How to Root the Motorola Moto G on Android 5.0
Did the Android 5.0 Lollipop update just hit your Motorola Moto G? Did it break the root-access and you wish to regain the same on your device? No worries, here’s how to root your Moto G on Android 5.0 and get the root-only apps working again on your device.
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 Motorola Moto G, 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 Motorola Moto G:
I. Before You Begin
1. This’ll void the warranty of your device. We won’t be held responsible if end-up bricking your device. Do it at your own risk.
2. This should work for XT1031, XT1032, and XT1033 variants of the device.
3. You must have a Windows based PC to do this procedure.
4. Make sure you have installed Motorola USB drivers on your PC.
II. Downloading Required Files
1. Download CF-Root and save it to your desktop.
OR
OR
III. Rooting the Motorola Moto G on Android 5.0
1. Extract files from CF-Root to your desktop by right-clicking on it and selecting Extract here.
2. Turn OFF your device.
3. Turn it back on by holding down Volume DOWN and Power buttons together.
4. Your device should reboot into bootloader mode.
5. Plug in your device to your PC using the USB cable.
6. Double-click on root-windows.bat file that you extracted from the CF-Root archive. It’ll launch.
7. Follow the on-screen instructions for rooting your device.
8. Once rooted, head over to Google Play and install Busybox on your device. Some root-only apps will require it.
Awesome! Your Motorola Moto G running Android 5.0 is now rooted, all thanks to Chainfire for his wonderful rooting tool.
Maybe you always wanted to change the boring stock ROM on your Moto G? If so, we can help you do that. Follow the below section that flashes a custom recovery on your device which will then help you flash one of many beautiful custom ROMs on your device. Here’s how:
IV. Flashing a Custom Recovery on the Motorola Moto G
1. Head over to the Google Play store and download and install TWRP Manager on your device.
2. Once installed, launch the app from your app drawer.
3. Tap on Install TWRP.
4. Select your device from the list shown on your screen.
5. Tap on Install Recovery.
6. It’ll then automatically download and flash the recovery on your device.
7. You’re all done!
That was amazing! You now have a custom recovery up and running on your Moto G that should help you flash a lot of things on your device to enhance your experience. Enjoy!
You can click here to find all of the Motorola Moto G How To’s.
You can also find all of the Motorola Moto G ROMs we have here.
