Google has already started developer testing of its next Android OS, Android 15 which will be available to the Public later this year. Since this is a early build of major update, many users would like to try the update before public release. If you have also installed Android 15 on your Pixel phone, but now want to switch back to Android 14, then you are in the right place. Here you will learn how to downgrade Android 15 to Android 14.
This guide will focus on Pixel phones, because the new Android OS is first available to Pixel phones, and also that other OEMs have different ways to install and downgrade. Basically, Pixel users are the first to get their hands on any major Android upgrade.
Usually early builds contain some bugs including major bugs as these builds are meant for testing purposes. So it is possible that you may not be able to enjoy these builds on your primary phone without issues. And this is one of the main reasons why users want to downgrade their phone. There could be many other reasons.
We have already shared how to install Android 15, so if you want to test the early builds of Android 15, you can check our guide. Now let’s jump into the downgrading steps.
Downgrade Android 15 to Android 14
Downgrading to previous Android version is not easy as upgrading. There are many important points a user need to take care of during the downgrade process. Here are requirements to complete for the process.
Pre-requisites:
- Install Google USB Drivers on your PC
- Pixel Phone and USB Cable
- Android Flash Tool (for 1st method)
- Android Platform Tools
- Make sure Bootloader is unlocked
- Back up your data (Both methods will erase your data)
Method 1: Use Android Flash Tool
In this method, we are going to use Android Flash Tool that is an official tool from Google. It can be used right within your web browser. To easily roll back your Pixel phone to stable Android 14 from Android 15 beta, you can use the tool.
- Go to Settings > About Phone > Tap on build number 7 times. Then enable USB Debugging and OEM Unlocking in Developer Options. It maybe already enabled if you unlocked bootloader.
- Connect your Google Pixel phone to your PC via USB cable.
- Now open Android Flash Tool i.e flash.android.com on your browser.
- On the welcome screen, click on the blue Get Started button.
- Grant the ADB access between your PC and Pixel. If you don’t see this screen, pop-ups may be blocked that you first need to unblock.
- Next, you need to click on Add New Device and it will detect your phone. If it doesn’t detect, then choose your Pixel device from the list.
- Allow the Computer to access your Pixel device by accepting the Always allow on your phone.
- Next, on your PC, choose the option that says Back to Public build.
- And finally under the available build, click on the Install Build button.
- The build start downloading and then it will install. After install you will get the option to relock bootloader. Click on Start.
- On your phone, use the volume buttons to choose Lock the Bootloader and then press the Power button to proceed.
- The bootloader will be locked and your phone will restart.
Now you can enjoy the stable Android 14 on your phone.
Method 2: Downgrade via Fastboot
The other method to downgrade Android 15 beta to Android 14 is by manually flashing the latest stable version of Android 14 on Google Pixel phone.
- Make sure your phone’s bootloader is unlocked. And then download the latest Android SDK Platform tools on your PC.
- Unzip the tool to a location where it can be easily accessed.
- Now, download the latest stable version of Android 14 from here. Make sure to download the right build for your phone.
- Enable OEM Unlocking and USB Debugging on your phone. You can enable these in Developer Options. Refer to method 1 step 1.
- Unzip factory image files inside the platform tools folder. If you extracted it in a different folder, copy its content to Platform tools folder.
- Connect your Google Pixel to the PC using the USB data cable.
- Now open the Platform Tools folder on your PC. And in the folder address bar, simply type in cmd and hit the enter key to open command prompt.
- Reboot your Pixel device to bootloader by typing in:
adb reboot bootloader
- If you have Windows PC, double click the flash-all.bat file. But if you have Mac/Linux, go back to the command prompt window and enter:
flash-all
- The Android 14 build will now install on your Pixel. Wait for the process to complete.
- Once it’s done, relock the bootloader if you want to. You will not receive an OTA update if bootloader is unlocked.
To lock the bootloader, you need to enable USB Debugging in Developer options. Then boot your phone into bootloader mode and enter this command:
fastboot flashing lock
The downgrade methods gives opportunity to test latest Android beta builds without worrying about anything. If you ever want to downgrade your Pixel phone from Android 15 to Android 14, you can follow one of these methods. And in case if you have any queries let us know in the comment section.
Also Check:
- How to Backup Pixel Phone to PC and Google Drive
- How to Edit Photos on Pixel Phones with AI Features
- 14 Best Tips and Tricks to Save Battery on Pixel Phones
- Download Android 15 Factory and OTA Images
- Android 15 Features, Compatible Devices, Release Date, and More
- How to Install Android 15 on Pixel Phones (2 Methods)