How to Root Google Pixel 6 Pro and Unlock Bootloader

Google Pixel 6 series is the latest Pixel phone series released in October 2021. Unlike the Pixel 5 phones, Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro are flagship Android phones. Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 pro come with advanced features that make it one of the best phones till now. If you own a Pixel 6 or Pixel 6 Pro and want to root the device, then here you will know how to root Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro. We will also share how to unlock bootloader of Pixel 6 phones.

Google Pixel 6 is one of the big highlights of this year and also one of the most hyped phones. The major advancement is done in the device camera and Google’s own Tensor chip. The Pro variant features a big 6.7-inch 120Hz QHD+ display and the vanilla model features a 6.4-inch 90Hz FHD+ display. And both displays are protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus. Both phones come with first gen Google Tensor chips.

Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro have a 50MP Quad Bayer wide camera and a 12MP ultrawide camera. The Pro variant has another rear camera of 48MP and it is a telephoto lens. At the front, the vanilla has an 8MP camera and the Pro model has an 11.1MP camera. Now, these are flagship specifications and you can expect a massive performance. But to get additional advanced features you always have the option to root. Yes, you can root Pixel 6 phones. Here you will also know how to unlock bootloader of Pixel 6 Pro.

How to Root Pixel 6 Pro

Rooting Pixel phones is not hard as rooting Samsung phones, but as Pixel 6 Pro comes with Android 12 which brings different boot versions, you may have to follow a few additional steps to root Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro. As Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 pro follow the same procedure, you can use this guide to root both Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro. As you know for rooting any phone, we also need to unlock the bootloader. So let’s first check how to unlock bootloader of Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro.

Google Pixel 6 Pro Unlock Bootloader

Google introduced the bootloader feature long back that restricts users from modifying the device. It means as long as the bootloader is locked you cannot root your phone or install a custom ROM. Luckily the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro follows the same method as other Pixel phones. It is an easy and quick method. Before unlocking bootloader you should know that it will delete data and also it will void the warranty of your phone (you can also relock the bootloader). Now let’s see how to unlock bootloader of Pixel 6 phones.

  1. First take a full backup of your phone as the unlock process will remove all data from the phone.
  2. Now on your Pixel 6, open Settings and go to System > About Phone and tap Build Number 7 times to enable developer options.
  3. Go back to System and then navigate to Advanced > Developer options.
  4. In developer options, enable OEM Unlocking & USB Debugging.
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  5. Now boot your Pixel 6 / 6 Pro 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. You can also use adb reboot bootloader command.
  6. Open Command Window/CMD on your PC (PowerShell may not work so use CMD).
  7. Enter the below command to initiate unlock bootloader on Pixel 6.
    • fastboot flashing unlock
  8. The above command will show options on your phone. Navigate to ‘Unlock bootloader‘ using Volume buttons and use the Power button to select it.
  9. It will erase all the data and unlock the bootloader on your Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro.
  10. After unlocking bootloader enter the below command to reboot to system
    • fastboot reboot
  11. Now you have unlocked bootloader of your Pixel 6/Pixel 6 Pro.

Now after unlocking the bootloader, you can check the status in developer options. It will show OEM unlocking enabled by default after reset. Once the bootloader is unlocked, you can proceed with rooting steps.

Prerequisites

  • Download Magisk App (Magisk 23011 recommended) [Magisk 23001+ should work fine]
  • Take a full backup of phone’s data (To restore if anything goes wrong)
  • Install ADB & Fastboot drivers on PC
  • Download latest Android SDK Platform-Tools
  • Download Factory Image for Pixel 6/Pixel 6 Pro (Version should be similar to that running on your phone)
  • You need to follow additional steps to get hide root from apps

Steps to Root Google Pixel 6 Pro with Magisk

  1. Install the recommended Magisk App on your phone.
  2. Extract the platform tools zip on PC.
  3. Extract the downloaded Factory Image and then extract raven-image zip or oriole-image zip. Copy the boot.img to the phone storage.
  4. Open the Magisk app and click on Install which is available next to Magisk.
    How to Root Pixel 5a
  5. Then choose the option ‘Select and Patch a File’ and select the boot.img.
    How to Root Pixel 5a 5G
  6. It will start patching the boot file. The output will be saved to the download folder with name magisk_patched.img.
  7. Copy the patched boot image to the extracted platform tools folder and rename the patched boot image to boot.img. Also copy the vbmeta.img from extracted firmware to the platform tools folder.
  8. Now open CMD in the platform tools folder (type CMD in the address bar of file explorer and press enter).
    unlock bootloader of Pixel 5a
  9. Power off your phone. Then press & hold Volume Down + Power button together to boot into Fastboot Mode.
  10. Once your Pixel 6 phone enters fastboot mode, enter the below command to flash vbmeta.
    • fastboot flash --disable-verity --disable-verification vbmeta vbmeta.img
  11. If it asks for data wipe, do it. Now boot your phone into the patched boot image using given commands
    • fastboot boot boot.img
  12. Your phone will boot into the system. Open Magisk app and click on Install > Direct Install.
  13. Once the install process is done, click on Reboot.
  14. Your Pixel 6/Pixel 6 Pro phone will now boot with permanent root access.

Now if you want to bypass root check for apps that do now work on rooted phones, then you can follow this guide.

After rooting your Pixel 6 or Pixel 6 Pro, you can use all the apps and features that require root access. Also, you can enjoy all the Xposed Modules for advanced customization if Riru is supported for the Magisk version you are using. Check out the guide to install Xposed Framework.

So there you have it, the complete guide on how to root Pixel 6 Pro and how to unlock the bootloader of Pixel 6 Pro. 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.

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