After months of waiting and beta testing, Google finally released Android 10 for the Pixel family of smartphones on September 3. In this guide, we will show you how to install Android 10 on your Pixel device or get the update today.
While these updates arrive automatically via a wireless update system and notification, they are not always “automatic” or timely. If you don’t want to wait for the update right away, follow the steps below.
How to Update Pixel to Android 10?
- Pull down the notification bar and tap the gear-shaped S button
- Scroll down and tap on it and then
- Tap on
- Now just tap on
From here your phone will tell you that the system is already up to date and you won’t receive anything or there is an update waiting for you to download. We recommend downloading this over WiFi only and your phone will say the same. In fact, if you are using WiFi it will automatically start downloading and notify you when Android 10 is finished and ready.
Once the update is downloaded you are ready because it is installing in the background for you. Now, you just need to tap on the Android 10 update notification to reboot your phone and enjoy the latest software. It’s that easy. Note that Google is doing what’s known as a “cascade rollout” and not everyone will receive the update today.
If you don’t want to wait and want it right now, you can manually install Android 10 today using a method known as sideloading. Here’s how.
How to Install ADB on Windows, Mac, Ubuntu and ChromeOS
Before installing the Android 10 update on your Pixel, Pixel 2 or Pixel 3, you need to install ADB and Fastboot on your computer. This is a program that runs on your PC/Mac to connect your Android device to a device via a USB cable and flash Android software. If you are not familiar with the Android SDK, we recommend that you skip all this and wait for the over-the-air update.
Installing ADB and Fastboot is one of the most annoying parts of installing Android factory images, but few tools these days make it super simple. Alternatively, Google’s Flashing all ADB related contacts and files.
Those running Windows can download a 15 second adb installer to simplify the process and get up and running in just a few minutes.
Download ADB installer for Windows. Locate the file, right-click on it and choose Run as Administrator. When prompted, you must grant access to the application to run as administrator. Once the application has started type a Y and enter for Install ADB & Fastboot to select yes to install ADB/Fastboot system wide and install Drivers. When a new window opens, follow the steps to install the drivers. Now let’s install Android 10.
How to Install ADB on Mac, Linux, and ChromeOS
Nexus Tools makes it easy to install ADB on a Mac, Linux, or even ChromeOS. You need to open a Terminal on the computer and Code from XDA. Open a terminal by going to search and just type Terminal to open it. Then copy/paste this code to get started.
This will install ADB and Fastboot on Mac, Linux and Chrome OS without you needing to do anything else. It’s extremely easy and avoids all the ADB package mess, which usually takes much longer to complete.
After the script is complete, type ADB or Fastboot to start running both processes. This is how you start flashing files or system images provided by Google. Don’t forget to go to settings > developer options and enable USB Debugging first. Newer devices must enable “OEM Unlocking” in developer options before you can unlock the bootloader and install the latest software. If you did this a few years ago when you flashed Android P or even Android Oreo, you don’t need to reinstall it.
Manually Install Android 10 on Pixel
The first thing you need to do is download Android 10 factory images. A factory image is basically a file that contains everything you would get from an over-the-air software update. Click the links below for each device and agree to the terms and download. Then continue to follow our instructions.
As expected, only the latest devices can enjoy the latest Android 10 software version. These are the Pixel, Pixel XL, Pixel 2, Pixel 2 XL, Pixel 3, Pixel 3a, Pixel 3a XL and Pixel 3 XL. Not all Nexus 5X or 6P or Pixel C tablet will get Android 10.
It’s worth noting that Google has TWO Android 10 images listed for each device, and we’re not sure why. So maybe wait for more information before jumping right into these setups.
Otherwise, download the file for your device and then read on to get Android 10. Next, you need to unzip these files to a folder that you can easily access. We compressed it to our MAC desktop. After unzipping the Android 10 system image, you need to find it. Then type cmd in the address bar on Windows or open a terminal and point it to this new folder on Mac, Linux or Chrome OS. Reminder, if you are using a MAC, you need to make sure the terminal is running inside the folder you zipped. Right click, open Terminal in Folder.
If it’s not your Pixel, you should do this first. You cannot manually install Android on a locked device. This action will delete it completely and will delete all user data, settings, pictures, etc. will delete it. If you’ve ever installed any betas, you’ve already done so, so skip it.
Open a Terminal in the adb folder and type the following command and hit enter.
adb reboot bootloader
In fastboot type:
fastboot oem unlock (or flashing unlock)
Then press enter. Follow the onscreen instructions and choose to wipe the device. Wait a minute or so to unlock. This removes everything from your device. If you don’t want to wipe your phone, wait for the second Android P developer preview as it will likely come with an easy update beta program.
Google Pixel users need to unlock the bootloader and then use it. Then keep rebooting and follow our steps.
Flash Android 10 Images to Your Pixel Phone
Next, unzip the folder containing the uncompressed Android 10 System Image file you just downloaded from our instructions above. Type cmd in the address bar. Next, type the multiple commands posted below and hit enter. Or copy and paste to avoid mistakes. On Mac, you can open Terminal in folder by enabling terminal shortcuts in settings. . Go to System Preferences and select Keyboard > Shortcuts > Services. Find “New Terminal in Folder” in settings and click the box. Now when you’re in the Finder, right-clicking on a folder shows the option to open Terminal. Or do it from the desktop where you opened the Factory image as shown below.
Once in the terminal, simply copy and paste the commands below to install Android 10 on your Pixel 1,2,3. The first line is command for Windows, then the second for Mac.
flash-all.bat
This will burn all necessary files. If you are on one or another computer, you need to type;
sudo ./flash-all.sh
This will force all files and update your device to the new Android 10 software. Files will start sending and uploading and your device may reboot. The logo splash screen may stay for a long time. . This may take 10 minutes or longer the first time. You can unplug your Pixel when Android prompts you to complete the setup.
Flashing Problems?
It is worth noting that some users may encounter one or a similar error, depending on which device you have Flash installed on. If you see a case 1 error, simply edit the flash_all script and remove the “-w” line at the bottom of the file. This is a step most experienced Android users have already done, so they don’t “wipe” the device when installing the latest software.
For whatever reason, deleting user data fails on newer Pixels. Open and edit the flash_all file in the factory image file you downloaded and scroll to the bottom. Remove the -w as shown in red. This will prevent the flash from wiping your device and fix the case 1 error.
Then, another error may prevent you from getting Android 10. This is because of the way you are trying to flash the update. Instructions on how to get around this right here. Essentially users will need to unzip the update.zip folder and move all the images to the original folder we mentioned above. Then manually flash them one by one in response to the flash-all command we used here. Only do this if you run into problems with missing images. It takes a few more steps but they all work the same.
Once done, you can enter your information or Gmail account and start using Android 10 and everything it has to offer.
final thoughts
Personally, I would avoid all this mess and wait for the update to arrive. We’ve been enjoying the Android Q beta for a few months now, but we’ve already received the official Android 10 OTA update on the Pixel 2 XL and Pixel 3. So, you’re probably waiting or you can download it manually using our first step at the top. this article.
Basically, don’t do all this unless it’s necessary or you’re very impatient. Also, you can easily sign up for the Android Q beta program, install the beta, and then get the OTA to Android 10 official. This is an even easier way through this process. If you are not experienced with ADB, we recommend that you skip these steps and wait for the official update to reach your device. We expect it to be easy to install over-the-air updates to access Pixel devices in the next 24-48 hours.
Additionally, those who choose to wait for the OTA update do not need to wipe their device. Android 10 will be installed on top of Android 9 Pie and you won’t lose anything. Leave a comment below if you have any questions, problems or concerns. Otherwise, try Google’s new software that doesn’t have a tasty name.
