You need to install TWRP Recovery if you are planning to root your Android device. TWRP Recovery also helps to flash custom ROMs, custom Kernels, and also take full nandroid backup of your Android device. In this guide, we will show you how to install TWRP recovery on Android.

TWRP, short of Team Win Recovery Project, is a custom recovery for Android devices. TWRP came into existence around 2011 when clockwork mod recovery was very famous. As time went by, TWRP added more devices to its portfolio. Today, TWRP supports hundreds of different devices from various manufacturers. Apart from this, there are also a number of unofficial TWRP recoveries available for various devices at the XDA Forums.

TWRP Recovery is the basic necessity to flash custom ROMs and custom Kernels. It is also a requirement to have TWRP installed if you want to root your Android device with Magisk.

Requirements

Before proceeding to the tutorial, make sure the below requirements are met:

1. It is recommended to take a full backup of your device before proceeding. You can follow this guide on how to backup Android devices.
2. Make sure you have the latest Android USB driver for your device is installed on your computer.
3. TWRP Recovery for your device. Where to download? Check the download section at the end of this article.

Steps to Install TWRP Recovery on Android

There are two ways to install TWRP Recovery on Android. The first method is using the Fastboot command to install TWRP recovery and the second method is to install TWRP on Samsung devices using the Odin tool. We shall see both the methods in detail below.

About A/B Partition Scheme and TWRP installation

Google introduced a new feature called A/B Partition Scheme which makes installing software updates easier on Android devices. Most of the new devices that came in and after 2019 will have this feature. Because of this, the way we install TWRP on Android has changed. Simply put, depending on the availability of the A/B Partition Scheme on your device, the installation method will vary.

How to find if your Android device has A/B Partition Scheme?

Download and install the below app on your device:

• Treble Check – Treble Compatibility Checking App

All you have to do is to simply open the app and it will tell you if your device has A/B Partition or not.

• If Seamless System Updates are supported, then A/B Partition is available.
• If Seamless System Updates are not supported, then A/B Partition is not available.

You can refer to the below screenshot from the app to see what output looks like in either case:

Depending on the output from the above, you can follow the appropriate guide.

Method 1: Install TWRP on devices without A/B Partition (Pre-2019 devices)

1. Download the TWRP image for your device and have it ready.
2. Copy the image to the folder when you have installed ADB and Fastboot on your computer.
3. Open a command prompt from inside this folder. To do this: Hold down Shift Key and Right-click on the empty space inside the folder and then select ‘Open command window here’ or ‘Open PowerShell window here’.
4. Connect your Android to the computer using USB Cable.
5. Boot your Android into Bootloader/Fastboot mode by executing the below ADB command:

   adb reboot bootloader 

6. Once your device is in fastboot mode, execute the following command to flash TWRP on your Android:

   fastboot flash recovery <TWRP-File-Name.img> 

   Replace “<TWRP-File-Name.img>” with actual filename. For example:

   fastboot flash recovery twrp-3.3.1-0-cheeseburger.img

7. Done. The TWRP Recovery is now successfully installed on your Android device.

Method 2: Install TWRP on devices with A/B Partition (2019 and later)

1. Download the TWRP recovery image and TWRP installer zip (both the files are needed) for your device.
2. Copy the TWRP image to the ADB and fastboot folder on your computer.
3. Transfer the TWRP installer zip to your Android device.
4. Open a command prompt from inside this folder. To do this: Hold down Shift Key and Right-click on the empty space inside the folder and then select ‘Open command window here’ or ‘Open PowerShell window here’.
5. Connect your Android to the computer using a USB Cable.
6. Boot your Android into Bootloader/Fastboot mode by executing the below ADB command:

   adb reboot bootloader

7. Boot the TWRP Recovery image temporarily using the below command:

   fastboot boot <TWRP-File-Name.img>

   Replace “<TWRP-File-Name.img>” with actual filename. For example:

   fastboot boot twrp-3.3.1-1-guacamoleb.img

8. Your Android device should now boot into TWRP recovery mode.
9. Swipe the ‘Swipe to Allow Modifications’ button when shown.
10. Tap on the ‘Install’ button in TWRP.
11. Navigate to the storage and select the TWRP installer zip (for example: twrp-installer-3.3.1-0-guacamoleb.zip) file.
12. Finally, swipe the button on the screen to install TWRP recovery on your Android device with A/B partition.

Method 3: Install TWRP on Samsung devices using ODIN Tool

1. Download TWRP recovery in the Odin flashable (*.img.tar) file format for your Samsung Device.
2. Download the Odin tool and extract the ZIP file on your PC. Check which version of Odin is right for your device.
3. Open the extracted folder and run ‘Odin3.exe’ by double-clicking on it.
4. Boot your Samsung device into Download mode and connect it to your computer using a USB Cable.
5. The COM port in the Odin window should now show some activity.
6. Click on the ‘AP’ button.
7. Select the TWRP recovery tar file for your device.
8. Do not change any other settings.
9. Next, click the ‘Start’ button to install TWRP recovery using Odin tool on Samsung devices.
10. Once the flashing process is complete, you will see the ‘PASS!’ message on the screen and the phone will reboot automatically.

Download TWRP for your Android device

The below link has the list of OEMs officially supported by the TWRP team. You can visit the appropriate OEM page and look for your device. If your device is not available, you might try looking for any unofficial TWRP recovery for your device at XDA Forum.

• Download TWRP for your Android device

These are the ways by which you can install TWRP Recovery on Android. Now that you have installed TWRP, you may proceed to root your Android device using Magisk or install an audio mod like ViPER4Anroid.