Fastboot

For the PC fast booting ability, see Instant-on.
Not to be confused with the Android recovery mode or the Samsung specific Fastboot alternative called Odin mode.
Original author(s)Google LLC
Repositoryandroid.googlesource.com
Included withAndroid SDK
Available inC++
TypeFirmware communication protocol and implementation thereof

Fastboot is a communication protocol used primarily with Android devices.[1] It is implemented in a command-line interface tool of the same name and as a mode of the bootloader of Android devices. The tool is included with the Android SDK package and used primarily to modify the flash filesystem via a USB connection from a host computer. It requires that the device be started in Fastboot mode. If the mode is enabled, it will accept a specific set of commands,[2] sent through USB bulk transfers. Fastboot on some devices allows unlocking the bootloader, and subsequently, enables installing custom recovery image and custom ROM on the device. Fastboot does not require USB debugging to be enabled on the device.[3] To use fastboot, a specific combination of keys must be held during boot.[4]

Not all Android devices have fastboot enabled,[5] and Android device manufacturers are allowed to choose if they want to implement fastboot or some other protocol.[6]

  1. ^ "Fastboot Protocol Documentation". android.googlesource.com. Retrieved 2019-07-07.
  2. ^ Ravenscraft, Eric (2014-06-13). "The Most Useful Things You Can Do with ADB and Fastboot on Android". Lifehacker. Retrieved 2019-07-07.
  3. ^ Tamma, Rohit (2015). Learning Android forensics : a hands-on guide to Android forensics, from setting up the forensic workstation to analyzing key forensic artifacts. Donnie Tindall. Birmingham, UK. p. 113. ISBN 978-1-78217-444-8. OCLC 910639389.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  4. ^ "How to Use ADB and Fastboot on Android (And Why You Should)". Makeuseof. 2017-01-26. Retrieved 2021-08-04.
  5. ^ "The Easiest Way to Install Android's ADB and Fastboot Tools on Any OS". Lifehacker. 11 January 2017. Retrieved 2021-08-04.
  6. ^ Drake, Joshua J. (2014). Android hacker's handbook. Zach Lanier, Collin Mulliner, Pau Oliva, Stephen A. Ridley, Georg Wicherski. Indianapolis, IN: Wiley. ISBN 978-1-118-60861-6. OCLC 875820167.