[Guide] Root Pixel 4a (5G) with Magisk Android 12.1

[Homeboy76]

I don't know the exact version. It was whichever the latest Canary build was a few days ago. I got a pop-up saying there was an update so I did it. Current version is 23012 according to the app.

Boot Safe mode, this should remove all Magisk modules, then reboot.

If that doesn't solve your problem.
- Download Magisk 23011 Tap 3 dot menu across from be445..., Tap go to file, Tap app-debug.apk, Tap 3 dot menu across from 16.6 MB, Tap Download.

- Open Magisk 23012 Tap Uninstall , Restore images You will lose root.

- Install Magisk 23011.

 

[ballin2much]

@ballin2much
Boot Safe mode, this should remove all Magisk modules, then reboot.

If that doesn't solve your problem.
- Download Magisk 23011 Tap 3 dot menu accross from be445..., Tap go to file, Tap app-debug.apk, Tap 3 dot menu accros from 16.6 MB, Tap Download.

- Open Magisk 23012 Tap Uninstall , Restore images You will lose root.

- Install Magisk 23011.

If I have the issue even with Magisk uninstalled does that mean it's something else?

 

[Homeboy76]

Further to my above post, that didn't work. I patched the boot image from the newly downloaded image. Before I flashed it I used the command fastboot boot boot.img. That worked and the phone booted which usually indicates that the boot image is good.

I restarted the phone in fastboot mode and flashed the boot image using fastboot flash boot boot.img. It wouldn't boot when I restarted.

I then tried fastboot boot boot.img with the old unpatched boot image that I'd extracted from the downloaded image and that wouldn't boot either.

Then I flashed the old boot image using fastboot flash boot boot.img and the phone then booted. Problem is with the old unpatched image I don't have root.

Where to from here?

The boot error I was getting in the command window when the phone wouldn't boot was:

(bootloader) boot.img missing cmdline or OS version

Were you flashing the magisk_patched.img ot the boot.img.

Flashing the magisk_patched.img root/reroot your phone:
fastboot flash boot magisk_patched.img

Flashing the boot.img removes root:
fastboot flash boot boot.img --slot all

 

[noottt]

i have the same issue. went from android 11 to 12. Wiped beforehand. with latest and updated magisk on canary can't get the patched boot img to work.

 

[Rakeesh_j]

I just tried to flash the magisk patched image from the latest (november) patch, and when I do so, fastboot says "failed to load/verify boot images", and I had to boot back to the stock boot.img to be able to boot my phone. I used the latest stable release to patch the boot.img, should I be using a later version?

 

[V0latyle]

I just tried to flash the magisk patched image from the latest (november) patch, and when I do so, fastboot says "failed to load/verify boot images", and I had to boot back to the stock boot.img to be able to boot my phone. I used the latest stable release to patch the boot.img, should I be using a later version?

"Failed to load/verify boot images" means that Android Verified Boot has not been disabled. On Snapdragon 765G and Tensor devices, Android 12 introduced Boot Image Header version 4, which kind of threw a wrench into things when it comes to root.

See my post here. Unfortunately, there is currently no way to avoid wiping your device when disabling Verified Boot, so you basically have a choice - either disable Verified Boot and wipe /data, or leave Verified Boot enabled and depend on temporary root.

 

[Rakeesh_j]

Is every OTA update from now on going to turn on verified boot?

 

[V0latyle]

Is every OTA update from now on going to turn on verified boot?

Yes.

If /vbmeta is written WITHOUT disable flags, as is default during any update, Verified Boot is enabled. If the device is booted in this state, disabling Verified Boot will require a data wipe.
If /vbmeta is written with --disable-verity --disable-verification, Verified Boot is disabled, and will remain so until /vbmeta is flashed again.

So, the way to avoid this, is DO NOT TAKE AUTOMATIC UPDATES.

You can sideload the OTA, then IMMEDIATELY reboot to bootloader and reflash vbmeta with verity and verification disabled....

Or, you can dirty flash the factory image, either manually or via the Android Flash tool, with verity and verification disabled.

 

[V0latyle]

i have the same issue. went from android 11 to 12. Wiped beforehand. with latest and updated magisk on canary can't get the patched boot img to work.

When did you patch the boot image? Before or after the update?

 

[noottt]

When did you patch the boot image? Before or after the update?

after the update. I did figure it out somehow. but it cost me a clean wipe

 

[V0latyle]

after the update. I did figure it out somehow. but it cost me a clean wipe

Yeah, I've run into that too...sometimes for some reason that I haven't yet figured out, Magisk will decide it doesn't want to work with a boot image that it patched.

 

[Homeboy76]

News flash
#4 Install/Update Factory Image keep data or wipe data has been updated: @creezalird discovered the Pixel 4a 5(G) and Pixel 5 upgrading to Android 12 or updating Android 12 process by flashing the factory image does not require flashing vbmeta.img (fastboot flash --disable-verity --disable-verification --slot=all. vbmeta vbmeta.img).

 

[V0latyle]

News flash
#4 Install/Update Factory Image keep data or wipe data has been updated: @creezalird discovered the Pixel 4a 5(G) and Pixel 5 upgrading to Android 12 or updating Android 12 process by flashing the factory image does not require flashing vbmeta.img (fastboot flash --disable-verity --disable-verification --slot=all. vbmeta vbmeta.img).

To clarify:

If you flash the factory image like this (and you should)

fastboot update --disable-verity --disable-verification image-device-buildnumber.zip

Then reflashing vbmeta is redundant and unnecessary.

If you update by sideloading the OTA, you MUST reflash vbmeta IMMEDIATELY following:

fastboot flash vbmeta --disable-verity --disable-verification vbmeta.img

 

[Homeboy76]

To clarify:

If you flash the factory image like this (and you should)
Code:

fastboot update --disable-verity --disable-verification image-device-buildnumber.zip

Then reflashing vbmeta is redundant and unnecessary.

If you update by sideloading the OTA, you MUST reflash vbmeta IMMEDIATELY following:
Code:

fastboot flash vbmeta --disable-verity --disable-verification vbmeta.img

The OP #4 has been updated with this information about upgrading/updating Android 12 via the factory image. Thanks, for the information on how to update Android 12 via OTA.

 

[V0latyle]

The OP #4 has been updated with this information about upgrading/updating Android 12 via the factory image. Thanks, for the information on how to update Android 12 via OTA.

I had two extra pennies that I wanted to share.

 

[Rakeesh_j]

Is it possible to copy an image of my userdata partition, wipe, flash with boot verification disable, and then re-flash the userdata partition?

 

[egandt]

So I need to re-root my fathers phone as he did not listen and allowed it to install android 12: Since it is on 12 I can not even back up the phone so that is very-very bad!

I patched the boot.img, but I can not boot it as I get:

Using Canary 23012 (latest), I can boot this image using fastboot

> fastboot boot magisk_patched-23012_nqilw.img

However if I try to patch the image using magisk (prefered), then it stops at the fastboot prompt, same if I manually flash the boot image

> fastboot flash boot magisk_patched-23012_nqilw.img

I get stuck at fastboot prompt and can not get to teh OS.

If I run:

> fastboot flash boot boot.img

Then it boots, but is not rooted. I'm at a loss how to flash a rooted boot images as both possible methods fail to succeed in booting. Yet fastboot boot <magisked image> works. So it makes no sense.

 

[Homeboy76]

So I need to re-root my fathers phone as he did not listen and allowed it to install android 12: Since it is on 12 I can not even back up the phone so that is very-very bad!

I patched the boot.img, but I can not boot it as I get:

Using Canary 23012 (latest), I can boot this image using fastboot

> fastboot boot magisk_patched-23012_nqilw.img

However if I try to patch the image using magisk (prefered), then it stops at the fastboot prompt, same if I manually flash the boot image

> fastboot flash boot magisk_patched-23012_nqilw.img

I get stuck at fastboot prompt and can not get to teh OS.

If I run:

> fastboot flash boot boot.img

Then it boots, but is not rooted. I'm at a loss how to flash a rooted boot images as both possible methods fail to succeed in booting. Yet fastboot boot <magisked image> works. So it makes no sense.

The only way to root it is flash the Factoy image with the -w (wipe). See #4 wipe data.

 

[egandt]

The only way to root it is flash the Factoy image with the -w (wipe). See #4 wipe data.

Thanks that did it.

 

[Bad Bimr]

Hello all, Pixel 4a5G on Xfinity Mobile. I was perfectlty rooted on v11 but decided to install the latest v12.0.0 (SP1A.211105.002.A1) Nov 2021 Verizon, Verizon MVNOs>
Tried to root via Magisk only to fail multiple times. I thought I bricked my phone as it was stuck in recovery but got int to boot again. I tried doing it like I did in V11 but have discovered that this no longer works
Installed Magisk
Extracted Boot.img
Patched Boot.img with Magisk and renamed to magisk_patched_boot.img
Extracted vbmeta.img
Placed both files in on PC in my ADB folder
Disabled AVB and DM Verify via fastboot flash --disable-verity --disable-verification vbmeta vbmeta.img
Flashed patched boot.img via fastboot flash boot magisk_patched_boot.img
Rebooted and it is stuck in bootloader

What am I doing worng. Does it have to do anything with the Nov 2021 security updates. At this point I'm thinking about going back to 11.
Thanks in advance
BB