How to Downgrade from Android 15 to Android 14 [2 Methods]

Sadique Hassan•Updated May 24, 2024

In this guide, we will show you two methods to downgrade your device from Android 15 to Android 14. The Silicon Valley giant has recently taken the lid from its fifteenth iteration of the OS. Titled Vanilla Ice Cream, this time around you’re about to be treated with a slew of intriguing goodies. Some of the noteworthy ones include the likes of Private Space, Notification Cooldown, Lock Screen widgets, Battery Health Percentage, App Archive, and Bluetooth Quick Settings.

However, at the time of writing, the OS is still in its early stage, infact in the Developer Preview phase. As a result of this, there are bound to be a few bugs, issues, and system instability issues. Not to mention the fact that numerous apps are yet to be compatible with this new API level. To overcome all these issues, your best bet is to downgrade your device from Android 15 to Android 14. And in this guide, we will show you two methods to get this job done. Follow along.

Table of Contents

How to Downgrade Pixel from Android 15 to Android 14 [2 Methods]

The below process will wipe off all the data from your device, so please 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 in this guide.

install adb platform tools windows

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

Next up, you will also have to unlock the device’s bootloader [downgrading from Android 15 to 14 or any other OS version for that matter is not possible via ADB Sideload and locked bootloader, you’ll have to take the help of Fastboot and unlocked bootloader]. However, 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 refer to our guide on How to Unlock the Bootloader on any Android Device.

Now choose either STEP 4A or STEP 4B from below to carry out the update process. The 4A method is mainly automated whereas the 4B method requires you to manually carry out most of the process. With that said, go through both of these methods once and then try out the one that is in sync with your requirements.

STEP 4A: Downgrade Android 15 to Android 14 Android Flash Tool

To begin with, connect your device to the PC via a USB cable.
Then head over to the Android Flash Tool website and click on Allow ADB Access.
Now click on Add new device, select your device from the pop-up, and hit Connect
You will get a Debugging prompt on your device, click Allow.
Now select the desired Android 14 build from the list [the latest one is usually recommended]
Then choose the desired Android 14 firmware from the list.
Now click on the pencil (edit) icon next to Selected build and you should see Wipe Device, Lock Bootloader, and Force Flash All Partitions being enabled by default.
In this regard, Wipe Device and Force Flash All Partitions are compulsory, so leave those boxes checked.
On the other hand, the bootloader option depends on your personal preference. I wish to have it unlocked even after the flashing is complete, so I have unchecked the Lock Bootloader option.
Moving on, once you have made the selection, click on Install Build. The tool will now show you the selected build and your device name if it’s all well and good, then click on Confirm.
The tool will now start downloading and subsequently flash the Android 15 build onto your device.
During the flashing process, your device will automatically boot to Fastboot and FastbootD Modes.
Once the flashing is done, you will be notified of the same. You may now unplug your device and boot it to the OS [if it doesn’t boot up automatically].

STEP 4B: Downgrade Android 15 to Android 14 via Fastboot Script

Download the Android 14 factory image for your device (not the OTA).
Once downloaded, extract it inside the platform-tools folder.
Now head over to this platform-tools folder, type in CMD in the address bar, and hit Enter. This will launch the Command Prompt.
Then type in the following command in the CMD window to boot your device to Fastboot Mode
```
adb reboot bootloader
```
Now double-click on the flash-all batch file and the flashing process will now begin.
While it’s going on, your device will automatically boot to Fastboot and FastbootD Modes, which is completely normal.
Once the process is complete, you will be notified of the same. Likewise, your device will automatically boot to the OS.
In some cases, your device might end up in a bootloop just as it tries to access the OS. In such cases, let the bootloop happen, it would occur 3-4 times and will then ultimately take you to the Android Recovery screen. From there, you’ll then have to do a Format Data and your device will then boot to the downgraded OS [all this has been shown in the video as well].

That’s it. These were the two different methods to downgrade your Pixel device from Android 15 to Android 14. 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 as soon as possible.

How to Downgrade Xiaomi from Android 15 to Android 14

The downgrading process of Xiaomi is the one that comes with the greatest drawback- it requires an unlocked bootloader. However, since you have already done so while installing the Android 15 update, you won’t have to do so once again. But if you had relocked the bootloader on Android 15, then use the Mi Unlock Tool to unlock it once again and only then proceed with the below steps [do note that unlocking will wipe off all the data and might nullify the warranty as well].

Download the Android 14 downgrade firmware [Fastboot ROM] from below:
```
DOWNLOAD LINK
```
Enable USB Debugging and connect your device to the PC via USB cable.
Then download and extract the Android SDK Platform Tools on your PC.
Now open Command Prompt inside the platform-tools folder.
Then type in the below command to boot your device to Fastboot Mode:
```
adb reboot bootloader
```
Now download and extract the Mi Flash Tool on your PC.
Then launch the tool, click on Select, and choose the Android 14 firmware.
Now select Clean All from the bottom menu and finally hit Flash.
The installation will now start. Once done, your device will boot to Android 14.
That’s it. These were the steps to downgrade Xiaomi from Android 15 to Android 14.

How to Downgrade OnePlus from Android 15 to 14

We have curated a special guide when it comes to the downgrading instructions for your OnePlus device. So do check out our standalone post on the same, which has been linked below:

Downgrade OnePlus from Android 15 to 14: OxygenOS 15 to 14

How to Downgrade Nothing from Android 15 to 14

First off, create a folder named “ota” in your device’s Internal Storage.
Then download the downgrade package for your device from below and transfer it to the ota folder.

Nothing Phone 2A
```
DOWNLOAD LINK
```
Now open the dialer/phone app and type in the below code
```
*#*#682#*#*
```
Credits: Nothing
It will launch the Local Update Tool. Select the downgrade package from the drop-down.
If the Android 15 firmware is not shown in the ota folder, then tap on Reload.

Credits: Nothing
You may also tap on “Browse”, select the “ota” folder, and select the Android 14 downgrade package.
Once done, tap “Directly apply OTA from selection” to start the update process.
Once the installation is done, tap on “Confirm” in the Reboot prompt that appears.
Your Nothing device will now reboot to the downgraded Android 14 OS.

Credits: Nothing

Downgrade Honor from Android 15 to Android 14

Since we have flashed the Android 15 update via the DSU Sideloader, you could easily go back to Android 14 with just a single restart. But instead of doing a restart from the Power menu, you should do so via the Notification that appears in the DSU notification section. However, if you had incidentally swiped away that notification, then refer to the below steps to carry out the downgrade

Download and extract Android SDK Platform Tools on your PC.
Then enable USB Debugging on your device and connect it to PC via USB.
Now open the Command Prompt inside the platform-tools folder.
Type in the below command in the Command Prompt window:
```
adb shell gsi_tool disable
```
Now do a restart and you should be back to the downgraded OS.
That’s it. These were the steps to downgrade Honor from Android 15 to 14.

Downgrade Vivo and iQOO from Android 15 to Android 14

Both Vivo and its parent company iQOO follow the same set of instructions when it comes to downgrading the OS. So without further ado, let’s have a look at the same:

Download the Android 14 downgrade firmware from below.

Vivo X 100

VERSION: ANDROID 14
REGION: Taiwan, Malaysia, Thailand, Hong Kong, Kazakhstan
DOWNLOAD: LINK

VERSION: ANDROID 14
REGION: India
DOWNLOAD: LINK

iQOO 12

VERSION: ANDROID 14
REGION: Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia
DOWNLOAD: LINK

VERSION: ANDROID 14
REGION: India

Then transfer it to Internal Storage but not inside any folder.
Next up, connect your device to your PC using a USB cable.
Then change the USB Setting of your phone to Transfer Files.
Now head over to Settings > System update > Local update.
Then navigate to the Android 14 firmware file and select it.
Now wait for the verification and downgrade to complete.
Once done, your device will boot to the downgraded OS.

Downgrade Lenovo from Android 15 to 14

When it comes to downgrading a Lemovo devicce, we will be using its dedicated tool that is used to flasing firmware.

To begin with, download the Lenovo Rescue and Smart Assistant Tool
Then launch the setup via the rescue_and_smart_assistant_v6.9.3.7_prod_setup.exe file.
Now proceed with the on-screen instructions to install it.

Credits: Lenovo
Once done, launch the tool, select your device, and download the Android 14 OS.
Finally, flash the firmware [click Rescue] and wait for the flashing to complete.
Once done, your Lenovo device will boot to the downgraded Android 14 OS.

Downgrade Realme from Android 15 to Android 14

First off, download the downgrade frmware for your Realme device:

Realme 12 Pro+ 5G
```
DOWNLOAD LINK
```
After that, transfer the Android 14 downgrade firmware to your device.
Then enable Developer Mode on your device from the Settings menu.
Now go to Settings > Software Update > tap on Settings at the top right.
Manually select the installation package and select the Android 14 firmware.
Now hit Install and the verification will start. This could take a while.
Once done, your Realme device will restart and boot to the downgraded OS.

Downgrade Oppo from Android 15 to Android 14

Download the Android 14 downgrade file from below and transfer it to the Internal Storage.

Oppo Find N3
```
Singapore version: DOWNLOAD LINK
Indonesia version: DOWNLOAD LINK
```
Then go to Settings > About device > Version > Tap Build number 7 times.
Now go to Settings > About device > Click the top card > Click the top right button.
Choose Local install -> Select the Android 15 update ZIP file -> select Extract.
Wait for the extraction to complete. Once done, hit Install > Restart.
That’s it. Your Oppo will reboot to the downgraded Android 14 OS.

Downgrade Sharp from Android 15 to Android 14

Similar to Honor, Sharp has also taken the route of Dynamic System Approach for installing as well as downgrading the OS. As discussed before, you just need to do a restart fron the DSU notification that appears in the notification window. However, the Android 15 firmware will still be there on your device. To completely remove it, tap on Discard from the Dynamic System Update notification. That’s it, as simple as it gets.

Downgrade Tecno from Android 15 to Android 14

First off, download the downgrade firmware from below:

Tecno Camon 30 Pro 5G
```
DOWNLOAD LINK
```
Download and extract the Carlcare_FlashTool on your PC.
Then double-click to launch the GetFeatureCode.exe file.
You’ll now get a code in the pop-up box, click on Copy it.
Then mail this code to [email protected].
Transsion will whitelist this code and your PC in a few days.
Once that happens, download the Driver_Auto_Installer_EXE.
Now launch it and proceed with the instructions to install it.
Once done, restart your PC. Then power off your device as well.
Now connect your device to your PC via a USB cable and open Device Manager.
Expand the COM section and make sure that the device is listed there.
If that’s well and good, then unplug your device from the USB cable.
Now launch the tool via SWD_AfterSales.exe. Then click on Settings > Loading File.
If you have a MediaTek device, then select the download_agent/flash.xml file.
If the said file is missing, then select the Android_Scatter.txt file.
On the other hand, for Unisoc devices, you’ll have to select the PAC file.
Once the file is loaded, select Firmware Upgrade and check Ignore Build Vernon.
Now, click Confirm. Connect your device [which should be powered off] to PC via USB.
Wait till you get Download Complete, after which your device will boot to the latest OS!

Tags:

Android 14Android 15Downgrade