Disclaimer: This article is for educational purposes only. Modifying device software may void warranties, violate terms of service, and introduce security risks. Proceed at your own risk.
Unlike Xiaomi or OnePlus, Huawei does not allow bootloader unlocking. To install a custom ROM on the MatePad 10.4, you must unlock the bootloader. Currently, there is no free software tool that reliably cracks the Kirin 710A / 820 bootloader on HarmonyOS 3+.
What "cracked" tools exist in the forums (XDA, 4PDA, HuaweiClub)?
The Hard Truth: As of 2025, there is no "one-click cracked custom ROM installer" for the MatePad 10.4. You will likely need to pay a third-party unlocking service.
Before you rush to download a file named MatePad104_cracked_GSI_final.zip, understand the risks:
The Huawei MatePad 10.4, codenamed "Agassi," lay on the technician’s desk like a brick. To anyone else, it was a dead slab of glass and aluminum—a victim of HarmonyOS 4.2’s latest region-lock update. But to Kael, it was a sleeping giant.
Kael wasn’t a hacker for profit. He was a preservationist. When Huawei had locked the bootloader on the Agassi series two years ago, the global modding community had abandoned it. Official updates trickled in, each one tightening the screws, removing Google services, and forcing users into an ecosystem they hadn't chosen.
But Kael had a secret: a leaked engineering exploit, a sliver of code that exploited a long-patched vulnerability in the EMUI boot chain. For three months, he had worked in his cramped Shanghai apartment, reverse-engineering the trust zone. The goal wasn't just to root the tablet—it was to build a true custom ROM: LineageOS 22 with full microG support.
Tonight was the night.
Phase One: The Crack
He connected the MatePad to his laptop. The screen showed a progress bar—Downloading eRecovery...—a fake signal to Huawei’s servers. In reality, a custom script was overflowing a buffer in the USB controller.
Sweat dripped down his temple. One wrong hex value, and the eMMC chip would be hard-bricked.
Exploit sent.
The tablet vibrated. The screen flickered, then displayed a chaotic cascade of green debug text.
Bootloader Unlocked.
Sending vbmeta... Verified boot disabled. huawei matepad 104 custom rom cracked
Kael exhaled. The "crack" was real. He had bypassed Huawei’s signature checks without a paid bootloader code. He pushed the custom recovery—TWRP with a patched kernel.
Phase Two: The ROM
Flashing the ROM took seven minutes. He had named the build Agassi_Zero_v1.0. It was a clean, AOSP-based system with none of Huawei’s background telemetry. The GPU drivers were backported from a Kirin 990, giving the tablet better gaming performance than the stock OS ever had.
He rebooted.
The screen lit up. No "HarmonyOS" logo. No Huawei ID login. Just a crisp "LineageOS" boot animation—a stylized circle spinning freely.
When the setup wizard appeared, Kael almost laughed. It asked him to connect to Wi-Fi. He did. Then he opened the terminal.
su
dmesg | grep -i "crack"
The kernel logs showed the truth: [TZ] Secure monitor bypassed. Custom init loaded.
He had done it. A 10.4-inch slate that was now his—not Huawei’s, not Google’s.
Phase Three: The Aftermath
He posted the ROM on a private forum under the handle "ZeroCool_Agassi." The title read: [STABLE] Huawei MatePad 10.4 (Agassi) – LineageOS 22 – Full Google-free + Performance tweaks. BOOTLOADER CRACK INCLUDED.
Within 48 hours, the post went viral in the underground. Thousands of frustrated MatePad owners—students in Brazil, devs in India, journalists in Turkey—downloaded the files. The crack was elegant: it used a hardware timing flaw in the Kirin 710A’s Trusted Execution Environment, something Huawei couldn't patch without a silicon recall.
Huawei’s security team issued a warning. Forums were scrubbed. But the internet is a hydra. Every time a link died, ten more appeared.
The Twist
One month later, Kael received an envelope. No return address. Inside was a single microSD card and a handwritten note: "Thank you. Now crack the MatePad Pro 13.2. We’ll pay."
He inserted the card. It contained a firmware dump from an unreleased Huawei device—and a diary log written by an engineer inside Huawei’s own R&D center. The engineer had deliberately left the timing flaw in the chipset, a silent act of rebellion against the company’s lockdown policies.
Kael smiled. He loaded up IDA Pro, opened the bootloader binary, and whispered to the dark screen:
“Let’s liberate another one.”
The MatePad 10.4 wasn't just cracked. It had become a ghost in the machine—a symbol that no walled garden is ever truly inescapable.
End
The concept of a "cracked" or "custom ROM" for the Huawei MatePad 10.4
represents a intersection of hardware potential and software restrictions. While the device is celebrated for its
FullView display and robust Kirin chipset, the lack of native Google Mobile Services (GMS) has driven many users toward the world of custom firmware. The Appeal of Custom ROMs
For MatePad owners, the primary motivation for seeking custom ROMs is often "de-Googling" the alternative or, paradoxically, finding a more stable way to integrate Google services. A custom ROM can provide: Performance Optimization : Removing EMUI or HarmonyOS bloatware to free up RAM. AOSP Experience
: Returning to a "clean" Android interface as seen on Google Pixel devices.
: Using open-source builds like LineageOS to bypass proprietary tracking. The "Cracked" Reality: The Bootloader Barrier
In the world of Android modification, "cracked" usually refers to bypassing security to gain root access or unlock the bootloader. For the Huawei MatePad 10.4, this is the most significant hurdle. Locked Bootloaders
: Since 2018, Huawei has officially stopped providing bootloader unlock codes. Without an unlocked bootloader, installing a custom ROM is virtually impossible for the average user. Paid Services Disclaimer: This article is for educational purposes only
: Some users turn to third-party "cracking" services or specialized hardware tools (like Chimera or SigmaKey) to force an unlock, though these carry risks of bricking the device. GMS Workarounds
: Most users looking for a "crack" are actually seeking ways to run Google apps. Tools like
allow for a more seamless experience on the original firmware without needing a full ROM swap. Risks and Considerations
Attempting to "crack" or flash a custom ROM on a MatePad 10.4 is not without peril: Security Vulnerabilities
: Using "cracked" files from unverified forums can expose the device to malware. Warranty Voiding
: Any modification to the bootloader or system partition immediately voids Huawei’s official warranty. Feature Loss
: Custom ROMs often struggle to support proprietary hardware features like the Huawei M-Pencil
or specialized multi-screen collaboration tools found in HarmonyOS. Conclusion
If you still wish to proceed, here’s the general process:
⚠️ Warning: Many tutorials online are outdated or deliberately misleading. Always verify the source.
Instead of hunting for unstable custom firmware, consider these safer options:
Because the MatePad 10.4 uses a Project Treble compatible kernel (partition scheme), it does not need device-specific ROMs. You can flash Generic System Images (GSIs).
Once you have a cracked/unlocked bootloader, here are your best options:
If you successfully unlock the bootloader, you are not swimming in options like a Xiaomi or OnePlus device. The Kirin chipset has poor open-source documentation. However, a few niche projects exist: Unlike Xiaomi or OnePlus, Huawei does not allow