How To Guide [GUIDE] Pixel 6 "oriole": Unlock Bootloader, Update, Root, Pass SafetyNet

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freonchill

Senior Member
Jul 11, 2011
266
58
Atlanta
You only need the Pixel 7 boot image for A14 DP1 or earlier QPR2 beta builds, not the stable February A13 build that person is on.
FYI - if anyone is having a problem

Installed 13.0.0 (TQ1A.230205.002, Feb 2023) via pixel flasher and was running magisk canary and couldn't get magisk to properly do roof. uninstalled canary and installed debug to get root working.
 

badabing2003

Recognized Contributor
Sep 17, 2012
2,301
3,237
FYI - if anyone is having a problem

Installed 13.0.0 (TQ1A.230205.002, Feb 2023) fix pixel flasher and was running magisk canary and couldn't get magisk to properly do roof. uninstalled canary and installed debug to get root working.
Canary 25207, 25208, 25209 and 25210 have issues. You can use 25206 or the stable version.
 
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Lughnasadh

Senior Member
Mar 23, 2015
5,159
6,031
Google Nexus 5
Huawei Nexus 6P
Anyone using substratum can confirm it's not working anymore with recent magisk update?
Canary Magisk 25210 has a bug where it is failing to load modules. It's been fixed and hopefully a new build will be released soon. Until then, Canary 25206 is the last version without a "bug", although the module loading issue is not present in Canary 25209 and lower.

EDIT: I think 25209 may be ok.

 
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I apologie if I'm posting to the wrong thread. If so, please let me know. While I would suspect that the March update will be released soon, I was looking at putting on the February update. There are several out there, one for T-Mobile MVNOs, which I have with Google Fi. But since I'm using both SIM slots (the other being AT&T), I should just stick to the regular image right?
 

V0latyle

Forum Moderator
Staff member
I apologie if I'm posting to the wrong thread. If so, please let me know. While I would suspect that the March update will be released soon, I was looking at putting on the February update. There are several out there, one for T-Mobile MVNOs, which I have with Google Fi. But since I'm using both SIM slots (the other being AT&T), I should just stick to the regular image right?
It won't really matter. You can just skip the February update and go straight to March.
 
Did someone updated to March build alleady?
If yes, which SDK works now, 33.3 or 34.1?
Im not sure which i should pick
And can someone please link or upload magisk canary 2506 please, im too stupid to download from github....
34.0.1 is not working. It does not switch to fastbootd to flash product.img and other images. Had to downgrade to 33.0.3 to install March build.
 
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deusfaux

Senior Member
Dec 12, 2010
206
39
1. If I (in Canada) waited for the OTA system update - which of the 2 different March updates would it choose for me?

2. What exactly is a fork like this even doing? What if I spend my time on Canadian and American cellular networks?

3. What happens next month if there is only a single global update? Does that mean the Canada specific changes in the March version got folded into the April update?
 

V0latyle

Forum Moderator
Staff member
1. If I (in Canada) waited for the OTA system update - which of the 2 different March updates would it choose for me?
TBH I'm not sure how OTAs are allocated. When the update becomes available check the build number against the OTA files on the Pixel images page.
2. What exactly is a fork like this even doing? What if I spend my time on Canadian and American cellular networks?
Fork? Do you mean a carrier specific version?

The only difference that I'm aware of is in the radio firmware. System update and bootloader are the same as the global update
3. What happens next month if there is only a single global update? Does that mean the Canada specific changes in the March version got folded into the April update?
The bootloader and radio are not updated every month, only when an update becomes available. Still, if there's a global update after a carrier specific update, I would assume that the radio firmware includes whatever improvements were in the last update.
 

deusfaux

Senior Member
Dec 12, 2010
206
39
The bootloader and radio are not updated every month, only when an update becomes available. Still, if there's a global update after a carrier specific update, I would assume that the radio firmware includes whatever improvements were in the last update.
Ok so if there's only a global update for April, is it possible the radio component could be the same better or worse than the March Canada radio?

Like, do I need to definitely apply the March update on the possibility it is a superior radio for Canada that the following update doesn't include or improve upon?

I've been a Nexus/Pixel user since Nexus S and have never seen a Canada specific update so this is all fairly opaque
 

V0latyle

Forum Moderator
Staff member
Ok so if there's only a global update for April, is it possible the radio component could be the same better or worse than the March Canada radio?

Like, do I need to definitely apply the March update on the possibility it is a superior radio for Canada that the following update doesn't include or improve upon?

I've been a Nexus/Pixel user since Nexus S and have never seen a Canada specific update so this is all fairly opaque
Just update to April when it comes out.
 
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gazdajezda

Senior Member
Apr 24, 2011
441
85
Hello guys!

My problem is back again, damn... I have a P6 with A12 Security Update: 5. june 2022 and for all flashing till now I used a "Version 33.0.2-8557947" of platform tools. Also, phone is rooted - I'm totally happy with it, really! Also there is still old pre A13 boot loader - the one without flash version counter.

Aha, I also have all AUTO-UPDATE options disabled, so system is not allowed to download it. But, that doesn't work. On friday I get a system message that my apps were using much more data than usual. When I look into "Mobile data usage", there is "System Updates" with 1,94 GB data used. So, i presume there have been system update downloaded which will be installed soon. Today, half an hour ago I get a banner message that there is update available which will be installed after reboot. %[email protected]#pissed off#"#$%

So, what can I do now? I'm perfectly happy with current setup, all apps (including banking) works great, root, no ads... evertything is perfect. But as it stands, after reboot update will be installed (presumably to last version of A13) and I already know that phone won't boot normally - few months ago was the last time when similar 'update' happened and phone booted into some special mode where only Shutdown menu worked. At that time I flashed back the current A12 version factory image, root again & set phone as it is now. But obviously this is a no win situation, get tired of repeating it every few months. So maybe I need to flash last version and live with it. It seems there is no other way with G rom.

Is current last version of Android (13) for P6 root-able and apps like Revolut, N26 work ok or they detect root and don't wanna work? Because I need it and as far as I see, staying on A12 is kind of not allowed anymore from Google. Thanx for any helpfull hint.

Sorry, if this post is not suitable here please delete it.
 

V0latyle

Forum Moderator
Staff member
Hello guys!

My problem is back again, damn... I have a P6 with A12 Security Update: 5. june 2022 and for all flashing till now I used a "Version 33.0.2-8557947" of platform tools. Also, phone is rooted - I'm totally happy with it, really! Also there is still old pre A13 boot loader - the one without flash version counter.

Aha, I also have all AUTO-UPDATE options disabled, so system is not allowed to download it. But, that doesn't work. On friday I get a system message that my apps were using much more data than usual. When I look into "Mobile data usage", there is "System Updates" with 1,94 GB data used. So, i presume there have been system update downloaded which will be installed soon. Today, half an hour ago I get a banner message that there is update available which will be installed after reboot. %[email protected]#pissed off#"#$%

So, what can I do now? I'm perfectly happy with current setup, all apps (including banking) works great, root, no ads... evertything is perfect. But as it stands, after reboot update will be installed (presumably to last version of A13) and I already know that phone won't boot normally - few months ago was the last time when similar 'update' happened and phone booted into some special mode where only Shutdown menu worked. At that time I flashed back the current A12 version factory image, root again & set phone as it is now. But obviously this is a no win situation, get tired of repeating it every few months. So maybe I need to flash last version and live with it. It seems there is no other way with G rom.

Is current last version of Android (13) for P6 root-able and apps like Revolut, N26 work ok or they detect root and don't wanna work? Because I need it and as far as I see, staying on A12 is kind of not allowed anymore from Google. Thanx for any helpfull hint.

Sorry, if this post is not suitable here please delete it.
Rooting Android 13 works exactly the same way as Android 12. I'm not sure about Revolut, it's possible that they use independent root detection methods, and I know of at least one user whose Play Store kept telling them the app wasn't available, but they were also on an older Android version.

For most apps, the only things you should have to do is use Universal SafetyNet Fix MOD and DenyList in Magisk. But that's more a problem for the Magisk/Universal SafetyNet Fix threads, not so much this one.

The only way I know of to (try to) disable automatic updates is the Automatic System Updates toggle in Developer Options. However, it seems like the only thing this does is prevent the system from automatically updating when the device restarts.

It's odd enough that you get update notifications. I never do on my Pixel 5; even when updates are available, it still won't find and download the updates, so I always have to update manually. This really seems to be a mixed bag among rooted Pixel users; some people are able to get OTA updates, some like me can only do manual updates.
 
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  • 2
    Thanks for replying here...
    So long story short...
    I need to unlock the bootloader its obvious... And I need a root...
    Are these commands are just enough?
    1. adb reboot bootloader
    2. fastboot flashing unlock
    3. Now I have downloaded ota and also factory image what exactly I have to do after unlocking the bootloader.... Patching by masgisk boot.img from factory zip>update.zip to device and pc and then flash?
    4. Now if yes, then what I have to do? And where and why I use the active slots commands?
    You don't need to mess with the slots, unless the device is on Android 12, in which case you'll want to flash the new bootloader to both slots.

    Again, the instructions on updating and rooting your device are in the first post of this thread. Go back and read it, please. If you have questions about something specific, I'll be happy to help, but I took the time to write an exhaustive guide, and I would appreciate it if you used it instead of asking me to give you answers that are already readily available.
    1
    Weird, i restarted my PC, and now it detects the Device again, flashing to slot A is also working.
    Have never seen that before, what could have been the problem?
    1
    Hey guys, I got a fresh Pixel 6 that I already updated via OTA to Android 13. I want to root, so before I start, I just want to check in quickly to summarize if I understood the steps correctly and make sure this works with a device that's already on 13.

    What I need to do:

    1. Download latest factory image: 13.0.0 (TQ2A.230505.002, May 2023)
    2. Download Magisk canary (because stable doesn't work for 13, that still the case?) from OP link: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/topjohnwu/magisk-files/canary/app-release.apk
    3. Perform unlock bootloader steps
    4. extract device-image-buildnumber.zip from the factory image and extract boot.img from that.
    5. push boot.img to device.
    6. patch the boot.img on the device using the Magisk canary.
    7. pull the patched boot.img back to the PC.
    8. flash the patched boot.img. The whole factory image is never actually flashed, right?

    Sorry, if this seems like rehashing the OP, but I just want to make sure I'm not missing anything. Thanks for your help!
    Steps are correct, if you are already on May release, then correct, no need to flash full factory, otherwise you need to as you're using May boot.img.

    As for
    Download Magisk canary (because stable doesn't work for 13, that still the case?) from OP link:
    I don't believe that is true, where did you read that?
    1
    Hey guys, I got a fresh Pixel 6 that I already updated via OTA to Android 13. I want to root, so before I start, I just want to check in quickly to summarize if I understood the steps correctly and make sure this works with a device that's already on 13.

    What I need to do:

    1. Download latest factory image: 13.0.0 (TQ2A.230505.002, May 2023)
    2. Download Magisk canary (because stable doesn't work for 13, that still the case?) from OP link: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/topjohnwu/magisk-files/canary/app-release.apk
    3. Perform unlock bootloader steps
    4. extract device-image-buildnumber.zip from the factory image and extract boot.img from that.
    5. push boot.img to device.
    6. patch the boot.img on the device using the Magisk canary.
    7. pull the patched boot.img back to the PC.
    8. flash the patched boot.img. The whole factory image is never actually flashed, right?

    Sorry, if this seems like rehashing the OP, but I just want to make sure I'm not missing anything. Thanks for your help!
    In addition to what @badabing2003 said, also make sure both slots have the A13 bootloader on them before modifying your device. See this for more information. Wasn't clear how many updates you took since updating to A13 and if both slots indeed have the A13 bootloader on them already.
    1
    Re: Magisk version:

    All official Magisk builds have a build number. 26.1 is 26100. Canary/debug builds are between the official releases. Refer to the Magisk releases page for the main releases.

    25.2: 25200
    Canary/debug: 25201 to 25999
    26.0: 26000
    Canary/debug: 26001 to 26099
    26.1: 26100

    If you have no reason to use a previous version of Magisk, just use 25.2 or 26.1; 26.0 is known to have problems.

    If for whatever reason you use older Magisk releases, be aware that the fixes necessary for the Pixel 6 series were incorporated at 23016, meaning any version prior to those won't work properly.
  • 51
    ⚠️⚠️⚠️WARNING! IF YOU ARE UPDATING TO ANDROID 13 FOR THE FIRST TIME, READ THIS FIRST! ⚠️⚠️⚠️

    If you are looking for my guide on a different Pixel, find it here:
    For best results, use the latest stable Magisk release.
    Discussion thread for migration to 24.0+.
    Note: Magisk prior to Canary 23016 does not incorporate the necessary fixes for Android 12+.


    WARNING: YOU AND YOU ALONE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANYTHING THAT HAPPENS TO YOUR DEVICE. THIS GUIDE IS WRITTEN WITH THE EXPRESS ASSUMPTION THAT YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH ADB, MAGISK, ANDROID, AND ROOT. IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO ENSURE YOU KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING.

    Prerequisites:


    Android Source - Setting up a device for development


    1. Follow these instructions to enable Developer Options and USB Debugging.
    2. Enable OEM Unlocking. If this option is grayed out, unlocking the bootloader is not possible.
    3. Connect your device to your PC, and open a command window in your Platform Tools folder.
    4. Ensure ADB sees your device:
      Code:
      adb devices
      If you don't see a device, make sure USB Debugging is enabled, reconnect the USB cable, or try a different USB cable.
      If you see "unauthorized", you need to authorize the connection on your device.
      If you see the device without "unauthorized", you're good to go.
    5. Reboot to bootloader:
      Code:
      adb reboot bootloader
    6. Unlock bootloader: THIS WILL WIPE YOUR DEVICE!
      Code:
      fastboot flashing unlock
      Select Continue on the device screen.

    1. Install Magisk on your device.
    2. Download the factory zip for your build.
    3. Inside the factory zip is the update zip: "device-image-buildnumber.zip". Open this, and extract boot.img
    4. Copy boot.img to your device.
    5. Patch boot.img with Magisk: "Install" > "Select and Patch a File"
    6. Copy the patched image back to your PC. It will be named "magisk_patched-23xxx_xxxxx.img". Rename this to "master root.img" and retain it for future updates.
    7. Reboot your device to bootloader.
    8. Flash the patched image:
      Code:
      fastboot flash boot <drag and drop master root.img here>
    9. Reboot to Android. Open Magisk to confirm root - under Magisk at the top, you should see "Installed: <Magisk build number>

    1. Before you download the OTA, open Magisk, tap Uninstall, then Restore Images. If you have any Magisk modules that modify system, uninstall them now.
    2. Take the OTA update when prompted. To check for updates manually, go to Settings > System > System Update > Check for Update
    3. Allow the update to download and install. DO NOT REBOOT WHEN PROMPTED. Open Magisk, tap Install at the top, then Install to inactive slot. Magisk will then reboot your device.
    4. You should now be updated with root.

    1. Download the OTA.
    2. Reboot to recovery and sideload the OTA:
      Code:
      adb reboot sideload
      Once in recovery:
      Code:
      adb sideload ota.zip
    3. When the OTA completes, you will be in recovery mode. Select "Reboot to system now".
    4. Allow system to boot and wait for the update to complete. You must let the system do this before proceeding.
    5. Reboot to bootloader.
    6. Boot the master root image (See note 1):
      Code:
      fastboot boot <drag and drop master root.img here>
      Note: If you prefer, you can download the factory zip and manually patch the new boot image, then flash it after the update. Do not flash an older boot image after updating.
    7. Your device should boot with root. Open Magisk, tap Install, and select Direct Install.
    8. Reboot your device. You should now be updated with root.
    Note: You can use Payload Dumper to extract the contents of the OTA if you want to manually patch the new boot image. However, I will not cover that in this guide.

    Please note that the factory update process expects an updated bootloader and radio. If these are not up to date, the update will fail.
    1. Download the factory zip and extract the contents.
    2. Reboot to bootloader.
    3. Compare bootloader versions between phone screen and bootloader.img build number
      Code:
      fastboot flash bootloader <drag and drop new bootloader.img here>
      If bootloader is updated, reboot to bootloader.
    4. Compare baseband versions between phone screen and radio.img build number
      Code:
      fastboot flash radio <drag and drop radio.img here>
      If radio is updated, reboot to bootloader.
    5. Apply update:
      Code:
      fastboot update --skip-reboot image-codename-buildnumber.zip
      When the update completes, the device will be in fastbootd. Reboot to bootloader.
    6. Boot the master root image (See note 1):
      Code:
      fastboot boot <drag and drop master root.img here>
      Note: If you prefer, you can manually patch the new boot image, then flash it after the update. Do not flash an older boot image after updating.
    7. Your device should boot with root. Open Magisk, tap Install, and select Direct Install.
    8. Reboot your device. You should now be updated with root.
    Note: If you prefer, you can update using the flash-all script included in the factory zip. You will have to copy the script, bootloader image, radio image, and update zip into the Platform Tools folder; you will then have to edit the script to remove the -w option so it doesn't wipe your device.
    The scripted commands should look like this:
    Code:
    fastboot flash bootloader <bootloader image name>
    fastboot reboot bootloader
    ping -n 5 127.0.0.1 > nul
    fastboot flash radio <radio image name>
    fastboot reboot bootloader
    ping -n 5 127.0.0.1 > nul
    fastboot update  --skip-reboot <image-device-buildnumber.zip>
    Once this completes, you can reboot to bootloader and either boot your master patched image, or if you patched the new image, flash it at this time.

    PixelFlasher by @badabing2003 is an excellent tool that streamlines the update process - it even patches the boot image for you.
    The application essentially automates the ADB interface to make updating and rooting much easier. However, it is STRONGLY recommended that you still learn the "basics" of using ADB.

    For instructions, downloads, and support, please refer to the PixelFlasher thread.

    1. Follow the instructions on the Android Flash Tool to update your device. Make sure Lock Bootloader and Wipe Device are UNCHECKED.
    2. When the update completes, the device will be in fastbootd. Reboot to bootloader.
    3. Boot the master root image (See note 1):
      Code:
      fastboot boot <drag and drop master root.img here>
      Note: If you prefer, you can download the factory zip and manually patch the new boot image, then flash it after the update. Do not flash an older boot image after updating.
    4. Your device should boot with root. Open Magisk, tap Install, and select Direct Install.
    5. Reboot your device. You should now be updated with root.

    SafetyNet has been deprecated for the new Play Integrity API. More information here.

    In a nutshell, Play Integrity uses the same mechanisms as SafetyNet for the BASIC and DEVICE verdicts, but uses the Trusted Execution Environment to validate those verdicts. TEE does not function on an unlocked bootloader, so legacy SafetyNet solutions will fail.

    However, @Displax has modified the original Universal SafetyNet Fix by kdrag0n; his mod is able to force basic attestation instead of hardware, meaning that the device will pass BASIC and DEVICE integrity.

    Mod available here. Do not use MagiskHide Props Config with this mod.

    This is my configuration that is passing Safety Net. I will not provide instructions on how to accomplish this. Attempt at your own risk.

    Zygisk + DenyList enabled
    All subcomponents of these apps hidden under DenyList:
    • Google Play Store
    • GPay
    • Any banking/financial apps
    • Any DRM media apps
    Modules:
    • Universal SafetyNet Fix 2.3.1 Mod - XDA post
    To check SafetyNet status:
    To check Play Integrity status:
    I do not provide support for Magisk or modules. If you need help with Magisk, here is the Magisk General Support thread. For support specifically with Magisk v24+, see this thread.

    Points of note:
    • The boot image is NOT the bootloader image. Do not confuse the two - YOU are expected to know the difference. Flashing the wrong image to bootloader could brick your device.
    • While the Magisk app is used for patching the boot image, the app and the patch are separate. This is what you should see in Magisk for functioning root:
      screenshot_20230323-072859-3-png.5870161
    • "Installed" shows the version of patch in the boot image. If this says N/A, you do not have root access - the boot image is not patched, or you have a problem with Magisk.
    • "App" simply shows the version of the app itself.
    • If you do not have a patched master boot image, you will need to download the factory zip if you haven't already, extract the system update inside it, then patch boot.img.
    • If you prefer updating with the factory image, you can also extract and manually patch the boot image if desired.
    • Some Magisk modules, especially those that modify read only partitions like /system, may cause a boot loop after updating. As a general rule, disable these modules before updating. You are responsible for knowing what you have installed, and what modules to disable.


    Credits:
    Thanks to @badabing2003 , @pndwal , @Displax , @Az Biker , @ipdev , @kdrag0n , @Didgeridoohan , and last but not least, @topjohnwu for all their hard work!
    7
    Magisk Canary was updated to 23016 last night. This includes a fix for the vbmeta header issue, meaning that disabling verity/verification should no longer be required, and we should be able to root as we did before. This needs testing, make sure you back up your data and photos before you do this!

    Additionally, for the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro, fstab will now load from /system/etc which should fix the root issue many of you were having.

    Q: "If verity/verification are disabled, do I need to enable them now?"
    A: No. The only thing you have to do is update to Magisk 23016.
    Q: "Will enabling verity/verification wipe my data?"
    A: No.

    I will be updating the OP to reflect this.
    5
    Magisk 24306 (release notes) is now available on the canary channel, and I can confirm that the installation to the inactive slot OTA method is working for the April update.
    5
    Interesting. How did you command the reboot?

    When I tried to update this way on my wife's 5a, it bootlooped back to the original slot.
    I always follow these steps once I know the OTA is available:

    1. Open Magisk and select 'Uninstall Magisk -> Restore Images'
    2. Open Settings and Download/Install OTA *DO NOT REBOOT*
    3. Go back to Magisk and select 'Install -> Install to Inactive Slot (After OTA)' *DO NOT REBOOT*
    4. Go back to Settings and 'Reboot' to finalize the OTA
    5
    So, if I use this tool after rooting OTA updates will work and I'll still have root?

    Edit: And can you explain more clearly the process on how to do this?

    No, the tool does nothing to maintain root. It simply allows you to take the OTA. You will still need to reboot into fastboot and flash or boot from a patched boot image.

    The steps would be:
    1. Restore boot in the Magisk app
    2. Restore vbmeta in Vbmeta Patcher
    3. Take the OTA in System Updater
    4. Patch vbmeta in Vbmeta Patcher
    5. Patch the new boot image in the Magisk app and copy it to your computer
    6. Reboot into fastboot
    7. Boot from the new patched boot image
    8. Direct Install Magisk in the Magisk App
    As I noted the quote post, this process should be considered experimental until it has been more thoroughly tested. You should consider backing up any critical data before attempting it, in case something goes wrong.

    I'm working on another tool to make it a bit easier to acquire the new boot image in step 5, but that will likely be a few days. Hopefully we'll be able to install Magisk to the inactive slot on Pixel devices again in the future, which would consolidate steps 5-8.