HTC has officially opened the boot loaders on its devices, according to a post by CEO, Peter Chou, on the company’s Facebook page. The move will allow users to root their HTC devices and upload their own firmware.
“There has been overwhelmingly customer feedback that people want access to open bootloaders on HTC phones. I want you to know that we’ve listened. Today, I’m confirming we will no longer be locking the bootloaders on our devices. Thanks for your passion, support and patience,” wrote Chou.
Boot loaders retrieve the main operating system from the phone and load it when the device is turned on. The post did not include any information on whether the change would apply retroactively to existing devices.
HTC had noted that it was reviewing its policy around boot loaders earlier in the week. On Monday, the company posted the following:
“Thanks so much for providing feedback, we hear your concerns. Your satisfaction is a top priority for us and we’re working hard to ensure you have great experiences with our phones. We’re reviewing the issue and our policy around bootloaders and will provide more information soon. Thank you for your interest, support and willingness to share your feedback.”