Safe Rooting Guide for Nothing Phone 2

Prerequisites:

1. Ensure you have ADB/Fastboot files installed on your computer for communication with your device. You can download a copy from this link. I recommend placing these files in the “C:\adb” directory, which we’ll refer to throughout this guide.
2. You’ll need a Windows 10 or 11 PC/laptop and a compatible USB cable. Not all cables support ADB/Fastboot commands, so ensure yours does.
3. Verify that you have the necessary Fastboot communication capability. If you lack the correct driver, you can download it from this location.
4. Install the Magisk Manager on your phone. You can obtain it from here: https://github.com/topjohnwu/Magisk

Setting Up ADB Access and Testing Fastboot Commands:

1. Connect your phone to your computer using a USB-C cable.
2. Allow your computer to detect the device. It should automatically install the necessary driver. If it doesn’t, you can use the driver provided in the prerequisites section.
3. On your phone, open the settings and navigate to “About phone.” Then, expand the “Nothing OS” tab.
4. Tap “Build number” five times and enter your PIN. This will enable “Developer Options.”
5. Return to the previous screen and select “System.”
6. Scroll down to “Developer Options” and access it.
7. Find “USB Debugging” and enable it. If you receive an authorization prompt, check the box and grant permission. Also, enable “OEM Unlocking” in the same section and accept any prompts.
8. Download this folder on your computer. This folder contains ADB and Fastboot files for communication between your PC and your phone.
9. Move this folder to the root directory of your C: drive so that the path looks like this: C:\adb
10. Navigate to the folder and perform the following:
    i) Hold down the Shift key and right-click an empty space within the folder.
    ii) Choose “Open Powershell Window here” or “Open a Command prompt Window here.”
    iii) A command window will appear (either black or blue) with some text.
11. In the command window, type the following command and press Enter:

adb devices

If you receive an authorization prompt on your phone, grant permission. On your computer, you should see a list of devices followed by codes, indicating successful ADB access. If it says “unauthorized,” you didn’t allow the prompt on your phone. Repeat the steps above and accept the prompt on your phone while checking the box.

12. In the same command window, enter the following commands:

adb reboot bootloader

Press Enter. Your device will reboot into the bootloader. Then, type the following command:

fastboot reboot

If your device reboots successfully, you’re ready for the next step. If it says “waiting for device,” it’s likely due to driver issues. In that case, download the USB driver from the prerequisites section and repeat the process until it works.

Unlocking the Bootloader:

Note: Unlocking the bootloader will wipe your entire device. It’s recommended to back up your data before proceeding.

1. Connect your phone to your computer.
2. On your computer, navigate to C:\adb.
   i) Hold down the Shift key and right-click an empty space within the folder.
   ii) Choose “Open Powershell Window here” or “Open a Command prompt Window here.”
   iii) A command window will appear.
3. Type the following command in the window and press Enter:

adb reboot bootloader

4. Enter the following command to unlock the bootloader:

fastboot flashing unlock

Press Enter.

Note: This step will wipe your phone. Do not disconnect the cable or force a shutdown during this process, as it may result in a bricked device.

5. Your phone will display warnings and go through a series of screens. Please agree to them and proceed until the device reboots.

You’ve successfully unlocked your phone’s bootloader. It will now display an orange state flag when you boot up, which is an unavoidable consequence of unlocking the bootloader on Android.

Once your device has rebooted, set it up again and follow the steps to unlock “Developer Options” and enable “USB Debugging” once more. This will be the last time you need to perform a factory reset.

Using Fastboot Enhance & Magisk to Obtain Stock and Patched Boot Images:

1. Download the Fastboot Enhance folder and save it to your desktop or another location of your choice. You can get it from here: link
2. Download the firmware of your choice (always use full zips, not incremental) and extract the file named “payload.bin” to a folder of your choice.
3. Run the program FastbootEnhance.exe. A window will appear. Click “Payload Dumper” and then “Browse” to select the payload.bin file. The contents of the payload.bin will be displayed. Make sure to check the “Allow incremental” box, even if it’s a full zip.
4. Among the listed images, you’ll find one called “boot.img.” This is the file we’ll be patching. Highlight it and click “Extract” to copy the image to the folder where you placed your payload.bin file. Then, transfer this file to your phone’s root storage, located at /sdcard.

On Your Phone:

5. Open Magisk and click “Install/Update.” If you don’t see the update option, change the channel by adjusting the settings in Magisk. This will enable the install/update buttons.
6. Select “Select and Patch a file,” which will open a file browser. Navigate to the boot.img you copied earlier and select it. Allow the process to complete. This will produce a file called “magisk_patched,” which will be saved in the Downloads folder.

You now have a patched boot.img ready for booting or flashing to either slot using fastboot. I recommend booting it first, as it’s a safer option. Flashing a bad image can result in a bootloop.

Rooting by Booting:

1. Obtain a patched boot image for your specific device variant, either by using payload dumper or downloading one from the provided sources at the end of this guide. If you’ve followed the previous steps, you should already have a functional patched image. Copy this file to your fastboot folder on your computer.
2. Reboot your phone into fastboot mode and connect it to your computer. You can do this by running the following command:

adb reboot bootloader

Then, enter the fastboot mode with the command:

fastboot boot magisk_patched (or the name of your patched boot img)

Press Enter.

Your phone should now boot automatically, and you should have root access. However, to make this root access permanent, follow the next steps.

3. Open Magisk Manager and click “Install/Update.” If you can’t see the install/update buttons, switch to the beta channel in Magisk settings and install the update. The buttons should appear.
4. Select “Direct install (recommended)” and click OK.
5. Allow Magisk to permanently root your device, then click “Reboot.”

Your phone should now boot

up and remain rooted.

Rooted and Updating with an Incremental Update While Retaining Root:

Note: This process can be risky and doesn’t always work. Before proceeding, disable all Magisk modules and reboot your device.

1. Open Magisk and select “Uninstall Magisk,” then choose “Restore Images.”
2. Go to your device’s settings, navigate to “System” > “Software update,” and download the incremental update (which is smaller than a full zip).
3. After the download is complete, you’ll see an option to “Restart Now.” Do not click it. Instead, exit the update screen and reopen Magisk.
4. In Magisk, click “Install” and then “Install to Inactive Slot (After OTA).” Click “Let’s Go.” Your device will now reboot.

Note: In some cases, the device may not boot immediately after this process. It may eventually switch slots and boot. Be aware that the update may not install correctly, so proceed at your own risk.

Stock Boot Images:

You can find stock boot images for various versions here:

• A065 Nothing 2.0.1: link
• A065 Nothing 2.0.1a: link
• A065 Nothing 2.0.2: link
• A065 Nothing 2.0.2a: link
• A065 Nothing 2.0.3: link

Patched Boot Images:

You can find patched boot images for various versions here:

• A065 Nothing 2.0.1: link
• A065 Nothing 2.0.1a: link
• A065 Nothing 2.0.2: link
• A065 Nothing 2.0.2a: link
• A065 Nothing 2.0.3: link

Troubleshooting:

• Safety Net Fix (fixes wallet and hides root): link
• If you encounter issues with Magisk modules, follow these steps to remove them using ADB:

1. Connect your phone to your computer.
2. Reboot your phone, and during the boot animation, enter this command via ADB:

adb wait-for-device shell magisk --remove-modules

3. Allow your phone to boot. The modules will be removed, and root should be active.

• If Magisk doesn’t show root and the install/update buttons aren’t visible, try the following:

3. Make sure you’ve granted permission to Magisk in your device’s settings (Settings > Apps > Magisk > Permissions).
4. Change the update channel to “Canary” in Magisk. Force close Magisk and then reopen it.
5. If it still doesn’t work, update Magisk using the Canary channel.
6. As a last resort, switch to the “Beta” channel in Magisk settings, install it, and then change back to the “Canary” channel.

Pulling a Boot Image from Your Live Device:

1. Connect your phone to your computer and open an ADB command prompt with communication capabilities (as set up earlier).
2. Connect using ADB SHELL:

adb shell

3. Gain SuperUser access:

su

4. For boot_a or boot_b, type the following command:

dd if=/dev/block/bootdevice/by-name/boot_a of=/sdcard/boot_a.img

This will output a boot image to the root of your phone storage, specifically /sdcard/boot_a.img.

For boot_b, type:

dd if=/dev/block/bootdevice/by-name/boot_b of=/sdcard/boot_b.img

This will output a boot image to the root of your phone storage, specifically /sdcard/boot_b.img.

Windows Version:
Please note that Windows 7 is not compatible with Fastboot. Use either Windows 10 or Windows 11.

Files & Downloads:

• ADB and Fastboot Files: link
• Fastboot Driver: link
• Safety Net Fix Mod: link
• Stock Boot Image for 2.0.2 (if your phone won’t update): Thanks to @Unn113 and @ysco