You need to boot into Bootloader Mode — also called Fastboot Mode — for a variety of reasons. It could be that you are looking to unlock the bootloader of your Moto Z, or Moto Z Force for that matter, or that you have already done that and now are looking to install a firmware, or maybe custom or stock recovery.

Anyway, you need to know how to boot into bootloader mode. While you can always do the ADB way, knowing the hardware way works best.

Needless to say, the methods given below work 100% on US-variant of these two devices at Verizon: Moto Z Droid and Moto Z Force Droid.

How to boot into Moto Z Fastboot/Bootloader Mode

Hardware Method

Follow the simply two-step guide below to reboot Moto Z into Fastboot or Bootloader Mode easily.

  1. Power off your Moto Z first of all.
  2. Now, press and hold Volume down + Power button together until you see anything on screen.

You will boot into bootloader mode. That’s it.

Connect your device to PC using the Type C USB cable that came with the phone, and with adb and fastboot drivers properly installed, issue the fastboot command to do your thing in fastboot mode.

Software Method

Install ADB and Fastboot driver first of all. Now, connect your device to PC (shouldn’t be powered off). Open a command window and run this command: adb reboot bootloader

Moreover, if you are rooted, simply install this app called ‘Quick boot’ from the play store, open it, and tap on bootloader. Provide it root permission, if it asks for that. Done, you will be in fastboot mode in seconds.