Sony announced the Xperia ZL alongside its flagship Xperia Z at the Consumer Electronics Show in January and within a short span of time, a root method has been developed for the device.

Sony Xperia ZL
The Xperia ZL features a 5in full HD display with resolution measuring 1920 x 1080 pixels. Sony

XDA developer, DooMLoRD has released a root file for the Xperia ZL allowing users to root their devices. The developer has also released a custom ClockworkMod (CWM) recovery file for the handset. Rooting will enable users to install apps that require root permission whereas CWM recovery will help install custom ROM and several system tweaks. Head over to the development page to know more about the releases.

Xperia ZL users who are looking for a method to root their devices and install CWM recovery, may follow our step-by-step guide below.

IBTimes UK reminds its readers that it will not be held liable for any mishap. Before proceeding, users are advised to ensure that their handsets meet the following requirements.

Pre-requisites

1) Install USB Driver for Sony Xperia ZL to transfer files between computer and Android device.

2) Enable USB Debugging Mode on the phone to connect it with the computer and use Android SDK with it. [Press Menu>> Settings>> Applications. From there navigate and click on Development option and ensure the USB Debugging Mode is turned on.]

3) As the tutorial might wipe out all the data of the device, create a backup of all data of the phone. If the device is having a custom recovery such as CWM/TWRP already installed, then users are recommended to backup the data using the same.

4) The Xperia ZL should have more than 80 per cent battery charge.

5) To install the CWM recovery and root the bootloader of the phone should be unlocked.

6) The CWM recovery file and the root file works only with Sony Xperia ZL. Flashing these files on any incorrect variant might brick the device.

Steps to install CWM Recovery on Sony Xperia ZL [stock firmware 10.1.A.1.350/434 or ROMs based on the same firmware]

1) Download CWM Recovery 6.0.3.0 for Xperia ZL to the computer. Then extract the downloaded zip to get the boot.img file [Alternative link ]

2) Ensure that the phone is having a working fastboot already installed [Click here for guide]

2) Switch off the Xperia ZL

3) Boot the device into fastboot mode by pressing the Volume UP button

4) Plug in the USB cable to the phone to connect it with the computer

5) Wait until the LED lights up with blue colour. Try few more times in case the first attempt fails

5) On the computer, copy the boot.img file into C:Fastboot

6) Open Command prompt on the computer. Go to Windows logo, then type CMD in the search box and press Enter

7) Type cd C:fastboot then type fastboot flash boot boot.img

8) When the action is completed, try to restart the device. The CWM Recovery should be now installed on the phone

Known issues: The developer has noted that the USB storage does not work in recovery. However, this can be fixed. Users are advised not to use this CWM recovery to flash CM10.1.

Steps to root Sony Xperia ZL [C650x, firmware version: 10.1.A.1.350]

1) Download the Root package [File name: SuperSU-1.25-Busybox-1.20.2-UPDATE.zip] for Xperia ZL to the computer

2) Connect the phone to the computer using USB cable. Then copy the downloaded zip file to the external SD card of the phone

3) Unplug the USB cable from the phone and boot the device in CWM recovery mode. Press Start button while keep pressing the Volume Down button. In case there is any difficulty to boot into recovery mode, then try ROM Manager

4) In the main CWM recovery menu, select install zip from sdcard and then select choose zip from sdcard. Now navigate to and select the root package which was earlier copied to the SD card of the device. Click Yes to confirm installation

5) Once the installation is completed, return to the main recovery menu

6) Reboot the phone by selecting reboot system now from recovery menu

When the Sony Xperia ZL boots up successfully, it should be rooted with CWM recovery installed on the device. To ensure the aforementioned root method is installed and working properly download Root Checker app from Google Play Store.

[Source: The Android ROM]

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