Interactive Diagnostic Utility

Magisk Root Method & Boot Image Checker

Select your Android OEM and OS version to determine whether your device requires init_boot.img or standard boot.img patching, generate exact fastboot CLI commands, and view critical hardware caveats.

Target Partition: init_boot.img (GKI 2.0)

Google Pixel on Android 15

Devices launched with Android 13 or higher utilize the Generic Kernel Image (GKI 2.0) standard. The generic boot.img partition contains only the Linux kernel; the ramdisk used by Magisk is located exclusively inside init_boot.img.

Required Flashing Protocol:

Fastboot init_boot Flash 
$ fastboot flash init_boot magisk_patched.img
$ fastboot reboot

Critical OEM Specific Caveats:

  • No vbmeta patch needed: Pixel devices do not require --disable-verity when flashing signed userdebug/user boot images.
  • A/B Slot Synchronization: Both slots share identical active images; use fastboot getvar current-slot if manual slot targeting is needed.
Read Full Patching Guide → Explore Device Hub

Why Boot Partitioning Changed Under GKI 2.0

Starting in Android 13 with Linux kernel versions 5.10 and 5.15, Google mandated Generic Kernel Image (GKI) architecture for all newly launched devices. Under GKI 2.0:

  • boot.img: Holds exclusively the pure upstream Linux kernel code without any OEM modifications. It does not contain a ramdisk on devices launched with Android 13+.
  • init_boot.img: Holds the generic ramdisk, which contains early userspace init and sepolicy binaries. Magisk modifies this ramdisk to establish root execution before the Android runtime initializes.
  • Legacy Devices (Launched on Android 12 or below): Even when updated via OTA to Android 13 or 14, devices that originally shipped with Android 12 retain the legacy partition table and must continue patching boot.img.

Partition Quick Reference Matrix

OEM / Family Launch OS Version Target Partition Flashing Interface
Google Pixel 7 / 8 / 9 Android 13+ init_boot.img Fastboot CLI
Samsung Galaxy S23 / S24 / S25 Android 13+ init_boot.img (TAR wrapped) Odin AP Slot / Heimdall
Xiaomi 13 / 14 / Poco F6 Android 13+ init_boot.img Fastboot CLI / MiFlash
All Devices Launched on Android 12 or below Android 11 - 12L boot.img Fastboot CLI

Technical FAQ: GKI 2.0, Partition Mismatches & Fastboot Recovery

Why did Google introduce init_boot in Android 13?

Under Android's Generic Kernel Image (GKI 2.0) architecture, Google ships identical pre-compiled Linux kernel binaries to all device manufacturers to accelerate monthly security updates. Because OEMs must not modify the official kernel binary, Google relocated the early-stage root ramdisk (which contains init and Magisk's entry hooks) from boot.img into a separate dedicated init_boot.img partition. Flashing Magisk to boot.img on a GKI device corrupts kernel signatures, leading to bootloops.

What happens if I get "FAILED (remote: partition table doesn't exist)"?

If executing fastboot flash init_boot magisk_patched.img returns this error, your device was launched with Android 12 or earlier (or does not utilize GKI 2.0 partitioning). On such devices, no init_boot hardware partition exists; you must patch and flash boot.img instead.

How do I handle A/B dual slot devices when flashing?

Modern Android devices utilize seamless A/B update slots (e.g. boot_a and boot_b). When executing fastboot flash init_boot magisk_patched.img, the fastboot client automatically detects and targets the currently active slot. If you wish to explicitly flash both slots to ensure survival across slot swaps, use fastboot flash init_boot_a magisk_patched.img followed by fastboot flash init_boot_b magisk_patched.img.