Robert Triggs / Android Authority
TL;DR
- ASUS has apparently withdrawn the ability to unlock the bootloader on its phones.
- As per the company’s technical support team, Zenfone 10 and Zenfone 9 users won’t be able to root their phones.
- We’ve asked ASUS for clarity on the matter.
ASUS is apparently taking away the ability to unlock the bootloader on its phones. The company’s technical support team reportedly informed a customer that unlocking the bootloader (also known as rooting) on Zenfones is no longer possible and won’t be possible in the future. The customer’s query was specifically about unlocking the Zenfone 9. ASUS’s support team made it clear in the email that unlocking won’t work on the Zenfone 9 and Zenfone 10.
When rooting Android phones, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. ASUS is one of those brands that provides its own unlocking tool for its phones. The company previously said it would update the tool to support the Zenfone 10 and that customers could use it again sometime in the third quarter of this year. However, the above-mentioned email from ASUS support suggests that might not happen.
While unlocking the bootloader on your phone can be risky, it opens up a whole world of customization for your Android device. It’s only natural that ASUS customers are unhappy they no longer have this ability on their phones. That said, there seems to be some discrepancy in what ASUS is telling Zenfone customers on its other platforms.
A Reddit user claims that the company’s developer liaison on its Telegram channel has no knowledge of any such development. “According to them, the unlock tool server is in maintenance and will resume in Q3,” the person writes.
We’ve written to ASUS to clarify the situation and will update this article when and if we hear more.
