How To Guide [Pixel 6 Pro] Easy STEP BY STEP Unlock-Root-Update

[Az Biker]

Ready to Unlock, Root, and Update factory images on your Pixel 6 Pro?

There are some really good guides by V0latyle here, and by roirraW "edor" ehT here which are great for veteran/regular users who are really familiar with adb/fastboot and the commands, steps used in the unlocking, rooting environment.

This step by step is for people like ME who are not adb/fastboot gurus, who need every step spelled out so we don't brick our over-priced flagship devices

* * *P L E A S E READ THIS FIRST B E F O R E UPGRADING TO ANDROID 13* * *


What You Need On Your PC:

Factory Image
MAGISK - Canary 24310
SDK Platform Tools & USB Drivers (first time installation)

(additional files I use: optional)
Working SafetyNet @Pekempy
Kirisakura Kernel @Freak07


*** MAKE SURE YOU EXTRACT THE CORRECT BOOT.IMG FILE TO PATCH IN MAGISK ***
-download latest factory image, unzip the MAIN image.zip, then unzip the SECONDARY image.zip , copy the contents of the SECOND image.zip into the same platform tools folder that has the fastboot application in it, then open the image.zip you just copied into the fastboot folder and copy the boot.img and paste it somewhere on your PC.


Device Setup PRIOR To Starting Fastboot:

Settings>About phone>Build Number (click build number until you see YOU ARE NOW A DEVELOPER)
Settings>System>Advanced>Developer Options
Enable OEM Unlocking & USB Debugging & USB Configuration> enable FILE TRANSFER


Unlock the Bootloader, Update Factory Image, and Get Root:

1- Boot your device into bootloader/fastboot (hold power / vol down)


2- Connect USB cable to device and PC ( have diff USB cables available for troubleshooting)


3- From address bar in the platform tools folder where the fastboot application is located on your PC, type CMD to open command prompt window


4- Type FASTBOOT DEVICES, if you see a serial number(s) you are ready, if you don't, verify you've properly set up platform tools folder, change cable, check command, try again)


5- TO UNLOCK BOOTLOADER- type fastboot reboot bootloader (***YOUR DATA WILL BE WIPED***)

6- Type fastboot flashing unlock


7- Type fastboot reboot bootloader


IF UPDATING TO ANDROID 13 FOR THE FIRST TIME IT IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED YOU FLASH THE 13 BOOTLOADER TO BOTH SLOTS BEFORE UPDATE (read warning at top of page) Follow step 7a to accomplish updating both slots to the Android 13 bootloader:

7a. Type fastboot flash bootloader --slot=all <bootloader image in platform tools>

PRIOR TO FLASHING THE FACTORY IMAGE:
-if you want a clean install, WIPING ALL DATA, skip to step #8
-if you want to SAVE data, edit the FLASH ALL.bat file, REMOVING the -w (leaving just ONE space between the remaining text) and SAVE the file (reopen file to verify -w is removed)


Disabling Verity and Verification isn't required except for use with some custom kernels, but just rooting those custom kernels with the latest Magisk Stable v24.1 or higher should make them not require disabled Verity and Verification anymore. click HERE for more


8- Flash the factory image by typing FLASH-ALL


9- After the install, it will reboot into system, let everything settle, skip start up options and get to where you can download the latest MAGISK apk on your device (downloads folder)
***DISABLE MAGISK MODULES as some have reported issues caused by some active modules***

10- Connect your device and PC and put the extracted BOOT.img file (from the CURRENT factory image you are flashing FOUND IN THE SECOND ZIP FOLDER) that you placed on your PC, put it on your mobile device where you can easily find it (I created a folder FILES TO FLASH)


11- Install Magisk (use Canary 24310 linked above), follow instructions to allow files like this to be installed) ***DISABLE MAGISK MODULES as some have reported issues caused by some active modules***


12- Open Magisk and choose SELECT AND PATCH FILE (select the BOOT.img you just put on your device


13- Copy the new PATCHED BOOT.img from your download folder back into your PLATFORM TOOLS folder where the fastboot application is located on your PC


14- Boot device into fastboot/bootloader, connect device and PC


15- Type CMD in address bar and verify fastboot connection (step 4)


16- Type fastboot reboot bootloader


17- Type fastboot flash boot --slot=all (drag and drop patched boot.img here) OR type in the file name magisk_patched-xxxxxxxxxx.img)


18- Reboot into System


UPDATE Factory Image WITHOUT Wiping Data:

1- Within the Platform Tools folder, find the FLASH-ALL (.bat) file


2- Open it with text editor and remove the -w (keep ONE space between remaining text, SAVE file, reopen to verify -w is removed)


3- Verify FASTBOOT DEVICES by typing CMD in the address bar of the same platform tools folder


4- Type FLASH-ALL


5- Let it boot into system and settle for a minute


6- Patch the boot image (follow steps 10, 12 -18 above)

*** Thanks to V0latyle, roirraW "edor" ehT, and Lughnasadh for the foundations of these instructions! ***

Please let me know if any part of this process is incorrect, has been updated, or is no longer necessary

 

[dipole]

This is great, it's been like 7 years since I last rooted. Can you also do one for OTA step by step?

 

[Utini]

This is great, it's been like 7 years since I last rooted. Can you also do one for OTA step by step?

+1
Your guide is exactly what I have been summarizing in one of the threads already.
They keypoint now is on how to apply monthly updates without wiping the phone all the time while also still getting root

 

[Ghisy]

Az Biker FTW! Good to see you here buddy! (I remember you from the Pixel 2/4 XL forums)

 

[roirraW "edor" ehT]

Thanks @Az Biker! I'll update the OP of my thread to link to this thread just as soon as I can find the time.

 

[Az Biker]

This is great, it's been like 7 years since I last rooted. Can you also do one for OTA step by step?

I've never done the OTA method, so I don't have a step by step for that. Sorry.

 

[vibrantliker]

How can I re-lock the bootloader?

I'm getting a "command error" with fastboot flashing lock

 

[Lughnasadh]

This is great, it's been like 7 years since I last rooted. Can you also do one for OTA step by step?

You can find the OTA sideload method here...

[GUIDE] Pixel 6 Pro "raven": Unlock Bootloader, Update, Root, Pass SafetyNet

⚠️⚠️⚠️ 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: Pixel 3 Pixel 3XL Pixel 3a Pixel 3aXL Pixel 4 Pixel 4XL Pixel 4a Pixel 4a (5G)...

forum.xda-developers.com

 

[Morgrain]

Maybe it makes more sense to combine and improve upon existing tutorials, instead of creating a load of new ones. It's getting a bit confusing here, ESPECIALLY since we don't have any sub-threads/forums.

Why is that, anyway? it makes sifting through threads here a nightmare, since you have to scroll through dozens of threads to find one that suits your interest. Instead of just giving us, like, an overview labeled "mods", "kernels", "camera", "discussion", "flame" - like, in every other previous XDA Pixel forum?!

 

[roirraW "edor" ehT]

Why is that, anyway? it makes sifting through threads here a nightmare, since you have to scroll through dozens of threads to find one that suits your interest. Instead of just giving us, like, an overview labeled "mods", "kernels", "camera", "discussion", "flame" - like, in every other previous XDA Pixel forum?!

Did you see the responses about this subject starting here?

Personally, I haven't had a problem with the way they're doing the forums now. The Quick Filters at the top have been good enough for me when I want to concentrate on one of those particular types of posts.

FYI, although I'm a proponent of the new way, I'm not particularly against the old way. That's what I got used to, too, but things change.

 

[Morgrain]

Did you see the responses about this subject starting here?

Personally, I haven't had a problem with the way they're doing the forums now. The Quick Filters at the top have been good enough for me when I want to concentrate on one of those particular types of posts.

FYI, although I'm a proponent of the new way, I'm not particularly against the old way. That's what I got used to, too, but things change.

Good to know. Nope, I did not notice that. And I don't really like the filters. I'm used to , uhm, use XDA on my PC with multiple monitors, and the old style forums allowed me to just middle mouse button Press every sub forum, enabling me to open all of them in separate browser threads in the course of a second, which made quickly tabbing / shifting through sections /threads extremely quickly / efficient, at least for someone used to that kind of usage. Now I'm stuck with the heck load of filters and that just slows down the way I browse by factor three, if not more.

This new system is also quite confusing. Back in the days whenever you open a sub forum, you had an easily distinguishable sort of sticky threads. Now it just feels all cluttered together. It made browsing XDA less fun and it just feels tedious.

 

[Az Biker]

How can I re-lock the bootloader?

I'm getting a "command error" with fastboot flashing lock

Check to be sure you only have one space between each word, and no typos.

I believe fastboot oem lock will work as well.

Make SURE you are running a stock, factory image before doing this (just in case you weren't aware).

 

[roirraW "edor" ehT]

...use XDA on my PC with multiple monitors, and the old Style forums allowed me to just middle mouse button Press every sub form to me to open all of them in separate browser threads, which made quickly tabbing / shifting through sections /threads extremely quickly, at least for someone used to that kind of usage.

Ha! Now that you've reminded me, I used to do the exact same thing here (I too middle mouse button, in general, a lot). Maybe it's been beneficial to me that I've barely had any activity on XDA for the last five years, and especially the last three years.

 

[Tomatot-]

Thank you, however readability is very bad on a light background. Please change font color.

 

[Az Biker]

Thank you, however readability is very bad on a light background. Please change font color.

Changed the font to "brown", let me know if that helps with the light theme.

I'm on Xda-dark and hadn't thought about the readability using light theme, thanks!

 

[Tomatot-]

Changed the font to "brown", let me know if that helps with the light theme.

I'm on Xda-dark and hadn't thought about the readability using light theme, thanks!

I thought of that, that's why I dared to mention it.

It's better indeed!

 

[Az Biker]

Maybe it makes more sense to combine and improve upon existing tutorials, instead of creating a load of new ones. It's getting a bit confusing here, ESPECIALLY since we don't have any sub-threads/forums.

Why is that, anyway? it makes sifting through threads here a nightmare, since you have to scroll through dozens of threads to find one that suits your interest. Instead of just giving us, like, an overview labeled "mods", "kernels", "camera", "discussion", "flame" - like, in every other previous XDA Pixel forum?!

Sorry for the late response.


FILTER TABS (new way) vs Sub Forums (old way):

Look at it this way:

You're grocery shopping online, and you want to browse the candy bar selection. The store has candy bars in several areas, not just in one place, so now you have to look through pages and pages of all the available product.

Rather than try to scroll through everything in the store to just find the candy bars, you click the CANDY BAR filter tab, and ONLY the candy bars are visible now.

So even though they aren't technically in one single area of the store, you can only see the candy bar selection on your page.

That's how the new forum works. Want to only see Development threads? Click the DEVELOPMENT tab at the top of the device forum.

 

[Lw00d]

@Az Biker
could you please make the guide for update factory image with out wiping. and keep root. please please please.

 

[vibrantliker]

@Az Biker
could you please make the guide for update factory image with out wiping. and keep root. please please please.

That would be awesome. Just looking around for that as well.

 

[BlakeSm]

Is it possible to get root without wiping? Currently I only have the bootloader unlocked and I'm on .036