Android P : How to install on your Pixel phone

Google has officially made Android P Developer Preview available now. This version is only meant for developers to test and fine-tune their applications to make use of new features and changes coming in Android P. Please do note that Android P Developer Preview is not intended for daily use. Your phone may face issues and you may brick your phone. We will not be held responsible if your phone faces any kind of issues. Read on to know how to install.

Scroll down to see the links to download system images that you can flash on your Pixel devices. Before that please go through the Program Overview for timelines and the migration guide for steps to compatibility and building for P.

Caution: Developer Preview 1 is for app developers only and not intended for daily or consumer use. See the release notes before installing it on your device. Enrolling in updates using the Android Beta Program is not supported in Developer Preview 1.

Flashing your device manually

Manually flashed system images do not automatically receive OTA updates to later Developer Preview milestone builds or the final, production version. Make sure to keep your environment up-to-date and flash a new system image at each Developer Preview milestone.

• Take a complete backup of your phone as this will erase all data on your phone.
• Download system image (download links below)
• Start the device in fastboot mode with one of the following methods:
  • Using the adb tool: With the device powered on, execute:

    adb reboot bootloader
    

  • Using a key combo: Turn the device off, then turn it on and immediately hold down the relevant key combination for your device.
• If necessary, unlock the device’s bootloader using one of the following methods:
  • If you are updating a Nexus or Pixel device that is manufactured in 2015 or later (for example, a Nexus 5X, Nexus 6P, Pixel, Pixel XL, Pixel 2 or Pixel 2 XL device), run this command:

    fastboot flashing unlock
    

  • For Pixel 2: To flash the bootloader, Pixel 2’s boot loader must be updated to at least Oreo MR1’s version first. This may be done by applying an over-the-air (OTA) update, or sideloading a full OTA with the instructions on that page.
  • For Pixel 2 XL only with loader version prior to TMZ20a: the critical partitions may also need to be unlocked before flashing. The unlock can be performed with this command, and should NOT be done on other devices:

    fastboot flashing unlock_critical
    

  • If you are updating an older device, run this command:

    fastboot oem unlock
    

  The target device will show you a confirmation screen. (This erases all data on the target device.)

  See Unlocking the bootloader for more detailed instructions.

• Open a terminal and navigate to the unzipped system image directory.
• Execute the flash-all script. This script installs the necessary bootloader, baseband firmware(s), and operating system. Once the script finishes, your device reboots. You should now lock the bootloader for security
• Start the device in fastboot mode again, as described above.
• Execute:

  fastboot flashing lock
  

  or, for older devices, run:

  fastboot oem lock
  

   

Locking bootloader will wipe the data on some devices. After locking the bootloader, if you want to flash the device again, you must run fastboot oem unlock again, which will wipe the data.

Uninstalling the Preview from a device

For a device that you’ve flashed manually, obtain a factory spec system image from the Factory Images for Nexus and Pixel Devices page and then manually flash it to the device.

Warning: Uninstalling a Developer Preview system image prior to the end of the program requires a full device reset and removes all user data on the device.

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