[GUIDE] Unlock/Flash/Root for the Pixel 2 (walleye)

[shumanak]

I was following your guide to unlock, root, and install Magisk on my Pixel 2. Everything seemed to be ok, I get all the way to the end where you flash the patched boot image, but when my phone reboots, Magisk Manager says Magisk is not installed and I don't have root. I switched to the beta channel and used the 14.3 zip.

I can't find a /data folder on my device using Total Commander, so I don't know how to get any useful logs.

What can I do to get my phone to flash? Where can I find logs to help?

CC: @nathanchance

Same issue here

 

[Ecna]

Same issue here

I actually just fixed this. I was using the 14.3 Magisk with Magisk Manager 4.5.1. I went to the Magisk beta thread and got Magisk Manager 4.5.1. That lets you download the 14.4.2 zip. After that I repatched, flashed again, and life was good. I'm rooted!

 

[stackz07]

anything i try to do in fastboot comes up as "failed (remote: unknown command) .. including booting the twrp.img, flashing patched etc... i put everything in the latest platform tools folder and am running all commands from there?

 

[Ecna]

anything i try to do in fastboot comes up as "failed (remote: unknown command) .. including booting the twrp.img, flashing patched etc... i put everything in the latest platform tools folder and am running all commands from there?

I know this sounds dumb, and I didn't believe it at first either, but I had the same problem and it helps. Try a different cable, a different USB port, if you're using USB-C to USB-C, flip the cable around the other way. Keep fooling with the physical connection and retrying.

It is whacky and sounds like BS, but it's the only way I got past errors like that.

 

[Schramx4]

Okay, I'm using the Pixel 2 and was fighting with this dang thing for a while before I got it fixed. Your guide really helped to get me on a great starting point. One suggestion to add in order to get the Pixel 2 to work properly, you MUST go into the settings of Magisk Manager and change the Update Channel to Beta. That will make the Magisk Manager (v 4.5.2) use Magisk 14.5 instead of 14.0. 14.0 will NOT work to patch the boot.img. Magisk 14.5 worked perfectly.

Again, thank you SO much for your post.

 

[xda890]

I see there are many references to unlock_critical, also for the Pixel 2. What's the conclusion, does the Pixel 2 (non XL) need unlock_critical or is it enough with standard unlock?

 

[JasonVaritekMVP]

On this suggestion (thank you BTW) which install option did you choose? Direct Install?

---------- Post added at 10:33 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:30 AM ----------

Okay, I'm using the Pixel 2 and was fighting with this dang thing for a while before I got it fixed. Your guide really helped to get me on a great starting point. One suggestion to add in order to get the Pixel 2 to work properly, you MUST go into the settings of Magisk Manager and change the Update Channel to Beta. That will make the Magisk Manager (v 4.5.2) use Magisk 14.5 instead of 14.0. 14.0 will NOT work to patch the boot.img. Magisk 14.5 worked perfectly.

Again, thank you SO much for your post.

On this suggestion (thank you BTW) which install option did you choose? Direct Install?

 

[Schramx4]

I see there are many references to unlock_critical, also for the Pixel 2. What's the conclusion, does the Pixel 2 (non XL) need unlock_critical or is it enough with standard unlock?

You do NOT need to use unlock_critical for the Pixel 2. It is only for the Pixel 2 XL. I'm taking this directly from Google's development site.

https://developers.google.com/android/images

---------- Post added at 11:04 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:51 AM ----------

On this suggestion (thank you BTW) which install option did you choose? Direct Install?

---------- Post added at 10:33 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:30 AM ----------



On this suggestion (thank you BTW) which install option did you choose? Direct Install?

No, that wasn't an option for me on this device. The only option was to Patch Boot Image File.
I followed all the directions listed in this thread by pushing and pulling the boot/patched_boot image files, I just had to change a setting in Magisk Manager to get the Beta version for it to work.

 

[Ryche666]

Trying to factory flash after bootloader unlock, twrp, and root. I get this error.
./flash-all.sh
target didn't report max-download-size
sending 'bootloader' (38728 KB)...
FAILED (remote: Uploaded data exceeds max-download-size)
finished. total time: 0.000s
rebooting into bootloader...
OKAY [ 0.000s]
finished. total time: 0.050s
target didn't report max-download-size
sending 'radio' (60428 KB)...
FAILED (remote: Uploaded data exceeds max-download-size)
finished. total time: 0.000s
rebooting into bootloader...
OKAY [ 0.000s]
finished. total time: 0.050s
extracting android-info.txt (0 MB)...
Warning: Could not determine slot for secondary images. Ignoring.
extracting boot.img (32 MB)...
target didn't report max-download-size
archive does not contain 'boot.sig'
extracting dtbo.img (8 MB)...
error: Failed to identify current slot.

I try to reflash twrp boot and i get this error.

fastboot boot ~/Android/twrp.img
downloading 'boot.img'...
FAILED (remote: unknown command)
finished. total time: 0.001s

---------- Post added at 11:39 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:16 AM ----------

Trying to factory flash after bootloader unlock, twrp, and root. I get this error.
./flash-all.sh
target didn't report max-download-size
sending 'bootloader' (38728 KB)...
FAILED (remote: Uploaded data exceeds max-download-size)
finished. total time: 0.000s
rebooting into bootloader...
OKAY [ 0.000s]
finished. total time: 0.050s
target didn't report max-download-size
sending 'radio' (60428 KB)...
FAILED (remote: Uploaded data exceeds max-download-size)
finished. total time: 0.000s
rebooting into bootloader...
OKAY [ 0.000s]
finished. total time: 0.050s
extracting android-info.txt (0 MB)...
Warning: Could not determine slot for secondary images. Ignoring.
extracting boot.img (32 MB)...
target didn't report max-download-size
archive does not contain 'boot.sig'
extracting dtbo.img (8 MB)...
error: Failed to identify current slot.

I try to reflash twrp boot and i get this error.

fastboot boot ~/Android/twrp.img
downloading 'boot.img'...
FAILED (remote: unknown command)
finished. total time: 0.001s

sorry, i read the post about changing to cord. Just did it and now the gosh darn phone does everything!!!! I hate AT&T and i cannot wait until they get busted for throttling us in their monopoly ways!

 

[tango650]

Change the flippin cable!

I know this sounds dumb, and I didn't believe it at first either, but I had the same problem and it helps. Try a different cable, a different USB port, if you're using USB-C to USB-C, flip the cable around the other way. Keep fooling with the physical connection and retrying.

It is whacky and sounds like BS, but it's the only way I got past errors like that.

Kudos for this tip!
Changing the cable from a usb-c/usb-c plugged in into my Dell xps 15, to a usb-c/usb-a cable plugged in into my home pc made my flashing problems disappear. No flippin idea why the usb-c/usb-c setup was causing so much trouble (and believe you me i've tried every possible driver and adb fix on all of the internets to try and make it work).

Note: the error I was suffering from was solely this one, when attempting any 'fastboot flash' command:

target didn't report max-download-size
...

 

[smokeythebear3]

This is probably pointless to ask, but it looks like I tripped factory reset protection on my wife's phone after I unlocked it. She couldn't remember her password and we had to change it. Now google is saying I have to wait 24 hours to login. I know there was a way to bypass this in previous android versions, but probably not with the pixel 2 since we can't flash previous factory images. Worst case scenario is i have an expensive paperweight for 24 hours. But if any of you have any ideas to bypass the wait period, I'm all ears.

 

[an21281]

This is probably pointless to ask, but it looks like I tripped factory reset protection on my wife's phone after I unlocked it. She couldn't remember her password and we had to change it. Now google is saying I have to wait 24 hours to login. I know there was a way to bypass this in previous android versions, but probably not with the pixel 2 since we can't flash previous factory images. Worst case scenario is i have an expensive paperweight for 24 hours. But if any of you have any ideas to bypass the wait period, I'm all ears.

Not sure how to bypass the wait period, but you can flash prior firmware releases/downgrade

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

 

[OvrTehBottm]

I completed all the steps successfully, after a few missteps on my part, but the device isn't rooted. MagiskManager still wants to install.

 

[robocuff]

I completed all the steps successfully, after a few missteps on my part, but the device isn't rooted. MagiskManager still wants to install.

In MagiskManager settings, change to the beta channel and then try patching the boot.img Then flash again.

 

[OvrTehBottm]

In MagiskManager settings, change to the beta channel and then try patching the boot.img Then flash again.

Thank you, that fixed it.

 

[ZucriyAmsuna]

My Pixel 2 won't root

EDIT: I just read the recent posts; I'll give the beta setting a try.

And that fixed it! You should add that to the instructions and remove it when it is no longer beta.

(My Pixel 2 wasn't getting rooted.)

** rest of post removed **

 

[gvsukids]

My problem is I cannot patch because Magisk isn't able to patch. Says, Target Magisk version doesn't support boot image patching

Sent from my [device_name] using XDA-Developers Legacy app
Downloaded newer magisk and have patched an .img file

Followed instructions to pull off file, pushed it back and rebooted and ROOTED!!! Thanks!

 

[mirkoPigna77]

Magisk does not let me patch boot.img

Hi All,

sorry if this was asked before, I could not find it.

When I open Magisk (5.4.1), tap install, then install again, then I select "Patch boot image file" I get an error, see screenshot.

"Target Magisk version does not support boot image file patching"

Any suggestion?

 

[JayBlack_686]

Hi All,

sorry if this was asked before, I could not find it.

When I open Magisk (5.4.1), tap install, then install again, then I select "Patch boot image file" I get an error, see screenshot.

"Target Magisk version does not support boot image file patching"

Any suggestion?

I got the same thing after I installed the November factory image and went to re-root. When you went to install, did it try to download and install something like "magisk_v-null.zip?" Mine did. I went to the Magisk website and downloaded and installed Magisk Manager 5.4.3 apk, settings->update channel->Beta, and then everything worked as it should.

 

[mirkoPigna77]

I got the same thing after I installed the November factory image and went to re-root. When you went to install, did it try to download and install something like "magisk_v-null.zip?" Mine did. I went to the Magisk website and downloaded and installed Magisk Manager 5.4.3 apk, settings->update channel->Beta, and then everything worked as it should.

Yes, the first modal asks if I want to install magisk_v-null.zip, and I tap install. Is it not right?