LG Developer Website Shutting Down on December 31, Bootloader Unlock Key to Be Inaccessible

LG says personal information collected to provide services will be deleted.

By Sourabh Kulesh | Updated: 7 December 2021 13:55 IST

Highlights

Bootloader unlock key is needed to root a smartphone
LG will stop receiving updates in future
Customers can install custom ROMs in their LG phones

LG promised to provide three Android OS update to a few models

Photo Credit: LG

LG has announced that it is shutting down its Developer Website on December 31. The South Korean company says that information on the website and the option of issuing the bootloader unlock key will not be available after the service is terminated. The company announced in April that it will wind down its mobile division in order to focus on growth areas including electric vehicle components, connected devices, and smart homes. LG also promised that it will provide three iterations of Android operating system updates for its premium smartphones.

As per an announcement on the website itself, personal information collected to provide services and issuing the bootloader unlock key will not be available post December 31. “However, we store personal information for a fixed period of time if required by relevant laws and regulations,” LG said in the notice.

Bootloader unlock keys are needed to root/ unlock a smartphone and install custom ROMs. In this case, the bootloader unlock key which LG provides to root LG phones and install custom ROMs will not be available. They key is essential for those people who wish to keep their LG phones for a longer duration because the phones will stop receiving updates in the future.

LG webOS Smart TVs to Get Nvidia GeForce Now, Apple Music Apps

After exiting the mobile business by pulling the plug on its loss-making mobile division, LG said that it will provide three Android operating system updates for its premium smartphones that released in 2019. These phones include the LG G-series smartphones, LG V-series, LG Velvet, and the most recent LG Wing. Handsets belonging to the LG K-series will receive two OS updates as they were launched in 2020.

Moreover, LG also announced that it will be rolling out Android 12 OS update to select phones despite its exit from the smartphone business. It also said that the rollout will depend on Google's distribution schedule and the performance of individual models running the new software during testing. The South Korean company hasn't said which phones will get the update.

The Best TVs You Can Buy

Will Snapdragon's new 2022 chips make it more prominent as a brand? We discuss this on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

Affiliate links may be automatically generated - see our ethics statement for details.

LG Velvet

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Clean software
Decent cameras
Dual-screen functionality if you buy the accessory

Bad
Dated processor
Slow charging

Read detailed LG Velvet review

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.