Pixel 3a reinstalling Android

npulver

After learning that voice calls don't work well with UT, I have to now reinstall Android on my Pixel 3a, and am having trouble. Here's my process and the expected results:

Downloaded the latest Android version for the P3a
Downloaded the ADB tool
Put phone in developer mode
In a terminal window, changed directories to the ADB folder and sent this command: ./adb devices. Device shows up as expected.
Send this command to change the bootloader: ./reboot bootloader
Change directories to the latest Android version and send this command: ./flash-all.sh
The Android OS should begin installing at this point.

Things get tricky at step #5. The phone powers down, so I know the command was sent. If I press and hold the power button for >15 seconds, it shows a Fastboot Mode screen with the options for Start, BarCode, Recovery Mode, and Restart Bootloader.

It seems no matter what I do, the phone still boots into Ubuntu Touch.

Has anyone successfully reloaded Android on a Pixel 3a from Ubuntu Touch?

Thanks in advance

Keneda

@npulver said in Pixel 3a reinstalling Android:

After learning that voice calls don't work well with UT

Calls works very well for me since 2015 on UT.
That's 3G in the US that no longer works very well
Sad but reverse ingeneering Voice over LTE is not a trivial task for open source community.
However you can use SIP to call with UT in the US using LTE data.

MrT10001

If you wish UT for no Google, it does work well on the phone inc. voice calls, but then where I live, 3g is staying for a while.
Another way to install Android is to install TWRP. recovery and ADB sideload the ROM.
If you don't want Google, I recommend e/O/S if UT is not too your liking. It is Android, but mostly de-Googled.

messayisto

@mrt10001 Has somebody a direct answer to the original question how to reinstall android on the device?

AppLee

@messayisto
You'll probably find the instruction with a google search. They develop and maintain this hardware.
Here most people just go from android to Ubuntu Touch, not the other way around.

MrT10001

@messayisto The Pixel 3a has two slots, a and b. One has to be active to boot into the OS. The slot with Ubuntu Touch must be the active slot, so change it to the other using the fastboot command :

fastboot --set-active=a

and likewise change a to b if you want set b active. If the phone doesn't boot then you know UT is on the inactive one. Change the active slot to the one with UT and install to that slot.

messayisto

@applee Honestly, I just did not find a tutorial anywhere and therefore continued this thread, sorry for that. Its special because of UTs recovery...
(And I'm not going away from UT, my daily driver is a Xiaomi Mi A 2. On the contrary, I'm just getting a Oneplus 5 to test and therefore I want to sell the Pixel. And that's why I want to set it back to factory settings and android)

messayisto

@mrt10001 Thank you, but could you be so kind and explain the process in more detail? Or give me a link to a webpage, as @AppLee mentionend?
Thanks in advance.

MrT10001

@messayisto OK, download TWRP for the Pixel 3a, download the ROM you wish to flash - Choose the download, it will download it as a zip file. Some people say this is unnecessary, but I find it quite simple to use and it worked(works) for me.

Boot to the bootloader of the device and check to see as discussed earlier which partition is contains UT and set that one to active, it probably is as it's booting into UT.

Reboot to the bootloader (fastboot reboot bootloader).

Install TWRP:

fastboot flash recovery <path><to were TWRP is>

Boot into recovery:

fastboot reboot recovery

In TWRP navigate to WIPE.

Follow the instructions and choose format data and follow the on screen instructions.
Go back to wipe and choose advanced wipe. Follow the instructions and wipe Cache, System and data.

Return to the TWRP home screen.

Then go to the the PC and ensure the device is seen by the PC:

adb devices

If it is good, if it isn't shown, restart the adb server using the commands

adb kill-server
adb start-server

Once the device is seen by the PC, in TWRP go to the Advanced screen and choose ADB Sideload

Swipe to start the sideload and then on the PC, type in:

adb sideload <Path to your downloaded zipped ROM>

Let it do its thing. When it completes the text in TWRP may say completed 1.000 which means it has done it correctly. Reboot the device and it should take a while, but eventually boot into Android.

I have done this on quite a few devices with no bricks (lucky me) and I did it on my Pixel 3a to get back from a borked UT install, I will however say that things can go wrong, patience and starting again usually wins through, however I cannot be responsible if you brick the device which is an inherent risk when flashing any ROM.

As i said earlier, if you don't like UT (it is not for everyone) and do not want Google monitoring, look at /e/OS.

messayisto

@mrt10001 Thank you very much, I will try this in the next days. - And no, I do like UT very much, I use it as my daily driver. Only the Pixel I have to sell again, this is why I want to put Android on it again.
Thank you for your patience.

Keneda

@messayisto
Why don't you try to sell it with UT on it ?

messayisto

@keneda This is exactly what I decided to do - but if it doesn't work I'd like to have options Anyway I wanted to know how to revert.

LaughWithOrAtMe

If anyone needs it, here is the link to bring a Pixel back to a fresh official Google Android state (worked on my Pixel 2 XL [after many failed attempts to get TWRP installed for Andriod alternatives]).
https://developers.google.com/android/images