Install /e/OS on a SHIFT - SHIFTphone 8 otter

This guide installs /e/OS on your otter. Read it through once before you start, so you don’t hit surprises partway in. Downgrading from a newer OS version than the /e/OS build you’re about to install can cause instability or brick some devices — check your current OS version first. Flashing is done at your own risk: /e/OS builds are provided as best effort, without any guarantee, and the /e/OS project takes no responsibility for the consequences.

Requirements

  • Back up your important data to an external storage device — some of the steps below format the phone, wiping any backup left on it.
  • Charge your phone above 50%.
  • Enable adb and fastboot on your PC — setup instructions.
  • Download every file listed in the Downloads section below before you start.
  • Use a real data cable — some cables only charge and can’t transfer data.
  • Enable USB debugging on your device — instructions.
  • Confirm your exact model in the Device Selector: where shown, hover the device name for the supported model number, and check it matches yours exactly.
  • Boot the stock OS at least once and check everything works — SMS, calls, and both over WiFi and LTE if available (some devices need VoLTE/VoWiFi used once on stock to provision IMS). Whatever’s broken on stock stays broken on /e/OS.
Warning: Log out of any accounts (Google, Samsung, Mi Account, etc.) set on the stock ROM before proceeding. Most vendors enable Factory Reset Protection (FRP): after a factory reset, a device that's still signed in will ask for the credentials of that account before it can be used again. Also remove any screen locks.
Caution: The SHIFTphone 8 comes with an anti-rollback feature. Google Android anti-roll back feature is supposedly a way to ensure you are running the latest software version, including the latest security patches.



If you try installing a version of /e/OS based on a security patch that is older than the one on your device, you will brick your device. Click on Details below for detailed information


To check the security patch level on your phone with a locked bootloader, prior to installing /e/OS, open your phone Settings » About Phone » Android Version » Android Security Patch Level.Then compare it against the level of the security patch on the /e/OS build as visible in the Downloads for SHIFTPhone 8 section below.



The following values control whether anti-rollback features are triggered on SHIFTphone 8:

* Rollback protection errors trigger if you install an update whose version number is LESS than the rollback index’s value stored on device.
* The value of rollback index is UPDATED to match ro.build.version.security_patch’s value of the currently installed version, but only if the bootloader is LOCKED.
* The value of rollback index is NOT dependent on the currently installed ANDROID VERSION.
* The value of rollback index can NEVER be DOWNGRADED.
* Rollback protection errors are FATAL when the bootloader is LOCKED.
* Rollback protection errors are IGNORED when the bootloader is UNLOCKED.

Here are some examples to help you understand how anti-rollback features work:

Example 1


* Your SHIFTphone 8 with Google Android has a Security Patch Level saying June 5, 2022
* The /e/OS build available says: /e/OS build : R official (Security patch: 2022-05-05)
* In this example, the /e/OS build has an older Security Patch level than the origin, so the anti-roll back protection will trigger, and you will brick your phone
Example 2


* Your SHIFTphone 8 with Google Android has a Security Patch Level saying June 5, 2022.
* The /e/OS build available says: /e/OS build : R official (Security patch: 2022-06-05)
* In this example, the /e/OS build has the same Security Patch level than the origin, so the anti-roll back protection will pass, and you will be able to install /e/OS with no issues.

Example 3


* Your SHIFTphone 8 runs Google Android -R while /e/OS is now available based on AOSP -S.
* Your SHIFTphone 8 with Google Android has a Security Patch Level saying 2022-10-03 or October 3rd, 2022.
* The /e/OS build available says: /e/OS build : S official (Security patch: 2022-06-05)
* In this example, the /e/OS build has an older Security Patch level than the origin, so the anti-roll back protection will trigger, even if the /e/OS version runs on a more recent version of AOSP. In this example, you will brick your phone.

Downloads for otter

official /e/OS A14Security patch: 2026-08-01

Not sure which one to pick? See official vs. community builds.

Unlocking the bootloader

These steps only need to be run once per device. Unlocking the bootloader will erase all data on your device — make sure anything you want to keep is backed up (see Requirements above). Not sure what unlocking changes on your device? See Bootloader relocking.

  1. Boot the device

  2. Enable Developer options

  3. From developer options, enable OEM unlock

  4. Reboot on fastboot by running the command in the PC console adb reboot bootloader

    Tip: All the console commands are run on an adb enabled PC and in the adb console.

  5. Ask for unlock with fastboot flashing unlock

  6. Approve with Volume Up

  7. Unlock critical with fastboot flashing unlock_critical

  8. Approve with Volume Up

  9. Reboot the device fastboot reboot

    • The device proceeds with a factory reset

Installing /e/OS

Windows users: run these commands in Git Bash, not in the default command prompt.

Let’s proceed with the installation:

  1. Unzip the file you downloaded from the link in the Downloads for otter section above.

    unzip <fileyoudownloaded>

    Replace <fileyoudownloaded> with the name of the file you downloaded. You can also unzip it using a File Manager/File Explorer.

  2. Confirm that the folder where you unzipped the files contains the following:

    • bin-linux-x86 directory - which contains linux tools including fastboot and adb
    • bin-msys directory - which contains Windows tools including fastboot and adb
    • .img files - The .img files that are to be flashed onto the device.
    • flash_otter_factory.sh - The installer script.

  3. Boot your otter into bootloader/fastboot mode:

    • With the device powered off
    • hold Volume Up + Power.

  4. Open a terminal (Linux) or Git Bash (Windows) in the folder that contains flash_otter_factory.sh — right-click inside the folder and choose “Open terminal here” / “Open Git Bash here”. Then make the script executable and run it:

    chmod +x flash_otter_factory.sh && ./flash_otter_factory.sh

    The chmod step may require root/sudo privileges.

  5. The device reboots automatically once all the required files have been installed.

Locking the Bootloader

After you have completed the installation and verified it starts up successfully, you can lock the bootloader on your otter. This is only possible on official builds — the procedure will not work on community builds. See Bootloader relocking for what this protects, and what it does not.

Warning: Running the commands below will factory reset your device and wipe all data.

  1. Reboot your device into bootloader, via a key combination:

    • With the device powered off
    • hold Volume Up + Power.

  2. Lock the critical partition:

    fastboot flashing lock_critical

    Approve with Volume Up then Power.

  3. Lock the device:

    fastboot flashing lock

    Approve with Volume Up then Power.

Success: Congratulations! Your phone should now be booting into /e/OS.

Please share your experience , suggest tips or changes to this install guide documentation by visiting the SHIFTphone 8 specific topic on our community forum. To report issues in /e/OS please refer this guide

This documentation “Install /e/OS on a SHIFT - SHIFTphone 8 - “otter”” is a derivative of “install LineageOS on otter” by The LineageOS Project, used under CC BY.