Try out Android 12 early (if you dare): Here’s how to get the developer beta

Google just announced Android 12 this weekand along with it, a few new features that improve the software that empower you Android phone. Android 12’s primary task is to improve the overall performance of your phone by focusing on app stability and redesigned notifications.

Google has also added some new privacy features that allow Android users to control how they are viewed on sites.

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Our first look at Android 12

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If you’re currently worried about installing Google’s latest software on your phone, there is good news and bad news. The bad news is, this is the first developer preview. This means it will be fraught with bugs, problems, and poor battery performance. Google has made it particularly difficult for the average user to install for these reasons.

Read more: 3 things Android 12 can’t do and Android 11 can’t

The good news is that if you are well versed with technology and don’t mind living with some bugs, you can set it up today as long as you have a compatible phone.

Developer beta is for developers

I can’t stress this enough: The first beta is when developers start updating their apps for new software. Since there is no guarantee that the preview will be stable enough for daily use, Google recommends installing the update on a test device and not on your everyday phone.

Instead of providing the first preview via a wireless update, download the system image and install it Side-install an OTA update using the Android Flash Tool or using ADB commands. If none of this makes any sense to you, then you should definitely stay away from installing beta. Beta is currently only available for Pixel 3, 3a, 4, 4a and Pixel 5.

Besides using command line tools to install it, the process will factory reset your phone and force you to install it like new. So if you decide to go back to Android 11, guess what? Yes, you will need to factory reset again.

It takes a lot of work to get an early look at the software that is sure to cause you problems.

With all this, if you still want to install Android 12, you can find the appropriate files and instructions on Google’s Android 12 site.

Yes, Android 12 public beta is coming

Google usually launches a public beta version of the next Android update around May or when it holds the Google I / O developer conference. But we can go a step further and narrow down the time Google plans to bring a more refined version of Android 12 to the public. The broadcast schedule that Google plans to use is as follows:

Based on this, we know that the first public beta should be released in May.

With the release of Android 11 last year, Google has expanded its public beta to more than its own Pixel smartphone lineup. It looked successful for Google and its hardware partners, so we expect a similar launch this year. But Samsung phone owners cannot make any promises. The smartphone maker never participated in Google’s early beta program.

In addition to supporting more devices, there are traditionally fewer bugs and issues in the public beta. It’s not completely free of these, but it’s better than the early developer betas.

The last version of Android 12 won’t be until the end of this year

Google releases the final build of a major Android update usually in the late third quarter, around August or September. This gives the company and developers plenty of time to get ready for launch.

If you find yourself wanting to take part in Android 12 beta, I suggest you wait as long as possible to install it. The later you enter the development cycle, the brighter the update will be and the less trouble you are likely to experience.

We’ll have much more Android 12 coverage in the coming days, weeks and months. Until then make sure Read all about Android 12.