Root with Magisk

0. Host prereqs: Android platform-tools (adb/fastboot) on PATH; confirm the device and note its EXACT build (it must match the factory image you download).

   1 2	adb devices # confirm the device is listed adb shell getprop ro.build.fingerprint # note EXACT build

1. On the phone, enable Developer options (tap Build number 7×), then turn on both OEM unlocking and USB debugging.

2. Unlock the bootloader, this WIPES the device, so back up first.

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   adb reboot bootloader fastboot flashing unlock # confirm on-device with vol+power fastboot reboot # let it re-setup once

3. Download the factory image that EXACTLY matches your build from Google’s factory images (akita-… for 8a, bluejay-… for 6a), then unzip twice to reach the stock partition image.

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   unzip akita-<build>-factory-*.zip # Pixel 8a (use bluejay-… for 6a) cd akita-<build> unzip image-akita-<build>.zip # -> init_boot.img (8a) / boot.img (6a)

4. Patch it with the Magisk app: install the APK, push the image, then in the app tap Install → “Select and Patch a File” and pick that .img. Magisk writes magisk_patched-XXXXX.img to Download/; pull it back.

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   adb install Magisk-v*.apk # from the Magisk releases page adb push init_boot.img /sdcard/Download/ # Pixel 6a: push boot.img instead # …patch in the Magisk app, then: adb pull /sdcard/Download/magisk_patched-*.img ./magisk_patched.img

5. Flash the patched image (mind the partition name per the table above).

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   adb reboot bootloader fastboot flash init_boot ./magisk_patched.img # Pixel 8a # fastboot flash boot ./magisk_patched.img # Pixel 6a fastboot reboot

6. Verify root.

   1	adb shell su -c id # expect uid=0(root)

May 2026 anti-rollback (Pixel). After a first successful boot into the May 2026 (or newer) build, Google recommends sideloading the matching full OTA so both A/B slots have a bootable bootloader, otherwise a failed flash can brick via the older inactive slot. See the note on the factory-images page.

Kernel-level alternatives on GKI 2.0 / kernel 5.10+ devices: KernelSU (https://kernelsu.org/) and APatch (https://apatch.dev/).

Version note (2026). Android 16 (kernel 6.12) is current; 17 (API 37) is next. Magisk v31.0 already ships Zygisk for it, so this path carries forward.

The GUI’s “Select and Patch a File” step is really just Magisk’s own boot_patch.sh running on-device. You can invoke that script directly over adb shell (no root needed to patch, only the later flash needs an unlocked bootloader), which makes the whole flow headless/scriptable. The Magisk APK is also a ZIP, so you extract the patcher binaries straight from it. Official tool docs: https://topjohnwu.github.io/Magisk/tools.html · https://github.com/topjohnwu/Magisk/blob/master/docs/install.md

Prefer the repo helper? root_pixel.sh does this extract → push → boot_patch.sh → pull for you (and can auto-fetch Magisk + the factory image and flash). The by-hand sequence below is what it automates.

1. Grab the Magisk APK and unzip it locally, it’s a normal ZIP archive (releases).

   1	unzip -o Magisk-v*.apk -d magisk_apk

2. Stage everything boot_patch.sh needs into ONE dir on the device (arm64-v8a is correct for Pixel 8a/6a; Magisk ships its binaries as lib*.so).

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   adb shell mkdir -p /data/local/tmp/mroot adb push magisk_apk/assets/boot_patch.sh /data/local/tmp/mroot/ adb push magisk_apk/assets/util_functions.sh /data/local/tmp/mroot/ adb push magisk_apk/assets/stub.apk /data/local/tmp/mroot/ adb push magisk_apk/lib/arm64-v8a/libmagiskboot.so /data/local/tmp/mroot/magiskboot adb push magisk_apk/lib/arm64-v8a/libmagiskinit.so /data/local/tmp/mroot/magiskinit adb push magisk_apk/lib/arm64-v8a/libmagisk64.so /data/local/tmp/mroot/magisk64 adb push magisk_apk/lib/armeabi-v7a/libmagisk32.so /data/local/tmp/mroot/magisk32 adb push init_boot.img /data/local/tmp/mroot/ # Pixel 6a: push boot.img

3. Run Magisk’s patcher on-device (output is new-boot.img in that dir), pull it back, and tidy up.

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   adb shell 'cd /data/local/tmp/mroot && chmod 755 * && sh boot_patch.sh init_boot.img' adb pull /data/local/tmp/mroot/new-boot.img ./magisk_patched.img adb shell rm -rf /data/local/tmp/mroot

4. Get temporary root first (recommended, boots from RAM, writes nothing to any partition).

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   adb reboot bootloader fastboot boot ./magisk_patched.img # boots with root, unflashed adb wait-for-device shell su -c id # expect uid=0(root)

5. Make it permanent by flashing the same image (mind the partition per device).

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   adb reboot bootloader fastboot flash init_boot ./magisk_patched.img # Pixel 8a # fastboot flash boot ./magisk_patched.img # Pixel 6a fastboot reboot

Why fastboot boot first? It loads the patched image into memory without touching the partition, if it bootloops or root doesn’t take, just reboot and you’re back to stock, no recovery needed. Only fastboot flash (step 5) makes it stick. This is the official “safe memory test” Magisk recommends.

Never patch on a different device or flash someone else’s patched image, Magisk bakes in device/AVB specifics. Always patch the image for the device you’re rooting.