Install /e/OS on a Sony - Xperia XZ3 akatsuki

This guide installs /e/OS on your akatsuki. Read it through once before you start, so you don’t hit surprises partway in. Downgrading from a newer OS version than the /e/OS build you’re about to install can cause instability or brick some devices — check your current OS version first. Flashing is done at your own risk: /e/OS builds are provided as best effort, without any guarantee, and the /e/OS project takes no responsibility for the consequences.

Requirements

  • Back up your important data to an external storage device — some of the steps below format the phone, wiping any backup left on it.
  • Charge your phone above 50%.
  • Enable adb and fastboot on your PC — setup instructions.
  • Download every file listed in the Downloads section below before you start.
  • Use a real data cable — some cables only charge and can’t transfer data.
  • Enable USB debugging on your device — instructions.
  • Confirm your exact model in the Device Selector: where shown, hover the device name for the supported model number, and check it matches yours exactly.
  • Boot the stock OS at least once and check everything works — SMS, calls, and both over WiFi and LTE if available (some devices need VoLTE/VoWiFi used once on stock to provision IMS). Whatever’s broken on stock stays broken on /e/OS.
Warning: Log out of any accounts (Google, Samsung, Mi Account, etc.) set on the stock ROM before proceeding. Most vendors enable Factory Reset Protection (FRP): after a factory reset, a device that's still signed in will ask for the credentials of that account before it can be used again. Also remove any screen locks.

Downloads for akatsuki

Tip: Before installing /e/OS on the Sony Xperia XZ3 akatsuki for the first time, install the latest stock OS version 10 build on the device
community /e/OS A15

Each build includes /e/OS Recovery — no separate download needed.

Not sure which one to pick? See official vs. community builds.

  • Check the Pre-Install Instructions section below for some additional downloads for your device.

  • Before following these instructions please ensure that the device is on the latest Android 10 firmware.

  • If your device is currently using a newer or older version than the required version, please upgrade or downgrade to the required version before proceeding with your /e/OS installation.

  • The required version is Android 10 , which may be lower than the /e/OS version you are about to install - this is not an error! If there are multiple updates of that version (e.g. security updates), make sure to use the latest!

  • If you need to upgrade or downgrade your device, please search online for guides. We are unable to provide specific instructions here and on our support platforms.

Unlocking the bootloader

These steps only need to be run once per device. Not sure what unlocking changes on your device? See Bootloader relocking.

Warning: Unlocking the bootloader will erase all data on your device! This also includes your DRM keys, which are stored in the Trim Area partition (also called TA). Before proceeding, ensure the data you would like to retain is backed up to your PC and/or your Google account, or equivalent. Please note that OEM backup solutions like Samsung and Motorola backup may not be accessible from /e/OS once installed. If you wish to backup the TA partition first, you can find tutorials related to your device on the internet.

  1. On the device, dial *#*#7378423#*#* (*#*#SERVICE#*#*) to launch the service menu.

  2. Go to service info > configuration and check rooting status - you can only continue if it says Bootloader unlock allowed: Yes.

  3. Connect the device to your PC via USB.

  4. On the computer, open a command prompt (on Windows) or terminal (on Linux or macOS) window, and type:

    adb reboot bootloader

  5. Follow the instructions on Sony’s official unlocking website to unlock your bootloader.

  6. Use your code to unlock the bootloader of your device:

    fastboot oem unlock <your_unlock_code>

  7. Since the device resets completely, you will need to re-enable USB debugging to continue (Settings->About Phone->Build version, and then you can go to Settings->Developer options to enable USB debugging).

Temporarily Booting a custom recovery using fastboot

  1. Connect your device to your PC via USB.

  2. On the computer, open a command prompt (on Windows) or terminal (on Linux or macOS) window, and type:

    adb reboot bootloader

  3. Once the device is in fastboot mode, verify your PC finds it by typing:

    fastboot devices

  4. Flash a recovery image onto your device

    fastboot flash boot recoveryfilename.img

    Replace the recoveryfilename with the name of the recovery image you downloaded in the previous section

  5. Manually reboot into recovery mode

    • With the device powered off
    • hold Volume Down + Power
Tip: Outdated fastboot releases dropped legacy A/B support, so it might attempt to flash to boot__a / boot__b rather than boot_a / boot_b if you try to flash boot. In this case, you must update fastboot to a release newer than or equal to 31.0.2. Alternatively, you can manually specify which slot to flash to based on what slot fastboot failed to flash to. For example, if fastboot fails to flash to boot__a, you must flash to boot_a.

Ensuring all firmware partitions are consistent

Tip: The steps below only need to be run once per device.

In some cases, the inactive slot can be unpopulated or contain much older firmware than the active slot, leading to various issues including a potential hard-brick. We can ensure none of that will happen by copying the contents of the active slot to the inactive slot.

To do this, sideload the copy-partitions-20220613-signed.zip package by doing the following:

  1. Download the copy-partitions-20220613-signed.zip file from here. It should have a MD5 sum of 79f2f860830f023b7030c29bfbea7737 or a SHA-256 sum of 92f03b54dc029e9ca2d68858c14b649974838d73fdb006f9a07a503f2eddd2cd.

  2. Sideload the copy-partitions-20220613-signed.zip package: * On the device, select Apply Update, then Apply from ADB to begin sideload. * On the host machine, sideload the package using: adb sideload copy-partitions-20220613-signed.zip

  3. Now reboot to recovery by tapping Advanced, then Reboot to recovery.

Installing /e/OS from recovery

  1. Before proceeding ensure you have downloaded the /e/OS for your device, from the link given in the Downloads section above

  2. If you aren’t already in recovery mode, reboot into recovery mode

    • by typing the below command in the console of an adb enabled PC
    adb reboot recovery

  3. In recovery, return to the main menu, then tap Wipe

  4. Now tap Format Data and continue with the formatting process.

    Here a new screen may show where you will have to type Yes and confirm the action by clicking a button.

Caution: Format Data will remove encryption as well as delete all files stored on the internal storage. Remember to take a backup first. Check Requirements section above.

  1. Return to the previous menu and tap Advanced Wipe.

  2. Select the Cache and System partitions to be wiped and then Swipe to Wipe

  3. Sideload the /e/OS .zip package.

Tip: Sideload requires actions in two places: one on your phone in the recovery UI, and one on the connected PC with adb enabled. The sideload process may stop abruptly around 50%. If the console shows Total xfer: 1.00x, the transfer completed successfully.
- On the device in recovery,
> select `Advanced`, `ADB Sideload`, then swipe to begin sideload.

- On the host machine, in the console , start the sideload of the package by typing

```shell
adb sideload filename.zip
```
Tip: Change the filename to the name of the file you downloaded
  1. Once installation has finished, return to the main menu, tap Reboot, and then System
Warning: Avoid installing any additional apps or services if suggested by the recovery. They may cause your device to bootloop, as well as attempt to access and or corrupt your data.
Success: Congratulations! Your phone should now be booting into /e/OS.
To find some troubleshooting tips… click here

adb

  • Getting a Total xFer ':' 0.01x message - Try to upload the /e/OS to internal storage and retry to install
  • adb ':' sideload connection failed ':' insufficient permissions for device error - Try to execute the commands adb kill-server and adb start-server and retry
  • Getting an insufficient permissions error - Try the solution given here
  • When running "adb devices" in bash a device is shown as "unauthorized" - Try the solution given here

Connectivity

  • Trying to troubleshoot mobile connectivity issues - Read this guide


Please share your experience , suggest tips or changes to this install guide documentation by visiting the Xperia XZ3 specific topic on our community forum. To report issues in /e/OS please refer this guide

This documentation “Install /e/OS on a Sony - Xperia XZ3 - “akatsuki”” is a derivative of “install LineageOS on akatsuki” by The LineageOS Project, used under CC BY.