Nexus 5X: How to Install Xposed for Marshmallow

A very popular modification for Android is called the Xposed Framework and today I wanted to show you how to install this on the Nexus 5X.

The Nexus 5X runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow(as of writing this) and since Xposed is tightly integrated into the core OS, it needed to be updated before it would work properly. rovo89 is the developer of Xposed Framework and he does this in his spare time. He also does this for free so if you are feeling generous and you appreciate the work he’s done for the Android community then please consider donating to the man here.

Xposed is a framework that lets developers build onto the core Android OS by creating modules. With an Xposed Module, a developer can change, remove and even add certain features right into Android.

3rd-party applications from the Play Store, even the ones with root access, can’t always make the types of changes that an Xposed Module can. This is why Xposed is so popular and why so many people wait to upgrade their smartphone to the next version of Android until an update is released. With the release of Lollipop, it took months before an update to Xposed was released but thankfully we didn’t have to wait that long for the Marshmallow update.

I do want to warn you that the entirety of Xposed Modules aren’t fully compatible with Android 6.0 Marshmallow. I would like to refer you to this unofficial list of modules that currently work and do not work with Xposed for Marshmallow. This isn’t definitive, so if your favorite module isn’t listed here then it still might work. Just realize that some modules might not work and will need to be updated by their developer first.

Requirements

Since Xposed Framework is a very deep and invasive modification, there are a lot of things that need to be done with your Nexus 5X before you can think about installing it. Firstly, you have to unlock the bootloader of the Nexus 5X. Then, you will need to install a custom recovery on the Nexus 5X so that we can install Xposed Framework. I also recommend that you go ahead and create a Nandroid backup of the Nexus 5X before doing this, and before installing/activating any Xposed Modules. If something goes wrong with the install, or if an Xposed Module isn’t compatible with Marshmallow(or has conflicts with other apps/mods you have installed) then you’ll want to be able to restore from said backup.

Nexus 5X Install Xposed

1. Download the Xposed Installer APK to the Nexus 5X
2. Download the 64-bit Installer to the Nexus 5X
3. Download the 64-bit Uninstaller to the Nexus 5X
4. Boot the Nexus 5X into Fastboot Mode
5. Boot the Nexus 5X into Recovery Mode
6. When at the TWRP Main Menu, Tap on the ‘Install’ Button at the Top
7. Browse to and Tap on the Xposed Framework ZIP You Downloaded
8. Swipe the White Arrows to the Right to Install
9. Wait for the Install to Complete
10. Tap the ‘Wipe Cache/Dalvik’ Button at the Bottom
11. Swipe the White Arrow to the Right to Confirm
12. When the Cache is Wiped, Tap the ‘Reboot System’ Button
13. If Asked to Install SuperSU, Tap the ‘Do Not Install’ Button
14. When Back in Android, Launch a File Explorer
15. Browse to the Downloads Folder
16. Tap on the Xposed Installer APK You Downloaded to Install
17. Enable Unknown Sources if Prompted
18. Then Launch the Xposed Framework App to Complete the Installation

Explanation

I want to mention again that I think you should create a new Nandroid backup before you start with this. Xposed for Marshmallow is only in its second release so far and there could be bugs that have yet to be detected. Everyone has lots of different modifications and apps/settings set up on their phone and it is impossible for a developer to account for all possible variables. Once you create that first Nandroid backup then you should go ahead and download the three Xposed files(Installer APK, Framework ZIP and the Uninstaller ZIP).

If you install Xposed Framework and it results in a bootloop, or if you just want to get rid of it, simply boot the Nexus 5X into Recovery Mode and flash the uninstaller ZIP file. It is vital that you download this early and keep it in your downloads folder because if you run into a bootloop then you won’t be able to boot into Android to download. You could boot into Fastboot Mode and do an ADB push to get it on the Nexus 5X, but the file is so small that this route seems counter productive. Once those three files are downloaded, go ahead and boot the Nexus 5X into Fastboot Mode so that you can boot over into Recovery Mode.

Once you are at the main menu for TWRP, tap on the big Install button at the top and then tap on the Xposed Framework ZIP file that we downloaded. Swipe the white arrows to confirm the installation and then wipe the cache afterwards. Once all of this has been done we can reboot the Nexus 5X and go back into the regular Android OS. When you are back to the Android OS, launch a file manager application. You may have to download one if you don’t have one already. I recommend ES File Explorer from the Google Play Store but almost all of them will do.

With the file manager application opened, browse to the Downloads folder and then tap on the Xposed Installer APK file that we downloaded. If you haven’t previously enabled the ‘Unknown Sources’ option from the Security section with the Settings application then you might be prompted to do this. Enabling this feature just tells Android that you want to install an application that is not available in the Google Play Store. With this feature enabled, we can install the Xposed Installer APK and then there will be an application icon created. Simply tap on the icon to launch Xposed and complete the installation.

From here, you’ll want to tap on Download and search for Xposed Modules to download. After downloading a module, you’ll need to activate them from within the ‘Modules’ section of the main menu for Xposed. After an Xposed Modules has been activated, you will need to reboot the Nexus 5X before the new module will take effect.