Google Rolls Out First Android 15 Beta. Here's How You Can Get It Right Now
As long as you have a compatible Android phone, you can download and install Android 15 today.
The first Android 15 beta is out now.
Google announced that it's rolling out the first Android 15 beta starting today. You can enroll in the Android Beta for Pixel program and download and install the Android 15 beta over the air.
Android 15 brings several new features and improvements to the Android OS, with a focus on productivity; user privacy and security; better supporting developers and content creators; communication; and of course, performance and quality.
Read more: Best Android phone for 2024
Among other features and settings, the first Android 15 beta has support for app archiving and unarchiving, so users can more easily free up space on their phone. There's also end-to-to-end encryption support for contact keys, allowing users to verify other people's contact information.
Google is expected to formally announce Android 15 at Google I/O on May 14.
The upcoming major release for Android has been available as a developer preview for the last couple of months, initially released in February. The Android 15 developer preview is currently in its second iteration.
Don't miss: Google Releases Second Android 15 Developer Preview. How to Get the OS on Your Phone Right Now
As the name suggests, however, developer previews are intended mostly for developers, so they can get their apps ready before a general public release. And because with a developer preview the software is still really early in its development, such previews aren't recommended as your daily driver, seeing as they're usually not fully stable and are filled with bugs.
The Android 15 beta is also still a work in progress, and it's mostly intended for developers and early adopters, but it's more refined and stable than any of the Android 15 developer previews.
If you want to learn more about how to download and install Android 15 right now, here's everything you need to know.
Which phones are compatible with the Android 15 beta?
As always, Google offers developer previews and beta releases only for its own devices early on, so you need to have a supported Pixel phone or tablet to run the first Android 15 beta right now. Here's the full list of supported devices:
If you don't have any of these devices, you can use the Android Emulator in Android Studio to test out Android 15 on other phones, tablets and large-screen gadgets.
Before you download Android 15...
Make sure to back up your phone on Android 14 before updating to Android 15. If you ever want to downgrade from Android 15 to Android 14, all your data will be wiped, so it's best if you have an Android 14 backup to install in this case. If you have automatic backups, you're good, but you can also do it manually. Go to Settings > System > Backup and hit Back up now.
How to download the Android 15 beta on your phone or tablet
Unlike the Android 15 developer preview, which requires you to unlock your bootloader and flash Android 15 manually, to get the first Android 15 beta, all you have to do is go to this Android Beta for Pixel page, sign in with your Google account and check if your phone is compatible.
Note: Make sure that you use the same email as the one that's connected to your Pixel device.
If your phone is supported, you should see it under Your eligible devices.
Make sure your phone is charged over 10% or else it may not appear.
Note: If you've already signed up for the Android 14 beta or Android 15 developer preview, you don't need to do anything to get the first Android 15 beta. You'll automatically receive an over-the-air update on your phone.
To sign up your phone for the Android 15 beta program, click Opt in, read through the terms and conditions, and then hit Confirm and enroll. A pop-up will then appear, notifying you that your phone is now enrolled in the Android 15 beta program, and giving you instructions on how to download and install Android 15 on your device.
Next on your device, head to Settings > System > System update and download the Android 15 OTA update. Be patient though, it may take up to 24 hours for you to get the over-the-air update. Your enrolled device will receive continuous Android 15 beta updates as they're released in May, June and July. The general release of Android 15 is expected sometime in the fall.
How do I opt out of the Android 15 beta?
If you no longer want to be part of the Android 15 beta program, go back to the Android Beta for Pixel page, but this time click Opt out and then hit Leave beta. You'll no longer receive over-the-air beta updates but instead be sent an OTA update for the latest stable version of Android 14. Be warned, if you install the Android 14 update, all the data on your device will be wiped. You should back up your device on Android 14 before doing this.
Looking to upgrade your phone? Check out the best Android phone of 2024 and the best Pixel phone you can buy this year.
