In this guide, we will show you two different methods to downgrade Pixel 6/Pro to November 2021 update. With the in-house Tensor chipset, redesigned hardware, and Android 12 out of the box, the reasons for the hype surrounding the latest flagships from Google were totally justified. And while both these devices have managed to grab the attention, that isn’t for all the right reasons. These devices were already facing fingerprint and excessive battery drain issues right since their launch.
However, the Search Engine giants decided that these bugs weren’t enough and hence decided to roll out the dreadful December 2021 OTA update. And since then, everything just went from bad to worse. Frequent network drops, Mobile network standby excessive battery drain, phone crashing to recovery mode, and Bluetooth not working were just some of the noteworthy additions to our device. Owing to this, Google took the December 2021 update off the shelves and asked to patiently wait for the January 2022 update, which would fix most of these issues.
When the update finally arrived (just two weeks late), it still didn’t manage to fix two of the most concerning issues- the frequent network drops and mobile network standby leading to excessive battery drain. So what’s next? Well, one course of action is to wait for the February update and hope that both these issues would be effectively fixed. Or the second (and much better) approach is to downgrade your Pixel 6/Pro to November 2021 update and get all these issues rectified at once. As for this guide, we will be focusing on the second approach. So without any further ado, let’s get started.
Table of Contents
The Prerequisites to Downgrading Pixel 6/Pro to November 2021
We will show you two different methods to carry out the said task- via the Fastboot Method and using Android Flash Tool. Go through both these methods and then try out the one that you find more comfortable to deal with. The three prerequisites mentioned below are common for both these methods Moreover, do note that no matter which method you choose, it will wipe off all the data from your device.
Though a wipe is avoidable but it is not recommended while doing a downgrade. So take a complete device backup beforehand and then proceed with the below instructions. 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: Enable USB Debugging and OEM Unlocking
Next up, you will have to enable USB Debugging and OEM Unlocking on your device. The former will make your device recognizable by the PC in ADB mode. This will then allow you to boot your device to Fastboot Mode. On the other hand, OEM Unlocking is required to carry out the bootloader unlocking process.
So head over to Settings > About Phone > Tap on Build Number 7 times > Go back to Settings > System > Advanced > Developer Options > Enable USB Debugging and OEM Unlocking.
STEP 3: Unlock Bootloader on Pixel 6/Pro
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 Bootloader on Google Pixel Devices.
That’s it. These were the prerequisite needed for both these methods. Let’s now get started with the instructions to downgrade your Pixel 6/Pro to November 2021 update via Android Flash Tool and Fastboot. You may refer to the one that is in sync with your requirement.
Downgrade Pixel 6/Pro to November 2021 Update via Android Flash Tool
- To begin with, connect your device to the PC via USB cable. Make sure USB Debugging is enabled.
- Then head over to the firmware page and click on the Flash button next to your device’s November 2021 update, depending on your carrier [Pixel 6 | Pixel 6 Pro].
- It will now ask you to install the USB drivers, since we have already done so, click on Already Installed.
- It will now bring up the ADB permission box, click on the Allow ADB Access button.
- Likewise, your Pixel device might have also got an authorization request, click Allow.
- Now expand the Selected Device section and select your Pixel 6/Pro from the list.
- Now refer to the Selected Build section. Google should have already loaded the November OTA file (because we have selected the same in STEP 2). However, if for some reason that isn’t the case, then click on the Pencil icon and change the firmware to November 2021.
- Likewise, make sure that the Wipe Device option is checked (it is a must in case of a downgrade). Once done, click on the Install Build button situated at the bottom right.
- The tool will now show you all the changes that you have made. If that’s well and good, then click on the Confirm button.
- The flashing process will now begin and during the process, your device will boot to Fastboot and FastbootD modes, you don’t have to do anything during the flashing process.
- Once the flashing is complete, you shall get the Flash Complete message in the tool. Likewise, your device will now boot to the November firmware.
- You may now log in using your Google ID and set up your device. That’s it.
These were the steps to downgrade your Pixel 6/Pro to the November 2021 update via Android Flash Tool. Let’s now check out how this could be carried out via Fastboot.
Downgrade Pixel 6/Pro to November 2021 Update via Fastboot
- To begin with, download the November 2021 Factory Image for your Pixel 6/Pro device by clicking on the Link button next to it, depending on your carrier [Pixel 6 | Pixel 6 Pro].
- Then extract the firmware and transfer all its contents to the platform-tools folder on your PC.
- Now connect your device to the PC via USB cable. Make sure USB Debugging is enabled.
- After that, head over to the platform-tools folder, type in CMD in the address bar and hit Enter. This will launch the Command Prompt.
- Now type in the following command in the CMD window to boot your device to Fastboot Mode
adb reboot bootloader
- [Generally, you could avoid a factory reset by editing the flash-all.bat file via text editor and removing the -w keyword from the flash command. However, since we are performing a downgrade, that shouldn’t be done now].
- Finally, double click on the flash-all.bat file, and the flashing process will now begin.
- Your device will also boot to the FastbootD mode and back to Fastboot Mode during the process, which is completely normal.
- Once the flashing is complete, your device should automatically boot to the November update. But if that doesn’t happen, then you may also do so via the below command:
fastboot reboot
- That’s it. You may now sign in to your Google account and set up your device from scratch.
So with this, we round off the guide on how you could downgrade to November 2021 update on your Pixel 6/pro device. We have listed two different methods for the same. If you have any queries concerning any of these two methods, then do let us know in the comments. We will get back to you with a solution at the earliest.
