We’ve had our eyes on the Android Q Developer Preview since last week, with the first Android P Developer Preview arriving surprisingly early last year. The wait is finally over as Google today announced Android Q Beta 1 (yes, not the Developer Preview) for the entire Pixel lineup.
Android Q Beta 1 may not look much different from Android 9 Pie on the surface, but there are noticeable changes to the motherboard, especially under the hood. I know Android enthusiasts are interested in updating Android’s latest features and checking out all its new features, here is a guide for you How can I install Android Q Beta 1 on Pixel Devices?:
note: We installed Android Q Beta 1 on Pixel 2 XL and Pixel 3 XL using a Windows laptop, but the process will be almost the same for other devices or platforms.
List of Supported Devices
We expected Google to make the first beta of Android Q only available to second- and third-generation Pixel owners, but this surprised everyone by expanding support for first-generation devices by popular demand. So, take a look at the devices that currently support Android Q Beta 1:
- Pixel 3XL
- Pixel 3
- Pixel 2XL
- Pixel 2
- Pixel XL
- pixel
The rumor mill also made us hope that Android Q Beta 1 would be available for a number of OEM partner devices, but that’s not the case for this build. We can expect this announcement at Google I/O 2019, when Google will officially announce Android Q and release a new beta build.
OTA Update with Android Q Beta Program
Since this isn’t an alpha build we’ve been looking forward to, Google has opened the Android Q Beta Program to allow anyone interested to easily check out the new features and improvements in the latest Android version.
This is the simplest and surest method of upgrading a Pixel device and testing Android Q Beta 1. Here are the steps you need to follow to join the beta program.
Note: This method also ensures that your data is not deleted, but we still recommend making a backup so you can recover your data if anything goes wrong.
1. Visit the Android Beta website at: this link and go to the “Devices” tab to see a list of all your eligible devices (Pixel 2 XL and Pixel 3XL are listed below).
2. Click the ‘Join’ button below the device name Where you plan to install the Android Q Beta 1 build. Accept the terms and conditions that appear and press the “Join Beta” button to let Google know that you’ve joined.
3. Then switch to your Pixel device. “Settings -> System -> Advanced -> System Update” and check for any updates to see if Android Q Beta 1 has started to install.
4. Your device will reboot to complete the installation process and voila, you are now on Android Q (buggy beta for starters).
Flash Android Q Beta 1 with Bootloader Unlock Method
If you don’t mind losing your data and want to do a fresh install for the latest version of Android, then you have to undertake the tedious task of installing Android Q Beta 1 on your Pixel device. Before you get into the setup process, you need to get a few things in order:
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Android Q System Image
First of all, you need to download the Android Q Beta 1 system image for your Pixel device from: this link. The list will look like the screenshot below, just click the download link next to your device name.
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ADB and Fastboot Tools
Flashing requires you to have ADB and Fastboot tools Installed on your Windows PC or Mac. You can download ADB and Fastboot tools right here. You can also check out our detailed guide on how to install these tools if you encounter problems during the process.
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Developer Options
You will also need to enable a few developer options such as OEM Unlocking and USB Debugging. Go to ‘Settings > System > Developer Options’ The menu on your Pie-based device (must be running the latest security patch).
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Unlock the Bootloader
As it should be very clear, installing Android Q Beta 1 first requires you to unlock the bootloader on your smartphone. Do this by following the steps below:
1. Connect your Pixel to your PC or Mac. Go to the destination where you installed ADB and Fastboot, then Open a command window (Hold Shift and right click to see option) Terminal on Windows and Mac.
2. Now, enter the ‘adb devices’ command. see if your device is connected.
note: Your Pixel displays a warning asking for ‘Allow USB debugging’, which you need to tap OK to allow.
3. Now you need to reboot your smartphone in bootloader mode. To do this, enter the following command:
adb reboot bootloader
4. Once your device starts in bootloader mode, enter the following command to make sure fastboot recognizes it. The output should look similar to what we saw with adb devices .
fastboot devices
5. Finally, depending on your smartphone, enter one of the following commands to unlock the bootloader. You should see several prompts on your device, accept it and the device will be completely wiped and the bootloader will be unlocked.
Pixel or Pixel XL: fastboot oem unlock Pixel 2/2XL or Pixel 3/3XL: fastboot flashing unlock Pixel 2 XL: fastboot flashing unlock_critical (with loader version prior to TMZ20a)
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Installing Android Q Beta 1
After unlocking the bootloader, first Extract Android Q beta 1 system image we have downloaded before. Then follow the steps below:
Note: Necessary Be running build PQ2A.190305.002 (March security patch on Android Pie) for OTAs to work.
1. In the extracted folder you will find another .ZIP file (this is the actual image) and you need to extract it as well. Move all these files to the adb and fastboot platform-tools folder.
2. Now connect your Pixel device to your PC or Mac, reboot in bootloader mode and launch “flash-all.bat”. This will open a command prompt window and flash the Android Q Beta 1 image to your Pixel.
3. If you encounter any errors in the previous step, you can go ahead and flash all the files one by one using the commands listed below:
fastboot flash bootloader <bootloader file name here>.img fastboot reboot-bootloader fastboot flash radio <radio file name here>.img fastboot reboot-bootloader fastboot flash -w update <image file name here>.zip fastboot reboot
4. Once the scripts are finished running, your device will reboot and Android Q Beta 1 should be installed on it.
Update to Android Q Beta 1 via ADB Sideload
If you are not satisfied with unlocking the bootloader and going through a boatload of steps to get the latest flavor of Android on your device, then you can: Sideload OTA update file of Android Q dev preview via ADB. This method is not only simple but also protects all your existing data, so we recommend this over the bootloader unlock method.
Here are the steps to update your Pixel to Android Q Beta 1 using the ADB Sideload method:
1. First, you need to download the OTA .ZIP file for your Pixel device. this link.
2. Connect your device to your PC or Mac, reboot the bootloader and go to ‘recovery’ option using volume down key and select it by pressing power button. Next, you must press on volume up and power button simultaneously and select “Apply update from ADB”.
3. After doing this, you need to run the following command from your PC to start the installation process.
adb sideload <filename of update.zip>
Experience the Goodness of Android Q on Your Pixel
This is the first official Android Q release, meaning the latest version of Android is still in the fairly early stages of development. We do not recommend installing the same on your primary device. So get your old Pixel out of the attic (even your first-gen Pixel works) and see how the next flavor of Android feels.
Have you installed Android Q Beta 1 on your device yet? If so, let us know in the comments section what features you already love or would like to be improved in future beta releases.
