How to Root the Essential Phone (PH-1) using Magisk

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Andy Rubin’s Essential Products made headlines with the Essential Phone (or PH-1), an all-titanium smartphone with modular accessories, dual cameras, and a distinctive cutout near the top of the screen. The company made a few fumbles in the interim, but it isn’t giving up anytime soon. A recent price drop reinvigorated interest in the Essential Phone, and we’re seeing community support come to life for it.

On Tuesday, we talked about how XDA Recognized Developer released unofficial factory images for the Essential Phone. Now that there are recovery images to flash in case something goes wrong, we’re starting to see additional work from developers. Earlier today, XDA Senior Member put together a guide that shows how to root the Essential Phone using Magisk.

The process requires an unlocked bootloader and a computer with the Android Debug Bridge (ADB) and Fastboot utilities installed. (If you haven’t used ADB or Fastboot before, we suggest following our guide.) You can download the Essential-compatible version of TWRP from here (or the mirror here) and Magisk v14.3 from here. The guide also requires that you have a modified version of the boot.img (kernel) that matches your phone’s build number (NMJ32F – NMJ20D).

Once you’ve met the prerequisites, follow these steps to root your phone: