Earlier this week, it was announced that the Google Pixel and Pixel XL sold at Verizon (both in store and online), got its bootloader unlocked. This was done by jcase and beaups, however they did not release the method they used to unlock the bootloader. This is typically done in hope that an update doesn’t patch the method used to unlock the bootloader. However, you can now unlock the bootloader, as they have the full instructions available (at the source link below). Remember that this only affects the Verizon sold Google Pixel as the one sold from the Google Store is unlockable already. For those in the UK, if you bought your phone from EE, then you’ll also have a locked bootloader, but the good news is that this same method will work for those models as well.
The instructions for unlocking the bootloader is actually fairly simple. For the most part, you are simply copying dePixel8 over to your Pixel or Pixel XL, and then making it executable and running the program. Then the device will go into the bootloader mode, where you’ll be able to use fastboot to unlock the bootloader with the “oem unlock” command. Which is the way you would normally unlock the bootloader. Of course, it’s important to note here that unlocking the bootloader will wipe all data on your device. So it’s a good idea to back it up beforehand. dePixel8 is a free tool to use to unlock your bootloader, but it’s important to note that it does not have a warranty and unlocking your bootloader will void your warranty.
beaups and jcase are also urging everyone to unlock their bootloader sooner rather than later, as this exploit will likely be fixed in the next security patch release, which is due to be released on November 7th, just a couple of weeks away. Now if you have no need to flash custom ROMs, or root the device, then there is no real need to unlock the bootloader and it could make the device vulnerable. So it’s recommended to keep it locked, unless you need it unlocked.