How to Download and Install Android 16

Sadique Hassan•Updated Nov 20, 2024

In this guide, we will show you the steps to download and install the latest Android 16 build on your device. While many devices are still enjoying the taste of Upside Down Cake and a few have managed to get their hands on Vanilla Ice Cream, Google surprised everyone by treating us with Baklava- three months before its scheduled time! So without any further ado, let’s have a look at all the new ingredients that were used in making this Turkish dessert and how the Silicon Valley giant was able to serve this dish at such an early stage.

Table of Contents

Android 16 Release Schedule

download install android 16

Owning to the traditions of the previous four OS releases, Google released the first Developer Preview build of Android 15 in February as well. However, this time around, it has left the tech enthusiast amused [in a good way though] by releasing the first build of the sixteenth iteration of the OS in the month of November itself. With that said, there’s still no concrete plan laid down by Google for the release schedule of this OS build, but here’s a tentative schedule that should give you an idea of the same:

Date	Release
November 2024	Android 16 Developer Preview 1
December 2024	Android 16 Developer Preview 2
January 2025	Android 16 Beta 1
February 2025	Android 16 Beta 2
March 2025	Android 16 Beta 3
April 2025	Android 16 Beta 4

Moreover, the first quarter of 2025 will be the feature release phase whereas the Android 16 Beta 3 slated for March 2025 will mark the OS Platform Stability phase [which happened in June 2024 for Android 15]. For the unaware, the Platform Stability milestone also marks the time frame when developers are allowed to release updates to their apps on Google Play Store to make their apps compatible with the latest OS build.

android 16 release schedule

What’s New in Android 16

So here comes the million-dollar question- what’s new in Android 16? At the time of writing, we are still at a very early stage [Developer Preview 1], so there are only a handful of new features that you’ll come across. With that said, as soon as the OS reaches new milestones [DP2, Beta 1, and so on], new features will be added and we will update this section accordingly. So make sure to keep track of the same at frequent intervals.

Embedded photo picker

While Android already comes with an embedded photo picker [it was first introduced with Android 13 wherein it requests access to photos and videos from your gallery], however, that isn’t being used by many third-party apps. This might soon change as Google has now strictly advised the apps to incorporate this feature into their app its wrath.

Medical Record in Health Connect

With Android 16, Health Connect will let apps read and write medical records in the Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources format.

Privacy Sandbox

With the Android 16 update, Google has “incorporated the latest version” of the Privacy Sandbox module.

New Dessert Name

As you might be aware, Google assigns a new dessert name in alphabetical order to each new release of the OS [Cupcake > Doughnut < Eclair < ……..< Tiramisu < Upside Down Cake > Vanilla Ice Cream]. So users were playing the guessing game as to what dessert name Google assign beginning with the letter W. Well, the Silicon Valley giant surprised everyone by instead opting for Baklava, a Turkish dessert [Google’s new project “Android trunk stable” is to be “blamed” for this deviation from the naming convention].

Now that you are aware of the new features that the latest OS holds in its arsenal, let’s get started with the steps to download and install the latest Android 16 build onto your device via two different methods.

How to Download and Install Android 16

Do note that the Developer Preview is only intended for the developers and isn’t aimed at the Beta testers, let alone generic users. With that said, if you are still willing to test out this build then make yourself acquainted with the fact that there are bound to be a few bugs and unfinished edges. If that’s all well and good, then let’s get started with the steps to download and install Android 16 onto your devices.

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you’re currently running Android 15 QPR2 Beta 1 and you want to install Android 16, then you’ll first have to factory reset your device. This is because Android 15 QPR2 Beta 1 is a newer build than Android 16 DP1 [technically speaking], so going from the former to the latter might actually be considered a downgrade which is not possible without a data wipe.

In this regard, there are two ways of flashing a build on your Pixel- manually installing the factory image or via the Android Flash Tool. If you are opting for the former, then the flash_all.bat file will automatically do a reset for you. On the other hand, if you are flashing it via the Android Flash Tool, then make sure to checkmark “wipe device” [if you are currently on Android 15 QPR2 Beta 1].

Supported Android 16 Devices

Google has surprised the OG Tensor chipset devices by making Android 16 available for the Pixel 6 series as well! So all Tensor devices are currently under the umbrella of this latest OS build, which is definitely commendable.

Pixel 6 and 6 Pro
Pixel 6a
Pixel 7 and 7 Pro
Pixel 7a
Pixel Fold
Pixel Tablet
Pixel 8 and 8 Pro
Pixel 8a
Pixel 9, 9 Pro, 9 Pro XL, and 9 Pro Fold

Download Links for Android Flash Tool

Download Factory Images

DOWNLOAD LINK

Install Android 16 via the Android Flash Tool

How to Flash Firmware on Pixel via Android Flash Tool

Install Android 16 via Factory Images

STEP 1: Install Android SDK

First and foremost, you will have to install the Android SDK Platform Tools on your PC. This is the official ADB and Fastboot binary provided by Google and is the only recommended one. So download it and then extract it to any convenient location on your PC. Doing so will give you the platform-tools folder, which will be used throughout this guide.

STEP 2: Enable USB Debugging and OEM Unlocking

Next up, you will also have to enable USB Debugging and OEM Unlocking on your device. The former will make your device recognizable by the PC in ADB mode. This will then allow you to boot your device to Fastboot Mode. On the other hand, OEM Unlocking is required to carry out the bootloader unlocking process.

So head over to Settings > About Phone > Tap on Build Number 7 times > Go back to Settings > System > Developer Options > Enable USB Debugging and OEM Unlocking.

STEP 3: Unlock Bootloader on Pixel

Next up, you will also have to unlock the device’s bootloader. Do keep in mind that doing so will wipe off all the data from your device and could nullify its warranty as well. So if that’s all well and good, then please refer to our detailed guide on How to Unlock the Bootloader on Pixel Devices

STEP 4: Download Android 14 Firmware

Next up, grab hold of your device’s stock firmware [factory image] from the above links:
Once you have downloaded the firmware, extract it inside the platform-tools folder.

STEP 5: Boot Pixel Device to Fastboot Mode

To begin with, connect your device to the PC via a USB cable. Make sure USB Debugging is enabled.
Then head over to the platform-tools folder, type in CMD in the address bar, and hit Enter. This will launch the Command Prompt.
Type in the following command in the CMD window to boot your device to Fastboot Mode
```
adb reboot bootloader
```
To verify the Fastboot connection, type in the below command and you should get back the device ID.
```
fastboot devices
```

STEP 6: Flash Android 16 on Pixel via Fastboot Script

Double-click on the flash-all.bat file and the flashing will start.
Once done, use the below command to boot your device to the OS:
```
fastboot reboot
```

That’s it. These were the steps to download and install the latest Android 16 build on your Pixel device. Since this is a developing story, we will update this post as and when there are any further developments. So stay tuned and keep a tab on the same at regular intervals.

Tags:

Android 16Android Flash Tool