How to flash/update Google Nexus & Google Pixel devices with factory images


Warning: Flashing your device with a factory image will completely erase all data on the device so always make a backup of your personal files like pictures, music, sms, contacts, videos etc. before the flash process.
You can do complete/customize backup of your device using windows apps like MoboRobo & WonderShare.
Flash at your own risk!

Flashing Procedure

Flashing a Google Pixel or Nexus device goes in 3 steps.
  1.         Unlocking Bootloader
  2.         Flashing factory image
  3.         Relocking the Bootloader

1 - Unlocking the bootloader of the device
Make sure you have the latest version of adb/fastboot tool on your PC. You can extract it from Android SDK or download it from here
To flash factory firmware on Pixel and Nexus devices, you have to first unlock the bootloader of that device.
To unlock bootloader, first of all you have to put device into fastboot mode either using key combination or using the adb command:
 adb reboot bootloader

Now unlock the bootloader using either of the following commands:
fastboot flashing unlock                 (For devices created in 2015 and later)
fastboot oem unlock                       (For older devices)

When the above commands are entered, a prompt screen will appear on your device for you to confirm the bootloader unlock. Note that this process will erase all data on device.
Bootloader is now unlocked.

2 – Flashing factory image
Download the factory image of the device you want to flash and extract.
Once your bootloader is unlocked, reboot the device again into fastboot mode.
Launch the flash-all.bat script file found inside the extracted folder.
This script will install and update the bootloader, baseband firmware and operating system.
This process can take about 7 – 15 minutes depending on size of the file.
Once the installation is done, your device will reboot and all you need to do is set it up.

3 -  Relocking the bootloader
Once you have completely restore your device to its factory state, you have to relock the bootloader again just for security reasons.
Put device into fastboot mode and use the either of the following commands:
fastboot flashing lock                     (For devices created in 2015 and later)
fastboot oem lock                            (For older devices)

Bootloader is now locked. Not that this process will erase all userdata on the device.
You have now succeeded in flashing/upgrading your device.

For a list of Google Nexus and Pixel Factory images, click here


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