In this guide, we will show you how to install Android 12 Beta on your device. The fourth beta version for Android 12 has been released after the first three beta versions were tested.
The earlier releases showed the early stages of development of Android 12, but the 4th Android 12 Beta is the closest yet to the final version of Android 12 and comes in with a lot of improvements for more stability. In Google’s words, the aim of Android 12 is to be “more intuitive, better performing, and more secure” for users.
As you would already know, betas are not for normal users and are meant to be for developers. Normal everyday users may find it difficult to navigate around the Android 12 and use it normally because it has many bugs that still need to be addressed.
So even though this version of Android 12 Beta brings a better OS than what the previous beta brought, it would be wise to not install Android 12 Beta on your personal phone. If you have a spare phone, it would be better to install Android 12 on that device.
If you have a Pixel phone with you and want to install Android 12 beta, then there are two ways you can do that. The first one is to install the update OTA and the second is to update your device manually by downloading and installing the update file. You can register for the OTA update from here.
If you want to install Android 12 Beta manually, the more common method will be to download and install factory images, but flashing OTA images have their own advantage.
When you use a factory image, your device is completely wiped. But using an OTA image does not include wiping off your device. But still, you will have to install the OTA image manually too. But developers do opt for factory images as they find this method more cleaner and easier than using OTA images.
Before proceeding on with the guide, you need to keep in mind that only users with Google Pixel devices from the Pixel 3 series onward can install Android 12 beta on their phones.
Requirements:
Below listed are some of the things that are required for the task:
- You need a compatible Google Pixel (Pixel 3, Pixel 3 XL, Pixel 3a, Pixel 3a XL, Pixel 4, Pixel 4 XL, Pixel 4a, Pixel 4a 5G, and Pixel 5).
- A USB cable to connect your Pixel device to your computer.
- You will also need to install Android SDK Platform Tools.
Download OTA/Factory Images
You will either need to download OTA images or factory images for your device to install Android 12 Beta on your device. As we mentioned above, we recommend using OTA images over factory images as your previous data will remain safe and the process will be easier for you.
You can get the OTA images for your device from here. But if you want to go for the factory images, you can get them from here. But keep in mind that using factory images require some extra steps such as unlocking bootloader of your device and other things.
The easier method it to install the OTA image and our steps below are for the same.
Installation Steps
Once you have downloaded the file for your device from above, you are required to reboot your device into recovery mode to prepare it for the installation of Android 12 beta. The steps below show how to boot your phone into recovery mode:
STEP 1: First of all, you need to power of your Pixel phone.
STEP 2: Now you have to press the Power button and the Volume Down button at the same time and hold.
STEP 3: Now you will be able to see the bootloader menu. Now select recovery mode from the menu by navigating through the menu using the Volume buttons. Pressing the Power button will select the Recovery mode.
STEP 4: Now you will be able to see the Android robot with an exclamation sign along with it. Now press and hold the Power button and the Volume Up button together. Release them after about a second, this will take your device into recovery.
STEP 5: There you will see a list of options. Use the Volume buttons to move between different options and then press the Power button to select Apply update from ADB. Now you will be able to see a screen with instructions on how to sideload an OTA file.
Now the next set of instructions tell you how to use ADB commands to install Android 12 Beta on your Google Pixel phone.
STEP 1: First up, connect your device to your PC using a USB cable. We are assuming that you have already installed ADB tools on your PC from Android SDK Platform tools.
STEP 2: Now open command prompt on Windows and if you are using a Mac or Linux system, then enter Terminal. Windows users should navigate to the location of their downloaded folder.
STEP 3: Now you need to key in the commands: adb sideload for Windows or ./adb sideload for Mac/Linux.
STEP 4: Now type the name of the zip folder from before and then press enter.
STEP 5: When the process is complete, your phone will return to the Recovery mode. Now it is safe to remove the USB cable from your device.
STEP 6: Now restart your phone by going to the Reboot Now option using your Volume keys and then press the Power key to select the option.
So that was it from our side on how to install Android 12 beta on your phone. We hope that you found this guide helpful. Let us know what you think in the comment section below.
