The Pixel 7a is now the latest affordable phone from Google. Google launched the Pixel 7a on May 10 at the Google I/O 2023 event. The device comes with several improvements as compared to the Pixel 6a.

If you’ve got a Pixel 7a or are thinking about getting one and want to root your phone, then this guide is for you. Here you will learn how to root Pixel 7a and how to unlock Bootloader of Pixel 7a.

First of all, let’s quickly know the details of Pixel 7a. The Pixel 7a comes with improvements across various segments such as camera, display, processor, and more. Even some of its specs are better than the base Pixel 7. Pixel 7a features a 6.1-inch FHD+ OLED display that supports up to 90Hz refresh rate.

Pixel 7a comes with Google’s latest Tensor G2 chip. The chip is integrated with Mali-G710 MP7 GPU. The device is only available in 8GB RAM and 128GB storage options. Coming to the camera, Google has done an impressive job here. The Pixel 7a sports a 64MP main camera and a 13MP ultrawide camera at the back.

The front now has a 13MP selfie camera. The Pixel 7a comes with pure stock Android which is clean but lacks customization options. But there is always the option of rooting your Pixel phone for advanced customization.

How to Root Google Pixel 7a

Rooting provides a bunch of additional controls over your phone. It let you change any element on your phone considering you are aware of the process. But to achieve root privilege on your phone, you need to first unlock the bootloader. So let’s start with the bootloader unlocking guide.

Steps to Unlock Bootloader of Pixel 7a

Just like other Android phones, the Pixel 7a also comes with locked bootloader which restricts users from making any advanced changes to the phone. Yes, it also prevents rooting the phone. Luckily most models can be unlocked, so let’s jump into the steps.

1. Unlocking bootloader wipes device data so make sure to backup your Pixel 7a. Also, make sure to install adb and fastboot drivers on your PC.
2. On your Pixel phone, open Settings and go to System > About Phone. Tap Build Number 7 times. This will enable developer options.
3. Next navigate to System > Advanced > Developer options.
4. In developer options, enable OEM Unlocking & USB Debugging.
   
5. Now boot your Pixel 7a into Fastboot Mode. For that Power off your phone then hold the Volume Down + Power buttons together. Then connect your phone to the PC using a USB cable. You can also use adb reboot bootloader command.
6. Open Command Window/CMD on your PC.
7. Enter the below command to initiate unlock bootloader on Pixel 7a.
   • fastboot flashing unlock
8. It will show options on your phone. Use the volume buttons and navigate to ‘Unlock bootloader‘ and press the Power button to select it.
9. This will remove all data and unlock the bootloader of your Pixel 7a.
10. After unlocking bootloader enter the below command to reboot to system
    • fastboot reboot
11. Now you have unlocked bootloader of your Pixel 7a.

After unlocking the bootloader of your Pixel 7a you can start the rooting process. There are some requirements to go through before rooting your phone.

Prerequisites:

• Install Magisk on your phone
• Take a full backup of phone’s data (To restore if anything goes wrong)
• Install ADB & Fastboot drivers on PC
• Download latest Android SDK Platform-Tools
• Download Factory Image for Pixel 7a (Version should be similar to that running on your phone)

Steps to Root Pixel 7a

1. Copy the downloaded factory image to your PC and extract boot.img from it. Copy the boot.img to the phone storage.
2. Extract the platform tools pack on your PC and remember its location.
3. Open the Magisk app and click on Install.
   
4. Now choose ‘Select and Patch a File’ and select the boot.img that you copied earlier.
   
5. The patched output file will be saved in the download folder.
6. Copy the patched boot image to the extracted platform tools folder and rename the patched boot image to boot.img. Also, copy the vbmeta.img from extracted firmware to platform tools folder.
7. Now open CMD in the platform tools folder (type CMD in the address bar of file explorer and press enter).
8. Turn off your phone and boot it into fastboot mode. Press & hold Volume Down + Power button together to boot into Fastboot Mode.
9. Once your Pixel 7a phone is in fastboot mode, enter the below command to flash vbmeta.
   • fastboot flash --disable-verity --disable-verification vbmeta vbmeta.img
10. If it asks for a data wipe, do it. After that boot your phone into the patched boot image using the given command
    • fastboot boot boot.img
11. This command will make your phone boot into the system. Open Magisk app and click on Install > Direct Install.
12. Once the installation process is done, click on Reboot.
13. Your Pixel 7a phone will now boot with permanent root access.

Yes, the process is quite similar to other Pixel phones. After rooting your phone you can check for root privilege through third party apps like root checker. Once you have the root access, you can try apps and modules that require root access.

There you have it, the complete guide on how to root Pixel 7a and how to unlock the bootloader of Pixel 7a. In case of any queries, do let us know in the comment section.

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