While most smartphone makers work to make it as difficult as possible to unlock their bootloaders, Sony is one of a small few that almost encourages it. The Japanese company is so supportive of the modding community, in fact, that it has just published a how-to video that walks users through the unlocking process on Xperia smartphones and tablets.

Unlocking the bootloader on your Android device gives you the ability to install custom ROMs, recoveries, and other third-party tweaks. It takes customization on Android to a whole new level. Sony has long supported those who want to mod its own Xperia devices — it has even sold pre-unlocked devices — and now it is making things easier by showing them how to get started.

The six-minute clip below, published by the official SonyXperiaDev channel on YouTube, explains the bootloader unlocking process from start to finish, using a Windows computer.

It’s worth noting that the process will differ slightly if you’re using a Mac, or a different Xperia device. You should also remember — as Sony notes in the video — that unlocking your bootloader will void your warranty. Unless you really need it, then, it can be a good idea to avoid it. Sony tries to explain that this is really for developers only, and that the average user shouldn’t require a bootloader unlock.

If you want to use custom ROMs and recoveries, that’s unlikely to put you off — but don’t assume that Sony will cover you if anything goes wrong just because it doesn’t mind you unlocking your device.

• SourceYouTube