[Android General] AdalisVaxeler:
*PLEASE BE SURE TO READ EVERYTHING BEFORE ROOTING YOUR PHONE!!!*

This guide will help you to root your UMIDIGI A11 Pro Max. Aside from my own knowledge, I used many sources (and I’ll add the respective references, of course) to create this specific manual. In that regard, I organized the information in many sections due to its size.

Also, please be aware this is a guide for UMIDIGI A11 Pro Max, not UMIDIGI A11 Pro, or UMIDIGI A11, or UMIDIGI A13, or any similar model. You’re free to adapt this guide to a different UMIDIGI model though, so you can copy nearly everything here (with the necessary changes) if you want to.

DISCLAIMER: ALL I WROTE HERE WORKED PERFECTLY WITH MY UMIDIGI A11 PRO MAX, BUILD NUMBER UMIDIGI_A11_PRO_MAX_V1.0_20220108, WHICH I ROOTED WITH MAGISK 24.3, BUT I’M NOT A PROFFESIONAL. THIS MEANS I CANNOT GUARANTEE YOU THIS WILL ALWAYS WORK WITH ANOTHER BUILD NUMBER OR MAGISK VERSION, ALTHOUGH I HONESTLY THINK THERE SHOULDN’T BE ANY PROBLEM. FINALLY, ROOTING IS YOUR DECISION, AND IT'S OWN YOUR RESPONSIBILITY IN CASE YOU BRICK YOUR DEVICE, AS I’M NOT COERCING YOU TO DO IT.

With that said, let’s begin!

Things you need to know:​

• Currently, there is no custom recovery (like TWRP) for this smartphone. This will make the whole process a bit more complex, but it’s still possible to get root.

• While I think the rooting itself doesn’t void your warranty, the previous and unavoidable step—unlocking the bootloader—does.

• Another thing about unlocking the bootloader: the process will make a FACTORY RESET to your device, so better have a back-up ready.

• We’ll use Magisk, so it’ll still be possible to get FOTA, also named OTA, updates. I’ll elaborate more at the end of this guide.

• As I said, I’m not responsible If you brick your device, but I can give you a hand! (More details just below.)

Preparations:​

• Identify your build number to find your stock ROM online. Go to “Settings”, now go to the bottom to “About phone”, and then go again to the bottom and you will find something like this: “Build number: UMIDIGI_A11_PRO_MAX_V1.0_20220108”.

• Go to your PC and download your stock ROM in UMIDIGI’s official forum. Remember there are main releases’ variations for specific regions (like Europe), so be sure to check if EACH LETTER of the names match. If you made a mistake, you’ll be trapped in a boot loop (bricked device). Here is the forum:

*THIS STOCK ROM IS NECESSARY TO UNBRICK YOUR DEVICE BY GETTING A FRESH INSTALATION IN CASE OF EMERGENCY, SO PLEASE DO NEVER DELETE IT, PRESERVE IT EVEN AFTER YOU GET ROOT. IF YOU MESSED UP READING THIS GUIDE OR LATER, READ YOUR RESPECTIVE THREAD TO UNBRICK YOUR PHONE. FROM HERE ONWARDS, YOU’LL BE IN THEIR HANDS*

• Open the RAR and extract vbmeta.img and boot.img (DO NEVER DELETE THE ORIGINALS).

• Now you need to unlock “Developer options” in your device, as the basic permissions aren’t enough to root. Go to: Settings > About phone > Status. Now go to the bottom and tap “Build number” seven or eight times until a message saying that you’re now a developer appears.

• Go to Settings > System > Advanced > Developer options. Active them if they’re “Off”, now activate “OEM unlocking” and “USB debugging”. This will allow you to: move files between your phone and PC, and use your PC to modify your phone (explained just below).

Installing Android Debug Bridge (ADB) on your PC:​

This “simple” interface, as it uses a terminal window (like CMD or PowerShell in Windows), will allow you to control your device from a computer by using methods hidden to simple mortals (mostly for their own security, because the average user could easily brick their device by accident).

The process to do this may vary depending on your OS (Windows 10, Windows 11, Linux, etc.) or even between different updates or drivers of said OS, so I cannot give you specific steps. You can use this guide, which I’m sure is better than anything I could ever write about this topic:

Feel free to search for all the guides you need until installing ADB. Take your time, we’re not doing anything that could brick your device if you make a mistake… yet.

Unlocking the bootloader:​

• Make sure ADB is correctly installed or you won’t be able to do anything from this point onwards.

• Remember, this specific step will make a FACTORY RESET to your device, so better have a back-up ready. You need this extra permission to root your phone, or install a custom recovery or ROM if you want (sadly there is neither of them to date).

• Connect your device to your PC.

• Open your ADB terminal on your PC and write:

adb reboot bootloader

*If doesn’t work, write ./adb instead adb, or the variation your terminal uses, and keep using it from now on. Your device will reboot and now you’ll be in fastboot mode (make sure to read the small > FASTBOOT mode… message on the bottom left corner of your device).

• Now the time has come, after this you’ll have a factory reset. Write:

fastboot flashing unlock

*Again, if fastboot doesn’t work, use ./fastboot, etc.) and a new message will appear on your device. Read it, it won’t say anything new if you’re with this guide, and press the Volume up button to unlock your bootloader.

• To reboot your device, write:

fastboot reboot

While rebooting, you will read this just below UMIGIDI’s logo:

Orange state:

Your device has been unlocked and can’t be trusted

Your device will boot in 5 seconds

*Spoiler: it won’t reboot in 5 seconds, but 1 or 2 minutes.

• Congratulations! Now you have a brand-new unlocked phone! No more factory resets (unless you brick your phone), so feel free to make the initial configuration.

This section was based on these guides:

Patching images:​

• Now this process is the rooting itself, time to get Magisk, the rooting tool and the future manager of your root permission (under your orders, of course). Download its latest version on your device and install it.

• Connect your device to your PC and send boot.img (you extracted it at the beginning of this tutorial) to your smartphone and open Magisk app. On the Magisk section, tap “Install” and then “Select and patch a file” and search for your boot.img to patch it.

• The installation (flashing) will continue in a terminal-like screen. Once finished, the direction of the patched file will appear, along an All done! message.

• Now send this new patched file and the vbmeta.img (you extracted it at the beginning of this tutorial) to your ADB folder in your computer.

• Now turn off your phone and hold Power button and Volume up button for 5 seconds, and select Fastboot Mode.

• Open your ADB window and DO NOT CLOSE IT BEFORE FLASHING THE NEXT 2 FILES, OR YOU'LL BRICK YOUR DEVICE:

THE FIRST FILE: Write the following command:

fastboot --disable-verity --disable-verification flash boot (insert here the name of your magisk patched file, don’t forget to add the “.img” extension)

Example: My file is called magisk_patched-24300_UuPmm.img, so I wrote:

fastboot --disable-verity --disable-verification flash boot magisk_patched-24300_UuPmm.img

Don’t forget, write ./fastboot or any command’s variation you’ve been using so far.

THE SECOND FILE: Write the following command:

fastboot --disable-verity --disable-verification flash vbmeta vbmeta.img

• Write this and you’re done:

fastboot reboot

Enjoy your rooted UMIDIGI A11 Pro Max!

This section was based on these guides:

About getting FOTA/OTA updates (PLEASE READ THIS TOO OR YOU MAY LOSE YOUR ROOT SOMEDAY!!!):​

First, what are FOTA/OTA updates? In short, you could say their function is similar to Windows updates. Usually, rooting with alternatives to Magisk, or installing a custom recovery, prevents you from getting them.

This a rooting guide so, while I won’t help you to getting those updates, I can still give you this comprehensive guide:

Lastly, the true reason I wrote this is to alert you that even if you don’t care about FOTA/OTA you still NEED TO DEACTIVATE THE AUTOMATIC UPDATES, otherwise you may lose your root someday or cause problems to your phone (you can search online for the technical reasons of this if you want). From now on, if you want updates, you’ll do it manually.

To deactivate them, go to Settings > System > Advanced > Developer options and turn off "Automatic system updates".

A useful thread about Magisk:​

I’ll also leave you this sticky thread of XDA Developers, I’m sure it’ll help you in the future:

AND THAT’S ALL, THANKS FOR READING!​