The first developer preview of Android 15 is now available for various Pixel phones. This package gives developers access to new operating system features. However, it’s important to note that early versions are for testing purposes only and may cause some issues in daily use.
Android 15 Developer Preview 1 is out
Android 15 Developer Preview 1 is only available on Tensor chips for now. This means it requires a Pixel 6 or newer. If you want to install the new operating system on your Pixel phone, you can follow the steps below.
The Android 15 Developer Preview installation will completely wipe your device, so you should make sure to back up important data. You’ll also need a USB Type-C cable to connect your phone to a computer with the Android SDK Platform Tools installed.
Once prepared, download the OTA image file for your device from the Android developer website (this link). Then enable USB debugging and unlock the Pixel bootloader by running the fastboot flashing unlock command while connected to your computer.
Google shared the roadmap for Android 15. Here are the release date and key features of Android 15:
With the device turned off, press and hold the Power and Volume Down buttons until the bootloader menu appears. Use the volume keys to select Recovery Mode and confirm with the Power button.
In Recovery mode, press “Apply update from ADB”. This will prepare your device to receive the OTA file from your computer.
On your computer, run the ADB sideload command followed by the file of the OTA file you downloaded earlier. The terminal window will display the installation process, which may take 10-15 minutes to complete.
When you’re done, select “Reboot system now” from the recovery menu options. Your Pixel phone will boot with the new developer preview. Please note that stability and performance issues may occur during early testing.
