How to Fix Soft brick/Bootloop after installing TWRP Recovery

Sadique Hassan•Updated Apr 7, 2021

In this tutorial, we will show you how to fix the soft brick or bootloop issue after installing the TWRP Recovery. Stepping into custom development is like the two faces of a coin. On one side you are guaranteed tons of tweaks, mods, and customizations. But on the other, there are a few risks as well. Talking about the positives first, well you just need to unlock the bootloader. After which, you could flash custom ROMs, binaries, or even root your deivce via Magisk.

Along the same lines, you could also install a custom recovery like TWRP. There are a plethora of reasons why you would need this recovery. To begin with, you could easily flash ZIP and IMG files, create and restore Nandroid backups or delete various device partitions, Likewise, you could also mount external devices or use advanced functions such as the TWRP file manager or even its handy command-line interface. However, there do exist some risks if you don’t flash this recovery in the right manner.

More often than not, you might end up in a bootloop or a soft brick device right after flashing the TWRP Recovery. And this was and has always been among the most recurring issues for various Android devices. if you are also getting bugged with this, then you have come to the right place. In this guide, we will explain to you the reasons as well as the steps to fix the soft brick or bootloop issue after installing the TWRP Recovery. Follow along.

Table of Contents

Reason for Soft Brick or Bootloop after installing TWRP Recovery

Right since the inception of A/B partition devices, issues related to the flashing of TWRP has skyrocketed. Since A/B devices no longer have a dedicated recovery partition, hence you need to boot it to the boot partition and then flash it. Whereas on the other hand, A-only devices still have the recovery partition and hence TWRP could directly be flashed.

However, not many users seem to be aware of whether their deivce is an A/B partition or is A-only. As a result, they end up using the incorrect command to flash the recovery which results in the corrupt boot partition. [Read: TWRP: fastboot flash vs fastboot boot: Which command to use].

The other reason is the inability of TWRP to decrypt the data partition and hence access the data stored on your device. This issue is mostly linked with unofficial TWRP builds but there have been a few instances of users facing the error with official builds as well. [Read: How to Fix TWRP 0MB Internal Memory Issue].

Along the same lines, flashing the incorrect build is among the most common cause as well. Nowadays, most devices have a Pro, Super, Max, Ultra, and tons of other variants. So incorrect flashing of TWRP has been noticed quite a few times. [Read: How to Fix TWRP Error 7 (While Flashing Custom ROM via TWRP)].

Furthermore, in some cases, the DM Verity Encryption could also cause a few issues. With that said, given below are the various methods to rectify all these issues. This in turn will help you fix the soft brick or bootloop issue after installing the TWRP Recovery. [Read: Disable DM-Verity or Android Verified Boot without TWRP].

How to Fix Soft brick/Bootloop after installing TWRP Recovery

There is no universal fix as such. You will have to try out each of the below-mentioned fixes until you are able to achieve success. Furthermore, if you are able to boot to TWRP, then take a Nandroid backup and then transfer it to a safer place (SD Card, USB OTG, PC, etc).

With that said, let’s now get on with the guide to fix the soft brick or bootloop issue after installing the TWRP Recovery. Droidwin and its members wouldn’t be held responsible in case of a thermonuclear war, your alarm doesn’t wake you up, or if anything happens to your device or data by performing the below steps.

Fix 1: Reverify the Downloaded TWRP File

One of the most command reasons seems to stem out from the fact that users might have unintentionally downloaded the incorrect TWRP Recovery. Now that every single device comes in three-four variants (Max, Pro, Ultra, etc), the issue becomes all the more prominent. So the best fix, in this case, is to verify the device codename.

Each device comes with a unique name. Fortunately, TWRP uploads all the recovery files corresponding to the device code-name, so there shouldn’t be an issue on that end. Just reverify your device code name and download and flash the TWRP file accordingly. See if it is able to fix the soft brick or bootloop issue after installing the TWRP Recovery.

Fix 2: Flash No-Verity-Opt-Encrypt

Your Android deivce has the data partition encrypted by default. This is done to prevent unauthorized access to the data stored on your device. While this is all well and good, the real issue arises in accessing the data via a custom binary file such as TWRP. And there is only a handful of TWRP Recoveries that are able to decrypt the data partition on the go.

For others, you will have to take alternate routes. This involves two different approaches. The first one is the less drastic one and we have shared it here. The second one takes a more extreme step and hence we have shared that after a few fixes. With that said, if we focus on this fix, then it requires you to flash the no-verity-opt-encrypt (some also calls it by the name Disable_DM-Verity_ForceEncrypt). The steps to flash this file is as follows:

To begin with, download the file: Download: no-verity-opt-encrypt-6.1.zip.
Now, boot your device to TWRP Recovery.
Next up, transfer the No-Verity-Opt-Encrypt.zip file to your device via TWRP. Since your device is in a bootloop. transferring via the TWRP is the only way out.
Then go to Install > Select the No-Verity-Opt-Encrypt.zip file > Perform a right swipe to flash it.
Once done, go to Reboot and select Recovery. Your device will now reboot to TWRP.
Now check if it fixes the soft brick or bootloop issue after installing the TWRP Recovery.

Fix 3: Flash Magisk Installer ZIP

While Magisk’s primary focus still stands the ability to root your device, but that isn’t its only focus. It also holds a plethora of other useful functionalities. Two of them are the passing of the safety net test and decryption of data partition. While I haven’t really tested the latter one, but there are have been many users who were able to fix the TWRP Bootloop issue by flash Magisk.

However, before you do so, make sure you completely understand the risk of rooting. Apps like Google Pay and the likes might not function as expected [FIX: How to Pass Magisk SafetyNet on Rooted Android 11] Likewise, you might no longer receive OTA updates [Fix: How to Install OTA Updates in Rooted Android Device. If that is all well and good, then here are the required steps to flash Magisk Installer ZIP via TWRP.

To begin with, download the latest Magisk ZIP File: Magisk 21 ZIP File.
Then boot your device to TWRP Recovery.
Now, transfer the file to your device via TWRP. As mentioned before, since your device is in a bootloop. transferring via the TWRP is the only way out.
After this head over to Install > Select the Magisk Installer ZIP file > Perform a right swipe to flash it.
Once that is done, go to Reboot and select Recovery. Your device will now reboot to TWRP recovery.
See if it fixes the soft brick or bootloop issue after installing the TWRP Recovery or not.

Fix 4: Format Data via TWRP

Well, we have already shared two different methods to decrypt the data partition. The first one was via flashing the no-verity-opt-encrypt.zip while the second one requires flashing of Magisk ZIP. However, in some instances, both these methods might not be able to give out desirable results. If that happens, then the only method forward is to format the data partition via TWRP. This will remove all the data from your device and at the same time, remove the encryption as well. Follow along for the instructions:

First off, boot your device to TWRP Recovery.
Now go to Wipe and tap on Format Data.
Type in YES in the space provided and tap on the tick mark situated at the bottom right.
All the data from your deivce will no be deleted and the encryption will be removed as well.
Once done, go to Reboot and tap on Recovery.
Your device will now boot to TWRP. Check if it is able to fix the soft brick or bootloop issue after installing the TWRP Recovery or not.
If the issue is still there, then transfer the No-Verity-Opt-Encrypt.zip file to your device via TWRP.
Then go to Install, select that file, and perform a right swipe to flash it.
Once the file has been flashed, go to Reboot and tap on Recovery. Once booted to TWRP, see if the issue stands rectified or not.

Fix 4: Flash Stock Boot.img via TWRP Recovery

If none of the aforementioned methods managed to spell out success in your case, then you might have to switch back to stock. It might be the case that the TWRP Recovery might have a few bugs that the developers are trying their best to fix. Or the boot partition on your device has been corrupted as a result of flashing an incorrect binary. So the best bet is to revert to stock and wait for a few days before flashing the TWRP, In the meantime, at least the bootloop will be fixed and your device will be up and running.

With that said, this method is only for A/B partition devices. This is because only these sets of devices use the boot partition to flash the recovery file. [The A-only devices still have the recovery partition to flash the TWRP]. So first off, verify if your device is A/B Partition or not using this guide: . If it is indeed A/B, then proceeded with the steps to flash the stock boot.img. However, if it turns out to be A-only, then refer to the steps to flash the stock recovery.img file.

Flash Stock Boot.img via TWRP [For A/B Devices]

Download the stock boot.img for your device. Do keep in mind that you should only download the boot.img corresponding to your currently installed ROM as well as the current firmware version [Build Number]. If you are on a stock ROM, then the following guides might help you out:

Once you have got the stock boot.img file, proceed with the below steps to install it onto your device:

Start off by booting your device to TWRP (if that isn’t the case already).
Once done, go to go to Reboot and tap on Bootloader. Your device will now boot to Fastboot Mode.
Next up, download and install the Android SDK Platform Tools on your PC.
Now transfer the stock boot.img file to this platform-tools folder.
Inside the same folder, type in CMD in its address bar and hit Enter. This will launch the Command Prompt window.
Now type the following command to flash the stock boot.img file:
```
fastboot flash boot boot.img
```
Once that is done, use the following command to boot to the OS
```
fastboot reboot
```
See if it fixes the soft brick or bootloop issue after installing the TWRP Recovery

Flash Stock Recovery.img via TWRP [For A-only Device]

Tio begin with, get hold of the stock recovery file via any of the following guides given below (while the given guides focus on stock boot.img, but you will also get other partition files, including the recovery.img):

Once you get the stock recovery.img file, make sure to rename proceed with the below steps to flash it onto your device:

Start off by booting your device to TWRP (if that isn’t the case already).
Once done, go to go to Reboot and tap on Bootloader. Your device will now boot to Fastboot Mode.
Next up, download and install the Android SDK Platform Tools on your PC.
Now transfer the stock recovery.img file to this platform-tools folder.
Inside the same folder, type in CMD in its address bar and hit Enter. This will launch the Command Prompt window:
Now type the following command to flash the stock recovery.img file:
```
fastboot flash recovery recovery.img
```
Once that is done, use the following command to boot to the OS
```
fastboot reboot
```
See if it fixes the soft brick or bootloop issue after installing the TWRP Recovery.

Fix 6: Reflash the Stock Firmware

If flashing just the stock boot.img or the recovery.img doesn’t managed to fix this issue, then you would probably have to completely reflash the custom ROM or stock ROM. In other words, reinstall the OS that you are currently using. In case of custom ROMs, well you should stick with the flashing instructions that the developers have provided. While you may proceed with the dirty flash, but it is recommended that you go ahead with a clean install (i.e formatting the data as well).

On the other hand, if you are on a stock ROM, then start off by unrooting your device{ [3 METHODS] Unroot any Android Device-Uninstall Magisk}. Likewise, also make sure to remove any mods or custom binaires that you have installed. Once that is done, refer to our detailed guide to How to Flash Stock Firmware via Fastboot Commands. Do so and the issue should be fixed.

With this, we conclude the guide on how to fix the soft brick or bootloop issue after installing the TWRP Recovery. We have shared six different methods for the same. Do let us knwo in the comments which one managed to work out in your favor. Likewise, if you have any queries concerning the aforementioned steps, do let us knwo in the comments as well.

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