Update Droid Turbo to Android 5.1.1 with Mofo Root retained, yes it’s possible now!

A short while ago, we shared the Android 5.1.1 update OTA for Verizon Droid Turbo with you guys,with a warning that root isn’t available yet and might not be available for long. Well, we still don’t have root solution for 5.1.1 builds, but if you are on Android 4.4 KitKat, you can upgrade to 5.1.1 on Droid Turbo while retaining root. And guess what, you even retain ability to downgrade back to KitKat using this method.

Of course, you need to be rooted on Android 4.4, with Mofo – the only root tool available for Droid Turbo devices right now. How Droid Turbo 5.1.1 root works is, you have to download the pre-rooted 5.1 system images, that are fully compatible with your current Mofo root tool, and flash them on your device using our guide below. Let’s see how to do this, but first, let us tell you that all credit for these Android 5.1 pre-rooted system images goes to firstEncounter — thanks a lot!

How to Install Android 5.1.1 update manually on Verizon Droid Turbo

Downloads

Supported devices

  • VERIZON DROID TURBO, model no. XT1254
  • Don’t try this one any other device!

Warning: Warranty may be void of your device if you follow the procedures given on this page. You only are responsible for your device. We won’t be liable if any damage occurs to your device and/or its components.

Backup your Android. Backup important files stored on your device before proceeding with the steps below, so that in case something goes wrong you’ll have backup of all your important files.

  1. Make sure your Droid Turbo is on Android 4.4, and rooted with Mofo.
  2. Download the two files — ‘rooted system image’ and ‘5.1 upgrade images’ (contains required .img/bin file to make device ready for 5.1 update) — for your Droid Turbo on PC.
  3. Install ADB drviers.
  4. Install Motorola Droid Turbo drivers.
  5. Connect your Droid Turbo to PC now. You will get a pop-up as shown below on your phone when you connect for the first time after enabling USB debugging. Select ‘Always allow from this computer’ checkbox and then tap on OK button.
    Allow USB Debugging
  6. Now, open command window in the folder where you have 5.1 upgrade images files from the above step. For this:
    1. Go into the folder containing the files and then left click on empty white space in the folder.
    2. Now, while holding shift key, right click on empty white space to get a pop-up as shown below.
    3. Now choose Open command window here option from that.
      open command windows here
      You will see a command window open up, with location directed to folder where you have 5.1 upgrade images.
  7. Boot your Droid Turbo into Fastboot mode:
    • Power off your device and wait for 5-10 seconds until the device is fully switched off.
    • Press and hold Power and Volume down together for like 5-6 seconds and then release the buttons — you should see bootloader mode, with AP Fastboot Flash Mode written at the top.
  8. Connect your device to PC now.
  9. Now let’s test whether fastboot is working alright. In the command window, type the command given below and then hit enter key. (You can also copy paste the commands.) Upon this, you should get a serial no. with FASTBOOT written after it. If you don’t get fastboot written on cmd window, then it means you need to reinstall adb and fastboot drivers, or change restart PC, or use original USB cable.
    fastboot devices
  10. Now extract the 5.1 upgrade images file, 5.1_images_v2.zip, using a free software like 7zip, to get these files:
    • logo.bin
    • boot.img
    • radio.img
    • recovery.img
      → These are files you need to flash before flashing the 5.1 update itself. After flashing these, your device will be ready for 5.1 update, with an ability to downgrade back to Android 4.4 if need be.
  11. Flash 5.1 upgrade images to prepare the device for pre-rooted Android 5.1.1 update system image. Use the following commands for that. Hit enter key after running one command, and execute all commands one-by-one.
    
    
    fastboot flash logo logo.bin
    fastboot flash boot boot.img
    
    fastboot flash radio radio.img
    
    fastboot flash recovery recovery.img
    
    fastboot erase ddr
  12. Now, in order to flash the 5.1 system image, we need Mofo files. When you rooted your Droid Turbo on KitKat with Mofo, you must have received the mofo.zip upon ordering the tool, extracting which must have got you 3 files (including mofo.exe and mofo_gui.bat). We need these files for flashing 5.1 system image. If need be download the mofo.zip again, and extract it, and then find these 3 files in windows folder from the extraction. Keep the folder where you have the mofo.exe open.
  13. Now, extract the 5.1 rooted system image, xt1254-5.1-root-system.img.zip, to get .img file (xt1254-5.1-root-system.img) inside it.
  14. Transfer the xt1254-5.1-root-system.img file to the same folder where you have the mofo.exe and mofo-gui.bat file.
  15. Flash the rooted 5.1 system image now. Double Double click on mofo-gui.bat file to run it. This will open up a cmd window. Run this command into the cmd window:
    mofo flash xt1254-5.1-root-system.img
  16. When done, reboot into recovery mode. Do this:
    1. You’re still in fastboot mode. Simply use volume buttons to bring up the Recovery mode option, and then press power button to select it.
    2. You’ll see a dead Android with an exclamation mark. Press and hold Volume up for around 5 seconds and then press power button once. You’ll enter recovery mode, with 3e recovery written at top.
  17. Erase cache to get 5.1 update to work smoothly. In recovery, select ‘wipe cache’ option using power button.
  18. When done, reboot your device using the ‘reboot system now’ option.
  19. That’s it. Give your Droid Turbo ample time to reboot, like 20-40 minutes, and when it does, you shall be running pre-rooted Android 5.1.1 update on your device, with root access retained.
  20. [Optional] Extras! Well, those of looking to install Xposed, ad blocking, busybox, tethering, etc. stuff, download the patch available here, an install it using the guide written here.

Happy root access-ing!

Do let us know if there is anything we can help with 5.1.1 root for Verizon Droid Turbo. Use the comments section below.

Posted by
Kapil Malani

A die-hard Liverpool FC fan, Kapil is a big fan of Batman, Android and street Cricket. In that order, probably. Email: kapil@theandroidsoul.com

43 Comments

  1. Regarding the commands you run BEFORE flashing the rooted 5.1 image (“fastboot flash logo logo.bin”, “fastboot flash boot boot.img” etc) are you supposed to type “logo”, “boot”, “radio” and “recovery” twice, it is that a typo? For example, shouldn’t it just be “fastboot flash boot.img”? Why are the words there twice?

    1. You to type them twice. Not an error. You are first mentioning which partition is to be flashed, and then what file to pick up for that. You can rename boot.img to anything, like toob.img on your PC, and then use the command fastboot flash boot toob.img, and it would do fine.

    2. Alright, thank you very much for the clarification and prompt response! I’ll be flashing this today!

  2. Regarding the commands you run BEFORE flashing the rooted 5.1 image (“fastboot flash logo logo.bin”, “fastboot flash boot boot.img” etc) are you supposed to type “logo”, “boot”, “radio” and “recovery” twice, it is that a typo? For example, shouldn’t it just be “fastboot flash boot.img”? Why are the words there twice?

    1. You to type them twice. Not an error. You are first mentioning which partition is to be flashed, and then what file to pick up for that. You can rename boot.img to anything, like toob.img on your PC, and then use the command fastboot flash boot toob.img, and it would do fine.

      1. Alright, thank you very much for the clarification and prompt response! I’ll be flashing this today!

  3. Regarding the commands you run BEFORE flashing the rooted 5.1 image (“fastboot flash logo logo.bin”, “fastboot flash boot boot.img” etc) are you supposed to type “logo”, “boot”, “radio” and “recovery” twice, it is that a typo? For example, shouldn’t it just be “fastboot flash boot.img”? Why are the words there twice?

    1. You to type them twice. Not an error. You are first mentioning which partition is to be flashed, and then what file to pick up for that. You can rename boot.img to anything, like toob.img on your PC, and then use the command fastboot flash boot toob.img, and it would do fine.

      1. Alright, thank you very much for the clarification and prompt response! I’ll be flashing this today!

  4. Help please. Followed all instructions, had no errors on anything. When I finished mofo flashing, it said complete. So I scrolled and found recovery mode, pressed power button and now I have the dead android flashing (for a split second) about every 5 seconds. I can’t get it to go into recovery mode. I can hold power and volume up or down for 5 seconds and it will reboot with white android logo, but then goes back to dead android flashing.

    1. On dead Android screen, hold only volume up for 4-5 seconds and then while holding it, press power button once.

    2. I looked up what it should look like, but the dead android does not stay on the screen like what I see in online video, it just flashes for a split second. I can get back to fastboot screen, but when I go to recovery, same thing every time. Dead android just flashes on for a split second every 5 seconds or so. I have tried the volume up for 4-5 seconds and then power to no avail.

      EDIT: Will it hurt anything to try to just let it run and then manually delete cache via es file explorer once in?

    3. UPDATE: Went back into fastboot and started the phone. It optimized all apps and got into the system ok. Shut down the phone and went to fastboot again. Went to recovery and this time it worked. Wiped the cache partition (took 5-10 mins) and just rebooted it again. All seems to be working ok now.

      Only quirk seems to be it keeps telling me there is a system update to 23.11.39.en.US

    4. UPDATE: Went back into fastboot and started the phone. It optimized all apps and got into the system ok. Shut down the phone and went to fastboot again. Went to recovery and this time it worked. Wiped the cache partition (took 5-10 mins) and just rebooted it again. All seems to be working ok now.

    5. Experienced the exact same problem. Your solution worked. Thank you.

  5. Help please. Followed all instructions, had no errors on anything. When I finished mofo flashing, it said complete. So I scrolled and found recovery mode, pressed power button and now I have the dead android flashing (for a split second) about every 5 seconds. I can’t get it to go into recovery mode. I can hold power and volume up or down for 5 seconds and it will reboot with white android logo, but then goes back to dead android flashing.

    1. On dead Android screen, hold only volume up for 4-5 seconds and then while holding it, press power button once.

      1. I looked up what it should look like, but the dead android does not stay on the screen like what I see in online video, it just flashes for a split second. I can get back to fastboot screen, but when I go to recovery, same thing every time. Dead android just flashes on for a split second every 5 seconds or so. I have tried the volume up for 4-5 seconds and then power to no avail.

        EDIT: Will it hurt anything to try to just let it run and then manually delete cache via es file explorer once in?

        1. UPDATE: Went back into fastboot and started the phone. It optimized all apps and got into the system ok. Shut down the phone and went to fastboot again. Went to recovery and this time it worked. Wiped the cache partition (took 5-10 mins) and just rebooted it again. All seems to be working ok now.

          Only quirk seems to be it keeps telling me there is a system update to 23.11.39.en.US

          1. Experienced the exact same problem. Your solution worked. Thank you.

  6. Help please. Followed all instructions, had no errors on anything. When I finished mofo flashing, it said complete. So I scrolled and found recovery mode, pressed power button and now I have the dead android flashing (for a split second) about every 5 seconds. I can’t get it to go into recovery mode. I can hold power and volume up or down for 5 seconds and it will reboot with white android logo, but then goes back to dead android flashing.

    1. On dead Android screen, hold only volume up for 4-5 seconds and then while holding it, press power button once.

      1. I looked up what it should look like, but the dead android does not stay on the screen like what I see in online video, it just flashes for a split second. I can get back to fastboot screen, but when I go to recovery, same thing every time. Dead android just flashes on for a split second every 5 seconds or so. I have tried the volume up for 4-5 seconds and then power to no avail.

        EDIT: Will it hurt anything to try to just let it run and then manually delete cache via es file explorer once in?

        1. UPDATE: Went back into fastboot and started the phone. It optimized all apps and got into the system ok. Shut down the phone and went to fastboot again. Went to recovery and this time it worked. Wiped the cache partition (took 5-10 mins) and just rebooted it again. All seems to be working ok now.

          1. Experienced the exact same problem. Your solution worked. Thank you.

  7. How do you downgrade back to KitKat?

  8. How do you downgrade back to KitKat?

  9. How do you downgrade back to KitKat?

  10. While I greatly appreciate the work done by folks, these images appear to contain 5.1 and not 5.1.1 (I did not include the 3rd patch file). I am being constantly bombarded by some Verizon app (which one is it and can I kill it?) to update. What am I missing? And when my mystery is solved, can I perform an upgrade from a rooted 5.1? Or I have to downgrade back to KitKat first? Thank you.

    1. Found newer images. They still report that they are 5.1; but more importantly, they are based on Verizon incremental #39 dated 7/23/2015; so the OTA update shuts up. Yes, you can flash right on top of an already-rooted 5.1 (no need to regress to KitKat). There is also a mention of the bug Gman1 describes below and a recommended workaround.

      http://forum.xda-developers.com/droid-turbo/development/computerfreek274turbolollipop-t3147455

  11. While I greatly appreciate the work done by folks, these images appear to contain 5.1 and not 5.1.1. I am being constantly bombarded by some Verizon app (which one is it and can I kill it?) to update. What am I missing? And when my mystery is solved, can I perform an upgrade from a rooted 5.1? Or I have to downgrade back to KitKat first? Thank you.

    1. Found newer images. They still report that they are 5.1; but more importantly, they are based on Verizon incremental #39 dated 7/23/2015; so the OTA update shuts up. Yes, you can flash right on top of an already-rooted 5.1 (no need to regress to KitKat). There is also a mention of the bug Gman1 describes below and a recommended workaround.

      http://forum.xda-developers.com/droid-turbo/development/computerfreek274turbolollipop-t3147455

  12. While I greatly appreciate the work done by folks, these images appear to contain 5.1 and not 5.1.1 (I did not include the 3rd patch file). I am being constantly bombarded by some Verizon app (which one is it and can I kill it?) to update. What am I missing? And when my mystery is solved, can I perform an upgrade from a rooted 5.1? Or I have to downgrade back to KitKat first? Thank you.

    1. Found newer images. They still report that they are 5.1; but more importantly, they are based on Verizon incremental #39 dated 7/23/2015; so the OTA update shuts up. Yes, you can flash right on top of an already-rooted 5.1 (no need to regress to KitKat). There is also a mention of the bug Gman1 describes below and a recommended workaround.

      http://forum.xda-developers.com/droid-turbo/development/computerfreek274turbolollipop-t3147455

  13. While I greatly appreciate the work done by folks, these images appear to contain 5.1 and not 5.1.1. I am being constantly bombarded by some Verizon app (which one is it and can I kill it?) to update. What am I missing? And when my mystery is solved, can I perform an upgrade from a rooted 5.1? Or I have to downgrade back to KitKat first? Thank you.

    1. Found newer images. They still report that they are 5.1; but more importantly, they are based on Verizon incremental #39 dated 7/23/2015; so the OTA update shuts up. Yes, you can flash right on top of an already-rooted 5.1 (no need to regress to KitKat). There is also a mention of the bug Gman1 describes below and a recommended workaround.

      http://forum.xda-developers.com/droid-turbo/development/computerfreek274turbolollipop-t3147455

  14. worked for me by pressing power button, then tapping volume up button once during the long hold. Honest mistake OP. Thanks for the write up, everything else was great.

  15. worked for me by pressing power button, then tapping volume up button once during the long hold. Honest mistake OP. Thanks for the write up, everything else was great.

  16. worked for me by pressing power button, then tapping volume up button once during the long hold. Honest mistake OP. Thanks for the write up, everything else was great.

  17. need a guide for the extras the link isnt working at all

  18. need a guide for the extras the link isnt working at all

  19. 12/21/2016… I got through nearly the entire process. But at the end, I noticed I don’t have mofo.exe (perhaps mofoverify.exe…). Whatever the case, I do have the “gui” bat file. I just can’t find the Mofo.exe file in my system.

    When I got to these steps (see screen shot of the directions below this paragraph), I got back a message in the Command line (the dos like screen) that the file was not an exe or bat file and that the system didn’t recognize the command..

    From the website:

    Now, extract the 5.1 rooted system image, xt1254-5.1-root-system.img.zip, to get .img file (xt1254-5.1-root-system.img) inside it.
    Transfer the xt1254-5.1-root-system.img file to the same folder where you have the mofo.exe and mofo-gui.bat file.
    Flash the rooted 5.1 system image now. Double Double click on mofo-gui.bat file to run it. This will open up a cmd window. Run this command into the cmd window:
    mofo flash xt1254-5.1-root-system.img

    I went to Mofoverify.com. I thought perhaps I could get it back. It appears they want to charge $20 for every instance of an upgrade. Is this how I get my *.exe file? Do I have to go through the whole verify process yet again?

    Thank you in advance.

  20. 12/21/2016… I got through nearly the entire process. But at the end, I noticed I don’t have mofo.exe (perhaps mofoverify.exe…). Whatever the case, I do have the “gui” bat file. I just can’t find the Mofo.exe file in my system.

    When I got to these steps (see screen shot of the directions below this paragraph), I got back a message in the Command line (the dos like screen) that the file was not an exe or bat file and that the system didn’t recognize the command..

    From the website:

    Now, extract the 5.1 rooted system image, xt1254-5.1-root-system.img.zip, to get .img file (xt1254-5.1-root-system.img) inside it.
    Transfer the xt1254-5.1-root-system.img file to the same folder where you have the mofo.exe and mofo-gui.bat file.
    Flash the rooted 5.1 system image now. Double Double click on mofo-gui.bat file to run it. This will open up a cmd window. Run this command into the cmd window:
    mofo flash xt1254-5.1-root-system.img

    I went to Mofoverify.com. I thought perhaps I could get it back. It appears they want to charge $20 for every instance of an upgrade. Is this how I get my *.exe file? Do I have to go through the whole verify process yet again?

    Thank you in advance.

Comments are closed.