How to Install Android 12 Developer Preview on Google Pixel Devices

Furqan Shahid
How to Install Android 12 Developer Preview on Google Pixel

As expected, Google had dropped the first Developer Preview of Android 12 a few moments ago, and surprisingly, it has launched with a lot of changes, at least a lot more than we had expected, in the first place.

Needless to say, the update is going to be substantial in many ways, and Google is aiming to release it after August, later this year, with does align with the company's plans.

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We have already covered all the new changes in the developer preview for Android 12, along with the appropriate download links for the Pixel devices that it currently supports. So, right now, we are more focused on how you can install Android 12 Developer Preview on your Pixel phone. There will be two methods, so you can use whichever you think is best for you.

How to Sideload Android 12 Developer 1 Preview via Recovery and ADB

To install the first Developer Preview, you will need to sideload the right OTA package for your device from Recovery via ADB. This method is going to work for devices that have locked bootloaders, as well.

  1. Start by downloading the .zip file to your computer from here. We would suggest renaming the file to something similar and putting it in the folder where ADB is located on your computer.
  2. Verify the SHA-256 checksum of the file you have downloaded to ensure that you have downloaded the file completely and correctly.
  3. Enable USB debugging by heading over to Settings > About Phone > Tap "Build Number" 7 times, enter your pattern, PIN, or password to enable Developer Options. Navigate back to Settings > Developer Options > Enable "USB Debugging".
  4. Now connect your phone to the computer, authorize the connection on your phone when the prompt shows up.
  5. On your computer, open the command prompt in the folder where ADB is installed and where you have put the zip file and type the following command.

    adb reboot recovery

  6. Your phone will boot in Recovery mode.
  7. On your phone, select the option "Apply Update from ADB".
  8. Now, on your computer, run the following command. Doing so will return a device serial with "sideload" written next to it, which will indicate that your device is connected to the computer in sideload mode.

    adb devices

  9. Now on your computer, run the following command.

    adb sideload "filename".zip

  10. The update should start installing on your system, and once it is installed, choose "Reboot system now" on your phone, and you will boot into Android 12.

How to Flash Full Factory Image via Fastboot

This is a method for those who already have an unlocked bootloader; you will need to flash the full factory image of Android 12 Developer Preview 1 via Fastboot.

Let's look at how you can do it.

  1. Start by downloading the factory image from here.
  2. Verify the SHA-256 checksum of the file you have downloaded.
  3. Extract the zip and copy and paste the files you got onto your ADB and fastboot folder for ease of access.
  4. The files will contain a flash-all.sh or flash-all.bat script file if you are on Windows. Use a text editor to open either of the files and look for the -w flag in the fastboot update command. This will skip the data wipe for your phone. However, data wipe is recommended to avoid any compatibility issues.
  5. Enable USB Debugging by going to Settings > About Phone > Tap "Build Number" 7 times, enter your pattern, PIN, or password to enable Developer Options. Navigate back to Settings > Developer Options > Enable "USB Debugging".
  6. Now connect your device to the computer, authorize your computer connection on your phone when the prompt shows up.
  7. On your computer, run the following command.

    adb reboot bootloader

  8. Once you are phone is booted into the fastboot mode, double click the flash-all.bat file, and it will install the bootloader, baseband firmware, and firmware files onto your phone.
  9. Once the script is done with its job, your device will
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