As of May 2026, the status of the is a critical point of frustration for the enthusiast community. While the phone was initially launched with a dedicated unlock tool, ASUS has since discontinued official support, leaving users with very few options for custom ROM installation. Current Official Status (May 2026)
Unlocking the bootloader (if successful) still results in a permanent loss of warranty and may cause the device to fail Play Integrity or SafetyNet checks, affecting banking apps. Attempting the Unlock (Legacy Method) zenfone 9 unlock bootloader
If you are on an older, unpatched firmware and want to check if the servers are reachable, the general process remains: As of May 2026, the status of the
The official Zenfone 9 Unlock Device App requires an active connection to dm.asus.com/unlock/register . Attempting the Unlock (Legacy Method) If you are
In late 2025, ASUS confirmed that for models released in 2023 or earlier, the tool is permanently discontinued due to "stability considerations".
requires communication with an ASUS verification server to complete the unlock process via its APK, "offline" or standard fastboot flashing unlock commands typically do not work.