How to Root the Motorola Moto X (AT&T) (Android 5.1)

The Motorola Moto X (First Gen) is now of those devices running the Android 5.1 Lollipop version as their operating system. While the second and third generation of the device are already enjoying the latest version of the Android OS, it didn’t take too long for Motorola to roll-out the major update called Lollipop of the OS for its first gen Moto X.

The update brings with it many new features in addition to the existing ones. One of these is the material design UI that enhances the user-experience and provides a better way to navigate the features on the device. Not only this, but you have a plenty more features to explore when you update your Moto X to the latest Android 5.1.

While updating to the latest version of the OS, you must be concerned about the root status if your device is already rooted. Fortunately though, root-access has been achieved on the latest Android 5.1 update and updating your device to this latest update won’t cause you lose the root-access as you will be able to regain it.

Once rooted, you will get all of the root-tools back on your device, including the ability to remove system apps, install root-only apps, flash a custom recovery, and then eventually flash a custom ROM.

If that sounds good to you and you’re on Android 5.1, here’s how to root your Moto X:

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 flashed your device using the ROM given here. Otherwise, the following procedure won’t work for you.
3. You should have a Windows based PC to do this procedure.
4. You should have Motorola Drivers installed on your PC. Install them if they aren’t already.
5. This only works for the AT&T variant of the Moto X that is model numbered as XT1058.
6. This should work on the device running Android 5.1 Lollipop.
7. This should also flash a custom recovery on your device.

How to Root the Motorola Moto X (AT&T) Running on Android 5.1

To root the device, you’ll use a patch file that should go in and gain root on the device. Here’s how:

Downloading Required Files

1. Download Root Patch and save it to your desktop.
   Root Patch (Download link’s given in the first post)
2. Download Python and save it to your desktop.
   Python (Download link’s available in the first post)
3. Download Pyserial and save it to your desktop.
   Pyserial (Download link’s given in the first post)
4. Download DLOAD drivers and save them to your desktop.
   DLOAD Drivers (Download link’s available in the first post)

Rooting the Motorola Moto X (AT&T) Running on Android 5.1 Lollipop

1. Double-click on Python executable and follow the on-screen instructions to install the tool on your PC.
2. Double-click on Pyserial executable and follow the installation wizard to install the tool on your PC.
3. Copy Root Patch archive from your desktop over to the Python directory which is C:\Python27.
4. Open the Python directory and right-click on Root Patch and select Extract here to extract the archive.
5. Turn off your device.
6. Turn your device back on in fastboot mode by holding down Volume DOWN and Power buttons together for a few seconds.
7. When your device reboots in fastboot mode, connect it to your PC using a USB cable.
8. Double-click on BLBROKE.bat located in the Python directory and it should launch.
9. Your device should turn off and go black. But you don’t need to panic as it’s the part of the procedure.
10. Extract DLOAD Drivers by right-clicking on the archive and selecting Extract here.
11. Open Device Manager and install the DLOAD Drivers manually.
12. When the drivers are installed, launch the root utility by double-clicking on root.bat located in the Python directory.
13. The utility should take about 15 to 20 minutes to gain root access on your device.
14. When the utility’s done rooting your device, your device should reboot.
15. Your device should automatically start optimizing apps. Wait for it to do that.
16. Reboot your device when optimization is done.
17. You are now rooted!

Your AT&T variant of the Moto X running Android 5.1 should now be rooted and you can confirm it for yourself by downloading and installing Root Checker on your device.

Now that you’re rooted, you should flash a custom recovery on your device to then gain access to a wide range of custom ROMs for your device. Here’s how you can flash a custom recovery on your Moto X from AT&T:

Flashing a Custom Recovery on the Motorola Moto X (AT&T)

1. Head over to the Google Play store and download and install TWRP Manager on your device.
2. When the app’s installed, launch it from your app drawer.
3. Tap on Install TWRP on the app interface.
4. Select ghost from the device list as that’s your device.
5. Tap on Install Recovery to begin the installation process.
6. The recovery will automatically be downloaded and installed on your device; no actions are needed from your side.
7. When the recovery’s installed, reboot your device.

Congratulations as you’ve successfully flashed a custom recovery on your Moto X from AT&T and you can reboot into it using the TWRP Manager app.

Now that you’re rooted and have a custom recovery, check out the huge collection of custom ROMs for Android devices and see if there’s a ROM that you can flash on your device (definitely the most interesting thing you can do once you have a custom recovery).

Let us know how this procedure worked for you in the comments below!