How to Install Android 14 on Pixel Phones [3 Methods]

It’s already February, and Google has released the first developer preview build of Android 14. There are devices that are yet to receive the Android 13 update but their OEMs are to blame. Google has done its job and has moved ahead with the preparation of the upcoming Android version. Android 14 Developer Preview 2 is out now. Here’s how to install Android 14 on Pixel phones.

Update: Google released the second Android 14 Developer Preview in March followed by First Beta in April and now we have the second Android 14 Beta. You can download its file from this page.

Android 14 is going to be the next major update for Android phones, which is expected to release in August like last year unless there is some delay. And till August we’ll get a developer preview and some beta builds to test.

The initial build of Android 14 comes with several minor changes. These are not huge changes but certainly enough to contribute to better Android OS performance. We are expecting major changes in the upcoming beta builds. In the current Developer Preview build, you’ll notice changes like direct Extreme Battery Saver, an improved security and privacy dashboard, new color accents for Material You, and more. Read more about what’s new in Android 14 on this page.

The Android 14 beta is available and anyone with an eligible phone can now test it. Talking about eligible phones, Google has done some changes to the list. You can check the list of Pixel Phones that are eligible for Android 14.

  • Google Pixel 4a 5G
  • Google Pixel 5
  • Google Pixel 5a
  • Google Pixel 6
  • Google Pixel 6 Pro
  • Google Pixel 6a
  • Pixel 7
  • Pixel 7 Pro

This means three phones from last year have been removed from eligibility, Pixel 4, Pixel 4 XL, and Pixel 4a LTE. If you have a phone from the list above, you can check out the guide to install Android 14 on your Pixel phone.

How to Install Android 14 Public Beta on Google Pixel

There is more than one method to get Android 14 beta on your phone. And you can choose the method as per your preference. If you have a non-Pixel phone or an unsupported phone you can make use of GSI to install Android 14. Stay tuned for the guide coming up later.

Before you head with the installation guide, make sure to follow these important prerequisites.

  • Make sure to take a full backup of your phone
  • Charge your phone to at least 50%
  • There can be minor and even major bugs as this is beta build (Not recommended for Primary phone)
  • Install ADB & Fastboot drivers or download Android SDK Platform Tools folder

How to Install Android 14 using Android Flash Tool

This method requires an unlocked bootloader device, so make sure to first unlock the bootloader of your Google Pixel phone. And then proceed with the following steps.

  1. Open Settings on your Google Pixel phone and go to About Phone. Tap seven times on Build Number to enable developer options.
    android 11 system settings screenshot
  2. Go back to main Settings and open Developer Options. And enable USB Debugging to use ADB.
    android 11 usb debugging option
  3. Connect your Pixel to your PC directly using an original USB cable.
  4. Open the Android Flash Tool page using this link. It will ask for ADB permission on your browser, allowing it to use ADB.
    How to Install Android 14 on Pixel Phones
  5. On the webpage click on Add New Device, then select the device model and click on Connect.
  6. Also allow debugging on your phone, when a pop-up appears.
  7. Now select your connected device on the browser.
  8. Choose the latest Android 14 build from the list. Also, select the option to wipe data for clean flash.
  9. Click on the Install button and just wait for the process to complete.
  10. Once the flash completes, disconnect your phone and enjoy the latest Android 14 beta.

How to Install Android 14 using Full OTA Image

Unlocking the bootloader is not required for this method, but Google is highly recommending unlocking the bootloader for this process. Also, make sure your phone is updated to the latest Android 13 build.

  1. Install ADB & Fastboot drivers on your PC or you can also use the Android SDK Platform tools folder.
  2. Download the Android 14 OTA Image for your device from here. If the file name is big then rename the file (eg. Update.zip) for an easy process. Remember you must be on the latest Android 13 update to use this OTA.
  3. Now enable USB Debugging on your Pixel phone. Check out the first method to know how to enable it.
  4. Connect your Pixel phone to your PC. You will receive a prompt on your phone, click on Allow to grant debugging authorization. If you don’t receive the prompt enter ‘adb devices’ in CMD and it should show the connected device id.
  5. Once your Pixel phone is connected to the computer enter the command below to boot the pixel phone into Recovery Mode.
    • adb reboot recovery
  6. Once the phone boot into Recovery Mode, select the option ‘Apply Update from ADB’.
  7. Now run the following command to install the latest Android 14 on your Pixel phone. Make sure to enter the correct file name that you renamed in the first step. Replace Update with the correct file name if it is different in your case.
    • adb sideload Update.zip
  8. It will now install Android 14 on your Pixel phone. After installing the file select ‘Reboot system now’ to boot into the system.

How to Install Android 14 using Factory Image

  1. We will be using adb and fastboot commands so first install the adb and fastboot drivers or download the Android sdk platform tools folder (in this case open cmd from platform tools folder whenever cmd is required).
  2. Download the Android 14 Factory Image for your Pixel phone from here.
  3. Extract the Factory Image on your computer.
  4. Now connect your pixel phone to your pc using USB and open cmd (command prompt).
  5. Enter the below adb command to boot your phone into fastboot mode.
    • adb reboot bootloader
  6. Once your phone is in fastboot mode, enter the below command to unlock bootloader (It will wipe all the data from your phone).
    • fastboot flashing unlock
  7. Navigate to the directory where extracted fastboot image is available. It will include flash-all bat and sh file.
  8. In the case of Windows run the .bat file and in the case of Mac run the .sh file.
  9. It will install Android 14 on your phone. Your phone will reboot into the system.
  10. You can now relock the bootloader using the below command. Boot your phone to fastboot mode before using the given command.
    • Fastboot flashing lock

So these are the three methods you can use to install Android 14 on your Google Pixel. You may already know testing builds could have bugs so make sure you know the risk before upgrading your phone. In case you have any queries feel free to ask in the comment section.

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AUTHOR.

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Ashutosh singh

Computer Science graduate and tech enthusiast. Love testing new tech gadgets ever since my first windows phone from Samsung. Working as a technical writer for more than five years, and I believe I have also developed good SEO skills. In my spare time, I like watching movies, and playing games.

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