Downgrade from Android 14 to Android 13 [All OEMs] [Video]

Sadique Hassan•Updated Feb 13, 2024

In this guide, we will show you two different methods to downgrade your Pixel device from Android 14 to Android 13. The latest OS build has just been rolled out by the Silicon Valley giant. This time around, there are a slew of intriguing features that managed to catch our attention, including the ability to give permissions to individual images/videos instead of the entire gallery, a built-in app App Cloning feature, and the predictive back gesture.

However, at the time of writing, it is in the Developer Preview phase and will stay there for a couple of months. After this, it will move over to the beta stage for a few months, and by the third quarter of this year, the stable rollout will start. Since the developer preview and beta builds are usually accompanied by a few bugs and issues, hence using the device with performance issues for such a long time frame might not be the best suitable option.

Likewise, there could be a few apps that would not be compatible with the fourteenth iteration of the OS, until it reaches the stable stage. So to address all these concerns your best bet is to downgrade your device to Android 13 once you are done using the Android 14 build. And in this guide, we will show you two different methods through which this could be carried out. Follow along.

Table of Contents

Downgrade Pixel from Android 14 to Android 13

The below process will wipe off all the data from your device, so 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.

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. If you had performed the update via Flash Tool or Fastboot, then the bootloader would already be unlocked. However, if you had performed the upgrade via ADB sideload, then would you need to carry out this task. 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 the Bootloader on any Android Device.

Now choose either STEP 4A or STEP 4B from below to carry out the downgrade 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 which is in sync with with your requirment.

STEP 4A: Downgrade Pixel Android 14 to Android 13 via 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 13 build from the list [the latest one is usually recommended]
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 flashing the Android 13 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 Pixel Android 14 to Android 13 via Fastboot

To begin with, download the Android 13 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.

So with this, we round off the guide on how you could downgrade your Pixel device from Android 14 to Android 13. We have listed two different methods for the same. 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 at the earliest.