How to force a Mediatek device into BROM mode

One challenge you might face when using the Mediatek bypass utility or MTKclient is getting your device into BROM mode. This is synonymous with detection as Mediatek USB Port or MTK USB Port. Different devices have different button combos so I’m assuming you’ve tried all but failed still.

Booting into BROM ideally

The combo varies with the device model (after powering off) but combos you should consider (before connecting to the PC) are:

1. Both volume buttons
2. Both volume buttons + power button
3. Volume down button only
4. Google Home key + Volume down button (for LG)
5. Test Point (hardware procedure)

Forcing Mediatek (MTK) devices into BROM

Method 1: Crashing Preloader to BROM using SP Flash Tool

There’s a simple trick to achieve this using SP flash tool. The idea is to get SP flash tool to fail (give an error message) when the device is connected in Preloader mode while holding its button combo for BROM mode. This causes the device to get stuck in BROM. The example below demonstrates this technique using the MTK bypass utility.

When using the auth bypass utility. Recall that the MTK auth bypass utility method consists of two main steps:

1. Installing a filter using LIBUSB
2. Disabling auth using Bypass Utility

Installing Filter

Launch SP flash tool, load the scatter file for your model with at least one box ticked (file to be flashed) then click Download (with a green arrow above it). This is like setting SP flash tool for flashing before connecting the device.

Next, you hold the BROM button combo (you’ll have to experiment or look it up for your model) and connect the device to the PC. SP flash tool will fail with an error message (this is expected) but the device will remain as Mediatek USB Port. You can then highlight it and click Install in LIBUSB

I should mention that recent versions of MTK Bypass dropped the need for LIBUSB and switched to USBDK

Running Bypass Utility’s Main.py

Once the filter is installed, you close the SP flash tool error and re-click Download. After this, you run the main.py command. Once you see ‘waiting for device’, hold the same button combo used to install the filter then connect to the PC again. SP flash tool will fail again but Bypass Utility will detect the device as Mediatek USB Port again and swing into action.

Once watchdog is disabled, you can then go ahead with whatever operation you intend to carry out.

This has been tested on the LG Stylo 6 and LG X220PM (Tribute Empire)

Method 2: Using other tools

You could try tools like MTKClient (which has the crash preloader to BROM feature) and MTK Meta Utility​​ / Android Utility PRO (AUP) to crash Preloader to BROM mode.

Note

This technique isn’t a silver bullet for all Mediatek devices. Some require Test Points to get them into BROM