fastboot

Android bootloader flashing and modification tool

TLDR

List connected devices

$ fastboot devices

Flash partition

$ fastboot flash [boot] [boot.img]

Flash all partitions from factory image

$ fastboot flashall

Unlock bootloader

$ fastboot oem unlock

Reboot device

$ fastboot reboot

Reboot to recovery

$ fastboot reboot recovery

Erase partition

$ fastboot erase [cache]

Boot temporary image

$ fastboot boot [recovery.img]

SYNOPSIS

fastboot [options] command [args]

fastboot is an Android tool for flashing firmware and modifying device partitions. It communicates with devices in fastboot/bootloader mode for low-level operations.
The tool enables installing custom ROMs, recovery images, and performing maintenance on Android devices. It's part of the Android SDK platform tools.

PARAMETERS

devices

List connected devices.

flash partition image

Flash image to partition.

flashall

Flash all partitions.

erase partition

Erase partition.

reboot [target]

Reboot (bootloader, recovery).

boot image

Boot temporary image.

oem command

OEM-specific commands.

getvar variable

Get bootloader variable.

-s serial

Target specific device.

-w

Wipe userdata.

CAVEATS

Device must be in fastboot mode. Wrong images can brick device. Unlocking bootloader may void warranty. USB drivers needed on Windows.

HISTORY

fastboot is part of Android SDK platform tools, developed by Google. It emerged with Android's development in the late 2000s as a standard way to flash devices. The protocol allows manufacturers to customize behavior while maintaining compatibility.