How To Guide Rooting the Google Pixel 6a

[TechX1991]

Rooting the Pixel 6a is just about as easy as any other factory unlocked pixel, but because so many people have had issues with unlocking their bootloaders, I figured I'd post my exact personal steps I took when a Pixel 6a came into my tech shop to be rooted, and I discovered the current bug with Rooting

What You'll Need:
- June 2022 Firmware OTA Update Installed at least: Do this on device. Do Not download the OTA update from google's firmware website.
- ADB/Fastboot/Google Drivers for Windows: I use this to install- ADB 15sec Installer
- Magisk Manager APK: Github - Magisk Github Releases
- Firmware Matching Currently Installed: Google FW page - Google Official Firmware Downloads - you need this for the boot.img file
- A Windows Computer
- A USB-C cable to connect to your phone to the computer

OEM Unlock Bug
With early units sold by Google, they're shipping with a bug where OEM Unlock stays grayed out. Here's the only way I got around this issue
1.) Log out of any Google Account on the device
2.) Connect to Wifi, check for updates without your sim card in the device. There is a bug where it will potentially download the update for your carrier sim
3.) At minimum, you should get the June 2022 security patch update. Run the update and remember which update it is for when you download the firmware to get boot.img
4.) When the update is finished, Factory Reset your device either from settings or Android recovery
5.) Go through Android setup without sim card in, and don't connect to wifi, finish setup without logging into a google account or anything
6.) When setup is done, connect to wifi and put your sim back in.
7.) Pay attention in your notifications for "Preparing your Device" notification.
8.) When that notification pops up, enable Developer options (tap build number a bunch of times)
9.) OEM Unlock should be possible to enable now. Also enable USB Debugging

Pre-Root Setup
1.) Install Magisk Manager from Github
2.) Use 7zip (or any other ZIP opening program) to extract the boot.img from your firmware download from google
-- the boot.img is inside another zip file that's in the download from google. very easy to get
3.) Put the Boot.img on your phones internal storage
4.) Open Magisk Manager, and select your Boot.img from internal storage. Patch the boot.img to make it a rooted boot.img
5.) With your phone connected to the computer, move the magisk_patched.img from sdcard/downloads to your computer
6.) If USB debugging is properly enabled, now you can open CMD and reboot to bootloader with

adb reboot bootloader

Unlocking the bootloader
1.) With the device connected, OEM Unlock enabled, and booted to bootloader, you can unlock the bootloader with the following command

fastboot flashing unlock

-- If nothing changes on your phone screen, use Device Manager to make sure the device is recognized via google drivers: vid here on that - Quick Fastboot Drivers Install Tutorial
2.) On your phone, use the volume keys to select Unlock Bootloader, then hit the power button, device should reboot back to bootloader
3.) flash the boot partition with the magisk patched boot.img

fastboot flash boot magisk_patched.img

4.) Now you can reboot back into your device and you should be rooted!

fastboot reboot

Congrats! Now you're bootloader unlocked and rooted! GrapheneOS is already available if you want a degoogled rom, haven't seen another rom pop up yet
all done from there

updating your device when rooted
I do not have a pixel 6a specifically for this right now to confirm this will work, but on every other device with OTA's, this has been my process.
1.) Download your OTA using the system update part of Settings
2.) When it pops up and is ready to restart to finish installing the update, DO NOT CLICK RESTART IN SETTINGS/SYSTEM UPDATE
3.) Go to Magisk Manager, and select Install next to Magisk
4.) Select "Install to Inactive Slot (After OTA)
5.) When its done patching the boot partition, hit restart in Magisk
Your OTA Update is now rooted

 

[Zaxx32]

To save time and effort here is the magisk patched boot.img for June 2022 patch level, Carrier Unlocked 6a from the Google Store. Make SURE you are on build SD2A.220601.003 before flashing!

 

[benji]

To get the `OEM Unlock` option in Developer Options to work, it's simpler to just manually flash 12.1.0 (SD2A.220601.004, Jun 2022, Verizon, Verizon MVNOs) and then wipe.

Even though it's label as Verizon, it should work for all carriers.

 

[jejemc]

Hello, if we have already unlocked the bootloader, we just have to do this: start cmd then fastboot flash boot magisk_patched.img then restart the phone?

 

[ctfrommn]

Hello, if we have already unlocked the bootloader, we just have to do this: start cmd then fastboot flash boot magisk_patched.img then restart the phone?

Correct, though I would probably fastboot boot first just to make sure it boots up ok. When it does you can reboot to recovery and flash it.

 

[frank93]

these instructions sound like "the usual process", but for the 6a isn’t there something to patch regarding vbmeta as well?

(never had a phone that "needed" this, but in my understanding it "should" be necessary with the 6a? won’t have time to try out myself before the weekend, just asking ..)

 

[jejemc]

Correct, though I would probably fastboot boot first just to make sure it boots up ok. When it does you can reboot to recovery and flash it.

here it is and does and works perfectly well thank you for everything.

 

[ctfrommn]

Im starting work on my custom kernel now so hopefully MVK for Bluejay will be ready in the coming days/weeks.

 

[TechX1991]

To save time and effort here is the magisk patched boot.img for June 2022 patch level, Carrier Unlocked 6a from the Google Store. Make SURE you are on build SD2A.220601.003 before flashing!

As this thread ages, not everyone will have the June 2022 update. That's why I suggested/put the steps in to do it themselves with matching firmware to what their device is on.

To get the `OEM Unlock` option in Developer Options to work, it's simpler to just manually flash 12.1.0 (SD2A.220601.004, Jun 2022, Verizon, Verizon MVNOs) and then wipe.

Even though it's label as Verizon, it should work for all carriers.

This DID NOT work for me. That's why I wrote this up the way I did.

Hello, if we have already unlocked the bootloader, we just have to do this: start cmd then fastboot flash boot magisk_patched.img then restart the phone?

If you're bootloader is already unlocked, you just have to flash the patched magisk boot img, correct. I wrote this up for those having issue with not having the ability even if it is an unlocked from google device

these instructions sound like "the usual process", but for the 6a isn’t there something to patch regarding vbmeta as well?

(never had a phone that "needed" this, but in my understanding it "should" be necessary with the 6a? won’t have time to try out myself before the weekend, just asking ..)

Correct, these are basically the usual steps. There's nothing regarding vbmeta flashing in this case of just rooting stock firmware. You only need to do that with ROMs (GSI's mainly)

 

[binary**#]

3.) flash the boot partition with the magisk patched boot.img

fastboot flash boot magisk_patched.img

Just a heads up. As already told by ctfrommn, it's always a better approach to first boot the magisk patched boot file. And if everything works well and good, you could then Direct Install it via Magisk.
Although directly flashing should also work, but its always better to be on the safer side.

 

[stormcrank]

Correct, these are basically the usual steps. There's nothing regarding vbmeta flashing in this case of just rooting stock firmware. You only need to do that with ROMs (GSI's mainly)

I followed your steps to a T. Still can't unlock. I'm convinced there is a fault with my device itself at this point.

 

[TechX1991]

I followed your steps to a T. Still can't unlock. I'm convinced there is a fault with my device itself at this point.

they will warranty replace if it for sure fails still. Its a silly situation, but mistakes happen

 

[TechX1991]

Just a heads up. As already told by ctfrommn, it's always a better approach to first boot the magisk patched boot file. And if everything works well and good, you could then Direct Install it via Magisk.
Although directly flashing should also work, but its always better to be on the safer side.

I may not be very active on XDA, but have been rooting and rom'ing devices since the palm pre, first android phone was the droid x. I've never heard of this step, its never been needed. Its an extra pointless step that is just tethered root. You don't need to do it. As long as you don't download a random Boot.img, like the one for some reason attached to a reply on this thread and get it yourself from the firmware matching your device OR flashing Magisk via TWRP/Lineage Recovery with adb sideload, there's no reason to fastboot boot the boot.img.

 

[ctfrommn]

You may have never run into an issue flashing a boot image but I've built thousands of roms and kernels and have learned the hard way more than once to measure twice, cut once.

That said, as long as you're simply patching a stock boot.img it's likely not an issue.

 

[z0mghii]

Followed all steps, on SD2A.220601.003SD2A.220601.003. OEM unlock still greyed

 

[Voxilli]

Nice work, Kaptinboxxi. Everything worked fine. How should we handle updates after rooting? Will a security patch break root? If so, what is the best process to root it again?

 

[ctfrommn]

Nice work, Kaptinboxxi. Everything worked fine. How should we handle updates after rooting? Will a security patch break root? If so, what is the best process to root it again?

Yes, each update will require reflashing a patched kernel for the new build.

 

[Lughnasadh]

You can also do the "Install to Inactive Slot" method in Magisk to update and keep root. This has been a bit of a hit and miss for some people on the Pixel 6 series, though. The misses may be in large part be due to people having modified their partitions or not restoring the necessary images while being on a custom kernel.

OTA Upgrade Guides

The Magic Mask for Android

topjohnwu.github.io

 

[ctfrommn]

You can also do the "Install to Inactive Slot" method in Magisk to update and keep root.

OTA Upgrade Guides

The Magic Mask for Android

topjohnwu.github.io

Good call...I guess I've never messed with that as I flash so many kernels anyway.

 

[Voxilli]

You can also do the "Install to Inactive Slot" method in Magisk to update and keep root. This has been a bit of a hit and miss for some people on the Pixel 6 series, though. The misses may be in large part be due to people having modified their partitions or not restoring the necessary images while being on a custom kernel.

OTA Upgrade Guides

The Magic Mask for Android

topjohnwu.github.io

That's what I've done with my OnePlus 7T for the last three years. Any repercussions for doing it this way versus patching the kernel?