Down grade Pixel 4a 5G, SQ1A.211205.008 current version (android 12)

So I have android 12 on this Pixel 4a 5G, (SQ1A.211205.008 current version, android 12).

How do I know what is the previous version to return to. I found this link:
https://developers.google.com/android/images#bramble

I am unsure of the last carrier but the phone is unlocked. What version 11 to use?

Regain your privacy! Adopt /e/ the unGoogled mobile OS and online servicesphone

take the lastest one.

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So then this one: RQ3A.211001.001, Oct 2021.

The .001 after has not bearing on my phone being .008 I assume?

Hi, it’s some month ago but maybe you remember:

Did the /e/OS install worked with downgraded RQ3A.211001.001, Oct 2021 (and the easy installer)?

I had now two tries with Easy installer and also manual install but with Android 12 and 12.1 version. Both time I run into other issues.

Downgrading to latest android 11 based stock firmware (2021 october) was needed to install /e/OS “r”
Since /e/OS “s” (android 12.x based) has been released, now there is no more need to downgrade from stock android 12.

/e/ image ROM download

But downdating to 2022 october 's android 12 based stock firmware could be needed to install e-1.7-s (because related security patch level)

Peiro,

I had problems with e -1.6r on the Pixel 4a5g FYI. I will give it a go updating to e-1.7s tonight to see if bug fixed.

Reported in feedback thread:

With a downgraded Pixel 4a 5G from Android 12 to 11 via RQ3A.211001.001, Oct 2021 and the /e/OS Easy Installer I just was successful to install e-1.5-r-20221028230215-stable-bramble (Android 11).

The Easy Installer (and also manual attempts) to install “the latest /e/OS” chosen automatically by the Easy Installer from Android 12 firmware failed for me (2 tries).

/e/OS 1.6 is suggested as a system update now in the device settings. I’m not sure, if an upgrade can be done without issues in place. @Jets would be interesting what your latest tests will show.

marc,

Glade you got 1.5r on your bramble, I can recommend 1.6r it’s very stable for me. It’s over the air (OTA) and it normally just an update with all apps intact. It takes a bit of time so be patient.

I am going to read feedback before I move onto 1.6s or 1.7s.

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Piero,
you wrote: “downdating to 2022 october 's android 12 based stock firmware could be needed to install e-1.7-s”
But the latest stock Android 12 for bramble that I found is from 2022 July. Since August 2022 there are only Android 13 stock images for bramble.

If I want to install /e/OS “S”, not “R”, would I need to install the latest stock Android 12 from July, and then e-1.7-s, or should I better try e-1.6-s?

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You are right !
Consider “latest available android 12 based firmware older than october 2022” (e-1.7-s security patch level date)

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Finally I got e-17-s-20230110… running on my bramble device.

But this was not easy to achieve since neither e-16-s-recovery nor e-17-s-recovery will boot, even if the latest stock Android 12 (SQ3A) from July 2022 was installed previously.

So I downgraded to the latest stock Android 11 from October 2021, RQ3A.
Then I installed e-17-r-recovery. This recovery worked.

Only with this e-R-recovery (e-S-recovery, installed by fastboot, won’t boot) I was able to install e-17-s via sideload. (There was a warning though, that this is a downgrade that could fail. Since in reality it wasn’t a downgrade but an upgrade, I overruled this warning.)

I’ll try the whole procedure again to verify this.

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Thanks sharing your experience with 1.6r.

I can recommend 1.6r it’s very stable for me. It’s over the air (OTA) and it normally just an update with all apps intact.

I just see “/e/OS 1.6” and “/e/OS 1.7” (since some days) offered to download (install) on the device (on “/e/OS 1.5” itself under “System Updates”. There is no information on “r” or “s” version.

Maybe you or somebody else can answer:

What are these “r” / “s” build identifiers and how to see it on the device which one is offered?
I checked https://doc.e.foundation/build-status but didn’t found information there.

“r” is for Red Velvet Cake,
“s” is for Snow Cone
“t” is for Tiramisu
Those are Android version codename

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I can recommend 1.6r it’s very stable for me. It’s over the air (OTA) and it normally just an update with all apps intact.

Tried the same and have now an unlocked bootloader > opened a new discussion on that:

marc,

An unlocked boot-loader is the normal state of any android phone with a custom ROM, no need to worry about it. Google just sprays that message because they know you are trying to run another ROM on your phone.

ok, thanks for this information. Still a bit scary to me, see:

I am now running e-1.7-s and it’s very stable also, I like it better too. Don’t know if it comes OTA I did mine over USB.