How to Root the Sony Xperia ZL (C6503/C6506) Running 10.3.1.A.0.244 firmware

The Sony Xperia ZL is a slightly modified version of the Xperia Z and features a quad-core 1.5GHz CPU, 2GB of RAM, a 13MP shooter, and a host of other features you would find in a high-end smartphone.  And if you want something more from this already awesome device, rooting it should add a few more bells that you might like.  The guide below should help you do that and you should be rooted in no time!

I.  Before You Begin

1.  This procedure only works on the  Sony Xperia ZL (C6503) running 10.3.1.A.0.244 firmware only; do not try this if you have anything older on your device.

2.  As always, back up everything you care about and charge your device to 75% or more before you start.

II.  Necessary Downloads

1.  flashtool-0.9.11.0-windows.exe [or newer versions]

2.  C6503_10.3.A.0.423_MEA.ftf (Link available in this post)

3.  DooMLoRD_Easy-Rooting-Toolkit_v18_perf-event-exploit.zip (Link available in this post under the Downloads section)

4.   C6503_10.3.1.A.0.244_DE.ftf (Link available in this post)

III.  Flashing the Rootable Older Kernel

1.  Double-click on flashtool-0.9.11.0-windows.exe you downloaded above and follow the on-screen instructions to install it.

2.  Copy C6503_10.3.A.0.423_MEA.ftf file you downloaded above to C:\Flashtool\firmwares on your harddrive.

3.  Open the Flashtool application after installation and click on the Flash icon (the one with the thunder symbol).

4.  You should be presented with two options:  Flashmode and Fastboot Mode.  Select Flashmode.

5.  Choose C6503_10.3.A.0.423_MEA.ftf and click on OK.  Follow the on-screen instructions on how to boot your device into fastboot mode and connect your device.  Also, make sure “No Final Verification” is marked.

6.  Reboot device.

IV.  Rooting the Xperia ZL

1.  Enable USB Debugging on your device.  You can do this by heading to Settings > Development Options > USB Debugging and checking the tickbox next to it.

2.  Enable installation of non-Market applications.  To do this, go to Settings > Security and check the Unknown Sources tickbox.

3.  Connect your device to your Windows PC.  At this point, ensure that the Flashtool is not running; if it is running, exit it and check the task manager for any other instances of it running and end them.

5.  Extract the DooMLoRD_Easy-Rooting-Toolkit_v18_perf-event-exploit.zip that you downloaded above to a folder on your desktop.

6.  From the extracted folder, double-click on runme_win.bat to run the DooMLoRD tool.

7.  Follow the on-screen instructions and wait for the process to be complete.

Reboot your device and check that the SuperSU app is installed on your device.  If it is, you are now rooted!

V.  Flashing the Original Kernel

Follow the same steps listed in section III of this post but choose C6503_10.3.1.A.0.244_DE.ftf this time.

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