Whenever an update is ready, you will be notified of the same and you could easily download and install it from the Settings menu. So why then there is a need to manually download these updates? Well, there could be quite a few reasons why you might need to manually carry out this task. First and foremost, if your Pixel 6A is in a bricked or bootloop state, then you could easily bring it back to life by flashing the stock firmware via Fastboot Commands. Likewise, if a device partition has got corrupted then you could extract that partition file from the firmware and flash it via Fastboot. Apart from that, if you wish to root your device, then you will have to get your hands on the stock boot.img file from the firmware. All in all, there could be a plethora of reasons why you might need to carry out this task. So without any further ado, let’s make you aware of the steps to initiate the manual firmware flashing process.
Flash Stock Firmware on Pixel 6A via Fastboot Commands
It is recommended to take a complete device backup beforehand. Droidwin and its members wouldn’t be held responsible in case of a thermonuclear war, your alarm doesn’t wake you up, or if anything happens to your device and data by performing the below steps.
STEP 1: Install Android SDK
First and foremost, you will have to install the Android SDK Platform Tools on your PC. This is the official ADB and Fastboot binary provided by Google and is the only recommended one. So download it and then extract it to any convenient location on your PC. Doing so will give you the platform-tools folder, which will be used throughout this guide.
STEP 2: Download Pixel 6A Stock Firmware
STEP 3: Unlock Bootloader Pixel 6A
Next up, you will also have to unlock the device’s bootloader. Do keep in mind that doing so will wipe off all the data from your device and could nullify its warranty as well. So if that’s all well and good, then please refer to our detailed guide on How to Unlock the Bootloader on Google Pixel 6A.
STEP 4: Boot Pixel 6A to Fastboot Mode
You will now have to boot your device to the Fastboot Mode. In most cases, as soon as the device is soft-bricked it automatically gets booted to Fastboot. However, if your device is stuck in a bootloop, then let it drain the battery so that the device gets powered off. Then connect your device to the charger and as soon as you do so, press and hold the Power and Volume Down keys. Your device will now be booted to Fastboot.
STEP 5: Flash Firmware on Pixel 6A via Fastboot Commands
That’s it. These were the steps to flash the stock firmware on your Pixel 6A device via Fastboot Commands. If you have any queries concerning the aforementioned steps, do let us know in the comments. We will get back to you with a solution at the earliest.
Flash Firmware on Pixel 6A via Android Flash Tool
You could also opt for flashing the firmware on your Pixel 6A by using Google’s own Android Flash Tool. However, for that, your device needs to be in proper working condition. This is because the tool requires you to enable USB Debugging, which is only possible if your device can boot to the OS.
So if that’s well and good, then you may refer to our guide on How to Flash Firmware on Pixel via Android Flash Tool. On the other hand, if your device is in a bricked or bootloop state, then you have no choice but to skip with the Fastboot Commands method listed above.
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