With Android 13 Developer Preview 1 and Preview 2 out of the way, Google is now ready to launch Android 13 Beta 1 for everyone. This means more people can join in on the fun, not just developers and power users. With every beta release going forward, we’ll start seeing more changes and features meant for the consumer. Not all new features are guaranteed to make it into the final release, but many of them do in the end. The beta releases are much easier to install than the Developer Previews, and here’s how you can do it.
The beta releases are generally safe for all users to install; however, there are still a few things to consider before doing so. Beta releases are typically more stable than the earlier Developer Previews, but they are still very much test versions of Android. You could run into weird bugs or glitches that might cause you to opt out of the beta and revert to a stable version of Android. You can safely install the betas on your “daily driver” device, but do note that everything may not always work as intended.
At the same time, you won’t be able to opt-out of the Android 13 Beta Program and return to Android 12 without doing a factory reset. Make sure to back up any data on your device before returning to a public version of Android 12. This is especially important if you’re using a “daily driver” device — there’s no reason to risk losing your personal data.
How to easily opt-in and install the Android 13 Beta on your Pixel
Installing a Developer Preview is a manual process that most average users won’t bother with since it primarily targets developers. However, when it comes to the public beta releases, Google encourages more users to test out the new versions of Android. The user can simply opt into the Android Beta Program and install an OTA update for their device with minimal hassle. It works like the monthly OTA update you’re probably used to getting already, except it installs the latest Android 13 Beta instead.
To install the Android 13 Beta on your Pixel device, you can do the following:
- Visit the Android 13 Beta Program page in a web browser on mobile or desktop.
- Log in to your primary Google account if needed.
- Click the View eligible devices button to go to your Pixel device list.
- Click the Opt in button under the Pixel phone you want to install the Android 13 Beta.
- Choose a beta program to opt into. You have the choice of Android 12 Beta Program or Android 13 Beta Program.
- If you’re currently part of the Android 12 Beta Program, you’ll need to opt out of it and reinstall the most recent public version, which will wipe your data, before being able to install the Android 13 beta.
- If you’re currently on Android 13 Developer Preview 2, you’ll automatically be enrolled in the Android 13 Beta Program and receive an OTA update.
- Scroll through the terms and conditions page, then check the “I agree to the terms of the beta program” box.
- You can also check the other boxes if you want to receive certain beta program updates, but it’s not required for installing the beta.
- Hit the Confirm and enroll button to finish up here.
Now that your Pixel device has been signed up for the Android 13 Beta Program, you should be receiving an OTA update shortly. You can wait for the system notification, or you can go to Settings → System → System update to manually check for the update. Once the Android 13 Beta OTA comes through, you can install it like a regular system update. After the installation process has finished, simply reboot your device when prompted. You can immediately dive in from there and start testing the latest Android 13 Beta on your Pixel device.
Using the Android Beta Program is, without a doubt, the fastest and easiest way to install the Android 13 Beta. We recommend most users go with this method since all you have to do is opt-in and install the OTA update.
How to manually install the Android 13 Beta on your Pixel
The Android for Developers website has been updated with a whole host of Android 13-related details, and among them are a pair of download pages for full factory images, sideloadable OTA files. Of course, manually installing the Android 13 Beta is not as simple as opting in and downloading the update. It involves a bit of extra legwork, but you can install the Android 13 Beta pretty easily once you know exactly how to do it.
Unlocking your bootloader and installing the full factory image is one way to get Android 13 on your phone, but it’s not one that we recommend. Not only is it a pain, but it also wipes your phone and can break SafetyNet attestation. Sideloading the OTA file for your Pixel is a better choice, since it doesn’t require an unlocked bootloader, and you don’t have to wipe your phone. However, you still need to do a bit of prep work if you aren’t set up for it.
Google’s stock OTA images site walks you through the process, and the same details apply to Android previews and betas. If you’re unfamiliar with the process, consider reviewing a detailed walkthrough for your computer platform before you get started. Installing the required software and drivers is an easier process on some operating systems than it is on others.
Prerequisites:
- A computer running Linux, macOS, or Windows. The truly adventurous can also use another Android phone with USB OTG functionality.
- A supported device for the Android 13 Betas. Right now that list is limited to the Pixel 4 series, Pixel 4a series, Pixel 5, Pixel 5a, and Pixel 6 series.
- A good cable to connect your computer (or phone with USB OTG) to your phone.
- A supported web browser, such as Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge. The Android Flash Tool relies on WebUSB to connect your computer to your phone, so it won’t work without this feature.
Install the Android 13 Beta with the Android Flash Tool
Google has made the Android 13 Beta available through the Android Flash Tool, which makes the process fairly simple since you won’t need any tools for the installation. The tool has built-in steps and tips to guide you through the process. To install the latest Android 13 Beta using the Android Flash Tool, follow these steps:
- Plug your Google Pixel into a USB port on your computer.
- Visit the official Android Flash Tool website on your computer and click the Get Started button.
- Tap Download Android USB Driver and follow the instructions if needed; otherwise, press Already installed to continue.
- Click the Allow ADB access button so your computer and phone can share information bidirectionally.
- On your Pixel phone, confirm the fingerprint key for the computer by pressing Allow when required.
- If you get the No devices available message on the Flash Tool, follow the on-screen steps to prepare your device for the installation process.
- It will also show the No devices available message even if your device was prepared earlier. This is normal the first time around since you don’t have any Pixel devices set up with the tool.
- It will also show the No devices available message even if your device was prepared earlier. This is normal the first time around since you don’t have any Pixel devices set up with the tool.
- Press the Add new device button once your device has been properly prepared.
- Select your Pixel in the menu popup, then press the Connect button.
Once your Pixel phone is connected to your computer, you can search for the specific build you want to install in the Android Flash Tool. In this case, you should find the Android 13 Beta under the Popular builds section.
Click the latest version, then it’ll take you to the overview screen for that build. By default, installing a preview build will factory reset your device, relock the bootloader, and replace all of your previous system files with the new ones.
This is fine for most users, but you can also change these settings by pressing the pencil icon on the right. Hovering over the question mark for each option explains what it does, so you can disable or enable any of them as needed.
Once you’ve made your selections and are ready to install the Android 13 Beta, simply press the Install build button to begin the process. It’ll take some time to complete, so be patient while it works its magic. Once the installation is finished, your phone should automatically reboot and bring you to the Pixel welcome screen. Once you go through the initial setup you’ll be ready to test the shiny new preview build for Android 13.
We recommend the Android Flash Tool as the next best method if you don’t want to use the Android Beta Program. This is helpful for most users with its straightforward automated approach that requires minimal effort. If you’d rather install the update manually, follow the steps below.
Install the Android 13 Beta by manually sideloading an OTA update
- Install the Android SDK platform tools (i.e., ADB) and USB drivers (if you’re using Windows).
- Download the Developer Preview OTA image for your device.
- Connect your phone to your computer.
- Reboot into recovery (via ADB/USB debugging or the key combination) and enter sideloading mode. Power+volume up opens the Recovery menu, scroll via the volume keys to “apply update from ADB,” and select it with a tap of the power button.
- Check that prior steps worked by entering “adb devices” (no quotes) in a shell or command prompt. If ADB is installed and your phone is in the correct mode, you should see an identifier for your phone and a “sideload” state reported.
- Check that prior steps worked by entering “adb devices” (no quotes) in a shell or command prompt. If ADB is installed and your phone is in the correct mode, you should see an identifier for your phone and a “sideload” state reported.
- Flash the OTA via a shell or command prompt, using “adb sideload your_file_name_here.zip” with no quotes, where the filename is the name of the OTA image you downloaded earlier. On some platforms, you’ll need to precede adb commands with “./” for them to work correctly.
- Stare anxiously at your phone while it slowly installs.
- Reboot when done.
After you type the “adb sideload” part without the quotes and hit the space bar, you can drag and drop the OTA file onto the command window. Doing so will automatically generate the correct file name for you. This allows you to quickly install the OTA onto your device without typing out more than you absolutely have to.
Once you have the preview installed, future Android 13 updates and releases will be delivered like any other normal system update, without requiring you to hit all these steps again. If you’re not loving the Android 13 Beta life, reverting to Android 12 is relatively simple.
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