br/>
They've never had unlockable bootloaders, and although there are a number of unofficial methods. Some Snapdragon devices have a [FRP exploit you can use in EDL to unlock][fpr-exploit], If your device is unsupported by the FRP exploit and isn't supported by mtkclient, there are [paid services][paid-services] which you can use at your own risk.
Expand Down
2 changes: 1 addition & 1 deletion brands/nokia/README.md
Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
# HMD Global/Nokia

- Verdict: **⛔ Avoid!**
- Verdict: **🍅 Terrible!**

In the flaming pile of HMD's "great" decisions to improve Nokia, one stands out more than others: They decided to follow the fresh "lock the bootloader" trend.<br/>
Why was this necessary? I don't know...
Expand Down
2 changes: 1 addition & 1 deletion brands/sharp/README.md
Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
# Sharp

- Verdict: **⛔ Avoid!**
- Verdict: **🍅 Terrible!**

Sharp doesn't allow you to unlock your bootloader and has Fastboot removed from their devices. If you want a Japanese-made phone, you're better off getting a Sony.

Expand Down
2 changes: 1 addition & 1 deletion brands/tcl/README.md
Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
# TCL

- Verdict: **⛔ Avoid!**
- Verdict: **🍅 Terrible!**

TCL got their start in the mobile world as a contract manufacturer for BlackBerry, and while TCL's contract with BlackBerry ended in 2020, TCL has continued BlackBerry's lineage of "secure bootloaders", AKA, doing everything they can to make you unable to unlock the bootloader. Because of TCL's history with BlackBerry, who has always been horrible with bootloader unlocks, it is unlikely TCL bootloaders will ever be unlockable.
***
Expand Down
2 changes: 1 addition & 1 deletion brands/vivo/README.md
Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
# Vivo/IQOO

- Verdict: **⛔ Avoid!**
- Verdict: **🍅 Terrible!**

The BBK* family has an unlocking problem. If in case of OPPO/Realme they at least offer an app in some regions, Vivo is locked completely.

Expand Down
2 changes: 1 addition & 1 deletion brands/zte/README.md
Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -2,7 +2,7 @@

> 🧹 This page is missing a lot of info!
- Verdict: **⛔ Avoid!**
- Verdict: **🍅 Terrible!**

Old devices (pre Android 8):<br/>
[xdaforums.com][pre-android-8]
Expand Down

0 comments on commit 92c892b

Please sign in to comment.