I have a Google Pixel 7a with the stock ROM installed. It is currently on Android 14, and the OS wants to upgrade to Android 16. Per the installation instructions for /e/OS, I should keep it at Android 14. However, it does not have the latest version of Android 14. The build is from 2023-10-05.
My question is, should I sideload the latest version of the stock ROM for Android 14 from here (dated 2024-09-05) before installing /e/OS?
can’t hurt to go to 2024-09-05, was there never a A15 release? before you eventually relock, just make sure your patchlevel is then ahead
They’ve taken it to Android 16, but my understanding is that I should keep it at Android 14 to match the version of /e/OS, as outlined here. Is that correct?
yes, that is correct
Thanks @tcecyk. On the Google instructions, it says
Make sure that there is no pending OTA update, by going to Settings > About phone > System updates, which should say “Your system is up to date”.
In my case, my phone wants to update to A16. Should I let it do that, and then install the latest A14? Or is it fine to just install the latest A14?
hard to know all possibilities, but I’d ignore it. I’m surprised the google web flasher even offers you to go to latest A14 and doesn’t force A16. I’m not familiar with it. In any case, keep to A14, can explain more later
You should not be using the OTA Google image to downgrade. You should be using the factory image which utilizes fastboot flash.
The instructions in the factory image section do not make that statement about pending updates, which would make sense since the factory image uses fastboot flash which erases everything first. The OTA image sideloads from recovery which does not erase everything.
As far as updating to the latest version of Android 14, you could sideload the OTA update to do that, but you would have to disregard the statement about pending updates. I think I would fastboot flash the factory image to update Android 14 as well.
On the other hand, the /e/os instructions only state you need to be at Android 14, not the latest version of Android 14. So I wouldn’t do anything. You’re at 14 and the instructions call for 14 so just install /e/os.
Thanks @CraigHB. The reason I wondered if I should have the latest version of A14 was that I previously installed /e/ on my Samsung Galaxy S7 (which I will no longer be able to use for voice calls, as my provider is switching to VoLTE, hence the new phone), and the baseband version is stuck at G930FXXU8ETI2, which, according to Samsung, is firmware from 2020, while the latest firmware patch is from 2022.
So I thought that if I didn’t upgrade the firmware on the Pixel if it might somehow stay stuck there once /e/ is installed.
That seems a very reasonable thing to do. It would satisfy the quite complex guide you are given on the install page.
Before following these instructions please ensure that the device is on the latest Android 14 firmware.
If your device is currently using a newer or older version than the required version, please upgrade or downgrade to the required version before proceeding with your /e/OS installation.
The required version is Android 14 , which may be lower than the /e/OS version you are about to install - this is not an error! If there are multiple updates of that version (e.g. security updates), make sure to use the latest!
If you need to upgrade or downgrade your device, please search online for guides. We are unable to provide specific instructions here and on our support platforms.
In doing this you are setting the phone up for your /e/OS ROM … so you are not following the more general instructions to get the phone fully updated in Android … which would include:
Make sure that there is no pending OTA update, by going to Settings > About phone > System updates, which should say “Your system is up to date”.
This warning also seems to cover the possibility (as general advice) that the OTA package may be incremental, so one must ensure all firmware increments are present. The OTA update is expected to “refuse” if the chosen package is unsuitable.
However if there is any uncertainty about the history of the phone then the Fastboot ROM Factory image is a more sure and certain way to be sure the phone is clean and at the right Firmware version point.
This Firmware version point (we are warned) is quite critical in this case … and it is the same sort of issue as your Samsung experience.
I actually have a Pixel 7a on delivery right now so I’m thinking about the same things. I want to try LOS on it which calls for Android 15, but I may go back to /e/os which calls for Android 14.
I had the same questions about firmware. There are firmware images inside the Google factory zip file that are not present inside the Google OTA zip. So I think you’re probably right about that low level software.
I believe my Pixel 7a is going to arrive with 15 on it and I don’t plan to update 15 to the latest version to install LOS. Though if that’s not the case I may have to flash a factory image. If I want to go back to /e/os I’ll have to downgrade to 14 in which case I’ll use the latest factory image.
I suppose you could flash to the latest Android 14 factory image and that should get you the latest firmware for that version, but then the /e/os instructions don’t ask you to do that. Your call.
You made this comment earlier; is the reason I quoted the 4 line warning from the install page saying clearly latest.
There’s two separate sections on that Google download page, one for OTA images and one for Factory images. You’re not reading through the factory images section which is the section you would use to downgrade or update an older version of Google Android.
The OTA images section states the warning about no pending updates. The Factory images page does not, which would make sense since the factory image uses fastboot flash were the OTA image uses a sideload from recovery.
There are some big red warnings in the Factory images section about an anti-rollback bootloader after the May 2025 SPL, but that only applies to Pixel 6 and 8 variants. That’s a critical consideration if you have one of those and want to downgrade, they do provide a work-around though.
Latest A14 firmware version is the quoted requirement of the the /e/OS install page for lynx. This was the OP’s primary question.
Before following these instructions please ensure that the device is on the latest Android 14 firmware
Yup, there it is. I only saw,
The required version is Android 14
Thanks everyone. My phone is actually new (“factory unlocked”). Based on your comments, it seems like the safest thing for me to do is to flash the latest A14 factory image, which has the same date (2024-09-05) as the latest OTA image, and then proceed with installing /e/OS. Does that sound right?
The Factory images section has good instructions. Just download from there. You can use Android Flash Tool or do it manually. I prefer manual myself, less to go wrong, but that’s up to you.
Thanks. Installing the latest A14 image with the Android Flash Tool went smoothly.