Pixel 10 collection could lock you out of downgrades with a future Android replace

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TL;DR

A leak claims that Pixel 10 telephones (besides the 10a) are set to obtain a bootloader replace that’ll stop downgrading to older Android variations. The change depends on Android’s Anti-rollback (ARB) safety. As soon as the replace is launched, recovering from points in some circumstances would possibly require sideloading a full OTA picture to keep away from bricking.

Google could also be making ready to tighten software program downgrade protections on the Pixel 10 collection.

In line with the Mystic Leaks Telegram channel, all Pixel 10 fashions aside from the Pixel 10a might obtain a bootloader replace in a future Android launch that increments the anti-rollback model.

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<img class="e_lg" decoding="async" loading="lazy" sizes="9.375rem" title="google preferred source badge light@2x" srcset="https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/google_preferred_source_badge_light@2x.png 676w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/google_preferred_source_badge_light@2x-64w-20h.png 64w" alt="google preferred source badge light@2x" src="https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/google_preferred_source_badge_light@2x.png"/><img class="e_lg" decoding="async" loading="lazy" sizes="9.375rem" title="google preferred source badge dark@2x" srcset="https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/google_preferred_source_badge_dark@2x.png 676w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/google_preferred_source_badge_dark@2x-64w-20h.png 64w" alt="google preferred source badge dark@2x" src="https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/google_preferred_source_badge_dark@2x.png"/> This may successfully stop customers from reverting to an older Android construct after updating. Primarily, as soon as a bootloader containing authorized new software program is put in, it ties the model of that bootloader to {hardware}, stopping previous software program from being loaded.

When the Pixel 10 telephones obtain this replace, recovering from points in some circumstances would possibly require sideloading a full OTA picture to keep away from bricking.

The change revolves round Android’s Anti-rollback safety (ARB), which is a part of the Verified Boot framework. Google launched ARB in Android 13 to forestall gadgets from being downgraded to older, doubtlessly weak software program.

Google has been utilizing ARB for years. The primary time it was applied was on the Pixel 6 collection, when Google prevented customers from downgrading to Android 12. Most just lately, Google rolled out a safety patch for Pixel gadgets in Might 2025 that included a bootloader with an up to date anti-rollback threshold.

OnePlus additionally just lately launched anti-rollback safety on gadgets just like the OnePlus 13 and OnePlus 15. Samsung has additionally lengthy applied its personal safety measures by way of Samsung Knox.