[Guide] Root Pixel 4a (5G) with Magisk + Unlock Bootloader + Pass SafetyNet + More

[kageneko]

fastbooted to the stock boot.img then flashed and it worked to get me back to unrooted mode... now how to get root back ... note that I'm using magisk canary build 25206 (34)

 

[roundaway]

Go to the first post, Part II and step 5.

fastbooted to the stock boot.img then flashed and it worked to get me back to unrooted mode... now how to get root back ... note that I'm using magisk canary build 25206 (34)

Go to the first post, Part II, step 5. Works like a champ.

 

[kageneko]

Go to the first post, Part II and step 5.

Go to the first post, Part II, step 5. Works like a champ.

after I did the factory reset, magisk had no modules installed. I hadn't even gotten that far yet. restoring to november update with magisk stable 25.2 since that was working fine. will reroot again.

 

[kageneko]

aaaand after I fastboot flash booted the patched image after restoring to november update... same bootloop. W T F.

this is the adb output:

C:\adb>fastboot boot boot.img
Sending 'boot.img' (98304 KB) OKAY [ 2.405s]
Booting (bootloader) boot.img missing cmdline or OS version
OKAY [ 1.564s]
Finished. Total time: 4.012s

 

[kageneko]

ugh this is frustrating... i've facto-reset my phone 4 times already . I waited for everything to complete, then installed magisk, then extracted the boot.img and patched it, then fastboot flash boot the patched boot.img and it goes to bootloop every single time... this is the first time this has happened on the 4a 5g and it's frustrating the hell out of me...

 

[Homeboy76]

ugh this is frustrating... i've facto-reset my phone 4 times already . I waited for everything to complete, then installed magisk, then extracted the boot.img and patched it, then fastboot flash boot the patched boot.img and it goes to bootloop every single time... this is the first time this has happened on the 4a 5g and it's frustrating the hell out of me...

@kageneko
First do OP, ~ ~ Part II - INSTRUCTIONS ~ ~ ~, Install/Update Factory Image keep data, wipe data..., Important Note(s), 5. If you phone bootloops...

This should clear the bootloop

Second, do OP, ~ ~ Part II - INSTRUCTIONS ~ ~ ~, 5. Root/Reroot with Magisk and Pass SafetyNet., • Patching the boot.img - to root/reroot.

This should reroot your phone.

 

[Homeboy76]

aaaand after I fastboot flash booted the patched image after restoring to november update... same bootloop. W T F.

this is the adb output:

C:\adb>fastboot boot boot.img
Sending 'boot.img' (98304 KB) OKAY [ 2.405s]
Booting (bootloader) boot.img missing cmdline or OS version
OKAY [ 1.564s]
Finished. Total time: 4.012s

If you are trying to return to stock the command is fastboot flash boot --slot all boot.img

I think your problem is, there are still some active Magic modules on your phone.

So, after you run the command above, boot Safe Mode. Then reboot. Then do OP, ~ ~ Part II - INSTRUCTIONS ~ ~ ~, 5. Root/Reroot with Magisk and Pass SafetyNet., • Patching the boot.img - to root/reroot.

 

[kageneko]

rooted! the ONLY difference was after I patched the boot.img file, I rebooted the phone before copying it to the PC... that is literally the ONLY difference between what I did before and this last time when it finally worked. I'm gonna wait a bit before trying to update to January... this session was way uncharacteristically problematic.

 

[Homeboy76]

Update SafetyNet Fix
kdrag0n SafetyNet Fix V2.4.0
This version only supports Zygisk (Magisk 24 and newer).

 

[dadnammit]

Having trouble "re-rooting" after an update, and need troubleshooting suggestions. It's been a long time since I first rooted using the steps here.

I lost root after an OTA and am finally trying to do it again, but it's not working. Now running Android 13. I did several OTA updates while the root was lost.

STEPS from Part II - INSTRUCTIONS => 5. Root/Reroot with Magisk and Pass SafetyNet, • Patching the boot.img - to root/reroot:
- I extracted the boot.img from the firmware currently matching the version on my device.
- Magisk-v25.2.apk is installed. Also tried with canary.
- Patched the boot.img using Magisk.
- Copied magisk_patched-25200_r1Bfr.img to my PC.
- Started phone in fastboot and ran: fastboot flash boot magisk_patched-25200_r1Bfr.img
- Got response of OKAY writing to boot_a

The phone starts fine, but it's not rooted.


Ideas?

(Magisk has the SuperUser button greyed out, and a Root Checker detection app fails. But some banking apps now fail because I am "rooted.")

 

[Homeboy76]

Having trouble "re-rooting" after an update, and need troubleshooting suggestions. It's been a long time since I first rooted using the steps here.

I lost root after an OTA and am finally trying to do it again, but it's not working. Now running Android 13. I did several OTA updates while the root was lost.

STEPS from Part II - INSTRUCTIONS => 5. Root/Reroot with Magisk and Pass SafetyNet, • Patching the boot.img - to root/reroot:
- I extracted the boot.img from the firmware currently matching the version on my device.
- Magisk-v25.2.apk is installed. Also tried with canary.
- Patched the boot.img using Magisk.
- Copied magisk_patched-25200_r1Bfr.img to my PC.
- Started phone in fastboot and ran: fastboot flash boot magisk_patched-25200_r1Bfr.img
- Got response of OKAY writing to boot_a

The phone starts fine, but it's not rooted.


Ideas?

(Magisk has the SuperUser button greyed out, and a Root Checker detection app fails. But some banking apps now fail because I am "rooted.")

1. Boot Safe Mode an then reboot.
2. Reflash magisk_patched-25200_r1Bfr.img

Are you rooted?

 

[dadnammit]

Are you rooted?

I tried safe mode and then reflashed patched boot file, but no. Still not rooted, but thanks.

 

[Homeboy76]

I tried safe mode and then reflashed patched boot file, but no. Still not rooted, but thanks.

@dadnammit,
Is there a Magisk app in the App drawer?

If yes delete it.

Then go to Settings => Apps => See all 999 apps and check for a Magisk app.

If there is a Magisk app delete it.

Then reflash magisk_patched-25200_r1Bfr.img

If you are not able to root, try using @badabing2003 Pixel Flasher to root.

 

[dadnammit]

@dadnammit,
If you are not able to root, try using @badabing2003 Pixel Flasher to root.

I appreciate all your suggestions. I tried the Pixel Flasher... what a cool tool !
I fullly reflashed the stock firmware from Dec 2022 (note my device has noy yet received the OTA update for Jan 2023).

Despite flashing a patched boot.img using the latest canary build of Magisk (831a398b) within the Pixel Flasher tool, it still didn't work...

1) The device boots normally.
2) Magisk does not have root (superuser and module buttons greyed out).
3) But a banking app now detects that I'm rooted. This was easily reverted when I reflashed the stock boot.img.

So, basically everything LOOKS like it should be working, but I'm not getting root!

 

[Homeboy76]

I appreciate all your suggestions. I tried the Pixel Flasher... what a cool tool !
I fullly reflashed the stock firmware from Dec 2022 (note my device has noy yet received the OTA update for Jan 2023).

Despite flashing a patched boot.img using the latest canary build of Magisk (831a398b) within the Pixel Flasher tool, it still didn't work...

1) The device boots normally.
2) Magisk does not have root (superuser and module buttons greyed out).
3) But a banking app now detects that I'm rooted. This was easily reverted when I reflashed the stock boot.img.

So, basically everything LOOKS like it should be working, but I'm not getting root!

Uninstalling and reinstalling the Magisk Manager apps should have fixed the superuser and module buttons greyed out problem.

Maybe @badabing2003 can help you use the Pixel Flasher tool to fix the superuser and module buttons greyed out problem.

 

[badabing2003]

Uninstalling and reinstalling the Magisk Manager apps should have fixed the superuser and module buttons greyed out problem.

Maybe @badabing2003 can help you use the Pixel Flasher tool to fix the superuser and module buttons greyed out problem.

This is typically due to multiple Magisk managers being installed, if at any point, Magisk Manager was hidden, and then another Magisk manager was installed, you'd face issues as this.
@dadnammit you should first do is, uninstall all Magisk managers, hopefully you can find the hidden one, or at least you know the package name, if you did not rename the application when you hid, then it should be named settings.
If you have already applied patched boot, then reboot and just install Magisk Manager. and it should detect root.
You can confirm that you're rooted by doing

adb shell
su

if you get su, you're rooted.

If you are on stock, then just install Magisk Manager and flash the patched boot.
Whatever you do make sure you only have a single instance of Magisk manager.

 

[dadnammit]

Oh my gosh. SOLVED!

Somehow I was not understanding the suggestions/steps here. The problem was indeed an old hidden Magisk app package. I removed all versions. Flashed the patched boot.img created previously by by Magisk v25.2, and then reinstalled Magisk Manager. All is working now!

Thanks!

 

[Homeboy76]

Oh my gosh. SOLVED!

Somehow I was not understanding the suggestions/steps here. The problem was indeed an old hidden Magisk app package. I removed all versions. Flashed the patched boot.img created previously by by Magisk v25.2, and then reinstalled Magisk Manager. All is working now!

Thanks!

No problem, glad you got root again.
Thanks @badabing2003!

 

[Homeboy76]

This is typically due to multiple Magisk managers being installed, if at any point, Magisk Manager was hidden, and then another Magisk manager was installed, you'd face issues as this.
@dadnammit you should first do is, uninstall all Magisk managers, hopefully you can find the hidden one, or at least you know the package name, if you did not rename the application when you hid, then it should be named settings.
If you have already applied patched boot, then reboot and just install Magisk Manager. and it should detect root.
You can confirm that you're rooted by doing

adb shell
su

if you get su, you're rooted.

If you are on stock, then just install Magisk Manager and flash the patched boot.
Whatever you do make sure you only have a single instance of Magisk manager.

Good information, I'm putting it im my "lessons learned" scrap book under "Magisk Manager app superuser and module buttons greyed out.

 

[Homeboy76]

@badabing2003,
I changed my mind the information you posted is to good to keep to myself.

I added it to the OP in this thread and four other threads :
~ ~ ~ Part II - INSTRUCTIONS ~ ~ ~...,
5. Root/Reroot with Magisk and Pass SafetyNet.,
• Patching the boot.img - to root/reroot.,
# 19.