I've been writing about Android since 2011, with a focus on device reviews, Samsung and Google Pixel hardware, and the latest happenings in the ecosystem. In my entire writing career, I've reviewed ...

Chris Thomas was a reporter at Android Police from 2022 until 2025. People generally want the ability to use purchased devices how they see fit. Xiaomi, on the other hand, wants to maintain ...

Xiaomi just launched its new “HyperOS” skin for Android devices, but in a bit of a twist of the knife to enthusiasts, the company is not only disabling the option to unlock the bootloader but is also ...

Realme is among the few OEMs that allow officially unlocking the bootloader. After the Realme X, Realme 5 Pro, Realme 3, and Realme X50 5G, the latest phone to receive an official bootloader unlock is ...

It appears Xiaomi has changed its bootloader unlocking policy. The new policy limits users to one unlock on one device each year. Years ago, there was no limit, and only recently, Xiaomi had limited ...

Xiaomi just introduced strict restrictions to unlocking the bootloader on its HyperOS-running phones, citing security and data protection. While MIUI devices offer some amount of flexibility in this ...

Years ago, unlocking the bootloader on Android phones was more common. While far fewer people do it now, there is still a niche that likes to test advanced software modifications and more. That said, ...

The main focus of Google’s new Pixel 9 series is on AI, with several new features taking advantage of the rapidly growing tech. However, if you unlock your bootloader, many of the Pixel 9’s new AI ...

In the UK, a Zenfone buyer sued ASUS over the company’s broken promise to provide bootloader unlocking support for its phones. The buyer won, getting a full refund for the phone and their court fees, ...

Computer scientists recently discussed several vulnerabilities that were discovered in Android bootloaders using the BootStomp tool. How do Android bootloaders work, and what are the risks of the ...