PetalPusher

— Nexus6p Nethunter —

Kali NetHunter on Nexus 6P Build Guide

Written by Petals

First off, huge shout out to GainSec for his original guide — you'll find it linked at the bottom. His version is geared more toward Android-savvy folks. I'm an iPhone user myself, so this was all new to me, and I wanted to document a version that works even if you're not deep in Android ecosystems.

This guide walks through a full build of Kali NetHunter on a Nexus 6P — nethunter is a lightweight Kali Linux flavor built for Android. I have been playing around with Kali on desktop for a while, but wanted a super mobile version. I tried going headless with a Raspberry Pi 4B + SSH from my iPhone, but it was incredibly frustrating for a linux noob. After some research, I found that certain phones have kernels built specifically for NetHunter. You can check the full list here:

nethunter.kali.org/kernels

The Nexus 6P stood out to me: it is affordable (~$50 used), supports full NetHunter, and was relatively easy to find unlocked. Mine came with a clean stock image and no lock — perfect for this build.
I’ll have to report on battery performance later.

Requirements

  • USB drive
    (with both USB-A & USB-C ends preferred)
  • Windows PC (for this guide)
  • Unlocked Nexus 6P
  • A few files I will link throughout

Step 1: Enable Developer Mode

  1. On the Nexus, go to Settings → System → About Phone
  2. Tap Build Number 5 times
  3. Back out one screen and go to Developer Options
  4. Enable USB Debugging
  5. Connect phone to PC and accept the prompt (check remember device!)

Step 2: Download Needed Files

I extracted the platform tools to C:\platform-tools for simplicity and repacked the NetHunter files into 6P-NetHunter.zip for a clean install like GainSec suggested.

Step 3: Install TWRP & Prep the Device

  1. Open PowerShell in C:\platform-tools
  2. Run:
    3. .\adb devices
    .\adb reboot bootloader
  3. When in bootloader mode (android robot on his back belly open), run:
    4. .\fastboot boot twrp-3.7.0_9-0-angler.img
  4. If that fails, try flashing it:
    5. .\fastboot flash recovery twrp-3.7.0_9-0-angler.img
.\fastboot reboot recovery
  5. You should now see the TWRP Recovery interface (blue/black screen)
  6. Wipe the phone:
    • Go to Wipe → Format Data, type "yes"
    • Then go to Advanced Wipe and select: Cache, Dalvik, System, Data

Step 4: Install Magisk

  1. Insert the USB with Magisk + NetHunter ZIP
  2. From TWRP:
    • Go to Mount → check USB OTG
    • Go to Install → select Magisk-v23.0.apk
    • Check "Reboot after install" if desired
  3. Let the phone reboot
  4. Connect to Wi-Fi
  5. Open Magisk, follow prompts until it says "Installed"

Step 5: Install NetHunter

  1. Back to the bootloader, you will need to unplug that USB and replug the phone into your PC for this: 
    .\adb reboot bootloader
.\fastboot boot twrp-3.7.0_9-0-angler.img
  2. Make sure to charge your phone before this next part!
    Install can take ~25 min
  3. Once in TWRP again:
    • Mount USB OTG
    • Install 6P-NetHunter.zip

Step 6: Final Setup

If the reboot box was checked, your phone will restart and you’ll see:

  • NetHunter Store
  • NetHunter Terminal

But not the full NetHunter app just yet! Here's what to do:

  1. Open the NetHunter Store
  2. Install the NetHunter app
  3. Grant all permissions
  4. Launch the app and verify Chroot is running

You Did It

Enjoy your fully mobile, root-enabled Kali NetHunter device.
Get out there and explore the physical net :)

Link to GainSec's original guide: gainsec.com