It’s that time again when Google releases a new version of Android for testing. The first public beta of Android 15 is now available and you can install the update on your Pixel if you want an early look at all the features coming to Android this year.
But before you install the beta, there are a few things you should keep in mind. The first beta version of Android 15 is still very buggy, so I wouldn’t recommend installing it on your daily driver.
If you have a spare Pixel lying around and want to take a look at Android 15 as it stands, scroll down below for instructions on how to install the beta.
Things should stabilize with Beta 2 or Beta 3 while Google fixes the issues, and I’ll update this post once those builds go live. Google’s beta release schedule has not changed, so the next version will be released in May.
While Android 14 was an iterative upgrade that didn’t actually introduce many new features, Android 15 is a different story. Google is introducing a lot of user-centric changes this time around, and that alone is cause for excitement.
Admittedly, most of these features haven’t gone live yet, and Google is instead focusing its attention on changes and other under-the-hood additions that come with Android 15. However, if you’re currently using Android 14, there’s a lot to like in Android 15.
With that done, here’s how to install the Android 15 beta.
Which phones can download the Android 15 beta?
Currently, the Android 15 beta is limited to Pixel devices starting from Pixel 6. The list includes a total of 10 devices:
- Pixel 6
- Pixel 6 Pro
- Pixel 6a
- Pixel 7
- Pixel 7 Pro
- Pixel 7a
- Pixel 8
- Pixel 8 Pro
- Pixel fold
- Pixel tablet
The Pixel 5 and 5a miss out on the beta and Android 15 can only be installed on Google’s own devices for now. That’s going to change very soon as Google is allowing the top Android phones to get in on the action and we’ll likely see OPPO, Vivo, Realme, OnePlus, ASUS and others getting in on the action. We’ll find out more at the I/O in May.
Install the Android 15 beta using the Android Beta program
The easiest and most straightforward way to get the Android 15 beta is to register with Android Beta Program.
Just visit the Android Beta Portal where you can see all devices eligible for the Android 15 Beta. You can then sign up for the beta, which will then prompt Google to send your phone or tablet an over-the-air update. You should then be able to install the update and restart your phone to switch to Android 15.
1. Go to Android Beta Program Portal on your Pixel phone.
2. Log in Google account linked to this phone.
3. Scroll down to Your eligible devices.
4. Find the device you want to log in to Beta program and tap Opt in.
5. Follow the instructions on your phone to accept the application Over-the-air download.
What happens if I want to leave the beta program?
You can easily opt out of the beta program by going to the same Android beta portal where you registered, scrolling down to your device and selecting Opt out. But be warned; This will delete all data on your phone.
Install Android 15 using Android Flash Tool
You can also use the Android Flash Tool, a web-based version of the ADB developer tool, to install the Android 15 beta on your phone.
1. Go to Android Flash Tool website.
2. Allow the site to do this Access to ADB in your browser.
3. Activate Developer mode on your phone (tap “Android Build” seven times).
4. Enable USB debugging in the developer settings.
5. Enable OEM unlocking on your device.
6. Connect your phone to a USB port on your computer.
7. Select the device from the popup and follow the instructions to install the beta.
Install Android 15 beta by flashing the bootloader
If you want to manually try Android 15 on your Pixel, you will need to flash the OTA to your Pixel. But before we start, you should know that this method will erase all the data on your phone. If you don’t want to do that, use the flash tool above and sideload the Android 15 beta instead.
Before you start, make sure your Pixel doesn’t already have any OTA updates installed. Go to Settings > About phone > System updates and don’t see any pending updates. Also, make sure you have done this USB debugging activated on your phone.
First, head to the Android 15 OTA images page and download the appropriate build for your Pixel. To sideload the build onto your Pixel, you’ll need to use ADB – I’m a fan of Universal ADB Drivers. Once it is installed on your Windows computer and the OTA image is downloaded, you can start sideloading the build.
You first need to put your phone into recovery mode. You can turn it off and then Press and hold the power button along with Volume down Press and hold the button for a few seconds to enter the bootloader menu and select the recovery option with Volume down Button.
Here you should see the Android mascot face down with an exclamation mark above it. Press and hold the button Power button and press Increase volume once to enter recovery mode. Next, navigate to the option that says Apply the update from ADB through the use of the Increase volume button and confirm the selection by pressing the button Power button once.
Now you can sideload the OTA image. Make sure your phone can connect to your computer and is discoverable. To do this, connect your Pixel to your computer and run this command:
adb devicesYou should see your phone’s serial number and Side load Besides. Now we can start flashing the OTA build; Just run the following in CMD:
adb sideload ota_file.zipYou have to get off here ota_file.zip with the filename of the OTA build for your specific device. I’m installing Android 15 on a Pixel 8, so I typed the following: shiba_beta-ota-ap31.240322.018-236bea75.zip in CMD. For this to work, make sure the OTA file is in the same directory as the CMD path.
Once the OTA file is transferred to your phone, it should return to the recovery menu. Navigate to Reboot system now and confirm with Performance Click the button to restart your phone. The OTA update will be installed and your phone will switch to Android 15 without any data loss.
What’s next for Android 15?
We’re just getting started with Android 15 and should see more feature additions as we get closer to the stable release. As in previous years, the Android 15 beta program will include four beta builds, with the second rolling out soon in May. The June build – Android 15 Beta 3 – should be stable as Google rolls out a number of bug fixes based on feedback from previous beta versions.
The stable build is scheduled to roll out sometime this fall, in line with what we’ve seen with Android 14 and Android 13 in the past.
As we get closer to launch and Google starts rolling out new features, we’ll go into more detail about the new features. For now, though, keep in mind that Android 15 isn’t quite ready for use on your main phone just yet.
If you want to learn more about the features available in the latest build, check out our Android 15 coverage.