HMD Fusion is the first smartphone from Human Mobile Devices (HMD) that was originally mentioned to offer bootloader unlock ability. Being a customizable smartphone built for tinkerers, it made perfect sense to allow bootloader unlocking so that users could run their mods and accessories with utmost freedom.
However, after the sales start of HMD Fusion, HMD never talked about unlocking the bootloader. They did not publish any guides, nor did they provide any firmware packages. The Fusion development toolkit did not expose anything about bootloader unlocking either.
It now appears that the groundwork to allow bootloader unlocking on the HMD Fusion (codename: nighthawk) smartphone was already done. Long story short, the HMD Fusion comes with the ability to unlock the bootloader. It is quick and easy and does not require special keys. The only deviation from the standard bootloader unlock procedure is that the device uses a new (undocumented) fastboot command to initiate the bootloader unlock flow. With that exposed by Hikari Calyx, here’s the step-by-step guide to unlock the bootloader on the HMD Fusion smartphone. This should also apply to the Fusion Business Edition as well as the HMD Fusion X1.
How to unlock the bootloader on HMD Fusion?
I have tested the following Bootloader Unlock method on HMD Fusion smartphone running on Android 15 with May 2025 security patch. The build number is 2_430_SP02. It is possible that HMD blocks the unlock ability through a future OS update, especially if it was all a mistake and an unplanned rollout.
Things that you need:
- A Computer
Windows, Mac, Linux, or even Chromebooks will work as long as you know how to run the fastboot commands. This guide focuses on Windows only, though. - A USB cable to connect the phone to the PC.
- Install HMD USB Drivers to communicate with the phone in fastboot mode.
- Download and extract the Platform Tools zip to a folder on your PC.
Follow the steps below when you’re ready to start unlocking the bootloader.
Detailed guide to unlock the bootloader on HMD Fusion smartphones. Applies to Fusion, Fusion Barca Edition, and HMD Fusion X1.
- Back up all important data from the phone
Unlocking the bootloader wipes the device’s internal storage. It will remove all photos, videos, apps, texts, and other data stored on the phone. So, please take a backup of your important data before proceeding further.
- Enable USB Debugging and OEM unlocking (optional)
• Please go to Settings > About phone > More and tap 10 times on the ‘Build Number’ to enable developer options.
• Then go to Settings > Developer options and enable USB Debugging as well as OEM Unlocking.
Neither of these is mandatory to unlock the bootloader, but it is a good practice to have them enabled just in case things go wrong. - Boot the HMD Fusion in fastboot mode
• Connect the phone to the PC and turn it off.
• Wait for the charging to start.
• Press and hold the Volume Down and Power buttons together until you see the bootloader menu.
- Run the bootloader unlock commands
Make sure that the phone is detected by the computer. Then run the following fastboot command in a command prompt or terminal window in the folder where you extracted the platform tools.
fastboot oem unlock_factory
Info: You can open Terminal in Windows 11 by right-clicking within a folder and choosing ‘Open in Terminal‘. - Confirm the bootloader unlock on the phone
The phone will show a bootloader unlock confirmation prompt. Use the Volume down button on the phone to highlight the “Unlock the bootloader” option. Then press the Power button to confirm your selection.
The phone will perform the mandatory factory reset and then boot to the Android system.
After following the above steps, you will have an HMD Fusion device with an unlocked bootloader. You can now flash a new ROM (such as a GSI), root the phone, or modify the partitions. You can flash a custom ROM or the stock ROM to update your device if you are not receiving software updates in your country.
Did it succeed? Please let us know in the comments if you managed to successfully unlock the bootloader of your HMD Fusion smartphone.
Why do I see a warning before the phone starts up?
All phones are required to show a warning to alert users about the unlocked state of the bootloader. The warning on the HMD Fusion reads “The bootloader is unlocked and software integrity cannot be guaranteed. Any data stored on the device may be available to attackers. Do not store any sensitive data on the device.”
You can turn off the warning by locking the bootloader. There’s no way to disable the warning on an unlocked state, as it is a part of the application bootloader.
How to lock the bootloader on HMD Fusion?
The bootloader-unlocked HMD Fusion shows a persistent warning during restarts, informing the user about the potential risks of an unlocked bootloader. You can remove the warning by locking the bootloader. It is also ideal to lock the bootloader if you want to sell the phone or give it to another family member who doesn’t understand the risks of an unlocked bootloader.
Before locking, please ensure that your device is running on the official stock ROM for HMD Fusion. The phone will not start if a modified or a custom OS is installed. Also, ensure that you are on the most recent OTA update available from HMD before locking the bootloader, else a red screen error “No valid OS could be found” might appear.
Before locking, please ensure that your device is running on the official stock ROM for HMD Fusion. The phone will not start if a modified or a custom OS is installed. Also, ensure that you are on the most recent OTA update available from HMD before locking the bootloader, else a red screen error “No valid OS could be found” might appear.
- Boot the phone in fastboot mode.
- Open a command prompt window in your platform tools folder.
- Run the fastboot command:
fastboot oem lock_factory - The phone will show a bootloader lock confirmation screen. Please confirm it by selecting “Lock the bootloader” and then pressing the Power button.
- The phone will make another factory reset and then boot to the Android OS.
That’s it. The bootloader will be locked now, and the warning will disappear.
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