Pixel 9a leaks have already surfaced, however the Pixel 8a is still the latest budget Pixel phone. Pixel 8a was launched in mid-2024 which means, so it’ll be a year old soon. Now if you’re bored of the default UI and looking for some change, such as trying a new ROM, rooting your phone, or more, you can do so after unlocking the bootloader. Therefore, here’s a guide on how to unlock bootloader of Google Pixel 8a.
By default, Pixel phones come with a locked bootloader, which keeps the device secure from modification in case of theft. However, if you want to do modifications yourself, you have the option to unlock the bootloader. Unlocking the bootloader on a phone or any device give full control over your device, allowing you to root, install ROMs, custom recovery, and more.
Unlocking the bootloader isn’t a straightforward process for general users. Before you proceed, you should know that it can void your device warranty. Additionally, the bootloader unlock process will wipe all the data on device, so make sure to back it up before you start. You’ll also need adb fastboot driver on your PC for this process.
Once you know the risks and benefits, it’s time to begin the process.
Pixel 8a: Enable OEM Unlocking
To start the bootloader unlocking, first you need to enable it in developer settings which is also disabled by default. So let’s see how to enable developer options and then oem unlocking.
- Open Settings on your Pixel 8a.
- Scroll down and open About Phone. Here tap 7 times on Build Number and you will see the developer options enabled message. It may ask for your device password.
- Once the developer options is enabled, go back to Settings.
- Now go to System > Developer options. Look for OEM unlocking and enable it. Also enable USB debugging which could be useful later.
The first and easy part is done, now let’s move to the complicated part.
Unlock the bootloader of Pixel 8a
- First turn off your Google Pixel 8a.
- Now press and hold Power and Volume Down buttons together until it boot into Fastboot Mode.
- Connect your Phone and PC using the USB cable.
- Extract the platform tools folder containing fastboot driver that you downloaded earlier. Then open the command window or terminal from the same location. On windows enter CMD in the location bar while on Mac, you can right click and choose ‘New terminal at folder.’
- To check if your phone is connected with PC, you can enter the following command, you should see device id in return.
- Windows: fastboot devices
- Mac/Linux: ./fastboot devices
- To unlock the bootload, enter the following command:
- Windows: fastboot flashing unlock
- Mac/Linux: ./fastboot flashing unlock
- You will see options on your Phone, using volume buttons make sure to select “unlock the bootloader” and press the power button.
- This will remove all data and unlock the bootloader of your Pixel 8a.
- After unlocking bootloader enter the below command to reboot to system
- fastboot reboot (use ./fastboot reboot on Mac and Linux)
- Now you have unlocked bootloader of your Pixel 8a.
So this is how to unlock the bootloader of Google Pixel 8a. This process will also work for other Pixel devices running recent Android versions. Once the bootloader is unlocked, you can root your phone or install custom ROMs. If you have any questions, feel free to ask in the comments.
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