LineageOS Installation on Blackberry Key2
MPORTANT: Before you begin, back up all data, remove your google account, AND remove your screen lock. This step CANNOT BE MISSED.
This is an installation guide for LineageOS on Blackberry Key2. You will need these files (more or less):
01LineageOS 22.2 ROM (Kernel 4.4) — LOS22_Key2_ZKrab-v1.12a.zip. The ROM package; contains boot.img, recovery.img, and the flashable zip. Download: https://github.com/Lineage-BBKey2/distribution/releases/download/v1.12a/LOS22_Key2_ZKrab-v1.12a.zip
02Google Apps — MindTheGapps 15.0.0 arm64. Optional but needed for Play Store and Google services. Must match Android
15Get the latest arm64 release: https://github.com/MindTheGapps/15.0.0-arm64/releases/latest
03Stock Firmware — KEY2 ACQ160 Autoloader. Returns the phone to the ACQ160 build before unlocking; keep it afterwards for future recovery. Download: https://mega.nz/file/pdBjAARa#l5WNgDKoaRWN-ORkK-lBPhGqkwyFqz91HlU3r-CGWfs
04Bootloader Unlock Tool (Windows) — key2-unlock-public.zip. Contains BlackBerryBootUnlock.exe, the GUI tool that unlocks the bootloader. Download: https://mega.nz/file/dIIGUaJA#Zx-GFWvQgLoDZ--qLKJ-SGh8lnp734VozBlmPNKHFJE
05Bootloader Unlock Tool (Linux) — kibo. Alternative to the Windows tool; run ./kibo unlock. Get the release: https://github.com/BotchedRPR/kibo/releases
06USB Drivers — BlackBerry USB Drivers 5.0.0.3. Required for the PC to talk to the phone in bootloader/fastboot modes. Download: https://mega.nz/file/YVI0VKpR#38iPAMEtTwjMHS5Ykts37pLegy9ktQ2t1X-Ro2M82WI
07Android Platform-Tools — adb and fastboot. Official Google package: https://developer.android.com/tools/releases/platform-tools
08Visual C++ Redistributable. Only needed if the unlock tool won't launch. Download: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/cpp/windows/latest-supported-vc-redist
09Recommended Modem Firmware (optional) — ACW142 NON-HLOS. Recommended if you update to a kernel 4.19 ROM for better radio compatibility. Download folder: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/14v-IQtztn6GbvDzfsTk-WgUpW_m-mUrR
The device used in this installation was BBF100-6, the dual-SIM variant for India/APAC, and a Windows machine was used for installation
***CREDIT TO https://daphnis-past-midnight.nekoweb.org/wiki/key2.html for the guide I based my installation off of
[ walkthrough ]
Step 1: Power the phone fully off, then hold Volume Down + Power for about 30 seconds until the bootloader menu appears.
Step 2: Connect the phone to the PC and run flashall.bat from the extracted ACQ160 autoloader folder. Type y to confirm the wipe.
Step 3: Wait about 10 minutes. The phone will reboot into Android setup, an error screen, or the bootloader — any of these is normal. Ignore any "error: cannot load" messages.
Step 4: Boot back into the bootloader if necessary (Volume Down + Power) and run flashall.bat a second time. Flashing twice ensures both A/B slots are consistent before unlocking.
Step 5: Run BlackBerryBootUnlock.exe, click Scan in the top-right corner, then click Unlock BootLoader.
Step 6: The progress bar will stop at 75% — this is normal and means it succeeded. On the phone, MODE: should now read FACTORY instead of PRODUCT.
Step 7: Open a terminal in the folder containing recovery.img and boot.img, then run: fastboot flash recovery recovery.img
Step 8: Run: fastboot flash boot recovery.img — the recovery must be flashed to both partitions because fastboot reboot recovery does not work on this device.
Step 9: Run: fastboot reboot — the phone will boot into Lineage Recovery. Navigate with the volume keys and select with the power button.
Step 10: In recovery, go to Advanced > Enable ADB, then run on the PC: adb shell wipe-frp
Step 11: On the phone, select Factory reset > Format system partition, then Format data / factory reset. Return to the main menu.
Step 12: Select Apply update > Apply update from ADB, then run on the PC: adb sideload lineage-22.2-20260915-UNOFFICIAL-zkrab-v1.12a-athena.zip
Step 13: Wait for "Total xfer: 1.00x" — this confirms the full ROM transferred successfully.
Step 14: For Google apps, select Apply update > Apply update from ADB again, then run: adb sideload MindTheGapps-15.0.0-arm64-20260915_032013.zip. If it warns "Signature verification failed," choose Yes to install anyway.
Step 15: Select Reboot system. The first boot takes 10 to 15 minutes and may restart a few times — do not interrupt it.
Step 16: During setup the physical keyboard may not type. Skip the Wi-Fi and PIN steps, then set them up afterward from the home screen.
Step 17: The ROM ships K12KB, a keyboard app built for the KEY2's physical keyboard, but it is disabled by default. Enable it by running: adb shell ime enable com.ai10.k12kb/.K12KbIME
Step 18: Set it as the default keyboard by running: adb shell ime set com.ai10.k12kb/.K12KbIME. Alternatively, enable K12KB manually under Settings > System > Languages & input.
Step 19: Test the keyboard with Shift+Space to switch input methods. Keyboard options are under Settings > System > Blackberry settings.
Step 20: If the second SIM is not detected, update to ZKrab v1.20d, which fixes dual-SIM detection and can be applied without wiping.