Google Pixel Rooting

Some quick and dirty steps to root an original Google Pixel (sailfish) ITYOOL 2018 using Android 8.1 from July 2018. This starts with a full wipe of the phone. Instructions are using Linux and are a bit lazy using sudo instead of properly setting USB permissions.

Summary

1. Unlock Phone's bootloader. This allows you to do thangs.
2. Install Recovery image (TWRP). This allows you to boot to a custom place to do things like install software on your phone without Android running.
3. Install Root (Magisck). This is root access to let you do things like install ad blockers, which is my motivation for rooting.

If you install an android system update, do steps 2 and 3 again, which will not wipe out your phone or lose any data.

This procedure was last tested on a August 2019 on a Pixel 1 with Android 9, July 2019 patch level.

• Useful link, although it's for the XL

Details

Downloads

Download these things on your computer. Some will get uploaded to your phone later.

• Android platform-tools, which provides adb and fastboot binaries. These are official Android developer tools - https://developer.android.com/studio/releases/platform-tools
• TWRP img file. At the time of writing it's twrp-3.2.2-0-sailfish.img
• TWRP zip file. At the time of writing it's twrp-pixel-installer-sailfish-3.2.2-0.zip
• Latest Magisk, which is Magisk-v16.0.zip currently

Procedure

1) Unlock bootloader. This will wipe phone to factory defaults.

• choose Settings-> System-> About Phone. Scroll all the way down and tap Build Number a dozen times until it says you're a developer.
• Go to Settings-> System-> Developer Options (which should be new). Enable OEM Unlocking and USB Debugging.
• Turn phone off, then boot it to bootloader by holding Volume Down and Power at same time. If the phone fully booted, shut it off and try again.
• Connect USB cable to your computer. Extract the platform-tools you downloaded to somewhere, enter that directory via CLI and issue

fastboot flashing unlock

• It may ask you to confirmation on the phone or something and will probably reboot and do some important stuff. From here on out when your phone boots it will give you a warning message about this. This is you life now.

2) Install Recovery Image (TWRP)

• Prior to this, boot your phone and at bare minimum set a pin via Settings > Security & location >Screen lock > Pin.
• Boot to bootloader again (Volume Down and Power). While here, lets upload some files to the phone's 'Downloads' folder.

sudo ./adb push Magisk-v16.0.zip /sdcard/Download/
sudo ./adb push twrp-pixel-installer-sailfish-3.2.2-0.zip /sdcard/Download/

• Now let's launch and install TWRP. This will tell your phone to launch TWRP

sudo ./fastboot boot twrp-3.2.2-0-sailfish.img

• TWRP should lunch, which is a black/blue screen with a clunky interface. Enter your pin #. Choose the Install button, browse to Downloads and choose twrp-pixel-installer-sailfish-3.2.2-0.zip and then choose Reboot System.

3) Install Root (Magisk)

• Boot to bootloader again, but this time use the vol up/down keys to choose Recovery Mode, press Power to select
• This brings you in to TWRP. Choose install and choose Magisk-v16.0.zip, then Reboot System.

Recommended Root Apps

• AdAway. Blocks ads in all apps by maintaining a local 'hosts file.
• Titanium Backup. Useful to back up and restore apps between phones while retaining session data. Note its interface is clunky and terrible.