How to Fix Anti Rollback on Pixel 6/8 series after May 2025 Update

In this guide, we will have a look at the new Anti Rollback mechanism on the Pixel 6 and 8 series after the May 2025 update, its repercussions, and most importantly, the steps to fix it. There’s some major development taking place in the Pixel ecosystem with the May security patch update, which, if not handled correctly, would result in a hardbricked device. So what’s the fiasco all about? Let’s first have a look at the official statement given by Google, after which we will try to break it down and try to understand it in a more comprehensive and easy-to-understand way. Follow along.

  • The New Anti Rollback Mechanism for Pixel 6 and 8 Series after the May 2025 Update
  • So What Does This Mean?
  • How to Fix Anti Rollback on Pixel 6 and 8 series after May 2025 Update
  • Flashing Steps

The New Anti Rollback Mechanism for Pixel 6 and 8 Series after the May 2025 Update

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The May 2025 update for Pixel 6 (6, 6 Pro, 6a) and Pixel 8 (8, 8 Pro, 8a) devices contains a bootloader update that increments the anti-rollback version for the bootloader. This prevents the device from rolling back to previous vulnerable versions of the bootloader. After flashing the May 2025 update on these devices, you won’t be able to flash and boot older Android 15 builds.

So What Does This Mean?

Once you have downloaded and installed the May 2025 update and booted to that slot, your inactive slot will have an older Android 15 update. In usual cases, if your current active slot gets corrupted, then you can easily switch to the inactive slot and boot your device to the OS. However, after installing the May 2025 update, which has incremented the bootloader version of the active slot, it will prevent the device from rolling back to the previous bootloader versions, in other words, to the inactive slot, because that slot has the older bootloader version.

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But since your active slot is not booting, the fallback mechanism of seamless updates kicks in, and the device will then try to boot from the inactive slot. Since the inactive slot contains the older bootloader, the device enters an unbootable state. And your device is hardbricked! So, how to avoid this major issue from happening, and more importantly, is there anything that could be done in the first place? Let’s find out.

How to Fix Anti Rollback on Pixel 6 and 8 series after May 2025 Update

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In order to avoid this anti-rollback from kicking in, you’ll have to make sure that your inactive slot also has the incremented bootloader version, in other words, the latest May 2025 update. In other words, once you have flashed the May 2025 update and booted to the active slot, you’ll once again have to flash the May 2025 OTA image, which will be flashed to the inactive slot.

This would mean that both your slots now have the latest May update, in other words, a bootable image. So if your current active slot now becomes unbootable, the fallback mechanisms can now easily boot your device via the inactive slot, as it also has the bootloader version! On that note, let’s now make you aware of the steps to implement this fix right away. Follow along.

Flashing Steps

  1. First off, download and extract Android SDK Platform Tools on the PC.
  2. Next up, download the May 2025 OTA image for your device from here .
  3. Now transfer it to the platform-tools folder and rename it to update.zip.
  4. Then enable USB Debugging on your device and connect it to PC via USB.
  5. Now open Command Prompt inside the platform-tools folder and type in: adb reboot recovery
  6. If your device is stuck on ‘No Command’ screen, then check out this guide .
  7. Now use the Volume Key to select Apply Update from ADB and press the Power key to confirm.
  8. Then type in the below command in the CMD window to start the sideload: adb sideload update.zip
  9. Once done, use the Volume Key to select Reboot System Now and press the Power key to confirm.

That’s it. These were the steps to fix the Anti Rollback mechanism on the Pixel 6 and 8 series after the May 2025 update.

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  • Kartikeya 9 months ago Reply I have done this please upload a tutorial on rising os 7 official may patch to flash on pixel 6a

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