LG exited the mobile phone business earlier this year, promising some support for its devices for a limited period. That support might soon be coming to an end as LG announced that they would be shutting down the bootloader unlock program for their devices.
For those unaware, the bootloader on an Android smartphone is the tool that loads the system. Most Android devices lock the bootloader to prevent unofficial software from being installed by default. However, it can also be unlocked to allow just that.
Android users have enjoyed the freedom to tinker with their phones. The developers, in particular, have managed to achieve some amazing feats like prolonging a phone’s life way beyond what the OEMs intended; this is thanks to ‘custom Roms’ and third-party updates. LG has always helped developers innovate by providing a streamlined process to unlock their bootloaders via the bootloader unlock keys. But, the company has announced that it will be shutting down this service effective December 31st, 2021.
This will leave any LG smartphone users who wish to extend the life of their device in a tight spot. But we can hope that the talented developers in the Android community will come up with a workaround to unlock the bootloader of these LG devices.
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