Recently Google released the first beta of Android 14 for eligible Pixel phones. Pixel users can easily apply for the beta program to test the Android 14 early build. Non-Pixel users can also upgrade to Android 14 beta via GSI.
If you have already upgraded your phone to Android 14 for testing or other reasons but now want to go back to Android 13, then this guide is for you. Here you will get to know how to downgrade from Android 14 to Android 13.
Android 14 is in the early testing phase and may include minor and major bugs. These bugs can be the main reason for many users to downgrade. Other big reasons could be that you don’t need to test Android 14 anymore or you don’t like Android 14. So whatever be the reason you can downgrade your phone.
In this guide, we will talk about the downgrade methods for Pixel phones. For non-Pixel phones, the process is different OEM wise. That’s why it’s best to follow a specific guide for a specific brand device.
Downgrade Android 14 to Android 13
Two of the best things about Pixel phones are the regular updates and the ease of upgrading/downgrading. Downgrading is easy, just like upgrading to a new build. There are several ways you can try to downgrade your Pixel phone. Before we begin the process, here are some of the requirements you will need to go through.
Pre-requisites:
- Google USB Drivers
- Pixel Phone and USB Cable
- Android Flash Tool (for 2nd method)
- Android Platform Tools
- The second and third methods work if bootloader is unlocked
- Back up your data
Method 1: Leave Beta Program
This is the first and easiest method to downgrade from the Android 14 beta to Android 13 stable version. Here’s what you have to do.
- On your PC, head over to the Android Beta Program page.
- Log in with your Google account and then click on the Eligible Devices option.
- When you see your device, select it and click on Opt-Out.
- Now, all you need to do is wait until you receive an update to roll back to the previous stable version of Android 13.
- Installing the previous update will wipe your device data. So ensure that your files are all backed up so that you can restore them later.
Method 2: Use Android Flash Tool
In the second method, we are going to use the official Android Flash Tool from Google. It can be used right within your web browser. To roll back to the Android 13 stable build from the Android 14 beta, you can use the tool for an easy downgrade. You won’t have to wait to receive the Android 13 update if you are following the second or third method.
- Make sure that you have installed the required USB drivers on your PC.
- Enable Developer Options on your phone (Settings > About Phone > Tap on build number 7 times). Then enable USB Debugging and OEM Unlocking in Developer Options.
- Connect your Google Pixel to the PC via the USB cable.
- Now on your web browser, head over to the Android Flash Tool. ie flash.android.com.
- On the welcome screen, click on the blue Get Started button.
- Grant the ADB access between your PC and Pixel.
- Next, you need to click on Add New Device and then choose your Pixel device from the list.
- Allow the Computer to access your Pixel device by accepting the Always allow from this Computer pop-up message.
- Now, choose the option on your PC that says Back to Public build.
- And finally, click on the Install Build button to begin the installation.
- Once the Android 13 stable build has been installed, your Pixel device will reboot to Android 13 immediately.
Here is the detailed guide to using Android Flash Tool.
Method 3: Downgrade via Fastboot
The third and final method to downgrade Android 14 beta to Android 13 stable is by manually flashing the latest stable version of Android 13 on your Google Pixel phone.
- First, download the latest available Android SDK Platform tools for your PC.
- Download them to a location where they can be easily accessed and also unzip the files.
- Next, download the latest version of Android 13 from here for your phone. Make sure that you download the right build for the device.
- On your Pixel ensure that you have enabled OEM Unlocking and USB Debugging. This can be enabled via the Developer Options menu in the Settings app.
- Now connect your Google Pixel to the PC using the USB data cable.
- Open the Platform Tools folder on your PC. And in the folder address bar, simply type in cmd and hit the enter key to open command prompt.
- Reboot your Pixel device to bootloader by typing in:
adb reboot bootloader
- Unzip the factory image file content into the same platform tools folder. If you extracted it in a different folder, copy its content to Platform tools folder.
- Now double click on flash-all.bat file on your Windows PC. But if you have Mac/Linux, go back to the command prompt window and type in:
flash-all
- The Android 13 will now install on your Pixel. Do not close or touch your PC or Pixel device until the process has been completed.
- Once it’s done relock the bootloader if you want to. You will not receive an OTA update if bootloader is unlocked.
- Now you can go ahead and set up your device and restore all data that was earlier backed up.
The fastboot method is explained in detail on this page.
So this is how to downgrade Pixel from Android 14 beta to Android 13. These methods are simple and easy and you can choose any method that works perfectly for you. Whatever method you choose, backing up your data is super important. We hope this guide has helped you understand things and if you have queries, feel free to leave them in the comments section below.
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