Develop Bugs

Google VS. Non-Google Variant Differences

This thread is to gather technical clarification for those of us who have wondered about this:
If a Google phone (e.g. Pixel / Pixel XL) is purchased from another retailer (e.g. Verizon [with a locked bootloader]), other than the physical hardware, are there any technical differences in SOFTWARE and/or CODING that would restrict flashing OEM firmware from Google after the bootloader is unlocked?
***** (Is the Verizon variant restricted from flashing Google firmware?) *****
My apologies if this has been covered in another thread.

So I went ahead and downloaded the latest "7.1.0 (NDE63P, Oct 2016)" file and attempted to flash the "flash-all.bat" file on my Verizon Pixel XL through fastboot and was unsuccessful. Attached is a screenshot of the error.
It hangs at:
"(bootloader) Flashing active slot "_b"
I'm uncertain of what this means but it didn't work. It allowed me to exit and reboot to my current state before the flash. Maybe someone can chime in on this.

I bought Verizon pixel xl from best buy. It is sim unlocked. Bootloader is locked. It can be unlocked via depixel8 sunshine method. I flashed Google stock rom nde63p and rooted. All is working 100 percent.

Radsolutionz said:
I bought Verizon pixel xl from best buy. It is sim unlocked. Bootloader is locked. It can be unlocked via depixel8 sunshine method. I flashed Google stock rom nde63p and rooted. All is working 100 percent.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I too, also have a Verizon variant that is bootloader-unlocked with depixel8. What am doing differently that isn't working to flash the factory image NDE63P?

1up1up said:
I too, also have a Verizon variant that is bootloader-unlocked with depixel8. What am doing differently that isn't working to flash the factory image NDE63P?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
https://developers.google.com/android/images follow instructions exactly in the link. That's all I did. The toolkit does not work for this. Anymore problems I can assist you tomorrow. Just make sure ur phone is is bootloader mode. Also the image is fully extracted in your adb tools folder.

Radsolutionz said:
https://developers.google.com/android/images follow instructions exactly in the link. That's all I did. The toolkit does not work for this. Anymore problems I can assist you tomorrow. Just make sure ur phone is is bootloader mode. Also the image is fully extracted in your adb tools folder.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm certain I'm not missing anything here, according to steps required. It just isn't working for me.

1up1up said:
I'm certain I'm not missing anything here, according to steps required. It just isn't working for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Set it up on another computer and start from scratch. Windows 10 has some issues.... If it doesn't work and you want it done just get the device to me and I'll do it for u my self. Message me and I'll work it out with u.

My question is somewhat related so I'll post it in here.
If I unlock bootloader with depixel8, then flash the Google factory image and relock bootloader, in theory I should now have a Google version correct? Has and had success with this?
The reason I want to relock is to not trip safety net. Right now I'm enjoying the phone without root, but know I will want to root eventually and don't want to miss the easy conversion to a official Google model.
Sent from my Pixel XL using XDA-Developers mobile app

suhailtheboss said:
My question is somewhat related so I'll post it in here.
If I unlock bootloader with depixel8, then flash the Google factory image and relock bootloader, in theory I should now have a Google version correct? Has and had success with this?
The reason I want to relock is to not trip safety net. Right now I'm enjoying the phone without root, but know I will want to root eventually and don't want to miss the easy conversion to a official Google model.
Sent from my Pixel XL using XDA-Developers mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No. Until you see Jcase or another dev post a full Google Store conversion for the Verizon Pixel, do not relock your bootloader. That is, if you want to root your Verizon Pixel in the future.
Sent from my Pixel XL using XDA-Developers mobile app

1up1up said:
So I went ahead and downloaded the latest "7.1.0 (NDE63P, Oct 2016)" file and attempted to flash the "flash-all.bat" file on my Verizon Pixel XL through fastboot and was unsuccessful. Attached is a screenshot of the error.
It hangs at:
"(bootloader) Flashing active slot "_b"
I'm uncertain of what this means but it didn't work. It allowed me to exit and reboot to my current state before the flash. Maybe someone can chime in on this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Update your adb drivers. You need sdk version 25. Your error, [bootb doesn't exist] is because you are using an older sdk that can't handle all of the new partitions in the Pixels. There was no boot_a or boot_b in Nexus, which is why it doesn't know where to send the files.

1up1up said:
I too, also have a Verizon variant that is bootloader-unlocked with depixel8. What am doing differently that isn't working to flash the factory image NDE63P?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Most likely you are trying to flash-all with an older version of the SDK or using another older tool. flash-all only seems to work with the latest SDK or the latest tool. You can flush each of the 14 img files individually as well.

dbrohrer said:
Update your adb drivers. You need sdk version 25. Your error, [bootb doesn't exist] is because you are using an older sdk that can't handle all of the new partitions in the Pixels. There was no boot_a or boot_b in Nexus, which is why it doesn't know where to send the files.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I updated SDK and flash was successful. Can you please help me understand this too: now that the Google Firmware has been flashed, does that "change" the phone from a "Verizon" model to a "Google" model? Also, why is it that in Developer Options, "OEM Unlocking" is still grayed out?

Mike02z said:
Most likely you are trying to flash-all with an older version of the SDK or using another older tool. flash-all only seems to work with the latest SDK or the latest tool. You can flush each of the 14 img files individually as well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I updated SDK and all is working.

1up1up said:
I updated SDK and flash was successful. Can you please help me understand this too: now that the Google Firmware has been flashed, does that "change" the phone from a "Verizon" model to a "Google" model? Also, why is it that in Developer Options, "OEM Unlocking" is still grayed out?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Glad to hear you got it flashed. You answered your own question. Currently there is not a way to convert the Verizon model to the Google model. They are in fact exactly the same in hardware and firmware. Zero difference. The reason that it is grayed out is because when the phone first boots up it checks for a whitelist (or maybe a blacklist) by CID or MEID. If you're phone is listed as a Verizon device, the OEM unlock option is grayed out. That is the way they locked it down. They just grayed out the toggle for the locked phones.
For the time being, the only option you have is to leave the bootloader unlocked. If you lock the bootloader, there is a good chance that it will be permanent after the November security patch. Maybe later someone figures out how to fool the check at first boot (or change the CID...). Or install a custom rom. This would be the only way to turn the device into a "Google" model.

dbrohrer said:
Glad to hear you got it flashed. You answered your own question. Currently there is not a way to convert the Verizon model to the Google model. They are in fact exactly the same in hardware and firmware. Zero difference. The reason that it is grayed out is because when the phone first boots up it checks for a whitelist (or maybe a blacklist) by CID or MEID. If you're phone is listed as a Verizon device, the OEM unlock option is grayed out. That is the way they locked it down. They just grayed out the toggle for the locked phones.
For the time being, the only option you have is to leave the bootloader unlocked. If you lock the bootloader, there is a good chance that it will be permanent after the November security patch. Maybe later someone figures out how to fool the check at first boot (or change the CID...). Or install a custom rom. This would be the only way to turn the device into a "Google" model.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I see... Thank you very much for explaining that.

dbrohrer said:
Glad to hear you got it flashed. You answered your own question. Currently there is not a way to convert the Verizon model to the Google model. They are in fact exactly the same in hardware and firmware. Zero difference. The reason that it is grayed out is because when the phone first boots up it checks for a whitelist (or maybe a blacklist) by CID or MEID. If you're phone is listed as a Verizon device, the OEM unlock option is grayed out. That is the way they locked it down. They just grayed out the toggle for the locked phones.
For the time being, the only option you have is to leave the bootloader unlocked. If you lock the bootloader, there is a good chance that it will be permanent after the November security patch. Maybe later someone figures out how to fool the check at first boot (or change the CID...). Or install a custom rom. This would be the only way to turn the device into a "Google" model.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Aside from the option to unlock/relock being greyed out, will unlocking disable the updates? I was reading another article that said if you unlock the Verizon pixel using depixel8, then you would not be able to take OTA updates. Aside from unlocking for custom roms, is there any real need to unlock?

coolhandz said:
Aside from the option to unlock/relock being greyed out, will unlocking disable the updates? I was reading another article that said if you unlock the Verizon pixel using depixel8, then you would not be able to take OTA updates. Aside from unlocking for custom roms, is there any real need to unlock?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unlocking will not disable updates. In Developer Options there is a toggle to disable this. Depending on what you do to your phone after bootloader unlock, disabling this might be important to prevent bootloop during an update.
Aside from root, various flashable mods, custom rom, or custom kernel, there is not really a need to unlock. Your phone is certainly less secure by doing so. If you plan to stay completely stock, keep your bootloader locked.

Is an unlocked bootloader a security vulnerability?

I'm not a developer, just an enthusiast. Trying to understand if having an unlocked bootloader causes my device to be vulnerable to fastboot attacks? Or is my devices data still encrypted as long as i have a password? I know booting into my twrp recovery requires my password before decryption.. but can't they just fastboot boot a twrp image and gain access to my data somehow? or no? Can someone with knowledge explain?

If they have your phone in their hand yes it is a risk. They have access to all it's contents.

How hard is it to relock your bootloader? My bootloader is unlocked and my phone was rooted (i seem to have lost my root somehow maybe through an update). I am considering relocking my bootloader so that I can try Android Pay. Is this possible and is there a tutorial?

TolaSkamp said:
How hard is it to relock your bootloader? My bootloader is unlocked and my phone was rooted (i seem to have lost my root somehow maybe through an update). I am considering relocking my bootloader so that I can try Android Pay. Is this possible and is there a tutorial?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Of course there are tutorials, tons of them. One quick note, you should flash the latest factory image while you are unlocked to make sure everything is fully stock. No reason to save the data, just use flash-all, since relocking will wipe it all anyway. You could also just flash a kernel such as Elemental to access Android Pay.

bobby janow said:
Of course there are tutorials, tons of them. One quick note, you should flash the latest factory image while you are unlocked to make sure everything is fully stock. No reason to save the data, just use flash-all, since relocking will wipe it all anyway. You could also just flash a kernel such as Elemental to access Android Pay.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the reply. I will probably just flash the Elemental kernel and leave the bootloader unlocked, thanks. I seem to have lost my root, would I need to be rooted. I really rather not have to wipe all my data.

TolaSkamp said:
Thanks for the reply. I will probably just flash the Elemental kernel and leave the bootloader unlocked, thanks. I seem to have lost my root, would I need to be rooted. I really rather not have to wipe all my data.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No need to be rooted. Just boot to twrp and flash the kernel. AP with then work I believe. Try it out, I'm locked so I can't say for sure but on my 5x it works.

Doesn't Android Device Manager (or something there of) have some protection against lost/stolen phones. I recall reading that once you have your Google account sync'ed to the phone, you will need your Google account password to restart the phone even after a factory reset.

robchow said:
Doesn't Android Device Manager (or something there of) have some protection against lost/stolen phones. I recall reading that once you have your Google account sync'ed to the phone, you will need your Google account password to restart the phone even after a factory reset.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is easily bypassed. It will keep the honest people out, but with minimal effort someone could get past it.
Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

Here is the Android feature I was referring to about needing Google account's password:
Factory Reset Protection (FRP)
https://support.google.com/pixelphone/answer/6172890?hl=en
Am I correct that this statement "If you have Developer options turned on, you can also turn off device protection from your device's Settings app Settings. Tap Developer options and then OEM Unlocking" relates to bootloader unlock? As such, if unlocked bootloader then this FRP isn't active? Can FRP be turned on with unlocked bootloader?
superchilpil said:
This is easily bypassed. It will keep the honest people out, but with minimal effort someone could get past it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you suggesting that FRP is easily bypassed?

Stuck - Phone won't go past Google screen

Earlier today I installed Magisk, but then found that some apps I frequently use (Samsung Pay being one of them) were no longer working so I decided to revert back to Android O, remove Magisk etc. and basically go back to stock. I flashed the factory images using fastboot, then sent the command to lock the bootloader. Strangely when I tried "fastboot flashing lock_critical" it told me the bootloader was locked, but when I entered "fastboot flashing lock" it went through and restarted.
This is where I get stuck, when the phone boots it shows a message about the device being corrupt. If I press the power button, it just then goes to the white screen with Google in the middle and does nothing else.
What should I do to get my phone back to factory specs?

naiku said:
Earlier today I installed Magisk, but then found that some apps I frequently use (Samsung Pay being one of them) were no longer working so I decided to revert back to Android O, remove Magisk etc. and basically go back to stock. I flashed the factory images using fastboot, then sent the command to lock the bootloader. Strangely when I tried "fastboot flashing lock_critical" it told me the bootloader was locked, but when I entered "fastboot flashing lock" it went through and restarted.
This is where I get stuck, when the phone boots it shows a message about the device being corrupt. If I press the power button, it just then goes to the white screen with Google in the middle and does nothing else.
What should I do to get my phone back to factory specs?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why on earth did you lock the bootloader? But oh well. Try unlocking it again, then fastboot 8.1 again. No need to worry about data anymore since you've been wiped! ?

I locked it again as Samsung Pay kept crashing saying I had a modified system, since I had already flashed back to factory 8.1 I assumed that was the reason why, hence locking the bootloader. I was actually in the middle of flashing 8.1 again when you replied, did exactly that, unlocked bootloader, flash-all in fastboot and I am back to setting it up again.
Going to leave the bootloader unlocked for now, but I do want to be able to use Samsung Pay so if that means locking it will likely go through the whole ordeal again at some point!!

naiku said:
I locked it again as Samsung Pay kept crashing saying I had a modified system, since I had already flashed back to factory 8.1 I assumed that was the reason why, hence locking the bootloader. I was actually in the middle of flashing 8.1 again when you replied, did exactly that, unlocked bootloader, flash-all in fastboot and I am back to setting it up again.
Going to leave the bootloader unlocked for now, but I do want to be able to use Samsung Pay so if that means locking it will likely go through the whole ordeal again at some point!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well glad your up and running. Outa curiosity, did you run the fastboot flashing unlock_critical when you first unlocked the bootloader? ?

Yep, in fact I think I only ran the unlock critical. Did both this time, oddly though unlock critical did nothing initially, so did just unlock, then tried unlock critical again and it reported being unlocked.
In the middle of setting everything up now, Samsung Pay working with the unlocked bootloader. Must have been something with root, even after removing it, that screwed it up previously.

naiku said:
Yep, in fact I think I only ran the unlock critical. Did both this time, oddly though unlock critical did nothing initially, so did just unlock, then tried unlock critical again and it reported being unlocked.
In the middle of setting everything up now, Samsung Pay working with the unlocked bootloader. Must have been something with root, even after removing it, that screwed it up previously.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep, root is usually always the culprit with pay type apps if magisk hide isn't working properly. But hey, at least your happy now ?

Yup, I had tried magisk hide and it did not work, so (wrongly) assumed the bootloader unlocked was the problem.
Thankfully all good now, was definitely a little worried earlier this evening!

naiku said:
Yep, in fact I think I only ran the unlock critical. Did both this time, oddly though unlock critical did nothing initially, so did just unlock, then tried unlock critical again and it reported being unlocked.
In the middle of setting everything up now, Samsung Pay working with the unlocked bootloader. Must have been something with root, even after removing it, that screwed it up previously.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How did you get SP to work on a non Samsung phone? Does MST work or does that take special hardware?
Sent from my SM-T820 using Tapatalk

dew.man said:
How did you get SP to work on a non Samsung phone? Does MST work or does that take special hardware?
Sent from my SM-T820 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Pay works fine with no issues, I did nothing other than install the app while on O, then it still works on P DP3.
Not sure what MST is, so can't help there.

Are you sure you're talking about SAMSUNG pay, and not Android Pay? As far as I know (and just checked again), it' s not available from google, only from the galaxy store.
MST is the (supposedly) proprietary Samsung technology that allows you to pay with your phone at older terminals that do not have NFC. From what I understand, they have a way to communicate with magnetic card readers enabling their solution to work pretty much everywhere.

dew.man said:
Are you sure you're talking about SAMSUNG pay, and not Android Pay? As far as I know (and just checked again), it' s not available from google, only from the galaxy store.
MST is the (supposedly) proprietary Samsung technology that allows you to pay with your phone at older terminals that do not have NFC. From what I understand, they have a way to communicate with magnetic card readers enabling their solution to work pretty much everywhere.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
100% sure it's Samsung Pay. I will say though that I use it on my watch, not the phone itself. Had to double check though, looks like we are both right. I don't have Samsung Pay on my phone as its own app, but it is used as part of the Gear app in order to set it up on my watch. During set up with the phone rooted, the watch Samsung Pay setup, on the phone, was crashing. Sorry for any confusion.
Gotta say I am glad the watch works with it. I would not have been happy if I had lost that functionality switching from the S7 Edge to the Pixel.

How to Lock Bootloader

Hello, I purchased a Pixel 3 XL off craigslist and it is working fine, but the bootloader is unlocked therefore I am receiving a warning when restarting the phone and Google Pay does not work. How can I re-lock the bootloader? Do I need to flash the latest standard google image? The build number is: "crosshatch-userdebug 9 PQ1A.181105.013 5027108 dev-keys". When in bootloader the bootloader version is: b1c1-0.1-5004167. Obviously a n00b here, please be gentle. Thank you for any help.

Do you have a computer? If so what OS do you use?
Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

superchilpil said:
Do you have a computer? If so what OS do you use?
Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I do have a computer, a Windows 10 Pro

Are you planning on rooting? If so, you can use Magisk Hide (after using Magisk to root of course) to get Google Pay to work. I would be hesitant to re-lock the BL unless you are certain that it is completely stock otherwise. Re-locking a modified phone can brick the device. Better to just learn how to root, etc and keep it unlocked. You have come to the right place to learn.

sliding_billy said:
Are you planning on rooting? If so, you can use Magisk Hide (after using Magisk to root of course) to get Google Pay to work. I would be hesitant to re-lock the BL unless you are certain that it is completely stock otherwise. Re-locking a modified phone can brick the device. Better to just learn how to root, etc and keep it unlocked. You have come to the right place to learn.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, I don't plan on rooting. But I am afraid of bricking the phone since I don't know what has been done to it. Is there a way to determine what was done to unlock the bootloader? Otherwise I will follow your recommendation of using Magisk Hide. I would prefer to keep the phone stock. Thanks.

eec007 said:
No, I don't plan on rooting. But I am afraid of bricking the phone since I don't know what has been done to it. Is there a way to determine what was done to unlock the bootloader? Otherwise I will follow your recommendation of using Magisk Hide. I would prefer to keep the phone stock. Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you live in Denver I'll trade you my Verizon one for yours. It has a locked bootloader.

eec007 said:
No, I don't plan on rooting. But I am afraid of bricking the phone since I don't know what has been done to it. Is there a way to determine what was done to unlock the bootloader? Otherwise I will follow your recommendation of using Magisk Hide. I would prefer to keep the phone stock. Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The two obvious things you can check are that you have stock recovery and that the phone is not rooted. Manually power on to bootloader (hold volume down and press power then use the volume keys to select recovery and press power. you should get a no command android screen if in stock recovery. assuming you don't have a Magisk icon, you are probably not rooted but you can confirm by installing and running a root app like root checker. likely, the previous owner did nothing but unlock the BL given how recently it came out, but if someone where really creative they could have done work in the other partition. there are no exploites, so doing it normally (running fastboot flashing unlock from a prompt) is pretty much all that would have been done other than enabling developer options and OEM unlocking in settings.
Personally, I think you have a good chance to learn your device, root (you need to be rooted for Magisk hide) and keep the bootloader unlocked. Besides rooting, being able to install a full factory image instead of an OTA is so much better in my opinion. The amount of work it would take to be 100% confident that the only thing done was the BL unlock would take as much work as at least getting a working knowledge of rooting and reinstalling the OS.
P.S. Keeping a phone "stock and rooted" has advantages. That is how I run my 3 XL and how I ran my OG XL. No custom OS. Not even a kernel.

coolhandz said:
If you live in Denver I'll trade you my Verizon one for yours. It has a locked bootloader.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
lol, what I don't get is that I thought the google edition could have the bootloader unlocked in the developer options. So why go to this hassle of unlocking the bootloader from fastboot? FYI, in the Developer options the OEM unlocking is greyed out and says "Bootloader is already unlocked".

sliding_billy said:
The two obvious things you can check are that you have stock recovery and that the phone is not rooted. Manually power on to bootloader (hold volume down and press power then use the volume keys to select recovery and press power. you should get a no command android screen if in stock recovery. assuming you don't have a Magisk icon, you are probably not rooted but you can confirm by installing and running a root app like root checker. likely, the previous owner did nothing but unlock the BL given how recently it came out, but if someone where really creative they could have done work in the other partition. there are no exploites, so doing it normally (running fastboot flashing unlock from a prompt) is pretty much all that would have been done other than enabling developer options and OEM unlocking in settings.
Personally, I think you have a good chance to learn your device, root (you need to be rooted for Magisk hide) and keep the bootloader unlocked. Besides rooting, being able to install a full factory image instead of an OTA is so much better in my opinion. The amount of work it would take to be 100% confident that the only thing done was the BL unlock would take as much work as at least getting a working knowledge of rooting and reinstalling the OS.
P.S. Keeping a phone "stock and rooted" has advantages. That is how I run my 3 XL and how I ran my OG XL. No custom OS. Not even a kernel.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you! Root Checker says that "root access is not properly installed on this device". The recovery mode screen just has a warning about the bootloader is unlocked and a link to a google help page. I figure that I can always unlock the bootloader again if I need to later, but for now I just want everything to work (bank and pay app) and not worry about updating anything myself. I think I may try fastboot to lock the bootloader for now. Thanks for all the help.

Hope it all works out for you. I assume you did a factory reset on the device since you got it used. Re-locking will do another factory reset.

sliding_billy said:
Hope it all works out for you. I assume you did a factory reset on the device since you got it used. Re-locking will do another factory reset.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, so I locked using "fastboot flashing lock" but then it doesn't start, saying that there is no operating system or something like that. I freaked out and was able to unlock again using "fastboot flashing unlock". Now all is wiped. I guess I need to flash the oem rom first, then lock. I'll have to do this all later tonight. Just glad that I didn't brick it yet.

eec007 said:
Thank you! Root Checker says that "root access is not properly installed on this device". The recovery mode screen just has a warning about the bootloader is unlocked and a link to a google help page. I figure that I can always unlock the bootloader again if I need to later, but for now I just want everything to work (bank and pay app) and not worry about updating anything myself. I think I may try fastboot to lock the bootloader for now. Thanks for all the help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I haven't rooted or bl unlocked in some time now so if I make a mistake someone please correct me. After buying it from a 3rd party I'd wipe the device entirely. Download the correct image and install the latest platform tools for Windows (here) https://developer.android.com/studio/releases/platform-tools and make sure you can connect with adb devices and fastboot devices commands. Then extract the latest full image from here https://developers.google.com/android/images to your platform-tools directory and run the flashall.bat command if you wish to wipe the entire device and get rid of anything the previous owner might have "inadvertently" installed. (this is what I would do but not necessarily what you should do if you want to keep the current apps and system intact) This will reset your device and then you can lock the bootloader with no worry and you'll have a stock system.
I agree that since you can unlock it at any time and you don't need it now then relock it. But there are those here that disagree with me and fight with Magisk and OTAs constantly. But they are not noobs and know what they're doing. If you want to learn there is a wealth of information here so it's your call. Just my 2 cents. But please check my steps before you do anything that might cause issues.
edit: darn, sorry I just saw above that you already tried to lock it. I hope what I said to do will get you out of the predicament.

bobby janow said:
I haven't rooted or bl unlocked in some time now so if I make a mistake someone please correct me. After buying it from a 3rd party I'd wipe the device entirely. Download the correct image and install the latest platform tools for Windows (here) https://developer.android.com/studio/releases/platform-tools and make sure you can connect with adb devices and fastboot devices commands. Then extract the latest full image from here https://developers.google.com/android/images to your platform-tools directory and run the flashall.bat command if you wish to wipe the entire device and get rid of anything the previous owner might have "inadvertently" installed. (this is what I would do but not necessarily what you should do if you want to keep the current apps and system intact) This will reset your device and then you can lock the bootloader with no worry and you'll have a stock system.
I agree that since you can unlock it at any time and you don't need it now then relock it. But there are those here that disagree with me and fight with Magisk and OTAs constantly. But they are not noobs and know what they're doing. If you want to learn there is a wealth of information here so it's your call. Just my 2 cents. But please check my steps before you do anything that might cause issues.
edit: darn, sorry I just saw above that you already tried to lock it. I hope what I said to do will get you out of the predicament.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your steps are basically what I will try tonight. Currently the phone is working again, so there was no harm done yet (just the restore of all apps and such). But I'm going to flash the oem image tonight and start all over again.

eec007 said:
Your steps are basically what I will try tonight. Currently the phone is working again, so there was no harm done yet (just the restore of all apps and such). But I'm going to flash the oem image tonight and start all over again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
One thing I would do before I relocked the bl would be to do the full login procedure, email everything other than apps. Then make sure you're on the Nov update in about phone, I'm sure you will be, and then fastboot relock the bl with the proper command. It will wipe the device again but it's a small price to pay for about 10 minutes of work. Then once it reboots and there is no more error message you'll be fully stock. Enable dev options again and make sure the oem switch is active allowing bl unlock. Then you're done. I've gotten to the point on my 5X where I even flip the oem switch so it can't be bl unlocked until I go in and flip it back. Dangerous if you're flashing stuff but not so much if you're just taking OTAs. That's of course your call entirely. Good luck.

eec007 said:
lol, what I don't get is that I thought the google edition could have the bootloader unlocked in the developer options. So why go to this hassle of unlocking the bootloader from fastboot? FYI, in the Developer options the OEM unlocking is greyed out and says "Bootloader is already unlocked".
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That will stay grayed out until you relock the bootloader. That slider "allows" unlocking. Then you boot into fastboot and unlock it.
So you would reverse the process, hit fastboot and relock the bootloader. Then you can toggle the slider back to not allow unlocking.
Relocking the bootloader will wipe your phone.
You should not do this until you first flash the full factory image to make sure the phone is 100 percent stock. And if it were my phone I would wait for the next OTA update after flashing it back to stock to make sure it goes ok. Then lock it.
And then I would wait awhile before hitting the slider.
You are playing with fire here, if you mess it up and lock it and hit the slider you will not be able to fix it. And no offense, but since you have not done this all before on this phone chances are good you will mess it up.
So, flash to stock and leave it unlocked.
Then wait for the next OTA.
Then lock it.
Then wait a bit more before you hit the slider.
And remember, since you are not the original buyer you will not be able to warranty it.

eec007 said:
Hello, I purchased a Pixel 3 XL off craigslist and it is working fine, but the bootloader is unlocked therefore I am receiving a warning when restarting the phone and Google Pay does not work. How can I re-lock the bootloader? Do I need to flash the latest standard google image? The build number is: "crosshatch-userdebug 9 PQ1A.181105.013 5027108 dev-keys". When in bootloader the bootloader version is: b1c1-0.1-5004167. Obviously a n00b here, please be gentle. Thank you for any help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They're right to mention that relocking a modified device can result in a brick.
Your best bet is to go to https://developers.google.com/android/images#taimen
Follow the directions to the "T", then relock it if you are really really sure that the unlock screen bothers you.
Would suggest to do this anyway, no matter future unlock status.

TonikJDK said:
That will stay grayed out until you relock the bootloader. That slider "allows" unlocking. Then you boot into fastboot and unlock it.
So you would reverse the process, hit fastboot and relock the bootloader. Then you can toggle the slider back to not allow unlocking.
Relocking the bootloader will wipe your phone.
You should not do this until you first flash the full factory image to make sure the phone is 100 percent stock. And if it were my phone I would wait for the next OTA update after flashing it back to stock to make sure it goes ok. Then lock it.
And then I would wait awhile before hitting the slider.
You are playing with fire here, if you mess it up and lock it and hit the slider you will not be able to fix it. And no offense, but since you have not done this all before on this phone chances are good you will mess it up.
So, flash to stock and leave it unlocked.
Then wait for the next OTA.
Then lock it.
Then wait a bit more before you hit the slider.
And remember, since you are not the original buyer you will not be able to warranty it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with most of your post other than waiting for the next OTA before you lock the bootloader. Why would he need to do that? If he's stock, and he'll see that immediately, then relock it. He doesn't want root or Magisk but only wants banking and Pay. With the slider allowing bl unlock he's in no danger whatsoever. Lock and relock whenever he wants. OTA will not disallow the slider once it's set.

TonikJDK said:
That will stay grayed out until you relock the bootloader. That slider "allows" unlocking. Then you boot into fastboot and unlock it.
So you would reverse the process, hit fastboot and relock the bootloader. Then you can toggle the slider back to not allow unlocking.
Relocking the bootloader will wipe your phone.
You should not do this until you first flash the full factory image to make sure the phone is 100 percent stock. And if it were my phone I would wait for the next OTA update after flashing it back to stock to make sure it goes ok. Then lock it.
And then I would wait awhile before hitting the slider.
You are playing with fire here, if you mess it up and lock it and hit the slider you will not be able to fix it. And no offense, but since you have not done this all before on this phone chances are good you will mess it up.
So, flash to stock and leave it unlocked.
Then wait for the next OTA.
Then lock it.
Then wait a bit more before you hit the slider.
And remember, since you are not the original buyer you will not be able to warranty it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for explaining this. I had thought that the Developer Option slider was to unlock the bootloader, but your explanation clarifies it, the slider is to allow the bootloader to be unlocked...

Ok, so I tried to flash the factory image using adb flash-all and it keeps getting the error:
Sending sparse 'vendor_a' 2/2 (193888 KB) FAILED (Error reading sparse file)
Now the phone is not working at all and says that "device is corrupt" and will not boot past the white google screen. I can try again using adb, but it is the same error each time. I tried to download the image again and same sparse error. I can also fastboot in TWRP, but not sure what to do in there. What am I doing wrong? I guess I should've rooted and used Magisk like others have said.

turns out changing to a different cable resolved my sparse error and I was then successfully able to apply the factory image and lock the device. Thanks everyone for the help.

Just got used Pixel 3 XL: Bootloader unlocked? Help please

Hello,
I'll keep this quick, I got a Pixel 3 XL 128GB White from Reddit, beautiful condition, very happy with that, however, when I turned it on, it gave me a warning that "the Bootloader was unlocked":
1. Is this a stolen phone? Should I be concerned that it has its bootloader unlocked? Is there a way to check that the phone is not a leased phone or stolen?
2. How do I relock the bootloader? Do I want to relock the bootloader?
Cheers

EasyEz1 said:
Hello,
I'll keep this quick, I got a Pixel 3 XL 128GB White from Reddit, beautiful condition, very happy with that, however, when I turned it on, it gave me a warning that "the Bootloader was unlocked":
1. Is this a stolen phone? Should I be concerned that it has its bootloader unlocked? Is there a way to check that the phone is not a leased phone or stolen?
2. How do I relock the bootloader? Do I want to relock the bootloader?
Cheers
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No need to worry. People actually pay extra money for unlocked bootloaders! It just means you can root your phone if you want to. You can lock it up again if you wish. Do a Google search for procedures on how to lock it up again. But don't dear. You are good.
Sent from my Pixel 3 XL

Eudeferrer said:
No need to worry. People actually pay extra money for unlocked bootloaders! It just means you can root your phone if you want to. You can lock it up again if you wish. Do a Google search for procedures on how to lock it up again. But don't dear. You are good.
Sent from my Pixel 3 XL
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Okay. Thank you. I figured it was fine.
Is there anything different about it since it's unlocked? Can I not update my phone regularly or OTA?

You can update even with an open bootloader. Just leave it like that if someday you need to fix your phone for a software issue. Check what version of Android it has and update if you can.

Unlocked bootloaders are highly desierable. U got the good stuff.
If you are here on xda, that means you are into custom rims and rooting. Search Ip on it

EasyEz1 said:
Hello,
I'll keep this quick, I got a Pixel 3 XL 128GB White from Reddit, beautiful condition, very happy with that, however, when I turned it on, it gave me a warning that "the Bootloader was unlocked":
1. Is this a stolen phone? Should I be concerned that it has its bootloader unlocked? Is there a way to check that the phone is not a leased phone or stolen?
2. How do I relock the bootloader? Do I want to relock the bootloader?
Cheers
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
One caveat no one mentioned with an unlocked bootloader is that Google Pay wont work, and perhaps some other apps.
There is no harm with it unlocked, unless you wish to use Google Pay, etc. In which case you would either need to root and hide root so they work, or relock the bootloader.
ALWAYS, enable developer options by going to settings > about phone >build number, tap on the build number at least 7 times and follow the prompts on the screen.
Once done with that immediately, go to settings > system > advanced > developer options > OEM unlocking and be sure it is enabled. (this should be done already in your case, but check to be sure.)
If you decide to re-lock the bootloader, make sure the phone is 100% completely stock by flashing the factory images after you have important data backed up. Follow the procedures here: https://developers.google.com/android/images

uicnren said:
One caveat no one mentioned with an unlocked bootloader is that Google Pay wont work, and perhaps some other apps.
There is no harm with it unlocked, unless you wish to use Google Pay, etc. In which case you would either need to root and hide root so they work, or relock the bootloader.
ALWAYS, enable developer options by going to settings > about phone >build number, tap on the build number at least 7 times and follow the prompts on the screen.
Once done with that immediately, go to settings > system > advanced > developer options > OEM unlocking and be sure it is enabled. (this should be done already in your case, but check to be sure.)
If you decide to re-lock the bootloader, make sure the phone is 100% completely stock by flashing the factory images after you have important data backed up. Follow the procedures here: https://developers.google.com/android/images
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ccalixtro said:
You can update even with an open bootloader. Just leave it like that if someday you need to fix your phone for a software issue. Check what version of Android it has and update if you can.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
trim81 said:
Unlocked bootloaders are highly desierable. U got the good stuff.
If you are here on xda, that means you are into custom rims and rooting. Search Ip on it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you all. I will proceed to use it with the bootloader unlocked. I have no need for Google Pay.