In this tutorial, we will show you how to download and install LineageOS 18.1 onto your Google Pixel C (codenamed dragon) device. The Google-owned OS is open source in nature. This allows the userbase to try out tons of customizations and modifications onto your devices. For starters, they could install themes, icon packs, and launchers from the Play Store. But this is just the beginning. There are a plethora of other tweaks that you could try out on your Google Pixel C.
All that is required is an unlocked bootloader, and then you could easily set your feet in the custom development. From installing a custom recovery like TWRP to gaining root access via Magisk, the possibilities are endless. Along the same lines, you could also try out a customized Android OS in the form of custom ROMs. And in this guide, we will be discussing just that. Today, we will show you the steps to install LineageOS 18.1 onto your Google Pixel C (dragon) device.
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How to Install LineageOS 18.1 on Google Pixel C
Before we list the instructions, there are a few points worth discussing. We would like to state that the ROM is an unofficial build and in the alpha stage. So you could face a few stability issues as well as bugs. On that note, here are all the working features and the bugs present in this ROM:
What’s Working
- Ril
- Wifi
- Mobile data
- Double-tap to wake
- Double-tap to sleep
- Adaptive brightness
- Dark theme
- Ambient display
- Flashlight
- Sound/vibration
- Camera
- Volte
- Selinux – permissive
- Fingerprint
Broken
– Encryption has not been tested .. pls do not encrypt your data partition now.
– Camera apps are working partly .. Video Recording seems not to work yet.
– Stock Lineage Camera app is not working.
– SELinux – we are still permissive !
– Our “old” Nivida codecs do have problems playing videos in Chrome browser.
– As it looks like Widevine L1 has been revoked by end of August 2020.
– In case of DRM related problems pls remove/rename “/vendor/lib/liboemcrypto.so” and reboot device.
– Maybe more .. ?
So if you are ready to install LineageOS 18.1 onto your Google Pixel C (dragon) device, then here is all the required information. Let’s start with the requirements set.
Prerequisites
- First and foremost, create a complete device backup. This is because we will be wiping the data partition which will format your device.
- Next up, you will need to unlock the bootloader on your device. If you haven’t done so, then refer to our guide on how to unlock the bootloader via the Fastboot method.
- Once that is done, you also need to have the TWRP Recovery installed. You could refer to our guide on How to Install Official TWRP Recovery on Google Pixel C.
- Also, enable USB Debugging on your device so that it gets recognized by your PC in the ADB Mode. For that, head over to Settings > About Phone > Tap on Build Number 7 times > Go back to Settings > System > Advanced > Developer Options > Enable USB Debugging.
- Next, up, download and install the Android SDK Platform Tool on your PC. This will provide you with the necessary binary files.
- Also, download and install the Google USB drivers onto your PC.
- Finally, download the LineageOS 18.1 for Google Pixel C: Download Link
Credits for the ROM go to followmsi - If you want Google Apps as well, then download the Android 11 GApps file
That’s it. You may now proceed with the installation steps.
Instructions to Install LineageOS 18.1 on Google Pixel C
- Transfer the downloaded ROM and the GApps file to the Internal Storage of your device.
- Now connect it to the PC via USB Cable. Make sure USB Debugging is enabled.
- Head over to the platform-tools folder on your PC, type in CMD in the address, and hit Enter. This will launch the Command Prompt window.
- Execute the below command in the CMD window to boot your device to TWRP Recovery
adb reboot recovery
TWRP Home - Now that your device is booted to TWRP, head over to the Wipe section and tap on Advanced Wipe.
- Then, select the System, Vendor, Data, and the Cache partition and perform a right swipe to format the selected partitions.
- After this, go to the Install section of TWRP. Navigate to the downloaded ROM Zip file, select it, and perform a right swipe to install it one by one.
- The process might take a few minutes. When the flashing is complete, go back to the Install section and this time select the GApps package. Perform a right swipe to install this file as well.
- You may now reboot your device to the newly installed OS. For that, head over to Reboot and select System.
With this, we conclude the guide on how to install LineageOS 18.1 onto your Google Pixel C (dragon) device. Do let us know your views about this ROM in the comments section below. Furthermore, you could also drop in your queries in the comments. Rounding off, here are some iPhone Tips and Tricks, PC tips and tricks, and Android Tips and Tricks that deserve your attention as well.