You will need to boot the OnePlus 6 into Fastboot Mode (which is also known as Bootloader Mode) if you ever want to modify your device in just about any way. This is something I will refer back to a lot so this step by step tutorial is great for those who tweak their phone.
It depends on who you talk to, but some people refer to this special boot mode as Fastboot Mode while others will call it Bootloader Mode. This special OnePlus 6 mode does give you access to the bootloader and it’s from here that we can actually unlock the bootloader if we choose to.
This is also the special mode that we need the OnePlus 6 in when we are to issue any Fastboot commands with our ADB and Fastboot tools. It’s very easy to access and just as easy to get out of.
The process of booting the OnePlus 6 into Fastboot Mode is triggered by holding down a single button while the device is going through its boot cycle. The tutorial below (and most others) will tell you to hold down two buttons because it’s easier to describe it in one fell swoop, but it’s actually only one button that needs to be held down. This is why you may find yourself booted into Fastboot Mode by accident and not even known it (and it’s even easier when you’re using a case).
So let’s take a look at the full tutorial right now.
OnePlus 6 Fastboot Mode Tutorial
- Press and hold the Power button for a few seconds
- Tap the Power Off option when the Power Menu appears
- Tap the Power Off option again and wait for the OnePlus 6 to shut off
- Then press and hold the Power and Volume Up buttons at the same time
- Continue holding these two buttons down until you see the special Fastboot Mode splash screen
Explanation
If you’ve ever owned a OnePlus smartphone in the past, or maybe one of the more traditional devices in the Nexus or Pixel line, then you will feel right at home with the OnePlus 6. The process is very similar to those as the company is very open with the whole idea of modifying the software of their products. They make unlocking the bootloader incredibly easy and have even sent free devices to developers in the past to encourage the developer scene to grow with custom ROMs, custom kernels, and other mods.
To start here, we need to be in a powered off state so go ahead and bring up the Power Menu by pressing and holding the Power button for a few seconds. When the Power Menu appears you can let go of the Power button and then tap on the Power Off option. The software will ask you if you are sure you want to shut down the phone so just tap the Power Off option again to confirm. It will take a few seconds for the phone to completely shut down so be patient before we proceed.
When it’s off, we can then press and hold both the Power and Volume Up buttons down at the same time. You’ll notice the phone starts to boot back up but continue holding these two buttons down until you are taken into the special Fastboot Mode menu. This starts with a special splash screen and then goes directly to a menu where you can control what gets selected with the Volume Up, Volume Down, and Power buttons. The Volume buttons change the option that’s highlighted at the top and the Power button selects the mode that is highlighted.
If you ever find yourself in Fastboot Mode by accident then simply press the Volume Down button until you have highlighted the Start option and then press the Power button to select that option. That will cause your phone to reboot and take you right back into the Android operating system. Now, I did want to point out that you can do all of this by simply holding the Volume Up button after you have initiated a restart. So if you wanted, you could choose the Restart option from the Power Menu.
Then as soon as the device starts to reboot just go ahead and hold the Volume Up button down. As long as this button is pressed down during the boot cycle then you’ll go right into the OnePlus 6 Fastboot Mode menu.
