How to Install PixelOS Android 14 GSI on any Device [Video]

Sadique Hassan•Updated Apr 6, 2024

In this guide, we will show you the steps to flash the latest PixelOS Android 14 GSI on your device. When it comes to custom development, then not all devices are created equally. While some get blessed with tons of custom ROMs, others are left far behind with hardly any support for a couple of custom binaries. And we aren’t talking about different OEMs here, even devices in the same series face this major discrepancy [for instance, the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro].

To bridge this gap, we have a Generic System Image at our disposal. As is evident from its name, they aren’t specific to any Android device but are “generic” across all the devices that came with Android 8+ out of the box [aka Project Treble devices]. In this regard, there are tons of GSI ROMs to look forward to, one among which is the PixelOS, which offers a clean stock UI experience with just the right amount of Pixel goodies.

And guess what, it’s now even available for the latest OS build! So without further ado, let’s make you aware of the steps to install the latest PixelOS Android 14 GSI on your device.

Table of Contents

How to Install PixelOS Android 14 GSI on any Device

The below instructions are listed under separate sections for ease of understanding. Make sure to follow in the exact same sequence as mentioned. 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 to install PixelOS Android 14 GSI ROM on your device.

STEP 2: Enable USB Debugging and OEM Unlocking

Next up, you will also 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.

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. 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 of Any Android Device.

STEP 4: Download PixelOS Android 14 GSI ROM

You may now grab hold of the GSI ROM for your device from the below link

PixelOS ROM: DOWNLOAD LINK
Which GSI to Download: arm64/a64/bgn/bvn/bgs/vndklite?

Now extract it via 7-ZIP to the platform-tools folder on your PC.
This will give you the system.img file, which will act as our GSI ROM.

STEP 5: Extract vbmeta from Firmware

First off, download the stock firmware for your device. Make sure to download the same firmware which is currently installed on your device. You could verify the same from the Build Number.
Then extract the firmware. In the case of Xiaomi, you can extract the TGZ and TAR via 7ZIP. In the case of OnePlus, you can extract payload.bin via the Fastboot Enhance Tool.
Once extracted, copy the vbmeta.img and transfer it to the platform-tools folder on your PC.

STEP 6: Boot Device to Fastboot Mode

First off, connect your device to the PC via a USB cable. Make sure USB Debugging is enabled.
Then head over to the platform-tools folder, type in CMD in the address bar, and hit Enter. This will launch the Command Prompt.
Type in the following command in the CMD window to boot your device to Fastboot Mode
```
adb reboot bootloader
```
To verify the Fastboot connection, type in the below command and you should get back the device ID.
```
fastboot devices
```
If you are not getting any serial ID, then please install the Fastboot Drivers on your PC.

STEP 7: Disable Verity Check

Type in the below command to flash the vbmeta and hence disable the verification check on your device

fastboot --disable-verification flash vbmeta vbmeta.img

STEP 8: Flash PixelOS Android 14 GSI ROM via Fastboot

As of now, your device will be in the Fastboot Mode. So type in the below command to boot to FastbootD Mode
```
fastboot reboot fastboot
```
Now delete the logical partition to free up some space on your device:
```
fastboot delete-logical-partition product_a
```
You may now flash the GSI ROM via the below command [system.img is the name of the GSI ROM]
```
fastboot flash system system.img
```
NOTE: Make sure that the system.img is being flashed in the same partition whose product partition is deleted. In our case, product_a is deleted, so system.img is being flashed to the system_a partition. If that is not the case with you, then you’ll get a not enough space to resize partition error. In such cases, either delete the other product partition [b] and then flash system.img there [b] or flash the system.img to the partition [a] whose product is deleted [a].
Once the GSI is flashed, you’ll have to do a format data, so use the below command
```
fastboot -w
```
Finally, reboot your device to the newly installed OS via the below command
```
fastboot reboot
```

That’s it. These were the steps to install the PixelOS based on Android 14 GSI ROM on your device. 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. And do check out the below-linked guides to fix numerous GSI-related bugs and issues: