How to install the Android 14 Beta on Google Pixel

Android 14 will drop another set of Pixel smartphones out of active support, but several will still be eligible. The following Pixel devices will be eligible for the Android 14 Beta program.

• Pixel 4a 5G
• Pixel 5
• Pixel 5a
• Pixel 6
• Pixel 6 Pro
• Pixel 6a
• Pixel 7
• Pixel 7 Pro
• Pixel 7a
• Pixel Fold
• Pixel Tablet

While Pixel 7a, Pixel Fold, and Pixel Tablet joined the party late, they’re all eligible to test out Android 14 as of the Beta 4 release, and also through Beta 5.

What’s the latest Android 14 Beta build?

As of August 10, 2023, Google has just opened the fifth beta release of Android 14, one of the last big releases before the final release.

Google has scheduled a total of five beta releases through May, June, and July, with the final release likely to arrive in August.

• Beta 1 (April): Initial beta-quality release, over-the-air update to early adopters who enroll in Android Beta.
• Beta 2 (May): Incremental Beta-quality release.
• Beta 3 (June): First Platform Stability milestone, including final APIs and behaviors. Play publishing also opens.
• Beta 4 (July): Near-final builds for final testing.
• Beta 5 (July): Near-final builds for final testing.
• Final release: Android 14 release to AOSP and ecosystem.

This adds one additional beta compared to Android 13’s release schedule, which only had four beta releases.

Notably, some users have noticed that the first two beta releases of Android 14 have been a bit more erratic compared to previous years. We’d certainly advise caution if you plan to try the beta on a daily device. As usual, proceed at your own risk.

How to get Android 14 with the Android Beta Program

The easiest way to get Android 14 on your Google Pixel device today is through the Android Beta Program.

This automated program allows you to “opt-in” to Android beta updates and install them as you would a normal system update. There’s no computer or fancy tools required, and you can roll back to Android 13 any time you’d like by simply opting out.

How to sideload Android 14 Beta on Google Pixel

By far, the fastest way to get a new version of Android on your Pixel is to sideload it. It’s a relatively easy process, but you’ll need to get set up to do it. Here’s how.

1. Download the needed files.
2. Boot into Recovery mode.
3. Navigate to ADB sideload.
4. Connect the handset to a computer with ADB tools installed.
5. Enter the sideload command.
6. Reboot your phone.

1. Download Android 14 Beta files

To get started, you’ll first need to download the files needed to actually put the Android 14 Beta on your Pixel. There are two ways to do so. First, you can install a Factory Image, which wipes your phone and starts everything from scratch. Alternatively, and the way we’ll detail here, there’s an OTA file, which installs over your current version of Android without wiping your phone.

You can download the beta OTA file from Google’s Full OTA Image hosting site. That site contains OTA downloads for sideloading different updates, including the Android 14 Beta, on every Pixel and Nexus device, so you’ll need to scroll down to ensure you are downloading the file that associates with your device. OTA downloads are available here.

For the Android 14 Beta, only Pixel 4a 5G, Pixel 5a, Pixel 5, Pixel 6/Pro, Pixel 6a, Pixel 7/Pro, Pixel 7a, Pixel Fold, and Pixel Tablet are available.

You won’t be able to install it on the original Pixel/XL, Pixel 2/XL, Pixel 3/XL, Pixel 3a/XL, Pixel 4/XL, or Pixel 4a.

NOTE:
This process (using OTA) won’t wipe your device, but it’s good practice to back up any irreplaceable data in case something goes wrong.

2. Boot into Recovery mode

Next, you’ll boot your Pixel into Recovery mode. To do this, fully power down your handset. Then hold down on the Power button and the Volume down button at the same time until you get to the Bootloader page. You will know you’re in the right place when you see an Android figure lying down on the screen.

Using your volume buttons, scroll down to Recovery mode. Select this by clicking the power button. Alternatively, if you’re already connected to a computer with ADB, you can use the reboot recovery command.

Now, you should see a smaller Android lying down with an exclamation mark over it. From here, press the Power button and the Volume up button for about a second to fully enter Recovery mode. Releasing the Volume up button will send you into Recovery.

3. Navigate to ADB sideload

Using the volume buttons, scroll down to Apply update from ADB and select it with the power button. This will launch a mostly blank screen with text near the bottom directing you on how to sideload an OTA, such as this one for the Android 12L Beta.

4. Connect the handset to a computer with ADB tools installed

This step is important as it’s the only way to transfer the downloaded OTA file to your handset. You’ll need to have ADB and Fastboot tools in a handy place. You can download ADB tools from the Android Developers website. You can also use the Universal ADB Drivers from ClockWorkMod, which can make the process a bit easier on Windows devices.

5. Enter the sideload command

As long as everything is in place, you can now sideload the OTA file. On Windows, ensure your Command Prompt is directed to the ADB tools folder and type in adb sideload. If you’re on macOS or Linux, do the same thing in Terminal (use “cd” and “ls” commands to make sure your Terminal is pointed at the right folder – Google it if you need help) but type in ./adb sideload. You’ll then need to insert the file name of the .zip folder you downloaded from Google and hit enter to start the process.

If everything is working properly, you should see some dialog on your computer and handset that shows the process of the sideload and installation process.

6. Reboot your phone

Once the OTA is done installing, you will be taken back to Recovery Mode. The last step to jump into the new update is to select the Reboot now option with your power button.