Earlier in the week, Google released the first Developer Preview of Android P operating system. Primarily targeted towards developers, the first developer preview of Android P contains very less user-facing changes and more underlying changes and new APIs. There are some user-facing changes but Android P is still in very early stages of development and things…
Earlier in the week, Google released the first Developer Preview of Android P operating system. Primarily targeted towards developers, the first developer preview of Android P contains very less user-facing changes and more underlying changes and new APIs.
There are some user-facing changes but Android P is still in very early stages of development and things are bound to change by the time its final version is released sometime in Q3 2018.
Google clearly says that the first Developer Preview of Android P is aimed at getting developers familiar with the new APIs and changes to the OS and adapt their apps for it. But then, Google says a lot of things. If you are an advanced user, you likely cannot wait to try out Android P on your device. With Google releasing the necessary factory images for compatible Pixel devices, you can easily install Android P on it provided you are ready to get your hands dirty with adb and fastboot.
Before you jump over to the steps though, do note that Google has released the Android P Developer Preview factory images for only the following devices:
There are a few things that you need to know before you proceed with the steps below. If the bootloader of your Pixel is not already unlocked, you will have to unlock it. Doing this will wipe the phone clean of all your data. If the bootloader is unlocked, you can flash the factory image without wiping the data on your device, though I will not recommend it since it can lead to compatibility issues.
Also remember that since this is the first developer preview of Android P, it is bound to have some plenty of bugs and issues. Google certainly does not recommend flashing the first DP of Android P on your daily driver but if you cannot wait to try out the new features, the risk is worth it.
Step 1: You will first have to download the latest binary of adb/fastboot on your PC. Google has started providing the standalone binaries for download through its developer website since last year so simply head over to its website and download the appropriate version for your PC.
Step 2: Depending on the device you are using, grab the Android P factory image from here .
Extract the contents from the downloaded file inside a folder titled “factory” or any other name of your choice on your desktop. Inside the same folder, extract the adb/fastboot binaries that you downloaded in the previous step.
Step 3: On your Pixel device, head over to Settings -> System -> About Phone and tap on Build Number 7 times. You will have to enter your pattern/PIN lock after this to enable the hidden Developer Options menu. Then, go back to Settings -> System -> Developer Options and enable the OEM Unlocking option. You will have to again enter the device unlock PIN/password for verification purposes.
Step 4: Switch off your Pixel and proceed to boot it into bootloader mode by simultaneously pressing and holding the Volume Down and Power button for a few seconds.
If you are using a Windows PC, Shift + right click on the “factory” folder on your desktop and select the ‘Open command window here’ option. If you are using a Mac, open the Terminal app, type “cd”, drag and drop the “factory” image inside the window and press enter.
Step 5: Connect the Pixel to your PC and enter “fastboot devices” to confirm that the device is detected by your PC. Mac users, you will have to prefix a “./“ before every fastboot command you run.
Step 6: You now need to unlock the bootloader of your Pixel. This process will wipe the device of all your data. To unlock the bootloader, enter the command “fastboot flashing unlock”. If you are own a Mac, make sure to prefix “./“ the fastboot command.
Confirm your choice by pressing the Volume Up button on your device and then the Power button. After this, wait for a few seconds and your device should reboot back into Android. You will have to go through the whole setup process again but skip it since you will anyways be installing Android P on your device now.
Step 7: Proceed to switch off your Pixel again and boot it into bootloader mode by following the first part of step 4. Then, flash the Android P Developer Preview image by entering “flash-all.bat” if you are using a Windows PC or by entering “./flash-all.sh” if you are on a Mac.
Once the factory image is flashed, your Pixel will automatically reboot into Android P. You can then proceed to go through the initial set up process by logging in with your Google account. After that, you are all set to enjoy Android P on your Pixel.
Remember that the bootloader of your Pixel is still unlocked at this point. You can relock it but then you would again have to unlock it when you try and flash the second Developer Preview of Android P a few months down the line.
