Android 12 Developer Preview: How To Download and Install on Pixel Devices

Google has finally released the Android 12 Developer Preview images. Just as the official timeline predicted, it is now March and the Android 12 Developer Preview program is finally open for those who own a Pixel 5, Pixel 4a and 4a 5G, Pixel 4 and 4 XL, Pixel 3a and 3a XL, and Pixel 3 and 3 XL.

Below you can find all the download links of the official Android 12 images for all Pixel devices mentioned above. There are two ways you can update your phone to the next big Android update. The first way is to download the OTA update and install it through recovery mode, and the second way is to download the full-fledged factory image and manually flash it through Fastboot. We have provided a detailed guide for each case, alongside the proper download links.

This is the first Android 12 Developer Preview. Please note that this is not a stable build and it is only intended for developers. However, you can still go ahead and install it if you want to test the latest and greatest Android version.

Download Android 12 Developer Preview 2 Images

Device OTA Factory Image
Google Pixel 3 Download Download
Google Pixel 3 XL Download Download
Google Pixel 3a Download Download
Google Pixel 3a XL Download Download
Google Pixel 4 Download Download
Google Pixel 4 XL Download Download
Google Pixel 4a Download Download
Google Pixel 4a 5G Download Download
Google Pixel 5 Download Download

 

#1. Install Android 12 Developer Preview through Recovery Mode (OTA)

The first and easiest way to download and install the latest Developer Preview is to download the OTA file and flash it through recovery mode.

  1. First, download the proper OTA file for your phone model. Please make sure you download the correct file designed for your phone. Rename the downloaded file to “update.zip”, and move the file inside the folder where ADB is installed.
  2. On your phone, go to Settings -> Developer Options and enable USB Debugging. This will allow your phone to communicate with your computer.
  3. Connect your phone to your computer using a USB cable.
  4. On the ADB folder, press the Shift key and right-click with your mouse. A menu will appear. Click on “Open PowerShell window” here.
  5. On the terminal window you just opened, enter the following command:
    adb reboot recovery
  6. The phone will now be in recovery mode. There, select Apply update from ADB. This will allow the computer to install the downloaded OTA file.
  7. Now enter the following command on the terminal:
    adb sideload update.zip
  8. Android 12 Developer Preview will be soon installed on your Pixel device. Once the installation is finished, select Reboot system now.

#1. Install Android 12 Developer Preview through Fastboot

You need an unlocked bootloader for this. Unlocking the bootloader erases everything on your phone.

Another way to install the update is to download the entire factory image and flash it through Fastboot. The full factory image is slightly larger in size compared to the OTA file.

  1. Download the OTA file from the link above and move it to the ADB folder.
  2. Extract the downloaded file. You will get a number of different files.
  3. Open a file named “flash-all.sh” or “flash-all.bat” using a text editor.
  4. Find the  fastboot update command, and remove the -w flag. This will prevent the update from erasing data on your phone. Nonetheless, a backup is recommended in every case.
  5. On your phone, go to Settings -> Developer Options and enable USB Debugging. This will allow your phone to communicate with your computer.
  6. On the ADB folder, press the Shift key and right-click with your mouse. A menu will appear. Click on “Open PowerShell window here”.
  7. On the terminal window you just opened, enter the following command:
    adb reboot bootloader
  8. The phone will now be in Fastboot mode. Now run the following command to install the update:flash-all
  9. Once the installation process is finished, the phone will automatically reboot.

That is it! You have successfully flashed the brand new Android 12 Developer Preview on your Pixel device. If you have any issues, leave a comment down below.

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