The Android community loves the Google Pixel series as it is the first to get the latest update of the Android operating system. The Google Pixel series is known for its pure Android experience that offers no lag whatsoever. Although the Pixel 2 software experience is flawless, problems or issues sometimes arise. It mostly happens when you get into trouble installing custom firmware or ROM. If you have somehow corrupted your operating system and it fails to boot. The solution is to install stock firmware on Pixel 2. This process is called applying a resue OTA to fix Pixel 2 stuck at the boot loop or on Google Logo.
Many people who have ever used Android have had a modified Android OS on their smartphones. For example, Huawei and Samsung have a modified version of Android on their phones. But, unfortunately, that spoils the overall image of the Android, which is that it lags and is slow.Â
Install stock firmware on Pixel 2 by applying rescue OTA
This guide is for users with Windows Operating systems on their machines; you can also perform the same steps according to your operating system. Don’t forget to change c:\ to ~/ on Linux and MAC machines.
In this guide, we will look into the whole process of how to install stock firmware on Pixel 2 step by step. Furthermore, we will perform actions on the computer and your pixel device concurrently.
First, on your Computer:
- You will have to install ADB and FASTBOOT to configure these utilities’ proper functionality.
- Now open Command Prompt on your computer. (For Linux and MAX, open the terminal window)
- The next step is to open the device manager. (right-click on the Windows icon on the bottom left of your screenÂ
Now, on your Pixel:
Boot the Pixel into Fastboot Mode.
- This can be done by first powering off the Pixel.
- Pressing and holding both Power and Volume Down simultaneously.
- You should see a green android on his back and Start in green with an arrow pointing toward the Power button.
Now let’s move on to the guide on how to install stock firmware on Pixel 2:
- At this point, do a test to see if drivers are installed correctly on the computer. Next, attach the USB cable between the computer and the Pixel. Device Manager should now show an entry for Android Phone with a sub-entry of Android Bootloader Interface (Not applicable to MAC
and Linux). - In the command prompt on the computer from step 2, enter the command fastboot devices. If you see a response with the serial number of your Pixel, then all is good, and proceed.
- If it doesn’t show you your phone’s serial number, then further work is required on the computer to get the necessary drivers installed, so do not proceed further and ask for assistance.
- Remove the USB cable between the computer and the Pixel.
- Tap Volume Down until you see “Recovery Mode” in the arrow, then tap Power once to select it.
- You will see the Google logo for a few seconds, followed by a green android on his back with “No command” underneath. Next, press and hold the Power button, tap Volume Up once, and then release the Power button.
NOTE: If your device starts rebooting at this point, your only recourse is to contact your place of purchase about a warranty replacement or repair. - You are now on the Android Recovery screen. On the third line at the top of the screen, you will see something that looks like this: 7.1 / NDE63V / 3389651
- The middle one is your current Build Number. Make a note of this as the Rescue OTA you need corresponds to this one or a more recent one. (NOTE: You cannot install an older one than your current Build Number.)
- Tap Volume Down until the entry “Apply Update from ADB” is highlighted, then tap Power to select it. Your Pixel is now waiting to receive the OTA file.
- Attach the USB cable between the computer and the Pixel. Device Manager should now show an entry for Android Phone with a sub-entry for Android ADB Interface (Not applicable to MAC and Linux).
- Enter the command ADB devices in the command prompt on the computer from step 2. If you see a response with the serial number of your Pixel, then all is good, and proceed. If you do not see this, then further work is required on the computer to get the required drivers
installed, so do not proceed further and ask for assistance.
On the Computer:
- Create the folder c:\MyPixel (on a MAC or Linux ~/MyPixel).
- Download the OTA for the Build Number you want to use from here.
- Note: There are several release streams for Pixel phones. Ensure you pick the correct one based on your situation:
- When the download finishes, click on “Open Folder” at the bottom of the browser window. This will open Windows File Explorer. Next, Right-click on the highlighted file you just downloaded, click Cut, select the folder c:\MyPixel, right-click again and click Paste to move the OTA zip file into c:\MyPixel (For MAC and Linux, drag the file to ~/MyPixel).
- If the Pixel Apply Update from ADB timed out (step 12), then re-initiate it.
- Enter a command similar to the following (this example is for Everywhere Else). Still, the highlighted filename will be the one you pasted into the MyPixel directory in step 16 (don’t forget the .zip extension in the command):
For a Pixel:adb sideload c:\MyPixel\ sailfish-ota-ppr2.180905.006-18857afc.zip
For a Pixel XL:
adb sideload c:\MyPixel\ marlin-ota-ppr2.180905.006-809f6887.zip
(NOTE: For MAC or Linux, change c:\ to ~/ and \ to /)
Progress messages should now appear on both the computer and the Pixel. Be patient as there can be several minutes before any progress messages appear. If there are any errors, do not proceed further and ask for assistance. That is all you have to do on your computer while trying to install stock firmware on Pixel 2.
On the Pixel
The line “Reboot system now” should be highlighted when the update finishes. Tap Power
once to initiate a reboot. After the reboot, your Pixel should be back in operation.
That’s all about installing stock firmware on Pixel 2, which is also called installing rescue firmware. If you have any questions regarding the guide above, feel free to ask me in the comments.
