The much-awaited Android 15 has arrived, however not as a public build but as an early testing build. Recently, Google launched its first developer preview of Android 15. This article provides instructions on how to install the Android 15 Developer Preview on Pixel phones, as many Android users are eager to test it.
With upcoming builds, Android 15 is expected to bring several new features and changes. Although Android 15 is not as significant an update as Android 14, it is still a significant Android update. According to the first developer preview of Android 15, it appears to cover only the rudiments of the upcoming Android version.
As with previous Android updates, the Android 15 roadmap will consist of two developer previews followed by four public beta updates. Consequently, there will be an update every month beginning in February.
A few changes have been made to the supported devices by Google. Google has decided to discontinue major Android updates for Pixel 4a 5G, Pixel 5, and Pixel 5a. This means that Android 15 will only be available to Pixel phones equipped with Tensor processors. Below is a list of Pixel phones that will receive Android 15.
- Pixel 6
- Pixel 6 Pro
- Pixel 6a
- Pixel 7
- Pixel 7 Pro
- Pixel 7a
- Pixel 8
- Pixel 8 Pro
- Pixel Fold
- Pixel Tablet
How to Install Android 15 on Pixel
To avoid flashing images, I recommend users who are not developers or are unaware of flashing images wait for the Public Beta release of Android 15. Additionally, the very first build is intended for developers and may contain many major bugs. Therefore, it is not recommended for use on your primary phone. If you have a spare smartphone, you may wish to try the first developer preview build. Let’s begin with the requirements.
- Download Factory Image for your Pixel Phone (For 2nd Method)
- The bootloader must be unlocked (Steps in the second method)
- Install Android USB Driver on your PC (Link)
- Make sure to take a backup of your data
- Install developer preview at your own risk
Install Android 15 using the Android Flash Tool (Recommended)
- To enable developer options, open Settings and select About Phone. Tap seven times on the Build Number to enable developer options.
- Enable USB Debugging and OEM Unlocking by going back to Settings and opening Developer Options.
- Using an original USB cable, connect your Pixel directly to your PC.
- The bootloader must be unlocked (Steps in 2nd method) and rebooted. USB Debugging may need to be enabled again. Make sure it is already enabled.
- Click here to open the Android Flash Tool page on Chrome. ADB permission will be requested, so please allow it access to your ADB account.
- If your device is not detected on the webpage, click the Add New Device button and select the model of your device.
- Click on the Install button, select the latest Android 15 build, and wait for the process to complete.
- When the flashing process has been completed, disconnect your phone and enjoy the latest Android 15 DP operating system.
Install Android 15 using Factory Image
It is important to take a backup of all your data before performing this procedure. If you have already unlocked your phone’s bootloader, then you can skip Step 5.
- The first step is to install the adb and fastboot drivers or to download the Android SDK platform-tools folder (in this case, open the command prompt from the platform-tools folder whenever a command prompt is required).
- The Factory Image should be extracted to a folder on your computer. Make a note of the location of the folder.
- After you have enabled USB debugging and OEM unlocking, connect your Pixel phone to your PC via USB and open cmd (command prompt).
- To boot your phone into fastboot mode, enter the following adb command.
- adb reboot bootloader
- Enter the following command once your phone is in fastboot mode in order to unlock the bootloader (this will wipe all data from your phone).
- fastboot flashing unlock
- You will be able to unlock your device bootloader if you see a confirmation message. Select Yes or Confirm using the physical buttons on your device.
- Navigate to the directory where the extracted fastboot image is available. You will find flash-all bat and sh file inside the folder.
- In case of Windows run the .bat file and if you have Mac run the .sh file.
- In the next step, the Android 15 DP will be installed on your phone. Your phone will then reboot into the system.
Using the following command, you can now relock the bootloader of your phone. Make sure you boot your phone into fastboot mode before using this command.
Fastboot flashing lock
In the event that you install the first developer preview of Android 15 using the above methods, you will be able to receive updates via OTA as soon as possible. In this case, you will receive the next developer preview or public beta directly in Settings. There is no need for manual installation of upcoming builds.
We have just covered everything you need to know about how to install Android 15 on Pixel phones. You can now enjoy Android 15. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us in the comment section.