Files/Tools Needed 📃

• Platform Tools from Google (ADB and Fastboot)
• A Windows PC

PLEASE READ AND BE SURE TO UNDERSTAND THE ENTIRE GUIDE BEFORE STARTING

What you will get 🛒

You will end up with both Android™ and Windows on your Surface Duo. Android™ and Windows will both split the internal storage (64GB and 64GB or 128GB and 128GB or 256GB and 256GB).

Android™ will boot normally, and you will have to use a PC to boot Windows when needed, unless you create a dual boot image (explained later).

Steps 🛠️

Unlocking the bootloader

• Backup all your data. You will lose everything you have on Android™ and will start from scratch.

• Start by turning on your Surface Duo into Android™, and unlock it

• Using the Microsoft Launcher, find the settings app

• Open the Android™ Settings app

• Scroll down to the about section, and open it

• Scroll all the way down til you see the Build Number field

• Press the Build number field 7 times consecutively, you should first start to see a popup after 3 taps

• Once done tapping 7 times, you should be seeing this popup instead

• Now go to the System section, you should see a new Developer options section like shown below

• Go to the Developer options section

• Turn on the “OEM unlocking” option as shown above, then, scroll all the way down til you see the “USB debugging” option

• And turn on the “USB debugging” option

Assuming your Surface Duo is booted to Android™, plugged to your PC:

• Open a command prompt on your PC

• Go to the folder where you extracted the Google Android™ Platform tools using the CD command and the path of the folder, like so:

• Run the following command to ensure your phone is detected by your PC

adb devices

• Run the following command now

adb reboot bootloader

• Your phone will ask for permission to authorize your computer to execute commands, accept it:

• Now run the following command again, it should now work properly:

adb reboot bootloader

You will be rebooted to Surface Duo’s bootloader.

Image of what you should see right now: Surface Duo in Bootloader mode

• From there:

fastboot flashing unlock

• Confirm that you want to unlock the bootloader using your device side buttons, your device will erase itself and restart into the Android™ Out of box Experience Again.

• You should now be seeing the Android™ Out of Box Experience (OOBE). Setup your phone to confirm it works correctly.

Congratulations, you successfully unlocked your bootloader.

• Assuming your Surface Duo is booted to Android™, plugged to your PC

• Using the Microsoft Launcher, find the settings app

• Open the Android™ Settings app

• Scroll down to the about section, and open it

• Scroll all the way down til you see the Build Number field

• Press the Build number field 7 times consecutively, you should first start to see a popup after 3 taps

• Once done tapping 7 times, you should be seeing this popup instead

• Now go to the System section, you should see a new Developer options section like shown below

• Go to the Developer options section

• Scroll all the way down til you see the “USB debugging” option

• And turn on the “USB debugging” option

The End

And we’re done, please continue with the previous guide that made you land here :)

© 2020-2024 The Duo WOA Authors

Snapdragon is a registered trademark of Qualcomm Incorporated. Microsoft, the Microsoft Corporate Logo, Windows, Surface, Surface Duo, Windows Hello, Continuum, Hyper-V, and DirectX are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States. Android is a registered trademark of Google LLC. Miracast is a registered trademark of the Wi-Fi Alliance. Other binaries may be copyright Qualcomm Incorporated and Microsoft Surface.

Limited emergency calling

Running Windows on your Surface Duo is not a replacement for a proper phone operating system and does not have emergency calling capabilities.

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