Released last year just around the time Android 8.0 Oreo came out, Asus ZenFone 4 Selfie and the Selfie Lite are contenders for the mid-range mobile market. Released with Android 7.1.1 Nougat and a selling point of being able to take exquisite selfie shots with a 20MP camera, the device received Oreo update just a couple of months ago. It seems that the ZenFone 4 Selfie and Selfie Lite do have a fan-following in the tweaking community, as a result of which you can now root both the devices and install a custom recovery.

Things you will need:

  • Bootloader unlocker app for ZenFone 4 Selfie and Selfie Lite (Download link).
  • TWRP custom recovery for ZenFone 4 Selfie and Selfie Lite (Download link).
  • Asus ZenFone 4 Selfie and Selfie Lite updated to firmware version 0400.1803.192-20180302.
  • Minimal ADB and Fastboot tools installed (Download Link).
  • Latest version of SuperSU .zip file (Download link).

Step 1: Unlock the bootloader

  1. Download the Bootloader unlocker app using the link above and save it to your device.
  2. Go to Settings – Security and enable Unknown Sources to install the APK file.
  3. Install the APK file and follow the on-screen instructions to unlock the bootloader of your ZenFone 4 Selfie and Selfie Lite.

Step 2: Enable USB Debugging

  1. From the home screen, head over to the Settings
  2. Scroll down to find About Phone, open it to find Build number and tap on it 7 times.
  3. The Developer options will now be available in the Settings app.
  4. Open the menu and enable USB debugging from the menu.
  5. Plug your ZenFone 4 Selfie and Selfie Lite into the computer and when prompted on the screen, press the “OK” button on the tab that says “Allow USB debugging”.

Step 3: Enter Fastboot mode

  1. Shut down your device and wait until the screen turns off completely.
  2. Press and hold the Power + Volume Down buttons until you feel the device vibrate, and which point you can let go of the Power
  3. Your device will now be in Fastboot mode, so connect it to the computer using a USB cable.

At this point, make sure that you have the ZenFone 4 Selfie and Selfie Lite TWRP file, Minimal ADB and Fastboot tool are saved in the same folder.

Step 4: Flash the TWRP file

  1. In the ADB folder, press Left Shift + Right Click and select “Open command window here”
  2. Using the command prompt terminal, type in “fastboot devices”
  3. Type in the command “fastboot boot twrp-zb553kl-signed.img” and confirm that the process is working.
  4. Now go ahead and type in “fastboot flash recovery twrp-zb553kl-signed.img” and hit Enter to begin the flashing process.
  5. Finish the process by finally typing “fastboot reboot” to reboot your ZenFone 4 Selfie and Selfie Lite.

Step 5: Root the device

  1. Shut down the device and wait for the screen to turn off completely.
  2. Press and hold the Power + Volume Up button until the device vibrates, at which point you can let go of the Power
  3. Press the Install button and look for the SuperSU .zip file in the internal storage that you had earlier downloaded.
  4. Select it and Swipe to install the SuperSU app on your ZenFone 4 Selfie and Selfie Lite.

That’s it! Your Asus ZenFone 4 Selfie or Selfie Lite device should now be rooted with SuperSU and TWRP custom recovery up and running.