If you’re not happy with the most recent version of Android 11 Developer Preview on your Google Pixel, it’s probably music to your ears knowing that you can downgrade your operating system to a stable Android 10 version if you are having major problems.
We showed you how to install the first developer preview, so it’s only fair that we show you how to downgrade from this experimental version of Android.
However, there are a few things you will need to do before you can downgrade to a stable Android 10 version. First, make sure to back up all of your data before you even try. You will lose data because this method requires cleaning the device and your device will be wiped several times during this process.
This guide is also suitable for Windows users, so the process may vary for those using MacOS or Linux.
How to downgrade from Android 11 developer preview on Google Pixel
- Download and install the Android SDK tools
- Enable USB debugging and OEM unlock
- Download the latest compatible factory image
- Boot into the device’s boot loader
- Unlock the bootloader
- Enter the flash command
- Relock bootloader (optional)
- Restart your phone
1. Download and install the Android SDK Platform-Tools package
You will need to use ADB or Android Debug Bridge to downgrade your current Android version to an older version. We recommend that you install the unzipped platform tools package on your desktop for quick access when executing orders. You can download the latest platform tools zip file here.
2. Activate USB debugging and OEM unlocking
First, make sure the developer options are enabled on your Pixel, you can do that by going to Settings on your device> About phone, now press “Build number” until ‘a message confirms that the developer options are activated.
Now you need to head to Settings> System> Advanced> Developer Options (you may need to develop a hidden menu for this). Before we are ready to continue, you will need to scroll down and activate “OEM unlock” because it’s part of the next steps. Now scroll slightly lower “Debugging” section and press the “Allow USB debugging” option.
3. Download the factory image for your device
This is necessary for the downgrade process from Android 11. You will need to download the correct factory image for your device. It is basically a blank slate for your smartphone or a snapshot of that particular Android version at that time. You can get it from Google’s Factory Image OTA hosting site, which contains all Factory images for Pixel and Nexus devices.
You will need to add this file and unzip its contents to the platform-tools folder to access it later.
Note: Do not extract to an internal sub-folder, just extract all the files in the main folder of the tool platform.
4. Boot into the device’s boot loader
This can be done in two ways. The easiest way is to connect your device to your Windows PC and open the platform-tools folder and type “cmd” in the address bar of your file manager. This will open a command prompt window in the right place, now enter the following command to start the adb daemon:
adb reboot bootloader
Your Pixel device will now load into the bootloader, where we will need to send commands.
Alternatively, you can press and hold the power button and the volume down key until you see the lying Android figure. You must now briefly press and hold the power button and the volume up button before releasing the volume up button. Using the up and down volume buttons, you can scroll to select “enter fastboot”.
5. Unlock the bootloader
Unlocking the boot loader is necessary for the flashing process, because unfortunately you can’t flash a factory image and downgrade your Android version using the slightly simpler ADB side loading method. It is a fairly simple process however. When using your command line interface, enter the following command:
fastboot flashing unlock
You will get a slightly intimidating message on your screen warning you that unlocking the bootloader can cause device instability. Using the physical volume keys, choose the option “Unlock the bootloader” and confirm your selection by pressing the power button. Restart your Pixel, as this process will erase your smartphone.
We will also have to skip the device boot process to re-enable USB debugging in preparation for the next step. Once you’ve done that, make sure your Pixel is connected to your PC, and you’ll need to re-enter the bootloader on your device with the following command:
adb reboot bootloader
6. Enter the flash command
With all your Factory Image files extracted in the platform-tools folder and accessible. You can now execute the following command:
flash-all
Your Pixel will now begin the Android downgrade process, which will take a few minutes. Leave the command prompt window open and when the process is complete, you will see a completion message.
7. Re-lock the bootloader (optional)
This is an optional step, but it is necessary if you want to get future OTA updates. Otherwise, you will see a pop-up splash screen with a warning each time you restart your device.
You’ll have to start the device setup process again which you can basically ignore. From there, go back and re-enable USB debugging from step 2 – your bootloader is unlocked, so the OEM unlock should be grayed out.
Reconnect your device to your Windows PC and open your platform-tools folder and reopen a command prompt window using “cmd”. Enter the following command to quickly load into your device’s boot loader:
adb reboot bootloader
We can now relock the bootloader by entering the following:
fastboot flashing lock
On your Pixel, using the volume keys, scroll to the option “lock the bootloader” and press the power button to accept. Once confirmed, “locked” will appear on the screen in the bootloader menu.
Note: This process will erase your device once more after you restart your Pixel.
8. Restart your phone
You can now disconnect your device and reboot as you have successfully upgraded from the developer overview of Android 11 to Android 10. It should now load in the device setup process, allowing you to register and sign in. enjoy your stable Android version.
It should also be noted that this method will work if you want to upgrade from Android 10 to Android Pie on devices such as Pixel 2 and Pixel 3. We do not recommend doing so, as this leads to security risks and issues. If you choose to switch from one Android version to another, you do so at your own risk.
Dylan Roussel and Kyle Bradshaw contributed to this guide.
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