How To Install GrapheneOS On A Pixel 10

Want a more private and secure alternative to stock Android? In this guide, I’ll walk you through how to install GrapheneOS, a privacy and security-focused open-source operating system built on the Android Open Source Project (AOSP), onto a Google Pixel device. GrapheneOS is essentially a hardened fork of Android that strips out Google’s tracking-heavy elements while adding a ton of security improvements, making it a favorite among privacy advocates.

For this tutorial, I’m using a Google Pixel 10, but don’t worry if you have a different Pixel model. This process applies to every Pixel device currently supported by GrapheneOS. Despite what you might have read in comment sections or forums, you do not need to “hack” your phone to install GrapheneOS. It’s a fairly straightforward process, broken down into about ten simple steps using the official web-based installer. Let’s get started.

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Step 1: Get a High-Quality USB Cable

Before you do anything else, make sure you have a genuinely high-speed, quality USB cable. Whether it’s USB-A to USB-C or USB-C to USB-C, the important part is that it’s a well-made cable capable of fast, stable data transfer—not just charging. I cannot stress this enough: a cheap or low-quality cable can cause the installation to fail outright or take an unnecessarily long time to complete. This is one of the most common (and easily avoidable) points of failure in the entire process.

Step 2: Use a Compatible Web Browser

GrapheneOS offers a convenient web-based installer, which means you’ll need a compatible browser to use it. In this tutorial, I’m using Windows 11 with Microsoft Edge, which is on GrapheneOS’s official compatibility list and has worked reliably in my experience.

If you’re on macOS, consider using vanilla Chromium—a stripped-down, open-source version of Google Chrome without Google’s proprietary tracking features baked in. That said, any Chromium-based browser (Chrome, Edge, Brave, etc.) listed as compatible on the GrapheneOS website should work just fine.

Step 3: Install the Google USB Drivers (Windows Only)

If you’re using Mac OS or Linux, you can skip this step entirely. However, if you’re on Windows 11, I highly recommend installing the official Google USB drivers, even though GrapheneOS’s documentation suggests they normally aren’t necessary. In practice, I’ve found that recent versions of Windows don’t always include these drivers out of the box, and having them installed ensures your computer properly recognizes your Pixel device when it’s connected.

Here’s how to get them:

1. Search “Google USB driver” in your favorite search engine (Google, Bing, or DuckDuckGo if you want extra privacy).
2. Navigate to the official page on developer.android.com titled “Get the Google USB Driver.”
3. Click to download the USB driver ZIP file—it will land in your Downloads folder.
4. Right-click the ZIP file and choose “Extract All.” This creates a “usb_driver” folder.
5. Inside that folder, right-click the .inf file and select “Install” from the context menu.
6. Click “Open” when prompted, then click “Yes” to confirm you want to install the device driver from Google Inc.

Once you see the “operation completed successfully” message, the Google USB driver is installed and ready to go.

Step 4: Enable OEM Unlocking on Your Pixel

OEM unlocking (Original Equipment Manufacturer unlocking) is what allows you to unlock your device’s bootloader later on, which is a required step for installing GrapheneOS. This step itself has two parts: first enabling Developer Options, then turning on OEM unlocking within those options.

Enable Developer Options

1. Open the Settings app on your Pixel device.
2. Search for “about phone” and tap on the About Phone option.
3. Scroll all the way down to find the Build Number.
4. Tap the Build Number repeatedly (usually four to seven times) until you see a countdown telling you how many taps remain before Developer Mode is enabled.
5. Enter your device PIN when prompted.

Enable OEM Unlocking

1. Go back to the main Settings page and search for “developer.”
2. Tap Developer Options.
3. Scroll down and find the OEM Unlocking toggle.
4. Tap to enable it, and enter your PIN code when prompted.
5. You’ll see a warning explaining that this will disable certain protection features so you can install a custom operating system (like GrapheneOS). This is expected—go ahead and confirm.

Once OEM unlocking is enabled, you can power off your device completely.

Step 5: Boot Into the Bootloader

With the device fully powered down, hold the Volume Down button and, while continuing to hold it, press and hold the Power button as well. Keep holding both until you see the bootloader screen. You should see a status indicator that says “locked,” along with a small navigational menu above it (we won’t need to touch that menu for now).

Step 6: Connect Your Pixel to Your Computer

Now take that high-quality USB cable from Step 1 and connect your Pixel device (still sitting in bootloader mode) to your Windows, Mac, or Linux computer. This connection is what allows the web installer to communicate with your device.

Step 7: Use the GrapheneOS Web Installer

Open your compatible browser and navigate to the official GrapheneOS web installer at grapheneos.org/install/web. Scroll down until you see a series of blue action buttons. Here’s a quick overview of what you’ll be doing:

1. Unlock the bootloader
2. Download the factory image (the official release files)
3. Flash the release to your device
4. Lock the bootloader again
5. Complete post-installation setup

Unlock the Bootloader

Click “Unlock Bootloader” on the web page. Your browser will ask to connect to your Pixel device—this is possible thanks to the USB driver installed earlier. Click Connect, then wait a moment.

On your Pixel screen, you’ll see an option that says “Do not unlock the bootloader.” Use the Volume Down button to navigate to “Unlock the bootloader” instead, then press the Power button to confirm. The device will reboot back into the bootloader, and you should now see the device state listed as “unlocked.”

Download the Factory Image

Back in your browser, scroll down and click “Download Release.” This downloads the official GrapheneOS installation files you’ll use to flash your device. Depending on your internet speed, this may take a few minutes—a perfect time to grab a coffee.

Flash the Release

Once the download finishes, scroll down and click “Flash Release.” Important: once you click this button, you’re committed to the process, so make sure you’re ready before proceeding. Your device may restart several times and the screen may flicker as it goes through several stages of installation. You can follow along with the progress in your browser. The entire flashing process typically takes around 5 to 8 minutes, depending on your connection speed.

When it’s finished, you’ll see a message confirming the release name was successfully flashed to your device.

Lock the Bootloader

With flashing complete, scroll down and click “Lock Bootloader.” Just like before, you’ll need to confirm this on your device using the Volume Down button to navigate to “Lock the bootloader,” then press the Power button to select it. Your device will reboot, and you should see its state listed as “locked” (but still unlockable).

Step 8: Complete Initial GrapheneOS Setup

Press the Power button to boot into GrapheneOS for the first time. From here, you’ll go through a setup process similar to any other Android device—connecting to your Wi-Fi network and configuring basic settings.

Near the end of the setup, you’ll see a checkbox option to disable OEM unlocking. Make sure this box remains checked, as disabling OEM unlocking helps protect your device from being wiped or reflashed by someone else without your permission. Click “Start” to finish the initial setup.

Step 9: Confirm OEM Unlocking Is Disabled

To double check that OEM unlocking has been properly disabled:

1. Open Settings and search for “about phone,” just like before.
2. Tap the Build Number several times to enable Developer Options again (if not already visible).
3. Go to System, then Developer Options.
4. Scroll down to OEM Unlocking and confirm that it is disabled.

This step ensures your device is locked down and protected from unauthorized OS changes.

Step 10: Verify Your Installation

The final step is verifying that your installation is legitimate. Back on the GrapheneOS web installer page, scroll down to find your specific device listed along with a verification hash.

Power down your Pixel device and boot it back up. During boot, you’ll see terminal-style text displaying a hash value. Compare this hash against the one listed for your exact device model on the GrapheneOS website (for example, Pixel 9 hash vs. Pixel 9 hash). If they match, your installation is verified and secure.

After a few seconds, your device will automatically continue booting into GrapheneOS, or you can press the Power button again to proceed manually.

Wrapping Up

And that’s it! You’ve successfully installed GrapheneOS on your Google Pixel device. Despite what you might read online about needing to “hack” your phone or jump through complicated technical hoops, the process is actually very approachable when you follow the official web installer step by step. Enjoy your more private and secure Android experience, and thanks for reading!