How to Root the MotoActv

Motorola launched the MotoActv – an Android powered watch – keeping health conscious people in mind. The device does this job pretty well by providing you with your fitness analytics using various technologies built into it. Not only does the watch have fitness apps, but it also runs Android 2.3.4 and so it has everything that particular version of Android has.

While you may have a number of reasons to like this watch from Motorola, there may be some things on it that you don’t like. Maybe you don’t like the animation that the device shows when you boot it, or maybe you don’t find the stock apps to be useful for you and that they just occupy the precious storage on the device. Well, you’ve got root to help solve some of that for you.

Getting root access on your MotoActv lets you do many things such as the ability to remove stock apps, flash a custom ROM, remove boot animation and more. There’s an entirely new world with lots of possibilities to customize an Android device once it’s been rooted.

Thanks to Root Tool, rooting your MotoActv is now as easy as clicking a button in an app and you’re rooted. Here’s the guide for you to root your MotoActv:

Before You Begin

1. This could void the warranty of your device. We won’t be held responsible for anything that happens from doing this tutorial so please proceed at your own risk.
2. You must have a Windows based PC to do this procedure.
3. You should have USB drivers installed on your Windows PC. Install them if they aren’t already.
4. This should also flash a custom recovery on your device.
5. Make sure your device is charged 100% before you do this procedure as the procedure requires for the device to be fully charged or you’ll have issues.
6. You should only try this on a MotoActv.

How to Root the MotoActv

To root the device, you’ll use a root tool that’ll flash a boot image and gain root access on the device. Then, you’ll flash a custom recovery using Minimal ADB. Here’s how it’s all done:

Downloading Required Files

1. Download Minimal ADB and save it to your desktop.
   Minimal ADB
2. Download Root Tool and save it to your desktop.
   Root Tool (Download link’s given on the page)
3. Download CWM Recovery and save it to your desktop.
   CWM Recovery

Rooting the MotoActv

1. Double-click on Root Tool executable and wait for it to extract and then launch with a user-interface.
2. Plug in your device to your PC.
3. MotoCast should begin to install on your PC. Wait for that to finish.
4. When MotoCast is installed, it’ll ask you to update your device. Allow it to do so.
5. When your device is updated, unplug it from your PC.
6. Click on Flash Boot Image and Root button in the Root Tool.
   
7. Turn off your device.
8. Hold down Volume DOWN and Power buttons together on your device and it’ll boot-up into fastboot mode.
9. Plug in your device to your PC.
10. The tool should automatically flash an insecure boot image and then root your device.

Your MotoActv should now be rooted.

Now that you’re rooted, here’s how you can flash a custom recovery on your MotoActv:

Flashing a Custom Recovery on the MotoActv

1. Extract files from Minimal ADB over to your desktop by right-clicking on it and selecting Extract here.
2. Enable USB debugging on your device by heading to Menu > Settings > Applications > Development > USB debugging.
3. Plug in your device to your PC using a cable.
4. Launch a command prompt window on your desktop by holding down Shift and right-clicking anywhere on the screen and selecting Open command window here.
5. When the command prompt window launches, type in the following commands one by one and hit Enter after each command:
   adb push CWMR5x_F100_recoveryA.img /data/local/
adb shell
dd if=/data/local/CWMR5x_F100_recoveryA.img of=/dev/block/mmcblk1p13
exit
6. That should’ve flashed the recovery on your device. Enter in the following command into the command prompt window and hit Enter:
   adb reboot recovery
7. Your device should reboot into the newly installed custom recovery mode.

Your MotoActv was successfully flashed with a custom recovery and you should be seeing it on your device’s screen right now.

Now that you’re both rooted and have a custom recovery, you should go ahead and flash a custom ROM on your device to explore what the custom Android world has to offer.