In this tutorial, we will explain exactly how to install Android 11 Developer Preview on your Pixel phone. Being a developer preview, Android 11 is currently only available for manual flashing. Which means, in order to install Android 11, you have to first download the system factory image on your computer and then use Android Debug Bridge (ADB) to flash. We know that may seem a bit technical but with our step-by-step guide ahead, you can easily install Android 11 developer preview on your phone.
Usually, Google launches new Android versions around March and then uses Google I/O conference to discuss the new features. This time round, Android 11 has arrived a bit early. With the new firmware now available, you can install it on your phone to check out what has changed and what’s new. We will be listing all the steps for installing Android 11 developer preview right ahead.
How to Install Android 11 Developer Preview on Google Pixel
We have put together a detailed step-by-step instructions guide on how to install Android 11 Developer Preview on supported Google Pixel phones: Pixel 2 / 2 XL, Pixel 3 / 3 XL, Pixel 3a / 3a XL and Pixel 4 / 4 XL. This tutorial is for beginners who are not used to playing around with official factory images by Google on the Pixel phones.
Please make sure your phone fulfills all the requirements and you read the entire tutorial once before actually performing it on your device.
Disclaimer: Try this on your own risk. We are not responsible if you mess up with your Google Pixel.
Just To Remember:
- This tutorial is only for Google Pixel 2 / 2 XL, Pixel 3 / 3 XL, Pixel 3a / 3a XL and Pixel 4 / 4 XL.
- Your phone can be on any previous Android version or even on a custom ROM. It doesn’t matter at all. This tutorial will still work for installing Android 11 Developer Preview.
- Enjoy Android 11 Developer Preview on your device and let us know your review about it!
NOTE: Installing Android 11 Developer Preview factory image will WIPE / DELETE / ERASE everything from your phone even if your bootloader is still locked or already unlocked. Please make sure you have a backup of all the data. Read: How to Backup Android Apps and Other Data.
Complete Step-By-Step Instructions:
Step 1 – Download Android 11 factory image for your specific Pixel phone on your PC. View our download guide for official links:
Step 2 – Connect your Google Pixel phone to your computer using the USB cable.
Step 3 – Please make sure Fastboot is configured and properly installed on your computer. How? See here: How to Set Up ADB and Fastboot with Android SDK.
Step 4 – Turn OFF your phone.
Step 5 – Get into the Fastboot / Bootloader Mode on your phone. Turn ON the phone while pressing and holding the Volume Up + Volume Down + Power buttons till you see the Fastboot menu and START on top.
Step 6 – Now extract the downloaded file anywhere in your computer. Go to the folder which you extracted and then copy/paste all the files to your Fastboot directory.
Note: If you followed our tutorial on setting up Fastboot on your computer, there is a 99% chance your Fastboot directory will be the platform-tools folder in your Android SDK directory.
Step 7 – From the factory image files in your Fastboot directory, do the following depending which OS you are on:
- On Windows: Run the file “flash-all.bat”.
- On Mac: Run the file “flash-all.sh” using Terminal.
- On Linux: Run the file “flash-all.sh”.
Step 8 – That’s pretty much that you had to do for flashing the Android 11 developer preview on your Google Pixel phone. Now wait and watch as the process is completed — or follow the on-screen instructions on your phone if in case you have to unlock the bootloader.
Step 9 – After the installation completes, the phone will boot now and it might take about 5 minutes to boot on your first time. So, please wait with patience!
That’s it! Your Google Pixel phone should now have the official Android 11 Developer Preview! Go to Settings > About phone to verify.
Hopefully, you have correctly installed Android 11 Preview on your phone. Let us know what you think about the new Android version in the comments below!
