How To Install Android 15 On Your Pixel Phone Right Now

We hope you're ready for the next version of Android because Android 15 is finally here. While it will take some time before the software is stable enough for everyday use, that doesn't mean you can't speed it up. Below you'll find instructions for installing the first developer preview of Android 15 on a supported Pixel device.

At the moment, the versions of Android 15 that we have are very, very early. Developer previews, as the name suggests, allow developers to test their applications. It is not intended for general users. This early stage of development guarantees that some features will not work at all and serious bugs may occur.

With all this in mind, there are two types of people who should install Android 15 early: developers and Android fans who have access to a Pixel phone or secondary tablet. We strongly recommend that you do not install the developer preview or even the initial beta on a basic Pixel device. It's not worth it.

However, we are not here to stop your passion for Android. Google Tools is open to everyone, so if you're willing to accept the consequences, you can install Android 15 on any device you want.

Google is offering previews and developer betas for Pixel devices that will eventually see a stable launch. Unfortunately, this means that many older Pixel phones are ineligible to participate in the program, including the Google Pixel 5 and all previous models. The full list of Pixel products that can run Android 15 can be found here:

If you don't see your Pixel device in this list, it means you're stuck on Android 14 (or earlier) indefinitely. Note that we expect to see new Pixel devices released before the stable release of Android 15. These devices, including the Google Pixel 8a, should also be able to run Android 15 at launch. We will update the list when these devices become official.

There are three ways to install Android 15. The first is an auxiliary method, which we recommend to almost everyone. It uses the Chrome browser to automate most of the steps, and is convenient if you're upgrading from any version prior to Android 15.

There are also unsupported methods that use ADB and Fastboot. They are more complex, but give you more freedom. These methods are also useful if you already have Android 15 as you will be able to install the latest Android 15 without having to root your phone first.

And remember that in any case the transition from Android 14 to Android 15 requires completely deleting the phone . If you don't want to do that, you shouldn't install Android 15 on your phone.

If you're ready, it's time to prepare.

Get ready to install Android 15.

To get started, you will need the following basic equipment and requirements:

1. A computer running Windows, macOS, Chrome OS, or Linux with Internet access and the latest version of the Chrome browser.
2. A short, thick USB cable to connect your phone to your computer. The original USB cable that came with your phone is best suited for this purpose.

Before moving on to the next steps, make sure you have everything you need . You don't want to go through the Android 15 installation process and find that you're not ready yet. When you're ready, continue using the assisted or manual installation methods described below.

Install Android 15 using the Helper method

One final warning: this process will unlock the bootloader and completely erase all data on your phone.

1. Make sure you have the correct drivers for your phone installed on your computer, which you can get from the Google Pixel drivers page. This is an important step. If you remove it, the flash will not work.
2. Connect your phone to your computer using a USB cable.
3. In your phone's settings, go to System > Developer Options. If you don't see Developer Options , go to Settings > About phone and scroll down to Build number . Tap Build Number seven times until your phone tells you you're a developer. Developer options should now be available.
4. Enable OEM Unlocking and USB Debugging in Developer Options .
5. Visit the Android Flash Tool page to install Android 15.
6. Select the version of Android 15 you want to install. For some models there is only a 64-bit version and a version that also supports 32-bit software. Both work. If you're not sure which option to choose, choose the one that simply says "(signed)" which supports both 64-bit and 32-bit programs.
7. Stay informed because the flashing tool will take care of everything for you. Simply follow the instructions and don't touch your phone unless the flasher specifically asks you to.

Finished. Now you need to install Android 15 on your Pixel smartphone.

Install Android 15 manually

Flashing factory images using Fastboot

One final warning: this process will completely erase your phone's data. Make sure you have made enough backups before proceeding.

• Download the official factory images of your phone to your computer. Make sure you download the file only for your specific phone, as flashing the file for a different phone model may interfere with the installation process and render your device unusable.
• Optional, but recommended. Check the SHA-256 checksum of the downloaded file. This ensures that the file downloaded completely and correctly. Google lists the SHA-256 checksum next to the download link.
• Unzip the file to a suitable location. To make installation easier, you can copy the contents to the directory where ADB and Fastboot are located on your computer.
• Connect your phone to your computer.
• Open a command prompt on your computer and run the adb reboot bootloader command. This will reboot your phone into fastboot mode.
• Unlock your phone's bootloader. You can do this by running the fastboot flashing unlock Fastboot command. Please note that this operation will erase all data on your device.
  • If your device reboots into the operating system after wiping data, you will need to skip all debugging steps and re-enable USB debugging. After that, reboot into Fastboot mode again.
• On a Windows computer, double-click the flash-all.bat file . This will batch run the configuration file and execute all required commands. On a Mac/Linux computer you need to run flash-all .
  • If you want to preserve system and application data between installations, you should open the flash-all script in a text editor and remove the "-w" attribute from the command. This feature requires scanning, so remove it if you don't want to delete it.
• Once the script is complete, your device will reboot into the new operating system.
• Optional, but recommended. Lock your phone's bootloader by rebooting your phone into fastboot mode and running the fastboot flashing lock command.

Sideloading OTA packages via ADB

One final word of warning: This process should only be used if you're already using Android 15. If you're using a different version, use the "Utilities" or "Fastboot" method.

• Download the official OTA update zip file for your phone to your computer. Make sure you download the file only for your specific phone, as flashing the file for a different phone model may interfere with the installation process and render your device unusable.
• Optional, but recommended. Once the file has finished downloading, rename it to a simpler name, such as abc.zip . This will save you from having to enter the long name that the file was originally downloaded with.
• Optional, but recommended. Check the SHA-256 checksum of the downloaded file. This ensures that the file downloaded completely and correctly. Google lists the SHA-256 checksum next to the download link.
• Place the file in the directory where ADB is located on your computer.
• Connect your phone to your computer.
• Open a command prompt on your computer and run the adb reboot recovery command. This will reboot your phone into recovery mode.
  • If your phone doesn't boot into recovery mode, you can also boot it manually by turning off the device and then holding down the Power button and Volume up button.
• Use the volume keys to access the Apply update from ADB option in the recovery menu. Press the Power button to select it.
• From your computer's command prompt, run the adb devices command. This will return your device's serial number with "Sideload" next to it. This means that the phone is in sleep mode and ready to receive further setup commands.
• Run the adb sideload abc.zip command in your computer's command prompt. You will need to replace "abc.zip" with the file name of your choice.
• ADB will install the update zip file on your phone.
• Once the installation is complete, select the "Reboot system now" option on your phone and your device will reboot with the newly installed Android 15 version.

Finished. Now you need to install Android 15 on your Pixel smartphone.