Model Manual Android 15 (Vanilla Ice Cream) Compatibility → Verified Working

OnePlus Nord 4, Nord 3 5G, Nord CE 4 & CE 3 Lite Root Guide

Rooting guide for OnePlus Nord family: Nord 4 (all-metal design), Nord 3 5G, Nord CE 4, and Nord CE 3 Lite. Explains payload.bin extraction and Fastboot flashing on modern OxygenOS.

Hardware & Partition Specifications

Before flashing, confirm your device matches these exact kernel and partition specifications:

Hardware Parameter Target Specification Engineering Details
SoC / Chipset Snapdragon 7+ Gen 3 / Dimensity 9000 / Snapdragon 782G Hardware processing platform and architecture
Target Partition init_boot.img (inside payload.bin) The exact partition image that must be patched in Magisk
OS Compatibility Layer Android 15 (Vanilla Ice Cream) Layer → Kernel specifications, SEPolicy patching & 16KB memory page rules
RAM Page Alignment 4KB / 16KB Page Aligned Virtual memory kernel standard (Android 15/16 compatibility)
Firmware Package Full OTA Zip (payload.bin) Official OEM stock ROM packaging format
Unlocking Method Developer Options OEM Unlock -> Fastboot (`fastboot flashing unlock`) Bootloader unlocking requirement and tool
AVB / dm-verity Standard AVB 2.0 (No vbmeta patch needed) Android Verified Boot verification enforcement

Step-by-Step Rooting Procedure

Phase 1

Unlock the OnePlus Nord 4, Nord 3 5G, Nord CE 4 & CE 3 Lite Bootloader

Enable Developer Options by tapping Build Number 7 times in Settings → About Phone. Navigate to Settings → System → Developer Options and toggle on OEM Unlocking and USB Debugging.

Unlocking Method: OnePlus
Developer Options OEM Unlock -> Fastboot (`fastboot flashing unlock`)
Phase 2

Extract the Stock Partition Image

Obtain the official stock firmware archive matching your exact software build number. Extract the required partition image:

Extraction Command
$payload-dumper-go -p init_boot payload.bin
Phase 3

Patch Partition in the Magisk App

1. Download and install the latest official Magisk v30.7 APK onto your OnePlus Nord 4, Nord 3 5G, Nord CE 4 & CE 3 Lite.
2. Transfer the extracted stock init_boot.img (inside payload.bin) to your device's Download folder.
3. Open Magisk, tap Install on the top card, and choose Select and Patch a File.
4. Select your file. Magisk will patch the ramdisk and output magisk_patched_[random].img to your Download directory.
5. Transfer the patched image back to your PC via USB.

Phase 4

Flash Patched Image

Connect your device to your computer in bootloader/download mode and execute the verified flashing command:

Flashing Command
#fastboot flash init_boot magisk_patched.img

Emergency Recovery & Bootloop Prevention

If your device fails to boot after installing an incompatible module, use this model-specific hardware recovery procedure:

Recovery Action: Fastboot -> Flash stock init_boot.img
OTA Maintenance: Magisk Inactive Slot OTA Installation

Technical Verification Notice: This guide has been verified against Magisk v30.7 and stock OnePlus Nord 4, Nord 3 5G, Nord CE 4 & CE 3 Lite firmware partitions on 2023-2024.