LG G6 users can now unlock the bootloader

LG started giving users of select devices the ability to unlock the bootloader a few years ago, and the tradition continues with its latest flagship Android smartphone, the G6.

This option is not available to every LG G6 user, however, as the official tool provided by the South Korean maker only supports the European model, featuring the H870 model number. The unlocked bootloader makes it easy to load custom ROMs on the device.

As you might expect, this sort of modding is not exactly fully embraced by LG, as the company warns that users automatically lose full warranty coverage when their G6 unit is bootloader-unlocked.

It is not exactly clear what sort of coverage will be available, if any, as LG notes that a large number of problems may occur as a result of this process and they are not covered by the warranty.

That list includes disabled features, the device becoming unsafe, physical damage to the device, changed behavior, the risk of software updates not being available, and so on.

Unlocking the bootloader is also said to disable the DRM protection of the device, which, LG says, may prevent some apps from working or cause them to block certain features.

LG also wants users to know that this process is irreversible, at least using its tool. Once the bootloader is unlocked it will stay that way, so if you are counting on locking it again in case there is a problem with the G6 you are out of luck.

It is nice that LG has provided a how-to, so you can follow the steps here to unlock the bootloader on your G6. The guide also applies to the rest of the supported devices, a list which includes the "US open market" LG V20 (model number US996.USA) and European LG V10 (H960A) as well as the LG G5 for Europe (H850) and the open US market (RS988).