That being said, many people are not comfortable with a rooted device. If you rooted your Nexus 6 and now you want to unroot your phone, then continue reading to find out how you can easily unroot Nexus 6. I’ll show you different methods to unroot Nexus 6 through Windows and Mac computers.
Why Unroot Your Nexus 6?
The unrooting process can be a bit complicated and you might be wondering whether it is worth all the effort. Consider the following factors to decide whether you should unroot your phone.
After unrooting, you’ll be able to install Over The Air updates like you used to before rooting your phone. This way, you’ll get the latest bug fixes and performance improvements. If you want to sell your phone, then unrooting it can get you a good deal. A buyer would probably prefer an unrooted phone with the original firmware installed. Unrooting is also required if you want to send your Nexus 6 for repairs under warranty. If you send a rooted phone, then your warranty claim will probably be refused.
Tips Before You Unroot Nexus 6
Firstly, make sure that you only attempt the methods below if you’re willing to take full responsibility. These methods are risky and if anything goes wrong, you can end up with a bricked Nexus 6. Also, these methods are not guaranteed to work on all devices. Once you’ve made up your mind, follow the tips below before you unroot Nexus 6.
Backup your Nexus 6. Feel free to read our list of the 10 best Android backup apps. Charge your Nexus 6 at least 70% so that your phone has enough power during the unrooting process. Keep your Nexus 6 synced with your Google account. This way, you’ll be able to recover some of your data when signing into your Google account after unrooting the phone.
Method 1: Unroot Nexus 6 On Windows And Mac
This method might seem a bit complicated to some of you if you haven’t used command prompt or terminal before. However, if you pay close attention, you’ll be able to unroot the Nexus 6 in just several minutes.
Step 1 – Connect Your Phone To Your PC
Power off your Nexus 6. Press and hold the Volume Down and Power buttons simultaneously until your phone boots and shows Start on the screen along with an Android robot. Connect your Nexus 6 to your Windows or Mac PC using a micro USB cable.
Step 2 – Download The Unroot File On Your PC
Download the UnrootNexus6.zip file on your PC and extract the ZIP file on the Desktop. You’ll now see an UnrootNexus6 folder on your Desktop.
Step 3 – Install Drivers
If you’re using Mac, proceed to Step 4. Open Device Manager on your Windows PC. If you see Android USB Devices in the list with a triangle warning sign, then install the drivers from the UnrootNexus6 folder you extracted earlier. If you see Android Single ADB Interface without the triangle sign, then you don’t need to install the drivers.
Step 4 – Type Commands On Your PC
Open Command Prompt if you’re using a Windows PC and open Terminal if you’re using Mac. Type the following commands. Wait for each command to fully execute before you enter the next one. Windows Commands cd Desktop cd UnrootNexus6 fastboot flash bootloader bootloader-shamu-moto-apq8084-71.05.img fastboot reboot-bootloader fastboot flash radio radio-shamu-d4.0-9625-02.55.04.img fastboot reboot-bootloader fastboot flash system system.img fastboot flash userdata userdata.img fastboot flash boot boot.img fastboot flash recovery recovery.img fastboot erase cache fastboot flash cache cache.img fastboot oem lock Mac Commands cd Desktop cd UnrootNexus6 ./fastboot-mac flash bootloader bootloader-shamu-moto-apq8084-71.05.img ./fastboot-mac reboot-bootloader ./fastboot-mac flash radio radio-shamu-d4.0-9625-02.55.04.img ./fastboot-mac reboot-bootloader ./fastboot-mac flash system system.img ./fastboot-mac flash userdata userdata.img ./fastboot-mac flash boot boot.img ./fastboot-mac flash recovery recovery.img ./fastboot-mac erase cache ./fastboot-mac flash cache cache.img ./fastboot-mac oem lock
Step 5 – Boot Your Nexus 6 Into Recovery
Once the last command is fully executed, unplug your phone and press the Volume Down button twice to highlight Recovery mode on your Nexus 6 and press the Power button to enter into recovery. If your phone shows a dead Android robot on the screen, press the Volume Down, Volume Up and Power buttons simultaneously several times until your phone shows the recovery menu.
Step 6 – Wipe Data On Your Nexus 6
Go to Wipe data/factory reset using the Volume keys and select it using the Power button. Select Yes to confirm.
Step 7 – Wipe Cache On Your Nexus 6
After the wiping process is complete, go to Wipe cache partition using the Volume keys and select it by pressing the Power button. Select Yes to confirm.
Step 8 – Reboot Your Nexus 6
Select the Reboot system now option in order to reboot your Nexus 6 normally. The first boot might take longer than usual and this is normal. That’s it! You have successfully unrooted your Nexus 6.
Method 2: Nexus Root Toolkit (Windows Only)
This method uses the popular Nexus Root Toolkit app to unroot Nexus 6. This is one of the most well known PC apps for Nexus devices. Everything will be done through this app and you won’t need to type in any commands manually.
Step 1 – Download Nexus Root Toolkit
Download Nexus Root Toolkit on your Windows PC. You can get it through WugFresh’s official page. Once downloaded, install the app on your PC.
Step 2 – Select Your Model
After installing the app, you’ll see a Your model type screen. Select Nexus 6 as your device through the dropdown menu below Select the device you have. From the dropdown menu below Select the android build you are currently using, select your phone’s build number. You can find your build number by going to About phone in Settings. Click on Apply after making your selection.
Step 3 – Enable USB Debugging On Your Nexus 6
Go to Developer options in Settings and check the USB debugging and Enable OEM unlock options. If you can’t find Developer options, go to About phone in Settings and keep tapping on Build number until you see a You are now a developer popup message. You’ll now see Developer options in Settings.
Step 4 – Connect Your Nexus 6 To Your PC
Connect your Nexus 6 to your PC using a micro USB cable. If you see an Allow USB debugging popup on your phone right now or later, select Always allow from this computer and tap on OK.
Step 5 – Download Dependencies
If you see a dependency popup on your PC, click on Download + Update All File Dependencies.
Step 6 – Install Drivers
Once the downloading process is complete, click on Full Driver Installation Guide – Automatic + Manual. You’ll now see different steps in Nexus Root Toolkit. Follow the steps in order to install the drivers on your PC.
Step 7 – Start Unrooting Your Nexus 6
Once the drivers are installed, click on the Flash Stock + Unroot button. Click on OK to continue.
Step 8 – Select The Factory Image
In the Which factory image popup, select the Android 5.0.0 build from the first dropdown menu. Select the Automatically download + extract the factory image selected above for me in the second dropdown menu. Click on OK.
Step 9 – Lock The Bootloader On Your Nexus 6
Once the flashing process is complete, click on the OEM Lock button below Relock Bootloader. Click on OK to continue. Once the process is complete, your phone will automatically reboot. That’s it!
Method 3: One-Click Unroot Toolkit (Mac Only)
Like Method 2, this is another great toolkit that you can use in order to unroot Nexus 6. This toolkit is only available for Mac. The app does everything automatically and you won’t need to type in commands in Terminal.
Step 1 – Download The Unroot File
Download the UnrootNexus6MacToolkit.zip file on your Mac computer. Once downloaded, extract the ZIP file on your Desktop.
Step 2 – Enable USB Debugging
Go to Developer options in Settings and check the USB debugging and the Enable OEM unlock options. If you can’t find Developer options, go to About phone in Settings and keep tapping on Build number until you see a You are now a developer popup message. You’ll now see Developer options in Settings.
Step 3 – Connect Your Phone To Your Mac
Connect your Nexus 6 to your Mac computer using a micro USB cable. If you get an Allow USB debugging popup on the screen, select Always allow from this computer and tap on OK.
Step 4 – Open The Unroot File
Open the folder that you extracted on your Desktop earlier and launch the file that shows a Green Android robot. If you don’t see the Green Android robot, open the file that has a .tool extension. A window should now open with the instructions.
Step 5 – Start The Unrooting Process
Press and hold the Volume Down and Power buttons on your Nexus 6 simultaneously until you see Start on the screen along with an Android robot. Press the Enter key on your Mac to continue. You’ll now see various commands on the screen. Wait for the flashing process to complete.
Step 6 – Lock The Bootloader On Your Nexus 6
Once the flashing process is complete, press Enter on your Mac to lock your bootloader. After the bootloader is locked, your phone will automatically boot into the same Start screen with an Android robot. Press the Power button to reboot your phone normally. You can now unplug the phone. That’s it! If your phone gets stuck in a boot loop, follow the steps below.
Step 7 – Boot Into Recovery On Your Nexus 6
Hold the Power button until your phone turns off. Hold the Volume Down and Power buttons at the same time until you see Start on the screen with an Android robot. Press the Volume Down button twice to highlight Recovery mode and press the Power button to enter into Recovery. If your phone shows a dead Android robot, keep pressing the Volume Up, Volume Down and Power keys repeatedly until your phone shows the Recovery menu.
Step 8 – Wipe Data On Your Nexus 6
Go to Wipe data/factory reset using the Volume keys and select it by pressing the Power key. Select Yes to confirm.
Step 9 – Reboot Your Nexus 6
Select the Reboot system now option to reboot your phone normally.
Conclusion
Rooting any Android device lets you do so much more from flashing mods and ROMs to installing apps that require root access. If you’re done messing around with your phone after rooting it or if you’re not comfortable with a rooted device, then you can use any of the methods above to unroot Nexus 6. Make sure that you take full responsibility before using any method mentioned above. Follow all the instructions carefully and let us know if you have any questions.
