yashsingh1/xdaforums huggingface dataset:
[Google Pixel 8 Pro] simplepinoi177:
I think that might have something to do with Magisk updating itself that the app can directly extract and patch from an OTA image file (I believe Full Factory also, but I can't exactly recall) -- so if it was updated to manage that, I imagine they updated things so flashing to the inactive slot has been repaired/improved. I don't know when exactly they updated this, so this may explain it happening in "recent months", or it might be so new that this is no explanation at all 😅.

I might be biased, but I feel they should provide at least as much support here on XDA as with Reddit. Case in point, I'm hardly on reddit, but sometimes I provide support ideas there when I get bored, one time I brought up that I was also having an issue with the Google One VPN not working, and the Pixel Team reached out to me for further details -- imagine how much it would bolster confidence in the site and for all the experts that frequent this site if we were to get the same response...!!! Also, Google might have more of an awareness on the "pulse" of Pixels and their products here -- perfect example is the mess of the platform-tools for the last half-year (seems to have gotten better as of late though)....
[Google Pixel 8 Pro] roirraW "edor" ehT:
Absolutely. And I'm absolutely biased. :) On the other hand, be careful of what you wish for. Google having more of a direct presence here might mean more influence about how XDA is run, or moderated. But I'm certain XDA and Google could come to an agreement the users would be happy with, allowing them to give support here.

On the other hand, again, I think they feel they already have all the support that's wanted in place, as they want and expect end users to make bug reports using their own system, but there's certainly plenty of support that can be provided that doesn't necessarily involve bugs, too, and in that area, XDA would make for a great opportunity for them to provide sincere help and look good while doing it.

Deeper into the "other side", I would say that the Platform Tools issue to begin with, and the length of time it took to be fixed, is a symptom of a different issue they probably still have. They definitely knew about the issues, there were official bug reports about then, the lack of communication on their part...if they don't fix those, then them having a presence here might not help.

I could be wrong, though, and maybe having a presence here would help them bring the change they need to their background processes.

Edit: Going even further with the potential negatives of Google posting on XDA, just think if they *gasp* bought XDA. Oh, boy... :(
[Google Pixel 8 Pro] Lughnasadh:
I really don't think Magisk now being able extract boot/init_boot images (implemented on Aug. 28/Stable 26.2) has anything to do with the success people have had using this method. When Magisk restores the stock images it doesn't check to see if you have a factory image or a Full OTA image on your internal storage and use those to restore the stock images.

I also don't see anything in the changelogs or commit history that addresses/fixes this method that would have been incorporated in 26.2 or beyond (26.3). There was a discussion related to this method ("Magisk wont backup init_boot.img") not working properly "for some" in the Magisk Github back in December, 2022, but the devs could not find anything wrong with the scripts being used and could not reproduce.

I have also seen success (and failure) stories prior to "recent months". I just used that timeline to place the discussion in the current timeframe.

I can also say that I have seen at least 19 people (from a non-XDA platform) people who have reported success on their Pixel 7s in the last 3 months. However, there have been almost that many who have reported failures. The reasons for the failures are not known, although I suspect at least some may be because they were using a custom kernel or did other modifications.

So although this method still seems to be hit or miss, it does (and has) worked for many people in the past and present on the Pixel 7 series. I think (pure conjecture on my part) at least some of the failures may have to do with people's "setup", modifications made (e.g. custom kernels) and possibly the way they installed/updated Magisk (flashing patched image vs. direct install).
[Google Pixel 8 Pro] Lughnasadh:
My 2 cents on having Google support on XDA: I would rather they not know some of the things we do to our phones 🤣

There is conjecture that someone from Google saw an exploit being used here to bypass Strong Integrity and quickly patched it. Have no idea how true that is, but I think the less they know about certain things, the better 🙃
[Google Pixel 8 Pro] simplepinoi177:
Yeah...I forgot to mention those sentiments in my post....that I imagine they acknowledge that there are experts here on this site that offer very good support (dare I say the same quality they would) -- especially in terms of basic generic support/knowledge -- that I believe there are a few app developers that are from here or had projects here that are now employed by Google....

But yes I'd hate for them to get so involved in this site that they affect and influence their own intentions of how it's to be run & moderated -- how US companies/businesses lobby Congress and influence legislation/law/rules for themselves.

But I think, if implemented properly, would be a beneficial symbiotic relationship.

In terms of platform-tools, receiving bug reports versus seeing discussions, speculations, and descriptive experiences as you see here I feel would be more beneficial (and/or compel them more urgently) than the former.

If anything, I'm thinking just having an official account (I wonder if XDA should have a "verified" type account status that social media does; to show authenticity) -- Google Support or Google Account -- like they do for the Pixel subreddits would really be nice and instill confidence from our members/users here -- who, let's be honest, are more involved in the Pixel devices than the average Pixel redditor -- as well as any non-registered guest who pass through/by the site looking for support/info on their devices....
[Google Pixel 8 Pro] simplepinoi177:
I forgot to mention this in my post 2 minutes ago!

I wouldn't want them completely being aware of the Unlimited Google Photos bypass/hack either! I'm sure they have to be somewhat aware of it so I know it's just a matter of time for that to be plugged...

But they wouldn't be able to miss it if they were actively on this site ;P
[Google Pixel 8 Pro] ajay655:
Hey I just got my first pixel I was following everything in the op. I clean flashed the stable build from the Google flasher site but I think I messed up after patching. I forgot I had opt'ed in the the beta builds. So after everything was done my phone rebooted fine then it downloaded and automatically installed the beta. Now the phone is unresponsive but when I plug it in my PC I see it's using one of COM ports. Is it completely dead? 😒
[Google Pixel 8 Pro] ApeironTsuka:
What's the process for recovering from a broken init_boot? I've got a stock install (except a couple Magisk modules) and have manually added the init_boot backup, and want to test if restore + OTA + install to inactive slot works on the Pixel 8 with the next OTA under these conditions. But I don't know what the procedure is to recover if it breaks, or better yet how to detect if it worked correctly before I reboot.
[Google Pixel 8 Pro] Lughnasadh:
Well, it depends on how it "breaks".

What do you mean by you "manually added the init_boot backup?

But remember, taking an OTA will install the update on the inactive slot so if something goes wrong you should still be able to boot into your current/active slot. Remember to disable any Magisk mods that may need updating for the new build beforehand.
[Google Pixel 8 Pro] roirraW "edor" ehT:
Does Fastboot Devices or ADB Devices in a command prompt with the phone still connected to the computer produce any result? Does the Official Google Android Flash Tool still see the phone?
[Google Pixel 8 Pro] simplepinoi177:
@ajay655 The above tool @roirraW "edor" ehT suggests works, but also a good suggestion (I feel they are very similar if not the same tool) of a tool is the Official Google Pixel Update & Software Repair Tool....

But I imagine both tools require that you can access Bootloader/Fastboot Mode, so it is very concerning that it is unresponsive. Have you also tried turning it on with button combination?
[Google Pixel 8 Pro] ajay655:
Negative. The phone made a noise when connecting/disconnected to and from my PC the first couple times but now I only see it connected to COM.
[Google Pixel 8 Pro] ajay655:
I've tried button combinations I think that's what put my phone in edl mode now it only connects as a COM port.
[Google Pixel 8 Pro] simplepinoi177:
Button combination would not put it in EDL mode, but "patching" then installing a QPR beta build would conceivably be enough to put it in EDL mode....

But more than hearing alert noises from the computer, I want to confirm specifically that neither of the tools detect it even for a moment, correct?
[Google Pixel 8 Pro] ajay655:
That's right nothing detects it at the moment, I can't tell if the phone is on or off.
[Google Pixel 8 Pro] wangdaning:
Try holding down the power button, just hold it for ages. This worked on my P3 when it just blacked screened years ago. It took a minute or two, maybe longer.
[Google Pixel 8 Pro] roirraW "edor" ehT:
What @wangdaning said, and also, last resort is to leave the phone alone (and unplugged) for 24 hours, then plug it in and try it again after that.

You could avoid getting a refurbished replacement by returning the phone for a refund and putting a new order in. The caveats of that method would be you would lose any pre-order free item you got (Watch 2 or Pixel Buds Pro) if the phone was pre-ordered. You would also lose the trade-in device, if you had one. Also, who knows when a new phone order would deliver at this point.

On the other hand, it's early enough that it's possible there haven't been enough returns of "used" Pixel 8 Pros, so a Google RMA process might still net you a new replacement phone.

Edit: I can't tell anything specifically about what would've caused the issue to begin with, but I try not to speculate when I don't know. Flashed the patched stock init_boot.img over top of the flashed Beta firmware?
[Google Pixel 8 Pro] ajay655:
I got the phone on Amazon and they are offering a full refund. Google however asked me to take it too ubreakifix.com for free since I'm under warranty.

I actually think it did flash the patched .img on the beta, since even if you roll back to stock release as soon as you boot up it immediately downloads the beta. The phone restarted quite a few times before it just when black. I couldn't even opt out beforehand when everything worked.
[Google Pixel 8 Pro] roirraW "edor" ehT:
In that case, I would definitely return for refund and just place another order, unless there are other considerations such as the length of time before you'll have an useable phone again. It's up to you.

To be clear, you can flash the patched init_boot.img on the beta, it just has to be the init_boot.img from the beta firmware to work correctly.

It seems weird to me that it just wouldn't switch slots and boot from it instead, unless using the online flash tool is similar to using the Flash-All.Bat method with the firmware zip, which causes only the most recent slot you flashed to be bootable. @Lughnasadh do you remember what you found and reported about the Android Flash Tool in that respect? (I think you did at some point)
[Google Pixel 8 Pro] Lughnasadh:
I do believe Android Flash Tool is similar in respect to that as using flash-all.

Not sure what happened to that user. I'm a little sketchy on the full, exact details.
[Google Pixel 8 Pro] ApeironTsuka:
When doing a direct install or installing to the inactive slot, Magisk makes a backup of the partition to /data/magisk_backup_<sha1 of img>/boot.img.gz before modifying it. When you install via manual patch + manual flash, it doesn't make this backup. I manually created this directory + placed the gzip'd init_boot.img there. Just in case. /debug_ramdisk/.magisk/config already pointed to the same sha1.

I'm not sure if it was necessary to do this, however.

And yeah, disabling any modules etc before rebooting is a given. I suppose what the question is, is how to force it to boot another slot if it doesn't detect an issue and do so automatically. I've never had an issue with an OTA (came from a Pixel 3a) or Magisk (.. outside of user error), so I've never had a reason to look into it. USB debugging is always on, for better or worse. I'm assuming adb wait-for-device; adb reboot bootloader would do it?
[Google Pixel 8 Pro] Lughnasadh:
If it doesn't detect an issue then it should automatically boot into your inactive slot, which is where the OTA is installed. If it does detect an issue and can't boot into your inactive slot where you tried to install the OTA, then it should revert to your active slot, which is already known to be bootable.

If you're bootlooping and need to get back into bootloader/fastboot mode because something goes wrong and you need to flash the factory image, you should be able to just use the physical buttons (Power + Vol down) to get into bootloader/fastboot mode.

As for the adb command, I think it would be adb wait-for-device reboot bootloader
[Google Pixel 8 Pro] ApeironTsuka:
Ahh, thank you. I'll definitely test and see how an OTA goes, and report back, then.
[Google Pixel 8 Pro] Lughnasadh:
Oh, by the way, forgot to mention.....

When I manually flashed the patched init_boot image after flashing the factory image via flash-all when I first got the phone and when I updated to A14 QPR1 Beta 2.1, it did make a backup located in /data, so /data/magisk_backup_<sha1 of img>/boot.img gz. Didn't do a direct install or install to the inactive slot.
[Google Pixel 8 Pro] mrweenus:
I accidently attempted flashing the wrong Husky varriant to my phone. I attempted flashing this one, 14.0.0 (UD1A.230803.041, Oct 2023) where as since I bought the phone from the Google store, I believe i should have attempted to flash this one 14.0.0 (UD1A.230803.022.A4, Sep 2023, US-Emerging/G-store,CA,TW,AU,Fi)

The flashing appeared to have completed succesfully and all was well, fastbootd exited to attempt to reboot phone, it boot looped a couple times then turned off. I have been unable to power on the phone at all now. Unable to enter recovery mode. Plugging the phone into a charger doesn't even light up the screen. Plugging into computer doesn't pop up as recognized device. listing out adb devices when in computer comes up empty

I would have thought even if I flashed the incorrect image, i would have had the second boot slot to make use of. Anybody have any suggestions?? Is there a Emergency Downloader mode like the qualcomm devices used to have? Thinking I will try and do a warrenty coverage on it. Literally had the phone for less than 24 hours :(
[Google Pixel 8 Pro] roirraW "edor" ehT:
I note that 022.A4 is the only firmware on their factory image page that mentions G-store, or any variation or use of the word "store", so I have absolutely no experience with that. Also, as you may have noticed, it's a September firmware. Every month will be different whether they supply variant/firmware-specific firmware, but you normally will always want the newest firmware.

There is only one October firmware, so you should be using that.

Normally, and in all my experience, if it's made for that Pixel model, it should boot and normally work - possibly just not as optimally if you had flashed the technically correct image.

If you used either the flash-all.bat or Android Flash Tool methods, then both of those methods render the second slot not bootable. The only slot that would be bootable is the one most recently flashed. This information is thanks to testing and reporting by @Lughnasadh on either the Pixel 7 Pro or Pixel 6 Pro at the time.

For what it's worth, the OTA method (if flashed twice, which changes slots automatically each time) keeps both slots bootable and has been what I've been using for roughly six months (starting on the Pixel 7 Pro).

As @Lughnasadh has noted to me recently, it may be high time for me to have a warning about those two methods making the second slot unbootable. Also, I may have to just move the information around to highlight the OTA method first. The easiest and quickest thing for me to do is to just put a warning, so I'll do that now.

TL;DR - in summary: I don't think the fact that you flashed the .041 firmware has anything to do with the issue on your phone. I got my wife's and my Pixel 8 Pros directly from the Google Store, and took the October OTA over Wi-Fi before I rooted the phone. It updated me to the .041 firmware.

I always flash the un-specified firmware (referred to as "Global") each month (using the OTA method). The others contain optimizations for particular countries and/or carriers, but they will all still work on your phone, and as I said above, you should always use the latest firmware, and there's only one for October.
[Google Pixel 8 Pro] roirraW "edor" ehT:
Added the following to the second post:

NOTE that as @Lughnasadh has previously found and reported, both the factory image method using Flash-All.Bat, and the Official Google Android Flash Tool (webpage) cause only the most recently flashed slot to boot. If you want both slots to be bootable, you want the Full OTA Zip method a couple of sections down in this post.
[Google Pixel 8 Pro] Spookymyo:
When I got to the flash-all.bat step it looked like it was working fine the got to the fastbootD screen, ran a few more scripts and then gave a command errror. I restarted the phone and it's dead. Black screen. None of the key combos will work for either going into the bootloader or into recovery for an OTA flash. Did an E-fuse trip or something? When I plug it into my computer it makes the connection sound but when I use adb devices to see if it's connected it won't return the device number.

I'm not a noob, I've been rooting phones for a long time and this is the first time this has happened. What do I do?
[Google Pixel 8 Pro] roirraW "edor" ehT:
There's no e-fuse in Pixels for anything.

Not that this will help now, but were you using the latest official Platform-Tools (34.0.5)?

Force the phone off using these instructions: Turn your Pixel phone on & off (long-pressing the power button for ~45 seconds). You can let go of the power button when you feel a vibration, which means it's powering off. Then press the Volume Down and Power buttons for a couple of seconds to get into the bootloader (fastboot mode)

If it still doesn't respond to Fastboot commands, I'd force the phone off again (if possible), and let it sit for a good 24 hours, then try it again. If no luck after that, your only choice is to RMA it, or return it and order a new one.

If it does respond to commands (it's fine if the screen is blank), then I'd try the Official Google Android Flash Tool to recover the phone.
[Google Pixel 8 Pro] badabing2003:
And it's a double warning if the device is brand new, the secondary slot does not even get into bootloader (because it is blank) if the active slot is becomes not bootable, automatic switching to the secondary slot bricks the device (no bootloop).

At least with factory image flashed on both slots, even if the primary slot is not system bootable, you get bootlooped and you can flash again.

Old habits are hard to break, specially if people never had issues with it in the past and are comfortable with the steps (I see a lot of people still doing factory flashing), for the very least if one chooses to stick with factory flashing, both slots should be flashed, specially with a brand new device.

Although that is still a very high risk for brand new devices because anything goes bad it's likely to end up with a brick.

OTA instructions should be the dominant guides, and factory would be used for downgrade (with a wipe).
[Google Pixel 8 Pro] roirraW "edor" ehT:
Thank you, you're right, and @Lughnasadh mentioned that to me, but I forgot. :) I'm adding a quote of your post to my warning.
[Google Pixel 8 Pro] Spookymyo:
Thanks for the response.

I use Android studio so I always go into the SDK manager and look for updates to platform tools and the drivers before I do anything on the phone. I was on 34.0.5.

Pressing the power button for 45 seconds and longer, does nothing. Volume down and power does nothing either. It's weird, because when I have the phone plugged into the computer and I press the volume down and power buttons, my computer makes the device disconnected sound then after a few seconds makes the device connected sound. But the screen never comes on. I wonder if letting the phone sit and the battery drain would do anything. I have until Nov 16th to return the phone.
[Google Pixel 8 Pro] badabing2003:
I don't understand why Google ships brand new devices with blank (actually it has odex files) partitions on the inactive slots, for the very least they should have a functional bootloader partition, I bet lots of people are doing RMA because of bricking.
[Google Pixel 8 Pro] roirraW "edor" ehT:
I think it's worth trying (to wait for the battery to die), then plug it in, charge a while and see what happens. Even if you don't see a charging animation after you plug it in, that doesn't mean anything.

I haven't had to do that on a phone since maybe my LG G3, so pre-Pixel, but it definitely did the trick back then on various phones.

Sorry to hear that you had rotten luck, as have a few others who have reported in this thread.

I agree. I wonder if anyone has ever reported it as an issue? Google needs some motivation to at least flash both slots, and it would also be nice if they change how factory images and the Android Flash Tool make the other slot not fully bootable.
[Google Pixel 8 Pro] Spookymyo:
I've never had to RMA because of a brick due to rooting. I wonder if they will charge me? The few times I've had to claim insurance I've always returned the phone to stock before returning it, but now I can't. I'm sure they have a way to look in the other slot and see what was going on.
[Google Pixel 8 Pro] roirraW "edor" ehT:
You shouldn't be charged. Google doesn't care what you do to the phone's software. You could try replacing the bootloader with one from a different brand, and Google still won't care. :)

I'd also consider just returning the phone for a refund, and ordering another. If you have the funds to spare in the meantime, it'll be faster to get a replacement (unless you took advantage of a pre-order sale/trade/free item), and that'll ensure you're not getting a slightly used Pixel 8 Pro in return.
[Google Pixel 8 Pro] Spookymyo:
well that's good to know.

But I did do the pre-order and got a pixel watch 2 for free. So it is what it is.

Thanks for all the help. And when I get the new phone I'll go the OTA route.
[Google Pixel 8 Pro] roirraW "edor" ehT:
Gotcha. Good luck, and I'm sure you'll be happy with the OTA method. Like @badabing2003 mentioned with others, I too, resisted doing things a different way. I used the Flash-All.bat method for at least six years with no issues, but I must've been lucky, or Google has just increased the risk somehow. And I didn't realize that I couldn't use the other slot if I needed to.