As you all know, Google Nexus and Pixel are fully developer friendly phones. You can easily unlock bootloader and perform various things on these devices, but the newly launched Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL comes with permanent locked bootloader. Not all Pixel 2/ Pixel 2 XL units are affected, but some users reported that they were unable to unlock the bootloader on their Pixel 2 and Pixel 2XL. However, there is a simple workaround to fix this issue.
In this guide, we show you how to fix the locked bootloader issue on Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2XL. To unlock bootloader on Pixel 2 and Pixel 2XL, you should first enable the ‘OEM Unlock’ option, but this option is grayed out in these devices leaving users unable to unlock the bootloader.
Google responded to this issue on the Google Product Forums and confirmed that a fix would be imminent. However, some users found that a factory reset fix the bootloader unlock issue on Pixel 2/Pixel 2 XL.
Note: Before proceeding with below steps, back up all data you have on the phone, as this method factory reset the phone.
Also Read: How to Unlock bootloader and Root Pixel 2/Pixel 2XL
How to fix Google Pixel 2/Pixel 2 XL Bootloader Unlock Issue
1. Unlock your phone and go to phone Settings > and then select System.
2. In System, tap ‘Reset Options’.
3. Now, tap ‘Erase all data’ (factory reset) > and the ‘Reset Phone’.
This will factory reset your phone. After rebooting, open settings, enable Developer options and then enable OEM Unlocking.
Note that, without unlocking the bootloader, you cannot install factory images, install custom recovery like TWRP, and install custom ROMs or gain root on the phone and more.
