How to Root Google Pixel 4a and Unlock Bootloader [Guide]

Google has released the most awaited budget Pixel 4a phone that comes at a surprising price. It gained popularity after the price leaks as no other phone offers a great Camera setup like Pixel 4a at the same price. And if you are the lucky owner of Google Pixel 4a and want to explore something new on your phone. Then this guide is for you. Here you will know how to root Google Pixel 4a and how to unlock bootloader of Pixel 4a.

Before we jump into the steps let’s check some of its main specifications. Google Pixel 4a comes with a sleek design featuring a 5.81-inch FHD+ OLED display. It is a Pixel device so no need to mention the software version as it always will be running on the latest version. The device packs with Snapdragon 730 processor for good performance. It is only available in 6GB RAM and 128GB UFS 2.1 storage. 

Now coming to the main department, the device has a 12.2MP main camera. It may seem that it is not a spec of a good camera but hey it’s a Pixel device and they always perform unbelievable in the camera department. The phone also has a single 8MP front camera which is great as any flagship device. And another great thing about the Pixel 4a is that we can root the phone. And we will share how to root along with Pixel 4a unlock bootloader guide.

How to Root Google Pixel 4a

As you already know Google phones run on stock Android which offers stability and performance but lacks when it comes to customization. And if you want to include customization without affecting the clean UI and performance then you can root your device.

Rooting brings a lot of advanced options to an Android phone like support for custom fonts, different boot animations, third party themes, and a lot more. Well, there are more advantages of root that we may not understand but they exist. Some of us only use root access for some basic features whereas root access is super useful for developers in many ways.

And if you are a fan of Xposed modules then you know the root access is required to install Xposed Framework. And so rooting Pixel 4a will allow you to get most out of the Xposed framework. But rooting is only possible if the bootloader is unlocked. So first we will share how to unlock bootloader of Pixel 4a and then we will move to the rooting steps.

Google Pixel 4a Unlock Bootloader

Like other Android phones, Google phones also come with locked bootloader. And so first we need to go through the unlocking process. Google allows its users to unlock bootloader without going through any application process and without any tools. So if you are planning to root your Pixel 4a then make sure to go through the process without skipping any steps.

  1. Open Settings on your Pixel 4a and go to System > About phone and tap 7 times on ‘Build Number’ to enable developer options.
  2. Go back to System and open Developer options.
  3. In developer options, enable OEM Unlocking & USB Debugging. Google Pixel 4a Unlock Bootloader
  4. Now boot your Pixel 4a into Fastboot Mode or Bootloader Mode (Power off your phone then hold Volume Down + Power button together). Then connect your phone to PC using a USB cable.
  5. Open Command Window/CMD on your PC (PowerShell may not work so use CMD).
  6. Enter the below command to unlock bootloader on Pixel 4a
    • fastboot flashing unlock
  7. The above command prompt options on your phone. Navigate to ‘Unlock bootloader’ using Volume buttons and use the Power button to select it.
  8. It will erase all the data and unlock the bootloader on your phone.
  9. After unlocking bootloader enter the below command to reboot to system
    • fastboot reboot
  10. Set up your phone and Enjoy.

Once you have successfully unlocked the bootloader of your Pixel 4a, then you are ready to root your device. The tough part is over and the left part is all easy. But make sure to follow the steps correctly after going through the set of requirements.

Prerequisites

Steps to Root Google Pixel 4a

  1. Install the Magisk Manager App on your phone and update it to the latest version.
  2. Extract the platform tools zip on PC.
  3. Extract the downloaded Factory Image and copy boot.img to the phone storage.
  4. Open Magisk Manager App and click Install > Install. How to root google Pixel 4a
  5. Then choose the option ‘Select and Patch a File’ and select the boot.img. How to root google Pixel 4a
  6. It will start patching the boot file and the patched boot image will be saved to the download folder.
  7. Copy the patched boot image to the extracted platform tools folder and rename the patched boot image to boot.img.
  8. Copy the location of platform tools where boot.img is located i.e platform tools folder. How to root google Pixel 4a
  9. Open CMD and then paste the location after cd and enter
    • cd location
  10. Power off your phone. Then press & hold Volume Down + Power button together to boot into Fastboot Mode.
  11. Connect the Phone to PC while in Fastboot Mode and enter the below command to get the current active slot
    • fastboot getvar current-slot
  12. It will return the current slot (A or B), remember it.
  13. Now enter the below command. Make sure to replace the letter word below in command with A or B that you got with command in Step 11.
    • fastboot flash boot_letter boot.img
  14. Reboot your phone using the below command
    • fastboot reboot
  15. Your Pixel 4a is now rooted. Open Magisk Manager and complete the App instructions, if it commands.

Now you can access all the root features on your Pixel 4a. Such as you can remove pre-installed apps without any problem with any third party apps. And you can also install system-wide Ad blockers to remove ads from most of the apps.

So there you have it, the complete guide on how to root Pixel 4a and how to unlock the bootloader of Pixel 4a. In case of any queries, do let us know in the comment section.

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AUTHOR.

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Ashutosh singh

Computer Science graduate and tech enthusiast. Love testing new tech gadgets ever since my first windows phone from Samsung. Working as a technical writer for more than five years, and I believe I have also developed good SEO skills. In my spare time, I like watching movies, and playing games.

5 thoughts on “How to Root Google Pixel 4a and Unlock Bootloader [Guide]”

  1. Will your method work? or will there be another method? Also, do you think someone will develop a custom recovery for the pixel 4a, or is it not possible because of the security of the phone?

    Reply

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