How to Root the HTC One Google Play Edition

Rooting is the process of gaining administrative rights on your Android device.  Once we root our Android device, we can then make changes to it to customize it well beyond what it normally can do.

Once you have root access on your HTC One Google Play Edition, you’ll be able to:

  • Remove apps that were preinstalled by your carrier/manufacturer from your device.
  • Free up storage space (because of the above benefit).
  • Increase battery life (apps that might have been running constantly can be removed).
  • Increase performance (after removing apps that are always running, the device will be less bogged down and run smoother).
  • Update to a new version of Android (by flashing a custom recovery/ROM, see the end of this procedure for more info on that).
  • Tons of other customizations when you use your new found administrative rights to flash a custom ROM (again, see the end of this procedure for more info on that).

Interested? Here’s how to root your HTC One Google Play Edition:

I. Before You Begin

1. This will void the warranty of your device. However, you can reinstate the warranty by unrooting your device if there’s any unrooting procedure available.

2. This should unlock your bootloader as well as flash a custom recovery on your device.

II. Downloading Required Files

1. Download Fastboot and save it to your Desktop.

Fastboot

2. Download TWRP Recovery and save it to your Desktop.

TWRP Recovery (Download the latest version available)

3. Download SuperSU and save it to your Desktop.

SuperSU

III. Unlocking the Bootloader of the HTC One Google Play Edition

1. Extract files from Fastboot archive by right-clicking on it and selecting Extract here.

2. Enable USB debugging on your device by heading to Menu > Settings > Developer options > USB debugging.

3. Plug in your device to your PC using the USB cable.

4. Launch a Command Prompt Window on your Desktop. To do that, simply hold down Shift and right-click on any blank area on your screen and select Open command window here.

5. Type in following command into the Command Prompt Window:

adb reboot bootloader

6. Your device should reboot into the bootloader mode.

7. Once in, issue the following command:

fastboot oem unlock

8. A prompt will appear on your device, hit Yes and you should be good to go.

9. You’re done!

Grea! Your bootloader is now unlocked and you’re all ready to flash a custom recovery on your device.

IV. Flash a Custom Recovery on the HTC One Google Play Edition:

1. Ensure that the USB debugging option is enabled on your device by going to Menu > Settings > Developer options > USB debugging.

2. Open a Command Prompt Window on your Desktop by holding down Shift and right-clicking on any blank area and selecting Open command window here.

3. Type in following command into the Command Prompt Window:

adb reboot bootloader

4. Your device should reboot into the bootloader mode.

5. Now type in following command into the Command Prompt Window. Make sure to replace recovery.img with the actual name of the Recovery Image you have downloaded:

fastboot flash recovery recovery.img

6. It should flash the TWRP Recovery on your device, shouldn’t take too long to finish.

7. Once the recovery’s been flashed, type in following command:

fastboot reboot

8. Your device should reboot.

9. You’re done!

Brilliant! You’ve successfully flashed a custom recovery on your device, let’s see how you can root it.

V. Rooting the HTC One Google Play Edition

1. Connect your device to your PC via USB cable.

2. Copy the SuperSU zip from your Desktop over to the root of your SD card.

3. Now open a Command Prompt Window on your Desktop. To do so, simply hold down Shift and right-click on any blank area on your screen and select Open command window here.

4. Type in following command into the Command Prompt Window:

adb reboot recovery

5. Your device should reboot into the TWRP Recovery.

6. Once in Recovery, select Install and choose the SuperSU zip to be installed on your device.

7. Once the zip has been installed, reboot your device.

8. You’re all done!

All set! Now, you can head to our How to Flash a Custom ROM procedure for the HTC One Google Play Edition to open up a whole new world of customizations for your Android device!

By the way, don’t be scared, you can always put your device back to stock by heading to our Rooting How To’s section, finding your device, and doing the How to Unroot listed for it there.

3 thoughts on “How to Root the HTC One Google Play Edition”

  1. I’ve been having a hard time getting past the first real step. I cannot unlock my bootloader following these or any other tutorials. M7 GPE, S-ON, HBOOT 1.54.0000, Android 4.4.4, just did a factory reset.

      1. When I try to use CyanogenMod installer, Firewater/Temproot, or HTCDev’s unlock code method, I can’t get the Unlock Bootloader screen to pop up on the phone. It stays on the bootloader with Fastboot USB selected and just sits. It doesn’t freeze, though. I can reboot or pwoer down from the phone. I’ve tried remounting the phone through ADB shell on the pc as read-write but the entire phone is locked down as read-only and it fails to remount or load anything or give me any kind of access. If I reboot the phone it loads up the normal android with all the apps and gmail account loaded.

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