How to Get Android 13 on Your Pixel
New updates are always interesting. They mean new features, bug fixes to solve annoying problems, and a new digital coat of paint on your phone. Right now, Android 13 is a coat of paint, adding new tweaks and changes to your Pixel if you decide to try it sooner.
Google released the first Android 13 beta on Tuesday, April 26th. While a lot of smartphones are likely to be compatible with the update in the future, it’s currently limited to Pixel devices only. Not only that, the list of compatible Pixel devices is also limited. Below are the only pixels eligible for this Android 13 beta:
- Pixel 4
- Pixel 4XL
- Pixel 4a
- Pixel 4a (5G)
- Pixel 5
- Pixel 5a
- Pixel 6
- Pixel 6 Pro
What’s new in Android 13?
Android 13 is not a revolutionary update for Google’s mobile OS. Instead, when you install software on your phone, you’re greeted with smaller features throughout the system . These include things like a new progress bar for media playback, a screenshot icon for the clipboard, new Material You colors, correct data in the Google Calendar icon, silent mode haptic feedback, and other new tweaks.
It’s possible Google will add new features to Android 13 as beta testing continues, but for now, this remains an incremental update over Android 12.
Understand the risks involved in running Android 13 and all beta software.
Before proceeding, please understand the risks associated with installing beta software on your Pixel, or any other device for that matter. Beta software is inherently a work in progress: it’s a developer’s opportunity to test the software on more devices and find out what bugs or issues still remain.
As such, you may run into any bugs or issues that Google hasn’t fixed yet. You may even run into an issue that will seriously affect your phone, to the point where you need to reset it and remove the beta completely. Because of this risk and the risk of data loss that comes with it, make sure you have a backup of everything important on your device before you install Android 13.
The easiest way to install Android 13 on a Pixel phone
By far the easiest way to get Android 13 on your Pixel is to register the device with Google’s beta program. Instead of manually flashing the beta on your phone, you can simply update from OTA updates in the settings as usual.
To get started, go to Google’s official Android beta testing page and make sure you’re logged into your Google account. On this page, you’ll see all eligible Pixel devices connected to your Google account. To start the process, select “+ Opt In” next to any device you want to install the Android 13 beta on. If you’re already running another Android beta on your Pixel, such as the Android 12 beta, you’ll need to opt out. this program before moving to Android 13.
When you choose to select a device, you will see a pop-up window with various beta programs available from Google. Select “Android 13” then “View Terms”. Follow any additional steps provided here, and once your phone is officially registered, go to Settings > System > System Update to check for Android 13 Beta 1. When it’s available, simply install it to your device and enjoy. You’ll also find future Android 13 beta updates here.
Also, manually install Android 13 beta 1 on your Pixel.
While enrolling your Pixel in the Google Android 13 beta program is the easiest way to upgrade to the beta, it’s not the only way. You can also manually install software on your Pixel if you wish. This is not particularly difficult, but involves several steps.
We’ve written about flashing Android betas before, and Google has instructions specifically for Android 13 , but 9to5Google also has a great walkthrough that breaks down each step of the process.
[ 9to5Google ]