Which Pixel OTA or factory image to flash? It's now a little easier to figure out

Google Pixel (2016)
Google Pixel (2016) (Image credit: Alex Dobie / Android Central)

Google dropped three new Android 7.1 builds for the Pixel and Pixel XL recently, complete with the November 2016 security patches. But it wasn't immediately clear which of the three builds posted update-hungry Pixel owners should apply to their devices.

In the past day or so, Google has refreshed its factory images page (but curiously, not its OTA images page) with a small but important update — specifically, which Pixel variant each build is for. Here's how it breaks down:

  • NDE63U = Europe
  • NDE63X = Verizon
  • NDE63V is not labeled, but by process of elimination this is almost certainly for U.S. unlocked Pixels

Google will probably provide similar region/carrier information when new Android builds drop each month, so if you don't want to wait around for an automatic update, it'll be a little easier to figure out which build is intended for your phone.

It's worth remembering that flashing a factory image or OTA with a build number that doesn't match your region probably won't do much, if any harm. We've been running NDE63X on a European Pixel XL for the past few days with no issues whatsoever. So you'll probably be fine whichever of the three you're running. (Although it may affect which automatic updates you get in the future.)

So good luck, and happy sideloading. (Or you could just wait for a seamless update to hit in the background. Whatever floats your boat.)

More: How to manually update your Nexus or Pixel

Alex Dobie
Executive Editor

Alex was with Android Central for over a decade, producing written and video content for the site, and served as global Executive Editor from 2016 to 2022.