If you own a Xperia phone, this a complete tutorial on how to install TWRP recovery on Sony phones. Be it an installation of a custom ROM, root package or any other system mod, chances are that it will require TWRP recovery to be installed. Further, TeamWin offers a wide variety of built-in features that make the utility itself quite useful.
TWRP is built as a replacement recovery image. For installation, users have to basically overwrite the stock recovery by flashing TWRP through Fastboot. Once done, owners would be able to use utilize TWRP and all its features by booting into the recovery partition. We have the complete download and install process for TWRP recovery on Sony phones right ahead.
Why Install TWRP Recovery on Sony Phones?
TeamWin’s recovery project is actually a pretty fundamental mod in the sense that it provides the foundation for flashing other utilities. More, for Sony phones that no longer officially supported for software updates, TWRP allows for custom ROM installation.
In addition to letting users install other mods, TeamWin has packed TWRP with some great features of its own. For starters, users can wipe certain partitions of their phones, create a complete system backup and also, use ADB.
The latest available build of TWRP is v3.4.0 which added support for Android 10. Now that Android 11 is out, you can expect a newer build of TWRP anytime in the coming weeks.
Download TWRP for Sony Xperia Phones
As we detailed earlier on, TWRP is available as an image for Sony Xperia phones. For your specific device, download the correct file from below:
| Name | Model | Download |
|---|---|---|
| Sony Xperia 10 | kirin | twrp-3.4.0-0-kirin.img |
| Sony Xperia X Performance | dora | twrp-3.0.2-0-dora.img |
| Sony Z5 | – | sony-recovery-z5.img |
| Sony XZ Premium | maple | TWRP-3.1.1-0-maple-20170720-3.img |
Installation ZIP Files
Some Sony devices require additional ZIP files to make TWRP custom recovery permanent. For such devices, here are the installation packages.
| Name | Model | Download |
|---|---|---|
| Sony Xperia 10 | kirin | twrp-installer-3.4.0-0-kirin.zip |
How to Install TWRP Custom Recovery
After you have successfully downloaded the required TWRP files for your Sony Xperia, use these steps to install it. We have listed the complete method right ahead. It includes links to helpful articles that will make the overall procedure that much easier.
Few Things to Remember:
- Make sure the bootloader of your phone is unlocked.
- Your computer is configured with correct USB drivers for Sony phones.
- Enable Developer Options by going to Settings > About phone and tapping on Build number multiple times.
- Enable USB Debugging in Settings > Developer options. Make sure that the USB Debugging is checked.
- Backup all the data as installing a custom recovery might delete all of your data.
- Charge your phone up to 50% first and make sure your phone does not shut down during the procedure or it might damage your phone.
Tutorial:
Step 1 – Download ADB / Fastboot – Android SDK Platform Tools separate package and install on your computer.
Step 2 – Connect Sony phone to your PC with a USB cable and install ADB drivers.
Step 3 – Download TWRP from the links attached above and save it into the same directory as the extracted Fastboot / ADB package files. For installation ZIP files, download it and copy it to your phone.
Step 4 – Navigate to the same directory now as where you have Fastboot (i.e. Step 1) and on Windows: Open Command Prompt (Shift + Right-click > Open Command Prompt). For Mac OS X and Linux, use Terminal to navigate to this directory.
Step 5 – Type in the following command and press Enter.
adb reboot bootloaderStep 6 – Your Sony Xperia phone will switch OFF and then boot into the Fastboot Mode. Once the drivers are installed, proceed below.
NOTE: Alternatively, you can also enter Fastboot Mode by switching OFF your phone first. Then turn it ON by holding Volume Down + Power buttons together.
Step 7 – Then type the following command and press Enter.
For Phones without Installation ZIP package:
fastboot flash recovery FILE-NAME.imgFor Phones that have an Installation package:
fastboot boot FILE-NAME.imgNOTE: Replace “FILE-NAME” with the actual one which you downloaded.
Step 8 – Once completed, you can boot into custom recovery. For phones that required an installation ZIP, it is important to install the ZIP file by going to Advanced > Install Recovery Ramdisk.
This is the end. You should now have TWRP recovery on Sony Xperia phone. If the installation did not go well, let us know in the comments below.
