Multiple Verizon Google Pixel 2 Owners are Reporting their Bootloaders can be Unlocked

The Google Pixel 2/2 XL is my personal favorite smartphone of 2017, despite the fact that the custom development scene is rather sparse. The stock Pixel experience is enough to make many die-hard Android modders decide to forego running a custom ROM or kernel. However, there’s still a sizable group of users on our forums who prefer to unlock their bootloader, install Magisk, and flash various modifications. Those users who still go that route tend to avoid buying their phone from carriers because carrier phones tend to be locked down. This is true of the Google Pixel 2 sold on Verizon Wireless, where the bootloader cannot be unlocked, however multiple users on our forums are reporting tonight that they have successfully unlocked the bootloader of the Verizon Google Pixel 2.

An XDA member by the name of D3RP_ posted a thread on our Pixel 2 forum seeing if it would be possible to unlock the bootloader of the device. Last year’s Verizon Google Pixel and Pixel XL were unlockable thanks to an exploit, but no such exploit has been discovered for the latest generation Pixel 2 smartphone series. Yet, it appears that an exploit isn’t necessary at all. Simply sending a simple fastboot command on the Verizon Google Pixel 2 (sorry Pixel 2 XL owners!) appears to bring up the menu to unlock the bootloader.

Here are the steps to try on your own Verizon Google Pixel 2:

1. Download the latest ADB & Fastboot binaries for your computer.
2. Go to Developer Options and Enable USB Debugging
3. Open a command prompt or terminal, and enter: adb reboot bootloader
4. This reboots you to your bootloader. Now type: fastboot flashing lock_critical
5. Use your volume keys to select the “UNLOCK THE BOOTLOADER” option.
6. Press the power button to confirm. THIS WILL WIPE ALL DATA ON YOUR INTERNAL STORAGE.
7. Once done, you can now flash TWRP and Magisk!

Thus far, we have confirmation from XDA Members D3rp_, zinchalk, enzyne, abs0lute, Lightn1ng, Ips1014, and Spaniard85 that this works. We have no idea why this works, but we presume that Verizon or Google may have accidentally forgotten to block this fastboot command from bringing up the bootloader unlock menu if OEM unlocking isn’t checked. This definitely shouldn’t be possible on the Verizon model, and we don’t expect this to last long.

So if you own a Verizon Google Pixel 2 and want your bootloader unlocked, now’s your chance! Try this out and let us know if it worked for you!

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