By rooting the Nothing Phone 3A with a custom kernel and SukiSU, you get a wide array of modifying capabilities and more in-depth system control which translate to a car battery for an advanced Android user to drive his car beyond the known limits. This tutorial lays out the entire course of the event, unlocking the bootloader and also enabling the modules through SukiSU like SUSFS in a very precise and clear way.
🔧 Prerequisites and Warnings
Please make sure the following before you start:
- Backup done: The data on the phone will be wiped during the process. Use a trustworthy method to back up your apps, media, and files.
- Battery: Keep charged at least 60%.
- USB Debugging: Enable it from Settings > About phone > Tap Build number 7 times > Developer options > Enable USB Debugging.
- Bootloader Status: The bootloader should be unlocked.
Disclaimer: You are the only one responsible if anything goes wrong. Rooting can void your warranty or turn your phone into a brick if it is done incorrectly.
🧰 Download and Setup SDK Platform Tools
First of all, the setup of Android SDK Platform Tools:
- Get the latest SDK Platform Tools from the official Google repository.
- Unzip the .zip and put it in a location easy to access, like C:\platform-tools.
🔓 Unlock the Bootloader of Nothing Phone 3A
It is essential to grasp that unlocking the bootloader is the first step towards installing a custom kernel.
adb reboot bootloader
Fastboot flashing unlock
Attention: Navigate to “Unlock the Bootloader” using the volume keys and press the power key to confirm your choice. This will result in a complete wipe of your device.
⬇️ Download and Flash Custom Kernel
Get the custom kernel that fits the device (credit: XDA developer edcsxz).
- Place the kernel image (boot.img) in the folder where your platform-tools are.
- Put your device into Fastboot Mode and connect it.
- Flash the kernel.
fastboot flash boot boot.img
🧹 Mandatory Format Data
After flashing the kernel, formatting data guarantees the stability of the system and compatibility.
fastboot -w
🔁 Reboot into Android OS
If flashing and formatting have been completely done:
fastboot reboot
Let your device get into the OS. The first startup might last a couple of minutes.
📲 Install SukiSU Root Manager
- Grab the most recent SukiSU APK from the official GitHub repository.
- Send the APK over to your phone.
- Do the installation, then start SukiSU.
- Check for root access verification within the app.
🔩 Install SUSFS Module via SukiSU
SUSFS (Superuser Secure Filesystem) gives a lot of new features for isolation of apps, safety hardening, and etc.
- Get hold of the latest SUSFS module.
- Go to SukiSU > Modules > Install.
- Pick the SUSFS .zip or .sufm file.
- Press OK and don’t forget to allow the module to be flashed.
- Restart your device for the module to be functional.
⚙️ Configure SUSFS and Root Environment
- Open SukiSU.
- Head over to Modules > SUSFS.
- Alter settings according to your liking, such as permission controls, syscall filtering, and file access rules.
- Save the changes and, if required, restart the device.
✅ Root Verification and Testing
The following will give the indication of a successful root:
- Download Root Checker from the Play Store.
- Check root status.
- As an option, you may install LSPosed- or Magisk-compatible mods (if supported).
🔚 Conclusion
Using the kernel from a different manufacturer in conjunction with SukiSU, you have now become the master of your Nothing Phone 3A, you can go deeper to the low-level system files and do things like performance tweaks, as well as installing powerful modules such as SUSFS. Do not forget to check for new SukiSU releases for enhanced module support and bug fixes.