Windows Phone Internals bootloader unlocking tool goes open source

By published

Now it's up to the community to decide the fate of the Windows Phone hacking tool.

Windows Phone Internals, a tool built to help gain root access on Lumia devices, is now open source. The tool's developer, Rene Lergner, has released the source code for Windows Phone Internals on GitHub, turning it over to the remaining Windows Phone community for further development.

As Lergner explains on his website (via MSPU), the impetus for open sourcing Windows Phone Internals is that he no longer has the time to pursue active development himself. From Lergner:

I uploaded all the source-code of Windows Phone Internals to Github. I also created some tooling which helped me developing Windows Phone Internals. I will upload this to Github too somewhere soon. I will still do some development, but don't have much time for it lately. So I hope other developers and hackers can contribute too. If Microsoft will ever release a Surface phone, I will have a new challenge and work on that.

Earlier in 2018, Windows Phone Internals got its first update since 2015, allowing it to work on all Windows Phone 8 and Windows 10 Mobile-based Lumia devices.

The tool itself basically automates the processes required to unlock the bootloader on any Lumia, disabling security features that would normally prevent you from gaining root access. Once root access has been achieved, you can do things like flash custom ROMs, create full device backups, and use your Lumia in Mass Storage Mode. The tool has also opened up space for developers to cook up some interesting (if questionably useful) hacks, like getting Windows 10 on ARM working on Lumia devices.

Interested developers can check out the full source code for Windows Phone Internals at GitHub now.

Dan Thorp-Lancaster
Dan Thorp-Lancaster

Dan Thorp-Lancaster is the Editor in Chief for Windows Central. He began working with Windows Central as a news writer in 2014 and is obsessed with tech of all sorts. You can follow Dan on Twitter @DthorpL and Instagram @heyitsdtl. Got a hot tip? Send it to daniel.thorp-lancaster@futurenet.com.
24 Comments
  • I'm more on the side "Could someone flash windows on Xiaomi devices?"
  • I just used my 950XL throughout my house move for everything. It covered the lot with zero issues. Useless? Far from it. I can confirm 100%.
  • Well, just hope you don't lose or misplace your iPhone then 😂.
  • that's what I was hoping for...
  • I'd like to get Android on my Lumia 930, that'd be cool. I'd get to use my Lumia again 😁
  • I'm more interested in that Windows on ARM nugget. That could be rather interesting on a 950XL or HP x3.
  • Yes, that would be interesting.
  • It would be better on the elite x3 as I don't think it will be optimised enough for the Snapdragon 810.
  • have anyone looked at this the other way, Google and Android peeps learning more about LiveTiles then later releasing something similar and renaming it their own. iPhone App Widgets are pretty neat, not exactly live tiles but works quite well.
  • Android has had full functional live tiles for several years now. No one is going to be impressed by widgets with minimal function.
  • Fully functional live tiles???
    Get out of here man lol, that's just pure baloney as there is no native support within the o/s for such functionality.
  • I don't know what you're on about, but there sure as heck is. They're called "Widgets," not "Live Tiles," but that's just semantics...and they are better in every way than Live Tiles are.
  • SquareHome 2 and Launcher 10 are a couple of good launchers that provide the live tile experience on Android. IMO notification banners have replaced most of the ubiquity of live tiles. Most Android users have a clean home screen with minimal apps that are tucked away in a drawer so the idea of live tiles doesn't really resonate with them. They're just used to something different.
  • Yeah, used to an out dated UX of icons that was used by phones from the days of monochrome screens and prior to the advent of polyphonic ringtones.
  • I did like the end: if a Surface phone comes out I will have a new challenge hahaha
  • I miss my 950XL every day. My Galaxy S8+ is a good phone, but the OS is pretty terrible and can't properly manage background tasks. A couple weeks after I bought the phone, an update took away the ability to completely prevent apps from running in the background. Now I have to use an app to shutdown background processes of apps Android doesn't know how to fully shutdown.
  • And I miss my 1020 every day as I continue to use my 950XL.
  • Agree 100% Ever since I switched from WM10/950XL to a Note 8, I've regretted it. Only thing I can really say I like about the note 8 is taking notes. Use that for my job when in field from time to time. Otherwise, the OS is pure garbage and a buggy mess.
  • Android is designed to handle background processes without user intervention. You probably shouldn't force close apps, it is likely causing issues and battery drain, not preventing them.
  • I just repurchased a Windows Phone this past August after foolishly selling one in January and moving to Android... Both Operating systems have merits and some messed up stuff. Love the Windows UI, and the OS is so much more fluent (no pun intended) now than say two years ago. I am kind of caught in a conundrum though, I also use Google apps services, and Microsoft services. I don't like that. So I will use my Windows phone in till its death and purchase an Android phone to replace it. Having said that if it would be possible to replace Windows 10 mobile with Stock android, I guess I would do and run Launcher 10 :-)
  • Developers: get to work please...
  • Is it possible to expand internal storage?
  • Or ram?
  • Windows Phone 8.1 on Nokia Lumia 929 a friend (a tech) convinced me to try it, in summer of 2018 admittedly late to the party that never really took off. But what a joke one issue after another. Not issues I would expect like not enough apps or sluggishness but 1) phone itself was difficult to use. Calling a contact took extra taps compared to Android. Thought the mic was broken cause it sounded garbled when I spoke through it to my recipients. But the best was getting a notice from windows advisor " your phone is compatible for the windows 10 upgrade" LOL - except it wouldn't connect to the server after a week of attempts. Wiped the phone and installed the NOKIA ffu image to re-install, still would not connect to the server. But ran on off-line upgrade to windows 10 now all of a sudden the Mic worked sounded like a cell phone should sound (as in clear and legible). two weeks later sms would receive messages but new message did not put message to top of message list. According MS only fix was to rest the phone which I did. Fixed SMS and now outlook will not open. Reset two more times still does not open. The best part can't find a 3rd party app that opens pop3/imap. Also did a reset with a brand new live account in case something in that account caused the issue. But no its a system "feature" outlook will fail on launch everytime lol When your OS breaks your APPS something is very wrong. Going back to Android this is laughable. TYPICAL MS now they are talking about bringing a surface online that will make calls and receive sms lol staying away from that potential nightmare as well