Force OTA update on your Google Pixel – Don’t wait for the OTA!

OTA update on your Google PixelThere are several ways to install the latest official OTA update from Google on your Pixel. The simplest of all is to wait until the mobile receives a notification that allows you to download it. You literally just have to press a couple of buttons and your Pixel will update without you doing much of anything. The problem with this method is that it is very slow since the notification to update takes a long time to arrive.

If you don’t want to sit idly by, you can go to Settings> System> System update> Check for updates to force the update. However, it will surely appear to you that there are none available yet since after announcing a new update, Google takes several weeks to enable it for all mobiles.

So what is the fastest method to update my Pixel? Which consists of manually installing the OTA update file  (downloaded from the official Google repository) with the help of a laptop or computer. It sounds complicated, but it isn’t and we’ll show you right away.

How to force update your Google Pixel safely, don’t wait for the OTA!

The method that we will teach you below in theory works with any Android device, as long as you use the official OTA update file for your specific phone model. Here we will only offer you those of the Google Pixel. With that said, follow these steps to update your Pixel without waiting:

  • Install ADB on your Windows PC or Mac. Alternatively, you can download the official Android SDK  from its page and install it on your PC.
  • Activate USB debugging on your Pixel:
    • First, you must activate the developer mode from Settings> Device information and tap 7 times on the build number.
    • Now go to Settings> System> Advanced> Developer options> USB debugging . Enable this last option.
  • Download the latest OTA file for your Pixel: you can do it from the official Google update repository, but don’t forget to download the specific file for your mobile (check both the model, the operator, and the date).
  • Enter Recovery mode :
    • Turn off the phone.
    • Now turn it on by holding down the power + volume down buttons until the Fastboot mode interface appears.
    • Use the volume buttons to choose Recovery mode and the power button to activate that mode.
    • Now, you will see a screen with the message “No command”. So press and hold the power + volume up buttons for a few seconds to enter the true Recovery mode.
  • Use the volume and power buttons to press the Apply update from ADB option.
  • Connect your smartphone to your computer if you haven’t already. It allows USB debugging on the mobile when you see the warning on the screen.
  • Open a Command Prompt or Terminal window within the directory or folder where you have saved the ADB files.
    • In Windows: press shift + right-click on the ADB folder and select “Open PowerShell window here” or “Open Terminal in Windows”.
    • On Mac: If you have placed the platform-tools folder on your desktop, type “./cd desktop”, hit Enter, and then “./cd platform-tools” (without quotes in both cases).

  • Now, verify that your Pixel is well connected and that the system has recognized it:
    • On Windows: adb devices
    • On Mac or Powershell: ./adb device
    • If everything is fine, the system will return the message with the model number of your device.
  • Next, enter the command adb sideload (on Windows) or ./adb sideload (on Mac).
  • Next, you will have to enter the exact name of the OTA update file that you downloaded from the Google repository and hit Enter to start updating your Pixel.
  • On your Pixel and PC, you should see a dialog box that shows you the progress of the installation.
  • When the installation of the OTA update is complete, you will return to Recovery mode. So select from there Reboot now.

Ready! Your Google Pixel will restart and you will now be able to enjoy the benefits of the OTA update that you just installed. If you want to check that you have installed the OTA correctly, go to Settings> Device information> Android version. Anyway, if you need more help or want to ask us something, use the comments section for it.