This is the WebUSB-based installer for OS and is the recommended approach for most users. The command-line installation guide is the more traditional approach to installing OS.
OS uses WebUSB, a modern browser feature that allows direct communication with USB devices from a secure web page. This makes it possible to flash OS to your device without installing any software locally, using just your browser.
The installer works best in Chromium-based browsers (like Chrome and Edge) that fully support WebUSB. It uses the fastboot protocol to communicate with the device's bootloader and perform the flashing process securely.
If you have trouble with the installation process, ask for help on the official OS chat channel. There are almost always people around willing to help. Before asking, try to follow the guide as closely as possible, and share any errors or issues you encounter.
Unlock the bootloader to allow flashing the OS and firmware:
The command needs to be confirmed on the device and will wipe all data. Use one of the volume buttons to switch the selection to accepting it and the power button to confirm.
Choose the release channel to install:
Unlock the bootloader to allow flashing the OS and firmware:
The initial install will be performed by flashing the factory images. This will replace the existing OS installation and wipe all the existing data.
Unlock the bootloader to allow flashing the OS and firmware:
Wait for the flashing process to complete. It will automatically handle flashing the firmware, rebooting into the bootloader interface and flashing the OS. Avoid interacting with the device until the flashing script is finished. Then, proceed to locking the bootloader before using the device as locking wipes the data again.
Locking the bootloader is important as it enables full verified boot. It also prevents using
fastboot to flash, format or erase partitions. Verified boot will detect modifications to any of the
OS partitions and it will prevent reading any modified /
corrupted data. If changes are detected, error correction data is used to attempt to obtain the
original data at which point it's verified again which makes verified boot robust to non-malicious
corruption.
In the bootloader interface, set it to locked:
The command needs to be confirmed on the device and will wipe all data. Use one of the volume buttons to switch the selection to accepting it and the power button to confirm.
Once the factory image has been flashed and the bootloader has been successfully locked, you're almost ready to begin using the device. As a final step, confirm that the bootloader is locked and reboot the device into the system. This ensures that verified boot is active and the device is in a secure state.
Mandatory to complete activation.