With the release of Android 13 for Pixel devices, many Google Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro, and Pixel 6a users ran into the issue of not being able to go back to Android 12. For a while, it seemed like those users would have to stick with Android 13. Fortunately, Google has released Android 12 developer support images that allow Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro, and Pixel 6a users to roll back without activating the phone’s anti-rollback protection, as these images contain the updated bootloader. from Android 13 update. Officially launching today, Google has a proper support page, files, and documentation needed to get the process started.
Android 12 Developer Support Images
The developer support images are important as they will allow Google Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro, and Pixel 6a users running Android 13 to revert to Android 12. The Pixel 6 (codename: oriole) and Pixel 6 Pro ( codename: raven) both have two developer support images. The Pixel 6a (code name: bluejay) only has one. You can see the details of the images below.
Google Pixel 6 (codename: oriole)
- Pixel 6 (codename: oriole) – Android 12 (API level 31) – oriole-sq1d.220205.004.x2-factory-1b9d8fc0.zip
- Pixel 6 (Codename: Oriole) – 12L Feature Drop (API Level 32) – oriole-sq3a.220705.004.x2-factory-c5a02422.zip
Google Pixel 6 Pro (code name: raven)
- Pixel 6 Pro (codename: raven) – Android 12 (API level 31) – raven-sq1d.220205.004.x2-factory-ca630efc.zip
- Pixel 6 Pro (Codename: Raven): 12L Feature Drop (API Level 32): raven-sq3a.220705.004.x2-factory-56c65af2.zip
Google Pixel 6a (code name: bluejay)
- Pixel 6a (Codename: bluejay): 12L Feature Drop (API Level 32): bluejay-sd2a.220601.004.x2-factory-6f661e14.zip
Download Android 12 support images: Google Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro and Pixel 6a
Before you go through the process, you’ll want to be aware of some of the warnings that Google has issued. First of all, Developer Support builds are intended for developers. As such, they are not intended for general use. The builds do not offer OTA security updates like the traditional version of Android, and the only security fixes that have been made are for the “incremented anti-rollback counter”. Finally, developers may experience issues with builds if they need to test applications that are Compatibility Test Suite (CTS) approved or use SafetyNet APIs. There are also more caveats, but it’s best to read the support page for all the details before proceeding.
