Release date, previews, touches and everything you need to know

Android 12’s first preview releases are probably just around the corner. If you’re hoping to check it out early and this is the first time, we’s put together a quick overview of the topic based on our years of experience that will help you get ready for your first look at Android 12 when it lands .

For whom is it?

To begin with, we have to make it very clear that the first developer previews for Android 12, as their name should indicate, are meant for developers. While enthusiasts (including myself) are likely to download it for fun, they are often sparse and unstable, and Google did not make it for us. It exists so that developers can play with new APIs and other system-level changes, and provide feedback for the adjustments before they are finalized, before final release.

Sometimes Google’s customizations have unintended consequences, and developers are the first to spot potential issues so they can be customized. Stability issues are common in these early stages. Even if recent previews were particularly stable, there is no guarantee for Android 12. Problems can range from app crashes to unexpected reloads, or even more serious issues, such as boot bugs or data corruption.

Look forward to new features, such as the privacy indicators (pictured above) for the use of the microphone and camera, although they may not appear in the first version.

Not infrequently, developer previews have issues that need problem solving to solve. A soft brick is possible, but unlikely. You should feel comfortable snooping around in a recovery menu and, if necessary, loading an OTA manually via ADB – or at least being willing to learn the process independently if and when things go wrong.

I also recommend that you be willing and able to provide Google with bug reports if you experience problems or unexpected behavior. Think of this as the starting point for Android: there is a responsibility that this extra Android 12 legroom brings, and you are expected to provide quality feedback. This does not mean that there is a slap in the face about the icon distance fired by the feedback app, that is, that you are pulling system logs, describing a problem in exact terms, and taking the steps necessary to display it document so that the problem can be addressed by engineers and rectified.

If you are a smartphone lover with an extra phone at hand, the developer previews can be fun. But if you are thinking of installing it on your only device for daily use, I would do it strong advise against it.

When will it come out?

We do not have an official release date at the time of writing, but if history is an indication, there are only a handful of days the first Android 12 developer preview could end up.

First, Google raised the normal release schedule by about a month last year and dropped the first Android 11 developer preview in February last year. The Android Beta Feedback app is built into the preview and beta versions, as Android 10 Q also received a random update in early February this year. This is not conclusive proof, but it is a strong indication that we may see an Android 12 release for Android 12 again earlier this year, but it may also land early to mid-March as in previous years.

Dates marked in green are our guesses.

Second, Google almost always releases preview and beta versions on a Wednesday (usually at 10:00 PT). There have been exceptions, but these are rare, so we’ll probably see a Wednesday release again.

If you look at the calendar, keeping both of these details in mind, a handful of dates are possible during February and March:

• February 17
• February 24
• March 3
• March 10
• March 17

Recently, Google planned for six preview / beta releases, but last year we got a random extra one, and Android P did five. Lacking any details, I would expect a similar schedule for six releases for Android 12 this year. Last year, Google also started the habit of repairing bug updates between the planned releases, and I would expect that to continue.

The final stable release usually takes place in the third quarter around August or September.

What phones can it get?

This may differ, but if previous years are an indication, the early preview of developers will be limited to current Pixel devices. This means all Pixels after the Pixel 2 series.

I would expect the following phones to have developer previews on the first day:

If you do not own a supported device but want to view the early Android Betas, a refurbished or used Pixel 3 or Pixel 3a can be picked up fairly cheaply.

When the Android Beta app launches later this year, we’ll probably see more phones get their own Android 12 beta apps. Often, companies like OnePlus, OPPO, Xiaomi and ASUS will release their own Android betas for one or two flagship devices this summer. Last year, we got it right at the time Beta 1 for Pixels ended up, around the time Google would have been I / O. These third-party releases can sometimes be a version behind the Pixels.

How do I install it?

Installing Google’s later Android Betas is easy: all you have to do is join the Android Beta Apps website. If you already look at the previews and betas, updates will also end up automatically. However, Google makes installing the previous developer previews a bit more difficult. I think a higher access barrier helps to get rid of those who can’t fix issues that regularly occur with the preview versions, but that means installing developer previews is a more manual process.

Google provides instructions on how to flash images on its OTA download site, and the same details apply to previews. I would encourage you to find a breakthrough that is specific to your platform for the specific steps, such as installing ADB and sideloading an OTA. On some platforms, like Linux, this is easier done than others. But the short version is:

1. Install the Android SDK tools (ie ADB) and USB drivers (if you are using Windows).
2. Download the developer preview OTA image for your device. This link will redirect to the stable images for now, but once previews are available, it should work again.
3. Connect your phone to your computer.
4. Restart the recovery (via ADB / USB debugging or the key combination) and go to the sideloading mode – power + volume on open the recovery menu, scroll through the volume key to ‘apply update of ADB’ and select it with a tap on the power button.
   1. See if it worked by inserting “adb devices” (no quotes) into a shell or command prompt. If ADB is installed and your phone is in the right mode, you should see an identifier for your phone and a “sideload” condition is reported.
5. Flash the OTA via a shell or command prompt using ‘adb sideload your_file_name_here.zip’ without quotes, where the file name is the name of the OTA image you downloaded earlier. On some platforms you need to precede ADB commands with “./” to make it work properly.
6. Staring anxiously at your phone while it installs slowly.
7. Reload it when you are done.

You can also use the Android Flash Tool, which works directly from your browser (full instructions here). Last year, Google made it compatible with Developer Preview 2 and later, and we may see that happen later this year. It’s easier and works on multiple platforms – one of our readers humorously installed an Android 11 Developer Preview on a Pixel from another Pixel, which I’m still laughing about.

We should note that sometimes a new version of the Android SDK platform tool is required for a new version, so if you experience issues once the developer preview is available, you may want to check for updates. And while some guidelines you see claim that you need to unlock your boot loader to install the developer previews, this is not correct. OTA images can be easily uploaded without unlocking your bootloader.

Developer Preview Beta

Google’s timeline varies slightly and has used different names over the years. Back in Android 8 Oreo and Android 9 Pie we just got ‘Developer Previews’. With Android Q, Google decided to call everyone ‘Betas’. Last year we got a mix: Developer previews for the first few versions, Betas for the last few.

It’s possible that Google could play with the naming between Developer Previews and Betas with the Android 12 test releases – or they could even name something new. We’ve seen the company adjust this name regularly. However, I think last year showed a good descriptive mix with the two different names as the versions went on, and it made clear how these test versions change over time. The early preview versions are less stable, prone to change and target developers, and things can go wrong. The later betas land after things start to settle, developers can expect stable behavior, no major additions, almost final or final APIs, and armchair enthusiasts may consider sticking their toes in without so much worry. I hope Google sticks to the same language for Android 12.

If so, you can expect a switch from developer previews to Betas somewhere in the middle of the schedule, just when Google I / O would be – not that we expect me / this year to happen.

Lastly, I just want to point out (because thousands of people ask about it every time it happens): Developer preview and beta updates often break contactless payments for a few days after their release. It’s a thing, it’s fixed in almost a few days, and it’s nothing to get excited about when it happens with every update.