How to Root the HTC Nexus One

With the availability of the Superuser in ZIP format, it has become easier to root the smartphones. You just flash the Superuser file using the custom recovery on your device and your phone is rooted. The HTC Nexus One is compatible with this root method and here we have a guide for the same. It explains all the required steps you should follow to root your HTC Nexus One smartphone.

I. Before You Begin:

1. You must have installed ADB on your PC. See our guide on how to install ADB.

2. This will void the warranty of your device, keep this in mind and go ahead.

II. Downloading Required Files:

1. ClockworkMod Recovery Image (Download link’s given in the section-2, step-1)

2. Superuser (Scroll down until you see Flash Superuser, download link is there)

III. Unlocking Bootloader of the HTC Nexus One:

1. Download and place the ClockworkMod Recovery Image into the folder where you have installed ADB. It is the folder where the adb.exe and fastboot.exe files are located.

2. Put the Superuser file onto your Desktop.

3. Turn OFF your device.

4. Reboot your device into the Fastboot mode. To do so, press and hold the Trackball+Power buttons together.

5. Connect your device to your PC using the USB cable.

6. Open a Command Prompt Window in the ADB folder. To do that, right-click on any empty area on the screen while holding down the Shift key on your keyboard, choose Open command window here from the context menu.

7. Type in the following commands into the Command Prompt Window:

fastboot oem unlock

8. A prompt will appear on your device asking you if you want to unlock the bootloader. Just hit Yes and the bootloader of your device will be unlocked.

Great! You have successfully unlocked the bootloader, let’s move to the next section to learn how to flash a custom recovery image.

IV. Installing ClockworkMod Recovery on the HTC Nexus One:

1. If your device is ON, just turn it OFF.

2. Reboot your device into the Fastboot mode by pressing and holding the Trackball+Power buttons together.

3. Connect it to your PC using the USB cable.

4. Open a Command Prompt Window in the ADB folder. To do so, press and hold the Shift key on your keyboard and right-click on any empty area on the screen, then choose Open command window here.

5. Issue the following command using the Command Prompt Window:

fastboot flash recovery recovery-clockwork-3.0.0.5-passion.img

6. After the Recovery Image is flashed on your device, enter the following command:

fastboot reboot

7. Your device should reboot.

Excellent! You have successfully installed the ClockworkMod Recovery on your device with the help of Fastboot. Let’s see how you can root your device.

V. Rooting the HTC Nexus One:

1. Connect your device to your PC using the USB cable.

2. Transfer the Superuser file you have on your Desktop to the root folder of your device’s SD card.

3. Disconnect the device from your PC after the file has been successfully transferred.

4. Turn OFF your device.

5. Reboot your device into the HBOOT mode. To do that, simply press and hold the Trackball+Power buttons together.

6. Choose Recovery from the HBOOT menu.

7. After the Recovery is loaded, choose install zip from sdcard>>choose zip from sdcard.

8. Choose the Superuser file you transferred earlier to be flashed on your device.

9. Reboot your device after the file has been flashed.

Wonderful! You’re now rooted ! You now have unlocked bootloader, a custom recovery and root access on your device. These things are enough to perform most of the advanced tasks on your device.

VI. Flash a Custom ROM (Optional):

1. If you are ready to flash custom ROMs on your device, head to the How To Flash a Custom ROM on the HTC Nexus One to learn how to do that.

If this procedure helped you please thank/donate to the original developers here.

If you need help with this procedure, please ask in the comments below or in the forum.

This is part of our Android How To’s. We have how to’s on rooting, loading ROMs, and tons of other tips and tricks for your specific device or for Android devices in general! For all of our Android How To’s, head here.