yashsingh1/xdaforums huggingface dataset:
[Google Pixel 4a 5G ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Ot] theg00dguy:
Hi,

I want to post some strange new information/behaviour, but first I think I need to give you a quick summary of what I'm trying to achieve:

I bought a Pixel 4a5G to replace my Pixel 2. Call this 4a5G phone AAA. The first thing I did was to check for a version of TWRP for AAA. There wasn't one so, foolishly, I decided there no no need to unlock the bootloader. A year down the line JoshuaDoes has worked some magic and produced a version of TWRP, but if I unlock the bootloader now, my phone goes back to factory settings and I lose all my setup.

A couple of months ago I recommended the 4a5G to a friend and he bought one. He hadn't started using it so I have borrowed the from him to see if the JoshuaDoes TWRP will work. Call this phone ZZZ.

AAA has Android build SQ3A.220705.003.A1, and ZZZ has Android build SQ1A.220105.002.

I unlocked the bootloader on ZZZ and tried the very latest JoshuaDoes TWRP. As I said earlier this does not boot. I then tried the earlier version (Twrp-3.6.0_11-0.1-bramble). It boot and I could create and restore backup on ZZZ.

I updated ZZZ to Android build SQ3A.220705.003.A1 and using in-built transfer-my-old-phone procedure, I copied everything from AAA to ZZZ, or least as much as Android would allow. I wanted ZZZ to look and behave EXACTLY like AAA, so I downgraded many of the apps that Android had automatically updated during the transfer, and I changed many settings to my preferences. Phone ZZZ now looked and behaved like AAA but with no password/pattern security.

The aim of all this was to then create a backup of ZZZ, unlock the bootloader on AAA, boot into TWRP on AAA and restore the ZZZ backup to AAA. Remember that both phones are now on build SQ3A.220705.003.A1. The backup of ZZZ failed :(. I have attached a photo of the fail-screen. When I restarted the phone, all the data had been wiped, but the apps were still there.

I then put ZZZ back to factory settings (no network, no security, build SQ3A.220705.003.A1) and thought "let me try a backup again". It worked! It happily created a backup.

It would seem that something in the my configuration caused the failure, but what? What I'm thinking to do now is to do the Andriod data/app transfer and try backing up again before I mess with settings.

Has anybody any thoughts?

Many thanks.
[Google Pixel 4a 5G ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Ot] theg00dguy:
Many varied trails - backups fail :(

ZZZ - SQ3A.220705.003.A1

wipe & reset

USB debugging enable

data transfer from AAA

restore Nova Launcher backup from AAA onto ZZZ

Backup Fails

ZZZ - SQ3A.220705.003.A1

wipe & reset

USB debugging enable

data transfer from AAA

No Nova Launcher

Backup "succeeds"

backup files exist when I check using TWRP file manager

backup files have disappeared when andriod is restared

go straight back into TWRP. Files have indeed gone.

Try backup again.

Backup fails

ZZZ -

Downgrade ZZZ back to SQ1A.220105.002

wipe & reset

data transfer from AAA

Backup fails

I hope this info helps someone.
[Google Pixel 4a 5G ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Ot] Pumpino:
Nevermind...
[Google Pixel 4a 5G ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Ot] Pumpino:
Has anyone successfully flashed TWRP on Android 13?

I managed to boot into it using fastboot boot twrp.img, but when I went into advanced settings to flash it to the phone, I had error messages and the phone won't boot into recovery. I'm wondering if I'm limited to LineageOS recovery, which works.
[Google Pixel 4a 5G ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Ot] takepractice:
Hi, i have flashed it after installing t2b2 with google online flash service. Did it with "flash current twrp" before 1st boot. I did it many times before on another roms and had your result every time. Tell me, if i can help you, because i do not have any ideas about half buttons in twrp and system. Good luck.
[Google Pixel 4a 5G ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Ot] takepractice:
Rom flashed yesterday, all data access, without key, just cancel it, cant use recovery in twrp, because of data crypt...
[Google Pixel 4a 5G ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Ot] Pumpino:
What's t2b2?
[Google Pixel 4a 5G ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Ot] takepractice:
13 android build
[Google Pixel 4a 5G ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Ot] takepractice:
T2b2.221216.006, my phone name is pixel 4a5g, so idk if its 64bit.
[Google Pixel 4a 5G ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Ot] Pumpino:
Once you'd booted into TWRP, did you flash it by going into the Advanced menu in TWRP? I'm flashing official Android 13 again and I'll try one more time.
[Google Pixel 4a 5G ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Ot] takepractice:
Yes, i did it so. Try to do not give it boot for 1st time, maybe its no matter, but...-)
[Google Pixel 4a 5G ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Ot] takepractice:
Also i flashed it without any keys on screen, 1st boot was about 2min and i have not access to data from twrp for 1st boot in it and reboot for check. I also have bricked boot if flash magisk in this 2 first times.
[Google Pixel 4a 5G ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Ot] Pumpino:
I just booted and flashed TWRP without rebooting after using Google's android flash website. When I flashed to make it permanent from within TWRP, I get a number of error messages and when I tried to reboot the recovery, it goes straight back to fastboot mode.

As far as I'm concerned, TWRP isn't usable. I'll have to decide whether I want to flash stock ROM and revert to the December patch to avoid bluetooth issues from the January patch, or flash LineageOS and stick with the LineageOS recovery.
[Google Pixel 4a 5G ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Ot] takepractice:
I have such result as you a lot of times(about 10) and this is second time it works on 13. I did it many times only because remember that one. I flashed off and gsi 11 12 13 roms. 12 only bootable or permanent. I can share my boot without google acc and keys, if you can use it with such build and you want to.
[Google Pixel 4a 5G ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Ot] Pumpino:
So I attempted to use ADB sideload to flash the December update over the January update and I got the error message "Denying OTA because it's SPL downgrade".

I'm just going to flash LOS and use that recovery. At least I won't have bluetooth issues.
[Google Pixel 4a 5G ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Ot] takepractice:
I think that is smart chioce, good luck=)
[Google Pixel 4a 5G ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Ot] Pumpino:
I decided to try downgrading LOS to the previous week's build, just for the sake of knowing whether it would work if a bug is introduced. It came up with an error about not being allowed to downgrade. It booted to the older build, but there were issues with apps closing, etc.

Basically, without TWRP, I'm unable to backup the phone and I'm unable to successfully flash older builds. That means using a custom ROM offers zero advantages over running stock. I think I'll use the web tool to flash Android 12 and then flash the Android 13 December update in fastboot to resolve my bluetooth issue. I'll upgrade to a Pixel 7a once support for this device runs out in November.
[Google Pixel 4a 5G ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Ot] :
I'm still on A11, look I love TWRP, but what's wrong with doing dd dumps until all the kinks gets sorted?
[Google Pixel 4a 5G ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Ot] Yeedatoy:
Just to clarify because reading through this everything looks confusing as hell. His latest release works on the last android 12.1 release. I wouldn't use it to try and flash an Android 13 ROM, but if you flash the last stable version of 12.1 you can boot this TWRP and install it after disabling DM verity and flashing a blank VBmeta. Honestly after trying all of the Android 13 ROMs and stock Android 13 rooted, I can't deal with the pixel launcher lag that makes the phone completely unusable until you reboot and then you get 5 minutes of good use before everything starts to stutter and lag. The last build of lineage 19.1 is the only build I've used that gets great battery life, doesn't heat up the phone, has no lag and everything works great so I'm sticking with it for now until there's more development and Google gets their s*** together. This recovery works with 12L and lineage 19.1.
[Google Pixel 4a 5G ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Ot] Yeedatoy:
That's due to verified boot. Did you disable it?
[Google Pixel 4a 5G ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Ot] Pumpino:
How does one do that?
[Google Pixel 4a 5G ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Ot] Yeedatoy:
fastboot flash --disable-verity --disable-verification vbmeta "vbmeta.img"

You can download a blank vbmeta image and insert it in the quotes above, don't actually type the quotations
[Google Pixel 4a 5G ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Ot] Pumpino:
Where would I download a blank vbmeta image from?
[Google Pixel 4a 5G ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Ot] Yeedatoy:
You can actually just extract the vbmeta image from whichever version of firmware you're on. Download the firmware from Google and unzip it and get the vbmeta image. You just have to make sure you format data first thing in twrp in order to disable encryption and flash a rom. My suggestion would be to check out the how to thread. The bootloader unlock, root thread. It's extensive but it explains things better than I'm likely able to!
[Google Pixel 4a 5G ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Ot] i_bl00dy:
I just bought a AT&T Pixel 4a 5G, I plan on running A13 Graphene OS/A13 Lineage OS. This is for a backup phone/ experimenting phone, so if you need to test anything on A13 let me know.

I'm still debating if I want/can root this thing.
[Google Pixel 4a 5G ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Ot] Yeedatoy:
If you want battery life that rivals stock and a great performing os with no bugs. Use Graphene. It's unmatched. Everything google works with the sandboxed play services except now playing and the hey Google hotword. If you can live without that Graphene is better than the stock is in all aspects, and installation couldn't be more simple. You can relock the bootloader even, but magisk delta works great with graphene. Just don't try switching kernels. 1) you can't 2) no kernel will perform better anyway
[Google Pixel 4a 5G ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Ot] Yeedatoy:
Somehow I'm just realizing that the android flash tool that you can use to restore the stock os had an option to disable
[Google Pixel 4a 5G ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Ot] 4xc7xy:
Hello, is there a way to make this work on Android 13 or will I need to downgrade? I want to try installing linageos so I could get access again to gpay and other apps. If someone could help me out I would appreciate it, thank you! Below i'll attach a screenshot atleast of what It showed me when I test booted it.
[Google Pixel 4a 5G ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Ot] Yeedatoy:
No it won't work on Android 13. You have the right idea though, but to install lineage all you have to do is go to the website and click on the pixel 4a5g, and you will see where to download the builds. Included with the ROM download you will see the option to download the boot image and the vendor boot image. What you want is the vendor boot image. Put your device in fast boot mode, and connected to a PC. Type "fastboot flash vendor_boot" and then drag the vendor boot image you downloaded over to that command so it looks like "fastboot flash vendor_boot vendorboot.img" after it says successful, use the volume keys to toggle through the fast boot menu options until you see recovery. Press the power button to select recovery and shortly after you should see the lineage OS recovery pop up. Immediately click on format data, and then directly after you want to go to ADB side load, and sideload the lineage ROM zip. If it says something like signature mismatch, just hit proceed anyway. As soon as it's done installing, you're going to want to reboot to recovery and install gapps, unless you don't plan on using them. If you want root you need to download magisk and to rename it from magisk apk to magisk.zip, sideload that also. Now reboot to system and you're good to go.
[Google Pixel 4a 5G ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Ot] i_bl00dy:
Just dropping this in here because I ended up with Graphene OS + Root + Locked Bootloader.

This process should work with any OS, but you will need some advanced know how.

Here is what I did, but I recommend reading the entire thread to see how I got there.

How to Lock bootloader
[Google Pixel 4a 5G ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Ot] Pumpino:
Given that Redfin has 3.7.0, would you consider building it for the 4a 5G? Thanks.

Download TWRP for redfin

Download TWRP Open Recovery for redfin

dl.twrp.me
[Google Pixel 4a 5G ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Ot] Abdelrahman Salah:
Am i need to unlock OEM in order to flash and get the recovery to work? Can i flash custom roms after thet? Will the carrier be able to detect and lock the phone on other roms?
[Google Pixel 4a 5G ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Ot] Nazo:
I'm a bit sad that there isn't an official TWRP for Bramble. And a little confused because I see they do support the Pixel 5? I don't get why there isn't one for 4a 5g then. Isn't Redfin even supposed to be basically almost the exact same hardware such that supporting one is almost as easy as supporting the other, or have I misread that? I just can't understand why there isn't an official TWRP build for Bramble.

I guess this just isn't ready for Android 13 though? Guess that doesn't help very much then.

Graphene officially drops support for Bramble this November according to their site. Seems foolish to switch over to it on this device knowing it will stop receiving security updates and such in just a few months. Even just last month there was a pretty major security patch that even affected Bramble I think, just to give you an idea of how major it is to stop receiving updates on something you're actually still using. I still get basic LineageOS updates even for my old 2017 model Samsung A5 (probably just basic backported security patches rather than any real fixes or anything, but that's all it needs at this point anyway.) Like I don't expect any major feature or OS updates for such a device, but it's good to still get security updates. (And I admit I'm mostly just using it for messaging through Discord/etc, web browsing, and alarms at this point. My Bramble is my daily driver for anything meaningful.) Even on older, less used devices, if they get compromised it could affect other devices (such as if your account itself is impacted for example.) If it's your daily driver though, you definitely want to be able to keep up with major security patches from time to time even if you update rarely.

At this point I'm thinking MicroG LineageOS may make more sense as a more minimal option with more likelihood of still getting security patches and still with a good balance of features. I don't know how it is with other Bramble devices, but I've found battery life to be excellent even with the full GApps services, so MicroG should be even better. I'm considering making the switch myself really. (Biggest problem is I'll have to move my 2FA stuff from Google Authenticator to Aegis, which means basically redoing 2FA on every individual account that uses it. Ugh. That will be worth it though as Aegis is universal and supports encrypted file backups and etc too.) Though I may personally go the route of using Magisk with LSPosed and the XPosed module for signature spoofing rather than the far less frequently updated official MicroG builds. (Kind of messy, but they don't do updates very often on the MicroG builds.)
[Google Pixel 4a 5G ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Ot] i_bl00dy:
I'm currently running Graphene OS on my Pixel 4a5G. I have it rooted with a locked bootloader (self signed keys). I only have BCR (call recording) and System less hosts (adblocking), it also gives me root for my file explorer, but I have found to not need this as much. The only Issue that I have run into is a few select apps not working, but it is probably due to the weirdness of running Graphene OS (Play Store Integrity API doesnt pass, probably due to the custom keyed bootloader). I update about every 3 months for security patches.

This was an experimental build that I ended up using as my daily driver. I previously planned on purchasing the Pixel 7a or the Pixel 8 , but the 7a had no features that I cared enough about to go through the hassle of switching phones again. The Pixel 8 is looking a lot better in terms of features (leaks), so thats the current plan for security updates.

@Nazo

I myself have converted from The Google Authenticator to Aegis for 2FA, I think I just used the Export function to generate a QR code to import to Aegis. I have a second old phone that I keep off and offline as my backup 2FA that made it easy to scan the QR code, but I think you can come up with something using a computer.
[Google Pixel 4a 5G ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Ot] Nazo:
Well, you have until November to figure out what you're going to do I guess. Well, since you update every three months, November plus three months.

Technically you can probably fix this with Magisk, but of course that would mean requiring an unlocked bootloader. It's a tradeoff sometimes.

I don't think you can do that anymore though. They switched Google Authenticator to a new method that can sync via account on the cloud and it doesn't really import normally. Not sure about trying to export via a different method, but I don't think it works anymore. Anyway, I did it the hard way. Luckily that should presumably be a one time ever thing. I already have a backup of Aegis.
[Google Pixel 4a 5G ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Ot] i_bl00dy:
I plan to test this when I get my new phone later. Right now I pass Safety Net, but of course we all know its being deprecated. I dont even know if I really need PIA because I dont use anything like Google Wallet. I have a few Banking apps, but I can live with using the web versions (passwords are so much easier after I switched to bitwarder).

my 2 options are Graphene OS with root + locked bootloader but no PIA or Graphene OS with root + unlocked bootloader with PIA if I can get it working
[Google Pixel 4a 5G ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Ot] JoshuaDoes:
Hi y'all, I'd like to apologize for being absent here. I haven't checked XDA in quite some time. But please read the new message at the top of the thread, I cannot commit to creating new TWRP updates at this time and I'd like for someone with a working device to take over development until I can get my Pixel 4a5G repaired. Thank you all for trying out these test builds!
[Google Pixel 4a 5G ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Ot] Schmye Bubbula:
So I'm a scared newbie to rooting wanting to buy a Pixel 4a 5G to do my first root with Magisk. This thread boggles my mind, but am I understanding correctly that the only downside to TWRP is I couldn't use a PIN? So would it be worthwhile to use TWRP to install Magisk, then remove TWRP so I can have a PIN for day-to-day? Once I get Magisk and modules installed and everything settled-down, I don't plan on doing things with ROMs, kernels, etc., but I've been led to understand that TWRP would make things go much easier just installing Magisk, and does a lot of things under the hood during installation making mishaps such as bootloops or bricked phone much less likely. So, yes, I'm only motivated here by cowardice, but would I be missing the point of something to using, then promptly getting rid of TWRP after just installing Magisk, to assuage my newbie fears?
[Google Pixel 4a 5G ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Ot] Schmye Bubbula:
Or is it that you just can't have a PIN while using TWRP? — you could switch to swipe, go in and do TWRP stuff, then turn PIN back on for day-to-day?
[Google Pixel 4a 5G ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Ot] Yeedatoy:
Everything works. Even if you leave the pin on, you can still enter TWRP if you have an issue with something you need to remove. Just click on cancel and you can still, for example, remove a bad magisk module. Clicking cancel still gives you access to everything under data. The only thing you won't get access to is the internal SD card. Every other partition can be mounted. You can back up, you can flash ROMs, you can flash Gapps and you can flash Magisk.

The one thing I don't suggest doing is switching slots. By that I mean rebooting into recovery and going directly to the switch slot section, clicking on a different slot, and then rebooting back into recovery. If you do that, you will likely get stuck at the recovery screen, however, if you do have a working OS on that slot, you can just power the phone off and it should successfully boot into the OS, and from that OS you can reboot into recovery and get back in.

If you remove your pin before rebooting to TWRP you have access to everything and it works exactly as it should. This doesn't just include Android 12 or 12.1. this includes Android 13 as well, even releases from this month. I can flash a ROM from Android 12.1 straight to Android 13 or 14 in this TWRP, and it will flash successfully, and TWRP doesn't get overridden by that ROMs stock recovery. If you flash a ROM and then try to flash TWRP again immediately using the flash current TWRP option or ram disc option. You'll most likely get an error. If you simply flash a ROM, go to reboot and click on reboot to recovery, it should reboot back into TWRP where you can flash whatever else you may need to flash, and then you should format data.. and the device should respond by saying you need to boot back into the system for TWRP to recreate FBE.

You might get some red errors on the screen while playing with this, but there is a way around everything. Typically, there's only happens if you haven't done something correctly, but there are occasions where it can get a bit confusing. All it takes is a little bit of thinking and persistence to get past this, instead of assuming that the recovery doesn't work. If I had just tried by myself instead of assuming everyone else was correct when they said this recovery no longer worked, I could have been using it for well over a year.... But I was foolish and just believed everything I read.
[Google Pixel 4a 5G ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Ot] Schmye Bubbula:
Many thanks, Yeedatoy!... And am I understanding you correctly that this build of TWRP works (with your considerations) for phones with Android 13 & 14? That would be *huge* inasmuch as Android 12 is the highest I've seen mentioned heretofore in this thread.
[Google Pixel 4a 5G ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Ot] Schmye Bubbula:
When I "fastboot boot [path to twrp-3.6.0_11-0.1-bramble.img]" from Bugjaeger on another phone and do a TWRP install or look in file manager, I can't see anything inside any folders, so I can't get to my Magisk zip file. In fact, all directories are empty, and moreover the familiar Android folders I expect are not to be found (e.g., Downloads, Pictures, Documents, etc.). I have no PIN or password on my Pixel 4a 5G. Something this blatant has to be something simple or obvious that this newbie is missing.... Am I supposed to mount a partition or something before my phone's user files show up? I never see people do anything like that in the TWRP instructional YouTube videos for installing zip files I've watched.... HELP!
[Google Pixel 4a 5G ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Ot] Schmye Bubbula:
Well, I found this, but I can't make hide nor hair out of it (goddamnit, I majored in physics!, but still...):

TWRP Can't find zip file for root

So I was following the instructions for the root, and am at the TWRP part where I select the zip file I placed onto the drive. When I go to install I see a ton of listed folders, but can't seem to figure out where the heck the zip file is I put...

xdaforums.com

I tried that thread's suggestion to move my zip file to:

/storage/emulated/0/

...but it still doesn't show up in TWRP Install or file manager.... When I check, it shows both Storage and Internal Storage as zero bytes.... I'm tearing my hair out here!

Hmmm... since that linked thread suggests my problem may not be peculiar to this unofficial build of TWRP, I guess strictly speaking, this is off-topic for this thread. But if anyone here has a solution, I'd nevertheless appreciate it!