The Payload.bin file can be found in the OTA Firmware zip file from the official update on an Android device. The file Payload.bin is included with the boot.img, init_boot, recovery, system, vendor, and vbmeta files; these stock Firmware files are required for unbricking or fixing the device, even rooting the device. If you are rooting the device, then the stock boot.img, init_boot.img file is required by the Magisk or kernelsu App. In this guide, we will guide you on How To Extract the Payload.bin file from the OTA Firmware zip file.
Extraction of Payload.bin from both OTA package and firmware zip archives is important for all Android users and developers in order to work with firmware modification. Payload.bin is essentially a zipped archive of the entire android device’s system components including boot images, system partitions, vendor files and product partitions required to complete the installation of a new device image. Upon successful extraction of Payload.bin, the user will have the ability to flash each of the individual partition files (boot.img, system.img, vbmeta.img, etc.) individually via fastboot or through recovery mode with TWRP. We will show three methods with the tools To Extract Payload.bin file.
What is the Payload.bin File
The Payload.bin file is particularly for devices using the A/B partition system, which has everything the device needs to restore itself to factory settings for an Android operating system. Typically when you receive an OTA (over-the-air) update or stock rom from the manufacturer of your device, this payload.bin will be included in the firmware .zip file. The reason the Payload.bin is so useful for Android end-users and developers alike, is by extracting the payloads into their individual parts you can have access to the individual partition files such as boot.img, system.img, vbmeta.img and vendor.img.
Download Payload.bin Extractor Tools
We will share three tools that allow you to easily extract the OTA Firmware zip file and Payload.bin file.
Fastboot Enhance Tool ⇒ Latest Fastboot Enhance Tool – Extract Payload.bin
OTA Link Extractor ⇒ OTA Link Extractor PC App
Payload Dumper Go ⇒ payload-dumper-go github
How To Extract Payload.bin File
Here we will share the Fastboot Enhance Tool, OTA Link Extractor, and Payload Dumper Go tool method to extract the Payload.bin File.
Method 1: Using Fastboot Enhance Tool
- First, download Fastboot Enhance Tool from the Download section and extract it on your PC.
- Download the OTA Firmware zip file and move the file to your PC.
- Extract the OTA Firmware zip file using 7zip App.
- Run FastbootEnhance.exe from the Fastboot Enhance tool folder.
- Go to the Payload Dumper tab and browse thePayload.bin from the extracted Firmware folder.
- Go to the Partitions tab, tick “Allow incremental“, select the image file, and click Extract Image. For rooting with Magisk or kernel-su, extract boot.img and init_boot.img files.
- Save the image file in a safe folder.
Method 2: Payload Dumper Go to Extract Payload.bin
- Download payload-dumper-go_1.3.0_windows.zip file and extract it on your pc.
- Download the OTA Firmware zip file and move the Payload.bin file to a folder.
- Open the payload-dumper-go folder and drop the Payload.bin file into the payload-dumper-go.exe program. A command will open and start the extraction.
- All files will be extracted to the “extracted_****_*****” folder.
Third Method OTA Link Extractor
- First, download the OTA Link Extractor from the Download section and extract it on your PC.
- Download the OTA Firmware zip file and move the file to your PC.
- Extract the OTA Firmware zip file using 7zip App.
- Run Extractor Toolkit.exe.
- A new window will open in your browser, or go to the link – http://127.0.0.1:5000/.
- Go to the “OTA Link Extractor” tab, select your device, region, and the current or latest OTA version.
- You can directly extract boot, init_boot.img, and recovery file without downloading the full OTA zip file. Simply click on the icons and copy the images. you can flash the images using Minimal ADB and Fastboot Tools.
- You can directly extract boot, init_boot.img, and recovery file without downloading the full OTA zip file. Simply click on the icons and copy the images. you can flash the images using Minimal ADB and Fastboot Tools.
- Or you can extract manually by going “Partition Extractor” tab, browse the Payload.bin or full OTA Firmware zip file, or you can simply paste the official OTA Link.
- Type the partition name in “Partitions to Extract (comma-separated),” e.g., boot,init_boot, recovery, and click Extract or Extract All.
Conclusion
After boot, init_boot, recovery image file, you can use the fastboot tool or the fastboot image flasher to flash the image files. For rooting the device simply copy the init_boot.img file to your phone and patch with Magisk or kernel-su app and flash with any fastboot Tools.
FAQ
Payload.bin is a binary image in the majority of current android OTA or Firmware packages which has multiple partitions images (such as boot, system, vendor etc.) compressed into it.
Users can use Payload.bin to extract stock boot or any other partition images to be able to root their device with Magisk, to unbrick their device, create backups, or manually flash firmware via fastboot and custom recovery.
There are many payloads dumper programs out now including payload-dumper-go, Fastboot Enhance Tool to automate the payload extracting process.
Payload.bin contains metadata, manifest on how to install the update and multiple partitions images (for example boot.img, system.img, vendor.img, vbmeta.img).
Users will extract the desired partition images (i.e. boot.img, init_boot.img) from Payload.bin with tools like Payload Dumper or payload-dumper-go, then users will flash or patch these images using fastboot or magisk.
