Bricked Phone
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A Bricked Phone or tablet is a device that no longer functions. Its not to be confused with a brick in a building.
Causes[edit | edit source]
Hard Brick Cause:
- Unplugging from PC while flashing
- Flashing wrong ROM version
- Flashing corrupted ROM
- Messing with Flashing stuffs
- Following a firmware flashing procedure incorrectly
- Deleting abl.elf, the /boot0, /boot1 or the /system partition (DO NOT DO THIS!)
- Destroying Android (deleting core system files from all partitions)
Soft Brick Causes:
- Corrupted Software
- Error during ROM Installation
- Minor Software Bugs
- Corrupting the /data partition (this is caused by kernel bugs mentioned below)
- Uninstalling critical system apps (on reboot)
Types[edit | edit source]
Hard Brick:
- Cannot access recovery/download mode
- Shows little to no sign of life
- Phone does not boot at all, either stuck on vendor logo or completely dead
- eMMC failure/corruption
Soft Brick:
- Has minor software glitch
- Shows sign of life but fails to boot or displays an error screen
- Normally stuck in bootloop
- Can access recovery/download mode
- com.android.systemui crashes every time
How to fix[edit | edit source]
Hard Brick:
- Using a USB Jig
- Using the Phone's JTAG
- Reflashing all partitions, and Aboot
Soft Brick:
- Factory reset
- Removing the corrupted ROM
- Flashing a new or stock ROM
Here's the full information of the types of bricked devices:
Soft brick
A "soft bricked" device may show signs of life, but fails to boot or may display an error screen. Soft bricked devices can usually be fixed relatively easily; for example, a soft bricked iOS device may display a screen instructing the user to plug it into a computer to perform an operating system recovery using iTunes computer software. In some cases, soft bricked devices are unable to be repaired without physical repairs being carried out; an example of this would be an iOS device locked with iCloud Activation Lock, of which the only solution is to contact the owner of the iCloud account the device is locked to, or to replace the entire logicboard with a non-locked board.
Hard brick
Hard bricked devices generally show few or no signs of life. A hard bricked device does not power on or show any vendor logo; the screen remains turned off or blank. Some of the major reasons for hard bricking include installing firmware not intended for the device, severe physical damage, interrupting a firmware flashing procedure, or following a flashing procedure incorrectly.
In the case of Android devices, some kernel bugs have been known that affect the /data partition in the eMMC chip, which becomes corrupted during certain operations such as wiping and flashing.
Recovering from a hard brick is generally considered difficult and requires the use of a more direct programming interface to the device; such an interface often exists, as there must be a way to program the initial firmware during the manufacturing process. However, additional tools or connections may be needed, such as low-level programming devices. Hardware hard brick recoveries are also considered difficult and require electrical knowledge to find and fix hardware issues. For example, an overloaded capacitor in a circuit may explode, thus stopping the flow of electricity and bricking the device. More complex examples involve permanent damage to integrated circuits and processors. Fixing such hardware bricks involve replacing these components entirely or fixing them by either bypassing if the circuit allows or other methods.
Most devices can be hard bricked in a variety of ways. Resolution generally follows a process of analyzing the boot process, determining the sub-type of hard brick, and making changes with the help of external (non-bricked) devices.
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