How to downgrade from Android 15 back to Android 14 on Google Pixel [Video]

Google has a amount of methods for users and developers to test the most up-to-date Android builds. In 2024 that’s Android 15. Whereas it is yet to be on hand as section of public beta builds, the ongoing Developer Preview will even be fraught with bugs and disorders. Here’s how to downgrade from Android 15 back to Android 14 on your phone.

In the pastime of helping you secure to the bottom of complications, this information is aimed at Android 15. All links and information are related to this Android secure. Now we appreciate a selection of guides for older versions that supply assist and advice on how to downgrade your Android phone as required. You would per chance even secure them here:

• Android Fundamentals: How to sideload OTA updates on your Google Pixel [Video]
• How to downgrade from Android 14 back to Android 13 on Google Pixel [Video]
• How to downgrade from Android 13 back to Android 12 on Google Pixel [Video]

All of these guides are virtually identical to what you is per chance about to read. The core job has no longer modified since 2016, but does encompass some foolproof methods that Google has added over the years to assist individuals that came upon the job advanced or confusing. The Android Flash Tool makes it trim easy to flash factory photographs on your Pixel without messing around with this job.

In uncover for you to try Android 15 on your instrument before the paunchy bag unencumber later this 12 months, now we appreciate a to hand information on how to sideload the most up-to-date replace on your instrument on hand here. Due to the a amount of give a rob to windows for the Google Pixel collection, Android 15 is officially on hand for Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Professional, Pixel 6a, Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Professional, Pixel 7a, Pixel Fold, Pixel Tablet, Pixel 8, and Pixel 8 Professional.

Whereas you may per chance also very well be soft operating Android 15 Developer Preview and Beta builds, having the flexibility to poke back to bag Android 14 is per chance required to squash some bugs or restore balance on your phone. There are some limitations to all of our listed methods.

Backup your information

You need to back up all of your information before even trying this. You WILL lose your instrument information, as this system requires a FULL instrument wipe, and this can even very well be wiped several situations for the duration of this job.

Fast system 1 : Unenroll from the Beta

A trim immediate arrangement to secure your phone back to the bag replace channel for the duration of the public preview phase is to unenroll from the beta. The dedicated Android 15 Beta net page will demonstrate any gadgets which would be eligible to be a part of the public preview, while also permitting you to opt out of future updates.

Staunch tap the “Decide out” button and this could send an OTA replace to your instrument. Alternatively, this OTA will totally wipe the full information on your phone and then install the most up-to-date public or bag version of Android.

Whereas you happen to is per chance operating any developer preview builds on your Google Pixel, sadly, this immediate system is no longer on hand, but you’re going to secure out about a notification to confirm this. Whereas you happen to is per chance operating a developer preview secure, you’ll need to use this information.

The quickest manual system to downgrade your phone from any version of Android to one more supported version on your instrument is to use the Android Flash Tool. It works from your browser and requires gorgeous about a easy things from you. Skip to Step 6a of this information to commence.

You’ll desire a tool called ADB (Android Debug Bridge). To use ADB without teach, bag the platform-tools equipment on your pc and unzip it. This would well present you with immediate secure entry to to the mandatory commands. You would per chance even bag the most up-to-date platform-tools zip file from here.

Alternatively, Nexus Tools from Corbin Davenport offers a really easy arrangement to make sure that that you appreciate the very most up-to-date version of Platform-Tools on your Home windows, Mac, or Linux machine in any appreciate situations. Nexus Tools has been written in Trudge, so it goes to flee on Linux, macOS, Home windows, Home windows Subsystem for Linux, and Chrome OS. Once Nexus Tools is done, you may per chance also flee adb, fastboot, and other commands with zero complications or disorders.

We highly recommend the usage of Nexus Tools ought to you is per chance the usage of an M-collection Mac. Concerns can come up with the PATH file and this negates any disorders that a amateur could perchance stumble on.

2. Enable USB debugging and OEM unlocking

On the origin, before we can provoke any other portion of the Andoid 15 downgrade job you’ll need to make sure that that you appreciate Developer Options enabled on your Pixel. You would per chance even enact that by heading to your instrument Settings> About phone, now tap “Accomplish amount” until a message confirms that you appreciate Developer options enabled.

Now you will want to head to Settings> Machine> Developed> Developer options (you appreciate gotten to make bigger a hidden menu for this). Prior to we are ready to continue, you’re going to need to scroll down and enable “OEM unlocking” as that is integral for extra steps. Now scroll a runt of extra down to the “Debugging” section and tap the “Enable USB debugging” option.

3. Download the Factory Image for your instrument

Downgrading to Android 15 requires a Factory Image for your particular Pixel phone. Consider it as a total instrument reinstall, containing the total information wished for that staunch Android version. Fortunately, Google offers them all on their Factory Image OTA net online net page hosting place of dwelling.

You have to to add this file and unzip its contents to the platform-tools folder for later secure entry to.

^{Screen: Conclude no longer extract into an inner sub-folder, gorgeous extract all information into the vital platform-tools folder.}

4. Boot into instrument bootloader

This would well be done in a pair of methods. The arrangement in which is to connect your instrument to your Home windows PC and initiate the platform-tools folder and form “cmd” into your file supervisor address bar, then press the Enter key. This would well initiate a Uncover Immediate window within the correct place of dwelling.

On Mac, correct-click on on unzipped platform-tools folder and within the mini-menu click on Companies> Unusual Terminal at Folder.

Take a look at in case your instrument is connected and identified by your PC or Mac by entering the next inform:

Home windows: adb gadgets

Mac: ./adb gadgets

The Machine ID will doubtless be listed in case your Pixel is connected efficiently. This would well be precious at identifying cables which would be no longer safe for this job. Together with your instrument totally connected, enter the next inform to commence the adb daemon:

Home windows: adb reboot bootloader

Mac: ./adb reboot bootloader

Your Pixel instrument will now load into the bootloader, which is where we’ll need to be to send some commands.

Alternatively, you may per chance also press and abet the Energy button and quantity down key until you secure out concerning the Android resolve mendacity down. Now you’re going to need to press and abet the flexibility button and quantity up button mercurial before releasing the quantity up key. Using the up and down quantity buttons, you may per chance also scroll to select “enter fastboot.”

5. Unlock the bootloader

To downgrade from Android 15 to an older secure the usage of a Factory Image, you’ll need to unencumber your phone’s bootloader. Unlike the more uncomplicated ADB sideloading system, flashing a Factory Image requires this extra step. Here is a graceful easy job, though. When the usage of your inform-line interface, enter the next inform:

Home windows: fastboot flashing unlock

Mac: ./fastboot flashing unlock

You would per chance even secure a reasonably daunting message on your inform warning you that unlocking the bootloader could perchance field off instrument instability. Using the physical quantity keys, resolve the “Unlock the bootloader” option and confirm your selection by pressing the flexibility button. Restart your Pixel, as this job will wipe your smartphone.

We can even need to skip the instrument startup job to re-enable USB Debugging in preparation for your next step. Once you appreciate got done so, make sure that your Pixel is connected to your PC, and you’ll need to enter the bootloader on your instrument with the next inform again:

Home windows: adb reboot bootloader

Mac: ./adb reboot bootloader

6a. Enter the flash inform

With all of your Factory Image information extracted into the platform-tools folder and accessible. You would per chance even now flee the next inform (together with your initiate Uncover Immediate/PowerShell window):

Home windows: flash-all

Mac: ./flash-all.sh

Please demonstrate that M-collection Macs can stumble on disorders with this system as favorite. You would per chance even try to secure to the bottom of this by the usage of a USB hub and connecting your instrument. Alternatively, we recommend the usage of the Android Flash Tool system when the usage of an M1, M2, or M3-powered Mac instrument except you install Nexus Tools.

Your Pixel will now originate the job of downgrading Android 15 Developer Preview back to Android 14, which can and could perchance rob a brief while. Scurry away the Uncover Immediate window initiate and when the job has done, you’re going to secure out about a completion message.

For a more uncomplicated downgrade experience from Android 15, try Google’s Android Flash Tool. It works straight in your Chrome browser, replacing complex inform traces with a consumer-friendly interface. Downgrading with this tool is a walk ought to you’ve done the outdated steps – but these steps are pointless because the tool can automate this job.

Connect your Pixel to your pc by technique of USB-C cable and head to the dedicated firmware net page for your particular instrument. You would per chance even secure the suppose links for all eligible gadgets below:

In discovering the correct secure or the secure that you resolve on for your particular handset and click on on the “Flash” hyperlink, which is came upon alongside the secure “Version.” Doing this could now originate the Android Flash Tool net page, and the firmware you appreciate got chosen will automatically be loaded and fascinating to be place in on your instrument.

Tapping the “Web Began” button will provoke a pop-up you’re going to need to settle for to allow ADB secure entry to. This also system that your Pixel will secure a arrangement to talk together with your pc and the downgrade job from Android 15 back to Android 14 (or one more on hand instrument secure) can commence.

A brand new net page will seem explaining the steps (which now we appreciate detailed above). From here click on the “Add a new instrument” button and offered that your smartphone is connected and within the prerequisite Recovery mode, it ought to be identified. Pick out your Pixel and double-verify if the instrument secure is the one you will want to install. Additionally from here, you may per chance also relock the bootloader without desiring to use inform line too — saving time as section of this job. Whereas you happen to’re entirely happy click on “Install” and then “I settle for” when the “License Agreement” dialog box appears.

This installation job ought to now rob a brief while, but make sure that that your instrument is securely connected and would now not disconnect for the duration of this job. You’ll be greeted with a new net page that confirms “Machine efficiently up to date” while your Pixel ought to now boot into the instrument that you appreciate selected.

7. Relock the bootloader (optional)

Here is an optional step but is wished ought to you would love to secure future OTA updates.

Whereas you happen to select to steer certain of locking the bootloader after downgrading Android 15, you’ll secure out about a pop-up splash show masks with a warning while you reboot your instrument.

For these the usage of the Android Flash Tool, there could be a fine toggle that can rob care of this for you (as favorite above). Whereas you happen to’ve got done this already, you may per chance also skip this step entirely.

You have to to struggle through the instrument setup job again, you can per chance also skip wholesale. From here, poke back and re-enable USB debugging from step No. 2 — your bootloader is unlocked so OEM unlocking ought to be grayed out.

Walk your instrument back into your Home windows PC and initiate your platform-tools folder and reopen a Uncover Immediate window the usage of the “cmd.” Enter the next inform to mercurial load into your instrument bootloader:

Home windows: adb reboot bootloader

Mac: ./adb reboot bootloader

Now we can re-lock the bootloader by entering the next:

Home windows: fastboot flashing lock

Mac: ./fastboot flashing lock

On your Pixel, the usage of the quantity keys, scroll to the “lock the bootloader” option and tap the flexibility button to settle for. When confirmed, “locked” will seem on show masks at some level of the bootloader menu. 

_{Screen: This job will wipe your instrument an additional time once you reboot your Pixel.}

8. Reboot your phone

Downgrade total! Disconnect your instrument and reboot. You’ve efficiently returned to Android 14 (no more Developer Preview, Beta, and even the bag Android 15). After a brief setup job, you may per chance also revel in your familiar and bag Android experience again.

Whereas you happen to’ve got or stumble on disorders then be particular to try a particular USB-C cable. In some circumstances, now we appreciate considered complaints from individuals the usage of USB-C to C cables. Now we appreciate came upon that USB-A to C cables are more legit but that can depend on whether or no longer you use Home windows or Mac OS. On some M-collection Macs, you may additionally need to bridge the connection with a USB-C hub or something an identical. Most regularly, plugging straight into your machine will even be problematic.

You would per chance even additionally use this job tot to downgrade from Android 15 to even older builds on well suited Pixel phones. So long as your phone shipped with an older operating machine, it is doable.

Alternatively, there’s a mandatory exception for Pixel 6, 6 Professional, and 6a due to anti-rollback safety features. These phones can’t downgrade back to Android 12, even supposing that’s what they shipped with. Once you replace to Android 13 or later, you won’t secure a arrangement to poke back on the Pixel 6 collection. The correct information is that this limitation applies only to these particular Pixel items. Downgrading to older supported versions is always doable for all other Pixel gadgets.

• Pixel 6 collection can’t poke back to Android 12 after updating to Android 13 due to security vulnerability

We enact no longer recommend rolling back gadgets to older builds except you don’t appreciate any other option. This would well bring about rather a lot of instrument security dangers and extra doubtless instrument disorders. That acknowledged, ought to you enact resolve to downgrade from one Android version to one more, then you enact so at your beget threat. On older builds, the Pixel 4 will even lose secure entry to to Face Unlocking ought to you poke back from Android 11 to Android 10.

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