After three developer previews, Google has released the first Android 12 beta today at Google I/O 2021. While the beta program is not meant for all users, you can enroll in the beta program if you can’t wait to check out all the upcoming Android 12 features coming to your phone. In this article, we explain how you can install the first Android 12 beta on your Pixel smartphone in a few easy steps.
We have not only included the easiest method, which is to enroll for the Android 12 beta OTA update, but also a couple of other installation methods. Expand the table below and move to the method that you feel most comfortable with.
- Android 12 Supported Pixel Phones
- Install Android 12 Beta Using Android OTA Beta Program
- Sideload Android 12 Beta OTA
- Install Android 12 Beta Using Android Flash Tool
- Install Android 12 Beta Factory Image
- Which Method Should I Use?
Android 12 Supported Pixel Phones
These are the Pixel phones to get the day-one Android 12 beta support. You won’t get the Android 12 update if you are using an original Pixel/XL or Pixel 2/XL. Check out the list of eligible Android 12 Pixel phones below:
Install Android 12 Beta Using Android OTA Beta Program
The easiest method to install Android 12 beta on your supported Android phone is through Google’s official Android Beta program. Here’s how you do it:
- Once enrolled, wait for the OTA to reach your phone. Meanwhile, you can manually check for updates from “Settings -> System -> System Update”.
If you don’t want to wait until the official OTA reaches your device, you can sideload the update by flashing the OTA image. The best part? It doesn’t wipe your phone, and you can follow this even for devices with a locked bootloader. Do keep in mind that you should install ADB on your PC and enable USB debugging from the Developer Options of your phone before getting started. With that said, let’s get started with the steps:
- When you are in recovery mode, choose the ‘Apply Update from ADB’ option. In case you’re not familiar with recovery mode, you can use volume buttons for navigation and the power button to confirm a selection.
Once the update is complete, choose ‘Reboot system now’ to restart your Pixel phone. Congrats, your phone is now running the latest version of Android, and you can check out the new UI, themes, privacy features, and more.
Announced in January last year, the Android Flash tool greatly simplifies the process for installing AOSP builds on compatible Pixel phones and Android reference boards. However, Google has since repurposed the tool to let users install new beta builds.
Connect your phone to your PC. If you are using a Windows 10 PC, you might have to install USB drivers from this link. Once that’s done, visit Android Flash Tool’s website and click on “Get Started”.
You will now see your device in a prompt in the address bar at the top left. Select the device, and click on “Connect” to get started.
Another method you can follow to install Android 12 beta is by flashing the factory image. You can opt for this method if you want a fresh start with Android 12 and have an unlocked bootloader. As always, keep USB debugging enabled before getting started.
adb reboot bootloader
- Now, double-click ‘flash-all.bat’ if you are on Windows or run the command ‘flash-all’ if you are on macOS or Linux, and wait for the process to complete. That’s it. You have now successfully installed the Android 12 beta on your Android device.
Since I have detailed all the methods you can follow to install Android 12 beta on your phone, you might be confused as to which method you should follow. Well, here’s what I recommend: Android 12 Beta OTA Program > Sideload Android 12 Beta OTA > Android Flash Tool > Android 12 Beta Factory Image.
