How to download Android 14 on your phone right now

The second Android 14 developer preview has arrived, providing a chance for those who want to live on the cutting edge of technology to get a first look at Google’s next major mobile operating system. Although we’d recommend being extra careful with this, Google allows anyone — not just developers — to install its developer previews. There are no developer plans to sign up for, and no fees. the only requirement is that you have a relatively recent Pixel phone which you’re willing to sacrifice for what will almost certainly be an unstable version full of bugs and the possibility of bricking your phone entirely.

In other words, don’t even think about installing it on your main phone unless you really like to live dangerously. As the name clearly suggests, this developer preview is intended for programmers — people who reasonably need a head start to ensure their apps are ready for the final version of Android 14 later this year. Most developers have secondary devices that they use to install these early beta builds and are also prepared to deal with the possibility of a locked phone. If you don’t have a spare handset to install Android 14 on, we strongly recommend holding off for a few weeks until Google releases the first public betas of Android 14 in April.

Finally, assume that installing Android 14 developer preview will erase all data on your device. Make sure you have a backup before continuing. Or better yet, don’t install it on a device that has important data on it. You have been warned.

Confirm that your phone is compatible with Android 14

Sorry Samsung, OnePlus or Motorola fans. whether it’s developer previews or public betas, Google only makes pre-release Android builds available for its Pixel phones. In this case, it’s the Pixel 4a 5G, Pixel 5, Pixel 5a, Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro, Pixel 6a, Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro. If you don’t have one of these spare phones, you’ll have to wait for the final release of Android 14 later this year. Alternatively, you can test Android 14 using the Android Emulator found in the latest version of Android Studio, but it’s also mostly for developer testing, so it’s not as fun as running it on your phone.

Prepare your phone for Android 14

After you upgrade your Pixel to Android 14, you’ll be able to receive future developer previews and beta updates over the air. However, the initial Android 14 developer preview must first be installed the old-fashioned way: using a computer and a USB cable. For security reasons, Pixel phones usually don’t allow installing updates via the USB port, so you’ll need to prepare your phone first.

Step 1: open it Settings app on your Pixel.

Step 2: Scroll down and select About phone.

Step 3: Scroll down to Build number at the bottom and hit it seven times. After selecting it a few times, you should see a popup indicating this You are now x steps away from becoming a developer. This will count down with each press.

Step 4: Enter your PIN when prompted. You will be returned to the Information screen, where you will see a message that You are now a developer.

Step 5: Select the arrow in the upper left corner or swipe right to return to the previous settings menu.

Step 6: Choose System.

Step 7: Choose Deployment options.

Step 8: Locate it OEM unlock and select the switch to turn it on.

Step 9: When prompted, enter your PIN.

Step 10: From the pop-up dialog that appears, select allow to confirm.

Step 11: Locate it USB Debugging and select the switch to turn it on.

Step 12: From the pop-up dialog that appears, select Okay to confirm.

Install Android 14 Developer Preview

Once your Pixel’s bootloader is unlocked and ready to accept USB transfers, you can install the Android 14 Developer Preview. While there are a few methods to do this, the simplest way is to use Google’s Android Flash Tool, which can be run directly in your Chrome browser.

Step 1: Open the Android Flash Tool by going to flash.android.com in Google Chrome.

Step 2: Choose Get started.

Step 3: If you’re using Chrome on Windows, you may also be prompted to download and install an Android USB driver. Choose Download USB Driver for Android and follow the instructions or select Already installed if you are sure you have done it before.

Step 4: A popup will then appear, asking you to grant access to the ADB keys. Choose Allow ADB access to continue.

If this pop-up doesn’t appear, check your Chrome settings to make sure you’re not blocking pop-ups for flash.android.com and select the Show dialog again button.

Step 5: Once you get to the Construction facility screen, connect your Pixel to your computer using a compatible USB-C cable and select Add new device.

Step 6: Select your Pixel from the list of devices and select I’m connecting.

Step 7: On your Pixel, authorize the connection by checking it Always allow from this computer pick and choose Allow.

The Android Flash Tool on your computer should be updated to show your Pixel as connected.

Step 8: Choose the first one Developer Preview 2 option under Android 14 preview builds.

Note the default options: Wipe, Lock and Force Flash. You can modify them by clicking on the pencil tool, which should, in theory, allow you to install the Android 14 developer preview without wiping your device. However, we don’t recommend relying on it, and at this early stage, it’s much better to install Android 14 on a clean slate anyway.

Step 9: Choose Install the build to start installing Android 14 Developer Preview.

The installation process will take some time to complete, so grab a coffee and give it some time. Once done, your Pixel should automatically reboot and show the Android 14 welcome screen.

Again — and we can’t stress this enough — the Android 14 developer previews are extremely early builds of Google’s OS that are expected to be extremely unstable. While they are highly unlikely to cause permanent damage to your phone, Google makes no guarantees about it. At the very least, the Android 14 developer previews will likely be much harder on your battery, since Google isn’t concerned with things like power efficiency at this stage of development.

Fortunately, installing the Android 14 Developer Preview isn’t a one-way street. If you decide things aren’t going as you hoped, you can return to the warmer and safer embrace of Android 13 by following the Android Flash Tool steps above and selecting the Back to public option to factory reset your device to the latest public version.

And if you don’t want to bother with the Developer Preview at all, you can also just wait and see when Android 14 comes to your phone for the public beta or final release later this year.

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