Need to restore stock Android on faulty Pixel 8

21st-C-anacronism

A friend recently bought a new Pixel 8 and l installed the latest Graphene on it for him.

But it turns out the phone has a physical fault and my friend needs to return it for a replacement.

So, obviously, it has to be put back as it was when he bought it before he can return it.

I have downloaded the Full Stock OTA Image from https://developers.google.com/android/ota ( shiba-ota-bp4a.251205.006-279293e0.zip )

Can I simply sideload the Full OTA Image in recovery mode < adb reboot recovery > then < adb sideload shiba-ota-bp4a.251205.006-279293e0.zip > ?

Does this install the image to both slots?

Dumdum

21st-C-anacronism
https://grapheneos.org/install/web#replacing-grapheneos-with-the-stock-os

ralm

21st-C-anacronism Can I simply sideload the Full OTA Image in recovery mode

No, install the factory image from fastboot mode. But first the boot key installed by Graphene needs to be deleted. Since you'll have booted into fastboot mode in order to do that, might as well run the flash-all script (.bat or .sh) to install factory. It installs to slot_a.

21st-C-anacronism

Dumdum

Thank you for pointing me to that. I read as extensively as I can to do my own research before asking questions on forums, but I admit to not having fully read that page about the web installer.

I have a gut aversion to doing anything over an internet connection that can otherwise be done offline over a USB cable, with the appropriate tools.

So what would be the offline way to remove the Graphene boot key?

21st-C-anacronism

ralm

Thanks for your reply, but I'm afraid I don't quite follow you.

wizoatk

21st-C-anacronism So what would be the offline way to remove the Graphene boot key?

https://grapheneos.org/install/cli#replacing-grapheneos-with-the-stock-os

You may want to read the rest from the top as well. If you're not comfortable with that, then you may want to reconsider using the web tools from GrapheneOS and Android as they are much simpler.

https://grapheneos.org/install/cli

ralm

21st-C-anacronism Thanks for your reply, but I'm afraid I don't quite follow you.

You're welcome. Android Flash Tool in Chrome is certainly a simpler way of unlocking the bootloader, flashing firmware, then re-locking the bootloader -- all without much prep to do. But Graphene's verified boot key needs to be deleted manually using fastboot at the command line. And before doing that the bootloader needs to be unlocked.

So my reasoning is, since you'd be working with fastboot for these key steps anyway, the next and final step is flashing factory firmware, so no need to bother with the browser method when the flash-all script is already at your fingertips.

21st-C-anacronism

wizoatk

I will do as you suggest. I am already very familiar with https://grapheneos.org/install/cli - I always use the CLI method to install Graphene. I've just never had to revert a Graphened phone to Stock Android before.

wizoatk

21st-C-anacronism

Then I think the only thing you were missing was the answer to your direct question:

fastboot erase avb_custom_key

21st-C-anacronism

wizoatk

That's it. Exactly. Thank you.