How to Unlock the Bootloader and Root the Pixel 2 with SkipSoft Toolkit

If you want to root or flash custom ROM on your Android phone you have to unlock the bootloader in most of the cases. I said in most of the cases because there are some manufacturers like Nexus that don’t require an unlocked bootloader. While most of the devices from the popular manufacturers such as Samsung require you to unlock the bootloader in order to root or install custom ROM, mods etc.

Now come to the point, apart from TWRP Recovery there is an amalgamated way called SkipSoft Toolkit for Pixel 2 to perform the actions like;

• Gain root access
• Backup the whole data
• Store any of the applications work on your phone
• Root and unroot
• Download images to the toolkit (G, N, O)

SkipSoft Toolkit is developed by a senior moderator of XDA and it works for many devices like; Nexus, Samsung, OnePlus, HTC and more. As TWRP still work in alpha testing so that many of thinks and even complain that device decryption with TWRP is very risky. So that’s the SkipSoft is recommended toolkit for custom recovery available on XDA. In this post, we will walk through a step by step guide how to unlock bootloader and root Google Pixel 2 with SkipSoft toolkit.

Install ADB/Fastboot Drivers

The first thing you need to do is to download and install adb/fastboot drivers on your computer. They are needed so you can unlock the bootloader, root your device and perform many other functions that adb and fastboot allow you.

You can either install the drivers by following our full guide to adb and fastboot or install directly via the toolkit.

Download all the necessary files of SkipSoft Toolkit

Automatic Installation

• Once you install the toolkit you will see the Driver Installation option in the main menu.
• Click on it and the driver will be automatically installed.

Manual Installation

In case the drivers will not be installed automatically, follow the steps below;

• Connect your device to PC via a USB cable.
• Open ‘Device Manager’ and you will see a new item on the list named ‘Android 1.0’
• Right-click on it and select ‘Update Driver Software’
• Select the option ‘Browse my computer’
• After that select ‘Let me pick from a list’
• You’ll now see ‘Android interface driver’, if not you should untick the ‘Show compatible hardware’ and then you will see.
• Now select the ‘Android_winusb.inf’ and then click ‘Open’
• Click ‘OK’ and after that select ‘Google ADB Interface’

How to Unlock the bootloader of Google Pixel 2

There is a way to unlock the Google Pixel 2 bootloader using a code which is developed by XDA moderator and you can buy from here.

• Take your phone and go to Settings > About Phone and tap on the ‘Build Number’ 7 times.
• A message will appear saying “You’re now a developer”
• Go to Developer Options and enable OEM Unlock and USB Debugging
• Tick both of the checkboxes and close the settings screen window in your Pixel 2.
• Connect your device to the computer via a USB cable but first, make sure to have installed the USB Drivers.
• Go the folder adb is installed and hold shift and right click on a blank space. Open a command prompt window there and type the following code:

adb reboot bootloader

• The phone will boot into bootloader. Type the following command:

fastboot oem unlock

• Press Enter and the bootloader will be unlocked

How to boot Google PixeL 2 into Fastboot mode

• Unplug the device from computer
• Turn off the phone and then press and hold in the same time ‘Volume Down’ + Power Button and the phone will boot into fastboot mode.

How to root Google Pixel 2 with SkipSoft Toolkit

1. Run the file named “ToolkitClean.exe’. You can find it via a quick search or go the folder of SkipSoft.
2. Select the device ‘Pixel 2’. It should be allocated at the 9th position on the list.
3. Type ‘Y’ or ‘Yes’ which delete the existing files and setting for the new rooting process.
4. After that select the executable file ‘Toolkit.exe’ as option 62 from the list. This will update your toolkit with the latest version of firmware as md5 firmware.
5. Restart your toolkit and select the ‘Pixel 2’ as your device and your new module will be installed.
6. After a few minutes your device will be automatically rebooted and now your Pixel 2 will get rooted with SkipSoft Toolkit.

Note: 

If you are still facing problem to continue to evolve the Pixel 2 with SkipSoft Toolkit you can buy the instance code after donating for the ultimate code. For this purpose, you can use PayPal payment method and request for your activation code and you’ll get one code per donation.