Guide

Unlocking / Locking the Bootloader

How to unlock or lock the bootloader on the OnePlus Nord CE 3 5G (ziti) — requirements, fastboot commands and the warnings that matter.

Warning

I) DO NOT downgrade to OxygenOS 13 after unlocking the bootloader. II) Before locking the bootloader, make sure the device is unrooted.

Items required

A working brain
PC/laptop with Platform tools and ADB & Fastboot drivers
Device on OOS 14 or above (bootloader is only available on these updates)

Steps

Back up your files (PC / SD card / Google backup / Swift Backup — whatever you prefer). Unlocking or locking will erase the internal storage.
Enable USB debugging and OEM unlocking (Allow bootloader unlock) from Developer options, then connect the device to the PC.

To enable Developer options: Settings → About device → Version → tap the version number 7–8 times.
Download the latest SDK Platform tools and extract them. Open a terminal in the extracted folder (Shift + right-click → Open in Terminal).
Verify the connection:
```
adb devices
```
Allow the pop-up on the phone if it appears. Run it again — you should see your device serial number.
Reboot to the bootloader:
```
adb reboot bootloader
```
You can also enter Bootloader/Fastboot Mode by holding Volume + , Volume − and Power together.

Check the fastboot connection:
```
fastboot devices
```
Unlock or lock:
```
fastboot flashing unlock
```
or
```
fastboot flashing lock
```
Two options appear on the phone. Use the volume keys to select Unlock/Lock and press the power button to confirm. This erases the device.
Reboot:
```
fastboot reboot
```

Done — the bootloader is now unlocked (or locked).

Extras

Things you may need while relocking:

Check the current slot: fastboot getvar current-slot
Switch slots: fastboot --set-active=a (write b instead of a to target the other slot)

Credit: NordCE3 Community · Pranish