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. (It sucks!)

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
  5. Install the metapackages you want, and then you are set!

You Did It

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

Link to GainSec's original guide: gainsec.com