# kitsuned/PotatoNV

Unlock the bootloader on Huawei devices with Kirin 620/65x/95x/960

Repository: https://github.com/kitsuned/PotatoNV
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/potatonv
Language: C#
License: GPL-3.0
License Family: copyleft
Topics: huawei, fastboot, android, libusb, bootloader, unlock
Last push: 2026-03-02T13:20:49+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 54/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-02T17:46:02.011165+00:00)
- activity 70, release rhythm 8, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 2259, "days_push": 184, "days_rel": null, "gap_med": null, "n_releases_24m": 0}
- flags: none
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 1662, forks 183 (observed 2026-08-28T04:05:18.592263+00:00)

## What it is
PotatoNV is a Windows desktop application (with a separate cross-platform build) that unlocks the bootloader on Huawei/Honor devices powered by specific HiSilicon Kirin SoCs via a hardware testpoint method. It communicates with the device over USB using libusb to write an unlock code without paid services.

## Use cases
- unlock bootloader on a Huawei phone with Kirin 659
- bypass Huawei's paid bootloader unlock code service
- flash custom ROMs on an old Honor device
- unlock a Kirin 960 tablet bootloader via testpoint
- prepare a Huawei device for rooting and custom recovery

## When to choose
- you have a Huawei/Honor device with a supported Kirin 620/65x/925/935/95x/960 chipset
- you are comfortable disassembling the device to short a testpoint
- you want a free alternative to paid unlock services

## When to avoid
- your device uses Kirin 710, 810, 970, 980, 990 or newer SoCs
- you have a MediaTek or Qualcomm device
- you are not willing to open the device and access motherboard contacts

## Facets
- artifact type: application
- maturity: maintenance
- function: developer-tools, security
- domain: android-tools, hardware, developer-tools
- platform: windows, cross-platform
- tags: bootloader-unlock, huawei, kirin, fastboot, testpoint, android, linux, macos

## Member repositories
- kitsuned/PotatoNV (main) score 54

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:05:18.592263+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-30T03:44:34.651780+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/kitsuned/PotatoNV (fetched 2026-08-28T04:05:18.592263+00:00, sha fe7ba262d7e1)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.