[Google Pixel 8 Pro] ko3st:
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Please see QUESTIONS A, B, C after that, I intended to proceed at [8. * FAB Run commands:].

A. at the "Unlocking Bootloader (required in order to root)" section: [11.] I only once got the ADB prompt and I could check the box to always give ADB permission. This never happened after that one time. I do get an ADB prompt, but at the section "Use USB for", I always have to manually click the top item called "File transfer/Android Auto".

B. I want both slots to be bootable.

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.

However I do not have the OTA firmware in my brand new phone... So what to do?

C. At "Factory Image / Android Flash Tool method:" please compare the instructions at 2. and 4.

"... so that flash-all.bat and all other files are in the same folder as ADB and Fastboot from the platform-tools".

with the instruction at 4.

"Extract only the init_boot.img file from the image-husky-etcetera.zip to the same platform-tools folder".

This is confusing to me, please explain which is the correct instruction.

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Unlocking Bootloader (required in order to root)

The one-time first steps are:

1. Android Settings

2. About phone

3. Click on Build number repeatedly, about seven times

4. Go back to the main Android Settings

5. System

6. Developer options

- Toggle OEM unlocking on. See @Namelesswonder's tip below (this won't help with variants that are supposed to be bootloader locked):

Namelesswonder said:

Also a little tip for anyone trying to enable OEM unlocking on a device and it is grayed out, you can force the phone to check for eligibility by connecting to the internet in whatever way, going to the dialer, and dialing *#*#2432546#*#* (CHECKIN).

You should receive a notification from Google Play services with "checkin succeeded" and OEM unlocking should be available immediately if the device is eligible.

Google account not needed, SIM not needed, no other setup required. Works on completely-skipped-setup-wizard. Just need to make sure to connect to the internet and select the connection as metered to avoid any updates.

Click to collapse

- Toggle USB debugging on.

- [Optional] I highly suggest you also disable Automatic system updates. Note that in a situation such as the Android 12 serious bootloader security issue, this setting will not keep Google from forcing an update to come through anyway.

7. How to actually root follows the same steps below as how to update each month.

8. Download the latest ADB/Fastboot (SDK Platform Tools) https://developer.android.com/studio/releases/platform-tools

and Windows USB Drivers https://developer.android.com/studio/run/win-usb .

9. Unzip the Platform Tools and Drivers.

10. NOTE: If you have USB drivers for other Android devices installed, like Samsung, they can alternately sometimes work and not work with Google Pixels. I recommend uninstalling those drivers, or at least updating that driver to Google's driver as instructed below (the Device Manager entry may be different with other OEMs).

11. The Windows USB Drivers may have to be installed twice:

The first time while your phone is running and unlocked as normal.

1. In Windows, right-click on the Start Button and choose Device Manager.

2. Plug your phone into the computer and look for the new hardware entry in Device Manager. Near the top of Device Manager should be Android Device. Click the drop-down arrow to the left of it.

3. Below Android Device, it should now show Android Composite ADB Interface

4. Right-click the Android Composite ADB Interface and choose Update driver

5. Choose Browse my computer for drivers

6. Click Browse and navigate to where you unzipped the Windows USB drivers to.

7. Follow the prompts to install the driver.

8. Keep Device Manager itself open - you'll need it again in a minute, but you can close any other Device Manager windows after you have installed the driver.

9. Open a Command Prompt and navigate to the platform-tools folder.

10. Run command:

Code:

adb devices

[11.] On your Android device, you'll get an ADB prompt. Check the box to always give ADB permission and click OK.

12 Confirm that the command results in a list of Android devices. When doing these producedures, you should only have the one device you want to work on connected, to keep things simple.

- The second time to install the driver is while the phone is in Bootloader (fastboot mode), notFastbootD (fastbootd) mode. I know it's confusing.

. Run command:

Code:

adb reboot bootloader

. Repeat the instructions above starting with "Right-click the Android Composite ADB Interface".

. This second time installing the drivers while in Bootloader (fastboot mode), it will show up as "Android Bootloader Interface". Thanks @simplepinoi177 for the suggestion to add this detail.

12. Run command:

Code:

fastboot flashing unlock

13. On the phone, press either the up or down volume button once until you see Unlock the bootloader |>| beside the power button.

14. Press the power button. The phone will go black for a second and then show near the bottom Device state: unlocked.

15. After these first-time steps to unlock the bootloader, if you want to root, continue below at the step:

. Download the latest Pixel 8 Pro Factory Image https://developers.google.com/android/images#husky

(at the bottom of the "Husky" section).

Factory Image / Android Flash Tool method:

1. Download the latest Pixel 8 Pro Factory Image (at the bottom of the "Husky" section).

2. Unzip the factory image to the same platform-tools folder, i.e. so that flash-all.bat and all other files are in the same folder as ADB and Fastboot from the platform-tools.

3. * FAB VERY important - Edit the flash-all.bat (on Windows) or flash-all.sh (on Linux) and remove the -w from the fastboot update image-husky-etcetera.zip line. This will keep the script from wiping your phone when you run it.

4. Extract only the init_boot.img file from the image-husky-etcetera.zip to the same platform-tools folder.

5. Copy the init_boot.img from the PC to the phone's internal storage.

6. On the phone: Apply Magisk Stable to the new stock init_boot.img. NOTE: It is always possible that an Android Update (Monthly, QPR [Quarterly Platform Release], new major Android versions, and Beta versions) might need a new version of Magisk Stable, Beta, or Canary from GitHub to work correctly.

XDA forum for Magisk is here.

- Launch the Magisk app.

- Beside "Magisk", click "Install".

- Click "Select and Patch a File", and choose the init_boot.img that you just copied to the phone's storage.

7. Copy the Magisk'd init_boot.img (filename similar to magisk_patched-25200_1a2B3c.img)back over to the computer.

[8. * FAB Run commands:]

Code:

adb reboot bootloader

flash-all.bat (on Windows)

or

flash-all.sh (on Linux)

(Note: At least two Apple Macintosh users had trouble using the flash-all.sh - at least one of those users, everything went smooth once they used a Windows PC for this part of the process)

IMPORTANT - The flash-all will take several minutes and reboot on its own several times including to a mode called "FastbootD", and finally reboot into full Android when it's done. Do not interrupt this process. On the FastbootD screen on the phone, do not use any of the manual selection options - let the flash-all script do it's work. Do not unplug your phone until it has fully booted into Android.

Thanks to @PurppleMonkey and @xgerryx for suggesting a warning about this. Thanks to @simplepinoi177 for suggesting the "FastbootD" clarification.

9. On the phone:

Wait for the phone to boot normally.

OPTIONAL: If you want to flash both slots, after this first time, then after do the following:

Code:

adb reboot bootloader

fastboot --set-active=other

flash-all.bat

So you're doing the flash-all.bat a second time on the second slot.

10. On the computer:

Open a Command Prompt and navigate to the platform-tools folder.

Run command:

Code:

adb reboot bootloader

After phone has rebooted into Bootloader (Fastboot) mode, run command:

Code:

fastboot flash init_boot magisk_patched-25200_1a2B3c.img

fastboot reboot

11. Unlock the phone.

12. Confirm that the phone boots completely normally.

13. Cautiously re-enable Magisk Modules.

14. Reboot.

15. Confirm everything worked fine.

16. If the phone won't boot correctly after having enabled Magisk Modules, see either of the two solutions below: