With the first Android P Developer Preview coming in early as a surprise last year, we had our eyes set on Android Q Developer Preview’s release since the last week. Well, the wait has finally come to an end as Google has today announced Android Q Beta 1 (yes, not the Developer Preview) for the entire Pixel lineup.
We expected Google to make the first beta for Android Q accessible solely to second and third-generation Pixel owners, however, it amazed everyone by extending support for the first-gen devices on popular demand. So, here’s a look at devices that support Android Q Beta 1 right now:
The rumor mill also had us hoping that the Android Q Beta 1 will become available for a number of OEM partner devices, however, that isn’t the case with this build. We can expect that announcement at Google I/O 2019, where Google will officially announce Android Q and releases a new beta build.
OTA Update via Android Q Beta Program
Since this isn’t an alpha build, which we had been eagerly looking forward to, Google has opened the Android Q Beta Program to enable anyone interested to easily check out new features and improvements in the latest Android version.
- Click the ‘Opt in’ button under the device name on which you plan to install the Android Q Beta 1 build. Agree to the terms and conditions that pop up and hit the ‘Join Beta’ button to let Google know you’re in.
Flash Android Q Beta 1 via Bootloader Unlock Method
If you don’t mind losing your data and want to do a fresh install for the latest version of Android, well, then you need to undertake the tedious task of flashing Android Q Beta 1 onto your Pixel device. Before you jump in head first into the installation process, you’ll need to get a few things in order:
Android Q System Image
First and foremost, you’ll need to download the Android Q Beta 1 system image for your Pixel device from this link. The list would look like the screenshot below, just click on the download link next to your device’s name.
ADB and Fastboot Tools
The flashing process requires you to have ADB and Fastboot tools installed on your Windows PC or Mac. You can download ADB and Fastboot tools right here. You can also check out our detailed guide on how to install these tools, if you face issues during the process.
Developer Options
Also, you will need to enable a couple of developer options, i.e OEM Unlocking and USB Debugging, by heading to ‘Settings > System > Developer Options’ menu on your Pie-based device (which should be running the latest security patch).
Unlock the Bootloader
As should be very evident, installing Android Q Beta 1 first requires you to unlock the bootloader on your smartphone. Do this by following the steps underneath:
- Once your device starts in bootloader mode, input the following command to make sure fastboot recognizes it. The output should look similar to what we saw with adb devices.
fastboot devices
- Installing Android Q Beta 1
After unlocking the bootloader, you first need to extract the Android Q beta 1 system image we had downloaded earlier. Then, follow the steps underneath:
Installing Android Q Beta 1
4. Once the scripts finish running, your device will reboot and Android Q Beta 1 should be installed on it.
Updating to Android Q Beta 1 via ADB Sideload
If you’re not comfortable with unlocking the bootloader and going through a boatload of steps to get the latest flavor of Android on your device, then you can sideload the OTA update file of the Android Q dev preview via ADB. This method isn’t just simple but also preserves all of your existing data, so we suggest it over the bootloader unlock method.
adb sideload <filename of update.zip>
This is the first official Android Q release, meaning the latest version of Android is still in pretty early stages of development. We wouldn’t suggest you to install the same on your primary device. So, pull out your old Pixel from the attic (even your first-gen Pixel works) instead and see what the next flavour of Android feels like.
