But once you know a few tips, it's actually a breeze. It's hard to make Windows Command Prompt utilize Google's 'platform-tools' to be able to send commands in the first place. This is important because, once the main OS is booted, all of its security checks are firmly in place and it's practically impossible to modify the firmware to get things like root or custom ROMs.īut people are often intimidated by Fastboot's command line interface. What they do have is an even more powerful tool: Fastboot Mode.Īlso known as Bootloader Mode, this is a way to interface with your device before it boots into Android. Pixels don't have a 'Download Mode' like Samsung Galaxy phones, so there's not an easy, point-and-click way to send firmware files and low-level commands from your computer.