Last week, HTC unveiled the new One (M8) with exclusive in-store availability across all Verizon stores in the United States until April 9th. The One comes with a bootloader that can be unlocked using HTC’s official tool. Sadly, the tool does not support Verizon’s variant of the One because the carrier wants all handsets in its network to have a locked down bootloader. 

A locked bootloader means that gaining root access and flashing custom ROMs on a device is nearly impossible. While developers will eventually find a way to gain root access on the handset, the initial interest in the device fades away by then. Thankfully for owners of the brand new HTC One (M8), jcase and beaups have found a way to gain root access on the phone via a firmware exploit, dubbed WeakSauce, which does not require a locked bootloader. The rooting process is extremely simple and even works on the previous generation HTC One (M7) from Verizon.

If you are interested in rooting your brand new Verizon HTC One (M8) or the previous-gen One (M7), read the steps below:

Step 1: Head over to this XDA thread and download the APK of WeakSauce and install it on your One.

Step 2: Start the app and tap on “I Agree” to root the device.

Step 3: Wait for a minute and then head over to the Play Store and install SuperSU. You will need this app to manage root access permissions to other apps on your device.

Your One (M7/M8) should now be rooted. Keep in mind that since the rooting procedure is based on an exploit, it only starts working after a minute or two of restarting the device. And make sure to donate something to jcase as an appreciation for his hard work.