Google released the stable Android 15 build in mid-October, and while we usually have to wait until Q1 the following year to the get the initial previews of the next Android version, the brand is doing something different this time around.
Android 16 Developer Preview 1 is now already available, and Google has pushed its timeline up by a few months, with the stable build now estimated to arrive in Q2 2025.
So if you've got an eligible Pixel, you can install Android 16 and test features that are coming to next year's Android build. As this is a dev preview and not a public beta, only select Pixels can install Android 16 right now.
Also, given that the initial build doesn't have any user-facing features to test, I wouldn't recommend installing it at all. The current Android 16 build is designed for devs, and the public beta is still a few months away. Still, if you have a spare Pixel and want to try out the latest, this is how you can install Android 16 Developer Preview 1 on your device right now.
What phones can install the Android 16 beta?
At this moment, the Android 16 beta is limited to Pixel devices starting from the Pixel 6. The list includes 15 devices in total:
- Pixel 6
- Pixel 6 Pro
- Pixel 6a
- Pixel 7
- Pixel 7 Pro
- Pixel 7a
- Pixel 8
- Pixel 8 Pro
- Pixel 8a
- Pixel 9
- Pixel 9 Pro
- Pixel 9 Pro XL
- Pixel 9 Pro Fold
- Pixel Fold
- Pixel Tablet
Just like with the Android 15 beta, the Pixel 5 and 5a miss out on Android 16, and until the public beta rolls out sometime in Q1 2025, you can only install the preview builds on Pixel devices listed above.
Install Android 16 using the Android Flash Tool
As this is a preview build, you can't use the Android Beta Program to install the build — that will come later as public beta builds become available. If you need to install Android 16 now, you'll have to use the Android Flash Tool, a web-based version of the ADB developer tool.
As an added note, as this is a production build, installing Android 16 via the Flash Tool will delete all the data on your Pixel; so if you're interested in trying out the build, make sure that the data on your phone is backed up.
1. Head to the Android Flash Tool site.
2. Allow the site to access ADB in your browser.
3. Enable 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. Plug in your phone to a USB port on your computer.
7. Select the device from the pop-up and follow the instructions to install the beta.
Install Android 16 by flashing the bootloader
If you want to try Android 16 on your Pixel manually, you'll have to flash the OTA onto your Pixel. But before we get started, know that this method will involve deleting all data on your phone.
Before you start doing this, make sure that no OTA updates are yet to be installed on your Pixel. Go to Settings > About phone > System updates and see no pending updates. Also, ensure that you have USB debugging enabled on your phone.
To get started, head to the Android 16 OTA images page, and download the relevant 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 installed on your Windows machine and the OTA image has been downloaded, you can start sideloading the build.
You'll first need to put your device in recovery mode. You can power off and then hold the Power button along with the Volume Down button for a few seconds to enter the bootloader menu and select the recovery option using the Volume Down button.
Here, you should see the Android mascot face down with an exclamation mark over it. Hold down the Power button and press Volume Up once to enter recovery mode. Next, navigate to the option that says Apply update from ADB by using the Volume Up button and confirm the selection by pressing the Power button once.
Now you are ready to sideload the OTA image. Confirm that your phone can connect to your computer and is detectable. For this, plug your Pixel into your computer and run this command:
adb devicesYou should see your phone's serial number and sideload next to it. Now we can get to flashing the OTA build; just run this in CMD:
adb sideload ota_file.zipHere, you will need to switch out ota_file.zip with the filename of the OTA build for your particular device. I'm installing Android 16 on a Pixel 9, so I entered the following: tokay_beta-bp21.241018.009-factory-cdfdcaa4.zip into CMD. For this to work, make sure that the OTA file is located within the same directory as the CMD path.
Once the OTA file is transferred to your phone, it should go back to the recovery menu. Navigate to Reboot system now and confirm with the Power button to restart your phone. The OTA update will be installed and your phone will switch to Android 16.
What comes next with Android 16?
We're just getting started with Android 16, and we should see user-facing features go live with upcoming builds. That's sometime in Q1 2025, and as always, Google will have four beta builds, with a stable release set to show up sometime in May or June 2025.
Right now, there isn't much of a reason to test Android 16 on your device — you don't get any new features available on the build. That will change soon, and I'll install all the new builds as they become available, and tell you if it makes sense to install them on your device.
With Google changing its decade-long release cadence with Android 16, it will be interesting to see how other brands change their update cycles to accommodate the accelerated timeline.
