Prepare for the mandatory data wipe and avoid locking yourself out of accounts after flashing.

Back up more than photos

Export authenticator recovery codes, password-vault access, messaging backups, contacts, calendars, documents, app-specific exports, eSIM information and encryption keys where applicable.

Confirm that the backup can actually be opened from another device before unlocking. A sync indicator is not proof of a restorable backup.

Avoid account lockout

Know the Google account and screen-lock credentials currently associated with the phone. Remove work or school management only when authorized.

Keep a second trusted device or printed recovery codes available during the installation.

Create a restore inventory

Write down what should return automatically, what needs manual export, and what cannot be restored. Include banking apps, hardware-bound passkeys and device-specific secure folders.

Critical safety boundary

Unlocking and flashing can erase data, weaken device security, disable protected services or make a phone unbootable. Use only your own device, exact model-specific instructions and a tested stock restore path.

Official and primary sources

35 · Custom ROMs and Android System Modding

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