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How to Unroot the LG G3 and Revert Back to Stock

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Today we’re going to go through the step by step process to completely unroot the LG G3, revert back to the stock LG G3 ROM and completely reset your device.

Updated: Below you will find two tutorials for how to revert back to stock for the LG G3. I have received more positive feedback from the second tutorial listed so I would advise that you start with that one(scroll down until you see the second set of tutorial steps).

Some of us are into gaining root access on our Android devices. This gives us more control over the smartphone, smartwatch or tablet that we own. However, sometimes we need to revert back to the stock LG ROM in order to accept an OTA update, return the device to the carrier(or manufacturer), or to resolve various issues like an accidental bootloop.

This is all relatively easy to do with the Windows program LG PC Suite that LG has made available on their very own website.

I have covered the step by step process on how you can gain root access to your LG G3. This will work on multiple LG G3 variants as well as a handful of older LG devices. I root my Android devices so I can do things like give root access to the BetterBatteryStats application, change the DPI, debloat and to install custom ROMs and kernels. CM11 is getting close to working on the T-Mobile variant of the LG G3, but all this stuff is a story for another day. Today I’m going to take you through the step by step tutorial on how to unroot the LG G3.

Unroot LG G3 with LG PC Suite

  1. Backup All Important Data
  2. Download LG PC Suite
  3. Update LG PC Suite from the Help Menu After it’s Installed
  4. Connect the LG G3 to Your Computer via USB
  5. Click the Phone Menu in LG PC Suite and then Click ‘Restore Upgrade Errors’
  6. Let LG PC Suite Auto-Detect and Download the Correct ROM
  7. Wait Until LG PC Suite Flashes the Downloaded LG ROM
  8. Wait Until the LG G3 Reboots Completely
  9. Disconnect the USB Cable
  10. Perform Factory Reset

There are few things to make note of here. If you have previously installed a KDZ file then LG PC Suite might have issues detecting your LG G3. Please refer to the KDZ tutorial or thread that you followed to find out how to undo the changes to the hosts file. I wish I had more information to give you here, but I simply have zero experience with the various KDZ firmware installs. I will look into this more at a later date and I will try to amend this tutorial when/if I figure out the best course of action. You can leave a comment on the KDZ tutorial page that you followed, or reply to the thread(if you followed a forum guide), asking the community how to resolve that particular hosts file issue. Maybe one of our very own readers has experience with this and could leave a comment below telling us how to fix this issue.

Depending on what you have done to your LG G3 since you gained root access, it might beneficial to unfreeze any applications and revert any changes you have made before you follow this tutorial. There are just so many variants of the LG G3 out there and some could react differently than others. For example, if you have frozen any applications with Titanium Backup, then it might be a good idea to unfreeze them before you follow this step by step guide. If you have changed the DPI, it might be a good idea to revert the DPI back to its default value. This step is considered optional, but if you don’t do this and then come across an error while accepting an OTA update(or you experience a bug after it resets), then I would unfreeze all the applications and revert all changes I’ve made before repeating this step by step tutorial.

If you have any questions or come across any bugs or errors then please don’t hesitate to leave a comment below. As I said, there are multiple variants of the LG G3 and each one can behave differently. For the most part, the LG PC Suite should detect your model and do everything for you. Then again, when there are so many variables from 3rd party applications to various root modifications, there could be an assortment of bugs or error messages that some people never experience. I will do my best to help as many people as I can, and the community can help out too. If a reader sees your comment and has experienced that bug, they could leave a quick reply to explain how the resolved the issue.

After completing these steps you should be able to accept an official OTA update without LG or your carrier knowing anything has been done to your device. This should also work if you need to return the smartphone to your carrier(or to LG) for repairs. There is a root counter on the LG G3, but this gets reset when you revert back to the stock LG ROM. This unroot method should work on the Verizon Wireless, AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint models of the LG G3 as well as the International and Korean LG G3 too.

If the above walkthrough didn’t work then you can try this secondary one. It requires LG FlashTool and the stock LG G3 firmware files for your device.

  1. Power Off the LG G3
  2. Plug in a MicroUSB Cable into Your Computer
  3. Press and Hold the Volume Up Button on the LG G3
  4. Plug in a MicroUSB Cable While Still Holding the Volume Up Button
  5. Wait Until You See a Firmware Update Screen
  6. Let Go of the Volume Up Button
  7. Press the Windows Key on Your Keyboard
  8. Search for Device Manager and Open it
  9. Locate the COM & LPT Ports Option and Expand it
  10. Make Sure You See LGE Mobile USB Serial Port
  11. If Not, Download the LG USB Drivers and Install Them
  12. Double Click LGE Mobile USB Serial Port
  13. Click Port Settings
  14. Click Advanced
  15. Change the COM Port Number to COM41
  16. Click OK and then Click OK Again
  17. Download LG FlashTool
  18. Extract LG FlashTool and Install
  19. Do Not Run LGFlash Tool When it Finishes
  20. Navigate to the Extracted LG FlashTool Folder
  21. Copy MegaLock.dll to C:\LG\LGFlashTool (assuming that is where you installed it)
  22. Download the Stock Firmware for Your Specific LG G3 Model
  23. Extract the Stock Firmware File to Your Desktop
  24. Open LG FlashTool
  25. Click on Manual Mode
  26. Click the “…” Button at the Top Right
  27. Locate the .DLL File from the Extracted Firmware Folder
  28. Click Add
  29. Locate the .TOT File from the Extracted Firmware Folder
  30. Click OK
  31. Click the Yellow Arrow at the Top Left
  32. Wait Until the Gray Box in the Middle Disappears
  33. When You Have One Yellow Box that Says Ready(all other boxes say disabled)
  34. Unplug the MicroUSB Cable from the LG G3
  35. Plug in the MicroUSB Cable Back into the LG G3
  36. Let LG FlashTool do its Thing
  37. After ~5 Minutes the LG Flash Tool Should Say “PASS!!”
  38. If You Have a Blue Screen on Your LG G3, This is Good
  39. Blue Screen Should Say “Factory Reset Status” with the Number 3
  40. Unplug the MicroUSB Cable from the LG G3
  41. Remove the Battery and then Replace it
  42. Power the LG G3 Up
  43. You Should See the LG G3 Boot to the Setup Screen
  44. This Means You are Back to the Stock Firmware with No Root

If this second walkthrough with LG FlashTool is failing, make sure you’re using the stock USB cable that came with your LG G3. This is actually more important than it sounds. It’s possible that you can complete this second walkthrough without the stock LG cable, but there are reports of LG FlashTool failing with Samsung cables. If the LG FlashTool says ‘PASS!!”, but your are stuck in a bootloop wait a little bit to see if it fixes itself. After 10 minutes, if you are still stuck in a bootloop then you will need to remove the battery and replace it so you can boot the LG G3 into Recovery Mode. From here select Yes and then Yes again so that it will perform a factory reset and resolve the bootloop.

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81 comments

    1. Hey Chris, sorry for the mixup. It seems that the LG Flash Tool has been updated and this file isn’t included in the old version.

      You can download the original here – http://downloadandroidfiles.org/file.php/?File=/Tools/FlashTool/Setup_LGFlashTool.zip – and that will come with the megalock.dll file that you need.

      It’s possible that the newly updated flash tool zip doesn’t require this file, but you can download this zip file just in case. Credit to this download link goes to the Android Rootz website.

      Reply

      1. Thanks looks like the updated tool is completely different and missing the manual mode so I was unable to open the DLL or tot files, it only let’s me load a kdz file…

        Reply

  4. Awesome! I had TWRP recovery and a custom 5.0 Lollipop build on my D851. Couldn’t use the LG PC Suite option, so I opted for the flash tool. Went though first time without a hitch using a stock LG USB cabe (if that makes a difference). I needed to trade it in for my Nexus 6 – now it looks like the day I bought it. Much appreciated! Saved me $330 🙂

    Reply

  6. Hi,
    I have rooted LG G3 D722K (Beat) and removed all apps, and stuff. But when I go to update it, it says that is suspect of rooting. So I followed the steps on the first tutorial but I’m stuck on verifying information of the mobile device… for about 15 minutes(the image is attached but its in portuguese). What do I do? Thanks

    Reply

      1. I’m stuck here:
        5. Click the Phone Menu in LG PC Suite and then Click ‘Restore Upgrade Errors’
        It doesn’t go to the next step.

        Reply

          1. Hi,
            It was my internet conection. And I finished it. Unrooted and upgraded! Thanks.

  7. Tried second option and shows Download fail. I’m in a different scenario, I was upgrading the software, my phone crashed and now it doesn’t reboot, show a secure boot error. I can see the phone port in the device manager but not as LG, but as Qualcomm HS-USB QDLoader 9008. This is a LS990 phone. The error when Flash tools fails is Model Information Check Fail.

    Reply

    1. I’m having the same issue…. Did you find a solution? Hopefully I don’t have to lose all of my data.

      Reply

  9. I can’t see the ports I have downloaded the drivers like 40 times and unistalled rebooted and all

    Reply

  10. When I go to open LGFlashTool it says LG USB/Parallel Lock Key is not detected!! How do I open LGFlashTool

    Reply

      1. Yes I did and there was a copy already in the folder with the flash tool but I still copied

        Reply

          2. I didn’t replace it with the old one so as soon as I did that it worked. Also I had to download a .dll file from somewhere else because it was not with the .tot file

  11. I cant make it past 6% it establishes a connection then says change to DL mode and the failed saying cant change to download mode

    Reply

  12. hello im moses m device g3 d851 is totally offline. it says mobile device info unavailable. please help me restore my device (geelinkmose@gmail.com)

    Reply

      1. i had a custom rom installed then when device rebooted, all i see is black screen. when i try lg flash tool. it cant identify device imei. is ther away to re-install new rom or restore the previous?

        Reply

          2. Maybe you can take a screenshot of the error you’re getting? I’m just not seeing any search results for ‘mobile device info unavailable’ and I need to know the exact word for word error message you’re seeing

          3. I have the same issue as Raymond Moses. The exact error message is “model information check fail”. Please kindly help. I have been in this conundrum for over a week now.

  13. I get to Step 35: Plug in the MicroUSB Cable Back into the LG G3 and nothing is happening. I have triple checked the previous steps and my phone has the Firmware Upgrade page on it with the bar sitting at 0% for the past 25mins.
    Any suggestions?

    Reply

    1. I had to work at installing the USB Drivers a couple more times for them to take. They would show up after install but after either attempting the rest of the steps or after rebooting the computer they would disappear from the Device Manager. Third reboot worked! Yay! Thanks for this tutorial!

      Reply

  14. Hi guys! I just got my new LG G3 about a month ago. I want to root my device, but I’m having some worries as to if i will void my phone’s warranty. I’ve done some research and the G3 does have a root counter which can be accessed by entering “3845#*855#” in the dial pad and selecting “LG RCT” in the hidden menu. What i want to know is if I root my phone, will I be able to follow these steps to reset this root counter? I do not want to void my warranty. My model number is:LG-D855. I am South African. Thanks for the support!:)

    Reply

    1. Hi Sidney, welcome to the LG G3 club 🙂

      You are right, the LG G3 does have a root counter but by using this guide to revert back to stock it will reset that root counter. As long as the root counter has been reset, LG(or any retailer) will not know that you have ever rooted your device before

      Reply

  15. i did the lgflashtool,with lg g3 d851 now its stuck on the boot tmobile screen

    Reply

    1. Are you 100% sure that you downloaded the correct firmware that was for the D851? A bootloop can mean that you accidentally flashed a firmware that was made for a different LG G3 model.

      Even if you did, I would suggest that you delete the firmware file and then redownload it onto your computer. I suggest this because sometimes a firmware can become corrupt during the download process and it would be best to redownload it all over again.

      Reply

  16. Hi , Just wonder which firmware should I use ? My G3 is D855 and software version is V20i-AME-xx . and if I use the European version instead of the Original one can it cause any problems ? Thanks

    Reply

    1. Hi Soroush. Is yours from a specific carrier? Usually if you match up the model numbers then you’re good to go

      But if there’s an 855 firmware listed for your specific carrier or country then you should use that one

      Reply

      1. No it’s international , But I just flash the European firmware and it’s work for me. Thanks again for this useful article.

        Reply

    1. The OTA upgrade to Android Lollipop should come in how it usually does. If you can’t get it to trigger in the Settings – About Phone – Software Update section right now, then try again in a day or two

      Reply

  18. I hope it’s not too late..

    But I got to the point of Download Mode 2 and it failed, now when I boot it brings me to that screen,
    Factory resetting my phone also brings me to that screen, the only way away from it is by going into the firmware update mode, and when I try to run the Flash from there, it fails saying it cant activate DL mode

    anyone else have this problem/solution??

    Reply

  19. I have a question but seem to battle to get a straight answer. I have a rooted G3 (D855) because I wanted to use two specific apps in dual window, It’s on Lollipop but I get the “system UI” or “Home has stopped” error. Only happens when I close all running apps and not always. It’s just annoying. It seems a factory reset is the option to sort it out. Will a factory reset unroot my phone and will I lose the dual window functionality on those two apps if I do a factory reset?

    Reply

    1. The first thing I would try is to wipe the cache partition for the entire device

      If that doesn’t fix it then a factory reset is needed to fix a core error like that

      A factory reset will unroot your LG G3 so you will need to root it again. You shouldn’t lose dual window functionality unless you installed a mod to enable it(lie to use any app in dual window mode). If that is the case then you’ll have to reinstall that mod after resetting and rerooting

      Reply

  20. Hi.. really hoping someone can provide some suggestions; I’m using a G3 D850, and I get all the way to step 36.. but it consistently tells me “can’t change to download mode.” I’ve tried switching USB plugins, I’ve tried changing the compatibility settings (I’m running Windows 10 using the recommended Windows 8 settings) and even changed that to Windows 7 out of curiosity.. still doesn’t get past 6% before saying download fail.

    Can anyone recommend anything different than what’s already been stated here? Thank you.

    Reply

  21. Hi I’m having problems with unlocking my device when I put in the code to bring up the unlock screen and select device unlock it says that the device is permanently locked and cannot be unlocked. I have tried flashing or changing the firmware. I received the phone like this (I bought it off Alieexpress) do you think doing this will help me be able to unlock my device. So frustrated just want to use my new phone 🙁

    Reply

  22. I kept getting a fail with a blue screen 2. Here’s what i found to do and it worked!!!

    I followed his suggestion & it worked on my LS990 (Sprint G3) In Step 7: I also switched to Board DL instead of Upgrade DL

    During Step 10: your phone will reboot to the AAT Screen – Click OK (Yes, it says not to), then hold down power and press normal boot (+power).

    Your phone will reboot and all should be well.

    From this site

    http://lgg3root.com/lg-g3-root/how-to-unrootunbrick-lg-g3/

    It seems to have helped a few people get past that screen

    permalink

    Reply

  23. Hi

    2 questions..

    1. Does it matter if I’ve since unrooted the device since installing a custom rom (to make banking app work)
    2. Is the software above available on Mac?

    Thanks

    Reply

  24. when i try to unzip the tot file it says destination folder not found. nightmare. any help please??

    Reply

  25. Hey there plz help me
    I have lg3 d855 . I used 2nd method but on step 36 during upgrading gives error at 6% (download faild) Plz guide me what to do now

    Reply

  26. I have a lg g3 tmobile d851

    I have no OS

    The phone only turns on to the LG logo

    I can access download mode and cyanogenmod recovery

    I do not have TWRP or CWM

    I tried the LGFLASHTOOL TOT Method

    Everything was going fine. When it said Ready in Yellow I unplugged and replugged my phone like instructed.

    But then it said: Download FAIL!! (0 sec)

    It also said: Model Information Check FAIL!

    00000000

    Factory Model Check ERROR!!

    PlLEASE HELP! I just want my phone back

    Reply

  27. hi, after flashing zv4 .tot to my g3 ls990 I’m stuck in bootloop. I’ve tried reset but no luck. I think my phone is still rooted. if I use board do then after it reboots it changes com and lg flash fails. phone is stuck on mini is all touch test with don’t touch screen ok. phone does not pick up my touch. now if I use upgrade dl I get pass factory reset status 3, pull battery, replace and hit power. bootloop even after factory reset. just have lg logo with light going arou d the l. ten times then it starts again.

    Reply

  29. I keep getting Model Information Check FAIL in the LG Flashtool on my LG D850. Can someone help?

    Reply

  31. At the last step when you unplug and plug in the usb cable i keep getting FAIL after 3-4 sec i have a D855 Korea model and i used the D855 european and hong kong stocks (because i can’t FIND nothing on korea model) both failed. And now my phone is stuck in download mode, removing the battery etc. doesnt solve it. What’s the issue here, please help.

    Reply

  32. for some reason i get all of the boxes saying ready. any help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Reply

  33. I initially tried the second method, but I got stuck at step 18 because the zip file I downloaded was empty, so I tried the first method, but apparently LG PC Suite is not compatible with Android Lollipop or newer,,

    Reply
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